#I love Ethan green A LOT | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

casiia · 2 years ago

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virgin!ethan landry buying condoms before attending a party with chad (idk this would be so funny and awkward😭😭😭)

[ 𝐬��𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐞 ੈ✩‧₊˚]

pairing .: ethan landry x reader

genre .: suggestive

word count .: 3k

warnings .: suggestive content (minors dni.), female reader, alcohol indulgence, dry humping

author's note .: SORRY NO SMUT! just a lot of plot! but i had soo much fun writing this, whoever requested this i think you’re so funny! i originally was going to add smut but lack of motivation. my little nerd boy psycho getting teased by shirtless farmer chad makes me giggle. but i hope you guys love this as much as i do because i’m giggling soso bad. also i don’t have a dick i’ve never bought condoms b4 so i tried my best errr. also also guys please b careful when drinking at parties. this is just a lot of plot and lowkey ethan x chad (im slash jay) but if enough people want it i will write smut in a part 2.

“wait why are you turning? we’re supposed to go down this street for another light.”

the muted sound of rain echoes inside the car; droplets of water splattering against the fogged windshield blurred the bright traffic lights, a mixture of green and red reflecting against the dash.

“pitstop. gotta pick up some stuff.” chad taps his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently – waiting for the light to turn green. his thumb smooths over the grooves that were engraved in the leather, frustration threatening to expose from his composed state. “get the fuck off your phone! go, the light is green.”

“pick up stuff? not drugs, right…?” ethan looks up from his phone, his illuminated screen lighting his features from the shadows of the night. with a buzz, he focuses his attention back to his device. a smile graces his lips as he reads over your notification, fingers moving quick to type a response to you.

“no, not drugs. condoms.”

adjusting the seat belt that suddenly became uncomfortable around his neck, ethan swallows thickly, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. “oh.”

“i mean, you’re gonna need them. i doubt nothing’s gonna happen between you and her tonight.” pulling into the lot, chad cheekily smiles over to his friend, playfully hitting his arm.

“w-what? we aren’t anything serious, i don’t think she looks at me like that.” leaning towards the window to escape chad’s ruthless teasing, he resisted the urge to check the notification that had vibrated his phone – knowing it was from you.

“she definitely does, she’s always giving you that look.” throwing his hands up in gratitude when he found a parking spot, chad carefully pulled into the tight spot. “you guys are so annoying, everyone can see it but you two.”

“what look?” unbuckling his seat belt with a click, ethan chews on his bottom lip to stop the smile that threatened to show on his face.

“the ‘i want to fuck you’ look.” turning the engine off with the twist of a key, chad unbuckles and climbs out of the car. “just fuck already, what’s stopping you.” watching ethan take off the cardboard helmet of his costume, he chuckles lightly. “i mean, she wants to fuck a guy dressed up as a cardboard robot.”

“hey. it’s from that movie murder party, and maybe put on a shirt before you comment on my costume.” opening the passenger door, ethan reaches into the back seat, grabbing a plain white tank and tossing it to the shirtless farmer standing in the drizzling rain.

“oh right.”

“i don’t think there is a ‘fuck me look’ i think you’re thinking way into things.” stepping out and shutting the door, ethan stuffs his phone and wallet into his back pocket, walking towards the pharmacy with long strides to avoid the rain.

“what would you know, you’re a virgin.” locking the car with a loud beep, chad swings his lanyard around his fingers, letting his keys jangle against each other carelessly. laughing loudly when he catches a glimpse of ethan’s shocked expression, he holds his hands out in reassurance. “well i mean, after tonight you won’t be.”

“i’m not gonna do anything with her unless she wants me to.” walking past the automated doors, he waits for chad to walk in front of him, not wanting to waste time and lead the two into the wrong aisle.

“well of course, but it’s better to be safe than sorry at the end of the night. don’t wanna get her pregnant or anything.” chad grins, walking towards an aisle in the back – almost too easily, like he’s been here a million times.

“right. how do you…put one on?” glancing at the many colorful boxes to his left, he clears his throat when turning to his right, staring at the shelf of the pregnancy test.

“open the wrapper, careful not to rip it that’s important, then just slide it on. if it’s that much trouble just ask the girl.” chad hums to the music playing overhead in the store, squatting down to get a peak at the bottom shelves.

“oh, okay. what about lube, think i’ll need that?” eyeing the different brands of condoms, he feels his phone buzz again, the weight of his phone all of a sudden feeling heavy in his pants.

2 messages from angel girl

ethan smiles at the notifications, quickly swiping into his phone to answer you. warmth bubbles in his chest as he replies, watching his message turn from sent to read in just a second.

“hey, are you listening to me?”

“huh?” looking up from his phone, his smile drops, snapping out of his dazed state.

“i said, lube is a waste of money. just use spit, works the same if you can also get her wet.” picking up a box of magnums, chad stands from his squatted position, patting out the creases in his pants before heading to the register. “there’s nothing to be worried about, bro. just make sure you focus when it happens, stay in the moment. the usual.”

“mhm.” now very anxious, ethan trails behind his roommate with twisted fingers. “maybe i should take the costume off?” picking at the hem of his shirt under the cardboard vest, he laughs awkwardly; imagining you taking his ridiculous costume off before climbing under the blankets had him shaking his head.

“maybe just keep the helmet, can’t not dress up at a halloween party.” grabbing his wallet from his pocket once they reached the self checkout machines, he scanned the box before swiping his card. “we should go, mindy’s been on my ass.”

the two of them ran to the car, seeking shelter from the rain that turned from a light drizzle to a thundering pour. ethan ran his hands through his hair, combing his damp brown hair out of his face. leaning back into the leather seat with a huff, he groaned dragging his hands down his cheeks, the cardboard around his chest stiffening his movements.

slipping his arms into the cut out holes, he shimmied the fake armor over his head and let it clumsily fall into the back seat. memories of you and him making the costume made him frown; he thought back to how pretty you look with ruffled hair, sitting on his bedroom floor in only pajamas, cutting away at the cardboard material with kid scissors, cursing at him when he accidentally cut out of the traced lines.

the loud crinkle of plastic strips him of his thoughts, chad loudly tearing into the box. “take a few. i’m just gonna leave the box in the car…for later.”

“think you’re gonna end up with tara tonight?” ethan teases with a smirk. picking at the golden packs, he holds them up to the window, letting the plastic shine against the dull streetlight.

“shut up, now strap in. we’re already late i cannot take another text from mindy.”

the far-off sound of music caught ethan’s attention as chad pulled into the neighborhood, a variety of cars piled into the driveway and along the street, lights flashing from the windows inside the house.

grabbing his poorly made helmet made of cardboard, he slipped it over his head, making sure it sat comfortably and evenly on top of his hair.

“did tara tell you what she was gonna wear?” checking his phone for your notification, ethan frowned slightly when finding out you had left him on read. he was only a few paces from the house, where he would soon find you. although the more he thought of you, the more the nerves began to eat at him. would you even want to sleep with him, what if he was going to make a fool of himself – what if you friendzoned him. rubbing his forehead with a sigh, he stuffed a few condoms into his pockets, his heart beating out of his chest.

“pirate i think, wanted to match but it was too last minute. what about your girl?” making sure the car was locked after they had got out, chad shoves his keys into his pants, letting the lanyard hang within view.

“she didn’t want to tell me, said it was gonna be a surprise.” feeling his heartbeat in his ears, ethan balled his fist tightly, fingernails digging into the palms of his hands. he didn’t want to mess things up with you, he was scared – scared that he would mess things up and lose the best person that had ever shown up in his life.

“relax, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“i’m trying, i’m just nervous. i don’t want things to go the wrong way tonight, what if i misread her.” stopping outside the door, he could hear the roar of music, walls vibrating with each base drop. the faint smell of marijuana and alcohol tickled his nose, his face churning immediately at the unpleasant smell.

“whatever happens is for a reason, don’t make sex your first priority. if she wants to fuck you, which im sure she does, she’ll make it clear. stop worrying.” chad places a hand on the brunette’s shoulder, squeezing comfortably.

“right. make sure i don’t drink too much? i actually want to remember this night.” taking one last deep breath, ethan turns the knob on the door, finally arriving at the party. an overwhelming amount of people crowded the kitchen, abandoned red solo cups lingering all over the house.

pushing through the crowd of people with curt apologies, ethan scanned over the horde of tipsy college students, looking for your face in the midst of it all. relaxing a bit when he saw anika in the corner of the room with mindy, he glanced over his shoulder to see if chad was following him before nudging his way through to his friends across the room.

“where have you guys been? i thought we agreed to be here 45 minutes ago!” mindy throws exasperated hands in the air, eyebrows raised mockingly.

“traffic. where’s y/n?” frowning when he didn’t see you amongst the other girls, he turned back to the kitchen to see if you were stuffed in there.

“she was here a second ago.i think she went to ask tara if she knew where you were, but honestly who knows where that little pirate could be.” anika shrugs lightly at the question, repositioning her legs over her girlfriend’s. “what’s going on with you two anyways?”

“noth-”

“ethan?”

spinning on his heel at the sound of your voice, he can’t help but let a smile paint his lips. his voice catching in his throat when he sees you, he drops his arms to his side. jaw dropping ever so slightly, he couldn’t stop the way he looked you up and down, engraving your image in the back of his mind.

you were head to toe in white; high socks that squeezed the fat of your thighs, a white mini skirt that just barely covered the curve of your ass, a semi see through corset, and to top it all off – a pair of small feathery wings that sat on your exposed shoulders.

“an angel.”

“surprise! where’s the rest of your costume? we worked so hard on it.” stepping closer to him to fix his lopsided helmet, you brushed hair out of his eyes with a pout.

“left it in the car, didn’t want it to get ruined or anything.” looking down at you with a smile, he lets his hands wander to your hips; his thumbs caressing your skin just above the waistline of your short mini skirt.

“oh, that’s a shame. you looked so cute in it.” pinching his cheeks in a playful manner, you bit your lip with a laugh, watching him squirm away from you. “let’s get a drink, i’ve been waiting for you.”

grabbing his hand in your left, you intertwined your fingers together, pulling him to the crowded kitchen. half filled bottles and empty plastic cups littered the marble countertop, a sticky residue sheening over the surface of the table.

“hm, i think there’s enough for a couple shots.”

letting go of his hand but still keeping him close, you leaned over the island to grab cups; unscrewing the cap of a half empty vodka bottle, you chewed your lip in concentration, completely eyeballing the amount of liquor you poured into the plastic cup.

“bottoms up, baby!” bringing the cup up to your lips, you cringed lightly, the smell of alcohol making your eyes water. squeezing your eyes shut tightly, you tilted your head back letting the liquid flow into your mouth before swallowing. shaking your head with a groan, you stuck your tongue out feeling the booze burn down your throat, almost instantly warming your chest. “so gross.”

ethan hesitated before drinking the foul smelling alcohol, coughing abruptly afterwards. “not worth it.” hearing you laugh at him, he teasingly shoved your shoulder with a soft smile. “do you think…we could talk?”

“we’re talking right now, pretty boy.” starting to pour another round of shots, you briefly glanced up at him at his silence. “is something wrong?”

“nothing’s wrong, i just meant talk in private.” taking off his fake helmet, he nervously rubbed the back of his neck – patiently waiting for you to finish taking another shot before replying.

“let’s go upstairs.” wiping your lips with the back of your hand, you tossed your now empty cups in the trash before grabbing his wrist and pulling him through the house. music blaring uncomfortably in your ear, you took in your surroundings before leaving; people at every inch of the house, a line forming for the bathroom, corners where couples made out, and a couch where all of your friends sat. catching chad’s eye, he gave you a knowing smirk while raising his eyebrows. flipping him off in return, you squeezed ethan’s wrist lightly, guiding him up the stairs and to an empty bedroom.

ethan tried his hardest not to look up your skirt while you walked in front of him, but of course he failed. he caught a glimpse of your undergarments – pretty pink panties with a white lace lining the edges. swallowing his guilt, he shifted his gaze back to the ground, fearing that he would get worked up the longer he stared. “do you know where you’re going?”

“not in the slightest, but it’s a big house, there’s bound to be one more vacant bedroom.” jiggling the knobs of each door, you giggled quietly hearing the muted moans from inside occupied rooms. “oh here.” twisting the handle and peeking inside, you opened the door for him when deeming it was clear.

closing and locking the door behind you, you made your way over to the bed, sitting on the edge with your hands neatly folded in your lap. “what’s on your mind? you’re kinda scaring me.”

dropping his costume prop near the door, ethan covered his face, groaning into his hands before finally piling up enough courage to look you in the eye. “what are we?”

“what do you mean?” furrowing your brows with an awkward laugh, you could feel heat creep up your neck, the liquor settling in your stomach.

“you’re always calling me these names, and touching me in ways you don’t do with anyone else. i just want to know if you’re playing with me.” sitting next to you on the bed, he kept a fair distance respecting your boundaries. “i like you a lot. more than i want to, i need to know if you feel the same.”

