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phantom-curve · 4 years ago

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find the strength, find the melody pt. 7

lmfao I love how I posted an update 2 days ago like “this fic will have sporadic posts! idk when they’re coming!” and then I spent the last two days writing this. when that insomnia inspiration hits ya gotta just go with it!

this chapter went in a completely different direction than I had planned on soooo yeah...honestly not sure where this is gonna end up! the characters from my OC novel that I’m loosely basing this story around didn’t have a connection before they ran into each other so when Julie gave me this I almost cut it because I genuinely wasn’t sure where it was going. I think I’ve almost figured it out and I’m pretty sure I know how this will end. and now we all get to laugh at me together because it’s definitely gonna be more than 3-4 chapters. it might even be more than 6. Luke’s POV will have roughly the same amount of chapters I think, possibly longer because boy oh boy does he have A LOT to say (most of it about Julie). fair warning: this one has an awkward cut off because of the way I need to set up the next chapter. sorry about that.

and now something I probably should be embarrassed to admit: I don’t remember writing the part where I managed to sneak an “I’ve Got The Music” reference in so now we know for sure this show has infiltrated my brain. it’s fine, I’m fine, at least I WILL BE WHEN WE GET A S2!!!! KENNY!!!! SAVE ME HERE!!! MAKE MY UNHINGED OBSESSIONS WORTH IT!!!!!

taglist: @blue-hat-girl, @lwhoscribbles, @bluefyoto94, @5sosmukefan, @moonlightxnder, @leahthewonder, @kat-maybe-not, @lukewearingbeanies, @imastrugglingartist

It was no small miracle that Julie made it through the afternoon without Ray asking for details about her supposed ‘plan’ to play with the Sunset Curve boys. She didn’t think she would have been able to pull off spinning a story quite as well as Luke had earlier. She had expected at least a small amount of interrogating about when she had started playing again, but apparently the news that she was playing at all, let alone with other people in front of an audience, was enough for Ray to ignore all of the other plot holes involved in this scheme. He seemed to have almost forgotten the meeting with Principal Lessa entirely, humming on the drive home, kissing her forehead and turning her loose to freak out alone in her room while he sat down to work on his computer in the dining room. Julie took full advantage of the time alone to restlessly pace her room and send Flynn a 911 text. Her bestie’s contact photo lit up the phone screen 30 seconds later.

“Okay, I’m hiding in the basement girl’s bathroom, so you’ve got exactly 5 minutes before I get too grossed out to stay here.”

Julie’s chest loosened at the sound of Flynn’s comforting voice. There wasn’t anyone else in the world that loved her the way Flynn did. It was reassuring and made it easy for Julie to let loose.

“Lessa told Dad about the music program and then You-Know-Who ambushed us outside of her office and basically forced me to agree to perform with them.”

“Voldemort was at Los Feliz?!”

Flynn’s gasp was overflowing with sarcasm.

“Flynn!” Julie whined. “Be serious! Luke showed up out of nowhere again! And he did the thing again! The charming his way into getting what he wants thing! And now I have to play with his freaking band! What the hell am I supposed to do?”

There was silence for a moment. When Flynn spoke again her voice was softer, more serious.

“You don’t have to play with them, Jules. You can tell them no, and they’ll have no choice but to respect that. The only person who can make you do anything is you. But...I kinda think you might want to play with them.”

“What?! No!”

Julie’s exclamation was a second late. Flynn didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. Julie sighed.

“Okay fine. There’s something about Luke that makes me want to play again. Are you happy? He gave mom’s song back to me when I thought it was lost forever. He’s the only person who’s heard me perform it, and he...no one else has ever made me feel that good about my music before.”

Julie thanked her lucky stars Flynn wasn’t in the room to see her blush. There was a long moment of contemplative silence on the other end of the line. When she spoke again, there was that extra note of take-no-shit in Flynn’s voice that made Julie sit up and really listen.

“I think you should give it a chance. Who knows, maybe this is some sort of sign from your mom. You said it was a miracle he would have even found that song in the first place. You said it felt like she was there with you when you were playing. Maybe she made sure it would find its way back to you when you were ready for it.”

Julie didn’t say anything, just worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest. It had felt a little too perfect to be just a coincidence. The way Luke kept appearing in her life at the exact moments she needed him someone or something to help her keep moving forward. Flynn sighed.

“Look, I’m not saying it is your mom. But I’m not saying there’s not some kind of greater power out there that keeps pushing the two of you together. I think you should give it a chance. If nothing else, you can get back in the music program and we can bring Double Trouble to life in time for our Junior Showcase!”

Julie couldn’t help laughing. Her eyes felt misty, love for her best friend welling up in her heart.

“I never agreed to that name you know. But thanks, Flynn. I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Now. I gotta get the fuck out of this grimy ass bathroom. Love you, bye!”

Flynn waited for her to return the sentiment before hanging up. Julie flopped back on her bed, letting her breath out in a loud whoosh as she hit the comforter. A glance at her phone told her she only had a couple hours until Luke and the other boys would be out of school and on their way to her house. She tried her best to ignore the way that thought made her stomach roll with a type of nervousness she would rather not name. It was easier to blame it on nerves over playing with new people rather than nerves over playing with Luke. Except...now that she actually thought about it, she had played with Luke before. Her head spun, eyes fluttering shut as she remembered the one music class she had shared with Luke last year.

She had only been a freshman, stuck in a lowly Introduction to Composition class. It was supposed to be for new songwriters. Julie had a little more experience than the rest of the class, after all she’d been kind of composing with her mom for a few years now, so when it had been time to write a duet for their final big project she had gotten paired up with the classmate whose skill level most matched hers. It was supposed to be a way for them to challenge each other and grow as writers instead of one person doing most of the work. Julie had been paired with Luke.

He’d been a grumbly sophomore, held back for failing his last semester of Intro to Comp the year before. He had been stuck there only for the second semester, forced to double up between their class and his second year Composition class. Julie hadn’t been all that excited about partnering with him. He hadn’t really seemed to care about the class at all, and even though Julie also sometimes felt like it was holding her back a little bit, she never once voiced that thought. It was a privileged mindset, and Julie was well aware that she had an advantage over her classmates since her mother was a professional songwriter. Luke, on the other hand, had made it well known that he felt like he was wasting his time just waiting to get through the semester so he could move up to the Advanced Composition class that he felt he truly belonged in. Julie could usually do no more than roll her eyes in those moments.

It was true that Luke was talented. His guitar playing was impressive, his lyrics were heartfelt and sometimes even downright poetic. Julie just didn’t think anyone deserved specific things in life because they happened to be naturally talented at something. Their songwriting experience had been...interesting to say the least. And short. It had ended abruptly when Julie’s mother had died 5 days later. In the end, they’d only worked together for two 40-minute class periods before she had been lost in the fog of grief that consumed her in the weeks following the loss of her mom.

Julie shot up in bed, eyes wide. She didn’t even fully remember what had happened with the half-finished song they had been working on. Errant notes echoed in her head, like a song that had only existed in dreams until now. She absently wondered if Luke had held onto that as well. It was no wonder she had kept that particular memory suppressed all this time. That time in her life had been particularly painful. Luke had been gentle with her though. Almost all traces of his typical arrogance gone in the two short class periods they’d had to work together. He had kept things light, steering their songwriting in the direction of a rock ballad more than a true duet. Julie hadn’t minded. She had been floating through classes by then anyway, on edge every second she was away from her mom’s bedside. It had been easier to work on something that didn’t have as many sappy emotions attached to it.

She groaned, burying her face in her hands. No wonder Luke had been so sweet with her. He must have had a front row seat to her breakdown throughout the last year. She hadn’t even realized it. Had never before seen the way he watched her from a distance, checked in on her during class. She should have. Now that she was thinking about it, trying to identify every instance, she could name a million. How had she missed it for so long? How had he gone so long without saying anything? The Luke she remembered was terrible at keeping his mouth shut. He had always been ready to speak his mind, never afraid to start a discourse. It didn’t track that he had been holding himself back. Unless...it was more about her musical ability than anything else. She remembered now; Luke had been thrilled to partner with her for the duet. He had made some remark about how her sound was the perfect complement to his. Maybe he only cared about the ways they would mesh as songwriters. She could only hope that’s what his words had meant.

She felt more secure in her footing as a musician when it came to dealing with Luke than she ever had as a simple teenaged girl. If it was just about the music she could compartmentalize better, keep herself from getting too emotionally invested. Music had always been a safe zone, neutral. She breathed in and out deeply, remembering the technique Dr. Turner had taught her to slow her breathing and recenter her mind. She could do this. It was just about the music. They would play a song together, Julie would get back into the music program, and life would move forward much in the way it had before. Except Julie would actually participate in class this time. She had the music back in her soul, she wasn’t ever going to let it go again. On her next exhale, she heard the doorbell ring. Showtime. Julie zipped down the stairs, ripping open the door before her dad had a chance to get more than three feet away from his computer. Luke, Alex and Reggie all stumbled back a step as she tumbled outside, pulling the front door shut behind her. The three teenaged boys shared a look.

“Studio. Now.”

Julie raced down the path to her mom’s studio before they could react, not even waiting to see if they followed her. If they were smart, if they truly wanted to do this, they would. She hauled the garage doors open, only turning around when she had the piano at her back. The wood felt warm and solid, almost like she had her mom as a support behind her instead of an instrument. The boys appeared seconds later, Luke leading the way. He stopped a couple feet inside of the studio, studying her with wide open earnest eyes. She let out a deep breath. Reggie spoke up before she could get a word out.

“Woah, Julie, this studio is so cool! It’s like a tiny home! A musical tiny home in a botanical garden!!”

His green eyes were wide, expression awed as he spun to take in the space that Julie and her mom had spent countless hours turning into theirs.

“How did you get chairs on the ceiling?! Are you, like, a witch and a siren?!! Man, you and your mom must have made some serious magic in here.”

Luke’s arm shot out faster than lightening to backhand Reggie’s bicep. Reggie cringed away, a soft owww! just barely audible over the loud sigh Alex let out as he buried his face in his hands. Reggie shrugged, looking back and forth between his bandmates before giving Julie a confused yet apologetic glance. What had he said wrong this time? The giggle that bubbled out of her was as unexpected as it was welcomed. Warmth blazed in her heart, memories of the time she had spent in here with her mom washing over her with a kind of hazy bliss she hadn’t ever experienced before. She gazed at Reggie, letting that same feeling of motherly love from the night before fill her up. It was all she could do not to react to Luke’s jaw dropping when she gave Reggie a soft smile.

“We did. We made so much magic in here.”

The words were gentle and filled with a kind of genuine love that overshadowed all other feelings of awkward nervousness. Alex and Luke relaxed instantly, Reggie’s face losing all traces of uncertainty as he beamed at her with a smile so large it almost looked painful. Julie couldn’t help but let herself return it, just a little bit. The silence that settled between them was more comfortable, the tense moment from earlier broken. Julie studied the boys in front of her. She hadn’t ever thought of them as friends per se. They knew each other, would say hi if they encountered one another outside the walls of the high school, but at the same time, they didn’t actually know each other. Julie’s little run in with Luke the night before had made that painfully obvious. She wasn’t really sure what to make of them.

“Are you guys actually serious about this whole Showcase scheme? Did Luke even tell you about his dumb plan?”

“Hey! That plan is genius. Even your dad agreed. He seems pretty cool.”

Julie couldn’t help the fond way she rolled her eyes. Alex was quick to reassure her that they did, in fact, know about the plan.

“Not that I actually think it’s a particularly well thought out plan.” He stated with a lingering glare at Luke’s back.

The planner in question did his best to ignore the skeptical look on Julie’s face.

“Julie, you really don’t deserve to be out of the music program.” Reggie’s voice was soft and sincere. “You have the voice of an angel. If we can help convinced Ms. Harrison and Principal Lessa to give you your spot back it will be so worth it. And even if we don’t, it’ll be worth the looks on their faces when we rock the pants off that crowd!”

Julie laughed in spite of herself, slightly reassured even as she chewed nervously on her lip. Luke took a few bouncy steps forward, pulling her attention to him completely. His eyes locked on hers and she was sure she was drowning, throat tightening at the look he was giving her.

“You got this. I wouldn’t have come up with this idea if I didn’t believe it 100%.”

Honestly, that was what scared her the most about it.

“We don’t even have anything prepared.”

Her voice was barely a whisper, unsteady and wavering. Luke took a few more steps towards her, Reggie and Alex ghosting along silently a few feet behind him. Julie didn’t even notice, so laser focused on the brunette boy in the cut-up tank top in front of her. She watched his muscles flex as he reached into his back pocket, flicking out a piece of folded up paper in a move scarily reminiscent of when he had given her mom’s song back to her. He bit his lip, head ducking a little to be closer to hers as he unfolded the worn sheets of scrappy notebook paper. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, focusing on the messy handwriting in front of her.

“I thought you would say that.”

The smile on his face was so soft and sweet it should have been illegal.

“It’s called ‘Bright’. It’s a Sunset Curve song that we never performed because it’s missing something. Look,” his bare shoulder brushed hers as he shifted to point at the notes, warmth seeping through the thin material of her t-shirt, “it’s perfect for your range. I was thinking, if we add a little bit of piano here and here,” fire blazed a path up her arm as his fingers traced along the opening notes and chorus, forearm flexing against her own, bare skin brushing in teasing licks, “it’ll be perfect.”

Julie forced herself to focus on what he was saying, eyes roving across the paper. She hummed a little under her breath, hearing what he described in her head. His eyes lit up when he saw her get it, feet springing up and down as he dipped even closer towards her and started to sing.

We will rise, through the night

You and I

We will fight to shine together

Bright forever

His voice vibrated in her chest, the sound filling her with an emotion she couldn’t fully identify. Alex and Reggie bobbed along behind him, Reggie’s fingers plucking out the baseline on an invisible guitar while Alex nodded along to an unseen beat. Julie could envision the way the song would sound with a complete band, could practically see herself fitting seamlessly into the mix with her piano and vocals. She couldn’t help the smile that curved her lips as she joined in, reading the lyrics off of the page.

And rise through the night,

You and I

We will fight to shine together

“Go up high.”

Luke cut in, fingers twirling towards the ceiling. Julie automatically made the adjustment in notes to harmonize her voice with his for the last line, holding the final syllable for a beat longer than him.

Bright forever

“Yes!”

Luke’s arm pumped up and down, bicep flexing and distracting Julie momentarily. She dropped her head shyly, trying to hide her blush. When her cheeks cooled a moment later she looked back up at the boy in front of her. His eyes were glowing, smile stretched a mile wide as he stared at her. Unconditional belief in her was practically oozing from his pores. She felt her face soften as their eyes locked, giving him her own sweet smile that was meant just for the two of them. She thanked him with a gentle murmur, heart melting as he simply bit his lower lip and nodded.

A throat cleared in the background, and Julie was snapped out of their private bubble by the sound. Her entire face felt engulfed in flames as she looked over Luke’s shoulder to see Alex and Reggie still standing a few paces behind him. Reggie’s face was bright, his sunshine temperament back in full force. Alex was a little more guarded, but he was giving her an encouraging smile and there was cautious optimism swimming in his sage green eyes as he fiddled with one of his drumsticks. She inhaled deeply and let her breath out in one smooth exhale. The same sort of peacefulness from the night before settled over her.

“Okay. Okay, so we’re doing this.”

Luke’s whoop was so loud both her and Alex jumped. Reggie raced forward with a cheer to sling one arm around Luke’s shoulders and the other around Julie’s, pulling them so close to his chest that their noses nearly touched. Julie saw the blush staining Luke’s cheeks and felt her own warm to match. Alex coughed again.

“Reg, c’mon. Let it settle for just a sec before you go all human octopus on the poor girl.”

“Oh, right! Sorry, Jules!!”

Reggie released both of them quickly. Julie flicked her gaze between the three boys, enjoying the glimpses at their band dynamic. Alex’s words had sounded a bit exasperated, but there was a fondness running through them as well. He gave a half-hearted roll of his eyes at Reggie’s abrupt movements and reached his own long arm out to pull the dark-haired boy close.

“Help me unload the van? I still don’t trust our little Lukey boy with my kit.”

“Hey! That was one time!”

Luke sounded downright offended. The dark look Alex leveled at him in response had Julie choking back a laugh with a badly disguised cough. Clearly once of whatever he did was enough. Luke pouted, arms flexing as they crossed over his chest.

“You put your foot through my bass drum, and you think that isn’t reason enough not to trust you with it ever again?”

Luke sputtered, eyes flicking to Julie and back to Alex as his ears reddened.

“I told you I didn’t see it!”

“It’s the biggest part of the kit, dumbass. Literally the hardest thing to miss.”

Alex’s voice was as unimpressed as it was dismissive. Luke threw his hands in the air as the other boys headed out of the studio, laughing amongst themselves. It was clear this was a regular argument between the two, no heat or anger left in it, only a loving sort of tease. Like the way Carlos still brought up that time she accidentally gave him a concussion double-bouncing him off of their neighbor’s trampoline when he wanted something from her. Or the way her Tía would still laugh as she remembered the time her mom had almost gotten them both arrested for a bar fight on her 21st birthday, Ray affectionately filling in the parts that she tried to leave out. Warmth bloomed in her chest. This wasn’t just a band, wasn’t just a ragtag trio of friends. These guys were brothers. This was a family. And they were letting her into that intimate circle.

The thought was both humbling and nerve-wracking. This Showcase was a big deal. It wasn’t just some school assignment. This could impact their future as a band career-wise. They were all trusting her with this, fully believing in her, or at least, fully believing in Luke’s faith in her abilities. She wasn’t sure anyone had ever believed in her like that. Not anyone that hadn’t known her since she was in diapers. Her head swam, knees feeling a bit weak. She stumbled her way over to the couch, collapsing onto it with a barely audible huff. Luke was in front of her instantly, crouched down so they were face to face. His hands twitched in his lap, but he didn’t reach for her.

“Hey. Julie. Breathe.”

She sucked in a breath, zeroing in on nothing more than his face. After a few seconds she realized he was breathing in and out slowly, just loud enough for her to hear over the jumble of thoughts running amok in her brain. She matched her own inhales and exhales to his, the room slowly coming back into focus as her head cleared. He gave her one of those soft smiles she was starting to think of as hers.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. But I wouldn’t have stopped you in school if I didn’t think you were gonna rock it. I heard you last night. I listened to you for years before last night.”

His chin dropped in embarrassment for just a second before he pulled his gaze back up to hers. Julie felt like she was on the edge of a cliff. Not for the first time she wished she knew how long this version of Luke had been lurking under the surface. It took everything in her not to let herself step off that ledge and fall.

“Music is in your soul. It’s a part of you. Not everyone is like that, but you are. Your life without music...”

He tapered off like the thought was physically painful to him, eyebrows furrowing in a slight wince.

“Living without music would be like living in a world without stars: dark and empty and uninspired. You deserve galaxies, Julie. You deserve the chance to shine exactly like the star you are, and the world deserves the chance to hear you. Please, just...have a little faith?”

She saw it then. As he gazed at her with those bottomless ocean eyes, with that special smile on his lips and sincerity bleeding through every word, she knew. Luke was like her. Luke got it. In a way that no one else except her mom ever had. That’s what this was. They were kindred spirits, two sides of the same coin. And that feeling? The wind rushing through her hair and stealing her breath away while her limbs all turned to jelly feeling? That was definitely her falling head over heels off of the cliff and into Luke Patterson completely.

“Okay.”

She breathed out, and his answering smile set off the butterflies she thought had finally left her stomach. He stood up and held a hand out to her, easily pulling her to her feet in one smooth movement.

“You know,” his smile turned rueful, “eventually you’re gonna have to answer one of my questions with something other than ‘okay’. That’s a pretty passive word, and I’m not really a passive type of person. I wanna start hearing some ‘hell yeah’s and ‘awesome’s pretty soon.”

Julie rolled her eyes, moving away from Luke to set up her keyboard. He gave her a bouncy little shrug of his shoulders, and she let the levity of his joke wash over her, releasing the last bit of nerves. She could do this. Luke believed in her. Her mom believed in her. Hell, Alex and Reggie believed in her and she barely even knew them. She could do this, just like her mom had said.

Noise from the other boys making their way up the driveway had her rushing to pull both doors to the studio open so they could haul in Alex’s drum kit. The three of them left together to grab amps and guitars, Julie finishing the rest of the set up in the garage. Before she had time to overthink things or freak out again, they were all settled into their spots and Alex was counting down for their first run through. Fingers against the keys, Julie breathed out, opened her mouth, and began to play.

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justimagineitblog · 5 years ago

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“You Used To Love Me” Michael Gray Fan Fiction - Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you so much for waiting patiently for this one you guys x

If you didn’t catch my life update post, I’ve been busy working on starting my music page @sheispsyche (if you want to check it out xx)

BUT DON’T WORRY!! I AM STILL POSTING ON THIS PAGE ALL THE TIME!! And updating my fan fictions - business as usual !!!

This Chapter sets up a whole series of events to follow so stay tuned loves!

Now.... on with the story....

(NOT MY GIF - ALL CREDITS TO THE WONDERFUL OWNER)

2 weeks. I hadn’t seen a single Shelby or Gray in 2 weeks. I’ve been going about my days, mostly surviving by suppressing the memories of Michael’s return. Out of sight out of mind, right? Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

Well, that was until I found Arthur Shelby in such a drunken state that if I didn’t know him any better I would have assumed he was dead. Mumbling, grumbling and slumped over on the floor against someones back door.

The moment I saw him, I forgot about everything. About having to stay away from the Shelby’s. God know’s I have a soft spot for Arthur, and there was no way I could leave him on the street like that. Especially as a Shelby. There’s entirely too many people in this place who would do unspeakable things to a vulnerable, defenceless Shelby.

Most of the time while dragging him back to his apartment, his arm draped across my shoulders, he’s uttering nonsense and reeks of whiskey. A few times he mentions Michael and Gina. I hate hearing their names. At some stages me mentions things not being the same, grumbling about Gina. But I try my hardest to shrug it off, and not read into it. He is completely and utterly wasted.

When we reached his apartment, and I dig in his pockets for his keys, it occurs to me that he doesn’t have them on him.

Of course he doesn’t.

What I do next I do quickly. Through the backs of the streets, I drag him and he stumbles and trips trying to keep up with my pace. I need to get him to the Shelby house and leave. When we come up to the front door step, I’m relieved to see all the lights are off. They’re all asleep. No one is to be seen.

“Alright Arthur,” I breathed heavily as I sat him down on the front steps. I kneel in front of him, making sure he’s sitting up straight and not hunched over uncomfortably “You silly thing” I sigh as I look at him sadly. He always struggled with alcohol.

Unable to risk spending anymore time at their house, I stand up and brace myself to knock on the door and run. With three loud and quick knocks that will hopefully wake someone up, I quickly run away from the house, hiding behind the corner of another building.

My breath hitches as Polly pulls the door open, her robe draped around her. Irritated and sleepy, she begins fussing over Arthur and by then, Tommy has met her at the door. They look at one another in confusion about how on earth Arthur got there, especially in the state he’s in. While Polly stands him up, pulling him inside, Tommy looks out into the streets, his brows furrowed. Knowing Arthur is safe, I leave quickly and quietly darting through back streets until I’m far enough away from the Shelby house to walk back in the streets again, and head up to my apartment.

It takes me a while to wind down once I’m home, but after half an hour the exhaustion gets the better of me. I rub my neck gingerly where it aches from dragging Arthur. He’s not a big man, but I was practically hauling all his dead weight.

God he’s lucky I have a soft spot for him.

As I fall asleep I think of Arthur, if he’s okay. If Polly and Tommy got him inside alright. I’m sure they did. I’m sure he got a good scolding from them both which undoubtedly would have sobered him up pretty quickly.

And I try not to think about the things he said about Michael. And Gina. Something about Michael not being the same? Or maybe it was Gina not being the same? I don’t know. I can’t go over this. I’ve always believed there was some honesty in drunken words. But right now, I don’t want to believe a bar of that. I’d rather just tell myself he was drunk out of his mind and was mumbling anything and everything. For my own sanity. For my own peace of mind.

THE NEXT DAY

I don’t remember when I fell asleep, but I wake up in a jolt as knock at my door sends me upright in bed.

“What the fuck” I hiss as I pull my unruly hair out of my face. I glance at the clock.

9am?

Jesus. I slept in. As the knocking persists I grab my robe from my cupboard, wriggling it over my nightgown in a tired and flustered hurry.

“Who is it?” I call as I patter down the hall way barefoot as I fold my arms across my chest tightly.

I’ve god no goddamn bra on.

She the person doesn’t reply to my question but persists knocking, my irritation levels rise. I’m truly not an angry person. But I’m also truly not a morning person.

“Who is it?!” I shout again in frustration as I quickly rush into the bathroom, trying to comb my hair with my fingers before I answer the door.

No answer. Probably a kid playing knock and run. I swear to god if it’s that Timothy boy from the floor below…

Irritation and desperation for the incessant knocking to stop, I give up on fixing my appearance and fly to the door, ripping it open in lightening speed without even checking the peep hole first.

Prepared to launch into a lecture about how knock and run isn’t funny, I’m caught dead in my tracks by my visitors standing before me.

Polly, Arthur and Tommy.

They stare at me in shock, just as taken aback as I am.

Without even thinking, I begin to slam the door shut. Why. I don’t even know. Panic, I guess. Shock?

Just as the door is about the close it is stopped with a loud thud, as Tommy’s outstretched arm holds it open.

Silence follows as Tommy and I stare at one another through the opening in the door.

Fuck.

“Tommy move” I manage to say “I’m not doing this”

“Izzy just open the door for a second-“

I shake my head, my grip tightening around the door knob.

“Well I guess I’ll just have to stand here all day then, eh? Until one of us gives up”

“You’re both too stubborn for that” Polly say’s and Tommy raises his brows at me.

We both know I’m not going to be able to close the door. And we both know Tommy will stand there all day if he has to.

My thoughts are interrupted by the door suddenly the door flying open.

I stumble back, as Tommy stands broad shouldered in my door way, Polly and Arthur watching nervously from behind him.

I shake my head, a lump in my throat beginning to swell. I can’t do this. I don’t want to see them. I can’t. They’re out of my life now.

It’s supposed to be that way.

It’s easier that way.

Quickly, the lump grows into an overwhelming need to cry, that I can’t control. Tommy watches me nervously, but quickly his face turns into a distraught panic as I clasp a hand over my mouth.

“I can’t do this” My voice is muffled behind my hand as tears well heavily in my eyes.

Tommy rushes forward immediately, reaching out to hold me. Initially I fight against it, trying to wriggle out of his grip. But the weakness from crying makes me give in, and he engulfs me in his arms. His smell, his feel, everything about him feels so foreign but familiar. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a big, brother like bear hug from Tommy. Realising this only makes me cry harder.

“I’m sorry,” he coos as I cry into his chest.

We stay like this for a few minutes, and I can hear his heart racing in his chest the entire time. Just like mine. Knowing how much this breaks his heart, I begin to stifle my cries, and pull myself together.

“Come here, eh” He says to me in a low voice as he holds my face firmly “Just breathe”

His voice sounds shaky, which is something I rarely hear from Thomas Shelby. It almost sounds like he has a lump in his own throat that he is swallowing down.

“Darling, sit down yeah? Arthur will put the kettle on” Polly says gently, nodding at Arthur who rushes to the kitchen beside us.

Tommy gives me one encouraging but worried smile before he lets me go, and I take a seat at my dining table. Tommy and Polly follow suit, and we sit in silence as I wipe the tears of my face. Once Arthur returns with tea, we all take a deep breath in unison to prepare ourselves for whatever is about to come next.

“Isabelle, we need you to talk to us…” Polly begins slowly, before asking the question I’ve been dreading facing for weeks “What did Michael say?”

I rub temples, tension rising as my mind races.

I don’t want to tell them, but I cannot lie. I cannot keep acting like I hate them, just to keep them arms length away and abide my Michael’s request. It’s only hurting them more.

I sigh. There’s no other way to put it but exactly how it happened.

“He asked me to stay out of his way. That he was happy, and if I really cared about him I would leave for him”

“That’s why you left the pub” Tommy says quietly, almost to himself, as he puts two and two together.

I nod, gravely.

Polly shakes her head as she looks away. I know she can’t believe the cold, cruel man her son has turned into. Either can I.

“Is that why he visited you that night?” Polly looks back at me.

“What?” I reply in shock, wondering how the hell she knows that he visited me.

She sighs, taking a sip of her tea “Gina was asking Michael. Pestering him about it. Constantly. I told her who you were. The day Michael came home, I couldn’t stand to see him pretend like he barely knew you. I wouldn’t have it. So since she knew who you were, since I told her, she’s been suspicious” She pauses, looking at Tommy and Arthur nervously before she continues “So I started reading her letters, she was telling her friends that she thinks that Michael went and visited you on his first night back, to sleep with you. That he got it out of his system and now you’re out of the picture”

“Jesus Polly” Arthur exclaims, almost laughing “You read her letters?”

“Of course I did, I read them all. I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her” She scoffs.

“I am out of the picture” I speak up, referring to Gina’s letters “He definitely didn’t sleep with me. He couldn’t have looked like he hated me more”

There’s silence in the room.

“Isabelle” Polly sits up straight in her chair, leaning forward “Michael is my son. But he has been a horrible, cruel, prick. I won’t, I cannot, defend his actions. You, even when Michael was gone you we’re part of the business. Part of the family. Regardless of him or Gina, you’re family. You are family”

Some how hearing Polly say that breaks and mends my heart in different ways all at once.

“And family look after family” Arthur says firmly “Like how you looked after me last night”

My mouth parts slightly. I thought I had gotten away with that.

“We knew that was you sweetheart, thats how we knew we hadn’t lost you for real” Polly smiles at me gently.

I look over at Tommy, he’s the final say. Always.

“We want you back in the family meetings Isabelle, back with us”

No. No. I understand that I can’t continue on avoiding them like the plague. But I can’t - I don’t want to join back into the family. I’ve spent weeks hating every second of time that I remember from seeing Michael with Gina that day. How am I supposed to cope seeing them together on a daily basis.

“I can’t-“ I shake my head quickly, refusing the proposition.

“Michael is not in charge of you Isabelle” Polly replies. But that’s not the problem.

“It’s not that, I-“ I pause, trying to gather my thoughts into words “I can’t see him… with her”

Silence, again.

“The last time I saw him… they way he looked at me” I swallow hard “Ive spent every waking moment trying to get it out of my head. And he wouldn’t want to see me. He doesn’t love me Polly, it’s done”

“Yes he does” Polly says plainly.

I look at her, brows furrowed.

Trust me. I want more than anything to live in denial. But it’s a fact. Michael does not love me. Sometimes, a lot of times in the past week, I’ve been forced to question if he ever did.

“You don’t see him with Gina. How he is. He’s not himself. He doesn’t look at her the way he looked at you. Tommy caught him the other day…” she pauses, looking over at Tommy to finish the story.

“We had some old boxes moved around, stuff from old houses. They were sitting at the house. Gina was out, and when I came into the room I saw Michael holding a picture from Christmas two years ago… Of you” Tommy pauses “He must have found it in one of the boxes… or he was looking for it. I watched him. His was just staring. Frozen. Then when Gina came home that night, he was different. Like deep down his mind was somewhere else. It was with you, Izzy. He just can’t see it”

I know the exact picture. Me sitting on his lap as we laugh. We were always laughing. Always touching in some way. Always. I used to stare at that picture myself, waiting for Michael to come home.

“But I can’t make him see it, Tommy. I can’t make him. Im not going to beg for a man who doesn’t even want me” Saying those words out loud stings.

“Then come back for us, god knows we need you” Polly smiles, reaching out for my hand. I take it, and she squeezes gently.

“What about Gina?” I say anxiously “She’ll have my head if I set foot near Michael”

“She won’t dare say anything around me if she’s as smart as she thinks she is” Polly hisses. I don’t know this girl. Gina. Whatever I don’t like about her mostly has to do with the fact that I wish I was her. But everyone else seems to have a deep hatred for her. I can only imagine what she’s like.

When I have no argument against them anymore, I shrug, sitting back in my seat completely defeated.

Tommy smiles, giving me a wink “Welcome back to the family eh?”

TAGLIST

@shadow-of-wonder

@marvelismylifffe

@saintfootball

@haphazardhufflepuff

@peaky-things

@burnitup

@swweett-insanityyy

@ganjeolhiddaeng

@thoughtfulfreakalpaca

@infinitelycharmed23

@chloeforde

@ashtronomyyyy

@livingforbarnes

@cleverdreamerhoagiewolf

@elleclairez

@marvelschriss

@carezzesuigraffi

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queen-rogah · 5 years ago

Text

Chasing Dreams - Part 11

A Queen Series AU

Series summary: In the year of 1971, you dreamed to be the best musician/performer that you’ll ever be. And upon achieving your dream, you have met the four musicians that would surprisingly help you to chase your dreams. The story of you and the rising band is deeply life-changing, and even finding love would get in the way, but all you have to do in chasing those dreams is to always face the consequences...

In this chapter: Roger finally tells you what he wants to say to you that night. You started your first week working in the record shop and your second Friday night performance happened. Someone came by in Crown & Anchor and watched you perform. (I’m literally trying not to drop some spoilers)

Warnings: mild angst and fluff

Word Count: 5.1k words

CHASING DREAMS MASTERLIST | QUEENROGAH’S MASTERLIST

A/N: It’s been 4 months since I updated this series! I’m sorry I’ve been MIA!

♡♡♡ PART ELEVEN: “UNEXPECTED” ♡♡♡

Roger said that he’s saying something to you.

Is it important or not?

But you still followed him outside the nightclub where a few people are walking around with cigarettes hanging between their fingers. The music from the inside is still blaring, it’s also heard from where you stood.

You heard him sigh beside you.

“Y/N…” Roger spoke.

You turn to him. He’s tensed.

You never seen Roger so tensed.

It’s already midnight and the moon is up, illuminating the whole town with it’s silver light. Roger was about to speak up until someone busted out of the door to see it’s Tommy with some girl in his arms.

“Y/N, there you are…” Tommy slurred out his words and quickly approached you. Your moment with Roger alone was completely ruined. “Thank you for taking care of me back there, I–”

He hiccups.

You tried to control your laughter. Thinking that he’s your boss and he’s so wasted in front of you.

“–I am grateful, love. I must go, see you next time darling!.” He smiles and waves goodbye to you, taking a hold onto the girl again.

“That next time will be tomorrow Tommy! See you in my first shift!.” You respond back to him even though his drunken self ignores you by now. You watch them both get into a car, maybe it’s Tommy’s or the girl’s and drive away from the street.

You completely forgot that Roger is just silently standing beside you.

“So Rog, what are you trying to say again?.” You asked him. Your arms folded in front of your chest.

In a few minutes of him containing his strength and the finding the right words to say to you, you’re patient and now he sighed deeply then put up a warm smile.

“Can I take you out sometime? Just you and me?.”

…

You told Freddie about Roger’s question to you that night. You and Freddie talked about the moments that happened in the pub before and after you performed and you still can’t believe that Roger Taylor, the man who firstly flirted with you on the first day he met you became so vulnerable in front of you when he said that. He’s like a shy child that wanted to tell his feelings with his playground crush. Freddie became sober at 3am in the morning where you told him everything as he listens until the sun comes up and peeping through the window. Vicky was out again to accomplish something at work and now you’re getting ready in doing your first shift in your first job in Kensington.

“4pm you say?.” Freddie asks from the kitchen as you hummed loudly for him to hear. You tied up your hair and stepped inside the kitchen.

“Meet me up in the record shop at 4pm later as we go to Kensington Market to find me some decent clothes for our date.” You said to him. A genuine smile attached to your face.

“Okay darling. I’ll make sure blondie is have his jaw dropped on the second he will see you on your special night with him.” He smirks then playfully winks at you.

You chuckled, “Well, if you say so Mr. Bulsara.” You showed him a small smirk also and took your valuables to your work.

Freddie pulls you close and hugs you tightly, “Good luck on your first day darling, and shall I call Roger to drive you there again or?…” He asks.

“No, it’s fine. I know the way to the record shop. I won’t let myself get spoiled here anyway.” You chuckled and he nods. Freddie once again hugs you and kissed your cheek before you left his flat. You decided to walk to work and as you were walking, you see Lola and her bandmates standing outside Flotsam while talking and taking long drags in their cigarettes.

You took an intake of breath and just ignored them, going in the different direction where the record shop leads. The adrenaline still kicking inside of you when you saw her again. Those violent scenes you made that night still may have haunt you, but the pain finally fades away.

Your tensed self faded when you opened the door of the record shop to hear the music playing in this place. You dropped your eyes on the girl standing behind the cashier, also wearing the orange colored vest as the uniform. Tommy also gave you one and you just put it on right now, dropping your bag on the floor and wore the vest.

