#*spends all day drawing him* oh yes excellent he’s so fun to draw *wife comes home and shows me Inside* Ah.

[demynom]

Onceler ass

[harrylilies]

The Royal Series | Pt. VIII

The Royal Series Masterlist

"Come on, Henry!" You laughed at your brother, wrapping the scarf you got him around his neck. "It's your best picture!" The green and red scarf had a picture of him fighting a pap in 2004 all over it, ready to be worn.

"You were only 10 when this happened, how did you even remember this?" He laughed, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and squeezing you to his chest.

"Brings out the colour in your eyes." Will said, helping Charlotte off of his lap and letting her run towards you.

"Think you should wear my gift to your boyfriend's family meeting." Harry joked, letting you go.

You rolled your eyes, scooping Charlotte in your arms. "Did you see Granny's face when I opened the gift?"

Harry mimicked, making everyone in William's drawing room laugh. "Admit it, it's a nice sweatshirt."

"The best thing to wear to a first family meeting; Harry Styles have my babies. Excellent choice." You said sarcastically, swaying Charlotte gently in your place.

"Teetee, did you like my present?" Charlotte asked enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around your neck.

"I loved it! I'm putting that picture frame beside me, on my bedside table. So every morning when I wake up and every night before I sleep, I see you and your brother. It's the best to wake up and sleep to, Charlie." You smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek, "Also, our little squish here wrote me a very nice letter." You nodded towards Kate's baby bump.

Spending more time with your family doing nothing but laughing, teasing one another, and reminiscing the days when you were all younger, it wasn’t long before you were putting on your coat and ready to leave.

"Do you have to go?" Charlotte whined, frowning as she looked at you.

You cooed, "Aw, none of that now, Charlie. I'll be back before you know it."

"Yeah, Charl, Teetee will only be gone for a few days before she comes back." Kate said, standing beside you as she assured her daughter, "We don't want Y/N leaving with us crying and her getting sad, do we?"

Charlotte nodded before letting out a dramatic sigh, "Okay."

"Now, I really have to go. Want to help me get my bags?" To which Charlotte nodded eagerly to, making you grin, "Where's your brother? Where's Georgie?"

"I think he's in his room." Will said, standing up.

"Let's go get him, Charlie. Let old Daddy sit, wouldn't want him hurting his back." You said teasingly as you walked past your brother, hearing everyone behind you snickering.

"Hey! Don't tell my daughter that!" Will joked, making you wave him off.

Reaching George's room, you let Charlotte knock before you heard him give you a "Come in!"

You opened the door gently, peaking yours and Charlotte's head inside to see George sitting on his floor, playing with the train toy set you had gotten him. His head snapped towards you, a grin instantly drawn to his face as he stood up and sped towards you, hugging your legs. "Auntie, you're still here!"

"I am, baby, but I wanted to ask you if you want to join me and Charlie and help me with my suitcases?" You stroked his scalp gently.

"Yes, of course! I'll get my train." He said before walking back to his previous spot, taking one red train before walking beside you, holding your hand.

George opened the door to your room, going inside and climbing up the bed till he sat, his feet dangling and swaying as he made train noises and flew his toy in the air. You sat Charlotte beside him, giving her the small piano toy she had left in your room the previous day, before unlocking your phone, finding 3 missed calls from Harry.

"Shit," you cursed under your breath, turning your phone slightly to find that it was silenced.

You instantly called him back, balancing the phone between your ear and shoulder blade as you opened your plain blue suitcase, double checking that nothing was missing before checking your duffel bag, too.

"I thought you got cold feet." Harry said as soon as he picked up, followed by a heartfelt laugh.

You smiled to yourself, taking your red sweater in your hand, "No, no. My phone's mute button was probably pushed by accident. Is something wrong?"

"No, love. I just wanted to make sure that you're," he cleared his throat, "You know, still coming."

"I am, H. I'm about to leave," you assured him before chuckling, "They still don't believe you?"

"They don't. Even showed them a couple of pictures but they told me that my fans make insane photoshopped pictures. I’m starting to feel very offended."

You laughed, zipping your suitcase. "Good thing I'm spending New Year's with you then, huh?"

"The best. Still sure about that? Wouldn't your family have your head?" He asked. "One, I'm sure. Two, told you it's me who decides. Now," you held your phone with your hand, "I have to go get dressed. I'll text you when I'm near, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I'm waiting for you. Take care, yeah?"

"Always do. Bye, baby." And so, it slipped from your mouth, making your eyes widen and your other hand to cover your mouth.

The pet name didn't seem to go unnoticed by Harry as he giggled quietly into the phone, giving you an eager "bye!" and a kissy noise before hanging up.

"I'm going to go change, I'll be right back." You informed your niece and nephew who only nodded at you, too engrossed in their toys.

_

With the car door open wide for you, you bent down, hugging George and Charlotte close to your chest, kissing their temples. "Be good for Mummy and Daddy, will you?"

"Yes, Teetee." They both replied, their arms on you.

"Come on, give me a kiss." You smiled, patting your cheeks for them to which they giggled at, leaning forward and planting loving kisses on your cheeks. "I love you."

"Love you, Teetee!"

Getting into the car and blowing everyone a kiss, you nodded at your driver who stood by the driver's door side. "Don't worry, Ben. I’ll be careful." You smiled, "You spend some time with your family."

"I did actually spend a wonderful time with my wife and the kids." He smiled, closing the door after you got in and put on your seatbelt before you put down your window.

"Oh! Did they like my presents? I certainly hope they did. Although I'm not so sure about the sizes, I just picked the ones suitable for your daughters' and wife's ages." You chuckled, looking up at him.

"They loved it, Your Highness! And the sweaters fit them just right. Lilly especially wanted me to thank you and invite you for a tea party." Ben chuckled humorously as he referred to his youngest daughter, only being 5.

You grinned, perking up. "I love tea parties! I'd gladly come if you'd let me."

Ben laughed in delight, nodding eagerly. "Of course we would! You're welcomed to visit anytime, Your Highness."

You smiled, starting the car before waving at him before you drove off, already feeling the nervous butterflies in your stomach at the thought of meeting Harry's family after a 3-hour drive.

Meanwhile, Harry sat on his mother's sofa, laughing at Gemma's embarrassing stories that Anne was telling Michal, Gemma's boyfriend, laughing at his sister's sour face.

"Oh, come on. At least I'm not as delusional as Harold here, says he's with HRH Princess Y/N." Gemma snickered.

Harry groaned, dropping his head low in defeat. "She's coming in a few hours."

"Oh dear, I have to move the pebbles for when the horses arrive on our doorstep." Anne joked.

"She doesn't move in coaches, Mum." Harry laughed.

"Probably wings." Gemma joked, motioning with her arms to wings, making Harry throw a cushion on her.

"Stop it, Gemma. Stop making fun of your brother," Anne said, standing up and taking two of the many empty glasses on the table which belonged to some of Harry's family whom were in their presence but left, "I raised you both to never make fun of troubled people." She giggled, speeding off to the kitchen.

"Hey, why are you doubting him? Harry's pretty big and known." Michal defended him, looking at Gemma.

Gratefully, Harry made prayer hands as he closed his eyes, mouthing "Thank you" to him.

"I'm not belittling him but," Gemma began, "This 23-year-old woman, one of the most beautiful, whose father is Prince Charles and mother is Princess Diana and her grandmother is the fucking Queen and was raised and continues to live in the monarchy is pretty big, too."

"You always believed me when I told you about my girlfriends." Harry gave her a side eye, raising his eyebrows.

"Because you dated what we now call ordinary people, T Swift, Kendall Jenner. If a colleague of mine told me that they were dating them I'd believe them," she stood up, taking a couple of glasses before following Anne to the kitchen. "Better start cleaning before Her Highness arrives.”

Harry rolled his eyes, looking at Michal. "At least you believe me."

Michal chuckled, standing up as him and Harry started helping Anne and Gemma with the remains of the Christmas get-together they threw.

_

"It told me to make a left, so I did." You said, glancing at your phone in its holder before looking at your surroundings. "Alright wait, I'm coming outside." Harry said through the speaker, the sound of some shuffling around being heard next.

"Are you wearing a green jumper?" You asked, squinting your eyes to get a better look at the figure in front of you.

"Yes! Is that you in the black ca-Oh, hi." He giggled as you drove closer to him, finally getting a clearer view. "Bye bye." He eagerly said before hanging up, watching you park in front of him.

You grinned as you rolled your window up and took your keys and phone, Harry opening your door for you.

The moment you got out, Harry wrapped his arms around your waist, bringing you chest-to-chest closer. "You look very cuddly right now," he whispered, kissing your hair. "You always look cuddly now that I think about it."

You laughed, putting your hands on his chest and looking up at him. "I got some nice cocoa powder for hot chocolate. It's the best you'll ever have."

"I think we have marshmallows." He nodded. "Where are my manners?" Harry asked himself. Smiling as he leaned down, he pressed his lips to yours. Your leaned back on your car, smiling into the kiss as your hands moved to his jaw.

"They still don't believe you?" You asked as you took your breath, glancing back at his house before looking at him.

Harry rolled his eyes, "They teased me enough."

You tried not to laugh, though did a terrible job at it, before patting his chest, "Come on then. Let's meet them." You got out of his grasp and towards your boot. Right as you were about to take your suitcase, Harry beat you to it, taking it out, draping your duffel bag on his shoulder before closing the boot.

"I can take it." You said as he rolled your suitcase in one hand, the other holding yours.

"So can I. Come on." You both walked towards his open door, you smiling sheepishly as you tried not to look around.

"It's quiet." You whispered as Harry put your suitcase and duffel bag beside the door after kicking it close.

He chuckled, "They're in the back."

"I got presents." You whispered again, "Oh shit, I forgot to take them from the backseat." You opened the door, practically jogging towards your car before Harry followed you, grinning as he saw you take out neatly wrapped medium sized boxes in glistening and vibrant Christmas wrapping. "I trust you with the sizes you gave me."

"You got Mum that dress you showed me?" He asked, helping you and taking two boxes, leaving you with one which had a card on top of it with your neat handwriting that said “Merry Christmas, Michal!”

You nodded, humming. "And got Gemma the striped suit and the golf watch for Michal. Is that all alright?"

"Baby, I told you that you don't even have to get anything." Harry chuckled, bumping his hip with yours.

"It's Christmas, H. Everyone deserves nice presents." You smiled.

"Let's put these under the tree." Harry said, raising his eyebrows upwards as you both walked inside. Instantly smiling at the cosy aura the place had, your eyes fell on the twinkling Christmas tree by the window. You put the box under it, waiting as Harry put the other two there.

"And your gift is in my suitcase." You giggled, looking up at him.

"Yours is in my room." He replied with a dimpled grin, "Come on."

With his hand on your waist, you both walked towards the kitchen where you heard chatter and clinking, making you look at Harry, giving him a nervous smile. "Oh God." You whispered to yourself, huffing out before putting a strand of your hair behind your ear, your fingers lacing together in front of you, sheepishly.

Harry gave you a quick peck on the cheek before walking inside the kitchen, clearing his throat to catch his family's attention.

You could almost hear a pin drop. All of their jaws dropped, faces going tint red, looking intently at the new addition. You looked up at Harry for a second before looking back at the ones in front of you. "Hi, I'm Y/N."

"What the fuck?" Gemma was the first to speak, Harry cringing as he squeezed your waist slightly. Gemma's eyes caught her brother's, who widened his green eyes at her before she cleared her throat, drying her hands in the yellow towel on her shoulder before putting it on the chair. "Do I-Do I curtsy?"

"God, please don't," You laughed, moving forward and naturally wrapping your arms around her in a brief hug. "You look a lot like Harry. It's insane."

Still at a loss of words, Gemma awkwardly hugged back, looking at Harry from over your shoulder as he smirked at her, cocking an eyebrow. "You look like-" She cleared her throat, "Like how I see you on the telly."

You chuckled, pulling away, "I'm hoping that's a good thing?"

"Yeah, of course. Of course, it is."

"Excuse my daughter," Anne spoke, moving forward and approaching you with a wide, loving smile. "I'm Anne."

You and Anne hugged, her rubbing your back soothingly as she did. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things?" She asked jokingly as you both pulled away.

"The best." You nodded in confirmation.

"It's so nice to meet you." Michal said, leaning down and giving you a greeting hug before looking at Gemma, "Guess your brother isn't so delusional after all, huh?"

"Shut up." She said under her breath, covering her face.

"Let's take this to the living room, shall we?" Anne grinned enthusiastically.

"They're starstruck." Harry leaned down, whispering in your ear.

"I'm more of in awe that I'm meeting them." You giggled, holding his hand that was draped from your shoulder.

"Who got-Oh God, did you-" Anne gasped, looking back at you from the tree.

"It's Christmas. It's also a thank you for making me spend New Year's with you." You smiled warmly, feeling yourself get hotter, “I hope that’s okay.”

"Did I just get a present from the Princess of the United Kingdom?" Gemma asked her boyfriend quietly who tried to stifle his laughter and not burst out laughing before his face fell, looking at one box under the tree, "Yup. She got you one, too."

"I read online that's she's known in the royal family to get the funniest Christmas gifts." He whispered back.

They couple both shared a look before looking at you, laughing at something Anne said. "We did make fun of our Harry, honestly. Sorry, darling."

"I felt very offended, thank you very much." Harry put his hand on his heart dramatically before looking at you, "How was your drive here?"

"Very nice and quiet. That intersection you told me about saved me a lot of time." You pointed at Harry.

"No offense, sweetheart but what do we call you?" Anne asked warmly, “We have never really interacted with someone from the royal family this close before, excuse us.”

"Please, don’t worry. Just Y/N would be great."

"And please call me Anne," Anne pointed at herself, "Oh where are my manners? Are you hungry, sweetheart? We had nice turkey and mashed potatoes."

"Mum makes incredible turkey." Harry said from beside you on the sofa, his hand on your knee.

"Thank you so much, Anne, but I think I'm so full. I managed to get myself pizza on the way.”

“How many slices did you have? You can’t be that full, love.” Harry asked.

“Got a large and finished it all actually,” you shrugged, “But actually, I got us some fine cocoa powder if you fancy a nice hot cocoa cuppa. It's homemade." You grinned, standing up to walk towards your suitcase, "Actually if you don't mind, I can make them."

"Oh, love. You really didn't have to." Anne laughed in delight, watching as you shook your head at her with a warm smile, "Gemma can help you."

"Of course!" Gemma perked up, standing up, "I personally love eating cocoa powder."

You laughed, pointing at her, " Me too! My brothers make fun of me for it all the time."

You and Gemma walked towards your suitcase by the door before you opened it, taking the packet of cocoa from one of the pockets and closing it. Gemma hummed, closing her eyes "It already smells so good."

"Trust me, it's the best you'll ever have." You assured her as you both walked back to where everyone was. Harry leaned his head back on the sofa, looking at you upside down before giving you a childlike wide grin, almost as if he was assuring you that it was going well.

_

Standing in the kitchen with Gemma as you warmed the milk, she cleared her throat, getting you to look at her. You felt nervous, almost as if you were preparing yourself for the talk.

"So, you and little Harold? How did that even happen?" She chuckled, looking at you as she leaned on the counter.

"I've been a fan of One Direction for as long as I remember and I've always, you know, kind of had a soft spot for H. I don't get to go to concerts and shows very often but I went to his show a few months ago after getting in contact with Jeff then I met him. We met then we went to this local bar not far away with the rest of the band and we sort of," you shrugged with a smile, "Clicked."

"I bet he was shitting himself," she laughed, turning off the stove before taking out mugs for you. "From what he told us, you haven't been dating for long."

You nodded, "Almost two months."

"I'm sorry if this is too straightforward but does your family know?" Gemma asked quietly.

"My brothers and their partners know that we're together, yes. Uh, my grandparents and father know something is going on but we kind of had," you gestured with your hands, "A disagreement you can say. They'll come around."

"But you're planning on telling them, right?"

You nodded instantly, "Definitely," you paused, sighing as you looked at her, "I know what you're thinking. I really don't plan on hurting Harry."

"What about your family? Do they not?"

Deciding to not take it to heart, you simply shook your head. "My family won't get in the way of what makes me happy."

"I'm sorry if I come off as a bitch, I just," Gemma stopped, looking at you sympathetically.

"I understand," You smiled, "I'd do the same if I were in your place. You're just looking out for your brother and I truly respect that."

Gemma smiled in gratitude before shaking her head, "God, you sound so posh."

As the night went on and everyone was more comfortable, you were tucked in Harry's side, his arm wrapped tightly around you.

Empty mugs of hot cocoa were proof of the success and so were the smiling faces in the room. Gemma, Anne and Michal sat with their presents on their laps as they waited to unwrap them.

First went Anne, neatly unwrapping the present after complimenting your choice of wrapping paper. Her eyes almost widened at the Versace box, opening the lid slowly as she gasped at what's inside. She took the dress out, holding it at arm's length as she gushed over it. "Y/N! This is gorgeous, sweetheart!" She stood up, holding it over her.

"Ooooo, look at you." Gemma grinned, now feeling over the moon excited to open her present.

"This is a lot, Y/N."

"It's not, I promise. You're letting me stay here for 6 whole days, Anne. It's the least." You truthfully said, giggling when she gave you a kiss on the cheek.

Harry grinned at the interaction, rubbing your arm.

"Okay, my turn!" Gemma exclaimed, unwrapping the present before gasping at the Alexander McQueen box, "Oh God," She laughed, opening it. "Ooooo,"

"I trusted H with the sizes." You informed them, watching as Gemma took out the black and white striped jumpsuit out.

"I love you already." Gemma pretended to wipe her tears, making everyone laugh. "Thank you so much, Y/N." "You're welcome, Gemma. I bet it would look so good with red lipstick." You wiggled your eyebrows.

"You know what? We're going out tomorrow and I'm wearing that." She pointed at you. Gemma sat down, elbowing Michal, "Go on then."

Opening his box after unwrapping it, Michal let out an excited laugh as he looked at the expensive golf watch he remembers telling Gem about it a year ago. "That's massive! Thank you!"

"It's no problem. Harry told me you're really into golf. He helped me with this one." You smiled up at Harry who scrunched his nose.

"Did a great job, mate."

_

You left your hair down as you changed into your pyjamas, walking inside Harry's room. Right as you stepped inside, Harry quickly covered something with the covers, making you stand on the doorway with your hand on your hip. "Got something, Styles?"

"Don't know what you're talking about." Harry shrugged, tilting his head at you with a cheeky grin.

You sighed dramatically, "Guess I just won't give you your present then."

Harry laughed, throwing his head back, "Y/N!" He whined.

"Fine," you chuckled, "Alright I got you a bunch of stuff actually." You took the rectangular box out of your duffel bag, holding it out as you sat beside him on the bed, crossing your legs.

"Okay," Harry breathed out, copying your moves and sitting in front of you with his legs crossed, unwrapping the box. "You have really nice wrapping paper."

"Thank you, I take pride in choosing and wrapping them." You giggled, bringing your knees closer to your chest as you rested your chin on your knee.

The first thing Harry got out of the box was a book that had a cat in front books and a typewriter on cover, the title being "I Could Pee On This" along with "And Other Poems by Cats"

Harry burst out laughing; his eyes shut and his head back as his hand slapped his thigh. "Where did you even find this?!"

You only shrugged in response, grinning at his reaction. "I know you love cats and I thought it might be exactly what you need."

"I definitely needed that. Thank you, baby." He laughed, putting it beside him before taking out the next item. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the packet in his hand, reading what was written; "Animal butt magnets."

"When I first came to your house, I noticed your fridge didn't have any magnets so I thought you should add a few there."

Harry laughed, turning the packet to you, "You got me animal butts for me to stick on my fridge?"

You nodded excitedly, hugging your legs, "Precisely!"

"You're absolutely mental." Harry chuckled, leaning forward to peck your lips.

"Now for the grand, real gift!" You exclaimed in a reporter's voice, opening your arms wide.

Harry grinned, glancing at you before closing his eyes and taking the last item out of the box. His eyes fell on his hands, laughing, "Love, is that-" He glanced at you before opening the wallet in his hands, "It's a wallet! You got me a wallet that looks like burnt toast!"

"I love all of them!" Harry laughed, moving until he propped himself up on his knees, cupping your face in his hands as he pressed his lips to yours. "Has anyone ever told you how creative you are with gifts?" You hummed, smiling up at him before glancing at his lips, "Maybe one or two."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." You whispered back, pecking his lips.

"You might not know it but you've been touching your present all along." Harry chuckled, kissing your temple for a second before taking the box from under the covers.

"H, it's made a fucking lump. Of course I knew it was a present." You laughed, looking at the green wrapped box.

You unwrapped the box, Harry watching nervously and silently admiring how gentle you were while unwrapping the box. "Gucci!" You grinned, looking at him, "That's your favourite."

"I remember you telling me you like something of mine so," he shrugged.

You opened the box, "Loafers! You got me loafers!" You grinned, taking them out, "Are we going to be the cliché couple that match?"

"I think we're cliché enough to do that." Harry nodded. "There's something else in there."

You looked down, taking out the vinyl record in your hands, grinning when you read "Piano Man" and "Billy Joel".

“How on earth did you know I wanted this?"

"Might have had Farrah help me with that one." Harry smiled, shrugging sheepishly.

"You take your Christmas presents seriously, don't you?" You smiled, putting the shoes back in the box before wrapping your arms around his torso.

"Do you have any idea how hard picking a present for you is?" Harry rolled his eyes, groaning as he threw his head back.

"Hey, that goes both ways." You raised an eyebrow.

He laughed, raising his hand to push the hair that got on your face away, "You know what I got us for when we're back at my house? For our board games nights and all that?"

"And the Chinese takeaway?" You asked hopefully, making him chuckle and nod.

"And the Chinese takeaway," Harry confirmed, "I got us about 10 massive puzzle pieces."

You gasped, "You genius! I was actually thinking about getting us a new one."

"And now we have 10."

“And I have Gucci loafers.”

“And I have a wallet that looks like burnt toast.”

“Sorry about that, by the way. I didn’t know you took Christmas presents so seriously.” You sheepishly said, scrunching your nose as you looked up at him.

“Hey, none of that,” Harry frowned, “These are probably the nicest Christmas presents I have ever had. ‘sides,” he held up his wallet and new magnets, “What’s not serious about these babies?”

[thebrochtuarachs]

To Begin Again, Chapter 11: “Riding”

A/N: I know it's been a while since I updated this story but I hope you like this short little chapter. :) It's been fun revisiting this story and I just love this AU of Jamie and Claire. It’s been a while since I wrote so apologies in advance and as always, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Hope you're staying safe in this pandemic. Love always, M

This chapter is dedicated to @samncait4ever​. 🧡 Thank you for being a wonderful friend and fandom ally. Rest in Peace. <3 

AO3 / CH: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

XXXX

Jamie and Claire spent the next two days rekindling with each other inside the laird's room, only bothering to leave the chambers once to grab food from the kitchen that will last them for days.

They flitted through talking, eating, coming together, and sleeping ( not particularly in that order ) until they’ve reached another pause in what has been a blissful 2 days.  

"Jamie," Claire said softly, a hand caressing the back of his head, "I don't think I've ever been so happy." Jamie rolled to one side, shifting his weight carefully so as not to squash his wife, and lifted himself to lie face-to-face with Claire.

"Nor me, my Sassenach," he said, and kissed her lightly, but lingering, so that she had time just to close her lips in a tiny bite on the fullness of his lower lip. "It's no just the bedding, ye ken," he said, drawing back a little at last. His eyes looked down at Claire, a soft deep blue like the warm tropic sea.

