#But I hope I made it clear that I ADORE Yo Han

[amethystina]

As weird as it sounds, reading your fic is making me realise that Yohan gaslit me all along and Gaon wasn't in love with him.

Honestly, it doesn't sound weird at all — at least not to me. Yo Han definitely gaslit the viewers of the drama just as much as he gaslit Ga On. Which has been clear to me from the beginning and is why I'm putting so much effort into levelling out the power balance. I'm trying to call out as many of Yo Han's bad habits as possible, not just because he and Ga On need it, but because I think my readers do as well.

Because, as much as some want to see Yo Han as a traumatised, misunderstood man, he really isn't. Traumatized, yes. But misunderstood? Hell no. He's 100% aware of what he's doing the majority of the time and he will use whatever he has at his disposal to get an advantage.

Take the moment he tells Ga On about the fire as an example. Once Ga On has left, Yo Han points out how people always fall for those kinds of sob stories. That's hella meta when you think about it since many viewers no doubt started sympathising with him after hearing that story. Even when Yo Han blatantly says, straight to the camera, that he is currently using his own trauma to gain sympathy, some viewers don't realise that they're included in that statement.

He is talking about YOU just as much as he is talking about Ga On. YOU are also being manipulated.

And that is, quite frankly, ingenious. I love it.

(And yes, I'm guilty of doing the same, just the other way around. Where Yo Han tried to make you feel bad for him, I'm trying to make you question his choices and behaviour through my writing. Reversing his gaslighting, if you will. And I guess your ask means I was successful? ;) )

Now, that said, I don't think Yo Han is beyond redemption, nor do I hate him. In fact, I hate that I can't hate him. Because as much as I know that he's manipulating me, I can't help but want to see him happy. Even when he's an asshole, I remember that there is at least a kernel of good somewhere inside of him and I'm clearly a big enough sucker to let that sway my judgement. I love Yo Han.

And I think Ga On is in a similar position. Whether or not he was/is in love with Yo Han is up for interpretation, I'd say, but there's no denying that he is, at the very least, incredibly attached. To the point where it might be a little unhealthy, yes. That's not to say that every aspect of their relationship is toxic, however. Just like with Yo Han himself, there are true glimpses of warmth, joy, and genuine care.

And I guess that's the part I'm trying to bring out more, while also addressing the bad ones. Like the fact that Yo Han was trying to make Ga On as dependent on him as possible. In my fic, I chose to make Yo Han regret that decision and have him try to reverse it (and I think he did the same in the drama, judging by his expression when he pushed Ga On out of the courtroom but, again, that's up for interpretation). Because, if I hadn't? Then this relationship would become alarmingly destructive, incredibly fast.

Now, I'm not saying that shipping them is wrong or amoral — heck, I ship them, so that would be very hypocritical of me — but I do think that it's frighteningly easy to forget just how much of a villain Yo Han is. But, seeing as that is the entire point of his character, I don't blame those who do.

And, in the end, does it even matter?

To me it does, because I like to know what I'm thinking and feeling, and, more importantly, why. But, to some, that's not as important and that's fine too. But, in my case, I'm well aware that Yo Han tried to gaslight me and was at least partially successful. But, regardless of that, I choose to ship them and write this fanfic because the characters and their relationship fascinate me so much.

But no one can ever convince me that what they have at the end of the drama is a healthy relationship. And, for it to work and become more healthy, Yo Han needs to make some BIG changes to his behavior and mindset, while Ga On needs to become more independent and less easily influenced. Which is my aim with the fanfic. Basically: can you take a relationship that started with manipulation and gaslighting and turn it into something good, nurturing, and stable?

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

I also want to point out: a relationship doesn't have to be healthy for you to ship it. Go as dark as you want and need to — that's completely fine. It just so happens that my goal for my fanfic is to try and make it healthy. But you do you, darlings. Live out those dark, kinky fantasies of yours ;)

And: it's also perfectly fine to relate to, identify with, and sympathise with characters like Yo Han. It doesn't make you a bad person. We all have pain and darkness in us and it's only natural to want to find matching pain and darkness in someone else. It's cathartic as hell once you do. And it's okay to embrace that.

Okay, this reply clearly took on a life of its own. Long story short: I know what you mean since that's the point I've been trying to make all along. So, uh, you're welcome? Or I'm sorry? Whichever suits the situation best.

... wait, does this mean I accidentally made someone no longer ship the ship I'm writing for? Since that would definitely be a first x'D

[jinslefteyebrow]

All You Need Is Love

Summary: You get very scary on bad days, then Jisung shows up.

(High School!AU, Fem!Reader x Han Jisung, Fluff and Angst, 2nd POV)

Warnings: Language, bad days?

———————————————————

Today was shit from the start.

You accidentally turned off your alarm instead of snoozing this morning, so you ended up sleeping in and not having enough time to do more than brush your teeth and throw on some sweats and a tee. Your car took a while to start, and the engine didn’t heat up fast enough to warm you up from the winter cold before you had to get out again. Your phone was already only on half a battery. And the cherry on top of the worst baked cake was that your anxiety was freaking out for god knows what reason.

Assignment after assignment were piled onto you and you could only feel your headache increase. Any other day, others know you as a generally kind and caring individual, but today, friends didn’t bother making conversation. One look from you turned them away.

As you walked through the halls, your peers moved out of your path, scared of your menacing glare and walk. If you asked a random person what your glare was like, they would say that it could burn a hole through a thick slab of diamond and clear any innocent creature within a 5 mile radius.

So, when an unfortunate someone bumped into you, the students around you thought you were going to beat the poor kid. Everyone turned to see what your reaction would be, and prayed for the poor dude that looked like he was going to piss himself.

“Watch it!” You growled and walked away, much to the relief of everyone around you. Though that didn’t stop the dude you bumped into from being concerned and scared. His first day of school and he’s already pissed someone off.

By lunch time, you were feeling like the ground should just swallow you whole so you could sob as much as you want six feet under. Instead of sitting with your friends you just went to the library for some peace and quiet. Maybe also a nap. It’s not like anything new was happening at the table.

The next day you were feeling so much better. You wondered just what was up with you yesterday. The new kid wasn’t in your mind though.

Classmates were relieved to see you in a much calmer and friendlier state. Most of the school decided that yesterday you wasn’t a thing. Some of your teachers even offered to help you on those bad days, but you declined with a smile.

In lunch, you finally returned to your table and your friends didn’t bother questioning where you were, given they knew how shit yesterday was for you via the group chat. Unfortunately, they didn’t tell you their own new developments.

“Y/N, this is Jisung, he’s new here and he’s joining our table.” Hyunjin said in an official tone. He was smiling at the boy and you turned you head to see it was, oh no. The poor kid from yesterday. He waved shyly, clearly looking a little nervous.

“Hey, welcome aboard,” you smiled, “I’m sorry about bumping into you yesterday.” He looked surprised, and you could hear laughing from one of your annoying friends.

“Wait, so, the ‘angry, but pretty girl’ you accidentally pissed off yesterday was just Y/N?” Seungmin snorted as Jeongin and Felix were laughing next to him, holding onto each other. Hyunjin spoke up, “To be fair, we are literally all afraid of making Y/N mad. I’m pretty sure her glare made someone cry yesterday.”

“Did it? Oh god I hope she’s okay?” You worried. Bad days for you are clearly detrimental to everyone’s health. Whilst this was happening, Jisung was bewildered at the fact that you were such a genuine person and not always as... annoyed as you were yesterday. That, he was thankful for.

“Jisung, I’m really sorry about them. It must suck that on your first day you had to deal with me.” You said to him, your eyes expressing just how honest you were.

“It was nothing. Better than my old school.” He replies. You just nod and acknowledge that that must have been a crappy school indeed.

The rest of lunch, your table was full of laughter and smiles, and the occasional snack on the back of the head when one of the boys were particularly stupid.

-

It took some time, but Jisung soon enough became a permanent fix in your friend group. He was surprised to meet the rest of the boys that already graduated, but was able to quickly connect with them. You were pretty sure Chris and Changbin accepted him as soon as they heard he rapped.

All of the boys loved messing with him since he was the newest addition. Every time he huffed about it, you immediately pointed out how you had to deal with that too since you were the only female of the group. You two had that mutual understanding and Jisung had started working his way into your heart.

The boys would tease you about how you seemed to enjoy his compliments so much more than theirs, and how he blushed at your babying rather than wave you off like he did the others. Minho liked to joke that it was a match made in heaven. If only.

You knew yourself that you had a big crush on him. Maybe even deeper than that. How could you not? He’s adorable and precious. The way he blushes looks so cute. You swore your heart soared every time he smiled, his soft lips stretched with his cute chubby cheeks to show his adorable big teeth. You wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. You were in deep.

You ended up staying up the whole night wondering about your feelings for him and thinking about ways to confess. The moment your alarm for school woke you up from your two hour sleep, you knew today was going to be horrible.

Horrible it was.

You spilled your morning drink on your clothes, so you had to change into new clothes on limited time. The traffic was terrible. Your eyes could barely stay open.

Once more, classmates were scared off. It was months since the last bad day, so everyone was expecting it sooner or later. They just didn’t guess the intensity.

As you walked to your next class, you made a different turn and decided to skip the rest of the day, knowing well that you’ll be called out of class tomorrow about it. What you didn’t expect was Jisung to call out your name and run up to you.

You huffed and glared, but he just kept walking beside you. When you exited the school you turned around, seeing him still behind you, like a confused puppy following it’s owner.

“What do you want?” You shout. His smile only went down for a second, but he put it back on, “I’m joining you.” He says.

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.” He challenges you, not faltering at your angry look. He walks up to you and hesitantly wraps his arms around you. “It will be okay.”

And that’s all it took for you to break.

You started sobbing into his shirt. You recalled all the crap you had to go through. Even the smallest bad details got to you. Through the whole thing he held you and listened, patting your head and rubbing circles on your back with his thumb.

It took a bit, but you finally got to just sniffling when you lifted your head up and said “We should probably go now if we don’t want to get caught.” He grinned at you and pulled you by your hand to your car. “Let’s get some Fro-Yo.”

[mrs-han]

Hi! Can I request a fic with an MC who had a slight crush on Jumin before joining the RFA? Not the billionaire playboy the media sold but the Jumin who made this funny cat projects which she always supported, the one who made huge donations to Charities, who had to deal with the press because of his father or some woman wanting his money (for what she felt sorry), who had so interesting ideas about ecology, economy and politics (and who is also drop dead gorgeous) thx! Good luck with the blog!

—

Hi there, anon!! Thank you so much for your wishes! Here ya go~ hope you like this!!

~ ~~ ~

Just A Crush

~ ~~ ~

It was like an unprecedented fairytale, a fairytale you didn’t ask for.

You, the unwitting protagonist, joined a private yet relatively well-known group known for its charitable donations and auctioning of photographs.

Did you ask to be a part of the group? No. You could have incriminated yourself and said you hacked your way into the RFA chatroom, even though you hadn’t hacked a thing in your life. You could have been rude to the people who talked to you; a suspicious business woman, a flirty actor, a perky college student, a reclusive hacker...

And him.

It would have been easiest to be rude to him. He was rude to you first, but no. You just had to be the bigger person.

It took you some time to memorize the other members’ names. But you already knew his.

Jumin Han.

You remembered clearly; before you tumbled into the RFA, escaping him and his influence was near impossible. He was all over the place; magazines, television screens, newspapers, books; you couldn’t escape his gray, lifeless eyes staring at you and millions of other people.

While you didn’t share the hype that surrounded him... you did like him. A little. You may have saved the magazines with his interviews and headshots in your coffee-table drawer, and you may have decided to study business administration because of him.

But being so close to him, closer than even his business partners, made you... feel things. Dangerous things. The spark of admiration you had for him kept growing, with every phone call he made and with every message he sent.

He was... definitely different from how you thought he was. While he kept that adorably stupid poker face on at all times, and while he was certainly one of the most successful men in his field... Jumin Han was a massive dork.

—

He was obsessed with his cat...

—

“MC?” Jumin stood from his desk and moved toward you, “what do you think of these patterns?”

“What are they for?” You set your book down and moved closer to Jumin, a gentle smile on your lips.

“It’s for the current cat project I’m working on,” Jumin smiled. “I’d like to know your opinion.”

He tried to hide his excitement, but you knew how he truly felt. Your smile widened as you closely observed the patterns. “Polka dots or stripes, huh?”

“See,” Jumin eagerly moved closer to you, “I was thinking of placing Elizabeth the Third on a nice, plain backdrop, but that’s just what it is. Plain. Elizabeth the Third deserves better.”

You nodded. “Obviously.”

“Exactly,” the excitement in Jumin’s voice climbed and he sank into the space beside you. “So, I produced these two patterns. If I go with the stripes, it will naturally look classic, and Elizabeth the Third’s beautiful fur will make a perfect contrast to the pattern.”

You frowned. “Mm... the stripes make it look like she’s guarding a cage. Polka dots look playful yet elegant, and that description alone fits Elizabeth the Third more than anything.”

Jumin’s eyes sparkled. “Yes... yes, I like that idea. MC, I truly appreciate your help. Please excuse me.”

—

... and he ranted to you about weird things.

—

“MC, I have a question for you. Do you think lying is bad?”

You set your cup of tea down. “Lying? Well... I mean, it depends on the circumstance.”

“You can agree that you can’t give me a black or white answer about this, am I right?”

You pursed your lips. “It’d be difficult to. Why?”

“I’ll get to that in a minute.” Jumin leaned back and fixed his tie pin. “Say, did you know that Borfes magazine said that I was a good person due to the money I donated last Christmas?”

Your face flushed; of course you knew that. You saved the magazine article. But it wasn’t like he would find out about that, so you feigned your ignorance. “What, really? Jumin, that’s amazing!”

“Yes, it was a huge success for C&R. But, the article insisted I was a good person when really, I’m not.”

You sat up straight. “... What? Where did that come from?”

“Hm. You must have noticed as soon as you heard me say it, but that was a lie. Of course, I’m a great person.”

Your brows furrowed as you processed his words. “What?”

“Okay,” Jumin sat on the edge of his seat, “going back to my original point. It is widely believed that Santa Claus does not give presents to children who are naughty. A lie is considered naughty, therefore a child who lies does not deserve a present from Santa.”

You blinked.

“What will happen to me this Christmas, MC? Am I already on the naughty list for next year because I just lied? Or am I on the naughty list for this year since Christmas is still far ahead of us? Who is this Santa Claus to dictate whether something is good or bad? What if a lie needs to be told to save someone’s life? Christmas is just so irrational. Are all your good deeds canceled if you do something bad?”

“... Jumin, we are in the middle of June. What are you talking about?”

—

The press only managed to show how glamorous he was. But they didn’t show everything.

—

They didn’t show how vulnerable he could be...

—

“Jumin?”

Jumin lifted his head from his hands and quickly adjusted himself as you quietly approached him. “MC, what are you doing? You should be asleep.”

“I couldn’t sleep... hey, is everything all right?”

Jumin adjusted his sleeves and sighed. “No. No, my... my father is truly under Glam Choi’s spell, it seems.”

“Jumin...”

“I’m sorry, MC,” Jumin’s heavy-hearted eyes were a sight you had not seen before, and did not wish to see again. “I shouldn’t be burdening you with anything, you already have a lot to think about.”

“Jumin Han,” you scolded lightly, your hands latched onto his, “talk to me. You’ll feel better, trust me.”

An amused smile tugged at his lips. “MC, you may not get to sleep tonight if I talk to you.”

“It’s okay,” you squeezed his hands, “I want to hear what you’re thinking.”

He pulled your hands close to his chest and, as if they were delicate pieces of silk, he cradled them as he spoke. “My father... how could he behave this way? How could he treat the company this way, and his employees... MC, how could he treat me this way?”

You didn’t say anything. You didn’t know what to say. But you did scoot closer to him, your thumbs running over the back of Jumin’s hands.

“I know I should be used to this. I know I should know how to deal with this, but I don’t. I still don’t.” Jumin’s eyes met yours. “He’s behaving so irrationally... and now he wants to go against my wishes and have me marry a woman I don’t want.”

“Jumin...” you reached over and rubbed his arm. “... you shouldn’t always expect yourself to know what to do. You shouldn’t have to be so guarded all the time... this is very unfair to you.”

“Unfair...” Jumin allowed himself to slouch a little. “... is that what this feeling is? It’s unpleasant... I don’t like it.”

He was like a child discovering new emotions. It was completely unconscious on your part, but you wrapped your arms around him and pulled him in for an awkward hug.

“MC?”

“You deserve so much more than this, Jumin. And I know it may not feel like it right now, but it’s going to be okay,” you whispered. “You shouldn’t hide what you’re feeling, though. It’s not good for you.”

You didn’t know what you were doing. That’s why it surprised you as Jumin wrapped his arms around you, enforcing the awkwardness of the hug.

“It will be okay,” Jumin repeated, his voice reverberated through your body. “With you by my side, I believe that.”

—

... and they didn’t show how open-minded he was.

—

“MC, try this wine. It’s absolutely exquisite.”

The allure the red liquid had as it danced against his lips made you reach over and pour yourself a glass. As soon as you took a sip, your eyes widened.

“Wow... I’ve never had anything so fancy before!”

“Everyone should have access to the best resources,” Jumin swiveled his wine glass, “regardless of wealth or stature.”

“Yeah well...” you set your glass down. “... in an ideal world, that’s how it would be, but it isn’t that simple. Most people have to work harder, and even then, they may never be able to even lay their eyes on this type of wine in their life.”

“I see...” Jumin pursed his lips. “... there are many trials in life that I may never be exposed to. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t learn.”

“That’s very mature of you to say,” you smiled, “not many people in your position really seem to care.”

“It’s easy not to care when you’re blinded by what you have,” Jumin said gently, as if acknowledging himself. “I believe that, the more I’m around you, the more I can learn.”

“What are you saying,” you teased, “are you saying I’m poor, huh?”

“Huh? No, MC, that’s not what I —“

“I’m joking!” You laughed. “Think of it as commoner humor.”

“Common...” he stopped himself and laughed. “... maybe you can teach me more of this type of humor.”

You scoffed and took another sip of wine. “You’re too posh for it, I don’t think you can deal.”

“I know some slang words. Open your ears and listen.” Jumin sat up straight and cleared his throat. “Fetch me dem cookies. The feels train be chugging along. And dem onion ninjas... yo.”

You snorted your wine and coughed. “What...?! What was that, Jumin?!”

“What, did I not use them correctly?” Jumin jumped up and grabbed napkins.

“You’re so cute...!” You took the napkins from him and covered your face. “A for effort! Haha!”

—

It was an unprecedented fairytale. One you knew had to end sometime. Once the party was over, you would return to your life, and Jumin would return to his. Jumin would settle things with his father, meet someone who made his heart race, and he’d marry them.

And you? You’d go back to your apartment, and enroll in classes that were on campus. Maybe you’d reach out to him, just to see how he was doing every now and again. But then life would get busy, and you’d forget to text or call him until the next party came around the following year.

You sat up in Jumin’s king-sized bed and watched him as he snoozed soundly on his couch, his papers scattered around him forming some makeshift blanket.

The feelings you felt... it was better to keep them to yourself.

It was just a crush, after all.

~ ~~ ~

[mirageofrenarouge]

That Fateful Night (Part 3/3)

Part 1 Part 2

Read it on AO3, if ya like!

“Ladybug, is that you? I heard you fly in from the window.” Adrien feigned drowsiness and sat up in his bed. Marinette was frozen in place, silhouetted in the darkness of his pitch black room. The only part of her that Adrien could see where her alluring blue eyes, a mask of white light across her face. She stood frozen in place, caught between a rock and a hard place. She wanted to confess to Adrien herself, not through Ladybug. Ladybug was not a girl who could be his girlfriend alone. At the same time, Marinette Dupain-Cheng could not have just gone feet first through a window and landed perfectly. Neither of them noticed their kwamis, one hid in darkness and the other a purse, shaking their heads identically in disbelief.

