#I saw her live at a grandson concert and after her set everyone around me came up to me like

[angiestown]

She also had songs in the end credits for birds of prey and tomb raider

[notchesandbullets]

She’s Mine (Protective!Bakugou x Punk!Tattooed!Reader) feat. Erasermic

Warnings: racism, implied homophobia (not by anyone in the main cast), sexism, discrimination/discriminatory behavior, Modern!AU, Aged-Up!AU, features Bakugou’s parents, Erasermic, Kota, Eri, Mahoro, Katsuma and all of Class A defending you when insults start to fly.

Synopsis: This is not the first time you’re seeing Bakugou’s family but it is the first time you’re meeting his grandmother, who is not the best company to be around. He comes to your defense after you stand up for yourself and he had no qualms about sticking his face in the old hag’s because he’d be damned if he lets anyone talk to you like that. You’re his.

Words: 3.2k

“Y/N’s here!!!” Mitsuki called over her shoulder as she threw the front door wide open before you could even ring the doorbell.

Her son had texted her that you two were on their way and she was eager to see you. With the job and your relationship with her son, you two were busy bees and didn’t come around as often anymore. 

Which is why she insisted that her stubborn son at least come around for his birthday since it only happened one day out of the year. Then he could continue doing whatever it was that he was doing. 

Luckily, you were on her side and helped convince him to go just this once.

You laughed at the pitter-patter of tiny feet scampering across the cherry hardwood before dropping everything to catch the little kid that tunneled into your legs. 

“Y/N!!! You’re back!!!”

Eri’s ruby red eyes sparkled with joy as she clung to your legs.

“I missed you!!!” She shouted excitedly, hugging your knees tight.

You giggled, resting a hand on top of her head. “I missed you too, munchkin.”

Bakugou snorted behind you and you were reminded of his presence. “Oi, brat. Are you going to let us in or what?”

Eri stuck her tongue out at him childishly before dashing back inside, a trick she learned from her big brother Izuku, doubling back to grab your hand and hauled you inside with her. You casted a glance over your shoulder at your boyfriend but he shrugged, giving you the go-ahead.

He would catch up to you two troublemakers later. Besides, he knew you would want to see all the kids first. 

Kota, an orphan whose extended family gave him up for adoption, along with the siblings, Mahoro and Katsuma, were all under Aizawa’s guardianship.

After he adopted Eri, it sort of just snowballed until he was in too deep. He told Mic repeatedly that it wasn’t his fault that he had a soft spot for orphans.

His husband had merely shook his head with a laugh and hoisted Katsuma up higher so that he could reach the cupcakes they were going to sneak behind his back before dinner.

Mitsuki closed the door behind him as her son kicked off his shoes. 

“She gets that from me.” She said proudly as she gazed lovingly at Eri. She loved having her around the house. 

Since Aizawa and Mic lived relatively close, they came over often since she was feeling rather lonely with an empty nest.

Bakugou snorted. “Yeah, no shit.”

His mother glared at him for his language but didn’t reprimand him like she normally would and his eyes turned into hateful slits.

“Don’t tell me—” He started, gritting his teeth.

“They’re here.” She said with a heavy sigh.

Bakugou cursed vehemently under his breath, his brow furrowing deeply as he fought to control himself. He was banking on them not making an appearance today. 

His grandparents on his dad’s side, though he adored his grandad and thought the world of him, he absolutely could not stand his grandmother. 

She was racist, sexist, had limited views on literally everything and would raise hell if she didn’t get her way and she was a huge pain in his ass.

Even his own mother couldn’t stand her and that was saying something because she tolerated everyone to some degree, despite her odd love language when it came to him. 

They were both shit at communicating but it had gotten better as he got older. 

Now, the worst things that happened were spats here and there when they disagreed but his mother was usually good about backing off if she felt he could make the right decision for himself, which wasn’t often but it was better than none. 

Bakugou strolled inside and his eyes softened for a second when he saw you playing with Mahoro, Kota sitting on your lap as Eri was climbing all over Midoriya. You four were currently playing Monopoly and Eri exclaiming in shock as she realized she was losing since the devious Kota was slowly claiming more and more property.

“Haha!!” He cackled, rubbing his hands together evilly. “You landed on the purple one!!”

“No fair!!” Eri protested. “I don’t have enough money!!!”

“Too bad!!”

“Deku-niichan.” Eri cried, her eyes watering and you nearly fell over laughing as he frantically tried to get her to stop crying. 

The rest of his old class from college was already here, as per his mother’s request and Kirishima’s invitation.

Shinsou, Tsuyu, Todoroki and Iida were all near the food, the previous class rep serving drinks even though it wasn’t his job to play host. 

Tokoyami was currently engaged in a conversation with his dad and as Bakugou spun around the room, he realized every last one of his old classmates had shown up.

It was fucking crowded in his house. 

But the spark of joy he felt diminished the instant he saw his grandmother and he scowled, straying to your side almost protectively as her eyes burned into his back. 

This. 

This was why he didn’t fucking want her here. He didn’t want her to rain judgement upon the person who had won over his heart.

No way in hell.

Look, you weren’t fragile by any means. Your heart was filled with a healthy amount of self-esteem and you had built up your walls to protect yourself against people who had something to say about your many tattoos or piercings, yet you still were the kindest soul he had ever met. 

It was in the way you walked and interacted with people, a genuine smile always present on your features as you gave them more respect than most would give you upon first glance.

Bakugou knew you could handle yourself but you shouldn’t have to with his own fucking relatives. That shit was messed up. 

You glanced at your boyfriend out of the corner of your eye and your gaze dropped down to where his hands were clenched into fists, jaw locked tight and you sigh, softly urging Kota to get up and continue playing with Mahoro and Katsuma until you got back.

The boy grumbled but did as you asked, easily getting swept up in the competition of the game as you drifted to Bakugou’s side.

“I know that look,” You murmured into his ear, your hand covering his as you ignored the idle chatter coming from your friends and family around you. “What’s wrong?”

Bakugou clenched his teeth and debated about it for a second.

“Nothing.” He spat out eventually, choosing to deal with the old hag himself and you let him go when he stomped off, knowing that Kirishima or Kaminari would handle whatever it was that just happened if he didn’t want to talk to you about it. 

Momo greeted you warmly and a smile slipped onto your face as though it had never left. 

You hadn’t bothered to dress all that nice or different from your usual getup, feeling more comfortable in leather and all black that looked like you just came from a rock concert but you got the feeling that not everyone was feeling it as much as Jirou was when she came over to compliment you on your fashion taste.

Shoji and Koda each greeted you respectively and before you knew it, the catered dinner arrived and it was finally time to eat. The judging look you had been aware of from someone you didn’t recognize passing by as you brushed it off as unimportant and focused on helping Mitsuki set the table. 

You clapped your hands gleefully when Eri pitched in to help, complimenting her on how well of a job she did as she finished and you beamed at her when she smiled up at you.

Of course, Aizawa needed to help her since he didn’t want her to stand on a chair and lose her balance but it was easy enough to lift her up. She wasn’t that big yet. 

He had already told Mic he was dreading the day when she would grow up and have to leave home to start her own life and his husband patted him on the back sympathetically, reassuring him that it wouldn’t be the end of the world. 

They loved their children and their children absolutely adored them. 

You had told them as such on more than one occasion since they got insecure that they weren’t adequate parents but you reassured them that they were perfectly imperfect.

They put their kids’ health, safety and happiness before everything else and did everything they could for them. 

You wished your own parents had done that for you. 

As soon as you set down the place settings for everyone and called everyone in for dinner, they flooded the huge dining table that overflowed into the living area to accommodate everyone. 

Bakugou had left for a second to grab something from his old bedroom, promising to be back right away and you reassured him that you would be fine. 

You were barely into helping Mic convince a stubborn Kota to take a spoonful of green beans onto his plate, Shinsou helping Aizawa with Mahoro’s vegetable serving, when a throat cleared itself loudly.

The lively chatter died all around the table died down as grey eyes pierced your own and you stiffened but held your ground. 

You knew that look, you had seen it too many times. 

The older woman opened her mouth and spoke.

“So, you’re my grandson’s girlfriend?” She enunciated, looking you up and down from where she was sitting at the head of the table, her hands setting down her knitting project to glare at you. “I don’t see why he’s dating you.”

