#I think it would be neat to have a cookie that have the 'swallow' ability that the Living Licorice Abyss has | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kazoo5480 · 4 years ago

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Killian’s back was slick with sweat in the midday sun, drops of it running down his skin glistening. Emma swallowed thickly, watching the sun beat down on her husband as she sipped her lemonade and watched him. His muscular chest was bare, his wrist brace strapped to his blunt wrist, the special attachment Marco had created for him attached at the end so he could wield an axe effortlessly. He raised his arms again, his legs widening their stance, all the muscles in his back rippling as he swung the blade down hard, splintering the log into pieces. His grunts making Emma’s clit slick, and needy with each moan he emitted.

He was so fucking hot, Emma thought watching as he knelt to grab the fallen pieces, stacking them back on the base to swing at them again. She felt her core clench with each purposeful swing, her thighs rubbing together to suppress her urge to get his attention, as she watched him diligently complete his task. He knelt again, that glorious ass bent in front of her, he reached for the discarded pieces, lining them up in a neat row along the others to dry. Killian took a look at Emma, and sheathed the blade before leaning it against their fence and turned to face her fully.

Emma was lost in her thoughts, who knew Captain Hook doing manual labor would rile any woman up this much? Her 300 year old pirate, was like sex on legs, his muscular frame, the tantalizing hair on his chest and stomach teasing her constantly, that perfect V of his hipbones. She bit down on her bottom lip, her hormones flooding through her veins like fire, and tried to distract herself with her book.

Killian had noticed when Emma came out with her book a short while ago, sitting on the double sun lounger with her book and the baby monitor, while Hope slept upstairs. He took in the short yellow dress that she wore. Her long creamy legs on full display, her golden curls shining in the sun. She looked happy and content. He also felt her eyes gazing over him as he worked, and tried to maintain concentration on his task. It was not an easy feat, as his wife’s eyes practically left scorch marks along his skin as she watched him.

He glanced over at her, she was chewing her bottom lip trying to maintain the façade of reading her book. He smirked, he would bet that between those pretty thighs she was bloody soaked for him. He strode towards her, sweat dripping down his chest from the labor, and Emma’s normally green eyes turned as dark as emeralds glinting in the sunlight as she watched him practically stalk towards her like a predator.

He knelt between her legs hovering over her. “Enjoying the view, my love? You like seeing me swing my big, sharp axe?” he said teasingly as he nipped the skin below her ear.

Emma gasped, and nodded, he felt her fingers trace over the planes of his chest, his muscles trembled at her touch, and her small hand around his neck dragged his lips against hers. Her lips were so soft, he licked into her mouth tasting the lemonade on her tongue. Sweet and tart, he tangled his hand in her hair, and Emma sighed into his mouth allowing his tongue to dip in deeper.

He leaned back slightly looking down at her, “Here?” He asked coyly, as he traced his fingers up her thighs, and under her dress. Emma swallowed and her eyes snapped shut as his fingers slid against her, knowing he felt the dampness of the fabric, and he curled them just beneath it grazing her soft folds. Killian moaned at the contact, feeling how wet she was for him, soaked just by watching him. “Yes” she whispered, her breath shaky.

“You like watching me perform manual labor, carrying all that heavy wood Swan?” He purred with a mischievous smirk, and Emma only nodded, unable to speak as he continued stroking her outer folds. “Tell me Swan, did you enjoy watching your husband slave away in the hot sun?” He smiled as he dipped his head to trail kisses along her throat, continuing to rub her heated core.

“Killian” she said with a shaky moan as he tucked two fingers inside of her heated channel. He kissed her, devouring her lips, sucking and licking. Emma’s fingers tangled into his hair pulling him closer. He felt her small hands deftly unbutton his pants, and moaned at the contact of her soft hand around his cock.

“Emma” he growled as he lightly sucked at the junction of her neck and shoulder, and he reared back slightly tearing the panties right off of her. Emma looked up at him, the sun bathing her in light, her skin warm and flushed. She looked like a goddess, and by all miracles she was his. His chest swelled with pride as he gazed down at his wanton wife as she clenched around his fingers, sweat shining on her brow.

Emma pushed his pants down quickly, as far as she could reach. Killian was breathing heavy, his minty breath was shallow, his tongue dipped out to wet his lips and she pulled the lever on the side lowering the lounger to its flat lying position. Killian hiked her dress up to her hips, and fisted his cock lining it up to her entrance. He rubbed the tip against her wet folds, biting his lip at the feel of her bare heated core against him.

Emma watched as he shifted his weight pushing her thighs wider, and she let them drop open shamelessly. Killian surged forward, entering her in one fluid thrust, and Emma’s head tipped back crying out. “Swan, neighbors love. You need to be quiet” he murmured, annunciating each word as he pushed and pulled his cock in and out of her leisurely.

He placed his mouth over hers, inhaling her sighs and moans, her hands scraping at his back seeking purchase, but the sweat of his skin making it difficult for her. Emma’s fingers curled into his hair holding his lips against hers, as he pushed her higher and higher towards her release. Killian groaned as he felt her cramp down squeezing him perfectly, they were kissing so deeply that she didn’t know who was breathing for who.

Emma cried out, it was too much. Killian felt the blood rush to his cock, her cunt wrapped like a vice around his cock as her walls began pulsing and fluttering against him, he slowed his pace drawing out her release. Emmas fingers gripped on to him tightly as he endured the sweetest form of torture, leading to his own, erupting within her, coating her womb with sprays of his hot seed, he panted as white lights crashed along the backs of his eyelids moaning her name.

He laid his head on her chest, gulping for air. Emma was panting, coming down from her own climax, and he gently slid out of her heat. Emma laid there unsure of how much time had passed until their breaths evened out, and he gazed up at her. “If that’s the reward of manual labor, sign me up anytime Swan.”