“It is me, yes…” Marinette finally said, putting on her heroic Ladybug voice. “But I’m not transformed right now. Honestly, I was coming to confess my love to you as myself. I-It sounds so stupid out loud.” Her fake confidence faltered, and she took a more awkward posture. She was probably giving herself away majorly right now.

“I don’t think that sounds stupid. That’s...really romantic, mi- err, Ladybug!”

Had he almost said her name? Did he know? How could he possibly already know who she was?

“That being said though,” Adrien continued. “Why tonight, of all nights?” He couldn’t help but smirk at being the one in the know for once. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered to be visited by the heroine of paris like a blushing Juliet, but…”

She wondered briefly if she should be honest, because the answer was honestly just as stupid to her. There was really nothing any more special about tonight than any other night she hadn’t told him how she felt, any other day at school she had failed to get the words out to him between classes. She looked down at the floor for a moment. She could feel Adrien’s eyes searching for anything to identify her in the darkness.

“Chat Noir,” she said at last. “He showed me that I was being silly in wasting time wishing.”

A familiar smirk crawled across Adrien’s face. Marinette, not seeing the correlation, simply blushed at the young model’s dazzling smile.

“That Chat Noir, he’s quite a guy then.” Adrien remarked, clearly pleased with himself. “But why me instead of him? He not your type?”

The flirtatious tone that Adrien was taking with her was making her heart do jumping jacks, and sending her mind into a confused semi-panic. There was clearly something he knew that she didn’t. Had he put Chat Noir up to this? Did he somehow know about her crush ahead of time? Was he just playing with her heart? No, Adrien wasn’t like that. Still, nothing was making sense.

“Well...now that I know that it’s you, what do we do?”

He had really charged right at the elephant in the room. Marinette was scared. Her heart was pounding for so many reasons all at once that she felt faint. Still, it was far too late to back down now. Even if she wanted to just transform, hop back out the window into the night, and disappear into the light of the moon... she couldn’t. And what’s more, she didn’t want that. She wanted love; she wanted his love. She had admired him from afar for far too long. It was time to make her move. Marinette wanted to be his girlfriend, but she couldn’t by herself any more than Ladybug could. He had to know both sides of her, to love them both for their relationship to truly be what she had always wanted.

“I want to show you who I am. It’s asking a lot of you, to keep my secret. I trust you, though. I know you, and I know you can be trusted with a secret.”

You have no idea, my Lady.

“So unless you don’t want it…”

She gave him time to chime up, but heard nothing. She took a shaky breath, another. A third. She stepped out into the light. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was bathed in natural light. Her blue eyes shone in contrast to her dark hair. The pastel colors of her outfit stood out as well. She stood like this, afraid of rejection but hopeful.

Adrien sat back in disbelief. An attempt to say her name died in his throat as he took in that she was really there. Marinette, his shy classmate, the savior of Paris. She was his partner that had been through so much with him. She was the one to always save the day. Of course it was her, who else could it have been? The dark blue hair, the sky blue eyes. She was the spitting image of his Lady, minus a bright red suit and mask and a yo-yo. She acted like his Lady too, just in different ways. Ladybug saved the day with her lucky charm, while Marinette…

Marinette gave him her lucky charm.

“W-wow…” was all he eventually got out. She crinkled at the word, feeling unsure how positive a reaction that was.

“You’re probably disappointed. I’m not-”

“You are a hero, Marinette.”

Her self-deprecation was snatched from her lips. She formed a blush at his words. She could scarcely believe that he so easily saw the hero in plain old Marinette, the baker’s daughter who was late to everything.

“It makes so much sense. The noble nature, the knowing everyone’s name from our class...the disgust whenever Chloe called you her ‘best friend.’” He shook his head and laughed. “I can’t believe I never put it together.”

He got out of bed, feeling a little silly for having put on pajamas. “This makes it all so clear. I love you, Marinette. I have for so long, and I never even realized.”

Her cheeks ignited instantly, heat radiating from them as her eyes watered. They moved towards one another, feeling something was about to change between them.

“It’s only fair then, that I let you in on a little secret as well.” His smirk had returned to the Adrien smile that made her heart melt. He looked at her with the love in his eyes that she had missed so many times beneath his mask. It was mystifying. He too, had missed the way that she had gazed at him in the halls. He realized that now, and he wanted to make up for every wasted minute.

Finally, they reached each other, and embraced as if destiny had drawn them to do so. Marinette never wanted to move from his hold, his arms around her like a security blanket. He melted from the feeling of her head resting against him, a love that he had only dreamt about since his mother’s disappearance. He knew it was time. He pulled away just slightly, not daring to let go. At half arm’s-length, he stroked her cheek and looked into her eyes. He brushed her hair behind her ear, revealing her miraculous. The black earring, not possessed by the power of Tikki, shone slightly in the moonlight that eclipsed them both. He touched her cheek again, letting his ring touch her ear. The silver was much brighter even in the dim light, and almost sparkled. She felt the touch of his miraculous to hers, and suddenly the stars aligned.

“You’re Chat Noir!” She cried, breathlessly. His hand flew to her mouth, ring reflecting light in his eyes at his reaction. He stopped this just as quickly.

“Sorry, reflex. Someone could hear.” He put his offending hand behind his head in embarrassment

“You’re...you’re my kitty!” She tried again at about half volume. “I can’t... you ? You made all those dumb cat puns? Flirted with me non-stop?” she sounded almost annoyed that she had never realized, but then her expression softened. “Saved my life countless times? Showered me in compliments every time I-” she stopped before she gave herself an aneurysm from the energy of Oh my God Marinette how did you never see how obvious this is ? Instead, she let her nervous energy out the only way she could think of. She grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him down into a kiss.

The kiss. That was what they would call it for years to come. The dancing around each other, both in civilian and superhero life. The almost confessions and misunderstandings, it all became clear. Suddenly, there was only love. Adrien was shocked, but kissed her back like it was all he had.

“You stupid tomcat,” she said as they finally broke, struggling to catch her breath. “You knew I was coming her to confess my love to you the whole time!” She feigned offense but giggles gave her away.

“Guilty, my Lady.” They both felt the world pause when he called her that for what felt like the first time, and the millionth.

They spent the next few hours introducing their kwamis, recounting their battles from each perspective. They couldn’t believe how often they had barely missed each other transforming, or detransforming.

“We’re just...we’re…”

“Completely blind .” Plagg interjected.

“Like the rest of Paris, apparently.” Tikki added, with a chuckle.

“I guess, ironically, I only had eyes for you. Even I didn’t know it.” Adrien heard himself say. He chuckled right after. “That was maybe too cheesy even for Chat.”

“It was a Chat line for sure, but...sweet.” Marinette said. “A perfect blend, just like you.

Their lips met again, and they held each other for the longest time.

As the sun began to tease its arrival over the horizon, Marinette and Adrien echoed each others’ yawns.

“Another sleepless night,” he said frankly. “We’ve had enough of those to last a lifetime.”

“It’s alright, though. Knowing that it’s you with me on patrol, Chat and Adrien, makes me feel even better about it. Let Hawkmoth do his worst. We’re gonna kick his ass.”

Adrien gasped. “Marinette...did you just say that?”

“I guess I did.” she giggled nervously. “Too much?”

“No,” he shook his head emphatically. “It was...bold, but hopeful. Only my Lady could do both so effortlessly.”

“Okay, Kitty. Your flirting is adorable, but I have to go before my parents wake me up for school.” Tikki flew to Marinette’s side, stomach growling.

“How about a ride on the Chat Noir Express?” The Chat smirk returned, looking more real on his face than it ever had. “Plagg, claws out!”

The kwami, who was sitting idly and digesting cheese, was forcibly sucked into the ring as Adrien became Chat Noir in a flash of neon green. Marinette was spellbound throughout the transformation.

“Well, how could I say no to that?”

He held out his hand, the eyes of Adrien Agreste looking at hers, and they bounded into the early morning light. Though that morning they would be fighting fatigue in class, they never felt stronger together.

[sweater-weather-seven]

Tears, Grief, and Love

Request: @bat-yo-us

Hello there! Can you write a one shotfic for jumin and mc getting into an accident. The accident almost killed mc but survived. While jumin was more lucky having small injuries. I'm really am an angst freak

Author’s Note: Yo okay so this is technically my first big one shot after getting back into writing, and I honestly kind of struggled with it. I’m really sorry if it’s not what you thought it would be. You didn’t didn’t specify what type of accident, so I went with a car accident. Hope that’s okay! Also, the rest of the RFA sort of snuck into this for certain parts because I just couldn’t help myself. >.< Enjoy!

“Wow! What a great concert. That violin player had some serious talent, don’t you think, Jumin?” You smiled up at him as the two of you exited the concert hall holding hands, your fingers laced together, arms casually swinging about while you walked. You’d gone on a date to see a group of top notch musicians perform together at a grand concert hall, and the experience was wonderful. To say you were stunned was an understatement; since you hadn’t really attended anything like this before, it had been an extra special night for you, and especially Jumin since he was able to watch your adorable reactions to everything.

It was a different kind of atmosphere, but good different. The dim lighting from the crystal chandeliers above the two of you made you feel relaxed, and you couldn’t help but feel mesmerized by the way they sparkled when they moved. Upon seeing your amazement at something as small as the chandeliers, Jumin had been quick to point out the elegant paintings on the ceiling and the silver and gold decorative plating around the room. You made the most endearing face as you took in all the details around the huge space, and he couldn’t help but smile adoringly at you. You were so precious to him. If he was completely honest with himself, not even Elizabeth the 3rd could spark this much happiness inside of him. You were his entire world.

“I agree with you completely, MC. I think the violin solo might have been my favorite part, actually. I’ll have to make sure to get contact information for that group. Perhaps we could invite them to the next party we host?” Jumin tightened his grip on your hand as the two of you approached the car that was parked out front and waiting for you. Driver Kim opened the door for you both, and he ushered you inside the car first before following behind you shortly.

“I think that’s actually a really good idea! Wouldn’t it be so cool to have live music at the party!?” You smiled brightly at the idea. “And classy music, at that! Jumin, you’re a genius! I’m gonna make a note of that!” You whipped out your phone and opened your notes, quickly typing out your idea and saving it. Jumin settled into the seat next to you and you naturally leaned into his side and relaxed, earning a content sigh from your partner. He wrapped one arm around your shoulders, glad to be able to hold you close. It was one of his favorite feelings in the world to be able to hold you.

The car finally started up, and then the two of you were officially on your way home. It was particularly quiet that night; besides your small chatter about cuddling Elizabeth when you got home, there were no other sounds. Even the car sounded quieter than usual. But Jumin felt at peace with the quiet, and was satisfied with just holding you while he watched the buildings pass by through the car windows. The lights from the street lamps outside danced over the two of you occasionally, and everything was calm.

That’s why…

When it happened, there was no warning; nothing that could have signaled that tonight would end the way it did- in tragedy.

The car had come out of nowhere. There was a bright flash, the screeching of tires hard against the asphalt, and the blaring sound of a horn right before it hit them. Jumin had caught a glimpse of the car from the window on your side, but he only had about three seconds to process what was happening. There was a car speeding in your direction, fast. It was going too fast. And…he could do nothing about it. There wasn’t even time to scream your name as the impact happened. He immediately lost consciousness after the crash, but not before desperately calling out your name in his head. His last lingering thoughts, even if brief, were all of you.

When he finally came to, everything smelled like smoke. His eyes fluttered open and he had to give himself a minute to focus. Looking around, he could see that he’d been thrown a few feet from the car, but from what he could tell, he seemed to be fine apart from some bruises and decent scrapes and cuts. That was extremely lucky. He then coughed a couple times before regaining feeling in his limbs and moving about with one goal in mind: finding you. You had to be here somewhere, and he needed to make sure you were okay. He held out the small hope that if he was fine, you should be fine too, but…part of him knew better in the back of his mind. The car had hit the both of you on your side, and that terrified him. Neither of you had been wearing seat belts, either.

He realized he needed to be on the other side of the car to see what had actually happened, but he could only manage to crawl slowly towards the car while he was in shock like this. While he was inching towards the accident, he caught sight of something dangling below the bottom of the wreck on the other side.

That couldn’t be…

Oh, god. Your leg.

And- there’s blood, so much blood…

He recognized your shoe immediately, and then the panic started to set in. “MC-” He tried to speak, but the air hadn’t quite returned to his lungs yet. In the distance, there were sirens blaring, and people were starting to rush over to see if everyone was alright. This couldn’t be happening, right? This was just a dream. You and Jumin had to be asleep in the car on your way home still. Driver Kim would never allow something like this to happen. This could never…

Before he knew it, black spots were forming in the line of his vision, and he couldn’t stay awake any longer, even with his driver shaking his side and trying to keep him awake. It was all too much. The car, the accident, the smoke, you… It was too much for him to take in at once. This wasn’t a dream, and he knew that now. This was real. This was happening. And he had no control over it whatsoever.

The next time he woke up, he was in the hospital. He could tell because everything was clean and white, and of course there was the overwhelming stench of sanitizer and bleach. Ugh. For a split second, he wasn’t sure what had happened; he was confused as to how he had ended up here and couldn’t remember anything but the smell of smoke. Had there been a fire somewhere? Surely not at his house… He felt his head start to throb, and suddenly everything came back at once. The concert, the accident, and you.

He shot straight up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed in a heartbeat, not caring about anything or anyone else but you. He had to know if you were alive. A nurse entered the room as he was about to bolt out the doorway, and she blocked his escape before he could leave. Jumin recognized her as part of his personal team of doctors and nurses, but right now he didn’t care who she was or what she wanted. He only wanted to get to you.

“Move! Where’s MC!? Is she alive!? Oh, god, is she-” He couldn’t stop himself from blurting out his horrifying thoughts. He was a mess without you.

“Mr. Han, please calm down. You have a concussion, you’re only going to strain yourself-”

“I don’t care! I want to see MC! NOW!” Jumin was a mess. His eyes were wild, his hair was unkempt, and his body was bruised and battered, but that wasn’t going to stop him from getting to you. Tears filled his eyes as he stared the nurse down relentlessly, and she just gaped for a moment before responding. She’d never seen him act this way.

“Sir, she’s…”

Jumin felt his face drain of color and his heart stop at the hesitation in her voice. God, no. Please, don’t let that be the case. Please!

“She’s in emergency surgery. They’re doing all they can, I promise.”

Relief flooded his veins, but only briefly. Emergency surgery meant you were alive, but not in the clear yet. There was no guarantee that you would make it through this. “Then…there’s nothing I can…” He felt broken inside.

“Please, sir. It’s in your best interest to remain calm and stay in bed. You’ve sustained a concussion and several other injuries, though none of them are major. The best you can do right now is wait.”

Jumin refused to wait though. No matter how many times he was told to stay in his bed, or at least in his room, he wasn’t going to listen. If waiting was all he could do, then he would wait as close to you as possible, and no one could tell him otherwise. Not the nurses, not the doctors, not even the rest of the RFA when they arrived at the hospital after finding out. Zen and Seven had practically tried to drag him away from the waiting room, which had earned Zen a black eye in the process. After he had made it clear he was staying where he was, they’d decided to just sit with him. After all, there wasn’t much they could do either.

The hours Jumin spent sitting in the waiting room were some of the longest hours of his entire life. With tears in his eyes, he did the best he could to control his breathing while he bounced his leg up and down anxiously. His head was swimming with thoughts of your relationship, of little moments you shared together, of anything that reminded him of you. He felt like you were slipping from his grasp, and thinking of you and your shared life with him was all he could do to keep you close at the moment. He didn’t really know what else to do. Sometimes he cried over the memories, sometimes he smiled bitterly and cried more, and sometimes he got so caught up in nostalgia that he stopped his leg bouncing for a few seconds and forgot to breathe. He could hear Yoosung and Zen whispering about him in a concerned tone from a few chairs away, but it didn’t matter to him. He was too far gone at the time to care. It was only after Jaehee rested her hand on his arm and spoke gently that he was pulled from his reverie.

“Jumin, it’s been an hour and a half. You’ve been in that suit for a really long time now. Do you…want me to go and get you a change of clothes?” Her soft voice made his head spin, and he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes.

An hour and a half.

His leg stopped bouncing and he lowered his head between his hands, his voice weak. “Has it…really been that long?”

“…Yes,” she answered in a hesitant tone. “I can send Seven or Zen to-”

He couldn’t stop the awful choking noise that came from his throat has he turned to his old assistant and shamelessly bawled into her shoulder. He didn’t hear the gasp of surprise she made as he completely broke down in front of her, but he did feel when she tentatively circled him in her arms and held him a bit awkwardly. In all her years working for him, he was sure this was the first time she’d seen him lose total control like this. It didn’t matter now. Not when the love of his life was in the operating room across from him.

“It’ll be alright, MC will be okay. She’s gonna be okay!” Jaehee’s voice was shaky, but certain. “Have faith. Everything will be alright. It has to be.” He could only cry harder and pray to god that you would make it out of this alive.

Another hour later, and Jumin was exhausted from all the crying he’d done and all the other emotions he’d felt while waiting. Zen had brought him a change of clothes from his house, but he couldn’t bother himself to get up and leave for even a couple seconds. What if the doctor came back during then and he missed the news? What if something went wrong? He didn’t want to go anywhere until he knew for sure how you were and what your condition was.

He was about to have another breakdown when finally there was movement behind the heavy double doors of the operating room. Jumin bolted up immediately and strode over to meet the doctor at the doors, desperate for any news. “MC!” was all he managed to say, and the doctor gave him a nod of understanding before speaking.

“She’s in critical condition, but she’s stable. She made it through the surgery alright. She just needs to recover. Mr. Han, she’s going to be fine.” The doctor placed his hand on Jumin’s shoulder, and Jumin found himself leaning on the wall for support.

“How…how bad is it?” he found himself asking. Even though he felt like breaking again, he had to have courage now; he had to be strong for you.

“Well, considering she spent almost four hours in the OR…she’ll have quite a long stay here. She cracked several of her ribs, punctured her lung, and her left leg is broken. She was also suffering some internal bleeding, although we managed to find the source and stop it. And then there were the wounds from shrapnel and the vehicle itself… To be honest, Mr. Han…she had a very close call with death today. She’s lucky to be alive.”

Jumin sniffed and let the doctor’s words sink in slowly. After a moment of silence, he gave a wary smile and nodded stiffly to the other man. “Thank you. What room is she in?”

The doctor adjusted his glasses before answering, “I believe they’ll be taking her to room one-twenty-four on floor five. She won’t be awake for another few hours, but-”

“I see. Thank you for everything.” Jumin cut him off and turned to make his way to your room. But before he left to see you, he approached the lingering members of the RFA in the waiting room to let them know that they didn’t need to stay with him anymore. “I’ll be fine from here on out. I appreciate you all being here, but I understand that you have lives of your own, so please don’t feel obligated to follow me. I’m going to see MC and sit by her until she wakes up.” Determination and loyalty echoed in his voice. “I can’t leave her alone.”

“We understand.” Zen moved forward to follow Jumin. “I’m coming with you at least. I’d like to support you both and help you in any way I can. I’m sure the others feel the same way.” He smiled but gave a pointed look to the others. Not that they needed it anyway; you were precious to all the members of the RFA, and they’d never leave you or Jumin alone at a time like this.

“I’m grateful, truly.” Jumin couldn’t bring himself to stand still any longer and finally started towards your room, everyone else following close behind him. His feet dragged against the floor with every step he took, and when he entered the elevator to get to the fifth floor, he gripped onto the side railing so hard his knuckles turned white. He was exhausted, but he was almost there. Just a little further...

The elevator doors opened and he struggled to keep his composure. His head was spinning, probably because of the concussion, but there was no way to be sure that it wasn’t just because of all the trauma he’d been through overnight. With bags under his tired eyes and heavy footsteps, he sped to your room and let himself in to find the nurses still situating you on your bed, one nurse adding a pillow behind your head and another checking the machines reading your vitals. You were laid on your back, asleep, your left leg propped up in a cast and bandages all over your body beneath the hospital garments. Your face seemed to have minimal damage, though there were some evident stitches above your eye and some scrapes and cuts around your forehead and cheeks. Even though he knew you would recover, it broke his heart all the same to see you in this state.

