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dango-milk · 3 years ago

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forever and always (zhongli’s version)

One second it was perfect, now you’re halfway out the door.

an ode to heartbreak masterlist: (x)

word count: 6321

genre: fluff to angst

pairings: zhongli x gn!reader

warnings: spoilers for zhongli’s backstory, the liyue archon quest, and liyue’s history in general

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additional notes: this fic was so hard to write omg. tense consistency? I don’t know her

You believe it was a Tuesday when you caught Zhongli’s eye.

You were starting to think that Childe had permanently moved to Liyue after he’d invited you out for lunch on that fateful day, promising to make up for what had happened at the diplomatic ball all those months ago. Begrudgingly, you’d agreed, solely for the fact that you were starting to enjoy finding ways to rile the Harbinger up.

“Ah, I’ve invited a friend over, if you don’t mind,” you heard him say behind the partition of the Liuli Pavilion. You raised an eyebrow, surprised that Childe had other friends besides you (if you could even call yourself his friend at all).

“Master Childe, your guest is here,” the waiter announced, and you nod in thanks as you make your way over to the reserved table. You raised your eyes, first to meet Childe’s in greeting, and second to look at his other visitor.

(Dear Celestia, he’s beautiful.)

You’d fought the urge to gape at the tall stranger enjoying a cup of tea adjacent to where you were standing. His eyes had peered over the rim to give you a quick once-over, which normally you would have found rude, but there wasn’t a hint of disrespect emanating from him—just pure curiosity.

Actually, you weren’t sure if he had the capacity to be anything negative, despite having just laid eyes on him for the very first time.

“Allow me to introduce (Y/N),” Childe said, breaking you out of your thoughts. “A very dear comrade of mine.”

“We only just met a few months ago,” you corrected him rather curtly, taking a seat and trying not to overwhelm yourself with the eyes you could feel practically boring into your soul.

“Yes, but all circumstances considered, I feel like I’ve known you forever by now.” Childe waggled his eyebrows in the most unattractive way possible, pulling a snort from you. “(Y/N), this is Mr. Zhongli, a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” the man named Zhongli finally spoke, and you nearly wanted to keel over from the deep timbre of his voice. His voice sounded like entire mountains moving, and all you’d managed was a small smile and a polite nod.

“(Y/N) here’s from the Adventurer’s Guild,” Childe continued. “All the way from Mondstadt.”

“Interesting.” Zhongli set his cup down. “What do you specialize in?”

“Specialize—” you squeaked, before clearing your throat and shaking your head in embarrassment. “Well, I take on commissions like any other Adventurer, really. But I’m a...a scholar of sorts, so it’s my job to learn as much as I can about a region to add to the Guild’s intel. Help Adventurers know the lay of the land and the culture that surrounds it.”

“Impressive,” Zhongli mused, and you could tell that he meant it, by the way his eyes softened marginally. ��And what made you move to Liyue?”

Childe snickered as he dug into his food. “Funny you should ask, because—”

You crushed his foot under yours. “Well, I’ve already learned much about Mondstadt, so I’ve decided to move on to different nations to expand my research. And the, er, pay is marginally better here, so it was a rather easy decision to make.”

You didn't explain any further, having already learned the dire consequences of running your mouth willy-nilly from no less than the person struggling with chopsticks sitting next to you.

The memories of your last visit to Mondstadt didn’t help either, with their endless picking at your heart and at your conscience.

Thankfully, Zhongli had only nodded, murmuring “That sounds practical” before turning his attention back to his food. You’d taken it as a sign to start preparing your own dish, picking steamed buns and vegetables from the revolving center of the table.

As much as you had wanted to hear from Zhongli a little more, you couldn’t find the words to speak. Thankfully, Childe was happy to fill the void with anecdotes from his travels, as well as some other remarks that kept the lunch from being uncomfortably silent. It was jarring to see someone as rambunctious as him converse so easily with someone as serene as Zhongli, who acted as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

An image came to you then, of an orange-haired dog sprinting around in circles, its tail occasionally smacking into a black cat trying to sleep. A giggle slipped past your lips before you could stop it, and your cheeks burned when Zhongli and Childe turned to look at you.

But all good things come to an end, and it came in the form of a Fatui member coming over to whisper in Childe’s ear. The Harbinger’s face fell briefly, before sighing and waving his subordinate away. "There goes the rest of my afternoon plans," he complained, setting his chopsticks down and standing up.

"You're leaving?" Zhongli asked.

"Some new members thought it would be funny to mess around with some lawachurls, and now they've lost most of their supplies for the month." Childe pinched the gap between his eyebrows in annoyance. "I'd reckon some bone-breaking is in order—if they aren't already broken, that is."

You shook your head, knowing all too well what lawachurls were capable of, and wondered how they would compare against one of Childe's harsh reprimands.

"The bill's covered, so please stay as long as you like." He bowed slightly to Zhongli, before turning to you with a grin. "I'll be seeing you around, lovely."

His gloved hand reached out to swipe lightly against your cheek, and you smacked it away, hearing nothing but an amused chuckle as he left.

As soon as Childe had left, it took you a while to realize the situation you were in.

Your breath stuttered.

Zhongli sighed. "I'm not opposed to punishment in response to reckless behavior, but Childe does have some interesting ideas in that department." He looked at you, and his eyes seemed to be smiling. "How long have the two of you been together?"

You choked on your drink, spitting it out rather unattractively before coughing the rest of the liquid out of your lungs. You accepted the napkin that Zhongli passed to you, cheeks warming uncomfortably as you patted your mouth dry.

"We aren't together," you finally said. "Not in that way. I just owe him something."

"In that case, you have my deepest sympathies," Zhongli replied, raising his glass to you with a humorous look on his face.

You elected to say no more beyond that, believing your character to be as good as ruined in the eyes of such a dignified gentleman, and instead focusing on the slice of pie you'd taken for dessert.

For better or for worse, it seemed Zhongli wasn't keen on letting you off so easily. "So, a scholar at the Adventurer's Guild," he started again. "It seems like a very interesting job indeed. Were your parents Adventurers, too?"

"My mother was, yes," you replied, and your throat tightened a little at the mention of her. "My father was a hunter at Springvale."

Zhongli hummed. "I'm sure your mother is proud of you for having progressed so far in your career."

"I doubt it."

Zhongli only looked up at you in confusion.

"My mother left me to go on an adventure and never came back." The words had come out as a spit, as if the words mixed horribly with the crumbs in your mouth and your natural reflexes had kicked in.

"My apologies," Zhongli said. "I was not aware."

"It's alright," you'd replied, wanting nothing more than to change the subject.

"Forgive me, but...your father?"

"He passed away a few years ago."

"I…" Whatever Zhongli had to say, it quickly died in his throat. "I am deeply sorry for your loss, (Y/N)."

You smiled at him, partially to assure him that he'd done no harm and partially to lift the heavy atmosphere that had settled over the two of you. You didn't want your first encounter with this man to be over your deceased father and absentee mother.

"You're right, though," you told him. "I have progressed quite a lot. And there's nothing I love more than learning about new things. The true spirit of adventure lies in the knowledge that you gain, the enemies you defeat, and the friendships formed along the way."

Zhongli nodded solemnly, a faint smile on his lips. "I couldn't agree more."

"There's so much more to see, so many sights and sounds to experience. And Liyue…" You sighed dreamily. "I stuck around for a couple of months for some commissions prior to my moving here, but I feel like I've yet to scratch the surface. The land is just teeming with stories and rich in history; some of the libraries here hold scrolls dating from even before the Archon War!"

Zhongli set his cup down yet again, lacing his hands together and propping his chin up against them. For the briefest of moments, you'd noticed his deviance from basic table manners, but all you were thinking about was what you've learned so far from the Nation of Contracts.

You were practically vomiting words at this point. "I even got myself into a little tiffy with some scholars at one of the tea houses...they were waxing poetic about how the first Mora ever created by Rex Lapis was something extra special, and it should be stored away in a museum.”

“And what did you say to that?”

“I said it wasn’t anything special. Just your average Mora, much like the ones we use every day.” You spun one of the coins Childe had left on the table. “I believe Rex Lapis would rather every single Mora be used in the way it was intended to be used.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Zhongli took another sip of his tea. “I have been making the same argument for quite some time now.”

“Oh, you must not be popular at tea houses now, either.”

Zhongli laughed with you, and it was a warm, fluttery feeling that spread throughout your entire chest.

Soon, you'd made your way out of Liuli Pavillion, having eaten your fill and having exhausted all of your stories with Zhongli.

"I can help with your research, if you'd allow me," he suddenly said, before you parted ways. "I do not wish to flatter myself, but I do know a thing or two about Liyue."

"You certainly do, judging from our conversations earlier," you agreed. "That would be very helpful, thank you. But how is it that you know so much, Mr. Zhongli? Did your father teach you?"

"Just Zhongli is fine." His eyes seemed to glow like molten gold. "And yes, my dear. My father taught me."

And so began a new chapter in your life in Liyue, one that had you spending your days with the educated—if not a little eccentric—consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He made good on his promise, freely offering you his aid and declining any attempts of yours to pay for it. You were getting worried that you were practically taking advantage of him, as you found that you needed his help quite a lot, but he would always simply wave off any of your protests with a fond smile on his face, assuring you that your understanding of the city was enough compensation.

The only consolation that you got from never being able to repay him in kind was the fact that he seemed more than happy to talk about anything with you. You were an eager student, and it helped that Zhongli was a wonderful teacher, never once dismissing any of your thoughts as foolish or far-fetched. He spoke with a refinement that most men could only dream of having, his patience seemingly stretched all the way to the heavens, and his wisdom seemed beyond what was expected of anyone his age (which, you never really got to ask about).

His line of work was more than enough material to work with, as he constantly dabbled in different ceremonies for the dead, one of the key practices in Liyue’s culture. Initially, he’d been a little reluctant to let you in on some of the more morbid aspects of the job. He later relented, after you assured him that you were able to handle them, though he still kept you out of the room during the more “hands-on” moments.

When you weren’t out on commissions, you could always be found in one of Liyue’s many libraries, your nose buried in a book or a scroll you’d dug out of the deepest recesses of the bookshelves. Zhongli sometimes joined you, offering explanations on articles you didn’t understand and deciphering characters you found difficult. On days that work called his focus away, he would write some recommendations and leave it at the Guild for you to find. Other times, he would catch up with you over dinner, speaking about Liyue and debating historical facts until the night melted into the morning.

Though Mondstadt was forever in your heart, despite the memories attached to it, it was incredibly easy to fall in love with Liyue. You loved watching the sun rise above the harbor, painting the city with vibrant shades of red and gold. You’d remarked that perhaps this was the reason why Rex Lapis had moved his people here, of all places.

(“Aside from it being an ideal place for trade, yes,” he’d replied, sounding oddly wistful. “That might be one of the reasons.”)

You enjoyed milling through the market, hearing the merchants inviting people to look over their wares and the exchanging of gossip (which you admittedly indulged in on your many grocery trips). But the marketplace, apparently, was not the best place for Zhongli; your eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets when he told you that he’d given over a month’s worth of his salary to a gentleman who promised him a tenfold return in six months.

(“He was rather persuasive, you know,” he later told you.)

Days stretched into months, and it seemed like you knew Liyue as well as you knew the back of your hand. Your expertise eventually got you a promotion at the Guild: a top spot in the Intelligence Department, which allowed you access to more of the Guild’s files detailing experiences from other Adventurers. You were over the moon when you told Zhongli the good news, and though he didn’t squeal and jump up and down as you did, his smile was worth a million Mora. Childe was also in town then, and the three of you celebrated over a lavish dinner and some drinks on the side.

Even with Childe constantly getting on your nerves, Zhongli acted like a balm of sorts to ease the tension in the air. You found your bond with the Harbinger slowly turning into a real friendship, taking his constant challenges and snide remarks as harmless jokes that you easily passed back to him. Zhongli was only too happy to be a spectator, occasionally laughing whenever you and Childe exchanged playful jabs.

He looks so much better when he laughs, you thought.

As if he’d heard your thoughts, Zhongli tilted his head in your direction. You dropped your gaze as soon as it met his, and forced a laugh at one of Childe’s stories.

(You pray he doesn’t hear the hammering of your heart in your chest, either, as he walks your drunk asses home.)

“Xiangling!”

“Ah, (Y/N)!” The Wanmin Restaurant’s youngest and most talented chef returned your call just as she served a steaming bowl of black-back perch stew to a delighted customer. “Come in, come in.”

“Please excuse the intrusion,” you announced, waving at Chef Mao with a smile before taking a seat at your usual table. Chongyun and Xingqiu, two of Xiangling’s closest friends, sent you a friendly wave before going back to whatever novel Xingqiu had with him.

“Here you are,” Xiangling said, setting your order down in front of you. “Careful, it’s still hot!”

“Anything else I should be careful about?” you teased, alluding to the time she had served you an experimental dish that had your stomach in knots all afternoon.

Xiangling’s cheeks turned pink. “That was the first time I used a combination of Dendro and Pyro slimes. I thought it would give a little more of a kick.”

“I’m kidding, Xiangling. It looks great.”

Xiangling finally beamed, and seeing as there were no customers to serve at the present time, she allowed herself to sit in front of you as you ate. “So, what have you got for me this time?”

As soon as you’d swallowed your first bite, you dug around in your bag and brought out your notebook, the one reserved for recipes you’ve discovered around Liyue. Most of them were from the library, others from restaurants seeking to preserve their cuisine, and a small percentage were from locals who were willing to sit down and chat about some of their favorite recipes. You weren’t a bad cook, but you needed the input of a local chef, which Xiangling was only happy to fulfill.

It had surprised Zhongli when you’d told him of your intention to document Liyue’s cuisine, with the idea that food was just as important as buildings, attitudes, and language when it came to culture. Liyue, the center of trade and divided into two warring cuisines, was practically a holy grail for culinary enthusiasts. He of course agreed wholeheartedly, and handed over his own specialty, a slow-cooked bamboo shoot soup.

“Hmm.” Xiangling scanned your notes. “I’ve heard about some of these, but the techniques are pretty dated. You could probably make do with some modern supplies, like using cuihua wood instead of rosewood...aw, but it isn’t going to have that sweet tangy note to the soup...well, unless you add an extra teaspoon of sugar…”

“Hey, (Y/N),” Chongyun came over and sat at your table, all smiles as he bit off a part of his popsicle. “Lost Xiangling already?”

“Yeah,” you sigh in amusement, watching Xiangling mutter to herself, fully engrossed in your notes. “Liyue’s cuisine is a lot more complicated than I thought. Where’s Xingqiu?”

“He was called back home. Something about the cor lapis supply...I have no idea how he’s involved in that.”

“Cor lapis!” Xiangling snapped her fingers. “Have you considered stone boiling, but with cor lapis instead of your normal everyday rock?”

Chongyun sighed.

“Ah, well, if it works…” You weren’t too enthusiastic about going all the way to Mt. Aocang to harvest some cor lapis on a whim, but who were you to know? “In any case, I feel I need a little more hands-on help. How about a barbecue on Saturday night? I’ll bring all the supplies you need.”

“Ooh, that sounds—ack!” Xiangling yelped, her hand darting down to massage the foot that Chongyun had crushed under his heel. If you hadn’t checked to see what happened under the table, you would have seen Chongyun gesture sharply at the entrance of the restaurant, causing Xiangling to cough loudly.

“I—I mean, I’m sorry, (Y/N), I just remembered I have a large delivery on Sunday! Yeah, lots of spicy chop suey…maybe Mr. Zhongli can go instead!”

“Zhongli?”

“Me?” A smooth baritone voice cut through the conversation, and you turned in your seat to see the man himself, the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor peeking from behind his arm.

“Right, Hu Tao?” If you hadn’t again been so distracted by Zhongli’s mere presence, you would have definitely seen Chongyun and Xiangling frantically gesturing for Hu Tao to play along. “A barbecue to help (Y/N) figure out how to create this recipe!”

“Hmm.” Hu Tao crossed her arms, her usual devilish smirk playing across her features. “I don’t know…”

“Hu Tao!” Chongyun hissed.

“Hehe, of course!” Hu Tao patted Zhongli’s arm like they were best buddies, and you had to laugh at the way Zhongli stiffened at the contact. “You’ll go, Mr. Zhongli, right? It wouldn’t be nice to keep (Y/N) all alone in the dark at this time of the year.”

“Whatever do you mean, director?”

“Aiya, I’m just saying, a gentleman as refined as yourself should be able to keep (Y/N) company and keep them safe at the same time, right?”

“R-really, it’s fine,” you laughed weakly, waving your arms. “Zhongli’s busy, and he’s probably tired after all the work he’s done today, so…”

“Not entirely,” Zhongli said. “I always have time for you, (Y/N).”

Silence fell. With rapidly warming cheeks, you turned to see Xiangling pursing her lips, evidently trying not to laugh, and Hu Tao’s signature shit-eating grin lighting up her entire expression.

“Well, then,” Chongyun coughed, trying to break the tension. “That settles it! Ah, Xiangling, you have a customer waiting…”

“That—that’s right!” Xiangling finally said, in between giggles. “Hu Tao—right this—hehe—right this way, please!”

You had no other choice but to watch Xiangling, Chongyun, and Hu Tao dash out of the restaurant’s premises, giggling up a storm and slapping each other’s arms.

Zhongli turned to you. “Have I said something?” he asked.

“...and...there!” You stabbed the last of the vegetables through the stick, and held it up to the glow of the moonlight. “How are you doing, Zhongli?”

Zhongli hummed in response, clicking the tongs as he flipped the meat he was grilling to its other side. “This is almost done,” he replied. “How do you like your meat? Well done?”

“A little on the rare side, please.”

“Alright.”

You placed the last skewer onto the plate, before leaning back and stretching. You’d figured that the best you can do in exchange for Zhongli agreeing to your little getaway was to let him pick the location, and you were so glad that you did—he’d picked out a spot on Mt. Tianheng that overlooked Liyue Harbor, letting you see the city in all its gilded splendor. Admittedly, it was a little difficult getting all the way up to it (even more so for Zhongli, who insisted on carrying the brazier that Xiangling had lent you), but the view at the top was completely worth it.

Soon enough, you had set down the basket and spread out a large table cloth (that you’d unceremoniously yanked from your dinner table when Zhongli came to pick you up) onto the grass, and you began grilling away, with no regard whatsoever for the recipes that you were supposed to be following.

Zhongli set the tongs down, and leaned over to check the skewers. He nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent work,” he noted. “I suppose we can grill half of these and leave the other half for you to grill by yourself at home.”

“Don’t be silly, Zhongli,” you said, nudging his arm playfully. “You’re getting a portion to take home, too.”

“Of course, of course.” Zhongli held up one of the first sticks you’d skewered with a slight grin, remarking without words the haphazard way you’d cut up the vegetables. You scowled and attempted to snatch it away, but he held it out of your reach—which, even as he was sitting down, was practically miles away from your arm’s length.

“Zhongli.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re being mean.”

Zhongli chuckled. “My apologies. You’re adorable when you’re angry.”

You snatched the failed skewer away from him and quickly turned away. “You...you shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Like what?”

“You know what.”

“I truly don’t.”

(Is he being serious?)

You snuck a look at him over your shoulder, and when you found the amused smirk still on his face, you huffed and crawled over to the grill, retrieving the meat that was about to go up in smoke.

“Oh?” You glanced over to see Zhongli flipping through one of your notebooks. “I know this song.”

“Seriously? Archons, just how old are you, Zhongli?”

Zhongli just smiled, as he’s always done when faced with the question of his age, and instead began to sing one of the lyrics off the page.

You didn’t expect to hear his singing voice now, of all times, under the glow of the moon and surrounded by the smell of barbecue and osmanthus wine. It was just as smooth and velvety as his normal speaking voice, washing over your entire figure like water over stones.

Before you knew it, you were singing along with him, as if you’d known the song all this time. The alcohol in your veins occasionally kicked your voice off-key, which only sent the two of you into hysterics; paired with full bellies and the cool winds of spring, you felt as if you were flying.

You weren’t sure if Zhongli was riding the same high as you were, given his typical reserved nature, but all doubts were dispelled when he leaned towards you, right as you were about to hit the chorus.

You wondered then, why those words sounded louder than the notes bouncing off the walls of Mt. Tianheng.

When you glanced over at him, your breath hitched; his eyes looked just like the setting sun.

The rising sun bathes the entire room in a soft light, but you feel none of its warmth.

The coldest area was, in fact, next to you; the only indicator that someone had occupied the space was a cup that had not been there the night before present on the nightstand. That aside, Zhongli’s side of the bed was pristine, clean, and—ultimately—empty.

You sit up with a tired grunt, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes and letting the dawn of a new day settle on you. You stare at the cup on the nightstand and sigh, the initial hope that this morning would be different from all the mornings prior to today quickly turning to resignation.

Still, it would not do for you to mull in your sadness, so you push the covers off you and make your way to the kitchen. It all seemed predetermined to you, the way that you just knew that there would already be breakfast on the table, covered with a net to keep the flies away. You also knew beforehand that the house would be, just like his side of the bed, free of dirt and grime (only for them to accumulate once more, given that neither of you were ever truly home all the time).

If he has time to clean the house and make breakfast, he has time to kill in the mornings, you think bitterly.

Instead of sucking it up and eating anyway, you sit at the table, refusing to touch a single ceramic—in a quiet sort of defiance.

You sit there for seemingly hours, watching the sunlight filter through the broken window in the kitchen, illuminating the dust particles dancing in the air like snowflakes. The house is quiet, except for the chirping of birds, sweeping in the streets, and the occasional idle chatter. It was the noise you were used to, having lived alone for months prior to when he came along, but for some reason, it was different this time.

This silence was louder, more deafening. Void. Empty. Like the hole that’s made its home in your heart, festering and growing in size over the weeks. If you listened closely, you could hear the wind whistling through the gap, like a canyon void of all life; as a child of freedom, a child of Mondstadt, the wind had always been your source of comfort. Now, all it did was remind you of just how much you’d carved yourself out for the people you held most dear.

Wordlessly, and as if guided by some unknown force, you place your hand over your heart. It beats, as of course it must, but the crater presses against your lungs; now, you no longer wonder why it’s been so difficult to breathe lately.

It was perfect. Everything had been so perfect, but looking back, you had most likely baited yourself into it. But who could blame you, with a lover that felt like the first spring after eons of winter?

You would cry, but no tears spring to your eyes. They must have fallen into the abyss, too.

Your eyes flicker to the sitting room instead, and try as you may, you see no signs of Zhongli having occupied any of the cushions. You scoff—in scorn or in sadness, you no longer know.

But something else catches your eye: the book sitting dangerously at the edge of the coffee table. Usually, stray books lying around are a common occurrence in your house, but you know why this one piques your attention.

“Who’s Guizhong?”

When you received no immediate reply, you glanced over your shoulder in questioning. Your lover stood in the kitchen with his back to you, shoulders taut and back stiff, even more so than usual.

“I would have thought you’d come across that name sooner,” he replied. “It’s basic Liyue history.”

“Mm.” You returned your attention to the book that one of the older scholars had recommended to you. “I just never really went in depth with the subject. Who better to ask than—”

“I’ve forgotten.”

You glanced at him again, this time in surprise. For a moment, you hear nothing but the sound of the kettle clinking over the fire.. The silence that had fallen over you felt as heavy as mountains, and you opened and closed your mouth, trying to find the words to shake them off you.

“I didn’t mean—”

“I know.” Zhongli turned on his heel sharply, patting his hands dry on his pants before walking over to you to kiss the top of your head. “I’m going out.”

You scrambled to your feet, tossing the book back on the table as you watched Zhongli pull his coat on. “Zhongli, please, I’m sorry—”

“No, my darling, that’s not it. I just remembered I’d be meeting a client today.”

“At this hour?” Your throat was rapidly closing, sending you into tunnel vision as Zhongli stepped down to slip into his shoes.

(Where have you seen this scenario before?)

“It can wait until tomorrow, surely…”

“I’m afraid not. I just remembered at the last second, and I don’t want to risk the director spiking my afternoon tea with Jueyun Chili again.”

That drew a small laugh from you, but that was all it took for Zhongli’s features to soften. He gathered your face in his hands and kissed you gently, reverently, so much so that your knees felt as if they were about to give out at any time.

When he finally pulled away, he studied your face for a minute, before closing his eyes again and sighing.

“Don’t wait up,” he whispered, before pecking your nose and disappearing out the door.

You stared as the door closed in your face, the sound of the kettle screeching fading to white noise in the background.

Two days.

He’d been gone two days after that.

“Don’t wait up,” he’d told you. And he had the audacity to look surprised, when he finally came home, to see you nursing a cup of tea in the sitting room, with heavy bags under your eyes.

And so the cycle had begun. He’d disappear for days on end, under a new excuse every single time, though the work-related ones had quickly disappeared under a concerned Hu Tao’s thumb. When you had spoken to the director, you prayed she wouldn’t notice the quiver in your voice, nor the slight panic that had taken over your expression when she’d disclosed the truth—Zhongli had suddenly picked up the habit of skipping work.

But of course, he denied it all when you’d confronted him.

He’d come home every now and then, and though it left a bitter taste in your mouth, you attempted to check for signs that he’d been with someone else—lingering perfume, marks on his immaculate skin, anything—alas, there were none. For now, at least.

Zhongli, in his infinite wisdom, honestly believed that keeping the house neat and tidy and leaving food on the table would be enough to make up for his frequent absences. You would’ve told him that a single conversation would be enough to help you make sense of things—if he was ever home whenever you were.

It had gotten so bad that you yourself had lagged behind on your own work, instead spending the nights as you had when you first arrived at Liyue all those years ago: drowning your sorrows in bottles of wine. And then you’d stumble home alone, the lanterns hanging around swirling like comets in the sky as you attempted to navigate through the streets.

If only finding him was as easy as making your way home after one too many drinks…

...you slowly sit up straight.

You didn’t need to wait for him—not when you could just go out and find him yourself.

How simple. You chuckle to yourself, feeling light-headed at the utter absurdity of the whole situation. You know Zhongli wouldn’t question it this time. You’ve been known to follow him around, after all, knowing you were bound to learn something new from your encyclopedia of a lover when you were out in the open.

When your hands finally find themselves around the now cold teapot, you wonder what you would learn from him this time around.

And if it was something worth learning about, you wonder again, when you find him all by his lonesome in Guili Plains, your front covered in blood from clearing the hilichurl camp you’d come across on your way.

You grunted as you hauled yourself up, marking the end of your arduous journey to the spot Zhongli had requested to meet at. Liyue sprawled out beneath you, glittering under the blanket of night, but you barely spared it a glance—not when the person you were aching to see stood right in front of it.

Standing there, you found yourself at a loss for words. The weeks following the incident on Mt. Tianheng had you avoiding Zhongli like he was the plague, which he did in return. For a while, you attributed it to the sudden increase in commissions as a result of the events of the Rite of Descension; the assassination of the Prime Adeptus, Lord of Geo, Rex Lapis himself had shaken the entirety of Liyue to its core. But once the dust had cleared, and Zhongli finally came knocking on your door this morning, you couldn’t kid yourself any longer.

Your thoughts had been a mess; the weight of Zhongli’s words that night lurked in the deepest recesses of your mind, and you couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was true. Had love, which left you crying by the front door grasping at tailcoats, come back for you once more? Had it finally settled in your life, after years of skirting around the edges and endless promises of never falling prey to its clutches forevermore?

The questions disappeared, seemingly into thin air, when Zhongli finally turned around.

For a minute, you two just stood there, as if time had stilled and all that was left in the world was the weight of his gaze.

“(Y/N).” He spoke your name with a reverence that one typically reserves for prayer.

You only stared at him in response, heart hammering in your throat.

“I don’t think I’ve ever really tested just how much you know about Liyue.” The wind picked up, and you caught the faint scent of Glaze Lilies. “Are you in the mood for some questions?”

You finally found the courage to speak. “Ask away.”

Zhongli turned back to the sight of Liyue beneath him, and to you, he looked like a god turning his divine gaze on the people below. “The amber on Mt. Hulao is said to be the work of the adepti, intended to trap intruders, monsters, and humans alike. True or false?”