Emma giggled, and smiled up at her husband who was gazing at her with total adoration. “I can’t help it! You’re all muscular and sweaty, it riles me up.” He cocked an eyebrow at her, placing his hand over her still flat belly.

“I think those thoughts are exactly how we got you into your current state, love” he smiled and rubbed the tiny swell of her abdomen.

Emma nodded, “that’s true. Knocking up your wife less than a year apart from our first kid is entirely to blame on your ability to seduce me with your sweaty body doing yard work” and smiled gloriously, and laughed.

“Anytime my wife wishes to have me, she may. I assume that’s a perk of being married to someone who is completely devoted to fulfilling his wife’s every wish.”

She kissed him, as the baby monitor flickered to life and Hope let out a wail. “I’ll get her,” she said, leaning up to kiss him chastely. Killian nodded letting her up, and tucked himself back into his pants. “Back to work, break times over Jones” she said saucily as she strode into the house, leaving her ruined panties on the edge of the lounge chair. He stood up, pocketing her discarded panties as he heard the garden gate open and her father strode into view.

He swallowed thickly. “Dave” he nodded, and continued walking towards the wood pile, and Emma’s mother and brother strolled in behind him. Emma came out holding Hope on her hip and waved hello to her parents, looking surprised and grateful that they had not arrived ten minutes earlier.

“Emma, are you alright?” Her mother asked, running her hands over her daughter’s cheeks. “You look flushed” and Emma nodded, wiggling her hands at her brother in his stroller.

“I’m perfect, was lying in the sun reading before she woke up, must have dozed off” she said casually, and her mom nodded with a knowing smirk.

“I brought some cookies” Snow said as she reached beneath the stroller pulling out a tub of them. Emma smiled and took them, heading to the kitchen with them, and came out offering one to Killian.

“No thank you love, I will finish my dessert later” and Snow coughed as she sipped her lemonade hearing his words. Emma smacked his arm, and smiled at him shaking her head.

“Just don’t work too hard Jones” and he nodded, Emma’s father coming towards them to assist him. They worked until the sun began to set, and the ladies called them for dinner.

Killian shook his head, feeling deliriously happy and he loved his wife even more as he gazed at her holding their child on her lap, her hand caressing her belly slyly, as she talked about Henry and Hope. Three hundred and some odd years and the fearsome Captain Hook was reduced to a puddle of goo watching the most beautiful woman in all the realms excitedly tell her parents the news of their newest addition. He gazed at her like she was the entire universe, and how he wanted to tear that small dress off of her and finish what they started earlier.

Dave smiled and congratulated them. Killian raised a brow at his father in law’s tone, and Daved coughed uncomfortably. “She’s still my daughter Jones, so keep that look off your face” and Killian laughed, Emma laughed, and Snow flushed scarlet.

“What is it mom?” Emma asked, and her mom smiled.

“Looks like manual labor being too much to resist seems to be a trait you inherited from me” she whispered in Emma’s ear, who laughed and feigned disgust, her father and husband looked curiously at them unable to hear the words exchanged.

“Looks like you two aren’t the only ones expecting” Dave said and both Emma and Killian’s brows rose.

“You’re with child?” He said to his mother in law, who nodded smiling, and Emma clapped and grinned congratulating her parents.

“Who knew?” Emma said to her mom, and Snow laughed and shrugged.

“Just our genes I guess” and Emma’s cheeks reddened with a blush, and Killian found out later why after he put Hope to bed.

Leaning against their dresser in his towel, he laughed as Emma told him. Shaking his head, “You princesses, all hot and bothered by strapping men doing hard labor. Who knew that was the way into a princess’s undergarments” he said, smirking and laughing. “I could have saved myself some effort had I known that sooner” and Emma scoffed.

“You chase a lot of princesses Jones?” She said saucily, pulling her dress over her head and he gulped taking in her bare skin as she inched closer to him untucking his towel and letting it drop to the floor.

“Just the one love, and that’s more than enough for me" Killian grinned at her, nudging her nose with his.

‘Good” she murmured and pulled him in for a searing kiss.

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#emma swan #killian jones #once upon a time #ouat

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toffrox · 4 years ago

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Voices (Part Three)

Summary: In the months preceding Lester & Meg's return to camp, Nico's nightmares begin to worsen. After a bad fight, Nico apologises to Will. *Spoilers for Tower of Nero*

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Read on Ao3

Will

Will didn't think he'd ever felt this angry.

After his fight with Nico about going to Tartarus, Will had stormed across the pavilion, crashed into Cabin Seven and thrown himself on his bunk.

The cabin was silent. His siblings must still be out doing afternoon activities. Will wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or upset that they weren't there.

He rolled over onto his back and stared at the neat wooden beams above him. He took deep breaths, trying and failing to calm his racing heartbeat. He clenched and unclenched his fists.

What was going to happen now?

Nico would probably be angry at him, he thought bitterly. He had been angry for weeks now, Will knew, ever since the horrible moment he'd felt Jason's death.

Will supposed he would be continuing on with his solo journey down to Tartarus. He might even head down to the Underworld right now, if he was really upset with Will. Will knew how reckless he got when he was mad.

Will's stomach boiled with anger at the thought. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists again.

Why did Will do this to himself?

Why did he think that he could help? That he could somehow control every situation?

He turned on his side and curled up, feeling suddenly sick.

Every nightmare Nico had told Will about, every waking flashback. Every time Will had touched Nico's wrist to check how he was healing and instead been taken aback by the shock of dark anguish… Each time resurfaced in Will's memory, paralysing him with fear.

That's what Tartarus had done to Nico. And that's what it was going to do again.

There was nothing Will could do to stop it. He had tried to stop him. He had tried to help. And he had failed.

There had been plenty of times in the past couple of years that Will had felt useless; he was unable to fight; the lousiest singer, the worst shot of all his siblings… but this was the most helpless he had ever felt.