Without a word, Jumin grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the side of your bed when the nurses were finished tending to you. He sat down and gently, so as not to disturb or hurt you further, propped his upper half on your bed, his head resting in his arms and face turned towards yours so that he could watch you sleep. Jaehee settled on the couch under the window near the back of the room, Zen following suit and taking a seat next to her. Yoosung and Seven took the two remaining chairs next to the couch. The room was quiet, and no one said anything for the longest time. Jumin felt himself slowly drifting away, your face the last thing he saw before a numbing blackness took over.

Of course he could only dream of the accident. He woke up several times during the next hour, and each time he would lull back into sleep before waking up twenty minutes later after a nightmare about the crash, about you dying, about whatever his brain decided to make up for him that particular time. He had just fallen back asleep again and was watching the scene play out once more when he heard his name being called. He managed to wake from his dream state rather quickly after that, and he looked around expecting to see Jaehee or another member. Instead, he locked eyes with you and was met with your beautiful gaze.

“MC...” Your name came out as a hoarse whisper, and Jumin felt the air leave his lungs as he looked at you, tears forming in his dark eyes.

“Jumin.” It took you a moment, but you noticed the minor scratches on his face and the purple circles under his eyes. It looked like he’d been crying and in pain, and you were instantly worried about him despite your own situation. “Are you alright? You don’t look so good...”

Jumin just stared in blatant disbelief for a second before scoffing lightly and smiling sadly. “You’re the one who’s just been in an accident and had surgery. And you’re asking me if I’m okay? MC, you’re unbelievable. I-” He couldn’t continue to speak. Too many emotions were welling up again, and tears were clouding his vision. The only thing he could think to do was sob into your bedsheets.

You gave a small smile in his direction and reached out your hand to rub his back. “It’s okay. I’m here.” You felt tears pricking at your eyes as well, and before long you were crying with him. You held his hand tightly in your free one and whispered reassuring things to him while he wept. After a while he calmed down enough to talk again.

“I was so afraid I’d lost you, MC... I don’t know what I would have done without you. You’re my entire life. I was so, so scared-!” Desperation reflected in his eyes as he looked at you, silently begging you not to leave him. He was still so scared. Even while sitting beside you like this, you felt like sand slipping through his fingers.

“I’m here, Jumin. And i’m not going anywhere. I love you.”

And for once in his life, Jumin Han could not repeat the words he so easily spoke on a daily basis, because those three words would never be enough by themselves to convey everything that he was feeling. All he could do was grip your hand tight, cry, and pray that his actions would speak volumes. Because how do you put into words the crushing weight of almost losing the love of your life? How do you describe what it’s like waiting hours just to know they aren’t dead? How do you express wanting to trade places with the angel in the hospital bed? How do you let someone know that it should have been you and not them?

There were no words. No answers. Only tears, grief, and love.

[ocean-tumbled-pebbles]

Han Wenqing is boyfriends with a zombie

Day 2: HWQ/SMQ

Prompt: Heartbeat

TWs: sort of character death, but not really,

The day Su Muqiu’s heartbeat stopped, he had been hit by a car. He had been taken to the hospital, but had soon been pronounced dead.

Imagine everyone’s confusion a few hours later when he woke up totally fine. Well, totally fine except for that he has no pulse.

The doctors were all puzzled. They kept running test after test. How can a person survive without a working heart to supply blood and oxygen to the brain and organs? Could this person be even considered alive?

Ye Xiu and Muqiu were starting to get worried. It had already been a week, and though he had suffered from no other injuries, he was kept confined to the hospital. The tests were getting increasingly complicated, and Muqiu was worried about being able to afford them. They were poor. They could barely afford to rent out a one bedroom apartment between both Ye Xiu and Muqiu’s salaries combined. Already, Ye Xiu was struggling to keep up getting enough food for Mucheng and himself with only one source of income.

They brought up their concerns the next time the doctors came around.

“Don’t worry about it. You won’t have to pay a thing. We’ll even provide compensation for your time away from work. Muqiu is is just too much of anomaly. We need to study him further.”

“For how long?” demanded Ye Xiu.

“It might take... quite a while. I’m afraid he won’t be able to leave until we find out what’s causing his condition.”

Ye Xiu and Muqiu looked at each other. While his words seemed nice, neither of them liked the glint in the doctor’s eyes, nor his greedy tone.

They made their plans to escape after that morning’s tests.

“We’ll have to move. Far away. To a different city even. Do we have enough train money?”

“Just enough,” replied Muqiu, “We have a little saved up from when I worked overtime last month.”

“...”

“What’s wrong?”

“We’d have enough money if I didn’t run away from home... I would’ve been able to protect you guys... maybe I should go back.”

Muqiu ruffled the younger’s hair. “Hey, don’t worry about. If you hadn’t run away, I wouldn’t have met you. And Mucheng wouldn’t have been able to have such a happy life. And me neither. You’re my best friend. And we still have a dream to accomplish right?”

He looked away from Muqiu, guilty for thinking such thoughts. “Right. You’re my best friend too...”

Muqiu smiled. “So going back to your home is out of the question. But then where can we go?”

“Maybe we can stay at my friend’s place? He live in Qingdao.”

“You text him. We’ll leave tomorrow night.”

The following night, Ye Xiu helped Muqiu sneak past the guards. They met Mucheng with their luggage back at their apartment and they left one letter for the landlord containing that month’s rent, and another for Brother Tao Xuan apologizing for their sudden departure. They left on a night train, heading straight to Qingdao.

Muqiu let the two younger ones rest their heads on his shoulder to sleep. They were sad to be leaving Hangzhou and Brother Tao Xuan behind. But staying together and staying safe from those creepy mad scientist doctors was top priority. He started to nod off as well from the gentle rocking of the train. It would do to get some sleep. They were meeting Ye Xiu’s friend tomorrow morning.

If Muqiu had still had a heartbeat, he thought it would have stopped upon seeing this hoodlum of a man who was Ye Xiu’s friend. He felt a weird mixture of fear and attraction to this tall, built guy.

“So this is my friend Han Wenqing. You know him. He’s the guy behind Desert Dust.”

Oh, so he was that rival of Ye Xiu’s? From what he knew of their interactions, he didn’t think they were such good friends.

“Ye Xiu,” He said gruffly, “What did you want to meet about? And who are these people?” He gestured a bit rudely to Muqiu and Mucheng.

Muqiu grabbed Ye Xiu by the collar, and hissed in his ear. “You didn’t even tell him why we’re here? You were supposed to text him!”

“I did. Right before we escaped from the hospital. See?” He pulled out the cellphone they shared between the three of them and logged into his QQ account.

One Autumn Leaf: Yo @Desert Dust. Where’s a good place to meet you in Qingdao tomorrow at 1.

Desert Dust: The cafe on Main street is good. Why?

One Autumn Leaf: Okay, see you there

Desert Dust: Ye Xiu?

Desert Dust: What did you want to meet about?

Desert Dust: Hello?

Desert Dust: If you don’t show up, I’m going to track you down and punch you.

Muqiu sweatdropped. “You were supposed to ask him about staying over.”

“I figured it’d be easiest to talk in person. Besides, we’d have to explain our circumstances and yours is something best left off the internet. Anyways, Old Han here isn’t the type to just abandon someone in need.”

When he put it that way, it certainly seemed like a good argument. But looking back toward the glowering face glaring at his best friend, it probably would have been a good idea to at least send an answer to the other man’s text.

“I’m Su Muqiu. You might know me as Autumn Tree,” he turned back to the other and introduced himself, “and this is my sister Mucheng. We were wondering if you could help the three of us.”

The spoke at the cafe in hushed tones for over an hour, explaining how Su Muqiu had no heartbeat and how the doctors wanted to keep him there indefinitely and how they had run away. Ye Xiu also explained his circumstances, the rigid family structure he had grown up in and how he had met the orphan Su siblings when he ran away to play games. How they had been taking care of each other in the absence of parents.

Han Wenqing frowned. “You really have no pulse?”

“Wanna feel?”

He leant closer to the man across the table, and Han Wenqing put his large hand on top of Muqiu’s chest. Muqiu was unable to help blushing a bit (which was odd since he had no heartbeat to pump blood to his cheeks), but let Wenqing move his hand about, even letting him reach under his shirt to feel that there is indeed no heartbeat.

When they were done, both men were blushing, and Ye Xiu and Su Mucheng smirked.

“So, do you think we could stay with you? Just until we get new jobs and can pay for an apartment.”

Han Wenqing coughed. “I’ll have to ask my mom. Wait a bit while I text.”

Su Mucheng and Ye Xiu snickered and whispered amongst themselves.

“He has to ask his mom.”

“He has to ask his mom.”

Muqiu and Wenqing gave them matching glares. Come on you guys, be polite. He was offering them a place to stay.

Qingqing: Mom can we host three people at our house?

Tiger mom: Oh, are they your friends Qingqing?

Qingqing: En.

Tiger mom: I hope they’re not gangsters. Who knows what kind of people would be friends with you and your wallet-face?

Qingqing: Mom!

Tiger mom: I’m just kidding. How long would they be staying?

Qingqing: ...indefinitely.

Tiger mom: Hmm.

Tiger mom: Invite them over for dinner. We’ll talk then.

Han Wenqing’s parents were really nice. Wenqing’s mother was the kind of mother everyone wished they had. Kind, pretty, a good cook, and loving toward her husband and son. Wenqing’s father on the other hand... looked like a gangster, complete with a shiny pinstripe suit and a face that looked startlingly like his son’s wallet-face. You could see where all of Wenqing’s genes had come from. On the other hand, it was quite clear in his tone and actions that he cared deeply for his family.

Han Wenqing’s mother was quite happy that her Qingqing’s friends weren’t gangsters. She was especially happy that the two boys were about her son’s age and the younger sister was an adorable darling.

“How old are you kids?”

Muqiu answered for the three of them. “I’m 18. Ye Xiu’s 17. And my sister Mucheng’s 14. Thank you for offering us dinner.”

“Such polite children! Please, have some more to eat.”

Ye Xiu and Mucheng looked at each other guiltily. It seemed that at the time of Muqiu’s hospital stay in which he was offered trays full of hospital food, those two back at home had rationed the food more strictly than what Muqiu had initially thought.

“Auntie Han,” asked Mucheng timidly, “Is it really okay to have more? We can’t pay you back.”

From this one question, her heart broke. “Of course, darlings! Have as much as you like!”

“Thank you Auntie Han!” Ye Xiu and Mucheng had sparkling eyes, and wolfed down food like there was no tomorrow.

The Han parents chuckled. Han Wenqing and Su Muqiu shared a look of bemusement.

When they had finished dinner and the two younger ones were pleasantly full, Su Muqiu brought up the question.

“So is it alright if we stay with you until Ye Xiu and I can get jobs and an apartment? We can’t tell you much about our circumstances, but we promise we’re good people. We’ll pay back what we owe you once we get setted.”

The Han parents whispered and nodded to each other. Han Wenqing’s father spoke first. “You two are still school age right?” They wait for them to look at each other. Neither Ye Xiu nor Muqiu had ever finished high school, but technically they would be in their senior year. They nodded hesitantly.

“How about this?” Said Han Wenqing’s mother, “You can stay with us for free, but in exchange, you have to finish school.”

“Are you sure? We don’t want to be a burden.”

Han Wenqing’s mother patted Muqiu’s shoulders. “You won’t be a burden. We always wished we could have more children. Think of it as thanks for being Qingqing’s friends.”

“Pfft. Qingqing.”

“Qingqing.”

‘Qingqing’ glared at the two jokesters teasing him.

Wenqing’s mother laughed. “Haha, Qingqing, you always wanted younger siblings, didn’t you? Now you have a cute younger brother and a cute younger sister.”

Muqiu and Wenqing sweatdropped. Ye Xiu was only a year younger than them. How had he automatically become the cute younger brother type?

That first night, Muqiu and Ye Xiu shared a mattress on the floor of Han Wenqing’s room, while Mucheng got her own room in the guest room. Ye Xiu was still tired from the train ride, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Muqiu laid in bed awake.

“Is it really okay with you for us to stay?”

Wenqing rolled over on his bed to face them. “It’s okay. What about you? Are you okay with no heartbeat?”

Muqiu frowned. “I think so. I feel fine. But I wonder if something will happen in the future. What happens if I suddenly die? Can I die? Am I already dead? Who will take care of Ye Xiu and Mucheng if something happens? God knows Ye Xiu can’t take care of himself, and Mucheng is still so young.”

“I know I just met you, but... if it helps, I think you’re alive. You’re right here after all. And if something happens to you, I’ll help. With whatever.”

“You’re... really nice, Han Wenqing.”

Muqiu could barely hear Wenqing’s reply. “You’re nicer...” the other whispered almost inaudibly.

Muqiu and Ye Xiu turned out to do better in school than they had initially thought. Fiddling with the equipment editor in Glory had made Muqiu a natural scientist, while Ye Xiu was just a natural genius in everything. Well, except for PE class. There was one close call when it was found out that they had to take everyone’s pulse for the annual physical exam, but Ye Xiu created a distraction while Han Wenqing and Su Muqiu broke into the nurse’s office to forge the documents. Other than that, their highschool life proceeded smoothly, and in every free moment, they were able to play Glory together.

After a year, the three of them had graduated high school, and Ye Xiu and the Su siblings moved out of the Han household, with tears and promises that they would visit. Then, they finally did what they had set out to do, join a Glory pro team together with Han Wenqing. While at first they were not famous, soon enough the trio of kings in Team Tyranny became one of the most talked about subjects. Ye Xiu, still hiding away from his family, never came to the post-game press matches, while the captain Han Wenqing, and his Vice Su Muqiu simultaneously answered questions about their games and fended off pro-player suitors after their cute little brother.

When they won the first ever Glory Alliance Championships, it was a joyous occasion. The whole team plus Mucheng went out for drinks. Muqiu made sure to order his underage sister a soft drink. Ye Xiu, who was also given a soft drink, had managed to sneak a sip of alcohol despite his two brothers looking after him and had promptly fallen asleep on the table after not even a full cup. Han Wenqing and Su Muqiu sighed and clinked their glasses together in a toast.

Their good moment came to an end when a shady old man came up to them. “Su Muqiu of Tyranny right? Are you also that Su Muqiu from Hangzhou? Do you recognize me? I’m Doctor Ming.”

Muqiu froze. He recognized the doctor as one of the ones who had ran tests on him.

“How’s your heart holding up? Still no pulse? How are you still alive? I just have to know.” The man grabbed Muqiu’s wrist and began trying to feel for a heart beat.

If Muqiu had still had a heartbeat, it would have been hammering right now from the fear.

“You. Get away from my Vice Captain.” Han Wenqing came up with the scariest face Muqiu had ever seen him wear.

“Don’t you understand? He’s a miracle! We need to run more tests.” The doctor was almost hysterical at this point. “Who are you to get in the way of scientific progress?!”

“Me? I’m his boyfriend.”

“B-b-boyfriend?” Muqiu broke free of his paralysis.

Han Wenqing rolled up his sleeves and brought up his fists. “If you don’t promise to stay away from him right now, I’ll punch your face in.”

The doctor, having finally turned to notice the taller man and his menacing aura, quickly let go of Muqiu’s wrist. “O-o-kay! I’ll promise! Please don’t hurt me!”

“Go!”

And the doctor scrambled away.

Muqiu shakily grasped Han Wenqing’s hand. “T-thank you, Wenqing.”

“Muqiu,” he said gruffly, and Muqiu looked up into the taller’s dark eyes. “I like you. I don’t care if you don’t have a heartbeat. I will give you my heart if you will give me yours. Will you be my boyfriend?”

Muqiu was shocked for a moment, but squeezed the other’s hand and smiled. “Yes.”

Ye Xiu chose that moment to awaken from his drunken sleep. “Hmm?” he yawned, “Did something happen?”

Mucheng, who had been watching the whole ordeal, first from fear, then from excitement, as soon as the danger had passed, had whipped out the phone the Hans had generously given her and started recording. “Wenqing-ge finally confessed to Muqiu-ge. I’ll show you the video later.”

Ye Xiu smirked sleepily. “Heh, it’s about time.”

The two now-official boyfriends turned to Ye Xiu.

““No more alcohol for you!””

Ye Xiu sunk his head back on the table. “Sigh, you two are already speaking at the same time. You should just get married already.”

Mucheng giggled. She would be looking forward to the wedding.

[siconetribal]

Forevermore Part 10

Pairing: Jumin Han/Maya (I named the MC for ease of writing, you can change the name in your head since it is just MC)

Warning: Fluff and angst

Requested: @bat-yo-us​ Thank you for always being so patient with me!

Jumin returned sooner than she had expected, the two out the door with his hand resting on her lower back as he escorted her to the awaiting car. She was a bit curious as to how the car was ready, but she figured he must have contacted the driver when he was freshening up. The restaurant he settled on was a lovely place with the most exquisite dishes to choose from. All of it was a bit much for her, her head spinning from the rich decor to the equally rich sounding food. She always led a simple life and she knew he always came from a world far out of her reach, yet here she was noticing the gaping distance between them. All of the unease was quickly washed away at the sight of his concern however, the way his brows knit together and creased the skin between them was not something she wished to see today if she was able to clear away the trouble.

The two dined and conversed for what seemed like hours, her laughter and his gentle chuckles filling the air around them as they happily settled in their own little world. Occasionally his hand would graze over the back of hers, her fingers loosely entwining with his in response each time. She always felt so incomplete without him and now that she was complete again, she realized even more how hollow she felt when was gone. Jumin was no different, though he always was torn by the thought of leaving her to wait for him. However, he was not about to dwell on such thought. He wanted to focus on what was before him now and that was the love of his life, his one soulmate.

The two of them talked for hours, catching up one what had been missed in the time apart and the differences that were in this time now. The fact that they were allowed to be out in the open like this so freely was certainly something new. She always led a sheltered life in order to keep from harm as she waited and he was always of a status that was far beyond her reach. Though one’s name and money still mannered in society, it was no longer taboo for them to be seen together. The fact he knew this and had taken advantage of it right away left her drowning in love she thought impossible to expand upon.

As dinner time came, the two of them ordered once more and resumed their lengthy conversations as they reveled in the presence of one another. Where the time had gone, it was a mystery. The sun, at some point, had been replaced by the moon and stars. The other patrons were gone and a waiter had come to express the establishment needed to close for the evening. A little flustered, Maya apologized to them and Jumin a bit stunned with how much he had enjoyed the company. It was no surprise he would, he was with her after all. It was the fact that he had partook in the conversation and told her of many things that startled him the most.

“Well, I suppose this is the end of today.” Maya whispered as they stepped out of the building and awaited Kim to bring the car around. The fact she had to be away from him after finding him was bittersweet. She wanted to stay by his side, but she lacked the voice to insist it.

“It doesn’t have to be.” Jumin answered, startling Maya from her dark feelings. She peered into his perfectly chiseled face that was lit by the streetlights around them, trying her best to understand what he meant by such words. Unable to to come up with anything, she gave a slight frown. Jumin found himself lost in admiring her delicate features, amused at how her brows came together as her golden eyes were riddled with curiosity that knew no bounds. Ah, even that frown of yours is utterly adorable. If you keep this up, even someone such as myself will want to be cruel and tease you.

“What do you mean by that?” She spoke up.

“You can come live with me.” He simply stated, squeezing the hand he held. “Please move in with me. I know we only just reunited, but it’s silly to assume we don’t know one another well enough to stay together. We’ve been married so many times already, I can easily argue against my own beliefs of living together before marriage. You won’t be without amenities. Everything in the building and my penthouse would be available and accessible by you whenever you wish. My guards and employees will be at your disposal as well. If you insist on a separate bedroom, that can be prepared for you as well, there is more than enough room for us to have our own space if you so wish.” He calmly explained to her, his business-like manner of speech earning a soft giggle from her. “Is something I said funny?” He raised a brow at her reaction. He was not insulted by it, in fact he found himself rather pleased with her reaction and wished to take note so that he may elicit such sweet sounds from her once more.