"No," Claire said, touching his cheek. "It isn't."

"To have ye with me again -to talk wi' you -to know I can say anything, not guard my words or hide my thoughts...God, Sassenach," he said, "the Lord knows I am lust-crazed as a lad, and I canna keep my hands from you-or anything else-" he added, wryly, "but I would count that all well lost, had I no more than the pleasure of havin' ye by me, and to tell ye all my heart."

Claire’s heart ached and soared with Jamie’s confession, much more to the fact that his sentiments echo to hers so strongly.

“So tell me all yer heart” Jamie said, “We’ve got time now”

Claire gave a small chuckle but moved to settle a bit more to Jamie’s side. "It was lonely without you," she whispered. "So lonely." She need not say more.

“Do ye regret it?” he asked, not really meaning to dampen their high but a question that came naturally in the conversation.

Claire didn’t even think about not answering but owed it to her and Jamie’s newfound strength to bring up these kinds of conversation in their reunion.

“The time we lost, yes. Brianna, no - definitely not.” She gave him a wry smile and continued. “There are so many what-ifs, the things we dreamed about happening, the future we planned… a part of me wonders what our life would be like if we stayed in the 18th century, raised Bree in that time with Jenny and Ian.”

“Aye, I do ken what yer saying. I spent a lot of time in the cave thinkin’ about ye and the bairn and what she’d look like, how ye’ll be as the lady of the house, something of the like’

Claire glanced at the window where the light was strong through the blinds, telling us that it was probably mid to past noon.

“Jamie, as much as I’d like to stay here another day, Bree’s coming in the evening and we need to get up and put our clothes on at some point.”

Knowing full well that Jamie won’t be the first to comply, Claire reluctantly got up and rummaged through the pile of discarded clothes on the floor to look for some undergarments and pants. Jamie was still not moving, staring at her with hooded eyes she knew so well but she would not budge as well.

“Oh, come on, get up!” She said laughingly as she pulled the blanket off Jamie’s body forcing him to groan in the cold. “There’s plenty more to see around! care for a stroll with me?”

“With ye, anywhere, Sassenach.”

-

Bree’s last class for the day cancelled allowing her to travel up to Lallybroch earlier than scheduled. Her parents' directions were fairly easy to follow and now, she found herself on the rough path towards a 3-story building that was meant to be her home.

She saw every detail as told by her mother - the arch that bore the Fraser emblem at the top, the handsome three-story manor of harled white, windows outlined in the natural gray stone, a high slate roof with multiple chimney’s and several smaller whitewashed buildings clustered about.

She took it all in and expected to feel all the history to overwhelm her but for some strange reason, it brought her a sense of peace and belonging.

She parked her car and proceeded to knock on the front door. After three tries and no answer, she decided to explore the backyard and found out why her knocks and calls were unanswered.

Over the horizon, Brianna saw two horses racing one another in the open field, the competition clearly fierce.

“You’ve lost your touch on the horse, Sassenach” Jamie called, looking briefly behind him to watch Claire.

Claire commanded her horse to a faster speed, easily surpassing Jamie, calling him out “Sorry, you were saying?” she laughed. “Race you to the stables!”

With her headstart, Claire ran out Jamie and won the race.

Once she dismounted her horse and led her white horse to her stable for some food and water while Jamie followed suit, dismounting from his black stallion.

“I should’ve known you were holding back from me, Sassenach.” Jamie said, walking towards her as she closed the door to her horse’s stables.

“Well, if last night was any indication, you shouldn’t have doubted that” Claire replied, allowing herself to be trapped as Jamie placed both his hands on the stable door, blocking her way.

"I thought you'd be a little sore but I seem to be mistaken" Jamie teased, leaning in for a kiss until -

“Mama! I’m surprised that you can ride...” Brianna began her question “... a horse!”

“Bree! You’re here! I thought you won’t arrive till nighttime” Claire pulled away from Jamie’s arrest and went to greet their daughter.

“Yeah, my last class got cancelled. Roger and Mrs. Graham will come in a couple of days.” she explained. “Hi, Da” Bree proceeded to give Jamie a brief hug as well.

“Well, it’s almost lunch, I think we have pork chops we can easily deep fry.”

“Sounds good.”

The trio walked back to the house where Claire proceeded to the fridge and told Jamie and Bree where everything else in the kitchen are.

“So, tell me about the house” Bree asked as they prepared their food.

Claire and Jamie proceeded to exchange stories, flitting between when Jamie’s father built it, to stories of the Fraser children being born in the house,  to when they stayed there for a couple of months after they got married, how Jenny and Ian kept it in the family through the challenging years in the past and how Claire purchased and renovated to what it is now.

“It’s a rather large piece of land, that’s why we need the horses.” Claire finished the story.

“How’d you learn?” Bree asked.

“Well, you know my stories with Uncle Lamb and how we traveled to archaeological sites when I was younger. I had to learn pretty quickly how to ride. And then, when I met your Da, he was a soldier and a stable boy, taking care of the horses, so I got to spend a lot of time watching him train the young kids in the castle” Claire explained.

“Do ye know how to ride, Brianna?” Jamie asked as they fixed the table.

“Uhm, no.”

“I can teach ye! If ye want, of course.” Jamie stammered, hoping he did not push his limits.

“Yes! I would love to.” Bree exclaimed excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to try but never got the chance.”

“Why not? I thought Boston had good facilities for horseback riding?” Jamie asked. Bree and Claire exchanged glances but came out with it.

“Frank and I were either too busy with the university or the hospital so we never really got to take Bree out to spontaneous weekend trips.” Claire began to explain.

“Our trips are planned months in advance so everyone is free. We mostly went to historical sites or the beach for maximum relaxation but adventures like these didn’t happen often.” Bree followed.

Jamie looked unsure how to proceed based on their stories as it seemed half fun. Claire and Bree picked up on it and decided to continue on baby steps when it comes to telling Jamie details of their life the past 20 years.

“Maybe you can start teaching Bree how to ride later after lunch and we show her around the house” Claire pitched.

“Sounds like a plan!” Brianna agreed with a clap.

They proceeded on eating their pork chops while continuing with exchanging stories about Lallybroch. After lunch, they showed Bree to her room while they all freshened up and took a short nap.

Around 4:00 in the afternoon, they all went back to stables where Jamie introduced Bree to one of the mares, Jilly, gave a little lecture and then let her mount up. Claire was content watching on the side with a basket full of snacks for the afternoon.

“Alright, now, just try and be comfortable on the horse. Sit straight and relax. You know when they say that horses smell fear, it’s true” Jamie said to Bree. “Okay, I’m going to take you on a short walk around.” Brianna nodded and gently held on the reins.

Jamie took the horse for a walk around an open lawn and Brianna pretty quickly caught up with the rhythm. After 5 trots, Jamie put the horse on a gallop as a challenge and his daughter ran with it excellently.

“This is fun!” Bree called out to Claire.

“Wait till you dismount it then let me know again.” Claire joked. “But you’re doing great, sweetheart!”

After two hours on and off the horse, night was falling in and they decided to call it a day.

“I’ll go ahead and start dinner, hope you like carbonara. You two, take care of things around here.” Claire declared.

“I’ll walk her to the stables.” Brianna insisted and took the reins from her Da and walked Jilly back to the stables.

“I’ll follow you in a minute, Bree” Jamie said as Claire went towards him for a snuggle as they watched their daughter walk ahead.

“She’s a natural, Jamie” Claire whispered. “Just like her father”

“Don’t make me cry, Claire. But yes, she is” Jamie pulled Claire tighter and gave her a light kiss in the hair. “I always imagined how teaching and taking our children out on a horse would look like. Now, I don’t have to.”

“Aww, darling. It truly has been the best days and I know there is more to come.” Claire lifted her head and gave Jamie a quick kiss. “Now, go and teach our daughter how to rub down a horse and I’ll get dinner started.”

[robertdowneyhiddlesbatch]

Delicate

Chapter 1: good dog

"Fuck me, Thor."

Y/n always thought that almost every time she entertained herself in bed. As an Aussie, Y/n had grown up on Chris Hemsworth, following him all the way from Home and Away. It was quite by accident, really, since her last foster mother was very much into soap operas.

As much as Y/n loved Thor Hemsworth, today's exclamation was a curse since she was sopping wet from the rain. Thankfully, she'd just made it into work, safe from the downpour.

"Told you to take a brolly!" Her coworker/roommate teased as she peeled off her coat.

In Australia, January was one of the hottest months of the year. In SoHo London, in the opposite part of the world, it was the wettest.

"Mhm, yeah. Thanks for that obvious tip!" Y/n shlepped into the back room and switched into her work clothes, after she barely managed to clock in on time.

"Any tips today?" Y/n asked Troy as she joined him behind the counter. She was referring to the tip jar she kept, hoping to collect money for her favorite charity.

Troy peaked a look from the window.

"Not many people," he answered as thunder broke.

"You mind if I bring my schoolwork out?"

Troy's family- well, his older sister- ran the coffee shop in SoHo: Beans and Books. Trish and her friends had combined their love of coffee and books to make a little café/bookstore, popular among the youth.

Y/n had been lucky to find a flatspace that Tony was renting, and was soon given a job at the café. Most of her transfer student funds went into tuition, books and rent, so working gave her some spending money.

"Nah, you should be good. Just look attentive if anyone comes in."

Y/n brought her work up to the counter, and was able to get plenty reading done since not many customers came. Troy took most orders from anyone who had come. But 5pm came around, marking the end of the work day. On drier days, it meant rush hour, but on an overcast day like today, they didn't expect many people. It picked up close to 6, and Y/n had to put her schoolwork away to focus on the customers.

A group of school students had left a covered table, with left over pastries still on the plates. Thankfully, they left a decent tip. Y/n was just taking away the last of the plates when something ran through her legs, making her drop the dishes.

Immediately the dog began lapping at the fallen pastries.

"Bad Bobby! Stop that!" The dog's human tugged on his leash, pulling him away from the mess he'd created.

"I'm so terribly sorry," the man leaned down to help Y/n clean up his dog's mess. "Bobby really wanted out from the rain."

"Oh, it's no big deal!" Y/n smiled at the capped man. "I just don't want him eating broken china, otherwise he's welcome to the pastries."

The man sheepishly chuckled and deposited the shards into the bin.

"Sorry for that, again. Perhaps I can buy some for him."

"That makes sense. The window's over there. I'll just be around."

Y/n showed him to the display as she went to put away the bin. Then she helped him pick some pastries and he ordered himself a coffee. The man went over to the checkout, and was looking around for his dog when he noticed the many bookshelves.

"Is that Cymbeline?" He asked, nodding to the shelf with the rest of Shakespeare.

"It's Shakespeare, isn't it? The owner likes to have all the books by any author, if she can help it."

"It's only, Cymbeline isn't as popular as the rest of his work."

"A shame, really. I quite liked the unfortunate story of Imogen and Posthumus. I don't know what's worse, dying like Romeo and Juliet, or having your lover not trust you."

The customer laughed gently at her woe as he paid for his things.

"I played in Cymbeline once. In a West End production."

"Must've been fun!"

"It was! Do you mind if I sit and read a while?" He looked out the window. "I don't think Bobby has a mind to leave."

"Not a problem! Help yourself."

The man thanked Y/n and went to get a book before he sat. Then he gave one pastry to his spaniel as he enjoyed another himself.

It was quiet in the shop for a while, only two customers in the thirty minutes. And then Troy came back from break.

"Bloody hell!" He screamed as he came in from the back door.

"Hey, Y/n! Do you think Thor might give it up if you blew him?"

Y/n immediately looked at the customer, who was looking at her with an amused brow.

"Y'know. Works for the both of you!"

Y/n slapped Troy's arm hard as he approached the counter. She eyed the customer and Troy instantly grew up, apologizing for his comment.

"Unfortunately, Chris Hemsworth is very married. With three kids!"

The guest laughed, unable to miss the loud reject in the small space.

"I'm going to stop talking now." Y/n blushed and focused on a chore around the café.

"Did you know, his wife's the Latina girl in the Fast and Furious movies? The one with Hobbs, not Letty."

"Oh, yeah! Man, I love those movies. No regard for physics."

"Still sad about Paul Walker, though."

"Yeah. I saw his movie, Hours. Kind of a flop, but it was cute!"

Y/n and Troy talked about the Fast movies for a while, then Troy went to do inventory for the next day. Y/n meanwhile, took a refill to her customer.

"So, you really fancy Hemsworth, do you?"

"Only since Home and Away. Soapy, I know. But that's mostly what they played at the foster home."

The man grew curious. "You're a foster child?"

Y/n and the man talked about her past, which part of Australia she was from, and how she came to London. She was studying journalism at Kingsway College, hoping to travel the world. Their conversation was interrupted by a loud crack of thunder, and Bobby jumped up from his spot, tangling his leash through y/n's leg as he went to his owner. The man picked up the pup while Y/n worked on releasing the leash.

She handed the man the leash back, and he offered to let her pet him, which she took him up for. Thunder roared again.

"O, that my tongue were in the thunder's mouth! Then with a passion would I shake the world.

"And rouse from sleep that fell anatomy, which cannot hear a lady's feeble voice, which scorns a modern invocation."

Y/n smiled as the man joined in finishing the quote from King John. They stayed staring at each other until Bobby whined.

"I should get back to work."

"Thanks for the coffee, y/n."

"Any time...um?"

"Ehehe. It's Tom."

Y/n smiled.

"Tom."

Y/n started walking back to the counter, but stopped in her track.

"Odin's beard! That would be Chris and Tom?" She asked, without turning to look at him.

"Eheh. Guilty," Tom replied sheepishly.

Y/n bit her lip. Damn!

"And I call myself a Thor fan!" She finally turned around, cheeks red.

"I've never missed a Marvel movie, and here I've missed you!" She whispered as she sat back down on the edge of her seat.

"Well, I don't look quite Loki like at the moment."

"So rumor confirmed! You really do like your classics."

"Well I should hope so. I majored in classics at Cambridge."

Y/n wanted to know more, but customers came in and she left Tom. Troy came out too, to help with the rush as the rain had stopped. The song on the store playlist changed and Troy began loudly singing along.

"That's what people say, mm mm!"

God, Troy loved his pop songs. Y/n happened to look up at the moment to see Tom having a sip of his drink.

Damn! That was Tom Hiddleston, she suddenly remembered. And Troy was blasting Taylor Swift. Y/n stomped on Troy's foot, making him stop singing.

"Ow! What the hell?" Troy cried at her.

"Change. The song." Y/n gritted at him.

"But it's T-"

Y/n grabbed Troy's shoulder and shoved him below the counter.

"Yes. And that's Tom Hiddleston out there!"

Troy instantly lifted his head to take a peak, but Y/n name yanked him down. Troy took the chance to change the song.

"Don't draw attention to him!"

"Sorry! Can you believe it? A famous person at our café?!"

"Yeah!"

"I gotta call Trish!" and Troy ran off to call his sister.

By the time he was back, Tom was ready to leave.

"Mind if I buy a box to go?" He asked, as if it were trouble.

"Not at all! Let me get you one." Y/n got a box and filled it with Tom's choice of pastries before ringing him up.

"I'm sorry about Troy," she said quietly. "He's a die hard fan of Taylor Swift."

"It's no issue. He's got good taste in music. I wouldn't stop reading Shakespeare just because he dumped me!"

Y/n smiled an apologetic smile.

"I hope you come again!"

"I hope to see you again as well. Good night, Y/n."

Tom began to leave, but Troy yelled.

"WAIT!"

Tom stopped by the door, feeling everyone's eyes on him. He pulled down his cap and sighed.

"Sorry, you forgot to sign the receipt."

Tom turned and walked back to the counter.

"Troy, I take it?" he asked as he took the offered pen.

"That's me, but if you could make it out to Trish, my sister."

Tom smiled and autographed the napkin to both of them. He turned to leave, but then walked to Y/n.

"I'm going to see a play at the West End this Saturday," he told her. "Would you care to join me?"

Y/n turned pink at the question and shared a look with Troy.

"I could pick you up from here."

"Y-yeah! She should be off!" Troy spoke for her.

"If...if it's not too much trouble."

"I think I can manage. I'll pick you up at around 5-ish?"

"I look forward to it!"

"Excellent. I'll see you then. Good bye, Y/n. Goodbye, Troy."

"Bye Tom! Bye Bobby!"

As Tom walked out the front door, Troy's sister came running in through the back one.

"Where is he?'

"Where's who?" Troy teased his sister.

"Tom Hiddleston, THAT'S WHO!" Trish growled at him.

"Oh, you just missed him a second ago."

Trish stood staring at the front door.

"Can you believe it? Tom freaking Hiddleston. In my café! How lucky am I!!"

"Not as much as Y/n. She's got a date!"

[bewareofchris]

Writing advice on How to write an interesting antagonist, please?

sorry about the day-late reply.  I’d like to say that I was thinking up a really good answer but also my sinuses are trying to kill me.

OK, so there are a few key points that you should remember when it comes an interesting antagonist.  (These will be listed in no particular order.)

Purpose: what sort of antagonist do you need?  If you’re writing a rom-com you don’t need a supervillain.  

C o n v i c t i o n.  This means that whatever your antagonist is doing to hinder your story/protag it needs to come from the POV of a person who is trying to accomplish something.  Any antagonist who only exists to say mean things to your character without any sort of personal goal will fall flat in the long run.  Yes, it might really hurt if you get stabbed in the back by Laughing McMeanpants but if McMeanpants is just doing it to be a bother and gains nothing it just seems pointless.  

A fully developed Character.  I know this one seems almost obvious but here me out.  We spend a lot of time with our protagonists.  We love them.  We sometimes throw them into pits full of salt-covered razor blades but that comes from a place of love.  I’m not saying that you have to love your antagonist to successfully have one, but you should try it.  The most interesting antagonists are the ones that are only wrong by virtue of being on the losing side?  Like, they have SUCH A GOOD POINT and SUCH VALID reasons for doing what they are doing that you almost, a little bit, kind of want them to win.  (There are also the sort of antagonists that just want to watch the world burn and those you don’t want to win but you still sort of root for when nobody’s looking because they are a force of nature.)  Let your Antagonist has a life.  A history.  Loved ones.  Interests.  Hobbies.  Favorite foods.  A day job?  Petty rivalries.  Accomplishments.  Weaknesses that aren’t just used for destroying them.  Random skills like whistling and that weird tongue-folding thing people do.

A REASONABLE LEVEL OF POWER FOR YOUR STORY’S SETTING.  Look, as much as I love a good ol’team up for the win story, if you’ve given your antagonist the literal power of the gods, you’re not really making him work for it are you?  Maybe what’s interesting about your antagonist is that they did work their ass off to be where they are?  Maybe whatever power they had didn’t come naturally.  People are a lot more likely to defend something they had to scratch, claw, bite and kill to get then they are something that was just given to them?  And who doesn’t secretly want the guy who had to spend 20 years collecting gemstones while being laughed at by the village virgins and sleeping in shit to win when he’s up against The Golden Child who Happened To Find A Dragon Egg?  

Self Worth and Ego. Nobody considers themselves the villain of their own story.  They probably don’t sit around drinking their wine being like, whose such an evil boy?  I’m such an evil boy.  They’re out there being like: what the hell is wrong with Johnny Goodguy?  WHY IS HE SO ANNOYING.  And or they’re super stressed, forgetting to wash their hair in the shower, trying to figure out how to out think Johnny Goodguy.  If both your protag and antagonist aren’t literally furious about the other one always doing something wrong, you’re not being fair to one of them. 

Consistency.   Don’t fall into that trap where the antagonist twirls their mustache while talking about sawing James Bond in half but leaves him unattended because he’s squeamish I guess?  If your antagonist is the sort of person whose going to saw someone in half, he’s probably he sort of person whose going to stick around and make sure it gets done right.  If you do not want your antagonist to win, do not set up a practically inescapable trap and then have your protag escape because of negligence.  RESPECT YOUR ANTAGONIST.  They have a giant saw machine for a reason.  It’s because they use it.  They probably also have an incinerator in the basement!  If Jimmy wants to escape he better be the most clever person alive or JUST NOT GET CAUGHT.

Let’s repeat that last bit: Respect your antagonist.  Even if your protagonist hates him.  Even if antagonist is REVOLTING.  Even if he is a murderous baby killer out here eating newborn and puppy soup for breakfast while cheating on his taxes and cutting to the front of the Starbucks line, he is USELESS as a villain/antagonist if you aren’t taking him seriously.  If your antagonist is just there to make your protag feel bad with quippy insults, then your protag needs to feel bad when he sees them.  If your antagonist is out here destroying planets, people need to be afraid of him.  And not like, oh he’s so bad but I guess I’ll just kill him anyway because i”m the hero and I fear nothing.  Bravery is not the absence of fear.  Having your badass protagonist not care just undermines the worth of your antagonist.

Now, how to put these to use in the story very much depends on what sort of antagonist that you’re using, how important they are to the story and how much time you’re putting into it/how long it is.  A 2k rom-com with a one-off a-hole doesn’t really need as much devotion as a 200k epic sci-fi fantasy thriller.  

But some quick suggestions:

Gossip. A well placed bit of gossip about the antagonist of your choice is an excellent method of adding in a sprinkle of backstory without having to listen to a villain-ish monologue.  And it doesn’t even have to be outright backstory?  It can just be fun things like, “i bet he’s the kind of guy that eats baby turtles” “he eats oranges with he peels on.” “His ex-wife moved to Alaska to get away from him.” “Not even a blind dog would lick his hand.”  You know, general impressions of his character that indicate he is universally disliked.

Begrudging Compliments/Unintentional Acts of Kindness Think of “i hate that guy but you gotta admit he draws Lisa Frank tigers better than Lisa Frank.”  Or “everyone was going to get fired because nobody finished this work project but Asshole K Asshole showed up at the last minute and finished it so we’re all still here.”  MAKE YOUR PROTAG HAVE TO THANK YOUR ANTAGONIST AND IT’S ALL THE MORE REASON TO HATE THEM.

An acceptable level of villain, progressing from smallest to largest Remember the way to build dread/suspense/fear is to always leave room to get worse.  Do not, I BEG YOU, do NOT start off your antagonist by making them the most unreasonable/over the top/absolutely most violent thing you can imagine?  Do not show up to a casual drink party with a fire-starting child killer edgelord drinking blood out of a can while shouting slurs at minorities and proclaiming himself king of the universe.  Maybe he just shows up to the party looking arrogant, and belligerently dismisses your protag while effortlessly making everyone like him more?  And then later he starts setting things on fire.  Like at the end of the story.  Set a starting place (minimally shocking but morally unacceptable action) and an ending place (shocking but not surprising and morally reprehensible/repugnant/just like the worst action(s)).

He’s enjoying himself/but also it’s a hassle.  People like winning.  Everyone likes winning.  It doesn’t even matter what you’re winning.  A popularity contest?  Control over the universe?  Soccer?  You’re winning, it’s great, you like it.  It’s a high, you want to keep it, and while you’re there why not rub it in a little that you’re like FANTASTIC.  So Antagonist, whose on top because he’s a fucking winner?  He’s going to enjoy it, and he’s going to want to hang onto that sweet sweet winner kool-aid as long as he can.  But there’s a price to literally being driven to win/hang onto that and it’s exhaustion.  Constantly having to stay in power requires constantly having to mutate to fit the needs of being powerful.  It’s not one-and-done because as soon as you are winning someone’s offended by it and they are coming to take your throne.  Even the people who are riding your coattails are expecting something from you.  And if you’ve used fear to get where you are, you have to maintain that level of fear at all times which means constantly showing up being all threatening and unpleasant.  These things are exhausting.  A man’s got to sleep and he can’t sleep well when he’s having to cut off his lackey’s fingers every other day so people now he’s a Bad Dude.  And now he’s got Protag to deal with?  MY GOD WILL IT EVER END.  Balance your antagonist’s joy at succeeding with his very real physical and emotional limitations.  Don’t let him have effortless control over whatever power he has, let there be cracks all through the base of his empire.  Let just a smidgen of doubt sneak in.  (Maybe he’s on steroids.  I bet he cheats at cards.  Nobody’s that big of a dick all the time.  His Mom cannot be happy about him.)