You frowned. “It’s not an adeptus power. Amber is created by karst crawlers, most probably as a defense mechanism when something steps on it; the exploration team I sent out came back with a sample.”

Zhongli only hummed, and you worked up the nerve to walk over by his side. The familiar scent of incense quickly overpowered the sickly sweet aroma of Glaze Lilies, and you relaxed in its embrace.

“The goddess of salt, Havria,” he continued. “The gentle and kind deity who ruled over Sal Terrae who was said to be murdered by Morax at the height of the Archon War. Any thoughts on how this might have come about?”

“I…” You blinked in confusion. “I don’t...Zhongli, what is all this about?”

Zhongli remained silent, seemingly unaware of your bemused state.

You waved your hands helplessly. “The Archon War was a power struggle between deities of great ability. Fatalities were inevitable.”

“So you don’t believe that Morax, who slew countless other gods, gods that he once considered friends, had it in him to cast down another one if it meant clearing the way to becoming one of the Seven?”

“It may not have been Morax at all. Everyone was fighting against someone or something. What does the Lord of Geo have against salt?”

Zhongli chuckled, though it sounded a little distant. When he finally turned to you again, his expression was equal parts warm and wistful. He offered you his hands, and you placed your shaking ones in them.

“Last question.” He ran his thumbs over your skin. “You were there when you saw the Exuvia fall out of the sky at the Rite of Descension, yes?”

You nodded.

“Then Rex Lapis is dead.”

You felt your skin crawl, like lightning had started coursing through your system from your interconnected hands.

“True…” Zhongli cupped the side of your face, cradling it gently. “...or false?”

Looking into his eyes, you already knew the answer.

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***

The Backstory

September 2006

In Nora Priestley’s fourteen years of life, she’s never lived this far away from the ocean before. It’s always been just right outside her window, a quick ten-minute trek from Thames Street until she reached the rolling dunes of Rejects Beach. Smelling the salt in her hair and feeling her skin grow sticky from the feeling of the ocean air was practically second-nature to her, but ever since she moved to the middle of nowhere Connecticut for boarding school, she’s never felt more disconnected from normality in her life.

Nora’s never really been a big fan of embracing change. She’d like to blame that on the fact that she’s never really had any monumental shifts to her tectonic plates so far in her short life, and she’s not quite sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.

It’s always been just her and her mom. A dynamic duo. A tag team of epic proportions.

Growing up in Newport, Rhode Island could be worse, Nora thinks. She was lucky enough to grow up in a small coastal town where everybody accepted her in one way or another. Even though she was much different than the other kids her age, considering she spent most of her time alone while her mother worked, she never felt unhappy. Life was simple. Life was easy.

Nora and her mother, Shannon, lived in a small apartment in a renovated old colonial townhouse at the bottom of Thames Street. It was a third-floor walk-up, and in the heat of the summer when the humidity made the wallpaper begin to curl at the edges of her tiny paisley-coated bedroom, Nora had to sleep with her creaky window open with nothing but a thin sheet to cover her sweat-soaked body, the soft sounds of the rolling waves crashing against the shore lulling her to sleep.

Shannon Priestley was the ultimate leading lady in Nora’s life. She referred to Nora as her perfect mistake, because having a baby the summer she turned eighteen with a boy she thought would be her forever was the very definition of that phrase. But she handled it like she did everything else in her life—with grace and dignity, and nothing but a big gleaming grin on her face that always made Nora and everyone else lucky enough to be around her sunbeam feel that everything would be okay.

With a one-year-old baby on her hip and a bright and shiny high school diploma under her belt, Shannon found a job listing to be a nanny for the Clemonte’s. Without a second’s deliberation, she packed up her things and moved to the tip of the state to Newport.

The Clemonte’s were one of the wealthiest families in Newport, hailing from an impressive lineage of old money with an expansive estate of fourteen acres overlooking Ochre Point and the Atlantic Ocean. They were one of those families that named their properties, and when Shannon Priestley first stepped foot inside The Breakers mansion, she knew right then and there that her new bosses had very high expectations for her.

Shannon became the singular nanny to Warren and Jane Clemonte’s baby son, William. He was born three months after Nora, and even though Shannon felt slighted that she had to spend most of her days with another family’s child while her own was being watched by their downstairs neighbor, she promised to split her time evenly. And even though twenty-four hours in a day was never enough for Shannon, she made sure to spend most of it with Nora.

And Nora was always grateful for that.

The second Nora was old enough to take care of herself, she started going to The Breakers after school so that her mom could walk her home. It was at that very moment when she had her first taste of ostentatious luxury, and from then on it never failed to amaze her. The other half certainly did live differently than Nora and her mother, and stepping foot inside the Clemonte’s mansion made that realization startlingly clear.

This was when she first met William Clemonte. Nora always knew he existed, considering her mother would sprinkle in small anecdotes about him while doing other mundane tasks. “Willy was very quiet today,” Shannon would tell Nora on their walk home from Ochre Point to Lower Thames. “Mr. and Mrs. Clemonte want Willy to take piano lessons and learn Latin. How on earth is a seven-year-old supposed to handle that?”

To Nora, Willy was somewhat of a fictional character living behind the towering walls of The Breakers. She imagined him being a smaller boy, blonde with blue eyes and wearing some sort of matching ensemble sitting inside the thick walls of his mansion, overlooking the deep cobalt ocean through a grand wall of windows. But when she meets him one afternoon after her first day of second grade, she could not be any more wrong.

Sure, Willy Clemonte was a small boy, but he was by no means shy or scared of her. He took her on a tour through the grand halls of The Breakers, showed her all of the secret passageways built inside the walls from when the mansion was first erected back in the early twentieth century, and shared his brand new toys with her.

But most importantly, he listened to her. He asked her a million questions about public school, about the world outside of his tall fortress, about the television shows Shannon let Nora watch after dinner, and the different kinds of popular music other kids their age were listening to.

“Wait, so *NSYNC isn’t just Justin Timberlake?” Willy would ask whenever Nora would show him what was inside her portable CD player (which was almost exclusively No Strings Attached until she reached the fourth grade).

“Oh my god, Willy! *NSYNC is a boyband! Justin is just the best one,” Nora would scold right back, shoving the plastic headphones over his blonde head of hair so that the felt cushions would press against his ear, the vibrating thumps of “Bye Bye Bye” playing through the electronic equipment.

Whenever he would ask her about school, Willy was always shocked to hear how different her experience was from his own. Nora would tell him about the yellow school buses that picked up and dropped off her friends, she would show up to his house afterward wearing jeans and a pink Gap sweatshirt and he was always surprised to learn that kids could wear whatever they wanted during the day, and when she would come over on Fridays and tell him that her mother gave her a dollar for pizza day at lunchtime, Willy wished more and more that he could go to public school with her, too.

While Willy was nothing but sunshine and kindness, Warren Clemonte was the complete opposite. A cold and distant man, stern and grumpy with a perpetual frown on his face, he sent a terrifying chill all the way down to Nora’s bones until they rattled together like a hollow instrument. And one Thursday afternoon when Shannon was busy packing Willy’s bags for the Clemonte’s annual Christmas trip to Aspen, Warren caught his son running around the main hall searching through every nook and cranny for Nora’s impressive hiding spot. It was only once she heard the bellowing yells when she emerged from behind an old armoire in the library, peeking her head around the corner to watch Warren yell at Willy in the echoing hallway.

“What do you think you’re doing, running around when you’ve left your Latin workbook unfinished?” Warren demanded, his low voice bouncing off the thick walls.

“I’m sorry, dad. I was just—”

“—Just what? Playing around and avoiding your responsibilities? How are you supposed to learn anything if you spend all of your time dilly-dallying with that girl, William?”

Willy began to cry then, and before Nora could interfere, her mother was already ten steps ahead of her, entering the main hall and apologizing profusely while her daughter stayed hidden behind the old armoire, watching everything with regretful eyes.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Clemonte. I was just packing for Willy, I didn’t realize he had run off. I’ll make sure it never happens again, sir,” Shannon said, placing a comforting arm around Willy’s shaking shoulders while his father stood barely five feet away, watching his wailing son with lifeless eyes.

“Please do, Miss Priestley. William does not need any more distractions.” His voice held a clipped finality to it, and when he walked away and Nora appeared from behind the wall to approach Willy who was clutching her mother for dear life, she never understood how his father could just leave his son to fall apart in front of him like that.

That was the last afternoon Nora ever spent at The Breakers.

Up until four months ago, Nora was almost certain that the entire Clemonte family had forgotten that she existed, and that treacherous afternoon with Willy nearly seven years ago was just a sad memory that could be tarnished for the rest of eternity. But when her mother comes home with a thick black and red folder, the words Townbridge Academy in capital letters splayed against the front page above a golden crest, Nora’s never been more confused in her life.

When she asked her mother what she was doing with a boarding school acceptance letter in her hand that Nora had never heard of before, the answer she received was definitely not what she had expected. Apparently, Mrs. Clemonte found out that Nora was planning on attending the public high school on Broadway Street, and apparently, she believed that she could offer Shannon a lending hand. Nora would like to blame it all on Jane Clemonte’s philanthropic tendencies, but a few phone calls and a faxed copy of Nora’s stellar transcripts later, Nora was appointed a lofty scholarship to attend Townbridge Academy in the fall.

All things considered, Nora did not want to go. She liked her middle school friends, she liked being her own person, she liked knowing that her mom was only a twenty-minute walk away, and most importantly, she liked not having to be associated with a family like the Clemonte’s. She didn’t want to be seen as a charity case, and accepting the scholarship on Mrs. Clemonte’s behalf to attend a prestigious boarding school like Townbridge Academy was exactly that.

But when her mother sat her down and told her how amazing this opportunity was, and how much Nora could accomplish with a diploma from one of the best schools in the country, Nora couldn’t bring herself to say no. Especially when her mother held her close and whispered in her ear, “God, Nora, you can do all of the things I never could have done,” Nora knew that there was no way she could break her mother’s heart.

Because now, standing in her new dorm room with deep oak walls, a creaky polished hardwood floor, a red ornamental rug that smelled a bit like Warren Clemonte’s cologne, and a small twin bed nestled in the corner underneath a window overlooking the bleak green hills of Connecticut—Nora Priestley wishes she had told her mother no.

Before she can even wallow in her own self-imposed misery, the front door opens revealing an older man carrying a trolley holding a matching six-piece set of luggage. Nora looks down to the singular old leather suitcase she purchased at a surplus store on Spruce Street resting on the floor, comparing it to the monogrammed navy blue set with the gold letters ARW spanning across each piece.

The man begins placing each suitcase onto the floor without uttering a word to a very confused Nora, and suddenly the door opens wider, a pretty girl with strawberry blonde hair floating into the room. She’s wearing a white tennis skirt that rests a few inches above her kneecap, with a powder blue collared shirt cuffed at the wrists. For a brief moment, Nora wonders if her mother purchased the wrong uniform set for her, but when the girl lifts her eyes from her Blackberry and looks over at Nora, she notices a sailor’s crest embroidered on the right side above her chest with more initials, and she begins to breathe a little.

“Hi! You must be my roommate, I’m Nor—”

“—Where are the rest of your bags?” the girl interrupts, eyeing the old leather suitcase disdainfully. Nora’s fingers immediately fly up to her scalp and begin raking through her blonde hair, a nervous habit she’s tried her hardest to get rid of.

“I have a duffle on the desk chair, too,” Nora explains quietly, removing her hand from her hair so that she can point towards the old wooden desk that holds her mother’s duffle bag.

Nora watches as the girl’s piercing gaze shifts from her two flimsy bags to her outfit. And when Nora watches beady hazel eyes take in her old white tank top, her mom’s grey knit cardigan, thrifted bootcut jeans, and sandals from two summers ago, Nora’s never wanted to disappear more in her life.

Before she can find the words to speak, Nora hears a shrill “Alyssa!” echo through the hallway, until a matching set of girls wearing nautical-inspired clothing and thick headbands are hugging the strawberry blonde-haired girl who just so obviously judged Nora a few moments ago.

“Who’s this?” one of the girls asks Alyssa, breaking away from their hug and looking over at Nora with interest.

Just as Nora reaches a hand out to introduce herself, Alyssa says, “Doesn’t matter. Let’s go, girls,” and the three girls spin around without even uttering a goodbye.

Nora watches as they walk down the hallway, giggling the entire way as if they hadn’t singlehandedly just ruined her first official day away from home.

***

October 2006

The first month at boarding school is just a series of Nora playing catch up. While she thought going to public school and hanging out with normal people would be enough to prepare her for high school, three weeks in she’s never felt more lost in her entire life.

She’s one of the only students who doesn’t own a cellphone, she wears second-hand Sperry’s instead of fancy loafers with gold links on the front, her backpack is a maroon Jansport while most students opted for leather messenger bags, and when people ask her how she spent her summer, she’s gotten used to the wide-eyed look they give her when she explains that she scooped ice cream near the beach for tips.

Nora’s not naive. She knows that she’s referred to as The Scholarship Girl behind her back, she knows that Alyssa complains to her elitist friends about how dreadful it is to be forced to room with a girl who wears hand-me-down clothing, and she knows that adjusting to life at Townbridge was going to be the very definition of arduous.

But she remembers what her mother told her—how Nora’s skin is thicker than she thinks, and no matter how different she is to everybody else, she’s still just as deserving of a top-notch education.

Even though Nora was at the top of her class for most of her life, she still felt far behind the rest of her classmates at Townbridge. She spends the first few weeks getting very acquainted with the walls of the library, making the nearly twenty-minute trek from her dorm in Emerson Hall to Millikan Library across campus. Classes have only just begun, but Nora can’t afford to fall any more behind than she already has. So instead of making friends and signing up for various clubs and sports teams, Nora’s allowed her backside to practically mold into the stiff wooden chairs inside the empty library.

Nora would have completely forgotten about the First Year Mixer being held that evening if not for Alyssa and her friends getting ready in her dorm room. When she walks in still wearing her uniform well after classes have ended for the day, the three girls look at her as if she were crazy.

“Did you forget about the mixer tonight, Nora?” Grace, one of the twins, asks with a shocked expression decorating her pretty face. All three girls are wearing colorful Lilly Pulitzer dresses, passing along mascara and eyeshadow amongst themselves in preparation for tonight.

“Uh, no I was just—”

“—Making friends with the books again?” Alyssa sneers, earning a giggle from the girls.

Nora chooses not to respond. It’s just easier that way.

Walking over to her wardrobe, Nora sorts through her limited selection of clothing to find something appropriate to wear for tonight. She didn’t even want to be in attendance, but she’s figured that she’s probably spent enough time on her own, and that maybe, in the off chance that Townbridge has some normal students, she can make a friend or two.

The only two dresses she brought with her were a simple long-sleeved cream sweater dress that fell just above her knees, and a thin summer dress her mother bought her two years ago that was tighter and fell around mid-thigh. She goes with the sweater dress, deeming it the best outfit she has to just simply blend in. Once it’s over her head, she reaches for her thigh-high socks and brown boots she got as a graduation gift, slipping them on quickly. October has left a brisk chill in the nighttime air, and considering her jackets consisted of a worn-in winter parka and an oversized flannel she scored at Goodwill, Nora thinks this combination will be more than fine.

She reaches for the comb on her desk and begins to rake it through her knotted hair, smoothing out the kinks and leaving the strands to fall in their messy, wavy natural state. Just as she’s digging through her backpack to try and find her lip balm and mascara, she can’t help but overhear Alyssa gossiping to Grace and Erin loudly from across the room.

“Harry’s plane landed a few hours ago,” Alyssa gushes, plucking the blush from Grace’s hands and beginning to apply it to the apples of her cheeks.

“Oh my God, no way! You must be so excited, Lyss!” Erin squeaks, reaching for the lipgloss that Alyssa just used. Before she can even remove the lid, Alyssa swats at her wrists and tells her to pick another color.

“Have you been texting all summer?” Grace asks from behind the vanity.

Alyssa nods, readjusting her freshly curled hair. “Ever since he left the Hamptons in July, yeah. We’ve been messaging back and forth. He told me he can’t wait to see me tonight.”

“That’s so romantic, Lyss!” Erin says, and Nora tries her hardest not to roll her eyes. “I can’t believe they let him miss the first three weeks of school.”

“He’s Harry Styles, Erin,” Grace chides, turning to face her sister with slanted eyes. “He can do whatever he wants.”

Nora twists the mascara wand back into the tube before backing away from her desk, double-checking her outfit to make sure that it was suitable enough. Just as she gives her hair one last fluff, she hears Alyssa ask, “Are you really not going to do anything with your hair?”

Nora turns towards her with a sheepish look, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t own any styling tools so…” she lets the words fall from her mouth, watching the three girls in front of her look at her as if she had a second head growing out of her neck.

“You’ve never straightened your hair?! I’m sure Alyssa will let you borrow—”

“—Erin! Enough. Let’s go, we’re going to be late,” Alyssa scolds, ending the conversation abruptly. Before Nora can even shoot a smile in Erin’s direction, the three girls are already out the door, leaving Nora to walk to the Great Hall by herself.

The problem with spending all of her time walking from her dorm to the lecture halls on East Campus to Millikan Library is that she seemingly forgot where every other building was. Trying to locate the Great Hall in daylight was already difficult for Nora, but now with the sun practically set behind the horizon and her sense of direction completely shit, she starts panicking when she’s walked by the dining hall for the third time.

An upperclassman saves Nora before she can have a full-blown panic attack in the middle of the quad, and with two minutes to spare, Nora finds a row with a few empty seats towards the back of the room.

Nobody seems to have noticed her, save for the girls in the row in front of her who turn around when Nora’s boots jostle their chairs. She offers them a muffled apology, and just as quickly as they turned around to look at her, they swivel their necks to face the front again.

Nora sighs to herself, before lifting her head to hear the Headmaster begin his speech. After listening to him drawl about the mission statement and his expectations for the first-year students, Nora immediately wishes she never left her dorm room. She can feel her eyes begin to droop, and before her body can slump further down into her chair, the sound of a heavy oak door closing echoes throughout the Great Hall, and Nora feels her body springing upwards.

Headmaster Clayton pauses in his monotonous ramblings, and before the entire collection of students in front of Nora can turn around to see what the interruption was, a long body falls into the chair next to hers, and the Headmaster resumes his speech as if nothing ever happened.

“Did I miss anything?” an impossibly British voice whispers in Nora’s direction, and she’s a bit surprised by the low timbre of it. She looks over at him and finds herself staring into green pools with a golden shimmer surrounding his irises. Nora’s never been captivated by a boy before—but the one sitting next to her with fluffy chocolate curls falling over his forehead, surrounding his ears, and ending at the nape of his neck might possibly be the first. His hands are shoved inside the pockets of an expensive-looking black trench coat, and his upper body is leaning towards hers as he awaits her response. When Nora notices his pink lips forming into a small smirk, she’s almost positive that she’s been caught staring at this boy for far too long.

“Uh, no. Not really,” she whispers back, scrutinizing the way her voice squeaked at the beginning of her sentence.

His smirk shifts into a full-blown grin, and Nora can feel her cheeks begin to burn. “Hm, sounds like somebody wasn’t paying attention in the first place.”

Before Nora can retort, the boy near her chuckles softly at her nervous expression. “Can’t say I blame you, love. Clayton’s a fucking fossil.”

Nora giggles, causing the girls in front of her to turn around again with a murderous expression on their faces. She stops abruptly, and after they’ve snapped their heads forward for the second time, she looks over to the boy on her left and finds him trying his hardest to stifle another chuckle.

He shifts his body so he’s no longer leaning in Nora’s direction, and she’s a bit saddened by the sudden distance between them both.

Nora replays the interaction in her inexperienced, fourteen-year-old mind, wondering if the boy near her was just flirting with her. There’s no denying that she thinks he’s cute, considering she finds herself sneaking looks at him every few minutes during the duration of Headmaster Clayton’s speech just to get another glimpse of his soft hair and sunken dimples. And on more than one occasion, he catches her in his periphery, shooting her that charming smirk that never fails to make her cheeks blush.

The moment Headmaster Clayton wraps up his speech and the rest of the students begin to stand, Nora turns towards the boy and finds that he’s already looking at her. Now that they’ve exited their row, Nora notices how tall he is, taking in his long legs clad in black denim, his even longer torso in a similar black shirt. The all-dark ensemble somehow makes him look older. Makes him look mysterious. Makes him look even more handsome—and suddenly Nora’s grown a bit nervous.

“I’m Nora, by the way,” she says, sticking her hand out for him to shake. He hesitates, looking between her face and her outstretched hand with a smile on his face, finding it incredibly cute that a girl his age would greet him so formally.

Just before his hand can fall into hers, another hand claps him on the shoulder and he’s forced to look at the intrusion, his own arm falling back to his side. “Harry, my man! How was the flight?”

When Nora looks over his shoulder, she notices two boys greeting him warmly. She hasn’t really met anybody at Townbridge aside from Alyssa, Grace, and Erin, so she’s not surprised when she doesn’t recognize the two other boys infiltrating their small bubble.

But upon further inspection, Nora realizes that she does, in fact, recognize one of them.

Standing directly in her line of vision is none other than Willy Clemonte. Although it’s been seven years since Nora last saw him, there’s no denying that the sandy-haired, blue-eyed teenager in front of her is him. He’s practically almost the same height as his father now, towering over Nora in his khaki pants and a white cable-knit sweater. His hair still tangles in his eyelashes and his cheeks are still dusted with freckles, and Nora’s stunned at the sudden rush of memories that flood her insides.

He seems to have made the same startling realization as Nora did, because his eyes begin to widen almost comically, and a strained expression falls over his features. Before they can give away that they’ve been staring at each other, the boy from before, now known to Nora as Harry, spins around on his heels and gives her a small smile.

“Nora, right?” he asks, and she nods hesitantly. “Where are you from?”

“Uh, Newport,” Nora answers.

“Oh, wicked! So you must know Will, then?” Harry asks, seemingly oblivious to the awkward tension radiating from the two of them.

Before she can respond, Will clears his throat and takes a step forward. With one last panicked look at Nora, he tells Harry, “Yeah, man. Her mom was one of our maids.”

“Wait, what?” Harry asks, confusion written all over his face. Nora’s surprised that she can hear it over the sound of her breath leaving her lungs from Willy’s comment. Sure, she knew that the last time they saw each other he was crying into her mother’s arms over a remark his father said, and sure, she didn’t expect them to resume their friendship as if nothing had happened.

But to blatantly lie about Nora’s mother, a woman who took care of him for years? Nora never thought that he would grow up to be so cruel.

To twist the knife lodged into her chest even further, Alyssa and the twins approach the group with annoyed looks, all aimed in Nora’s direction. They seem to have overheard Willy’s previous comment, and before Nora can even defend herself, Alyssa reaches out and wraps her hand around Harry’s forearm as if she were claiming him in front of everybody.

“Yeah, apparently Townbridge is letting just about anybody in this year. Just ignore her, Harry, we all have been,” she says, her tone nothing but dismissive.

Nora watches as Harry shifts his gaze from Alyssa to her. His green eyes fall down her body, and for the first time, he notices the loose thread at the hemline of her dress from overwear, the tear in her socks behind the knee, her brown boots that lack the distinction of a designer label. With one last look at her, he takes a step back, and Nora knows right then and there that she’s been condemned as an outsider.

“C’mon Harry, tell us all about the rest of your summer in France! I want to hear all about it,” Alyssa enthuses, and without a second look, the group turns around and leaves Nora staring after them.

No matter how attractive she finds Harry, there’s no denying that his personality is undeniably ugly. And as she watches him wrap an arm around Alyssa’s shoulder, Nora thinks it’s quite fitting that they’ve both found each other.

***

November 2007

Summer has always been Nora’s favorite season (living permanently near the ocean sort of makes that inevitable), but that summer after her first year, Nora’s never been more excited to be home. She missed her mom, she missed the beach, and she missed her normal friends who didn’t care that she wore sandals that were falling apart and shorts that were fraying at the edges.

When Nora came back from school, she begged her mother not to send her back to Townbridge for her second year. She told her how she couldn’t make friends, how everybody made her feel like a social pariah, and how she was absolutely miserable being so far away from her.

“Oh, Nora baby,” her mother said, holding her close. “You know exactly who you are. You’re strong, you’re beautiful, you’re intelligent—and you’re so much better than those kids who make you feel like you aren’t.”

“You don’t understand, mom,” Nora said through hiccups, wet tears soaking her cheeks, “They hate me. All of them. They never even gave me a chance.”

“Everybody?” her mother asked. And when Nora just stared at her with her lower lip trembling, Shannon combed her fingers through Nora’s blonde hair comfortingly. “I’m sure there are people at Townbridge who are just like you. I just don’t think you’ve tried to find them yet.”

Even though she didn’t want to admit it, Nora knew that her mother was right. So after another summer filled with scooping ice cream for tips and spending every second of her days off at the beach reading romance novel after romance novel, Nora packed up her things for the second time—this time with another suitcase—and set off for Connecticut with higher hopes for her second year.

Things seemed to be turning around for her when she discovered that her roommate was no longer Alyssa Whalen. Instead, it was a girl named Lydia who lived a few towns over in Madison by the beach, just like Nora. They bonded instantly over their shared love of having sea-knotted hair and the feeling of having sand squished between your toes and letting your fingers wrinkle from wading through the briny water for too long. And when Lydia encourages Nora to sign up for the swim team with her, Nora’s grateful that she’s finally found a friend in this hellhole.

Her second year is leagues better than her first, considering in the first three months, she barely had to cross paths with Alyssa and Harry. On the rare instances that they do run into each other, they simply ignore the other’s existence, and Nora doesn’t mind it one bit. It’s just easier that way, she supposes.

Halfway through Nora’s swim season, she turns sixteen and discovers that everybody around her is getting their license. Lydia’s parents bought her a used 2005 Honda Civic when she passed her driver’s test, and when she told Nora that she could use it whenever she needed, Nora felt bad lying to her new friend. Because once again she was playing catch up, getting her learner’s permit over the summer when everybody was already scheduling their exam, and with the way things were going, Nora wouldn’t be able to get her license until she was home again for summer break.

She also didn’t want to admit to Lydia that she couldn’t afford a car, and that her mother would never allow Nora to take her 1997 Toyota Corolla to campus.

After swim practice one November afternoon, Nora leaves the Athletic Center with wet hair to head back to her dorm in Donahue Hall completely across campus. Normally, Nora walks with Lydia, but since it’s Friday and students who live in-state with a license are allowed to leave campus for the weekend, Nora’s forced to make the twenty-minute journey alone.

With her gym bag slung over her shoulder, Nora begins to walk through the parking lot to head towards the footpath that will bring her through campus. The sky is awfully dark for four in the afternoon, and when she looks up and notices the menacing grey clouds, she kicks herself for not packing her umbrella before she left her room this morning.

Just as she’s almost in the clear, she hears a familiar giggle that makes her skin crawl. Living with Alyssa for one excruciating year has allowed Nora to recognize that sound almost immediately, and sheepishly she tucks her chin deeper into the neckline of her jacket, praying that her face is hidden as she walks past the group.

When Nora reaches inside her half-zipped gym bag for her water bottle, she swears to herself when the strap detaches from the siding and the nylon bag falls to the cement. Making sure everything is strapped appropriately, she heaves the bag over her shoulder once it’s zipped up. As she swings her elbow to place the bag comfortably around her body, she doesn’t take into account her proximity to a particularly shiny black SUV—and just before she can escape the parking lot undetected, her bag smashes against the hood of the car, causing the headlights to flicker on and off and the alarm to blare piercingly through the space.

“Hey!” Nora hears from behind her. When she turns she sees Harry jogging towards her, his brown hair dripping from the shower he just took. He’s wearing joggers and a Townbridge Academy Soccer sweatshirt, and when he reaches inside his pocket and reveals a shiny key fob, Nora swears for the second time knowing that the fancy car she just accidentally hit belonged to him.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” His voice is booming through the parking lot and it’s enough to make Nora feel incredibly small. When he finally presses the alarm button on his key and the blaring stops, she can hear his exasperated breaths in its place, and she’s not quite sure what’s worse.

“I didn’t mean to—”

“—I saw the whole thing, Harry!” Alyssa calls over from her spot across the cement, walking towards the pair of them with an accusatory finger extended in Nora’s direction. “She slammed her gym bag against your car.”