“No, it’s not what you said per say. It’s, you’re speaking as if you’re trying to sell a deal almost.” She quickly shook her head, loosening some of her bangs. Before she was able to reach out for it herself, his fingers were already at work to tuck the loosened strands back in place.

“Well this is a serious matter to me. Of course I would do my best to convince you to come stay with me. Though I much rather avoid forcing a hand and give you the freedom to choose of your own will.” She giggled once again at his manner of speech, squeezing the hand that still held hers.

“I will gladly accept your offer Mr. Jumin Han.” She tried her best to speak as professionally as possible, sobering up her expression from the smile that had been plastered on it for most of the day and evening. His soft smile had her melting in an instant, the smile she tried to hide back on her lips.

“I’m glad,” he mumbled as he pressed his lips to her forehead. “Let’s gather your things and I’ll speak with the company that runs your building. I’m sure I can easily buy you out of your contract or whatever arrangements you have made with them about payment. I’ll have assistant Kang get a meeting set-up with them tomorrow. Thank you Driver Kim,” he turned to the employee as he opened the door for the two of them. “Please head to the apartment complex we went to earlier. We will be gathering Maya’s things.”

“As you wish Mr. Han.” Kim bowed to his employer and closed the door behind them once they were settled in and made his way to her apartment once again. Maya was a little stunned at how quickly he worked, his phone out of his pocket as he dialed his assistant. She heard the exasperation in her tone and Maya felt a little guilty for such late night work. Extending her hand to him, she awaited his attention.

“May I…?” He blinked at her outstretched hand, pointing to his phone. She nodded in response as he looked between it and her. Frowning, he handed the device over to her and watched as he placed it to her ear. “Hello, Assistant Kang? This is Maya, the reason you are getting such late night assignments at the moment. I won’t be so bold and say that you can hold off on this until the morning since Jumin is your employer, but I personally have no issues if you both decide that it can wait. Either way, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to help me out. I’ve learned from talking with him just how much you do for him and how high his expectations for only makes me respect you even more. I hope I do get a chance to meet you, but for now thank you very much. I hope you have a pleasant evening. I’ll return the phone to him now.” She quickly handed the device back to Jumin, her cheeks a little red as she nervously bit at her lower lip. Peering at him through her lashes, she was worried she may have stepped out of bounds.

Jumin was very much surprised with what she had to tell Jaehee, not expecting her to say all that but he knew it was very much like her to do just this. She was never one to shy away from giving her gratitude to anyone, but the fact she only just now thought of approval from him was adorable in a way. The bashful behavior tickled something in him to tease her, but he paid it no mind as he took the phone.

“Mr. Han, who was that?” Jaehee asked, stunned that she would even hear a woman’s voice with him and to be doing a task for someone she had no inkling about and not business related at all. Jumin glanced at Maya, his poker faced expression giving away nothing to Maya as his mind worked at something he never expected from himself.

Then again, she’s the only one to ever make me want to be so free. A sly smirk slowly curls at the corner of his lips just as Maya looked down at her hands that smoothed her skirt over her lap. “She is Maya, the love of my life.” He simply stated, his words working a vibrant and hot blush on Maya’s cheeks as she let out an adorable squeak at his confession.

L-love of his life? Maya?! How have I not heard of this woman before?! Oh no, has he snapped and become like his father? What do I do?! She panicked. “Mr. Han, that is, this is all very sudden. You haven’t ever stated interest in someone before. Are you certain this is alright?”

“Yes, I’m very certain Assistant Kang.” He assured her, slipping his arm around his currently shying away lover. “She is the reason why I have no interest in other women and never will. Now, if she is alright with waiting, then you may start this first thing in the morning. I will see you tomorrow in the office. Good night Assistant Kang.” Without letting her say another word Jumin hung up and pocketed his phone once more. “And why are we so red?” He casually asked, his fingers grazing the tops of her ears as she pressed her face further into his chest.

“You know very well why! How can you so blatantly say that?!”

“Well, am I wrong?” He calmly asked, tracing her jaw to the tip of her chin as he pulled away and made her look up at him. “Or do you not love me?”

“You know very well that’s not the case! You’re so cruel.” She pushed out her lower lip in a pout, her glare breaking his cool expression as he chuckled in response.

“My apologies my love, but you were simply being so cute I could not help but want to tease you a little.” He whispered, pressing his lips to each of her rosy cheeks before sealing her lips in a sweet and simple kiss.

“I’ll forgive you this time, don’t think you can get away with everything just by giving kisses!” She tried her best to scold him, forcing a stern expression to which he smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Of course not, I would never think to do such a thing.” Happy with his response, she rested her head on his shoulder as he pulled her closer to eliminate any gaps between them.

[ferallymine]

if ur taking mystic memessenger, prompt is valentines day, except mc and seven arent dating yet and she likes yo boi 707, will she confess or not? is that how it works to send prompts to good writers help

its okay bab you’re doing great. Let’s hope I execute this right, haha~!

-*New Message Received 10:10 am*-

Zen- Guys! I had a great idea!

Jaehee Kang- What is it?

Zen- We should all get together for Valentine’s Day! 

707- Mmmhhwhat

Zen- Yeah! We can all hang out! We don’t do that anymore..

MC- I’m down

-Yoosung★ has entered the chatroom-

Yoosung★- …i jstu woke up hhh what’s thsi abut valentin’s day?

Jumin Han- Yoosung, is that even English

MC- I think it’s a good idea. Where we meeting?

Zen- MC!! Glad you agree. I was thinking the little sushi cafe that just opened about 4 blocks away from my apartment.

Jaehee Kang- Mr. Han, I believe it would be a good idea to give the day off. Think about how much good rep we would get from supporting small businesses and the community.

Jumin Han- No.

707- Aw, Juju whyyy not? 

Jumin Han- Don’t call me that.

MC- Juju~ Please come?

Jumin Han- *Sigh* fine. Miss Kang, clear Feb. 14th for everyone. 

Yoosung★- Okay then no one clue me in…

MC- We’re getting together on Valentine’s Day. 

707- lolololol MC 

MC- ??

Zen- Great! Everyone’s coming! See you there!

-Zen has left the chatroom-

Jaehee Kang- We’re all cleared

Jumin Han- Excellent

-Jumin Han has left the chatroom-

-Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom-

Yoosung★- I’ll be there!

-Yoosung★ has left the chatroom-

707- Hey MC

MC- Hm?

707- It’ll be nice to have everyone together again~

-707 has left the chatroom-

-MC has left the chatroom-

MC flopped back onto her bed. Thoughts swirled in her head as she set her phone aside. 

“Do I have the courage to tell him?” MC covered her face and groaned. 

She liked Luciel, er- 707, a lot. His antics were adorable, and he knew how to make the others light up, either in happiness or frustration. 

But…the late night conversations…made her think he was lonely. Did he think about her like she so often did of him?

“I…don’t know what to do…” She sighed.

Valentine’s Day arrived. Jumin sent cars to each RFA member’s house to prevent them from getting stuck in holiday traffic. They arrived at the sushi cafe at 3pm, when the rush hour was ending.

“This place isn’t that bad,” Yoosung smiled as he sat down. A waitress placed cups and a water pitcher down for them to use, then left.

Zen opened a menu, “Yep! Their food is spectacular, too.”

“Unlike your acting career,” Jumin smirked.

707 nearly spat out his drink, “Holy guacamole, Jumin, you’re comebacks are on fire.” 

Jaehee rubbed her temples, “You should hear him at work.”

“Nope!” Zen held his hands over the table, “No mentions of work or projects or anything. This is a fun hangout day with no stress.”

easy for you to say MC thought. 707 had sat right beside her, making her nerves a little more stressed. 

Yoosung spoke next, “Anyone seen the new super hero movie?”

More banter and laughs were shared at the table. When their food came, time only seemed to fly faster. It was almost 6pm when they finished and began parting ways.

707 waved at MC, “See ya later.”

“Bye. Love you,” MC absentmindedly opened the car door, “…wait..”

She looked back. His was frozen, staring at her, “…you…uh…”

MC hurried into her car and shut the door. The driver pulled out into traffic and drove off.

-*New Message Received 11:11pm*-

707- MC….

MC- Hmm?

707- Did…uh..

707- Do you love me?

MC- …

MC- I don’t know what you’re talking about

707- Don’t go tsundere on me. 

MC-….

MC-…. yes…

707- !

MC- I love you. A lot, actually. It’s been on my mind for a while now. 

MC- and there’s no worry. You don’t have to love me back.

MC- I’ll be fine.

707- …

707- But.,,,

MC- But what

707- …

707- I love you too

MC- !!

MC- I…don’t know what to say

707- This,,, is a new feeling, haha…

-Zen has entered the chatroom-

Zen- SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP PLEASE STOP SPAMMING THIS SAPPY LOVE CRAP

-Zen has left the chatroom-

707- lolololololol

MC- it is pretty late

MC- you should get some sleep

707- You should too

MC- I will

707- Hey, MC.

MC- What?

707- Happy Valentine’s Day, love

MC- !!

MC- Happy Valentine’s Day

-707 has left the chatroom-

-MC has left the chatroom-

[mayquita]

Call Me (16/?) Pictures of Reality Part 2

A new chapter is finally here! This was supposed to be a transition chapter, but it has become a monster ... and I'm quite happy with the result. We have Killian’s POV but there is also a bit of Emma and Liam’s  POV. The three weeks are about to come to an end...

@saraswans​ thank you, for everything, for helping me with the header, for your support and for encouraging me always. You’re the best. Special mention to @ladyciaramiggles , who offered to be my beta for this chapter and has done a fantastic job, like magic. Thank you so much.

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 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter14 Chapter 15

FF.net Ao3

 Killian - Saturday

Killian was nervous. Even though he wouldn't admit it. All morning, as his date with Emma approached, the nervousness was taking hold of his stomach in an irremediable way. He had tried to keep himself occupied all day without success, as every time he had a moment of calm, the image of Emma came to torment him. Torment was not the exact word, to took control of his mind and all his senses would be more appropriate.

As the time drew near, he was getting more and more nervous. Honestly, he hadn't intended to plan a new date. Well, that was not quite true. The thought of planning a second date to celebrate their second week anniversary had crossed his mind. In fact, he had originally thought of organizing something similar to the first one. But he immediately dismissed it. Their virtual date had been so perfect that he was afraid the expectations would be raised too high for the second one.

The idea of spending a movie afternoon accompanied by his nephew seemed the best option. It was a way to play it safe but at the same time to enjoy Emma's company in a different situation than usual.

It was not a big deal after all. They were just going to hang out together watching a movie and eating popcorn, accompanied by his nephew. Maybe it was the fact that she had accepted the date, or that this activity was a way to include her in his family. Or perhaps what made him nervous were the memories of the previous week. All the photos received, messages shared and long conversations had allowed him to know even more about the woman who now occupied all his thoughts.

Although he was not yet ready to admit it aloud — in fact, he doubted he would be any time soon — he could not deny to himself that he was falling fast and hard for her. And that scared the hell out of him. It frightened him that in just two weeks he could have developed feelings for a woman whom he had not even met in person. It frightened him that she had at least the same number of wounds and scars from the past if not more. He was also afraid that this idyllic long distance relationship would change abruptly when he returned. But what really frightened him most was making a wrong move that pushed her away. Now that he had decided to move on, he had the feeling that he would need her, even if that could only be as friends.

What he had learned in these two weeks was that he could not force their relationship. Even though she had opened herself up to him, the thread that connected them was still so thin that any false move could cause it to snap. He couldn’t risk that.

These fears had accosted him throughout the day, mixed with the different pictures of Emma that she had sent him. To calm himself as he showered before their date, he tried to ignore the fears and focus only on the images of her and the actual words she had said to him.

The photo with the handcuffs was glorious in every way, he thought unable to suppress the grin forming on his face. Emma was stunning in that image with her rosy cheeks, her smile of triumph and the spark of determination in her gaze. He had barely noticed the poor bastard handcuffed in the background.

He moved on in his mind to her next photo. He tried to divert those thoughts to a safer place, though. Taking a shower while thinking about Emma naked in a bathtub was not the most appropriate combination if he wanted to keep the shower on just that.

His attempts were in vain. So he surrendered and let the image of Emma invade his mind. Soon, all he could think about was her bare shoulders and creamy skin with a slight flush from the warmth of the water. Her hair tucked into a sloppy bun with some stray tendrils framing her face, her green eyes sparkled with a mischievous glow. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth in that photo, in what was meant to be an innocent gesture but that drove him crazy. She was a bloody siren…

He remembered the moment the text had arrived. It had been memorable but frustrating and embarrassing at the same time. Although her features were schooled in total innocence, her purpose had been clear. She had wanted to torment him in front of his family. And she had. He'd had to stifle the need to lock himself in the bathroom and relieve himself like a bloody teenager.

He kept wondering what was wrong with him when a simple photo had the ability to arouse him in such a way. Perhaps it was his several months of abstinence. Yes, that would be it. Or maybe it was that all the photos that Emma had sent him were the closest thing to perfection he has seen, with that mixture of innocence and sensuality that made his dirty thoughts run rampant.

Enough... Killian shook his head before his thoughts headed back down that path. He had a date to get ready for. He closed the tap and shook his head again, sprinkling small drops of water around him. After drying himself and spending a considerable amount of time in front of the mirror, he finally left the bathroom and went in search of his nephew.

Soon he was sitting on the couch, his nephew Connor at his side and a bowl of popcorn between them. He had placed his laptop on the coffee table at an angle that allowed him to observe both the television and the device's screen almost at the same time.

While he waited for Emma to call, Kilian chatted with his nephew. As a huge fan of the Star Wars films, he was enthusiastic and also a little impatient to start watching the movie. They didn’t have to wait long, luckily. The distinctive sound of incoming call echoed in the living room. Killian hurried to answer and the image of a smiling Emma appeared on the screen. Here we go…  

“Hi.”

"Hi love." Killian shook his head slightly to clear his mind, still unable to believe his luck that this impressive woman was the one who found his phone. Get a grip! He cleared his throat and pointed at his nephew. "Let me introduce you to this lad, Connor, the biggest fan of Star Wars, even more than me."

His nephew's cheeks flushed slightly as he waved Emma through a shy smile. "Hi Emma."

"Hi, Connor. It's a pleasure to meet such a great Star Wars fan. I'm sure you could teach me a lot about the Saga." Emma's cheeks were also stained with a slight pink hue, matching his nephew's. "Your uncle has told me about your passion. Let me guess... Han Solo is your favorite character, am I right?"

"Yeah, he's the best! He's like a space pirate." Connor's initial shyness was replaced by the enthusiasm that characterized him whenever he talked about the films.

"Uhm, I guess that's why he's your uncle's favorite, too."

Connor chuckled. "Yes! He always says that he must have been a pirate in another life. Do you know he has a boat named The Jolly Roger, after Captain Hook's ship?"

They were talking as if he wasn’t even in the room, but Killian was thrilled to see how well Emma and her nephew were getting along. He was a silent witness to the conversation for a while longer, until finally, he cleared his throat, catching their attention. "I'm still here, in case you hadn’t noticed."

They both looked at him then, Emma trying to suppress a laugh and Connor with a slightly embarrassed expression. "I'm sorry, uncle. Shall we start watching the movie?"

Killian nodded, addressing Emma. "All set, love?" In answer, she showed him the remote control and her popcorn bowl. "Better if we turn down the volume of our laptops, so we don't get feedback from the TVs." She nodded as she settled into the sofa. Their gazes locked for a moment, and, at a slight gesture from Killian's head, they both hit the play button and began to watch the movie.

He tried to pay attention to what appeared on the television screen, he really did. After the first few minutes though, it was obvious that his eyes were drawn to the smaller laptop screen than the larger one opposite.

There was something unintentionally suggestive about the way Emma brought the popcorn to her mouth while remaining completely oblivious to his scrutiny. His eyes followed the path of her hand from the popcorn bowl to her mouth, a glimpse of tongue appearing between her lips from time to time. The repetitive motion was somewhat hypnotic, and he couldn't look away.

 At one point, her eyes strayed from the television and their gazes met through the screen. Her cheeks tinged slightly pink as she grabbed her phone, her lips drawing a mischievous smile.

 His phone buzzed instantly.

Shouldn’t you look at the screen?  

That's what I'm doing, love.  

After reading his message, Emma rolled her eyes and raised an eyebrow, teasing him.

Reluctantly, he turned his attention back to the TV screen, trying to concentrate on a plot he already knew by heart. He didn't last long, though. A few seconds later, his gaze drifted back to the laptop, catching Emma staring at him instead of the film.

See something you like, Swan?  

Indeed, your nephew is quite adorable.  

Well, they say he looks like me, so I'll take it as a compliment.  

You're incorrigible, Jones.  

"Eh ... guys." His nephew's voice was the only thing that got him to look away from both his phone and his laptop. Killian found a reprobatory look on Connor's face, eyes switching between him and Emma alternately. "Stop flirting and focus on the movie."

"I ... I don’t ..." His voice trailed off. As he scratched behind his ear, he felt his cheeks begin to burn.

Connor rolled his eyes as he shook his head. It was then that Killian noticed that he had paused the movie. "Can we continue now?"

"Um, of course, lad, I apologize, Emma and I are going to focus on the movie. Just hold on a second." Killian looked back at the laptop screen, she was looking at them quizzically, oblivious to what they were saying with the volume muted.

My nephew has just scolded us. Apparently, we are not paying attention, so you should behave yourself, there are children around, Swan.  

Seriously? Shut up and look forward, buddy. You're the one that is distracting me.  

From then on, the two behaved, keeping their attention on their respective TVs. When the movie ended, they both turned up the volume on their laptops to be able to chat. The three of them engaged in an entertaining conversation, the topic was, of course, the Jones' favorite films.

Some time later, Liam stuck his head around the door of the living room. "Connor, it's bath time, lad."

Connor grimaced, let out an exaggerated sigh of resignation and said goodbye to Emma before heading upstairs to the bathroom.

Liam walked over to the couch and, after giving Killian a nod as a greeting, turned his attention to the laptop and Emma. When Liam and Emma began a conversation, Killian felt ignored once more because of one of the Jones, but he didn't mind, on the contrary. Seeing how Emma interacted with different members of his family had an effect on him. It made him glad that in just two weeks, she had managed to not only earn a place in his heart but also in the rest of his family. .

It was a pleasure to see Emma like this, her features relaxed, her smile permanent and her eyes so bright they shone through the screen. She was a vision. And he was in serious trouble with this woman.

Later that evening, Killian went out for a drink with his friends. This would be his last Saturday in Ireland, and he wanted to make the most of it. He felt more relaxed than ever, enjoying time with the guys over beers. Emma's presence was constant in the form of messages and photos shared with both him and his friends. They were more than willing to reciprocate, involving him in crazy situations that resulted in absurd photos at his expense. He would have given anything to see her reaction and the sound of her laughter when she saw his pictures.

Before he knew it, it was nearly time for his nightly call with Emma. When Killian tried to said goodbye to his friends, both Robin and Will teased him playfully. They argued that he was leaving so early because he preferred to talk to the      Swan girl — their new nickname for her — instead of spending more time with his best friends. Although they grumbled, they could not hide the joy they felt for him. After so many years of darkness, it seemed that the light at the end of the tunnel was closer than ever and they were willing to accompany him along the way.

His good mood was sadly short lived. While he changed his clothes before starting his video call with Emma, his gaze drifted to the calendar on his desk. That was when reality hit him hard. The next day was marked with a red circle accompanied by a note. — Sunday, visit the graveyard.  

He felt all the energy drain from his body, his heart dropping to his stomach. He had been so involved with his family and Emma that he had completely forgotten the visit he had set himself. The joy was immediately replaced by his old friend, guilt. Still, he forced himself to push away those negative thoughts and focus on what was truly important. His decision to move on was firm, no visit to the cemetery would change his mind. But he felt that trip was more necessary than ever. It was the moment to draw a line under the memories that kept him anchored in the past. It was going to be hard, but he could do it.

Even though he tried to convince himself that everything would be all right, the rest of the evening had been ruined in a way. He was not in the mood for a long chat with Emma. Even so, he forced himself to plaster a smile on his face and mask his true feelings, since the last thing he wanted was to worry her.