“i-” sighing loudly with shaky hands, you shifted your position, sitting on your knees while facing him. the hem of your skirt creeping up your thighs as you sat back. “i like you too, i just didn’t know how to tell you.” crawling closer to him, you reached for his hand, pressing his palm to your heart. “this is how you make me feel. all the time.”

“can i kiss you?”

nodding with a big grin, you let him lean forward to connect your lips. putting a hand on his shoulder to stabilize yourself, you hummed softly feeling him pull you closer, straight into his lap. the kiss was sweet and soft, lips moving slowly against each other, teeth clashing together with inexperience. you wrapped your arms around his neck, slightly grinding your hips down into his. “fuck, sorry.”

whining into your mouth, ethan squeezed your hips harshly. “no, please. again, m’felt good.” pulling away from your lips with a heavy pant, he cupped your face, thumb smoothing over your cheekbone.

“yeah? s’that why you brought me up here?” giggling, you rolled your hips again, the seam of his pants nudging at your clothed clit. lips parting with a quiet moan, you bit the inside of your cheek, a blush painting your cheeks.

“maybe.” tilting your head up with his thumb, he pressed kisses down your exposed neck, nibbling and sucking numerous marks along the way. “fuck, i want you.” slipping his hand down your back, he squeezed the fat of your ass, mumbling against your neck.

“i know, baby. but not tonight.” pushing him away just enough to see his face, you pressed a sweet kiss to the button of his nose. “want your first time to be something you’ll remember, not even a little bit fuzzy.”

opening his mouth in protest, you shook your head – your opinion already set in stone. pecking his lips one last time, you climbed off of his lap.

“you’re such a tease”

🏷 .:@loaksbitch @sullybby @dilfverz my stinkies

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jeanforestauthor · 1 month ago

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Perhaps You Would Like To Read My Book For Free?

Hi! I would like you to read my book. In fact I'd like you to do that so much that the e-book is literally free.

In The Princess and the Peaches we follow Ethan, a young man with a lot of heart, and not much spine, who is struggling to run a small failing grocery store after the untimely death of his parents. Ethan also has the misfortune of being a thoroughly Normal Guy in a world where fairytales are far more fact than fiction.

Ethan has always lived with the understanding that magic was quite firmly None of his Business, but when a wayward Princess falls victim to a curse inside his shop, he is informed by an iron-fisted Fairy Godperson that it has suddenly become Entirely his Business.

As a result, Ethan is forced to deal with flirtatious dragons, sadistic Princes, and more than a few deep seated insecurities.

So look, I won't insult you by trotting out all the tropes I've jammed into this baby. You're cool. We're cooler than that. However, I will say that if you're looking for a read that's fresh, and funny, I truly believe you'll enjoy my book.

Also it's free. Like seriously, no strings attached, free. It's available through these venues:

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Chapter 1

It was always the same dream.

For twenty-some years Ethan Green had enjoyed placid, peaceful sleep. He'd had boring, pointless dreams and loved it. Then everything had changed, and now, for four years, it had been the same stupid nightmare, every single night. He drifted through it, carried along in its insistent, unchanging rhythm.

He passed through the living room, warm and full of light. Meandered towards the door, his stride easy and unhurried. At this point, Ethan always somehow felt calm, even eager, despite knowing how this was inevitably going to end. Reflecting on it later, he knew it made a sad kind of sense. This was the only way he could see them now.

He heard them before he'd even reached the door. Laughter so deep and loud it sounded like trains passing outside the window. Then a quiet, lilting tone, rising and falling like birdsong.

With one twist of the handle, one swing of the door, he stepped out into the bright, sun drenched storefront, and for just a brief moment, everything felt right.

Ethan's gaze traveled over the deep velvety green of the walls, the worn pine floor, dappled with light. He looked at the big, arched windows, draped in the same old green gingham curtains, heard the quiet chatter of customers, and now, just like every time, he could swear he smelled the scent of sweet, ripe peaches.

And then came the moment he always anticipated. His view swept from the windows, to the neat, trim counter waiting at the front of the store, over the battered old till, up into the lively, animated face of his father.

He was exactly the way Ethan remembered him. Big as a bear and nearly as hairy, booming with laughter, his rough, calloused fingers almost too large for the spindly keys on the register. Ethan took in his twinkling eyes and crooked grin fervently, as if to fix every minute detail in his memory.

And then there, nestled in amongst the bins and barrels of fresh fruit was his mother, as small and willowy as his father was large, but no less intimidating. Her voice was bright, her movements brisk and efficient. Ethan watched her long, elegant hands tug trimly at the curtains and found himself remembering the way they'd often done the same at the collars of his shirts.

Ethan basked in this moment, like the sight of a sunset, brief and fleeting.

Because of course, it never lasted. It started with the windows, like Every. Single. Time.

Small cracks, that began to spread, like ugly, spiraling spider webs, reaching greedily for the corners of the panes, until suddenly with a deafening crash, the air was full of cascading shards of glass. As usual, his parents made no reaction, still cheerful, unshaken. Ethan always tried to reach them, even while knowing it was pointless.

"Dad!" He cried, working off the same unending script. "The windows! What's happening!?"

His father turned to him, a placid smile in place.

"It's alright, kiddo, don't worry. I know you can handle it." He replied in his deep, bass rumble.

Ethan stared down at his feet, shifting through the piles of shattered glass.

"But dad-"

Then the fruit would go. Where there was once jewel-bright piles of fresh, ripe produce, suddenly there would be putrid mounds of rotted fruit, their stench overpowering.

"Mom!? How did this-!?"

His mother would give him that soft, exasperated look, like he'd forgotten to comb his hair again.

"Ethan, it's okay, honey. We know you'll take care of it."

And then came the groaning, rending sound of splintering wood, and Ethan's heart would drop into his stomach. The long beams overhead would begin to tear, shaking dust from the ceiling. Every inch of the walls would begin to crack and buckle.

Ethan would look to his parents, still blissfully smiling back at him. "Everything's falling apart! Can't you see it!? Come on, help me!" He'd cry.

"Ethan calm down," His mother would laugh, "Everything will be fine." "Yeah kiddo," His father would add with a grin, "You'll just need to take care of it."

And like every time, Ethan would find himself brought up short, paralyzed. He'd stand in the midst of the destruction, his whole life going to ruins around him, and he'd be useless.

"You can do it." His father would add, with such perfect, maddening certainty.

"But…" Ethan muttered, as always, his voice strangely clear among the chaos. "But I don't know how."

Ethan awoke, a few seconds before his alarm, like always, just a little too late to stop it from going off. It's grating, jangling tones piercing straight into the center of Ethan's brain.

He levered himself out of bed immediately. A Green did not snooze, he told himself wearily, not when there was work to be done. Ethan had never once in his life slept past the alarm and today was no exception.

Groggily, he shuffled into the bathroom and stared at his reflection. There was that curly mop of comb-destroying hair. There were those same, tired brown eyes. A nose a little too long, a mouth a little too feminine, a frame far, far too scrawny.

Nothing new here.

He went through his usual routine, dressing in the same white shirt, and the same green slacks he wore just about every day of his adult life. He slipped on the same, stiff loafers, and then… Well, then the apron.

He'd thought he'd have gotten used to it by now. He'd seen it on his parents since he was a child. He'd worn it himself since he was a teenager. But somehow, it still managed to give him pause. Probably because it was hideous.

Family legend said that his great grandmother had chosen the color because it reminded her of springtime, of freshness. Most people Ethan knew would never in their wildest dreams have come to these associations. Looking at it, the words of Ethan's best friend ran through his head.

"If that's fresh anything, it's fresh vomit. Unhealthy vomit. Go to the doctor, something's gone wrong, vomit."

But… It had been a family tradition for generations. It was the Green family's trademark.

And so, dutifully, Ethan put it on, tying it in a tight double knot, even though it made it near impossible to get off later. It was what he always did. It was how it had always been done.

With heavy feet, he trudged downstairs, into the living room. In truth, it looked almost no different from his dreams. Everything was still in its place, untouched, as it had been for four years now. A few low couches, huddled around the room, a tall bookshelf standing sentinel in the corner, a battered TV sitting silent nearby. The same pictures, arrayed on the mantelpiece, familiar faces staring out. It was exactly the same, an almost perfect monument to the way things used to be… except.

It was so empty. Ethan had managed to preserve every inch of the room, as though nothing had changed, but somehow, like sand slipping through his fingers, he hadn't been able to keep the life that had once existed here, the almost palpable feel of warmth and joy. Now, absence seemed to hang like dust in the air.

Well, that wasn't the only change. Slowly, Ethan made his way over to the bookshelf, and ran his fingers over the glossy, cool stone of the urn sitting high on its shelves. He muttered a quiet, customary, "Good morning." For a moment he forgot his rituals, forgot his duties, and let himself get lost.

The soft tinkle of the bell on the other side of the door jarred him out of his reverie though. There wasn't really time to pause, he reminded himself. With brisk, purposeful steps, he crossed the room and exited out of the dim, musty corners of his home, and into the bright halls of the storefront.

This too, like the living room, differed little from his dreams, although Ethan thought hopefully that the store at least, was less melancholy than the rest of the house. The soft light of sunrise was just filtering through the tall arched windows, catching in the gingham curtains, painting the pine floor.

There was no boisterous, laughing man behind the front counter though. Instead, there sat Todd… Or lounged Todd, his sandy, brush cut head lying in a nest of insultingly well muscled arms.

This too, Ethan had to concede, wasn't exactly new. Since Ethan had begun running the shop, Todd worked every morning, the same time, same as Ethan, and yet somehow stubbornly refused to adjust himself to actually being awake during sed time. And as he had every morning, Ethan considered that if Todd hadn't been his best friend, he'd probably have fired him by now. That, and he was pretty good at moving boxes.

Sighing, Ethan made his way over to the stool Todd had precariously perched himself on and gave it a lazy kick. Todd awoke with a start, scrambling to keep upright.

"Am I keeping you awake Todd?" Ethan asked with a weary smile.

"Bro, you are single handedly destroying my sleep cycle, but what else is new?" Todd replied groggily, "Why'd you wake me up? You don't even need me for anything."

"The produce shipment-" Ethan began.

"-Probably won't come until noon," Todd concluded sourly.

Ethan scowled. "You've noticed that too huh? He used to come first thing a few years ago… Now he's been coming later and later…"

"Fine by me, I'm in no hurry to play packhorse." Todd replied with a jaw cracking yawn.

"It's your job Todd. Being awake, by the way, is also your job."

"Yeah, when there's shit to do. Trust me, I'll be all over those boxes when they come. I'll hit those boxes like they owed me money. Fuckin' Prince of boxes over here. But for now, no boxes, no customers… So no Todd," He muttered, laying his head down again.

"Todd, come on man. You've gotta do something. Remember what dad used to say? If you've got time to lean-"

"- You've got time to clean, yeah I remember. And don't get me wrong bro, your dad was a regular fountain of wisdom, but it's gonna be a long friggin' day. The dust will still be there after my power nap."

Shaking his head, Ethan abandoned his efforts to rouse Todd and fetched his old push broom from its resting place nearby.

It was worn, it's bristles tattered, it's paint chipped, and it was heavier than a broom had any right to be, the shaft made of what Ethan suspected was solid metal, but it had been in the family for generations, and it fit in Ethan's hand like it was made just for him. Wearily, he took it and made a few halfhearted swipes at the floor, but had to concede that all he was doing was likely wearing more of the already thin varnish off the boards. He'd spent most of last night aimlessly sweeping too, after all. It wasn't like there were customers to keep them busy.

Todd looked up, and seemed to notice the despondent look on Ethan's face.

"Hey man, I'm just fuckin' around. You know I'll work hard today." "Yeah Todd, I know, I'm not really worried about you," Ethan replied quietly.

Todd stood and made his way over to Ethan, awkwardly clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry so much dude. Things will get better. Today's gonna be different! I can feel it!" Todd exclaimed with as much enthusiasm as one could have at six in the morning.

"I don't really want it to be different," Ethan sighed, "I'd rather things… went back to being the same."

Todd scowled. "Well, tough. I said today's gonna be different, and it will. You wait and see, bro."

"Alright," Ethan laughed, "If you say so."

As the day wore on, things certainly seemed far from different. As Todd predicted, the produce shipment came extraordinarily late. True to his word, Todd tackled the task with gusto. Ethan was forced to admit, when there was actual work to be done, Todd was a model employee. It was just sheer boredom that tripped him up.

Unfortunately, boredom was the one commodity they had in plenty at the store. Once the crates were squared away, the produce stocked, there was little else to be found, because as Ethan had predicted, only a few, meandering customers made their way into the store all day. Even fewer had bought anything.

As evening began to fall, Ethan gradually found that even he was running out of mindless busywork for himself, and so, he began to fall back on entertaining Todd's inane chatter.

"Hey, bro!" Todd called from the front of the store. From where Ethan stood, crowded in the far corner, surrounded by crates of fruit, he could only just make out Todd's frame leaning languidly on the counter, a newspaper in hand. "Did you read this story? The one in the paper today?"