“It was an accident!” Nora screeches, feeling her face turning red. “My bag strap fell off and when I went to put it back on my shoulder, I bumped your car. Not, er, intentionally.”

Harry looks between the two girls with an annoyed expression on his face. “Just be more careful, yeah? It’s brand new.”

When Nora looks at the behemoth of a vehicle to her left, observing the shiny black exterior with the words Range Rover written across the front in chrome lettering, she can only imagine the outrageous price tag it has. Which is why she nods, apologizing one last time.

“Won’t happen again.” Nora begins to turn around on her heel, just as the air begins to get cooler and the slightest smell of rain can be detected in the distance.

“You’re walking all the way to Donahue in the rain?” Harry asks suddenly, and Nora begins to wonder how he even knows she lives in that building. She pauses, thinking if he or Alyssa or any one of their stupid friends lives in Donahue, and when she comes up with nothing, she turns around with a confused expression on her face.

“Uh, yeah. I don’t have a car.” Before she can feel the first drop of rain hit her skin, laughter erupts from the small group surrounding Harry and his car. Nora hides her face, wishing the ground would swallow her up.

With one last gulp, Nora turns around and begins walking towards the footpath, shoving the hood of her flimsy rain jacket over her head.

“Well, at least your hair is already wet!” Nora hears Alyssa call out from behind her, with more laughter following until Nora’s a safe distance away from where she can no longer be scrutinized by Harry and his rude friends.

As Nora reaches Donahue Hall with her tracksuit bottoms sticking to her legs like a second skin and her jacket completely drenched, all she can think about is how she’d rather walk another ten miles before ever having another conversation with Alyssa Whalen and Harry Styles if her life fucking depended on it.

***

A/N: Here’s chapter two! We’ve finally met Harry and Alyssa (yikes), so feel free to share with me your thoughts and predictions for the next part! High school is a funny time period to write about, and I’m excited to share the next part with you all. Look out for it on Friday, February 19th, which will be the normal update schedule. Until then, stay safe! x

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spine-buster · 4 years ago

Text

The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 23

A/N: *sings* Taaaake me to church...

February 25th, 2020

Aberdeen Bloom was officially 22 years old.

Despite all the events of yesterday, she was happy. She had a few texts from friends and some Instagram notifications already waiting for her when she woke up, and they put her in a good mood. Her parents called her as she was putting on her makeup, and talked to her until she left to get breakfast downstairs. She already knew she would FaceTime Siena after practice when they got back to the hotel.

When she got downstairs to the continental breakfast, some of the guys were already there, and she knew everyone else was on their way. Jake was already there, wishing her a happy birthday at the scrambled eggs. Mitch was there too, who poured her some orange juice as he wished her a happy birthday as well. Jason said she should be sitting down at the table while everyone else got her the food she wanted. She giggled.

Willy and Kappy arrived together. Kappy wished her a quick happy birthday before he started to get his food. Willy lingered by her. “You talk to your parents yet?”

“They called me this morning, yeah.”

“Siena?”

“We’re FaceTiming after practice.”

William nodded his head understandingly. “Happy birthday,” he smiled softly.

She smiled equally as softly. “Thanks.”

“You gonna be blasting that Taylor Swift song or what?” Travis Dermott asked he appeared beside them, plate piled high with scrambled eggs and bacon. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling twenty-twoooOooOOOooo!” he sang aloud in a horrible high-pitched voice, definitely trying to mimic Taylor Swift but of course failing miserably.

William set down his plate and put his hands over his hears dramatically. Travis began dancing while trying not to have the bacon spill over his plate. Aberdeen couldn’t help but laugh. “Were you doing that when you turned 22?” she asked.

“You bet! That song was on a 24 hour loop,” he smiled.

“Poor Kat.”

“She lived. So what’s your birthday wish?”

“For you guys to win tonight,” she winked.

“We can make that happen,” he winked back. “Can’t we, Willy?”

“My ear drums burst after your awful singing. What did you say?”

“I said WE CAN WIN TONIGHT, CAN’T WE?” he yelled so loud other patrons in the eating area looked towards them.

Aberdeen shielded her face and William turned completely around so they couldn’t see his face. “You’re the worst, pal,” William said to Travis. “And by the way,” he shifted focus to Aberdeen, “we’re definitely winning the game tonight. For you and only you. Bust also so that we don’t have to hear any more of that.”

***

“Did the boys promise you they’d win for your birthday?” Brendan asked Aberdeen as they walked together through the halls to their box for the game.

“They did,” she nodded. “This morning at breakfast.”

“Think they’ll be able to do it?” he asked. They both flashed their credentials to the security guard who let them through easily. Aberdeen could even see Kyle down at the other end of the hallway waiting.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I hope so. It would be kind of nice.”

“No hoping,” Brendan shook his head. “Do you have faith they can win the game tonight for your birthday?” he asked again, his voice sterner.

“Yes,” she answered automatically, nodding her head. She did have faith in them. She had faith that William would probably show off tonight like he showed off when Siena was in the building in Ottawa, but she wasn’t exactly going to vocalize that out loud. “Do you?”

He took a moment to think about it as he looked at her. It wasn’t an automatic reaction like hers was. “Yes,” he finally said. “Because I know how much they adore you.”

***

“Look at him fuckin’ go,” Kyle said with a giant smirk on his face as he watched the replay of William’s goal. It was beautiful. The Leafs were on a powerplay and he was sitting pretty right in front of the net. After a feed from Mitch not going exactly where he wanted it go, William ended up sneaking it in between his legs and putting it in the net, top shelf. Bardown. Beautiful.

“He just surpassed his dad in goals not even two weeks ago and now this. Now he’s just showing off,” Brendan giggled, looking at the replay himself.

Aberdeen watched replay after replay. “This is absolutely unbelievable by Nylander” she heard the announcer say as he broke down the play and the goal. She was so enamoured by the coverage and the breakdown and the smile on his face at the end of it that she almost didn’t notice what Brendan whispered to Kyle.

“Think he’s showing off for someone?”

***

Brendan made sure he and Aberdeen took their time walking down to the locker room after the 4-3 win. He made sure to have his cell phone constantly in his hand, waiting for the right text to come through. He made sure that when he did, he hurried down there with her tagging along.

Aberdeen followed Brendan into the locker room. Brendan nodded at Sheldon. Sheldon nodded at him.

“Alright boys! Everyone get in here!” Sheldon yelled out to the team. Everyone settled down and came back in the locker room, either standing or sitting in their stalls, their gear half on or half off and their hair still sweaty from the game. Brendan and Aberdeen were in the back, standing just in front of one of the entrances, making sure not to block Jack Campbell’s view. “We came back hard tonight. We showed them what we were made of. We held them off in the third period. We stuck with our game. Willy with that game winning goal that I’m sure is gonna be on every highlight reel this season,” Sheldon smiled, and some of the boys clapped and whooped for him. “It was a good fight. It was a good…hey…hey wait. Where’s Spezza?” he asked, furrowing his brows. “Where’s Spezz?”

Everybody began looking around the room. Even Aberdeen started looking. “Spezz?” Tyson asked really loudly.

Silence.

And then…

“Haaaaaaaaaappy biiiiiiirthday to yoooooouuuuu…”

Out of the corner of her eye, Aberdeen saw Jason walk into the locker room carrying a giant slab cake, with 22 candles lit up throughout. It started with just his voice, but as the words dragged on, more voices joined. She saw giant smiles on the entire locker room’s faces as they sang along, and she immediately covered her face in embarrassment, getting way too emotional. Even the cameraman that they sometimes brought on road trips to film content for Blueprints was filming her.

“Haaaaaaaaaappy biiiiiiirthday to yoooooouuuuu…Haaapppy Biiirthdaaayyy dear Aaaaaaaberdeeeeeeeeeen, haaaaaaaaaappy biiiiiiirthday to yoooooouuuuu!”

The entire locker room began cheering and clapping loudly. Aberdeen couldn’t believe it. She shook her head at everything that was happening – the cake, the singing, the filming, the shit-eating grins on everyone’s faces, particularly Jason’s and Brendan’s – and blew out her candles in one big blow, causing everyone to cheer even louder than before. She knew she had an embarrassed look on her face – because she truly wasn’t expecting anything like this – but she was so grateful for the gesture. Her eyes were even tearing up, though she didn’t know why.

“Aberdeen, I think I speak for everyone when I say we wish you a very, very happy birthday in your twenty-second year of life,” Brendan began. “You came into our lives in September, and since then, we’ve grown more and more in love with you, your outfits, the books you bring on the plane…” he motioned with his hands for the guys to pitch in.

“Your no-nonsense attitude!” Jason contributed.

“Your rockstar Halloween costumes!” Travis yelled.

“Your Willy fashion roasting!” Kappy yelled.

Everybody laughed. Brendan laughed too before focusing back on her. “From the streets of good ol’ Etobicoke to 50 Bay Street…you’ll always be part of the Maple Leafs family, Aberdeen. Always.”

Aberdeen’s breath hitched in her throat. She nodded her head. Those were some very kind words from a very powerful man, and she knew just how much they meant. And the fact that he was saying it in front of the team meant so much more. She thought it would be over and done with, but Kappy and Travis had other plans. “Speeeeeeeech! Speeeeeeeech!” they chanted. “Speeeeeeeeeech!” everyone else followed, expecting it like she’d just won an Oscar.

(Maybe she deserved one, since she’d been sneaking around with William and nobody seemed to be the wiser.)

“There’s not a lot I’m gonna be able to say without crying,” she said, still shaking her head. She was still very well aware that the cameraman was still recording. “But seriously, thank you guys so much. This means a lot to me, considering how much of a family we are here. You guys, I…I can’t say enough about you guys. Honestly. But for how much you might love me, I hope you guys know how much I love you all too…”

The guys began clapping when they realized she really couldn’t say anything else because she would have gotten emotional. But it was Brendan who spoke and eliminated the feeling by screaming “ONE MORE TIME! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABERDEEN!”

“HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!” they all rushed towards her screaming, engulfing her in a giant mob as she screamed at the fact that twenty-plus men were about the crowd her like she was a fellow hockey player. The only one who didn’t was Jason so he could save the cake. Thank God.

“The gift!”

“Where’s the gift?!”

“Somebody get the gift!!!”

Aberdeen furrowed her brows. Mitch ran from where Jason had come from, hockey pants and socks still on, and brought out a giant box from the back. He placed in right in front of Aberdeen. “What did you guys do?”

“We started thinking about it at the beginning of the month—” Kasperi began, but Jason quickly cut him off.

“—Jen and Bee said we should get you something. But I mean we all thought of the idea of what to get you,” he said, throwing a look towards Kappy. “John went out and bought it, but like we all pitched in.”

Aberdeen kept unwrapped until she tore a part of the wrapping paper and saw the Louis Vuitton logo on the box. She gasped out loud. She didn’t care that everybody in the room was watching her at this point. “Whaaaaaaat did you guys do?!” she shrieked, ripping off the paper even quicker now. When the wrapping paper was off and she opened the box, she gasped dramatically. Everybody had pitched in to buy her a Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandoulière carry-on bag in the damier azur canvas colour. “Are you for real?!” she asked, delicately moving the tissue paper to the side and taking the luggage bag out of the box.

“You like it?” Jason was smiling at her reaction.

“Now we all match with our Louis Vuitton!” Auston winked.

“Yeah, and now you can’t make fun of my fashion anymore!” William yelled.

“Oh yes I can,” Aberdeen replied automatically, not even looking at him – still admiring her new bag too much. “Seriously—I—what made you all decide you were going to get me Louis freaking Vuitton?”

“You roasting Willy’s fashion choices, actually,” Jason laughed out. Brendan laughed too. “Just thought you deserved something nice too, for putting up with us all the time.”

“I’m still making fun of Willy’s fashion choices,” she deadpanned.

“We figured.”

Aberdeen didn’t know who cut the cake. All she knew was that she was handed a piece once she was done groveling over her new bag. She didn’t know when the music started playing. All she knew was someone took her phone and started blasting her Spotify, and a weird variety of songs came on: “Vossi Bop” by Stormzy, which most of the guys vibed to; “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, because of course; and “(Dancin’) On A Saturday Night” by Barry Blue, which caused Tyson to grab her and start dancing with her comically. The guys were eating cake and taking off their gear. The media was still peeking in though their time and interviews had long gone. She wondered if they got pieces of cake.

When everything was said and done, everybody loaded onto the bus to get back to the hotel. She still had a stupid smile on her face as everyone filed in, carrying the box in her hands like a party-size pizza. She put it onto the seat beside her before taking out her phone to respond to some of the last messages she got from her friends, and saw some notifications that piqued her interest.

@kristenshilton: Leafs are celebrating a birthday in the locker room after their Tampa game. Cake and everything. I’m told that it’s chocolate.

@kristenshilton: ‘Vossi Bop’ by UK rapper Stormzy is playing. Nylander tells me, “It came up on Aberdeen’s phone. It’s her birthday. We promised we’d win the game for her.”

Aberdeen Bloom, in question: Brendan Shanahan’s personal assistant.

Aberdeen wondered if this was the first time her name had been put out there by the media. She honestly had never searched her name on Twitter before so she had no clue. Now that it was out in the open, what would happen? What would Brendan say? Would he want it out there? She didn’t have the answers. The only thing she knew was that it didn’t matter right now, because it was her 22nd birthday. She could deal with it later – if she even needed to deal with it.

She went through her unanswered texts and Instagram messages thanking everybody for their birthday wishes. Just as she was about the locker her phone again, she opened her email inbox, noticing a few spam emails from sites she’d signed up for.

But one in particular caught her eye. She opened it immediately.

Dear Ms. Bloom,

Thank you for your submission to the “Memoirs” section of Toronto Life. We have read your essay “Maple Leaf For…Now” but regret to inform you that our team of editors has decided not to publish the essay. We thank you for your time and submission.

Best regards,

Sandy Miller, Senior Editor at Toronto Life Magazine

She immediately closed the email. She didn’t need to read it twice. She didn’t need to dwell on the feeling of being rejected. Again.

It was a quick drive back to the hotel. She followed everybody up to their respective floors and rooms, getting some final happy birthdays before she opened her own door and escaped into her own room. She put the giant box next to her luggage – she’d wonder how she was going to handle the packing tomorrow. She took her phone out of her pocket, seeing a text from William already.

i’ll let u know when i’m coming maybe 20-30 mins? the guys are pretty hyped and i want to make sure they’re in bed

Ok. No problem.

brendan was right tonight u know we all fell in love with u from the beginning i hope u know that

😇

She waited patiently yet impatiently. During the time she was waiting for him, she’d washed off all her makeup, took a quick shower, and even changed into her pajamas. She debated whether or not she should greet him with a sheetmask on, but then she figured that it was her birthday and he’d probably want to kiss her all night, so she decided against it, even as a joke. There was no way she’d waste a sheet mask.

She was sitting on her bed scrolling through her phone when she got the text from Willy. She prepared herself, and when she heard the slight knock on her door, she practically jumped out of bed and ran to the door. She opened it quickly. “Hey,” she smiled, closing the door behind him, even locking it for good measure.

“Hey.”

“What a goal tonight, Will!” she giggled as he got closer, wrapping his arms around her.

“For you,” was all he said. He apparently didn’t want to talk hockey – regardless of how pretty his goal was – or waste any more time. He just began kissing her. Big, open-mouthed, passionate kisses as he walked them towards her bed, falling on top of it when it reached the back of Aberdeen’s knees. Like many times before, they were making out like teenagers; they couldn’t help it. William found her insatiable, and Aberdeen found him just as much, if not more insatiable. She snaked her hands underneath his hoodie and took it off, leaving him shirtless. He did the same to her, leaving her topless in her bed.

“Aberdeen?” he mumbled against the skin between her breasts after what felt like hours of kissing, touching, and grinding against each other’s bodies.

“Yeah?” she managed to get out, though she could feel how hot her body was.

“Can I taste you?”

“Huh?” she blurted out in the most vulgar way that was humanly possible, completely embarrassing herself. She was sure William was going walk out the door right now and never turn back.

William snorted. “Can I taste you?” he asked again, slower, with a dumb smile on his face as he looked up at her.

“I…I…” her chest began to heave slightly. “I mean…okay. But um…I’ve never…” she kept trying to find the right words, but when she thought about what she actually needed to say, it just made her more embarrassed and more prone to stutter out her response. “I mean, I’ve never had…you know, anyone go down on me before.”

William stopped, furrowing his brows. “Wait…you’ve…you’ve never—”

“No.”

“You haven’t been eaten out before?”

“No.”

William seemed shocked. “But you…you’ve had boyfriends…?”

“Yes, Will. God.”

“So…” he was trying to piece everything together. “That guy I met, Zane or whatever his name was…he never ate you out in the entire year you dated?” he asked. Aberdeen shook her head. “What kind assholes did you date?” he shrieked.

“Arrrrrggghhhhh,” Aberdeen grumbled, covering her face with her hands in complete embarrassment. “This is so embarrassing!”

“Noooo no no no, come on, it’s okay,” William kept repeating and cooing as he pushed himself back up, one hand placing itself on her stomach to caress the skin there and on her sides while he leaned on his other arm. “Aberdeen, come on. It’s okay.”

“Is it though? Is it really?” she was peeking through her fingers like a kid.

“Of course it is,” he assured her. “It means I get to be the first one.” Aberdeen removed her hand from in front of her eyes so she could give him a look. “Was there a reason why it never happened?”

Aberdeen shrugged. “I mean…I’ve always been a bit self-conscious about it. Like about how I’d react or how I’d, like…taste,” she used his own words. “But Zane said he didn’t like to go down on girls, so I sort of never, like, asked for it. He was like that from the beginning. And I felt embarrassed to ask if I was just gonna get shot down. I mean…I wanted to try it. He just never would.”

“Did you give him blowjobs?”

Aberdeen knew she shouldn’t be getting uncomfortable, because she was with William and she was comfortable with him and trusted him completely, but it was a direct line of questioning she wasn’t used to. Though she talked about her hookups or past boyfriends with Siena or people like Kasha, she didn’t go into extreme depth like that. “Yeah…a whole bunch of them, actually…” she admitted.

She watched as William shook his head, getting angry. “That guy was a fucking asshole, and I’ll look through every stupid fucking cubicle in the city if I have to so I can punch him in the face for you.”

Aberdeen let out a sigh, running her fingers through his hair to push it back. “Does that make me lame? Be honest.”

“No, minskatt. It does not make you lame,” William asserted. He brought his hand up to caress her face, and trailed his fingers up to her new scar just above her eyebrow. He touched it delicately and she didn’t wince. “Listen…I want to taste you. I want to make you feel good,” he continued softly. “I know you’re nervous. It’s okay. I promise that I’ll go slow, okay? And I’ll stop whenever you tell me to stop.”

Aberdeen was nervous – perhaps more nervous than she’d ever been – but she nodded her head. “Okay,” she said.

“You’re sure?” William confirmed with her one more time.

“Yeah,” she nodded again. “I’m sure. Just…go slow.”

He’d heard her request those words before. “I will, minskatt. I love you.”

“I love you too, Willy.”

He began kissing her again, trying to get her as comfortable and relaxed as possible – how she was before he proposed the idea. They kissed again for a long time, William making sure he could sense her comfortability before he began to move down, running his lips and tongue down to her chest. His lips left her skin only to take off her pajama pants and underwear, slipping them off slowly at the same time before discarding them to the side. He could feel her shiver. “You alright?” he asked. She nodded her head. “I’m going to make you feel great, I promise.”

“You better.”

They both giggled slightly. “Just tell me when to stop if you want me to stop.”

“Okay.”

He continued to kiss his way down her body, eventually spreading her legs open and settling in between them. He could feel her take a deep breath, so he kissed some more – along her belly button, her hips, on the insides of her thighs. When he did that, there was another shiver. “Minskatt?”

“What?” she asked, like she was having trouble even getting the word out.

“Hold my hand.”

Aberdeen looked down. Seeing his face in between her thighs was quite the sight to behold. She grabbed onto one of his hands and intertwined their fingers. She could feel his thumb rubbing her hand assuredly. She didn’t think the first flick of the tongue to taste her was coming so soon. But as she felt his tongue along her folds, she flinched slightly out of surprise more than anything, squeezing his hand. “Oh fuck,” she sighed out, her hips bucking.

With his free arm, he pushed gently back on to the bed. “Was that okay?” he asked, his mouth still dangerously close to her lips so that when she spoke, she still felt them move against her. She nodded quickly. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” she said firmly, her response automatic. “K—Keep going. It felt good.”

Aberdeen looked down, only to make eye contact with him before he dived in again. Her eyes rolled to the back as William continued lapping at her, making her feel better and better with each stroke of his tongue. Soon, there were no nerves anymore – no worries about how she tasted or how she’d never done this before – and her body was doing the talking, squirming and writhing and sighing, her little oh fuck and oh my god comments the fuel William wanted, needed, to keep doing what he was doing. He did everything – quick flicks of the tongue, long laps from bottom-to-top, top-to-bottom, and sucking and licking like he was drinking a thick milkshake, making sure Aberdeen got the full experience.

Her moans were his music. At one point she had let go of his hand so she could bunch the bedsheets in her fists. He could hear her huffs and sighs. “S’at feel good?” he asked quickly.

“God, yes,” Aberdeen whispered, her voice so soft and so full of innocence at the new feeling of it all that William almost came himself right then and there.

“You taste so sweet for me, Aberdeen. You’re so sweet and it’s all for me,” he said, his voice low and full of lust and Aberdeen almost came right then and there.

“Fuuuuuuuuuuck, Willy,” she couldn’t say much more. When he lapped at her with his flat tongue immediately after, she instinctively went to grab and tug on his hair. He’d made it a personal goal that he would make her come with just his tongue, and his groan in response and the vibration from it made her whimper. “Willy—I—Willy—”

He did it again, and she cried out. With his face so firmly planted on her pussy and with her tugging at his hair and making sure he stayed down there, the feeling was almost too much, but she knew she wanted him to keep going. She knew she wanted the build-up. She knew she wanted it to last as long as it could – as long as was physically possible for Willy – because this was, perhaps, the best feeling she’d ever felt.

The fact she was getting louder made Willy know she was enjoying it. She’d moved on from squirms to moans, and now from moans to audible cries, words frantic and scarcely used but enough so that he knew he was doing a good job and she wanted him to keep going. He kept up his movements so he could keep hearing her, the tugging of his hair bringing him the same kind of pleasure as he was currently giving her.

Then Aberdeen went a bit quiet. William didn’t like that. He looked up at her as he was still licking and noticed she was staring up at the ceiling. He squeezed her hand to get her attention. “You okay?”

She looked down and saw how wet his lips were – how her juices were all over his mouth, really, and she could have fucking cried. It was one of the hottest things she’d ever seen. “I feel really close,” she whispered, her voice strained. She’d been moaning and crying out for so long that he was surprised she even had one left. “I—fuck Willy—I feel so close.”

William wanted to make sure any part of her that was still holding back – if there was any left – didn’t hold back at all. He made sure he was making eye contact with her. “Come all over my face Aberdeen. Come for me. Now.”

Aberdeen had never been so turned on. He lapped and sucked once more and within seconds she was a screaming, writhing mess. She couldn’t be quiet. It was impossible. As her orgasm overcame her, flooding her entire body with pleasure, she tried to stop her legs from clamping together and squeezing William’s head in between her thighs. He didn’t care. William moved with each squirm, each scream, each buck of the hips, never once taking his mouth off her pussy as she came long and hard and completely, not once. She screamed and huffed and moaned until she couldn’t anymore, until her throat was dry. When she felt herself finally coming down from her orgasm – earth-shattering orgasm, really, if we’re being specific – she looked down at saw William already looking at her, smiling, her juices all over his lips and face, and she knew it was a sight that would be permanently etched in her mind.

When Aberdeen regained basic consciousness, she could feel William kissing the insides of her thighs again as he was chuckling slightly. He kissed his way back up to her, and when his lips landed on hers, she let out her last moan she had in her as she tasted herself on his lips. “You taste incredible,” he said once they finished kissing, looking right into her eyes as he licked his lips.

“I can’t believe that was what I was missing this entire time,” she said. “Zane’s a fucking asshole.”

William chuckled louder this time, nuzzling himself into her neck as he placed light butterfly kisses there. “I told you,” he said. “It felt good for you?”

She nodded. “It felt incredible. I’m serious. You’re going to turn me into one of those nymphomaniacs.”

“What did you like the most?”

“All of it,” she said immediately, because it was true. There was absolutely nothing that she didn’t like. As she felt his body rest beside hers, his lips still lingering on the skin of her neck, she could feel his erection. She turned a bit so she could look him in the eye, kissing him quickly. “D’you want me to take care of that?”

“No no,” he shook his head. She didn’t understand, especially since he was rock hard. She couldn’t believe him going down on her made him so aroused. “This is all about you. I’ll take care of it.”

“Willy—”

“It’s okay, minskatt. I’ll take care of it,” he said, giving her a kiss before rolling over and getting off the bed. She watched as he disappeared into the washroom and closed the door behind him. She couldn’t think of anything else to do, laying in the bed completely naked thinking about what had just happened, until she thought to grab her underwear and put them back on. She kept herself topless though, as maybe a little treat to William, as she went back to thinking about the feeling of his tongue on her folds, shivering as she remembered.

William was in there for a while before he came back out, seemingly having taken care of it, and climbed back into bed with her. He placed kisses on her breasts and nipples before moving to her neck and finally her lips, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closed against his body. He was topless, too, but kept his boxers on. “I love you, minskatt,” he whispered.

“I love you too Willy,” she said, his body heat and warmth she felt lulling her to sleep so quickly. “Thank you for being my first for that.”

He smiled. “The pleasure was all mine. Go to sleep, minskatt. Go to sleep.”

***

The next morning, William was still in bed with Aberdeen. They’d hardly moved, limbs still intertwined and still holding on to each other like the other would float away. Aberdeen woke up first, her eyes gently opening, noticing and appreciating how close she was to Will. Instinctively – really, she couldn’t help herself – she brought a hand up to his face, barely touching it with her fingertips. The stubble along his jawline and cheeks. The curve of his perfect nose. His soft, sweet lips. He was truly so beautiful. She couldn’t believe he was hers. She couldn’t believe she was his. It was a magical thing to wake up in William Nylander’s arms, knowing that he loved her, and knowing that she loved him.

He shifted slightly, letting her know he was awake – or at least waking up. “Minskatt?” he mumbled, barely audible, before he even opened his eyes.

“I’m right here,” she said in an equally soft voice.

He opened his eyes. He smiled sleepily once he saw how close they were and sighed contently. “I dreamt we were in Sweden,” he whispered.

Aberdeen felt a shiver run up her spine. “Yeah?”

He nodded. “My family was there. My sisters loved you. Alex too. You were sitting by the lake at our house in the country,” he said. “Your hair was down and you were looking over your shoulder back at me. It was perfect.”

Aberdeen couldn’t help but smile. His voice was so soft and his emotion so innocent. “Tell me more.”

“You had on a pretty dress. The sky was blue. So was the water. We could do what we wanted and nobody cared. We could be open with our love and it was so beautiful.”

She felt a small pang of guilt at that. At this point, she knew how bad they both wanted to be out in the open, but life dictated that they couldn’t. She couldn’t just up and quit her job and lose her income. They needed to ride out the wave. It would happen eventually; it just couldn’t happen now. “I’m sorry that we can’t,” she whispered, caressing his face again.

“Don’t apologize, minskatt. We will one day. You’re still the best thing in my life and always will be. I’ll wait forever if I have to.”

It was that statement that got Aberdeen emotional. Here he was dreaming about her in Sweden with him and his family, freely showing their love, but the reality was that couldn’t happen. Yet he said he would wait forever. She wasn’t sure about that. No guy had waited for her before. “But you’ve been waiting already for so long,” she whispered, her eyes welling with tears. “Why are you waiting for so long? Any other guy would have given up and moved on already. Why haven’t you?”

“Shhh, Aberdeen, stop,” he said, squeezing her tighter. “Don’t you get—Aberdeen, you’re it for me. I don’t care that I’m waiting to be out in the open with you. I will wait however long you want me to, alright? You’ll always have me. No matter what happens. You’ll always have me.”