Their talk was brief, but pleasant, as always. Before ending the call, Killian told her that he had a busy day tomorrow and that he didn't know when they could talk. He tried to give a nonchalant tone to his words. If Emma noticed anything, she did not mention it, although her inquisitive look remained until the screen went blank.

A few seconds later, his phone buzzed, another habit they had formed. Just after hanging up, one of them sent a text message to the other.

Are you okay, Killian?  

Aye, love. There’s nothing to worry about. I just have a business to take care of. Tomorrow, as soon as I'm done, I'll call you.  

The reality was that he did not trust himself. The visits to the graveyard always left him a little more broken. This time would probably affect him even more. He didn’t want to add any more concern to Emma or his family. So if he had to spend the next afternoon locked up in his room going through his grief in solitude, he was more than willing to do so as long as the people he cared about were not affected. It would not be the first time, and it would not be the last either, he thought with resignation.

 Liam - Sunday

Liam ran his hand over his face and squeezed his eyes in frustration. His gaze moved upward,knowing what Killian would be doing now. His brother would probably be lying down in bed, one arm over his face as his demons roamed freely inside his head. He let out a deep sigh. For a moment he had thought that this time everything would be different, that this time he had something more to hold on to, not lose himself in his painful memories. Liam wondered, not for the first time, whether these visits really benefited his brother or left him even more devastated.

He clenched his jaw, feeling helplessness washed over him. If only Killian could see everything he was missing while he remained locked in his room... This would be his last Sunday with his family for many months and instead of enjoying these moments with his loved ones, he had to visit the bloody cemetery, knowing in advance how it would affect him.

"Dad!" Connor's voice brought him back to reality. His gaze followed the direction of the sound to find his son sitting on the sofa in the living room, a laptop in front of him on the coffee table. "Dad, Emma's calling." Connor got up and scurried over to his father, carrying the laptop with him.

Liam narrowed his eyes puzzle. What was Connor talking about? And what was he doing with Killian's laptop? His son turned the laptop around so Liam could see the screen. The smiley image of Emma had popped up, indicating an incoming video call. His eyebrows went together in confusion. Hadn't his brother told her anything? No, probably not, he thought in frustration.

"Uncle Killian told me that I could use his laptop." Connor justified himself, still holding the device in his hands.

"It's okay, lad, go watch TV or something while I talk to her." Liam took the laptop from his son's hands and directed him back toward the living room, as he headed for the kitchen in search of some privacy. He set the device on the counter and hurriedly pressed the answer button.

"Hi, lass."

Emma's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting him to respond. "Eh ... I'm sorry." She hesitated, looking somewhat uneasy at the unexpected situation. "I know Killian told me he'd be busy most of the day, but I saw he was online and I thought he was done."

"It’s fine, Emma, there's nothing to apologize for." Liam cleared his throat, giving himself time to gather his thoughts before continuing. "In fact, your call is very welcome, because I need to ask you a big, big favor."

Emma gave him a shy smile as she cocked her head. He could tell she was intrigued. "Sure, if I can."

Liam took a deep breath as he scratched behind his ear. "Killian didn’t tell you where he was going today, did he?"

"Eh no." Her forehead creased a little, showing some concern. He felt bad momentarily, as he was betraying his brother's confidence by involving Emma, something he wouldn't normally do. But he would have time to regret it later. Now was the time to act.

"Well, I guess you know a lot of Killian's story so I won’t beat around the bush. Every time he comes to visit us, he forces himself to visit the graveyard where Milah is buried." As he spoke, Liam could see her face gradually changing, first with understanding and then her brow growing more pronounced as her concern grew. "I thought that this time he'd have avoided the visit, because of his decision to move on." He swallowed hard, trying to ease the lump that was forming in his throat. "I was hoping that this time would be different, but it hasn't been so. He has acted in the same way, shutting himself in his room, refusing to speak to anybody." Liam sighed in defeat, but also feeling some relief, as if he had somehow freed himself from the burden on his shoulders.

"I see ..." Emma looked thoughtful for a moment, her gaze wandering without focusing on the screen. Then, after an almost imperceptible nod of her head, she turned her gaze back to the camera. "You want me to talk to him and try to convince him to be with his family." Her words did not come with an inquisitive tone, but in affirmation.

"Aye." Liam admitted. "He leaves on Friday. It's the last Sunday his nephews and niece are going to spend with him. My daughter asks me all the time why she can’t be with her uncle and I don’t know what to tell her. I'm so sorry to put you in this situation but you really are my last hope, Emma." Liam gave her an imploring glance.

"Of course I will, but I'm not sure I can convince him. He didn’t tell me much about Milah, the wound still seems to be open, and believe me, I know what it's like to go through something like that. But I'll try." She responded with determination."I know he does not see it right now, but your brother is lucky to have so much love around. He should never lose the opportunity to spend more time with his family."

Liam clenched his jaw, hating himself for asking Emma to do this. He didn't know much about her but from what he had gleaned from Killian and her conversation with Elsa; and the sad expression lingering on her face, he sensed that her life had been at least as hard as his brother's. "I really appreciate it, Emma, I hope we have the opportunity to talk again at some point, I know that my wife has already said it, but whatever you need, you can count on us."

After a final thank-you on both sides, and with Liam wishing her luck, they finished the call. He then turned his gaze to the ceiling, a silent prayer repeating in his mind that the conversation with Emma would have the desired effect. He could do nothing but wait, so he decided to go look for Elsa, his shelter and lifesaver in these situations.

 Killian - Sunday

Killian was angry with himself. Before going to the graveyard, he had promised himself that this time it would be different, that his decision to move on was firm and that his visit would not affect him as on other occasions. It was clear that he was fooling himself. Because the reality was that he had come home even more stricken than before.

Lying on the bed, he swallowed hard, his arm over his eyes as if trying to hide from his frustration somehow. It seemed unbelievable that only twenty-four hours before he had been enjoying a great evening with his nephew and Emma, and now he was drowning in misery. His brother's look of disappointment on his return didn't help. Once again, he felt that he did not measure up, that he did not reach the level of the expectations placed on him. It seemed that all his efforts were not enough even though he had been honest with his family and his friends in his decision to move on.

Killian ran his hand over his face, squeezing his eyes shut. It had been too much. He had stood there, in front of the grave, as on so many other occasions, except that this time it did feel like an actual farewell. This time he was finally cutting the thread that still connected him with Milah, that kept him anchored in the past. But part of him clung with all his strength to that last tie. Still, despite the fact that his whole body trembled when he left the cemetery, his decision was unshakable. Farewell was definitive and, although he did not feel it like that at the time, the wound would begin to heal soon. But before that, he had to go through this final phase of grief. And then he would come out the other side able to move on. Yes, it should be that way.

His phone started ringing. He let out a growl, ready to ignore the sound, not wanting to talk to anyone at all. Still, his gaze drifted to the screen. When she saw Emma's name appearing, his determination to remain isolated weakened. She had gotten under his skin in such a way that he only needed to see her name in front of him and his mood would improve ostensibly. There would be no harm in talking to her. Quite the contrary.

"Hello, love." His attempt to give a neutral tone to his words did not have the desired effect, his voice sounding muffled and hoarse.

"Hello, Killian."

His eyes narrowed, wondering why her voice wasn’t cheerful, her usual joking tone gone. Maybe she suspected something? He didn't have to wait long to settle any doubts.

After a deep sigh, she continued speaking. "Look, I’m not going to beat about the bush, I called you earlier via Skype, but your brother answered ... He... He's told me where you've been this morning."

Killian swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat, as he clenched his jaw. Despite her soft, encouraging voice, he felt somehow betrayed by his brother. He did not want Emma to be involved in this, she already had enough with her own demons she didn’t need to deal with his too. Before he could explain himself, though, Emma continued.

"I know what you're thinking, Killian. I've learned to recognize your silences a little in these two weeks. Don't blame your brother, he cares about you. And so do I. I know you find it hard to let off steam with your family and friends, But you can do it with me. Maybe I can’t give you any advice to help you through this, but I can listen."

"It's okay, love. I'm not mad at Liam, let alone at you." Killian paused trying to collect his thoughts. "I actually wanted to apologize to you for not telling you anything yesterday, but I did not want to spoil the evening, and I thought it would be different this time... it seems I was wrong." He confessed, exhaling in defeat.

"Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. You told me the other day you have decided to move on. It's a brave but difficult decision at the same time. Step by step, Killian. And now, how about you tell me how you felt?" Again her words of encouragement and support had an effect on him. He felt as if the knot in his stomach slowly loosened.

He pinched the bridge of his nose while assessing whether it was beneficial to release his thoughts and fears once again. After a deep sigh, Killian decided to trust Emma and bared his soul, telling her everything he had not dared to confess so far about Milah.

He told her how he had met her shortly after his brother's accident when he was in rehab. She had been his escape valve while he atoned to his mistakes by putting his life on hold to help his brother. She, in turn, had found in him the refuge and adventure that her ex-husband had always denied her.

They had spent three years together and had been living together for a year when she died and his whole world collapsed. This time, he did tell her how he had felt after her death. His craving for vengeance left unsatisfied since the evidence was so clear cut against her ex-husband that he was locked up in prison perhaps sooner than Killian would have liked. He also told her that during the first months he was consumed by alcohol and sex. His brother and Elsa came to his rescue once more, offering him a means of escape since he was unable to face his demons at that time.

Emma listened all the time without judging. Only asking him questions to clarify any doubts or to utter a word of encouragement in the hardest moments.

"I was determined today, Swan. I wanted to go to the cemetery and say goodbye forever, to cut the thread that kept me attached to her. I did it, my decision is firm, but it does not stop being hard. I just need a little time to assimilate everything, but I'm fine, or at least I will be, really."

"You're doing well, Killian. Maybe I'll regret this later, when you're feeling better and your ego is the same again, but I'm proud of you. That’s it. Now forget what I said, okay?” Fortunately, her relaxed tone had returned, lightening the tension a little. He also felt much better after being able to vent to her.

"Uhm, I know how difficult it is for you to compliment me, so I'm honored to have received one at last." He also joked. He was thankful for Emma's ability to change his mood in the blink of an eye. Only her voice, her laughter and now her images were enough to soothe his mind as well as his heart.   "Hey, I do compliment you, from time to time." She complained. He could imagine the expression on her face now, her lips pursed and her brow wrinkled, but also a spark of amusement in her eyes.

Killian smirked. "I was just joking, love. I know deep down you find me irresistible."

“Oh, please keep dreaming, Jones, and since you're well enough to continue your failed attempts to flirt, you better do me a favor. Move your ass out of your bedroom and go spend time with your family, Killian. There are only a few days left to be with them, make them worthwhile."   She was right, of course she was. His family deserved to have the best version of himself and he was willing to do anything for them. "Aye..." The lyrics of a song forever associated with Emma came to mind suddenly. "      The show must go on    ."

"Always." His heart skipped a beat, amazed at how their conversation could change in just a few minutes, from deep pain to the usual banter between them and just a second later sharing words of complicity. There was something unique between them, no doubt.

It was incredible, just minutes before he had felt miserable and now he could not wait to see the kids. And it was all Emma's doing. "Thank you, Emma, really. If you ask me later, I'll deny it, but I can never be more grateful that it was you who found my phone."

"Are we sentimental now?" Killian repressed a chuckle at her words. "That makes two of us then,  now go."

"I like it when you use that bossy tone, Swan." Emma snorted at the other end of the phone. "We'll talk later?"

"Sure, call me."

 After finishing the call, Killian leaned back against the head of the bed as he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to retain the courage provided by Emma. Two deep breaths came out of his lungs, while his demons from the past slowly returned to their slumber in the farthest corner of his brain. He could do it. His family deserved it and he had suffered enough. It was time to start enjoying everything that life could offer.

He got up then and went to the bathroom to freshen up his face. He nodded at his image in the mirror in a sign of encouragement, his lips curved into a half smile that this time did reach his eyes. His gaze then turned to the window of his bedroom. There were still a few hours before the sun disappeared over the horizon and the weather was warm enough to spend some time outdoors. A family football match sounded like a good plan. His smile widened at the thought of his nephew and niece. Yes, definitely a good way to spend their last Sunday afternoon.

His whole family was in the heart of the house, the kitchen, when Killian went downstairs. Before announcing his presence, he allowed himself to be a silent witness for a few seconds to the familiar picture before his eyes. His heart sank a little at the thought that in less than a week he would have to settle for seeing them through a screen... but there were still some days before that. Killian shook his head and walked toward them, hoping his features did not betray his previous inner turmoil.

Eileen was the first one to see him. As soon as her gaze fixed on him she jumped from the stool where she sat and ran straight for him, clinging to his legs.

"Uncle Killy!"

Killian stroked her hair, touched by the affection his niece had for him. Eager to see Liam's reaction, his gaze wandered the room until he found his brother. Killian stifled a sigh of relief when he saw his face light up, while his gaze drifted subtly to Elsa. Both shared a gesture of complicity that did not go unnoticed. Then Liam approached him and gave him an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder. The smile on his face matched the brightness of his eyes, full of contained emotion. Killian nodded subtly. The words not necessary on this occasion.

After clearing his throat, Killian began to speak. "I was thinking... maybe we could go out into the yard for a while and play football. Who's in?"

Connor raised his arm excitedly. "Count me in!"

"But Uncle Killy, I don’t know how to play football." His niece tugged at the hem of his shirt, her small mouth furrowed in a lovely pout.

"Well, lassie,  that's not quite true. You know how to kick a ball, right?"

Eileen nodded vigorously.

"So ... you know how to play football, little love." Killian then lunged for her, holding her in his arms and tickling her as he walked toward the back door of the kitchen. Her contagious laughter, a sound he would never tire of hearing, accompanied them all the way.

Emma - Wednesday

The wait was getting tedious. Emma tapped eagerly on the desk of the police station, earning a reproachful glance from the officer in charge of locating her files.

That was one of the reasons she was never in charge of carrying out this type of task, she thought with annoyance. Graham was usually the one who collected the files of the new cases while Leroy and she preferred the work of surveillance and investigation. But her boss was out of town today, and Leroy had cracked up with a bad excuse. Damn them.

Still, it was supposed to be a simple task. Deliver the files of the resolved cases and get the new ones. But from the beginning, the officer had given her suspicious looks, questioning her about Graham's absence. Okay, she had not been particularly nice when replying, offering short answers, unable to suppress an expression of annoyance. Maybe that's why the woman was taking her time. A sigh of defeat escaped her lips as she dropped her arms and sank into one of the seats near the reception. While waiting, she decided to entertain herself with something much more enjoyable. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and started scrolling through her photo gallery, remembering once again the moments shared with Killian.

After his little breakdown last Sunday, everything was back to normal. They continued to share their lives through photos and messages ending the day with a video call. Once she had overcome that first awkward moment, she felt increasingly comfortable with those conversations. However, that little hint of panic, that feeling of too much did not disappear completely. She tried to ignore the fact that in just a few days they would finally meet in person. I'll have time to worry later. That was her mantra to block those thoughts. The problem? That later was getting closer and closer.

"Here you go." The woman's voice, along with the sound of the files dropped on the counter, brought her back to reality.

Emma put her phone back in her pocket and walked to the counter. "Thank you." Her tone this time was more friendly, accompanied by a small smile. The woman, Officer M. Brave, according to the plate on the counter, seemed to appreciate it as she let aside her sullenness and gave her a half smile in return. 

"So, is Graham coming back soon?" Although the woman tried to keep her voice steady, Emma could see a hint of nervousness in both her expression and her gaze. Interesting...

"Yeah, he'll be back tomorrow. Do you want me to give him a message from you?"

Her reaction was immediate. The poor woman's cheeks flushed furiously, almost matching her red hair, her mouth twisting into a grimace. "Eh, no, it's not necessary." She stammered. Emma almost regretted making her feel bad, but she couldn’t help it having detected the woman's interest in her boss. She made a mental note to ask Graham about her. With a last smile, she said goodbye and headed for the exit.

As she walked through the station, something caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a blond man sitting at one of the desks. His name plate read 'David Nolan'. Both his name and face rang a bell, but she couldn't place them. Suddenly it came to her. David Nolan — that was the name of one of Killian's friends wasn't it?

Unfortunately, she didn't have Killian's phone with her to check, but curiosity had taken over her, so without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and sent him a quick message.

Hey, is your friend David a cop?  

Killian was fast to respond.

Detective, in fact. Why?  

I’ll tell you later.  

Without thinking twice, she put her phone back and went to the desk. The need to know more about Killian's life pulling her towards his friend.

"Hello, David Nolan?"

The man looked up from the files he was holding. Emma was met with two blue eyes that gave her a curious look. "Yeah, what can I do for you?" He asked politely.

The determination she had felt an instant before, disappeared the moment she was face to face with David. She felt a little ridiculous as she approached a stranger like that. "Uh ... I'm Emma, Emma Swan."

To his credit and her pleasant surprise, it took David only a few seconds to identify her name. His features changed in recognition, his lips drawing a friendly smile.

"Emma... Are you Killian's Emma?"

Her heart fluttered a little at the way David had addressed her. Her cheeks flushed instantly as she dropped her mouth, shocked by his words. It was a throw-away comment, with little importance to other people. But those simple words meant a world to her, they implied a sense of belonging. Something new, something she wanted to hold on to.

"Well, it's more that I'm the person who is taking care of his phone until he returns, but yeah, that would be me."

David's smile widened as he shook his head in amazement. "I can not believe it, what a coincidence... What brings you here?" His expression changed a little, showing some concern. "You’ve not been the victim of a crime, have you?"

"No, I'm here for work." She lifted her hand, showing the files she was holding. "Usually my boss is in charge of carrying out this task, but Graham is out of town today."

David's eyes widened. "Graham? Graham Humbert?" 

"Uhm, yeah?"

"Ha! Then you are also Graham's Emma!"

Her eyebrows went together in confusion. "What?"

"We're talking about Graham, the bail bond person, right?" Emma nodded, so David continued the explanation. "I guess you'll know that he comes here quite a bit, and we ended up getting along. He sometimes comments on some aspect of his cases and your name comes up on most occasions. He's proud of your work, really."

"Oh ..." Emma felt her cheeks begin to burn again at the unexpectedness of the compliment. A wave of gratitude toward Graham washed over her. "I just do my job, but I guess it's something I'm good at."

David looked at his watch. "It's almost lunch time, I'm going out to get something. If you're not in a hurry, you could come with me and catch up on Killian, what do you think?"

Once again, Emma found herself in an unexpected situation, to which she was not sure how to react. On the one hand, she longed to know more about Killian. On the other, she was uncomfortable with the closeness David seemed to show her, because, after all, she was just a stranger to him. In the end, her curiosity won.

"Sure."

After nodding in appreciation, David grabbed his wallet, got up, and escorted her toward the exit. Along the way, they talked about the different coincidences linking their lives together. It seemed incredible that, in the end, everyone was connected in some way in such a big city.

As they approached the cafe David had selected, her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the place. No way, she thought.

"Wait, this is where we're going to have lunch? It's the place where Killian lost his phone!" Her voice sounded perhaps too loud, but she could not help showing her surprise.

"Really? It doesn't surprise me, though. This cafe is in a good place for all us. It's close to the station, the school where my wife works, and the docks are a little further down the road." David pointed to his left toward the bay. "And also our apartments are over there." His finger pointed to some buildings that were somewhat further away, overlooking the bay.

Emma swallowed. Being in Killian’s neighborhood had an effect on her, but she still could not decide whether it was good or bad. She didn’t have time to decide, though, as David gently pushed her into the premises.

Her gaze shifted immediately to the bar where she'd been sitting a few weeks ago. A shadow of shame passed through her mind, remembering how it had all started. She also felt some relief, seeing where this fortuitous incident had brought them.

Luckily, they did not sit at the bar, that would have been too much. Instead, David led her to one of the booths, inviting her to sit in front of him. Soon, one of the waitresses approached them. It was obvious that this was a place that David regularly attended. He only had to state ‘the usual’, receiving a warm smile from the woman while she took note. When the waitress left, David turned his attention back to her.