Always, always, always maintain that your Antagonist COULD FAIL A lot of time is spent in stories building up your hero so he’s big enough to defeat whatever’s standing in his way.  One of the methods of doing that is by comparing him to the Bigger, Badder, usually Better/More Powerful Antagonist.  This creates a lovely structure for super heroes that gets very old very quick.  You don’t need to climb the oldest mountain in the world to retrieve the Pearl of Wisdom and Good Teeth to finally have enough Inner Peace to lose your braces after 11 years so you can defeat the high school bully.  Create an antagonist that is Bad and In Your Way but also human-enough (or equivalent) to be defeated.  You NEVER have to say this outright in the story.  You just have to remember in writing him that he isn’t the Most Powerful Thing To Live.  Even if people call him the Most Powerful Thing To Live, throw in the idea that he’s only the most powerful right now.  That he had to defeat someone to be the most powerful, and that shows that eventually something will defeat him.  If your antagonist isn’t having to work to stay where he’s at, he’s boring.

In summary:

Antagonist need character.  A full character with strengths/weaknesses/backstory/goals.  They need to fully want those goals and be willing to work as hard as your hero to get it.  They need to truly believe they have the right to their goal and/or that their goal is the RIGHT ONE.  You need to respect your antagonist as if he were your protagonist and not write him as a crazy-faced crazypants to make your Hero look good.  Antagonists have physical and emotional limitations.  They will react according to their developed Character.  Do not make them lazy/negligent at the last moment to save your hero.  And you should love them, just a little, not because they’re good people but because they’re your baby.

[fanfictionaries]

Love and Academia Ch. 8 - Texting and Treats

Pairing: AU Professor!Bucky x OFC

Warnings: Swearing, smut, NSFW/18+ only, mentions of death/violence/suicide, Angst

Author’s note: Flirting? FLIRTING? That is all. 

And as always, I do not currently have a beta reader so please excuse any larger issues. It’s just little ol’ me!

***

One month. One month was all it took for the weather to turn and with it, Emily’s brain to mush. She was tired of staring at spreadsheets. Tired of Excel formulas and mapping software. Tired of literary research. And most importantly, tired of having to see Dr. Barnes’ face. To be fair, things were undeniably better than they had been the first few weeks of the semester. It was honestly a relief not having to act so cold towards him. It left room for more productive things like revisions, classes, and figuring out what the heck was going on with her advisor and his wife. Despite her best efforts, Emily had found herself consumed by the mystery that was Dr. James Buchanan Barnes’ love life.

“Now when we think about the different kinds of life cycles that organisms have, we usually think primarily of the gametic life cycle,” said the man in question from his place at the front of the classroom.

Emily sat in the right most seat, in the front row of the lecture hall casually listening. While this was all information she learned years ago, it was encouraged that teaching assistants attended the lectures that coincided with the labs they taught. That way they could match the content effectively. Glancing around the room, she wanted to laugh at the number of young, freshman girls sat in the front. They probably thought they hit the jackpot. First semester of college and they had possibly the hottest professor they would ever encounter. Emily thought back to her own professors during her time at Montana State. Every last one of them was over fifty and balding. Definitely not something to fantasize about.

“The gametic life cycle is the life cycle of most animals. However, there is also the sporic and zygotic life cycles.” Dr. Barnes turned to write the three life cycle names on the chalk board behind him. Emily’s eyes wandered to his broad shoulders encased by a green flannel shirt tucked into a pair of khaki pants that hugged his perfectly sculpted behind. No. She couldn’t think like that. He was married. This she could not deny by the wedding ring he kept so obviously on his left hand. But hadn’t he pretty much told her that his wife didn’t live with him? Just him and Trixie in that big house.

Trixie. God. She felt so stupid when she found out that Trixie was his dog and not his wife. If she had let herself focus on the moment for any longer than a second, she might come to the conclusion that jealousy had fueled the embarrassment. She expected him to be on a date with his loving wife. Not spending the night walking his dog and coming home to an empty house. But that was not the case. Instead, she chose to conclude that the embarrassment stemmed from the fact that she had made any assumption in the first place. No one liked to be wrong. Right?

Still, none of that answered her burning question. Where was Dr. Barnes’ wife? She had a few theories. Perhaps she hadn’t moved from Brooklyn yet. He had just moved into the area. Couples would move separately sometimes. One moving first and the other coming later when their job allowed. But if that were the case, then why did he look so sad when he mentioned being alone?

“Can anyone tell me what kind of organisms experience a zygotic life cycle?” Dr. Barnes asked, turning back to the class. A plethora of eager hands shot straight up in the air. Smiling in amusement, he called on one of the girls from the front row.

“Yes, Miss Hendrickson.”

“Is it plants, like mosses?” the young girl answered. Emily wanted to laugh. Clearly, she hadn’t done the reading and only raised her hand at the opportunity for Dr. Barnes to call on her.

Maybe he had been sad because he’s a good husband who loves his wife and misses her. Well, if that were true, then he wouldn’t have taken off his wedding ring and almost hooked up with her. Emily’s mind wandered to that night, as it often did. The cool brick digging into her back as he devoured her. The stubble of his beard so deliciously rough. The strength of his hands as he gripped her body tightly.

“Miss Colvert, would you like to enlighten the rest of the class?”

“Huh?” Emily broke from her momentary fantasy to see all eyes on her. Dr. Barnes liked to do this. When no one else knew the answer, he’d call on her. It was like a little test on her basic knowledge of biological concepts.

“It appears no one knows what has a zygotic life cycle. Would you like to give us the answer?” Dr. Barnes elaborated, looking at her expectantly.

“Oh, um. That would be fungi and protists. They’re haploid most of their life cycle and the zygote is the only diploid phase before it undergoes meiosis to produce haploid cells.”

“Very good Miss Colvert—” he smiled at her, a brief flash of brilliantly white teeth “—Now, let’s go ahead and draw out the zygotic life cycle to give everyone a better idea.” Dr. Barnes turned once again towards the board as he continued on with the lecture.

There was always the harsh fact that Dr. Barnes had in fact stopped things that night before they went too far. Maybe he regretted it. Maybe it was just a momentary lapse in judgement. Maybe him and his wife were separated, and he wasn’t ready to fully let go. At the thought, Emily felt her heart leap with excitement. The emotion was quickly followed by a strong wave of guilt. Emily shook her head, trying to clear it of her messy thoughts. This was taking up too much brain space. Space she needed for her thesis.

Whatever the answer was, it didn’t matter. Dr. Barnes was her advisor. There was a clear line that could not be crossed. Therefore, it did not matter. She needed to let the subject go and just move on.

Two days of “moving on”, Emily found herself elbow deep in flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, but no less preoccupied by the thoughts of Dr. Barnes.

“Tell me why we needed to use my kitchen when you have a perfectly good one?” Emily asked Natasha, looking at the disastrous mess around her. Flour covered every surface, including the floor and themselves. Butter wrappers and eggshells sat piled high in the trashcan. Splashes of cookie dough coated countertops and cabinet fronts. And Natasha was planted squarely in front of the oven, watching the fruits of their labor bake.

“Because, you have the most baking supplies out of everyone I know,” said Natasha, never tearing her anxious eyes away from the small glass window. She was a mess. Several pieces of red hair had fallen from her attempted ponytail. Blobs of cookie dough hug from the strands, sticking like large, grotesque, white grub worms. Flour covered all of her clothes and a manic expression covered her face. Oh, she had it bad.

“You know, the cookies aren’t going to bake any faster by you staring at them.”

“I can’t let them burn, Emily. This is important!” exclaimed Natasha, threading her fingers through her sticky hair and pulling at the roots.

“Hey. Hey, hey, hey—” Emily slid off her place on the countertop and crouched down next to Natasha on the floor “—Listen. There are already five dozen perfectly baked snickerdoodles sitting in Tupperware on my dining room table. The world won’t end if this last dozen gets a little dark.”

“But-but—”

“No, no, no. No buts. Besides, you only volunteered to bring two dozen cookies to Steve’s bake sale. Remember?”

“Yea, but I mean, we-we needed—”

“Test batches. Yes. I remember the last five hours very vividly.” Emily cupped her best friend’s face in her hands and stared into her frightened eyes, “Steve is going to love these. Please, breathe.”

Natasha nodded, taking a deep breath, “Okay. Okay, yea you’re right. You’re right. I just need to calm down.”

They both stood, pulling each other into a tight hug before separating and beginning to tidy up the kitchen. As Emily wiped the cabinet fronts with a washrag, she finally felt like Natasha was in the right headspace for her to ask the question that had been on her mind all afternoon.

“Hey so, you and Steve have gotten pretty close the last month and a half, yea?”

“Yea, it’s been so great. You know, I really think that taking it slow was the best idea,” said Natasha as she dumped a dirty bowl in the sink and turned the faucet on.

“And I’m sure he’s probably told you a lot of stuff about him…and his friends…”

“Where is this going Emily?”

“Has he mentioned anything about Dr. Barnes or like…his wife?” The moment the words left her mouth, Emily knew it was a mistake to ask.

“No. Absolutely not. I am not doing this with you Emily,” said Natasha, throwing the kitchen sponge down into the soapy water.

“What?” Emily asked, trying to pretend she hadn’t just asked her best friend for details about her advisor’s marriage.

“Don’t ‘what’ me, Emily Colvert. You know what you’re doing. Actually, no. Do you know what you’re doing?” Natasha leant against the countertop and crossing her arms in front of her.

“I’m trying to get to know my advisor better?”

“No, you’re trying to use my still very new relationship to get dirt on a marriage that doesn’t involve you!”

“You know, you used to be a lot more fun. What happened to fun Nat?”

“She started dating a kindergarten teacher. Now, answer this question Emily: why do you want to know about his wife? I thought we hated this man,” Natasha said, staring skeptically at her.

“We did, but now we might be okay with him…” Emily admitted, unable to look directly at the admittedly terrifying woman that was her best friend.

“Emily, are you sleeping with him? Because if you are, I don’t know whether I should be disappointed or oddly proud.”

“No! I’m not sleeping with him! I’m just curious!”

“Okay, I’m only going to say this once—” Natasha walked towards her “—he is your advisor. The details of his marriage are none of your business. As your therapist—”

“You’re not my therapist—”

“—And your friend, I highly recommend that you keep your curiosity buried. Deep down. You know, where you keep all the shit you probably should talk about. And stop trying to sabotage my relationship with Steve by making me snoop for you.”

“I’m sorry, you’re right,” Emily apologized, guilty for having tried to rope Natasha into her craziness.

“I know you’re going through a lot right now. But, not cool man. Not cool,” said Natasha, her tone lighter as she nudged Emily’s side.

Natasha’s phone buzzed from the counter, subsequently putting an end to their conversation. The smile that spread across her face as she checked her phone told Emily exactly who it was. Steve.

“What does hunky farm boy want now?” Emily asked, turning to the sink and taking over washing the dishes.

“Parent-teacher conferences ended early. He wants make me dinner,” said Natasha, still smiling down at her phone as her thumbs typed away.

“Ooooo dinner at his place. Does this mean you’re finally going to…ya know?” Emily raised her eyebrows suggestively.

“God. I hope so. He’s so hot Emily. I went and visited him at work the other day and he was having a tea party with a couple of the girls in his class during play time. I’ve never wanted to fuck a man in a flower sunhat so badly in my life,” groaned Natasha, burying her face in Emily’s back.

“I can’t even begin to imagine what goes on inside of your bedroom,” Emily said, shaking her head in exasperation as she scrubbed at a spatula.  

“There’s a lot of roleplay and prop use,” mumbled Natasha into Emily’s back.

“Yea, I didn’t need to know that,” said Emily, wriggling away from the tiny red head. “Now, get out of here. Take your cookies and go have sex your very single, very hot kindergarten teacher.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice!” Natasha exclaimed, practically skipping out of the kitchen. Emily heard the faint sounds of Natasha grabbing her stuff and a muffled “Wish me luck!” before her front door slammed shut. Lord have mercy on that man.

She continued to clean the kitchen as she thought about the advice that Nat had given her. Natasha was right. She knew she was right. For all the gripe she gave the woman, she really did give the best advice. But still, she didn’t see any reason why it would be so wrong to get to know the man. As friends of course. Purely as friends. There was nothing wrong with having your advisor as a friend. She was friends with Dr. Erskine. He was married. Why couldn’t she be friends with Dr. Barnes? A little voice somewhere in the back of her mind tried to remind her that she had never been in a situation where she almost slept with Dr. Erskine, but she ignored it. They had agreed to try and have a working relationship. Therefore, everything that had happened was in the past.

Drying the last dish and placing it back into the cupboard, the timer on her phone chimed alerting her that the last batch of cookies was done. She pulled the piping hot, cinnamon-sugar creations from the oven and placed it on the stovetop before turning the alarm off on her phone. The scent of the delicious treats made her mouth water. It was going to be a challenge not eating all of them in one sitting, but at least Natasha only left her with a single batch. Turning out of the kitchen, she found her assumption to be incredibly incorrect. There, sitting on her dining room table, was nearly three dozen cookies. Emily sighed. Apparently, she’d be responsible for finding a home for all the test batches. She could probably pawn a dozen off of on Sam and CeCe. There was always the graduate student lounge. People left food there all the time. Of course, she’d keep half a dozen for herself – there was no way she could resist snickerdoodles.

Suddenly, a self-proclaimed sweets lover popped into her head.

Pulling up the message app on her phone she sighed as she stared at the string of unanswered texts from Clint. He’d been trying to contact her since the day she kicked him out. Emily wanted none of it. Every call she sent straight to voicemail and every text she left on read. She took a moment to glance at the most recent texts.

Clint:

Babe. I swear to you, I didn’t want to go to Goody’s. I wasn’t there with Sharon. It was a lab thing. I found out where we were going when they pulled into the parking lot.

Clint:

Things with Sharon and me are over.

Clint:

How many times do I have to tell you that it meant nothing? It was just a stupid mistake.

Clint:

The least you could do is answer my calls and talk to me like an adult.

Clint:

This is exactly why I did what I did! You’re always so unwilling to open yourself up emotionally to me! I wouldn’t have cheated if my emotional needs were being met.

Clint:

I’m sorry Em. I didn’t mean that.

Clint:

It’s completely my fault. I’m just going crazy without you. I miss you. Please talk to me.

A small part of Emily told her to text him back. He gave her two years of his life. Didn’t she at least owe him the decency to explain himself? A larger part of her scoffed at the thought. No. She gave him two years of her life, and he didn’t even have the decency not to cheat on her. To hell with him and his reasons and opinions.

Pulling up her conversation with Dr. Barnes’, she smiled at his contact name – Brooklyn. She only meant it as a way to tease him about his big city caution, never as an actual nickname. But apparently, he liked it. So, she kept it. Moving back into the kitchen, Emily picked up one of the hot cookies and began to nibble on the edge as she popped herself up onto the counter.

Emily:

Question – do you still happen to have a major sweet tooth?

Absentmindedly, she chewed on the cookie, switching over to Twitter and telling herself that it wasn’t a big deal that she texted him. It was casual. It was just a casual question. She had extra cookies. He probably liked cookies. Normal. Super normal. However, the way her heart leapt in her chest and her phone leapt in her hand made her feel anything but normal.

Brooklyn:

If I didn’t, would I be going to town on the three loaves of banana bread Steve dropped off earlier?

Emily:

Bake sale?

Brooklyn:

Bake sale.

Emily:

Test batches?

Brooklyn:

Yup. He wanted to impress Natasha. How did you know?

Emily:

I just spent the last five hours baking with Nat. We made a lot of test batches.

Brooklyn:

Wow. They were made for each other.

Emily couldn’t agree more. If Steve truly spent the entire afternoon baking multiple loaves of banana bread to impress Natasha, then her best friend might have found the one.

Emily:

So, I’m guess since you already have three loaves of banana bread you probably don’t want any snickerdoodles?

Brooklyn:

I never said that.

She laughed at his quick response.

Brooklyn:

Are they any good?

Emily:

It’s my personal recipe.

Brooklyn:

That doesn’t answer the question.

Emily:

It’s the best cookie you’ll ever have.

Brooklyn:

The best? That’s a pretty strong statement.

Emily:

I wouldn’t make it if it wasn’t true.

Dots appeared on the screen as Dr. Barnes responded. Emily watched, wondering what he could possibly be typing as the seconds ticked by. Finally, they disappeared to be replaced by his response.

Brooklyn:

Do I get to taste your cookie?

Emily choked on the bite of cookie she’d been chewing. Coughing and sputtering, she attempted to dislodge the treat from her throat. When she’d finally managed to avoid certain death, she turned the faucet on beside her and used her hand to scoop water into her mouth. Glancing back down at the phone in her other hand, she stared at the message. Did he mean it to sound that way? To sound so dirty? Heart beating prominently in her ears, she gathered what courage she had and replied.

Emily:

You can have a taste.

Emily:

Of my cookie that is.

Oh god. Way to keep it professional. What had she done?

Brooklyn:

I’m sure your cookie is delicious. When can I have a bite?

Abort. Abort. Things were quickly getting out of hand. She was exchanging sexual innuendos with the man when all she wanted was to get rid of some of her extra baked goods. The way she saw it, Emily had two options: keep the flirting going and see where it went or put a stop to it now. In a panic, she chose the second option.

Emily:

I’ll bring a dozen into the lab tomorrow! I’m sure you’ll like them. Feel free to share them with the other professors as well. G2G! See you in class.

Hitting send, Emily threw her phone face down onto the counter. Shoving the rest of the snickerdoodle into her mouth, she jumped off the counter and walked towards the bathroom. She needed a long, cold shower.

Marvel Taglist: 

@caffiend-queen​

@hidden-behind-the-fourth-wall​

[gatesofember]

The Whitethorn Hearth: Chapter 2

PJO Arranged Marriage/Royalty AU Part 9

Rating: M | Pairing: Solangelo

Prev | Next | AU directory | Read it on AO3 (Recommended) | Arranged Marriage AU Masterpage

Summary: The long-awaited celebration of Prince Nico’s wedding to William of Solace has finally arrived.  Between all the wedding duties, keeping Octavian as far from the royal family as possible, and dealing with the occasional fiasco, the grooms still manage to find plenty of time to themselves.  But as they enter the new chapter of their life, they will encounter new challenges.  Will must say goodbye to his family and move to a new home.  Nico remains unpopular among his own people and sometimes still struggles to express himself to his husband-to-be.  And what will happen between Nico’s guard and the pretty maid who works for Will’s family?

Being both a consor and the son of a wealthy duke, Will was in a unique position of privilege while also being accustomed to aspects of the livelihood of commoners.  Part of the Soror’s Oath involved abstaining from excess and consors followed their example.  While he had always lived comfortably, Will was not unused to performing simple chores and lacking certain luxuries.

Will’s siblings, who had always lived under the care of Apollo’s servants, were horrified by the idea that their brother was subjected to such a cruel form of torture.  Did he truly assist with kitchen duty in the dormitories?  How could his poor hands endure the abuse of cleaning?  Austin had been brought to tears when Will explained that he even dressed himself in Venadica.  Lee had asked how Will knew what to do with all the buttons.  Michael had been more concerned about the torment Will’s friends must have faced as a result of exposure to Will’s fashion sense.

“If you live like commoners in Venadica, do you even...bathe?” Lee had once asked in a whisper, looking over his shoulder like he was afraid of damaging Will’s reputation if overheard.

Of course Will bathed in Venadica.  It was a myth, Will had explained, that commoners never bathed.  They simply didn’t have the resources to completely submerge themselves in water.  Even if they did gather enough water to waste, heating it took time and supplies that commoners simply didn’t have.  Will washed himself using a bucket of water, unscented soap, and a cloth.  Will’s siblings were not convinced that such a method could result in adequate cleanliness.

Although Will’s training as a consor had taught him to deny indulgence, he had to admit that he enjoyed the perfumed baths he was given in Diana.  He didn’t mind his Venadican lifestyle, but a part of him selfishly revelled in being spoiled every time he went back to the Sun Palace.

But Will was not enjoying the bath he was receiving for his bathing ceremony.

Tradition dictated that a groom was bathed by his close male kin the morning before his wedding procession.  Will’s brothers, having been pampered all their lives, had no practice in giving baths.  Will sat in a linen-lined metal tub in the center of the room with his head between his knees, feeling dizzy because the water was so heavily perfumed that he could hardly breathe.  His brothers knelt on the marble floor around the tub.  Austin and Lee were washing soap into Will’s head, tugging carelessly at his hair while Michael scrubbed Will’s back with a cloth.  His brothers didn’t have the gentle, practiced touch that their servants did and their rough treatment left Will’s skin red and sore.

Octavian and Apollo were doing nothing to help, although Will supposed he was grateful that they weren’t adding to his discomfort.  Apollo, who had been especially melancholy since leaving Hyacinthus behind at the Sun Palace, was sitting at the vanity and staring forlornly in the mirror.  Octavian had refused to go near the tub, stating that he did not wish to ruin his clothes, and instead was hoarding their breakfast and lounging on the daybed that was meant for the bather to lie on while they dried.

And yet, Will wasn’t going to complain.  His brothers were doing their best and they appeared to enjoying themselves, so Will was happy.

“Do you think the water is going cold?” Austin asked.

“It seems like it was hotter before, now that you mention it,” Lee said.  “Will, is it cold?”

“It’s alright,” Will answered.  He was more concerned with the overabundance of perfumes and the needlessly rough scrubbing.

“It’s cold,” Michael confirmed.  “Should we call a servant to heat more water?”

“I can’t believe they don’t have pipes for drawing baths,” Octavian said loudly.  “What sort of palace is this?  Honestly, Will, of all the princes you could marry, you had to choose the one without indoor plumbing.”

Lee pursed his lips.  Austin groaned.  Michael muttered a couple of curse words and rude names for Octavian under his breath.  After being forced into unceasing cycles of Octavian Duty for the past several weeks, the entire family was tired of him.

“Octavian, we’ve discussed this,” Lee said in a clipped, impatient voice.  “Pluto’s amenities are a bit behind due to the country being in debt.”

“What on Gaea’s good earth did they spend their money on, if not indoor plumbing?” Octavian demanded, popping a grape in his mouth.  “It seems awfully irresponsible to me.”

“Baubles of Ouranos, maybe they spent it all when half the country was ill!” Michael snapped.

“Well, perhaps they shouldn’t have gotten sick!  Whatever did they do that for?”

“People were dying, you stupid, selfish son of a bitch—”

“More money for the living, then!”

“Gods above,” muttered Austin.  “Why did he have to come?  No one wants him here.”

“If this country is so poor and foolish, then why are you trying to seduce its prince?” asked Michael.

“Michael, I’m surprised at you,” gasped Octavian.  “How dare you suggest that I am attempting to seduce my cousin’s groom!  It should be obvious that the endeavor is entirely mutual.”

“Oh, for the love of Rhea,” Lee sighed.  “Octavian, make yourself useful and bring us more hot water.”

Octavian’s lip curled in outrage.  “I beg your pardon?  Do I look like a servant to you?”

“No, you look like a dumbass,” Michael answered.