Aberdeen nodded. There was nothing she could say to that. Her heart felt so full at his words. He’d wait. He’d wait as long as he needed to. He loved her. He adored her. She was it for him. “I love you, Willy.”

“I love you too Aberdeen. So much,” he kissed the tip of her nose.

Aberdeen kissed him on his lips, needing to feel them against hers. Like always, they couldn’t stop. “Make love to me Willy…before you have to go.”

He did. It was slow and it was sensual and it was tender and it was everything she could have wanted, needed that morning in bed with him. And afterwards, when he had to put his clothes on and sneak out back to his room, he sat on the edge of the bed and kissed her. “Jag tänker på dig när jag inte ens tanker,” he whispered against her lips.

Aberdeen smiled. She didn’t know Swedish but she knew those words. They were theirs. Theirs and only theirs. Which is why she repeated them back to him. “I think about you when I’m not even thinking.”

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krispyweiss · 3 years ago

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Neil Young Drops out of Farm Aid Concert

- “My soul tells me it would be wrong to risk having anyone die because they wanted to hear music and be with friends,” he says

Neil Young dropped out of this year’s Farm Aid concert citing the surge in COVID-19 cases.

“All you people who can’t go to a concert because you still don’t feel safe, I stand with you,” Young said in a statement. “I don’t want to play until you feel safe, and it is, indeed, safe.

“My soul tells me it would be wrong to risk having anyone die because they wanted to hear music and be with friends.”

Young says that while he has “respect” for fellow Farm Aid board members’ Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews’ decision to carry on with the event, “I am not of the same mind.

“It is a tough call,” he said.

Farm Aid said simply: “Dear fans, regretfully we have a festival update: Neil Young will not appear at Farm Aid 2021 due to COVID concerns.”

Slated for Sept. 25 in Connecticut, the sold-out concert will also feature appearances from Bettye LaVette, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Allison Russell, Margo Price and others.

Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours is required for entry. Masks are encouraged for outdoor areas and required indoors. Refunds are also available.

This is not enough for Young, who would’ve been making his first live appearance since Farm Aid 2019. The 2020 event was a virtual affair.

“I don’t want to let anybody down, but still can’t shake the feeling that it might not be safe for everyone,” he said.

8/19/21

#farm aid #neil young #buffalo springfield #dave matthews #john mellencamp #willie nelson #lukas nelson & promise of the real #bettye lavette #tyler childers #sturgill simpson #margo price #nathaniel rateliff #jamey johnson #allison russell #birds of chicago #our native daughters

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queen-rowenas · 4 years ago

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friends in low places (wc - 637)

Even lying on a medical bed, hooked up to machines, every breath rattling his body, Sam knew—he felt it in his bones, old and frail as they were—as soon as a damned soul slipped past the wardings.

He smiled, remembering when the shift in the air and the smell of sulfur would send adrenaline pumping through his veins. He had retired from active hunting a long time ago—choosing to serve as more of a consultant to the newer generation, occasionally helping on hunts or answering calls as one FBI Agent Willis, going back to law school and starting a new career to help people—but the instinct had always stayed.

He had spent his whole life always prepared for an attack on him, on his family. And now he was more vulnerable than ever.

“Hello, Samuel.”

Now, he only smiled and opened his eyes to see the figure at the door.

“Rowena.”

The Queen of Hell glided over to stand at the edge of his bed. She regarded the former hunter with a sad upturn of her lip. “You’ve aged, boy.”

Sam huffed, it came out as more of a wheeze, as Rowena went on. “All of my knowledge of witchcraft at your disposal, and you’ve allowed yourself to age.”

He reached a shaking hand over to where Rowena’s fingers wrung the sheets, wanting to ease the furrow of her brow. “It’s my time, Rowena. You said dying was the best thing that ever happened to you.”

She nodded, ducking her head as she schooled her lip to stop quivering, pasting on her most convincing smile. “I don’t suppose I could offer you a prominent position in Hell as my second-in-command.”

Sam gave her hand a weak squeeze, and her hand finally turned up to clutch at his. “Thank you, Rowena. But my family and friends, my wife and brother, they’re in Heaven.”

“I’m sure Dean and your Eileen are awaiting your arrival.” Rowena glanced down, a smirk forming. “Although I hope you’re leaving my things in good hands.”

“Dean and Mary will put them to good use, make sure they don’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“Your brother would be rolling in his grave if he knew his nephew and niece, his namesake, were a seasoned witch and a prominent Woman of Letters.”

The next generation of Winchesters had certainly inherited their father’s mind and skill. Dean had studied and mastered Rowena’s collection under his father, creating a new breed of hunter. Mary carried on her parents’ legacies and created her own among the Men of Letters, helping to reform and mend the now international organization.

Sam was leaving the world in good hands.

Tightening his hold on Rowena’s hand, he said, “There is one thing you could do for me.”

“Anything.”

Sam fought back the dampness in his eyes. “Watch over my family, my kids.”

“I thought you already had an angel to do that.”

“Cas visits when he can, but...” Sam smiled. “It doesn’t hurt to have friends in low places.”

“Of course.”

Rowena looked down at their hands, giving a weak smile. When she looked up, her eyes were glassy.

“I suppose this is good bye then.”

Sam gave a small nod, letting the tears slip down his cheeks. “I’m gonna miss you, Rowena.”

“Oh, maybe Jack will invite me for a meeting to coordinate the afterlife.” She shrugged. “We’ve been in touch.”

“Then you’ll have to visit when you’re up.”

“I will.”

They fell into silence, and Sam felt his eyelids begin to grow heavy, but he fought to stay awake, fought for one more moment.

Tears streaking down Rowena’s face, the she bent down and pressed her lips to the his forehead.

“Rest now, dear.”

With the Queen of Hell watching over him, Sam Winchester finally allowed himself to rest.

#sam winchester #rowena macleod #spn fic #spn ficlet #15x20 coda #coda fic #supernatural #emmawrites*#mine*

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pines-troz · 4 years ago

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Animaniacs/PATB/Wakko’s Wish Fanfic - Pinky Promise

Summary: When Pinky sees the Warner siblings trying to stay warm in the frigid cold, his heart is overwhelmed with compassion. He suggests to Brain that they should help the poor orphans, to which the smaller mouse reluctantly agrees. But when the mice receive a stroke of bad luck, their friendship is put to the test.

Word Count: 7,396

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299807

Based on @themurphyzone‘s lovely post about Wakko’s Wish

The winter snow blanketed the buildings and streets of Acme Falls. The citizens of the village trudged miserably as they went about their daily lives trying to get by in a country that grossly overtaxed its people for the financial satisfaction of its corrupt and cold-heart ruler, King Salazar the Pushy.

Pinky and The Brain emerged from their home and strolled through the village square. To protect themselves from the biting cold winds, Brain sported his purple scarf and brown fingerless gloves, while Pinky wore his red scarf. It wasn’t much, but when there was little to go around they learned to appreciate what they had.

A particularly harsh gust of wind blew past the mice. Brain chattered his teeth as he instinctively rubbed his forearms for extra warmth. Pinky saw how frigid the smaller mouse was and immediately pulled him into a side hug for extra warmth. Brain sneered at his lanky companion and shoved him away, rejecting the affectionate gesture.

“So where are we going again, Brain?” Pinky asked.

“I just told you, Pinky! We’re heading over to the village dump to scavenge any materials that would aid my latest invention.” Brain answered with an annoyed frown.

The pudgy mouse pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper from his pocket and unfurled the sketches for his device. “A giant vacuum cleaner!” He declared with an eager grin. “With this machine, we’ll be able to suck up that wretched king and his allies, trapping them in a lint-filled prison. Then, while the throne awaits for a new monarch, we will seize power over the kingdom and restore Warnerstock to its former glory!”

“Naaarf!” Pinky awed.

“So that’s why we’re going dumpster diving today, Pinky.” Brain concluded as he stashed his sketch back into his pocket.

“Egad Brain, brilliant!” Pinky joyfully cried out. But then his smile faltered. “But no, no”

“What?” Brain asked exasperatedly.

“Don’t we need proper swimming equipment when we go dumpster diving? Like goggles and flippy fins?” Pinky asked, waving his arms around to emphasize his point. “We can’t waste any time, Pinky!” Brain said curtly. “The daylight hours are considerably shorter this time of year, and we need to make the most of our trip to the dump!”

“Yay!!!” Pinky cheered as he followed his roommate.

As the mice walked past the village square, they looked over at the abandoned orphanage to see three shabbily dressed children huddling around a makeshift fire.

The rodents recognized the Warner children; Yakko, Wakko, and Dot. The kids usually had a penchant for causing chaos around the village. But seeing the normally playful Warners in a state of misery and shivering in front of a weak fire pit was particularly heartbreaking. An awful reminder of the adverse impact of Salazar’s over taxation on the populace.

Poor Pinky was on the verge of tears at the sight of the distraught siblings. Kids were supposed to be happy, bouncing around without a care in the world and having a fun-fun silly-willy time! But to see three poor and defenseless children broke the tall mouse’s heart. “Poit! Oh, the poor dears...” He warbled, placing a hand on his cheek.

“Yes, poverty is a merciless mistress.” Brain agreed in a melancholic tone whilst gently patting his taller friend’s back. “But now is not the time to dwell on the depressing sight of three poor waifs having to fend for themselves in a cold and unforgiving world.”

As Pinky watched his smaller companion lead the way, he thought of a wonderful idea that made him feel all warm and fuzzy. Maybe he could do something to make the kiddies smile!

With his heart filled with renewed hope, the taller mouse skipped along gaily, catching up with his companion. “Say Brain, if we come across anything that’s nice or shiny during our trip to the dump, can we give some to the little kiddies?” Pinky suggested cheerfully.

Brain stopped in his tracks, turning his chubby head towards his lanky roommate. He stared at Pinky with an incredulous look. The odds of finding something of value were slim (not that it deterred the determined mouse from trying anyway). But it didn’t take long for Brain to be captivated by the warmth and compassion that pooled in Pinky’s beautiful blue eyes. How could he ever say no to a gaze like that?

“Should we come across something of value, we could, perhaps, share our wealth with the orphans.” Brain reluctantly spoke.

“Is that a Pinky Promise?” Pinky asked excitedly. The mouse curled three of his fingers with only his pinky pointed out, and eagerly wiggled it in front of his friend.

Brain looked at Pinky’s pinky. The thought of making a Pinky Promise was juvenile and saccharine from Brain’s perspective. But despite his cold exterior and cynical outlook on the world, he could never bring himself to crumble Pinky’s childlike sense of wonder. The eloquent mouse let out an exhausted sigh, surrendering to his roommate’s request.

“Fine, it’s a Pinky promise.” He confirmed, giving in to his best friend’s plea. He showcased the pinky finger on his right hand. Brain carefully wrapped his pinky around Pinky’s, giving it a firm shake.

Once they untangled their pinkies, Pinky scooped Brain into a tight hug, to which Brain recoiled as he kicked his feet in the air. Pinky was unaware of Brain’s resistance as he twirled around. “Oh Brain, we are such kind and good and thoughtful mice! Zort!”

“That’s all well and good my personal-space-invading friend, but we first need to search the dump and obtain anything of monetary worth before we could perform our noble deed.” Brain recalled as he struggled to liberate himself from Pinky’s affectionate embrace. “Now would you be so kind as to put me down before we further indulge in any more mawkish sentiment?”

“Of course, Brain!” Pinky apologized as he gently lowered Brain on the ground. The pudgy mouse gave a curt nod to his companion before resuming their journey. The lanky mouse did his best to keep up with his roommate’s quick pace.

With their pact sealed, the mice ventured forth to the village dump in their desperate search for usable materials and anything of monetary worth.

By the time sunset rolled in, the mice were unable to find the materials for Brain’s invention. But they did come across an even better find. Brain searched through a rusty tin can only to discover three gold coins. After retrieving the coins, Pinky immediately grabbed one. With the assumption that he held a chocolate coin wrapped with gold tinfoil, the mouse scratched at the sides in the hopes that he could remove the wrapping. Brain rolled his eyes and inspected the other two coins, observing them in great detail to check if they were real or counterfeit. After minutes of inspecting the symbols and inscriptions as well as testing their physicality, Brain confirmed that the gold coins were authentic. The mice then fled the town dump, absconding the valuable currency in their paws.

Brain held two of the coins over his head and Pinky held the third coin in his arms. The chubby mouse already planned out the different ways to spend their newly acquired wealth. The first coin would be given to the Warners (in keeping with his Pinky Promise to Pinky), the second coin would be used to purchase food from the grocers, and the third coin would be used to fund Brain’s latest plan for world domination.

In the words of the classic show tune, they’re in the money!

The two companions sprinted down the street as fast as their little feet allowed. They needed to avoid drawing attention from the greedy local tax collector, Baron von Plotz, and his bumbling lackey, Ralph the Constable, as well any person willing to get their hands on the money.

Brain was a few paces ahead, desperate to return to their home with the coins. Pinky, despite his physical agility, was distracted when a somber sight caught his eyes.

Pinky noticed the Warners forlornly trudging inside their ramshackle home in the abandoned water tower. Oh, how his heart ached at the sight of the downtrodden children. But as he gripped the coin in his hold, he remembered what he needed to do to cheer them up!

Unfortunately Pinky failed to see where he was going and tripped over the cobblestone street, landing with a thud. As he fell, he accidentally let go of his coin, which went rolling down the street.

“Oh no!” Pinky gasped, alerting Brain. The pudgy mouse whipped his head around to see the fleeing coin. He was about to intervene when the coin made a right turn and went straight into the sewer grate.

They stared in shock as they watched the coin disappear before their very eyes.

Brain felt his anger rising like a kettle filled with boiling hot water. He snorted and gritted his teeth as he confronted the bumbling mouse.

“Pinky, you clumsy nincompoop!” Brain snapped, clenching his fists with rage. The mouse furiously stomped over towards his roommate.

Pinky closed his eyes and lowered his head, expecting a particularly hard bop on the head. This was all his fault. If only he had paid attention!

As Pinky waited to receive his blows, he heard the sounds of two coins clinking together followed by two small paws hitting a particularly hard object and the aggravated grunts of his roommate.

Pinky opened his eyes and turned around to see Brain taking out his aggression on the dilapidated picket fence. After a few additional jabs, the smaller mouse looked at the fence, his breathing slowing to calmer breaths.

After releasing his anger, Brain picked up the two coins and resumed the trek back home. “Come along Pinky,” He called out while keeping his eyes on the trail ahead. “let’s return to our home and prepare for tomorrow night.”

“But Brain, what about the poor kiddies?” Pinky asked concernedly.

“What about them?” Brain spat without stopping.

“But we have to give one of our coins to the children!” Pinky reminded his roommate. He could feel his eyes starting to water.

Brain groaned and turned to face the taller mouse. “We need the money, Pinky! One coin to put bread on the table, and the other to pay for our latest plan to take over the world!”

“But you Pinky promised, Brain!” Pinky cried out as tears streamed down his cheeks. “And a Pinky promise is the most important promise of all!”

The lanky mouse fell onto his knees, ignoring the frigid dampness of the snow beneath him. Putting his head in his hands, Pinky sobbed uncontrollably, curling himself into a pitiful ball in the snow.

Brain stared at his distraught friend and was immediately overcome with guilt. He hated seeing Pinky cry. Even more so, he hated the fact that he made Pinky cry. Brain winced at his inconsolable companion and looked to his gloved hands instead. There were two sides of him battling among themselves as he pondered. His ambitious side told him that world domination was more important and that he could make reparations after he ascended to power. But his heart told him that he needed to place the well-being of others before himself, no matter how much it wounded his pride. With a forlorn sigh, Brain concluded that he didn’t want to sour his relationship with Pinky by backing out on his promise. He needed to do the right thing and fulfill his promise.

Brain courageously shifted his gaze back at Pinky, who was still crying his eyes out with ragged breaths as a disgusting amount of snot oozed from his nostrils. The pudgy mouse knew that he needed to cheer up his soft-hearted companion.

“I did, didn’t I?” Brain softly replied, his voice laced with remorse. Pinky’s ears perked and immediately stared at his friend. The lanky mouse wordlessly nodded as he took his red scarf and blew out the snot from his bulbous red nose.

With a deep sigh, Brain walked over to Pinky and shoved one of the coins into his chest. The lanky mouse instinctively held the coin tight, knowing now that he needed to be extra careful not to lose the money. Pinky looked over to see Brain making his way over to the worn-down water tower.

“Come along Pinky, I believe we need to pay the orphans a surprise visit.” Brain quietly ordered.

Pinky’s glistened as an optimistic smile broke out. Brain had kept his Pinky Promise after all! The lanky mouse eagerly sprinted to join his shorter friend by his side.

“Oh thank you, Brain!” Pinky exclaimed joyfully. “I can’t wait to make the little kiddies smile!”

Brain looked at Pinky, whose cheerful attitude was now restored, and gave a small smile in return.

The mice cautiously entered the ramshackle home through the open door, which was susceptible to the cold gusts of wind that blew through Acme Falls. They quietly walked through the broken down home and scanned their surroundings. The water tower was laid bare with the exception of a few worn-out pieces of furniture. Blue tattered curtains that divided the living space, a wooden bureau that held a burning candle, and a makeshift bed which was currently occupied by Yakko and Dot.

The eldest Warner brother and the Warner sister were tucked underneath the quilt blanket. Pinky and Brain remained in the shadows as they heard Yakko enchanting Dot with a bedtime story.

“Once upon a time, a brave knight married a beautiful princess and they had two sons.” Yakko recited with a gentle smile.

“But they wanted a daughter too!” Dot said eagerly.

“Right, so they planted a garden all over the kingdom,” Yakko explained as he draped his arm around his little sister. “and on the first day of spring every flower in that garden bloomed. And out of the prettiest flower came...”

“Me!” Dot chirped, pointing towards herself.

“Yup!” Yakko affirmed, causing Dot to snuggle up to her brother.

The mice also noticed Wakko appearing from behind the tattered blue curtains. The middle child played around with the fabric as he listened to the tale.

“And so the knight and his bride, Mom and Dad, took you home. And every night at bedtime they’d come in and say, ‘who’s the girl?’” Yakko asked as he affectionately nuzzled his nose into Dot’s. “And you’d say,”

“I am!” She confidently declared, gesturing to herself once again.

“And they’d ask ‘how’d you ever get so cute!” Yakko asked, nuzzling her nose once again. “And you’d say,”

“I was born that way.” She boasted as she crossed her arms.

“And they’d say ‘tell us your name young lady’” Yakko requested as he gently booped his sister’s nose with his index finger. “And you’d say,”

“Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fana Bo Besca the Third!” The Warner sister stated as she clasped her hands together. “But you can call me Dot!”

Yakko smiled at his younger sister. “And they’d say ‘can we call you Dottie?’ and you’d say,”

“No, just Dot.” Dot commanded with a serious look on her face. “Call me Dottie and you die!” She warned.

“And Mom and Dad would laugh and laugh and laugh, and tickle ya!” He said whilst tickling his sister, causing her to giggle. “And you’d laugh too! And you’d fall asleep with a great big smile in your heart!”

Hidden within the shadows, the mice had listened in on the endearing bedtime story. Brain felt something stir within him as he heard the story of their parents. Was it pity? Sympathy, perhaps? He couldn’t tell. Brain awkwardly focused on the coin he held, feeling like he was intruding on an intimate family moment. Something told him that he should just flee the scene, but his feet remained planted on the floor.

Meanwhile Pinky sniffled as he was moved to tears by the lovely tale. The mouse thought about what the children’s lives might have been when they lived with their parents. What kinds of activities did they like to do? Did they like gardening or were they more into arts and crafts? Did their Dad like to ride them around on his back like a horsie? Did their Mom bake some nice chocolate chip cookies for the kiddies? Did they all like to sit by the fireplace on a snowy evening all wrapped up in blankets and snuggle on the sofa together? And to think that the poor kiddies were robbed of more bonding time with their parents and now had to live in a worn-down water tower. Pinky felt the tears fall down his face as he gazed at the Warners making the most out of what little they had.

“I like that story!” Dot proclaimed.

“I like that story too. Narf!” Pinky agreed in a wavering voice.

The strange response alerted the three children. Yakko and Dot instinctively hugged each other while Wakko sprinted from behind the curtain and leaped onto the bed to join his siblings. The kids were frightened that a mysterious person entered their home.

Yakko kept his younger siblings in a protective hug as he scanned the room. “W-who said that?” He loudly inquired, trying his hardest to hide his fearfulness with a hardened look on his face.

“My associate did.” Brian addressed in a monotone voice, tugging Pinky’s hand as they stepped into the light. Brain wore a tired frown as he stared at the Warners, while Pinky used his scarf to dab the tears from his eyes. The smaller mouse noted the fearful looks on the children’s faces and tried his best to soothe their worries. “Pinky and I have no intentions of bringing about any harm, so there’s no need to be frightened.”

The Warners released a collective sigh of relief at the tiny strangers.

“Are you leprechauns?” Wakko asked curiously with a pointed finger.

“Actually we are a pair of genetically altered lab mice trying very hard to get by during these trying times and plotting to take over the world.” Brain explained in earnest. “But my friend Pinky here has something he wants to give to you.”

The smaller mouse ushered his taller friend to approach the children. “Oh, right-o!” The lanky mouse remembered.

With a joyful smile, Pinky sprinted towards the mattress, carrying the coin in his hands. Brain stood by the edge of the shadows, clutching their last coin to his chest as he watched his Good Samaritan of a roommate perform his good deed. Once Pinky made it over to the bed, he lifted the coin, offering it to the Warners. “Here you go!” He chirped.

The siblings looked at each other in disbelief.

“Well go on, it’s yours! Zort!” Pinky cheerfully insisted.

“You’re just gonna give away that large sum of money to us?” Yakko asked incredulously.

“Well, it’s from me and my best friend!” Pinky explained sincerely, nodding over to Brain. The big-headed mouse’s face faltered, surprised that Pinky would share the spotlight in his good deed.

“Brain was the one who found the coins, and we decided to share the money with you! Zort!” Pinky pleasantly told the children, causing Brain’s to draw a ragged breath.

“I don’t deserve such praise from Pinky…” The smaller mouse pondered. As his eyes started to water, he rapidly blinked his eyelids to fight off the tears that threatened to fall.

Yakko graciously accepted the coin from Pinky and inspected both sides. He knocked the coin on the bedpost and smiled. “Yup, it’s real!”

Wakko and Dot cheered as they took turns holding the gold coin, their eyes glimmered with fascination at their newfound wealth. Pinky’s blue eyes shined, elated to see the smiles on the poor children’s face, and even happier that he did his part to contribute to their joy.

Having fought back his tears, Brain briefly smiled at the sight.

“Thank you guys so much!” Dot exclaimed gratefully. She leaned down and patted Pinky’s head, who eagerly tapped his foot at the affectionate gesture.

“Man, I wish we could think of some way to repay you two,” Wakko added, turning his attention toward the smaller mouse.

Brain frowned as he shook his head. “There’s no need to fret over that. You children don’t owe us anything.” He shoved a hand into his fur pocket and tucked the gold coin underneath his other arm. “Now if you’ll excuse us, my associate and I must swiftly return home to avoid detection from the greedy tax collector.” He informed. With a quick turn, the eloquent mouse walked back into the shadow and made his exit from the shabby water tower.

“Goodnight kiddies!” Pinky cheered as he followed his roommate.

“Goodnight!” The Warners chorused, beaming their grateful smiles at the mice. Pinky returned the smile before he left.

Pinky stepped outside into the bitter cold, still warmed from helping out the poor orphans. With a joyful laugh, the mouse skipped and twirled around on the village street. All of his remorse from accidentally losing the third coin was washed away and replaced with the joy and giddiness from seeing the precious smiles on the Warners’ faces. A sentimental image that he will always hold in his heart. Oh, how wonderful it was for him and Brain to lend a helping hand!

As Pinky glanced at Brain, who still had his hand in his pocket and stopped in the alley near their humble abode. The taller mouse ceased his twirling and approached his most trusted companion.

“Oh Brain, wasn’t it wonderful to see the kiddies happy?” Pinky happily asked. But he did not receive a response. Brain remained silent as he looked up at the starry sky above.

“Brain?” Pinky carefully addressed.

“Why did you share the credit with me?” Brain softly inquired, still looking up at the night sky.

Pinky didn’t hesitate to answer his query. “Because you were the one who found the coins while we were dumpster diving,” He eagerly explained. “and if it weren’t for you then we would have gone back home empty-handed and the kiddies would still be penniless! Zort!”

Brain turned his head towards Pinky, stunned by his roommate’s reasoning. He then let out a tired exhale and walked through the front door of their humble home.

After a few seconds of staring at the doorway, Pinky cautiously followed Brain’s footprints. The taller mouse stopped to take a step next to one of the footprints before taking a step back. Pinky gazed at the different footprints, his feet were remarkably bigger than Brain’s, which were practically tiny. But despite how different they appeared, the footprints were close together like two very good friends. Much like how he was close to Brain. The lanky mouse smiled at the two footprints for a few moments longer before heading inside.

When Pinky arrived, he saw his roommate extinguish the match he used to light the candle that sat atop the bureau near their matchbox bed. The lanky mouse silently yanked the string on the pull-down screen that Brain used to map out his schemes as a feeble attempt to keep out the cold winds.

The chubby mouse tossed aside his purple scarf and brown fingerless gloves. He retrieved his blue nightgown and nightcap from the bureau and changed into his pajamas.

Pinky swiftly moved behind the wooden beam to respect his roommate’s privacy. The lanky mouse took off his scarf and dressed in his yellow nightgown and nightcap. After waiting patiently for a minute he decided to call out to Brain.

“Can I come over now?” He asked.

“Certainly.” Brain answered in an unusually quiet voice.

Pinky emerged from behind the beam and carefully approached Brain, now dressed in his pajamas. The smaller mouse wore a particularly forlorn expression that greatly worried Pinky.

“Is something wrong Brain?” He softly inquired.

The chubby mouse sighed as he brushed the dust off of his blue nightgown. He looked into his roommate’s soft blue eyes and was captivated by the compassion they seemed to exude. After getting lost in the pool of his companion’s loving stare, Brain darted his own pink eyes to the floor and was compelled to address what was on his mind.

“I don’t know what you see in me, Pinky…” Brain admitted as he pulled back the covers of their bed and got into bed.

Pinky quietly listened to the sullen confession. But he couldn’t understand why Brain would say such things.

Why Brain’s the most determined and hard-working person he ever met! Even when his plans to take over the world backfired, he rarely dwelled on his failures and got right back up, eager to come up with another plan. And Pinky was well aware that while there were many good and wonderful things in the world (like Brain, Pharfignewton, and ice sculptures made from frozen spit) there were many bad, awful things in the world (like that awful meanie King Saladbar and his terrible taxes). But Brain was motivated to take over the world so he could make it a better place for everyone!

And even though Brain can be grumpy, he and Pinky did almost everything together! Living in the same place, sharing the same bed, and even working on plans to take over the world together! Pinky loved and respected Brain. Brain just needed to be reminded of how important he was.

“Well, I see my best friend in the whole world.” Pinky offered with a gentle smile.

Brain’s eyes widened in shock, kneading his fingers over the thin purple blanket. While he was always pondering over his plans and focused on fulfilling his destiny to take over the world, he sometimes forgot about how Pinky held him in such high-regards. That imbecilic mouse was simply too good for this world.

If Brain was being honest with himself, he didn’t deserve to have a friend like Pinky. But then again, he needed to have someone like Pinky in his life. Someone who supported his goals for world domination, but wasn’t afraid to usher him to use his heart when making decisions as opposed to his superior intellect. And despite his easily distracted nature and occasional clumsiness, Pinky was an absolute godsend of a friend. Always eager to assist Brain in his schemes, making his favorite meals, and cheering him up when he needed it most. Brain loved Pinky, but he could never bring himself to admit that.

Instead of professing his honest musings, the eloquent mouse simply looked into his roommate’s beautiful blue eyes once more with a sad smile on his lips. “That’s very kind of you, my charitable chum.”

Pinky smiled, happy that Brain was feeling better than he was earlier. The taller mouse hopped into bed and settled himself next to the mouse he admired. While Pinky laid on his back, Brain shifted over on the right side of the bed, curling himself into a protective ball.