The expressions of shock at her vulgar words made several of your friends angry in your defense, Iida and Todoroki trembling in anger and Mina’s eyes narrowed as she dropped her happy-go-lucky personality in favor of ripping her a new one. 

But before any of them could act, she was continuing evenly.

“For someone who doesn’t know how to dress properly and looks like that, I mean, it’s already bad enough that your skin is that color, my dear, and you’ve ruined it even further with those ugly things.” She spat, unaware of the wrath she was evoking from every single person in the room. 

Kaminari’s electric eyes glowed as he saw red. “Bad enough?” 

“Excuse me?” Shoji seethed with unparalleled anger rising up in his chest, a rare sight for the normally calm and collected man.

Jirou, Ochako and Momo were furious at the way she was talking down to you and they shared a look amongst themselves, communicating wordlessly that this wasn’t going to be allowed to get out of hand any longer.

Kirishima was visibly shaking and even the normally shy Koda was fuming in his seat, openly glaring at the elderly woman who spewed insults at you. 

A chair scraped back as Midoriya shot up but you shook your head, holding your finger up to your lips as you subtly gestured for everyone to hold back. 

Aizawa’s nostrils flared from where he was covering Eri’s ears while several of his former students took care of the rest of the kids to make sure they wouldn’t hear this.

To their horror, the grandmother wasn’t even close to being done as she pointed a gnarly finger at you.

“Your job as a girl is to stay in the kitchen and attend to your husband. To even think you’re worth anything if you weren’t involved with my grandson is absurd.” She hissed at you venously, her skewed ideals rooted deeply in her beliefs and how she was raised. “You are a disgrace to even breathe the same air as someone like me.”

“Mother!!”

Bakugou’s father frantically tried to amend what had been done and Mitsuki was about to yell at her but you stopped her. 

Everyone’s eyes turned on you as you took a deep breath. 

“I’m sorry you feel that way, but I won’t apologize for being who I am.” You said quietly but firmly, failing to notice someone coming down the stairs and overhearing your steady words as they flowed from your lips like honey. 

Not tricks. Just genuine sympathy, like you didn’t even hear her say all those horrible things to you. 

It was supposed to be your boyfriend’s day and you weren’t going to ruin it for him in the same manner that she had just done. 

“I understand what you’re saying, but don’t you think that we should be allowed to love who we love?” 

You inclined your head slightly, allowing a sliver of the emotion you felt to slip onto your face as you glanced pointedly as Aizawa and Mic.

After you noticed her staring so openly at you, you also noticed that she would scowl whenever the two men would walk in the room and play with their kids and while you would take whatever she was going to throw at you, you weren’t going to tolerate the same for them.

They didn’t deserve that.

Holding up your arm, you inspected the ink running up and down the length of it. “As for my appearance, my style is my own. I don’t recall asking for your opinion.”

There were a couple of snickers from Jirou, Kaminari, Sero and Mineta as you put her in his place and Todoroki leaned back in his seat, gazing up at you proudly as you stood your ground without firing any hate back at the old woman. 

Hagakure clapped her hands jubilantly as a few cheers of agreement sounded around from the table but you had one more thing to say. 

Your eyes softened. “I understand how you may feel about me, but I don’t need your acceptance. I love myself just as I am and if Katsuki ever feels differently about me and we split, then we’ll split. But please do not judge my love for him based on how you believe I should be. I am who I am and I won’t ever apologize for that.”

“And you never fucking have to.”

Bakugou strolled into the dining area, smirking at the old hag who had the nerve to look shocked at his appearance. Of course she would be so fucking disgusting to say something this horrible to you when he wasn’t within earshot. 

Bitch. 

Blood relations didn’t excuse behavior. 

Narrowing his vermilion eyes at his grandmother, he faced her head on as he took your hand into his. 

“She’s my fucking girlfriend.” He declared, tenacity and stubbornness dripping off of his tone as he snarled at his grandmother. “And if you ever speak to her like that again—”

He nodded in time to Mic and Aizawa, the men who had mentored him and taught him almost everything he knew. 

“Or either of them, including the rest of these shitheads, I’ll fucking kill you.”

The veiled threat hung in the air and you squeaked as Bakugou abruptly dragged you to the front door.

“Where are you going?!” Mitsuki cried out, worried that you both were going to leave without eating anything and she was sad to think that her mother-in-law had driven you away.

Bakugou gnashed his teeth at the confused clamour that arose from his classmates. “Out!! We’ll be back later!!”

You could hardly get a word in edgewise as he dragged you all the way out to the car after barely giving you enough time to put on your shoes.

“Katsuki!! What—”

Your bewildered protests were interrupted as he whirled around and kissed you hard. You melted into his touch as his hot palms settled on your hips, pulling you flush against him. Whining softly when he pulled away, you panted as he breathed hard against you, his exhales fanning out over your face.

You were in a daze as he led you to the car, buckling you in before he got in the driver’s seat. 

And he drove, taking a detour that would take him towards the countryside where there were no people, no places, just you and him. 

Just how he liked it. 

The painted lavenders and pale pinks of the setting sun faded to midnight black with stars twinkling high above you as you cruised around for hours before he finally spoke. 

“I’m sorry.” He apologized quietly and you immediately grabbed his hand that wasn’t currently occupied with steering.

“No!! You don’t have anything to apologize for—”

“Yes I do.”

His grip tightened on the steering wheel a fraction as he slowly explained that if he had told you earlier about what she was capable of instead of ranting to his best friend like an idiot, maybe he could’ve—

“Katuski.”

Your soft murmur brought him back down to planet Earth and you shook your head firmly. 

“It’s not your fault.” You told him without wavering once as he brought the car to a stop just at the edge of the trail. “I don’t blame you at all.”

Bakugou slammed his hand against the steering wheel angrily. “Yes it fucking is!!!”

He ranted and he ranted about how he had come downstairs only to hear his own flesh and blood spitting those vile insults that you didn’t deserve at all. 

You didn’t deserve it at all.

You were quiet when he finished and when his chest was heaving with the spent rage he had aired out, you asked, “Feel better?”

“Like hell I do!!!” He snapped at you, about to go off again when he noticed the bemused expression on your face. “What the fuck, dumbass?”

You tilted your head in confusion. “Huh?”

“Why the hell aren’t you bothered at all?” He questioned, genuinely flabbergasted. 

Eyes clearing in understanding, you traced the back of his hand with your fingers. “Because it doesn’t bother me.”

At the sight of Bakugou opening his mouth, you hurried out, “I mean, do you really think someone like that gets to cut me down? Her words don’t mean anything to me.”

You hesitated and opened yourself a little bit, trusting him not to take advantage of your weakness because while her words stung in the moment, it was nothing your heart couldn’t come back from. But…

“If you were to say them, it would hurt a lot more, but I don’t think you would— eep!!”

You yelped as he dragged you over to his seat, yanking at the seatbelt that got in the way, but pulled you to his chest once he released the safety clip.

“Never.” He breathed against your hair, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head. “I would fucking never.”

You closed your eyes. “I know.”

There, in his car, you two stayed in a tight embrace under the stars until you it got late enough that you insisted you should go back and at least spend the rest of the time with your friends, which, if their sleeping schedules hadn’t changed since college, there was a good chance almost all of them would still be up.

So Bakugou drove you both back, his heart a little more at ease after he got to hold you close and be alone with you. 

That was all he wanted.

Well… He thought to himself as he unconsciously brushed his left hand over the small velvet box that had been hastily stuffed in his pocket the second he grabbed it from his room.

That and one other thing.

[fallen029]

Dream Again

It was probably the calmest day the guildhall had experienced since it's changing of hands. Everyone was around, for weeks it felt like, after Makarov handed over the hall to his grandson. It seemed like everyone equally wanted to be certain this was truly the case, as well as make it in good with their new master.

Which was great for business. Sort of. Mirajane and Kinana scored big in tips, at least, which seemed to please both of them, but any time the guild swelled to capacity, especially for extended days, it seemed to take a rather heavy toll on them both. Even with Lisanna helping out around the bar for the past week, it had just been hectic and overwhelming and things were finally, finally calming down.

"Good thing," Cana griped at one point during the day when Kinana mentioned, in slight elation, the slow, normal pace of the bar that day. "I was gonna have to find somewhere else to drink."