"You mean that paper we're supposed to be selling?" Ethan sighed. "Yeah, whatever dude, listen up. Apparently there was a dragon attack in South Mills. Isn't that crazy?"

Ethan scowled. "A dragon? An actual like… wild dragon? I thought those were pretty rare."

"Yeah, I know right? I guess it's the first attack in like, five years or something," Todd paused, laying down the paper, "Hey… do you think something like that could happen here?" He added, in a tone far more hopeful than frightened.

"Here?" Ethan didn't even give the question a moment's consideration, "No way. That stuff happens out in the country, not in the middle of downtown. Not here."

"I dunno, could happen. Oh! like I heard from my cousin’s friend's sister, there was that place down on Pine St, that mom and pop diner? Anyhow, so I guess the health inspector was due to visit, and they were freaking out because they'd never make the grade, right? And then like, overnight, they get one of those… Uh, those little bastards… What're they called? Something like food… a muffin?"

"A Brownie," Ethan supplied wearily.

"Yeah! That's the thing! Anyhow, I guess one of those moves in, and suddenly the next morning their kitchen is totally clean and up to code! So see man, that kind of thing happens around here."

Ethan shook his head. "Don't hold your breath Todd. This place isn't exactly magical."

Ethan had always been vaguely aware of Magic, in the same way one could be vaguely aware that elephants existed. It was a part of life for some people, and sometimes interesting to hear about, but Ethan sure as hell didn't want it in his shop. A Green, he could almost hear his father saying, did not rely on Magic. Hard work, courage and love had their own magic, he would state, and it was all their family ever needed. Ethan held by this attitude dutifully… Not that anything remotely Magical had ever shown up at his door. Life at the shop had been blissfully routine for years, so much so that it was almost easy to forget that Magic even existed to begin with.

"Still, it'd be cool," Todd muttered.

Ethan smirked. "What, you want a dragon to come burn the shop down?"

Todd heaved a sigh. "Well at least then I'd get weekends off…"

Ethan paused, a twinge of guilt running through him. "Look…" He began awkwardly, "I'm… I'm really sorry you've had to work so much lately. It's just, you know, money's tight… I can't really afford to hire…"

"Bro," Todd cut in with a laugh, "Shut the fuck up man. I don't care. I didn't really mean what I said, you know that."

"I… Yeah," Ethan sighed, "I just… Feel bad."

"You always feel bad. Constantly. You're like a little rain cloud of pure downer. Come on, bro, don't take me so seriously. I don't."

"Yeah okay. Just, I don't wanna be that boss, y'know?"

"You aren't dude. Calm down. Sweep or something, that'll cheer you up."

"Great advice. Thanks, Todd." Ethan shot back sarcastically.

"Anytime." Todd replied with cheerful sincerity.

Aggravatingly, as closing hour neared, Ethan really was still sweeping.

There was no real aim. He just skated his broom around the shop, letting his mind wander, trying to keep visions of red ink and out of business signs out of his head. He was startled out of these thoughts however, by a sharp jab to the back.

"Ow! F-Fudge!" He muttered.

He heard Todd creak on his stool. "The spinning wheel?" He drawled lazily.

Ethan wheeled to eye the contraption in question. "Yeah, the stupid thing."

"Goddamn, that's got to be the fifth time this week. You'd think you'd steer clear of that thing by now.”

"You'd think…" Ethan muttered darkly.

He hated that spinning wheel. Hated it. Nearly every day of his life he'd had to dodge its spindle, jutting out into the aisles, taking up precious space. But his mother, and his grandmother, and her mother before that had been enamored with it. Made the place look rustic, they'd said, homey. Made it a death trap, Ethan thought murderously to himself. But still, he couldn't bring himself to remove it. It was a part of the shop. Tradition.

He was still rubbing his sore back when the smell met his nose. He felt his stomach sink. Rotten fruit. Again. Just what he needed. Striding over to the produce, he bent over the bin of peaches and poked at them experimentally. Their flesh gave way, revealing their slick, browning insides, releasing that same putrid odor. Ethan suppressed a groan of frustration.

"Todd!" He called.

"Yeah, what?"

"Did you forget to swap out yesterday's peaches?"

Todd poked his head down the aisle, scowling. "No man. I restocked those today, my own two hands."

"They're friggin' rotten again!"

"Again? That's weird. They looked okay when I stocked them, I guess," Todd shrugged.

"Well, they're garbage now," Ethan sighed.

Grumbling, Ethan seized a trash bag and set about the unenviable task of discarding the moldering peaches. He was so consumed by his frustration that he didn't even hear the bell tinkling on the front door. After a few minutes though, he couldn't help but notice Todd's frantic attempts to get his attention from behind the counter. "Bro!" Todd hissed, "Bro c'mere! C'mere c'mere!"

Ethan wasn't sure why Todd was bothering to whisper, considering that he was also windmilling his arms enthusiastically. With a sigh, Ethan set down his bag and wandered over.

"What is it, Todd?" He asked wearily.

"Check it, bro. Unbelievable," Todd breathed, gesturing down the central aisle.

Ethan followed his gaze. It was a girl. That was unsurprising. Todd never hesitated to point out a shapely looking lady or two, with just as much finesse as he was doing now. Ethan usually didn't humor these gawking sessions, a little too respectful and very much too terrified to scope out women, but this time, he found he couldn't quite tear his eyes away.

She was beautiful. Radiantly, impossibly beautiful.

She was short, but not too short, perhaps a full head below Ethan. Her hair was cropped startlingly, boyishly close, but it was a color that Ethan, though a not poetic sort, could only describe as honey-gold. Though she wore loose, casual clothes; a t-shirt, jeans, a scarf hanging about her neck, she bore them as if they were the finest regalia.

She stood near the coolers, inspecting a drink, and as she moved Ethan found himself taking in even the tiniest aspects of her delicate form. She had slender, perfect fingers. Rosy, cherubic, perfect lips. A pert, perfect nose. Indeed as Ethan stared, he began to realize that just about everything on her was perfect, in a very uniform, depthless kind of way. This idea suddenly changed his awe to unnerved fixation. There was something… uncanny about her.

If you'd asked a man to describe what a perfect woman looked like, aside from her haircut and clothes, they likely would have rattled off her exact attributes. There were no flaws, no quirks, nothing curious or odd on her body anywhere. Not a single freckle, beauty mark, scar, wrinkle. She was of perfect proportion, curvaceous, but not overly so. Her ears were cute ears, her brows were cute brows. Even before he caught sight of her eyes, he could predict their color, a pure brilliant sky blue. The entire effect was one of a lovely woman, to make no mistake, but something struck him as off. She seemed so… generically gorgeous. So… homogenized.

Still, she was a girl, and she was beautiful, and so Todd's next words brought a twist to Ethan's stomach.

"Go talk to her, bro."

Ethan whirled to face Todd. "What!?" He hissed.

"Yeah, dude, go talk to her! One of us has to! We can't let a babe like that walk out the door without saying something!"

"Yes we can! And why me!?"

Todd shrugged. "I know my limits dude. A girl like that? Wouldn't say two words to me. But you've got that whole kicked-puppy thing going on. Girls love that. Go talk to her."

"I… What?"

"Besides, you deserve a break. Maybe if you got a girlfriend you'd stop moping for once."

"I am not going to go over there and hit on her!" Ethan exclaimed, a little more loudly than he'd intended. He froze, panicked for a moment. Had she heard? He snuck a glance at her, but she was still staring impassively at her drink. He could have sworn he heard a snicker though.

"Relax dude. I didn't tell you to go ask her to marry you. Just say something to her."

"Like what!?" Ethan demanded quietly.

"I don't know man, like, "Hey, need help finding anything?" At the very least you gotta go help her out. It's good customer service."

Ethan paused. In a roundabout way, Todd was right. She was a customer, and so far all he'd done was stare at her. His parents would be mortified.

"Okay, well… yeah. I'm going to go help her. But I mean… Just because it's my job," He stammered.

"Sure bro. Good luck. I'll be here, thinking up baby names for you." Ethan scowled and shook his head, but nonetheless gathered his courage and began to approach the mystery girl. He saw her gaze slant over to him, and it hit him like an electric shock. Suddenly Ethan became painfully aware of his every flaw, and imagined a few new ones for good measure. Was he walking funny? Did he always walk like that? How did walking work again?

His suddenly stilted gait carried him to her, and as she stared up at him expectantly, he remembered that now he was supposed to talk. "Hhhh…." He began. It was supposed to be Hi, but the I had jumped ship somewhere between his brain and his lungs. "So, can I… find… anything?"

Somewhere, in the back of his skull, a cruelly rational part of him began dissecting his sentence, and concluded that it was at least missing a verb and a pronoun. It decided that the obvious remedy to this problem was to make him blush furiously. The girl bit her lip. Ethan wasn't sure what this was supposed to mean, but he had a suspicion it meant something, in the mystic language of girl.

"Uh, yeah, no, I'm just looking at the sodas," She replied with a fluttering smile.

She had a soft, lilting voice. The kind you expected to hear raised in song. Just listening to it Ethan had the impression that pan flutes and violins were on standby.

"Oh. Okay. Sodas are… good," Ethan murmured. He could hear Todd's hand hit his forehead all the way from the front of the store.

"Yeah, uh… right. So…" The girl murmured back awkwardly.

"So…" Was all Ethan could manage to reply.

He knew this was his cue to walk away. But he just… couldn't. It was as if something intoxicating was radiating off this girl, like a perfume. It fixed him to his place, denying him the dignity of a hasty retreat. He was struggling for some kind of rational explanation for this when the girl cleared her throat.

"Look," She began. Her lyrical voice had taken on a wearied, flat tone, to very odd effect. "I'm sorry. This isn't your fault."

"Wait, what's not my fault?"

"The awkwardness."

Her bluntness was surprising, but somehow Ethan found himself laughing. "Oh. No. I'm pretty sure it's all my fault. It's kind of what I do."

The girl laughed in return, and it sounded like bells. "No, seriously though. I have this effect on everyone. It's not just you."

Ethan's mouth beat his brain. "Well, yeah, because you're gorgeous."

From the front came the distinct noise of Todd falling off his chair.

To his relief and bewilderment, she laughed again. "Uh huh. I know. It's kind of part and parcel of the whole gig. I'm, uh… Well see, I'm a Princess."

Ethan blinked. Even as his mouth was saying, "What?" His mind was quickly putting the pieces together. It made sense, actually.

Up to now, Ethan had only seen Princesses on the television, generally being paraded as some kind of prize in reality shows. The formula was always the same, a few handsome Princes, some perilous trials, and in the end, a happily ever after, or so the tabloids purported. The Princess in question had always stuck Ethan as more of a prop than a person, bubbly, vacuous, grinning glossily as men risked life and limb in the pursuit of their hands, cooing breathlessly as they were carried away into the sunset like hunted pelts on the back of some ridiculous horse. And they all looked the same. A minor variation in hair or skin color, height, features, but nearly always the same, tame, brand name beautiful. Looking at this girl now, he realized that she fit the same mold perfectly, as though she'd been crafted on the same assembly line.

At any rate, Princesses, like Magic, were something that didn't happen to Ethan Green. So despite instantly believing her confession, it took a few moments for the gears in his head to restart.

"Yeah, so, I guess it's normal that you're… y'know, staring and everything," She muttered, "It's okay. Well actually it's not okay, I mean, it's kind of a pain in the ass, but it's not like you're the only one."

Ethan shook his head. "I… I'm sorry. I just… Why are you in my shop!?" He blurted.

The Princess regarded him frostily, a strange expression on her angelic face. "Excuse me?"

"No! No no, I didn't mean that like, 'Get out of my shop or anything' it's just that… Aren't you guys usually-?"

Her expression only darkened, her long fingers gripping the top of her soda viciously. "Aren't we usually what? Fawning out windows, waiting for our Prince to come? Embroidering our wedding gowns? What are you saying, 'Shouldn't you be in your tower?!'"

"No! No, jeez, no," Ethan cried, holding his hands up placatingly, "I just… You're here, doing… Normal people stuff. I mean, Princesses aren't… Normal."

Somehow, he knew it was the wrong thing the moment he said it. Still, he didn't expect the tears that sprang up in her eyes.

"No. We're not. Thanks for reminding me." She seethed. Roughly, she jammed the soda back into the cooler, and wheeled around. Ethan expected her to storm off, but instead she froze.

"Miss? Please Miss… Uh, or your highness, or… whatever. I'm sorry." Ethan stammered out.

She didn't turn, didn't move.

"Miss? Are you alright?"

He walked as close as he dared to her. She was still fixed in place, and as Ethan watched her, he could see she was barely breathing.

Baffled, he followed her gaze. She was staring, wide eyed, unblinking, at the spinning wheel.

She let out a small, defeated breath. Spoke only two words.

"Oh, fuck."

Then, moving like a woman possessed, she stepped forward, stretched out a hand, and pricked her finger on the spindle. Then dropped like a sack of rocks.

Chapter 2

Ethan gaped for a second, staring at her sprawled body, stepping away from it like it was toxic. It took him a few seconds to find his voice. It took him longer to form actual words.