"It's funny because just yesterday I was talking to Killian. He told me you were still in touch."

"Yes, quite a bit." Every day at different times, in fact, she thought.

"I'm glad to hear him more happy than usual. It seems that the birth of his new nephew and the extra time with his family is doing him the world of good." Although she would not admit it out loud, the idea that maybe she had also contributed somehow to improving Killian's mood did go through her mind.

He looked genuinely pleased for his friend. Emma then thought that David and his wife had probably witnessed Killian’s lowest moments when he arrived at Boston. His relief showed that they were also on the Move On team.

"Well, although we haven't met I do know some of his history, it seems that this time he does seem determined to move on."

"It's about time, really." David exhaled.

An awkward silence fell over them. It was odd for her to be having an in depth conversation with a complete stranger about someone they both cared about. Of course, she thought bitterly, there hadn't been that many people in her life that she cared about and who cared about her, to present these opportunities. To break the tension, she turned the conversation to lighter topics.

"So how did you and Killian meet?"

His lips rose slightly before answering as his expression remained thoughtful for a few seconds. "He lives in an apartment just above ours. When he arrived in Boston we had recently moved to the city.” David paused for a moment, nostalgia was evident in his voice. "I suppose you know the reasons why he came here." He trailed off, tilting his head and giving her an inquiring look. Suddenly, he seemed quite interested in her answer.

"Uhm, yes, we've actually talked a lot about our past." She tried to use a reassuring, confident tone.

David nodded. "Well, then I guess you know Killian was not at his best when he first came to Boston. But my wife has always been quite motherly so she set out on a mission to help Killian and make sure he not only existed but also lived, you know what I mean."

A wave of gratitude to these two unknown people seized her. Emma nodded, the lump in her throat preventing her from speaking. She gave him a sympathetic look, encouraging him to continue.

"He had a hard time opening up to us. Even now, after five years, I don't think he has told us his whole story. But little by little we got to know him, and now he’s one of my best friends, my best mate as he would say." David chuckled. "If he's available, he always volunteers to take care of Leo, my two-year-old son, while my wife Mary Margaret and I go out on a date. In return, we take care of his plants during his absence."

Of course, he would take care of a toddler, why didn’t it surprise her? She thought as her heart melted. And he also liked gardening. Her mind drifted a little, imagining Killian's hands buried in the ground, on a hot day... Focus, Emma. "I didn’t know Killian liked plants." She made a mental note to ask him later.

"Yeah, he has a little garden on the roof of the building, I'm sure he'll show it to you when he comes back in a couple of days. But enough to talk about Killian, what about you? I'd love to learn about you, especially since I'm sure my wife will question me later about Killian's new friend." His smile seemed genuine, his words didn't seem to hold a double meaning. Even so, Emma felt uncomfortable, reluctant to reveal anything about her life.

"There's nothing to tell really, my life is not that interesting. I came to Boston two years ago and I work as a bail bond person. You know what that means, many hours doing research and more hours doing surveillance work. I don’t have time for much more." She shrugged.

Before David could reply, her phone buzzed, announcing a popup message. Emma hurriedly looked at the screen, using it as an excuse to divert attention.

I'm waiting, love. Why did you ask me about David?  

Emma smiled, showing the message to David. "How about we send him a selfie in response?" she suggested.

"Good idea!" David pulled out his phone and they leaned across the table, coming up to appear on the screen. He shot a photo and then sent it to Killian whose response came almost instantly. Surprisingly, Emma was the one who received the message instead of David.

Ha! You two have met! How? I need to know more about that meeting. I hope David isn't sharing all my bad habits.  

Uhm, some other unspeakable secret, but nothing to worry about. So gardening, huh?  

"Hang on, is he responding to you? I was the one who sent him the photo!" David grumbled, though his expression was far from angry. She couldn’t help but giggle at the situation. A moment later, David's phone rang. After looking at the screen, he turned the phone around so she could see it too. Killian was calling. "Should I take the call or do we make him wait a little?" They both smiled as David finally slid his finger across the screen and took the phone to his ear.

It was at that moment, as she watched as David talked to Killian, that reality hit her. Until then, she had coped rather well with him. But even though she could not see Killian, David's way of interacting with him had an effect on her. She suddenly longed to share that sense of camaraderie, friendship, and understanding with someone. She felt like an intruder, witnessing the life of another person in his neighborhood, chatting with his friend, in a place that he frequented. Despite his demons from the past, Killian had a complete life here, a job, friends, people who cared about him. She couldn't see any room for her in this scenario. Killian wouldn't really need her.

When she and David said goodbye after finishing their meals, they did so with the sincere promise, at least on his part, of seeing each other soon and Emma meeting his wife. Hers, however, concealed a bit of uncertainty. Maybe Emma was looking for an excuse because the moment was approaching, but the truth was that the encounter with David had generated a feeling of unease in her. In only two days Killian would be back and she was becoming less sure about how to deal with it.

Killian - Thursday

Thursday. In just over twenty-four hours he would be leaving his homeland and returning to Boston. Killian stirred uneasily in his bed. It was still a couple of hours before dawn, but he was already wide awake. In fact, he hadn't slept all night.

The cause of his insomnia, once again, was Emma. Something had changed, he could tell. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he was quite perceptive and this time his intuition was screaming that something was wrong.

A deep sigh came from his mouth as he ran a hand over his face. He should not feel this way, not today, when there was so little time left before meeting her in person. Maybe it was just the nervousness and the anticipation that were playing tricks on him. Even so, his mind returned to the previous day, reliving all the moments shared with her, to try to work out what had failed.

The first few hours had passed normally. They shared messages and photos in what they had already established as their routine. Then she and David met and Killian talked to his friend on the phone for a while. That evening, they kept their usual video call. It was from that moment on that he began to notice the change. 

Although the banter and innuendos did not diminish, her grin did not reach her gaze this time. The glint in her eyes seemed fainter, her smile barely a slightly curved line, her voice less lively. Maybe it was just his imagination and she was just tired, he told himself to try to calm down.

Killian squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and then decided to shelve those thoughts for a while. He had only one day left to enjoy his family and he was more than willing to do so. So he was going to take advantage of waking up early to prepare a succulent family breakfast. But before that, a shower was in order. Maybe the hot water would wash away the bad thoughts and help him relax.

His brother Liam got up shortly after him. While they were cooking together and holding what could be their last sibling talk for a while, his worries subsided. Before the rest of his family woke up and demolished the food, he took a couple of pictures and sent them to Emma, although it was still a few hours before she would see it.

Hey, love. As you see, this is my way of saying goodbye to my family, through a succulent breakfast.  

The rest of the morning passed in a flash. Killian was engulfed in a whirlwind of activity that kept him occupied most of the time. His nephew and niece transmitted their overflowing energy to him and he absorbed every last drop of what the children could offer. He would need these memories to keep him going while he was away from them.

That day the kids skipped school to spend more time with their uncle. He truly appreciated it, but after lunch, he needed a little break, just a few minutes to himself. So when everyone else was otherwise occupied, he took a moment to escape to his bedroom. The fact that a text message from Emma had appeared on his phone's screen had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.

Sitting on his bed, his lips curled into a wide grin as he read the message.

Oh, God. Your damn breakfast made my mouth water.     That was the intention, Swan.     This is torture! You know my fridge is still empty and now because of you, I'll have to drag myself to Granny’s to sate my appetite. It's not even nine o'clock in the morning.     Do you know that sometimes you get a bit melodramatic? It's quite funny. 

I'm not in the mood, Jones.     

One last reminder.The food was luscious, I can still savor it on my lips.     You bastard. That is obscene. 

A smirk appeared on his lips, his worries seemed to have been in vain. Everything was fine between them. Before he could respond, his phone buzzed again. When he saw the content of the message, he almost fell off the bed, in surprise at the photo accompanying the text.   

Uhm. I've been lucky and found some chocolate in the cupboard. Mmmm. Delicious.

It was her photo that should be considered obscene, at least for a dirty mind like his own. In the picture, he could only see her pinky perfect lips puckered around her index finger as if she was licking it. Bloody hell.   

You're a bloody siren, love. Two can play the same game, remember.  

I'll be waiting.  

But it will be later, I'm afraid that my friends are coming now to say goodbye. We’ll talk later?   

Sure. Send greetings to your friends from me. Have fun!   

Killian let out a deep breath as the screen went blank. The knot in his stomach was gradually thinning, as he realised that his worries had probably been unfounded. Even so, he could not wait to have a video call with her later in the evening and rid all doubt. But until then, he had a goodbye party to attend.

This was not usual, that all his friends organized a goodbye party, especially when he had been with them just a couple of months before. But it seemed that everyone had agreed to give him a little push in his decision to move on without saying the words, and using the excuse of a goodbye. It was a celebration of a new beginning, really. He could not be more grateful for the affection he was receiving. Sometimes he wondered if he really deserved it. But today was not a day of questioning anything, today was a day to enjoy. And he was more than willing to do it.

They were all there, his good friend Robin with his wife Regina and his son Roland, Anna and Kristoff along with their two boys, Will, who would travel back a day after him. And of course his family. Everyone was eager to have a good time, wide smiles, bright eyes, even some tears of emotion shed. All sprinkled with photos and messages here and there shared with Emma from time to time. Somehow she had also managed to be present at this special moment for him.

Later, when the children began to show signs of exhaustion, the real goodbyes finally arrived. Kisses, tight hugs, handshakes, promises to keep in touch, all wrapped up in an atmosphere of special emotion.

You're a lucky guy, Jones. Never forget it. Hold on to your family and friends, it's the most precious thing you have.   

Emma was right, of course. All them had proved it today more than ever. He was well aware that whatever happened, he could always count on them. The lump that had formed in his throat became tight when it came time to say goodbye to his two favorite people. He would travel early in the morning, too early for the kids.

It was hard to escort her little angel Eileen to bed, knowing that the next day he would not be there to say good morning. After reading her favorite tale, Killian gently folded the covers around her and sat down on the side of her bed, giving her a tender smile. Even though he had his emotions running high, he tried to muffle his feelings so as not to make the moment even harder for his niece.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, little love, too early for you, so better if we say goodbye now, aye?"  

Eileen gave him a tiny smile along with a watery look. Her chin trembled a little, but she managed to keep her emotions at bay, her brave little lass.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Uncle Killy."

"Me too, little love, but we can see each other on the phone or laptop whenever we want."   

She nodded. "You'll be back soon, right?"   

"In just a few months." He assured her. "But you're going to be so busy taking care of your new little brother and enjoying the incoming summer that before you know it, I will be back with you again."

Eileen nodded again, her smile widening, making his heart melt a little more. When she reached out her arm and caressed his face, he almost broke right there. "I love you so much, uncle, to the moon and back."

"I love you more, my lassie." His words came in a broken whisper. Both melted into a hug full of emotion. Finally, after one last kiss on her cheek, he got up, waved and approached the door. "Sleep now, little one, we'll talk soon." He mumbled. His niece settled into her bed and after giving him a last smile, she finally closed her eyes.

After leaving Eileen's bedroom, Killian took a minute to pull himself together. He leaned his back against the wall of the corridor as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Once again, he kept wondering why he was finding it harder to say goodbye this time. It was contradictory to feel that way when for the first time he was truly anxious to return to Boston. Perhaps these conflicting feelings clashed with each other making everything more intense, he told himself. After a deep exhalation, he softened his features and headed for Connor's bedroom.

Saying goodbye to his nephew was easier, but no less overwhelming. Connor's gaze was filled with disappointment, something that broke Killian's heart. But he was now almost nine years old and capable of assimilating his absence better than his sister. He was growing up too fast, his lad.

Despite his initial protests — Uncle Killian, I'm too old for this — Killian caught him in a bear hug. They promised each other that they would talk every day and would soon organize a new movie session via skype. The mention of that day instantly brought him the memory of Emma and the pleasant evening that the three of them spent together. A week earlier he had been convinced they would repeat it, this time with Killian and Emma sharing the popcorn together and Connor on the other side of the world. Now he was not sure anymore, it could just be him alone, he thought with some uneasiness.

"Maybe Emma will be able to join us again someday in one of those movie sessions." His nephew offered, with a voice more timid than usual. His cheeks turned a faint pink tint as his gaze drifted to his feet.

Killian narrowed his eyes as he cocked his head. So his nephew seemed to have developed a crush on Emma... He suppressed a laugh at the thought of Emma's effect on the Jones. "Maybe, if you ask her she would be delighted."

Connor widened his eyes, his face a grimace of embarrassment. "Uhm, no, it's better if you ask her. She's your friend after all."

Killian nodded. "We'll see what we can do about that."

"So, you will return as usual in the autumn?"

"Of course, lad, I would not miss out on Christmas at the Jones' house and the premiere of the new Star Wars film."

"Cool. Have a nice trip."

"Thank you, my boy, I love you." Killian said affectionately, stroking his hair.

"Me too." His lips lifted in a half smile, his gaze, the same as his sister had offered him a few minutes before, a mixture of sadness and affection towards him. Those blue eyes, a Jones trademark, had the ability to make his heart tight. He was going to miss his family a lot.

After leaving Connor's bedroom, Killian felt the weariness begin to take hold of him. It had been a day of many emotions and, even though it was late, he still had a few more to deal with. He went to the living room and found his brother and Elsa. The three of them chatted briefly and finally, waving at them, he went back upstairs. He would have more time tomorrow to say goodbye properly.

Packing did not take much time, as he always left clothes here for his return visits. He only had to pack some personal belongings and last minute purchases in his suitcase, including gifts for his Boston friends.

Just as he was rummaging through his closet, something caught his attention. Fringe's T-shirt was folded on a shelf. It was the one Emma had demanded as payment for rescuing his phone. He smiled as he thought of that conversation, which seemed longer than a mere couple of weeks ago. Whatever happened, he would always have these memories to treasure. Without thinking twice, he packed the t-shirt into his suitcase hoping he would get to deliver it in person very soon.

Once the packing was finished, there was little to do. His gaze shifted to the laptop on his chest of drawers. For the first time since meeting Emma, he felt hesitant to talk to her. Not because he did not feel like doing it, in fact, he was dying to see her once more, but out of fear of what she might say.

Killian looked at his watch. It was still early. Maybe it was a good idea to take a shower now so he would not have to do it in the early morning. Yes, that was the reason, he tried to convince himself as he avoided looking at his phone. He knew their conversation was inevitable, unless she refused to talk to him. He just needed to regain some more confidence. A shower would not do him any harm.

The hot shower helped him gather his thoughts and relax his muscles. Despite the fatigue, he felt more willing and more positive. Emma had been acting normal all day, there was no reason to think it would be any different now. After putting on his sweatpants and a T-shirt, he sat on the bed, his back resting on the headboard and his laptop on his lap. The time had come.

To his relief, she answered the video call immediately, her face appearing on the screen in an instant.

"Hello, love."

"Hey, what's up. Have you finished packing? You look tired."

She was gorgeous, as always, her hair tucked into a messy bun, leaving some loose strands framing her face. Even though she was smiling at him, he could not help scrutinizing her features. He looked for something that would help him detect her thoughts, but she kept a blank expression, perhaps intentionally.

"Earth to Killian..."

Her voice took him out of his reverie. Bloody hell... this was going to be harder than he thought, he was becoming paranoid. He shook his head in an attempt to dismiss those thoughts and forced himself to smile. "Sorry, love, I was distracted for a moment. Yes, I'm a bit tired, a lot of emotions in a single day, I guess."

Emma did not seem so convinced by his response, her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she cocked her head, studying him just as he had done seconds before. "Have you said goodbye to the kids then?"

He nodded. Despite her scrutinizing gaze, her gentle voice reflected understanding, as if she knew what he was going through. "Yes, I'm leaving early tomorrow." His voice trailed off as he tried to collect his thoughts. A change of conversation was necessary to lighten the mood, at least for the moment. "How are you? How's your Thursday going?"

Emma shrugged as her finger tangled distractedly in one of her loose strands of hair. His gaze shifted there for a few seconds, entranced by the mesmerizing movement. "Like any other day, some research work on the new case. Next week I'll be in action with the stakeout." She paused for a few seconds, her head tilted slightly to one side, her eyebrows drawing together inquiringly. "Are you sure you're okay, Killian? You look a little off today. Is it because of your family?"

Killian plastered on a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Swan. It's not the first time I've said goodbye to my family and it won't be the last. It's hard, but I'm used to it." He tried to downplay it, although the reality was quite different.

"Okay, if you say so..." Emma shrugged again, though she seemed far from convinced.

An awkward silence fell over them. They should be talking about the true meaning of his imminent journey, what it would entail for this kind of friendship they had begun. But it was clear that the two of them were avoiding talking about it. Even though her expression remained composed and her voice steady, he could tell she was nervous, or scared, or both. Since when had it been so weird to talk to each other?

Despite how hard it's to leave my family behind, I'm looking forward to getting to Boston and meet you in person. The words burned on the tip of his tongue, his feelings wanting to escape from its confines and to be expressed in some way.

He restrained that urge, though. "So ... when can we meet up to get my phone back?" He regretted his words the very moment they slipped through his lips. Her expression changed suddenly, the gleam of her gaze faded, her lips pressed together into a thin line. He could almost see her walls rise like a protective shield. He cursed himself for his cowardice and for acting like a complete fool. What was he seriously thinking?

"Uhm... call me when you're back, and we'll see." There it was, her evasive attitude again. But honestly, what did he expect after he'd only shown interest in his phone?

Killian exhaled deeply and searched her gaze, trying to convey as much with his eyes as with his words what he had not dared before. "I... I'm really looking forward to meeting you in person. I still can not believe this is going to happen."

The corners of her lips lifted slightly, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Dammit... "it's like it's been a lot longer, don't you think? But only three weeks ago we were both on the same side of the ocean without having the slightest idea of the existence of the other. It's a funny thing, really."

"Aye, but it's finally here, the last day. Do you realize this is our last conversation on different sides of the ocean?"

"Uhm, maybe not the last one. I might remind you tomorrow to pick up your phone before flying." Her jovial tone had returned, to his relief, although her gaze still seemed a bit muffled.

"It will be much appreciated, Swan, we never know who could get it, do we?  And I don’t think next time I’d be so lucky."

"Keep saying that when you have to pay the ransom, buddy." She raised one of her perfect eyebrows teasing him, while licking her lips in a completely sinfully way.

A chuckle almost came bubbling up from his chest, despite everything. For a moment, the bubble created around them, the one that had served as a shelter for three weeks, seemed impenetrable again. But the sensation lasted only a few seconds. His mind recalled her reaction from a few minutes earlier, her degree of reserve and her evasive behavior and his smile faded on his lips.

The roller coaster of emotions they were experiencing with this conversation was leaving him completely beaten. One moment she was amused and insinuating, the next one she was locked in her shell. It was exhausting, truly.

"So, shall we see each other soon?" He was fully aware that his voice sounded almost in a pleading tone, but at this point, he no longer cared. He had reached his limit with this uncertainty. 

"Call me when you arrive, Killian. Now you should go to sleep, your flight leaves in a few hours, you need to rest."

"I'll sleep on the plane. Do you have any plans for this weekend?" He insisted softly, the connection between them so fragile that any misstep would have the ability to push her away.

Emma sighed, avoiding his gaze. "You call me and we'll see, Killian. It's late, go to sleep, we'll talk tomorrow, okay?"

Killian also sighed, giving up. "Okay, I'll call you when I get there."

"Safe travels, say hello to your family for me." The last thing he saw before the screen went blank was a tiny smile and a watery look that did nothing to reassure him.

Killian swallowed the lump growing in his dry throat. He had not even had time to say goodbye. He felt his heart drop into his stomach because of the impotence and frustration he was feeling. He pushed the laptop away from his bed as he ran his hand over his face, already anticipating one more night of insomnia.      Bloody hell... This woman is going to be the death of me and not in a good way. At least not right now    .

He grabbed his phone, hesitating to send her his routine message after keeping their daily call. After thinking for a few seconds he decided that he knew exactly what the content of that message would be. With more determination than he felt, his fingers slid over the keyboard until he pressed the send key.