He tried desperately not to cry but his eyes burned all the same.

Nico made him so happy; was the best thing in Will's life.

The thought of losing him (to Tartarus, to this fight) was unbearable.

The afternoon seemed to slip away in a haze of repeated thoughts and reluctant tears.

At some point before sunset, Kayla appeared at his side.

"Will?" Her voice came urgent and surprised. "Will, are you alright? What happened?"

Will pulled himself upright, filled with relief at the sight of her worried face. Her gaze flickered over Will's disheveled appearance and tear stained cheeks.

"Gods, Will. Come here." She climbed onto the bed beside him and pulled him into a hug. Will rested his head on her shoulder.

They hadn't been sitting there long when another voice came from the doorway.

"Hey," Austin came into the room, frowning. "What happened? What's wrong?" He hurried to join them, his hand on Will's shoulder.

Will felt his spirits lift in their presence, his fear for Nico momentarily abated by his affection for his siblings.

He felt silly for a moment, getting so upset over a fight with his boyfriend.

But it wasn't just a fight, Will reminded himself. This was more than that.

"I'm just worried about Nico." Will mumbled against Kayla's shoulder. Kayla and Austin exchanged a worried glance.

"What are you worried about?" Kayla asked softly, at the same time as Austin said "What happened to Nico?"

Will took a deep, trembling breath.

"He… I think he's going to go back to Tartarus." said Will. "He says it's for a mission. He's been 'called'."

"What?" Kayla breathed. Austin's eyes widened in horror.

"And I tried to tell him that I'd go with him-"

"What?" Austin said.

"-so that he didn't have to do it alone this time." Will pressed on. "But he told me he didn't want me." His voice cracked on his last words.

"What do you mean?" Kayla asked, perplexed.

"He said he wouldn't let me!" Will shrugged Kayla off and hugged his knees to his chest. He scowled. "He said that fighting in battles wasn't the same as being in Tartarus and that I didn't know what it was like and that I should stay here in the infirmary while he went down there with someone else like Reyna or Hazel or Percy."

Will shoved himself to his feet at that, his eyebrows knitted together. He was suddenly every bit as angry as he'd been when he'd stormed out of Cabin Thirteen.

"Nico said that?" came Austin's stunned voice from Will's bunk.

"Yes." Will spat.

Will had never thought of himself as a jealous person before. He'd never once felt insecure about Nico's relationship with any of his friends; even Percy. But now he was livid.

How could Nico reject him like that? How could he not stand up for Will when Will asked him if he doubted Will's ability to look after himself?

Will worked so hard to look after Nico. To look after everyone at camp. And it was still not enough.

He paced backwards and forwards in the cabin, seething, his jaw set.

"How can-?" Will's voice broke off, whether from his hurt or his anger, Will wasn't sure. "How can he not want me?"

He sat down heavily on Kayla's bunk. And Kayla and Austin exchanged another worried glance before hurrying to his side once again.

Kayla and Austin stayed with him for the evening, Austin running to the dining pavilion to grab them all some food.

They sat on the floor of Cabin Seven together, eating burgers and teasing each other.

It had been a tough year already for all three of them. They were all worried about Apollo and struggling with the lack of communication with their summer friends. Will knew that Kayla and Austin had been worried about Nico lately too. They could all tell something big was coming.

The next morning Will joined them both at breakfast. Nico wasn't there.

Will tried to work in the infirmary but he was jumpy and distracted. Treating the minor wounds of the Ares and Athena campers from morning sparring practice only made him feel useless again.

Eventually Kayla snapped and told him he had to leave before he gave himself a panic attack.

Will returned to Cabin Seven and sat on his bunk, trying desperately not to think about whatever Nico might be doing right now.

Nico

Nico returned to camp with his stomach (and backpack) full of Sally Jackson's blue cookies. He shadow travelled directly to infirmary.

Will wasn't there.

"Hey" Nico said to Kayla as he came through the door, somewhat out of breath from rushing. He made his way to the supply cabinet just inside the door, grabbing himself a KitKat alongside a dose of unicorn draught (one of their last doses left over from before they lost contact with New Rome).

Kayla looked up warily from where she was administering burn cream to Harley on one of the beds. "Hi."

"Where's Will?" Nico asked, coming around to lean against the bed next to them.

"Hi, Nico!" Harley piped up with a wide grin.

"Hey, kiddo," Nico reached out to bump his fist, though his eyes were still on Kayla.

Kayla straightened up. She had a shrewd look on her face, as though unsure whether she was mad at him. Nico guessed he deserved that. He grimaced.

"Ok, Harley, you're all patched up." She said, standing back to let him go. He jumped up with a cheerful "seeya!", either unaware or unbothered by the tension between the two older demigods.

Kayla crossed her arms. "Will's not here." she said bluntly. "He wasn't feeling well."

Nico swallowed his mouthful of KitKat.

"Is he ok? I was going to come talk to him." he said.

"That depends. Are you planning on apologising?" Kayla raised an eyebrow, which made Nico wince.

"Yes."

Kayla gave him a twisted smile.

"Good. Then I think he'll be fine." She paused. "Are you ok?" Her gaze seemed to soften now that Will's interests were taken care of. Nico smiled at that.

"Yeah. I'm better." He said.

"Good." She nodded. "Will's in our cabin."

Nico finished his KitKat and retreated shyly, slipping the unicorn draught in his pocket for later.

He knocked softly on the door of Cabin Seven and waited for Will's muffled "come in" before letting himself in.

Will was curled up on his bunk with his arms wrapped around his knees. When he saw it was Nico his brow creased into a frown. Nico couldn't tell whether it was from anger or from hurt. Probably both.

"Hi, Sunshine." Nico said quietly. Will's eyes flickered away at the use of the nickname.

Nico approached the bunk hesitantly but Will let him crawl up onto the bed beside him and lean against the wall, sitting side by side, their knees touching.