"Oh, no," Laxus grumbled as he walked passed, some papers in his hand that he was going to have to go over, just boring, Master stuff that he definitely wasn't hating already, nope, no way. "How would we ever recover?"

He was just about a month in as Fairy Tail's one and only Master, but already, Laxus was becoming disillusioned. Freed, Ever, and Bickslow held off on going on jobs for as long as possible, to bask in the glory of their idol, living his realized dream, but fuck, they had bills to pay and were all going out on a job that once upon a time, Laxus would have accompanied them on. Not anymore though. Now he had to sit around the dusty old guildhall and do actual paperwork and fuck, following your dreams was a load of crock, a trap, presented to young children by miserable adults who hoped to one day make those children just as miserable.

Yes.

It was the only answer.

"I'm gonna go on break," Mirajane called out to Kinana though, from across the mostly empty bar then, right next to Laxus' ear as she sat down a tall mug of ale in front of the man. He'd have been annoyed by her noisiness, but it hardly even phased him through his headphones.

Not that the woman noticed his glare, anyways, as he snatched up his mug. She was far too busy prancing away, in a hall finally not filled to the brim, and oh, she loved seeing all her friends and making new ones, but it felt so good to be (mostly) alone in her guildhall again,.

Well, Master's guildhall.

By which she meant Master Laxus.

Of course.

She was definitely not struggling with referring to him this way. Not at all.

Laxus forgot about the woman, anyways, for a few minutes as he found himself rather busy with the papers before him. It was just all so much and did the old man really read all this shit? No. No way. Who did he have read it for him?

Frowning, he lifted his head and searched around for Mirajane once more, taking a moment to place where she'd gotten off to. He saw Kinana, behind the bar alone now, and while she had become rather competent in that, he wasn't so sure she was, uh, well, too versed in much else. Not that Mirajane ever seemed to be either, but if she got the old man by these past few years, then…

There she was.

Over on the stage.

Not standing on it. Rather, Mirajane was seated on the edge, legs hanging over it as she sat there with her guitar in her hands, strumming softly and most inaudibly, he imagined. His headphones blocked out anything, anyways, if she was being very loud. Slipping one off his ear, he noticed less her soft singing voice and more the lack of chatter from the local drunks and slackers, who'd fallen silent in order to appreciate the miniature concert they were being treated with currently. It felt almost eerie, really, as Laxus found himself slipping the other headphone off as well, so he could hear it, what the others were experiencing then.

It felt so different. Usually. Soothing, yes, when Mirajane would get up there on the stage and sing to them, but the vibe was strange now with so few people. There was always just a bit of soft talking in the background, some complaints from someone like Gajeel, who thought they could do better, or jealousy from certain women, over how easily Mirajane swayed everyone's attention. The clattering of mugs or even just the collective heaviness a room has, when filled with people, as opposed to the near emptiness it had now.

Mirajane almost seemed oblivious to the others now, as she sang and strummed through her break, and she really didn't have that many eyes on her, not really, as the drunks laid with their heads down, considering her words and melody as they drank their lives away, and the slackers puttered around, considering the talents they refused to hone in such a way. Other than Kinana walking about the small amount of assembled people in the tiny bar, the only sound was Mirajane, the only place to look was Mirajane, and Laxus felt his heart stop, felt like a teenager again, when she glanced up at the exactly right moment to catch his dark eyes with her bright blues, only for the woman to wink, maybe, he thought, smile at least, and the moment was ruined.

Because someone new came into the bar, a loud, rowdy team, which strummed up the bar once once more with chatter and gripes and life, really. Not that Mirajane had sucked the last thing out. No. But the life she breathed into things was just so...tranquil.

And Laxus never experienced anything like that. Ever. How could he? Going from an S-Class wizard, taking the toughest jobs in the land, to dealing with the headaches of a popular guild's master, Laxus was never going to know peace again.

So he sought it out.

It was easy enough, to request Mirajane stick around a bit, after closing. To help him with something. Kinana was the only other person who caught the remark and, honestly, she seemed thankful to be able to escape to dorm and escape the hustle and bustle of the bar. Even on a slow day, sometimes all you wanted was to get out of the place.

Mirajane was dutiful as ever though and had honestly planned on doing some extra closing duties that night anyways and agreed. When the man came out of his office however, after the last straggler had been pushed out the door, she was a bit surprised by his request.

"I want," he told the woman simply, "you to sing me a song."

"Okay," she sighed, tired, but game. Still, she continued to scrub at the glass in her hand as she began to sing, which made the man frown and put it on a quick halt.

"No, Mira," he sighed some with a shake of his head before nodding at the stage. "Up there. With your guitar. Like you were today. I, uh, well… I kinda was into that."

She giggled then, the woman did, as she set the mug down. But it wasn't at him. Rather with him, maybe, as Laxus found himself smiling as well.

"Oh, yeah?" she asked, her eyes alight and the man found himself nodding.

"Yeah."

"Well, Master," she began as she was quick to do as requested, skipping right around the bar and over to the stage, "you could have just invited me over. A private show is much better in your home."

"No, demon, you don't get it." He was following her. "And don't call me that. Right now."

"I have to, Lax," she told him and she sounded more serious then. "If I'm ever gonna be consistent-"

"Fuck consistency." He took a seat nearest to the stage, sitting so he was facing her, hunched over with his chin rested in his palms. "I'm not your fucking master."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What are you then, huh?"

"Demon-"

"Say it." She took her own seat, there, right across from him, on the edge of the stage. She hardly put any effort into it, just waved her hands slightly and it appeared, summoned from some sort of reequip space, her pink acoustic guitar. But she didn't move to strum a single note, didn't form a single chord over any fret as she instead stared the man dead in the eyes. "What do you want me to call you?"

Laxus didn't like it. When she thought she had power over him. Unfortunately, however, he wanted something from her then and if that meant that he was going to have to give in a little…

"I'm your dragon," he told her simply, flatly, but it was enough to get a bright grin out of the woman and, maybe, his face didn't look as glum as it typically did. "What else would you call me?"

"Nothing, dragon," she practically sang and it took a few more seconds before she'd composed herself enough to finally return the request.

They had been dating for only a few months when Makarov approached him about turning the guildhall over. It wasn't like it was a complete secret. Just not something that was spoken about. Back then. Mira dated a lot of people. Laxus too. It made sense that they'd cross over from time to time. They were both high up mages, not only in their own guild, but in the country overall. A lot of overlap in their circles. And for two young people who never seemed to interested in being tied down, the idea that they could occasionally entertain one another wasn't wholly impossible. Interesting, maybe, to certain ears, but now felt so commonplace that it hardly was so.

It was around the time that Makarov offered up the hall though that Laxus felt himself getting a bit more serious about the woman. When he approached her about it though, as well as his impending promotion, she was quick to agree, but only conditionally.

"Let's not tell anyone. Okay? About how close we are now? Let's just keep things normal." And she smiled at him, that same one that could get him to do just about anything. "I wanna be with you too, dragon, only you, but… Once you become Master, it'll be different. People will treat you differently. Let's just...wait it out a bit, okay? And keep it a secret. Alright?"

He only brushed her soft white hair behind one of her ears and agreed. Keeping secrets with a demon was the exact kind of nonsense he loved to find himself in.

Their nights spent together were sporadic, but wonderful when they came, and Laxus knew once things calmed down around the bar, they could probably send Kinana home early most nights after things cleared out, only to spend even more time together. But tonight, in that moment, as she sang to him so soft and sweet, Laxus found himself less falling in love with her and more getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"How'd you do it, demon?" he asked softly when the first song came to an end. As the woman stared at him inquisitively, Laxus only continued, "How'd you give up on your dreams?"

"What do you mean, silly?" she asked with a bit of a frown. "What dream?"

"You know." He nodded then, at her in general, but specifically what she was holding. "You wanted to be a singer, didn't you? You're awfully good. You couldda at least given it a try. A real try. And it mightta meant something." Before she could comment though, he shook his head and said, "But you never did. You play for these losers in the bar, fine, and you play for me, when I ask you to, but-"

"Do you think, so?" she asked, looking up then, as if thinking. "That I couldda been something?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe," she agreed and it was the most either would know about it. Sighing some, she said, "But then I wouldn't be here right now."

"I know."

"We probably wouldn't have dated."

"Yeah, probably not."

"Then-"

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing you didn't, Mira," he told her then. "I think it's a good thing, even. I just...when it's presented to you, and you're that close to it, when you have a chance at it...how do you not even reach for it? Or try?"