Will did his best not to laugh.  Austin, however, laughed so hard that he slipped on the soapy floor and landed on his rear.

Octavian was not amused.  His face red with fury, Octavian rounded on Apollo.  “Uncle!” he barked.  “Control your offspring!”

Apollo, who had still been busy examining himself in the mirror, looked up in confusion.  “Was there a problem?” he asked.

“The water is going cold,” Lee answered.

“Ah,” said Apollo.  “Octavian, make yourself useful and bring us more hot water.”

Lee and Michael beamed at Octavian victoriously.  Octavian went scarlet and sputtered incoherently, then got to his feet, shouting, “I refuse to stay here and be treated this way!” and stormed out of the room.

“Bring back hot water!” Lee shouted after him, but Octavian had already slammed the door shut.

“Thank the gods, he’s gone,” Michael sighed.

Apollo frowned.  “Was it something I said?”

“Yes, and you did wonderfully,” Lee answered.  “Excellent work, Papa.”

“Should we worry about Octavian invading the Prince’s bathing ceremony?” Austin asked.

Will shook his head.  “I asked Lady Reyna to post guards at the doors...and the windows, for good measure.”

Will’s brothers nodded wisely.  When it came to Octavian, one could never be too cautious.

“You know, all this time we’ve been spending with Octavian makes me realize that there are things I miss about having him around back home,” said Austin.  “Don’t misunderstand me, I hate him.  But he always makes one feel superior in every possible way by comparison.  For one thing, Michael, Will, and I are the least attractive males in the household when he’s gone.”

Will laughed.  It was no secret that Lee was the prettiest of the four brothers, having inherited his looks from Apollo.  It had become an ongoing joke between the brothers to poke fun at Lee’s vanity or the way people tended to fawn over him.

“Fear not, Austin,” said Lee.  “It’s not that you aren’t handsome; it’s only that Papa, Hyacinthus, and I are so breathtakingly gorgeous that no one can measure up.”

Apollo sighed and turned to despondently gaze in the mirror again.  “I really am so attractive, aren’t I?”

“And modest,” Michael agreed sympathetically.  “Next to Octavian, though, we all look stunning.  Octavian is hideous.”

“I wonder...” mused Lee.  “Do you think that Octavian truly is objectively hideous, or do we just hate him so much that we perceive him as being hideous?”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Austin.  “Octavian may or may not be objectively ugly, but his personality is so awful that it would make him unattractive even if the gods themselves blessed him with beauty.  Meanwhile, Will, Michael, and I are narrowly above average in terms of appearance.  Lee, Hyacinth, and Papa are all far too handsome for their own good.  Now that Will is leaving, Michael and I will be the only narrowly above average males left, and therefore the ugliest.  At least we can share the burden.”

“Have faith, Austin,” said Lee.  “You still have a few years of growing left.  You may catch up to me!”

“Whereas it’s too late for me?” Will asked in amusement.

“Will, you don’t need to be as unbearably attractive as I do,” Lee said.  “You’ve got a brilliant brain and the purest heart and, unlike me, you inherited none of our father’s vanity.  Besides, you already have a prince whose eyes can see no one but you.”

“Don’t worry, Will, we’re still very pretty,” Austin said.  “Just not as pretty as Lee.”

“You’ll grow into it, Austin,” Lee assured.  “At the very least, one day I’ll go bald and then you’ll be prettier than me.”

Michael snorted.  “I recall you once saying that you’d rather die young than become old and ugly.”

“Ah, but that was before I met my wife,” Lee said, his eyes lighting up with adoration.  “Now I want nothing more than to grow old with Lou Ellen.”

Austin cooed.  Michael gagged.  Apollo was still busy studying the mirror.

“So I suppose I’ll be the least attractive male in the household when Austin grows up?” Michael asked.

“You wouldn’t have to be if you’d go to Neptune and get married,” Lee muttered.

The laughter stopped and the room fell silent.  Will silently pleaded for Michael to control his temper.  He hated when his brothers fought.  If they started an argument at his wedding....

After the celebrations, Will’s family would return to Diana while Will stayed in Pluto.  He couldn’t say for sure when he’d meet them again and he didn’t want to be left with the memories of them fighting.

Finally, Lee cleared his throat and got to his feet.  “I suppose Octavian’s not bringing back hot water, so I’ll go fetch some myself,” he announced.  He left without waiting for an answer or saying another word.

Apollo looked up in surprise when he heard the door shut.  “What happened?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Michael said.  “Don’t worry about it, Papa.  Go back to your mirror.”

For a fraction of a second, Apollo hesitated.  Then he sighed and turned to gaze admiringly at his reflection again.

“Michael?” Will asked.

“It’s fine,” Michael said shortly.  He picked up the cloth and went back to scrubbing Will’s arm.

Fights were not a rare occurrence for Lee and Michael.  They bickered, they teased, and sometimes they upset each other so much that they would avoid each other for days before finally making amends.  Usually fights were no reason for concern, but arguments about Michael’s reluctance to marry had become almost commonplace over the past couple of years.

Although Michael never actually insulted suitors, he was like Nico in the sense that had been cold to potential marriage candidates.  Lee had always lectured Michael about taking the arrangements more seriously, but it hadn’t been until Michael started corresponding with his current suitor that things took a turn for the worse.  Michael seemed disinterested in marrying her, but reluctant to stop courting her, and no one in the family was quite sure exactly what was happening between them.  It frustrated Lee to the point that he tried to meddle and pry, which accomplished nothing other than making Michael upset.

When Lee and Michael fought, the Sun Palace wasn’t the same; the halls were thick with tension and everyone’s nerves stood on edge.  Only Lou Ellen had a chance at helping them talk, but too often, even she could do nothing.  Will didn’t want that to happen at his wedding.

Will exchanged a glance with Austin.  He seemed just as concerned as Will, but neither of them commented further.  Instead, Will put his head between his knees again and let Austin continue washing his hair.

Lee came back a few moments later, carrying a pot of water with him.  “Where are the servants when you need them?” he complained loudly.  “I waited for someone to carry this for me for five minutes!  If I get callouses from carrying this, I will not be pleased.”

Will braced himself against the heat as Lee raised the pot to pour the water on his head.

It was not hot.

Will gasped as cold water rushed over his head and down his shoulders like sharp crystals of ice stabbing his skin.  He jumped out of the freezing tub and dove to cover himself in the linens that had been set out to dry him with.  “Lee!” he shouted.  “What—”

His traitorous brothers were laughing at him.  “Gods, the look on your face—” Lee started.

“Lee, you ass!”   Will stuck his foot back in the tub to splash water at him, but that only made Lee laugh harder.

“I told you, I couldn’t find any servants,” Lee said.  “How was I supposed to heat it?”

“What an absolute lie.  If you couldn’t find any servants, how did you get the water in the first place?  You obviously requested it to be chilled.”

Lee gasped in mock outrage.  “How could you accuse me of such a thing?  That’s absurd!”

Will scowled, but gave up arguing in favor of burying himself in more linens.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lee put his hand on Michael’s shoulder.  Lee mouthed an apology and Michael nodded back.

Will was shivering and his teeth were chattering, but he ended up laughing along with his brothers.  He was willing to endure Lee’s pranks if it meant diffusing the tension and helping him and Michael make amends.

 *   *   *

By the time his bathing ceremony was over, Nico’s head was throbbing.  Between Jason badgering Nico for his friendship, Hades’ stoic awkwardness, and Percy’s reluctance to keep his clothes on, Nico’s bathing ceremony had been the most uncomfortable experience of his life.  When he finally escaped the bathing chamber and fled to Reyna for comfort, Jason seized her attention and requested she join him for a dance.  To Nico’s horror, Reyna accepted and they left him alone at the entrance of the Chamber of Ouranos.  Nico could not understand why Jason still seemed determined to steal Reyna from him even after acquiring a new fiancée.  Even Hedge abandoned Nico in favor of running off with Mellie, the maid who worked for Will’s family.

When Persephone found Nico brooding by himself, she said that he looked like he could use a drink and offered him a glass of wine.  “Was your bathing ceremony that bad?” she asked knowingly.

“You can’t possibly imagine,” Nico replied.

“Mine was terrible, too,” Persephone said.  “My mother spent the entire time telling me that I was throwing my life away by marrying your father and that I should have become a soror instead.”

Nico sighed tiredly.  Demeter was known for showing up in Divitia without warning and performing inspections of the palace as an excuse to express her continuing disapproval of her daughter’s marriage.  She was clearly resentful about Nico and Hazel’s existence and Nico remembered that Bianca had always hated Demeter’s visits.  When Nico asked Persephone if Demeter knew about his true parentage, Persephone had replied, “No, and under no circumstances is she ever to find out.  If she knew, she would stop at nothing to annul my marriage and destroy your claim to the throne.”

The royal family had hoped that Demeter would send a representative rather than attend Nico’s wedding herself, but their hopes had been in vain.  Thankfully, she had been surprisingly pleasant since her arrival.  Nico had worried that she would say something rude about Will’s illegitimacy, but it had only taken Will minutes to charm her.

“How did you ever convince your mother to consent to your marriage, anyway?” Nico asked.

The corner of Persephone’s mouth quirked up.  “I didn’t give her a choice,” she answered.  “I told her I was pregnant and she agreed to endorse the marriage to preserve my dignity.  She was furious when she found out I’d lied.”

Hades appeared at her side with a disapproving frown.   “Persephone,” he scolded.  “Please don’t dig up old scandals.”

Persephone remained unbothered.  “It wasn’t a scandal,” she said.  “A scandal requires public outrage.  The only person who was bothered was my mother.”

“Public outrage was only narrowly avoided,” Hades insisted.  “Bringing it up will only cause more harm than good.”

“Hades, I think you are seriously exaggerating.”

Nico sighed.  He was accustomed to his parents bantering and bickering and had plenty of practice turning a deaf ear their way.  Nico was of the opinion that Hades would be a difficult person to marry.  Personally, he was impressed that Persephone didn’t argue with Hades half as often as Nico did.

Nico looked away and scanned the Hall of Ouranos for his groom.  He had been told that Will hadn’t left his bathing ceremony yet, but he still hoped that Will would arrive soon.  He saw Percy dancing with his wife while his ex-suitor, Cecil, danced with his husband.  Jason was still with Reyna, but Nico was glad to see that Jason’s fiancée had joined them.  Nico spotted Hedge and Mellie talking not far away, and while he couldn’t hear them, the besotted looks in their eyes told him that he didn’t want to know what they were saying.  Several children — Will’s sister among them — were gathered to the side of the room, circled around something and chatting eagerly.  A group of women — mostly countesses — were gossiping nearby.

“Don’t you think it’s odd that the Prince is marrying a man?” Nico overheard one woman saying.  He glanced away before they noticed him looking.  “It would be sensible if the late Princess were still with us, but for the heir to have a marriage that won’t produce children....”

Nico heard her companions quietly agree and felt their eyes on his back.  It wasn’t the first time that his preference for men had been questioned.  His intention to have a husband had been challenged many times since Bianca had died.  He recalled being shocked when his tutor, Minos, first told him that he would have to take a wife to procure an heir.  He had been about seven years old at the time, taking refuge from the Scarlet Delirium in the Lotussium.

“But I want to marry a boy,” Nico had said.  “My father told me I could marry a boy.”

“That was before your sister died,” Minos had replied.  “It is no longer appropriate for you to take a husband.”

“But I don’t want to marry a girl,” Nico had insisted.  “I want to marry a boy.”

“Selfish child, it doesn’t matter what you want,” Minos had snapped.  “You will do what is best for your family and your kingdom, understand?”

That hadn’t been the last time someone had called him selfish for insisting upon having a husband rather than a wife.  Nico had almost given in on a few occasions, but the idea of marrying a woman had felt so wrong to him.  It wasn’t until he was twelve, just before he was old enough to start seeing suitors, that he finally had a serious conversation with his father about it.

“If you feel so strongly about this, it must mean that the gods intend for you to take a husband,” Hades had said, and suddenly the guilt Nico had been carrying all those years was washed away.  If the King and the gods were behind him, then surely Nico wasn’t wrong for wanting to marry a man.

Nico looked over his shoulder at the whispering women again and smirked when he saw them quickly glance away.  Let them talk.  He had already snagged the perfect husband and no one could take Will away from him.

“Don’t pay them any attention,” Hades said.  “It’s best to just ignore the gossip.”

Nico looked at his father in surprise.  He hadn’t realized that Hades had been listening, and he certainly hadn’t expected him to comment on it.  “Right,” Nico said, wondering if Hades had caught his self-righteous grin.  He wasn’t in the mood to be scolded.

“You made a good choice,” Hades went on.  “Your fiancé continues to impress me.”

“Then I suppose you can stop berating me for my history with suitors,” Nico scowled.

Hades frowned.  “I have,” he said.

As soon as Hades said it, Nico realized that he couldn’t remember the last time he had argued with his father about suitors.  In fact, Hades had only ever voiced his approval of Will.  “Oh,” Nico said.  “Right.”

They fell into silence.  Nico wondered if he should apologize.  When he glanced at Persephone, she looked pleased to see them talking and nodded for him to continue.

“I’d like to thank you,” Nico said quickly.

Hades looked confused.  Persephone nodded encouragingly again.

“When I told you that I wanted a husband instead of a wife, you listened,” Nico went on.  “Thank you for supporting me.”

Nico bit his tongue to stop himself from saying anything else.  Hades was quiet.  Nico caught him looking to Persephone for help.

“Our family has seen enough tragedy,” Hades finally said.  “I didn’t want you to have a miserable marriage.  Why do you think I was so patient with you when you spurned every suitor you met?”

Nico and Hades must have had vastly different memories, because Nico did not recall Hades being “patient.”

“I admit that I still find it odd that you have such a strong preference, but I would never ignore something that you feel so strongly about,” Hades continued.  “And like I said, you chose well.  When you told me that you would accept him as your fiancé, I knew you must have seen something special in him.”

Nico hesitated, then said, “Thank you.”

“However, you did manage to ruin several diplomatic relations along the way,” Hades scowled.  “Lady Reyna’s ties to Mars were the only thing preventing Ares from invading our southeastern border after the way you insulted his son.”

“I was thirteen!”

“I don’t care how old you were—”

“That’s enough,” Persephone interrupted.  “We are not having this argument at our son’s wedding.”

“We are not arguing,” Hades said.  “We’re having a discussion.”

“Discussion?” Nico repeated incredulously.  “The only possible reason you would bring that up—”

“Enough,” Persephone repeated.  “Hades, don’t antagonize him.  Nico, control your temper.”

“My temper is perfectly—”

“I have done nothing—”

“Nothing?  You’re the one who started—”

“Persephone, he’s acting like a child—”

“You’re both acting like children,” Persephone said.  “Hades, let me handle this.”

“I—” Hades started, but Persephone silenced him with a look.  “Very well,” he said, and then he turned on his heel and stalked away.

“Why is he always like this?” Nico demanded, glaring after his father.  “He’s never pleased.”

“Nico, he’s very pleased,” Persephone said.  “He just doesn’t know how to show it.  He was trying to tell you that he’s proud of you.”

Nico snorted, not wanting to admit that he knew Persephone was right.

“But let’s not talk about this today,” Persephone said.  “I have an early wedding gift for you.  I hid a bottle of wine and two glasses in the crystal cabinet in your room.  Something for you and your new husband to enjoy tonight, if you’d like.”

Nico’s face burned.  The fervid want he felt for Will was embarrassing enough, but it was even worse to be reminded that everyone knew exactly what he and Will were going to do that night.

“But be careful,” Persephone warned.  “If you use it tonight, don’t drink too much too fast.  The wine I chose is rather weak, but be wary of your limits and make wise choices.”

“I’m not a child,” Nico scowled.  “I know how to drink.”

“I know you do, but it’s also your wedding night and you are going to be nervous.  Don’t let that drive you to drink too much.  Understand?”

Nico sighed.  Persephone was right to worry.  “Yes, I understand.  I’ll be careful.”

“Good.  I am giving you this gift so that you and your new husband can enjoy it together and talk to calm yourselves after the going-to-bed ceremony.  Take your time.  There’s no need for you to rush.”

Nico cleared his throat awkwardly.  “Mamma, I’d rather not discuss this.”

“Alright,” Persephone said soothingly.  “We don’t have to talk about it anymore.  I know it’s uncomfortable.” She nodded to something behind Nico.  “Look, there’s your groom now.  Isn’t he handsome today?”

Nico turned in time to see Will entering the Hall of Ouranos.  Freshly washed and standing in the sunlight shining through the glass ceiling, Will looked like he was glowing.  His smile was as radiant as ever and his hair was even brighter than usual against his black clothes.

Black.   Did Will know what he did to Nico when he wore black?

Nico took a deep breath.  “Yes,” he whispered.  “He looks very handsome.”

*   *   *

Will had been busy since his bathing ceremony.  By the time he emerged from the bathing chamber with his brothers and father, Lou Ellen and Daphne were exhausted from being on Octavian Duty for so long, but they stayed long enough for Will to introduce them to his Venadican friends.  His family had never met Asclepius before, but they’d met Emmie, Jo, Cal, and Leo about a decade earlier when the children in Venadica were sent to Delphi in the wake of the Scarlet Delirium.  Will’s family thanked Emmie, Jo, and Asclepius for watching over him.  His older siblings took a special liking to Leo and Calypso when they cursed at Octavian in flawless old Pluton, which Octavian incorrectly translated as compliments.

When Will left them to greet his guests, Jo was taking Leo to meet Hephaestus.  Leo had always idolized Hephaestus, who had become somewhat of a legend among the Venadican engineering students.  Although it had been many years since they had last seen each other, Jo had collaborated with the duke on several projects before he stopped visiting Venadica.  She had agreed to introduce them when Leo insisted.  Leo wanted to talk to Hephaestus about his project on combustion energy, and maybe even convince him to fund his research.

Will spoke with Clovis for a while, then met with Hecate to discuss a chemistry project she was sponsoring.  Cecil grabbed his attention that afternoon before Kayla roped him into dancing with her.  She took the next hour to babble about how she was thinking about joining the Sorority, but she didn’t want to do it if she had to be a puella first because they wore brown.  “Like commoners!” she whispered in horror.

Will hadn’t had the chance to sit down since his bathing ceremony, he hadn’t seen his groom all day, and he hadn’t eaten since that morning.  When Chiron rounded up Will and his family to prepare for the vows, Will’s stomach was growling and his head was starting to throb.  He nearly asked Mellie to bring him something to eat, but decided he could wait for the banquet after the vows.

Chiron brought them back to the bathing chamber where Will’s wedding wreath and ermine-lined cape were waiting.  The cape, Will noted, bore spots in a pattern that only Royals were permitted to wear.

Even among nobility, servants never made the wedding wreaths for the brides and grooms; tradition dictated that the couple must weave the wreaths themselves.  The plants used to make the wreaths varied between weddings, but Nico and Will had chosen myrtle for love and prosperity, ivy for commitment and eternity, and whitethorn for protection.  Over the past few weeks, Will and Nico had spent hours together clumsily weaving their wedding wreaths.  They had scratched their fingers, broken enough stems to build a house with, and needed several practice attempts before they managed to weave a loop that didn’t fall apart, but Will had enjoyed every second he spent with Nico.

Mellie styled Will’s hair with hot irons at the vanity so that his curls would cradle the wedding wreath, then she lightly reapplied the powder on his face and painted his lips a shade darker.  Will’s shoes were polished and his kravat exchanged for one that was freshly cleaned and pressed.  Apollo and Michael fastened the cape over his shoulders and Daphne placed the wreath on top of his head.  Lee and Lou Ellen perfumed his coat with the essence of lavender to symbolize devotion.

The perfumes only aggravated Will’s headache.  By the time his family escorted him to the entrance of the courtyard, Will was beginning to feel dizzy and starting to regret not asking for something to eat.  Will rubbed his pounding forehead to alleviate some of the pressure, but Mellie scolded him for tampering with his freshly applied makeup.  She kept a close eye on him until they reached the royal family, at which point she cheerfully left to stand by Hedge instead.

As delighted as Will was to finally see Nico, he couldn’t manage more than a smile and a polite greeting.  Like Will, Nico wore black brocade with gold embroidery encrusted with diamonds and other precious stones, a wedding wreath, and an ermine-lined cape that matched Will’s.  He looked handsome, but smelled strongly of rosemary and the scents of their perfumes mixing made Will’s headache slip into a migraine.  To make matters worse, Nico looked so displeased that Will wondered if he’d done something to offend him.

“Is something wrong, Your Highness?” Will asked as Reyna directed him to stand by Nico.

Nico clicked his tongue in disapproval, but offered Will his arm anyway.  “You have been ignoring me all day.  I have been looking at you since you entered the Chamber of Ouranos, but you didn’t so much as glance at me.  I wanted to dance with you.”

“My apologies, Your Highness.  I assure you that I wanted to dance with you as well, but I was occupied with greeting our guests.”

Nico’s frown softened and he smiled.  “I know.  I’m only pretending to be upset.”

Will was glad.  His headache was bad enough without an angry groom added to it.

“But when I saw you come in today, I thought you looked beautiful,” Nico went on.  “I wanted to steal you away.”

Will discreetly squeezed Nico’s arm.  “A few more hours, and you won’t have to.”

At first Will wasn’t entirely aware of what he’d said and it took him a moment to understand Nico’s shocked reaction.  By the time he realized what he’d implied, Nico was already smirking at him.

“And that is the only reason I haven’t done it yet,” Nico whispered.  “All my patience is about to pay off.”

Will was also looking forward to the wedding night, but at that moment he was hungry and tired and more concerned about the wedding banquet.  He almost wanted to skip the vows so that he could eat sooner.

Their families led them out to the courtyard where the crowds had already gathered.  Artemis was standing behind an altar before the wedding hearth to oversee the vows.  When Will saw the sesame cake on the altar waiting to be dedicated as an offering to Gaea, he was tempted to snatch it up and eat it.  

Between his headache and resisting the urge to steal food that was meant for the gods, Will found it difficult to concentrate.  He wasn’t listening as Artemis spoke and didn’t realize she’d asked them to chant the vows until Nico began — “Wherever you go, so shall I,” he said.

“Wherever you go, so shall I,” Will echoed.

Artemis broke off a piece of the sesame cake and gave half to Will and half to Nico — their share of Gaea’s offering.  Will had never liked Plutonian sesame cakes — they tended to taste bland and dry — but to his hungry body, the single bite he was allowed was the most amazing thing he’d ever eaten.  Will wished Gaea would share more, but the rest was thrown into the wedding hearth for the goddess.

In Jupiter, the procession happened before the feast, but in Pluto, the procession took place later in the day.  Will had never been more grateful for cultural differences as they were led to the Royal Opera House for the wedding banquet.

Will had never been inside the Opera House in any of his prior visits.  Nico had told him that it had fallen out of use over the years and due to the expense of upkeep, it had begun to slip into disrepair.  Preparations for the wedding had restored its former beauty.  The fresco ceiling was still yellowed, but that was hardly noticeable against the the gleaming golden columns and polished ornamental filigree.  The walls were made of wood for its effect on acoustics, but were painted to resemble marble so convincingly that when Will touched them, he was surprised that they were not cold.  The Opera House was rounded like a horseshoe, with a large single-level floor that made it suitable for banquets and balls as well as performances.  The next day, the hall would be rearranged with seating for a performance by the Venadican choir following the presentation of gifts, but for the banquet, the floor was furnished with round tables where most of the guests were served.  Other guest dined in boxes along the second and third floors of the Opera House.  Will, his family, and a few designated members of the court joined the royal family in the largest and most decorated box, located on the second floor directly across from the stage.