“So you’re the new one.” The cashier girl spoke as she lean against the counter and look at you. You noticed her clothes, she’s wearing some jean shorts just above her knees and knee high brown suede shoes.

Your brows furrowed.

“You’re wearing shorts.” You mumbled, totally dodging her comment earlier.

You’re wearing a plaid bell-bottoms and your old white leather boots.

And the climate is warm.

She looks at you weirdly, “And so what that I’m…wearing shorts?.” She asked.

“N-nothing, I just…I thought there was a dress code or something that…any employee won’t wear shorts or just revealing clothes whatsoever.” You stutter in your words. You heard her lightly chuckle.

“Tommy didn’t say about some bloody dress code. Shorts or pants, shirt or sleeveless, he doesn’t care.” She said and you see her eyes raked down on your pants. “But I like your pants.”

“Oh, thank you.” You shyly smiled and just realized, “Oh yeah I forgot, I’m Y/N by the way…” You smiled at her.

“My name’s Sabrina.” She smiled back.

…

You and Sabrina really got along very well through your whole shift. You did your thing in organizing the records by order in the shelves and Sabrina works on the cashier. You also had your turn earlier in the cashier and just been flirted by a teenager, guessing his age in around 17 or 18 and he’s buying a Fleetwood Mac record. You try not to laugh, but he did his best in flirting with you.

Your shift will end in one and a half hour and Freddie will be coming by too to fetch you. Tommy still haven’t visited the shop and go to his office to manage everything, maybe his hangover is still haunting him until now. Customers grew short this day when the time goes on and now, you and Sabrina are lounging by the cash register where you are both sitting on floor behind the counter.

“So, do you have a boyfriend…or some sort?.” Sabrina asked in her giggly tone.

You both are like schoolgirls crushing on someone.

“I don’t have any but I like someone and he asked me out to have dinner with him.” You proudly shared and Sabrina softly clapped her hands in happiness.

You grin.

“Good for you! He must be a good looking bloke yeah?.” She chuckles.

You bite down your lip and sighed deeply, “Well, he really is a good looking man. According to him he’s been called a ladies man for so many times in his life now. He’s like sex on legs.” You said.

“Now I want to meet him.” Sabrina smirks and you laugh at her playful eagerness.

“I will introduce you to him soon, maybe next Friday? You can come in Crown & Anchor where we perform there.” You nudged her shoulder.

“You two are both performers? That’s groovy…” She grins.

While on your small talk with Sabrina, you both didn’t realized someone stepped inside the shop and look around the place then stood in front of the cash register where you and Sabrina are just sitting behind. It’s hand reach over gently, then…

“What the fuck are you both doing there?.”

It’s the girl you’ve met on your first time stepping in this record shop. The girl with the rude words.

“Clementine! You’re early.” Sabrina scrambled herself off the floor and brush away the dirt from her shorts. You also stood up and just crossed your arms in front of your chest.

“Well thank god I’m early because if I’ll be running late and you both are still behind that counter without guarding the shop, someone would come inside and rob us. Would you like that?.” Clementine hissed and Sabrina looked down on the ground as she nod her head.

You can’t contradict on what she’s saying because she’s saying the truth. It’s only been your first day and now it’s running ugly.

“You, new girl.” Clementine spoke and you looked at her. “Do your job properly. There’s a purpose that Mr. Muller hired you. Just don’t waste that opportunity with some people like her, you got me new girl?.”

“Yes ma'am.” Your voice came out in a whisper as she walk away, checking the place again.

You breathe.

“She’s really the boss of this shop. More bossy than Tommy himself.” Sabrina mumbled to you when Clementine turn her back to you.

“She really is but she’s true Sabrina. We shouldn’t be just lounging around this place, we should do our job properly.” You said and grip her shoulder, “But still, coming by on Friday?.”

“I’ll try if I’m not busy. You know, I have a lot of work.” She smiles and you nodded.

“Other than your work here?.” You asked.

She sighed, “Yeah, I’m actually working on a pub nearby Crown & Anchor too where I make some drinks. But yeah, I can make it by Friday. What time will you be on stage by then?.”

Your eyes lit up and you’re happy that you’ve met someone again thay became your friend, “I’ll be at 8pm, together with my friends too who will perform.” You replied.

“Okay. See you there Y/N, I promise I’ll be one of your biggest fans there.” She winks as she nudged your side. You laughed at her gesture as you both continue doing your job since you both saw Clementine’s eyes fixated on your direction.

You both tried to control your laughter at Clementine’s robot-like, unemotional looking face.

…

The clock ticks at 4pm, just in time that you’ve finished sorting the records to where they are since customers are always clumsy in putting back the records in the right genre. Sabrina has her work behind the cash register. More people come to get their records to listen to. Clementine still have those snake eyes glued onto the both of you.

You heard the bell rang from the door again as you walked out of the rock genre section aisle to finally see Freddie enter the building wearing that red velvet jacket, black and white polka dots top underneath it and clean white pants together with his worn out leather boots. You smile at his early appearance in the shop as he have promised earlier to accompany you to go shopping.

“Good afternoon, how may I help you?.” Sabrina asked him as you watch her lean over on the counter, immediately smitten towards Freddie.

“I’m looking for Y/N, darling. Did her shift ended?.” He asked her as she stood straight to call on you from the cash register.

“Y/N! This very attractive man is expecting you!.” She hollers through the whole shop trying to find you in the aisles. Freddie chuckles at her remark as he playfully winked at Sabrina, who probably is melting from inside right now.

You emerge from the aisles right after Sabrina just called you out, “Hi Fred. You’re unexpectedly early. That’s unsual.” You joked.

“Very funny Y/N,” Freddie sarcastically replied to you as you giggled at his reaction. He soon smiled back as you both shared a friendly warm hug, “C'mon, Kensington Market awaits.” He said.

“Okay okay. I’ll just go and write down my time out in the office. Just stay here with Sabrina, I’ll be back in a few,” You said and before you could walk inside the office, you turn your back to Sabrina who’s still behind the cash register since her shift is going to end later at 6, “Sabrina, while I’m gone, make sure you’ll leave Freddie here still in one piece. He have a girlfriend by the way.” You smirked.

“What a shame.” Sabrina pouted as you finally walk inside the office to write down your time out on the attendance book. You nod goodbye to Clementine who’s inside the office earlier as you walked out. You put on your bag, said your goodbyes to Sabrina and finally took off with Freddie.

You both walked towards where Kensington Market is. You can see different people walking around the building to find something that would catch their attention. Especially women, wanted to be mesmerized by something.

“There are so many clothes, I literally don’t know what to choose.” You said to Freddie as you both stopped in front of the first booth in the market. Not only clothes are here, even fruits and vegetables are being sold here. You also see different mini grocery shops around the corner, and that’s why a lot of people go here. Almost everything is right here in Kensington Market.

“What about this?.” Freddie made his way to another booth, pulling out a violet thigh high velvet dress with flares hanging on the sleeves.

“Fred, it’s a date with Roger, not a party.” You chuckled as you put back the dress. You’ve saw a lot of clothes but nothing really made you stop and just be mesmerized in those clothes.

“This, this is where me and Roger used to sell some clothes.” Freddie pointed at the small booth meters away from the both of you, “I remember selling my clothes, Roger’s clothes, Brian’s clothes, my mother’s clothes, Kash’s clothes just to pay my debts. We’re struggling students before, well…we’re still struggling musicians today. But I believe Queen have a bright future.” He sighs.

You just imagine young Freddie and Roger shouting and hollering around this loud market where they are selling different clothes. You can literally imagine Freddie saying to the customer that every clothing they have will look perfect on them. Just to sell those clothes. And now they’ve gone through it and graduated, wanting to pursue their career as musicians. They just have to wait and see.

Same goes for you too.

You both walk past their old booth, you suddenly stopped in your tracks when you saw this beautiful jacket displayed in a mannequin in this booth. You approach the mannequin and just gaze at this beautiful tapestry jacket with fur on it. You’re praying that this jacket won’t be overpriced.

“Freddie, this is the one. I can top this off the clothes I have.” You said to him as you touch the jacket. The soft faux fur really brings a smile on your face.

“Excuse me dear?,” Freddie asked the saleslady from inside the booth, “How much is the tapestry jacket that is on the mannequin?.”

“£10 for the jacket.” She replied.

And that made your heart dropped, feeling in crashing down into a million pieces. You’re trying to save up these days but buying this precious clothing can make you happy but it’s such a huge minus in your savings.

“I’ll come back for it, thank you so much.” You said and walk away again. Freddie was shocked and catches up with you. “I know, I know what you’ll–”

“–I thought that jacket is the one? Why didn’t you get it?.” Freddie asked.

“£10 is a huge thing Freddie and I can buy some food with that money. I guess I’ll just use some of my old clothes.” You stifle a laugh and sighed deeply.

“Yeah, you’re right. Just like I’ve said, we’re a bunch of struggling musicians here darling.” Freddie said as he put his arms around you in a friendly manner.

“But we have huge dreams.” You said and you both continue to window shop around Kensington Market and even buy some cheap foods that can satisfy your appetite.

…

You didn’t bought some new clothes for your date with Roger but the walk around Kensington Market with Freddie has been one of the greatest memories that you’ll cherish here in your stay in Kensington. You’ve tried the most popular English delicacy which is the Fish and Chips. Freddie introduced you to some of his old friends around the market too and then stopped for a little karaoke fun in some public karaoke machine which definitely attracted a lot of people while you both are singing and dancing at the same time. You’re embarrassed with your moves but never expecting it’ll be praised.

Speaking of singing and dancing, your upcoming second performance in Crown and Anchor is fast approaching already and you have a day remaining to think about replacing the songs from your old setlist to new ones.

At your work in Universal Sounds, Tommy finally visits the shop and asked him in your free times some other popular songs to get an idea for the performance.

“Your old setlist is great though and I like you performing it so you gotta keep it, love.” Tommy said while looking at your journal book with the old setlist you have as he hand you back the book, “And honestly Y/N…”

“Yeah?.” You turn your attention to him.

“You should put some of your songs in your setlist. Give the people some unique taste of your own music. The fire of Y/N Y/L/N igniting the crowd with those melodies and lyrics.” Tommy said and that made you sigh deeply.

You were moved on his words. Performing some of your songs makes you nervous and if you’re nervous, it’ll mess up the whole performance and everything will go wrong.

“It’s not that easy to perform my own style of music in front of a crowd. Maybe they’ll judge me, maybe they’ll turn their backs while I’m singing it. It will make me nervous and my voice will get a littlr pitchy while I’m nervous–” You rambled those words without stuttering that’s why Tommy already shut your negative ass.

“Get in the vocal booth Y/N.” Tommy cuts you off and your eyes blinked while looking at hin with a questioning face.

“What–”

“I want you there to sing something for me. Get in the vocal booth and stand in front of the microphone.” Tommy nicely demanded and you now obliged.

You took a deep breath before stepping inside the regular sized vocal booth and faced on the glass pane with Tommy peering to you from the outside. He gave you a thumbs up, telling you he’s ready and the microphone is also ready. You look around to see a piano here, an electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums and bass guitar. Your hand reaches over the classic acoustic guitar but you suddenly stopped as you thought about another idea.

Then you chose the electric guitar, now standing before the microphone.

Your fingers ran over the pages of your journal, finding the song that you’ll play to Tommy who’s patiently waiting for you to sing.

And you picked one.

It is called Hummingbird.

You played the chords you’ve arranged in the song but gave a little dance vibe to it as you used the electric guitar with style. You played the intro then started singing the first verse, remembering how you even sang it from before. You remembered some tunes, but some you don’t, that’s why you just randomly sing it with new melodies.

The dance and bubbly vibe of the music made Tommy wiggling his hips there as he catches up in the lyrics on the second time you’ve sang the chorus.

A smile appeared on your face as you turn up the energy on the last chorus before ending the song with that fire guitar solo outro as you imagine it fading out in the audio. You bow your head as you see Tommy clapping his hands for you. You can’t hear what he’s been saying but you know it’s positive with that wide smile of his.

He lean over to the control panels and pressed a button, “That’s…that’s a breathtaking song Y/N. It blew my heart away more than Fleetwood Mac did.” He compliments.

“Don’t…ever compare me with Fleetwood Mac. They’re the best artists and I’m just here as an amateur singer slash song-writer slash producer.” You chuckled and Tommy shakes his head.

“You’re not a freaking amateur Y/N. You literally belong to the professional group, and I recorded your voice for future plans.” He winks as he wriggles the tape he have in his hands.

You widen your eyes, “You recorded it?! You know when it comes to sharing my song, my insecurities and anxieties are eating me whole.” You stepped out of the vocal booth and just stare at him, pleading that he will never give the tape to anybody else to listen to.

“I’ll think about it.” Tommy smirks as he replied. That’s all he just replied to me before saying his goodbyes to you and the others in his office and walk away, with the tape in his hands. You inhaled sharply and return outside to assist Sabrina on what she’s doing in the shop.

You still hope that Tommy will never get that goddamn tape in the palm of anybody’s hands.

…

Tommy didn’t listen.

The next day came and that’s when he called someone he personally knew because he worked as the person’s assistant and publicist. The person he called had the biggest role in the music industry and they are one of the well-known producers around UK. And with only one call that your boss made today, maybe everything will turn upside down.

The phone rang on the third ring when someone finally answered the phone to Tommy, “Hello? Yeah, it’s been a while since we’ve met again though. I have missed you too dearly. Actually, what I came here is that I have a very nice girl with a very nice voice. She can do ballad, rock, pop, soul, everything! She have that versatile voice. I have a demo from her, hope you’ll listen to it…” He said to the phone, listening to what they are saying.

When Tommy finished talking to them, he have a victory smirk, but he have to surprise you on what he just did.

Friday came again and you prepared for your second performance tonight. You can’t stop pacing back and fourth in the living room here at Freddie’s while looking on your journal, with the new setlist you’ve made last night. And you didn’t stopped yourself from putting three of your songs in the setlist.

And now your anxiety is building up again.

The bathroom door finally opened to see Freddie and Vicky freshly showered, but more like freshly fucked because you definitely heard them doing it in the shower while you’re here in the living room. They noticed you being weird here.

“You okay darling?.” Freddie asked you, but you didn’t hear it. Your eyes are just glued on the papers of your journal with your pen between your lips.

“Y/N?.” Vicky snaps her fingers to you and now you’re back in reality. Out of those thoughts.

“Oh…did you just…called me?.” You questioned them with your most confused face.

“Yeah, we did. Did you get enough sleep last night?.” Vicky asked.

“Yes, I did get enough sleep last night. I’m just to bombarded with my thoughts about my new setlist for tonight’s performance.” You said and gave them your journal. Freddie was the one who took the journal and read through it.

“Moonshine, Hummingbird, He’s a God…are these your songs Y/N?.” Freddie asked, looking oh-so proud about your decision.

“Those are one of my favorite writings in my whole life and I guess this is now the time that I have to share it to the people.” You replied to him. Freddie didn’t say anything but you can see him smiling widely at you.

You sighed as he gives back your journal and suddenly gripped your shoulders, “I’m so proud of you dear. So fucking proud.” He cups my face.

Tears began to pool in your eyes as you just laugh away your emotions, quickly wiping it away before it slips down my cheeks.

You’ve made your decision. You’re going to sing your song.

Hoping that you won’t regret it.

…

Crown & Anchor tonight is packed with more people than the previous night you had here before, that’s why your heart rate is increasing again. Queen is already performing onstage while you watch them with Vicky and Genevieve by your side. Rosalie isn’t with Brian tonight and you don’t know why.

Speaking of Brian, he gave you a late thoughtful present for your very first performance earlier and it’s a dress, and the print of the dress is celestial. There’s the sun, the moon, the stars. Everything. It was a very beautiful dress and you loved it. You are shocked about his sudden gift, not only you who is shocked, also the blond drummer too.

You wore the dress tonight as you partnered it with Freddie’s fedora hat that you borrowed and your dark brown suede boots.

When Queen ended their set and thanked the people who listening to them, you took a deep breath before you head in the backstage to meet them. You see them exhausted from performing, drinking water and heaving a breath to calm themselves down.

“Nobody will seriously top you guys here in Crown & Anchor, you all are the life of this place.” You said and took the electric guitar. Playing in acoustic is your number one thing, but now you’re in the electric guitar. Ready to electrify them.

Before you got onstage, Freddie gave you a huge kiss on your cheeks, Brian and John warmly hugging you and Roger, he was hesistant to do something to you. He wanted to kiss you, but he thought that you’ll be shocked, that’s why he just put a sweet kiss on your forehead and said his good lucks before you step out of the curtains of the backstage. You heard several people clap for you, feeling that those people were the ones who listened to you before.

You also saw Sabrina with some guy she just met tonight and she’s been clapping for you non-stop since you stepped on this stage. You can’t help but to blush and wave at her direction.

“Good evening, beautiful people,” You spoke through the mic and people howls in delight as you giggled, “Tonight is my second night here in this very stage and…I just want you guys to know the night is better than the day because when you stay under the sun for a couple of minutes or hours, you’ll be burnt but when you’re under the moon, it feels so relaxing and all that I have to say is…moonshine is better than sunshine. Here’s my song called Moonshine.” You said as you started strumming your guitar in a soft rock type of genre.

You sang the first verse as you see the people enjoying the style of your music and your confidence boosts up. You remember the chords you’ve wrote for this song and put a little new tweaks too here and there. The chorus more energetic as the people sings back to you by the time you sang the chorus in the second time. A smile formed around your lips when you made this decision and beyond thankful that the people are enjoying in your own music.

While you’re performing onstage with all your glitter and groove, Roger was absolutely amazed by your performance again. Smiling widely that he’s now hearing you singing your songs to these people. Brian was also amazed by you and the fact that you wore the dress he gave you, there’s something that knocks him out of what you do. He don’t know what to do about it. Freddie on the other hand was dancing and also singing back to you, and he’s shaking John around while dancing on the beat of your song. John was so proud of you too. All of them was so beyond proud of you.

You sang your second song which is Hummingbird, the song that Tommy heard days ago in the vocal booth of the record shop. Tommy was also in the pub, sitting far back the counter island while drinking his whiskey. He smiled on the rim of the glass while watching you sing your songs, fingers lightly tapping the glass. He remembers the phone call earlier and he can’t wait about what will happen next.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Tommy Muller…”

A smirk appeared on his lips as he look at the person before him who’s wearing an all white semi-formal outfit and it’s accent became more sophisticated than it was before. The person also looked at the stage where you stood and singing to the audience.

“So this is she…” They spoke, fully observing you and your mannerisms and how you deliver the songs in your performance.

“How’s Y/N for you?.” Tommy asks, tapping his glass with his fingers as he waited for the answer.

“I like her.” They nod their head and Tommy had that victory smirk on his lips as he gets back in watching you onstage.

Of course they will like you.

___________________________

*TAGLIST:

@lilytalebi @luvborhap @ziggymay @kiwithekiwi @imgonnabeyourslave @deakysmisfire

IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE TAGLIST, LET ME KNOW!

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saltandsilverstories · 4 years ago

Text

The Doors of Stone

Something lays beneath the glossy, blue tarps beside the doors. Patches of anti-snow paint portions of the tarp black, while small rivulets slide to the ground where the build-up grows too heavy. I stick my hand into one of the streams, watching it pile along the side of my glove, spill over the edge of my fingers, and trickle into the gaps between the bones of the skeletal foot peeking out from under the tarp.

I shake my hand clean, and tug the edge of the tarp over the foot. The Stasis Suit crinkles as I stand up, pressing a small button on my right wrist.

Please state your command.

“Run external status report,” I tell the Suit.

Scanning within a 100 kilometre radius. Please standby.

There is a slight delay.

External status report is as follows:

Depth status: 2,000 meters below surface

Temperature: -32°C

Precipitation: 90% chance of light anti-snow

Wind activity: Low

Flora: Undetected

Fauna: Unknown

My brows crease. “Elaborate on fauna.”

Fauna of an unknown species and/or origin has been detected.

A sharp bolt of adrenaline shoots from the centre of my chest and out, spreading down until my toes curl within my boots. “Approximate distance to fauna.”

Fauna detected at a distance of approximately 15 kilometers northwest.

I glance at the compass in the upper right corner of my Visor Display, then at the doors.

“Contact surface.”

Contacting Syndicate Technology. Please standby. A representative will be with you shortly.

A quiet jazz tune punctuated by a bossy saxophone fills my helmet speakers. I turn in place, facing the doors.

They are carved from something like ivory or marble, a pale stone with thin, grey veins and specks that glitter in the beam of my helmet lamp. They are polished so smooth that they glisten as if wet. Intricate patterns of swirls and loops cover its length, along with runes composed of straight lines and dots. The anti-snow seems to avoid the doors altogether.

The music cuts out, replaced by the scuffed sounds of someone fumbling with a microphone. “Hi there, Cartographer 4? So sorry for the wait. My name is Wilbur, and I’ll be your Surface Technician for today. What can I do for you?”

“Uh, yeah, hi.” I put my hands on my hips, turning again so I face the tarp. “I ran the status report, and I’m getting a fauna reading.”

“Um…” His chair creaks. “Hm. Is it okay if I request to view your Visor footage?”

“Go for it.”

He goes quiet for a bit, typing. “Well, I can see the notification, and I think it’s probably a glitch with the recent software update. I’ve went ahead and set up automated fauna notifications, just to see if the Suit decides to give it to you again later. Erm, while I have you here, let me just grab your consent one last time before I give you the instructions for the doors, okay?”

“Someone else made me do that before I got in the elevator,” I explain.

“I know, but it’s Protocol.” He needs to work on his apologetic voice.

I press my lips together, exhaling through my nose. My breath briefly fogs my Visor. “Yeah, fine.”

“As per the terms of your contract, you are tasked with mapping at least five kilometres of the area beyond the doors using the software in your Stasis Suit. Should you complete your task, upon your return to Syndicate Technology, your sentence with Ashby City Penitentiary will be terminated immediately. Should you fail, you will resume your sentence until completion with no chance of parole. Your signature on these documents indicate you have heard these conditions prior to this moment and provided consent to this task. C4, do you wish to proceed?”

I lick my lips. “I do.”

"Okay, great. Now let’s get those doors open.”

-----

The city beyond the doors is composed of pillars as tall as skyscrapers, reaching up into the cavernous ceiling. Archways link them, some lined with railings. Those must have been bridges. Buildings, most of them two or three storeys high, sprawl out in all directions, connected by a footpath of clean, square stones.

Anti-snow grinds into the traction grooves of my boots. The scenery remains a constant spread of stonework along both sides of the street, portions of it smudged into the distance by anti-snow build up. There are no air currents for the specks to twirl in. The entire city exists in black and white, a photograph for me to walk through. There are no other sounds than the ones coming from my person. The city is a skeleton, and I walk down its spinal column.

I thought the path I had chosen was the central one with how wide it was, but even so, there were portions of it where the anti-snow had accumulated so much that it almost reached my knees. Each of my footsteps were heavy and slow, my legs aching from the effort it took to move.

My foot catches on something, and I lurch forward, a yell escaping past my lips before I can stop it.

“You okay there?” Wilbur asks.

I push myself to my knees. The oxygen tank on my back makes it difficult to find my balance. “Yeah, I’m good. Just tripped on something.” I feel around under the anti-snow, my gloves gliding along the stones. The object is round and bigger than both of my hands. I pull it free, stumbling a bit.

A helmet. Syndicate Technology’s logo had been mostly scratched off, and the Visor was missing. I turn it in my hands, dumping out the anti-snow it had scooped up during its unearthing.

I gulp, my stomach knotting itself together with the end of my throat.

“Why— What is this doing here?” I ask Wilbur.

He’s quiet for a few seconds. “Just leave it beside the bench over there, on your left, and keep going. You’ve got three kilometres left.”

I don’t say anything, turning the helmet around some more.

“C4.”

I stare at the C2 printed on the top of the helmet, the C almost completely gone.

Approximate distance to fauna: 13 kilometers northwest.

The anti-snow sounds like a paintbrush on canvas as it trickles down my own helmet.

“I want out.”

“Dude, come on--”

“No, fuck this.” I lower the helmet, holding it at my side by its brim. “I’m not staying in this stupid cave if I’m not gonna make it out of here.”

“You’re gonna be just fine, I promise,” he continues.

“What happened to C2, then? Why’s his helmet here?”

He makes an exaggerated sigh. “I’m not at liberty to say.”

I lick my lips, smacking the helmet against my thigh. “I knew him. His name was Lewis.”

Wilbur doesn’t have any response.

“You know his wife still shows up on visitation day? Like she doesn’t know where he is? But none of us have seen him since December.”

Wilbur’s breath enters his mic before his words. “I’m sorry, but if you back out now, you don’t get another shot at this. You can’t sign up again, and you can’t pick up where you left off. This is a one time deal.” He pauses. “It’s up to you.”

I groan, turning around and looking back down the way I’d come in before turning again and looking up the path I’d yet to explore.

“What do I do with it?”

“Just leave it there. You’re not supposed to bring anything back,” he instructs.

“But it’s from the surface.”

“Doesn’t matter.” The patience is dwindling from Wilbur’s voice, his tone as flat as the colour palette of the city.

I stare down at Lewis’ helmet, at the gap his eyes would’ve seen though, the way mine were now. “Fine.” I dropkick the helmet down the street. It clatters against the side of a building before making a faint crunch as it lands in an anti-snowbank.

“That wasn’t necessary,” Wilbur says, quiet.

“Fuck you.”

I keep walking.

-----

Wilbur spits out instructions as if he actually believes I’d follow them. Stick to the main pathways, don’t squeeze between buildings, don’t knock over language tablets, stop sitting, don’t cover the VisorCam.

“You’re not supposed to go into the buildings,” he told me, his voice existing somewhere within his nostrils. “We don’t know how structurally sound they are.”

“Well,” I clear the anti-snow off the stairs leading up the nearest building with my boot, “let’s find out.”

“This is a dumb idea.”

“You’re a dumb idea.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

As I step into the doorway, the building shakes, the ground buzzing with a heavy vibration. A thick, low tone comes from everywhere. It is a sound so heavy it settles atop my shoulders, making my knees quake. I hold onto the door frame, gripping it with both hands, trying to stay standing. My teeth clench, and a few pixels in my Visor Display short out, flashing neon green or blacking out entirely. The anti-snow outside bounces in a zig-zag pattern, moving slightly upwards before shooting down.

After a few moments, it stops. I leaned on the door frame, panting. The pressure of the sound made me forget to breathe.

“What are you doing?” Wilbur asks.

I scowl. “Did you not see any of that just now?”

“Any of what? You wasting time?”

“No, dickhead, there was some earthquake or something, and there was this sound…” I search my head for the right way to convey aloud what that sound felt like.

“It was probably just the software again,” he states. He’s not listening to anything I’m saying.

“It was out here, in the city, not in the Suit,” I insist, shaking my head.

“No, don’t, don’t do that,” he chides, “it makes me dizzy.” He clears his throat. “Maybe it was a windstorm revving up,” he continues. “You’d better hurry up and get this done quick then.”

“No, it wasn’t the wi--”

Approximate distance to fauna: 12 kilometers northwest.

My heartbeat occupies the silence that followed the notification, slapping against the inside of my ears.

“Head southwest from here,” Wilbur says.

I clench and unclench my hands into fists a few times to stop them from trembling.

I take a deep breath. “Okay.” I step back outside.

-----

I walk for another half an hour at least, along the same twisting road. The farther I go, the more dense the debris becomes. The state of preservation decays until I am climbing over chunks of roof four times my size, and shoving myself under sections of pillar that had fallen from the sky bridges above the city.

I stop in the centre of a side-street. A boulder fills the entirety of the way, with nowhere to go but over. I grab onto a protrusion, hauling myself on top. A grunt escapes my chest in a puff of breath that fogs my visor from the inside. My boots dislodge anti-snow and gravel as I try to keep myself from wobbling. I’m much higher off the ground than expected.

“Holy shit.” I don’t mean to say it out loud, but I do.

The street is a collection of shards and fragments. The buildings are reduced to framework, the stones of the path dug up and strewn about, tossed like dice. Along the one wall that remains intact, a gash bisects it, a deep wound in the flesh of a former housing unit. Or maybe it had been a storefront. It is an impact site, with cracks webbing above and below the scar.

“What?” Wilbur smacks his lips.

“Are you eating?” I turn my head as I ask, as if he’d be standing beside me on the boulder.

A crunch. “It’s noon, and I already took my break.”

“You couldn’t have eaten then?”

“Wasn’t hungry then. So what happened?”

“You seeing this?” I ask.

“What?”

“This.” I turn in a circle, slowly, letting the camera do its work. “The street.”

“Oh, yeah.” Is he licking his fingers? “Mmhmm,” he pauses, swallowing, “It was probably the windstorms.”

“There’s no way.”

“Could be, though. Can’t rule it out. We can’t really get a read on anything.” Another crunch, and his breath shoves itself into his mic. “The storms fuck with the equipment.”

Attention: Distance goal met. Please return to the antechamber and wait for further instructions.

“You heard her, time to head back,” Wilbur says between chews.

“Do you have to be eating right now?” I ask.

“No, but I’m hungry.”

“It’s annoying as fuck.”

“So are you, now get moving.”

“Fine, Jesus.” I hop down from the boulder and start walking back the way I’d come, following the map I’d made with the Stasis Suit’s software.

Approximate distance to fauna: 9 kilometres north.

“Maybe walk faster,” Wilbur urges, swallowing whatever he’s eating.

“Right.” I start jogging.

I get about a kilometre away before another notification follows.

Approximate distance to fauna: 7 kilometres north.

He takes a sharp breath. “Run.”

“What?” My heart seizes.

“Run, right now.”

My boots skid on the anti-snow every now and then, and then I notice it.

“Uh, Wilbur,” I say, slowing down to make sure I’m seeing it correctly.

“Yeah? Wh— why are you stopping? I said run.”

“The anti-snow’s moving up.” I tilt my head back, peering up at the void that the city calls its sky.

“Fuck.” He kisses his teeth. “You’re about a kilometre from the antechamber… shit, uh, you see that building on your left?”

I turn my head. A section of its roof is missing, and its doorway lacks its door. “Yeah?”

“Get inside and brace. Quickly now, you don’t have much time.”

“Wh--”

“Don’t ask questions, just do it.”

I do as he says, sitting on the floor with my back to the only wall without cracks, tucking my head into my knees, wrapping my arms around my body.

“What’s happening?” I ask, my voice muffled from my face being so close to the Visor glass.

“You’re gonna be o--”

His voice is replaced by the tone from earlier. It comes from above and below, the entire city shaking from its vibrations. I shut my eyes, curling into a fetal position. In the distance, something crashes. Maybe a wall fell apart, or a pillar came loose.

The building I’m in lurches, the stones rumbling like a waterfall. The roof roars, and I can tell the portion of it that remained was no longer attached to the building. I slide along the floor, my eyes still closed. Something lands on my left leg, crushing it. I scream, grabbing onto my helmet.

The tone stops, and the vibration vanishes.

I lay on my back, staring up at the gap where the ceiling used to be, tears sliding up my temples and into my hair. Anti-snow lands on my Visor, obscuring my vision. I shudder, my teeth clenched as the pain from my leg worsens. I lift my head for a second, quickly wiping off the anti-snow, and see the massive block of roof that lays on top of my leg.

“Oh, fu-hu-huck,” I say, unable to hold myself up any longer.

“C4, come in.” Wilbur’s voice is grainy. “C4, what’s your status?”

I cough, the sudden movement sending stabs of pain up from my leg. “I’m here, status… fuck, I don’t know.” I groan, wanting to roll on my side, to move so that my leg hurt less, but I was stuck. “My leg…” The pressure of the block seemed to increase, and I screamed again.

“I know, I saw the stone.” The Stasis Suit’s voice has more variation than his. “Just stay still, okay? That was a windstorm just now.”

The pressure worsens even further, and I can’t take it anymore. With another shout, I yank myself as hard as I can away from the brick. I move a few inches, and something by my calf tears.

Warning! Rapid Depressurization! Warning! Loss of Oxygen Imminent!

“I just told you not to move!” There’s no more understanding in his words.

I cough again, my eyes feeling heavy. “It hurt so bad, man, you don’t understand.”

“Yeah, well now it’s gonna hurt even more.” He mutters something too quiet to be heard over the alarms. “You need to cover the hole in the Suit with something. Just push yourself back under the block.”

Nausea began to climb up my throat. “No way, I can’t do that.”

“It’s either that or have your organs liquefy from breathing in the anti-snow.” He lets his statement hang between us. “Your choice.”

I prop myself up onto my elbows, staring at the huge chunk of stone. My breathing is erratic, and I lick my lips. “Fuck.” I yell as I force myself forwards again, my leg feeling like it was being run over by a jet.

I take a few seconds to try and bring some sort of rhythm back into my breathing. The alarms quiet down. Wilbur types away at his end.

“Shit,” he says, typing more.

“What?”

He exhales sharply. “I think the collapse messed with the transmitter on your Suit. I can’t see your tracking data, and the save file is corrupted on my end. Let me reset the connection and see if it does anything.”

My beam from my headlamp begins to flicker.

Approximate distance to fauna: 6 kilometres north.

“Did you get that?” I ask.

“What?”

“The fauna notif.”

He grunts. “No.” He grumbles something. “I need to get my supervisor. Maybe the Commander…”

I clench and unclench my hands, my palms sticking to the inside of my gloves. “Why? What’s happening?”

“I’m gonna be right back. I need… Ah, shit, shit, shit.” He hits a bunch of keys.

“Wh-- You’re just gonna leave me here?” He can’t be serious.

“Just for a second. I’m not disconnecting, okay? I’m gonna initiate Rescue Protocol before I go.”

“You can’t.” You cannot leave me by myself.

“I’m just taking off my headset. I gotta go to the Commander’s office. Don’t worry. It’s gonna be fine. You’ll be fine. I’ll be back in a flash.”

“Wait--”

RESCUE PROTOCOL INITIATED

The words flash a few times before bannering at the bottom of the Visor.

Stay calm. Help is on the way. Syndicate Technology — The Future Is Here

“Wilbur?”

No answer. The asshole actually left.

My breath presses against the Visor glass like a greasy fingerprint, obscuring my view of the gaping hole above me. Anti-snow continues to fall, blacking out my line of sight. I can’t reach my arm high enough to wipe the centre of the Visor. A thin crack branches out from the bottom right of the glass.

“Fucking hell,” I say, hoping Wilbur might hear me.

My body aches, my leg on fire. Something wet trickles down from my forehead, between my brows, and into the corner of my eye. It’s warm, and stings when it meets my tear duct. I blink quickly, trying to clear my eye, but it just stings more. Fresh tears are pulled from my eyes, and my vision goes blurry until they dry again.

In the distance, something explodes, or maybe it implodes, whatever it was. It creates a boom, an impact so intense it sends a strong wind gusting through the city, whistling through the cracks in the building, and blowing the anti-snow off my visor.

Approximate distance to fauna: 5 kilometres north.

A sound comes from everywhere. The vibration drills up through from below, lodging itself in my chest. The tone is so heavy it adheres to my skin through my suit, and sucks the air from my lungs. I strain against the weight of the sound. It fuses me in place, my limbs tense and unresponsive. My jaw locks, my teeth clench.

I slam my arm against the ground, hoping to press the button on my wrist, but I miss, and end up crying out from the impact.

I can’t just lay in place, waiting for whatever that was to get here.

I take one deep breath, as deep as I can manage through the weight of the tone and the intensity of the vibration, and rip my leg out from under the roof chunk.

The Suit alarms resume, and I don’t have time to be bothered by them. I roll onto my stomach, grabbing my wrist and the command button. I press it rapidly, but the Suit doesn’t respond.

“Hello? Wilbur?”

No answer.

Warning! Oxygen Level at 90%

Approximate distance to fauna: 4 kiloḿȩ̰͖t̸̼̣̤̲͍͙e̞̠͢r̛̬͓̼̬̲s̛͈̗̹̩̟ͅ ͈͍̠̞͕n̠̳̟̫o͈r̥̩͕̱̯̦ͅt̞̭̯̞͎h

Shit.

The notification is garbled, obscured by green and magenta pixels blinking in and out. Static comes through my earpiece, screeching. I press the command button again, but the noise continues. A rumbling continues, somewhere above me, or deep below. Gravel and dust clatter off my helmet as it trickles down from above. The anti-snow churns, moving unaffected by gravity.

I drag myself out of the building by my forearms, tumbling down the stairs once I cross the doorway. I land on my stomach, the impact of my helmet against the stones adding another crack to the existing break pattern. I continue to pull myself along the ground, dredging up anti-snow as I move.

My breaths scrape down my throat, the air a cocktail of anti-snow and dust. I start coughing, and red droplets splatter against the inside of my visor, dripping between the cracks in the glass.