Will's head was bowed. He blinked rapidly, not daring to look up.

"Are you ok?" Nico asked out of habit, unsure whether or not to reach out and take Will's hand. Will swallowed.

"Not really." He whispered.

Nico inwardly flinched but forced himself to move in closer, pressing his shoulder against Will's. Thankfully, Will didn't pull back.

"I talked to Percy."

Nico watched Will's response carefully. But the anger he expected never came. Will bit his lip.

"What did he say?"

Nico's heart ached at the concern in Will's voice. Because that was Will all over, wasn't it. So kind, even when he was upset. Nico felt the ghost of a smile tug at his lips.

"He said he wouldn't come." said Nico. "But I shouldn't have asked, really."

Nico watched Will's jaw muscles clench and unclench. He cleared his throat and pushed on.

"It wasn't fair of me to ask that of him… and it wasn't fair of me to dismiss you, either."

Will closed his eyes. His lip trembled as his frown deepened. Nico shifted to wrap an arm around him and was relieved when Will leaned into his touch.

"You really hurt me, Nico." he whispered.

"I know." Nico replied softly. "I'm so sorry, Will."

Will turned his face and buried his nose against Nico's chest. Nico let his fingers trace gently up and down Will's arms.

They sat like that for a long time, wrapped up in each other. And Nico felt relieved to sit with him for a while. He felt guilt bubble uncomfortably in his stomach. He'd seen Will upset before, but never like this, and never because of something Nico had done. He closed his eyes and tried to remind himself what he'd realised when he was at Percy's. He pushed away the fear of losing Will and instead focused on how warm Will felt against his chest, how safe and comfortable he felt sitting here, with Will's arms around his waist. He focused on that and nothing else while Will steadied his breath.

"It was so stupid of me to doubt you." Nico said eventually. The memory of Nico's silence from yesterday rested uncomfortably between them. Will didn't look up from Nico's chest, though he seemed calmer than before.

Nico thought of the way Will had saved lives under fire at the Battle of Manhattan and the way he'd stopped crowds and weaved through crowds of enemies in the Battle at Half Blood Hill. He remembered thinking that he'd never seen anyone put such unswerving trust in his fellow demigods before. The most loyal and the most reliable camper in the field.

"The truth is" Nico murmured, "I always thought you were amazing in battle."

Will straightened up and rolled his eyes. "No you didn't."

"I did." Nico insisted. "I've always thought… You're so amazing, Will."

Will shrugged. "I'm just a healer."

"The best healer." said Nico. "The best combat healer. The best in a generation."

"You don't know that." Will mumbled.

"I do. Everyone knows it." Nico said. He reached up to cup Will's cheek in his palm. "I'm just so scared of losing you, Will."

"I'm scared of losing you too." Will's voice trembled. "Every time I think about how bad things have got for you lately, and how much worse they might get if you have to be alone down there again I-" Will cut off, unable to say it out loud.

Nico was quiet for a long time, thinking of what Percy had said to him earlier that day. He didn't move his hand from Will's face.

"When I spoke to Percy," Nico began, "He told me about when he and Annabeth were in Tartarus."

Will glanced up, apprehensive.

"He told me that when he was down there, he was afraid of himself sometimes. That Annabeth was afraid of him too. The way he used his powers…" Will's eyes widened at this, and Nico reached out with his spare hand to squeeze Will's as he went on. "It made me think about you."

"Me?" Will frowned at him.

"Yeah. It made me think about how you've never been afraid of me." Nico said. Will's eyes softened into a smile. "You've never been afraid. Even when I shared with you the worst things that I've done and… and even when I've tried to scare you-" Nico broke off with a half-hearted laugh. His hand was still on Will's cheek, his thumb brushing his jaw. Will bit his lip to hold back a grin.

"It also made me think about how… good you are." Nico breathed.

"Good?" Will raised an eyebrow.

"You're the best person I've ever met, Will. You're so kind. And selfless. And… I've never met anyone who cares about things like you do. You're so, so good, Will. And when I'm with you, I feel like maybe I could be good too." As he spoke. Nico felt his heart flutter with nerves and embarrassment and overwhelming joy that he got to call Will his boyfriend. Will gazed back at him with round eyes. His cheeks burned red.

Nico had thought that Will being the most thoughtful, generous person he'd ever met was a reason not to let him come to Tartarus. He couldn't imagine someone so good in such a horrible place. But really, he should have been thinking of those things as exactly the reasons why he was the best person for Nico to have fighting at his side.

"I guess I realised that… I could never be afraid of you. Everything about you - about us - makes me feel so safe and… I would be lucky - I am lucky - to have you with me."

"Nico…" Will blinked rapidly and pulled Nico towards him, wrapping his arms around his back and holding him tighter than he'd ever held Nico before.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you." Nico mumbled against his chest. Will just gripped him even tighter.

"You're not going to lose me." He said firmly, threading his fingers through Nico's hair and cradling the back of his head. "I'm not leaving you."

"I'm not leaving you, either." Nico said. Will let out a breath.

"Good." He said. His voice was suddenly a million times lighter.

Nico finally let himself smile for real and closed his eyes, running his fingers lightly against Will's back. They spent another few minutes holding each other in silence.

"You know I still think you shouldn't rush into anything." Will murmured, pulling back to meet Nico's eyes and gently brushing his hair away from his face. "I still think you need to be more sure about these voices before we decide to do anything."

Nico nodded, his attention still half lingering on the way Will's fingertips felt against his scalp.

"But when I figure that out, you'll help me?" Nico breathed.

"Of course I will." said Will.

Nico smiled, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Good." he said heavily, thinking of the book he'd been poring over last night, now tucked into his backpack alongside the plastic container filled with freshly baked blue chocolate chip cookies. And he opened one eye to peek up at Will in apprehension. "Because I think I found a way into Tartarus without my father knowing."