"Laxus, I don't think I understand."

He just made a face as he admitted, "Being Master blows."

"You've been Master for, at most, a month."

"And it's sucked. I can't go out on jobs, I gotta do paperwork all the time, turns out I can't even kick morons like Natsu or Erza outta my guild cause they're strong or whatever and would go join someone else and make us not strong-"

"These sound like really petty problems you should have realized would happen before you even said yes."

"I just," he finished then, "thought that I would feel something. I mean, I did feel something. That first day. And the second. I felt something really nice, that third night, when you came by my place-"

"It was a good night."

"But now… Fuck, I dunno." He looked off. "Same thing happened when I first got S-Class. I toiled for that shit, then I got it and after… Why do we chase these big, fantastical ideas and concepts, just for these stupid fleeting moments? Nothing good ever lasts."

"Don't say that." She even made a face, setting her guitar to the side then. "Seriously. It's kinda a shitty thing to say to your girlfriend."

Bowing his head, Laxus told her, "What's the point, huh? In anything? It's all so fucking fleeting."

"That's because you're not at the rewarding parts yet, silly." Jumping up then, she made her way over to the man. As she rested as hand on his shoulder, she remarked, "The good things are yet to come. Like, the first time you get to crown someone S-Class. Someone who toiled and worked for it, just like you. The first time you and your guild, your mages, save the entire planet. You know that's coming. We're Fairy Tail, dragon, no matter whose Master."

"Demon-"

"The first time some scrawny little kid that you took in off the street masters a spell or when a lowly mage you helped find their way completes a really tough job..." Mira trailed off, looking away from him then, a smile tugging at her lips. "You completed a dream, fine, Laxus, if that's what you wanna call it, but there's more to it than that. You keep dreaming. You know? Is this really all you want to do with your life? 'cause at one time, all I could dream about was becoming S-Class too. And you know what? It came and went and I wanted something else. Yes, at one time, I wanted to be a super star, with my guitar, and I wanted everyone to know my name and sing my songs, but...I grew up. And passed that. I have different dreams now. So many. And you do too. Don't you?"

He muttered some stuff then, under his breath, while she just giggled over him.

"I wanna buy a house one day."

"You've already done that," he pointed out, glancing up at her.

"No, with...someone. Not my brother and sister. Like a nice place." She dropped her hand from his shoulder. "And I wanna have kids. Or at least one. Maybe. Sometimes I think I'd be happier, you know, if Elf and Lisanna just did that instead? Had the kids? And I could be the cool aunt. And I've always dreamed of...well… Maybe I shouldn't say it."

"What? Huh?" He lifted his head fully then. "To get married? To a man with a comfortable salary? Big wedding? You can tell me. Scared of jinxing our relationship or something?"

"That's...not big dream, but you go for that comfortably employed man, Lax."

"Demon-"

"I've just always wanted to say, 'Fuck it,'" she told him then, her tone far too bright for the words spewing from her mouth. Hand slowly falling from his shoulder, she turned from the man then as she looked around the hall in wonder. "I wanna just walk out the door and it not matter. Any of it. Any of them. I'd just...not care about this place anymore. What happened to it. I mean, I know I would eventually. That'd I'd come back sometime. But could you imagine it? What it would mean? To not be a Fairy anymore? Ever again? Really, ever again? Not because the guild gets destroyed or something awful like that, but just because...you chose it. Something different. In your life. And there'd be no hard feelings? Just a sense of completion? And you could move on to the next portion of your life? Finally?"

Slowly, Laxus head fell again, about the same time Mirajane let out the breath she'd been holding in.

"I think," he told her then, "that maybe, it wouldn't really matter. If you did walk away. Tomorrow. Right now, even. Or if I gave up being Master today and went back on S-Class jobs. We still wouldn't be happy. Not really. No happier, I mean, I guess. You just always want something else. It's illusive. Maybe even not real. Really being happy. It never really comes, does it?"

Mira considered his words, far too pessimistic for her daytime, in front of the others persona, but so late at night, crossing over into early morning, it didn't make her frown. Instead it just made her head tilt a bit as she thought.

"I'm happy when I'm with you," she offered him. "Always."

"Yeah," he agreed, "but what happens when you're not?"

"I break your heart, dragon. What else?"

He didn't want to laugh. He relaly didn't. But it just fell out of him, full bellied and deep, so hard that it almost hurt, while Mirajane smirked victoriously over him, the man's laughter echoing in the otherwise completely, truly empty guildhall.

Eventually, when his laughter died down, she turned and headed back over to the stage to take a seat once more.

"Another song, Master?" she asked and his chest hurt too much from laughter to correct her, meaning all he could do was nod.

Her singing and guitar sounded much better to him, than his own laughter had, reverberating in the empty guildhall, and it felt like it had only just began, four songs later, when Mirajane seemed to be growing tired and he knew he had to let her go, even if it was just for the night, as they both needed their rest.

"Maybe, dragon," she yawned to him when they parted, half an hour later, just outside her quiet little home she shared with her siblings, him not walking her all the way to the porch, but rather just standing there, watching her go up it from the sidewalk, "we'll just always be happy with one another. Like how I always will be, with Lisanna and Elf, and you'll always be happy with the Thunder Legion."

And it felt so good, so very good, to smile truly for the woman and only the woman, as he nodded his head, only turning his back once she was safely in the house.

"Maybe, demon," he whispered in parting, if only for a few hours. "Maybe."

[theonewiththefanfics]

80s Retro (one-shot)

Requested: @rockyroadthepastryarchy  (hope I did the fluff justice, cause I no longer have any clue how to write things apart from angst and smut, apparently :D)

70s Vintage (one-shot)

70s Bling (one-shot)

70s Glam (one-shot)

Synopsys: Roger has been married to the Reader since forever and when ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is finally underway, she can’t help but reminisce of the past.

Pairing: Roger Taylor x f!Reader

Genre: pure fluff

Warnings: swearing, alluding to sexy times and drinking

Word count: 2085

   When they had first met the actress that would play Y/N in the new Queen biopic, the woman was completely star-struck and a blubbering mess. But Roger Taylor, oh he was a different story. His jaw had hung open, for she was a complete carbon copy of the love of his life. His gaze had looked her up and down, completely missing how the real Y/N passed him by, slapping him over the head.    “Keep gawking like that and you’ll be sleeping on the couch,” she said, sauntering away, one of the movies PA’s running after her and showing her to the Live Aid stage.    Roger had to take a few seconds to snap out of the moment, only to see the actress smirk at him. “I’m going to take your reaction as a compliment, mister Taylor, but I do believe you should run after your wife. From what I’ve read she’s quite the woman.”    “That she is.” And with a loud "Wait, honey!" Roger rushed to Y/N’s side.    “ ‘M sorry,” he quickly pecked her lips, beard scratching her chin. “It’s just… for a second it was like I was transported back in time…”    “What? You saying I don’t look as pretty as I used to?” her eyebrow was raised, but there was that devilish glint in her Y/E/C orbs that told him- she was just teasing.    “Actually, the opposite. You look more beautiful with every day that passes.”    Y/N hummed, feeling Roger’s arms weave around her waist, so, she leaned back and rested her head against his shoulders, a finger tracing the line of a tattoo. When he had first brought up the idea of getting a sleeve Y/N was pissed. Not because she didn’t like them, the woman herself had a quill wrapped around her ankle, she was mad because she’d been deprived of that look for more than thirty years of their relationship.