Will didn’t have to wait long before he was served a plate of roast pork with greens and sesame cakes and wasted no time stuffing his face as politely as he possibly could.  He occupied himself by looking at the crowds of guests while eating and spotted Cecil with his husband affectionately sharing their food on the third floor.  Emmie and Jo were seated below them and Will was glad to see that they had Octavian contained.  Normally, Will would never ask anyone outside his family to take care of his cousin, but Emmie and Jo had run a children’s ward for years and were more than capable of handing Octavian, so he had requested they monitor him during the banquet.

Cal, however, was not as level-headed.  Even from a distance, it was obvious that she wanted to strangle him.

Will frowned when he noticed Leo wasn’t with them.  He didn’t see him when he scanned the floor.  To Will’s surprise, he found Leo in the next box over with the Duke of Vulcan.  He was standing beside Hephaestus’s chair and fiddling with one of his original contraptions while he babbled the duke’s ear off.

“Oh dear,” Will whispered.

Will had always been proud to call Leo his friend, but there was a clear disparity between their upbringings.  It was only because of Leo’s status as a consor that Will had been able to invite him to the wedding.  Leo held no other titles; he was an orphan of common birth and, as a consequence, had never received etiquette lessons.

Other nobles, lacking Will’s experiences as a consor, placed a high importance on courtly social conventions.  Even Will’s family was sometimes guilty of looking down on the mannerisms of commoners.  Will knew that Leo felt unsure of himself at social functions and worried about doing or saying something wrong.  Although he liked Leo just the way he was, he also wanted to protect Leo from embarrassment.  Will, Cal, Emmie, and Jo had taught him courtly rules of decorum in preparation for the wedding, but they appeared to have forgotten to mention that hovering over dukes during feasts and bringing inventions to the table was not typically considered acceptable behavior.  Leo had always worshiped Hephaestus like a hero and he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t impress him.

Will was about to make excuses to leave his seat and help Leo when he noticed that while some of the people sitting around Hephaestus appeared shocked, Hephaestus himself didn’t seem bothered at all.  In fact, he looked interested and was nodding along as Leo talked.

Will smiled in relief.  He should have trusted that Leo could handle the situation on his own.  Will liked Leo best when he was simply being himself, and it seemed as though Hephaestus liked that Leo, too.

When Will turned back to his own table, he was surprised to see Nico watching him.  “Your Highness?” he asked.

“You seem hungry,” Nico observed, glancing at Will’s nearly empty plate.  No one else had even half-finished the course.

“I haven’t had anything to eat all day,” Will said sheepishly.

“Poor you,” Nico cooed, subtly crossing his pinky with Will’s.  “If you were too busy to even eat, then I suppose I can forgive you for ignoring me earlier.”

Will moved his hand to link their fingers.  “It wasn’t my intention to ignore you.  On the contrary, today I have been deprived of both food and you.”

Nico’s eyes glinted.  “I see.  What a cruel fate you have been forced to endure.”

“Cruel indeed,” Will agreed.  “But now I’m no longer hungry and tonight, I’ll have my fill of you.”

Nico hummed in amusement.  “Patience, Will.  You need only wait a few more hours.”

When he felt Nico’s ankle link around his own, Will shyly glanced away and caught sight of Michael watching them with his lip curled in disgust.  He mouthed a few words to Will across the table, and although Will couldn’t tell what he was saying, the message was clear enough.

Will took his hand off of Nico’s and reached for his tableware instead, but didn’t move his leg away.  He gave Nico an apologetic smile.  Nico nodded in understanding and tapped his shoe against Will’s as if to comfort him with secret physical affection.

Will sometimes teased Nico’s eagerness, but truthfully, Will was just as impatient.  He wanted to kiss Nico and to hold Nico without worrying about proper restraint.  He wanted to be alone with Nico behind closed doors, with no chaperones to stop them from expressing their love.

For the moment, Will was contented to wait and enjoy the banquet over the next few courses.  Just after sunset, they exited the palace through the Hall of Gold for the procession.  The sky was black, but it was not dark.  The steps outside the Palatium de Divitae were illuminated by lanterns held by the guests lining either side of the stairs.  The guests chanted hymns to Gaea and Aeon as Artemis led Will and Nico past them, to where their chariot waited.

Will’s ermine cape felt heavy around his shoulders as it dragged behind him.  He remembered the particular arrangement of spots on the fur — a pattern reserved for royalty.  He idly thought that the feeling was strangely symbolic — with a prince as his husband, Will was suddenly allowed to wear that pattern, but he would bear its weight regardless of whether he chose to wear it.

When they reached the foot of the stairs, Will offered Nico his hand to help him into the open chariot before following.  Their capes were carefully draped on the seat behind them, should they tire and chose to sit down, but they had been instructed to stand as they were pulled into the city.  They held the railing in front of them to keep their balance as the chariot began to roll away with guards stationed to march on either side.

For a moment after they left the palace, it was dark.  With the sun gone, the Plutonian air was beginning to feel too cool for Will’s comfort.  He didn’t speak.  The ride was silent apart from gravel crunching under the wheels of the carriage and the guards’ feet.  Dots of yellow light in the distance announced they were nearing the city, where Divitians waited for their arrival.

Will had been prepared for the sight of Divitia decorated for the wedding.  He had traveled through the city and had already seen the banners and garlands hanging from the buildings.  

Will had been prepared for the light.  Using torchlight to ward off evil spirits and light the procession was part of an old Plutonian wedding tradition.  Some of the Divitians held lanterns, others candles, and some carried old-fashioned torches.

Will had not been prepared for the noise.  They heard it even from a distance — the cheering crowds, the chanted hymns, the indistinct chatter.  By the time they entered the city, the sound had grown to a roar.

Divitia wasn’t as lively a city as Phoebus.  Every time Will had travelled through the city, it had seemed more empty than his hometown.  But that night, as the wedding procession rolled through Divitia’s roads, it looked even larger and more populous than he’d ever seen Phoebus.  The noise of the crowd reverberated in Will’s ears so loudly that he feared the return of his headache.  Divitians shouted as they threw wildflowers their way — some landing inside the carriage, others on the road behind them and in front of them.

“They’ve never been so happy to see me,” Nico suddenly said, nearly yelling to be heard over the crowd.  “I’m usually greeted with scornful glares, perhaps an assassination attempt or two—”

“Assassination?” Will repeated.  “You’re not serious.”

“It only happens occasionally,” Nico said, like that was supposed to comfort Will.  “But they’re so happy.  I’ve never seen them this happy before.”

Will placed his hand over Nico’s on the rail and squeezed it.  “Of course they’re happy to see their prince married.  Weddings are always cause for celebration.”

“Perhaps,” Nico said.  “But I think there’s something else.  I think it’s you.  Do you know what everyone is saying about you, Will?”

Will shook his head.

“Lady Reyna was teasing me yesterday about how the entire court was happy that I’d finally found someone to marry.  It’s partially true that they’re relieved because my history with suitors worried them, but they’re also extremely pleased with you.  Earlier, my father praised you.  He called you impressive and told me I’d chosen well.”

“The king said that?” Will asked.  He had been afraid of the king at first, and although he’d since learned that he was relatively harmless, Hades still intimidated him.

“You are going to be a wonderful consort, Will,” Nico said.  “You’re a consor, you come from a good family, and there’s something about you that makes people feel hopeful — happy, even.  Divitia isn’t just celebrating their prince’s wedding.  I think this is a welcome for you.”

Will tore his eyes away from Nico’s to look at the assembled crowd.  As an illegitimate child, he’d never been particularly important.  He’d always assumed he’d marry downward — perhaps to an earl or countess — if he’d marry at all.  Even after being engaged to a prince for two years, he hadn’t fully comprehended the significance of his marriage until seeing the magnitude of the wedding.  Pluto hadn’t had a reason to celebrate for over a decade.  Suddenly, marriage had made Will important.  And even more shockingly, Will was worthy of it.

“I suppose it’s a good thing that you spurned all your suitors before finding me,” Will commented.

Nico clicked his tongue like he was tired of hearing about that, but his expression didn’t look truly irritated.  “Perhaps.  I think I’m fortunate to have found someone who doesn’t mind being compared to animals.”

“I like animals,” Will said.

Nico laughed.  “I know you do.  I would trust no one else to be Asterion’s second father.  You will make me a very happy husband, Will.  I hope I can do the same for you.”

“It’s not difficult to make me happy, Your Highness.  You already do.”  Will almost kissed Nico, but when he remembered where they were, he settled for squeezing Nico’s hand.

And then Nico kissed him instead.

Next

[esseastri]

Megan Reads Oathbringer (part 9)

Happy New Year, y’all.

“Heavy Fuel” by Dire Straits is a punk!Dalinar song, sorry, I don’t make the rules.

Part 9 encompasses pages 666-753 (previous parts)

Pray for the mountain internet, please, that it lets me do this liveblog without dropping tumblr every five minutes.

okay, but Elhokar is drawing a map and I’m suddenly vaguely desperate for Elhokar/Eshonai map buddies.

I s2g every time someone calls him “the bridgeman” I just hiss protectively. HE HAS A NAME

oh snap his baby’s name is Gavinor. that’s... listen bud, your dad doesn’t deserve to have anyone named after him, sorry.

“Nice work, Elhokar.” *Gloryspren* THIS CHILD NEEDS MORE ENCOURAGEMENT, PLS, HELP HIM. BE KIND TO HIM. HUG HIM.

“Storming lighteyes, Veil thought as she watched [the food distribution].” YEAH HON, THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO, NORMALLY.

Okay, no, not quite--Shallan would probably not go so far as to send her servants to get food that could be given to the poor instead of rich people, but like... the principle stands. Shallan does not recognize her own privilege half the time, and I guess?? that “Veil” noticing it... might? be a step in the right direction? But... probably not until she fuses her multiple identities back into one person.

And that doesn’t seem like it’s happening any time soon.

HOID

WHY ARE YOU WEARING SADEAS COLORS? 

aw yis. storytime.

Aight, can Hoid see through Lightweaving, or can he just recognize Shallan by like... her stance and the way she moves or? HOW COOL IS HE, IS WHAT I’M ASKING HERE.

“You look like you could use the opportunity to buy me something to eat.” HOID, PLS.

“I’m not stupid enough to get mixed up in religion again.” Again. Hoid, wth does that mean.

but dear god, Hoid as a Herald would be hilarious.

THE LAST SEVEN TIMES HE’S TRIED IT. WTH, HOID, OH MY GOD.

“The sum total of stupid people is somewhere around the population of the planet. Plus one.” “Plus one?” “Sadeas counts twice.” GOD BLESS, WIT.

wait, so he wasn’t lying about the promise? About “always being there when needed” but not always knowing where or why? hm. Interesting concept. That I kind of love and wish I’d thought of first.

“Who came with you?” “Kaladin, Adolin, Elhokar, some of our servants.” I thiiiink the other bridgemen would take offense at that, but sure. Whatever.

I’m...intensely amused that chapter 69 is titled “Free Meal, No Strings.” Because I’m eleven and crude as fuck.

Idk, Kaladin, they have a point: the world is ending, so you might as well party. You can be miserable and afraid, or you can be partying and afraid. I’d go with the second.

OH OOOHHHHH OH ADOLIN CALLED HIM “KAL” AND I DIED A LITTLE BIT INSIDE

MY BOY’S GOT FRIENDS AGAIN AND HIS FRIENDS ARE ADOLIN AND I’M CRY

(but dear god, the Kadolin is real)

Also, Adolin being stupidly happy about getting a new wardrobe is giving me life, I LOVE THIS RIDICULOUS FASHION BOY

HEHEHEH Adolin is going to bring Skar and Drehy pastries from the lighteyes party, that’S SO CUTE I LOVE THIS

“What?” “What what?” “You’re going drinking with bridgemen?” “Sure. Skar, Drehy, and I go way back.” “We spent some time keeping His Highness from falling into chasms.” I’M LIVING MY CROPS ARE FLOURISHING MY SKIN IS CLEAR THIS IS ALL I EVER WANTED THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO ME I LOVE THIS I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS.

“He felt good lots of days. Trouble was, on the bad days, that was hard to remember. At those times, for some reason, he felt like he had always been in darkness, and always would be. Why was it so hard to remember? Did he have to keep slipping back down? Why couldn’t he stay up here in the sunlight, where everyone else lived?”

The Megan-and-Kaladin-Think-the-Same-Exact-Way-and-It’s-Both-Comforting-and-Terrifying Trend continues. 

Sometimes people ask me why he’s my favorite and I just. Have literally never related more strongly to another person ever, real life or fictional. It’s wild.

ADOLIN COMING TO CHECK ON KALADIN WHEN HE FALLS BEHIND WORRYING.

THERE IS TOO MUCH. STORMING. KADOLIN. IN THIS BOOK.

I love that the phrase “and you’re lighteyed today” is a normal thing now. That it changes and he can just. change it. and they’ve all accepted it. I love it.

PUNCHY GUYS.

IT’S THE ACADEMIC TERM

SWORDY FELLOWS OR SPEARISH CHAPS. AXALACIOUS BLOKE.

bless these two nerds

“Adolin Kholin was simply a good person. Powder-blue clothing and all. You couldn’t hate a man like him; storms, you kind of had to like him.”

YOU REALLY REALLY DO. He’s infectious, this sunlight boy. And I adore him.

oh no

“Should have just gone to the party” YES YES YOU SHOULD HAVE. I’M WORRY.

also, why did the illusion wear off????? Shallan, what you do?

“The stew didn’t smell anywhere near as good as Rock’s.” HEHEH Nothing does, I’m sure.

I loooooove that Kaladin gets to tell the truth about Amaram now. Drag him, my boy.

the over-friendly wall guards are makin me nervous

I’m sure there are some good men here, and a lot of good soldiers, but... who are they and where did they come from and why are they all lighteyes and.... I have sooo many questions.

......I don’t remember if the squires’ eyes turn light when they’ve been flying with Kaladin.

I don’t think they do, but I don’t remember, and now I’m thinking...maybe the highmarshal is. some kind of Radiant whose squires are all...lighteyes?

hm

AAHH!!!!??? AAAHH!!???? A LADY SHARDBEARER!!!!!?? A LADY!!!!

Okay. That was a pretty dang good speech.

But who is shhheeee

Is she a radiant or is that an Honorblade???

Mmmmmm, Kaladin also thinks she’s a Radiant, but WHICH KIND? If she’s got a bunch of squires, it could be Windrunner, but... dangit, I just... really want to meet a Stoneward.

“In every way, she was the perfect Alethi wife--and her unhappiness crushed his soul.” IT SHOULD. SHE DESERVES BETTER.

I’m reaaaally glad that Evi recognized the Thrill as a bad thing. A monster crouching in her husband’s body.

“...the Thrill was your reward.” Reward? Dalinar, listen to your wife. Please. That is not a reward.

Dalinar, look at you go. You did try this before, the talking thing. You are talking to this angry kiddo, and you’re bad at it, but you’re trying. This isn’t very punk!Dalinar of you. I like it. I can see the bits of presentday!Dalinar poking through the Thrill-encrusted shell of punk!Dalinar. I like it.

This is such interesting character movement, gaahh.

Evi still deserves better though. “Because of a good woman’s tears” ugh the fridge doors are slowly swinging shut, aren’t they?

whhhhhhhhaaaaat

I mean, I’m not surprised, because it’s Sadeas and he’s Sadeas and of course he’s a fucking traitor, but

whhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaat

...........gross.

Shallan needs to stop getting killed, please. This is really gross.

NO, DON’T TRY TO TALK WITH A CROSSBOW BOLT IN YOUR FACE PLEASE THIS IS REALLY UNNECESSARY

I DID NOT ASK FOR THIS LEVEL OF HORROR NOVEL PLEASE TAKE IT BACK, BRANDON.

Kaladin “Good at Making Friends” Stormblessed being all sheepish at making friends easily when it took so much effort to make friends with Bridge Four, like... listen, buddy. YOU are excellent at making friends and these guys were all ready to be friends with you. The Bridge was not ready and you had to wear them down with your charm, and you did, and doesn’t that make it all the more precious that you are friends with them?

Also, I miss them. Are my boys okay, Brandon? How are they doing?

omg, Adolin, pls. Yellow?

The Wall Guards making fun of Adolin’s new wardrobe is DELIGHTFUL.

Kaladin: HELLO, FELLOW LIGHTEYES, FOR I AM SURELY A LIGHTEYES, YES INDEEDY, LOOK AT MY VERY LIGHT EYES.

Hi, I love Kaladin, I am not sure you know this about me.

“Yes, his suit was a little bright--but if they would merely spend five minutes talking to him, they’d see he wasn’t so bad.”

Kaladin.

Babe.

You’ve come. So. Far.

I’m so proud of him, oh my god.  

mmmm this food shipment stuff is so weeeiiirrd. where is it coming from? why is it going?? uuugghhhhh

Part of me is like, “I love that they call Azure ‘sir’ and use male pronouns because there is no gender on the battlefield! Everyone gets treated equal!” and most of me is like “fuck this, she’s a fucking lady in command and she deserves to be known.”

also, wtf, she had them attack a monastery? Okay, I get it, you want to control the Soulcaster, but like.... you didn’t just go in there a kill a buncha monks for it, did you?

OKAY, SO MAYBE IT IS AN HONORBLADE THAT WAS DEF MY THOUGHT

but which one.

We have the Skybreaker one.......so whose is this?

Unless it’s not.

I’m

confused. and worried.

Tell me things, Brandon!

OH. But then she wouldn’t need the Soulcaster...if she had an Honorblade for Soulcasting... so she went and got the Soulcaster to...keep up appearances? Hm.

....is it awkward that Stormlight Archive has, so far, been the story of several people slowly becoming atheist (Jasnah, Dalinar) or agnostic (Kaladin) as their lives fall to pieces around them and they slowly rebuild?

Kaladin is a Good, guys.

The best.

omg, okay, but the Swiftspren is just.... LISTEN, BRANDON, YOU CAN’T GO MAKING SHALLAN A ROBIN HOOD. DON’T DO ME LIKE THIS.

I feel so bad for Elhokar.

Buddy just needs some hugs, okay.

Okay, I know logically that Roshar is Bad At Horses, but somehow it never occurred to me that they wouldn’t have archers trained on horseback. Mounted archer is just... such a very Alethi thing, especially non-Shattered Plains Alethi. I didn’t realize, but of course they wouldn’t have that. Horses are too rare.

aight, I didn’t really think Sadeas had betrayed them THIS early on, but STILL, I was so hoping...

Still, rockslide ambush is... a pretty solid strategy for dealing with a Shardbearer.

Sucks for his elites tho. They did not deserve that. That’s shitty.

“They must know the punishment for broken oaths.” Huh. Even back then...

“for none shall remain to weep.” #YIKES, my dude. y i k e s.

punk!Dalinar needs to take a chill pill.

And maybe get some sleep.

Listen, if the Thrill is telling you not to sleep, yOU SHOULD PROBABLY SLEEP.

also, any time you are actually LISTENING to SADEAS? You should probably rethink your life and your choices.

Just saying.

So... presentday!Dalinar had a conversation with Taravangian, about sacrificing the few to save the many. That’s...sort of what Taravangian’s entire plan for world domination salvation rests on. But now here...at the Rift. This is 100% Sadeas’ argument: sacrifice the ten thousand commoners living in the Rift to make an example of their highlords to stop any rebellion further down the timeline that might result in more soldiers’ deaths. Which gives ...a really fascinating insight into just how incredibly far Dalinar has come. past!Dalinar is literally employing the exact plan that Taravangian is trying to do on a worldwide scale, and so he knows it. He understands the consequences that Taravangian can’t know and can’t anticipate and refuses to consider. And present!Dalinar learned from this, and knows what end these means lead to and...refuses. To do it again.

It’s SUCH an interesting character progression. And it’s absolutely fascinating to see it laid out in this order--to see the good, honorable man we know and love first and to see this...monster that he was and see exactly how very much he’s grown... It doesn’t excuse this bad period, the good he’s doing now, but maybe it explains it a little bit. Dalinar is getting a redemption arc and we didn’t even realize that he needed one until he’s almost done with it.

And that’s some badass non-linear storytelling for you.

Also past!Dalinar can get fucked by a cactus, holy shit, what an unbelievable fuck.

nooooo wonder Kadash leaves and becomes an ardent.

hoooooly shit.

“We’ve gone too far.” YA FUCKING THINK??

Meanwhile, Sadeas: “Nonsense!”

Fuck Sadeas, uuugghhhh I’m so glad he’s dead. UUGGHHH

what

the

fuck

THAT JUST HAPPENED.

Fun facts, y’all, the refrigerator is now on fire.

hoooollly fucking shiiiiiiit

WELP

[jinhwanxobs]

munday 4! (plus the other ones kinda?)

       this is my first munday here so hi everyone~! quick introduction as well i suppose (sort of summarizing a few of the other munday things) -- i’m grey and i use they/them pronouns! i am a college senior, comp. sci. major. i’ve written for fun since i could actually write, but I’ve been roleplaying (krp specifically) since fall 2014! (i’m also in central timezone -- an hour behind obscura main timezone). I don’t particularly have a strong preference for any kind of writing genre; it’s all more or less fair game! 

i’m sorry this is so long lmfao

munday 1!

What is your ultimate weakness; what makes you feel all soft and squishy inside?

“cute” things? ...my biases usually...

Write the first thing to come to mind in caps: BUT WHY Three random facts about you: i used to know how to play piano, i’ve owned a pokemon game from every generation except for the wii games (which do not count), and my bias groups are vixx, infinite, btob, f(x) and bts.

munday 2!

If your muse(s) could describe you in a few words, what would they say?

“at least they’re clean...”

What is the most wicked thing you could imagine your character doing?

as a witch he could very well slip into warlock-dom at a point so i’m not sure how general this should be -- magic can really fuck you up, kids. as it currently stands he’s... i could see him ruining someone’s life on social media or something if they really pissed him off though

If your muse(s) were real, would you fight them?

yes. he’d probably beat me on size alone. probably. but it’d be worth it

What object would you erase from existence if given the opportunity?

cigarettes. the smoke and residue makes me so sick

If you had a billion dollars and could only spend it, what would you buy first?

that’s a lot of money. i’d buy a service that’d help me invest it? or something? and pay off my loans. i’m not a very material person so i... have no idea.... outside of housing and donating most of it and helping out my friends

If you could play any sport, what would it be?

does dance count as a sport?? i love watching excellent and intense choreography and i do like to dance but i am very awkward-limbed

Do you have any fun hobbies or talents you’d like to share?

i like to draw! i actually write fanfic outside of rp too. mmm i like to cook/bake as well, and i like to play video games when i get the chance

Do you have/want any pets? 

i want a cat.......... please let me have a cat...........

munday 3!

What’s the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to you?

well if i’m being a sap i’d say meeting all of my rp friends; i’m extremely fortunate in that regard. but as a more specific thing, i’d say my love live luck is pretty damn incredible. my best girl fuckin loves me. when scouting for job kanan i did 6 pulls, ur came home TWICE as did the hanamaru ssr also twice, as well as another ur and two ssrs?? and i’ve gotten every one of her cards that’s come out since then?? she’s too good to me

If you could attend any concert or event right now without any obstacles, what would you choose?

i would die (my anxiety would kill me) but a vixx concert with a hi-touch event

What’s your dream vacation?

being at the ocean (can you say beautiful, destin sands) with no pressure of going anywhere, meeting anyone. just lazing in the sand and swimming out into the water. getting caught in the waves sometimes but feeling all sun warm and happily worn at the end of the day

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Any style preferences?

tea! hot tea i can drink with or without sugar but my cold/ice tea has to be sweet -- (bubble) milk tea is also so so good

A game you love ( traditional, video, etc )?

i love pokemon......... i’ll say it ten thousand times....... hoenn is my favorite region (i love the routes around fortree....)