#part three of three #nico hears voices #make up chapter #solangelo #solangelo fanfic #pjo fanfic #tower of nero #ton spoilers #toa fanfic #Will Solace #nico di angelo #fanfiction wip #hurt/comfort

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buriednurbckyrd · 6 years ago

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Right In Front of You (3)

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Y/N scolded herself as she stalked around the greenhouse. She had woken up at five in the morning with her face buried in the crook of Bucky's neck, breathing in his spicy cedar scent with the underlying Alpha musk growing stronger. If even she could smell his Alpha pheromones now, his rut had to be ready to burst forth at any moment. The tears that threatened to fall made her even angrier and she punched a bag of potting soil. When the dust settled she was covered nearly head to toe in dirt and the rest of it was spread all over the brick floor. Collecting herself, she focused her power to collect the loose soil into a semi-neat pile. “I'll deal with you later.” She spat, and stomped out to take a shower.

As she washed the dirt and grime off her body she tried not to think about how good it had felt to sleep in Bucky's arms, how amazing he smelled. Too bad the tshirt that she had been wearing was caked in dirt now, she would have liked to hold onto that scent for a little while longer. She lathered shampoo in her hair and cringed at the dull cramp that formed in her abdomen.

“Fucking perfect, now I'm getting my goddamn period.” She snarled into the steam and mentally did the math. “A week and a half early. Peachy-fucking-keen.” By the time she was wrapping her hair in a towel and pulling on her most comfortable pair of leggings her cramps were increasing in severity. She rubbed a hand over her stomach, wincing. The nausea was already setting in, but she hadn't eaten dinner the previous night so she decided to go have a light breakfast and hoped that would improve the uncomfortable sensation.

Y/N was biting into her second piece of buttered toast when Steve and Sam walked in looking for food after their morning run.

“You want some eggs to go with that, Y/N?” Steve asked her, pouring a cup of coffee. “I can cook a few extra.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I'm not feeling all that great this morning.” Sam looked at her with concern.

“You definitely don't look like your usual cheery self.” He said.

“Gee, thanks Sammy. Sorry I'm not bright eyed and bushy tailed for your pleasure.” Her laugh was hollow and weak.

“I'm not trying to insult you. Seriously, are you okay?” She swallowed another bite of toast.

“My lady issues are acting up this month. Decided to come early and kick my ass.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “And maybe I caught a bug or something, I feel kind of hot.” A bead of sweat ran down her back. The three of them turned their attention to Tony as he wandered in.

“Thank goodness you haven't sucked down all the coffee yet, Daddy needs his caffeine.” He drawled. Steve handed him a mug and Tony sniffed the air.

“Did someone make cookies? Something smells good.”

“I don't think so,” Steve replied, inhaling deeply. “But you're right, I smell something sweet.” A much stronger cramp rolled through Y/N and it took her breath away and she doubled over with a loud gasp.

“Y/N! Hey, what's wrong?” Sam knelt beside her and rubbed her knee.

“Ah-I don't know.” She lifted her head and her eyes were wide with fear. “It's never this bad, it feels like I'm being stabbed.” Her stomach lurched and for a few seconds she was afraid she was going to lose her meager breakfast. Sam touched his fingers to her wrist.

“Her pulse is racing, and she's burning up. Steve grab an ice pack and hold it against the back of her neck.” The Captain moved fast and gently pressed the pack to her skin. She barely felt it.

“Wait a minute...” Tony felt her forehead and then leaned in close to sniff her. “The smell is her. And it's getting stronger.” His pupils dilated and he took a big step back from her. Steve looked at Tony in confusion and stroked his hand over Y/N's hair, pushing it aside. The contact sent a shiver through her body and another cramp hit her.

“Oh god,” she groaned in misery. “I just want it to stop.”

“Y/N...” Sam said slowly, everything adding up for him. “Sweetheart, I think you're in heat.” Her head snapped up.

“I'm a Beta. We don't have heats.”

“Delayed presentation is rare, but not unheard of.” Tony said from the across the room. “And it is a bit more common for people with um, abilities.” He was holding himself very stiffly. “I...ah...think I need to leave. Not sure how you two are dealing with this but I...” He sucked a deep breath through his teeth. “I'm gonna go find Pep.” He finally muttered and marched awkwardly away. Y/N looked at Sam with tear filled eyes.

“What's happening to me?” Sam wiped a tear off her cheek and smiled, trying to reassure her.

“Hey, you're going to be fine. Tony is right, these things happen sometimes.”

“If it's true,” she swallowed and her throat felt dry and rough. “If I'm an-”

“Omega.” Bucky rasped, appearing almost out of thin air. He was slumped over the kitchen island, propping himself up on shaky arms. His chest was flushed and heaving, and his eyes were zeroed in on Y/N.

“Fuck.” Sam cursed under his breath. “Steve get him out of here.” Steve dropped the ice pack and cautiously went to approach Bucky, obviously in the beginning of his first rut in decades.

“Okay, pal. I think you should walk away and cool off a little.” His voice was calm but his body language was wary. It was never a good idea to move to quickly around a rutting Alpha.

“Y/N.” Bucky called to her. “You smell...” He trailed off and took a deep breath. “I thought you were Beta.” She answered with a humorless chuckle.

“Yeah? Me too.” She let out a cry of pain and Bucky nearly leapt over the counter.

“Barnes,” Sam said warningly. “You need to go.” Bucky looked at the way Sam was touching Y/N, rubbing her knee and holding her hand. It made his Alpha side bristle and he had to suppress a snarl.

“Can't.” He kept moving closer and Steve put himself between his friend and the whimpering Omega. “I'm not going to hurt her,” he said, shooting Steve a wounded look. “She's mine.” The simple statement, made with such conviction made Y/N's heart skip a beat. “Don't try me,” he growled. “You can't keep us apart.” He was only steps away from her now and she could clearly see how aroused he already was. And his scent. It clouded her mind, made her want to lay down and show her neck, to submit. Hot, decedent lust pooled between her thighs and she was suddenly aware of the unfamiliar sensation of slick starting to seep out of her.