"Oh fu- Oh sh- Oh God. Oh god oh man. Ohhhhhh god oh man oh god…"

"Bro?" Came Todd's voice tentatively from the front.

"TODD!"

"Whoa, Bro, what!?" Todd called, scrambling out from behind the counter.

"TODD!" Ethan cried again, pointing to her prone body.

"OH SHIT!" Todd yelped, jumping back. "WHAT THE FUCK, BRO!? I told you to talk to her, not club her like a fucking seal!"

"I didn't! I was talking to her, and then she flipped out, and then she… died?"

"OH FUCK, IS SHE DEAD!?" Todd roared.

"I DON'T KNOW! I don't know! I don't know, I just… SEE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I TALK TO GIRLS!"

Todd let out a small burst of hysterical laughter. "Oh shit, Bro, you're a real lady killer."

"NOT FUNNY!"

"Okay. Okay, just chill, just… Just chill," Todd took a deep breath, ran his hands through his crop of hair, "Okay. First aid right? Do we check her pulse, or… CPR? Mouth to mouth?" He offered vaguely.

"I wouldn't recommend that." Came a dry voice from behind them. Both of them jumped. Todd let out what could only accurately be described as a squeal.

Whirling, Ethan came face to face with the most bizarre looking woman he'd ever seen in his life.

She wasn't quite young, but she wasn't quite old either. Something about her eyes suggested a certain august maturity, but her face had a glossy, flawless quality to it, not unlike the Princess. Her hair was a faint lavender, pulled into a rather intricate bun at the crown of her head. In truth, everything about her was lavender, from her severe, sensible pumps to her glittering, wire rim spectacles. She even seemed to emanate a nearly imperceptible lavender aura. Her clothes smacked of the same sickly hue. Ethan was just a bit at a loss for how to describe them though.

It looked like a pantsuit, tailored by someone given only the barest description of what that entailed, and with a fanciful imagination. Flairs and curlicues and embroideries plagued the thing. Ethan absently made out that her buttons were in fact twee little violet butterflies.

And then of course, there were the wings. Gossamer, gaudy affairs, in the same precise shade of Lavender. They reached above her head, and came to an almost menacing hooked peak. They swallow-tailed beneath her, trailing just above the ground.

Ethan absorbed all of this in just a few stunned seconds. Sheer panic made him a studious observer. As the shock wore off, he felt Todd, gripping his arm so hard he was losing sensation.

"Whathafuckisthat?" Todd squeaked.

The woman… person… thing, straightened her glasses and scowled. "My name is Louise. I'm your Godperson attendant for this juncture," She answered. Her voice was somewhere in a bland, middle range, sterile and professional, the type of voice one chose for answering machine menus.

"Our what?" Ethan breathed.

"Here, take my card." She twiddled her fingers and in a blink of an eye a small card appeared in her hand, lavender of course. As Ethan took it, he noted absently that it gave off a strange, nauseatingly sweet smell.

"Wherethafuckyoucomefrom?" Todd cut in again.

"I teleported. Standard procedure. Much more efficient than flying,"

She stated as if this were self-evident, "Now, before we continue chatting, I have to observe protocol," She cleared her throat, staring Ethan square in the face. Her eyes were god damn lavender colored, "We have received notice that on these premises, a Princess has succumbed to a Curse, and as such as initiated her Trial Phase." She had a remarkable ability for pronouncing capital letters. Everything was said with an inflection of slight annoyance.

"Uh, Miss Godperson… Louise. Ma'am. May I ask a few questions?" Ethan ventured, struggling to tread water.

"By all means."

"Okay. So. Princess?"

"Her." Louise replied flatly, pointing to the girl sprawled on the floor.

"Okay… Curse?"

"The Spinning Wheel's Spindle. A rather old fashioned method. Usually avoided nowadays, the whole Coma business can put Princes off rather a bit, but it was deemed… Necessary in her case. Nonetheless, it was rather hard to trigger. I have to say I'm grateful for your assistance in that matter."

"Assist? I didn't push her into the thing!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Of course not. It would have drawn her in the moment she saw it. All the same, I'm glad you have one lying around. They're hard to come by."

"I… Yeah, sure… Anyhow. Uh… Trial Phase?"

"Ah, now here is where we really talk business. Are you the owner of these premises?" She demanded, fixing Ethan with a piercing gaze.

For a moment, Ethan almost said no. Some part of him still knew it as his parents' house. Their shop. Their home. But no, it was only his now.

"Yes. Yes I'm the owner," He nodded.

"Well then, as such, you are required, by code, to permit the use of these premises for use in the Princess' trials, and house her person until such a time as the trials are complete and a suitable Prince has awoken her."

"Waitwaitwait," Todd chimed in, "Trials? Like… Those crazy fuckin' things we see on TV? Riding up glass hills, and slaying dragons and shit?"

Louise looked at Todd as one might regard a diseased dog. "Yes, sir. Those sorts of trials. It's customary, once a Princess enters her Trial Phase, for Princes to compete for her hand. The onus of hosting these trials always falls on the owner of the-"

"Premises the Princess conks out on," Ethan surmised.

"In the cases of Magically Induced Comas, yes," Louise agreed.

"So you're going to roost a dragon in my SHOP!?" Ethan roared.

"There's no need to become excitable," Louise huffed, "Any and all damages you suffer will be compensated for. Honestly, most people are delighted to host Trials. It can be quite lucrative, you know."

"Lucrative?" Todd mumbled.

"Indeed. If you so choose, many Media outlets are happy to televise the proceedings, and pay a handsome fee for the privilege."

"No," Ethan replied firmly.

"Are you sure? It's quite routine nowadays," Louise replied airily.

"No. No media, no money, no… No trials! I don't want this! Take the girl but leave me alone!" He cried.

A look of frosty severity crossed Louise's face, momentarily contorting it into something that appeared not entirely human. Both he and Todd backed up a step. "You Don't Have A Choice Mr. Green," She intoned, every capital crisp.

"But… But this is my shop! It's my family's shop, it's been ours for generations!" Ethan protested.

"From the minute that girl fainted on your floor, for all intents and purposes, this shop became property of Fate, Mr. Green," Louise insisted.

"You can't…"

"I can. I will. You have very little choice in the matter. What choice you do have, I suggest you exercise wisely." She put firmly. Ethan felt the argument close like a pair of iron doors. "Now, as I said, you can still make a fine profit from this venture-"

"No, I still stand by what I said. No cameras." Ethan pressed. She was right. If this was the only choice he had, he was going to make the proper one. The Greens did not indulge in spectacle. The Greens didn't caper for money. The Greens did not seek fame. These were truths Ethan understood as firmly as his own name.

"Suit yourself," Louise dismissed, "It's not required. All that is required is that you don't impede the process. Do what you like with the Princess' body. Whatever is most convenient. I warn you though, lest you get visions of glory, that kissing her would be ill advised. Or any other kind of… miscreancy with her body, but kissing will have the most adverse effects."

"I… What!? No! God no! I'm not kissing a girl in a coma!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Fuckin' right! That's creepy as balls!" Todd nodded.

"Good. See to it you maintain that attitude and I think we'll have a very amicable partnership." Louise declared cordially.

Ethan was less than reassured. He looked around his shop and fervently began to wish he really had told the Princess to get the hell out, customer service be damned.

"Oh cheer up," Louise pronounced. She sported something that it took several seconds for Ethan to realize was supposed to be a smile. "You're about to be aiding in the pursuit of True Love."

She pronounced the last two words in such a fashion that Ethan almost saw the letters TM floating after them.

"I… Okay?"

"Don't worry, dear," The endearment came off more than a little scripted, "I'll take care of the particulars. All you have to do is sit back and stay out of the way. Who knows, you may even find it entertaining."

"I… But… Okay?"

"Good lad. Now then. I have a lot of business to attend to. We must get cracking as soon as possible, very eager to wrap this case up. That being said, how does tomorrow night, around nine o'clock fetch you?"

"For what?" Ethan asked numbly.

"Well the trial of course!" Louise exclaimed, "Honestly, do keep up."

"Uh, well, it is after close," Ethan reasoned lamely.

"Lovely. Works for both of us. Good to see you're becoming more agreeable." Louise flashed another dubious smile.

"I… Yeah, no problem," Ethan replied dazedly.

"Well, if that's all that sorted, I'll be on my way. You can expect the Dragon sometime around Eight, I expect."

"The… wait, what, seriously!?" Ethan exclaimed.

"Good day!" Louise replied brightly. There was a slight flash, a small sound like rushing air, and then she was gone.

He and Todd stood stock still for what must have been minutes. When Todd finally released his grip on Ethan's arm, he left sweaty fingerprints on his shirt.

"Dragon," Ethan muttered absently, "She said Dragon."

"And you said this shit doesn't happen here!" Todd replied with a faint laugh.

"Why Dragons? Why here? Why… Why me?" Ethan whispered. He looked to Todd frantically. "Did I like, murder someone and forget about it? Kick some kittens? How did my luck get this bad!?"

"Well, you did get this chick zonked," Todd chuckled, prodding the girl with his foot.

"Don't kick her! God, what do we do with her? We can't just leave her here," Ethan moaned. Looking at her, sprawled on the hard floor, he already felt a bit guilty he'd ignored her as long as he had.

"We could prop her up in the corner, tape her eyes open, scare the shit out of shoplifters."

"Todd!"

"Alright, dude, just kidding."

"It'll have to be the couch I guess," Ethan sighed, "Come on, help me move her."

Awkwardly, Ethan bent and slipped his hands under her arms, and Todd obligingly gathered up her legs. Lifting her, Ethan found she was actually rather light. He guessed that Todd could have lifted her on his own, but it would have hurt his pride to admit he himself likely couldn't. Together, they shuffled her into the living room.

"She's not really breathing, Eh?" Todd ventured quietly.

Ethan had noticed the same thing. She looked still as death, but her skin was warm, her face rosy. "Yeah… It's creepy," He grunted as he struggled.

"Fuckin' creepy," Todd echoed.

Gesturing with his head, Ethan guided Todd over to the low, green couch set flush against the stairwell. "I don't know if her heart's beating either," He said as they laid her down.

Todd looked down at her, shook his head. "Nope. Nope I don't think it is."

Ethan shuddered. "So creepy."

Todd nodded, then considered a moment more. "Hey so… Hopefully that means she doesn't have to pee, right?"

"Oh jeez. Oh wow that's gross but, yeah."

"Or eat. Or drink or anything…"

"God, where is that stupid Fairy Godperson when you need her?" Ethan hissed.

"More like Fairy Godbitch. What a cu-"

"Todd!" "Country fried fool, as my grandma used to say," Todd recovered. Ethan shot him a smirk, but looking down at the stranger on his couch, he began to get the sensation that he was sliding down a very steep ravine. In actuality, it was a feeling he'd had for a very long time now, but the pace of his descent had gotten markedly faster.

"Bro? You okay?" Todd ventured quietly.

Ethan looked up, aware he'd been staring into space. "Yeah… I mean, well no, but yeah."

"I hear you. Weird fuckin' day, right?"

"Yeah, no kidding," Ethan laughed softly.

They fell into silence again for a minute. Todd seemed to become aware of his surroundings all of a sudden.

"Hey. I just realized. I haven't been back here in like, years. Man, nothing's changed," He remarked.

"Yeah," Ethan replied vaguely. He knew Todd hadn't. No one had, except for a few well-wishing aunts, uncles, cousins, but even they'd stopped visiting months ago. The Princess was the first person to make use of the couch in ages. It always felt too big to sit on alone.

"So what now man?" Todd asked hesitantly.

Ethan shrugged. "I guess… We just close up. Go to bed, right?"

"That's it? You sure I can't do anything else?"

"No. Wait, yeah," Ethan considered, "Can you… Can you get rid of that stupid spinning wheel for me? Just wrap it in a tarp and stick it in storage or something?"

Todd gaped openly, "Wait, for real?"

Ethan nodded wearily, "Uh, yeah. If it's not too much trouble."

"Hell no! I'd cart that fucking thing to an active volcano if you asked me, bro! But, I mean, I thought you wanted to keep it around. Because of… You know…"

Ethan knew. Some part of it felt like a betrayal, even thinking about discarding it. It was a piece of his memories, something his mother had been fond of… But he HATED it. The thing had stretched his tolerance just by hulking in the corner, but now it seemed it was actively trying to spite him. No more. It had to go.

"Yeah, Todd. I knew I said we should keep it around but… Well that's before I knew the thing was a friggin' Princess trap.," He laughed.

Todd chuckled in return. "It was like a freaking predator man! Waitin' for nubile young Princesses to wander into its clutches. It was probably practicing on you all these years."

"I don't look like a Princess," Ethan pouted.

"Sure, whatever you say, bro." Todd laughed. Turning, he strode on his heel, whistling cheerfully.

#writing #free books #fantasy #books #books and reading #fiction

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decaf-mother · 5 months ago

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[Vanilla]

Ethan Winters x F!Reader

Warnings: MDNI, Smut, Pussy Spanking, Bondage, Fingering, Orgasm Denial (Edging), Mean!Ethan

Summary: Your not-so-vanilla husband corrects your behavior.