A gust of cold wind blew through the makeshift shield that covered their front door and into their home. Brain shuddered as he felt the frigid wind seep into his fur and instinctively rubbed his arms for warmth. Even the added layers of his nightgown and blanket weren’t enough for the freezing wind to seep into his fur.

Pinky noticed his shivering companion and it didn’t take long for the taller mouse to gently wrap his arms around his pudgy roommate, pulling him into a soft and affectionate embrace. He laid his chin on top of Brain’s large cranium, waiting for any sort of reaction from him.

For once, Brain didn’t bother to recoil from Pinky’s loving hug. Although his intellectual side insisted that he needed the extra warmth from his roommate’s body heat to combat the cold weather, his vulnerable side (as much as he tried to conceal it) reminded him that it was okay to accept the comfort his friend so kindly provided.

“Thank you…” He sighed contentedly, causing the lanky mouse to smile.

“Goodnight Brain.” Pinky said sweetly, keeping him in his gentle hold.

Brain smiled as he immersed himself in Pinky’s hug.

“Goodnight Pinky…”

Two Years Later

Inside the walls of the royal castle, Prime Minister Brain, now dressed in a black robe, white ruffled neckerchief, and curled powdered wig, was writing away in his office. With the strokes of his feathered pen, the mouse placed the finishing touches on the new laws he planned to propose to the monarchs: mandatory public education for all youths under eighteen which would be properly funded by the government and taxpayer money, the abolition of child labor, and the establishment of affordable healthcare. Knowing all of the hardships he, Pinky, and the other citizens of Acme Falls endured during the terrible reign of Salazar the Pushy, Brain vowed to use his political authority to undo the damage caused by the tyrant and enact positive social change to bolster a more prosperous Warnerstock.

The mouse grinned at the documents, immensely satisfied with his work. All he needed was the Warners’ stamp of approval before these new laws would be put into place.

He placed the feathered pen back into the ink jar, straightened out the papers, and got up from his seat. After stretching out his arms and back, he walked over to the window. Brain smiled as he admired the beautiful view of Acme Falls and the rest of the valley from the comfort of the castle.

He could hardly believe that his wish for a position of power had been granted.

After the events of the wishing star, the village of Acme Falls and the rest of Warnerstock was ushered into a new age of peace and prosperity. The purchases from Wakko’s two ha’pennies resulted in a thriving economy for the little town, which extended throughout the rest of the country. Once it was revealed that the Warners were actually the surviving children of King William the Good and Queen Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fana Bo Besca II, Salazar was removed from the throne. In his absence, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner were crowned the new co-rulers of Warnerstock. During the transfer to power, the children needed to bring aboard someone who was trustworthy enough to assist them in governmental affairs and lead the cabinet of ministers. After reviewing all of the competent adult figures in Acme Falls in need of employment, they all agreed that Brain was the most qualified candidate for the job. The day after the interview, the Warner siblings appointed Brain as their Royal Advisor as well as the new Prime Minister of Warnerstock.

Coming off the heels of his years as a poor inventor with a desire for political power, Brain was thriving in his new career. His first order of business was to appoint Pinky to work in the stables. The chubby mouse recognized how important Pharfignewton was to his hopeless romantic of a roommate, so he decided to reward Pinky with the job that would allow him to spend more time with the mare he was so dearly fond of.

As the Royal Advisor to the new monarchs, Brain was responsible for lending his political expertise to the Warner siblings so that they would become capable and just rulers Warnerstock deserved. The small mouse applied his extensive knowledge of the previous world leaders to tutor them on the dos and don’ts of leading a country. But Brain quickly learned that the best way for the siblings to retain this knowledge was through the alluring power of music. As a result, Brain wrote and performed many songs about the monarchs of the past, the history of Warnerstock, and various aspects of political science, all of which were sung to the tunes of catchy folk songs and memorable classical music. Having to come up with new songs for each lesson proved to be a challenge for the Royal Advisor. Fortunately, King Yakko lent a helping hand and collaborated with Brain in his spare time to work on the songs.

Prime Minister Brain also performed skits with the Warners to practice appropriate behavior for when they needed to attend important social events outside of the castle. He hoped that by having the kids act out how to properly speak to their subjects, the kids would adopt those traits as they grow older.

Dot also consulted with Brain when it came to matters of party planning for royal balls. Researching the latest fashion trends, deciding what music would best fit the atmosphere, dealing with catering and decorations. Brain even recruited Pinky to teach the Warners how to properly waltz. As a result of their collaboration, their first royal ball proved to be a smashing success.

In addition to advising the Warners, Prime Minister Brain worked to fulfill all the duties that came with being the head of the government. In regards to overseeing the kingdom with the Warners, Brain did most of the heavy-lifting when it came to wielding political influence. The mouse led meetings with the Cabinet of Ministers to discuss matters of finances, education, and the like. He also drafted new laws and policies, as well as reviewing laws proposed by other members of the Cabinet, before awaiting approval from the Warners.

The reason why Brain accepted the extra work was so that the Warners could have some much-needed downtime for themselves to indulge in some crazy kid shenanigans all around the castle. After years of having fend for themselves, they deserved to act like regular kids and create cherished childhood memories while they were still young.

While being the Prime Minister of a small European country was not the same as being the supreme potentate of the globe, the mouse was thoroughly content with his current political career.

Perhaps in due time, Brain could convince the Warners to peacefully transfer their sovereign powers over to him while the siblings kept their royal titles and all the comforts that came with it. And with the kingdom under his control, he could use his status as the benevolent and undisputed ruler of Warnerstock to manipulate other world leaders to do his bidding and finally take over the world!

“Knock, knock!” He heard a distinguished cockney accent singing from behind the door.

“Come in, Pinky.” Brain commanded as he turned away from the window.

Pinky opened the door and waltzed into his office. The taller mouse twirled around and pranced towards the table as he sang the tune of Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.

“La la la la! La la la la! La la la la! La la la la!” Pinky belted out as he climbed up the table leg.

Once he perched himself on the table, he swiftly grabbed Brain and broke out into a giddy waltz. Brain blushed when his cheek collided with Pinky’s. The smaller mouse surrendered as he listened to the rest of the verse. While Pinky’s singing was not great by any means, Brain couldn’t help but smile as he saw the jubilant expression on the lanky mouse’s face.

After spinning around, Pinky gently placed Brain back on the table. The Prime Minister swiftly grabbed a hold of the taller mouse’s arm to steady himself. Once Brain regained his composure, he adjusted his powdered wig and looked up to Pinky. “I see you’re doing well for yourself, my rhythmically-agile friend.”

“Oh Brain, I had such a fun-fun silly-willy time with Pharfignewton this morning! After brushing her teeth and combing her mane, we took a ride around the royal gardens to admire the pretty flowers!” Pinky eagerly replied, clasping his paws together. “I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to work in the stables! Troz!”

“My pleasure, Pinky. Your happiness is important to me, my friend.” Brain said as he gently ruffled Pinky’s hair. The lanky mouse contentedly closed his eyes as he accepted the loving gesture.

Then the mice heard someone knocking on the door.

“You may enter.” Brain commanded, swiftly placing his hands behind his back.

The door opened and three royally dressed children entered the room. King Yakko, King Wakko, and Queen Dot happily smiled at the mice. The children were adorned in their sparkling regal attire. Brain noticed that the siblings were considerably healthier now that they had a stable roof over their heads and were financially well off.

“Ah, good afternoon your excellencies.” Brain politely addressed with a short bow.

“Good day your majesties!” Pinky exclaimed as he dramatically fell to the table, bowing before the children.

“Aw come on fellas, there’s no need for over-the-top formalities,” Yakko assured as he motioned for Pinky to stand up.

“Yeah, you two are cool with us,” Wakko added.

“We just wanted to drop by to see how you two were doing.” Dot said.

“We’re doing just swell, my queen! Narf!” Pinky gushed “Why I had a grand old time taking care of Pharfignewton and riding her around the castle.”

“How wonderful!” Dot happily replied as she gently scooped Pinky into her hands.

“And you three arrived at the perfect time, for I just completed my proposal.” Brain declared as he collected his papers.

“Oh, who’s the lucky lover?” Yakko asked with a cheeky grin.

Brain quickly glanced at Pinky and promptly shook his head. “I wasn’t referring to that type of proposal and I’m not courting anyone at the moment.”

“We could wield our power to arrange some dates for you if you’d like.” Dot offered with a sly smile. “I know someone who would be the perfect romantic partner.” She looked at the Prime Minister while giving a subtle gesture towards Pinky.

“I know a few horses who are totally in your league!” Pinky added.

“That won’t be necessary.” Brain dismissed. The smaller mouse picked up his documents and walked over towards the monarch. “Now that you all addressed my imprecise wording in jest, I’ve recently drafted a new set of laws to improve the social welfare of our country and would greatly appreciate your feedback on the matter.”

Yakko grabbed the papers, with Wakko standing on his tippy-toes to get a better look at the documents. Dot placed Pinky back on the table with Brain and joined her older brothers. siblings as they perused through the proposed laws. But it wasn’t long before they were excited by what they were reading.

“Reforms on public education!” Yakko declared.

“No more child labor!” Wakko exclaimed.

“More accessible healthcare!” Dot eagerly shouted.

The young monarchs looked back at Brain with eager smiles. “Good work Prime Minister!” Yakko complimented. “All that’s left is the royal stamps of approval!”

The Warner siblings reached into their pockets and retrieved their stamps, happily marking the front page with three differently colored WB symbols.

Brain couldn’t help allow a satisfied smile on his face as his new laws were highly favored by the young kings and queen. “I’m elated to know that you three are pleased with these new laws.” He admitted.

“We just want to make Warnerstock a better place!” Dot insisted.

“I knew that we could trust you since you’re always looking out for the needs of the little guy,” Yakko mentioned. “Much like that time you and Pinky gave us a good portion of your life savings back when Acme Falls was a dump and everyone was dirt poor.”

“You kids remembered that?” Brain sputtered with wide eyes.

“Well of course! How could we forget about a kind thing like that?” Wakko asked.

Brain hadn’t realized the full extent to how he and Pinky had impacted the Warners with the gold coin. While Brain was mainly motivated to stay in Pinky’s good graces, Pinky’s kindness and compassion were what drew him to help the orphaned siblings in the first place. Brain felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He didn’t deserve their adulation.

“You should all praise Pinky, for he was the one who thought to help you three in the first place.” The Prime Minister confessed as he gestured to the lanky mouse. “He noticed how miserable you kids looked and he sought out to give you anything we could find and I promised I would help out. And while I did find three coins that day, we lost one of them and I was so close to breaking that promise…”

Pinky noticed his distraught companion and wanted to alleviate his woes. “But you still kept the Pinky Promise, Brain.” He consoled, placing a warm hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“I can understand how you felt,” Dot interjected with an assuring tone. “You and Pinky were struggling to get by too, and in all honesty, had I been in your position I would have kept the money!”

“But you still followed through on your promise.” Yakko countered. “And, if my memory serves correct, you were the one who assured us that we didn’t have to pay you back.”

Brain was surprised that the Warners remembered their exchange so vividly.

“And even though you didn’t want any financial compensation, we still wanted to show our gratitude.” Yakko continued. “But after some time, we found the perfect way to repay the moment you walked in for the job interview when we scouted Acme Falls for our Royal Advisor.”

“So you selected me for the position solely out of moral obligation?” Brain questioned.

“Well, yes and no,” Yakko admitted. “Of course we needed a trustworthy adult who was highly educated and well-versed in politics and people skills. Qualities that the other candidates sorely lacked.”

“You have no idea how hard it was to conduct an interview with The Mime!” Dot interrupted.

“But from the very moment you showed up, we immediately remembered how you and Pinky helped us out a couple of years earlier,” Yakko explained. “And after listening to your compelling answers, my sibs and I agreed that you were the right guy for the job!”

“And even though you told us not to repay you, we still wanted to return the kindness,” Wakko added with a soft smile.

Brain was stunned by the siblings’ thoughtfulness. He could only gaze at the young monarchs as a single tear escaped.

It wasn’t long before Pinky pulled him into a gentle hug. Even though he frowned at being smothered with love in front of the monarchs, he secretly appreciated his friend’s affectionate gesture.

Dot reached into her pocket and retrieved a handkerchief. “Here you are, Prime Minister.” The young queen kindly offered. Brain nodded as he accepted the cloth, wiping away the tear from his face.

Once he placed the handkerchief on the table, he motioned for Pinky to release him from the embrace. Brain straightened out his black robe and adjusted his neckerchief to maintain his orderly appearance. The Prime Minister remembered that there had to be a reason why the monarchs visited him during work hours.

“So to avoid any more mawkish sentiment, is there anything I could do for you while you’re still in my office?” Brain inquired.

“Oh yeah!” Wakko exclaimed, remembering why he and his siblings dropped by in the first place. “We just wanted to drop by and invite you and Pinky to have lunch with us!”

Reaching into his pocket, the middle child took out a folded table, which popped open to reveal plates and bowls filled with a variety of food that was still warm. Wakko carefully placed the banquet in the middle of the office. Yakko grabbed three chairs and gathered them around the table.

Dot carried the mice over to the table and placed them in front of two plates each holding a large wheel of cheese.

“Naaarf.” Pinky expressed, his blue eyes glistening with joy at the glorious giant cheese wheel. Without warning, the mouse leaped into the air and dove into the cheese as if it was a giant swimming pool.

“I suppose it’s only appropriate to take my lunch break now.” Brain affirmed with a shrug. He took a handful of the cheese and looked up at the Warner siblings. “Thank you for the thoughtful gesture.”

Pinky emerged from the cheese wheel and looked up at the kids. “Thank you very much! Troz!” He added with an eager smile.

“We’re always happy to provide for our friends!” Yakko casually replied.

And so the mice and the monarchs happily shared their meals together, making pleasant conversation and jests and enjoying each other’s company.

Additional AN: Wakko’s Wish was one of the many animated movies I was really fond of as a kid. The movie came out direct-to-video when I was seven, and I have memories of taking out Wakko’s Wish from Blockbuster (as well as other Animaniacs VHS tapes) and had a blast with this movie.

I recently revisited the movie and not only do I still like it, but there are a lot of things I appreciate about it. I like how it manages to capture the humorous spirit of the show and showcased the enjoyable character dynamics while telling a heartwarming story with believable stakes. The animation by TMS is beautiful and the musical numbers were pretty good. But probably my favorite aspect of the movie was that it served as a nice finale to the show and gave the majority of the characters satisfying send-offs: Rita and Runt receiving a permanent home when they’re adopted by Dr. Scratchinsniff, Buttons getting some appreciation, The Goodfeathers blissfully under the impression that they’re respected, and Brain receiving a position of power by becoming the Royal Advisor to the Warners and the Prime Minister of Warnerstock. And after seeing Brain try and try again after so many failures, it’s a really nice and fitting conclusion to his story (even if he doesn’t take over the world, he’d probably thrive as a government leader).

So in addition to writing a story based on the previously mentioned post, I decided to expand upon Brain’s position as Prime Minister and Royal Advisor for the Warners, thinking about what their general relationship would be like. The idea of Brain using songs to lend political advice to the Warners was something that came serendipitously as I was writing. I thought about Brain’s political song numbers from the PATB spin-off, such as the glorious The Really Great Dictator and the wonderful A Meticulous Analysis of History, as well as Yakko’s educational songs. So those two would probably spend some time together as a collaborative song-writing duo lol. I also thought about how the Warners would love to throw parties at the castle, so Dot and Brain as party planners was the first thing that came to mind as well as Pinky as a part-time dance instructor!

Admittedly I kinda winged it when it came to using the gold coins as the thing Pinky and Brain found. I’m well aware that the ha’penny is seen as valuable to the citizens of Acme Falls, but I decided to place this story one year before Wakko went off to find his fortune via child labor. So I’m going off on the assumption that there was some higher currency that was still used in Acme Falls that was eventually confiscated by Baron von Plotz.

The most important aspect I wanted to explore in this story was the loving relationship between Pinky and Brain. Their voice actors confirmed time and time again how much Pinky and Brain love each other. Now whether you interpret their relationship as a strong friendship, partners in crime, or even as a romance, there is no denying the love between these silly mice.

Also, I don’t recall if there was a moment in either the original run of Animaniacs or the PATB spin-off where Pinky and Brian made a pinky promise (if they didn’t, then they wasted an opportunity for a comedic or sentimental moment between the characters), so I thought about how they would only make pinky promises for something serious, and Brain would always keep his pinky promises to Pinky.

I had a lot of fun writing this story in particular because I always wanted to explore more of the Wakko’s Wish universe and add some depth to what was presented in the film as well as playing around with what the characters would be up to after the events of the movie.

Thank you for reading!

#animaniacs #pinky and the brain #patb #wakko's wish #fanfic #brain #pinky #yakko warner #wakko warner #dot warner

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littlemissaddict · 4 years ago

Text

A twist of fate

Summary: It’s the big night where Luke, Alex and Reggie get to make their final wish come true and hopefully cross over. Caleb had other plans to get the boys into his house plans that involve y/n, Julie’s friend and the girl that Luke likes. Or a retelling of 01x09 that involves the reader. (Requested)

Word Count: 3.3K

A/n: Anon I hope you enjoy because this is the longest fic I’ve wrote to date but I’ve really enjoyed writing this so thank you.

“Julie, you need to calm down, I’m sure everything is fine” Y/n says watching Julie from her place on the couch. She had been pacing around the studio ever since the boys had left to go to the Orpheum to try and get them on the bill for tonight, it was like being with Alex when he had one of his anxiety flare ups. That was another thing, y/n could see the boys just like Julie, they weren’t sure how or why but it had been a surprise when she had first walked in on them in the studio when she still believed that they were holograms.

“Yeah but what if-” Julie didn’t get to finish as the three boys in question poofed back into the studio with big smiles on their faces.

“Oh my gosh! What took you guys so long? Did Willie do it? Did you talk to them? Did they watch? Did they like us? Are we playing? Can someone answer me? Why is no one saying anything?” Julie rambled bombarding the three boys with questions. Luke glanced over at where y/n had now stood up to join Julie, an amused look on his face as Julie rambled, she shook her head at the boy as a warning not to interrupt to let her finish which he did.

“Whoa. That’s a lot of questions” Reggie chuckled before asking Luke to take the lead on this one.

“Take a seat” he instructed, waiting for the two girls to be seated before he began. “It’s fine. Everything is fine” he reassured seeing the nervous looks on their faces

“Yeah you should be getting a call right now” Alex says excitedly and they all look at Julie's phone expectedly, but no call comes. Alex clears his throat and tries again. “Right now” and this time the call comes through. Julie and y/n cheer hugging each other excitedly before they remember about the phone call and Julie answers.

“Hi….Yes it is….Yeah totally” she smiles as she joins y/n and the boys jumping about excitedly “We’re playing the Orpheum baby” she cheers as they watch the boys lift Alex. It takes them a full ten minutes for it to really sink in that this was happening, they were playing the Orpheum, the boys were getting their second chance.

“Oh my god, I have to go tell my dad” Julie gasps letting them know that she’ll be back shortly. Reggie and Alex carried on chatting excitedly but Luke took a seat next to y/n, since she had found out that they boys were ghosts she had actually become quite close to them all but more so Luke.

“This is amazing I’m so happy for you guys” she gushes and honestly if they could touch she thinks she’d hug him right now but that’s out of the question so she settles for giving him the biggest smile she can.

“You’re coming to watch us right?” he asks, giving her puppy dog eyes as if she would say no.

“Of course I wouldn’t miss it for the world” she says “besides it maybe the last time I see you” her smile fading, she doesn’t want to bring the mood down but she can’t help it, the thought has been lingering in the back of her mind ever since Julie had told her about the curse and their only options.

“Whatever happens tonight y/n, just know that I’m so happy that I got to meet you that I got the chance to get to know you and I know that I’ll not forget you” he says a small smile on his face and y/n finds herself tearing up she wishes so much that she could hug him right now. She settles for wrapping her arms around herself instead.

“I’ll never forget you either or the boys” she says, glancing over at them, they’re still completely wrapped up in their own conversation oblivious to her and Luke. Julie comes back not long after, she’s smiling widely telling them how excited her dad and Carlos are for tonight.

“Well I better be off, you guys have got to plan for tonight and I have got to get ready” y/n smiles giving her friend a hug on her way past and waving to the boys.

She makes it to the front yard of the Molina house when a male figure steps out blocking her path, she looks up not expecting to see an older male dressed in an over the top suit and matching top hat, she starts to apologise when he says her name.

“I’m sorry do I know you” she asks not wanting to seem rude but she is pretty sure that she would have remembered him if she had met him before. He smiles back at her seemingly unaffected by her question .

“I don’t think so darling but I’m a friend of the band just stopped by to wish them luck for tonight, it’s pretty exciting right” he smiles at her and she’s not sure why but she doesn’t trust him. Something about him seems off and she’s feeling uneasy in his presence.

“Yes very but if you’ll excuse me I have to be going” she says dropping all pleasantries and trying to move past him but he blocked her way again.

“I don’t think so my dear, I have something that you can help me with” he says smugly, his character changing completely and she goes to protest but before she can the world is spinning around her and she finds herself alone in a dark room,

------

“Ughhh” the boys groan as another jolt fills them with pain, they were in the studio going over the last few things before the show tonight. Julie and her family had left about five minutes ago and the boys were due to head over shortly, they just wanted to make sure they were ready for what would happen after the show. That got interrupted however by the last person they were hoping to see.

“What are you doing here?” Luke asks accusingly, the first of the boys to recover from the shock and he stands between the other two boys and Caleb.

“Such hostility” Caleb gasps, feigning shock “I’m just here to congratulate you on your big night. Not everyone gets to play the Orpheum” he says as if he’s happy for them nut the boys don’t believe him for a second.

“No. Ok, we know that it’s your stamp that’s hurting us” Luke states, stepping forward and pulling up his sleeve to prove his point, to which Caleb looks knowingly seeming to know exactly where they got the information from. “We already told you, we have a band. We don’t want to join your little club” Luke says forcefully.

“Yeah and you can’t make us either,” Alex adds stepping forward but backtracking a little at the glare Caleb gives him “sir”

“Oh I doubt that very much” he replies threateningly “You see I have someone that means an awful lot to you and if you want her back then there’s only one way that is going to happen” he chuckles smugly watching the boys as they give each other confused looks.

“You’re lying” Luke accuses “Julie just left there’s no way you have her”

“Oh it’s not Julie” he smiles as the realisation crosses the boys faces as Caleb clicks his fingers and y/n appears before their eyes.

“Y/n” Reggie gasps, it’s the first time he’s spoken since Caleb appeared, he tries to go to her but Caleb clicks his tongue stopping him in his tracks. Luke hasn’t moved or said a word since she appeared but his eyes have been locked on hers, she’s frightened he can tell, not that she would admit it and she’s shaking her head at him, eyes pleading with him not to go with Caleb. As much as he loves Julie and their band, how he promised that they would never stand her up again, the feeling of losing y/n to Caleb is too much to bear. He gives one last look to her before his eyes find the boys, they’re nodding at him, knowing what they have to do and that’s when he finally faces Caleb.

“Fine we’ll join your band but you have to let y/n go” he says defeatedly, hopefully Julie can forgive them.

“Oh I know you will but do you really think I’d be stupid enough to let her go that easily” he chuckles, snapping his fingers again poofing them all out, leaving the studio empty.

----

“I made friends with the tech crew, you’re going to love what we have planned” Flynn smiles excitedly after the stage manager had let her into the dressing room after “the guys are here right” she asks, eyes darting around the room.

“I haven’t seen them or y/n for that matter, I was hoping she was with you” Julie admits

“No I thought she was with you but the boys, you don’t think they changed their minds do you and took Calebs’ offer” Flynn says worriedly

“No. No, that’s the last thing that they wanted” she says quickly, wanting to believe it “Somethings wrong it has to be” says thinking about the boys.

----

When y/n could see again she found herself back in the dark room where she had been before. She was so frustrated. She had let herself be taken by the one person who had it out for the boys, not that she had much choice in the matter she reminded herself, there was nothing she could do against Caleb’s magic. That didn’t stop her from feeling like it was her fault that they boys ended up under his control though. She wanted to scream but she stopped herself knowing that it would do nothing to help the situation, what she had to do was find a way out so that she could get to Julie or warn her somehow. She found herself pacing, something she had gotten annoyed at Julie for only hours earlier, if only she could find a door or an opening, anything that she could get out through. She started walking around with her arms out in front of her, feeling blindly for any hard surface that she could use as a guide but she found nothing, as if the room was never ending and she was starting to give up when she felt a cold sensation on her shoulders as if there was someone there holding onto her, guiding her.

That was when she felt the world begin to spin again and she prepared herself to end up face to face with Caleb again but that didn’t happen. Instead she came face to face with someone else. He looked young, more around the boys age, wearing an oversized hoodie, blue ripped jeans and he was carrying a skateboard.

“Willie?” she asked quietly not certain that it was him but he fit the description Alex had given them.

“You can see me” he says, shocked and y/n nods not entirely sure why she could but there he was. “Listen I haven’t got long before he realises I’m gone but you have to go, get to Julie and tell her what happened” he says pointing her in the direction of the exit and encouraging her to hurry.

“Thank you” she whispers to him before running out.

----

“Signs” Julie says marching past Flynn showing her the dahlia as she goes and up onto the stage.

“Wait, where are you going?” Flynn calls after her, amazed at the change in her friend, how determined she seems to be. “She’s going on stage” Flynn yells excitedly watching her best friend, the stage manager alerts the crew just as Flynn’s phone rings.

“Y/n, where are you?” she asks surprised that she’s called

“I’m outside they won’t let me in because Julie still has my ticket and pass but somethings happened, it’s important that Julie knows” she says quickly and Flynn just about manages to catch what she said.

“Hold on I’m coming” Flynn says, ending the call and rushing off through the maze of backstage corridors to get y/n. When they do manage to get y/n backstage the first thing she does is ask her where Julie is.

“Something has happened with the boys, Caleb has them” she says watching the look on Flynn’s face “he used me as bait to get to the boys and they went with him to save me only it didn’t exactly go to plan. Caleb took me as well but I managed to escape with a little help but we really need to tell Julie” She finishes taking a deep breath.

“We can’t tell her now she’s on stage but she thinks that they boys are gone, that they ran out of time” Flynn tells her “She’s also really worried about you” she tells her as they get back to the side of the stage, Julie has just started to sing and y/n is so proud of her for going up there by herself because she never thought she see that confidence in her friend again after losing her mom. Julie gets to the chorus and everyone gets a surprise when a certain drummer appears on the stage closely followed Reggie both smiling widely at Julie.

“Oh my gosh Flynn they did it they escaped but where’s Luke?” she asks looking worriedly at Flynn, who mirrors her look. A few seconds later Luke appears on the stage but he’s flickering and he disappears a few times before he finally appears fully, belting out the next line in the song and the girls cheer along from the side of the stage. When the song ends they all take a bow, the boys disappearing and for once neither Julie or y/n can see them. After taking in the praise and applause that she rightfully deserves, Julie finds both girls at the side of the stage and the head back to the dressing room.

“Y/n you made it, we thought you weren’t coming” Julie smiles

“Yeah about that…” y/n replies not wanting to bring the mood down after that amazing performance but Julie needs to know what happened, she tells her everything about Caleb, about the boys offering to go with him to save y/n and finally about Willie.

“Y/n,” Julie gasps when she finishes pulling her friend in for a hug “are you okay?” she asks when she pulls away.

“I’ll be okay but the boys escaped and now-now they’ve crossed over” she shrugs a small smile on her face that Julie mirrors she knows how she feels, the boys have crossed over they should be happy but it hurts knowing that they’ve lost their friends.

----

“You guys think we could try that hug thing one more time?” Alex asks with a smile making Julie chuckle, she was so relieved to have the boys back. After she had said goodbye to Flynn and y/n at the Orpheum she had come home and gone straight out to the studio wanting to say her last goodbyes to the boys. Although it hadn’t gone exactly to plan, she had found them all laid on the floor, bodies shaking from the force of the jolts and that had Julie almost breaking down. Pleading with them to save themselves and join Caleb but they wouldn’t go and without thinking she flung her arms around them wanting to give them a proper goodbye. It had surprised them all when her arms didn’t go through them like they usually would, she could actually touch them, they seemed to glow then a bright aura surrounding them as they all gripped their wrists wincing slightly as Caleb’s stamp lifted. That had led them to their current situation with Alex asking for more to which they all obliged, laughing excitedly as they pulled away.