“Alpha,” she whispered. “Bucky.” His gaze snapped back to her. She pushed weakly at Sam. “It's okay, he won't hurt me.”

“Y/N you don't understand...” Sam sputtered and she silenced him with a sharp look.

“Just because I'm suddenly an Omega doesn't mean I need to be coddled or protected. He would never harm me,” she turned back to look at Bucky. “He couldn't.” Her face dissolved into pure agony and she cried out, wrapping her arms around her middle. With three long strides Bucky was kneeling at her feet, nuzzling his face against her soft belly.

“Sweet Omega,” he murmured. “I know it hurts.” His hands crept under her shirt and he hissed when he felt how hot she felt.

“I don't know what's happening, JB.” She whispered. “How is this possible?”

“We belong to each other.” His eyes were glossy and his pupils so dilated they swallowed the blue of his irises. “My rut triggered your Omega side.” She cupped his cheeks and pressed her forehead against his. His touch had soothed some of the pain of the heat.

“I'm so hot.” Bucky nodded and turned his face to kiss her palm.

“Let me help you.” His grip tightened briefly. “Make you feel so good 'Mega.” His voice went impossibly deeper and it caused another wave of slick to gush out. She shifted in her chair and realized she had soaked through her pants.

“Please.” He let out a pleased growl.

“I'm taking my Omega.” He said louder, for Steve and Sam to hear. “I don't want to see either one of you when I turn around.” His tone wasn't overly aggressive, but the underlying threat was there. He was ready to claim his Omega, and the presence of two other Alphas would bring out his territorial side. He was still lucid enough to give a warning. Both men had the sense to leave quickly.

“Bucky,” she whined. “I need you.”

“You have me. I'm gonna take care of you.” He stood up and pulled her into his arms. She clung to him, rubbing her cheek against his bare chest and pressing little kisses to his heated flesh. “Don't get too excited, darlin'. You keep that up I won't be able to get you back to my room and I'll take you right here.” She let out a frustrated huff that made him chuckle. “Come on, sweet girl. It's not far and then I'll give you what we both want.” He promised, body trembling with need.

#bucky barnes x plus size reader #alpha!bucky #omega!reader #plus sized reader #marvel au #A/B/O verse

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they-know-not-what · 6 years ago

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The Winchester Recital

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part 5

Part Six - Eating

They don’t eat. (Trigger warning for EDNOS/poor self-image/poor self-esteem - please don’t read if you don’t want to)

They don’t eat.

Not like normal people do. Some days there are no worries, they order pizza, they bake cookies, they pick up sandwiches on the way back from lectures.

Other days are different.

It’s not that he doesn’t know that his body needs fuel to function. That’s how he has to think of it sometimes, as fuel, a purely mechanical process. He’s lost count of the amount meals he had chewed and swallowed down without tasting. But he’d been able to do it; whilst hunting. There were set amounts of protein and carbohydrates that he made sure to consume. He rationalised it as keeping his family safe. Sometimes he had blips, but Dad was never around to notice, and Dean seemed to think it was normal behaviour for him. Sam has always been a health “freak”, as Dean would say. Often forgoing the greasy diner food that was all that they had the money for. John had no time to coddle kids who wouldn’t eat the food in front of them. Dean was not so easy to convince. Weedling Sam with fries until Sam would put away a portion just to make him happy, hustling pool when they were staying in town in order to stack their fridge with “rabbit food” as he put it.

Other times he had been less sympathetic.

“For god’s sake, Sam! Stop being such a diva and eat the damn burger!” Sam would stubbornly purse his lips shut and push the plate away. “Fine, see if I care!” Sam was stubborn, but he had learnt that stubbornness from Dean, and the burger would always make it back to the motel room, wrapped up to go by the underpaid waitress. “You’re being selfish” Dean hissed before jamming his headphones over his head and blasting Metallica from his busted up cassette player, before crossing his arms and shutting his eyes, as if he even couldn’t bear to look at Sam at that moment. This had been after a particularly stressful day of travelling and arguing between all three of the Winchesters, which John had promptly escaped after dinner by heading off to the nearest bar after tossing Dean the keys. Sam had been in no mood to acquiesce to any requests made of him, and had promptly dropped the wrapped up burger in the bin, making sure that Dean had seen. Now though, the guilt was compacting in his chest, and he walked back over to the bin and picked it out, glad that in his strop he hadn’t unwrapped it. The burger was cold, which was obviously his fault, and unappetising which was just standard for cheap burgers, but he ate every bite – ignoring the way it made his stomach roll. Later on, when Dean comes around, he finds the empty burger wrapper on the side table between the two beds with something scribbled on it in black biro.

“Sorry, Dean”

When Sam wakes up on the lumpy sofa, covered in the comforter from Dean’s bed. The smell of the godforsaken burger is too strong. He wrinkles his nose and realises the wrapper is right next to his face.

“Sorry bitch”

Sam smiles and mutters “jerk” to the darkened room.

So yeah, Sam has blips.

Jess is different.

She is a product of a society of which Sam has barely been a part. She’s spent her whole life being told that she has to be pretty, funny, smart. Thin but curvy in the right places, she shouldn’t diet but should somehow maintain a perfect figure, exercise with a face full of un-smudged make up and styled hair. And she does it without a second thought. Sam can’t help but admire her ability to adjust at whatever’s thrown at her. Sometimes he doesn’t understand how she’s so well adjusted.

Sometimes she isn’t.