Vanilla… Like the cake you baked for him for his birthday. That's how most saw your beloved husband - vanilla… Oh, but they couldn't be more wrong.

Sure, lots of nights he wanted to be soft and slow, make love to you like you were the only person in the universe that mattered…. But some nights it got filthy.

“I'm sorry!”

You yelped out as his hand meets your already sore pussy, a light slap delivered that sent a stinging pain straight through your very core, your legs held apart - ankles tied to the bedposts… Your hands cuffed to the headboard. Nowhere to go.

“Are you really, sweetheart? I don't think I believe you.”

You had thought it'd be fun to tease your husband earlier in the kitchen, wearing a cute sundress with no panties underneath, pretending to drop something and flashing him… Playing that game all morning - even though you knew he had to go to work and didn't have time to play… But god when he got home tonight.

“Color?”

“Green.”

His fingers dip into your pussy nice and slow, thumb rolling your sore clit, your body fights against the restraints but you're unsure if It's to get closer or get away. He repeatedly curls his fingers just right, having learned your body better than even you yourself knew.

“You're so damn greedy, y’know that?”

Your whine is broken and desperate as he pulls his beautiful fingers away, just as you were almost there, he simply flicks your clit lightly and watches the way you flinch again.

“This is your punishment, remember? Take it like a good girl.”

Oh and take it you did… Over and over. After all - your mold husband could be pretty relentless and certainly didn't lack energy.

#mdni #dom!ethan winters #ethan winters smut #ethan winters x f!reader #ethan winters x reader #ethan winters x you #resident evil x f!reader #resident evil smut #resident evil x reader #resident evil x you #mean!ethan winters #vee's resident evil works

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friedcheesemogu · 1 month ago

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WHY WILLIAM BRANDT IS MY FAVORITE "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE" CHARACTER

This is a presentation I made for my discord last year, mostly for my own enjoyment, hopefully someone else will find it fun.

(I will state up front that it doesn't include anything about "M:I: Dead Reckoning" or any speculation on "Final Reckoning." For reasons.) Grab your snacks, here we go:

Hi. Thanks for coming.

Once upon a time, back in 2011, a friend wanted to go see "Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol." I had seen "MI2" in theaters, promptly forgotten about it, and mostly we were going to this because my friend loved Simon Pegg, and this Jeremy Renner dude was going to be playing Hawkeye in the spring in "Avengers" so we were interested in checking him out. I liked the character of William Brandt a lot, and was very relieved when he wasn't the bad guy.

I then promptly forgot about him for the next 9 years.

In the summer of 2020, my housemate brought home the MI blu-ray set. When he put on MI1, I started off across the room from the TV, slowly crawling closer, climbing over the couch, finally committing to it... and had a great time. I mean, MI2 is hot garbage, but whatever, doves, man. MI3 was solid, and then I saw "Ghost Protocol," and I imprinted on William Brandt. Like hardcore. Like it makes me look stupid.

But I can't talk about him without first talking about...

I. ETHAN HUNT

Have you seen this man? Now you have.

So I see the MI series as a long term character journey for Ethan.

Each movie is different and each Ethan is different, based on where he is in life. (And yes, I know that's also because up until a point they all had different directors, but hear me out).

MI1:

The cocky beginner with nothing to lose. Well... he loses a few things, but by the end of it, he's pretty well set up. He also plans to get out of the game until the very end.

MI2:

Ethan's emo phase. He's becoming better at his job and he knows it, he's careless and rash with himself and with other people. And again he walks away at the end.

MI3:

"I'm trying to be normal." Ethan's gotten older, and is initially out of the field, and he wants to try that, he wants to see if he can have a civilian life with the woman he loves, live in a house, have a dog... He genuinely loves Julia and wants to be with her. Even at the end, I think he still has an idea that he can balance this life with IMF.

But then...

MI4:

This is the turning point. This is the crux of the change.

A friend once said that GP "isn't essential to watch" and my argument to that was, "what the fuck." Let's look into this.

Up until this point, Ethan's attitude has been "I can leave/I want to leave."

In MI3, he even asks Luther to "remember a life before all this," assuming and idealizing that as something better than what he is or what he has when he's with IMF

GP is the first time that Ethan is in it from the beginning. He's not green. He's not on vacation. He's not trying to run. He's been in a Russian Prison for two years and he put himself there. Now we start to see that his priorities have shifted, or at least, his priorities have made it such that he feels/needs/wants to be in the game. And here we find out what he's given up to do it: his marriage, his freedom, his physical and mental wellbeing (inasmuch as Ethan ever thinks about his mental wellbeing, but that's a different post)

At the end, it's the first time we see him walk directly towards another mission instead instead of trying to get away.

This is also the first time he seems to really appreciate his team and hold himself and them accountable to each other. After talking to The Fog, the team that was chosen for him.

...becomes the team he chooses.

(Please take a moment to admire how cute they are, how helpful. Jane Carter, my queen. Benji Dunn, my moppet.)

And part of the team he chooses to finish the job includes that guy that they "inherited:"

He chooses William Brandt.

LET'S LOOK AT THESE FINE BITCHES A FEW MORE TIMES:

*muffled "Crew" by Dessa" playing the background*

This image is my phone case.

Anyway, let's get to the main event: why William Brandt?

II. WILL

I'm gonna refer to him as "Will" from this point on, because this man is my baby. He is tattooed on my thigh. We are close, and every time I think about the fact that he is the only team member who never gets called anything but "Brandt" it breaks my heart. So I'm not gonna do that to him.

Will is unlike any team member Ethan has ever had.

Most people want to work with Ethan. Will would rather be anywhere else. He's an unwilling participant. He doubts his abilities and his usefulness even though he has the training and he knows the job. He's nervous. He's not ready for this. He doesn't want to do it...but he has to. So he will.

Ethan can't read him

Ethan is extremely good at figuring people out, or at least coming up with a rough idea of who they are/what they're after very quickly (traitors notwithstanding). But Will hides his true self perfectly. Well... almost.

Until he was actually fighting for his life, Ethan and the others assumed Will was just baggage. The fact that Ethan pauses mid fight to notice Will breaking a dude's leg is notable, because that's the moment he realizes he's misjudged him completely. Will has the ability to blend in and not seem like a threat, when the truth is, he's as fast as Ethan and can more than hold his own.

This scene is so fast that even though I've watched it about 436 times I still can't follow their hands and MY GOD it's so sexy I want to throw my computer across the room.

Will can pass in both the political world that Ethan shuns and on the field. He works with Hunley while simultaneously subverting him. He's able to do the field work in Mumbai and play along flawlessly in London in "Rogue Nation."

There is no literally reason for Ethan to say "you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine" in that tone of voice while they look each other up and down unless...

Anyway.

2. Will has real and believable pain and guilt

Will spends all of GP working with someone whose life he feels responsible for ruining. Whose wife he feels responsible for killing. He's haunted by Croatia and it's visible on his face when he talks about it to Jane and Benji (thank you Jeremy Renner). His emotions are crippling in a way that has never been addressed before, because they bring up what Ethan has only started to accept at this point: the cost of what they do is that you can lose people, forever. You can lose your faith in the job, in yourself, and sometimes that breaks you. Will, for all his high position, skill, and intelligence, considers himself a failure.

It's also worth noting that he and Jane are interesting parallels: they were both in charge of missions where they fucked up and now have to face their mistakes directly to fix them. But Jane is able to take her anger and her pain and turn it around; it takes Will years to even face it, and that's only under duress. That he rises to the occasion is to his credit, but it's hardly unreasonable to be so shaken by how you've failed that it takes a very long time to pick yourself back up.

3. Loyalty

Something I feel Will never really gets credit for is his loyalty to so many things, even at the cost of his sense of self.

He's loyal to IMF - he never left. Even when he was at his lowest, he did something else within the agency. He committed himself to this and he's going to do it, no matter how much it hurts.

He's beyond loyal to Ethan. Without him, Ethan might not have made it away from Hunley or survived the events of "Rogue Nation." In the tie-in comic "Torn Asunder", it is heavily implied that Will is the one who warns Ethan of when Hunley is getting close. He's on the inside making sure Ethan can stay one step ahead. It's true that Ethan ultimately reaches out to Benji, but that's because Will has a cover that's so deep Luther calls him "a sellout." He's also willing to play the part of the traitor successfully because he's kept Hunley at bay for so long. He also straight up kills someone with a car to save Ethan and Benji (and no one ever thanks him for any of this, by the way).

But he's also one of the few people who ever says "no"

For all his loyalty and commitment to Ethan, he's willing to argue with him -over the briefcase with the codes, over jumping, over what the hell Ethan means when he says "do you see" in the parking lot after Benji is kidnapped- to a point that it becomes more of a fight.

Will is not always right in these situations (or right by the standards of the insane people on the team), but he does have to have things explained, have to be persuaded that this is not some crazy bullshit. He wants the details because he knows those matter -that's his job, to find them, know them, and analyze them. It may seem like he's doubting Ethan when he asks "what happens if you don't make it back," but he's making a reasonable request of someone he knows isn't actually superhuman. Will is well aware that they are both fallible humans, and he takes that into account.

He's just so interesting...

4. Will and Ethan's relationship

Will is Ethan's foil. He left "this life" like Ethan tried so many times, but didn't actually leave any of it behind. He is what Ethan could be if he let the entire weight of his whole life on him (which I'm not saying he should do, not until he has time for a whole lot of therapy) and went "oh my god, what happened, what have I done?"

Will knows how to play by the rules, and thereby how to break them; Ethan breaks the rules to play by his own. Will knows the cost and -for better or worse- lets that keep him from acting; Ethan hopes that if he acts enough it'll balance what it's cost to do it.

Something I think about a lot is this: it's not entirely clear if the Serbian hit squad that "killed" Julia was an actual group of people acting independently or whether the entire thing -and therefore Ethan killing six people- was set up by Ethan and the Secretary. If it's the latter they allowed Will to shoulder the entire blame for the incident (which is super fucked up, by the way). Regardless of whose "job" it was to protect Julia, IMF and Ethan threw Will under several buses. Once he knows this, he could use this against Ethan at any point -a reason not to trust him, a bargaining chip to get what he wants- but he doesn't. Will keeps Ethan's darkest secret and is trusted with it, possibly even before Luther. And he protects it, protects Julia, protects Ethan. Ethan asks Will to compromise everything he is while knowing that Will has the means to destroy him, and Will does it, because he'd rather put himself in danger than betray him. I think that says a lot about him (and again, a simple "thank you" would have been nice).

And of course there's this:

Ethan's life has never been more literally in anyone's hands than Will's. For all the ways Ethan fails to trust him for most of GP, Will doesn't hesitate for a second to jump out the window to save the life of the man who ruined his. And he was fast enough to do it, which I think says a little about his skill level.

(Mad props to Jane too, let's not forget her.)

III. Saturn take the leap

*"Hero" by Faouzia playing gently in the foreground*

Will is the kind of character I find endlessly fascinating. He's got so much going on under the surface, but the surface is so artfully crafted that it's distracting. He's withdrawn, but he's not shy. He's physically adept, but the suit makes you think otherwise. He's obviously very intelligent, and also capable of being a complete salty dumbass jerk. He's sad, and he hurts, but when he's challenged he doesn't back down. He's been watching Ethan's back for a long, long time, and because he didn't get a stupid ending in Fallout, I want to believe he still is.

A word from our sponsor:

If you please, Mr. Cruise:

And I'm so sorry that I've forgotten the source for this one, but it leads me into one of the final, most important points:

DAT ASS

*Janelle Monae's "Yoga" plays loudly and aggressively*

OH HELL YEAH THAT IS MY TWENTY DOLLAR PEACH RIGHT THERE

IV. Thank you!

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope you found it at least a little interesting. Most of this was pieced together from notes I wrote last March that I understood then but past me did not account for future me and so I had to rewrite and rethink some of it. But William Brandt came out of obscurity to conquer my heart and become one of my all-time favorite characters. I sleep with a picture of him next to my bed. Yes I am grown up and pay taxes. This is the form my adulthood has taken.

I'm nervous about coming back to tumblr and still trying to find my footing, but one of the reasons I love fandom and fanfiction because there's so many more stories that can be told outside of the movies., and I want to make them and find them and hear about them. What has Will been doing since the end of RN? Are he and Jane besties? Do they all have movie nights where Benji picks the movie and everyone is like "why have you done this to us?" Let me talk to you about my canon divergence fic where among other things Ilsa is still alive and she and Will are not fond of each other... I personally love Will/Ethan as a ship, and I've dedicated my heart to it (AoT, anyone?), but there's so many options for everyone to pick their favorite character, favorite ship, whatever, and go deeper into them that we get to in the bursts of two to three hours they're on the screen. I'd love to talk with people about them and I'm hoping that I'll get the chance here. And then I can also mention my Mission Impossible dollhouse...

But for now, again, thanks. I really love William Brandt, the end.