W͙a̟r͍ń̥̝͉̼̬į̦̠̮͔͈ͅn̳̻̙g͉̙̗!͙̲͔̠̖̩ ͏̭̞͓̳̱O̕x͓͚y̟͖̫g̳e͝n͈͈̪̘̪̕ ̠͈̬̞̪̼̱Ḻ̪̼̰̮̲͞e̯̦̝v̟e̷̝̙͈̫͓̭l̫̜͙̞̗͔ ̱̞͝a҉̦͍̰̳ț͉͜ ̗̱͇̟͇̺5̵̼̮͖̫̭0̸̬͙%͚̺͟

A̩̭̣p̀p̳̩̬̀ṛ̷̬̗̬̩o̤̤̗̻̱x̧̗i҉͇̻m̻a͓͈̯͍̼t̰͈̣̺͇̩̥͡e̦͉̗̟ ̲͓̞di̭̦͙̬s̢̺̞͇͙ta̶͎͎͈͎̦n̘̫͎̗̥̖͘c͚͈̪͓̪e̼̼̪͈̭̖͚ ̪̠͎͎̖͔̭t̻͈̣͢o͙̗̲̫͓̩̕ ̼̖̗̬̩f̶̟ͅa͍u̮͚̹͔̬͝n̤̜͖͈a̯̤͉͕:̴̖̮̟͇ ̧̯3̡̫̝͕̬ ̹͠k̳͖͔̤͙i̝̰͎̞͓l̜͘o͎m̦̠e͕̖͚̠̳t͚r̛̲̩̠̳e̢̩̪̣͎͚s̴̩͚̗̞̫ n̴̰͖̬͙o̢͈͓̖r̶̳͔͚tẖ̫̟͖

The notifications stack on top of each other as the centre of my visor display. My suit hisses as it leaks oxygen from the opening on my leg, and another by my elbow, the gas forming a fog around where I lay. My arms give out from under me, my visor cracking against the stones as I submit to the pressure. The screen is laced with shatter webs, sections of it completely dead. The static in my earpiece shorts out, a piercing, high pitched noise replacing it every now and again. The suits speakers blare warped chimes and bells, the sounds overlapping.

A͈̲pp̠͉̪̞r͜o͚̙̳͚̹͙̬x̤̦̰̤̼̟͟ͅi͓̠̦̬̮̗̫m̶̻̝̪̱a̫͇̳̫̟t̖̜e̠͖͓̥ ̭̖̤͓ḑ̜͉͎̩i̱͇st͝a̸̤̱̭nͅc̷̫̰͙e̞̹̲ ̩͕͎̯t̨ó̳͉̙̥̮̦ ̢͍̬̘̰͔f̗̬̻͕͚̝́a͟ṵ̡̭̤͓̬͕͖n̠̯͚͈̰͍̯ą̜͖̱̝̦:͉̙͚̜ ̴̹̥͚2̜̣͠ k̙̹̪̤̭̺̼i̲̺͙l͙̤̺o̫m͏̲e̹͇͔͙t̼̱̪re̯̥s̮͔̻̳ͅ ̩͙͇̳͝n͓͢o̺̫͉̠͓͝r̝͈̪̺̜͉̣͡t͖͉͍͖̣̠h

My gloves search for grooves between the path stones, something to latch onto. Each time I find one, I wedge my fingers in the space, hauling myself forward along the ground. The vibration sits on my back, pressing me into the path, trying to merge me with the earth.

The Rescue Protocol banner pixelates and warps, the letters rearranging themselves.

Ş̠̤̮T̢̲̟̳̙̘̟A̡͇̩̥Y̺̬ ̳̕WI̼TH̥̣̥̠̝̺̘ ̧͙̰͈̭Ṳ͟S̘̬͓̤̠ ̖̹̀S̨̭̗̺͖̼TA̩̟̰̹̜̜Y͕̻̰͔̙̤͝ ̮͕̫̞ͅW̘̼͈̳̙͕͍I͖̱̮̘̫̘͢T̩̩̹H͚̯̙̞́ ͖͍̩UŚ̺̫̜̱̣̖̗ ̞̠̙͜S̩͈̭̮T̰͍͇̲Ạ̡̯̫̞̬͉Ỵ͢ ̸̯̲̘͖͖̝W̠͇̳͝IṰ̜̝͙̥̬H̦̦͓̹̣̙̟͝ ̕U̢S̴̤͕̤̲̩̼͈

W̳̪̙͙̝̰͝á͍̫͙̤͉̳r̷̘͍̺̠͙̱̪n̗̬̳̪i͍̕n͖͔̼g͕͕!̴͎ ̛͔͖͖̩̟O҉͖͔̪̪̗̯x̯͔͙̼̟͎ͅy͏̰̱̝͓̖̮g̙̦̳̖̻e̴n̦͍͕̩̰͖ ̟̮̣̖͉͇̯Lͅe̙̱͙̠̼͉̮v̼e͚̻̹̘̲̥ļ̣ ͏̭̙̰̰̞͎a̷̫̮t̗͖̖̮̤͖̼ ͍͚͖4̴̗̟͉ͅ0͓̘͍̥̲ͅ%͇͇͖̺͇

The light from the antechamber leaks just up ahead. I’m so close.

À͉̲̳͙͈̺̤p҉̲̣p҉̖̙̗͕̥ṟ͓̭͙̗o̗͚x̷͍̮͓̹i̧̱͙͙̳͔m͎͚̣͞a̘͚̼̤̳̣ͅt͕̻̦̥͈̖ͅe̗̲͉̜͉͢ ͏̰̭d̟̞̖̪͚͍̟̀i̪̟͖͖̥s͖̻͙t̴͓̜͕a̲̯̹̺nc̤̬̪͙e̢ t͈̖̜̗̘́ơ̤̝̝̲͉͓̙ ͉̮̗̬̦̝f̨͎̲͚̘̹̜̫a̫̦̦ṷ̣̯͔̮n͕̬͍̠͖̙a̴̱͉̪̯:͈̗̝̟̟͙ ̧̺5͙̗̭͍̦͈̤0̞̬̟̲0͡ ̯̞͉̠͈̯m̤̻̻e̘̪͙̘͟ͅt͓͓͚̺̘͈̦̕r̫̖͓̗̖̱e̛̘̣̖̱̞ş̣ ̼̻̗̪͖͕n̪̟̞̕ơ̯͇̱̟r̢͍̻̰̳̬ţ̫͇̱̠͇͍h̨̞͉

My display dies, and the audio system black out. The sound embeds itself in my bones, splitting into my cells. It invades my composition, tearing me apart, rippling across my skin, and forcing itself from me in screams that don’t make it to my ears. It is within me, reshaping me, compressing and expanding my form all at once.

My gloved fingers reach out somewhere ahead, trying to pull myself into the light that exists where I can no longer see.

Black smoke billows around me, engulfing everything in shadow. It seeps into the opening in my suit. I cough as it enters my lungs, gagging on the flavour of dry soil and pennies.

Ạ̤p̠͍p͙̭̦̦̳̖̀r̦͖͉̻͚ox̷̞̣̯͔̙̮̲i̢̞̠̟̱m̪̰̣͉̝̭͉a̛͚t̵̬̟̬̬̤e͜ ̲̯̭͖d͎̥̮͈̙̤i̭̬̳̖̦ͅͅs̸t̬͇̘̖̯̣̺anc̢̮e̳̫ ̮̜͈͙̗̳ţ̙̦̜o ̜̟͠f͏͉͈̝ͅa̯̗̬͓̩͡u͉̰̞̫̦̜̳͟n͜a̴̪͍̤ͅ:̛̥̜̺ ̭̟̙̮w̛̠͈e̙̜͚̼̮̝͙͡ ̤̫̮͔̠́a̯͓͓̘̼͞ͅṛ̶͖̜e̱̯ ͎͖̦͙̪͘he̵̻͉r͚̦̝̤̬̩̞e̢̮̳̩̫ ̪͓̖n̜͈͈̻̖̬̯͝ǫ̯̰̮̝͉͚w

The tone of the vibration shifts even lower, the sound no longer audible. Tightness coils around my ankle, and pulls me deeper into its expanse. My fingers tingle through the gloves as the ground speeds by underneath.

The world disappears. We become one.

#if you read the og version on creepypasta no you didnt #this is that story reworked across my entire senior prose workshop #theres actually more formal shit done but i cant change text colour on here??#mywriting #i like how this one turned out #prof said i could do more tho #who knows #anyway ily

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exobyharu · 5 years ago

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PCY - Ch5

Chapter 5 - All about you

(Part 1)(Part 2)(Part 3)(Part 4)...(Part 6)

Summary: PCY does not expect to see you again. Ever. Except in less than twelve hours, he’s about to, once again. This time, he admits that he deserves a punch in the face.

⏰ 9:09 AM 🌏 Hotel (S), City of (L) 🌞 It’s sunny but everyone’s too out of it to actually care 👥 YN, Park Chanyeol, Kim Junmyeon, Byun Baekhyun, EXO’s manager (mentioned)

Notes: After a decade, I am finally back! My biggest apologies for taking forever. I tried to make this one a bit longer than usual. Expect more regular updates! I’m sorry that PCY swears a bit here too.

Words: ~2,300

💙💙💙

Twenty-one missed calls and twelve text messages on his personal phone, all from Junmyeon: they were ominous tells that Chanyeol ought to postpone his scheduled return to the studio. Just when he finally saw the wisdom in what at first seemed like punishment by isolation, his plans of returning with news of a productive break were dashed the moment he woke up to his work phone vibrating to another message, this time, from EXO’s manager.

“Who is the girl?”

The question needed no further elucidation.

Just leave her alone, Chanyeol thought, and then he groaned, pressing his face against his pillow because he was never going to see you again, anyway. What’s all the fuss about?

It was nine in the morning, and four hours of sleep seemed inadequate, considering that he had spent at least an hour packing that evening, and the rest of the night, taking advantage of the unexpected surge of inspiration that had finally come after weeks of uninspired efforts.

He was certain that this song finally had all the missing elements that the writers at SM always complained about. He, himself, was amazed by how smoothly he had managed to put something together at three in the morning, too. Still, this was the song they had always wanted from him and he was five hundred percent sure about it.

It turned out that he just needed to quit being frustratedly self-absorbed and instead, see everything in the eyes of someone else. When he did, the landscape shifted and ideas flowed in. You were the one who made this possible for him. You made him realise that it was probably more sensible to derive inspiration from what was out there, rather than generating egocentric works that other people hardly related to.

A tremendously simple concept. How had he not even considered this?

There was something about how you were able to read into his skilfully-concealed ego problems and this made him even more self-aware. It was one thing to hear it from his friends, and for that, he had been careful ever since. He was confident with the control he had on his narcissistic tendencies. But hearing it from you, who had just met him, made you an unforgettably helpful clairvoyant.

“I think that’s how you can reach out to more audiences,” you told him last night, gingerly munching on a biscotti and possibly, launching an underhanded attack on his ego. “Stop writing about yourself. Write about what’s out there.”

“Like what?” he asked you, burning with so much eagerness that you probably felt the intensity of his stare. Stop writing about yourself. That was a headshot.

“Hmm… Well, let’s see…” you trailed off, swiping through his phone, and scanning the lengthy compilation of his serially rejected compositions. You may as well be a speed reader, seeing how you had managed to reach the end of it so quickly. That was another detail that he forgot to ask you about last night. He will never know then.

“I’m sure this will sound great when I listen to it later, but like I said, it seems that this whole thing is about having a good time,” you explained, stealing a quick glance at the way he kept his fidgety fingers tightly interlocked on the table. Chanyeol caught that and made sure to keep the signs of his bubbling anxiety in check.

Just listen, he had to remind himself. What are you being so nervous about?

“Look, I’m no writer, but if you really want to write a love song, the feelings that I want to get need to be more dynamic than what all of this gives me.”

Operational word: dynamic. Again, the point was that he lacked experience and hearing about it was getting old. He leaned in closer for emphasis – also to make sure that he did not raise his voice in frustration. “You want me to write about things I don’t know?”

You shrugged, showing him the same easygoing attitude as if the idea was naturally forthcoming at the very least. “You can always write about wanting to know instead. You know, how you would rather, or think it would be? After all, people tend to yearn for things they don’t have. It’s one that we all have in common, in my opinion. It’s a universal feeling that’s relatable.”

Longing, huh?

Was it a simple insight? It seemed more like your current state of mind that slipped through. He needed you to voice out more fragments from your internal monologue to confirm his suspicion, but you did not give him that. You scrunched up your nose instead. “Not everyone dreams of a fancy car and a supermodel for a girlfriend, Chanyeol.”

Your comment made him uncross his legs. “Yah! Quit judging my life already, will you?“ At the same time, his knee hit the underside of the table. You were both startled as everything on it shook. Tall people problems. He could not seem to switch off his klutzy side when it mattered most. It made you giggle to see some of his coffee splash onto the screen of his phone. “And I’m not attracted to female supermodels!”

Growing unfazed by his usually exaggerated responses, you raised a speculative brow. “Let me guess… But female supermodels are attracted to you?”

Chanyeol flashed a lopsided grin on purpose. “I do have a mostly-female fanbase, so I can’t say for sure that–”

“Again! My main point, sir,” you interrupted, with a playful roll of your eyes. “If you wanna add to your influence, write about other things.” He almost thought that you were really going to poke his nose with your finger. He guessed that it was just your snarky side showing itself. “Be proactive and do some research by listening to other people too. I’m sure you’ll find more feelings to write about.”

Hence, that night marked the beginning of a more dynamic Park Chanyeol, who would create art and music that may deviate from the typical industrial material he felt that he had pretty much exhausted already. Creation was his passion and he had you to thank for making him realise how he had boxed himself up too much because he was afraid to express his own vulnerability, which, ought to be the point in the first place.

This was why EXO’s main rapper wrote a fucking ballad. And it was a ballad that he could not even sing. But he wrote it and it did not matter to him who sang it. He would rather have someone else do it justice. All that mattered to him was that the song made it through. He wanted to reach out to people, and strangely, it mattered to him that you heard it too. He wanted you to hear your words played on the radio someday, knowing well that you were part of the creative process. You, that girl whose shitty day he tried to turn around, and whose underlying melancholic disposition he wished to uplift but cannot.

Will you ever find what you were looking for? Will your family ever understand you? Were you really unemployed? Or was it something you chose to say so he would stop asking questions already?

He will never find out because he will never see you again. That said, SM just spent wasteful money on hiring somebody to tail him while he was away. What was all the fretting about? Junmyeon was probably going supernova over nothing of substance and their manager had to be getting drunk on his trust issues again. Both of his phones were ringing simultaneously now, and he was about three rings away from answering one and tossing the other across the room.

Junmyeon or Baekhyun? Choose your own adventure, he thought, rolling to his side and sighing as he wearily brought both of his phones close to his face. Probably for the first and only time ever, he chose Baekhyun.

“PARK CHANYEOL!”

Eyes wide and mouth in a frenzied snarl – there had to be no other look on Junmyeon who was now yelling at the other end of the line. Chanyeol was not even surprised to know that it was him using Baekhyun’s phone. It was Junmyeon or Junmyeon. There was no choice in the first place. He half expected the possibility, and just like that, his day was shot. He rose from his bed and pulled out the curtains to see the rest of the city going about its business.

A kajillion other people with stories to write about, he remembered you say. Your voice resonated from somewhere in his head, effectively drowning out the endless buzzing of the phone he held at least a foot away from his ear. When Junmyeon had calmed down, Chanyeol finally started listening in.

“… and since you would not answer their calls, everyone’s expecting me to offer an explanation. They won’t stop pestering me and I would be in a much better mood if I did not have more urgent things to do. Listen, I don’t care wha–”

“I was asleep, okay?” he interrupted, dragging his voice and feeling the weight of exasperation on his tongue. “You can send all those calls to me now. Thank you for taking shit for me.”

“Yah! Don’t hang up!”

“Then how am I supposed to talk to them?!” Chanyeol barked. It was his first instinct, knowing well that the last time he got yelled at like this was when he was falsely accused of spreading their unreleased material online. Surely, how he chose to spend last night was not as much of a mortal sin as a breach of their contract. Because just now, Junmyeon sounded like it was much worse than that.

“Forget it. We’ve dealt with the reporters.”

Reporters? The rapper’s pulse ran cold as he instantly froze where he stood.

“We just need to get you out of there with your security detail. The staff is arranging–”

“Yah! Hold up!” Chanyeol heard the nervous rasp in his voice as panic slowly claimed the frustration that initially controlled him. “What do you mean? Why are there reporters involved?”

“Of course there are reporters involved!” Junmyeon howled. “When you go out on a date looking as you are, Mister Park Chanyeol, with a girl who received ten dozens of roses from you, OF COURSE people will take pictures and talk!”

Chanyeol’s fist flew out, punching the air in front of him. “The he- …How do you guys even know this?!”

“You mean how does social media know about this? It’s all over the internet, Chanyeol. Check your phone! Check GTN27! Wake the fuck up!”

“I am awake! And I am checking my phone now!” he went, nervously fumbling for the other phone that had finally stopped ringing. His fingers trembled, not even able to key in his password properly. It sent his mind reeling, not sure about how much he wanted to find out. Did they discover who you were? Were fans stalking you already? And the media? Were you even safe? The mere fact that they knew he sent you flowers meant that they knew your room number.

“Look, I’m sure it’s not what you think. YN would not–”

“We know,” Junmyeon’s tone was abruptly much kinder and Chanyeol knew that this was because there was finally someone else with him, wherever he was. There were people, in fact. He must have stepped out of a room or something. The rapper was relieved that all the yelling was finally over, at least for now. “Listen, YN YLN? We know she’s not responsible, okay?”

“You–” he choked out, eyes wide and tilting back as the realisation finally hit him. “She’s with you?!”

The immediate response that he got was the voice of Baekhyun, distinct in the background. He was asking for his phone. A second later, Chanyeol heard a whine that was cut off by the sound of a door slamming shut. There was complete silence once again.

“Yeah. We found her before those undercover reporters at the hotel lobby did. You can thank the staff later,” Junmyeon said, his stern voice echoing through what seemed like their empty dance studio.

“Is she okay?!” Chanyeol exclaimed, his eyebrow twitching as he attempted to hold back his emotions – whatever it was that he was feeling. Anger? Worry? Extreme impatience? “Let me talk to her!”

“She’s with the staff.” Junmyeon was dismissive and it was clear that the guy was not going to let him talk to you. “People on the internet dubbed her Biscotti Girl and she hated it. That’s why she gave us her real name. She would not say anything more after that.”

Biscotti Girl? More than the ridiculous nickname, Chanyeol found himself closing his eyes and smiling in relief because it seemed that your identity was not revealed. It was all that he could ask for at the moment. The rest, he could deal with much later. This was all his fault any way.

“Don’t worry about her. I made sure she’s comfortable. Right now, we’re working on getting you here as soon as possible.”

Right. It was difficult to see sometimes, but Junmyeon was on his side. He had always been. “Now, I’ll quit it with all this leader bullshit. As your brother, is there something you’d like to tell me?”

Other than dumb excuses? Chanyeol did not think so.

“I’ll explain everything to you when I get there, hyung,”

His voice was even, but his mind was racing decathlons for possible explanations that provided you the easiest way out of this predicament. If the entire company had his back no matter what mess he got himself into, he wanted to make sure that you at least had him. It had come to this, after all. He can only imagine how much trouble he’d caused you. So much for writing a song to make you feel better. The song was not even enough to save him this time.

Chanyeol pressed his forehead against the window and groaned.

You. Fucking. Genius.

💙💙💙 - to be continued -

#chanyeol #chanyeol scenarios #park chanyeol #exo scenarios #exo #park chanyeol scenarios #exo fanfiction #kpop scenarios

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squirrelly831 · 5 years ago

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Holding His Child for the First Time [Hyunwoo, Hoseok, and Minhyuk]

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE writing daddy!au. Like ughhhhhh!!

Enjoy~

Hyunwoo

By the time Hyunwoo returned to Seoul, Melly was already five months in and carrying a bump. Returning home so late in the pregnancy was one of Hyunwoo’s biggest regrets. When he returned home, he spoke to his boss and told him that for the rest of Melly’s pregnancy he wanted to be in Seoul which his boss graciously agreed to.

For the remainder of Melly’s pregnancy, Hyunwoo was there. He went to each doctor appointment and updated on his own personal Instagram he set up to keep the fans updated on his growing family.

As the months turned to weeks, the two were over the moon as they grew closer to the birth of their son. Melly was preparing dinner with Hyunwoo by her side to grab anything he deemed too heavy or too high for her to get. She felt a popping sensation and a slow trickle of water and she froze.

Hyunwoo looked back at her in alarm, “What’s wrong?”

“My water… I think it broke.” The two looked at one another before they broke into smiles. “Minsoo is coming!” She squealed.

Hyunwoo felt like he was on a high as he thought of his son entering the world at last. “He’s coming!” He replied. Then his smile fell as he thought, “He’s coming… We need to get to the hospital!” He began to panic as he rushed through the kitchen, “Where’s my keys… did we already pack the over night bags– did I finish the bedroom?”

Melly squeezed her eyes shut as her lips tightened in a straight line, “Babe, you gotta calm down.” She took his hands to calm him, “The bag is in the closet and your keys and wallet are on your nightstand.” She was a bundle of nerves, but she held herself together to make sure her husband didn’t work him up to the point he passed out.

Hyunwoo nodded numbly as he raced off to get the items before he took Melly out to the car. As he drove them to the hospital, Hyunwoo refused to let go of Melly’s hand.

It would be another 16 hours before Minsoo entered the world. After he was cleaned and wrapped up, the nurse handed him to Melly.

Hyunwoo was beside her and rubbed her arm, “You did so good, babe.”

Melly gave him a tired smile before she looked back down at their son who was fast asleep, “Did he not get enough sleep these last nine months?” She teased. Minsoo’s finger held on to his mom’s. Her eyes grew heavy as she reclined back on the upright bed.

Hyunwoo kissed her forehead and took Minsoo from her arms, “You get some rest, love. I’ll watch over him.” Melly mumbled a reply before she fell asleep. Hyunwoo walked about slowly and bounced Minsoo in his arms. Holding Minsoo felt so surreal. For the past seven months Hyunwoo had only dreamed of holding his son and now here he was. A mere 6 pound 4 ounces bundle of joy. He couldn’t stop smiling down at their precious son that they created. As he went to sit down, reached up to fix Minsoo’s blanket and that’s when Minsoo’s tiny fingers wrapped around his index finger. The dramatic size difference made Hyunwoo’s mouth widen as he looked at how tiny Minsoo’s hand was to his finger. He looked at Minsoo who’s bright brown eyes stared back at him. “Well” he smiled softly at his son, “hi there sunshine. Why couldn’t you wake up when mommy was holding you? Were you too comfortable in her arms?” he cooed. His eyes stung as he ran his hand on Minsoo’s head, “We’re so happy you’re here, baby… I think we fell at love at first sight.” Hyunwoo would just talk to Minsoo as he held him getting out everything he wanted to say to him.

Hoseok

Alisha stared at herself in the mirror as her arms fell to her eight month bump. She couldn’t believe how much time had passed since she found out she was pregnant. So many things happened during the duration of the pregnancy that she felt like she would wake up and find it was all a dream.

Hoseok walked up behind her and placed his hands on her baby bump, “Good morning, wife.”

Alisha’s heart raced at the new title she received a week ago. A smile graced her lips as she looked at Hoseok through the mirror, “Morning, husband.” Both jumped when they felt a kick where their hand rested. Alisha giggled, “Good morning to you too, Jinhee.”

“She’s jealous we didn’t greet her. She sounds like you already” Hoseok kissed Alisha real quick. “I have to go, but I’ll see you tonight.”

“We’ll be here.” Alisha watched him leave the room. Hoseok wasn’t able to leave the house as Alisha felt the pop of her water. “Uh… Hoseok!” He ran back in hearing the sudden alarm in her voice. She met his eyes and gave him an awkward smile, “You think you can call out from work?”

“What’s wrong?”

“She decided she’s coming today…”

During the delivery, Hoseok was beside Alisha holding her hand as she cried out in pain. He kissed her hand and whispered words of encouragement until he heard Jinhee’s first cries. He couldn’t stop smiling widely when he saw the nurse take Jinhee to clean her off. “You did it” he whispered to Alisha who was panting with a weak smile. “I love you.”

After cleaning Jinhee up and situating Alisha and Hoseok, the nurse handed Jinhee to Alisha. She made room on the bed for Hoseok just as the family came in two at a time. When Alisha handed Jinhee to Hoseok, she could see the love in his eyes.

Alisha’s parents took a lot of photos of the family of three without them noticing.. Both were so mesmerized by their daughter. Hoseok took photos and sent them to the guys who informed the fans of the successful birth of Jinhee. Jinhee smiled as she which made her parents copy her.

“She has your smile” Alisha whispered as Jinhee’s eyes began to drift shut while Hoseok held her in his arms.

Hoseok looked at Alisha and kissed her, “She has your beauty.” He whispered back before he kissed her again.

Minhyuk

Bailey was happy to have Minhyuk with her as an active part of the pregnancy. It was different from the first time around. He was there for every doctor appointment, he helped with the baby shopping, and he set up the entire nursery furniture on his own. Minhyuk only let Bailey decorate the jungle forest theme nursery.

Bailey was his angel and after the trials she went through after the first failed pregnancy, Minhyuk did everything he could to support her. As the Bailey entered the last month of her pregnancy, Minhyuk grew more excited that after three years, they would finally have their own little family that they had only dreamed of having. He was ready for his little sunshine, Hyeonseo, to enter the world as was Bailey.

Though Minhyuk was against the idea, Bailey decided to attend a Monsta X concert. It was the last leg of their promotional concert and Bailey had always made sure to attend them. Minhyuk kept her backstage in fear that the crowds would shove her by accident or the loud music would hurt her ears.

Bailey was backstage swaying to Calm Down, when she felt water trickle down her leg. She froze as she looked down to see a clear liquid descending her leg. One of their managers noticed her shocked expression and rushed to her side. “I think my water broke.” His eyes widened as he looked back and forth from the stage to Bailey. He didn’t waste more time as he shouted for the music to stop and he took off on stage.

The guys gathered in the middle of the stage in confusion as their manager approached Minhyuk and told him about Bailey. Minhyuk was jumping in place as he listened to the manager. “I have to go! I’m sorry!” His lips pulled into a grin as he ran backstage to Bailey. He didn’t care about the mic and stage outfit he was in, “Come on, let’s go bring our daughter home.” He led Bailey out to the van where a manager was prepared to take them to the hospital.

It was another 19 hours before she was fully dilated. Minhyuk long changed out of his stage clothes and rid of the mic. As they prepped Bailey for the delivery, Minhyuk took his place beside her. She let out a weird half cry half groan as another contraction hit her. She held his hand to try to relieve the pain. “It’s okay. Just squeeze my hand, babe.” The nurse proceeded to lead Bailey through the delivery with Minhyuk by her side. She squeezed his hand each time she had to push.

While Bailey slept, Minhyuk held Hyeonseo in his arms. He had kissed her head more times than he could count as he took in her beautiful fave. His eyes watered as he touched her soft cheek, “Our little sunshine…” Hyeonseo grasped his finger and he broke. The tears he held back fell, “Thank you for coming home to us… You’re such a beautiful little girl.” He watched how her eyes slowly shut, but her smile remained on her face and his heart swelled. Minhyuk looked up to his sleeping wife, “You did great, babe” he whispered though he knew she couldn’t hear him. He couldn’t ask for anything more. His little family was all the perfection he wanted or needed in his life.

Part II | Part III

Credit to gif owners

Written & revamped by Squirrelly831

♕ REQUEST

☮ MONSTA X MASTERLIST

∞ ULTIMATE MASTERLIST

#kpop #kpop reactions #kpop scenarios #monsta x scenarios #Monsta X #monsta x reactions #hyunwoo #hyunwoo scenario #hyunwoo reactions #shownu #shownu scenario #hoseok #hoseok scenarios #hoseok reactions #wonho #wonho scenarios #wonho reactions #Minhyuk #minhyuk reactions

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ibelieveinahappilyeverafter · 5 years ago

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Writing Commission - A Gift of Sunshine - Chapter 7

Another late update today after yesterday's cliffhanger, but remember my username everyone, and the fact that this story doesn't have the Character Death tag! I would never leave you all hanging like that, so... Enjoy the chapter!

Summary: It is the worst day of fifteen-year-old Aizawa Shouta’s life when he trudges home after a failed entrance test to U.A. – the school made for heroes. His worst day abruptly turns strange, however, when he gets home to find a beautiful sword on his bed with a scroll attached that is addressed from his grandfather.

It turns out that his entire family was descended from a samurai (unsurprising considering he lived in Japan) and the sword was meant to help him become a hero. Shouta hadn’t been expecting the sword to talk, however, and he especially hadn’t expected the sword to have a voice as warm as sunshine itself.

It’s a long journey to become a hero like he wants, but Shouta has a feeling that he and Hizashi are going to do just fine.

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Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Relationship: Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic/Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead

Characters: Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead

Rating: Teen Audiences

Word Count (Total): 35,935

Transaction Amount: $250 (USD)

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Check out my writing commission information here! Pledge to my Patreon to get exclusive content!

Read and follow the story on AO3!

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<<Previous Chapter>> <<Next Chapter>>

Chapter Seven

⁂

Shouta had never been good with hospitals. There had never been a particular reason beyond the fact they were nothing more than a waste of time when Shouta, as a pro hero, was registered to receive care from those most often in possession of healing quirks that allowed for him to be completely healthy by the time his next shift began.

Being confined to a hospital bed when he knew he would be healed the next day was a waste of time, money, and energy he never seemed to have. So, when he had woken up to familiar white lights and white walls, Shouta had been fully prepared to argue his way out of the hospital bed and straight to his one at home; at least, he had.

Recovery Girl, blunt and honest, had wasted no sympathy in telling him his list of injuries and, to top it all off, had made it explicitly clear that he had flatlined multiple times while being operated on. She had then, right after promising she would kill him herself if he so much as twitched a finger, abandoned him to the mercy of his ‘friends.’

“And here I thought I just imagined how brutal she is,” Tensei muttered quietly, Shouta managing a grunt of agreement that was drowned out by Nemuri’s sobbing - sobbing that hadn’t stopped since she had seen him almost an hour ago. “So, uh, right- Right! Um, like we said when you woke up, all the kids are safe, and all their injuries were taken care of in a few minutes. Thirteen is still under, but Recovery Girl is pretty sure they’ll make a full recovery.”

Shouta managed what he had hoped came across as a, “Thank god.” He was too tired to try repeating it, instead letting himself lie limp against his pillows, half-contemplating how it hurt to even breathe. The constant darkness from where his eyes were wrapped did little to help matters. “What else?”

“Well… All Might showed up and managed to defeat that… thing that was there. Nomu? We don’t know much, honestly. If he’s able to speak he’s not saying anything, and the main two managed to escape where one of them had a portal quirk. The school’s been closed for a week while we look into it, but from what I’ve been hearing the parents aren’t exactly happy…”

“When are they ever,” Shouta mumbled, feeling the burn in his throat and chest that paired with a vague memory of being crushed into the ground. He didn’t bother trying to get the memory into focus, instead having his attention taken up, once again, by Nemuri’s sobbing. “Nemuri. Stop crying like I’m on my fucking death bed.”

The sound was cut off at once with a strangled noise that could have once been a hiccup, Shouta feeling a stab of guilt as he took a moment to try and focus on anything but the pain. At least he had a lot of practice at that in life if nothing else. “Sorry, just… you need to stop killing me off in your head. It’s starting to get worrying.”

“Sorry, I’m just… I’m so glad you’re still alive, Shouta.” Unable to see, Shouta was forced to focus on nothing except the wavering words and hitching breaths, something about the tone and emphasis of the words feeling wrong. “You… It was really close.”

“I’m not going to die,” Shouta muttered, the words turning to a hiss where he had tried to instinctively roll his eyes. The accompanying feeling gave him a very firm reminder of what Recovery Girl had said about not moving anything; especially his eyes. “‘Sides, ‘Zashi would never let me live it down if I died a couple of days into the beginning of the school year. Speaking of, where the hell is he?”

Shouta had thought he had been rather patient, all things considered, but it had been now over an hour and no one had mentioned his husband once beyond Tensei, after first entering the room and telling him, very quietly, that they had managed to find and save their rings; which had been a relief.

That relief was waning quickly, though, because for the first time since he was a teenager, it felt like there was a piece of him missing - like a great presence had been taking up space in his head and it was suddenly and abruptly gone. It had been fifteen years since his head had felt so empty.

“Shouta…” Tensei’s tone sounded strained and wrecked, Shouta feeling his heart stutter as Nemuri sounded like she was already crying again. “Shouta, what do you… Can you tell me what you remember? About that fight?”

Quiet for a long moment, Shouta finally spoke, tone quiet from hesitance as much as it was from pain. “Not… much. There are bits and pieces, I guess, and I remember Hizashi and I were fighting together after he had gone to warn Nemuri and the staff, but other than that it’s… spotty.” Suppressed might be a better word, but it was best not to worry them even more. “Why? Did something happen? Is that why I can’t hear him?”

Shouta had half-expected to not be able to feel him considering how much they had both pushed themselves, but he hadn’t thought that Hizashi just wouldn’t be there after something like what they had gone through. The fact that he wasn’t there and that not even Nemuri or Tensei were trying to hide or cover for him was… It wasn’t a good joke.

“Enough, you two,” Shouta sighed, breathing carefully before managing to push down his irritation. “Leave the jokes to the insane hero who named herself after them and tell me what’s going on. Did he push himself too far again?” It had happened once or twice that Hizashi had overdone it even by their standards, forced away into the sword and unable to appear for days until he recovered his strength. Shouta had no doubt that was the case, now. “Is the sword at least in the room?”

Shouta, even with his muffled hearing from the bandages covering parts of his ears, managed to hear the smothered sob Nemuri tried to hide from him. It was that noise, followed by silence, that had Shouta’s heart feeling like it had stopped.

“Shouta, it’s… It’s not-” Tensei’s words cut themselves off as if he hadn’t known where to even go with them. “Hizashi-”

“Shattered.” Nemuri’s voice was rough and shaking and it was a testament to Nemuri’s character that Shouta had no image in mind for her to match the shaking of her voice. Then the word she had whispered sunk into him and carved its way down to his spirit. “Shouta, at USJ, that- That thing shattered-”

“No.” Shouta didn’t know if he recognized his voice, unable to hear it over the way the world sounded as if it had suddenly gone silent and that was right, wasn’t it? The room was silent when Hizashi always made sure that some form of music was playing so Shouta knew he wasn’t alone except it was silent. “That sword can’t shatter. It’s survived hundreds of years-”

“Shouta.” Tensei’s shout, loud and frustrated, was almost enough to make Shouta want to copy Nemuri’s renewed sobs. “From what Thirteen and the kids said Hizashi took over after your elbow was disintegrated, fighting back against Nomu and the other villain that was there. Nomu managed to catch the sword with his hand and then…”

A flash of a remembered feeling that felt like being thrust into a bright room after a comfortable darkness. The unforgettable sensation of shards of metal slicing into his skin as they fell to the ground. The half-erased sight of Hizashi’s surprised face, eyes wide and shocked before he disappeared in front of him, and then nothing except pain.

The aged and tattered memory of a scroll from fifteen years ago that had accompanied a beautiful sword with words foreseeing that he would be broken.

“Shouta?” Nemuri’s voice, small and scared, broke through his thoughts. “Shouta, it’s not… It’s not hopeless. We collected all of the pieces of the sword and Power Loader - the head of the Support department? He knows how to forge and re-forge swords. And I got in contact with your old mentor from when we were in school! You told us he knew about cursed blades, so we brought him in to see if he could help, too. So- It’s not hopeless, Shouta.”

Tensei remained silent through Nemuri’s stumbling words, saying more than Nemuri would ever be able to on the chances of the sword being repaired - and even if it was that didn’t mean shit. Hizashi hadn’t been the sword. Hizashi had been Hizashi.

The sword had just been a container for his spirit, something to hold onto it after he had gotten in over his head and been too curious for his own good. Oh, Hizashi had fully made the sword his own, but he hadn’t been the sword. Even if it were to be repaired that didn’t mean anything if Hizashi’s spirit…

It was almost funny enough that Shouta was tempted to laugh. For so long, for over a decade, the two had always known that Hizashi would outlive Shouta by a long, long time, and yet here Shouta was, bruised but alive, while Hizashi wasn’t.

Shouta’s heart hadn’t stopped at Nemuri’s smothered sob. It had stopped back at USJ when his husband died in front of him.

Nemuri’s endless babble and Tensei’s unbreakable silence lasted until Recovery Girl chased them out, citing his need for ‘rest’ as if it even mattered anymore.