   “How dare you!” Y/N had emphasized each word with a hit of a pillow. “Why couldn’t you do it sooner!” Roger had been laughing throughout the whole thing, a hand sneaking underneath her assault, and grabbing at Y/N’s knee to pull her towards him, and ultimately make her flop down onto the bed. “Do you know, how much sex you’ve missed out on?”    He was hovering above her, a palm pushing a strand of Y/H/C hair away, grey weaving through it. “Then we have to make up for the lost time, don’t we?”    When his voice dropped down to a husk, usually Y/N would melt. But not this time.    “Do it on your own, Rog,” Y/N said and pushed him away, walking to sulk in the guest bedroom. “Thirty-seven fucking years and now he decides to make me lose my mind! I’m not as flexible as I used to be, you wanker!”    Roger had fallen asleep with a wide grin on his face.    “You know, I’m glad they’re recreating Live Aid,” Y/N’s voice brought him back to reality, the grip around her middle tightening. She’d always been a feisty woman, so the fact that he could call her his, and have been able to share his life together since 1979, was astonishing to him.    “Yeah?” Roger pecked her temple as Brian walked up to the two and the BoRhap guys nervously trailed behind him. “And why is that?”    “Cause you got me bloody hammered before the show,” she smiled, embracing Brian and standing next to the man as one by one they introduced themselves to her. Ben, who was playing Roger in the movie, was absolutely shaking from how nervous he was, so Y/N hugged him a bit longer. “You’re gonna be amazing,” she whispered to him. Pulling back, she looked at the four men gathered there. “You’re all gonna be fantastic and if Freddie could be here, I know he’d say the same.”    “Actually,” Brian piped up, a too happy of a look on his face, “he’d be asking why Melinda is here,” he gestured towards the Y/N of Bohemian Rhapsody.    That made the real one choke on her coffee and snort it through her nose. Rami instantly was by her side, offering a tissue as she, Bri and Rog laughed.    “So, the legend is really true- you were drunk while they performed the most iconic concert in history?” Joe asked as a stylist poofed up his wig a bit more.    Y/N smirked and nodded. “Also, Rog shagged my brains out five minutes before they had to go on stage,” she winked at Ben. “Couldn’t feel my legs, nor walk to the car afterwards.”    The guys’ mouths all hung open and they turned redder with each passing second.    “Honestly, Y/N, can’t you keep at least something private?” Roger exasperated, watching Brian as he fixed Gwilym’s wig. When Y/N had first seen the actor in the full get up, her eyes almost had bugged out of her head and the cup of tea, she had been nursing, had shattered on the ground.    “That bad?” Gwil had nervously laughed as Y/N came towards him and poked his cheek.    “Holy shit, it’s real,” she’d whispered, causing Roger to cackle, who had been watching the whole scene unfold. She’d turned to him and in a conspiratory tone stated, “I told you, Rog, cloning exists! Years ago! And now they got your DNA from one of the groupies you once shagged, and the apocalypse is starting now. Holy shit, he’s Brian!”    And that had eased all of the tension there could possibly be, for everyone had the approval of the three most important people.    Throughout the filming, Y/N was on set constantly. Not only had she been close to the band and still was, but she had also been best friends with Freddie.    “Honestly, darling,” he’d said to her years ago as both sat on the steps of the Garden Lodge, Delilah rubbing her head up and down Y/N’s thigh. “If I didn’t have Mary and Delilah here, you’d be the love of my life.”    “Oh, shut it Fred!” she had laughed and placed her head on his shoulder. “We both now, Delilah has you wrapped around all her tiny paws.”    And he’d hummed in agreement, watching the sun rise with his best friend dozing on his shoulder.    She hung out with all of the guys as much as possible, giving a third-party opinion and directions, for how the band used to act, and some little things that each did, either when nervous or when playing their instruments.    At that moment, Y/N was relaxing in one of the seats, after having shooed a fifth PA away by saying, “Love, you brought me a cup ten minutes ago.” The young woman had bashfully smiled at the legendary woman and Y/N had just waved her off, telling, “Go. Relax. I see how all of you run around like chickens without heads. You must be exhausted. And if anyone gives you any shit, you come and talk to me. Immediately.”    The PA gave Y/N a look of pure relief, before peeling away to take a nap in some corner. She smiled, thinking as long as the girl pulled through the hectic life that was being in the entertainment industry, she had a bright future ahead of her.    “They really don’t do you justice in the movie,” Ben’s deep voice came from Y/N’s left and she smiled at the boy. Well, man, but he was the baby of the cast and she just couldn’t stop herself.    “You know, I helped with the script revisions.”    “Then you’re too modest, cause with everything that we’ve read and filmed, it truly doesn’t let your heart shine.”    Y/N threw him a wink. “You already get to make out with young me as young Roger. No need for flirtin’. Besides… this is about Freddie and Queen. I was and still am just lucky to call them a family.”    A fond look came over her face as the memory of their most recent Christmas came to mind. All of them, Deaky and Veronica included, had gone out to a market, intended on buying their grandchildren and each other presents, but a few cups of beer and mulled wine later, they’d ended up stumbling around London and wreaking some havoc. Y/N was surprised nothing was in the press the next day, for it was an adventure worthy of the front page.    “Can I just say, Ben, you’re nothing like Roger, when he was young,” Y/N returned to the present day and sipped on her still warm coffee.    Immediately at the comment, she saw the young man’s face fall.    “Oh, no, honey, I didn’t mean it like that. Trust me, it’s a compliment.”    “What’s a compliment?” Roger’s voice invaded the pair’s conversation, as he plopped down next to his wife, draping an arm around her shoulders.    “I was just saying how different Ben is from you when you were young, and how that is a good thing,” she emphasized the last bit, hoping to ease the young actor’s nerves.    Roger put a hand on his chest in mock hurt. “How is that a good thing?”    “You were a bloody self-centered, egotistical asshole who only cared if he had a hole to put his dick in by the end of the day! And contrary to you, Ben is the sweetest, kindest most humble person I’ve ever met.”    From the corner of her eye, Y/N saw Ben blush at the compliment and she threw him a wink.    “Hey!” Roger tapped Y/N’s shoulder. “No flirting. He could be your grandson.”    “What can I say? He just makes me remember the good old days before you became a shrivelled prune,” the woman said, snuggling closer to Roger’s side who fondly smiled down at her.    “If you don’t mind me asking- how come you two have worked so well over the years?” said Ben with awe in his eyes, as Roger lovingly stared at Y/N who snorted. “You two come from completely different worlds.” And it was true. She was a world-renowned novelist and Rog was a rock-and-roll drummer.    Y/N had actually been the one to achieve fame half a decade before Queen was even on the map, but she never had and still didn’t care about recognition.    “Cause I call him out on his bullshit. And also, we broke up one time, so it wasn’t all roses…” she answered, mischievously looking at her husband.    That took Ben by surprise. “Wait you broke up? How come no one has ever spoken about it?”    “Well, cause it was only two days. And it wasn’t a breakup,” Roger exasperated, rolling his eyes.    “Of course, it was!” Y/N exclaimed, sipping on her coffee.    “You were just being petty,” he pinched her cheek, and she swatted at his hand.    “Petty or not, I threw you out of the house and didn’t speak to you.”    Ben was watching the interaction, heart swelling at how the two acted. “Would you mind, if I ask- what happened?”    And the grin that appeared on Roger’s face was nothing else but shit-eating. “Yes, dear. Why don’t you tell Ben, why you decided to throw a fit and have me stay at Fred’s?”    Y/N shrugged. “He looked hotter as a chick than I did.”    Ben spluttered the tea he was drinking. “Wait, what?”    “When he came up with the idea for ‘I Want To Break Free’ I was all for it, ya know. Supporting my man and such. But when I saw him as Rogerina… wearing my blouse, which by the way was my only good work blouse and you smeared it with red lipstick, I threw a fit. How come, he gets to look like that and I don’t? I simply couldn’t allow it.”    “But-“ Ben couldn’t contain the laughter that bubbled past his lips. “Are you joking?”    Roger shook his head, pecking Y/N’s temple. “Not one bit. Came home that evening to find a bag packed and her sulking on the couch. Said to leave and come back when I figured my shit out and when she was once again my first priority.”    “Ever since that day, he’s forbidden to wear my clothes. Or women clothing in general,” Y/N smiled placing the finished coffee cup on the table.    Ben chuckled hearing that. “Well, I do hope that when we start filming the scene, where I have to be in Roger’s position, you don’t evict him again.”    “Who knows,” Y/N smirked. “It might bring back too many painful memories and he might just have to stay at Bri’s.”

Tags: (crossed out wouldn't take): @lumelgy @palaiasaurus64 @supernaturalbaesduh @breezy1415 @crazy--me @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @sea040561 @staryeyedgirl @deathbyarabbit @s-c-a-r-e-d-po-t-t-e-r @reblogger-not-a-blogger @m-a-t-91 @dalilx @i-need-a-hero-i-need-a-loki @maladaptive-ninja-returns @averyrogers83 @in-the-end-im-still-trash @gallifreyansass @dewy-biitch @avxgers @unlikelygalaxygiver @sweet-ladyy @16wiishes @wanderingsami @desir-ae @thiccio-and-thicciet @roseslovedreams @vesoleil @gloomybisexualemo @kostyaownsmyheart @perriwiinkle

A/N: so, I guess I’m being nice and not breaking y’all hearts for once :D

P.S. what did ya think?