“Wait what about y/n?” Luke asks, suddenly drawing the attention of the other three and Julie gives him a confused look until she remembers that they still think Caleb has her, she goes to tell them but Alex speaks first.

“Julie, Caleb has y/n he’s the reason why we were late” he says, the smile dropping from his face but Julie shakes her head at him looking between the three of them.

“No, she escaped she made it to the Orpheum she saw you guys play and now she thinks you’ve crossed over” Julie explains

“What? How?” Alex asks

“Willie” she smiles over at Alex “He knew he couldn’t do anything to save you guys from Caleb so he snuck away while you were being controlled by Caleb and helped her” Julie says watching as a fond smile made its way onto his face.

“Wait y/n could she Willie” Reggie asks surprised and Julie nods

“We have to go to her, tell her that we’re okay” Luke says looking to the other three, they know how Luke feels about y/n even if he’s never said anything. They can see it in the way he acts around her, the way he looks at her and how he talks about her so it’s only fair that she would be the first thing on his mind now.

“She’s at home” Julie says simply, knowing that it’s all he needs to hear before he poofs out. Alex and Reggie stay where they are leaving Luke alone for this.

----

Y/n’s curled up under the duvet arms wrapped around herself, she’s been there since she got home from the show, her eyes are red and she’s still sniffling from the crying that she did when she got back. She’s happy for the boys that they got to fulfil their final dying wish but that doesn’t stop the pain of losing them.

“Y/n” a voice says quietly but she doesn’t move, it sounds like Luke but it can’t be he crossed over she must be imagining it until she hears it again, louder this time. Sitting up and looking at the door, that's where she sees him.

“Luke” she gasps “What-how-I thought you were gone” she stutters watching him closely as he makes his way over to the bed and sits on the edge.

“It’s a long story but Julie, she saved us somehow, the curse is gone” he smiles, showing her his arm where the stamp used to be.

“How did you know I’d be here” y/n asks quietly, knowing the last time he saw her she was Caleb’s prisoner

“Julie told us you’d escaped and that Willie had helped. We were so worried about you” he says softly, reaching over to wipe a tear that had started to fall but she pulled back knowing that they couldn’t touch, not wanting to feel the disappointment when his hand ghosted through her face.

“Just trust me, okay?” he asks, reaching his hand over to her again, this time she didn’t move. She let him come to her and she let out a small gasp when she felt his palm against her cheek.

“How-how are you doing that” she asks, shock clear on her face but she leans into his touch anyway, he doesn’t answer just smiles fondly at her. She pulls away first moving slightly to make room for him to sit on the bed next to her, letting him wrap her up in his arms as she holds on to him tightly, scared that if she lets go she’ll lose him again.

“I thought I’d lost you” she whispers, face filled with emotion as she looks up to him.

“I know but I’m here now,” he smiles down at her, his arms tightening their grip around her “and I’m never letting you go again”

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #luke x reader #jatp luke #luke patterson #jatp julie #julie molina #jatp alex #alex mercer #jatp reggie #reggie peters #jatp flynn #jatp willie #caleb covington

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nooneactuallyasked · 3 years ago

Text

Diner Gal - Reggie x Reader Part 12

Requested: Nope

Word count: 2,661

Warnings: Not that I know of.

Summary: Julie and the Phantoms ( + Flynn ) go to a musical diner/café/restaurant for inspiration and hopefully a future gig but they end up meeting a very special waitress.

Note: So writer's block on the last chapter/part of your story sucks a whole bunch but we finally did it! I finally finished this – we don’t need to talk about how many months it’s been, sh! THIS IS THE FINAL PART!!!

A few songs in this chapter – I’d recommend listening to them as you read:

Jump in the Line/ Dead Mom Reprise – Beetlejuice the Musical

Obvious – Dear Evan Hansen

ENJOY!

---

Part 1 here Part 2 here Part 3 here Part 4 here Part 5 here

Part 6 here Part 6.5 here Part 7 here Part 8 here Part 9 here

Part 10 here Part 11 here

---

After a few hours of frantically drawing and writing up the final setlist, plans, room arrangements and digging through Cal’s office to find the list of reserved tables, Y/N was finally ready to call her job done. And now to jump right back into ghostly matters, which started with finding Julie and Willie and hoping they had some sort of plan figured out.

“Hey hey, look who’s finally back from the other side!” Flynn’s exclamation was met with winces from the boys and a wry smile from Y/N, “It sure was an adventure, Cal really should organise that office. How’s decorating going?” Flynn sighed in response, “It would be a lot better if some people actually helped out instead of talking to thin air.” She sent a mock glare to Julie who sent an eye roll straight back, “Kinda dealing with bigger and more important things right now, but sure I’ll blow up a balloon right after.”

“So, how has the whole possession thing been going? Any solid way to get Cal back?” Y/N asked, anxiety crawling up the sides of her stomach. Willie looked around at the group, all of whom were fidgeting and avoiding his gaze, sighing he turned back to her, “There is a way, but there’s no guarantee it will work.” Y/N nodded, gesturing for him to continue, “You have to establish a connection first then everything after that is up to Cal and his willpower. This situation is a little different to the one these guys got themselves into, and I’ve also never seen this before so this is the best I can come up with.”

She scrunched up her brow, how on earth did you make a connection with a possessed person? And so she asked exactly that, “Do something that means something to both of you; you’re in the music business, are there any songs that you two would sing together? Something like that. Apart from making the connection, there’s not much else you can do. I’m sorry.” Willie responded, Alex rubbed his arm comfortingly, “This isn’t your fault, it’s no one's fault but Calebs.” Y/N nodded in agreement, “Exactly, you’ve been so incredibly helpful, you all have,” She looked around the group, yes that includes Flynn, and smiled, “Thanks a bunch, you guys.” Her smile quickly transformed into a smug grin, “Luckily, I know exactly which song to use.”

---

A few hours passed and Le Paradis du Chanteur was ready to go, all of the evening’s acts were either out front or preparing in the back. She had seen Julie and the guys a few times in her rushed panic to get a song ready and change the setlist last minute, everything was completely ready and fine, of course, but it didn’t stop Y/N from worrying.

All that was left was to let the guests in, find Cal and make sure the first act was ready (not in that order). She huffed as she hunted down the first act, she supposed they weren’t actually that bad – in fact she could tolerate their outfits somewhat and their music was good. The members were a little annoying but good at what they did so who was she to judge.

Their clothing was easy to spot – they do look like a pack of highlighters (as their nickname would suggest) so it took Y/N no longer than 3 minutes to find them and less than 5 to check in and see that they were practically ready to go on the spot.

Now to find Cal, a challenge she was ready to face head-on, probably. It took Y/N quite a bit longer to find him but, after asking around and getting her co-worker to point her in the right direction, she found him sitting in the kitchen, blank as ever. Y/N sighed and pulled him into the main area, hoping he would at least interact with the guests if they spoke to him.

She hoped that this evening wouldn’t turn into a disaster but who knew at this point – she walked to the entrance and put on her best smile, and went to let everyone in.

---

A couple of acts had already gone and she was up next on the newly improved setlist – here goes the performance of a lifetime.

Y/N breathed out, stepping towards the mic, “Hello, everyone! I hope you’re enjoying your evening so far, we have only a few acts left to go! Before we continue, I’d just like to sing a little something in honour of our amazing manager, Cal!” A series of applause and a few whistles followed her words, Y/N relaxed, if anything went wrong at least she could say she tried. “As I’m sure some of our regulars know, Cal has always been one to enjoy a good musical, you’d hope so with this line of work.” Another ripple of laughter and a few cheers, a grin spread across her face. “When I first joined this diner as a performer, I auditioned with the song I’m about to sing for you now, I like to think of it as our song. Not to mention the fact that for at least 2 weeks after I got the job I couldn’t stop singing it, I think every one of the staff here tonight, and those who aren’t, know the song word for word now, sorry about that. So, with no further ado, I give you my audition song.” Taking the mic out of its stand, Y/N stepped back, spotting Cal sitting in the back corner, face empty of anything, as the backing music started up.

Shake, shake, shake, Senora

Shake your body line

Shake, shake, shake, Senora

Shake it all the time

Y/N hopped off of the stage and skipped around tables, whenever she passed a staff member she dance with them for a second, before they would both move on, quickly forming a line.

Work, work, work, Senora

Work your body line

Work, work, work, Senora

Work it all the time

The line quickly made its way back to the stage, everyone now singing to each other and dancing together. Y/N closed her eyes and quickly prayed that this was working. She skipped around the line, pointing at different staff members to sing the solo lines.

My girl's name is Senora

I tell you, friends, I adore her

And when she dances, oh brother

She’s a hurricane in all kinds of weather

She laughed as she went back to her place in the line, smiling at her co-workers beside her.

Jump in the line, rock your body in time

(Okay, I believe you)

Jump in the line, rock your body in time

(Okay, I believe you)

The line jumped slightly to the left every time they sang that line and then danced with the people around them, some workers went to tables and started dancing and singing with the talent scouts or any families or regulars that had booked a place that evening.

Shake, shake, shake, Senora

(Ahh)

Work, work, work, Senora

(Ahh- Woo!)

Y/N grabbed Sam’s hand and led them to the middle of the floor as she sang, turning to face them, trying to contain her giggles, as they did a mock opera performance.

Cal, I know you’re listenin'

Doesn’t this just blow your mind?

I was on a mission

This is what I left behind

She made her way over to Cal, hoping to see something behind his eyes. Y/N pulled him up by his hand and danced him over to the line of performers at the front.

I'll miss you every day

Seek a little strange and unusual

And you will find

The line, still acting as her incredibly enthusiastic backing vocals, started spreading out, a few stayed on the stage while others jumped off to dance and sing with the guests. Sam came over to Y/N and Cal and brought into a weird little circle dance as Noelle and Casey cackled from a nearby table.

Life beyond all comprehension

A mess in multiple dimensions

A little unconventional, I know

Y/N’s eyes widened in worry as Cal groaned in pain in front of her. She waved Casey over who quickly grabbed him and sat him down on a nearby, empty chair.

But, Cal, I am home

I'm home

As soon as she had finished singing, Y/N rushed over to Cal. “You okay?” He grunted in return, “Been better, but then again I could probably be a lot worse.” Her breath hitched as he squeezed his eyes tight and groaned again. His breathing quickened slightly before he let out a big breath and a purple light appeared on his neck. Y/N pulled his collar down to get a better look at it but as quickly as it came it faded away again. “You doing good, Callerina?” He rolled his eyes, “I will be when you stop with those nicknames…and when Sam stops dancing like that.”

She laughed, tears pricking at her eyes, as Cal snorted at Sam’s ridiculous dancing, they were completely embarrassing Noelle as they forced her to waltz around the room. “I thought they said they were a professional dancer when I hired them. Oh well.” He turned to face Y/N, the twinkle back in his eyes, “I thought my return would be more dramatic, I’ll be honest. But this is alright too.” Y/N rubbed at her eyes as she scoffed at him, “Of course, only you would say this wasn’t dramatic enough.” Cal shrugged, “Well when you reach old age, like me, you’ll learn that even bending down takes a lot of effort, might as well make it worth the trouble.” Y/N rolled her eyes, “Cal, you’re 31. You’re not that old.” He sniffed in response, “I watched you grow into the ghostbuster that you’ve become, didn’t I? I think that’s old enough.” She scoffed, though a fond smile played on the edges of her lips, “Well, since you ruined our nice moment I might as well get back to orders and making sure all of our acts are okay.” Cal’s eyes widened at that, “I forgot, I’m so sorry you had to do that all alone, I’ll let you steal anything you want from the diner kitchen after this as a sorry and thank you gift.” She grinned, “As if I wasn’t gonna do that already.”

Y/N walked away, giggling to herself as she heard Cal squawk in indignation behind her. This was totally worth it, she had her family back and a new family as well.

---

It was now the end of the night, lots of people were ordering the last things to eat or drink or finishing up what they already had before they left. All performers were out on the floor, taking orders, entertaining young children or talking to talent scouts if they had the time. It was the noisiest it had been all evening, even with all the bands and music, performance and dancing that had occurred.

Julie awkwardly stood on stage, fiddling with the mic stand. “Excuse me? Hi. Um, so I know this is kinda weird and short notice but one of our band members has a message for a special someone so we hope you enjoy.” She steps back from the mic and moves over to the keyboard towards the front corner of the performance area, Reggie practically vibrated behind the mic whilst the other two musketeers glared at him to chill out before he caused the mic to screech.

The audience had quietened down and now sat in expectant silence, Y/N continued serving, though the short notice act did seem to capture most of her attention (albeit confused stares but her attention nonetheless). Reggie took a few deep breaths, readying himself to poof and basically confess his newfound feelings to a living girl who captured his undead heart, wanting what you can’t have really had been taken to that level, huh.

Julie’s fingers danced across the keyboard as Reggie poofed in and strummed along on the acoustic guitar Julie had pried from Luke’s cold, dead hands, he had wanted to keep the song simple, strip it down to its purest form, mirroring his feelings. That and the fact that he had done this last minute and dragged everyone around him into it, so showing off and using flashy techniques was something they just didn’t have the time to add in.

When we know something is true

Beyond question or doubt

There's no particular point

In pointing it out

Reggie strums his guitar, looking solely at either the guitar or the mic, trying to gather up his courage. He wrote this song for Y/N, why couldn’t he just look at her?

Blue is the colour of sky

'Cause mothers all worry

And old people die

A phone rings, a bee stings

It's something you don't need to hear

It's just clear

He looked back at Julie, finding her smiling at him encouragingly. He smiled back at her in return. He could do this!

Why go stating the obvious?

It's so painfully obvious

How could you miss

Something that's this plain to see?

When it's glaring and staring

Right at you

So obviously

He looked up to meet Y/N’s eyes, she had stopped moving around after handing out her last order, instead, she stood staring at him, completely awestruck. He almost chuckled, how could she stare at him like he hung the stars when she was brighter than the sun?

When you get bored you draw stars

On the cuffs of your jeans

You still fill out the quizzes you find

In those teen magazines

And you dance like nobody's there

Awkward and perfect

You don't even care

Something courageous, amazing, contagious

And kind

All combined

Y/N huffed out breathy laughs as she stared at him, the stupid, leather-covered, ghost boy. She knew she hadn’t fallen in love – she hadn’t fallen anywhere, she had walked into her feelings, completely aware and content. He made it easy, Y/N hoped she made it easy too.

Why go stating the obvious?

It's so painfully obvious

How could you miss

Something that's this plain to see?

When it's glaring and staring

Right at you

So obviously

Sam grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards the stage until she was right in front of it – right in front of him, “Have fun with your Romeo, don’t forget about us when you’re off on dates.” They cackled as they ran away, narrowly avoiding Y/N’s punches.

Sometimes the words

We tend to withhold

But they're exactly the words

Someone needs to be told

But oh, thinking they know

We never say "I love you

I love you

I love you"

Y/N smiled up at him as he beckoned her onto the stage. She never thought when she took up this part of the job that she’d end up meeting a bunch of ghosts and their human companion + friend, have her manager be possessed and garner feelings for the golden retriever incarnate.

'Cause why go

Stating the obvious

It's so painfully obvious

How could you miss

Something that's this plain to see?

When it's glaring, and staring right at you

So obviously

As the song quieted down, Julie shared looks with Alex and Luke pretended like he wasn’t tearing up at the sight of the pair on stage. Sam and Noelle smiled at each other and Casey rolled her eyes, she truly was surrounded by idiots that she had somehow adopted, not that she regretted it necessarily but she would never admit it.

“Hey, Y/N,” Reggie stepped away from the mic, “I’m not in love with you or anything, but I think I could be if you’d be okay with that?” The girl in question chuckled, “I think I could love you too, eventually. But how about we get to know each other for longer than a week first, sound good?”

“Sounds perfect, Diner Gal.”

---

Taglist:

@dotishyperfixating @daddydraco0 @morganayenneferburnham

@dxestars @dcnerd98 @ultraworthlessbitch

@revolutionary-werewolf-ghosts @underc0vercryptid

@underc0vercryptid-reads @miisacore

@cas-loves-pizza @slytherhoes

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moveslikebucky · 4 years ago

Text

His Infinite Variety

Hello my friends, exclusivity is up on @coldomenszine and I am so excited to share my fic for the Globe Era for the NSFW edition with you all!

Aziraphale and Crowley attend a performance of Antony and Cleopatra, just a mere 9 years after the initial performance of Hamlet. Words ring familiar, confessions are made, and walls are broken down after millennia of wanting and waiting.

There's a small snippet below, and a link to the full fic on AO3. I hope y'all enjoy, this was a fun one to do!

---

“Now Antony must leave her utterly.”

“Never! He will not.”

Aziraphale pops another grape into his mouth as the actors portraying Maecenas and Enobarbus continue. Crowley tries not to watch him.

It’s the opening night of Antony and Cleopatra, and Crowley has gotten them seats. Aziraphale’s love of Shakespeare is well known, to the point Crowley is almost jealous. Long nights spent in their quarters with Aziraphale droning on about one play or another over their wine. But, never let it be said Crowley does things by halves, nor that he doesn’t pay attention. And if Aziraphale doesn’t notice the performance coincides rather closely with the beginning of their arrangement, well, Crowley won’t tell him.

“Age cannot wither her,” Antony’s outspoken friend continues, “Nor custom stale her infinite variety.”

So... Shakespeare is a thief, on top of everything else.

Crowley huffs and rolls his eyes, leaning back against the wall of their box. Usually, there would be others with them, even in the expensive gentlemen’s rooms; a demonic miracle has ensured that they are alone.

“Other women cloy the appetites they feed, but she makes hungry. Where most she satisfies, for vilest things become themselves in her, that the holy priests bless her when she is riggish!”

Bit close, Crowley will give him that. He’s begrudgingly appreciative of ol’ Willy Shakes for taking his advice on Hamlet, if for no other reason than it made Aziraphale smile. Crowley grimaces unconsciously; he’s not quite ready to accept that for Aziraphale he would be something so base and low and abhorrent as nice.

“Crowley?” Aziraphale breaks his silence, sounding apprehensive, “Something’s bothering me.”

“Did you finally lose that affinity for the sad ones, then?” Crowley asks with a smirk, meant to hide his nerves. Meant to hide the lump in his throat that got stuck there when he wasn’t paying attention.

“No, not that at all, dear boy,” Aziraphale says with a laugh as he turns his blinding smile Crowley’s direction, “One of the lines just sounded quite familiar.” There’s a knowing gleam in his eye, like he thinks he’s on to something.

“I don’t think William is above recycling, angel,” Crowley says, heat rising in his cheeks. “Probably heard it in a sonnet or something.”

Anyone else would have missed Aziraphale's narrow glance. No one else has spent centuries studying that face; longing to know every line and every freckle, to trace them intimately with his fingers and lips, committing them to his memory. Crowley sighs heavily, when the fuck did he start being a romantic.

“…but near him, thy angel becomes a fear, as being o’erpow’r’d,” the soothsayer says later in the play, “Therefore make space enough between you.”

The actor playing Antony is, honestly, quite talented. He’s loud and projects well, making sure even the one-pence seats can hear him clearly. Crowley thinks he’s a bit of a showoff.

“He’s very good, isn’t he?” Aziraphale asks him, a perfect replay of years ago. Aziraphale has admitted, deep in his cups, that he might fancy himself a performer given half the chance. Even three sheets to the wind Crowley finds it confounding: The prospect is both unbearably adorable and infuriatingly annoying and he’s not quite sure what to do with the butterflies he feels.

[Continue reading on AO3]

#good omens #ineffable husbands #aziraphale #crowley #cold omens zine #photo #link #my fic

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headheartbellarke · 4 years ago

Text

Speak Now | WILLEX

dear @calamitykaty - happy valentine’s day! i’m your secret valentine, and i hope you have a brilliant, lovely day!! i just wanted to say that i absolutely adore your fics hehe :3 this one is for you, i hope u like it, you wonderful human!!

& a million thanks & kudos to @screwunsaidemily / @jatpsecretvalentine for organizing this!! happy valentine’s day, raegan! and i hope today is as amazing as you are!!

✿◕ ‿ ◕✿

PAIRING(s): Alex Mercer x Willie, Flynn x Carrie Wilson, Julie Molina x Luke Patterson, past!Alex Mercer x Luke Patterson

WARNING(s): nothing haha just some fluff and we stan bobby in this house.. oh and some language

WORDS: 3.85k

SUMMARY: With his boyfriend marrying Carrie Wilson (well, in his defence, that’s his grandmother’s ‘dying wish’), Willie fancies himself to be the main character of a Shakespearean tragedy. Based on Speak Now by Taylor Swift.

KEEP READING BELOW OR READ ON AO3

Willie exhales, watching his breath crystallize into tiny ice particles. He extends a hand to catch them, but that action causes the little cloud to dissipate.

He rolls his eyes. Who has their wedding in Canada, in winter? Plus, not just on any day, but on Valentine’s Day.

He fancies that he might as well be the main character of a Shakespearean tragedy. Watching your boyfriend get married is painful enough, but to a girl? That shit makes you feel as if your heart has a screw lodged in it. He feels as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Willie likes to say that he hates Alex (i.e., the said boyfriend, the love, the light, the star of his life) – but that sentence leaves behind a bitter taste in his mouth, like he’s just had that weird cough syrup that his mother buys.

Alex’s friends can definitely see through his act, like, right now.

“Willie, relax! Everything’s gonna be alright!” Julie Molina, Alex’s bandmate, ‘unbiological sister’, and ‘best gossip partner’ exclaims. She is crouching beside him.

“Julie, I’m not the type of guy to crash a wedding and sabotage it, especially one hosted by those…” His hand moves in circular motions, pointing to the direction of the church, where Alex’s parents are probably seated.

Luke Patterson, Julie’s boyfriend and Alex’s ex-boyfriend, and current best friend and bandmate pipes in. “Homophobic, racist mingers?”

Willie grins. “Don’t know what that means but sounds accurate!”

“You know, we are saving Alex’s life, right? Literally?” Bobby Wilson chimes in, Alex’s other best friend from his position behind them. They are currently hiding behind a table laden with sweets of all kinds, and it makes Reggie, the last of Alex’s best friend-cum-bandmates’ mouth water.

“I still can’t believe that his parents are forcing him to marry a girl!” Julie exclaims, ponytail bobbing as she speaks. Luke adds, “Not just any girl, but Carrie fucking Wilson.”

“My fucking cousin!” Bobby says, looking behind to check if anyone’s there. There is, but they’re all either part of the caterer’s group, or the waiters – they are currently outside a church, where the reception will be held, post wedding. The attendees, the families, everyone – are inside the church, for the wedding.

“Hey, is Grandma Ruth really that sick?” Reggie finally asks, his eyes diverting from the sweets. Luke smiles sweetly at him. “I’m glad you finally decided to join us, Reginald.”

Reggie fails to catch the sarcasm in his tone, and he smiles brightly. Luke rolls his eyes, but a faint smile teases the corners of his lips. “Yeah, she really has stage four cancer.”

Julie says, “Poor Ruth.”

Luke huffs, “I don’t care that she’s dying – she shouldn’t fucking blackmail her grandson like that! Alex, honey, I’m dying. My dying wish, you ask? Marry someone. No, not your boyfriend of four years! Marry a girl, dummy. Homosexuality is a sin!”

Bobby adds, “Not just any girl, but your best friend’s cousin! Whose probably into Flynn, but, yeah, whatever.”

Julie smiles brightly at the mention of her best friend. “Oh, she definitely is.”

Reggie’s brows quirk. “I thought she was still into Nick.”

Bobby shakes his head. “They broke up last summer.”

Willie clears his throat, finally gaining some confidence. “He shouldn’t be marrying the wrong girl.” He exhales, and adds, as an afterthought, “Or any girl.”

“You two should be walking down the aisle, Willie.” Julie says, resting a hand on his shoulder. He nods, grateful for her support.

He remembers this morning, when he was at the grocery store, buying as many buckets of chocolate ice cream as he could fit in his arms. Suddenly, he had felt a warm hand wrap around the back of his throat, and he let out a yelp, dropping all the buckets.

He remembers thinking that the universe was against him. First, it’s the day of his boyfriend’s wedding, and along with that, someone’s here to kill him. Well, he thought, it’s better to die than –

“Willie!” A familiar voice exclaimed, and of course, it’s Julie – he realized that the hand that he thought was here to murder him, belonged to her. She was dressed in a long, pink, A-Line dress, that complimented her skin tone perfectly and – suddenly, Willie understood that it was a bridesmaid’s dress. Yep, she’s Carrie’s bridesmaid, along with Flynn.

Willie wondered if she was here to rub salt on his wound.

“What do you want?” He had mumbled, averting his gaze from her dress. Sure, it’s a pretty dress, but it reminds him of Alex, because he has a hoodie that he adores in the same colour. (It’s in Willie’s closet now, and he makes a mental note to burn it.)

“We have a plan.” She said, conspiratorially.

Willie sighed, leaning down to pick up the fallen containers of ice cream. “I’m not in the mood, Jules.”

She grinned, evilly. Or as evilly as you could while having an angelic face.

Sure, it took her a while to convince him to crash his boyfriend’s wedding, but on the way here, he felt as if it was worth it. Julie helped sneak him in, since he doesn’t have an invite – and he found the rest of Alex’s friends – Luke, Reggie, and Bobby waiting for him.

Now, as Carrie’s family emerges from the church doors, he doesn’t feel that way anymore.

“God, I think I’m gonna throw up just by looking at them.” Luke murmurs, while Julie slaps his shoulder. “Don’t say that, they look very… colourful.”

Bobby snorts.

Carrie’s family includes her parents, two of her cousin sisters and an aunt – and they are all dressed in pastel yellow. To be really honest, that colour looks like vomit. They stand in a circle in front of the church doors, and Willie notices her aunt rolling her eyes at the waiters. He sighs. This is the same aunt who told Carrie that ‘oh, honey, it’s just a phase’, when she came out as bisexual.

“Guys, guys, guys!”

Willie sees his cousin, Flynn, running in their direction, and stopping at their table. She huffs, catching her breath and he notices that she’s wearing the same dress that Julie is.

“Carrie is losing her shit, dude.” She says, once she’s breathing normally again. “Why?” Julie asks, concerned.

“Probably because she doesn’t wanna marry Alex? I don’t know, but she yelled at me for eating!” She exclaims, an annoyed expression taking over her face.

Willie and Bobby exchange a look – they all know that Carrie can get a little intense sometimes – she doesn’t mean harm, but on a day like this, you can’t really hold it against her.

“Where is she?” Julie asks, alarmed.

“She’s in the back. Her mom misplaced her veil, and its total chaos out there. Also, her gown looks like a fucking pastry.”

Everyone’s eyes widen, and Flynn sighs, looking away. “I hate everything.”

Willie knows that she’s feeling just the way he is.

Julie stands up. “Come on, let’s help her. And boys?” She points a finger in their direction. “Stick to the fucking plan.”

Everyone nods rapidly, and Reggie whispers, “Yes, mam.”

She kisses Luke, whispering something in his ear, and squeezes Willie’s shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look, before running off in the opposite direction with Flynn.

Watching Julie and Luke, Willie is suddenly overpowered by a memory, a memory that was gathering dust in his brain. He remembers a cold, dark winter morning in their – his and Alex’s – apartment. It was last year, and their first morning in that apartment, in their home. They were nineteen and couldn’t get enough of each other – even after three years of being together. Somehow, somewhere they felt as if an invisible string was pulling them closer and closer, until they merged into one.

He remembers Alex combing his fingers through Willie’s hair, and whispering, “Is it crazy if I say that this is everything that I’ve ever wanted in life?”

He had smiled, eyes filled to the brim with euphoria. “No, then that would mean that I’m crazy.”

“We’re both crazy.”

“Maybe.” He had pulled him closer, loving the way Alex buried his face in the crook of his neck.

“Willie?” Alex softly asked, drawing patterns on his bare skin.

“Hmm?”