Shouta listened to her bustle around the room, mumbling softly to herself before speaking louder, “I have to say, Shouta, you’re the only one I’ve met whose emotions are strong enough to bring down the entire mood of a room.”

“Oh? I’ll just wait until I’m healed to mourn the death of my husband, shall I?” Shouta snapped out, refusing to acknowledge the waver in his words.

Recovery Girl stayed silent for a beat too long, which was all he needed to hear. The healer had never been one for pity where there was none, after all, and whatever tasks she had to do she did silently, leaving Shouta to come to terms with the fact that Hizashi…

It wasn’t until Shouta heard the door start to open that Recovery Girl spoke, tone softened with not pity, perhaps, but empathy, “You know, we found small pieces and flakes of steel buried in your chest during operation. As far as I’m aware they’re still there.”

“You didn’t remove them?” Shouta frowned to himself at the change in conversation, resisting the urge to move one of his broken arms to feel the front of his chest. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“In normal circumstances,” she admitted. “You had already flatlined three times, however, and it took three healing quirks just to keep you alive long enough to stitch you back together. At that point in time we weren’t very worried beyond keeping you alive past the night. It’s interesting, though.”

There was the sound of ruffling papers, Shouta imaging that she was looking for some x-ray or report. “The pieces are too small and blunt to cause any sort of damage and, after your surgeries, I can safely say that there’s little risk to leaving them in your body as it is now, especially with the scar tissue that will develop and keep them from harming anything vital.”

“Still sounds dangerous,” Shouta muttered, wondering how something like steel shards could even… A shattered sword and then Shouta being thrown to the ground hard enough for the ground to break. A shattered sword that- “Is…?”

“Sharpened metal stuck inside your body and not causing you even a bit of damage?” Recovery Girl laughed, soft and tired. “That boy couldn’t hurt you if he tried, could he?”

“No,” Shouta laughed, the sound sudden and wet as his body screamed in pain at his hitching breaths. “No, he never could.”

⁂

Shouta awoke to the feeling of fingers tangled with his own and tapping out a beat that matched the soft music that filled the hospital room he had started to know better than his own bedroom. The soft mutters in a familiar voice had Shouta’s eyes - recently unbandaged - fluttering back shut from where they had begun to open. He had seen this dream enough times as it was.

The mutters spiked in volume, Shouta just barely stopping the sob at Hizashi’s remembered voice, complaining about inconsequential things as always as he tapped away on Shouta’s phone, “Jeez, spend a week offline and everyone thinks you’re dead. Almost two hundred followers gone after a week!”

The soft sounds of music and Hizashi’s voice, paired with the hand tangled with his own, was almost enough to make Shouta just open his eyes and enjoy the dream for once. He would have if he knew it wouldn’t have hurt more in the long run. Besides, it was enough like this. It was enough to just remember the sound of Hizashi’s voice-

“Shouta?” Ah… but Shouta hadn’t suffered enough, had he? Leave it to him to have nightmares to pick up the slack. “Hey- Hey, you awake there, Shou-chan?” The nickname, softened with time and care, was enough to have one of the sobs slip through, Shouta forcing himself with all his might to keep his eyes closed as he felt a warm hand cup his cheek, rubbing at the skin and tears. “C’mon, Starlight, open your eyes, I know you’re awake-”

“Awake?” The laugh turned sob ripped it’s way out of him, Shouta squeezing his eyes shut even tighter and focusing on the pain that came from it. “I wish that were true instead of this.”

Hizashi’s dream self went silent and it was only the soft sounds of music that kept Shouta from thinking he had blessedly woken up. “You… think you’re asleep. Oh- Oh, Shouta, no-”

“You’re dead,” Shouta muttered, feeling as if the words tore into him as they always did when he remembered why it was so quiet and empty. “You’re dead, Hizashi. Of course this is a dream.”

“Shouta…” Hizashi’s voice stopped before it could continue, Shouta biting back a whine when he felt the hand holding his own let go. A second later and he felt hands on both of his cheeks, tilting his head so carefully towards where the dream Hizashi was no doubt standing. “Shouta, baby, open your eyes for me. Please?”

“No.” Shouta grit his teeth, the soft pet name making him want nothing more than to obey the request. He couldn’t, though, not when he knew what would come next. “I’ll open my eyes and you’ll be covered in blood and you’ll remind me of how it’s my fault that you died. Don’t… please don’t make me go through that again.”

There was a beat of silence and then an incredulous laugh that had Shouta frowning before he could stop himself. “Jesus Christ, Sho, I knew you were dramatic, but I didn’t think it was that bad.”

Shouta’s eyes snapped open by reflex, glaring up at Hizashi with a sharp, “I am not-” The words cut off as quickly as they had begun, Shouta staring with wide eyes at a softly smiling Hizashi. His skin looked paler than it should with a scattering of thin, sharp scars littering his skin in places there had never before been scars, there were bags under his eyes that looked weeks old, and he looked about as well as Shouta felt, but… he wasn’t covered in blood.

He wasn’t standing there with cracked skin falling apart. He was smiling the smile he only gave to Shouta, eyes soft and warm and so full of love Shouta felt more tears come to his eyes before he could stop them.

“There we are… They’re really thorough with your eye drops if you’re crying this much,” Hizashi teased, rubbing the tears away and pressing a soft kiss under his eye where Shouta knew there was now a scar, the feeling of the kiss so real. “I know I’m the man of your dreams, baby, but I doubt you can dream me up this well.”

“‘Zashi…?” Shouta looked up with wide eyes at his husband, rough and exhausted and so pale, but alive. It was really no surprise that his chest shook with his sobs, emotions crashing down on him that he had been pushing back for the better part of a week. “Hizashi-!”

Hizashi didn’t waste a moment, holding him close with a soft, “I’m here, Starlight.”

It wasn’t until the bright pinks and reds of the early morning sun filtered through the hospital blinds, Hizashi long since dozed off against him, that Shouta realized that he could hear, see, and touch Hizashi. It was enough of revelation that, arms still broken and casted as they were, he instead smacked Hizashi’s forehead with his own.

“Ow- Jesus Christ, babe, what the fuck, yo? I’m right here it’s not like I was actually asleep next time just-”

“I can feel you.” Shouta waited for Hizashi to realize the same thing he had, frowning instead when Hizashi looked at him like he had just admitted he didn’t know how social media worked, which, why even would he know that?

“Yeah, babe, I think we established that a decade ago.” Hizashi pouted at him, the effect utterly ruined with the red bump on his forehead that Shouta felt mildly bad about. “Do I need to get a nurse or something? I mean, I can probably smack your call nurse button, if nothing else-”

“‘Zashi.” Shouta waited until Hizashi’s attention was back on him before continuing because this was important. “I haven’t mediated in over a week, now. According to you your sword is still at U.A. I can still see you, hear you, and feel you. You were also using my phone, earlier.”

“Oh. Oh.” Hizashi half moved to sit up before settling back down, staring at Shouta with wide eyes. Shouta couldn’t blame him considering their connection had always relied on meditation and the proximity of the sword. Even as it had evolved and changed, Shouta had always needed to meditate daily, sometimes for hours at a time, for the bond to stay strong as it was. He also always had to have the sword on him or at least nearby for Hizashi to be as physical as he was. Now, though…

Silent as Hizashi mumbled and ranted to himself, Shouta relaxed back into Hizashi’s hold even as he thought over what could have caused the change. Then he remembered Recovery Girl’s explanation of the small pieces of Hizashi’s sword still inside him.

Unable to stop his smile, Shouta tucked himself under Hizashi’s chin, kissing at one of the thin scars that he would have to determine the cause behind later. As it was, it was a good way to have Hizashi stumble over his words, Shouta knowing he would see flushed cheeks if he were to glance up. Instead, though, he settled down with a soft, “I don’t think it’s something we have to worry about, Sunshine.”

In all of his worry and panic and mourning, Shouta had forgotten the most important thing about Hizashi and the sword. After all, for as much as Hizashi’s soul was bound to the sword, it was bound to Shouta just as much.

“Shouta.” Hizashi’s voice, soft and warm and a sound he would never grow tired of, had Shouta giving a soft hum to show he was listening. “We’ll never lose a fight like that again.”

“No. We won’t,” Shouta agreed, the promise burning in the heart he had thought gone cold with Hizashi’s death. “We’ll get stronger.” No matter what, Shouta was never going to watch his husband and students suffer like that again.

The world of heroes and villains weren’t going to know what hit them.

#bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #erasermic #a gift of sunshine #original

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totally-tomh · 6 years ago

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Confessions (Roommate!Tom) Chapter 2

Prologue | Chapter 1

Summary: You meet Tom through a mutual friend as a potential new roommate. All goes well and things are friendly at first, but how long could that last?

Pairing: Roommate!Tom Holland x Female!Reader

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: alcohol consumption and hand holding (oooh scandalous)

A/N: guess whose fic is back after literally MONTHS of no updates (hah sorry about that), that’s right THIS ONE. I promise I won't make you wait as long for the next part because I actually know what I want to happen now so it shouldn’t take me as long to get it out. Anyway, enjoy! if you want to be added/removed from the taglist let me know, love u all x

Chapter Two

The days rolled over continuously as time went on. It had been almost a week since Y/N moved in with Tom, and so far, things were good. Just, good. They didn’t see much of each other, mostly because Y/N left early in the morning for her job and Tom spent most of his nights working behind a bar and didn’t come home until late. It didn’t take long though for Y/N and Tom to become friends. From the time they did spend together, Y/N was slowly learning more and more about her new roommate. And getting along with him was easy. He liked to laugh and joke around and he was always bubbly, which surprised Y/N. Occasionally they’d run into each other in the morning, Tom walking through the front door after an excruciatingly long shift. He’d move around slowly and sluggishly, yet he’d still have a smile on his face when he saw her. She figured it was just him being polite.

Sometimes he was lucky enough to have the night off, which meant he rose early to not waste any daylight. Tom was in the kitchen when Y/N opened her bedroom door one morning, on her way to get ready for the day. He was standing over the sink washing dishes, facing away from her when she approached. She heard the light clanging of cutlery under a running tap as she got closer but there was something else. Is there music playing? She thought. There was something but it was so quiet she almost missed it. Tom turned the tap off and set the dishes on the rack. He was humming. It was a tune she didn’t recognise, but it sounded familiar. Y/N smiled to herself, he really did sound lovely. She approached the fridge to pour herself some juice and the sound of the door opening startled Tom. He whipped his head around as he gasped quickly from shock. A smile graced his features when he realised who it was.

“You still not used to having a roommate?” Y/N smiled as she asked. He was wearing a black T-shirt made of thin material. His shorts were also plain black and he wore runners on his feet. Y/N assumed he was on his way to the gym. Tom had turned completely now to face her and leant comfortably against the sink.

“Nothing like a good scare to really wake you up,” he laughed. It was a quiet, breathy laugh. The kind of laugh that just comes out when you’re not thinking. Y/N smiled in response as she sipped from her glass. “Hey I was wondering,” he paused, “I know we haven’t exactly spent much time getting to know each other but I was hoping you weren’t busy tonight because…” he stood from his leant position and stepped closer to Y/N before continuing, “there’s a party at my mate Harrison’s house and I was wondering if you wanted to tag along?” he spoke casually, interested in her response. His arms were relaxedly crossed over his chest, and his biceps looked amazing.

Y/N thought about it. Going out, more than likely drinking, didn’t really sound all that appealing in that moment. But it was an opportunity to get to know Tom. And it did cross her mind that an opportunity like this may not happen again for a while. She came around to the idea, thinking to herself that she could really use a break.

“You know what, that actually sounds like a good idea,” Y/N nodded as she spoke, and Tom struggled to hide his grin. He had been thinking about asking her this for three days, and was unashamedly proud of himself for finally finding the courage to do so. And she said yes! He was happy.

“I’m pretty sure Eric will be there too, and it’s probably going to be pretty low-key so,” his voice was filled with excitement and he tried as best he could to sound calm. But he really was looking forward to spending the night with her. On the other hand, Y/N was thinking about how she now needed to find an outfit.

The day went rather quickly, with both Tom and Y/N wishing it to end. Tom had managed to get the night off from work for the party, so he was stuck at home for most of the day with nothing but the night ahead to look forward to. Y/N on the other hand, was distracted at work and didn’t really acknowledge her nervousness about the party until she was on her way home. Her thoughts were a constant stream of questions. Did he ask me out of courtesy, not because he actually wants me there? How many people are going? What has he told other people about me? Oh my god does he hate me? It was torture. She had no reason to be questioning as much as she was and she knew that. But there was something in her that just wanted it to be a perfect night. A big part of her was so excited about going to this party with Tom, and meeting his friends, and even seeing Eric again. She was disappointed that her nervousness was overshadowing those feelings.

Her head still full of anxiety and questions, Y/N was home and began to make her way up the stairs. She pushed the door open and it creaked slightly as she stepped into the apartment. Y/N was completely oblivious to the fact that Tom was standing shirtless in front of the only full length mirror in the apartment which just so happened to be in the lounge room, connected to the entrance. He felt a slight sense of panic. In each of his hands he grasped a coat hanger with a shirt hanging from it. He was struggling to figure out what to wear. But what he was sure of was that Y/N wasn’t supposed to be home for another hour. She was facing away from him as she put her keys down and took her coat off. He could just run to his room, it wasn’t far. But she’d see him and wouldn’t that just make things awkward? In the short seconds he had to think about it, he remained where he was and continued to watch her through the mirror. May as well own it, he figured.

When Y/N turned around to walk to the couch, the wind was almost completely knocked out of her. Not only did she not realise he was standing there, but he was shirtless. She could see his prominent back muscles and the way they flexed and relaxed as he shifted to two shirts to cover his front, while looking at them in the mirror.

“I didn’t realise you’d be home an hour early, otherwise I’d have done this more privately,” he said lightly as he half turned to her and smiled. Tom had been nervous, but watching her face change as she realised his upper body was exposed gave him a secret boost of confidence.

She smiled awkwardly and looked away, “yeah sorry, I–I should have said something.” Her voice was breathless but he could hear her smiling.

“No bother darling, I’m just having trouble deciding what to wear,” he said now facing the mirror again. “Can you help me?” He continued to hold the shirts against his body, switching between the two. His casual facial expression threw her off, and his confidence was incredibly alluring. If he had caught her in a similar situation she would not have had even an ounce of this confidence. Y/N took a deep breath, of course she wanted to help him. Although a small thought ignited in her mind that said it would be sad to cover up such a beautiful body.

“Of course, yeah. Just between those two, hey?” she spoke as she walked closer to stand behind him in the mirror. One was a patterned red, one was white. Both were t-shirts and his pants were black slacks. Something about the pattern of the red t-shirt wasn’t as appealing as the plain white one. As Y/N was deep in consideration between to two shirts, Tom watched her through the mirror. She noticed and looked up to make eye contact with him. He raised his eye brows as if asking her which one he should wear.

“White.” Y/N said with little hesitation. There was something about seeing him in white that she admired. It made his tan look extra golden, and it reminded her of the first time she met him.

Tom smiled and turned around to face her, taking her by surprise. He handed her the red shirt and began to take the white one off the coat hanger. Y/N didn’t know what to do. But it didn’t really matter because she was frozen. He then handed her the empty coat hanger and moved the white shirt so he could slip it on. Knowing that his eyes were covered for the split second he shifted the shirt over his face, Y/N glanced down at his abs. Watching them move as he lifted his arms made her sigh. It didn’t feel real, like it was happening in slow-mo. But it did feel weird and invasive. Once the shirt was on, he straightened it out and began to tuck it into his pants. Now this, is a look. Y/N thought. Tom held his hands out beside him and did a little spin, asking for her opinion with his actions. Y/N could only reply with a nod, fearing that if she spoke it wouldn’t be coherent. They stayed quiet for a moment after that, but it wasn’t awkward. Tom was thinking how glad he was to know that she shared his taste in simple clothes. The red shirt was a gift from one of his brothers and honestly, he didn’t like it either.

The sun had well and truly set by the time Y/N was ready to leave. Both her and Tom had gotten ready earlier than needed and now had at about half an hour to fill in before they had to leave. Y/N stepped out of her room to find her shoes when she heard Tom making a racket shuffling through cupboards in the kitchen. She walked in to find him setting two shot glasses on the bench next to a bottle of vodka. He looked up at her as she entered.

“This is the only right way to start a party, right?” He said with a laugh. She wasn’t necessarily shocked to see the alcohol, but rather had been avoiding asking herself how drunk she was planning on getting. Y/N didn’t have to be anywhere tomorrow so she had the day to deal with a hangover. But she was going to a stranger’s party with her new roommate whom she hasn’t even known that long. Despite that, she didn’t feel pressured or forced to drink, knowing that if she simply said no Tom wouldn’t question it. But she didn’t want to say no. She wanted to have a drink, and she wanted to have it with Tom. Sensing her excitement and watching her nod her head, Tom unscrewed the lid of the vodka and poured a generous shot into each of the glasses. He picked them up and held one out to Y/N.

“Bottoms up,” she said as they clinked their glasses in a silent cheers before bringing them to their lips, and swallowing the clear liquid. Y/N couldn’t help the face she pulled from the burn felt in her throat. Tom laughed at how cute she looked when she pressed her eyes shut and stuck her tongue out in disgust. He was amazed at how she always looked good doing anything. He was yet to see her do something unattractive.

Y/N was leant over the bench and when she opened her eyes again she looked at Tom. He was smiling broadly which accentuated the wrinkles around his eyes that could only be seen when he was smiling as such. They both started laughing and it felt so natural. It wasn’t even funny, and they forgot what it was exactly they were losing their breaths laughing at after a while.

Y/N stood up and leant against the bench, facing Tom. They were closer than they had been before. They were so close she could see smaller, more intricate wrinkles on his skin. She could hear him breathing, and could feel his exhales fan lightly against her face. Her left hand was distractedly placed on the bench beside her, and she hadn’t taken any notice of it until Tom moved his and accidently placed it on top of hers. It startled her slightly but she didn’t move. A small, slightly awkward smile moved onto Tom’s face and he looked down at his hand on hers for a moment. As he looked back at her, Y/N could feel his hand shift so that he was holding hers. Without any hesitation, she held it back. Usually such an action would feel innocent, but something about it felt so opposite to that. As if they were communicating their desires in such a small way. Smiling, she looked into his eyes and couldn’t help but notice that she was feeling a little dizzy.

Tom noticed Y/N’s immobile state and couldn’t help but applaud himself. She had the same effect on him, there was no way for him to deny that. But it was all mental for him. When she was around he couldn’t think straight, like his brain froze up and all he could think about was her. But seeing her like this, and knowing that she was reciprocating his actions, Tom let his cockiness become confidence and couldn’t help but smirk. Y/N was still looking into his eyes when he shifted his quickly to look down at her lips. The urge to kiss her was almost over powering. Tom began to give in, as he lowered his face to get closer to hers ever so slowly. Y/N could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest but was unaware of the fact that Tom’s was beating equally as fast. Only inches from each other’s lips, they were pulled from the moment as a shrill ring tone played loudly from Tom’s pocket. They jumped apart abruptly, breathing heavily from the shock, but also from the moment they were just having. Tom swiftly grabbed the phone from his pocket and took a step back from Y/N.

“What, Harrison?” he said in a slightly harsh tone. As the person on the other end of the line began to speak, Tom lifted his wrist to look at his watch. They were supposed to be at Harrison’s twenty minutes ago. “Alright mate, I’ll be there soon. See ya in a bit,” he said almost apologetically. Tom hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Harrison has apparently been waiting for us and the party is well underway. Our ride should be here soon too so, uh, we should probably get going,” Tom continued only briefly looking into her eyes. They were so intense and he felt a little fragile, as if he needed time recovering from almost kissing her. To break the tension, Y/N had an idea.

“How about another shot before we leave?” She asked with a friendly smile. Tom laughed lightly and agreed. He grabbed the vodka again and poured it into the shot glasses. It wasn’t long before they had both swallowed the liquor and looked at each other’s faces from the taste, laughing once again. It was as if the awkward tension had evaporated just like that. But it was hard for either of them to ignore the feeling of longing and desire they both felt deep in their chests.

Y/N, clearly feeling slightly buzzed from the straight liquor resting in her stomach, made her way down to the stairs behind Tom, having no idea what the night ahead had in store. Only being able to think about how easy it was for him to make her melt.

Tag list - wouldn’t let me tag :(

@moonkissedtom @aylone @spiderboytotherescue @let-me-luve-you @tomshufflepuff @madmadmilk @wayfaring---stranger @nextkaratekid @elliewithcellie @coolthamaratelles @upsidedownparker @tomhollandxspiderbou @theamazingspidersuperwoman @husbandholland @hollandbaby @hollisterholland @noir-spiderr @hollandmyass @sexuallyconfusedoctopus @deep-dark-and-dangerous @aussie-mantle @moonbabs @unhealthyobsessionwithmarvel @fangirlkleigh

#tom holland #harrison osterfield #tom holland imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland fic #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n #tom holland fanfiction #tom x reader #thomas stanley holland #my work

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dreamiesformula · 6 years ago

Text

Triggered - Seo Changbin

When the one person you trusted to not break your heart does just that... how do you recover? Broken one too many times before can you forgive him?

To say you were insecure was an understatement, your whole life you were made to feel less than everyone else, worthless, ugly and a waste of time. That was until you met Seo Changbin rapper for famous idol group Stray Kids, exactly 2 years ago today. He made your life worth something, he made you feel loved, wanted, needed he made you feel beautiful. So you wanted to make him feel special and surprise him with lunch, before your very exciting anniversary night but shit backfires!

Y/N’s P.O.V

He is everything that’s good and I felt so bad about having to rush to my best friend Jack’s house early morning, but it was only cause he is helping me to organise Binnie’s surprise for tonight! Dinner at his favourite restaurant, 2 tickets to a Chase Atlantic concert being performed in a bar (since he said he wanted to see my favourite band live with me), then back to my place for a long night of appreciation and sentimental words, oh and loving.

Walking into the JYPE building even after all this time still made me nervous, I’d brought enough for the 10 of us to eat but probably would end up making sure Changbin ate enough for the both of us. I make my way to the dance studio where they undoubtedly are overworking to perfect their lastest comeback, but to my surprise I hear them talking.

“I just can’t handle Y/N today man, the stress and exhaustion may be getting to me but god I can’t deal with her insecurities. Every night she’s crying over something new, worrying I’ll leave her, skipping meals. Every single time I come home she’s panicked and I can’t deal with her insomnia one more sleepless night I’m gonna lose my shit.” I hear Changbin ramble on, standing at the door awe struck and frozen with fear. I hear footsteps...

“That’s not nice Changbin!” Jeongin defends me, bless him he’s always been so kind to me.

“Yeah maybe you’re being a little bit harsh, she’s had it rough and on today of all days you shouldn’t be bagging out the girl you’re dating.” Chan agrees knowing full well what today was while Changbin seemed lost.

“Today of all days? What do you mean?” Tears start rolling down my cheeks as the foot steps getting closer before you could process the door swings open revealing a very shocked looking Jeongin and scared looking Chan.

“Don’t.” I choke out handing Chan the food and with blurry vision and my head up high looking Changbin dead in the eyes. “I know where I stand, happy anniversary btw asshole. Enjoy it on your own!” Sarcasm lacing my voice as I spin on my heels ignoring the pleads of the boy who was and is my world.

Changbin’s P.O.V

I go to chase after her, I was dumb, I didn’t mean any of it. I said it myself I’m just tired and stressed, one things for sure, I need her.

“Changbin, Jyp is on his way and you know that, you can’t leave now.” Woojin scolds.

“Hyung, I cant just let her leave, not like this, not today, not anyday. I need her I was just being a dick, you all know that.” I say pointing to the members.

“I’m sorry but right now Woojin is right, she’s already gone, your damage has been dealt.” Minho backs Woojin up looking at the boy sorrow filling his eyes, Minho of all people knew the extent to which Changbin needed Y/N.

“Did you really forget what today was Bin?” Felix asks, his voice a whisper as he stood beside the boy.

“Yes.” He breaks “I fucking forgot.” He colaspes to the ground in his own sorrow he doesn’t hear his boss entering the studio.

“Changbin, what’s wrong?” The man dressed in casual attire sounds genuinely concerned.

“I-I -I’m just a bit cranky today sir, I’m sorry.” He stands up momentarily regaining his composure.

“Well you boys have tonight off, but I wanted 3 racha to go to a show tonight. The group is an Aussie group, I figured you’d like that Chan...” he chuckles to himself “the point is to widen your musical exposure and hopefully give you some ideas for beats, composition and you’ll have a chance to talk to them afterwards. In return they’ll come to your show later this month, their manager wanted them to have some free time and they wanted to check you boys out after hearing that you’ll be watching them.” They all nod Changbin regretting so afterwards.

“The show starts at 8pm, goes for about 2 hours and you’ll meet them afterwards. Changbin I know it’s your anniversary but is there anyways you could call Y/N, I’ll pay for your make up date, I know how inconvenient this must be and I’m so sorry.” He smiles genuinely patting the boy’s back and walking out.

“Fuck as if it couldn’t get any worse.” He grunts turning to Chan who’s still holding the bag.

“She brought this for us.” Chan says followed by “She’d want us to eat it regardless.” A bittersweet smile on my face as I realise exactly the magnitude to which I have just fucked up.

Y/N’S P.O.V

“Yo mitty, so I’m coming to your show tonight, was wondering if you and the boys wanted to get drinks after. Like old times back home!” I ask excitement filling my broken voice, my voice hoarse from an hour of sobbing until I decided I’d just go to my friends concert and let lose. Have a good time like we used to!

“You know I’m always down for that, but we gotta meet with some idols or something after who are coming, you’re more than welcome to join back stage. We can race fireball like old times?” The boy chuckles over the line.

“Alright Cave, you’re on!” I smile proudly knowing I’ll kick his ass just like old times!

“Alright cutie you’re on.” With that he hangs up the line, cutie was what he used to call me in highschool. Some junior tried to hit on me during our last year and he swooped into rescue me, I miss those times. No broken heart, no betrayal, just a bunch of idiot friends having a good laugh and writing some songs.

I get dressed while calling Casper to update him on the situation. I take my lacey black bra and pair it with some black ripped skinny jeans and a pair of combat boots and leather jacket to top off the bad ass bitch vibe for tonight. Put my piercings in, necklaces on, straighten my hair and do some light make up and boom ready to have an awesome time. Despite the ever growing pit of grief in my stomach, was I really that needy? Desperate? Clingy? That I managed to make Changbin the man who would always call me the love of his life, hate me.

Changbin’s P.O.V

3RACHA pulling up looking hot as fuck. Chan dressed in his mixtape 4 outfit (cause that’s a fat OOF 🤤), Han Jisung wearing his outfit from the boxer street video (p.s author loves her baby UWU he’s so handsome.) and Changbin wearing his outfit from SBS Inkigayo ep 997 (because Oml What an absolute king of I am not a goth but black is such my colour and I own this shit). Okay visual cue out!

“What the fuck is up Seoul? We’re Chase Atlantic thanks for coming out tonight.” The crowd screams “it’s super amazing to be here tonight and we hope you all have a dope time, our first song tonight is Triggered. I wanna hear you get loud.” A man with long dirty blonde / brown hair hypes the crowd up and they begin. The music itself wasn’t bad but most of the lyrics went in one ear out the other, lots about drugs but then again I only picked up half the songs contents but after all we were only there to listen to their use of sources, beats and their instruments so if it works, it works.

Next was a song called Swin, Cassie, Into It, 23, Lust, Friends, Uncomfortable, Drugs & Money, Right Here, What U Call That, Ozone, Devilish, The Walls, Okay and then they talked for a little. I scan through the crowd from our seats which were front section of second level as I was not really understanding what they were talking about until I see her, there she was, Y/N here, or at least I think it’s her I can only see her back but she’s got the jacket I gave her on. It had a SPEAR.B patch on the back, one she had designed for me when we were only known as 3RACHA. Surely it’s her the hair colour and jacket, surely that’s MY Y/N.

“Oi Chan?” I turn to the blonde haired Aussie to my left “is that Y/N?” I question pointing to where the girl is.

“Looks like it, that’s her jacket after all and this is her favourite band.” He looks slightly annoyed I hadn’t put two and two together, Aussie band, Chase Atlantic. Y/N always talked about how one day we’d go to their concert and we’d be the hottest couple because she had me. I told her I wanted to go see the things she loves. Jesus today keeps getting worse. Time ticks on and I can’t help but watch her, the girl I love, dancing with some other guy, laughing, singing, being happy. When I left her broken-hearted.

“This is our last few songs, these are You Too, Meddle About and Like A Rockstar! Enjoy Seoul you’ve been fucking awesome.”

I watch by as she gets crazy, let’s go and enjoys herself. Was she really unphased? No, I could tell, I know her better than anyone.

The boys wrap up the show and I watch as the lead singer leaves before we head back stage. My eyes searching for her, but she’s no where to be seem.

Y/N’s P.O.V

“MITTY” I scream as I hurl myself at my oldest friend who’s laying in the green room couch. “CUTIE!” He screams back tickling me “how the fuck have you been man?” I ask as we spend time catching up we hear a knock. “Yeah come in” Mitchael screams “bro my fucking ears, Jesus” I complain getting off of him and going towards Clinton as he’s where the drinks are. “Clint? Gimme something strong yeah?” I plead “Jesus rough day?” He chuckles “you have no idea man. No I fucking dear” I sigh turning around and regretting it instantly.

There he stood, Seo Changbin looking as good as ever. Without much thought I down the entire drink and head back to sit with Mitchel, Chan breaks the momentary awkward silence “hello it’s nice to meet you, we are 3RACHA.” Chan extends his hand to Mitchel but instead he bro hugs him, “how’d you enjoy the show man?” Clinton asks Changbin as they bro hug “uh... it was really good, I-I really like the uh compositions of your music-c.” I smile slightly to myself he’s doing so well my precious boy, Y/N SNAP. OUT. OF. IT. “That’s so nice, thanks bro.”

The night or the next hour and 30 minutes at least consisted of everyone sitting on the couches sharing advice, ideas, stories and me on my phone. “You know this little chick right here is pretty good with a beat, we used to have jam sessions and she always started our old songs.” Mitchel looks down at me as I occupy the space next to him, “she even sends us samples and lyrics still to this day, cutie over here got mad skills.” My eyes go wide knowing full well Changbin just heard and understood everything that was said, I hum from behind my phone screen too scared to look up in fear I’d meet his eyes. Those same eyes I can feel burning a hole into my forehead right now, “how about we watch some of your videos, I know we get to see you live soon but aye give us a sneak peak!” Clinton changes the topic, my life saver. Chan pulls out his phone and everyone huddled around where he was sitting I stand at the back close to Changbin just too rest the waters, knowing he was both sad and jealous I didn’t want to escalate things. He notices my position and while everyone is focused on the phone snakes his arm around my waist and pulls me closer into his side “baby, you know I love you. I was a dick I am so sorry. I need you to stay with me. Please love.” He whispers in my ear sending shivers down my spine as he peppers soft, sweet kisses along my neck, “we will talk about this later” I muster up all the courage I can to detach myself from his side and go back to sitting on the couch scrolling through my phone. “Y/N, you good?” Clinton asks knowing I’ve had a few drinks “yeah boys, all g” I smile.

“Talk about sick beats man, those are dope. So you make all your own shit. Composing, mixing, lyrics. The whole lot yeah?” Changbin nods “yeah the whole lot.” He smiles confidently, fuck he’s making this hard.

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thorne93 · 6 years ago

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Curious Conundrum (Part 6)

Prompt: You’re John Watson’s sister. One day you decide to visit your brother for lunch, only to meet the infamous Mr. Holmes…

Word Count: 2411

Warnings: language, flirtation, sexual innuendos (maybe? idfk), murder/crime/case related stuff, angst, jealousy…

Notes: Beta’d by @carryonmyswansong Not only did she beta, but I literally couldn’t have written half these scenes without her help. She contributed majorly, even wrote some parts of scenes. I am forever in her debt.

Also, this starts AFTER Season 2, episode 1. I don’t follow all the episodes, but it does follow the timeline and hit some major events : )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sherlock had continued his puzzles, his little scavenger hunts all over London, but they seemed to end at the tenth one. Sherlock was probably boring of trying to test you, and you wondered if he was also just boring of your company altogether. But the puzzles had been a gateway to a new night of fun and adventure for the two of you. You’d been to the most incredible places all over London, the last being behind the clock tower of Big Ben.. That was your favorite. Sherlock seemed to be himself there, let his guard down a little.

Although the scavenger hunt wasn’t going on, you seemed to find ways, any way, to possibly insert yourself in Sherlock’s life. Whether it was assisting on the most random of cases, without being invited; or even texting him randomly saying things like “Tell me about your favorite case” “How is the hunt for evidence going?” “Read anything interesting lately?” Just anything to possibly stir some form of communication. He always obliged it seemed, informing you of trivial things he’d read or discovered, updating you on cases, sending you a picture of strangers with a full length deduction on them.

But you began to wonder if he felt the same towards you. You couldn’t get him out of your head, he was like a virus, taking over every thought. Your thoughts of him had turned from mild interest in the beginning to being a full fledged infatuation. You wanted to know him on every level: thoughts, ambitions, drives, curiosities, pleasures, pains, intimacy. You thought of running your fingers through that dark curly hair of his. You thought of placing a chaste kiss to those lips you’d stared at time and time again. You thought of holding him in the late hours of the night. You thought of waking next to him. You thought of knowing him inside and out. You thought of spending the rest of your life with him.

But what good would these thoughts do if he didn’t reciprocate them? So you needed to find out. Was Sherlock interested in you at first because of your deduction skills or was he actually interested in being friends?

You needed to know, and you needed to know now before you wasted time on a man who didn't want you. Texting your brother, asking him to meet you for dinner, you set the plan in motion.

John met you at a restaurant a little bit away from their flat.

“Hey,” he greeted with a smile when he got there.

“Hey. How’re things with...Amanda?” you asked, trying desperately to remember his latest girlfriend’s name.

“You mean Amber?” he asked with a laugh.

“Ah, yes, that one. Well it starts with an A.”

“Uh, good, I think. Nothing to complain about.”

You nodded. “That’s good.”

“Yeah, sorry she couldn’t make it, or Sherlock for that matter.”

“Why would you be sorry he couldn’t make it?” you wondered, curious if your brother had seen through your attempts to hide your infatuation.

“Well I know how you enjoy his company,” he stated casually.

“Yeah, about that...Does he mind my company? Like, does he mind me being around?” you questioned easily, dancing around the corners of this delicate matter.

John looked off, trying to remember if he’d remembered or noticed Sherlock mentioning anything about you. “I don't think so. I think he’s fine with it. I mean, he’s Sherlock, he isn’t exactly shy when he wants people to go away or shut up.”

You nodded your head side to sde. “That’s true.”

“Why do you ask?” John wondered.

“Well, you know, he’s a little hard to get a read on, I just didn’t know if I was being a nuisance or if he was just tolerating me for you or what,” you tried, hoping to not seem too obvious.

He shook his head, still thinking. “No, like I said, he isn’t shy about who he doesn’t like.”

“Oh, that’s good,” you murmured as you looked off, crossing your arms on the table.

“Is everything alright?” he inquired, a concerned look crossing his face as he peered at you.

“Yeah, I just...you know,” you tried, mentally scolding yourself for the terrible brush off.

“No, I don’t. Why are you suddenly so curious in Sherlock?” he asked, a casual curiosity in his voice and face before your eyes slid to his, a little bit of guilt and embarrassment in them. “Oh God...why are you suddenly curious in Sherlock?” he asked again, but this time, it was rhetorical.

“I...”

“Nope. Don’t say it. It’s not true. It can’t be true,” he argued, shaking his head. “God...I knew it. All the signs were there,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “You’re always around, you’re always flirting with him. I brushed it off because I thought you two were just hitting it off in a weird way. He was always asking about you.”

“It’s really not that big of a dea--” you started but John erupted on you.

“For God’s sakes, Y/N! Sherlock? Sherlock Holmes? He is a sociopath for crying out loud! He shoots the wall when he’s bored. He only gets excited for gruesome murders and heinous puzzles. How could you possibly like him?” he demanded, angry with you.

“How could you?” you countered quickly, your tone even.

John’s face went blank at that point. “That’s different. I’m his friend, I’m his flatmate.--”

“Precisely. You moved in together only after a day of knowing him, but I’m a monster for knowing him for a few months and falling for him? I’m only asking to date him, you live with him.”

John stared at you with anger, quiet frustration, trying to think of a way to diffuse your feelings.

“You were taken with him the moment you met him, don’t lie. You and I see the part of him that annoys the hell out of everyone else. You and I find his quirks endearing. We find his abilities uncanny, amazing. To others he’s an arrogant ass, but to us...He’s just Sherlock. You can’t really tell me you blame me for falling for him,” you tried.