The ransom payment for my phone is already stored in my suitcase.   

Her reply was soon to arrive. Despite his uneasiness, he couldn’t help but feel as if a ray of hope was breaking through the clouds. He marveled at the power that a single word could confer. The addition of a emoji was a plus, there was no doubt. It seemed that not all was lost yet, after all.

Good ;)  

Killian - Friday

In the end, he was able to claim a few hours sleep, although they were far from restful. His dreams tormented him, leaving him even more tired than before he fell asleep.

Liam and Elsa were already waiting downstairs, sitting at the kitchen table. His brother cupped a steaming mug and Elsa held the baby in her arms, their features marked by sleep and a hint of melancholy in their glances. At that moment, he was aware that this was not only difficult for him but also for his family.

He cleared his throat to make his presence known. "Good Morning."

His sister-in-law's gaze brightened as she noticed him, but the moment she looked at his face, her expression was tinged with concern. "Whoa Killian, you look like shit, have you even slept?"

"Watch your mouth, sis. There are children around." He joked, feigning being scandalized. The last thing he wanted was to add one more concern to his loved ones. Both Liam and Elsa rolled their eyes in unison. The fact that they were so synchronized even with their facial expressions was a bit disturbing, in a way. "I'm fine, just a bit tired." He added offering a reassuring smile as he headed for the counter. He needed coffee. Lots of coffee.

Elsa was faster, though. Killian suddenly found himself with a baby in his arms while Elsa moved to the coffee pot.

"I'm perfectly capable of pouring some liquid into a mug, lass." Killian complained, but the moment his gaze fell on Brian's sweet face, every other thought was forgotten. He marveled at the miracle of life represented by the tiny creature that slept soundly in his arms.

"I know, it was just so you could hold Brian again whilst he's still this little and peaceful. When you see him next it will not be such an easy task." And it was true, in six months, his nephew would be a restless baby beginning to discover the world. And he would be here to see it.

Elsa handed him the steaming mug as she took the baby back and placed him gently in his bassinet. They held a light conversation for the next few minutes, getting him to forget Emma at least for a while. Until Elsa mentioned her. 

"So have you and Emma already agreed when you will meet in person?" For some reason, Elsa had gotten along very well with Emma, hence her hopeful tone and expression. This time, however, he could not join in with his enthusiasm.

"Uhm ... No, not yet."

It was almost comical to see how her hopeful expression gave way to one of concern in only a few seconds. "She's backing up, isn't she?"

He had tried to maintain a neutral expression, but it was evident that his sister-in-law could read him without problems. Years of practice testified that. "Not exactly, she's rather evasive. She hasn’t refused to meet me, but she hasn’t shown any sign of wanting to either." He admitted. His gaze shifted to Liam, who was silent with a pensive expression.

Elsa's hand reached out to his forearm, squeezing it affectionately. "Maybe she's scared. Give her time, Killian."

He nodded in silence. Liam got up at that moment addressing him. "We better get going, Killian, there may be some traffic on the road at this hour."

Liam grabbed his suitcase and left the house to put it in the trunk, giving him time to say goodbye to Elsa. Despite her fragile appearance, her sister-in-law caught him in such a tight embrace that it almost stopped him from breathing. When they finally parted, she cupped his face with both her hands. "No matter what happens with Emma, now that you've made the decision to move on, don't back down, Killian."

"It's a firm decision, I can assure you," he said, perhaps with more conviction than he felt.

Elsa nodded in approval. Her eyes filled with tears suddenly, making his heart flutter in his chest. "Whoa..." she whispered. "You might think that after doing this on countless occasions we should be used to it. This time I can blame the hormones, right?" Her voice came in a mixture of sobs and giggles.

Killian chuckled in spite of everything. "I'm going to miss you, sis." He said as he gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

"I already miss you. And now go, you know that your brother always gets nervous in these situations. Call us when you get there, okay?"

"Yes, mum." Killian joked, earning a roll of Elsa's eyes. After giving her one last smile, he turned and walked to the car, his brother was already waiting for him.

The ride to the airport was too quiet for his liking. It was obvious that Liam was deep in thought, because his expression remained pensive. It was just before he went through security control, in time for the final goodbye, when Liam finally confessed the subject of his thoughts.

"You have feelings for her, for Emma, right?" Liam finally asked, looking for his gaze.

A deep exhalation escaped his lips. "It may seem crazy because I've only known her for three weeks, but yes, I do." Killian admitted as he quoted the word known in the air.

His brother nodded thoughtfully as he assimilated his words. Then he gave him a look that Killian knew well, a look full of determination. "Then fight for her. You already know the Jones motto..."

"... A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets." Killian finished for him as the two merged into a tight embrace charged with emotion.

"Just do me a favor." Liam's voice came in a pleading tone against his ear. "Try not to end up getting hurt on the way, please."

A few minutes later, he was trying to settle into his seat inside the plane. It was funny, the last time he traveled, he did it in a habitual state of anxiety, increased by the loss of his phone. And now that he was traveling back, his feelings were similar, although this time for quite different reasons. Still, despite his distress, he would follow the advice of both Elsa and Liam about Emma.

Just then, his cell phone vibrated in his hand. Killian hurriedly looked at the screen, checking that he had just received a message from Emma, with a photo included. Even though there were still a few hours to dawn on the other side of the ocean, she had managed to send him a message. That had to mean something, he thought hopefully.

Before reading the text, he opened the photo. His lips drew a grin as he checked the contents. She had sent him a photo of his own phone. Next to the device, a small little sign with letters written on a red marker. Waiting for my ransom.

Then he read the accompanying text.

I hope you haven't forgotten your new phone. As you can see, your old phone is waiting anxiously for your return. Have a good trip!  

There is no forgetting this time, I'm also looking forward to recovering my phone and paying for the corresponding rescue, I'll call you when I arrive.  

Killian then put the phone in ‘airplane mode’ as they were about to take off. Although the text and the photo were somewhat hopeful, the message remained ambiguous. Because she had made mention only to his phone, nothing personal, nothing that meant she wanted to see him too. After a deep breath, he forced himself to push those thoughts out of his mind, at least for now, before they consumed him completely. To distract himself, he pulled out his headphones and opened the playlist, relying on his favorite songs to help him forget for awhile. He put it in shuffle mode, leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes.

His reprieve from his thoughts was short lived. As the intro bars to the first song played he felt an almost uncontrollable desire to scream. He wanted to either hit his head off the seat in front of him or rip out the headphones and throw them away. Memories of moments shared with Emma over the last three weeks flashed through his mind as the music continued to play. Of course, the first random song was 'The Show Must Go On'. Bloody hell... it was going to be a very very long flight home.

I'm sorry?... And to make up for this here's the title of the next chapter: The Meeting. Yes, it's happening, I promise. I'll do my best to try to update soon, but I can't promise anything because... RL

The first part of this fic ends with this chapter, but there is still plenty of the story to tell. I can't wait to start with the second part (there will also be a third part). I’m going to miss the Jones family, but from now on other characters will begin to have more importance. Next chapter stars with Emma’s pov, so will know soon what’s going on in that head of hers...

Thank you for reading and for your support :)

@rouhn @couldnthandleit @teamhook @malec4everr @ijustwantyoucaskett-always

The banner I made for the sneak peek post

[heartbreakcity]

Chewbacca And Han Solo (Jughead Jones Imagine)

Word Count : 3728

A/N: A small disagreement escalates into something Jughead regrets from the minute he says it. But in the time of need, good will always win.

Warnings: Swearing

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Pretty please?”

“Again…no.”

“What about- “

“Nah-uh.”

“Y/N I AM BEGGING YOU!”

You put your hand on you hip, “There is actually no way in hell am I wearing that.”

Jughead sighed, “Why? What’s wrong with it?”

“You want me to tell you what’s wrong with wanting me to wear a Chewbacca outfit to a party that our whole year will be at?” You asked with raised eyebrows, not understanding where the hell your dumbass boyfriend got that idea from.

“Well, we can’t both be Han Solo!” He defended, throwing his hands in the air as if it was obvious.

You scoffed. This was the biggest party in your whole social life, you looked forward to it every year. It was hosted by the one and only Cheryl Blossom and the rule was: no fancy dress = no entrance. The past years you had outdone yourself, staring off with Jasmine from Aladdin, followed by a hippie with the full flower-power theme the next, and last year you topped it off with dressing as Bellatrix Lestrange. Now this time around, you had to do even better, which meant definitely not wearing the Chewbacca costume that Jughead wanted you to.

He had brought up the idea moments ago, you were currently at lunch in the student common room, surrounded by the usual group of Archie, Betty, Veronica, Kevin, Jughead and yourself. The people you called your “best friends” all had different reactions to Jugheads couple costume idea. Veronica was looking shocked at the thought of you wearing a furry-onesie to the highest social class event of the year, Kevin nodding and agreeing with her argument that she was loudly spreading to the rest of the group. Archie was in deep conversation with Jughead about the style of his costume and planning a trip the town costume shop for a plastic gun to take royal place as Han Solos weapon. And Betty was in awe at the ‘adorable’ thought of a couple-costume.

You on the other hand, thought it was preposterous.

“Sorry to burst your bubble Juggie,” you shrugged sarcastically, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, “but I would rather get a sticky maple from Chuck than wear a Chewbacca costume in public…or ever.”

Little did you know, that once you had said your final word and started to have a conversation with Veronica about your actual costume, Jugheads’ heart sunk. He was excited about this, the first time he wanted to do something publicly to show that you were his, and you had turned down his idea.

All he wanted to do was show the other guys that nobody was to touch you.

Looking up from your conversation with Ronnie, you noticed your boyfriend’s sunken eyes that were focused on the floor. He couldn’t be that affected by a simple costume, could he? It was just a costume, a silly outfit that he was taking way to personally to heart.

Jughead looked up and met your loving eyes with a cold stare. “Fine, you would rather have a fun time with Chuck, then he can take you to the party.” Jughead stated aggressively.

You were stunned, and as were the others it seemed because they suddenly fell quiet from their various conversations.

“What are you talking about, Juggie?” You laughed lightly, confused with the sudden turn of events.

He scoffed, “Well you obviously don’t care about me, so Chuck can take you. I’m not going.”

Archie place a hand on his elbow, “Jug don’t be an idiot- “

Jughead shrugged him away and stared accusingly at you. You started to felt your blood boil at his sudden accusations and rudeness.

“Where is, this coming from?” You asked with pure shock laced in your tone.

Of course, you cared about him, he was the one person you loved more than life for god’s sake!

“You always have to have your own way! Nothing nice for anyone else,” Jughead accused, his words becoming harsher than expected.

The way he stared at you with a cold, hard glare hurt inside and you could see the tears start to form at the bottom of your waterline, but there was no way you were going to start crying here in front of all the people.

“Fine,” you shouted back, “I will go with Chuck.”

Veronica started to say your name in a rushed tone to make you see reason, but you ignored it.

“I will go with Chuck, because I don’t want to go with someone who overreacts about a costume party and starts making accusations!” You furiously said with the anger you felt being clear in your face.

But Jugheads expression only grew angrier and suddenly, you were frightened of losing him forever.

“Well that’s good then because I don’t want to go with someone who doesn’t care about anyone but herself and acts like goddamn royalty and superior, but is actually just a fake and never gets anything right. Because guess, what I hate people like that, and guess what again, that is a definition of you.”

He spat out the words like poison, and the way they stung your heart certainly felt like it. Your stomach felt heavy, as if all the broken pieces of you heart and fallen. A single tear rolled down your cheek and the vison of Jughead was blurred.

But when he saw how much damage his words caused and how he had just destroyed anything the two of you had, the anger inside his bones was washed away and instead, he was filled with regret. He hated the fact he had hurt you, the way he has just broken the person he loved and needed to get by.

“Y/N, I’m sorry, I did-“He began to stutter with remorse obvious in his voice. His eyes met yours but you looked away. It hurt to do so.

“No, it’s ok, you made your feelings pretty clear,” you spoke clearly, brushing the tears way with the palm of your hand and picking your back up from the couch. Without another word, you left the room.

You were closely followed by Veronica and Betty after they both started at Jughead with confusion and frustration plastered on their face and left the room, running after you to make sure you were ok. Kev left behind them, but not before putting a hand on Jugs shoulder to show he cared for him, but the fact he left to come after you showed he was concerned for you more than Jughead. Archie was still sat on the couch, just staring at his best friend as he had a mental battle with himself.

Jughead was furious with himself at the way he had overreacted and hurt you so deeply. He never meant for it to go that far, and his heart hurt at the idea of you crying somewhere feeling damaged and defeated.

Archie rose to his feet and looked Jughead straight in the eyes. No matter how much he wanted to say something to make his best friend feel better, to make him ok and tell him that there was a light at the tunnel. Archie desperately wanted to tell him that you two would make up and you would forgive him, but he couldn’t. Instead he picked up his back and made an exit for the door.

Jug’s eyes followed him out, and when Archie stopped he was hopeful that his best friend was going to be there for him in the time of need.

But all that came from Archie’s mouth was:

“You really fucked up this time, mate.”

And he left.

Jughead just sighed.

“Yeah,” he mumbled to himself. “I know.”

The tears in your eyes started to fall quicker and quicker as you stormed down the school corridors, looking for one person in particular. And when you saw him, you knew exactly what to do.

“Hey, Chuck!” You yelled down to him. Chuck was standing next to Reggie, and when he heard his named called, he turned around quickly. Your eyes met each other’s and you felt a sickening felling grow in your stomach.

“Hey, babe,” he smirked, throwing an arm around your shoulder, “what’s up?”

You shrugged his arm off – it wasn’t the same loving feeling as Jugheads. Chucks simple gesture felt dangerous, and you suddenly wanted to back out from making a mistake.

But there was no way you could go back to Jughead, not after he had hurt you like that.

So, gathering up courage, you managed to force out the words.

“Do you want to go to Cheryl’s party with me?” You spoke through gritted teeth, trying not to think about the fact you should be doing this with Jughead and not a play boy like Chuck.

You heard running from behind you and saw Betty and Veronica nearing where you were.

Betty placed a heartfelt hand on your elbow, trying to pull you away from Chuck, but your shrugged her off, “Don’t do this Y/N, you know Jughead didn’t mean it- “

“Shut up, Betty!” You spat out, not intending for it to come out quite so rude, “Sorry, it’s just that Jughead has made his feelings clear, so I’m going to take his advice.” You said, looking them in their eyes and trying to show them that you knew what you were doing.

Chuck pulled you back into his side and smirked down at you, “Yeah baby, we can go together, and after we can have a little fun.” He laughed and whispered in your ear.

Your stomach grew tighter as you felt your breakfast almost making a re-appearance. You forced a smile and just nodded at Chuck, pulling yourself out of his arms and walking towards a worried looking Betty and a confused looking Ronnie.

“Jughead made up his mind,” you defended yourself, biting back the tears that were ready to be unleashed, “and now so have I.”

But of course, your heart took over and the tears began to spill once more. Veronica quickly pulled you into her arms, the comforting smell of her Yves Saint Laurent perfume making you feel safe for the moment. Betty joined in, and the three of you remained silently hugging in the middle of the hallway. Unbeknownst to you, Kevin and Archie has witnessed the entire matter, and when they noticed what was happening between you all, rushed over to be part of the group hug.

‘These people are here for me’ you thought to yourself. But no matter how much you wanted to be happy at that moment, you couldn’t.

Because your heart was shattered, and unfortunately, the only person who could fix it was the person who destroyed it in the first place.

And little did you know, that very same person was watching all his friends comfort you in the middle of the hallway, whilst you cried quietly because of something he did.

And he was determined to make it right.

---3 DAYS LATER-----

Saturday night. Party night.

It’s been three days since the argument, and you wanted to scream every time you thought about it. About him. Of course, he had tried to apologise, but you ignored him and carried on your conversations with people, trying to block Jughead out as much as possible.

You ignored his texts, his calls, his persistent knocking on your door, hell, he had even emailed you.

It went into trash.

It’s not like you didn’t love him. You loved him more and more every day. You were just so hurt by his words. It was almost as if he had figured out your weakest area and waited for the right time to stab you where it hurts most. And boy, it hurt.

So now, you were stuck going with Chuck to a party that had lost all sense of fun.

You settled on an Alice In Wonderland costume in the end, complete with a sparkly hairband and stiped tights. You looked the part, and now all you had to do was act ok. Act like everything was alright.

But deep down, somewhere in your heart, you knew you would rather be dressed as Chewbacca, even if it was a stupid furry onesie. At least it would be stupid with the person you loved.

A knock echoed through your house. Your parents were out, so you knew it was for you. You hadn’t realised the time was 8pm already, so taking a deep breath and forcing a smile through gritted teeth, you slowly sauntered down the stairs and opened the door to reveal a very sly looking Chuck.

“Hey, baby,” he grinned, his smile making your squirm uncomfortably inside.

“Hi,” you answered, trying to act normal, “Nice costume.”

Chuck was dressed in the most ridiculous cowboy outfit ever: he had a mismatch pink hat with a sparkly belt instead of a gun, but you had to compliment him to make the night slightly less unbearable.

"Thanks, I just bought cheap crap or else Cheryl wouldn't let me in," he justified. The compliment went out the window faster than tickets to a Greenday concert. And of course, there was no compliment in return. Jughead would have made a massive deal about it, he knew how much tonight meant to you. Or at least, he did.

"Are you ready?" Chucks words made you snap out of your day dream and nod.

"Alright baby, let's have a bit a fun," he smirked AGAIN, and led you to his car.

"I didn't know you had your license," you questioned, highly concerned why a sixteen-year-old playboy owned a car.

Chuck just laughed and opened the door for himself, "I don't, I just took my dad’s keys."

You sickened stomach churned at the thought of being driven somewhere illegally. But you were not about to back down yet; you still had to show Jughead you were managing just fine without him, even though it was eating you away inside at the thought of not being with him tonight. At the thought of not being with him ever again.

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door and stepped into the car. The whole journey there, Chuck just talked about himself. He wouldn't shut up, and before you knew it, Cheryl's house was in sight. When you pulled up, you almost jumped out the car as soon as it stopped and wanted to be sick. Mentally patting yourself on the back for getting through that journey without screaming, your eyes scanned the oncoming crowd for your friends. Of course, Chuck up and ran as soon as he saw Reggie, so he left you stranded underneath the porch watching the people arrive, hoping that one person in particular was going to show his face.

Suddenly, a black truck pulled up, and you recognised it as the Sheriffs, or in this case, Kevin's. He hopped out and revealed himself to be dressed as Prince Charming, crown and all. Ronnie was next, and the two of them fitted together perfectly - she was Cinderella.

Rushing over and pulling them both into a hug, you laughed at the sight of them. Betty joined in and you pulled away to see that she was dressed like wonder woman, which surprisingly suited her, even if it was a lot of skin on show.

"Your costumes look amazing!" You exclaimed.

"So does yours Y/N/N," Kev complimented you.

"Where's Chuck?" Ronnie piped up, looking around behind you, but the look in her eyes told you that she already knew the answer.

"Inside," you shrugged, not really caring. Instead, you were searching the new cars for one in particular. The one that held Jughead. Of course, you shouldn't care if he was coming or not, but you did. You really did because as much as you shouldn't, you loved him with all your heart still.

Betty followed your gaze to the car park entrance, "He said he was coming." You nodded once, knowing exactly who she was talking about.

"Well I'm freezing out here, so how about we go inside and wait for Archie and-" Ronnie cut off as she saw two boys walk through the gate of Cheryl's drive. Your eyes followed hers to see a tall ginger and...him. Your heart did a flip as your eyes made contact, and you had to stop yourself from running over and kissing him there and then but also restrain yourself from crying. Before you knew it, they were almost reaching the group, and your heart couldn't cope. Your pulse increased, and that was the last straw. No matter how much you wanted to see him, wanted to hold him and show him you didn't mean a thing you said, no matter how much you wanted to go back in time - you couldn't. "I have to go and find Chuck," you murmured to anyone who was listening, trying to compose yourself. Just as Jughead and Archie reached the group, you walked away without another word and not even looking at Jug. You wanted nothing to do with him, but at the same time, you wanted everything to do with him. In the back of your head, you could feel your best friends staring into the back of your head as you walked into Cheryl's house.