Favorite/Number one go-to internet meme?

Least favorite internet meme?

Something that makes you want to flip a table?

hmm... i’d have to be in the moment of flipping the table to tell you

In your opinion, do you fit the stereotyped traits of your western zodiac sign? Do you believe that another sign fits you better? What about your muse?

i don’t know? i think i’m perhaps more like a taurus than a libra. i don’t really understand the stereotypes very well. uuuh... jinhwan? he doesn’t fit the stereotyped traits of an aries either. maybe gemini?

Post a gif of what you’re currently feeling right now.

munday 4!

Do you prefer to brainstorm your plots or wing them? Do you have no preference in either?

i’m not so sure so far as what winging a plot would be -- i like to have a pretty good idea of what’s going to happen. not necessarily detail by detail, but having a good idea of the setting and how long a thread will go, if there might need to be any location changes or time skips possibly?? those are good things to discuss. you can’t always tell how a muse will react to things until you’re writing them in that moment, so it’s good to be flexible in regard to those changes too ouo

What kind of writing memes do you like, if any (sentence starters, drabble memes, head-canon memes, etc)?

i don’t particularly like sentence starters, as it’s hard for me to come up with fitting context for them. i love headcanon memes for sure but it’s a bit hard for me to say for anything else, as i’ve not had a lot of experience with them!

What’s the easiest way to plot with you? Alternatively, what is the easiest way to contact you for plotting?

give me all your ideas, any ideas!! even if they’re very silly to begin with (mine often are) there might be a good idea for a plot buried in there~ i’ll do the same but please do let me know if i need to slow down haha discord is the single best way of getting ahold of me (thru dms) please do not hesitate to add me and send me a message! on tumblr through dms is totally fine too but i sometimes lose track of them ;;

What kind of movies/television series/dramas/anime/etc do you like to watch?

i love animated stuff! most anime, western stuff like legend of korra, atla, steven universe, young justice, teen titans, etc.; i like action movies i guess? superhero stuff is pretty alright but uh pacific rim and mm: fury road are two of my favorite movies. unless it’s pretty gripping i have trouble paying attention (and also no matter what it is i usually prefer to watch with subs bc i always get a lot more out of it that way)

Would you be interested in the occasional group viewing of a movie/series/drama/cartoon/etc, if one were to be organized?

YELL HES. i have a ton of studio ghibli movies and also all three seasons of atla and all seasons of legend of korra, if i can just figure out how to stream them i’d love to help with that sort of thing also??? ?????

If yes to the above, do you have any specifics in time or day as to when you are available to attend? If no, is there any group activity that you would be interested in participating in (ie, games of some sort)?

bruh i’m down for anything. i’ll have school coming up here this next week but i’ll for the most part be free on the weekends outside of coding and doing schoolwork and hunting bugs. i’m done with class by the evening all during the week too

If you were caught up in a food fight, what food would you throw first?

oh geez... something that wouldn’t hurt? i’d probably just be trying to get out of there asap lmfao

If you could be any mythological beast, which one would you be and why?

DRAGON. NATURALLY. big dumb scaley dog with a big pile of shiny things in a hoard. that me -v-

Top five things that make you happy?

i don’t know about top five! but here’s a few... giving someone something that you’ve thought they’d really like and actually making their day; lazy background music and ambient noises in a place of solitude; chicken tikka masala with rice and naan; drawing silly things; ...pokemon? anything and everything about it?

Share a picture! It could be of your bias, a cute animal, a drawing, a meme, an anime wife—anything you’d like!

[chocolatequeennk]

Time is Still A-Flying, recap

This is part two of my recap posts as we get ready for Forever and Never Apart on Tuesday. You can read the To Make Much of Time recap here.

Time is Still A-Flying

Ten x Rose, series 3 with Rose. Rated Teen.

AO3 | FF.net | Teaspoon | Tumblr

Summary: With a bond and a promise of forever, the Doctor and Rose have managed to escape the trap set for them in Torchwood. But Time is not yet done with them. The Master is still in London and Election Day draws ever closer. He’s tried to separate them once; will they survive a second attempt? Part 3 of Being to Timelessness; sequel to To Make Much of Time (AO3 | FF.net | Teaspoon)

From chapter 4:

“I’ve been wondering something, Doctor,” Rose said. “How come the huon particles in me didn’t… buzz or whatever like Donna’s did?”

The Doctor poured more wine for both them, then settled back against the hearth again. “Well, yours are actually part of your biology,” he explained. “The part of the TARDIS she left behind in you.”

“Right…”

“Think about it this way. You’ve got iron running through your entire body, in your blood. But when someone holds a magnet up to you, do you notice?”

“I do now.”

The Doctor laughed and tickled Rose. “Before you changed, cheeky minx.”

“So, it’s like the difference between the iron in my blood and wearing jewellery with iron in it? Donna was just… wearing huon particles like an accessory.”

“Exactly!”

Rose having huon particles in her body like this is something that will come up again later. Stay tuned...

From chapter 6:

“Rose, when I met you, I was broken and alone. From the moment I took your hand in that basement—oh, such a long time ago—you helped fill up the loneliness and teach me how to live again.

“Falling in love with you was as inevitable as it was unexpected. I was…” His voice faltered, and he cleared his throat before continuing. “I was terrified by how much I needed you in my life. One fragile human, holding the hearts of the last Time Lord. What would happen when I lost you?

“I tried to run, and I tried to send you away. Today, I promise I won’t do either ever again. As our hands are now bound together by cloth, so also will our lives by joined by Time. Your future is my future, from now until forever.”

Rose blinked back a few more tears, then swallowed and smiled up at him. Until she’d listened to him, she’d still been unsure of what to say, but now the words came easily.

“Doctor, when I met you, I was lost. My life was nothing more than work, chips, and evenings at the pub. I knew I wanted more, but everyone around me said it was impossible. Then you took my hand and pulled me into your mad life, and I’ve never looked back—not even when you tried to send me away.”

She raised an eyebrow, and the Doctor smiled sheepishly.

“From our very first date, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life travelling with you. Then I fell in love with you, and I wanted to spend forever with you… travelling was an added bonus.

“I promised you forever before we knew how close to the truth that was.” She paused for a moment, then said, “Doctor, I’m never gonna willingly leave you—you’re stuck with me.”

“Stuck with you, Rose Tyler?” the Doctor said, his voice rough. “That’s not so bad.”

[...]

He placed his hands on her temples, and Rose mirrored him. This is the last time we’ll need to be touching to go into each other’s minds, he told her. Last chance to change your mind—there’s no going back after this.

Don’t want to go back. I just want to go forward, with you, forever.

The Doctor’s hands trembled on her temples. I love you, he told her fervently, then took a deep breath to get control over his emotions. Completing a marriage bond requires a third telepathic presence. Normally this would be the officiant, but the TARDIS will facilitate for us.

The presence of the TARDIS strengthened until Rose felt like the time ship was holding both her mind and the Doctor’s safely in her hands.

That’s it exactly, Rose.

Rose felt the Doctor weaving his mind around hers, and she followed his example, as best as she could. He and the TARDIS helped when she wasn’t sure what to do, guiding her until she knew, intuitively, that there was only one step remaining.

The Doctor hovered over the telepathic centre of her mind, and with the TARDIS’ help, Rose found the matching place in his. She looked to him, waiting for a cue as to what to do next, and to her surprise, a third set of vows followed.

I take you as my bond mate, sharing my life, my mind, and all I am with you. I promise never to lie to you, and to be true to our bond through regeneration after regeneration, until we are finally parted by death.

The words came easily to Rose. I take you as my bond mate, sharing my life, my mind, and all I am with you. I promise never to lie to you, and to be true to our bond through regeneration after regeneration, until we are finally parted by death.

She could feel his deep joy and a pleasure that went far beyond happiness, and then he said, Now, Rose.

With the TARDIS’ help, she pressed into the telepathic centre of his mind, feeling him do the same thing in hers. The awareness of him that their bond had given her flared and deepened. She knew more than how he was feeling or what he was thinking; she knew him.

Yes. Oh, Rose. You are my forever.

This is one of the biggest differences between TISAF and most S3 rewrites. Typically, the Doctor and Rose spend series three working through the remaining issues keeping them apart, and the story ends with them fully committed to each other in a romantic relationship. But since I wrote that into an S2 rewrite (and also, my headcanon is that most of that happened in S2 even in canon), in my S3 rewrite, they’re together right from the beginning. It makes a big difference several times in how things play out, not the least of which is the way it completely eliminates Martha’s crush on the Doctor. Having an actual wedding wasn’t necessary for those changes, but I really wanted to go whole hog and have them married throughout this whole story.

From chapter 9:

The Master paused the streaming radio on his laptop.

[...]

So, the Doctor and Rose had met Martha Jones. It was time to put his next piece into play.

He picked up his phone and dialled a familiar number. “Lady Thaw?” he said when the woman picked up. “Harold Saxon here. I wondered if Miss Jones had given you a final guest list for tomorrow’s gala event.”

When Lady Thaw told him that no, she didn’t expect the list until the morning, his politician’s smile spread across his face. “Then I wonder if it would be possible to have you add two more names to the list when you see it—as a personal favour to me. An old school friend of mine will be in town tomorrow with his wife, and I know they’d be fascinated with Professor Lazarus’ work.”

Lady Thaw was always willing to oblige Mr. Saxon in anything he wished, of course. “Excellent. Their names are the Doctor and Rose Tyler. No, not Doctor Tyler. His wife is Rose Tyler, but he is just the Doctor.” The Master’s smile turned sharklike. “It’s an old nickname that’s stuck, I’m afraid. You should hear what he calls me.”

The whole notion of the Master in the background of S3, pulling all the strings, was really fun to play with. Having him put the Doctor and Rose’s names on the invitation list for Lazarus’ gala just gave the story a little twist.

From chapter 14:

[The Doctor] ground his teeth, and pain exploded behind his right eye, through the temple area, and down into the jaw. “Because I deserve to be punished! I destroyed two races, Rose, on top of the dozens of civilisations the War had already damaged irreparably. Nothing can undo that.”

Rose was quiet for a several minutes. The Doctor could tell she was deep in thought, but his own mind was too frazzled for him to be able to pick up on her train of thought

When she finally spoke, she said the last thing he’d expected her to say. “You’re right.”

“What?” Rose wasn’t supposed to agree with his self-condemnation. She was the one who always tried to get him to see the good in himself.

“You’re right,” she repeated. “Nothing can undo it. Your planet is gone, and your people with it.”

The Doctor flinched away from her, curling himself into the corner of the couch. Hearing the harsh truth from her lips prodded at the ache lodged in his chest that he’d been trying to ignore since he’d ended the War. “Rose, please…” he whispered.

But she was relentless. “I can’t imagine what it must have felt like, to look at the destruction both sides were causing and know it was a choice between the end of the War, or the end of the universe.”

The memory of that moment was still crystal clear in the Doctor’s mind, however. He’d felt the timelines converging for months—years even—until there had been only two possible endings to the War.

He’d tried so hard to find another way. His eighth incarnation had fought on the front lines, becoming a warrior instead of the Doctor he’d claimed to be. But when the Daleks broke through the sky trenches and Arcadia fell, he’d known there was no other way. Breaking into the archives was easy. Using the Moment… was not.

His eyes grew hot, and the Doctor felt a tear streak down his face. He wiped it away impatiently, but another followed, and another, until sobs shook his body.

Rose reached for him then, and despite his hurt confusion, he let her guide him until they were both lying down on the couch. She offered the comfort then that she’d withheld earlier, and he sank into the solace their bond provided, leaning on her strength.

His tears slowed gradually, and as they did, he realised Rose was whispering words of comfort and apology as she rubbed his back. He pulled back enough to look at her face, noticing the damp spot his tears had left on her shirt as he did so.

Rose was biting her lip and there were tears in her own eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, answering his unspoken question. “But I just thought… had you ever let yourself grieve, Doctor?”

A sharp retort sprung to his lips—of course he’d grieved. But his scratchy eyes and sore throat gave him pause. Had he ever allowed himself the release of tears?

She nodded. “That’s what I thought. An’ it’s not good to just hold all that in for so long. It was time to let it go, Doctor.”

This scene is so important. One of the reasons I ship the Doctor and Rose so hard is because I truly believe they are better together than they are apart. A big part of that for the Doctor is the way Rose helps him deal with his grief and guilt over the end of the Time War. She fell in love with him when he was still scarred and grieving, but that doesn’t mean she wants him to stay that way. 

From chapter 18:

Rose looked over his shoulder at the empty platform where Dalek Caan had been controlling the hybrids. “He’s falling through Time, Doctor. And he won’t escape unscathed.”

“Emergency temporal shift,” the Doctor told her. “It’s a rubbish way to travel, really—who knows where he’ll end up, or what it’ll do to him?”

Rose nodded absently. “It won’t be just his body this time though, Doctor,” she said. “It’s gonna tear his mind apart.”

The Doctor repressed a shiver. He could feel the timelines flowing around them, and he knew Dalek Caan had reminded Rose of something she’d seen when she was Bad Wolf. With an effort, he held back his questions—he didn’t really want to know how the last Dalek would play into their lives.

This gets back to the notion, established in that scene at the very end of TMMOT, that Rose’s time sense is occasionally more acute than the Doctor’s. There are key moments in their life together that she will feel more strongly when they happen. It’s a plot device I’ve tried not to overuse, but it’s something that makes a lot of sense to me since she literally saw all of time when she was Bad Wolf. And this is the first time it’s really used in the story.

From chapter 21:

The Doctor didn’t say a word as he sent the TARDIS into the Vortex. Rose tamped down her own building anger as best as she could; at least one of them should remain calm.

[...]

“And what’s your excuse for that stunt in the cathedral?” he asked, his voice biting.

“You said you needed to get Lazarus into the bell tower.”

“But I didn’t say I wanted you to act as bait!”

Rose took a deep breath and blew it out her nose. “Did you have another plan to get him up there?” she asked calmly.

The Doctor paced in front of their bed in his black trousers and unbuttoned dress shirt. “No,” he admitted finally, running his hand through his hair. 

[...]

“You promised you wouldn’t send me away again. Didn’t you mean it?”

His anger faded, and he ran his hands wearily over his face. “Yeah,” he said, his voice hoarse.

Rose walked towards him slowly until they were standing face to face, about three feet apart. “What’s this really about, Doctor?”

His hands dropped to his sides, and he sagged in defeat. “I just want to keep you safe.”

“We stick together as much as possible to keep each other safe, don’t we?” Rose watched his face, and when she thought he was softening, she reached for his hand. “And we don’t just stand aside watching when people are in trouble; we help.”

“I know,” he groaned, “but if you were hurt…”

“Says the man I’ve found unconscious three times this week,” Rose retorted. “Are you going to stop running into dangerous situations?”

He sighed. “No.”

“Then you can’t expect me to.”

“Expect, no,” he agreed. “Wish for…”

Rose chuckled wryly. “I know the feeling.”

The Doctor nodded, and she thought she’d finally made her point. He took her hand, and she went willingly into his arms, breathing in the comforting honey scent of his skin.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered in her ear.

Rose pressed a kiss to his collarbone. “You’re forgiven.” She rested her cheek against his chest, considering her next words. “Can I tell you a secret?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said.

“I always feel safest when I’m with you.” His surprise rippled across their bond, and Rose tightened her arms around his waist. “Always,” she repeated firmly.

“But… why? How?” he asked. “I don’t try to find trouble, but somehow it seems like almost every trip ends in danger. How could you possibly feel safe with me?”

Rose took a half step back so she could look him in the eye. “Because you’re brilliant. When we’re in those situations, I know that if we’re going to get out of it, it’ll probably be because you figured out the magic secret that’ll solve everything.”

“Only if you haven’t figured it out first,” the Doctor interjected. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Rose—you’re brilliant too.”

“About time you noticed,” Rose said cheekily. “I’ve been saving your life since day one, and don’t you forget it.”

A small smile finally crept across his face. “How could I? A pink and yellow girl swings into my life on a chain, taking out the bad guys and sweeping me off my feet in one move. That’s not something I’ll ever forget.”

Rose undid the Doctor’s cufflinks and slid the shirt off his shoulders. “I also feel safe when I’m with you because… because you love me,” she said quietly. “I know you’ll always protect me if you can.” She tossed the shirt onto the bed, then pulled his vest over his head and threw that into the laundry. “Don’t you feel safe with me for the same reason?”

“Of course I do,” he said, his sincerity and conviction easing the little doubt she’d had.

Rose hung the Doctor’s shirt up in the wardrobe, then walked back to him and turned her back to him. He silently unzipped her dress, and that was soon hanging up as well.

“Then are you going to yell at me the next time I follow you into something dangerous?” Rose asked.

“No,” he promised.

It was part of his wedding vows, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. He’ll always hate watching Rose run into danger, and this will probably cause tension in their relationship occasionally for their entire lives. But this time, Rose really needed to lay it all out for him--why it wasn’t right for him to act like that, how hypocritical it is, and how wrong he is overall. 

From chapter 28:

John led Rose around the floor, loving the effortless way she moved. She smiled up at him, the beautiful, teasing smile that meant she had something up her sleeve.

“Do you remember how you asked me to dance, the very first time?” she asked in answer to his raised eyebrow.

He groaned, and a flush crept up the back of his neck. “That was not one of my better moments.”

“I don’t know,” she drawled. “When the gorgeous man who’s just saved your entire neighbourhood walks up to you, holds out his hand, asks you to dance, and then adds, ‘I’ve got the moves, but I wouldn’t want to boast,�� it makes an impression.”

Even two years later, John couldn’t fathom what had made him say something so audacious. “I suppose you did agree to dance with me, even after that ridiculous comment.”

Rose’s fingers played with the hair curling at the nape of his neck. “Well, to be honest, I’d been watching you for a while, hoping you might say something.”

John nearly stopped in the middle of the dance floor. “You what?” he said, his voice embarrassingly close to a squeak.

The natural pink in her cheeks deepened a little. “Yeah… I don’t know if you remember, but I was there that day—the day of the accident at the factory. I watched you and Captain Jack get everyone out before the fumes were too dangerous, and then take the chemicals into that abandoned hospital. We could hear the explosion where we waited, down by the river, and until the two of you showed up, we didn’t know if you were safe. You were… incredible, John.”

John gaped down at his Rose. “Well, as long as we’re sharing secrets,” he said, “I saw you that day too. Helping that boy who was looking for his mummy? You were so kind and gentle with him. So I found out your name and then wrangled an introduction that evening so I could dance with you.”

Rose ducked closer to him and hid her blushing face against his chest. John’s arms tightened around her, heedless of the raised eyebrows their embrace was garnering. He bent his head so his lips were nearly touching her ear and whispered, “I fell in love with you the moment you took my hand.”

The hand he held flexed, and he felt her sigh. “So did I.”

Perhaps this isn’t crucial to the overall plot, but the Human Nature arc is my favourite part of this whole story and I had to share something from it. I love this snippet from the dance, before the Family interrupts their romantic happiness. It was so much fun coming up with an AU version of their “how we met” story that the TARDIS could have given them. 

From chapter 30:

Timothy looked at the Doctor and Rose, and something in his gaze made the hairs stand up on the back of the Doctor’s neck. “The Doctor and Rose Tyler,” he said in a distant voice. “Together, you burn at the centre of time and can see the turn of the universe. Even when the Wolf is silenced, your story will not be over.” His gaze sharpened. “You are… forever.”

The couple shared a startled glance. Neither of them had ever told anyone else about that word. “Timothy, you are brilliant,” the Doctor said sincerely. Rose gave him a hug, then joined Martha inside. “You’ll like this bit,” the Doctor told Tim, wishing he could see the look on the lad’s face when the ship dematerialised.

Rose watched the Doctor as he took the TARDIS into the vortex. The faint lines around his eyes and mouth and the tension in his body matched the anxiety he was projecting over the bond, and once he threw the dematerialisation lever, she took his hand and encouraged him to sit with her in the jump seat.

“What do you think Tim meant, about me being silenced?” she asked.

He sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. “I honestly don’t have a clue, Rose,” he told her. “Last night, before I faced the Family, he asked if I could hear you, howling for your mate. I told him the truth—I can always hear you.”

Rose pulled her sonic out of her pocket and after adjusting the settings, pointed it at the Doctor to dry him off. “Do you think something’s going to happen, and you won’t be able to?”

“Not possible,” the Doctor said flatly. “If even changing species couldn’t get rid of our bond, nothing can.”

Oh, Doctor. You should know better than to declare something so definitively.

From chapter 32:

[The Doctor] followed her into their room and turned down the covers while she fumbled through undressing as though she’d been up for two full, busy days. “How long have you felt like this, Rose?” he asked when she slowly pulled a nightgown over her head.

“Hmmm? Felt like what?” she asked as she crawled under the covers.

Real concern knit his brow then, but Rose was asleep before he could clarify the question. He fingered his sonic screwdriver and eventually did the most basic scan possible. It cleared the worst of his fears, and reassured that she wasn’t suffering from some fatal disease, he was able to strip out of his own clothes and stretch out beside her.

Normally, even in her sleep Rose would sense him joining her in bed and curl up against him, but tonight, she didn’t move. Wanting her to rest, the Doctor contented himself with taking her hand.

He sighed as he stared at up the boring ceiling. Stuck on Earth yet again, and judging by the information he had, it looked like they’d be here for a few months. Even though the transcript and photos didn’t confirm that the TARDIS found them, the Doctor had no doubt that the plan worked. Or would work. He rubbed at his forehead; tenses in time travel could be a real headache.

And all that would only be a minor inconvenience if it wasn’t becoming apparent that Rose was ill. The Doctor’s big Time Lord brain could occasionally be a curse, rather than a blessing, and tonight was one of those times, as he lay awake and pondered all the alien diseases she might have.

[...]

Rose groaned and rolled over when the sunlight hit her face, pulling the duvet over her head. She’d been asleep for… eight hours, she figured, but she felt like she hadn’t slept a wink.

“Rose?” the Doctor said. “How are you feeling, love?”

“Like I’ve been run over by a lorry,” Rose grumbled. “Lemme sleep.”

To her displeasure, he pulled the duvet out of her fingers and down over her face. “I wish I could, Rose, but I’m getting worried about how tired you are. I’d like to do some scans with the sonic, if that’s all right with you.”

[...]

The Doctor glanced at the sonic screwdriver, and his eyes widened. “Oh. Well. Oh. I guess that does make some sense.”

“What? What makes sense?” She peered over the Doctor’s shoulder, but couldn’t make heads nor tails of the results. “It’s decade lag, isn’t it?”

“In a manner of speaking,” the Doctor said, typically vague. “It’s the TARDIS.”

“What do you mean, it’s the TARDIS? She isn’t here.”

“And that’s the problem,” the Doctor agreed. “You and her… I have a feeling you’re more connected than she’s ever let on.”

Rose rubbed at her forehead. “Please, Doctor, just explain it to me. I’m too tired to follow your cryptic rambling today.” She felt badly when his shoulders slumped, but he was making her nervous and she just wanted to go back to sleep.

“Well. Remember when we met Donna? Or rather, why we met Donna?”

Almost a year had passed, but Rose quickly figured out what he meant. “You mean, the… hu— huon particles?”

“That’s right. Yours came from the heart of the TARDIS, and as long as you’re somewhat close to her, she helps hold them in stasis. When you aren’t together…”

Rose’s mouth went dry. “Doctor! You told Donna huon particles were deadly!”

“Oh no, love.”