“Stop saying that,” he begged as he looked around as if someone would hear some deep dark secret you had. “For God’s sakes. You...you flirted with Sherlock. My sister.”

“Is it really that shocking?” you inquired with your eyebrows raising as you crossed your arms. “Think of everyone I’ve ever dated, does Sherlock really stray from that profile?” you questioned.

John nodded at first, agreeing with you at first, but then shaking his head. “No. No, your past boyfriends weren’t high functioning sociopaths. Y/N, he isn’t like you or I--”

“No, he’s not, that’s what I like. He thinks logically, rationally. He might not be emotional like you or I, but he is incredibly compassionate,” you stated with a smile as you reached across the table and squeezed your brother’s hand.

He gave you a concerned look. “I'm serious, Y/N. He isn't like us. He doesn't feel things like we do.”

You gave him a simple grin. “Oh John, I think you're mistaken.”

“And why do you think that?”

“You told me he once nearly killed a man for laying a hand on Mrs. Hudson. He cares deeply for you, for another thing.”

“That doesnt...it isn't…” he stammered, trying to negate your argument.

You smiled and raised a hand to stifle his bumbling around. “I know it might be awkward, I know it might be weird but this is my choice and I’m going to ask him out whether you like it or not,” you explained firmly.

John shook his head as he peered at you. “No, no. This is not going to go the way you think. He doesn’t believe in love. He has said ‘sentiment is found on the losing side’.”

“He means that for other people. It’s easy to not believe in love until you feel it. I think he feels it when he’s with me. Why else would he act the way he does around me? You said yourself he asks about me, and when have you ever known Sherlock to care about anyone but Sherlock?”

“That’s besides the point. His interest in you is probably purely scientific,” he retorted.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m going to pretend you meant that in a complementary way. But regardless of your protests, I’m going to pursue Sherlock. I’m a grown woman, with my own life, and while I appreciate you trying to look out for me, it’s my heart on the line.”

“That’s what worries me,” he said with a sorrowful smile on his face.

------------------------

It was only the next day that you decided to finally take the plunge. After all this time, after all this pining and stewing, you would finally ask Sherlock out on a date. But first, you wanted something special, something to commemorate the evening. At first you weren't sure what to do, what to get him, but then it hit you. Music. He said it was one of the only things that helped him think.

Now you knew this meant him playing the instrument himself, but maybe he could get some new material. Maybe something even in the background might even help. With that, you went to work. You compiled some of your personal favorite classical music, modern music, music the two of you had heard while you were out on the town. A completely personal playlist.

Removing the thumb drive with a grin, you stowed it in your purse and headed out into the evening. You knew John was on a date, and you were betting on that. You didn’t want his meddling nose in this.

You knocked and Sherlock opened the door, taking your breath away as always.

“Oh, Y/N. I wasn’t expecting you,” he stated.

“Bad time?”

“No,” he said stepping aside to let you in. “Just surprised,” he remarked.

“Really? I’m here almost every other day,” you noted with a laugh, stepping into the apartment.

“Indeed you are,” he muttered.

Your heart was hammering in your chest, you felt light headed. How the hell were you going to ask the most amazing, talented, and intelligent man you’d ever met out? In all your life, you never thought anything could intimidate you. You were never blind sided, but meeting Sherlock, getting to know him...and falling for him, were things you never anticipated.

And now you were actually going to try and ask him out? The man that deserved a goddess? How the hell would this go?

“What brings you by?”

“Well, I thought I’d give you this,” you informed as you pulled the flashdrive from your purse.

“This? What’s this? Oh, a case!” he said excitedly as he nearly ran to his computer and plugged it in. The files opened and you stood next to him with a giddy smile. “Were these...songs playing at a crime scene?”

Shaking your head, you slightly laughed and answered, “No, no. It's a playlist from me to you.”

“You’re giving me songs?” he questioned as he turned to you.

“Sort of...It’s just a playlist of some songs I thought you might like. Maybe new material to learn on the violin. A few of them were songs we heard on the scavenger hunt,” you informed as you sat down on the couch and he turned to face you.

“Ah, I see. Well...thank you, I suppose,” he said with a slight frown.

“You’re welcome,” you said, nodding with a smile. This was it, now or never. Your heart was beating so fast it felt like a hummingbird in your chest, you felt like you were going to be sick, you almost wanted to back out. “So...I was thinking maybe...we could go to dinner,” you tried.

“Mmm, no thanks, already ate,” he said, turning back to his computer.

“No, Sherlock, not tonight. I meant like, a Friday night,” you tried again, feeling like a complete ass.

He turned around to face you, questioning on his face. “Well I don’t know if I’ll be on a case Friday night. We could see if John wanted to go. I’m not usually one to schedule dinners but--”

“No! No John,” you sternly interrupted. “No, Sherlock...I...I’m asking you on a date,” you finally blurted out, a bit more quieter than you had been.

His face contorted into thought for a brief moment. The moment felt like an eternity. You had no idea what he would say, but the next thing out of his mouth certainly threw you.

“No.”

Your brows knitted together as you gazed at him, your heart dropping out of your body at his tone, that singular devastating word.

“No? Wh--Why?” you stammered, heavily embarrassed but your emotions took over. You had to know why he said no.

“I am married to my work, Y/N. I thought the same of you. It was one of the few things I admired about you, but now that you’ve made it glaringly obvious you’re just a normal human with mundane feelings… Well I’m sure you still have enough rational thought and deduction to figure out that I, in no way, would be interested in a date. Love...sentiment...the very idea of romance appals me. So no, I do not wish to buy you flowers, meet you at a restaurant of your choosing, and go through the turmoil of modern dating.”

If he punched you in the gut it would’ve felt better than what he’d just said. The air had effectively left your lungs as you sat there, stunned at him, at his coldness. Eyes that used to revere you and hold you in a warm, curious glow were now chilled and off putting. You weren’t sure what to do, what to say, how to react. You couldn’t breathe or speak.

Without another word, you grabbed your purse and stood up, exiting his flat and shutting the door quietly behind you. You made it down the stairs, hailed a taxi calmly, got in, rode in silence back to your apartment, closed the door, and made it all the way to your bed before the onslaught of tears followed. The sound loud and horrendous, but you didn't care. This was a pain like you’d never felt before, and holding it in, only made it hurt worse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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#curious conundrum #sherlock holmes x reader #sherlock x reader #sherlock holmes #sherlock holmes fic #sherlock bbc #john watson

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mayquita · 7 years ago

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Call Me (19/30) Emma’s Decision

A new chapter is here! Again, I apologize for the delay in the update, but in my defense, I've been busy with the cslb thing, and it's a super long chapter, the longest thing I've written so far. And also one of my favorites, so I hope you like it too. As always, thank you very much to my beta @ladyciaramiggles for her amazing job, to my savior angel, @saraswans and to @suwya who made the banner as a birthday gift

And all my gratitude to all of you for your patience and support :)

Summary: Emma loses her phone after a chase, but she finds a phone in a cafe just when she needs it most. Killian forgets his phone in a cafe when he is about to take a flight to Ireland. Killian makes a call to his own number hoping someone answers on the other end of the line. What will happen when Emma answers the call?

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12Chapter 13 Chapter14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18

FF.net Ao3

Saturday, June 17, 2017

I'm bored, Jones, distract me.

Don't tell me you've gone on that stake-out in the end.

I found a clue I had to follow.

It's Saturday in the middle of the day, not ideal conditions for being stealthy? Let's just say your vehicle is a bit striking.

I have my resources. But while I wait, I'm bored.

Music? Junk food?

Both covered.

I’d love to help you, but both David and Liam are glaring at me.

Oh, sorry, I forgot that you had a soccer and beers afternoon. Have fun! Say hello to them from me.

Be careful, love.

Killian locked the phone's screen and left the device on the coffee table. Although he felt the inquisitive glances of both David and his brother through the screen, he ignored them and instead took a swig of his beer.

"Can we continue with the game or do you think there will be more interruptions?" Although David's voice sounded a bit like a reproach, the funny look he was exchanging with Liam said otherwise. He suppressed the desire to roll his eyes and simply nodded.

This was another of his traditions back in Boston. Whenever he had Saturday afternoon off, he and David had a video call with Liam to watch some football game. It didn't matter if there was no competition on that date, they had a collection of memorable matches kept on external hard drives, both in Killian's apartment and in Liam's house. Such was the case today. They had decided to watch the Champions League Final from last year. However, not even five minutes had passed when David had to stop the player when Killian's phone began to buzz insistently. Once David and Liam had synchronized the recorders, and now that the conversation with Emma was over, the excited voice of the sports commentator resounded in his living room again.

His gaze was focused on the television screen. His mind, though, had other plans of his own and it decided to ramble on, bringing back memories of the previous day, when he first visited Emma's apartment.

The development of the events of the previous night had been unexpected, especially considering the rollercoaster of emotions that he experienced in a short space of time. From his confession about the world map, which left his wound exposed once again, to the indescribable feeling that meant holding Emma asleep in his arms.

That feeling lingered a day later, the slight tingling each time he remembered the feel of her arms around his neck, or the vanilla scent of her shampoo that had pierced his nostrils and settled into his brain, like a continuous reminder of her golden hair. The fact that today he would have to settle only with texts and with their daily call did nothing to mitigate his need for her. Bloody hell.

Killian shook his head slightly, in an attempt to stop the escalation of thoughts and feelings towards Emma. Instead, he did his best to keep his attention on the television screen. He got it. For the next hour and a half, he managed to focus only on the game and on the camaraderie shared with his friend and his brother. It was a fun thing, that despite the distance, the Jones brothers could still experience these moments together.

"How are things going since your return? How about Emma?" Liam wasted no time in asking as soon as the referee gave the final whistle. Killian suppressed the urge to raise his eyes to the ceiling, since his brother had asked him the same questions every day since he and Emma decided to make the deal.

"Fine, everything's fine, just like yesterday." He said simply. Although that was not true at all. Every day his feelings for Emma grew, but his brother did not need to know, not at least for now.

"What do you think David? You are my eyes there." Liam insisted, not caring that Killian was also present in the room. It was a little irritating, to put it mildly, the behavior that Liam sometimes had towards him. He understood, really, but that instinct of protection towards him sometimes became too overwhelming. He was not a child to be cared for.

"I like Emma, she's been a breath of fresh air, really." David was being honest, both he and Mary Margaret had already told him that several times. His friend continued speaking after giving him a sideways glance, as if asking permission. "In addition, Mary Margaret has taken her under her wings, and she's going to drag her into one of her endless shopping sessions next Monday."

I hope that doesn't leave her scarred for life and decides to end the deal ahead of time . The words half sarcasm half sincerity burned the tip of his tongue. What is wrong with me today? His family and friends were just trying to help and he was behaving in an ungrateful manner not usual in him. Fortunately, his sister-in-law popped up on the screen, and prevented him from saying anything he could regret.

Elsa was holding a sleeping baby Brian in her arms. "Hi guys, I guess by your chat that the game is over, right?"

"We are perceptive today, aren't we?" Liam teased his wife getting an eye roll in return.

"Oh shut up! And now that the guys' evening is over, it's your turn to take care of our children." As she spoke, she passed Brian to her husband. "By the way, I'll never understand how you do not get bored of seeing the same games over and over, where's the emotion?"

"I have to remind you that you've watched Titanic like a million times, sis?"

"And still she cries every time Jack dies." Liam added, allying himself with his brother, while David chuckled silently at his side.

"Oh please, that's not even comparable." Elsa replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I already know that Mary Margaret thinks like me but I wonder what Emma would think about it.”

"Are we going to turn this into a sexist conversation or what, sis?" Although Killian gave a slightly reproachful tone to his voice, Elsa had managed to catch his interest regarding Emma's supposed choice.

"Now I want to know." Elsa ignored him and instead grabbed her phone and started typing.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Killian watched in alarm as Elsa continued typing what he assumed was a message for Emma. David chuckled while Liam moved his eyes from his wife to the screen with an amused expression.

"Oh my god." After seeing Emma's supposed response, Elsa burst out laughing, increasing Killian’s interest in what Emma might say.

"What?" Killian asked unable to hide his curiosity.

Elsa raised her index finger and waved it, in a sign of refusal. "If you want to know you're going to have to ask her."

He resisted for a moment, but after a few seconds, he let out a huff of annoyance and grabbed his phone.

What have you chosen?

I don’t know what you're talking about.

Swan…

Okay… Only because I’m bored. Watching Jack’s death for the millionth time or seeing how a handful of hot and sweaty guys run behind a ball? My choice is quite clear.

I'm pretty sure you don’t even know the rules.

Who cares about the rules?

A quiet chuckle escaped his mouth as he directed a knowing glance at Elsa.

"I like her, you better keep her by your side, Killian." Although her voice sounded like a warning, her lips drew a soft smile as she looked sideways at her husband.

"I'm glad you found her, mate." David made a poor attempt to imitate his accent while giving him an affectionate squeeze on his shoulder. "It's obvious that she has a good effect on you."

Killian gave a smile of gratitude to his friend. The truth was that, in spite of all his demons of the past, he should feel lucky not only to have found Emma but to have a family and friends who cared so much for him.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

When Emma arrived at Killian's office that Thursday, she was surprised to find him alone, so engrossed in whatever was on his computer screen that he did not even notice her arrival at the beginning.

There was no sign of either Belle or Will, so Emma took the opportunity to watch Killian silently for a few seconds.

He was staring at the screen, a small wrinkle of concentration between his eyebrows, while his fingers slid gracefully over the keyboard. The short-sleeved T-shirt he was wearing exposed his biceps and she enjoyed herself for a moment with the slight movements of his muscles as he typed.

"Swan! I didn't hear you arrive."

Emma flinched at the sound of Killian's voice as she pressed her lips together to close the mouth that had fallen open as she watched him. "Lunchtime." She stammered, raising the hand that held the food bags, while she felt how her cheeks blushed, betraying her even more.

"Very good." His face split into a broad grin, as he gestured for her to come closer. "Will and Belle won't be long."

"Where are they?" Emma asked curiously, surprised not to see them there now that lunchtime had arrived.

"Will decided to invite Belle on one of the ship tours as we had a last-minute vacancy."

How romantic , she thought sarcastically. She liked the couple, though. Once his initial reluctance had been overcome, Will had quickly accepted her as one more in the group and she was also quite comfortable with Belle. They had a somewhat atypical relationship but it was clear that they understood each other perfectly, and most importantly, there were feelings between them, if the looks they shared were an indication.

"In fact, it is at least by Will's standards." Killian's grin widened as the flush in her cheeks became more pronounced, as she realized that she had expressed her thoughts aloud.

"Anyway," she shrugged and then, in an attempt to change the subject, she pointed with her chin to the computer screen, looking over Killian's shoulder. "What were you doing so focused?"

"Oh, I was checking the schedule for the next few days and making some adjustments, nothing important." Killian answered with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Is that the Jolly Cruises website?"

"Aye, do you want to take a look?" Killian offered through a small smile.

"Sure." She leaned even closer to watch attentively, trying to ignore the overwhelming feeling of having him so close and focusing instead on the screen. It was not a bad design, she had to admit, although a few ideas to improve it began to form in her head.

"What do you think?"

"It's... I think it's fine." Emma shrugged. "It's just that... I might go for a more attractive, impressive and innovative design. The current one is maybe a bit classic."

"A bit classic." Killian echoed her words, as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the seat, his eyes narrowed, studying her. "I didn't know that you were an expert in website design."

Emma shrugged again. "It hadn't come up in conversation yet, and besides, I'm not an expert, I only took a couple of classes several years ago, it's not a big deal."

"Could you improve my website?"

"Maybe..." Emma looked away, somewhat overwhelmed by the way he was looking at her, as if she had discovered a vaccination that would save thousands of lives or something. Her gaze went unconsciously to the map hanging on the wall and what she saw there did nothing to ease that feeling.

A new yellow thumbtack was stuck on the map pointing to Boston City. A thumbtack that represented her. The two together, actually. Without thinking, Emma approached the map, barely aware that Killian was following in her footsteps. She reached for the thumbtack almost touching it. "You chose a new color." She muttered, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat.

"Aye, I chose the yellow one because it's the color of your car, but if you prefer another color, just say the word and we will change it." Killian's soft and promising voice caused a spark to ignite inside her. With those simple words and that little gesture, he was telling her, without further words, that he was determined to fill that map with more yellow thumbtacks.

"I like yellow." Emma looked away from the map, searching his gaze. The corners of Killian's lips lifted slightly, while he scratched behind his ear. A tug of determination settled in her stomach, as she made a silent promise that she was going to do everything possible to add her own destinations. And she was going to get it, at least if Killian's hopeful look and determination was anything to go by.

The arrival at that moment of Will and Belle prevented her from doing something really stupid like kissing him. Still, the little voice in her head —she wasn't sure if it was her angel or her inner demon — kept wondering if that really would be such a bad idea. Emma dismissed those thoughts for the time being and instead, she offered Killian one last soft smile before greeting the newcomers.

Will went straight for the bag of food, and everyone took their seats. Emma and Belle took the couch while Killian and Will pulled up chairs. Emma was amazed at how normal everything seemed, they may only have done this once before but it felt as if they had been having lunch together for years. It warmed her heart how readily these people had accepted her into their lives.

But, as was usual with her, not everything was happiness. Her mind —or her inner demon— had other ideas and decided to betray her in that moment, raking up some of her worries, due to the possibility that all that bubble would burst at some point, making her return to her lonely life before meeting Killian. The thought alone caused a chill to run through her body.

"Everything okay there, Swan?" Of course Killian, as perceptive as ever, immediately noticed her uneasiness, a slight wrinkle of concern adorning his forehead, his inquisitive gaze searching for hers.

"Yeah, this can of coke is too cold." She raised the hand holding the drink to justify her words, while shaking her head subtly, returning those thoughts to the hidden corner of her mind to which they belonged. Then she focused on her grilled cheese to avoid Killian's penetrating gaze. "By the way, how was the boat trip, Belle?" She asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Oh, it was really fun, the tourists were very participative this time." A small smile danced on Belle’s lips. "I love accompanying them every time I have the opportunity. It's quite an experience." She assured, still excited, as she shared glances with her boyfriend.

"You should join us someday, love. I'm convinced that The Jolly Roger will make a good impression on you." Will winked at her and then he looked sideways at Killian, who blushed slightly, much to Emma's delight. Will was about to take a bite of his sandwich when something seemed to come to mind. "Since everyone has their task aboard you can take care of the food supplies."

"Well, since I'm the ship's captain, that would be my decision, don't you think, Scarlet?" Killian's voice came out in a slightly authoritative tone, though the amused glint in his eyes said something different.

"Aye, aye, captain." Will replied in a mocking tone, getting everyone to laugh at once. It was a refreshing, liberating laugh, with the ability to drag any vestige of worry that had been lurking moments before. It was also contagious, since, when it seemed that they had calmed down enough, just a sidelong glance from one of them, a snort or a humming were enough to make them laugh again, to the point that Emma's stomach started to hurt, although she did not care in the least.

When they finally calmed down and the laughter was just an echo in the room, they continued eating. The peace was short-lived, though. "Since we've started talking about sailing, I've been making some small adjustments to the schedule." Killian began to speak, the vestige of the previous laughter still present in his voice. "And we all have Saturday afternoon off to go sailing. What do you say, Swan? Are you up for a sailing day and stargazing evening?" While he spoke, his eyebrows danced suggestively, making it impossible to reject the proposal. "And no, you don't have to bring the food, we take care of it. You would be the guest of honour on my ship."

"Uhm, if you put it that way, I'd love to go sailing with all of you." Emma didn't even let him finish, eager to let him know that of course, she was interested in the plan.

"That's great, Emma, I'll love that there will be one more woman on deck so we can control or ignore these two guys."

"Oi, you cannot complain, love, we'll do all the hard work."

"Oh, shut up Will, you're the sailor, we're the guests, right Killian?"

"Even though I would love to have two beautiful ladies enjoying themselves on the deck of my ship, and, believe me, I would love it very much." His gaze sought hers as he grinned. "I made the promise to someone that I would teach her how to sail."

Emma pressed her lips together in an attempt to suppress the grin that threatened to form. "Yeah, and I remember that someone promised to make me his first mate."

"What?" Will's eyes widened as his lips drew a pout. "You're choosing The Swan Girl over me? Again?” He put his hand to his heart in such an overdramatic gesture that Emma couldn't help but laugh again, passing it on to both Belle and Killian, and causing the laughter to echo again in the office, while Will looked at them with a sullen expression. Finally, Belle took pity on him and without a word, sat on his lap and began to tickle him, getting him to also join their uncontrolled laughter.

While she wiped away the tears caused by the hysterical laughter, she made a mental note to enjoy as much as possible of that day at sea. She had the impression that it would be an unforgettable experience.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Killian was nervous. The whole idea of going sailing had kept him excited the last two days, after Emma's immediate confirmation. Still, it was the first time she visited his ship and he wanted to make a good impression. For that reason, on Saturday morning, he put Will in charge of the two tours they had organized and he dedicated himself to tidying up both the deck and the cabins. He also hoped that hard work kept him busy enough not to let his worries torment him.

He had not succeeded in keeping his thoughts at bay, though, but at least this time his mind decided to give him a break and chose for him some more pleasant memories. So, while he was scrubbing the wooden floor of the deck thoroughly, the memories of the previous night, on their Fringe Friday , kept him company.

This time Emma had not fallen asleep in his arms, to his disappointment, though he would never admit it out loud. Nor did they have another deep conversation, but it was evident from her body language that she felt more than comfortable with his presence there.

There were several beers, a lot of jokes —he could spend hours listening to her refreshing laugh— some scary moments — He was grateful to the show for causing Emma to cling to his knee during the scenes of tension—, and also some innuendo on both sides — Emma’s seductive gaze and the way she bit her bottom lip innocently had the ability to drive him crazy.

He smiled when he remembered Emma's reluctance to him leaving at the end of their Fringe marathon. He hadn't set a time to leave, but when Emma suppressed a yawn he took it as a sign. He gave her a hug, and she clung onto him a little longer than necessary, suggesting that she didn't want to let him go. He hoped these nights would continue beyond their trial period and with every moment shared, his confidence grew that Emma would make the right decision. He was a patient man, he could wait.

Once satisfied with the appearance of the Jolly Roger he returned to his apartment to take a quick shower and prepare the supplies they would need. Finally, he made his return to the ship choosing to walk while admiring the views that the city offered, allowing himself to be caressed by the sea breeze. His nerves were building, so he hoped that an invigorating walk with the view of the horizon would calm him enough.

When Killian came aboard, Will and Belle were already there, behaving like the two lovebirds they were, despite their small differences.

He watched them for a moment, entertained with the way his insolent friend behaved in front of his girlfriend, following all her steps with puppy eyes. Killian shook his head pressing his lips together in an attempt to suppress the grin that threatened to form. Then he cleared his throat, announcing his presence.

"Hey! I see you've worked hard on the deck, Captain. It's spotless." Belle greeted him with a warm smile.

"Of course he has, love, he has to impress someone, doesn’t he?" Will gave Belle a high-five, the two sharing the same amused grin, making Killian roll his eyes. He was about to reply, when a voice from the pier attracted his attention.

"Ahoy! Is there anyone there?"

Killian cursed inwardly when he realized that Will and Belle had distracted him, causing him to miss Emma's arrival. He hurried to the railing, his gaze searching for her. The sight he found took his breath away.

Emma was stunning, looking over her sunglasses, a shy smile adorning her lips. A backpack slung over her right shoulder while her hair was pulled back in a braid that fell over her left one. Killian swallowed hard as he saw how she was dressed, a tiny white tank top that showed off a bikini, and shorts that revealed her long, slender legs. He was in serious trouble, unsure of being able to survive this day.

"Hey there, sailor. Permission to come aboard?" Emma asked as she pulled her sunglasses over her head, exposing her hypnotizing green eyes.

"Uh, I'm not sure, love. Since you seem not to recognize my rank, how will I know that you won't commit some kind of mutiny on board?" Killian leaned his elbow on the railing, resting his chin on his hand, as he raised an eyebrow in question.

Emma started up the access ramp, ignoring him. The mischievous gleam in her eyes did not bode well —or maybe it was the omen of something too good —"Would you make me walk the plank..." She paused for a moment, arching one of her perfect eyebrows. "...captain?" Her tongue darted out to wet her lips the moment she uttered the last word.

A chill ran down his spine, while an almost irrepressible urge to replace her tongue with his own and taste her lips threatened to make him lose any composure. But two could play this game, so, after taking a deep breath and suppressing his momentum, he took a few steps towards her offering his hand to help her bridge the distance that separated them. When she was only a few inches away, his head tilted slightly, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "Or maybe I could lock you in the brig. I can think of a couple of appropriate punishments for your insubordination..."

Although he didn't wait for an answer, moving away from her instantly while gesturing to Will and Belle to come closer, his lips drew a wide smirk of satisfaction after seeing how she was also affected by this game between them, at least according to the spark of lust that flashed through her eyes, making her green color almost disappear.

In front of his friends, he plastered an innocent smile, in an attempt to pull himself together even though his blood was still running hot at the mere presence of Emma by his side. During the brief talk they had with Will and Belle, he was able to keep his composure, managing with great difficulty to look away from her. Even so, he could not help but glance at her from time to time, their eyes crossing over on more than one occasion while he noticed, to his satisfaction, that she still seemed affected, her cheeks colored with a faint pink tinge.

Their little tour while he showed her the ship was not much better in terms of controlling his emotions. First, because his hand slid down the small of her back to guide her over the deck, that little touch sending electric waves all over his body. Second, because he suddenly began to feel nervous and anxious to know Emma's opinion. He was proud of his work, of turning four ramshackle timber planks into this little ship, his humble personal project, but Emma's recognition became of vital importance. Although she had already admitted that she had no knowledge about ships, he at least hoped that she could assess all the effort he had put into the restoration.

For the first few minutes, Emma's lips remained sealed, while she was just watching and listening to Killian's explanations. Slowly, however, her expression began to change, her eyes widening slightly as he explained how he lifted the mast as her hand slid smoothly over some of the polished wood surfaces.

"So, you did all this work?" She waved her hand in the air, her head tilted slightly as she gave him an intense look. His heart swelled a little when he detected a flash of something crossing her gaze, perhaps admiration? He pressed his lips together in an attempt to suppress the smile of pride that was beginning to bloom.

"Well, I helped a little." Will was quicker than him to respond, a smirk on his face as he swayed slightly back and forth, with his hands in his back pockets. His smile vanished immediately the moment he caught Killian's glare, though. "I mean, yes, Killian did most of the work, but I did collaborate, didn't I, Belle?" Will sought the support of his girlfriend with an imploring voice.

Belle rolled her eyes, ignoring Will as she directed a confident smile to Emma. "You should have seen the state of the ship when Killian acquired it, four wooden planks barely keeping afloat. But he spent days working under the sun or the rain. There were even days when we had to come and keep an eye on him to prevent him from dying of exhaustion."

Belle gave him a look full of affection that he accepted with a faint smile, suddenly unable to speak due to the lump forming in his throat. Old memories of his first months in Boston came to his mind, while his heart was pounding, recalling how he put so much effort on the boat as a way to keep his mind and body occupied, with the aim of falling unconscious in bed and avoiding in that way that nightmares torment him.

David and Mary Margaret were just neighbors and Belle was only his secretary in those first months in which he had to acclimatize to a new country. But luckily, they cared about him enough to support him in his project and make sure he did not faint from exhaustion. Little by little, although his old demons were still around, he focused on his work and not as a means of burying those painful memories but as an opportunity to create something beautiful from them. And that's how The Jolly Roger resurfaced from its ashes.

"We even brought him food sometimes." Will pointed as a reminder. His friend's words brought him back to reality, redirecting his thoughts, something Killian felt instantly grateful for.

"No way, mate." Killian raised his index finger, waving it in denial. "Those meals don't make up for everything I've bought for you two. I think you've both been rewarded enough already, right?" He pointed to the two intently, while they exchanged sidelong glances, Belle with flushed cheeks and a huge grin adorning Will's face.

"Wait a moment." Emma broke the spell between the two lovebirds. "So, you two..." Emma then turned her head towards Killian. "They are together because of you?"

Killian shrugged. "I hired her, didn't I?"

"And we spent a lot of time together in the office while the business was developing, and then here, watching Killian, we got to know each other little by little." Will added without taking his eyes off his girlfriend.

"And the spark ignited." Belle confirmed through a smile that matched Will's. Killian rolled his eyes, these two could sometimes be so cheesy... but the corners of his lips rose slightly, glad that they had found each other. They made a good couple, atypical, but good anyway. Will had found the perfect person for him, someone able to tame his rebellious personality, and Belle in exchange had gotten an admirer and a totally loyal companion.

"You guys are so cute." As she spoke, Emma pulled out her phone and pointed at them, capturing the moment. Then she turned back to him, her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Do I have to add matchmaker then to your list of qualities?"

"Oh, you've made a list of my qualities? I'm flattered, love." His eyebrows waved as he winked at her. This was new. And good, he thought delighted.

"Oh shut up." Emma snorted. "There is a quality that will never be on that list, buddy. Modesty."

"You want modesty, I can show you modesty, Swan." Killian challenged, taking a step toward her while his tongue darted out to lick his lips.

"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes, a gesture he found increasingly adorable. "And what would you do with all that ego of yours?" Her gaze moved from his eyes to his mouth, as she also took a step forward, causing his entire body to vibrate in anticipation.

"And that's how the spark ignited again aboard the Jolly Roger." Will's words broke the spell, fortunately for him, because he had been about to do something as stupid as kissing her senseless right there.

"Will!" Belle chided her boyfriend. "I was about to take a picture of them."

Killian had to suppress a groan of annoyance because he would have loved to see that moment immortalized. Emma did not seem to think the same, though. She backed off, averting her gaze, and focusing again on the ship.

"Can I take some pictures?" She asked.

He did not give up. He was not sure if with his attitude he would win her heart, but having her here, in a place so beloved to him, sharing memories, while she teased him constantly made his ability to think clearly evaporate at times. For that reason, he could not help teasing her back. He arched an eyebrow as his lips curled into his trademark smirk as he addressed her. "You like what you see, eh, Swan?"

Her mouth opened and closed instantly, as if she was considering her words. After a few seconds, Emma's lips twisted in an expression of approval. "For the record, I have no intention of feeding your ego even more, and I’ll probably regret these words." She paused again, her intense gaze causing him to hold his breath in anticipation. "I may not have knowledge of boats, but I can appreciate the effort, the dedication, and the work well done, and this boat is proof of that, good job, Jones."

His heart threatened to come out of his chest while he repressed the urge to hug her. Instead, his gaze drifted from her hypnotizing green eyes to her lips that were drawing a smile too tempting for her own good. "I appreciate your words, really." He commented with a slight tilt of his head as he held her gaze, unable to look away from her.

It was Emma who broke the spell, finally diverting her gaze to the helm. After clearing her throat, she asked. "Well, are we going to sail or not?"

"Of course, milady." Killian turned to Will. "Let's take out the old lady, Will, and let the lasses enjoy the ride."

The afternoon was being a torture, a sweet and delicious one, but torture nonetheless.

At least he had a distraction while maneuvering the ship to leave the docks, all his senses focused on handling the boat to ensure the safety of passengers and other ships. However, when they entered the sea and their only companions were the sea breeze, the warm sun and the sound of the waves as they broke against the keel, his sweet agony made an appearance. The person to blame had her own name, Emma.

While they were cruising the sea, she stood on the side of the deck next to Belle, leaning on the railing in such a way that he could only see her profile. Sailing was doing wonders for her, some unruly strands had come loose from her braid, dancing to the rhythm of the breeze, while her tank top waved slightly and pressed against her body in the right places, giving him a perfect profile of her chest. She was stunning with her cheeks slightly flushed and a placid smile on her face.

But the worst part —or the best, he could no longer think clearly— came when Belle decided it was a good idea that, while the boys were driving the ship, the girls would take advantage of the pleasant temperature to sunbathe. He had to suppress a chill, his sweaty hands clinging to the helm, while his blood ran hot to the south, at the moment when Emma undressed, keeping only that tiny yellow bikini that left little to the imagination. The fact that she turned her head, seeking his gaze on purpose while biting her lower lip did not help to relieve his inner turmoil, quite the contrary.

His mind decided to betray him too, imagining everything he could do with her body, how he would worship her, and how much he longed to caress her creamy skin or tangle his fingers in her golden curls, while his lips traced a path of kisses all over her body… Bloody hell! If he continued down that road he would have to leave the helm to take care of himself. She was a bloody siren that had trapped him in her spell, robbing him of the ability to function properly.

He looked away to the horizon as he took two deep breaths and began mentally reciting the schedule for next week, in an attempt to distract his mind enough to forget Emma's presence for a while.

That worked, as the sea always did, acting as a balm while he closed his eyes and guided himself by instinct, feeling the slight vibration of the helm before his grip and the swaying of the boat beneath his feet. The sea breeze caressed his face and the hypnotizing sound of the sails dancing to the rhythm of the wind reached his ears, finally getting him calm enough. This time the thoughts that went through his head were less lustful, reveling in the idea of sharing a sunset alone with Emma aboard his ship, with the sea and the sky as the only witnesses of their blooming relationship.

"Hey, Killian!" Belle's voice from the other side of the deck brought him back to reality. He opened his eyes again, following the direction of the sound checking that Belle was waving her hand to get his attention. "It's too hot to sunbathe, why don't you anchor and let us fish for a while?"

The corners of his lips rose slightly at the suggestion. Belle had also become a person who loved everything the sea and sailing could offer her. However, she always opted for quieter activities while leaving hard work to the boys. Some days she could spend whole afternoons sitting in her favorite corner of the deck while devouring one of her books. Other days, she opted for fishing or even on occasions she combined her two hobbies, while one hand held the fishing rod, the other held one of her books.

"Good idea mate, while they fish we can have a few beers, I'm thirsty." Will added as he began with the maneuvers to stop the ship.

"What do you say, Swan?" Killian offered, putting all his effort into keeping his gaze from going all over her body. At least she'd had the decency to put on her shorts again, but her upper body was still bare except for the tiny bikini.

She looked at him over her sunglasses as she shrugged. "I haven't fished in my entire life."

"Oh, but that won't be a problem at all. Killian will be happy to help you, right?" Belle's lips drew the most innocent smile but her mischievous look betrayed her.

Before answering, Emma put the glasses back on her head, her penetrating gaze holding his. "Okay, let's do it."

Killian swallowed, while he nodded slightly, his lips pressed together in a tight smile, as his heart hammered against his chest. He did not stop feeling impressed and also felt a slight panic for the power that woman had over him. Definitely, he was not sure of surviving this day, but he had already surrendered to this sweet torture to which he was being subjected, willing to maintain the agony of having Emma by his side.

He shook his head trying to keep his troubled thoughts at bay, leaving the helm and helping Will get the refreshments while the lasses went in search of the fishing tackle.

"How is this supposed to work?" Emma asked while holding the fishing rod in her hand. Her ignorance seemed genuine, but a mischievous gleam in her eyes said otherwise. Belle's not entirely subtle strategy had worked on both sides, since Emma seemed willing to let herself be guided and Killian, of course, was not going to miss the opportunity to get close to her, even if it was on the pretext of teaching her how to handle a fishing rod.

"It's pretty easy actually." As he spoke, Killian opened the jar where the bait was kept, grabbed one of the pieces and showed it to Emma. He had to stifle a laugh as he watched Emma wrinkle her nose in revulsion. "You just have to put the bait on the hook, grab the rod and throw the line, like that." When the hook made contact with the water, Killian handed the rod to Emma.

"Well, I think I'll leave you the part of the bait ... that's not my thing." She grabbed the rod decisively, but immediately her forehead creased. "And now, I just have to wait and that's it?"

"That's the idea, love, wait for some fish to take the bait."

"Okay, and if that happens, I have to roll the reel, right?" Killian nodded, but Emma did not seem convinced. She bit her lower lip before asking him. "Can you, you know, show it to me?"

His lips drew the ghost of a smile and he stood behind her, hoping that his heartbeat didn't betray him. He felt intoxicated every time he was so close to Emma, especially on an occasion like this, in which he could almost touch her skin and smell the coconut perfume of her sunscreen lotion. His hand settled over hers as he guided her movements. "It's simple, Swan, when you notice a pull in the line, you'll have to start rolling it up like this."

"Okay, it seems easy, although I doubt I'll catch anything anyway." Emma shrugged and turned her head slightly to give him a sidelong glance, "Thanks for the lesson." His hand lingered over hers, reluctant to leave so soon. "And now, maybe it's time for me to practice alone, don't you think?"