#mission impossible #william brandt #will brandt #mission impossible ghost protocol #ethan hunt #benji dunn #jane carter #jeremy renner #tom cruise #jeremy renner's butt

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couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name · 4 months ago

Note

thoughts on the wicked movie?

oh I am preparing for that like one would prepare for a battle lmfao. wicked has never been my favorite show, but it is extremely good, and I honestly don't know how this movie is gonna go 😭

I'm mixed on the cast- ariana is super talented, but 1) she's worryingly unhealthy and It Shows in the trailers, and 2) quite frankly I still think the role should have gone to dove cameron. cynthia's out of this world but 1) she's a bit old for the role, which is fine, but a lot of times I find adults playing teens and twenty somethings very...unbearable (sorry kimberly akimbo 😔) so I worry it could turn into a green evan hansen movie moment and 2) honestly she really did annoy me with that meltdown over the fan edited poster lmfao like I still love her but it's hard not to cringe now lol. jonathan bailey has a beautiful voice and will kill it! ethan slater I think will actually have a little breakout moment and the public opinion on him will sway. I don't mind bowen yang but I also don't understand why he's there. goldblum, yeoh, and dinklage can do no wrong. idk anything about the girl playing nessa but honestly nessa sucks so I don't mind going in blind on her lol.

I think it's dumb as hell that it's being split into two movies- I know that's the general opinion of everyone, but it still needs to be said. the only good songs in act 2 are 'as long as you're mine' and 'for good'. there's not enough to entice people who aren't already diehard fans to come back for more- and like, the first rule of adaptation is to assume the audience isn't familiar with the source material. so I PROPOSE. that the best way to drum up excitement for part 2. is making glinda and elphaba's feelings for each other explicit instead of subtext. I think jon m. chu WOULD do it, but I don't know if the studio and producers would allow it. we shall See. but that's my big prediction for the movie.

I'm also mixed on jon m chu directing because like. listen I love that he did in the heights and had like a huge delayed theater kid awakening moment I really do love that for him. and in the heights WAS a great movie- but a lot of the changes that were made really bugged me lmao. not all of them, but a lot of them. and obviously, since he's dragging it into two movies, changes will be made. theoretically they could just add a bunch of stuff from the book, but like, if they make cuts from the already solid stage story to add in completely new characters and plotlines (like they did for in the heights) I just! don't know that I'll like that sorry

plus the fact alone that they've been trying to make this movie for 20 years like. it has a HUGE shadow to outshine and I Hope it'll pull it off but I don't know that I'm confident it will?

all that being said I WILL be seated in a theater recliner seat wearing pink and green and drinking a cocktail. this is like the superbowl okay.

#molly mumbles #asks #wicked #wicked movie #musicals #reginaofdoctorwho #lmfao

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tychos-huzband · 7 months ago

Text

finally making an intro post lol

(after however long ago 9/16/23, 5:03:16 PM was lmao)

Charlie/Karkat/Jerma/Shrimpo/Greg/Tony/Bob/Fred/Jack/Bugs/Orange/John/Johnny/Fren/Moomintroll/HIM/L/Robbie/Lemon/Onion/Shaggy/Ethan/Tutter/William/Err/Dan/Meat/Chandlo/Cappucceetle/Instabug/Homestar/Terminator/Fry/Filbo/Francis/Anonymous/Anon/Sire/Snorpy/Steve/Bunger/Al/Maxwell/Strabby/GIR/Bopsicle/Dionysus/Vincent/Daniel/Dennis, in order of preference

(pink = main name, green = other actual name)

[[i'm not a system at all i just have a shit ton of names i like the sound of and decided to steal!!]]

FORMALLY benatars-slut and foxxys-huzband

he/it in order of preference

my guestbook !

⬇️ strawpage for basic info ⬇️

⬆️read this first⬆️

extra info

nicknames are great, but i really prefer my true name(s) being used, sorry :<

i'm canonically autistic and am suspected by many to also have adhd

trans boy with issues between me and my entire biological bloodline

golden retriever puppy otherkin

i was a horse in my last life (dutch warmblood to be exact)

SON of @fluxxdog and @silelda , as seen in The Bio™ (they're very cool)

my favorite colors is purple/green/blue

i'm really emotionally sensitive

i apologize a lot because i tend to be a huge people pleaser

my favorite safe food is macaroni and cheese, but i also like spinach alfredo pizza :)

i have WAY too many interests to count jfc

my discord is charlie_the_foolish and my newgrounds is chaoticallyGeneric

i also play ponytown! (my ponytown username is AutisticAdamSandler)

my main ponytown character is mostly just the newest cosplay i've made but here's what's supposed to be my main sona:

i fucking LOVE community and abed nadir is the #1 autism rep unless weird al gets officially diagnosed or hussie confirms that gamzee makara is autistic

scene boy wannabe...

Oopsy Bear, Gudetama and Homsar haters DNI those are my SONS

also please DNI if you ship tygabe or are a fellow Tycho selfshipper!! i am nonsharing so i tend to be very possessive over him, i'm sorry. He's very close to me, as I consider him my husband.

i'm a minor but i do occasionally make/reblog lewd jokes so let me know if you're uncomfortable with that!!

i'm just here to vibe babey

my roleplay sideblogs!!!

Allen the Magic Goose: @some-stupid-goose

Charlie and Tycho: @tycho-and-charlies-doings

#random ramblings #intro post #blog intro #long post #long intro #bluh bluh #important #aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa #asks open #send me asks #please #ask blogs #my spotify is CharliesCuntyInferno if you wanna see my absolute wreck of a main playlist (the fuckin jamz!!!)#or my other more organized music dumps

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dandylion240 · 19 days ago

Text

Jonah slid down the wall, flakes of old paint floating around him. Leaning forward, resting his head on bent knees, hugging his legs close. The single light bulb in the ceiling light fixture sizzled a moment before going out plunging him into darkness. The only light coming from the dingy window looking out towards the gray skies of San Myshuno.

Rain pelted against the glass as thunder rolled across the sky. The scared cries from the room beyond him almost driving him to tears.

All he wanted was a moment of peace. Was that too much to ask?

Unfolding himself he staggered to his feet. What he wouldn’t give for a little sleep. He’d give everything he had, which wasn’t much, for just one hour of uninterrupted sleep. Every step felt as if he were moving through an Irish bog.

“Hey little one,” he murmured softly to the frightened baby. “Daddy’s here.” Lifting the tiny squirming bundle he held his son close. “You’re alright” he soothed trying to ignore the green eyes staring up at him. A silent reminder of another time. Another place.

Twelve months. Hard to believe it had been so long. Back then his biggest concern had been the color of the tie he was going to wear to prom. How had he been so naive to believe that he and Ethan would be together forever?

Prom had been the beginning of the end. He hadn’t seen it coming. If only he had listened to the romance guro who had told him not to make any long term plans with his current boyfriend. At the time he’d brushed it off. What did that guro know? As it turned out she knew more than he did.

Bouncing his son in his arms silencing his frightened cries. His green eyes staring up at him with such love and trust it was hard to ignore where he’d gotten those eyes. The eyes that used to hold such magnetism that his brain short circuited just looking into them. “Don’t worry little one. I’ll never regret the night that gave me you. I just wish I wasn’t so young.” Heaving a weary sigh he kissed the baby’s cheek “I thought I knew everything but I knew nothing.”

“Prom night had been everything I could have asked for” his voice taking on a dreamy tone talking to his son. “Your father was my date. We danced almost every dance together. Ethan knew how much I loved to dance.” A soft smile spread across his face as he recalled that night. “I insisted we sit out a couple. He wasn’t much of a dancer or into a lot of physical activity.”

Cuddling the baby, bouncing him in his arms. “Ethan had the whole night planned. It was our special night. It was the night that brought me you.” His eyes became unfocused his mind carrying him back to that night. He remembered the way their hands shook as they fumbled with their clothes, buttons popping off in their haste to remove them. Their bodies as they touched for the first time without the barriers of clothing between them. It hadn’t been the first time they’d experimented but it had been the first time they’d gone all the way.

With a gasp and a shake of his head Jonah brought himself back to the present time. Holding Eli he looked down giving him a soft smile as his son's tiny fingers curled around his index finger. “Things changed after that. Not right away. Neither of us knew you were on the way.” He kept his voice low and soothing. He knew by the way his son’s eyes drooped that he was being lulled back to sleep by the sound of his voice. “You should have seen him that night” he looked away a yearning expression in his eyes.

He seldom dwelled on the past. On him. The soft stirring of his son in his arms had him looking down. “One day, I hope you’ll be able to meet your father. When he’s ready to meet you.”

Twelve months. Twelve long months. It hadn’t been long enough to fill the hole in his heart or to wipe away all feelings he still had for him. A tear rolled down his cheek. His mind going back to that night. He’d been late as usual. Jayden and Evan had left before he even arrived at the house. His green eyes were apologetic as he took his hands “I’m sorry” he mumbled kissing his cheek his cologne wafting into Jonah’s nose and into his head embedding the scent inside with his memories.

“Its okay” he assured him “you’re here now.” Wrapping his hands around his arm as he tried to beat his parents to the door.

“You can’t leave until we have a picture” Riley insisted coming from the kitchen.

“Dad” rolling his eyes in protest “we’re late.”

“What’s a few more minutes” Jackson teased joining them.

Turning a pleading look on Ethan who only shrugged unconcerned. “I guess” Jonah said resigning himself to having his picture taken for the next ten minutes or so. It was karma coming back to bite him for laughing when it had been his brother and Evan. It wasn’t so funny now.

If only he’d known then what he knew now. His problems had been so insignificant. Pulling a blanket up to swaddle his son he leaned down and kissed his forehead. Breathing in his baby fresh scent. “I wish things could have been different” he whispered moving towards the door as quietly as he could without disturbing him.

#eli reagan #jonah reagan #ts4 #darkest before dawn #simblr #sim story #book 1

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diorsluv · 1 year ago

Text

feather , part 11

“ i got you blocked ”

series m. list previous chapter next chapter

( socialmedia!au )

markestapa

liked by edwards.73, mackie.samo, yourusername, and 49,736 others

markestapa this dumbass decided she’s staying at my house for the winter break 🙄🙄

tagged: yourusername

view all comments

yourusername disclaimer i told him not to pick me up but he grabbed me anyways (I DID NOT CONSENT)

→ markestapa for someone always worried about rumors u seem to be perfectly fine LYING TO THE PUBLIC RN

→ yourusername OKAY BUT I’M ACTUALLY TELLING THE TRUTH

edwards.73 dont forget abt me i’m coming tomorrow

→ yourusername we’re gonna have soooo much fun!! (god save me i beg)

→ markestapa WE CAN TAKE YOU TO THE SMALL POND AT THE PARK edwards.73

→ lhughes_06 yo me, jack, quinn and duker are gonna be there in like 3 days

→ mackie.samo i’m already here 💪

username58 i feel so bad, our mini drysdale is gonna be surrounded by all those boys for a whole month

→ yourusername it’s not anything new unfortunately 😔

_alexturcotte seems like you and mark are having a lot of fun!

→ yourusername yup.. (i have to share a bathroom with him, ethan and mackie as soon as everyone else gets here)

→ bookerburke_ ur not like.. uncomfortable with that or anything? yourusername

→ yourusername no i stay over at theirs after parties all the time, i’m used to it don’t worry ❤️ bookerburke_

→ bookerburke_ oh…. ok

username45 STOP THEYRE MY FAVORITE PAIR

jamie.drysdale my mom’s still sad she didn’t wanna come to the bahamas with us

→ markestapa she told my mom 💀💀

→ yourusername IT’S SO EXPENSIVE AND I NEED TO STUDY ANYWAY

→ jamie.drysdale IT’S CALLED A BREAK FOR A REASON DUMMY

username49 if i wasn’t an avid dryshughes shipper then i would totally go for drystapa

→ username8 she has a bf now 😭

→ username90 doesn’t look like it username8

→ username60 I CAN’T username90 THAT’S SO FOUL

yourusername

liked by edwards.73, markestapa, trevorzegras, and 57,929 others

yourusername the one day it didn’t snow!! what a shocker right

view all comments

markestapa guys i drank that green juice today and let me tell you it’s DISGUSTING (it’s actually kinda good)

→ yourusername YOU AND ETHAN DRANK THE WHOLE THING SO I HAD TO MAKE A SECOND ONE 😭

→ markestapa whaaaaaat when did we do that

→ edwards.73 stop falsely accusing us yourusername (can you make more when we have morning practices)

username55 i love nature

dylanduke25 lets go skating tomorrow

→ yourusername ofccc you know it

username70 she’s in her green eraaaa

bookerburke_ lemme take you out when we get back?

→ yourusername maybeee 🤭

→ username85 ah hell nah

→ jamie.drysdale omg let me join!!!!! 😍😍😍

→ yourusername jamie wtf who hacked into ur account

lhughes_06 too bad it was just us two at the park, the scenery was great

→ yourusername frrr

→ username12 is this his way of saying what i think he’s saying

→ jackhughes bro wdym i was there too???

username48 what can she NOT do, she’s so perfect 😔

trevorzegras it’s better in cali come visit

→ yourusername stop trying to coerce me

mackie.samo god he’s going on and on AGAIN

→ markestapa oh so it wasn’t just me he was complaining to??