“I want to wake up next to you every single day. Like, I don’t ever wanna be without you,”

“Me, too.” He had said, then adding, “I don’t see myself marrying if not you.”

He could feel his boyfriend’s grin. “Not gonna lie, I’ve thought about it. A little.”

“A little?”

“Okay, I’ve planned it all out.” They both laughed, and Willie felt as if he was flying.

Alex continued, “I imagine us getting married on a beautiful summer day – on the beach. Where we met all those years ago. Remember?”

Willie smiled. “How could I forget? I will love Flynn forever for bringing me to Julie’s sweet sixteen – I never thought that I’d meet my soulmate that day.”

“Yeah. I imagine Luke to be my best man, and Flynn to be yours. Julie and Carrie would be our groomsmaids, yep, I invented that – and Reggie and Bobby could be the other best men. It’s a little messy, because I love them all so much and I can’t choose – but yeah.”

“Funny that your ex-boyfriend will be your best man at our wedding.”

“Shut up, Willie.”

“Carlos could be the ring bearer.”

“I think he’s a little too old for that.”

“Well, you have a point. But he’s gonna be pissed if he doesn’t get a title like his sister does.”

“All right, he’ll be the ring bearer.”

“We could have a skateboard shaped cake.”

“We will… think about it.”

“And we won’t need a band!”

“I’m not playing at my own wedding!”

“Well, Bobby could take your place. I’m sure he won’t mind taking a day off his solo touring.”

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

As they went over every possibility, every dream, the world melted away and all Willie could see were the oceans in Alex’s eyes.

Luke’s voice dissipates the haze of nostalgia around Willie’s brain. “Yep, Carrie’s family went inside.”

Bobby nods. “Okay, Willie, you stay with Reggie and Luke – I’ll go inside first and distract everyone, and y’all will come at my signal.” With that, he runs towards the church.

“Uh… what is his signal…” Willie trails off. Luke and Reggie exchange a panicked look, as Reggie says, “I’m sure we’ll figure it out! Besides – oh my god, are those flamingos?”

Willie and Luke’s eyes dart to the church door, where a bunch of flamingos – Carrie’s favorite bird, apparently – are on the loose and the waiters and the staff are running around trying to catch them.

“Boys, I think that’s our signal.” Luke says, grabbing their hands and dragging them towards the back of the church, where the girls had previously disappeared into.

Luke sneezes, and Willie absentmindedly whispers a ‘bless you.’ He shifts, saying, “There’s so much dirt here! It’s like nobody cares about my allergies!”

“I’m sure nobody in Canada will ever care about your allergies, Patterson.” Flynn hisses.

The trio are currently hiding behind a curtain, the lilac shades sickening them. “Well, you wouldn’t be in this position if Alex’s lovely bride-to-be didn’t uninvite me!” Willie exclaims, looking around to make sure nobody is nearby.

“I’m sure she has a very good reason!” Flynn says, and Luke rolls his eyes, saying, “You’re saying that as if you don’t know Carrie. She’s hyper fixating on this wedding to distract herself from the fact that her parents will never accept her for who she is, from her fear about the fact that she’ll never get someone who sees and loves her for who she is and right now, she believes that this wedding would gain her parents’ favour, that somehow they’d be okay with her being bisexual if she’s married a man, a gay man at that, too – and now she’s doing everything in her power to make sure nothing gets fucked up.”

Willie and Flynn sharply look at Luke.

“Dude, that was deep.” He whispers. Flynn dabs the corner of her right eye. “You should be a therapist, bro.”

“I know, bro.” He grins.

Willie can’t stop a smile from breaking out on his face. He turns back to the scene in front of him, and his heart seizes because there’s Alex, dressed in a perfect tuxedo, with his hair perfectly done, with a perfect smile on his face, and Willie realizes that that is not the man he loves.

The man standing in front of him looks too pristine, too immaculate. It’s almost as if he is being strung up by invisible puppet strings, but his face doesn’t give away any of that – it’s absolutely blank, and Willie would have thought that the man in the front is not real if he hadn’t seen his eyes. His eyes, which houses cyclones, cyclones being fed by the apprehension, the fear, the anger, the sadness that he must be feeling inside. His eyes, that Willie loves to see first thing in the morning, showing off the parts of his soul that he is desperately trying to shield.

Willie wonders if he’ll see him standing behind the curtains. He probably won’t. Willie’s at the back of the room, and he’s at the front, waiting, waiting, waiting. For a moment, Willie wonders if Carrie is going to show up at all – because the wedding was supposed to start half an hour ago, and it doesn’t make sense why a person who has never been late in her entire life, would be late on her wedding day.

He doesn’t have to wonder long, though. The organ starts to play ‘Here Comes the Bride’, and honestly it sounds more like a death march. Willie is reminded, yet again, of another reason why this is not what Alex wants – he wants to play ‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift at his wedding.

Willie takes in a sharp breath when Carrie enters. She looks like a pageant queen – wearing a beautiful, white, classic dress. In one hand, she holds her dad’s arm, and in the other, there is a bouquet of daisies.

Flynn whispers. “I have to go. Boys, do not mess this up. Or I swear I’ll kill you.”

As the duo watch her run to the front of the room, Willie whispers, “Does she know about Carrie’s big, fat crush?”

Luke snorts. “You think so? Come on, let’s sit. They won’t be able to see us here.”

As they crouch down and make their way to the benches, Willie casts one last look at Alex, and he knows, he knows that Alex wishes it was Willie walking down the aisle instead.

“Speak now, or forever hold your peace.” The preacher says, and Willie’s heart erupts into a frenzy. As the room goes completely silent, Luke whispers, “That’s your cue, Willie.”

Ignoring his anxiety, he stands up with his hands shaking, and his brain telling him to just fucking run out the doors.

Alex’s eyes widen, relief flooding his features, and for a moment, he looks like the real Alex again. Willie catches Julie and Flynn’s eyes, who are standing beside Carrie, and they nod at him, enthusiastically. But the bride, Carrie – she looks absolutely horrified. And so does all the other people in this room, including Alex’s parents, his grandma Ruth, and Carrie’s parents, too.

From Alex’s right side, Reggie and Bobby give him encouraging looks, and finally, he averts his eyes back to the man he loves.

But he can’t say anything. He feels as if he’s frozen in time, and his mind completely blanks out. For a moment he wonders if this is his rock bottom.

But Luke comes to the rescue, thrusting a guitar in his hands, and breaking him out of his trance. “I remember you told me that you can always sing, even if the world was ending. So, I brought this along, as backup.”

It’s true. Music is a part of his soul, much like it is Alex’s. Music is what connected them in the first place, and music is what still keeps them connected now.

He positions the guitar, and notices that it’s Luke’s acoustic guitar. He strums it, and finally, his mind comes back to himself. He keeps his eyes trained on that of Alex, and he watches the storm of emotions in his irises.

“I am not the kind of guy, who should be rudely barging in on a white veiled occasion…” He sings, loving how Taylor Swift has written a song for every occasion.

“But you are not the kind of boy, who should be marrying the wrong girl!” He sings and hears loud gasps around the room – he knows that people expected him to be in love with Carrie or something.

“Or any girl!” Reggie adds, and Alex grins, and that gives him the motivation to continue.

“So, don't say yes, run away now. I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door… Don't wait or say a single vow – You need to hear me out, and they said speak now!”

He drags the ‘now’ for as long as he can, because he knows that the silence that will follow will be excruciating. And it is. Alex just stares at him, an unreadable expression on his face.

Willie finally looks at Carrie, and when their eyes meet, she gives him an odd look. He half expected her to kill him, but the way she looks at him, it’s almost as if she’s relieved.

Alex clears his throat, the sound piercing through the silence of the room. Whispers arise, and Willie exchanges a look with Luke, who asks him, “You want me to dig you a hole to die?”

Before he can nod, Alex says, “Uh…” He fiddles with his hands, before finally saying, “Fuck it”, and untying his tie. His mother gasps, and his father stands up, but he raises a hand.

He locks eyes with Willie, and his world spins on its axis.

“You are not the kind of guy to be rudely barging in on a white veiled occasion…But I am not the kind of boy… who should be marrying the wrong girl… or any girl!” Alex sings in that raspy voice of his, and Willie feels his heart soar. He can’t help the grin from escaping on his face, and he knows that his eyes are what Julie calls, ‘heart eyes.’ Luke grabs the guitar from Willie’s hand and starts playing along.

“And you'll say let's run away now, and I'll meet you when I'm out of my tux at the back door,”

Alex walks down the aisle, but suddenly remembers something, or rather, someone. He turns around, locking eyes with Carrie, and Willie can’t see what he’s saying, but Carrie smiles a big, soft one – one probably no one has ever seen on her face, and he sees her mouth ‘go.’

“Baby, I didn't say my vows, so glad you were around; when they said speak now!”

He finishes, and stands in front of Willie, and Willie knows that the both of them can feel the air electrifying between them.

He turns, facing his grandmother. “Grandma, I’m sorry, but you’re 93, and I’m 20. I’m not going to give up my life for you to live. I love you, though. Mom, Dad, I’m truly sad that I’m not what you wanted. But I’m not gonna apologize for being myself, nor am I gonna apologize for loving who I want to. This is my life, and maybe it’s time that I start acting like it. I can’t keep wasting my life to please you. You – you should love me for who I am, that’s what good parents do.” Alex’s voice cracks, and Willie intertwines their fingers. Alex squeezes his hand.

Carrie’s mom stands up, shaking her head. “No, no, no… you do not get to ruin my daughter’s wedding –”

Alex’s father stands beside her, his face matching the shade of Carrie’s red lipstick. “I will not accept this –”

“Will?” Alex whispers, his eyes trained on his father.

“Yeah?”

“Run.”

With that, Alex tightens his hold on Willie’s hand, and the both of them run down the aisle, and outside. Willie can hear an uproar behind him, but it fades to background noise behind the thump of his heart.

“That was so fucking romantic!” Alex exclaims, as they come to a stop before Willie’s car.

“I just…”

“Wait – I’m sorry, Willie. I shouldn’t have put you through that. I should’ve fought more; I should’ve run away or something. That was not okay. I’m a twenty-year-old adult, and I should – I should – learn to be it, and not hurt any – anyone –”

“Hey, hey, hey…” Willie says, stepping closer to Alex. “It’s alright. They’re your parents. It’s not your fault that you want their approval. But I just want you to know that I love you, all of you, for who you are. And all of us do – Luke, Julie, Bobby, Reggie, Flynn, and even Carrie. We all love you, for who you are, and we’re always gonna be by your side.”

He smiles, cupping Willie’s face. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I – I love you so fucking much.” He kisses Willie, and the latter feels like he is floating amongst the stars.

“That – everything inside – from this tux to the decorations was horrible. I’m really glad that you… you know, stopped it.” Alex says, rubbing his thumb around Willie’s cheek.

He shrugs. “Well, it was your friends’ idea.”

“Of course it was.”

“Guys! Guys, guys, guys!”

Willie and Alex break out of their embrace at Carrie’s voice, who is currently running towards them, her dress bunched in her hands. Flynn is following her, holding her veil in her arms. Julie, Luke, Bobby, and Reggie are behind them, and they all have a look of panic plastered on their faces.

Flynn yells. “Carrie might’ve told your and her parents to fuck off, and your grandma to just die already, and so there’s a fair chance that we’re all gonna get killed, now that everyone knows that we’re all behind this.”

“Also, I threw red wine at our aunt’s dress, Carrie!” Bobby yells.

“I might have told your parents that they’re failures, and Julie and I are your real parents, Alex!” Luke yells.

“Also, Flynn and I are getting married!” Carrie yells.

Alex’s eyes widen, and he looks at Willie. “I think we all need to run.”

Willie nods, and he looks around. Maybe they will get killed (probably not), and maybe everything is a little crazy right now – but what he knows is that all of them are a family, and that he’d do anything for them. He also knows that Alex is worth everything, and that someday, they will get married, just the way they want, with the people that love them just the way they are.

Plus, is it weird to say that he kind of feels like Taylor Swift right now?

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wonkasmissstarshine · 4 years ago

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The Chocolatier’s Rose {Willy Wonka x OC} Ch.44

GIFs not mine. Credit go to owners.

Summary: It’s Christmas and the whole family comes together to celebrate.

A/N: Here we are. The final chapter! However, there will be an epilogue after this and then I’ll get to working on the fairytale AU. Again, let me know if you want to be tagged for The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden.

Tagging: @willymywonkers @holdmeicant @sleepiesapphicxoxo @frozenhuntress67

It was that wonderful time of the year where the snow fell, leaving a thick soft blanket on the ground, the windows of homes and shops would be filled with decorations on display, a certain sense of cheer filled the air, and families all came together. Christmas had come around again like it does every year.

Christmas had to be Rose's favorite holiday. There was just something about it that always made her feel so happy. Maybe it was because the snow always looked so pretty around the holidays. Maybe it was because the town looked festive when there were lights strewn about, windows filled to the brim with decorations, and the tree that always went up in the middle of town. Maybe it was because this was the time of year that always brought families together.

No matter what the reason, Rose loved Christmas. All the Buckets did.

Normally, Willy didn't give Christmas a second thought. He used to be alone at Christmas so he didn't bother to celebrate it. But that changed when Rose came into his life. When she told him how much she loved Christmas, he decided to give it a chance and celebrate it.

Turns out that Christmas was a whole lot better when you had a family to celebrate it with. And he loved how happy Rose got around this time of year. He loved coming home one day to find that she had the entire Garden Room covered in decorations, as well as the house. He loved how he found a large Christmas tree already put up and decorated in the living room. He loved hearing Rose break out into Christmas carols.

Christmas quickly became Willy's favorite holiday.

But this Christmas wasn't going to be any ordinary Christmas. This would the first Christmas with the twins. And the Wonkas were going all out with it. Normally, Christmas dinner would be held at the Bucket house, hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Bucket. This year, however, Rose and Willy decided to host dinner for the first time. And their whole family would be coming.

******

Rose and Mrs. Bucket were cooking together in the kitchen. Every once in a while, Rose would look up and peek out the window. Every time she looked out that window, she saw her children playing together with their father and Uncle Charlie. She smiled at the sight.

"Look at them, mum" Rose said. Mrs. Bucket looked up from the vegetables she was cutting. She followed her daughter's line of sight. "He's such a wonderful father. A wonderful husband. He looks at me, and he looks Fleur and Dulce like we're his whole world. You should hear him telling them bedtime stories"

Mrs. Bucket didn't say anything. Instead, she just smiled, stared, and listened as her daughter went on about Willy and the twins. "Mum, why are you looking at me like that?" Rose asked when she caught her mom staring.

"Nothing," Mrs. Bucket chuckled, shaking her head. "It's just, you've been so happy for the past two years. Before Charlie found that ticket, you've worn many smiles on your face but you've never really been happy" Mrs. Bucket placed her hand on her daughter's cheek. "But now when you smile, it's not because you're trying to be strong for us. It's because you have truly found happiness in your life that we alone couldn't give to you"

"I find myself thinking sometimes where I would be right now if Charlie hadn't found that ticket," Rose thought out loud. "I'd probably still be working for Mrs. Mason, barely just getting by. Or, perhaps maybe I'd be stuck in a marriage that I didn't want"

"Or, maybe you'd still have met Willy somehow"

"You really think so, mum?"

"Of course I do, darling. He's your soulmate. If Charlie hadn't found that ticket and hadn't brought you along on that tour, you still would have met Willy one way or another" Mrs. Bucket seemed so sure about that.

Rose giggled. "Is dad your soulmate?"

Mrs. Bucket smiled, pushing a fallen strand of hair out of Rose's face. "Without any doubt"

A new voice called out, making its presence known. "Hello, Rose! Hello, Helen!" It was Priscilla. She had wandered into the kitchen. "Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas, dear" Mrs. Bucket smiled at the girl who overtime, started feeling like her own daughter.

"Merry Christmas, Cilla" Rose said. "Did you say hi to Willy and the twins?"

"I did" Priscilla nodded. "I swear, Fleur and Dulce keep getting cuter every time I see them"

Rose eyed the thick bag that Priscilla was carrying. She did not doubt that there were a bunch of toys and other gifts inside. "Cilla, what did we say about spoiling?"

"This isn't all for the twins" Priscilla defended. "There are things for Charlie and Jenny here. And at least one present for everyone else. That reminds me" She reached into the bag and pulled out a couple of presents. She gave the bigger of the presents to Mrs. Bucket, who in turn looked quite surprised.

"Priscilla, sweetheart, that's very kind of you, but you didn't--"

"I wanted to, Mrs. Bucket"

Mrs. Bucket smiled and accepted the present. She opened it up, revealing a small antique display case. But it wasn't the display case that made her eyes light up. It was what was inside it. "Priscilla, this china is beautiful" There were beautifully designed plates, bowls, and cups.

"I actually made it" Priscilla explained. "I have a knack for pottery"

"I never knew you liked pottery," Rose said. She was surprised that Priscilla never mentioned her talent.

All Priscilla did was shrug. "It's nothing serious, really. More of a hobby" She presented the other present in hand to Rose. "This one for you"

Rose smiled, taking the small present in her hand. She unwrapped it, revealing a velvet red box. Then, she opened up the box to reveal a piece of jewelry. It was a pendant of a terrarium with a tiny rose inside of it. "Oh, it's beautiful"

"I immediately thought of you when I saw that, and not just because of the rose," Priscilla said.

"Wait right here!" Rose said in sudden excitement. She ran off, disappearing behind the curtain that led to hers and Willy's bedroom. When she came back, she was wearing the pendant and had a gift in her hand. "Here," She handed the gift to Priscilla.

Priscilla grinned and she ripped the wrapping paper off. She gasped in delight when she found a sweater, made in her favorite color with her name stitched in cursive gold along the front of it. "Rose, did you make this?"

"Yeah" She bit her lip, waiting to hear Priscilla's thoughts on it. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" Priscilla gave Rose a great big hug. "Rose, you're amazing, you know that? You're the best sister anyone could ask for"

"Sister?" Rose asked. Sure, she and Priscilla have been close for a long time, but she's never heard her call her sister before.

"Well, yeah. You're not just my best friend, Rose. You're my sister. You, Willy, and the twins? My family. Charlie and the rest of the Buckets? My family. Danny, Eleanor, Felix, Lucy, Jenny, and Harry? My family. Mrs. Mason and Dr. Wonka? My family. We're all one big family, Rose"

Rose smiled. She thought back to some wise words Charlie once said long ago.

You don't have to be related to someone for them to be your family. People who care about each other can be considered a family, whether you're related or not.

For a boy of thirteen, Charlie was quite wise for his age.

"Darling, why don't you go out there and say hi to your friends?" Mrs. Bucket suggested. "I've got it in here"

Rose kissed her mother before walking out of the house with Priscilla. All of their friends were crowding together with Willy and Charlie. The twins were now being held by Lucy and Harry respectively. Of course, Willy was the first one to see his wife. "Hello, starshine!" He beamed at her.

"Cocoa bean" She greeted back, wrapping her arms around him in a secure hug. Rose's eyes wandered to Fleur, who was being held by Lucy. But it wasn't her daughter's infectious grin that caught her eye. It was the sparkling diamond that was wrapped around Lucy's ring finger. "Lu?"

Lucy looked at Rose. "Yes?"

"On your finger, is that what I think it is?"

Eleanor went wide-eyed. "Wait, you and Harry are engaged!?"

Lucy shrugged, smirked, and made an attempt at a joke. "Who said it was Harry I was engaged to?"

"Sis, you're not fooling anyone" Jenny laughed. "We all know you two are googly-eyed in love with each other"

"Let me see," Priscilla said. She took Lucy's hand and inspected the diamond on her finger. Priscilla let out an impressed whistle. "That's quite the stone you gave her, Harry"

Lucy grinned and then eyed her fiance. "Even if I told him a simple plain ring would do"

"And I'm only getting truly engaged once" Harry quipped. He and Rose shared a knowing look. The two of them were never really engaged. It was more of an...agreement... of sorts. Luckily, it was one that was never carried out. Harry looked back at Lucy. "I wanted to make it special for both of us"

Lucy very well knew of what had transpired between Rose and Harry. They were both very honest with her about that. But, she was just glad to see that they had made amends and that they were now friends.

"Where are those little angels?" A happy sing-song voice called out. "Nana's here! And she wants to see all her angels!"

Mrs. Mason came running with Dr. Wonka not far behind her. The two of them were married now. The ceremony had been small and private, taking place at a courthouse with only Rose, Willy, and Charlie in attendance.

"There they are!" Mrs. Mason cooed once she saw her grandchildren. She squished their cheeks and kissed their foreheads, causing the babies to smile and giggle. Once she greeted the twins, she greeted the rest of her angels the same way, starting with Priscilla.

"Uh, Mrs. Mason" Priscilla mumbled through her squished cheeks. "What are you doing?"

"I did say I wanted to see all my angels, now didn't I?"

Mrs. Mason got through with greeting Priscilla, Eleanor, Lucy, Danny, Felix, and Harry all the same way. With squished cheeks and wet kisses on the forehead. She still saw all of them as her children, even if they weren't related to her the way Rose, Charlie, and Willy were.

"And where's my youngest son?" Mrs. Mason turned on her heel until she spotted Charlie. "Charlie, my dear boy! Come here!" She hugged Charlie as tight as she could. "I swear you're getting bigger every day I see you"

"And you keep getting kinder" Charlie said to her.

Mrs. Mason grinned wildly. "How does a boy get so sweet and polite?" She let go of Charlie, and then there was no saving Jenny from the inevitable hug. "And here's my sweet girl! Oh, Jenny, you just keep getting prettier"

Jenny blushed and giggled. "Thank you, Mrs. Mason"

"Charlie, you've got quite the girlfriend here. Don't ever let her go" Mrs. Mason advised, winking at the young boy.

Both Charlie and Jenny blushed deeply and glanced at each other. "We're not boyfriend and girlfriend" Charlie defended.

"Yeah. We're just friends" Jenny added. "Best friends"

"And that means in exactly ten years time, you two will be married" Mrs. Mason joked but at the same time, there was a hint of seriousness in her voice. Charlie and Jenny both muttered something about Mrs. Mason being embarrassing before the two of them ran off.

Mrs. Mason chuckled, shaking her head. She caught Rose in her sight and smiled at her. "And last but certainly not least, my beautiful daughter" She grasped Rose's face with a gentle grip and kissed her on both of the cheeks. "And my wonderful son" Mrs. Mason hugged Willy and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Hi mom" Willy greeted her, giving her a kiss and a hug back. He then let go of Mrs. Mason and walked over to his father. "Hi dad" He greeted before hugging him.

"Hello son," Dr. Wonka said, a grin coming over him. After hugging his son, he stepped closer to Rose and hugged her as well. "Hello daughter"

Rose smiled at that. It always warmed her heart when she heard Dr. Wonka calling her daughter. "Hi, dad. Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas"

Mrs. Bucket stepped out onto the porch of the house. "Rose and Willy, dears" Mrs. Bucket called out for her daughter and her son-in-law. "I need your help with something!" She flashed an almost mischievous smile at them, before disappearing inside the house again.

"Hmm," Willy hummed curiously. "I wonder what that's about" He wasn't blind to see the way she had smiled at both of them.

"I suppose we should go find out" Rose said. She and Willy joined hands and made their way to the house.

******

"That's weird," Willy said as soon as he and Rose entered the house. They found it empty except for all the furniture and the finished food that was sitting on the counters in the kitchen. "Moms not here"

"Mum!" Rose called out. There was no reply. "Come on, mum. Where are you? Are you playing some kind of joke?"

Willy looked around the room as his wife continued to call for Mrs. Bucket's attention. It wasn't until he looked up that he noticed something hanging off of the ceiling. It was a green plant with white berries and a red bow wrapped around it.

"Cocoa bean," Rose finally noticed her husband staring upwards. "What are you looking at?"

"Have you gotten any new flowers or plants recently?"

"No" Rose finally looked up to see what Willy was looking at. She recognized what it was right away. A smirk danced across her lips. "Oh, I see what you're looking at"

"What is it?" Rose didn't answer him right away. Instead, she started giggling. Willy's eyebrows furrowed and he looked back at his wife. "What's so funny, starshine?"

"You've never seen mistletoe before?"

"No" He looked back up at it. "I wonder why it's there"

"I'm thinking mum probably put it there"

"Now, why would she do that?" Wow, he really didn't know. "I'm sorry but it's just a poor choice for decoration. It doesn't do anything to tie this room together at all"

"Cocoa bean, it's not for decoration"

"No? Then what's it for?"

Rose grabbed Willy's face and tilted his head down so that he was looking at her rather than the plant on the ceiling. "Do you really not know the tradition for people who stand together under the mistletoe?" Her voice had softened into an almost sultry purr. Her thumb was stroking his soft and plump bottom lip, and she was giving him that look with hooded and glossy eyes that made him weak in the knees.

Willy blushed deeply as he looked her right in the eye. "No"

"When two people find themselves standing under the mistletoe, they're supposed to kiss, otherwise they'll have bad luck"

"Oh. So is it like walking under a ladder, or opening an umbrella indoors, or breaking a mirror--" Willy was cut off when Rose's lips were pressed against his in a passionate kiss. It didn't take long for him to ease into the kiss, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her waist. What they didn't see was Mrs. Bucket standing in the doorway of the nursery, watching both of them with a smile on her face.

She knew that her daughter and son-in-law had yet to kiss under the mistletoe. So, she set up the mistletoe and lured them inside the house.

Rose and Willy pulled away from the kiss, both of them with a dazed look in their eyes. No matter how many times they kissed, sometimes certain kisses still felt like their first one. "Wow," Willy muttered, breathless from the kiss.

Rose giggled. "Yeah, wow"

Willy smiled at the sound of her heavenly giggle. "I like that tradition. Can it only be done at Christmas?"

"I don't think so"

"Good, because I'm going to set up mistletoe all throughout the factory so you'll have to kiss me wherever we are, or else we'll both end up with bad luck"

******

It finally came time for Christmas dinner. Everyone was seated at the long table that was set up just outside the house and underneath a fluffy, pink cotton candy tree. Rose helped her mum and dad bring out all the food.

"Mum, all of this looks wonderful" Rose mentioned.

"Well, I did have some help" Mrs. Bucket smiled, winking at Rose. Once all the food was set out and she was back in her seat, Mrs. Bucket announced. "Everyone dig in and enjoy"

Everyone served amongst themselves and quickly got into feasting. Rose and Willy fed their children when they weren't feeding themselves. Everyone chatted, joked, laughed, and told stories with each other. It truly was like they were all one extended family.

'That's because we are a family' Willy thought to himself.

Family. He really was beginning to like that word a lot.

"Mr. Bucket and I would like to say something," Mrs. Bucket said as she stood up. Mr. Bucket stood up as well and joined hands with his wife. "If we may?"

Rose nodded and gave an encouraging smile. "Please!"

Mrs. Bucket nodded and then looked at her husband, urging him to start. "We've celebrated many Christmases in the past. For us, it was never about the gifts or even the food we ate. It was about spending this special time of the year as a family"

"But no Christmas has never felt more like Christmas than it does now" Mrs. Bucket continued. "And it all has to do with our special family. Look at us. We went from being a family of six to a family of eighteen"

"And we couldn't have asked for a better one" Mr. Bucket finished off. He and Mrs. Bucket sat back down, indicating that they had said all they wanted to say.

Dinner continued. Rose noticed that Willy had fallen awfully quiet beside her. He had been talkative all night, especially to his children. When she looked at him, she noticed that he was in a dazed look, like when he used to get his flashbacks. But there was something different about this dazed look. It was the smile on his face.

"Cocoa bean?" Rose piped, placing her hand over his. "Is everything okay?"

Willy looked over to her, blinking as he broke out of his daze. "Oh, starshine. I feel absolutely wonderful"

"Yeah?" Rose smiled.

"I was just thinking about something"

"And what would that be?"

"Before I met you, I never realized just how lonely I was" Willy was looking right at Rose when he spoke, but his words weren't just directed to her. "Looking back, maybe I was a little miserable because I was lonely, but my success made me blind to that. Now, I can't imagine a life without you, starshine" He looked to everyone else, realizing their stares were on him. "Or any of you, really. If there's a family out there better than this one, then I don't want to meet them because we're already a perfect family. You're all my family"

Everyone smiled in agreement and nodded to Willy's words.