"Sure." He pulled away from her, feeling the loss of contact immediately. He pointed to Will, sitting in a part furthest from the deck. "We'll be there, having a beer in case you need something."

"I think we manage, Killian, it's not the first time I’ve fished. Now go entertain my boyfriend before he comes over and scares the fish away." Belle dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

Emma gave him a small smile before focusing her gaze on the sea. Although she seemed determined and committed to fishing, he suspected that she would get bored soon, especially if Belle also concentrated on her task. That did not seem to be the case, he observed with relief, as before turning he could see how Belle engaged her in a conversation, causing Emma to burst out laughing.

As he walked towards Will, he thought how well the two of them seemed to have got along. He could not be more grateful to see how Emma had fit perfectly into his small group.

It was a hot day so he rushed to grab a bottle of beer before dropping down next to Will, reveling in the icy contact of the glass against his skin. He would also need a cold shower to quell his agitation, but for now, he would have to settle for just the drink. He had not even had time to take the first sip when Will interrupted him, snapping at him through a huge smirk.

“I told you, didn’t I? The Swan Girl was going to fall fast for you.”

A sigh escaped his mouth as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. He was not going to have that conversation now. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Will.”

“Oh, come on! It can’t be that difficult to grab a fishing rod. She was acting like that on purpose.” Will insisted. It was as if the couple had agreed to act as matchmakers between them. He really appreciated it, but he preferred to take his possible relationship with Emma on his own terms, without intermediaries.

Even so, he couldn’t deny it, the connection between the two of them grew stronger each time. The attraction he felt towards her was hard to hide, but what did surprise him was that her feelings were so evident that his friend detected it. That was a sign that the deal was on the right path, wasn’t it?

“Besides,” Will continued, “you’d better keep The Swan Girl around, especially if it’s going to become common practice for her to bring us food at least once a week. That girl suits you.”

Killian let out a snort as he shook his head. Will was incorrigible about food, and if someone got him free food, he would promise eternal loyalty. Just as he was about to reply, a shout from Emma caused them to turn in her direction.

"Killian! I got something! Something is straining the line!" Emma cried excitedly, bouncing in her place while trying to handle the rod. Killian jumped out of the seat and hurried to her side. Without thinking twice, he stood behind her again, holding the rod tightly and helping her roll up the reel. He could feel how her whole body vibrated with excitement, but he tried to ignore all the sensations that were taking hold of him, focusing on the task at hand. They were not going to let that fish escape in any way.

After a few seconds, a fairly large fish emerged from the water kicking. "Hold on, I'll get it.” Killian handed Emma the rod and went to the other end of the line to unhook the fish. Then he showed it to Emma, his face splitting into a giant grin, unable to hide the pride he felt. "Well done, love."

"Oh my god, I can't believe it!" Emma then lunged at him and wrapped him in an unexpected hug, causing both of them to almost fall to the ground. Surprised by her action, he took a few seconds to react but then he wrapped one arm around her waist to keep them both steady, while keeping his other hand outstretched, holding the fish. He was overwhelmed with sensations as his heart hammered inside his chest. He could still feel Emma buzzing with excitement against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in tighter. The increased closeness started a fire in his veins, and made his stomach flutter. He dearly wished he could wrap his other arm around her, to return the embrace but the little fish, the cause of her excitement, remained quivering in his hand.

He tried to keep the hug a little longer but Emma broke apart after a few seconds. He searched her gaze to make sure she was not upset for her unexpected reaction. To his relief, although she seemed a little troubled, her lips curled into a shy smile before turning her attention to the fish.

"Now I feel bad. The poor thing is suffering. I don't want to fish anymore." Her lips twisted into an adorable pout while she waved her hand. "Go and return it to the sea, Jones."

This woman was full of surprises. A moment before she vibrated with excitement after having got the fish to take the bait. The next moment, she looked at him with pleading eyes asking him to keep the poor fish alive. And of course, he was going to do it, not that he was very fond of fishing anyway. "As you wish."

He approached the railing, followed closely by Emma and threw it into the sea, hoping that the fish would stay alive, at least until the next fisherman arrived or the law of nature took its course. "It's a shame, because that was going to be our dinner." He said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Are you serious?" Emma turned to him, giving him a suspicious look.

Killian chuckled quietly, "I was just kidding, Swan. In fact, there's a picnic ready for later. How about instead of fishing, I give you your first sailing lesson?” He offered, extending his hand towards her and ignoring the butterflies in his stomach caused by thinking of a new opportunity to keep her by his side.

After a few seconds of hesitation, she took his hand. "Aye aye captain." He intertwined his fingers with hers, as he pulled her gently guiding her to the helm.

"Just so there's no doubt, Emma, I'm still the first mate on this ship, huh?" Will warned from his side of the deck, but he was quickly silenced by Belle.

"Shut up, Will, leave them alone for a while and keep me company here, I'm bored." She had also stopped fishing and had lain in one of the hammocks furthest from the deck.

"Keep walking and ignore him." Killian whispered in her ear. "Belle will keep him busy for a while." Emma giggled by his side, in response, while they kept walking.

Her first lesson was aimed at making her familiar with the use of the helm. This also meant that his sweet torture not only continued but became more intense. For the next few minutes, he stood behind Emma, his hands on hers as he guided her movements gently. The warmth of her body against his, and her intoxicating scent, a mix of the vanilla of her shampoo and the coconut of her sunscreen made his head spin. But he simply closed his eyes and let himself be carried away, cradled by the swing of the ship. While whispering instructions in her ear, he felt delighted by the effect of his soft breathing against the skin of her neck, leaving goosebumps on its path.

The next two hours flew by. They sailed for a while, taking advantage of the good weather. When the sun was about to set, Killian took command again while suggesting Emma watch the sunset, indicating the best spot on the deck to enjoy the show.

She soon joined Will and Belle, who were also leaning against the railing facing the horizon. One of the greatest pleasures he found when sailing was to contemplate the effects of nature, to see how the sun, both in its ascent and its descent, used the sky as a painting filling it with multiple colors. But no spectacle could be compared to the vision of seeing Emma, her skin bathed in the last rays of the sun, her rebellious locks more golden than ever dancing to the rhythm of the sea breeze and a serene expression on her face.

There was something Killian was even more pleased with, something more important than contemplating her beauty, and it was the satisfaction of seeing that Emma was enjoying this new experience of sailing. She participated enthusiastically in any suggested activity and did not hide her curiosity about everything related to the ship, asking multiple questions that he answered patiently.

Just when the sun ended its descent disappearing on the horizon, they decided to take a light dinner, sandwiches, soft drinks and beers were shared among all, sprinkled with casual conversations in order to get to know each other better. It was evident that Emma was at ease, that she had gotten along well with his two friends, handling well Will's impertinence and sharing looks of complicity with Belle.

That was the moment when Killian and Will decided to entertain the ladies, telling them of the adventures they had while sailing. Their experiences at sea were far from as exciting as the pirate adventures he loved so much, but they did make Emma's eyes sparkle with excitement as she listened intently. That was more than enough for him.

When the night finally fell over them, it was time to indulge in another of his favorite activities on the high seas, stargazing. It's not that he intended to impress her with his knowledge of the subject — the fact that Emma looked at him enraptured while he told stories about the different constellations did not cause his chest to swell with pride, not at all — He simply wanted Emma to live her first experience on board a ship to its fullest. Yes, that was it.

The night seemed to have calmed his inner turmoil, replacing it with a warmer feeling. The fact that the temperatures had dropped and Emma no longer tempted him with her perfect body had something to do, it was obvious, but the connection between them, was not only physical attraction, his feelings towards her were much deeper and the more time he spent with her, the more attracted he felt. He hoped that she was feeling the same.

They reached port a little later, all smiles and camaraderie after their little outing. Will and Belle said goodbye shortly after disembarking, both walking by the docks holding hands. Killian and Emma watched as they walked away while a quiet silence fell over them. It was at that moment when he realized this was the first time the two of them were alone in all day. Also at that moment, all his determination seemed to evaporate, being replaced by a hesitation that prevented him from deciding what his next move would be.

"So..." He instantly hated the faint faltering in his voice. "Do you want me to escort you to your car?" He suggested tentatively through a half smile.

Emma looked at him with narrowed eyes. "I'm a big girl, Jones, I can take care of myself. Or is this a poor excuse because you don't want to let me go yet?"

"Perhaps..." He scratched behind his ear as he grinned at her.

She rolled her eyes but her lips drew a small smile as she extended her hand in clear invitation to follow her. They walked in silence, in no hurry to reach their destination. However, the yellow bug was soon in sight and with it the moment to say goodbye.

Before entering the car, Emma looked around. "Where's your car?" She asked with a slight frown.

"I walked here." Killian shrugged, he had walked to the docks on countless occasions.

Emma tilted her head, giving him a questioning look. "If I remember correctly thanks to David's explanations, your apartment should be half an hour away from here."

"Aye, but I like to walk. Exercise clears my mind."

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then she nodded subtly, as if convincing herself. She searched his gaze with the determination marked on her face. "Get in the car."

"It's okay, Swan, really, I don't mind walking."

"I thought you didn't want to let me go yet? Get in the car, Jones." She insisted stubbornly. So who was he to refuse?

"If the lady insists." He made a slight bow with his head as he schooled his features so as not to betray his excitement. Only a subtle smile remained on his lips by the time he met her gaze again.

The only words they shared on the way to his apartment were the directions that Killian offered Emma to reach their destination. Emma's eyes were focused on the road while Killian directed his gaze to the window, watching the city pass at full speed. It was not an uncomfortable silence, but rather a sense of tranquility. Killian allowed himself those few minutes to recall the unforgettable moments experienced throughout the day.

The journey didn't last long, a few minutes later Emma parked in front of his apartment complex. The time to say goodbye had arrived, but he was still reluctant to let her go. Maybe that's why, or maybe because his bravado seemed to have returned in all its glory, he played the last card that would allow him to move away from the moment they had to separate.

"Do you want to come up for a coffee or something?" He offered in a nonchalant tone, no trace of seduction in his voice. Against all odds, he did not find it appropriate to use one of his innuendos at this time. Although a tug of anticipation had settled in his stomach, he didn't want her to feel pressured or do something that she did not feel comfortable with yet.

Emma raised an eyebrow before answering. "Is this another of your excuses for not letting me go yet?"

"Perhaps..."

This time, Killian could not read Emma's expression, even though he could detect a flash of hesitation in her eyes. After a faint sigh, she accepted. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, but only because I'm thirsty and because I'm curious to see your house." Emma was quick to warn, though her flushed cheeks might indicate that she was also reluctant to let him go.

"Sorry for the mess." That was the first thing he said after opening the door and standing aside to let Emma in. "I did not expect, you know ... any visitors." He continued as he took off his hoodie and hung it on the rack next to the front door.

"You think this is messy?" She questioned in disbelief as her hand waved pointing to the living room. "I wonder what you must think every time you go to my apartment."

Killian chuckled softly, grateful that the mention of the untidiness had served to break the ice and thus prevent her from feeling uncomfortable. "If it was messy I did not notice it." He assured winking at her.

"Yeah, sure." Emma shook her head slightly as her gaze began to wander over the room.

Although his apartment was a little larger than Emma's, it was still a tiny one, an open space that included a living room and kitchen, a small hallway leading to his bedroom and bathroom and a spiral staircase that connected to the upper floor, where his favorite rooms were, his little studio and the rooftop, the area he was most proud of. Although he spent most of his time on the ground floor, the upper floor offered him refuge at times when he needed to disconnect.

"Make yourself comfortable while I get our drinks. Hot chocolate?" He offered, glancing over his shoulder as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Uh huh..." She answered absently, as she looked around.

The corners of his lips rose slightly as he noted with satisfaction that Emma seemed comfortable in his apartment. When he looked back at her before going to prepare the chocolate, she was settling on the sofa. A warm feeling spread through his chest, to see how well she fit in, not only with his hobbies, his ideas or with his life in general, but now with his home as well.

After preparing the hot chocolate he poured it on the mugs, not forgetting the whipped cream and cinnamon, something he had learned to appreciate thanks to Emma. Killian shook his head as she smiled at the thought, once again, of the effect that amazing woman had on him.

When he went back to the living room carrying the two mugs, the image he found made his heart melt a little more. Emma lay asleep on his couch, clutching one of his cushions, a placid expression on her slightly tanned face and the ghost of a smile on her lips. He smiled fondly, the feeling that she belonged to this place growing strong inside him.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Emma awoke the next day well rested, with the feeling of having slept peacefully for several hours. Still reluctant to abandon the sleep, she kept her eyes closed as she snuggled into the cocoon formed by the sheets. Just as her mind began to navigate between the world of dreams and consciousness, she detected something different, a smell. Killian's scent. She smiled at the thought that a dream might seem so real that she was able to feel his intoxicating scent penetrating her nostrils. It felt so real... maybe too real...

She sat up with a start as she looked around frantically unable to recognize the place. A sense of panic began to creep over her as her brain, still clouded by sleep, tried hard to remember what had happened the night before.

Her eyes then detected a framed photo on the bedside table. A photo of the Jones family. The corner of her lips lifted subtly as she exhaled deeply in relief, the memories coming little by little to her head. She lay down again, burying her head in the pillow and feeling once again how Killian's lingering scent caused her a slight feeling of dizziness. She must have fallen asleep on the couch, exhausted from their intense experience at sea. It seemed that this was going to become a habit, Emma falling asleep on the couch and Killian carrying her to the nearest bed, which in that case happened to be his own.

Just as she was beginning to wonder where he had gone, she noted that her cell phone was on the nightstand, along with a paper note. Emma smiled again, reveling in Killian's elegant handwriting.

Hello Sleeping Beauty. Do you know that when you fall asleep there is nothing that can wake you up? I'll be sleeping on the couch. Make yourself at home.

He was such an idiot... and cute, and handsome, and a little sassy, and he gave off such self-confidence as he captained the ship. And those eyes, his very blue eyes... God! She had a serious problem, the bastard had gotten under her skin in such a way that he now occupied all her thoughts. And being in his bedroom, lying on his bed and between his sheets, in the same ones he would have been wrapped in the night before, did not help in the least, quite the contrary.

Even so, before getting out of bed, she buried her nose in the pillow, inhaling deeply, while thinking that this was one of the great advantages of not being separated by an ocean. Now she could smell, touch, feel... She let out a groan as she covered her face with her hands. Since when had she become a teenage girl with her first crush instead of a grown woman? Since she met damned Killian Jones.

It was her bladder that forced her to get up. Once the bathroom was located and after relieving herself, she tried to untangle her hair with her fingers. — "Where do you keep a comb, Jones?" Finally, she gave up, putting her hair up in a sloppy bun. She washed her face and used some of Killian's toothpaste to freshen her breath. She needed to be presentable enough for when it was time to face Killian again.

It was strange, to walk through a house she had never been in while its owner was asleep. Well, it was not really strange, a strong feeling of déjà vu came over her as she thought about her one night stands. But with Killian, it felt so different...

She was not walking on tiptoe to avoid awakening the guy in question and having to explain. She did it because it was Sunday, and she didn't want to disturb Killian's sleep. Not yet. When on other occasions she would have left the apartment without even looking back, she was now in his living room, reveling in how Killian had managed to make the place seem cozy, tastefully decorated, but at the same time maintaining a slightly masculine line. Every little detail reminded her of Killian. And, above all, this place looked dangerously like something she could call home...

A chill ran down her spine, though she was unsure if it was solely caused by the low morning temperature. A slight sense of panic tugged at her stomach, clenching it in knots. She deliberately avoided looking at the couch, afraid that feeling would get stronger. Instead, she grabbed the hoodie Killian had hung on the rack the night before and wrapped herself in it, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, letting his scent invade her again.

She felt hopeless about Killian. After a few more minutes roaming the room, she finally gave up and, resigned, looked at the figure lying asleep on the couch.

Her heart began to beat faster, while a warmth spread all over her chest. He looked so young while he slept... His long lashes caressed his flushed cheeks, his lips were parted slightly, his face relaxed. He had his right arm bent under his head while his other arm rested on his stomach. The t-shirt he was wearing had slid up slightly, exposing part of his belly and a hint of his torso hair on its way to disappearing under his sweatpants...

Emma suddenly felt suffocated, as she repressed the urge to reach out and touch his exposed skin... She needed some fresh air. Immediately.

She looked away and noticed the spiral staircase in the corner of the room. She approached as she remembered that Killian's apartment also included a rooftop.

Her need to know everything possible about Killian made her climb the stairs ready to satisfy her curiosity. What she found not only did not disappoint her but her sense of home increased. The staircase led to a small room, just a studio with minimal furniture, a desk, an armchair near the door to the rooftop and a shelf full of books, a small sofa and a table for television. But all this was dotted with nautical details, decorated with warm colors and several pictures of his family hanging from the walls. She could not help but reach out and brush her fingers delicately over one of the photos, probably taken recently, since Killian appeared with his two nephews and niece. It was adorable and also a menace to her, as the butterflies of her stomach began to flap furiously.

She sighed in surprise as she reached the small rooftop area, expecting it to be much larger. Instead, the roof was more like a large balcony, with a garden set of table and chairs on one side and several plants adorning both the floor and the walls. Emma walked over to the railing to watch the view as the cool morning breeze caressed her face.

The roller coaster of emotions that she was living since yesterday — to be honest, since she found the damn phone — seemed to have no end. But she tried to ignore her feelings and instead focused on Killian. It was unfair in a way, she thought with some bitterness. This man still carried a high burden on his shoulders, despite having left his homeland trying for a fresh start, his demons of the past had not yet left him. However, he had been able to build a life here, surround himself with friends, create a home.

Emma however, had lived in Boston for two years, could hardly consider her apartment a home and she had begun to open up to other people only at the moment when Killian appeared in her life.

He had all the ingredients to keep moving on, he just needed a little push and determination to do it. And she was sure that Killian Jones would get it.

The idea that she could, not only accompany him on this path but be in a way the catalyst was too tempting, but also overwhelming. Emma was aware at that very moment, that there was no turning back, that thanks to Killian she was experiencing for the first time what it was to live, not just to exist. She was opening, letting people in, she was living new experiences, her walls were almost completely gone. And that was what scared her the most, the power Killian had over her. If she let the last bricks fall apart, that also meant that if, for some reason, things did not go right between them, she would be totally destroyed after having lost her armor. The mere thought of having to return to her pathetic and lonely past life made her stomach tighten into knots.

Emma shook her head, returning those thoughts to the depths of her mind. She still had a week to continue experimenting with Killian and she was not going to waste it.

The first thing Killian noticed when he woke up was a sharp pain in the back of his neck radiating to his right shoulder. He grunted in pain as he brought his left hand to his nape and massaged it trying to stretch his muscles. Bloody couch ... His mind was still clouded from sleep and he was reluctant to open his eyes, but little by little a thought began to wander through his head. The moment he processed the reason why he was sleeping on the couch he sat up with a start, his heart beating frantically against his rib cage. Emma!

Not even in his best dreams — well, maybe in some of his wild and unspeakable dreams — would he have imagined that the day would begin like this, with Emma sleeping in his bed. Maybe for that reason, he sat up suddenly and went to his bedroom. Maybe he wanted to check that, in effect, what had happened was not the product of his imagination.

The smile on his face disappeared the moment he opened the door to his bedroom and found that his bed was empty. He felt his heart drop to his stomach while utter disappointment washed over him. It had been too good to be true, he thought with some bitterness.

He was about to close the door again when something caught his attention. Her backpack was still there, just like her phone. He let out a sigh of relief. Maybe he should get used to the fact that with Emma Swan, his heart would never be calm again.

Where was she? He wondered as he returned to the kitchen, noticing that the bathroom door was open so she wasn't in there. Killian noticed then that his hoodie had disappeared, and only one person could have borrowed it and that person might need it right now. Smiling, he glanced at the ceiling realizing that Emma was likely on the roof above. He decided to leave a few more minutes of privacy to Emma, and went to prepare some coffee. Although they would go out soon to meet the Nolans for brunch, he needed caffeine. He suspected that Emma would not refuse a cup of hot coffee either.

He made his way to the rooftop in silence, holding both mugs in hand. When he arrived, Emma did not seem to notice his presence. She had her back to him, leaning against the railing. She was wearing his hoodie, and the same shorts from the day before, those that revealed her legs in a somewhat sinful way. Her hair was pulled back in a bun that exposed the back of her neck. She was a vision.

Killian carefully set down the mugs on the garden table and sidled toward her, his stomach fluttering in anticipation to know what her reaction to his presence would be.

When he was just a few inches away from her, he whispered in her ear. "Good morning, sleeping beauty."

"Shit Killian!” She cried out with a shudder as she turned her head slightly. "I almost had a heart attack." She scolded, a small wrinkle of annoyance adorning her forehead.

"I'm sorry, love." He suppressed a laugh. "I brought coffee." He offered, pointing to the table.

Emma looked over her shoulder, but then returned her sight to the city. "Thank you." She murmured.

Killian noticed she was shivering slightly. Although she wore his hoodie, it was an unusually cold morning despite being a day in late June. Tentatively, he placed his hands on both of Emma's arms and began rubbing them gently, in order to provide her with some warmth.

To his surprise and total delight, Emma not only did not reject the touch but she reached into his arms and wrapped them around her shoulders, snuggling against him. He closed his eyes trying to calm his breathing and his agitated heart, not quite sure that he was not still dreaming.

"It's cold." She justified, arching her back a little more against his chest.

"So you're using me as a kind of human heater, eh? Have you already added it as one of my qualities on that list of yours?"

"Maybe."

Killian chuckled. The fact that she used the cold as an excuse was perfectly fine with him. Any excuse to hold Emma in his arms was worth it to him. He could get used to that, get up in the morning and share a cup of coffee on the rooftop, together. A sense of vertigo seized him, as he tightened his embrace and buried his head in the hollow of her neck and shoulder. If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up.

Monday, June 26, 2017

Swan! Tell me you haven't stolen my favorite hoodie.

I haven't stolen your favorite hoodie.

It's not funny. It's the one I wear when I go sailing, it's like my work uniform.

It's just a hoodie.

It's my hoodie.

And what would you say to me if you knew that I am wearing it now? With nothing underneath?

Minx.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Did you catch your jumper?

I did.

That's my girl! Do you fancy a drink to celebrate?

Okay.

Your place or mine?

Mine, 7pm, don't be late.

As you wish.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

On my way to your office. Ask Will and Belle if they have any preference for pizza. And no, I'm not going to order pineapple.

Of course not. That's sacrilege.

And no anchovies either.

Swan...

I'm paying today, buddy.

Friday, June 30, 2017

Even though it had been almost a week, Emma had not been able to stop thinking about her first experience aboard a boat. She wouldn't tell him, for fear of sending his ego into overdrive, but that first experience had surpassed all expectations. In fact, she sometimes was enthralled by recalling the mixture of feelings that had taken over her that one day, the feeling of freedom as she surfed the waves, all the ocean at her disposal, the sea breeze and the rays of the sun caressing her skin, the laughter and complicity shared with both Will and Belle. And Killian, his confidence, his skills, his ability to tell stories and his appeal that seemed to increase when he showed signs of his command and knowledge.

And the next day in his apartment... Despite having that overwhelming moment on the rooftop, the mere presence of Killian behind her had been enough to calm her down. Which was somewhat contradictory, because he had also been to blame for her inner turmoil.

Something had changed between them from that moment. The physical contact between them was now more usual, either through a casual brush of their fingers when they were going to grab something, or the kiss on the cheek that he gave her every time they met, or the little hugs they shared to say goodbye. Her inhibitions were disappearing little by little, being replaced by an almost constant need of Killian. They needed to see each other every day and any excuse was good for it.

"Earth to Emma."

Graham's voice brought her back to reality. She realized then that, although her hand remained on the computer mouse, she had not paid attention at all neither to the screen nor to her boss, apparently.

"Are you back with me?" Graham had approached her desk, leaning toward her, his hands on the smooth surface and an amused expression on his face.

Shit. All this was Killian's fault. The bastard had got under her skin and prevented her from concentrating even on the simplest tasks. Emma cleared her throat and straightened her back. "Sorry, I got distracted." She murmured apologetically.

"I can see that." Graham grinned. "And I guess your distraction has something to do with a certain Irishman, am I right?"

Emma felt her cheeks flush, suddenly very interested in what appeared on her computer's screen. Was she really that obvious? Even so, she decided to ignore her boss. "What do you want?"

Graham raised an eyebrow in question, but after shaking his head slightly, he explained. "I was asking you if you need company for this morning's surveillance."

Emma was going to answer when something caught her attention. She shifted her gaze to the front door noticing his presence even before he made an appearance. Of course, Killian Jones had chosen that moment to pay her a visit.

Graham turned his head following the direction of her gaze. "Seriously?" He muttered looking at her again, while he shook his head in a gesture of resignation. Although his tone had a slight hint of reproach, his amused expression didn't disappear from his face.

Emma ignored her boss and focused on Killian, who had stepped into the office as if he owned the place, despite having passed by only a couple of times in the last two weeks. He carried a cardboard tray in his hand, with several cups of coffee to go.

His face split into a wide smile the moment their eyes met, but before reaching her desk, he handed a cup of coffee to Leroy and chatted with him for a few seconds. Emma could not help but be surprised at how well Killian had fit into her small group of acquaintances. Even the usually grumpy Leroy was able to soften his temper in front of him.

Killian performed the same action with Graham but their conversation was somewhat more extensive. It was evident they got along well. Having common interests helped in that regard since they could spend hours talking about Europe and sports.

Finally, he approached her desk while shooting her a beaming grin, causing her heart to skip and her stomach to flop. Bastard!

"Good morning, love." He handed her one of the cups as he grabbed a chair and sat next to her. "Here you go, your hot chocolate, with whipped cream and cinnamon." Then he pulled a package out of the bag he was carrying. "And this is for later, for your surveillance session."

Emma almost tore the package from his hands, eager to know its contents. Her mouth watered as she unwrapped the package and found two delicious bear claws. God! How was it possible that he knew her so well in such a short time?

"Two, why two?" She asked before taking a bite of one of them.

"Because I was pretty sure you would eat one of them now." He grinned at her raising one of his eyebrows. "And from what I see, I wasn't wrong." Emma rolled her eyes but she didn't have time to counterattack with a retort as Kilian got ahead of her. His eyes went wide as he patted his forehead with one hand, as if he had just remembered something.

"I almost forgot. Do you have any plans for tonight, love?"

Emma leaned against the back of her chair, arms crossed over her chest and an arched eyebrow. "It depends. If I remember correctly today is Friday. Fringe Friday , right?”

"Aye, but maybe you prefer something different tonight." He slid two pieces of cardboard in her direction, appearing to be some kind of ticket.

Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened in surprise when she read the contents. Indeed, they were two tickets for an outdoor concert of a Queen tribute band . Just tonight.

"Oh my God, really? For tonight?" Emma had to suppress the urge to scream excitedly or pull him into a kiss or both, because the truth was that she hadn't attended an event of this kind in, well, ever. She could feel herself getting overwhelmed, and instinctively resorted to teasing him in self-preservation. "I wonder if Ruby will be free tonight, or maybe Graham."

Killian blinked, his smile faltering, as his hand reached behind his ear. "Well..." He trailed off, the disappointment written all over his face.

"Just kidding." She reassured him, getting the desired effect, since he let out a sigh of relief. Did he really think that she would want to go with someone other than him? "By the way, how did you get them?"

"I have my contacts." His lips curled into a wide smirk, showing he had regained his confidence. Then he patted the desk and stood up. "I gotta go now. Shall I pick you up at seven?"

Emma nodded, her lips drawing a smile of gratitude. "Thank you."

"Anytime love." He winked at her. After saying goodbye to her two coworkers, he finally disappeared through the door.

She leaned against the back of her seat, sliding the two tickets between her fingers. It was at that moment when she realized that today was the deadline, tomorrow she would have to make a decision. Her heart had decided practically from the very moment that the deal was established. And that decision was reaffirmed day after day. Her mind, however, was still struggling. Whatever would happen, she couldn’t think of a better way to end this almost perfect month than by listening to her favorite songs live with the best possible company. She would have time to decide. Tomorrow.

Emma paced up and down her bedroom, in an attempt to calm the nerves that had settled in the pit of her stomach.

The previous stake-out had given her a lot of time to think, maybe too much, making her increasingly nervous. The reason was not to spend more time with Killian, not even the end of the deal. She had become a bundle of nerves because of the event itself.

It was a silly thing, really, but when you have spent most of your life alone, without going to social events, you feel like the child who is going to school for the first time. At least that was happening to her right now. It was an absurd thought since she was going to be surrounded by a crowd, no one would pay attention to her. But nerves had left her paralyzed to the point of being unable to make a decision as to the outfit. She let out a groan of frustration as she cursed herself for her pathetic former life.

But she was not alone anymore. She had a small group of friends she could count on. And desperate situations would require desperate measures. Ruby could be of help in the wardrobe department.

Emma: I need help. What should I wear to go to a concert?

Ruby: What kind of concert?

Emma: Queen tribute band. Outdoor.

Ruby: You going with Killian?

Emma: What does that have to do with my choice of clothes?

Ruby: That has everything to do with, honey.

Emma rolled her eyes, but didn't argue. Time was racing and she had not even got dressed. After letting out a sigh of resignation, she slid her fingers down the keyboard, typing her answer.

Emma: Okay, yes, I'm going with Killian.

Ruby: Great! You have to choose comfortable clothes and shoes, but with a sexy point, that will drive Killian crazy.

Emma: Could you be more specific?

Ruby: Tight jeans and something sleeveless. Don't wear heels.

Sleeveless...Yes! Emma remembered a black halter top with a scooped neckline that she had bought a couple of years ago. Not just sleeveless but backless. It was sexy but still comfortable. And Killian wouldn't know what had hit him. First problem solved.

Emma: Thanks, Ruby, I owe you one.

Ruby: Anytime. Have fun! Be a very bad girl. And tell me all the details tomorrow.

Emma locked the screen of her phone and hurriedly searched her closet for the chosen outfit. She also opted for low ankle boots and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. When she was applying the final makeup touches, someone knocked on her door. Emma took two deep breaths and looked at the mirror for the last time. Her reflection offered a reassuring smile. After nodding subtly, she picked up her purse and went to meet Killian.

All her worries evaporated the moment she saw Killian. His eyes widened slightly as he gave her an appreciative look, stopping perhaps more than necessary at her cleavage.

"You look perfect for the occasion, Swan."

"Thank you, you are not so bad yourself." And it was true. He had chosen jeans and a printed shirt with the iconic image of Freddie's silhouette with his fist held high. — What a nerd — It was evident that he had made an effort to comb his hair, but even so, she felt the impulse to run her fingers through it. Instead, she closed the door behind her. "Shall we?"

Killian nodded, offering his hand, and they both walked toward his car with their hands clasped as her heart threatened to slip out of her rib cage. Her mind —the devil part— tried to betray her by screaming that this was a proper date. She decided to ignore that little inner voice although her worries made their appearance again at the time she got into the car.

During the drive, she stared out of the window, feeling increasingly ridiculous to be nervous because of something as banal as a concert. She could feel Killian glancing at her from time to time, even though she couldn't see him, and that in itself made her more nervous.

"I can hear you think, Swan." Killian broke the silence nonchalantly, although she detected a hint of concern in his voice.

It wasn't fair. They were supposed to go out and enjoy their favorite music and yet she was not only a bundle of nerves, but she was also worrying Killian unnecessarily. With a sigh, she decided to confess.

"It's silly, really, it's just that I feel a little stupid, because..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to collect her thoughts. "I've never been to a concert. Well, that's not quite true, I was once, with Lily. We went to a concert when we were just girls, I don't even remember which artist played because I was terrified that someone would catch us." Her lips drew a bitter smile, remembering her old friend Lily and how in the end she too had let her down, like everyone else. "Afterwards, with Neal, we were too busy making other stuff to think about going to concerts, and then..." She was aware that she was rambling but she found herself unable to stop. "And then I was left alone and it's kinda pathetic to go to a concert for yourself, isn't it?"

When she finished her self-pity speech, she held her breath and looked back out the window, waiting for Killian's reaction. When she thought Killian was going to remain silent for the rest of the trip, he surprised her with his voice full of determination.

"Well, we have work to do then. We have to make up for lost time. There's a music festival near here in two weeks. I'll buy the tickets tomorrow."

A wave of gratitude washed over her as she swallowed the lump growing in her dry throat. She blinked a couple of times, preventing the tears from spilling down her cheeks. "I would like that." She muttered, offering Killian a small smile, while she wondered if she would ever be able to compensate him for everything he was doing for her. One thing was sure, she was more than willing to help him overcome his old ghosts of the past.

He returned the smile and gave her a reassuring look, which hid a meaning full of promise. His piercing eyes were telling her, without needing words, that he was going to make sure that, if it depended on him, she could fulfill all her little dreams. "And now, since this is going to be your first real experience, we're going to make it worth it, aye?"

Killian was right. The experience was totally worth it. For the next two hours, Emma allowed herself to be carried away, enveloped by the music, joining the crowd and singing loudly until she almost tore her throat, moving to the beat of the music and sharing looks of complicity with Killian. It was an adrenaline rush, her body vibrated with excitement as a sense of self-confidence spread through her veins, making her feel capable of accomplishing everything she set out to do.

There was a small moment of weakness, though. When the first chords of "The Show Must Go On" began to sound, a wave of memories came over her. This song had been her motto for many years, something she clung to so as not to collapse when it seemed that the burden over her shoulders was too heavy.

Killian, as perceptive as ever, seemed to notice her agitation, as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, whispering the lyrics of the song in her ear along with reassuring words. "It's okay, Swan, let yourself go, enjoy the music." She closed her eyes, melting in his embrace as the two slowly swayed to the rhythm of the song.

My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies

Fairytales of yesterday will grow but never die

I can fly, my friends

For the first time, she felt that she actually could fly.

When the concert was over, Killian grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her gently, guiding her through the crowd. Their hands remained intertwined even after leaving the outdoor area, while her heart beat hard due in part to the adrenaline that still ran through her veins and to the effect of his thumb gently brushing the palm of her hand.

The temperatures had dropped a little and as they moved away from the crowd she began to shiver slightly, while cursing herself for having forgotten her jacket at home. Killian was more foresighted, of course, and even before they got into the car he offered her a leather jacket that, according to him, he always kept in the back seat for emergencies. Emma did not hesitate twice and quickly wrapped herself in it, feeling the warmth spread over her body instantly.

They didn't talk much on the way back home. Kilian set the radio selecting a station with slow music while Emma settled into her seat and wrapped herself even more in his jacket. Little by little, she felt her muscles relax and her eyelids grow heavier. She didn't want to fall asleep, not at all, but maybe she could close her eyes and enjoy the trip, the comfort of the seat, the warm atmosphere, the soft rock, and Killian's humming, his voice reaching her ears like a lullaby. She would only close her eyes for a few minutes...

"Emma..."

"Swan, wake up."

Emma opened her eyes when her ears detected Killian's voice saying her name softly. She felt disoriented at first, her mind still clouded by sleep. Little by little, she became aware of her surroundings. A groan escaped her lips when she realized that they had already reached their destination. She squeezed her eyes shut briefly, blinking away the last vestiges of sleep.

"Are you with me, Sleeping Beauty?" Killian asked, his eyes glittering with amusement.

Emma nodded silently, her still dry throat preventing her from uttering words aloud.

Kilian chuckled at her side. "If I didn't know you better I would think that my presence is so boring as to make you fall asleep."

Emma massaged her forehead as she let out another moan of embarrassment. "Oh god, I'm sorry, it's just that your damn car is too comfy."

"I'll take it as a compliment." He commented as he grinned at her.

She had to hold back the retort hanging on the tip of her tongue in order to suppress a yawn. She was so exhausted that her mind could not function properly. It would be better if she went to sleep before she embarrassed herself again.

Killian, as usual, seemed to read her mind. "Go to sleep, Swan, we'll talk tomorrow." At that moment his eyes widened subtly, a shadow of what seemed to be disappointment crossed his gaze. "I almost forgot I have a very busy day tomorrow and the guys and I are going out at night." He paused for a moment holding her gaze, a spark of something similar to hope appearing in his eyes. "See you on Sunday to have brunch?"

Emma then realized the meaning hidden in his words. The deadline expired today, probably had already expired, she was not even sure what time it was. If she accepted that they would see each other on Sunday, in the same way as on previous Sundays, that would mean at least that she was not going to run away. But she still had not expressed her decision out loud. She had not even made a decision yet.

"Sure, I'll call you." The words came out of her mouth before she had time to stop them, but the spark of hope in his eyes became more evident, causing her not to regret having said them. Her lips drew a reassuring smile as she held his gaze. "By the way, my first real concert has been a unique experience. Thank you, really." She felt the need to express her gratitude in some way.