→ adamfantilli dude he texted me a whole ass paragraph

→ _quinnhughes i could hear him throwing the pillows from the other side of the house

→ dylanduke25 he just won’t stop man

→ lhughes_06 🙄

next chapter notes ) so my wifi was out for half the day and it really set me back and that’s why this is kinda bad.. BUT IT’S FINE WE BOUNCE BACK 💪💪

tags: @aliaology

#luke hughes x y/n #luke hughes x reader #luke hughes fic #luke hughes fanfic #luke hughes #quinn hughes #jamie drysdale #trevor zegras #jack hughes #alex turcotte #cole caufield #ethan edwards #mackie samoskevich #mark estapa #dylan duke #rutger mcgroarty #luca fantilli #adam fantilli

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wintfleur · 1 month ago

Text

𝓒OSMIC LOVE

aka iris’s profile

━━━ ❛ I took the stars from our eyes and then i made a map

ꪆ୧ BASICS .ᐟ

name: iris elle auclair

nicknames:

rissy (close friends)

izzy (friends)

ellie (family)

bambi (brothers)

birthday and zodiac: november 13th 2003, scorpio

age: 21

location:

paris, france (born)

montreal, québec canada (former)

new jersey, united states (currently)

ꪆ୧ APPEARANCE .ᐟ

eye color: green

glasses? iris does not need glasses, but she does like wearing non-prescription glasses as an accessory, finding ways to match them with her outfits.

hair color: dark brown

hair styles: iris usually likes to keep her hair down at mid-back length, either it at her natural wave or straightened. But she likes to put her hair up in a ponytail or bun to get her hair out of her face, often putting her hair in one or 2 braids – even in low pigtails.

skin tone: ivory

height: 5’4

scars: none

piercing(s): both of her front lobes, bellybutton

tattoo(s): none

face claim: elizabrowne_

ꪆ୧ ABOUT .ᐟ

personality: iris has a charming and sweet personality, she’s on the quieter side but despite that her presence is strong, people just naturally gravitate to her. She’s been described as someone you can always count on, someone who you can talk to for hours about anything. Iris's spirit animal is a deer, she's someone who is gentle, kind, loving and innocent. She can also be very playful and energetic, she loves to tease her friends and family. She prioritizes her intelligence and learning new things, and she loves finding new ways to express herself through art and writing. Just overall a very sweet and smart girl.

good traits: creative, kind, comforting, warm hearted, organized, charming, helpful

bad traits: self critical, people pleaser, often over works herself, clumsy

quirks: gets stressed when her things aren't organized, says random facts, rants when excited, doodles on anything, hums to herself a lot, taps her nails on things, switches between french and english when she gets excited or overwhelmed, always fixing her hair

likes: snoopy, getting her nails done, going on walks, rain, studying, library, deep cleaning her apartment, reading the newspaper, cloudy weather, autumn, stephanie soo’s youtube channels, collecting snoopy related things, miffy, horseback riding, crocheting, playing guitar

dislikes: feeling sweaty, people disrespecting the people she loves, her neighbor across the hall, being the center of attention, overly crowded places

hobbies: reading, baking, cooking, journaling, chess, scrapbooking, photography, guitar, coloring, golf, stitching, dancing

fears: snakes, drowning, heights

strengths: creative, quick to help when needed, detailed and organized, hardworking, kind, multitasking

weaknesses: not good at speaking up for herself, perfectionism, her anemia

languages spoken: english (fluent) french (fluent) korean (learning)

occupation/profession: a student at princeton university ; majoring in journalism and history, works at her aunt's bakery

ambition/dream: to live a long and happy life

current concern: learning how to skate

currently listening to: never let me go – florence + the machine

ꪆ୧ RELATIONSHIPS .ᐟ

parents:

louis auclair

gabrielle auclair (nee’ braun)

sibling(s):

arthur auclair

hugo auclair

close relatives: iris’s closest relative is her paternal aunt, aunt opal.

best friends: louis hofmann, ethan yoon, lara myers, bailey bass

friends: louis partridge, blanca soler, lily chee, luke’s friends and brothers, charlotte seo, and more

love interest: luke hughes

pet(s): a male brown British shorthair cat named, moose

ꪆ୧ MORE .ᐟ

scent: in the words of her closest friends and family ‘sweet and comforting’ she either smells like flowers or warm pastries or her signature perfume chanel number 5. Her scent is very welcoming and lingering, not overwhelming at all. Her comforting scent goes perfectly with her warm personality.

outfits: iris has a very large wardrobe. A few staple items in her wardrobe is; mini skirts of any style, boots of any kind, sweaters, and short dresses. She really takes her time in picking her outfits, she loves expressing herself through them. She's known to have a great sense of style, always looking her best. Here is a link to her wardrobe.

accessories: iris doesn't like to over-accessorize with her outfits, but she has a ton of different accessories. She loves changing bags, and having cute little pins, keychains etc on them. She loves wearing glasses and sunglasses, scarves, earmuffs, gloves, leg and arm warmers etc. using them to make her outfit look the best.

jewelry: iris doesn't have a favorite between gold or silver, she loves both. The only new jewelry iris gets is from gifts. She prefers getting jewelry from thrift shops, through her family etc. She loves jewelry with gemstones/crystals. She likes to layer necklaces, wear multiple rings and bracelets at a time.

makeup: iris doesn't really use a lot of makeup. Mostly just her eyelashes, eyeliner, a little bit of eyeshadow, some blush, and then her lips. Sometimes she likes to add some highlighter on her nose, cheeks, and in the corner of her eyes. Its very ‘natural makeup’.

sexuality: bisexual

health issues? iris has severe anemia

ꪆ୧ FAVORITES .ᐟ

food(s): potatoes, muffins, chicken wings, macaroni and cheese, soups, any pastry really

drink(s): cherry limeade, hot chocolate, arnold palmers, coffee

color(s): browns & reds

animal(s): deer, bunnies & cats

bands and artist: imogen heap, laufey, hozier, florence + the machine, creed, clairo

show(s): gilmore girls, the walking dead, kim possible, the snoopy show, stranger things, the last of us

movie(s): harry potter, lord of the rings, inception, twilight, scooby doo

person: luke hughes n moose

ꪆ୧ BACKGROUND .ᐟ

a heir to his fathers business, louis auclair, meets a new inspiring fashion designer, gabrielle braun, during a party in france – which was the start of their relationship. After 2 years of dating they got married. Living in a beautiful château in France.

in 1998 they had their first son, arthur. And then in 2001 they had their second son, hugo.

and then in 2003, they had their last child and first daughter, iris.

when iris was 5 her parents put her in ballet and made her start golf lessons, doing competitions/tournaments for them both. She was naturally talented at them both – she stopped dancing at 16 and continued to golf competitively until she was 18.

iris and her family moved to montreal, quebec for 2 years, because of her fathers work. from when she was 12 to 13.

iris lived in France with her family until she turned 18, moving to New Jersey for college, having been accepted into princeton.

she lived in a dorm for her first year at Princeton before moving into her own apartment.

ꪆ୧ FUN FACTS .ᐟ

iris is very family oriented, very close with her family.

iris is known to not be a very good skater, her clumsiness not helping at all!

she was a child model and modeled all throughout her teenage years, but stopped in 2021.

iris has a love hate relationship with scary movies/shows, she cant watch them alone or in the dark

iris works at her aunt opal’s famous bakery in New jersey.

she has a obsession with playing minecraft & stardew valley

moose (her cat) is 4 years old, he's her baby

iris has always been a big fan of anything apocalyptic/dystopian, her family and friends teasing her for being a nerd about it.

iris prefers rainy/forecast over sunny weather

iris has a big sweet tooth, especially for candy, she always has a good collection of sweets in her apartment.

iris is an excellent cook/baker. She loves trying new recipes, and she loves cooking for others!

she loves making meals and treats for her neighbors. She has a great relationship with all of them besides her neighbor Emily, who for some reason hates iris. She's extremely petty and rude to Iris, but is ‘nice’ to her in front of others.

iris and her close knit group of friends love having little hang outs every week, either at her apartment or they go out to do something together, usually to their favorite bar or go to karaoke.

iris is at the top of all of her classes, she's very passantie about learning.

iris absolutely loves thrift shopping

she always has her headphones with her, listening to music or an audiobook

her favorite Disney movie is Lemonade Mouth, the soundtrack is one of her favorite albums and she could recite the whole movie if she wanted to.

her best friends are extremely protective of her, she's the baby of the group!

iris has a huge collection of vinyl’s, most of them being from her father who gave them to her.

has been told a few times that she has an old soul.

She writes in her journal every single day.

her favorite things in her apartment are ceiling to floor bookshelves, her brick wall and her large windows.

iris gets sick easily

has never passed out because of her anemia but does have to get iron infusions every once in a while.

she likes to keep up with dancing, going to the dance studio to rent out a room every other week. and she still likes to go golfing.

iris is very popular on pinterest, spotify and tiktok.

when she gets stressed out she likes to do puzzles or color.

iris’s main instagram is @/iris_auclair

iris’s private instagram is @/snoopybrainss

iris’s private twitter is @/snoopybrains

ꪆ୧ VISUALS .ᐟ

ꪆ୧ POSTS N MORE .ᐟ

iris_auclair just posted !

liked by dylanduke25, trevorzegras, nicohischier and more

🏷️ lhughes_06, laramyersss, baileybass, ethan_yoon

🎵: hella good - no doubt

iris_auclair friends night out 🍻

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jackhughes why am I never invited to these things 😕

iris_auclair ur like….old 😕

laramyersss my ears are still ringing from you and ethan’s singing

iris_auclair I’ll never be able to talk the same 😩

ethan_yoon JEALOUSY TURNING SAINTS INTO THE SEA 🎤

louishofmann looks like fun ❤️

iris_auclair I’m already planning the night out when you come to visit!!

OfficialGabrielleAuclair oh my darling girl you look beautiful. Your father says to answer his texts, he sent a meme? what is that?

hugoAuclair LMAO MA 😭

OfficialGabrielleAuclair Do not ‘lmao’ me Hugo.

iris_auclair I answered him maman 😭

OfficialGabrielleAuclair why are you guys crying?

markestapa look at that handsome man 😍

iris_auclair oh I’m looking 😵‍💫

ethan_yoon awe thanks guys 🤓

markestapa who’s gonna tell him…

username that pic of luke….oh I fell to my knees 😍

username BAILEY IS GLOWING 🤭

username name a more iconic friend group 🧏‍♀️

iris_auclair mystery inc!

baileybass ethan is a freak for chasing us with that sword.

ethan_yoon you weren’t having fun?

iris_auclair no eth we weren’t 😭

edwards.73 my invite must have got lost in the mail huh

lhughes_06 sorry bro, sent it to the wrong ethan

iris_auclair LUKE 😭

Arthurauclair that’s a lot of alcohol 🤨

iris_auclair lara is an alcoholic

laramyersss IRIS WTF 😭 everyone knows I don’t drink

iris_auclair I PANICKED 🤷🏻‍♀️

louispartridge taking a flight rn just so I can be at the next one

iris_auclair next one is at Ethan’s!

louispartridge actually I think I’m busy

ethan_yoon louis ur literally in love with me shut up ✋

username I love how Iris’s friends are all so close with Luke

username Iris you look so pretty

username can Luke fight?

lhughes_06 I can and will ✋

lhughes_06 how are you so good at cards??

iris_auclair arthur taught me and then made me go against the old people at the park to get candy

lhughes_06 so he used you….

iris_auclair big brothers am I right?

lhughes_06 ur the prettiest to ever exist 🤩

iris_auclair wrong because that’s actually you my love 💗

roro’s note. IRIS MY LOVEEE ☹️ I feel like out of all my ocs she’s definitely the most like me, I really hope you guys like her!! Please send in some asks mwah 💋

𝓶y 𝓵ove 𝓶ine 𝓪ll 𝓶ine 𝓶.list

˖ ་ taglist : @winterbarnesblog @toasttt11 @cixrosie @iceflwers @lesrflms @bunbunbl0gs @lovings4turn

#📦 ꞌꞋ ࣪ _ 𝓶y 𝓵ove 𝓶ine 𝓪ll 𝓶ine 𐙚 . ꒱#luke hughes x oc #lh43 #luke hughes #luke hughes imagine #hughes brothers x oc #hughes brothers #nhl imagine #nhl au #new jersey devils #nhl hockey #luke hughes fluff

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cal-daisies-and-briars · 14 days ago

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Hello!! I love your writing, and you seem like the coolest person ever btw. Hope you're doing well.

🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀🔀

🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️

🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼

🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊

I know this is quite a long ask, please take care, and thank you so much!!!!

THANK YOU! I am in fact not very cool, but I appreciate you saying so! Doing well other than being majorly snowed in. Hope you are, too!