Lights. Music. Alcohol. Cheryl's house has become a rave, and you wanted nothing more than to escape. This was the perfect opportunity. Reggie ran past you, but not before you grabbed his arm and yanked his ear down to your height.

"WHERES CHUCK?" You yelled in his ear, but over the music, it wasn't even that loud. He just pointed towards the kitchen, and continued to run like a maniac into the next room. Taking a deep breath, you stood up straight and proudly sauntered into the kitchen. Chuck was there, pouring various liquids into two plastic cups. You had no intention of drinking tonight - this was a night you looked forward to and wanted to remember. But when Chuck handed you a red cup filled with a mysterious substance without a word, you took it. Recent events had taken a turn on you, and no way better to escape then to drink your problems away.

So, you did.

You spent the night on Chucks arm, avoiding Betty's sympathetic gaze, Kevin’s impressed wonders at how much alcohol your body could take. You avoided Veronica's eyes which wanted to drag you off Chucks arms and look after her best friend. You avoided Archie's scared stare as he watched you latch yourself onto someone other than Jughead and poison yourself with liquor. And most of all, you avoided the stare of Jughead who was feeling a mix of different emotions: scared for you, jealous of Chuck, angry of past events, sad because he wasn't with you, and protective of the one person he loved more than anything.

You were currently dancing with Chuck in the lounge, and you started to feel his hands wander across your body. The feeling was horrible – his hands were rough and scratchy, but it made you feel sick inside. It was loving, it was disgusting and it made you feel uncomfortable. His hands started to go further down your body, and they ended up resting on your bum. but as much as you hated his hands on you and the feeling made you want to scream at him for ever looking at you in the first place, you had no reason to object. Jughead made it clear he wanted you to get with Chuck, so no matter how much you hated it, you were going to take his advice.

However, suddenly, you and Chuck were yanked apart by a very angry looking Jughead, who was backed you by a worried looking Archie.

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?” He screamed at the football player, not giving a damn that he was twice the size of him.

Chuck just smirked and laughed at the way a much smaller and skinnier boy was becoming angry and defensive. “I’m just having a little fun, what trouble is that?” Chuck played innocent, clearly trying to piss of Jughead further.

And it was working because Jughead was fuming, his eye shooting daggers at Chuck violently.

“The problem is that you’re touching MY fucking girlfriend!” Jughead shouted back, not caring that you were staring in shock at the fight that was uprising before your eyes.

Chuck just laughed – it didn’t suit him.

“If she’s YOUR girlfriend freak, then why is she here with me?” He justified. As much as you hated him, the question was completely reasonable.

This pushed Jug over the edge, and before you knew it, he was screaming in Chucks face. The music had stopped, people were staring, but that didn’t stop him.

“BECAUSE I FUCKING SCREWED IT UP AND HURT HER. BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND YOU CHUCK IS THAT I ACTUALLY HAVE A FEELING CALLED REGRET AND WANT TO MAKE IT BETTER. I HATE THE WAY I HURT HER, I HATE IT. I NEVER FUCKING WANTED TO MAKE Y/N UPSTE, BUT I WILL NEVER LET HER SPEND HER PRECIOUS TIME ON SOME SHIT LIKE YOU. BECAUSE THE GIRL I LOVE DESERVES SOMEONE AMAZING, AND IF ITS NOT ME, IT DEFINITLY WONT BE YOU!” Jughead finished, raging.

Everyone was silent. Chuck was dumbfounded. Archie was stunned. Kevin was shocked. Betty was in awe. Veronica had a small smile.

And you?

Well you walked right up to Jughead and before he realised what was happening, you put your hands on the side of his face, and kissed him. Hard. You both melted into it, the whole argument put aside. It just felt perfect to be back in his arms again, to be able to call him yours, to know that you both belonged to one another.

To love and be loved.

Pulling away, the whole room of your classmates erupted in cheering and clapping. But you didn’t notice.

You were too focused on the tall, raven-haired boy stood in front of you.

The one you loved with your whole heart.

“I will always be your Chewbacca,” you told him honestly, staring right into his loving eyes.

He smiled, a genuine, heartfelt grin.

“I know.”

And from then on, that’s how you were known.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Lock and Key

I have a clear and aggressive love for cyberpunk. It started, way back when i was an impressionable youth, as i watched Akira for the first time. Oh my god, i had never seen anything so goddamn brutal. So goddamn tragic. So goddamn beautiful.  It scratch the itch i began to have for existentialism and fueled my burgeoning apathy. That whole nihilistic take on society is how i was starting to see the world and it stuck. My love for this genre began to grow and embellish, as my palette for cinema and literature matured. By the late 90s, i was introduced to Ghost in the Shell and, oh my god, it was like watching Akira again for the first time. My almost-teenage rebellion acclimated to the Major’s staunch rebellion of self. Her search for what it meant to be alive, what it meant for her to BE, mirrored my own wayward path toward adulthood and i dug every minute of it. I began to search out more and more of this genre and found that post apocalyptic world of data enslavement and social dissonance lends itself to the larger human questions. The hard ones we have no answer for. I saw Akira when i was, like, 6 or 7. I’m 33 now. I still love Cyberpunk. So imagine my utter fan-boying when i found out that a sequel to one of the quintessential cyberpunk worlds ever created, Blade Runner 29, was coming out this year. My hype was real and, oh boy, did this flick f*cking deliver!

Now, before i get into my review of one of my most anticipated films of the year, i just want to take a minute and acknowledge Ana De Armas. Yo, this woman is crazy beautiful and mad talented. I saw her in Knock, Knock a while back an though she was a flash in the pan but, nah. Ol’ girl has some real potential. Here’s hoping she keeps growing in her craft. Also, my god, is she beautiful!

The Best

F*ck this movie is beautiful, like, goddamn, man. And it’s not style or substance! each frame is painstakingly framed. Each scene is lovingly cradled from one to the next. There is never a detail out of place or superfluous addition. This movie knew what it needed to be and it deftly executed as needed. Goddam the efficiency of it’s aesthetic was incredible! Roger Deakins deserves the highest of praise, yo. Bravo, sir. Bra-f*cking-o!

There is a distinct, feminine, energy running through this film. It makes sense to me that the natural pregnancy and birth of a Replicant child, one that happens to be a girl, would legitimize an entire race of artificial people. All things begin and end with women and this flick really drives that home.

But that 1980s Sean Young, tho!

I also like how the majority of the male energy is inflated, abusive, and egotistical. It’s crazy how blind men can be at times and this flick conveys that with adept subtlety.

For all of that female energy, this movie is very much Ryan Gosling’s vehicle. His K/Joe makes this film. We spend the most time with him. We learn the most about him. We see this world, this story, through his eyes. And he does a wonderful job conveying the reality of someone who c literally cannot say “no”. Who knows all of his memories are fakes. Who knows he is little more than a slave. There are some hard to watch scenes where he’s realizing certain aspects of his life and it breaks him. Not the revelations themselves but the futility to change any of them. Sh*t’s wild to see and crazy devastating to bare. Ryan Gosling is an outstanding actor and his skill, though wildly understated here, is put on showcase and this film is better for it.

But seriously tho, f*ck is this movie is beautiful!!

Sylvia Hoeks as Luv was a fantastic foil to K, in all of the ways. Her fiery temper and violent passion was in stark contrast to the distant, reserved impersonal K/Joe portrayed by Gosling. I find the best villains, the best foils to protagonists, are often the opposite because they represent who they can be if they made that left instead of right. And Luv is definitely the wrong turn. She is a real psychopath, through and through, and relishes in her acts of pure malevolence. i adored her character very much and thought it fitting she clocked out the way she did.

But that score, tho!

The Better

Of all the supporting character, Ford included, (It’s weird to call Ford a supporting character in a franchise he started but he really is) i found myself drawn to Ana De Armas. Playing a Replicant for a Replicant pretty much, her struggle to exist as a real person, as someone who could actually, physically, support her “Joe” was heartbreaking. I wanted Joi to find some joy so badly and Ana did an outstanding job conveying that yearning and futility.

The special effects are breathtaking in this movie. There was a scene where a massive, pink tinged, Joi hologram pointed at K/Joe and it was awesome. The thing is, all of that was practical! I mean, there were some color adjustments in post but that was physical. They projected Ana over a bunch of rain and had her interact with Gosling in real time and it was the most dazzling sh*t i had seen in a flick all year. And that was just ONE f*cking effect!

Harrison Ford was outstanding as his usual curmudgeon self he has, more or less, settled into playing in the autumn years of a career triumphant. It’s hard for me to separate him from Han Solo but he does a fine job reminding me that Rick Deckard is still that asshole with a heart of gold, even 30 years later.

Jared Leto also turns in another unique performance, per usual. This cat is becoming a very real actor and it’s refreshing to see. After watching him muddle through as best he could with that sh*tty Joker, it was refreshing to see him be able to make a distinct impact on a film. We definitely haven’t seen the end of his Niander Wallace and i look forward to what’s next for the character.

The rest of the supporting cast, Dave Bautista in particular, did a great job. Bautista turned in another surprisingly deep performance. Someone needs to get that guy a vehicle, fast. He deserves a goddamn marquee already! Also, someone give Carla Juri a role where she is an actual presence. I loved her in Wetlands and the little bit she has to do here, she does expertly. the fact she isn’t in more stuff is wildly disappointing!

The direction here is superb. Denis Villeneuve is fast becoming one of my all time favorite directors. He knows how to tell a great f*cking story. Sicaro was an inspired film but it was Arrival that really put ol’ boy on my radar solid. Sh*t was so goddamn emotional, it crippled me. I literally couldn’t deal with all of the questions and realities that thing kicked forth about reality, love, parenting, and relationships. I cried in my car, man. Seriously, broke down and sobbed. it was too much. That never happens. I never feel that much for a film. For his vision, his skill, to solicit such a overt emotional response out of me? brilliant. just brilliant. He’s pulled back on the emotional revelation for a more existential one in 2049 but the expert craftsmanship is still very apparent. We are watching the birth of a master right now and i am loving every minute of it.

The overall story is on point. It perfectly picks up where the Final Cut of the original Blade Runner left off. The story itself is a little concise and to the point, but it’s also the only logical evolution if you paid attention to the end of the original film. I like the hints left toward the end and look forward to another sequel, if we’re lucky enough to get a trilogy because, goddamn, i love this world!

The Good

It was fun to see Edward James Olmos and Barkhad Abdi make cameos. I kind of wanted more from those guys but i understood there was a place for them and that place was fleeting. Still, great spots.

I found the plot a little derivative. I wouldn’t say this was bad or disappointing and, indeed, the choice was made in an effort to make this flick more accessible since it deals with such heavy subject matter, but it was still a driving narrative we’ve seen before. But, goddamn, was it one helluva take on it to watch!

There was a scene at the beginning of the third act that kind of came out of nowhere. It hints at something greater on the horizon but it feels like that was an unnecessary reveal right now. Like, it was something that one would assume with everything that transpired in the film. It didn’t need to be visually quantified for the audience, i don’t think. It was all a little hand-holdy for me.

There isn’t a real villain in this film. Like, not even a little. I mean, there are insidious motivations all around but overall, it feels l like society, human society, like, WE are the real villains here and the people where’s suppose to think are the monsters, simply want what’s best for the Replicants. I like that twist, personally, but i ca see how someone new to the franchise or unfamiliar with the actual world would be put off by all of the grey.

The Verdict

This movie was so good, man. It’s everything you want in a cyber punk film. It’s everything you want in a post apocalyptic noir. It’s everything you want and need in a sequel. It expands the world, builds the lore, and gives you brand new revelations. It sets up future events but still respects the canon. The performances were inspired, if a little muted, and, goddamn is it beautiful. It never really dragged for me, even though the thing is 2 hours and 45 minutes long, which, in itself, is a goddamn miracle. This is easily the most beautiful film i’ve seen all year, i think i mentioned that before, and it was a legitimately compelling tale. Go see Blade Runner 2049. I cannot impress upon you how much you’ll be missing if you don’t. It is the closest thing to a perfect film i have ever seen, no exaggeration. Go see that sh*t!

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Lock and Key

I have a clear and aggressive love for cyberpunk. It started, way back when i was an impressionable youth, as i watched Akira for the first time. Oh my god, i had never seen anything so goddamn brutal. So goddamn tragic. So goddamn beautiful.  It scratch the itch i began to have for existentialism and fueled my burgeoning apathy. That whole nihilistic take on society is how i was starting to see the world and it stuck. My love for this genre began to grow and embellish, as my palette for cinema and literature matured. By the late 90s, i was introduced to Ghost in the Shell and, oh my god, it was like watching Akira again for the first time. My almost-teenage rebellion acclimated to the Major’s staunch rebellion of self. Her search for what it meant to be alive, what it meant for her to BE, mirrored my own wayward path toward adulthood and i dug every minute of it. I began to search out more and more of this genre and found that post apocalyptic world of data enslavement and social dissonance lends itself to the larger human questions. The hard ones we have no answer for. I saw Akira when i was, like, 6 or 7. I’m 33 now. I still love Cyberpunk. So imagine my utter fan-boying when i found out that a sequel to one of the quintessential cyberpunk worlds ever created, Blade Runner 29, was coming out this year. My hype was real and, oh boy, did this flick f*cking deliver!

Now, before i get into my review of one of my most anticipated films of the year, i just want to take a minute and acknowledge Ana De Armas. Yo, this woman is crazy beautiful and mad talented. I saw her in Knock, Knock a while back an though she was a flash in the pan but, nah. Ol’ girl has some real potential. Here’s hoping she keeps growing in her craft. Also, my god, is she beautiful!

The Best

F*ck this movie is beautiful, like, goddamn, man. And it’s not style or substance! each frame is painstakingly framed. Each scene is lovingly cradled from one to the next. There is never a detail out of place or superfluous addition. This movie knew what it needed to be and it deftly executed as needed. Goddam the efficiency of it’s aesthetic was incredible! Roger Deakins deserves the highest of praise, yo. Bravo, sir. Bra-f*cking-o!

There is a distinct, feminine, energy running through this film. It makes sense to me that the natural pregnancy and birth of a Replicant child, one that happens to be a girl, would legitimize an entire race of artificial people. All things begin and end with women and this flick really drives that home.

But that 1980s Sean Young, tho!

I also like how the majority of the male energy is inflated, abusive, and egotistical. It’s crazy how blind men can be at times and this flick conveys that with adept subtlety.

For all of that female energy, this movie is very much Ryan Gosling’s vehicle. His K/Joe makes this film. We spend the most time with him. We learn the most about him. We see this world, this story, through his eyes. And he does a wonderful job conveying the reality of someone who c literally cannot say “no”. Who knows all of his memories are fakes. Who knows he is little more than a slave. There are some hard to watch scenes where he’s realizing certain aspects of his life and it breaks him. Not the revelations themselves but the futility to change any of them. Sh*t’s wild to see and crazy devastating to bare. Ryan Gosling is an outstanding actor and his skill, though wildly understated here, is put on showcase and this film is better for it.

But seriously tho, f*ck is this movie is beautiful!!

Sylvia Hoeks as Luv was a fantastic foil to K, in all of the ways. Her fiery temper and violent passion was in stark contrast to the distant, reserved impersonal K/Joe portrayed by Gosling. I find the best villains, the best foils to protagonists, are often the opposite because they represent who they can be if they made that left instead of right. And Luv is definitely the wrong turn. She is a real psychopath, through and through, and relishes in her acts of pure malevolence. i adored her character very much and thought it fitting she clocked out the way she did.

But that score, tho!

The Better

Of all the supporting character, Ford included, (It’s weird to call Ford a supporting character in a franchise he started but he really is) i found myself drawn to Ana De Armas. Playing a Replicant for a Replicant pretty much, her struggle to exist as a real person, as someone who could actually, physically, support her “Joe” was heartbreaking. I wanted Joi to find some joy so badly and Ana did an outstanding job conveying that yearning and futility.

The special effects are breathtaking in this movie. There was a scene where a massive, pink tinged, Joi hologram pointed at K/Joe and it was awesome. The thing is, all of that was practical! I mean, there were some color adjustments in post but that was physical. They projected Ana over a bunch of rain and had her interact with Gosling in real time and it was the most dazzling sh*t i had seen in a flick all year. And that was just ONE f*cking effect!

Harrison Ford was outstanding as his usual curmudgeon self he has, more or less, settled into playing in the autumn years of a career triumphant. It’s hard for me to separate him from Han Solo but he does a fine job reminding me that Rick Deckard is still that asshole with a heart of gold, even 30 years later.

Jared Leto also turns in another unique performance, per usual. This cat is becoming a very real actor and it’s refreshing to see. After watching him muddle through as best he could with that sh*tty Joker, it was refreshing to see him be able to make a distinct impact on a film. We definitely haven’t seen the end of his Niander Wallace and i look forward to what’s next for the character.

The rest of the supporting cast, Dave Bautista in particular, did a great job. Bautista turned in another surprisingly deep performance. Someone needs to get that guy a vehicle, fast. He deserves a goddamn marquee already! Also, someone give Carla Juri a role where she is an actual presence. I loved her in Wetlands and the little bit she has to do here, she does expertly. the fact she isn’t in more stuff is wildly disappointing!

The direction here is superb. Denis Villeneuve is fast becoming one of my all time favorite directors. He knows how to tell a great f*cking story. Sicaro was an inspired film but it was Arrival that really put ol’ boy on my radar solid. Sh*t was so goddamn emotional, it crippled me. I literally couldn’t deal with all of the questions and realities that thing kicked forth about reality, love, parenting, and relationships. I cried in my car, man. Seriously, broke down and sobbed. it was too much. That never happens. I never feel that much for a film. For his vision, his skill, to solicit such a overt emotional response out of me? brilliant. just brilliant. He’s pulled back on the emotional revelation for a more existential one in 2049 but the expert craftsmanship is still very apparent. We are watching the birth of a master right now and i am loving every minute of it.

The overall story is on point. It perfectly picks up where the Final Cut of the original Blade Runner left off. The story itself is a little concise and to the point, but it’s also the only logical evolution if you paid attention to the end of the original film. I like the hints left toward the end and look forward to another sequel, if we’re lucky enough to get a trilogy because, goddamn, i love this world!

The Good

It was fun to see Edward James Olmos and Barkhad Abdi make cameos. I kind of wanted more from those guys but i understood there was a place for them and that place was fleeting. Still, great spots.

I found the plot a little derivative. I wouldn’t say this was bad or disappointing and, indeed, the choice was made in an effort to make this flick more accessible since it deals with such heavy subject matter, but it was still a driving narrative we’ve seen before. But, goddamn, was it one helluva take on it to watch!

There was a scene at the beginning of the third act that kind of came out of nowhere. It hints at something greater on the horizon but it feels like that was an unnecessary reveal right now. Like, it was something that one would assume with everything that transpired in the film. It didn’t need to be visually quantified for the audience, i don’t think. It was all a little hand-holdy for me.

There isn’t a real villain in this film. Like, not even a little. I mean, there are insidious motivations all around but overall, it feels l like society, human society, like, WE are the real villains here and the people where’s suppose to think are the monsters, simply want what’s best for the Replicants. I like that twist, personally, but i ca see how someone new to the franchise or unfamiliar with the actual world would be put off by all of the grey.

The Verdict

This movie was so good, man. It’s everything you want in a cyber punk film. It’s everything you want in a post apocalyptic noir. It’s everything you want and need in a sequel. It expands the world, builds the lore, and gives you brand new revelations. It sets up future events but still respects the canon. The performances were inspired, if a little muted, and, goddamn is it beautiful. It never really dragged for me, even though the thing is 2 hours and 45 minutes long, which, in itself, is a goddamn miracle. This is easily the most beautiful film i’ve seen all year, i think i mentioned that before, and it was a legitimately compelling tale. Go see Blade Runner 2049. I cannot impress upon you how much you’ll be missing if you don’t. It is the closest thing to a perfect film i have ever seen, no exaggeration. Go see that sh*t!