P.S.S. if you wanna be tagged in anything, my tags are always open, so just drop a message :)

[megalony]

Fractured pieces- Part 3

Another part to my single dad! Roger Taylor series which I hope everyone is enjoying so far.

Taglist: @marshmallowmae @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @luvborhap @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan

Series masterlist

Enjoy.

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

Roger bit down on his thumb to stop himself from beginning to shake or start tapping like he did when he got anxious. His eyes locked with those of a woman he hadn't seen for over a year, a woman that he didn't think he would see so soon.

(Y/n)'s mother.

Roger had met her and (Y/n)'s father on many occasions given he was her best friend for over ten years. He had gotten along with them both well enough, they thought he was the usual image of a rockstar. They thought he was an airhead that was carefree and didn't have any cares and Roger tried hard to prove them wrong and he had. But he hadn't talked to them for over a year, now he was faced with seeing their grieving faces that were partially his fault.

If Roger hadn't of gotten drunk that night at the party he and (Y/n) would have remained friends, she would still be alive because she wouldn't have gotten pregnant which caused her illness. But at the same time, that would mean Roger wouldn't have James and he was beginning to wonder what he would do without the little boy he was doting on every day. It was such a price to pay, a life for a life but right now Roger was trying to find some sense of peace. He had (Y/n) in his life for over ten years, he spent those times with her well and he had no regrets about them. Now he had James in his life and he intended to make the most of the years he was determined to get with his boy.

He took shaking steps towards the couple standing just in front of James' room, clearly having been in to see their grandson whilst Roger had been at Freddie's place. The singer had kindly offered for Roger to stay with him but that simply meant Roger could go over, get changed and cleaned up before coming back to stay with James. He'd usually have a quick nap before coming back to the hospital, a day hadn't gone by in the past two weeks where Roger hadn't been here.

Roger didn't have the contact information for (Y/n)'s parents and due to that, he had taken it upon himself to try and organise her funeral. He sat and tried to do that with the help of the band whilst he was watching over James. The band had known (Y/n) too and they had loved her as a great friend, anyway that they could help Roger and James they would.

It didn't take much working out for them to know that Roger was the father of the baby in the room behind them. He wasn't sure if (Y/n) had told them this or not when she told them she was pregnant, somehow he doubted it but another part of him just knew they figured it out before now. Seeing him walking over to them clearly knowing where he was going and knowing the baby was in the room behind them just gave them evidence to prove their theory that Roger was the father.

"Hello, Roger. We tried to contact you..." Lisa, (Y/n)'s mother was the one to speak up first, unsure of what else to say to start a conversation with him.

The drummer nodded, scratching the back of his neck instead of biting his thumb as he looked down to his feet for a moment. No one could get hold of him since he had moved out from his old home with his wife and he wasn't at (Y/n)'s apartment either. Mail or telephone calls didn't get to him, he'd been meaning to sort that out but everything else seemed more of a priority than people getting a hold of him.

Roger had made the decision that he couldn't live in (Y/n)'s apartment because it would be too hurtful to him but he wasn't selling her home. He was going to continue paying the rent and keep everything as it was like a treasured memory. He didn't want to let go of any of (Y/n)'s things and the apartment was something that James could see when he was older to know his mum. The drummer had already found somewhere else to live and paid the deposit but he wasn't moving anything until James was better and ready to go home.

"I'm in the middle of moving at the moment. Have you been to see James?" Moving over to his right, Roger leaned against the wall silently asking it to hold him upright as he watched the elder couple in front of him move to sit down on the seats outside of the room.

He didn't know what he was meant to say to them. Was he meant to tell them that he had started making funeral arrangements? Was he meant to inform them of James' condition and how he was getting better? Were they to make small talk or avoid the obvious topic of (Y/n)? Roger wished he had a manual for this kind of situation so he could be told what he was meant to say or what topics were allowed to be talked about and which ones to avoid. He didn't like this. He had been away from James for nearly three hours, he was long overdue to go back and sit with his boy now.

"Yes, we have. He's... actually what we wanted to talk to you about." Roger's eyes shifted to look at (Y/n)'s dad, Mark, his eyes narrowing on the elder man. The drummer didn't like the tone of his voice which clearly indicated Roger wasn't going to like where this conversation was going to go.

"Right...?" Roger trailed off, his head shaking just a little as he waited to be informed of what they wanted to talk to him about.

"We thought that it might be better if we took care of him." Roger's lips curved upwards into the kind of warped smile that the Cheshire cat would be expected to wear. The look mixing between a smile and a crooked smirk of the grinch as he let out a breath that resembled a laugh. His teeth clamping down on his lower lip as his head bowed forward again, hands stuffing into the pockets of his worn blue jeans that resembled the colour of his eyes.

They actually thought Roger would be alright with having this conversation with them or that somehow he would be glad they wanted to take his son from him. James was his baby, not theirs and Roger wasn't letting him go like that. How would it benefit James for them to bring him up instead of his own flesh and blood?

"Instead of me? I know you don't particularly like me but you can't change the fact that James is my son. It's a kind thought but when he goes home, that will be with me." They weren't doing this to him. Roger had lost the person he loved, the person he had tried so hard to protect and now they thought it was fine for them to swan in here and decide to take his boy from him as well. Roger couldn't lose anyone else and they had no right to do this. He understood that they had lost their only daughter but James was Roger's only boy, his only child and he was capable and fit of caring for him.

There was no concern that Roger wouldn't be a fit parent and he wasn't going to stop them from seeing James, they had no need to try and fight him on this he wasn't cutting them out. He just wanted to do the right thing, what (Y/n) wanted and what he now wanted. Roger wanted to look after his son.

"We're not saying that, but James is going to need a lot of care and you work, we don't. You go around the world, are you planning on taking him with you? We don't want to cut you out of the picture-"

"You just want to take over from me." Roger finished for them, knowing what they were implying. They were coming from both a good and a bad place with this decision they made without him. They wanted to care for James because he was their grandson and he was going to need more care than a normal baby and it was true Roger did travel a lot and worked more than most. But then again they had never fully accepted Roger and they didn't take to him that well, instead of offering their help to care for James they were walking in here and saying plainly that they wanted to take him.

Roger wasn't asked if he would need help with James, he wasn't offered any advice or support. He was given the choice- or an ultimatum- that they wanted to take James off his hands to help them both. That wasn't fair and it wasn't allowed.

"Do you really think so low of me that you think I'd sign my son over to you just like that?" There was clear hurt in his voice as they didn't seem to think he was going to put up that much of a fuss as if he didn't care or even love his boy. "The polite thing to do would be to ask if you could help, not ask to take him away from me. Touring the world with the band is a choice, not a demand in the job description, we can stop touring for now and we will. I can cut down work or stop altogether because I don't need to work I do it because I love my job."

The band didn't do touring because they had to or for money, tours never gained them money because of the amount they spent on the lighting, the equipment, the stage and the designs they had. They toured because they got to travel and for the fans. They loved live concerts, it was a choice not a demand. Roger was financially stable for the rest of his life, he could quit music altogether right this moment and be set for life for him and James. But he continued because he loved music and it was his life and job, he could cut down if he wanted or needed and he was going to do just that.

"And you can cope with James, can you? We're only saying this because we want to care for him, Roger. He needs more care than a normal child and you don't stay in one place long enough for that. What does your wife think of this?"

The drummer's lips pressed into a thin line as he glared at the man sitting in front of him. They had been here five minutes, Roger had been here since the moment James was born. He knew the date and the exact time James had been put on a ventilator to breathe for him, he knew that two hours after he first saw his son they gave him steroids to make his lungs develop quicker. Roger knew what times they fed James which happened through a tube into his stomach, he knew that tomorrow they were taking him off the ventilator for the first time and he knew every little thing that changed in his son's condition. He knew how to care for his son when he got him home because he had listened to the doctors and he had taken biology in university. Roger could cope and he was ready for this, they weren't taking James from him now.