Jess was meant to meet Sam twenty minutes ago, there was a party going on downstairs that she had been so excited about and so he had reluctantly agreed to go. What the hell, Sam isn’t much of a drinker, but it could be fun. He doesn’t want to rush her, he figures the hair and the makeup and that cool thing she does with her eyeliner must take time. He also doesn’t want to seem crazy. His hunter instincts are screaming at him that something awful must be happening, but Brandy told him to “chill out, chicks take their time.” Sam makes it another five minutes before he’s leaving the party as quickly as is socially acceptable – and even that gets him a few strange looks. As soon as he’s out of eyeshot he sprints to her room, banging on the door with urgency. Yeah, he doesn’t have a weapon, but he’ll use a lamp of a chair or whatever as long as she’s safe and-

“Sam?” “Jess?” he’s in her room as soon as she opens the door, holding her close, looking around for the danger. It takes him a second to realise she’s crying. Well, she was crying. Shock at his arrival and apparent impending insanity has rendered her quiet, but her face is still wet, eyelashes fused together with smeared makeup and tears. “Jess, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? What’s happened?” he holds her at arms’ length and inspects her from head to toe. She uses the distance to break out of his hold, and turns away from him, wiping her face as she does so. It doesn’t have the desired effect, and she seems to only succeed in smearing it worse. “I’m not going to the party Sam, I don’t feel like it.” Her voice softened “You should go back and have fun. I’m sorry.” She walks away from him and shuts the door behind her, hiding herself in the separate area that houses her bed.

Well done Sam, you had a girlfriend for a whole six months before she realised you were batshit crazy. Good job.

“Jess?” he knocks on the door before opening it, taking the fact that she hadn’t locked it as a good sign. She’s curled up on her bed, hiding her face in her knees. The room, which is normally fairly neat with only a sweater or so on the floor, is so covered in clothes, Sam can barely see the carpet. “Go away, Sam.” There’s no malice in it, she just sounds small, and tired. He takes a single step into the room and lowers his voice. “I will, I will go if that’s what you want. But please Jess, tell me what’s wrong with you. How can I help?” She mumbles something into her knees that he can’t catch. “Sorry?” she looks up suddenly, eyes still filled with tears, muscles tensed. “I said I’m ugly! Sam!” “Ugly… ? What-?” “Yes I’m ugly, and hideous and- and – fat!!” she spits the word, and she’s grabbing at her arms and legs now, slightly hysterical pinching every ounce of skin she can get her hands on as if this somehow proves what she’s saying. “Jess, if there’s one thing I know it’s that none of that is true.” He says gently.

“Then you clearly don’t know very much!” she rolls over onto her side, turning away from him. He takes a chance, and sits down on the other side of the bed, keeping out of her personal space.

“Actually, I think you’ll find I’m very smart” he quips and grins cheekily. It’s a grin that just last week she had described as ‘adorable’, now she looks as though she’s considering slapping it off his face. He holds up his hands in placation as she rolls over, but instead of going for him she grabs her own stomach, squeezing again.

“Then why do I look like this?!” she demands angrily, until after a second, when all the fight seems to go out of her again and she sags into the bed, chest heaving with silent sobs. And Sam feels a momentary rush of anger that to see Jess look so defeated.

She should never look that.

He takes her hands gently, turns them over as if examining them, pecks kisses on each short but carefully painted nail.

“You look like this, because I’ve seen these hands play the most beautiful piano I’ve ever heard, and make the most amazing cookies I’ve ever tasted.” He strokes up and down her arms, over her shoulders and neck.

Gently, always gentle with Jess.

“I’ve seen you carry fundraising buckets for entire weekends which are always full of change because no-one can say no to you.” His right thumb rests on her lips as his left one caresses her cheek. “I’ve heard this mouth tell the most

wicked

jokes and speak somewhat-passable French.” She taps his arm lightly, in mock annoyance. “You look like this, because at some point a couple of stars must have fallen from the sky to become your eyes. You look like this, because my girlfriend is the most beautiful, funny and talented woman in the world.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “So please don’t make her cry by saying mean things about her, because I love her more than anything in the world. She’s the axis my universe revolves around.”

“Good answer, Sam Winchester.” She murmurs.

“I told you I was smart.”

#TWR #The Winchester Recital #supernatural #spn #Sam Winchester #Jessica Moore #fanfiction #fanfic #headcanon #this one is longer lol #edited with a quick paragraph insert

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thedivas · 7 years ago

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everything i have got to say about episode two

aquaria made me laugh so hard during the mini challenge!! but i wasn’t impressed by her characterization in pharmarusical. i literally thought aquaria was blair when she was acting as the old lady, and if she hadn’t mentioned the concept of an old lady transforming into a millennial earlier in the episode, i would not have gotten that at all. the characterization was faulty to me, but her dancing was flawless and it was fun watching her. and her runway look was gorgeous and just very aesthetically pleasing. that mint ostrich feather boa/coat thing and black mesh rhinestoned see-through dress looked so perfect on her. the giant septums, long leather gloves, green antennas, and her unpadded chest peeking out made it so good. her description of it as “androgynous yet feminine” perfectly captures it. i only wish that her green glittered heel was the same shade of green as her antennas and boa

asia completely deserved her mini challenge win. like aquaria, she had me laughing out loud. asia’s runway was very poised, the bright pink popped gorgeously against her skin, and it was very pageant, which i really appreciated because pageant drag is being represented better and better with each season, and i think asia really showed out in the “very best drag” runway! with looks like this, i see her winning the season, and being the first pageant queen to do so! and that wig! it was so voluminous and perfectly styled. although, i am struggling to remember her performance in pharmarusical for some reason

blair st clair hardly moving in the mini challenge and having jason carry her around 🤭😝and when she was fumbling around trying to learn the choreography i was seriously worried for her but she surprised me again this week! i definitely underestimated her pre-season and i am eager to see what she does next week and in snatch game. i def have my eye on blair now. her performance as the fairy god mother in pharmarusical was good, and again, i’m impressed that she was able to make so much progress from rehearsal to the performance! she represented indianapolis beautifully in that eggplant purple gown, and it definitely screamed “best drag” to me. when she walked out, the first word that came to mind for me was “regal”