The Doctor sent a wave of reassurance over the bond. After Rose relaxed, she realised the Doctor would have been much more upset if her life were at stake.

“Okay, so what is it then?”

“Huon particles take a tremendous amount of energy to maintain. When we’re at home, or at least close to her, the TARDIS lends you some of her energy. Without her…”

“I’m having to do all the work myself,” Rose finished. She sank back into her pillows. “So does that mean I’ll be tied to the TARDIS for the rest of my life? Not that I ever plan to leave, but what would happen if we were separated somehow?”

The Doctor nodded soberly. “I think we’re about to find out exactly what would happen.”

There are lots of reasons I decided to do this. The first is that it’s always a good idea to add a cost when you give a character extra-human power or knowledge. It keeps you from just using the power willy-nilly.

More specific to the story, I wanted a Rose-centric story for 1969. And I wanted a Rose-centric story where her personality would lead her to make a mistake. You know Rose Tyler. Do you think she’s going to listen to medical advice and take it easy for three whole months? No. She pushes herself past her endurance and ends up very sick with the flu... in 1969, before anti-viral meds. And with no access to the TARDIS.

From chapter 41:

[The Doctor] took a deep breath through his nose and tried to get himself under control. “Master, just calm down. Just look at what you’re doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself—”

“Oh, do excuse me,” the Master said to the television cameramen who were still filming. “Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute.” He looked at the guards holding the Doctor down. “Let him go.”

They shoved the Doctor down onto the floor. He pushed himself up and looked at the Master. “It’s that sound. The sound in your head. What if I could help?”

“Oh, how to shut him up?” The Master rolled his eyes and mimed talking with his hand. “I know!” He grinned widely and gestured to someone in the back of the room.

The Doctor heard a brief scuffle, and that combined with the sudden anger from Rose told him exactly what had happened. He tried to reach for her when she was pushed to the front of the room, but the guards grabbed his hands and held them behind his back.

“Did you really think I would let Rose Tyler go free?” The Master shook his head and tsked. “It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other, if you could misjudge me so badly. I’ve got your bond mate, Doctor. Your little human-Time Lord hybrid.” He twirled his laser screwdriver between his fingers. “If I remember correctly, you aren’t positive she’ll be able to regenerate. And—again, if memory serves—you aren’t too keen to find out.” His smile disappeared and he pointed the screwdriver at Rose. “Have you changed your mind?”

The Doctor seethed with rage, but he couldn’t do anything but shake his head. He wouldn’t risk Rose’s life.

The Master laughed. “Look at what Earth’s defender has been reduced to. Cowering on the floor, paralysed out of fear for his bond mate’s life.”

The look Rose gave the Doctor now was the same trusting, confident look he’d seen on her face when they’d stood in 10 Downing Street, faced with the choice to save the world at the possible cost of her life. It was a look which said she trusted him to do the right thing, to make the best choice.

He drew in a deep breath. When he’d developed his backup plan, he’d really hoped Rose would leave with Martha. Sentencing himself to a year in the gracious hospitality of the Master was one thing—leaving Rose in his hands for 366 days was entirely another.

So, Rose was on the Valiant during the Year That Never Was. Hmmm... 

From chapter 43:

“Can we skip the ‘previously on the Master and Rose’ bit and move on to today’s episode?” Rose asked impatiently.

Amusement lit the Master’s eyes. “As I was saying, I’ve been unable to break your bond. Your telepathic bond.”

He pulled a thin silver choker out of the box and attached it around Rose’s neck.

“Jewellery, Harry?” Rose asked. “I think my husband might get upset if I accept gifts like this from another man.”

“Your bond mate,” the Master said, irritation flashing in his eyes when she refused yet again to use the term in front of him, “won’t know any better. Not really.”

Rose straightened up and looked at the monitor. “What are you going to do to him?” she asked.

Concern flared over the bond. Rose tried to calm the Doctor with a promise that nothing was happening that was any worse than what she’d experienced so far, but that wasn’t a very reassuring thought.

“I don’t plan to do anything… to him.”

Rose wanted to hide her fear from the Doctor, but she knew he felt it. His own worry screamed at her over the bond, and she saw his hands clench into fists.

“As I was saying, I’ve discovered your bond is impossible to break. I can’t force him out of your mind, nor you out of his. But the bond makes you both stronger, and I really can’t have that.”

Despite the insolent tone she used to irritate the Master, Rose was becoming more scared by the minute. She looked at the television and tried to memorise every inch of the Doctor’s features.

I love you, she told him, hoping with every fibre of her being that this wouldn’t be her last chance to say it.

“What do you plan to do about it?” Rose asked.

The Master’s eyes glittered. “Oh, I was so hoping you would ask. Do you see this?” he asked, holding up a small remote. “This is the remote to the device I just placed on your neck—oh, and by the way, there’s an explosive wired into the latch, so don’t even think about taking it off, unless you want to lose your head.” He tilted his head. “I really don’t know if it’s possible to regenerate after being blown to bits.”

I love you, too, Rose.

Some of the tightness around her chest eased with the Doctor’s words, and she rolled her eyes at the Master. “And what does the blessed device do?” she asked. “You’re worse than all the villains on telly,” she told him matter-of-factly. “Nattering on about your plans, blah blah blah.”

“It’s a personal telepathic dampening field. And if I press this button—”

The Master pressed the red button, and Rose’s eyes slammed shut as pain seared through her mind. The bond was gone. Screams filled the room, but she ignored them as she frantically looked for the Doctor. She found the space where he should be in her mind, but instead of pulsing with the Doctor’s presence, it was dark—like a burned out lightbulb.

Her eyes flew to the CCTV to make sure the Doctor was still alive, and that was when she realised the diabolical genius of the Master’s plan. The Doctor was shouting and pounding on the walls, trying to get away from his prison. The sound was muted, but she could see him saying her name over and over.

He thought the Master had killed her.

I really love this whole story arc. The Master would do something truly heinous. Breaking the bond--making both of them feel the pain of a broken bond, and making the Doctor think she was dead--was the worst thing I could think of. The Doctor and Rose both come out of this year with PTSD related to this.

From chapter 46:

Francine pressed her lips together, but she couldn’t restrain a strangled sob. Rose reached for her slowly, pushing her hands down and knocking the gun to the floor.

Martha shoved past the Doctor to reach her mum, and Rose let her take over comforting Francine.

The Doctor released a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, and his knees went weak for a moment. He suspected he would be even more protective of Rose than usual for a while, until he got past the constant fear of losing her again. Rose smiled up at him, and he nodded slightly.

“You still haven’t answered the question,” the Master pointed out, interrupting their silent conversation. “What happens to me?”

The Doctor left the bridge. “I’m sure UNIT has a nice cell someplace where they can keep you, until your regenerations run out.” He crossed his arms and stared at the Master. “Their headquarters are located in the Tower of London, after all.”

“You’re just going to… lock me up?” the Master stammered, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

“What did you expect, Master?” the Doctor snapped. “An open hand and a welcome onto my ship, when you killed my wife?” He took a deep breath. “I won’t let you die when you’re the only other Gallifreyan in existence, but that doesn’t mean I have to let you be part of our life.”

The Master smirked. “That’s the only thing keeping you from doing it, isn’t it, Doctor?” He tipped his head back insolently. “You would kill me yourself for what I did to your precious Rose, if it wasn’t for the fact of my genetic code.”

“Oi, all you did was give me a fancy bit of jewellery,” Rose retorted. “Quit trying to rile the Doctor up.”

The Master’s gaze flickered over to Rose, and the Doctor bit back a laugh at the consternation in his eyes. He still didn’t speak, though, and the Master’s taunt lingered in the air between them, despite Rose’s attempt to dispel the tension.

Would he kill the Master, if it wouldn’t leave him once again the last of the Time Lords from Gallifrey? All the bitterness he’d kept locked down for the last year swirled through him, and there was a large part of him that wanted to kill the Master anyway.

Rose took his hand, and he jumped a little—it had been a long time since she’d been able to sneak up on him like that. But her hand in his gave him strength, just like it always did. He shook his head. “That’s not the way I do things.”

The gunshot took them all by surprise. The Doctor looked towards the sound and saw Lucy Saxon, pale, frightened, and angry, holding the gun Francine had discarded. His head swivelled in the opposite direction, just in time to watch the Master slump onto the deck.

“Put it down,” Jack ordered Lucy.

The Doctor walked over to the Master and knelt at his side. The Master’s face contorted in pain, his mouth working as he gasped for breath. “Always the women.”

“I didn’t see her,” the Doctor said truthfully.

“Are you happy now, Doctor?” The Master grunted. “You can watch me die, and you didn’t have to pull the trigger yourself.”

The Doctor frowned down at him, a little disturbed by how accurate that was. “You’re not dying,” he said curtly. “Don’t be stupid. It’s only a bullet. Just regenerate.”

Victory shone in the Master’s eyes. “No.”

Rose knelt down beside him. “Don’t you remember what I told you, Master?” The Master looked at her, but his eyes refused to focus. “It doesn’t need to be like this. You could come with us, and maybe eventually the Doctor could find a way to get the drums to stop.”

The Doctor bit back a protest. He did not want the Master anywhere near his TARDIS or his Rose.

But the Master didn’t seem inclined to take her up on the offer, anyway. “I didn’t want to spend the rest of my lives tied to you before; what makes you think I’ve changed my mind?”

“It’s only the two of you left, though,” Rose argued. “He’s got me, but the two of you have known each other for so long.”

The Master’s lips twisted into a pained, vindictive smile. “How about that? I win.” He grunted, and swallowed hard. “Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?” He drew one last rasping breath, then his eyes closed.

The Doctor stared down at the limp body in his arms. There was a time when the Master had been one of his closest friends, when his death would have sent him into shattering grief. Even a year ago, he would have been devastated to find another Time Lord, only to lose him again. But with Rose beside him and yet not in his head, the only thing the Doctor could think was that the person responsible for all the pain and anguish of the last five months was dead.

This is part one of the change in the Master’s arc. The idea that the Doctor would be broken up over losing him when he and Rose were still suffering the effects of what he’d done--because their bond isn’t back yet--just felt really... unlikely to me. I know they were great friends before, but if your best friend from high school kidnapped your spouse and made you think they were dead for three months, I think that would probably destroy what was left of your affection for them.

From chapter 47:

[Rose] tugged the Doctor down onto the couch beside her and handed him the sonic. “Take it off, Doctor,” she begged. “Please… I need…”

“Yes,” he whispered. “So do I.” He adjusted the setting and pointed the device at Rose. “Let’s see what kind of lock we’re dealing with first,” he said, scanning the collar. His face brightened when he saw the results. “Oh, that’s simple,” he said, his nimble fingers turning the controls.

The Doctor held the screwdriver up, then looked seriously at Rose. “Are you ready, love? This will probably be a little overwhelming—like getting your sight back after being blind for five months.”

Rose nodded her head quickly and took the Doctor’s free hand. “Don’t care. I’ll deal with it if it is.”

He nodded, then thumbed the control on the sonic. The lock popped open, and the Doctor dropped his tool to pull the collar off of her.

Rose’s head swam under the onslaught of thoughts and emotions sweeping over her. The TARDIS was humming joyfully, happy to have her Wolf and her Thief back where they belonged.

And the Doctor…

Their bond snapped back to life the moment the collar was removed, and she could feel every bit of love, and relief, and elation he felt at being reunited with her. His pain and anger over their forced separation were almost as potent, but Rose carefully directed his focus to the positive.

A strangled sob from the Doctor was the only warning she had before he hauled her into his arms and then stretched out on the couch with her lying beside him. A moment later, she felt a hesitant knocking in her mind, and Rose had to fight her own anger when she realised he was asking permission to enter. It was a purely symbolic gesture, but she hated the idea that he would doubt she wanted him.

Concentrating on the bond, she deepened their connection, letting her mind rest against his as closely as he held her physically. After five months without him, it felt slightly unnatural, like slipping into shoes that hadn’t been worn in a long time. But the relief from the emptiness they’d both felt so keenly more than made up for any temporary discomfort. Rose held him close, both physically and telepathically, and projected as much love and welcome as she could over the bond. The worst of the ache faded gradually, and they both sighed in relief at the realisation that they were truly together again.

When the swirl of emotions settled somewhat, Rose’s head was resting on the Doctor’s shoulder and his fingers were tangled in her hair. She tilted her head back and pressed a kiss to his Adam’s apple, followed by one to his jawline.

The Doctor hummed his approval, then shifted and tilted his head so her next kiss could reach his lips. Rose smiled at the silent request and ran a hand through his hair as she kissed him gently.

Together again at last.

From chapter 47:

She rarely paid much attention to her connection to the ship, usually taking it for granted, but today, she closed her eyes and focused on the gold thread that linked them. The image of a wolf howling came to mind, and Rose hummed her agreement.

“We are the Bad Wolf,” she whispered, then opened her eyes when the Doctor sucked in a breath. “What?”

He rubbed at his forehead. “I’ll never be fully comfortable with that,” he admitted. “Not that you have a closer connection with our ship than I do—that I honestly love. But the memory of what you did to bond with her, of what it did to you…”

Rose propped herself up on her elbow. “Is there anything of me in the TARDIS?” she wondered. “Like, she left the huon particles in me—is there anything of Rose in her? Or does this all go one way?”

“One way, and one time only,” the Doctor said firmly. “I see the ideas lurking in your mind, Rose Tyler, but please remember, merging with the TARDIS killed you once.”

Timelines shimmered around Rose. The Doctor was wrong. It wasn’t merging with the TARDIS that had killed her; it was taking in the Vortex. If one could be done without the other…

So, would it spoil too much to tell you this relates directly to what Rose does to save them on the Crucible in Forever and Never Apart?

From chapter 47/48:

When the flames had engulfed the Master’s body, the Doctor turned silently and they started to leave.

They’d only taken two steps away from the pyre when Rose stopped. The timelines were flowing around this moment so heavily they almost hummed. She remembered what the Doctor had said about key moments of her life resonating more because of her time as Bad Wolf, and she pulled her hand away from his and followed her instincts around to the other side of the pyre.

“What are you doing, Rose?”

“Doesn’t it seem odd to you, Doctor, that barely five minutes after you told him you knew better than to think he would ever purposely end his life, the Master did exactly that?”

“It was about finally beating me. He wanted to leave me alone,” the Doctor said, his earlier bitterness back.

Rose shook her head as she scanned the ground for… something. “Blowing up the rockets and making the Earth burn would have beaten you, too. He only chose to die when it was obvious he’d lost. It makes me wonder if he had a back-up plan in place.” She spotted something glinting on the ground and picked it up. “I wonder what this is.”

The Doctor came around to join her, and his eyes widened when he saw the ornate silver ring she held. “That’s a resurrection ring,” he said.

“Like in Harry Potter?”

“Sort of.” The Doctor took it and held it up to the firelight. “I thought those were only a myth. They should only be a myth.”

Rose looked at the circular Gallifreyan on the bezel of the ring. “And what does this definitely-not-a-myth do?”

“You leave an imprint on the ring of your identity, and it can be used to… well, not technically bring you back to life… more like create a clone of you, but one that shares all your memories and experiences.”

“It’s a horcrux,” Rose said flatly.

“Well… in a manner of speaking… yes.”

[...]

While Rose took a shower after breakfast, the Doctor moved the TARDIS so they were parked with a supernova just outside the doors. He’d promised her they’d dispose of the Master’s ring, and honestly, after the year they’d just been through, he was just as anxious to make sure his old enemy couldn’t come back.

Once they were in orbit around the dying star, he pushed the doors open and leaned against the doorjamb. He stared out at the stars and watched time swirl and eddy around them. Galaxies born, planets dying, stars going supernova—it was all driven by Time, the force that held the universe together and let it fall apart. The Time War had damaged the Web of Time extensively, but frayed as it was, this much remained.

The Master’s paradox had left ripples in the timelines that would take months or even years to smooth out. The ripples threw his time senses off, but something tugged at him, something about this supernova.

Unable to stand not knowing, he pushed off from the door and walked back to the console. “Why did you pick this supernova, old girl?” he muttered as he checked the coordinates. His eyebrows went up when he made the connection, but Rose appeared before he could say anything to the TARDIS.

She took his hand. “Ready?”

The Doctor pointed to the open doors. “Mount Doom awaits,” he told her. Rose laughed, and a smile tugged at the Doctor’s lips as he followed her to the door.

He pulled the ring out of his pocket and handed it to her. “I think you should have the honour. You were the one who found it, after all.”

Rose hefted the silver ring in her hand, then pitched it out into the mass of gaseous clouds. “Good riddance to bad rubbish,” she muttered as they watched it spin through the vacuum of space.

The Doctor stared, transfixed, as several timelines suddenly disappeared. He could only see shadowy glimpses of them—of a mad Master turning everyone into his clone, of something coming back that should remain lost, of his own painful regeneration—but what he saw was enough to make him grateful that Rose had found the ring.

Yes, I just undid End of Time. The Master will not come back, and without the Master, Rassilon and the Time Lords don’t have the connection of the drums to follow to bring Gallifrey back. 

The specials are getting a pretty major overhaul, actually. They’re really the story of a man going mad with grief, and that’s not who the Doctor is in this series. They don’t fit any longer. And isn’t that a wonderful thing?

[berry-uglyduckling]

Bouncing Back|Finchel

Summary: Finn and Rachel get dressed up for his first night out after recovering from his surgery. [smut]

Finn was excited for a night out with Rachel, especially since it was pretty much the first time he would be going out since he broke his arm again. Even though having a cast wasn't all that convenient, it was better than being in pain and he was feeling a lot more like himself. He dressed in nice clothes and had even gone out and got a haircut while Rachel was at school. When he heard her wall through the door, he smiled and walked out to the front room. “Hey baby.” he gave her a kiss.

Rachel had picked up one of her nicer dresses from the dry cleaner, knowing that their date was going to be a little more than just dinner at a diner. Finn deserved that, especially after what he’d gone through, first with his injury and then with the surgery, and Rachel was more than happy to slip into uncomfortable shoes to give it to him. “Hey yourself.” She laid her dress over the back the sofa so she could accept his kiss, her arm moving around his waist. “You look like you’re feeling good today. Ready to get out and have a good time?”

Finn nodded his head “I am more than ready.” he said with a smile. “I made reservations at an Italian restaurant nearby.”

Rachel didn’t want to step back just yet so she took in as much of him as she could as they stood in the middle of their living room. “Reservations, hmm? Now I know why you have your good shirt on.” She kissed him again and forced herself to pull away and pick up her dress. “I’m going to shower really quickly, put on my face, then we can go. I promise it won’t take long.”

“I wanted tonight to be awesome and I know you like this shirt.” he shrugged. “I'll see you soon then baby.”

Rachel wasn’t going to waste time telling him that it didn’t take a shirt to impress her or to make their night good. He already knew that he was all she needed and she had no doubt that she’d tell him at least once. Getting herself clean and beautiful was more important, a process that she practically flew through. Her hair was already pulled back into a neat bun so that cut down on the time she spent in front of the mirror. “Could you come zip me up, please?”

Finn waited for her in the front room, watching an episode of the TV show he had been watching while he was stuck in the apartment. When his patience began to wear thin, he decided to watch her get ready just in time for her to be finishing up. He stepped behind her and zipped her dress up, pressing a small kiss to her neck. “You look beautiful.”

Rachel fastened her bracelet, her cheeks warming as he complimented her. “Well, I have such a handsome husband that I have to keep up somehow.” She turned, kissing him softly so she didn’t transfer lipstick to him. “And thank you. It’s always nice to hear, especially after a long day.”

“You are welcome, baby. Are you ready to go?” He asked as he stepped away from her.

Rachel really didn’t want him to go anywhere but this night out was important to him so she snatched a pair of shoes from the closer and slipped them on. “I am always ready to spend the evening with you. Even it it takes a minute for me to get ready.”

“You didn't take very long.” He shrugged. Once she had her shoes on, Finn grabbed her hand and led her out to the street where he had a cab waiting. After opening the door for her, he slid in and told the driver the address before sitting back with his arm around her. “How was school?”

Rachel was very impressed by their waiting ride and she slid across the seat before settling comfortably next to Finn. “It was a long day in dance. It’s almost like the better I get, the harder everything gets. People are always trying to outperform one another so I’m always in competition. It just wears a person out. Other than that, fine. I’ll be glad, though, when it’s more focus on vocal work and theatrical training.”

“Sounds like a lot of work. I would hate it, but I'm lazy.” He joked. “When will it be more about singing and stuff?”

“After this semester, the focus becomes more tailored to my interests instead of general stuff. I’ll be glad when there is less dance, for sure.  Especially when I’m not really a dancer by nature.”

“I bet you're a great dancer. But I'll be glad when you're done with that class too so you're  not all tired when you get to me.”

Rachel looked at him with a smile, her hand reaching for the one that rested on her shoulder. “I’m never too tired for you, baby. I look forward to the time we get to spend together every night, even if it is just a little.” Not having dance would definitely make staying awake less of a challenge though and Rachel relished in the idea that she could come home some days without being sweaty.

“I know, but it will be easier.” He kissed her cheek. When the car came to a stop, he paid the driver and got out to open the door to the restaurant for her.

Even though this was meant to be Finn’s big night out, he was taking care of everything and it actually made Rachel feel good. She enjoyed being pampered and having Finn assume a traditional male role in a date didn’t draw any complaint like it might any other day. “Such a gentleman, as always.” She walked alongside him as they were ushered to their table, Rachel smoothing the back of he dress as she took a seat.

Finn war across from his wife and smiled over at her. It had only been a couple of weeks, but he was excited to be taking her out. He picked up the menu and looked it over, trying to decide what he would eat. “What sounds good, baby?”

Rachel scanned the menu, excited to see that there were so many vegetarian options. “I think…” She pressed her finger to the item and pondered for a moment. “Yes, I’m going to have the gnocchi with mushrooms and gorgonzola sauce. It sounds excellent.”

“Something with mushrooms does sound really awesome.” He agreed. “I think I'm going to get the fettuccini though because I'm not feeling that daring.” He said with a laugh and set his menu down.

“Sometimes you feel like sticking to what you like. That's the beauty of Italian food. You have so many options.”

“That's very true, babe.” He said and looked up as their waiter approached the table. Finn let Rachel order first before ordering as well. “I was thinking we could take a walk and go get ice cream after this?”

Rachel was a little surprised when he didn't order for her but she didn't dwell. The thought of food and her mounting hunger began to outweigh everything else. “I like the sound of that. It's finally warming up a little so we can get ice cream like that.”

“That was my thought exactly. If not, we could always get something warmer. Do you have early classes tomorrow?’

“I don't. I have a late morning and afternoon class and the dinner shift at work.” Which she was looking forward to - sleeping in a little and not being home too late.

“So we can stay up a little late?” He asked, giving her a playful smirk.

Rachel leaned over the table and covered his hand with hers. “I guess that depends on how good the ice cream is.” Her lashes fluttered as she winked. “But it is a distinct possibility. I like staying up late with you.”

“I'll get you the best ice cream in New York then.” he joked.

Rachel quickly realized she'd created an unintentional pun by bringing up the ice cream and couldn't help giggling. “You being this sexy when you're having fun has moved us into definitely staying up late.” The table wasn’t terribly wide and gave Rachel no trouble as she went in for a kiss. “Though, the truth is that you had me at ‘beautiful.’ ”

He smiled as she kissed him, wishing they could sit just a little closer. “Is it that easy?” he asked with a laugh. Their food was set before them and Finn gladly began to eat in silence.

Rachel was a little surprised that he'd even question the ease with which she could accept his admiration. Then he laughed and began to eat after the plates were set down and all she could do was smile. It seemed impossible that she could still be caught off guard by how his love felt and how affected it left her.