"It has been a unique experience for me too, I assure you." The smile that tugged up the corners of his lips was full of affection. His gaze dipped from her eyes to her lips causing Emma to be paralyzed for a few seconds, unable to tear her gaze away from his mouth as her entire body vibrated in anticipation. When Killian leaned toward her she felt her heart stop in her chest as she closed her eyes instinctively. A slight dizziness came over her as his lips pressed gently to her cheek, dangerously close to the right corner of her lips. "Sleep well, Emma." He breathed against her skin before pulling back.

Before opening her eyes, Emma let out the breath she had been holding. Her throat had suddenly gone dry, which made it impossible to utter any words. She needed to get out of there right now before doing something that she would later regret. After smiling weakly and offering a timid nod she finally got out of the vehicle.

As she walked towards the entrance of her building she felt her knees go weak and a lingering tingling in her cheek. She realized then that she was still wearing his jacket, but she did not feel like returning and facing him again. That meant adding one more item to the list of his belongings that were now in Emma's possession. First was his phone, then his hoodie, and now his jacket. " And his heart ." Her inner voice — she wasn't sure if this time it was her inner angel or demon — didn't hesitate to remind her. " You have his heart in your hands ." She ignored that thought deliberately, but when she turned around before disappearing into the building and found that he was still waiting, that thought became more real than ever. She was holding his heart, but he had already taken hold of hers a while ago. It was a terrifying feeling in both senses.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Despite having a busy day, Killian found a moment, between a tour with the Jolly Roger and some sailing lessons to make a video call with his family. No matter how busy he was, those conversations had been included in his daily routine a long time ago and today was not going to be an exception.

He loved talking to his family. The funny conversations with Connor and Eileen always had the ability to lift his spirits, although they left him with a longing that persisted for hours. He also loved talking to his brother and Elsa, but sometimes Liam's constant concern was hard to bear. Even so, he never failed. There would always be room for his family in his life, no matter how far away they were.

"You look good, little brother." Killian was pleasantly surprised to hear his brother, to the point that he did not even bother to correct him. It was at that moment when he realized he was smiling broadly. In fact, that smile of contentment had not disappeared from his lips since he woke up that morning.

"Does that mean everything went well yesterday with Emma?" Elsa asked without bothering to hide her excitement. Suddenly, her eyes widened in surprise. "Wait a minute, the deadline expired yesterday! Emma has already made a decision, hasn't she?"

He cursed himself internally for having the stupid occurrence of having confessed the content of the deal to both Liam and Elsa since the beginning. From that moment on he had to endure Liam's expressions of continued concern and the glimmer of emotion in Elsa's eyes every time they spoke about Emma.

"Is that true, Killian? Is that why you look so happy?" Liam asked, his voice charged with anticipation.

Killian had to suppress a groan and instead he pressed his lips together drawing a tight smile. "No, she hasn't made a decision yet." He admitted reluctantly.

"But the deadline is over, right?" Liam insisted, a frown of concern appearing on his brow.

He sighed as he squeezed his eyes with his hands. Then he looked back at the screen. "Yes, the deadline is over, but we haven't spoken about it." Before his brother could reply, he continued. "Everything is fine, though. We are going to see each other again tomorrow."

"What if Emma doesn't make a decision? What if she doesn't give you an answer?" Although Elsa maintained a soft tone, her voice hid a bit of worry while offering a tentative smile. Great ! She had always been on the pro-Emma team, but it seemed that Liam had infected her with his concern.

Killian shrugged. "That itself is a kind of decision, isn't it?"

"You're not going to ask her..." Liam's words didn't come as a question but as an affirmation.

"No, I'm not going to ask her. I'm not going to pressure her to make a decision. I don't care if she doesn't make any decisions at all. As long as she's comfortable with me I'm going to stay by her side." Although he had already raised that possibility, his speech came unexpectedly. However, as the words came out of his mouth, he was feeling increasingly confident, more determined.

"You really care about Emma." This time Liam's voice did not hide a tone of reproach or worry. It was as if he had first realized the intensity of his feelings towards her.

"I do. She makes me happy, that's all I need right now." He affirmed with determination. Her by my side it's all I need to move on. I don't care if it's as a friend or as a lover. I only need her.

"I'm so happy for you, Killian for real. And I'm sure Emma is going to make a decision soon, and that will be good for you." He thanked Elsa's words, which had, as always, a balsam effect on his agitated heart.

"I hope you know what you're doing, brother. But it's obvious that she makes you happy, that's enough for me." The barest hint of a smile crossed Liam's features, but for Killian, always used to his expression of perpetual concern in everything related to him, it meant the world.

Killian spoke a few more minutes with his family before saying goodbye with the promise that he would keep in touch and inform them about any news related to Emma.

After the talk with Liam and Elsa, he felt as if he had passed a test. However, the continued mention of Emma reminded him that they would not see each other today. He had decided last night, after seeing her disappear into her building with a flustered expression on her face, that he would bury any possible worry about her decision in the depths of his mind. Now, his whole body craving to see her, to hear her, to lose himself in her eyes. The day was going to be very long without her by his side.

Emma stirred her hot chocolate absently as she reminisced about the previous day.

"I gather from your bemused expression that the concert went well." Ruby's amused voice took Emma out of her trance. She straightened her back and pressed her lips together, schooling her features so as not to betray her emotions.

"It was alright." She commented in a nonchalant tone, suddenly very interested in the contents of her cup.

"It was alright." Ruby echoed her words with a mocking tone. "Okay, if the concert was alright, then the good part came after the concert."

Emma glared at her friend as she felt her cheeks begin to burn due to her insinuation. Even so, she lips remained stubbornly sealed.

"Oh, come on!" Ruby raised her hands in surrender. "I had to make you react in some way." She said, clearly amused by the situation. Still, she remained in silence as she took a sip of her drink. "How was your date?" Ruby insisted, this time with a softer tone.

"It wasn’t a date." Emma commented without bothering to look convincing.

"It wasn't a date." Ruby's habit of repeating her words using a different intonation was driving her crazy. "Are you aware that what you have been doing this last month it's in fact, dating?"

Emma rolled her eyes, regretting having decided to go to Granny's. She should have stayed in her apartment, in her bed, sleeping until Sunday and the possibility of seeing Killian again. "No, not like that, we go out just as friends." She insisted. She was not having this conversation now.

"Whatever..." Ruby waved her hand in front of her. "Then you prefer to continue in this way? With your " not dating "?

"It's safer." She shrugged.

"It's boring." Ruby counterattacked placing both her hands on the counter.

"Killian is not boring."

This time it was Ruby who rolled her eyes at her failed attempt to change the subject. "Okay, he is not, but think about how things could improve if you do more interesting stuff. You know what I mean." Ruby raised her eyebrow so obscenely that Emma’s cheeks blushed again.

She contemplated the possibility of running away right then and there without bothering to look back. That was something the previous Emma would have done. Run away from your problems and avoid making decisions that could affect your heart. Instead, she sighed and offered a weak explanation to Ruby. "That other stuff could complicate everything."

"Maybe... Or maybe it could make you the happiest woman on the planet. I have the impression that we could add amazing in bed to Killian's list of qualities."

Emma groaned as she covered her face with her hands, her mind playing tricks on her and imagining Killian in those kinds of activities. Damn Ruby! She didn’t need this, not when she almost fainted from a simple kiss on the cheek or when her whole body tingled, craving his touch every time they were together.

"For real now. I know that our friendship is still new, but now that I know you better, you’re like an open book, your emotions are written all over your face. I suspect that you prefer to take no decision, go for the sure way to keep him by your side but without committing to anything else. But you have to decide, Emma, he deserves it, and you deserve to give yourself this opportunity too." Ruby reached for her forearm and gave it a squeeze of encouragement.

Emma could only offer a small smile of gratitude as her heart beat frantically in her chest. Ruby was right, she had to make a decision. Tomorrow, she would talk to Killian tomorrow.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Two o'clock in the morning. Emma scrambled uneasily on the bed, pounding on the pillow to make it more comfortable and adjusting the sheets in an attempt to invite sleep. It was in vain. Still, she suppressed the urge to grab her phone for the hundredth time to check her notifications. And she succeeded. For five seconds. With a sigh of defeat, she gave up and reached for the phone. Nothing, the same as the previous times, not a single notification coming from Killian.

Emma dropped the phone on the bed and rubbed her face with her hands. She needed to sleep, desperately. Only then her mind would stop playing tricks on her, imagining different scenarios that would explain the absence of communication from Killian. Maybe he has forgotten his phone at home, or maybe it has run out of battery, or it has been stolen, he may be busy with his friends, he may have met someone ... She tried to ignore that last scenario, but for some reason, that idea remained stuck in her head. He was a single, handsome man after all…

As if that weren't enough the Angel and the Demon of her conscience decided that now was the appropriate time to have a debate. Sleep was clearly not happening any time soon.

Demon: See? If she is in this situation, only she is to blame. Angel: What are you talking about? Don't listen to that demon, Emma. Demon: She could have broken the deal before, confessing her feelings. Angel: She just wanted to be cautious. We cannot blame her considering her past. Demon: Oh, sure. That is why she is now all jealous and unable to sleep. Angel: It's not jealousy, it's just worry. Demon: Whatever.

"Enough!"

A groan of frustration escaped her mouth. She was so pathetic... She turned around once more on the bed, wrapped herself in the sheets and closed her eyes stubbornly, trying by all means to leave her mind blank. She needed some rest, not only to curb her overflowing imagination but to be able to face the decision she would make the next day.

A few hours later, Emma woke abruptly with a muffled sound that she could not identify at first. She only felt able to open one eye, the light filtered through the window telling her it was already midmorning. Her mind was still clouded by sleep so she ignored the sound and buried her head down the pillow in an attempt to go back to sleep.

The sound continued, though, this time also accompanied by a voice.

"Emma." Knock knock. "Emma." Knock knock. "Emma." Knock knock. Seriously? Was the nerd imitating Sheldon Cooper? Emma let out a groan as she tried to decide if the person on the other side of the door was actually Killian or she was in the middle of a dream. Or a nightmare.

She took two deep breaths as she tried to gain the determination needed to face Killian. She had not expected the conversation to happen so soon in the morning, when she had not even had the chance to ingest her dose of caffeine. But after the awful night she had spent, she had convinced herself that it was not wise to postpone the decision any longer.

"Here we go..." she muttered in an attempt to cheer herself up.

The first thing she noticed after opening the door was his smile, a brilliant flash of white teeth and curved lips. It was unfair, he had probably had few hours of sleep and yet here he was, looking fresh, without a hint of weariness on his face. Even worse, his eyes sparkled making his blue even more intense. Great. Just great .

"What are you doing here?" She snapped in a tone perhaps too sharp, but in her defense, neither her throat nor her mind seemed to be functioning properly yet.

"Good morning to you too, Swan." Killian ignored her abruptness and instead raised his hand holding a paper bag. "I brought breakfast." He offered with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Her brain did not work properly today, that's for sure. It's Sunday today, isn't it? Emma cocked her head slightly as she narrowed her eyes. "Breakfast? What about our brunch?"

"Oh, that." Killian's bottom lip caught between his teeth while his hand reached behind his ear. "I'm afraid there won't be brunch today. Little Leo felt a bit unwell this morning, so his parents decided it was better to stay at home."

"Oh!" Her eyebrows furrowed in concern as she stepped aside to let him in. "Poor baby, I hope it's nothing serious."

Before answering, Killian gave her a look she could not identify, but it was something akin to tenderness, perhaps? He cared for the little one, no doubt. Maybe he appreciated that she also cared? "He'll be fine, Swan, it's just a cold." He reassured her as he squeezed her arm gently. "But, I didn't want us to lose our little tradition, so as I woke up surprisingly early today despite being Sunday, I thought it was a good idea to have breakfast here."

Emma shrugged nonchalantly, although the idea of having breakfast together, in her apartment, on a Sunday morning, did nothing to calm her inner turmoil, a slight sense of uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach. She masked her feelings, though. "You better have brought coffee, I need my dose of caffeine."

"Uh..." Emma noticed then that Killian looked away, scratching behind his ear in a nervous gesture, his cheeks in a light pink tint. "Don't think this is a complaint, because it clearly isn't, rather on the opposite, but you, uh, maybe you would rather put on some more clothes."

Her eyes widened in horror at the same moment that her brain processed what he meant. "Oh my god!" She babbled as she crossed her arms over her chest, feeling a flush creeping up from her neck to her cheeks. The moment she realized that not only had she forgotten her bra but that she was also exposing her bare legs she wanted a hole to open under her feet and swallow her. "Just ... hold on a sec." She muttered in a mortified tone, avoiding his gaze as she ran to her bedroom.

"Holy shit." She closed the door behind her quickly, leaning for a moment against the smooth surface, while covering her face with her hands. Once her breathing had calmed down enough to make her look like a normal person, she grabbed some leggings and a bra and finished dressing.

She contemplated for a moment the possibility of remaining locked in her bedroom until Killian got tired and left, but finally decided to behave as an adult and mature person. But before, she needed to make sure that she was presentable enough.

The reflection in the mirror did nothing to mitigate her embarrassment, though, rather the contrary. Her hair was a real mess and she had dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep. Emma grunted in annoyance, feeling increasingly ridiculous. After putting her hair up in a bun and washing her face and teeth, she finally felt confident enough to come out of hiding.

Before leaving her bedroom, she grabbed Killian's phone and held it for a moment against her chest. A kind of strange melancholy washed over her as she thought that this would probably be the last time she would hold the device in her hands. After closing her eyes for a few moments and taking two deep breaths she finally opened the door and headed towards the living room.

In her absence, Killian moved to her kitchen where he was preparing breakfast as if he owned the place. He looked up when he noticed her presence, his eyes glittering with amusement.

Before he had time to comment on anything, she shook her head, raising her index finger as a warning sign for him to keep his mouth shut. He raised an eyebrow as he opened his mouth, but Emma cut him off again. "No, don't say anything, let's pretend like what happened before..." Her voice trailed off as her hand waved in front of her. "Just forget it, okay?"

Killian raised both hands in surrender, although the funny expression didn't disappear from his face. "I was just going to say that you've got a lovely shirt, Swan."

She huffed as she grabbed the first object she caught on hand — which luckily was a kitchen towel—and threw it at his face. He easily caught it in the air, his laughter echoing throughout the kitchen.

"Come on Swan, don’t feel bad, you have nothing to be ashamed of, I assure you. It was a bit unexpected, that's all."

Emma approached the counter with a reluctant step, still not daring to hold his gaze. When Killian put a cup of steaming coffee in front of her, she finally dared to raise her eyes. Emma shook her head while an unexpected giggle came bubbling up from her chest. "You can't complain, you got quite the show, didn’t you?" Emma laughed, feeling more relaxed.

"Believe me, the best show a man could dream of." Killian said arching his eyebrows seductively. Then a chuckle escaped his lips, joining her in laughter.

Once the laughter subsided, they sat down at the kitchen counter, enjoying a quiet breakfast and a light chat. She had to admit that although this domestic scenario terrified her in a certain way, it also made her feel safe. It was a contradictory feeling, which she supposed she would have to deal with later.

"So, how was your guys night?" Emma tried to make her voice sound carefree enough, while pretending to keep busy picking up the leftovers from breakfast.

"Oh, we had a good time. You should have seen Will, he ended up singing on the bar counter." Killian grinned. "I would have sent you a picture, but I forgot the phone at home."

Oh god, I'm such an idiot! So that was the reason why she had not received any messages from him. She suppressed a sigh of relief as she made a mental note to keep all her worries at bay. She couldn't stay this way, continuously on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop. If she was willing to start a relationship with Killian her fears should be left behind.

"Emma? Still with me?"

"Yeah, sorry.” She bit her lip, feeling the need to teasing him for a while.”So it's common practice for you to leave things behind, uh, especially phones... and wallets."

"Come on, Swan." His lips twisted as if he felt aggrieved. "The wallet was your fault."

"Whatever you say..." Emma decided to change the subject, still embarrassed by her behavior four weeks ago. Now that they had brought up the subject of the phone, perhaps it was time to face her decision once and for all and end the deal they had. She took two deep breaths, trying to get the necessary determination. "Speaking of phones..." She slid Killian's phone over the counter, placing it right in front of him. The moment of truth had arrived.

Killian didn't react at first, looking confused at the phone first and then at her. Little by little his brain seemed to process the information. His eyes went wide as if he were in shock and then he looked back at the phone, a shadow of hurt crossing his gaze.

"Killian..." She tried to reassure him, but he seemed lost. Shit! She was delivering this in the worst possible way. She noticed then how his jaw clenched and his brow furrowed but he continued to stare at the device, as if unable to react. "Killian, look at me." She tried to catch his attention by gently squeezing his arm.

Finally, he seemed to get out of his trance and his gaze strayed from the phone looking for hers. She had to suppress a gasp by checking the utter disappointment written all over his face. "It's not what you think." She hastened to reassure him. Her shoulders sank slightly, all the confidence she had felt a few minutes ago now vanished. But she had to do this, she owed it to him. "I'm aware that the deadline is over, and here's my answer. I'm returning your phone, but..." She paused to make sure she had his attention. "In return, I want your Fringe t-shirt and..." Her voice trailed off, as she checked to see if her words had any effect. To her relief, a spark of interest appeared in his eyes. "A date."

Emma held her breath, waiting for his definitive reaction. He still looked confused, moving his eyes from the phone to her again. "A date?"

"Yeah, you know,.. going out to dinner or something."

She could see the moment when his brain finally processed the meaning of her words. His face split into a giant smile and a new spark appeared in his eyes. Where before there was hurt and disappointment now she could only see hope and emotion. And relief. He let out a deep sigh while shaking his head. "Don't play with me like that, I almost had a heart attack, woman." He rebuked her, but the joy didn't disappear from his features.

The corners of her lips rose and her shoulders sank slightly, unable to hide her relief. "So, do you accept the deal?"

Killian closed one eye while wrinkling his nose. "I'm not sure about the t-shirt..."

"No t-shirt, no phone. It's a ransom payment, buddy, no negotiation possible." She put her hands on her hips for emphasis.

A quiet chuckle escaped his mouth. "Okay, we have a deal, but in return, I'll be in charge of organizing the date."

"What? I'm the one who asked you!"

"Aye, but I already have an idea in mind. I intend to make our perfect virtual date come true." He winked at her as he offered her a smile full of promise.

Emma's eyes widened in surprise. "Are we going to relive our first date? For real this time?"

"That's my intention." He nodded.

"When?"

"Tonight?"

Emma felt her heart race, her stomach fluttering in anticipation. "Tonight." She agreed. While her eyes darted to his lips an idea came to her head expanding a liquid heat all over her body. Reliving her virtual perfect date also meant making the best kiss she had ever experienced come true. If the sensation had been so intense at the time when even their lips weren't in contact, she didn't even want to imagine what would become of her when his lips finally touched hers.

"And now, Swan, I better go, I have a date to prepare." He raised an eyebrow as his tongue peeked out of the corner of her mouth in an exercise of seduction that she should already be used to. The butterflies flapping furiously in her stomach indicated otherwise, obviously.

Emma accompanied him to the front door, feeling a little dazed as she hadn't expected the date to take place that very day. And even less that they were going to relive their wonderful first virtual date. At least I won't have problems with the choice of the dress , she thought relieved as the corners of her lips lifted slightly.

Killian opened his mouth and closed it instantly, as if thinking better about what he was going to say. "See you tonight, Swan."

She nodded while offering a shy smile. He was about to turn around, when he stopped as if he had changed his mind. He approached her and, without her having time to react, his lips brushed her cheek. "Thanks for trusting me." He whispered, sending a chill down her spine as his velvety voice caressed her cheek.

Before she could react, though, he had already turned around walking down the aisle, while she stood stunned against the doorframe, feeling a lingering tingle on her cheek and an overwhelming sensation burning through her veins towards her heart, spreading warmth in her chest.

Her eyes remained fixed for a few seconds in the place where he had disappeared until she finally shook her head waking up from her trance and went back to her apartment.

A date. She had a real date. Tonight. The moment she realized the true meaning of what had just happened, she felt the beginning of a breakdown settling in her stomach. This time she wasn't alone, though. She took two deep breaths and grabbed her phone, typing furiously.

Emma: Help! We have a date!

Ruby: A date-date or a friendly date?

Emma: A real one.

Ruby: So you made a decision, didn't you?

Emma: Yeah.

Ruby: It was about time! I'll be there in ten.

A sense of relief and gratitude spread through her body as she drifted back into the kitchen in search of a new dose of caffeine. However, she stopped short when her eyes detected the object placed over the counter, a laugh bubbling in the back of her throat. "Seriously?" The idiot had left his phone again. His story repeats itself , she thought as she grabbed the phone and held it protectively against her chest.

Hopefully, the next chapter will be shorter, because it will only include their date. Well, and maybe something else... We'll see...

Thanks for reading :)

@rouhn @couldnthandleit @teamhook @malec4everr @ijustwantyoucaskett-always @kmomof4 @resident-of-storybrooke

#cs ff #cs au #captain swan au #call me #cs au ff #mayquita writes #my cs writings

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0erasurehero0 · 7 years ago

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The Reaper of Ashmore

Here’s chapter one of my original story! (Someone told me Reaper of Ashmore sounded familiar so I looked it up but couldn’t find anything so if anyone knows what it could be connected to I’d appreciate it if you’d tell me so I could change the story or name up thank you ;) ).

Tag list: @dragonbound135, @i-put-the-sass-in-assassin, @otaku-trash-sendhelp1000-7, @rayonfrozenwings, @a-court-of-ink-and-paper, @randomsevens46890, @abookandacoffee, @mrscastile, @dreamingofazriel, @cutiematsuno, @purpleotakutrash, @the-bookish-soul, @mydarlingwhitethorn, @tessywessy22.

These were the people who were in my last two posts about the story. If you’d like to be tagged for future updates just ask! I hope you enjoy

Chapter one: The Otherworld

The sound of a beautiful melody, angels singing in a high soprano.The swishing of long, elegantly designed gowns and the clicking of high heeled shoes. Men and women talking, laughing, singing along to the music that plays in the background. But there was one sound I enjoyed more than any other tonight. The sound of alcohol being poured into a cool, tall glass. And then it hitting the table.

I turned quickly, snatching up the freshly made rum, and downed it. Slamming the glass on the table, I sighed. It was every night these past few days. A ball every night for the return of princess Aphrodite. Welcome home, sister, I’d say, then leave for the bar.

I was tired of the music, the dancing, the people, the hand shaking, the ‘are you not happy that she is home? I cannot believe our princess has returned!’. I was even tired of the alcohol, of all things. But it was the only thing keeping me awake. Keeping me sane.

“Another one? Or is that your last?”

I slowly glanced up towards the bartender. His salt and pepper beard, alcohol coated apron, tired eyes, and ragged clothing indicated that maybe he needed a drink. Nevertheless, I nodded and slid the empty glass his way.

I turned my attention back onto the dancing crowd. Suddenly, trumpets and violins began playing and the lights within the room focused themselves to the top of the staircase on the far wall. Aphrodite walked out, a shimmering, rose gold gown that was swept around her feet, the neckline completely covering her neck, adorned her. Her blond hair was swept back and pinned to the top of her head, intricately braided. She wore bold makeup, including kohl that lined her eyes and bright, red lipstick. Truly, it did not match.

Truly, I did not care.

I scowled and turned away from her and faced the bartender again. He smiled and watched the princess with wide, adoring eyes.

Disgusting. She’s only…

Well, if I were honest with myself, I did not know her age.

That was disgusting. I didn’t even know my own sister’s age.

Still, I ignored her and instead focused my attention on my fingers, playing with my nails.

I thought about the upcoming naming ceremony for my nephew. My sister returns..and with a son, no less. He was adorable, however, I would never blame him for this. He was only a child, after all.

He was strange looking, indeed. Blue hair, white skin. But, he had the Ashmore eyes. Ruby red. Just like his mother.

And uncles.

And me, his aunt.

A bombardment of voices exploded behind me as many of the guests and family began trying to gain the attention of my sister.Well, half-sister.

They love her, the citizens, my family. They love her.

And they don’t even know me.

Sighing, I asked the bartender for another drink. I need it to survive the rest of this night, of course.

“Are you Ash?”

The bartender slid the glass of rum over and I took it, nodding in thanks. I have a constantly open tab here; I never have to hand over the cash until the next morning when I’m sober enough to hand over the right amount.

“Yes, and who’s asking--”

I turned in my seat and found that an extremely attractive male was staring at me. His icy-blue eyes were searching, observant. His full lips were set into a tight frown, his right hand resting on the bar and his left resting on his black-clad knee. His white hair, as pale as his skin, was tousled as if he just got out of bed. He wore a dark tunic and black boots along with tight, black pants.

Royalty. Or a guard for some royal pain in my ass. One or the other.

“So you are Ash.” He reached forward, holding out his hand. I shook it firmly.

“I’m Alexzander. I was told that I had to find you if I wanted my schedule changed.”

“Ah, I see,” I said, obviously not seeing. “Well, then. What is the problem with your schedule for…”

His eyebrows knitted together. “Class. My class schedule needs to be changed.”

Oh, yes. A student. I almost forgot that I am a teacher.

I need to stop drinking.

“Class schedule, ah, well what classes would you like to switch?” I gingerly took the paper from his outstretched hand and tried to read it. Or, at least pretended to try to read it. The alcohol in my system was affecting the way I saw things.

I squinted and realized the paper was upside down. With a nervous cough, I flipped the paper and gave him an unconvincing smile.

Alexzander frowned. “No, just keep the paper. And unenroll me, please.”

I dropped the paper and cursed, sweeping down to pick it up. But Alexzander was already there, snatching up the paper before I could.

This was something, indeed. It’s a rarity for a student, especially one of mine, to want to unenroll from class. Actually, most of the time students are fighting for the last open spots in class each year. For each of the classes I teach, I’ve never had someone want to drop out.

What made him want to leave?

Maybe it’s because you didn’t even notice he was one of your students. And he looks like a third year; he’s been here a while.

Coughing uncontrollably, I reached for the glass of water that was just slid over to the young woman beside me. She gave me a disgusted look. I winked.

I downed the glass and waved at the bartender. He’d put the glass on my tab. When I turned back, I had just enough time to see the bartender hand the woman her money.

With a laugh I faced Alexander.

He was not laughing.

Quite the opposite, really. He looked like some gate guard. No expression. Just constantly tense.

I told him so.

“Listen, this was a nice talk and all but I just want to know if you’ll unenroll me or not. I have to know by tonight so I can begin packing.”

“No need.” I slid my more than half empty glass of rum over to him. Out of all the alcoholic drinks, including my favorites such as Scotch and Whiskey, rum was the cheapest. And a heavy drink.

He would need it.

“You won’t be dropping out. Not tonight. I’m going to personally teach you during after hours.” I settled back in my seat, content with my decision.

Alexzander wasn’t.

“That’s not what I want.” He buried his face in his hands and ran his fingers through his hair.

My sober self, who later learned this, would have immediately noticed that there was something wrong. There was a reason he wanted to leave so bad, and it wasn’t because of laziness. He was trying so hard, but something was beating him down so bad that he was done.

However, my drunk self just saw someone who wasn’t trying. She was blind. Is blind.

And I will hate her forever for making mistakes like this.

“How about this?” I reached into the pocket of my jacket and pulled out an unsealed letter. Grabbing the letter out of the envelope, I handed it to Alexzander, telling him to read it.

Ash watched as the student read the letter, his eyes widening ever so slightly in the middle of reading. Once he was done, he placed the letter on the counter and turned his attention back to her.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how that was supposed to change my mind.”

She was honestly surprised. Who wouldn’t want to travel to another realm for fun? She knew that she wanted to...it’s why she received the letter in the first place.

For the first time in a millenia...I would get a vacation.

And she was willing to give that up to help convince this lost soul that he shouldn’t give up.

He was a student in training to become one of the most elite of soldiers in this realm, in this kingdom, the Otherworld. He was training to become a Grim Reaper.

And the only way to be one is that you would’ve had to die first.

To give up that honor, the ability to walk among the living, would be an utter waste, and disrespectful.

She smiled. “Of course it would! It would give you a break from schooling. It would give you a chance to clear your mind--”

“I’ve already had time to clear my mind!” He yelled.

He stood in front of her, face a little too close for comfort, and his arms outstretched for emphasis. His breathing slowed and he swallowed, taking his seat.

“Listen, your little ‘vacation’ is not going to change my mind.”

“Then give it a shot. Why not just take a vacation because you might need one?”

He groaned. “Because you will still try to convince me.”

Ash thought about it for a second. If she could just get him to go, then maybe he’ll see that it would not help him to leave the school.

And then it hit her.

Even if she was illegitimate, she would still be required to bring guards along with her on this trip…

Bingo.

Make him a guard.

“Alexzander whatever-your-name-is I’d like to officially welcome you to the kingdom of the Otherworld. I would also like it if you’d do me the honor of becoming my second in command.”

I smiled and hoped that the man would return it...but he didn’t. Instead, he stood up and left, mumbling about letting another teacher change his schedule.

There you go again, Ash. I groaned and leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes. Always digging into some else’s business. He just wanted a schedule change. And you tried to change his life.

Because I’m on break I’ll be able to post more this week (if I have the time).

#my original story #the Reaper of Ashmore #chapter one #oc

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artificialqueens · 8 years ago

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Heavy Rain Ch. 2 (Shalaska/Katlaska)- Insomnidelic

AN: I just want to start off by saying how completely overwhelmed I am with the response for the first chapter. All the love is greatly appreciated! I will try to update every few days as my schedule is pretty open for now since school has ended. Thank you all for the encouraging words and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Justin leans his head back, trying to rest his neck on the uncomfortable pillows the hospital had to offer. How he got here, he was still unsure. The last thing he remembered was getting blackout drunk with Aaron and a few of his friends after Jinkx Monsoon was crowned the winner of Season 5. His stomach turns a little at the thought. Everything had been so confusing since he woke.

He thinks back and tries to piece everything together from the time he opened his eyes until now. He woke up, gave his boyfriend a kiss, and everyone around them stared as if they murdered someone right in front their very eyes. Fucking strange. Michelle had been there, which wasn’t much of a shock. The two had become pretty close during the promotional tour. Aaron had probably called her when they got to the hospital. Let’s see, who else? Jerick was present, which was a little jarring. He definitely considered him a friend but didn’t expect him to go out of his way of celebrating his win to visit him in the hospital. And then there were two complete strangers at his side and three more at the foot of his bed… Odd. He still didn’t have a clue what he did to himself to land in this position. Had he blacked out and fell so hard that he hit his head? He sat in frustration as not one person had come in to tell him what exactly happened.

Aaron was acting weird about all of this too. One of the men that Justin didn’t recognize stormed off after seeing them together and Aaron followed after him. A nurse had walked in and Michelle exchanged whispers with her before the nurse asked everyone to exit and wait in the visitors area before she herself left, Justin now completely alone. He was a little miffed that he hadn’t seen Aaron since he stormed off behind that guy. He sat pouting at the thought. After what had been at least a half hour, the nurse reentered followed by a hunky man in a white coat.

“Hello sir! My name is Dr. Bright, I will be performing your cranial examination today.” The man grinned widely. Justin can almost see himself in his perfect porcelain teeth. He sits up straighter in his bed as he takes in the doctor’s words.

“Examination? Can someone tell me what happened first before you start poking at my head wound?” He huffs, batting the nurse’s hands away as she reached for his bandages.

The doctor chuckles jovially and nods, “Of course, but first do you mind letting us know what all you remember from your incident?” He smiles and waits for a response.

“Yeah sure uh… We were at this bar and I got really wasted. Maybe did a line or two. I don’t really remember, to be honest. I must have blacked out.” Justin says, pouting his lip and shrugging his shoulders.

The doctor sits perplexed at the end of Justin’s bed, gives a slight nod and starts to flip through the pages in Justin’s file.

“Interesting, well your blood results came back and it doesn’t look like there’s any alcohol or drugs in your system. Actually we were informed that you were hit by a lowered support beam, do you remember being on a stage at some point?” The doctor asks expectantly to a befuddled Justin.

He sits quietly, thinking hard about the handsome doctor’s claims. Images of himself spinning wildly to the rhythm of loud, pulsing music flash through his memory before they go completely black. His head aches. Had he been dancing on a stage last night? He remembers holding on tightly to an equally as drunk Aaron as they made their way out of the bar and into a waiting car. The two memories didn’t seem to go together in his mind for some reason.

“None of that rings any bells. Where did you get this information from?” Justin probes, utterly confused.

“We have an eye witness account from a mister “Danny Noriega”, it says here.” The doctor flips the page of the chart over and gestures with a pen to the written statement for Justin to see.

“Well I have no idea who the fuck that is so you definitely got the wrong guy.” Justin chuckles and rolls his eyes. What kind of hospital was this to mix up their patients in such a way?

“I’m so sorry, are you a Mr. Justin Honard?” The doctor asks.

“…Yes.” Justin squeaks nervously.

“Age 32, resident of Los Angeles, California?” The doctor continues his line of questioning.

“No, I’m 28 and I live in Pittsburgh.” Justin narrows his eyes. Dr. Bright’s mouth falls open as he squints and nods.

“Can you tell me what year it is?” The doctor locks eyes with his patient as he starts to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

“2013.” He whispers, bewildered by the doctors inquiry.

Dr. Bright sighs. He looks over at the nurse, the two sharing a grave expression. This was never easy. Justin seemed earnest in his confusion and answered his questions honestly.

“Sir, this might come as a bit of a shock to you, but its 2017.” He nods his head to a calendar on the wall behind Justin. Justin cranes his neck and stares at the offending puppy dog themed agenda before slowly turning back to his physician, eyes wide.

What the fuck?

–

“Please talk to me.” Aaron says in a hushed tone, shutting the privacy curtain connecting the bunk and kitchen area of the tour bus.

“What the hell do you want me to say? Your ex bumps his head and suddenly he’s in love with you again. The whole thing is just a little Days of our lives, don’t you think?” Chad remarks with a bitter laugh, leaning against the counter top, crossing his arms and cocking an eyebrow at his partner.

“You know it’s a lot more than that. He doesn’t remember anything past losing drag race for fuck’s sake. I know what you walked in on looked bad-“ Aaron is cut off by Chad’s raised hand.

“No. What I walked in on WAS bad. Aaron… you were cradling his face.” Chad’s tone concealed no sign of disgust.

“I was not! I was pulling his face off of mine, that’s it.” Even Aaron knew that was a lie. Had there been cradling? Perhaps. Was it intentional? Not at all. It was a reflex, he’d convinced himself. Chad gives him a disbelieving scowl.

“Alright. So you have absolutely zero feelings left for him?” He asks in a flat tone, eyes glassy and a hint of a frown on his lips.

“Absolutely none.” Aaron says confidently without breaking eye contact with his lover. Chad’s stony expression begins to crumble and he grins softly as Aaron takes a few steps forward, arms out to embrace his fiancé. The two hug and Chad’s breathing calms as Aaron’s affirmation sets in.

“Then you’ll go back to that hospital right now and tell him that you’re over?” Chad says, pulling back, putting his hands gently on either side of Aaron’s face. Aaron didn’t say anything. He stares at Chad for a few seconds and his eyes drift slowly to the floor.

Chad lets out a shaky breath, lowers his head and lets go of Aaron completely, shoving past him to walk to the opposite side of the cramped kitchen. Aaron stares at the cracked linoleum floor. How should he begin to explain himself? It really wasn’t all that difficult to grasp, was it? He simply didn’t want to hurt Justin again. The image of his ex lover’s face when he told him that he wanted to break up still burned in his memory four years later. He couldn’t bear to put him through that a second time. He always thought that if he could go back, he would go about everything a lot differently. He knew they weren’t any good for each other, but he always felt guilty for moving on so quickly, even if he was certainly in love with Chad. Maybe if things were different, if neither of them had become famous, they would still be together. And they would be incredibly happy. Even though the relationship took a sour turn, Aaron wasn’t ready to let go. He wasn’t even able admit this to himself until now.

“Chad, I love you. I don’t want anyone but you. But… I need to find a better way to resolve this issue without putting Justin through the pain I put him through the first time.” Aaron says honestly, trying as hard as he could to keep an even tone.

There was long pause, the two men not moving, or breathing for that matter. Chad is the first to break the silence, finally letting out the air he had been holding in his lungs. He struggled to take all of Aaron’s words in but the overwhelming desire to turn and walk away from the situation began to win over.

“Ok, Aaron. I love you too. So, I’m going to let you do what you think needs to be done. Go ahead and take as long as you need. But in order for me to let you do that, I can’t be around to watch. I’m going home. Call me when you’ve achieved the impossible.” He gives his fiancé a moment to protest, hurt a little when he stays unmoving to stop him, but is unsurprised. Aaron was a man of his word, and when he set out to do something, it was very rare that even Chad could make him change his mind. He turns on his heals and rips the separation curtain back to reveal Danny and Jason listening in on the other side. Chad shakes his head and ambles past them, grabbing his half packed bag and stuffing the remainder of his things in it, giving one last glance back at Aaron still standing in the kitchen.