"We're separated, actually. Did you know James had steroids last week to develop his lungs? Or that they feed him every two hours through a syringe into his stomach? Did you know his kidneys are being monitored in case they stop working, or that he's coming off the ventilator tomorrow to breathe on his own for the first time? I know exactly what is wrong with my son and I know how to help him. I won't cut you out of his life but listen to me now when I say he is my boy and he stays with me so please don't fight me on this. The courts won't grant you custody, I'm his parent and legal guardian now, I have the money to support him, I want him and there is nothing that says I can't care for him. He's mine."

Roger could feel his body beginning to shake as the thought of informing them about (Y/n)'s funeral left his mind completely. If they wanted to know about that then they could ask him or they should have gotten here earlier if they wanted to be a part of that process. They had left it over two weeks now to come and see their grandson and to plan their daughter's funeral so Roger had taken things into his own hands.

His body pushed away from the wall, his knees tensing as they tried to lock in place to stop him from falling down. He didn't give them one more glance before he went to see his son, slamming the door behind him.

The courts would never give them custody of James.

Roger was fit to care for his son, he had a home- more than one property in fact. He had more than enough money, he had a flexible job that meant he could care for James. He had done nothing wrong to suggest he was an unfit parent and most importantly he wanted his son. They weren't going to take James from him when all of this was there to back him up. (Y/n)'s parents didn't work anymore but they weren't James' parents, they didn't have the kind of money Roger did and they had no reason to have custody of him. No judge would take a child from their parent just because a family member thought they were better suited to care for them.

James was staying right where he belonged, with Roger.

[orbemnews]

Their lives haven't changed since getting vaccinated. This is their new normal Here are some of their stories, as told in their own words. Their responses have been edited for length and clarity. Her family realized they love being at home, so they are building a theater room Dawn Moore-Johnson, 55 • Conyers, Georgia We’re not going to be hermits in the house, but I think that there are still so many unknowns right now. Simply because I’ve gotten both vaccines doesn’t mean that I can just go out in public and act as if nothing ever happened. Our family has expanded from just a single female to having married in September AND moved my 83-year-old mom in with us. We went to a restaurant that we heard had good social distancing when I got a promotion. We get inside and I’m horrified because I’m looking around and these people don’t have on masks and I’m thinking, “What’s wrong with these people?” The servers had masks on, so we didn’t take ours off. We will keep going out to eat but eat outdoors or order takeout only. The theater is totally out of the question for me. But at the drive-in theater, you kind of feel like you’re cocooned because you’re in your own vehicle with your own family. It’s important to be able to do things that you enjoy doing, but just be careful while doing that. I am enjoying being at home. We have invested money to finish a portion of our basement so that we have our own theater where we can watch movies at home. We decided after we were vaccinated that we would go on a vacation. We will only drive for the foreseeable future — I don’t want to get on a plane. We chose Disney theme parks primarily because they are so stringent in their protocol. They are limiting tickets and you have to make reservations. We focused on trying to better ourselves and our life while we were quarantined and still are. My husband is working on his doctorate. I’m working on my master’s. We were able to do that virtually. I think there’s still so much that we have to learn. We don’t even know how long the vaccine is going to last. We don’t know what’s going to be happening in other parts of the world that can affect us. I think that certain things are going to be off limits for a while, unfortunately, at least for me. She is happy doing things on her own, but misses her grandsons Carla Glidewell, 72 • Indianapolis, Indiana My normal is the same as it has been for the past 12 months. I use a mask, wash my hands and have had both vaccines. I will not be going out and about or visiting with family until my two young grandsons get their immunizations. Being retired, I have never been doing a lot socially, like going dancing, going to bars or anything like that. I am a very happy person at home doing my gardening and my reading. I like jigsaw puzzles and paint by numbers. I live in a wonderful neighborhood and we do all visit out on the front porch, weather permitting, with a mask on. So, it’s not like I have zero interaction. I walk my two puppies and visit with friends on the phone. My big outings during the pandemic and even now have been to the grocery store every two or three weeks and to the gas station. I think until the variants calm down and until the world calms down, I’m just a very cautious person. Before the pandemic, I took my grandsons to and from school every day. That ended last year in March. If you want to believe this, my daughter lives 12 miles from me, and I am not yet allowed to come over. My daughter is extremely cautious. I look forward to being with the boys again. I’ve missed a year of their life. I’ve always played the Pollyanna game. When you’re 72, you’ve been through a lot, and I always try to find the good in whatever’s going on. My mother lived through World War II and that was for years, so I can do this. He is afraid to walk into a grocery store, but the gym keeps him sane Jermaine Williams, 35 • Dallas, Texas As a Black, deaf and gay working professional with mental illness, my plan post-pandemic is to continue learning more about how to utilize my coping skills and reconnecting the disconnect I have experienced. As soon as I got vaccinated, I started doing little things like going to the gym. I CrossFit five times a week, and I’ve run almost daily, and I still wear my mask when I work out. That’s kind of taking big steps to get back to the new normal, but I am still afraid of going into a grocery store. I worked at Whole Foods Market. But with the pandemic, I didn’t feel comfortable with people being in my space or in my proximity. Some of the customers would take down their masks and speak at me — that just freaked me out. I had to resign because I was still afraid of walking in the store. Thankfully, I was able to get a job as a delivery driver. During the pandemic, there were periods where I would not leave my apartment for almost a week or a week and a half. I have depression and generalized anxiety disorder manifested itself during the pandemic. With the help of therapy and psychiatry appointments, I was able to develop tools to better manage my anxiety and to develop some sort of a peace of mind. For example, large gatherings are something that I will not be returning to. It’s because of the current climate with people choosing not to be vaccinated and they disclose that they refuse to be vaccinated. That makes me uncomfortable, and I know that I’m not in a position of asking if they’ve been vaccinated. I enjoyed going to community events that serve the deaf and hard of hearing community. But with everything going on right now, it made me realize congregating may not be the same after the pandemic. Am I ready to be maskless? Not anytime soon. For the first time in awhile, I am comfortable using the word ‘no’ if the situation for me is not ideal or safe. She misses bartending, but she won’t be going back after the pandemic Joanne van Veen, 49 • Vancouver, Washington I’m not a barfly, but as a bartender, it’s so much fun. I get to flirt. I get to meet new people. I will really miss that. But now with the threat of a pandemic and serious illness, do I want to be around that many people? I usually get like a horrible cold every winter. For my health, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to it even if things got back to normal. I don’t think I’ll be going out to eat as much. My cooking is better and it’s less expensive. No more music festivals or concerts, either. I don’t want to be crammed in with a bunch of people anymore. Why do I want to do that when I have a comfortable couch? Covid has made me antisocial, it’s crazy. I actually had Covid in July. My daughter and I had it at the same time. It was enough to put the fear of God in me that something like this could happen. As things are opening up, emotionally I feel almost isolated from my friends. I don’t accept the invitations to go out to a bar or to go out to lunch even. I say, “Let’s take a walk instead.” Walking around seeing people in masks is disheartening. I suffer from claustrophobia and anxiety, which got worse during the pandemic. I cannot have anything near my face, so when masks came out, I thought “I’m screwed.” I don’t like the world that I see when I go outside my house. Inside my house, I can shut it all out. I had an appointment to be vaccinated but I panicked and wondered if I was ready. It sounds silly, but I’m truly scared. My dad is adamant about making sure that everyone’s vaccinated before we come visit. I haven’t seen him in over a year, so that’s the driving factor for me to get vaccinated in June before I see him. I don’t know if it’s just my age, but I feel like the whole pandemic thing changed me forever in a good way. As far as financially, I never ever in my wildest dreams thought that bartending would be a thing of the past, or that it was paused for a year and a half, to where you can’t interact with people. I’ll definitely be setting aside money for the future because you just never know what’s next. She wishes people would get vaccinated so life wouldn’t have to be this way Kimberly LoRusso, 46 • Northborough, Massachusetts Honestly, I don’t trust other people to have done the right thing. And it seems like the simplest thing is to keep the distance and wear the masks and kind of keep my bubble small. It’s me, my husband and two teenagers — my son is asthmatic. My children have both had their first shot. When we’re with our friends, we will widen the bubble a little bit. I have some close trusted friends that I haven’t seen in a long while, but I know that they’re vaccinated. I’m not up for concerts in the park. But I can definitely go to a couple of different friends’ backyards and have a barbecue there. I think it’s crazy that they are loosening these restrictions so wildly. I don’t see myself giving up the mask in public for a long while. I know most people are eager to shed them, but I enjoy the protection it has given me from others. People are so gross. It amazes me. Recently, I saw a man take off his mask to sneeze in the supermarket, and then put it back on. I was standing in the aisle going, “What?” You’re supposed to keep them on. I have become a little bit of a germaphobe. My children hate when the second they walk in the door, and I’m like, “Wash your hands, wash your hands.” I won’t let them sit on my bed in street clothes. I have them change because they’ve been out and exposed. I would love for everybody to get vaccinated so that I don’t have to be this way. Editor’s note: The portraits in this story were taken remotely using a mobile app Source link Orbem News #changed #havent #Lives #normal #Theirliveshaven'tchangedsincegettingvaccinated.Thisistheirnewnormal-CNN #us #vaccinated