“Hows your food taste?” He asked her after a moment.

Rachel finished her bite before wiping the corner of her mouth with the heavy, white napkin in her lap. “Very good. Probably not as good as ice cream but still.” Her foot nudged his under the table and a wicked grin shaped her expression. “How's yours?”

“Because it's gonna be amazing ice cream.” he said with a chuckle. “Mine is really good! I'm glad I decided not to try anything new.”

Rachel couldn't get over how adorable he seemed at the moment. She kept that fact to herself knowing that ‘cute’ wasn't likely to be an ideal association for him. “A favorite is always a good choice.”

“Oh, so I was thinking about the whole spring break thing… Instead of Lima, I was thinking maybe we could just go somewhere new together. Go on a road trip and stay somewhere cheap.” he suggested.

Rachel peaked up from her plate to see if he was teasing but nothing in his expression suggested that. “I'd like that. Someday I want to see the whole world with you. Road trips are a good place to start.” She was curious why he didn't want to go to Lima but she was quiet on the matter. “Did you have a place in mind or are we going to get a map, close our eyes, and point?”

Finn shrugged, he hadn't really thought it out too much. He figured since it was Rachel’s break and she had been so busy with work, school, and taking care of him that he wanted to give her a good vacation and not just end up in Lima where they may end up with family tension. “Well, we could look into places or we could just start driving. Whatever works.” he smiled.

Their past road trips had been met with mixed success so Rachel wasn’t sure that she was entirely enthusiastic about the whole idea. But if they were were going to do it, and they were, they should have a true adventure. “Let’s pick a direction and just drive. That way it’s kind of a surprise.”

“I'm good with that.” he knew they had fought before, but they were in a completely different place now so he wasn't worried about it. “Are you done eating?”

Rachel looked at her plate, wanting to eat more than she already had but being full at the same time. “I think so. I am going to take the rest of this home so that I can enjoy it tomorrow. Have to save some room for ice cream, of course.”

“Good idea.” he smiled, waiting for the waiter to return so he could ask for their bill and a box for her food. He reached for her hand while they waited “I love you.”

“I love you too. Thank you for dinner. It was very good and it’s nice here. I like getting dressed up with you every now and then.” Her thumb smoothed over his palm as they waited on the bill. “It makes me happy to see you looking better, smiling and teasing with me. I know it’s been rough the last few weeks.”

“It hasn't been so bad. I am glad to be feeling better though.” he began to put her food in the box once it was handed to them. After leaving some money in the sleeve of the check book, Finn stood up and held his hand out for Rachel.

Rachel watched him dish her food into the carry out box, a soft smile spreading slowly at the ways his sweet nature always seemed to shine through. She stood, smoothing her dress in the back before taking his hand and making their way outside. Stopping just past the edge of the building, Rachel took advantage of the height her shoes gave and leaned up to kiss Finn on the cheek. “What a lucky wife you have.”

Finn smiled as she kissed his cheek. “I'm the lucky one, for sure.” he turned his head to kiss her lips.

Rachel’s hand withdrew from his and settled on his chest, her arm wrapped around his back as she moved a little closer as they kissed. “Oh? You have a husband who’s as good a kisser as mine is?”

“No, but I have a wife that's pretty awesome” he said with a chuckle.

Rachel grinned, pecking his lips as she tucked her arm in his and walked along side him. “It’s like you’re my very own Prince Charming, only more handsome.”

“Wow, there's a compliment.” he joked. “Does that make you my princess?”

Rachel had meant it in the most complimentary way possible, but Finn's tone told her that he may have seen it differently. “Maybe it's an antiquated notion, but I do feel that way sometimes. But only because you treat me so well.”

“I'm glad that I make you feel that way.” he smiled over at her.

“And you?” Rachel’s face turned up, her eyes bright with an answer she already had. “Do you feel like the king of the castle?”

“I do.” he said with a nod. “You treat me good, baby.” He stopped in front of the ice cream shop and held the door open for her.

Rachel knew she wasn't capable of giving Finn all the things he'd let go of when he left Lima, but the comfort of having there and being the wife he needed was well within her abilities. Hearing that she was succeeding always made her feel good. “Thank you.” Rachel stepped into the shop and to the end of a surprisingly short line. “What are you thinking?” She glanced the menu board and the special flavors for that day. “It's a toss up between the strawberry cheesecake and the peanut butter explosion for me.”

“Peanut butter does sound awesome… I'm thinking I might do cake batter though.” he said with a nod, trying to decide on what toppings he would be putting on it.

“I'm getting the peanut butter. If you're really nice, I could be persuaded to give you a little taste.”

“I guess I'm gonna be really nice then.” he said playfully. After they ordered their ice cream, Finn found a table for the two of them and sat down.

Sitting down, Rachel slipped her feet out of her shoes and stretched her toes as she spooned the first bite into her mouth. “So good.”

“Best ice cream ever?” he asked with a grin.

Rachel scooped up a bite and offered it up to him. “I'll let you decide.” She leaned in to peck his lips before he caught the spoon. “Personally, I like whatever you have better.”

Finn smiled as she kissed him, then took the spoonful of her ice cream. “I like yours a lot.”  He put some on his spoon for her to try and held it out for her.

Rachel took the bite slowly, her smile forming after the spoon was out of her mouth. “Mmm…” Rachel licked her lips then sat back in her chair. “Sweet.”

Finn watched her with a small smirk. He kept his eyes on her for a moment before going back to his ice cream. “You are so hot.. All the time.”

Rachel liked the impact her flirting was having, partly because Finn was enjoying it but also because she got a strange sense of power herself. Not that there was ever much doubt in her mind that Finn had a weakness to. It was just fun to tease sometimes. “You think? Just imagine if we'd have had ice cream at home.”

“You should have told me that's where you wanted it.” He leaned closer to her, distracted from his ice cream.

Rachel propped her folded arms on the table and drew close to Finn. “I should have, shouldn't I? Especially since you always give it to me how I want it.” Her fingers stroked his chin as she kissed him, her lips parting so that a quiet sound passed between them.

“Maybe we should go home now…” he suggested, a small smirk on his face.

Rachel drew in a sigh, her expression cheeky enough to match his. “I think you might be right.” She took one more bite of her ice cream, slow and calculated, before standing up.

Finn grabbed their ice cream bowls to throw them away before leading the way out of the shop and flagging down a cab. It took a few minutes, but he got one to stop and his arms were around Rachel as soon as they were settled in the taxi.

Rachel was glad to be sitting in a cab, her feet feeling the familiar ache of heels just from walking out of the ice cream shop. Finn’s embrace made her forget all about that, all of her focus turning to him as she turned in to place a soft kiss on his neck. “I like when you take me out but I'm looking forward to being alone with you.”

“I can't wait to be alone with you.” He turned his head so he could kiss her.

Rachel’s hand smoothed over Finn’s cheek, their cab kiss beginning to mimic the ones in the ice cream shop. “I'd ask if you were thinking about… you know… what we'll do but I don't want to get you too revved up.”

He chuckled before he moved in for a deeper kiss, pulling away with a slight nip on her lip. “I think you know exactly what's going to happen when we get home.”

Rachel swallowed the moan threatening to alert the driver to their less than innocent dalliances. “Exactly? I have a few ideas but the specifics might be a surprise.”

Finn was a little surprised she was wanting dirty talk when they could be heard easily, but he liked it when she wanted to do exciting things. He moved his lips to her ear and pressed a kiss to it before speaking quietly. “The second we walk through that door, I'm going to get your dress off and fuck you.”

Rachel felt heat spreading through her. “Yeah?” Her hand to stay carefully placed well away from his pants. “On the sofa? Or against the door?”

“You gonna let me shove you against the door?” he asked, his hand moving to her knee. “I can't wait to feel how wet you are for me.”

Rachel didn't like the word ‘shove’ but she could live with it. “You can have me however you want, baby. I might even keep these heels on.” Glancing over, she made sure the driver's eyes were focused on the road, not them. Her hand covered his and moved it under her dress. “I'm getting so wet for you. I can barely control myself.”

Finn bit his lip as she moved his hand under her dress. He let his fingers move to her center “You're so sexy.” He whispered. The cab came to a stop and Finn had to take a moment to pull himself out of the moment with Rachel so he could pay the man, tipping him well just in case he had caught wind of anything happening, before he got out and held his hand out to help his wife out.

Rachel had to press her face to his shoulder, his shirt bunching in her fist as he touched her. It was over to fast and she nearly jumped out of the cab when he offered a hand. The elevator seemed too slow and the walk to the apartment too long for her. She pulled on his shirt collar as soon as they were in the door, wanting what she'd been promised.

Finn had to keep his hands off of her as they walked through the building, his patience wearing thin. When they finally got through their door, he wrapped his arms around her and his lips found hers in  heated kiss as he worked his clothes off.

Rachel still had to be careful of his healing arm but she was far less worried about hurting him now. Her dress slid down, Rachel kicking it aside as she helped get his shirt off. “If that cab ride was a few minutes longer…” Rachel was halted by the intensity of their kiss. “You would've had me begging you to take me then and there.”

“I do love it when you beg.” He brought his hand back between her legs.

Rachel’s knees buckled a little, her heels making it difficult to balance when he got her head spinning. “Mmm… that's it. Get me nice and wet for you.”

“I love feeling you like this baby. I want you so bad.” His finger toyed with her clit.

Rachel tried to create a little friction for him, her hand closing around him. But her strokes were messy and him teasing her clit didn’t help. “Please, baby. You know how bad I want it.”

Finn gently led her back against the door and moved to pick her up, but quickly remembered he had a cast on. He wanted her badly enough that it didn't hinder him for long though “Turn around.”

Rachel could see how sex here would be a problem but she smirked as he ordered to turn. She bit her lip as she looked over her shoulder at him. Her back arched and she pressed her backside against him. “Like that, baby? Is that what you want?”

He was surprised that he was able to have any rational thoughts at all in the moment as she wiggled back against him. His hand moved to guide himself to her center and tease her. “I do… I want you so bad.”

“Then don't tease.” She pressed back a little more, the length of him rubbing against her in a way that made her desperate. “I need you inside me. You're so big and it feels so good.” Her hand rested on her ass, urging Finn on.

Finn was enjoying watching her beg for him, but her words were making it harder than it already was. He pushed into her, his hand moving to her hip as he began to move into her.

Rachel inhaled a sharp breath, a shot of pleasure spilling into her blood as he entered her. “Just what I wanted. You fucking me like this.” Her hand moved to his and slid it back. “Like your view, baby?”

“Fuck… You're so hot, baby. You make me so hard.” His hips moved harder.

Rachel liked this side of them. That they could be uninhibited like this at times without her feeling too out of control. “And so bad.” She bit her lip, hoping what she said next wouldn't throw him off. “Maybe I need a little… spanking.”

He lost his rhythm for a moment but didn't let his shock ruin the moment. “You want me to spank you?” he asked her to be sure.

Rachel had anticipated a little hesitation, knowing Finn wouldn’t want to do anything that he thought might be unpleasant for her. Without missing a beat, Rachel turned her head, her arm snaking around his neck as she kissed him. “Just a little tap, baby. Shake things up. Especially since I know you like your hands there.”

Finn kissed her again before nodding his head. He tapped her ass, trying to be gentle but still let her feel it. “Like that, baby?”

Rachel moaned her approval, her body pressing back against his. “You make me so hot, baby. So good.”

Finn kept his hand on her, repeating the motion every so often. “We should move to the couch..” He suggested, wanting to look at her now.

Rachel was enjoying the new sensation but wasn't entirely convinced he was into it. When he suggested the couch, she carefully stepped away from the door, taking him by the hand. “All over the apartment tonight, hmm?” She waited for him to ease down then straddled his lap and guided him into her again. “Even better.” Her hips moved in a slow arch as she took his face in her hands. “I love your eyes and the way you look at me.”

“I would do it on every inch of this apartment if you'd let me.” He said playfully. As much as Finn liked to be dirty and hot with her, he had been feeling a lot more affectionate lately. He groaned as she sunk onto him “I love you so much.” He whispered.

Rachel kissed him lightly, first on his lips and face, then down his neck. “I love you too.” Her forehead touched his as she moved against him, her moans quiet. “With all of me.”

His eyes closed as their foreheads touched and he held her close, craving closeness with every inch of her body. His lips moved back to hers in a deep kiss as he moved with her.

Rachel loved everything about moments like the one they were sharing, especially the closeness. She definitely liked when sex was fun and experimental but there was nothing better than the way he held her, kissed her, when they made love like they were now. “This is amazing. You’re amazing.”

“You are, baby. I'm so close.” he groaned as he held her closer.

Rachel was approaching climax too, but Finn’s pleasure was her goal at the moment. She moved a little faster, adding just the slightest swivel to her hips as she sucked on his neck.

Finn didn't want to end the moment, but he couldn't hold off any longer. He released, but kept his hips moving for her as well.

Rachel smiled a little, moaning as Finn’s release pushed her over the edge. She laid her cheek on his shoulder as she started to come down, both of hers arms wrapping around him and stroking his back lightly. “You good, baby?”

“Amazing. I love you so much.” He kept his arms around her, just wanting to be close.

“I love you too.” Rachel kissed his cheek. “I’m glad I didn’t freak you out too much with my request. I probably shouldn’t have just sprung it on you like that.”

“No! You didn't freak me out.” he shook his head. “I was a little surprised you wanted that, but I'm always down for trying new things with you.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Sometimes, I get wrapped up in a moment like that and… that happens.” Rachel grinned, her lip catching under her teeth. “I don’t know if I’d want to do it again. Maybe. I was just feeling curious.”

He smiled as he watched her and then shrugged “I liked it. It was hot. I was kind of scared I was going to hit you harder than I meant to and you'd get mad though.” he admitted.

Rachel left fluttering kisses on his face before easing off him but remaining in his lap. “I don’t think you would’ve. It was just right this time. Just enough.”

“Okay.. Good. Then we can try it again if we get in the mood to.” he smiled.

“That sounds good. Sometimes I just get really… frisky, let’s say. I kind of like when we do things that seem a little dirtier to me. Plus, I know I’m safe with you so you’d never actually hurt me or judge me for it.”

“I definitely love it when you get like that and I like that you tell me when you want to do stuff. I'm always game to get dirty with you.” he said with a smirk. “I always kind of felt like you didn't like it when I was like that before so my first instinct is to kind of be lovey to make up for it.”

“I think in the beginning, I was like that. I wanted all the romance because I equated it with respect. I think a lot of girls do that. It’s almost like we’re programmed to. Being with you, though, has made me realize that respect goes far beyond romantic love-making. Like I said, you make me feel like I can be open about sex with you, that’s why I know if I get curious about something, we can try it usually. Or at least talk about it.”

Finn nodded his head and gave her a kiss “Well I'm glad you have been a little more wild. It's been fun.”

Rachel was comfortable, and happy, as they sat there kissing. “And I like when you’re very sweet and tender. It makes me feel good that you like the romance too sometimes.”

“Well I hated it until you started forcing me into it.” he joked. “Now I'm into it.”

“It's quite the burden, I'm sure.” Turning closer to him, Rachel moved her mouth against his, her lips and tongue almost torturously slow, before pulling away. “If you want to stop, just say the word.”

Finn kissed her back, loving the way she kissed him. “Stop what?” he asked her.

“Having to be romantic and making love.”

“No! I don't wanna stop that ever.”

“Good. Because I am pro-romance and love-making. I always will be because I love you. More and more everyday.”

“I love you too, baby. I can't imagine my life without you.”

Rachel felt a twinge of anxiety, all the nights she'd laid awake wondering how many more times they'd sleep next to one another. If he was sent away, would he ever come home. It was selfish, but she was glad that she wouldn't have to worry about that now. “Luckily for you, I'm not going anywhere. I like it here, with you, so that's where I'm going to stay.

“Good. I would lose my mind if you left me.” he said playfully, peppering kisses on her neck.

“I could never leave you. I’d be lost too.” Her fingers combed through his hair as she hummed approvingly. “And no one know all my favorite places to be kissed like you.”

“And no one else ever will.” He accentuated his point by nipping at her skin.

“No, they won’t. Especially when you do it like that. You’re the only one I want.”

He lifted his head again so he could kiss her lips “You're the only one I want too, baby.”

“And that makes me luckier than I was ever meant to be.” Rachel put both arms around him and held herself close.

“Do you wanna go lay in bed?”

Rachel nodded. “I do. But just a minute. I like this cuddling situation at the moment. I'll be glad when your arm heals and you can carry me again.  It's nice staying in your arms like that at times.”

“I miss carrying you too. I was kind of bummed when I remembered I couldn't hold you against the door.”

“I was a little too.” Kissing him quickly, Rachel stood before the enjoyment of being cuddled up in his lap kept her from doing so. “But we'll do it again. On all the doors, since you're determined to have me everywhere and I can be quite accommodating.”

“You say that now.” he said with a laugh as he stood and headed to the bedroom. “I can't wait to be under the covers. “ he said as he pulled them back so he could get comfortable on the bed.

Rachel was torn between laying skin-to-skin with him or wrapping herself in one of his comfy shirts. At least until she saw him making himself at home in their bed. It was impossible not to crawl right in next to him then. “This is cozy.” Her arm moved around him after she drew the blanket up around herself. “And I meant what I said before. If sex everywhere is the goal, I am up for it.”

“All over the apartment? I think the door might have been the last place.” he said as he thought about everywhere they had been intimate in their apartment.

“Only the front door. But you're probably right. It's a small apartment though.”

“It is… We need a bigger apartment with more places so we have a bigger list.”

“One of these days, we will. Right now, we have fewer bills here so we'll just have to make do with the short list.” Rachel's lips tickled his neck first, then she let her teeth catch his sensitive spots. “I'm sure the hardship will be great.”

Finn bit his lip as she kissed his neck “We will just have to make another round of it all.” he joked.

Rachel’s hand dipped low, almost dangerously so, against the flat planes of his abdomen. “That sounds like a promising idea.”

“Maybe we could start now.” he responded, his voice low.

Rachel smiled a little. “Oh?” Her fingers wrapped around him and she pumped slowly. “Is that what you want, baby?”

Finn gave her a smirk as her hand wrapped around him. “Mhm…” he moved his lips back to hers.

“I thought so.” Rachel let him kiss her how she liked before moving back to his neck. “Mmm… so big.”

He groaned as his head tilted for her  “That's because you make me so hard, baby.”

“I feel that. And you know how much I like having that effect on you.”

“The same way that I love feeling you get wet under my touch.” he said as his hand moved between her legs.

Rachel responded to his touch with a pleased sound, her kisses becoming sloppy. “I love that too. What you do is so perfect.”

“You too, baby. You're so sexy.” he rubbed her clit.

“Keep that up… and this’ll be over before it starts.” Not that Rachel wanted him to stop. Not even a little.

“You don't wanna see how many times I get you off in one night?” he asked playfully. “You know what I just realized?” he paused “I don't think we used a condom earlier.”

Rachel stopped looking at him, realizing he right. Not only had they not used no protection but Finn had finished inside her. “No. We didn't.” Rachel wasn't sure what to say, not wanting to ruin the mood. “Is… that okay?”

“You tell me.” he said with a kiss to her forehead.

The emotions welled in Rachel, not because she was upset or afraid, but because Finn's unwavering support always managed to have that effect on her. “I'm okay. I take my birth control religiously. I know it's always best to use other protection too. But I'm not worried.”

Finn nodded his head and gave her another kiss. “Did I ruin the mood?’

Rachel’s head bobbed from one side to the other without breaking the kiss. “No. We just have be more careful this time. You also have to stop being so sexy so I won't practically jump you when we get home from dates.”

“I'll let you take the blame this time because you were being so naughty in the taxi.” he joked as he got up to grab a condom, not wanting to risk forgetting.

Rachel waited on Finn to come back, her lips find his once he had. “You'll let me? Always the gentleman.” Her nails dragged lightly  down his back. “Except for right now, because I don’t think I want you to be.”

Finn groaned as her nails traced down his back “No?” he asked with a smirk as he tried to focus on rolling the condom onto himself.

Rachel eased off just enough for Finn to secure the condom. “No.” Her lips moved along his neck, her teeth finally tugging gently on the soft part of his ear. “You know I like a take charge man in bed.”

Finn bit his lip before pushing her back against the bed, moving between her legs.  

Rachel was moved onto her back, her thighs parting for her husband. “Exactly like that, baby. I love when you show me how you want me.”

He smirked down at her as he guided himself to her center. “If we are having it my way, I'll fuck you like this.” he stated before pushing into her.

Rachel wrapped one leg around his hips, extending the other so her heel rested against his shoulder. “Mmm… it's so good like this, baby. Keep fucking me just like that.”

He didn't like to initiate pulling her legs up because he wasn't sure if that were comfortable for her, so he loved it when she did it for him. His hand placed on her leg as he drove his hips into her, his moving between her eyes and her chest. “You're so fucking hot… and so tight around me.” he groaned.

Rachel scooted down the bed ever so slightly, giving them both a better angle. “Because you're so big. Feels incredible.” Rachel’s chin tilted up and her lips fell open, her moans coming in an exquisite rhythm.

“You feel amazing. Every time.” he loved the mood she was in tonight. He let her leg go so he could lean down to kiss her heatedly.

Rachel pushed up to meet Finn halfway. “I love you so much.” She couldn't stay like that for long, the way Finn was moving against her made her whole body sink back.

When she fell back against the bed, he moved his hips roughly into her, his hand holding her leg tightly.

Rachel laid back and enjoyed what Finn did to her body, the pleasure coursing through as she approached climax. “Getting close, baby.”

“Me too... “ he brought his thumb to her clit.

Rachel’s leg fell away from him, her heel digging into the bed and her back arching as he stroked her. Panting his name, Rachel fell apart quickly.

Finn came undone shortly after feeling her  He fell to the bed beside her with a happy sigh “You're amazing.”

Rachel stretched out before turning toward Finn, leaving him a little space to relax as he came down. “We're amazing together.”

He turned to wrap his arm around her and give her a kiss. “That's true.”

Rachel scooted a little closer when his arm came around her and her fingers feathered across his cheek. “This was a good night.”

“I agree, baby. I love nights like these.” he said with a smile.

“Agreed. It feels good to get things back to normal. Or normal for us anyway.” Rachel kissed his forehead, then laid back and let his smile becoming the best part of her night.

“I love you.” he said with a yawn as he cuddled with her.

“I love you too.” Rachel needed to wash her face but she didn't want to move. “Looks like I wore you out.”

“This is the most I've moved in like two weeks.” he said with a laugh.

“Now that we know you can move like that without much pain, we'll have to you doing it.”

“You know I'm down for that any time.” he said playfully as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Rachel laughed. “Is it strange that the fact that you could literally have sex at the drop of a hat only makes me love you more?”

“I don't know, but I'm glad you appreciate it.” he said with a playful grin.

“I'm glad that you're you.” Rachel placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I wouldn't have you any other way.”

“You wouldn't want a husband who doesn't want to have sex with you all the time?” he asked with a laugh.

“You don't want to all the time. Only ninety-five percent of the time. But I like the husband I have. There's no better one out there.”

“I'm glad you feel that way.” he gave her a kiss.

“I do. But now it's time for you to get some rest. You've had a very busy evening being the world's best husband.”

“It's easy to do when I have the world’s best wife.” he said as he closed his eyes.

Rachel stroked his hair, humming a tune she knew that he liked. “I love you, baby. Sleep well.”

“I love you too.” he let her voice lull him to sleep.

Rachel waited until Finn’s breathing carried the weight of slumber before tucking in close and falling asleep herself.