“I love you.” He says flatly, and makes his way off the bus.

“That was so messy, dude.” Danny says to Aaron, laughing awkwardly.

“I need a drink.” Aaron finally breathes, pushing past the two nosy queens.

“Oooh take us!” Jason pleads.

“No. I need time alone to think about what the fuck I just let happen.” Aaron exits the bus, and as if on cue, the rain starts up again and soaks him as he makes his way to the first bar he could find.

–

It was common knowledge throughout the entire group that Justin had suffered memory loss. Danny, Jason, and Jerick seemed content enough with that information and opted to roam the city with their new free time. Aaron had left the hospital with Chad after Justin’s initial diagnoses, though no one at this time (other than Danny and Jason) knew that Chad had left LA period. Michelle, Brian, and Shane were the only ones to stick around for further details, hoping to have Justin released to them soon.

“The best thing you can do for him right now is to slowly acclimate him to the changes that have occurred over the past four years. Be wary of the information you divulge at one time, you don’t want to shock him too much.” Dr. Bright explains to the few queens left in the waiting room.

“I don’t think you realize how much has happened in the past four years, doc.” Michelle says, sharing a look of disbelief with the other queens. This would be damn near impossible.

Brian sighs and puts his face in his hands. In his worry for an unconscious Justin, perhaps he let his imagination run a little wild. He somehow convinced himself that he was starting to develop feelings for the Queen of Snakes. “I want to kiss you and hold your hand and call you mine” sort of feelings. This was all likely a byproduct of the fear he had that Justin would take a turn for the worse and he would forever live in regret of not making things serious between the two. How could he even think about making things official after one hookup and few flirty conversations here and there? When Justin opened his eyes, he expected all of those feelings to go away and instead be replaced with simple relief that he was okay.

Then he and Aaron kissed and his world came crashing down.

Brian shakes the thought out of his head.

Pull yourself together, Barbara. It was stupid and you let the dread of possibly being alone forever set in, causing you to think weak and foolishly.

He keeps his face in his hands as he fights his internal battle with the idiotic voices inside his head. Weak? A little. Foolish? Not so much. The fact of the matter was that Justin and Aaron were no longer together. He also happened to know that he maybe had possible feelings for Justin that were maybe possibly not completely sexual. Who knew someone could be so attracted to another human being without sex being an integral part of the equation? And as for his last thought, he was almost certain that Aaron still had feelings for Justin. He saw the way he held his face as they… kissed.

God, why did it hurt to think about that?

Brian pulls out his phone and taps on his photo album, scrolling through pages of photos before finding one he had saved since the day it was taken. Even with a new phone every few years, he never lost track of it. It was the only memory he kept of that drunken night he met Alaska for the very first time. He was only a fan back then, obviously. It was May of 2013. The image brings a smile to his face. Katya sits happily on Alaska’s lap, the two smiling, Alaska’s mouth wide open in her signature broad grin.

There has to be a chance that he remembers taking this picture… that he remembers me.

His thoughts come to a halt as he sees two forms walking toward them in his peripheral vision. Justin paces fully clothed in the t-shirt and jeans Michelle thought to bring with them to the hospital. Dr. Beefcake leads his patient toward the waiting queens. Michelle walks slowly toward them, Justin giving her a knowing smile and the two embrace. She steps back and inspects him, fussing over his fresh bandages. She takes his arm and walks him slowly to Shane and Brian a few feet away. Brian locks eyes with Justin, praying he’d see a glint of familiarity in the man’s shiny green irises. Justin smiles and cocks his head.

Yes, this is it! He recognizes me!

“Who the fuck are you?”

Damn.

#shalaska #katlaska #alaska thunderfuck #katya zamolodchikova #sharon needles #angst #humor #tw head injury #tw memory loss #insomnidelic #rpdr fanfiction #heavy rain #canon compliant

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thechasefiles · 6 years ago

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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 1/24/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Thursday 24th January 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

SPEAK UP – Do more to stop all these guns coming into Barbados! That was the call from President of the Senate, Sir Richard Cheltenham, as he reacted to the rising incidence of gun violence. So far for the year, there have been 13 reported shooting incidents, four of which resulted in deaths. Declaring there must be “a conversation” on guns coming in, he asked: “Where are these guns coming from?” He added that no-one seemed prepared “to speak with candour and frankness”. Speaking to THE NATION in Parliament Yard before the Senate sitting began, the Queen’s Counsel suggested that not enough was being done by the agencies charged with responsibility for investigating the origin of the many guns on the island. “Those who have responsibility for guarding the country – Coast Guard, the police, the airwing – all of them know about it, but nobody seems to say where are these guns coming from and how they are getting in here. That is the disturbing thing,” he said˚. “Nobody is saying a word about them, nor are they saying anything for themselves . . . . They don’t drop from the heavens like manna!” (DN)

DLP CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION – The Democratic Labour party is calling on Government to present a plan to tackle the worrisome gun violence now plaguing the country. Following the latest gun crime in Baxter’s Road St Michael on Wednesday night, the DLP issued a statement on its Facebook page calling for immediate action. “We are witnessing a spate of killings unprecedented in the history of Barbados. The Democratic Labour Party now calls on the Government to come to the people with its plan to fight crime in this country,” the statement said. It called for the Mottley led administration to move beyond public relations ‘grins’ and ‘handshakes’ saying, “ The current crime spree will take more than a photo opportunity in the form of a walk through citizens are afraid, they are nervous and uncertain.” (DN)

SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT – Josephine Hughes and Leroy London are desperately seeking answers about their son’s disappearance on Sunday. It was around 8:30 p.m. when police received a report that Lindy London, 15, was missing after he got into difficulty in strong currents at the “Hot Pot” area at Brighton Beach, St Michael. He has not been seen since. However, his parents were dissatisfied with the reports given to police, and instead are claiming that he was “lured to the beach”. “I am so devastated,” said Hughes. “I had trouble sleeping. I usually know everywhere he goes and I never heard him telling me about the beach. In fact, when he came out of the Government Industrial School, I told him the beach is one place I don’t feel comfortable with him going.” On December 13, he returned to his Bridge Cot, St George home after spending four and a half years at the Government Industrial School. His parents said they saw a change in the behaviour of the former St George Secondary School student after he returned home. They said he wanted to further his education and had participated in baptism classes at the People’s Cathedral. (DN)

UPDATE : POLICE IDENTIFY BODY FOUND IN ST THOMAS - Police have released the name of the man whose body was found lying along the roadside at Edgehill, St Thomas last night. He is 35-year-old Barry Delonor Taylor of Shop Hill in the same parish. According to a media release, he had a laceration at the back of his neck. (DN)

MOTHER GRIEVES OVER SLAIN SON – The mother of the young man who was found bleeding at the side of the road at Cane Garden, St Thomas, where he eventually died, wants her son’s killer(s) found before he goes to his grave. A devastated Joan Benn who last saw her 35-year-old son Barry Taylor at their Shop Hill, St Thomas home just over an hour before his bloody and lifeless body was discovered with stab wounds around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday said she just wants justice for her child. She said she last saw Taylor around 5 p.m. that same day when he told her ‘good evening mummy’, to which she replied ‘good evening Barry’. He then told her he was leaving. “I want them hold before the week done. Before Barry get in he grave I want them hold,” the sobbing mother told Barbados TODAY. “I just feel empty. It is unbelievable. I ain’t supposed to bury he; he is supposed to bury me. Everybody trying to hold up. Everybody trying to cope with it because it is not easy,” she added. Benn said she received the tragic news about the death of the first of her three children from a co-worker who was passing the area on her way home. “She saw him, recognized he was my son and she came and told me. I could not believe it. A gentleman who lives not too far from there saw him take his last breath. He said he was stumbling and then he dropped down,” she said, as the tears rolled down her cheeks. As she wiped the tears away with a blue washcloth, the mother said she has been struggling to understand why somebody would have carried out such an act on Taylor whom she described as someone who did not “get into anything”. “He would be in and out. He would be in Shop Hill and Jackson and sometimes he would go in town and come home quick. He would be in and out, but in the area,” she said. The Shop Hill community was quiet when Barbados TODAY visited the area this morning. Most of Taylor’s family members were locked away in their houses, which are all situated close to each other. His aunt Betty Springer said she knew her nephew to be one to run away from crowds. She said most of Tuesday he was at home listening to music. “I can’t believe it. I helped to raise him. Barry doesn’t trouble you. Up to yesterday Barry was home playing his music. Barry doesn’t trouble you so I don’t know how this happen. This thing got everybody shocked. I went to the scene but I could not go close to the body. I could not look at my nephew that way,” the aunt said. Benn said Taylor was a former St Leonard’s Boys student who loved playing football and had represented Shop Hill in that sport. A resident who lives close to the scene told Barbados TODAY the image of Taylor’s mother sitting in a chair crying as she watched her son’s body waiting to be removed from the scene, was a sad sight that he believed would stay with him for a long. “That ain’t nothing no mother should have to go through. I don’t understand why all of this killing and violence,” the concerned resident said. (BT)

UPDATE: MAN DIES IN BAXTER’S ROAD SHOOTING – Police have confirmed that the man shot in Baxter’s Road St Michael has succumbed to his injuries. It’s now the fourth murder by gun for the year and the 13th reported shooting incident. Police have not yet released the name of the victim. (DN)

GUILTY PLEA – At 27, Jeff Confield Washington has been deemed medically unfit and is therefore unable to work. As a result, he has an unpaid fine of $555 which carries with it an alternative of 55 days in jail which was ordered by Magistrate Graveney Bannister in January last year. When Washington, of Lewis Gap, Green Hill, St Michael, appeared before acting Magistrate Anika Jackson today in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife, Shauntelle Waithe, occasioning her actual bodily harm on November 16, 2018. According to Prosecutor, PC Kenmore Phillips, on the day of the incident, the couple was in the Cheapside Terminal and during a struggle, Washington struck his wife in her belly. She was seven months pregnant. She said she felt light-headed and then started to vomit. The prosecutor said she was taken to the Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St Michael, where she was treated and discharged and the matter reported to the police. According to the prosecutor, on January 22, 2019, Washington was taken to the police station where he was charged. Washington however told the court that when he heard the police wanted him, he went to the police station. It was at this point the accused informed the court that he had not taken his medication and the acting Magistrate allowed him to sit. She then looked at the antecedents on his card noting that he had committed similar offences and had even threatened a member of the judiciary. Washington admitted that it was the magistrate who had ordered the fine which remained unpaid. He said he had a head injury which caused him to be hospitalized. He explained to the court that he is supported by his brother and wife and he could not ask his brother to pay the fine. The acting magistrate said she was bound by that sentence of 55 days and sentenced him to three months in jail for the incident with his wife to run concurrent with the 55 days for not paying the earlier fine. (BT)

COMPLAINANT NO LONGER INTERESTED – It’s time to revert to the situation where a complainant should be asked to pay costs after coming to court and saying he or she was no longer going through with the matter. Acting Magistrate Anika Jackson presiding in the District ‘A Magistrates’ Court made the comment today after complainant Shaquille Smith said she was no longer going through with the case involving Kadeem Rashad Scantlebury. Pointing out that she was not casting aspersions at those in the matter before her, she added “I feel we should go back to those times, because it’s not only wasting the police time and the court’s time, but also it’s costing taxpayers money,” the acting Magistrate noted. She then dismissed the matter. (BT)

SMALL DRUG FIND LANDS BIG FINE – “Ma’am I feel responsible. It will never happen again. I am very sorry it happened.” These were the words of 28-year-old Andre Xavier Leacock, of Combermere Street, St. Michael, who pleaded guilty to having $15 worth of cannabis on January 20, 2019. Prosecutor, PC Kenmore Phillips told the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court that the police were along Dalkeith Road and stopped the car which Leacock was driving and found the drug under the floor on the driver’s side. Acting Magistrate Anika Jackson noted his early guilty plea and fined him $750 in a day or one month in jail. (BT)

CORRUPTION PUTS SOCIETY AT RISK – Opposition Senator Crystal Drakes wants the level of corruption in Barbados to be identified. Then, she wants those persons identified to have engaged in the illegal practices brought to justice. Those were her suggestions as she spoke during debate on the Public Finance Management Bill 2019 in the Senate this afternoon. “What I’m asking us to do as we move forward is to identify the level of corruption that we have, because if we sit here and say there is possibly corruption, or there maybe is corruption, it is to deny that we are unaware of any of these wrongdoings. “It’s only when we acknowledge it…you can then only start to solve it. In acknowledging we have to then start to report it,” Drakes said. The senator also partly blamed the country’s current economic situation on those persons who engaged in corrupt practices. “So when we here in Barbados have these cases where we hear either outright in public or in whispers of unscrupulous deals being made and large unexplainable contracts being given to persons, that is what has contributed to us coming to this point in time. “I want to say that anyone who has ever benefited from such deals, or fat contracts as people would call them, you have in your small or large way contributed to why Barbados is now at the place it is at,” Haynes said. “Yes we have issues with our economic structures, as far as the drivers are concerned, but when you compound low growth with elements of wastage and mismanagement, you make the situation even more dire.” She said the actions of those corrupt individuals had left Government’s hands tied and meant tough measures now had to be implemented. “What you do as an individual then leaves the Government to have to cut expenditure, you leave a Government to now have to send home workers, you leave a Government to raise taxes to the point where it feels almost burdensome to the others in society. “Sometimes we talk about these things as if they are abstract concepts. It is corruption by persons, by individuals. You are the ones who are placing your society at risk, this is where it leads us. So when there is poor mismanagement and a disregard for integrity you lead a country to the brink of economic turmoil where no one is left untouched by harsh measures,” Haynes said. (BT)

‘GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE LIABLE TOO’, SAYS SENATOR - Independent Senator Monique Taitt is suggesting that Government incurs a penalty for failing to pay for services or pay income tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and Corporation tax refunds within a stipulated time. Taitt, who was addressing the Upper House today as she contributed to debate on the Public Finance Management Bill, said it would only be fair for the government to be penalized just as individuals and companies were if they failed to meet their obligations to Government. “What are the penalties for the government failing to repay or remit if they don’t take on the suggestion of interest and penalties? Are you calling upon individuals to have to go to court, which is an additional cost, or at the end of the day is it just lip service where you got to wait anyway because it is Government? I am just asking these questions because to me public finance is not only revenue generation it is also for the people. It is also ensuring that people are not crippled, because an asset rich cash poor company is a recipe for disaster,” said Taitt. She said it was about time the government addressed the issue of income tax, VAT and corporation tax refunds, adding that the new Bill should make provision for Government to be held responsible. She insisted that while Government seemed to have an “air-tight, organized and structured piece of legislation in place to deal with the ills of public finance management” it should also ensure that “the people for whom this Bill has been devised” also benefit. “I have a client who told me they are owed over $60,000 in VAT returns, $30,000 of which is over a year old. So I am just querying and hoping that with this new Public Finance Management Bill that the proper system of accounts of all money received and paid by the government will speak to things like income tax returns, VAT returns, when you do a job for the Government,” she said. “I am hoping that with the advent of this Bill that those things will be properly managed and if they are not, just as how if you don’t pay your land tax on time or income tax on time there are interest and penalties, will the government by virtue of having all of this going on, by allowing persons to whom they owe either remittances or refunds, allow those persons to benefit from interest and penalties as well?” she asked. Saying she hoped it would not take up to a year for the government to pay what it owed, Taitt also questioned what mechanisms would be put in place to ensure that the proposed legislation was effective. “It cannot be for example, that when you go on the BRA (Barbados Revenue Authority) website they are telling you that TAMIS is down and they apologize for any inconvenience caused and they are trying to get their technical people to deal with it. So, there are VAT returns that as far as I am aware, are yet to be filed because they can’t get on to TAMIS or whatever system deals with VAT. If you are the agency to collect, you should be running effectively. So I am hoping that all the bells and whistles in this piece of legislation will also deal with the necessary infrastructure to allow it to work, if not this is all just rhetoric,” she explained. Taitt also questioned why the government did not allow for the settling of its debt by setting off what it owed individuals and businesses against what it owed by them. “That has always been a puzzle to me why set-offs are not happening at BRA,” said Taitt, “so that is another query I have as it relates to the public finance management of the country and the common sense of it all. You pay to get back instead of set-off?” she said. (BT)

RIGHT MOVE – Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn has welcomed the decision by Prime Minister Mia Mottley to remove some of the duties of Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson, but said it was only done “half way”. In fact, Franklyn said he believed all Hinkson’s ministerial duties should have been taken away, though he did not say why. Franklyn, who was contributing to debate on the Public Finance Management Bill in the Senate on Wednesday, said he was ready to “support” the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration once it was “doing the right thing”. “I see the other day the Prime Minister took away some of their duties and I support it. If there is any fault that I could find with her in that regard is that she did not take away all. But when you do the right thing I will say so,” he quipped. “I am very serious she did the right thing this time, it is just that she did the half right thing because she should have carried away all. But be that as it may, I need you, this country needs you to do the right thing,” he urged Government. Last week Mottley relieved Hinkson of his duties related to the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) with immediate effect and reassigned them to Attorney General Dale Marshall. Hinkson was also relieved of responsibility for the Forensic Services Centre, the Criminal Justice Research Unit and the Police Complaints Authority. Hinkson has so far said he was in “total agreement” with the Prime Minister’s decision, indicating that he could now better manage his remaining duties. Turning his attention to the Bill, Franklyn urged Government to weed out corruption and bring people guilty of wrongdoing to justice. “I don’t feel that politicians or anybody should betray the public’s trust and get away with it. This is not a witch hunt, you are hunting thieves. So please go after these people. That last group did not carry away the pie, they carried away the whole pie and the pie pan and somebody needs to account for it,” he said, Pointing out that the legislation “goes a long way” to ensure that people would think twice before doing wrong, Franklyn said he did not believe it would stop people from “transgressing”, but would cause them to want to be more “innovative”. “Now that you are at the wheel you’ve got to stay the course and deal with these people,” insisted Franklyn. While lauding the BLP administration for “starting on this transparency thing”, Franklyn cried shame on the administration for not disclosing its intention of accepting $13.5 million for land at Coverley before it did. In making the announcement of the transaction, Mottley had revealed that the $13.5 million was three times the worth of the lands sold. However, insisting that he was not aware of the worth of the land, Franklyn said the fact that the deal was done before being made public “looks bad”. “When you have these private treaty arrangements it always leaves room for doubt. But if you brought it before Parliament and explained yourself, then it comes up here and we vote on it and we say yes, nobody can fault you. That is all I am saying,” he said. Franklyn, who previously called for members of the DLP found guilty of wrongdoing while in office to be brought to justice, said he was “hurting” and was eager to see them pay. He said it was the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that had caused the current administration to put certain measures in place to ensure transparency, but insisted that he wanted to see action in relation to weeding out corruption. “I want this administration to implement what it campaigned on, one that rules out corruption,” he said. The Public Finance Management Bill, among other things, outlines the roles and responsibilities of key government officials including ministers, permanent secretaries, chief executive officers and accounting officers. (BT)

STAY CLEAN – Members of the local business community are being warned to avoid corrupt business practices at all costs, following the indictment of two former senior insurance executives, in a US case centered on former minister of commerce, Donville Inniss. Last Friday, former Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited (ICBL) chief executive officer, Ingrid Innes, and former ICBL senior vice-president, Alex Tasker, were named as defendants in the money laundering case involving Inniss, a former Barbados government minister. In a Barbados TODAY interview, Inniss’ successor in office, Dwight Sutherland, indicated that while none of the parties had been convicted of wrongdoing in the high profile matter, the developments were still of concern. These developments prompted an appeal from Sutherland, who is also responsible for small business development, for members of the local business community to ensure they act in accordance with the regulations governing business while maintaining a high level of integrity. “I believe once you operate along those guidelines then we won’t have challenges in this country. It’s just to adhere to the guidelines and remove all the shortcuts. Try to follow the correct path as it relates to business practices,” he urged. With that advice, Sutherland gave the assurance that government would be placing more pressure on local business people. “I often look at the financial management legislation and the integrity legislation. These are some of the things that will allow businesses to operate with high ethical standards. Good governance structures will be put in place and it will augur well for Barbados. “These are the laws that will transform how we do business and help us to punch above our weight and move forward as a country with good regulation and good laws, where people will want to do business,” he said, while adding that in light of the country’s struggling economy, “you will get one or two challenges in terms of deviant behavior and a bit of corruption, but once we revive this economy, I am positive that many of these negatives and irregularities will be stamped out.” Meanwhile, the minister stressed that the news of Donville Inniss’ alleged involvement in the matter should not be a point of celebration by members of the current government. “We shouldn’t be celebrating any ill or damage being sustained to the colleagues on the other side . . . and I say colleague because we all are supposed to be working toward the good of this country. Indeed it is sad,” he said. However, he said the development has been a wake-up call and has motivated him to do all in his power to avoid a situation similar to his predecessor’s. “Politicians need to bring ethical standards and a sense of responsibility and a sense of purpose where people can trust us and feel empowered. I am looking forward to a country where people can begin to look at us [politicians] through one lens instead of with skepticism. “We will do justice to this country in terms of facilitating high business practices and make sure that everything we do is above board and can withstand any form of scrutiny or regulations and I think that is how all politicians ought to operate,” he said, while adding that government had its work cut out to regain the confidence of citizens. “We have to bring back a level of respectability to how people see us. We should be seen as role models for young people and indeed that is my mission and my mandate,” he promised. (BT)

‘GOVERNMENT DRAGGING ITS FEET’, SAYS GEORGE – The head of this island’s renewable energy sector is warning Government to pick up the pace on key infrastructural and policy changes, otherwise, the goal of making Barbados 100 per cent dependent on renewable energy by 2030, will amount to nothing more than just fancy talk. This is the view of president of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA), Jerry George, who explained that among other critical issues to be addressed, Government must immediately extend Barbados Light and Power’s (BL&P) licence to provide electricity to the island. He explained that it was unreasonable to expect BL&P to make substantial investments in renewable energy infrastructure without assurances after their licence expires in 11 years. Speaking to reporters this morning at BREA’s 7th annual general meeting at the 3W’s Oval pavilion, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, George made it clear that without the investments from BL&P, Government’s goal was simply out of reach. “The utility company’s involvement is critical. We cannot do this without the involvement of the utility company and currently their licence expires in 11 years. This might sound like a long time to some people, but I can assure that it is not. They (BL&P) will need to start to make investments to support this transition and they are going to be hesitant to do that if they don’t know if they even going to be existing in the next 11 years. So, we strongly believe that the utility’s licence needs to get addressed now so that they can be part of this process in developing the detailed strategy on how we move forward to 100 per cent renewable energy,” explained George. In addition to the licence, George also expressed concern about the length of time that it is still taking investors to get the requisite permissions for renewable energy projects. “This cannot continue going forward. We have scenarios where projects have been under development for over two or three years and if we are to achieve this target then we cannot be taking this long to make a decision. There must be ministerial synchronization with the policy. It is not just about the Ministry of Energy alone. All departments that play a role must be on the same page,” said George. The renewable energy advocate emphasised, “This is a national target, and everybody must be aligned so that when an application is being made for a solar farm all of the various Government agencies must have their processes in place so that the decision can be made quickly and that developer can know if he is going ahead or not.” The BREA president noted that the eight-month-old Mia Mottley administration has been brought up to speed on the issue of the licence. However, he is concerned that with only a short time remaining for such an ambitious enterprise of switching fully to renewable energy, there is not enough urgency being shown. “The Government is well aware of this and a number of other issues. We raised it with them when the new administration came in. We are aware that there have already been a number of policies and regulatory amendments made as well as new documents developed. We are hoping that we will hear about some of these decisions early in this year,” he stressed. (BT)

BLP’S OPENNESS LAUDED – The Public Finance Management Bill 2019 has been described by Minister of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology Kay McConney as “show and tell at the very highest level of financial management”. And according to her, the bill has brought about such a high level of transparency that Government is now “practically naked” when it comes to the management of public finances. “This bill is a bold next step in prudent financial management and fiscal governance for Barbados. This bill represents a higher standard of responsible government to meet the expectations of our citizens, the expectations of our local investors and the expectations of our international investors and partners,” McConney said during debate in the Senate this morning. “With this bill, the present government is standing up for the public interest. We are committing first ourselves to an unprecedented level of openness about how government manages public finances and by so doing, we are setting this country on a path to sustainability.” McConney said among other things the bill would bring discipline to the practice of financial management in all of Government, enable transparency in the public’s interest, mandate accountability for all persons who serve as public officials with responsibilities for handling public monies, as well as to introduce proactive risk management into the culture of financial management in Barbados. “We have had a situation in Barbados where state-owned entities especially, although not exclusively, operated under separate Acts, held themselves to standards and rules of financial management that were loose and this looseness led to incidences of mismanagement and wastage and possibly corruption that put this country’s economy in danger,” McConney said. “It filled the pockets of an unscrupulous few and it left the people of Barbados vex. This bill proposes to tighten up on this looseness . . .” The minister said she was pleased that the bill was not “empty” and carried sanctions of up to a $200 000 fine and five years in prison or both for those persons found guilty. McConney said the current administration has shown its willingness to take steps to weed out all forms of corruption. “This current Barbados Labour Party administration has come to the point of bringing this bill before this Honourable House as a government that has long been committed to raising the standards and practices of prudent financial management to a higher level in Barbados. “We cannot ‘unring’ the bells of financial mismanagement, of seeming negligence and possible corruption that are still ringing in our ears at home and abroad from the decisions and actions of the last government administration,” McConney said. “We cannot rewind the damage done to Barbados’ reputation internationally, but we can do better. We can hold ourselves to a higher standard going forward.” (BT)

PELOSI: NO STATE OF THE UNION IN THE HOUSE UNTIL SHUTDOWN ENDS – President Donald Trump declared his yearly State of the Union address "canceled" on Wednesday after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not allow him to deliver the speech in the House chamber while the government is shut down. "She doesn't want to hear the truth. She doesn't want the American public to hear what's going on," Trump said from the Cabinet Room after Pelosi made her intentions known in a letter. Trump bemoaned the decision, calling it a "great blotch on the incredible country we love." "It's a great, great, horrible mark," Trump said. Trump had insisted earlier in a letter that he was planning on presenting his annual address from the chamber of the US House next week as planned, essentially daring the body's top Democrat to formally disinvite him from delivering the yearly message. Hours later, Pelosi appeared to take the dare, saying she would refuse to bring up for a vote a measure that would allow Trump to speak. "I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President's State of the Union address in the House Chamber until the government has opened," Pelosi wrote. Speaking from the White House Roosevelt Room as Pelosi's letter became public, the President vowed to formally respond soon. "I'm not surprised," Trump said. "It's really a shame what's happening with the Democrats. They've become radicalized. They don't want to see crime stopped." Asked about a new venue, Trump said only: "We'll see." The back-and-forth escalated one of the rancorous subplots of the extended standoff over border security that has shuttered government agencies and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay. Even as the two leaders wrote each other in letters dripping with barely veiled disgust, they did not plan to meet face-to-face and haven't spoken directly in weeks. Trump's letter, written with characteristic flourish, dismissed concerns raised by Pelosi about security during a partial government shutdown. The Democratic speaker controls the chamber's proceedings and must allow for a vote on his speech. "I will be honoring your invitation, and fulfilling my constitutional duty, to deliver important information to the people and Congress of the United States of America regarding the State of our Union," Trump wrote in his letter. He said he'd consulted with Secret Service and Homeland Security officials, who told him of "absolutely no problem regarding security with respect to the event." And he declared the speech would occur on Tuesday from the House chamber. "It would be so very sad for our country, if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location!" he wrote. As speaker, it is Pelosi's prerogative to invite the President to deliver the annual address. Both the House and the Senate would need to pass resolutions convening a Joint Session of Congress before the President's appearance. The letter was the latest in a round of squabbling over the yearly speech, which is a constitutional requirement that has been caught up in the back-and-forth over border security and reopening shuttered government agencies. Pelosi initially wrote Trump last week to inform him the speech should be delayed, or delivered in writing, since the law enforcement agencies tasked with protecting the Capitol during the event are affected by the shutdown. The Department of Homeland Security later cast those concerns aside, saying its agents and officers had been preparing for months to protect the venue, and would be ready shutdown or not. (DN)

DIRE SITUATION – A group of Venezuelans living in Barbados is accusing local dignitaries of deliberately spreading propaganda on behalf of the Venezuelan government by returning with fake news reports on the country’s situation after government-sponsored trips to the country. Upset Venezuelans told Barbados TODAY that the “propaganda” was intended to give the impression that “everything is fine and dandy” in the country, which is widely reported as being in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, fuelled by a dictator. The local group came together near Accra Beach to protest the tenure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro – joining thousands of their countrymen living in 70 countries around the world, who are demanding that he be removed from office. Political activists, including Barbados’ ambassador to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), David Commissiong and General Secretary of the Friends of Venezuela Solidarity Committee, David Denny, have on numerous occasions defended the Maduro-led government of Venezuela amid continued criticism. However, some Venezuelans living in Barbados say their families are suffering in Venezuela and have dismissed the accounts of local activists. “A lot of local dignitaries say Venezuela is fantastic, but I invite them and I have invited them on social media, to go to Venezuela and live with a Venezuelan family. Take your wife with you and when your wife is going through that time of the month that every lady goes through, take her to a supermarket to find sanitary napkins. Take your child with you and when he gets a headache, try to get aspirin for the child; you won’t find it,” said Jose Zerba, who has been living in Barbados for over 30 years since migrating from Venezuela. Instead, Zerba accused the local dignitaries of doing a disservice with their accounts of the situation in the country. “The government of Venezuela will invite you to Venezuela for a week, so that you can come back and talk about Venezuela. You’re going to fly first class if you don’t go on a private aircraft. You’re going to stay as a guest of the government. You’re going to get all three of your meals and if you want champagne with breakfast, you can have that along with a private car to pick you up and take you where you want to go,” he said. Earlier this month, a number of Barbadians travelled to Venezuela to attend the January 10th Presidential Inauguration of Nicolas Maduro and reported that the election process was fair, despite reports from countless international media that the election was rigged. Maria Gloumeau, another Venezuelan protester, however, told Barbados TODAY that their families were “dying and crying” and when they go against the government are being killed and imprisoned. “We are supporting our Venezuelan people to take out Mr. Nicolas Maduro who has taken presidency as a dictator because he was not elected by the people. “The news that comes from Barbadians who go to Venezuela is usually from people who are taken there by the government. They see a different country to what exists. There’s no medicine, there’s no food, there’s a lot of insecurity, there’s nothing,” she said in despair. Last May, Head of the Department of Government, Sociology and Social Work at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Tennyson Joseph declared that Venezuela was “more democratic than Barbados,” following criticism of the Maduro government’s handling of the situation in Venezuela. Joseph more recently has also called on regional governments to respect Venezuela’s right to self-determination. However, Venezuelans living in Barbados have described last May’s election in Venezuela as fraudulent. Instead, they say that many around the world were asking for help to create a transition toward a new government and new elections. “Venezuela today sits on the world’s largest confirmed oil reserves. Venezuela has bauxite, diamonds and gold, but at the same time, Venezuela is the poorest country after Haiti in the hemisphere,” argued Zerba. Much to the delight of the protestors, Venezuela’s opposition leader, Juan Guaido, today declared himself the country’s interim president before thousands of demonstrators in Caracas as the latest step to end the Maduro’s reign as President. (BT)

80MILLION BONUS – Barbados is really getting its money’s worth in cricket. The economic impact of this England tour may be even greater than first thought, as Cricket West Indies (CWI) estimates that the country will gain more than US$40 million (BDS$80 million) in foreign exchange. CWI chief executive officer Johnny Grave made the assessment yesterday after 7 000 travelling Brits stormed Kensington Oval for the opening day of the first Test match. “We commissioned an independent report a few years ago that said the economic impact of an England tour was approximately US$5 million a day. I think there are more England fans here than the previous tour [because] we’re up to 7 000 at least here just for the cricket,” said Grave. “And I think [more] people probably would have been here in the masses if it wasn’t the hotel accommodation and flight availability. Most of the hotel rooms are full and overflowing, which is fantastic. “With this game and the two one day internationals (ODIs) to come, we’re looking at probably almost conservatively US$30 million, US$40 million worth of economic impact, which is brilliant and not just for Barbados but also the millions of people back in the United Kingdom watching the cricket who have never come here on holiday or think they need to get back here on holiday,” he added. (DN)

WINDIES CRUMBLE IN LAST SESSION – Test cricket is about sustaining solid starts into substantial scores and not flattering with 40s and 50s. The West Indies’ specialist batsmen should have learnt that lesson at the close of an engrossing opening day of the first Wisden Trophy cricket Test at Kensington Oval, on Wednesday, after England gained the ascendancy. Much to the delight of close to 7 000 English visitors in the stands, veteran seamer James Anderson and all-rounder Ben Stokes transformed promising positions of 126 for one and 240 for four into an unsatisfactory 264 for eight in 89.2 overs at stumps. Anderson snared three late scalps with the second new ball to finish with the excellent figures of four for 33 in 24 probing overs, while Stokes supported with three for 47 off 19.2 overs. The West Indies definitely enjoyed the early proceedings but lost four wickets for just 34 runs in the last 9.2 overs after England took the second new ball at 230-4. Shai Hope and Roston Chase fell after making 50s while openers Kraigg Brathwaite and debutantJohn Campbell perished in the 40s. Exciting rookie left-handed stroke-maker Shimron Hetmyer was not out on a typically attacking 56, which was adorned with five fours and two sixes off just 60 balls. Unfortunately, only fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel are left to bat for the Windies to get close to the 300-mark. (DN)

GREEN MACHINES KEEP TITLE – The Green Machines pulled out all their stops when they retained the title at Luther Thorne’s Inter-house Athletics Championships at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex, on Wednesday. Their total of 661 points was just enough to leave the Yellow Tigers in their shadow once more after they gained 647 points following a tough fight. The Blue Blazers were third with 551 and the Red Lions fourth with 524. Leading the charge for Green was Nitara Clarke of the Under-13 division with 50 points. The speedy queen of the track won the 100, 200, 400 and 600 metres Open Girls events, as well as the long jump. Yellow’s Creston Hinds of the Under-9 division won the victor ludorum title. (DN)

CENTENARIAN LIVES BY ‘A TOUCH OF BRANDY – Coral Osaline Agard started her day with a session of prayer thanking God for helping her to reach 100 years old. Then she got busy in her kitchen preparing her lunch, which included frying pot fish. Relatives who gathered at her Appleby Gardens, St James home to celebrate the big day which also included a visit from Governor General Dame Sandra Mason, told members of the media that Agard does not only cook for herself and keep her surroundings clean and tidy, but she also takes pride in catching the bus to go wherever she wants to. Agard who is lovingly referred to as “the road runner” acts as though her walking stick is just a prop, as she is still able to walk upright on her own. Relatives recalled that just two years ago, the old lady was still going to the supermarket to do her own grocery shopping. “I am feeling fine. I am not complaining,” declared the centenarian who said that she embraced the tough and happy times she has encountered throughout life’s journey. A seemingly quiet Agard, who has one daughter, four grands, five great-grands and four great-great grands, did not have much to say other than she was feeling grateful. However, her granddaughter, Olivet Hinds, said her grandmother worked heading cane at Porters factory and then worked as a cleaner in the tourism industry. “She is in good health. She is always on the road. She likes to go places. It is only in the last year that we have stopped her being independent. She is now here living with mummy and my brother. But all like now she still cooks. “She doesn’t go out alone anymore. But wherever she wants to go, she has her attendant there and on the bus they go wherever driving. And you always have to tell her granny the stick goes on the ground not under your arm. She has a stick just to pose with,” Hinds said. She said her grandmother also believes that the “touch” of brandy she has been drinking every Saturday night for many years, is what gets you to the 100 mark. The granddaughter said the kind and gentle matriarch would give her last to a stranger. “Anybody would tell you that. I use to work on Broad Street and I would be at lunch going down Broad Street and I would pass granny. I would ask her, ‘granny where you going?’ and she would say ‘I going to the hospital to look for somebody. Who in the hospital? I don’t know. “She going to look for the sick and take stuff for the people at the hospital. She would give the last of whatever it is she has to a stranger. She does not even have to know you. As long as you look like you are in need, she would take her shoes off and walk on the hot road,” Hinds said. Governor General Dame Sandra Mason commended Agard for the role she has played in shaping the lives of future generations. The centenarian who was busy enjoying the company of the youngest member of her family, 10-month-old Lux Corbin who came in from Canada to share the special day with her, told Barbados TODAY that she intended to spend the rest of her birthday quietly. (BT)

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