[emilyemcnabb]

Dani and Macaine’s Wedding at Triunfo Creek Vineyards

Dani and Macaine’s wedding at Triunfo Creek Vineyards has all that down-home charm and relaxed elegance currently making the vineyard wedding so appealing to the modern couple. The couple professed their vows under a sprawling tree and continued the celebration with a family style dinner on the lawn with all of their loved ones. Coordination was by Couture Events, florals by Mulberry and Moss and paper goods by Blot and Dot.  Natalie Schutt Photography was on had to capture all the details in these sunny, joyful images.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

When I got engaged I was on the search for MY dress. With so much at our fingertips these days via social media I went on so many pages, links, blogs, etc. I came across this dress that was so beautiful, and felt so much like me I could not get it out of my head. I had not yet heard of the designer, but discovered they were based in Australia. Originally I felt disappointment, but then began to do my homework. They had stock lists all over the world, but NONE in California. Still I wasn’t going to stop that easily. I called the designer, and told her how in love I was with the dress. She was so excited to tell me that she just began a partnership with a bridal boutique in my city and shipped the dresses to them that week! I was so excited and called the boutique and they told me the dresses would arrive that Tuesday.

Meanwhile, while all this searching was going on I had gone to different bridal boutiques and tried on many beautiful dresses. I found one that I actually said yes to the dress! It was gorgeous and I was so ecstatic about my find. BUT when I found out my online find was in my area I still made an appointment, and went in to try it on. It took me about 2 seconds to know that I had found the one. I luckily hadn’t bought the first one yet, and got to say yes to my absolute dream dress. I LOVED my dress, and most importantly felt so much like myself in it.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

I loved getting creative, and thinking of new ways to incorporate things that were special to us.

My husband, Macaine, got ready with the boys in his parents RV on the site of our wedding. They played games, had beers, and laughed their way through the afternoon. He had a day that was so his style. Laid back, relaxed, fun, and casual. It was important to me to make sure he had a set up with his guys for the day that made him feel just as special, and excited as I would be with my girls. His mom gifted him a pocket watch that was from her father, Macaine’s grandfather who had passed away. It was one of the pocket watches he had saved to give to each of his grandsons on their wedding day. It was a very special gift for him to get, knowing his grandfather was still with him celebrating our day.

My girls and I got ready in the beautiful bridal suite at Triunfo Creek Vineyards. Playing music, drinking mimosas, and pouring love and support into one another. Some of my favorite memories of the day were getting to have that time with my girls. We each wore the robes I had gifted them when I asked them each to stand by my side as my bridesmaids.

We had a first look on our wedding day, not to save time for photos but because this was the biggest day of our lives and we wanted to feel the comfort, love, and protection of the most important person in the world to us. We were given that time to truly reflect on our emotions and prepare for the biggest commitment of our lives.

Walking down the aisle I was staring at my protector. The man who I have only seen cry once before be completely vulnerable as he was crying watching his future wife walk toward him. We view marriage as a promise under God, so we decided to have a moment to pray with one another taking communion as we were two individuals becoming one. Macaine and I wrote our own vows to one another being able to truly express our love and commitment to one another. We were not only sharing this with one another, but sharing it with the people we love and trust most. To have them hold us accountable for these promises we had made to one another.

Throughout the night we continued celebrating the marriage we had begun. We laughed as well as cried at the speeches our loved ones made. As they not only humbled us with love, but confirmed to us through other eyes why we knew we had found the one. We shoved cake in each others faces, and laughed at each others’ excitement. My grandparents led line dances to our small wedding of 230 people, and we danced the night away. Macaine is in love with dancing and I feared for my life as he came at me during the garter removal. Cheering so loud at the performance he had waited his lifetime to give. The only thoughts in my head were ‘Oh boy I love this man!’

  What was the most memorable part of the day?

I think I would have to say the moment before I walked down the aisle and leading to walking down the aisle. It was such a surreal moment for me to reflect on the fact that I was about to commit my life to someone. I will never forget looking at my future husband and all the people we loved as I walked to him in the arms of my dad.

  Tell us how you met and became engaged.

How we met was a somewhat of a process, and makes us laugh to this day. I was in High School, and went to visit my sister at College. As we were walking to one of classes I hear this guy yell out to her to come over and say hi. It was Macaine, who was one of her good guy friends in college. I met him then thinking he was this older college guy, but didn’t think much past that. After we met then it seemed that he was at a lot of the same things my family liked to do, and would always find us to say hi. Still throughout that time he was my sister’s friend, but he began to contact me directly. I’m talking only a few times a year, just check in and see how I was doing in life. It was always a joke from my friends that he was very interested in me, but waiting for the right time. A few years went by like that, and then we lost touch completely. 5 years from when I originally met him I ran into him at a concert. We got to talking and immediately clicked again. We both had to go as we were with other groups, but he asked if he could take me on a date when we got home and I said I think that could work. My phone got stolen at the concert, and about a week later I was able to get a new one. Two months went by, and I logged on to my Facebook page which I rarely checked. I found a message from Macaine saying he had tried to call me, but didn’t get connected. He left his phone number, and said to give him a call if I would let him take me on a date. I reached out to him and we set a date. Let’s just say from there there was no more disconnection. He was the best man I had ever met, and was always nothing but a gentleman. My life was forever changed.

Macaine has a family friend that owns a high rise in Long Beach. He had told me that this particular family friend was having a big birthday at the building, and gave me the date. I put it in my calendar and went on with my day. When that day came around we decided to go to dinner before and show up a little late to the birthday. We went to a beautiful steak house and had a wonderful date night before the party. We then drove over to the building, got out of the car, Macaine grabbed the gift he had got for him, and walked inside. We took the elevator up and got off at the top floor. We then had to go up a few stairs to get to the rooftop. We were mid random conversation as I was expecting to walk into a family friend’s birthday party. When we got to the top of the stairs and walked up to the roof I stopped and was very confused. I thought where is everyone? Did we get the date wrong?! Then I saw the path of flower petals and candle leading to bench. I was in total shock. Honestly I have never felt so speechless in my life. I looked at Macaine, and he just smiled at me. I was then realizing what was happening and had an extreme wave of excitement, love, and amazement! My future husband walked me to the end of the path, looked at me, and recited an amazingly thoughtful speech going over why I was the love of his life, and many other things but honestly there was too much excitement to remember. He then pulled a little box out of the present bag, and got on his knee. Nobody can explain the feeling you get at this moment, but it was a moment I will never forget. My best friend proposed to me and I said YES! He had photographers hiding and capturing it all. We then got to take some photos with them on the roof. They recommended we go down one floor to take more in this cool room. I was in La La Land, and said sounds good. We walked down one floor and opened the door and there screaming their hearts out were our closest friends and family! We got to celebrate and feel the love of the most important people in our lives. I married a good one ladies. He made my fairy tale come to life.

Photography: Natalie Schutt Photography // Coordination: Couture Events // Florist: Mulberry and Moss // Paper Goods: Blot and Dot // Venue: Triunfo Creek Vineyards // Dress: Love and Lace Bridal and Tailor-Designer: Made with Love // Videography: Amari Productions // Catering: Above All Catering // Rentals: Classic Party Rentals // Desserts: Beverly’s Bakery // Veil: Elle Bridal Boutique // Hair and Makeup: Blushing Beauty // Grooms and Groomsman custom suits: Grooms Grotto // Groom and Groomsman Ties: My Tie Shop // Entertainment: Luxury Entertainment Group, DJ: DJ Rich Martinez  & Band: Westsiders // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

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