96 for 🔀

---

They’ve been outside for hours when Evan starts to get a little tired. A little achy from all the running and tumbling in the deep snow. He knows he probably needs a break. A quick one. But he doesn’t want the fun to end, so he says nothing. He keeps playing. Keeps climbing the unsteady slope and launching himself headfirst down it again.

Until he falls.

It’s not that serious. Evan has always been clumsy. Or, at least, in his memory. His mother claims he was always coordinated until… Well, until he disappeared. Apparently, he came back clumsy. Anyway, point is, it’s not serious. Evan trips all the time. Except this time his foot slips, and a piece of the snow hill crumbles, and he cannot steady himself. So he tumbles sideways off the hill, and smacks his head hard off the fence on his way down.

He wakes up hours later in the emergency room. He has a concussion and a wound on his head. A strange wound, he’ll later hear from Maddie. More like a burn than a goose egg or gash. He doesn’t understand what would cause a burn. It was a metal fence. It wasn’t even that cold outside. Just snowy.

His parents are furious. They’re blaming Evan. They’re blaming Ethan’s father. They’re blaming the weather in Hershey. Evan got hurt. He had to go to the hospital, and they hate him for it. Sometimes he wonders if his dad is mad he got hurt, and his mother is mad he survived.

Maddie sits with him in his room that evening, when he’s sore and tired and alone. She sits at his bedside and strokes his hair, comfortingly. It’s been a while since she’s been like this with him. He’s almost nine now. He’s not a little kid anymore. And he’s been… Angry a lot. More and more recently. He hasn’t been seeking out comfort, the way he used to.

“You feeling okay?” She asks quietly.

“No,” he sniffs. “Not really.”

“Can I do anything?”

He shrugs. “I just… I didn’t mean to get hurt. I shouldn’t be in trouble for tripping.”

“I know,” Maddie says. “You know Dad, though. He’ll feel bad tomorrow. Take you out for hot chocolate or something.”

“Yeah,” Evan mumbles. That is always what happens. Mom screams. Dad joins in, but then feels guilty and buys him something. Every single time.

“Hey, you know,” Maddie says. “When you were really little, sometimes you’d stay up crying, and I’d come into your room, and stand over your crib, and I’d sing to you. I had this album of oldies Dad loves memorized, and I’d sing as much of it as I could.”

“Really?” Evan asks. “I don’t remember.”

“You were so tiny,” Maddie says.

“Can you do that now?” Evan asks, voice barely a whisper.

Maddie smiles warmly.

“Of course I can,” she says. “Let’s see, though… It’s been a while.”

Evan closes his eyes as Maddie begins singing, allowing the sound of her voice to lull him to sleep, like it must have, years ago.

“All of me

Why not take all of me?

Can't you see

I'm no good without you?”

2025

Eddie wraps a protective arm around Christopher. Like Christopher is in danger. Like Buck might be something dangerous.

Maybe he is. He doesn’t know. After all, he did kill Daniel.

“Eddie,” Bobby says. “Shut the door.”

“What the hell is going on in here?” Eddie demands.

“Shut the door,” Athena says.

Christopher is gaping at Buck. His eyes flicker back and forth between the imposter cuffed to the bottom of the stairs, and Buck’s green self in the chair. Buck shrinks from him. He feels monstrous.

“Wh-what…” Eddie stammers again.

---

96 for 🏔️

---

Eddie nods. “I get it. And that’s why you have to do whatever you think is right.”

“Yeah,” Buck sighs. “Guess I just want to make sure I thinking clearly before I make a choice.”

“Well, there’s no rush,” Eddie replies.

“I guess there’s not,” Buck agrees. “We’ll see what she does.”

2028

It’s a messy year for Jaylin and Buck. Albeit, the sort of mess Eddie always suspected was coming. She petitions for a change to visitation. Buck counters with termination of her rights, considering by the time she petitions for a change to visitation, it’s been five months since she’s seen Arthur at all. Jaylin misses the court date. She’s given enough advance warning to make it work, but still, she misses it. Buck is awarded sole rights.

It’s a strange sort of victory. It’s the right thing for Arthur. Eddie knows that in his bones. It doesn’t have to mean she never sees him again, but she’s proven she isn’t a good or reliable decision-maker. But it also feels like a loss. Like she stopped fighting for him. Even if Eddie wanted her to be gone. One day they’re going to have to explain that to him.

A few weeks after the decision, Buck sits Eddie down after work with a serious look on his face.

“Legally,” Buck says. “Artie only has one parent right now.”

Eddie nods. That had been the goal, after all.

“I need you to change that,” Buck says. “Would you adopt him? A step-parent adoption? Please.”

“Buck-”

“I need you to,” Buck continues, not giving Eddie a moment to respond. “I need him to have… I want him to always know he’s wanted. Plus, you are his father. And… And then there won’t ever be issues, right? She might have family out there, if something happened to me. I know you know what I’m talking about so please do it.”

“Buck,” Eddie says again. “Of course. Of course, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” Buck sighs.

“I was just going to say,” Eddie adds. “I know he’s almost seventeen, and it’s not as necessary, but we should ask Chris if he wants the same thing.”

Buck pauses. Then he smiles, wide and bright.

“Really?” He asks.

“Really,” Eddie nods. “I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes.”

Buck’s eyes get a little misty. “That would be such a fantastic honor.”

🗻

Christopher agrees. In fact, he enthusiastically agrees.

“I think that just makes the most sense,” he says. “We’re a family.”

“We don’t need any adoptions to prove that, though,” Eddie cautions. “It’s a formality, not a requirement.”

“I know,” Chris says. “But it just feels right. Don’t you think?”

“I do,” Eddie agrees.

“Me too,” Buck adds.

Chris grins. “And then Artie will be my brother in every way that matters.”

Buck hugs him. “He already is.”

ii.

By the time Artie turns three, Eddie is legally his father. It’s a better feeling than the termination of Jaylin’s parental rights. It’s a less complicated sort of happiness. Eddie has loved this little boy the vast majority of his life. He has done everything for him he would do for his own biological child. This is right. This is just. For Eddie and for Arthur.

It’s also right and just for Buck and Chris. Because all the same things are true. The only difference is that, in the end, Shannon didn’t fail Chris. Not the way Jaylin has failed Artie. But in all the other ways, Chris and Buck deserve that same legal status. At least, Eddie thinks so.

They have a dinner celebrating the two adoptions. Just their Los Angeles family is invited. Buck’s parents don’t really have much interest, and Eddie’s parents aren’t happy with the decision. Of course they aren’t. They still have one more year to try to snatch Chris away. Though, Eddie doesn’t worry about that anymore. He and Chris are in a great place, and even if Chris is mad at Eddie, he doesn’t think running away would be his solution again. Besides, Eddie has done a hell of a lot less self-sabotaging since he came out and got with Buck.

Dinner goes great. Everyone is happy for them. Chris and Buck, sure, but mostly, Eddie and Artie. There’s a palpable sense of relief.

---

96 for 🔼

---

He doesn’t feel real anymore. Why should he? His whole life has been a lie. Everything he thought he knew about himself, his family… And Maddie kept it all from him. Everything is wrong and broken and the joke is on Buck, because he’s the one who didn’t know.

“Buck?” Eddie finds him first, just standing in the doorway, frozen. “Oh my god, what happened?”

“I…” Buck swallows. “Uh…”

Shannon walks into view. “Buck? Are you okay?”

“No,” he mutters. “No, I’m not.”

“What happened?” Eddie asks again.

“I-I think I killed my brother,” Buck says.

Shannon’s face drops. Eddie just looks confused.

“You don’t have a brother,” Eddie says.

“Because… Because I… Because he died,” Buck stammers.

“And you had no idea?” Shannon asks gently. “That you even had a brother?”

Buck shakes his head.

“Christ,” Eddie whispers.

“Okay, come sit down,” Shannon says. “Tell us everything. Alcohol or water?”

“Alcohol,” Buck says.

Healthy? No. Able to hopefully take the edge off of this absolute mindfuck of a betrayal? Hopefully.

“I’ll grab beers,” Eddie says, turning back to the kitchen.

Shannon grabs Buck’s hand and leads him to the couch. She sits beside him, rubs his arm soothingly. His body wants to lean into the comfort. His brain isn’t sure he deserves to.

“Okay,” Shannon says when Eddie returns with drinks. “Tell us what happened.”

So he does. He tells them everything Maddie told him. He tells them about Daniel, and the leukemia, and how having Buck was their only shot. He tells them about the failed bone marrow transplant. About how they packed up and moved to Hershey and never spoke about anything again. He tells them that, and then everything else just sort of spills out. The way they treated him. The way they never loved him. Never even looked at him unless he was hurting, so he made sure he got hurt. How their rage was better than their silence.

Eventually, he’s crying. He’s blubbering. He’s not making a lot of sense and he knows it. It hardly seems to matter. Eddie and Shannon seem to understand him just fine.

Shannon is holding onto him. Running her fingers through his hair, like he’s just a kid. He leans against her. He feels shaky.

“You didn’t kill your brother,” Eddie says, softly but firmly.

“Eddie-”

“You didn’t,” Eddie says. “This is not your failure. It’s just a tragedy. And I know you wouldn’t blame any other child or baby for a medical procedure that went wrong. I know you wouldn’t.”

That’s true. He wouldn’t. He tries to think of Jane and Chris in those positions. He’d never blame Jane for Christopher’s medical emergency, if her blood or bone marrow couldn’t save him. If Buck needed a kidney and Maddie couldn’t give him one, he wouldn’t blame her. That’s just… That’s just life.

But his parents blamed him. They must have. If they didn’t, in some way, blame him, why did they hate him? He was just a little kid.

“They think I did,” Buck whispers. “Not Maddie, but… But my parents.”

“Buck,” Shannon says. “I don’t think they think it’s your fault. But sometimes, when really bad stuff happens to our kids, the way we think doesn’t match the way we feel.”

He stares at her. She’s speaking from experience. He can tell. But he doesn’t quite know why. Chris and Jane are alive. They’re healthy and happy.

---

96 for 🥊

---

This seems to snap Christopher out of his panic, if only for a second.

“Jell-O?” He repeats.

“I know,” Eddie smiles. “It sounds silly. But trust me, it helps.”

“Okay,” Chris responds shakily.

Eddie walks him through it. The whole process. He already knows that Christopher’s favorite flavor of Jell-O is raspberry, so he doesn’t bother asking. By the end of it, Christopher is calm. Breathing steadily. The redness has started to fade from his cheeks.

“Feeling better?” Eddie asks.

Chris nods.

It occurs to Eddie that, for the past few minutes, he’d nearly forgotten. He’d forgotten that it’s been months since they’ve seen each other in person. That all he’s wanted, every day, for all those months, was to be near Chris again. He’s dying to hug him. He’s missed him so much. But all he can do, right now, is sit and wait this out with him.

“Has this happened before?” Eddie asks quietly.

Christopher shakes his head.

Alright, well at least that’s good. He hasn’t been suffering from these in silence for months. That would have… Well, Eddie doesn’t know what he’d do with that information. It’s breaking his heart enough to know that he’s passed this down already. Maybe, anyway. Is this nature or circumstance? Eddie doesn’t know. Either way, it’s his fault.

“Okay,” Eddie says. “I know it’s really scary when it happens. Especially the first time.”

Christopher nods.

Okay, the nonverbal responses are starting to concern Eddie. It’s starting to feel like… Like when he left.

“I don’t know if you remember,” Eddie tries. “But you were there. The first time it happened to me, you were there.”

Christopher's eyes flicker, searching his memories.

“At the store,” he mumbles. “With Ana.”

“Yeah,” Eddie nods.

“Do I have to go to the hospital?” Chris asks.

“No,” Eddie shakes his head. “If it happens a lot, we can go to a doctor. Talk about it. But you’re safe.”

Christopher nods.

“Will you tell me?” Eddie asks. “If it happens again?”

Chris looks at him. Meets his eyes for the first time. Like this question has reminded him of why Eddie is here. Of what has happened. That he’s coming home.

“I guess I should pack,” Christopher says instead of answering.

“Chris…”

“Can you give me, like, thirty minutes?” Chris asks. “I did most of it last night.”

Eddie looks around the room. There are packed bags. His parents didn’t even help?

“Uh, do you need any help?” Eddie asks.

“No,” Chris says. “Just carrying it out, later.”

“Okay,” Eddie nods. “Alright, uh… I’ll wait.”

“Thanks,” Chris mutters. He looks down, avoids Eddie’s eyes.

So, after months apart, Eddie turns around and leaves his son alone.

🟨

Chris packs the rest of his stuff more slowly than he could, strictly speaking. Though, that tactic might not work with Dad. His grandparents never question it, though. He’s been doing it a lot lately. Moving slower than he can to avoid things. Seeing them. Speaking to them. Doing the things they ask him to do. It’s shitty, he knows that. But sometimes, it feels like all he can do. That or snap, like he did at school. And look where that’s gotten him?

He can’t delay forever, though. He’s already done that, hasn’t he? He delayed having to deal with what Dad did with that woman by coming here.

#daisies and briars writes #your fake name is good enough for me fic #upward over the mountain fic #buddie shannon throuple fic

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