"I say we make a toast" Priscilla announced. She reached over and grabbed her cup. She held it up high in the air. "To our great, big, and happy family"

Everyone else grabbed their drinks and joined in the toast. "To family!"

In the end, Charlie Bucket won a chocolate factory.

But Willy Wonka got something even better.

A family.

And one thing was absolutely certain.

Life had never been sweeter.

THE END

#willy wonka x oc #willy wonka x reader #willy wonka #rose bucket #my oc #rose and willy #the chocolatier's rose

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phant0mprince · 4 years ago

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𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒄

Morning at the Jackson's. Percy waking up on 24th December, his hair a mess and thought tangled. The Blowfis-Jackson house is a mess yet perfectly set for Christmas. Sally is cooking in the kitchen, baking cookies and cake for the night, estelle sleeping on the sofa. Percy walks up to his mother, kissing her cheek and burying his head into her shoulder muttering a muffled good morning. Sally ruffling her 6 feet baby boy's hair.

Inviting Annabeth over. Estelle letting out a happy shriek distracting Percy. "Go play with your sister honey" Percy just nodding and grabbing a cookie before Sally could tell him off. "Mom, I'm gonna call Annabeth" "Oh yes, i was worried when She wasn't here. I knew you won't forget." "Nope, he wanted to spend some time with her dad but she said she didn't, you know" Sally smiling quietly at her son. Her heart melting for Annabeth. She was like a daughter to her at this point.

Annabeth arriving. The doorbell rings and Estelle giggles loudly in Percy's arm. Percy rolls his eyes loving at her, before getting the door. Standing in front of him, Annabeth smiles at him, giving him a small kiss before taking off her court and rubbing her hands together, shivering a little. Percy pulls on a blue sweater near by, passing his scarf to Annabeth which he glady accepts. Annabeth snuggles close to him, while Paul goes into the kitchen to help Sally but not before patting their head affectionately.

What about the others? "What's Thalia up to?" Percy asks, remembering that Jason was going to spend the holidays with Leo and Piper at the Mclean's. "Why do you ask?" Annabeth asks, her eyebrows raised at her boyfriend. Percy's eyes lighting up and a grin making it's way on his face. "She owes me a pizza treat." Annabeth just bursting out laughing, she very well knew what thus treat was about. "Mom can we invite a few friends over?" "Oh dear, i was about to ask you that. You should invite your friends, those poor babies who're still at camp, we could celebrate Christmas together! They're also your family after all." Percy smiling softly at his mother, she was right, they were his family after all. He IMing Thalia first accepting excited yelling only to be greeted by silence. "Pinecone face? You there? I was asking if you wanted to celebrate Christmas with us, Mom is quite fond of you all." "That's why?" "And isn't Christmas for family?" Thalia's voice almost cracking when she says okay and hangs up hurriedly. Percy IMing the camp to invite the Stolls, Malcolm and Clarisse. All of them accepting the offer immediately, Clarisse glaring at Percy before shrugging and cutting the connection. "Well, I'll take that as a yes?"

Will dragging Nico to the Jackson's flat. Percy being shocked when Nico actually comes. Will greets him telling him how they were planning on spending the Christmas together but he had to go back to his parents house. Percy and Annabeth understand the silent message and smile. Annabeth wrapping her hand around Nico's shoulder. "Well, Nico is family too, right Nico?" Percy nodding his head vigorously. Will just smiling at them from the sidelines as Nico slowly nods, making Percy's voice audibly crack for the slightest second. Annabeth squeezing his shoulder, her eyes shining with understanding. Nico inching close to the taller girl, a very small smile in his face. Maybe he won't be alone for Christmas after all. And he doesn't feel all that lonely as Will kisses his cheek as a goodbye and walks out of the flat.

A messy arrival. Stolls almost crashing into Will just as they walk in and he walks out. "Will, Nico looks sick, did he have breakfast today?" Panic filling his mind, Will turns around about to start rambling when it clicks. "STOLLS I SWEAR TO OLYMPUS I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL WITH A EEFING SCALPEL!" Stolls just yelling "Happy Christmas eve to you too Willy!" And running into the flat, greeting Sally loudly. Percy just shrugs at Will, while a loud giggle from Estelle makes them peep in to see Travis and Connor playing with her. Clarisse muttering something about "there's my favourite Jackson kid!" While Katie yells at the Stolls to be careful. "Shh Kat-kit, We're Estelle's favourite! Right baby?" "I'M HER FAVOURITE YOU IDIOTS!" Percy yelling from outside, earning a facepalm from Nico and Annabeth. Will shuddering by just imaging the havoc about to be caused. Thalia arriving just in time to yell "Shut it you losers! I'm her favourite." While grover frowns telling her that she was wrong. "I'm her favourite, excuse you!" "Dream on Goat boy!" "Please seaweed brain." "I bring Estelle chocolates, I'm her favorite." "NICO!" Sally just shaking her head, leaning into Paul, a small smile on her face happy to know her son was at home.

"Cookies are ready!" "No kelp head, you don't all of them!" Thalia and Percy fighting over who'll go to the kitchen to pick the cookies. Nico groaning at his cousin and jumping over Percy's head, making his way to the kitchen, only be tackled by Percy to the ground. "Percy, what in the name of—" but Nico was never able to continue his string of curses as Thalia jumped on the duo lying on the ground. "Pinecone face what do you eat, holy poseidon-" "Percy you're not the one to talk" "Get off me you two!" Annabeth and Katie shaking their head at the three who lay tangled on the ground. Grover just shaking her and walking over them to take the cookies while they fought. "That's not fair!"

Movies. All of them snuggled together on the floor watching some movie Annabeth picked. Percy just leaning into Annabeth's shoulder, Nico half asleep next to him. Travis snuggled into Katie while Connor slept in a tangled mess of blankets, occasionally earning a smack from Clarisse when he got too close to her. Chris just shaking his head at his girlfriend. Grover snoring loudly on the sofa, bitting it off in his sleep.

Merry Christmas. Percy being the first one to wake up after mid night, kissing Annabeth softly, whispering a Merry Christmas. "Merry Christmas to you too, Seaweed brain." He walks around, placing the presents he brough for everyone under the tree. As he settles down between Nico and Annabeth once again, he couldn't help but smile at the tangled mess of Teenagers around him.

Opening Presents. Percy grinning as everyone opens their presents. Thalia squealing loudly at the sight of a leather jacket. "Yours was getting old" Percy shrugged, only to be tackled down by the smaller girl. Annabeth called Piper, wishing them Merry Christmas on behalf of the others and Percy. Her present safe on her finger, a promise ring that read "one day" Nico smiling to himself at the jumper Sally and Percy gave him. Stolls grinning at Katie as she opened her presents. "Holy demeter, you all got me this?" Clarisse getting teary eyed for the slightest second when Percy passed her a jar of cookies. "Mom says it makes you less grumpy." "Don't make me crash it in your head, prissy." Grover letting out a loud squeal looking at the photo album of him, Percy and Annabeth. Percy hugging Annabeth, smiling at friends, no family.

A Merry Christmas indeed.

#percabeth #percy jackson text post #percy jackson #percy and annabeth #percyjacksonandtheolympians #percy jackson headcanon #percabeth headcanon #percabeth textpost #my uwus #percy jackson christmas headcanons #i need a percy #pjo stuff #pjo/hoo #incorrect pjo quotes #annabeth pjo

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missmitchieg · 3 years ago

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The New (Ghost) Kid In The Club

"Babe, we got a new kid in the club today, thanks to Angelina." Fuego announced, an arm around said new kid as he opened the door to backstage and walked toward Dante, who had been chatting with Betsey. "Hi, Bets."

"Oh! Hey, my love." Dante smiled and pressed a kiss to Fuego's lips.

"Hi, Fuego." Betsey grinned, applying eyeliner to her left eye.

"The new kid's name is Jenna." Jenna, a pretty girl with flowing brown curls tied into a ponytail, shining blue-green eyes and a nose covered in freckles, said with a chuckle. "And I'm not a kid, thank you." They joked.

"Oh, my apologies." Fuego said genuinely with a hand to his heart.

"Pleasure to meet you, darling." Dante spoke in his most charming voice and kissed their hand. "My name is Dante."

Betsey felt her jaw drop as she properly took in the pretty girl in front of her, taking a step toward her. "And my name's Betsey." She chimed in and smiled, gently shaking the hand Dante kissed.

"Oh, Fuego's told me so much about both of you!" Jenna clapped excitedly, bouncing on their heels.

"Is that so, Pretty?" Betsey giggled, tucking one of Jenna's loose curls behind their ear gently.

Jenna blushed at that and nodded, smiling at Betsey. "I seem to recall him telling me that the two of you are 'The Best People I Will Ever Meet In The Afterlife'." They said with a grin and bit their lip.

"Oh, well. Can't say I disagree with him, dear." Dante hummed, leaning against the wall. "We are pretty awesome."

Jenna laughed at that. "So your darling husband says." They nodded, already feeling safe and comfortable in the club. "But he didn't say much about Mr. Covington. What's he like?"

"Oh." Fuego laughed, covering his mouth with his hand. "Clay Brain- I mean Caleb! Is very, uhh, very good at hosting parties." He nodded.

"Oh, he knows how to throw a crazy party, my love. Wait until movie night. It gets wild." Dante chuckled. "We should introduce you to the rest of the gang. They'll love you, Jenna. So what do you do?"

"Oh, I play the trumpet. I have since I was six." Jenna answered.

"Ooh, that's a fun instrument." Betsey nodded.

"And it's so cool! Did you know the trumpet was invented by Heinrich Stoelzel and Friedrich Bluhmel in 1818?" Jenna questioned.

"Really? That is fasc- Hi, Angie! Hi, Willie!" Betsey cut herself off as she spotted Angelina walking and chatting with Willie. "That is fascinating."

"Hey, Dante! Fuego! Betsey! This the fresh air you were telling me about, Angie?" Willie asked, always happy to meet a new friend.

"Hi, Angelina." Jenna perked up.

"Hi, sweetie. Yeah, this is Jenna." Angelina smiled, wrapping a protective arm around Jenna's waist.

"Hi, there. I'm Willie." Willie smiled. "Cool boots." They said, admiring Jenna's brown leather boots.

"Thanks! cool crop top." Jenna smiled.

"Jenna was actually telling us about-" Betsey stopped herself and looked at Jenna.

"Oh, I-I go by they and them. That's what feels right to me." Jenna explained.

"Ah." Betsey nodded. "Jenna was telling us they play the trumpet, and they know cool trumpet trivia." She gushed.

Willie quirked an eyebrow and crossed their arms with a smile. "Cool trumpet trivia, you say?"

"Uh huh! Like the fact that early trumpets were made from shell and wood, but more modern trumpets are made from brass." Jenna chimed in, holding up a finger as if telling a very important fact.

"Oh, wood? Really?" Betsey tilted her head, and Jenna nodded, unhooking themself from Angelina and Fuego to walk away with Betsey.

Willie raised their eyebrows as they watched the pair leave arm in arm, pointing a finger at them. "Uhh, what- What just happened?"

"I think..." Angelina chuckled. "Betsey's got a crush."

"Oh." Dante started.

"My." Fuego continued.

"God!" Willie finished excitedly.

"And if I wasn't seeing things!" Dante smirked. "There was a twinkle in Jenna's eyes and they blushed when Bets pushed hair behind their ear." He pointed out.

"You saw that, too?" Fuego gasped excitedly.

"Yes!" Dante nodded.

"Wait, we missed what?" Angelina gasped, absolutely scandalized.

"Ohhh, you two had to be here. It was so cute." Dante said, stepping toward his husband to demonstrate. "Oh, Fuego's told me so much about both of you!" He clapped his hands three times, bouncing on his heels with a big grin.

"Hmm, is that so, Pretty?" Fuego cooed and giggled, reaching a hand up to mime tucking hair behind Dante's ear.

Dante blushed and nodded, giving Fuego a genuine smile.

"Ohhhhh, no." Willie almost cackled, their hands flying up to cover their face in second hand embarrassment. "They're so smitten already."

"Don't act like you weren't exactly the same way with that blonde boy you showed up with a month ago." Dante sassed him, and Willie blushed madly.

"Was I really that b-"

"Yes." Dante, Fuego and Angelina all nodded.

Willie looked at them and groaned, scrubbing a hand over their face. "I don't know if you recall, but his name's Alex and-" They stopped, sighing dreamily. "He's so cool. He's the drummer in his band and he loves to dance and sing and he-" They stopped themself, blushing again. "Oops. I was. Gushing again."

"Yeah, you better not let Clay Brain hear you talk about him again after that disaster performance." Fuego warned.

"I know." Willie sighed, putting on a smile when Betsey and Jenna came back arm in arm, laughing at something. "Aww."

"Willie, did you really bring in a boy you knew for a week because you wanted to impress him?" Jenna laughed.

Willie nodded, tucking a strand of hair that fell out of their bun back. "He was nice and he and his friends needed a good time."

"And Wills totally had a crush on him." Dante piped up.

"Good thing it was mutual. Bad thing Caleb had to meddle and ruin it." Fuego scrunched his face up.

"Ooh, yikes." Betsey nodded with a wince. "Caleb doesn't like us having relationships outside the club."

"Ah." Jenna nodded. "Well. Good thing you and I are both in the club, then." They smiled, standing on their toes to press a kiss to Betsey's cheek.

Betsey let out a tiny squeak of shock and touched her cheek where Jenna kissed her as they walked away to mingle with the rest of the ghosts.

The other four ghosts in the room gasped, smiling at each other as they watched Betsey shake her head and shake out of her shocked state.

"You guys." Angelina snickered.

"Oh." Dante started.

"My." Fuego continued.

"God!" Willie finished excitedly.

"Guys!" Betsey held her hands up. "Please don't be the embarrassing brothers and sister."

"Betsey, my darling. Being the embarrassing brothers and sister is our job." Dante stated dramatically.

Betsey let out a groan, hiding her face in her hands. "Fine, but this means you're not allowed to get mad when I tell Jenna about the time when you got so drunk, you forgot that Fuego was your husband, and when you proposed to him, he said you were already married and you were so happy, you started crying." She threatened.

"Wha-" Dante scoffed. "Oh, my god! That was one time!" He laughed, and everyone joined in.

#julie and the phantoms #Dante #Fuego #Betsey #Jenna #Angelina #Willie #jatp fanfic

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futurewriter2000 · 5 years ago

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If we are not this, then what are we? - pt. 14

A/N: I wanted this to be a fluffy ending but since @with1love1anu thought fluff was boring I did this instead. I think you guys will really love it.

Today was the day.

Today was the day, you will step on that boat and float away into your future. No more looking back. Seven years of hard work are going to pay off.

You smiled to your reflection, dressed in your graduation gown, light makeup and braided hair, just as your first day in this school.

You turned around, taking that last sight of your room, your bed you stressed, cried and laughed on. The nightstand that was filled with so many objects and books- it still stands firmly on its wooden feet.

You felt your heart squeeze in your chest and tears wanting to come out but you pushed them back inside. No way you will let tears ruin your makeup today.

You turned to your mirror, smiling proudly at yourself. “I’m ready.” you said, walking out of your dorm only to find one Hufflepuff shamefully waiting for you outside Slytherin entrance.

He looked up, ashamed of his last nights’ actions and words. His strong arms were dangling from his shoulders as they held onto the hat and his eyes speechless.

You gave him a soft simper, remembering what Will told you and stepping to Davie, embracing him with forgivness.

He wrapped his muscled arms around you and lifted you off the ground for an inch, mumbling into the crook of your neck. “I’m so sorry, (y/n).”

“It’s alright, Davie.” you whispered back, feeling your feet touch the ground and his arms unwrap your body. Your hand placed itself on his cheek and you smiled at his glistened eyes. “Today is the day. We shouldn’t start our new chapter based on past events.”

He smiled taking your hand and kissing your palm sofly, kindly... friendly. “I just want you to know I’m back on my meds- I know Will didn’t tell you but I am on medication and I stopped taking them a while ago.” he let go of you. “I decided it’s better for me to give up alcohol then my meds. I don’t want to put you through what I did last night.”

You felt your eyes tear up but you swallowed them back up because of your makeup, hugging him around his torso. “I’ll always be your best friend, Davie but I really am sorry we can’t be more.” you pulled away and cupped his jaw. “But one day you will find a girl that will love you so much- so much more than me and Will do together.”

“I know.” he placed his hands on top of yours and gently removed them from his jaw, looking at the Slytherin graduates leaving the dungeons and to the lake. “So how about we finally leave this place.”

“I’ve been ready for so long.” you smiled, starting to walk along side him and after the other Slytherins. “Bet Will is already waiting for us?”

“Or he’s back in my dorm getting ready- though I haven’t seen him?”

“What do you mean?”

“Last night we had a talk, of course but I thought after he went to you?”

“He wasn’t with me.” you furrowed your eyebrows.

“He wasn’t? Reckon he went back to get the whiskey, got drunk and lay somewhere?” he laughed and you did the same.

“Ah Will, he probably woke up near Sinatra’s office again.” you shook your head, remembering he often went to his office for some odd reason.

“Sinatra always gave him detention, so I wouldn’t be shocked.”

You laughed. You laughed all the way to the lake, reminiscing of all the adventures and the memories you had with those boys. You and Davie were back on being friends, you were going to see James and talk to him- clearly you haven’t thought a word to say to him but it didn’t matter. This was new chapter.

It was your new chapter.

---

You and Davie were one of the first who got there. There were many Ravenclaws, quite a lot of Slytherins, some Gryfindors and you were pretty sure Davie was the only early Hufflepuff.

He narrowed his eyes at the group and scoffed. “I’ll be damned. Cannot believe I am betraying my own house’s stereotype on my last day of Hogwarts. Should I go back, be a bit late?” he nudged you with a grin.

“I mean... at least you’re early once.”

“True...true but that’s breaking my own personal record.”

You shoved him away, laughing and rolling your eyes at the same time. “Childish games, Coleman. We are now becoming adults!” you beamed at the view and put your hands on your hips.

“Speak for yourself!” he scoffed.

“Can’t believe that on their last day of Hogwarts- on their graduation day! They forgot their hats!” you heard Remus complain to Peter.

“Even I didn’t forget.” Peter replied with a laugh, trying to keep up with Remus long steps.

“EXACTLY!” they passed the two of you by meanwhile you and Davie just exchanged looks.

“You know... sometimes I wonder how Will and you are not besties with those two gits.” you looked at Davie beside you.

“Why?”

“Because all four of you are the most reckless human beings I met.”

---

Sirius and James did actually bump into Will on their way to the lake.

Sirius was pushing and goading James as they ran, clearly racing him to the boats as James kept pulling Sirius’ gown behind him, laughing.

“Always a Chaser, Potter but never a winner!” Sirius laughed as he kept running faster and faster.

James was sprinting after him but never quite catching up. “I’d say Moony is always the one chasing your arse on full moon and you running away like a whimp you are!” James panted after him, hearing Sirius laugh.

“You say it’s a curse but I say being bootylicious is a blessing!”

James started laughing and losing his breath at the same time. He had to stop running, just to laugh it out and get some air in his lungs. Sirius ran back to him, patting him on the back.

“There there mate.” he cooed. “Some people are meant to get grey at a young age.”

“You’re a dick.” James panted, holding onto his knees before straightning his posture and staring at the distance. “Shit my lungs are giving up!” he groaned, feeling a bit dizzy from the exhaustion.

“Oh, look. It’s Willie- OI!” Sirius shouted, cupping his mouth and waving at the Hufflepuff at afar. “OI!- HEY! COCKER!” he kept shouting and waving at the Hufflepuff.

James looked ahead, narrowing his eyes at the Hufflepuff dragging himself against the wall.

“Bloody sucker isn’t even dressed yet.” Sirius smiled as James kept trying to clear out the view.

Something wasn’t right.

Will was bent down, barely walking- dragging his feet behind him as his knees slowly started to give in, pulling themselves on the ground. James furrowed his eyebrows and saw Will’s hand leaving red stains on the wall.

“Pads, he’s bleeding!” James shouted and sprinted to the Hufflepuff, Sirius close behind him but Will was already on the floor, whimperin quietly. “Will! WILL?!” he shouted, looking up at Sirius and ordering him to get some help. Sirius ran as fast as he could, faster than before and leaving James at Will’s side.

James grabbed Will’s hand and squeezed it tightly. He noticed the ripped clothing and bite marks on Will’s body- werewolf bitemarks.

Bu- but last night wasn’t a full moon. Remus was with them all night- it couldn’t-

“Grey-” William started to speak, his voice shaking with his body. “-back.” he let out, feeling his eyelids close.

“Chill out, mate! Pad- I mean Sirius is going to get help and we’ll get you in a hospital and Pomfrey is going to make you good as new- you hear me! “ James rushed, grabbing Will under his armpits and lifting him up. “BLOODY HELL, COCKER?! What are you eating?!”

But Will was quiet. Quiet and still.

“Will?” James stopped dragging him, trying to get a response back. “Will?!” he let him go on the floor gently and rushing to his side. “Bloody hell, Will!!” he pressed his fingers to Will’s wrist. “Come on-” he muttered under his breath, shutting his mouth up completely and focusing his whole senses on Will’s heartbeat.

It wasn’t there.

No!

- It was but it was faint. “Thank God!” James breathed out, relieved and slapping Will’s cheeks.

“Come on, mate! I know we’re not exactly besties but you have to wake up.” he kept tapping his cheeks, findinf him paler and paler with seconds. “Merlin, curse the day I didn’t take First aid lessons-” he looked up at the ceiling, gritting his teeth and praying to God to help him save this man. He looked back down on his pale and wounded face and gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry bout this-” he said before slapping his cheek so hard it burnt James’ palm.

“OOOOOHHH- BROTHERLY FUCKING HELL!” Will woke up and groaned, turning to his side.

“GODRIC’S BLOODY HAT-!” James groaned beside him, holding onto his palm. “What are you!? Made of metal?!” he glared at the Hufflepuff as the Hufflepuff shot him a glare back.

“You slapped a bleeding man and you’re the one in pain?!”

“I don’t know! You were half dead a minute ago! I thought you didn’t feel any pain?!”

“I swear to the four founders that I have no idea what (y/n) ever sees in you.” he added as he crouched, holding onto his bleeding hip.

James felt the need to smile to that. Not because he wanted to but because it genuienly made him happy whenever you were brought up to discussion. “Wha- what do you mean?” he asked, grinning and scratching the back of his neck.

“She hasn’t told you yet?” Will said, furrowing his eyebrows at James before starting to laugh.

“Told me what?”

“That girl amazes me sometimes.”

“Yeah but can-”

“Oh dear lord!” McGonagall’s voice cut in as she appeared around the corner, shocked from the sight of one of her students covered in blood.

Four more teachers as well as professor Dumbledore appeared behind her, Sirius and other students as well but not you. No, you were at the lake, waiting.

The professors cleared the corridor, flicking their wands and taking Will away, James by his side.

“Why’d you stay?” Will asked, smiling at James with a toothy grin.

“Bloody had to ask? (y/n) would kill me if you died.”

“Well, it would be fun making her life misrable as two annoying ghosts, wouldn’t you think?” he joked, caughing and causing the other professors beside him supress their smiles.

“Could teach you some ways- got quite experiances on that area.” James kept walking along side him, all to the hospital wing where everybody stopped. James looked at Will’s golden-brown eyes and had thoughts running in his mind.

This was the boy who stole his girl and this was the boy he fought in Sinastra’s class- the boy who he thought he hated... up until now. Up until he looked in his golden eyes and saw himself in there.

“She loves you, Potter. Don’t do anything stupid.” Will smiled, lifting up his arm and opening up his hand.

James grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. “How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” he smiled, letting go of his hand as Will laughed.

“We’re gonna be great friends, Potter! That’s a promise!” he shouted as he disappeared behind the door, sending James another toothy grin before the door left him standing, alone and smiling.

James stood, looking at the door and thinking to himself that finally, he’s going to start fresh.

He thought of Will’s words over and over in his head- about you. About you loving him.

And as he turned around, leaning on the wall and sliding down to the floor, he thought.

‘You and me. I would get an apartment with Sirius as you would live with your two best friends. We would start dating- Davie would be hard to convince but nothing a good charm can’t take. Our first kiss as a couple, our first time- the plan of marrying you would finally come back after 8 years and-’

“James!” he heard you calling and he imediatelly stood up, standing still and being unable to speak.

He saw the look in your eyes- your makeup was ruined. The tears finally came out and you were standing, looking at the man with blood of her best friend.

He knew how it looked like. He looked down on his hands and saw exactly that. He saw the blood and the dirt of your best friend on his hands.

He didn’t know what to say, so he just kept muttering and suttering as he tried to tell you but not knowing what exactly.

What was he supposed to tell you, looking like this?

You put your hand over your mouth and ran to him, wrapping your arms around his shoulder and bringing him to you.

Surprised as he was, he let his hands hang down his body, contemplating whether to hug you or not.

He did. Of course, he did. To have you in his arms after all the two of you had gone through in the past 400 something days was euphoric. To feel your hair on his skin, your scent in his lungs, your warmth on his body- it was euphoric.

“I’m so sorry.” he muttered into the crook of your neck meanwhile you only squeezed him tighter and pulled away.

“Is he going to be okay?”

“Well, he was talking back to me like an arse, so I think he’ll be fine.” James smiled, still holding onto your hips and watching you.

He hasn’t had you this up close since the night in the woods. You had a bit burnt cheeks since the last time he saw you- it outlined your eyes so goddamn perfectly, despite the tears they held.

“What happened?” you asked, bringing him back from the daze.

“Uh- Sirius and I were running down the corridor, being late and all and we saw cocker, teased him a bit before finally realizing that something was wrong. We ran to him, Sirius went to get help, I stayed with him and he-” James stopped, thinking back on it.

How could he forget? He told him so clearly.

“He said-” James kept on thinking back. “He said Greyback.” he looked at you with wide eyes.

If Greyback was in the woods that meant that he is on the castle grounds, which means more students are in danger.

He let go of you, opening the doors forcefully in front of him to tell professor Dumbledore the horrible realization but before he could do any of it, his feet melted onto the floor and his eyes on the white cover over the Hufflepuff’s body.

His heart turned cold and still. It felt like someone cut through his body as he watched the body on the bed.

The professors were gathered around him, Madam Pomfrey with all medications and potions by her side but resting her hands on the bed.

She mourned. They all mourned and James couldn’t bring himself to realize that the boy who was minutes ago alive and well, joking with him and promising him friendship- now cold, pale and still under the cover.

His eye broke- it was as if somehthing cracked in half when he realized the surroundings.

“Professor.” he whimpered and all the professors turned around with wide eyes, finally noticing the boy who stormed inside.

“Potter!” McGonagall exclaimed, trying to make her way to him but James finally started to move forward.

“He’s- he is- he is not dead! He ISN’T DEAD!” he started to shout desperately.

“Mister Potter.” McGonagall started to walk after him, trying to calm him down but unsucessful.

“HE ISN’T DEAD! IT’S FAINT! IT’S FAINT BUT IT’S THERE! JUST LIKE BEFORE!!” he ran to his side and took a hold of his wrist, waiting for the heartbeat...

waiting...

“James?” you entered right after him, just as Davie and Sirius and the other students that wanted to come in but Dumbledore shut the door after you, not letting anybody else in than just you.

James looked up at you. “I- (y/n)- he was alive. He- I just need to listen.”

“The bleeding was severe, Mister Potter. It was too late-”

“NO!” he cut madam Pomfrey off as he continued to press his fingers on Will’s wrist. “YOU PROMISED!” he shouted, letting go of his wrist as he continued to shout, pushing himself away from the body and running his hands thorugh his hair. He looked up at the ceiling, fat, hot tears falling from his eyes. “You bloody promised.” he started to sob, feeling your hands wrap on his shoulders and collapsing on the floor, you holding him tightly against your own body.

“You did enough- the rest was up to him.” you whispered calmly, holding him as he cried in your arms, grabbing your gown and burrying his head into it.

“He was a boy- just like me- he should have lived.”

#james potter #james potter x reader #james potter imagine #sirius black imagine #marauders #marauders era #maruaders imagines #maruaders x reader

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