dusty could have done more with her part in the main challenge in my opinion. throughout the whole thing, i was waiting for her to give just a little bit more! her black and white blazer look was beautiful to me. it was a great combination of edge and glamour. and those claws! 😭😭i loved dusty’s rhinestoned black stiletto nails so much. topped with a big blonde teased wig and deciding not to do dots (except for a little around the eye) this week really was a paying decision!! and i liked the way she did her eyebrows, too. im very happy for her. i only wish that her fishnets weren’t ripped

eureka, ohhhh eureka. she missed the words over and over again! she seemed pretty nervous. her neon pink/metallic blue sequins and see-through rhinestoned catsuit was pretty underwhelming. i’m sure it was expensive, though, so maybe that’s why she chose it to be representative of her “very best drag”? i found her mini challenge performance, main challenge performance, and runway all to be incredibly lacking in passion, creativity, determination, and that captivating quality that “drag superstars” should have! to me, she was deserving of being placed in the bottom this week. i’m not even sure what her storyline was supposed to be. she’s clearly going through something emotionally complex but we still don’t know why or what her hold is, which makes it hard to sympathize with her and it also makes her storyline un-engaging, which isn’t exactly her fault, but she does need to step her drag up because at this point she isn’t keeping up with the other queens

“kalorie is known for her ass shaking abilities” i have to laugh. like eureka, she was deserving of being in the bottom. hearing about how badly she was bullied was really sad for me, i just wanted to jump through my TV screen and give her a big hug and hold her cheeks between my palms. unfortunately though, that was her most memorable moment this episode. i’m a little confused about why she wore that basic dark rhinestoned bodysuit in a “very best drag” category when each of the garments she showed in whatcha packin were beautiful and, imo, would have served her better in this challenge.

kameron can perform!!!! she was entertaining in the mini challenge! i think kameron had a good shot at winning this week. she’s shown that she’s more than just a muscle queen; she fought for the eyes to be on her in pharmarusical, and i loved the part where she fell to the floor with one leg stuck up in the air with those big eyes! the whole thing was so much fun to watch, but her runway was somehow even better! that colorful butterfly look with the gentle hued tulle open skirt and the nude illusion and pink contour really really feminized her and i thought it was EXCELLENT from head to toe! her waist was snatched and she looked so feminine. the details of her look perfected it, with a few butterflies in her wig and skirt train, the silver dangly earrings, and a nice nude pump to seal it all together. i really like kameron and i can’t WAIT to see what she does in next week’s comedy challenge

mayhem miller’s icy blue gown was nearly a toot for me, but the length was a little off, and i thought her look last week was significantly better than this week’s “best drag.” in her solo at the end of pharmarusical, i think she could have commanded more attention to her star before the other queens came out for the finale. she kind of got enveloped in it all. this wasn’t mayhem’s best week, but none of what she did was bad. it was just very safe. nothing she did really WOWed me this time

miz cracker did well! i feel like she was hardly in this episode, though. she was fun in the mini challenge with her lil cartwheel, and i think she did the best job getting into drag with only 20 minutes. she took direction well from alyssa. her short shiny golden geometric dress was very distinctly her; if i saw it (and her big rectangular wig) on a mannequin, i would definitely know it belonged to miz cracker because she’s developed such a crafty yet cohesive style. it looked like it could belong in a star wars-inspired high fashion runway show, maybe alexander mcqueen or mugler, even.

monique! in my opinion, it was ridiculous that ross didn’t remember her in pharmarusical because she was literally front and center in the opening number and was turning it out with every part of her face engaged in the performance at every second even though the cameras kept cutting away from her! 😣☹️i thought she shined the brightest out of all the queens on both teams. she livened things up quite a bit! i enjoyed monique’s runway, even though i think she could have chosen something else to better represent her “very best drag.” still, the royal blue with the eyeballs on top of her head read well and it was clear that she was doing a cookie monster thing, but it still had MONIQUE written all over it. those oversized frilly sleeves and fringed body were nice and im happy she used that long platinum blond side-swept ponytail wig 😍the reveal took her runway to the next level, and it made her stand out from the other queens. that studded bodysuit with the mouth and hands covering the eyes on her breasts paired with the eyes on top of her head was entirely adorable. she was able to show us who she is in this runway; her style is quirky but she’s so multifaceted, too! monique’s makeup was neat and creative, i actually thought her makeup was the best out of everyone’s this week. she was given zero accolades for all the hard work she put in this week, and that was disappointing for me. there is no way i would have placed monique in the bottom 3 at all.

monet’s red glittery jumpsuit was the best runway for me. she looked absolutely stunning, and she delivered in the main challenge, as well! i unfortunately don’t have a lot to say about monet this week except that i loved her runway so much and want a suit like that for myself. she looked glamorous and beautiful.

the vixen...i’m a vixen stan but i was shocked when she won the mini challenge, and surprised again when she won the main challenge. she did notably well in both, but there were others who outperformed her in both, too. nonetheless, i’m proud of her for snagging a double win this episode! her tiny red heat meister runway look was cute, but it was not her best drag in my opinion. i’ve seen her in better drag. did she look super cute though? hell yes. and out of her group, i think her pharmarusical performance was the best! i don’t want to say she carried her team because it was definitely a group effort, but i think she did exceptionally well in the lip sync in a way that not everyone did. this challenge was right up her alley as a lip sync assassin and high energy dancer. even though it worked out well this week, im worried about her not being a good team player and that coming up later on in the season!!

yuhua was so good in the mini challenge! she is so unexpectedly witty and her personality just shines through everything she does! i think she should have won the mini challenge alongside asia. i enjoyed her in the main challenge and she reminded me a bit of edna from the incredibles lol! i thought her “very best drag” runway look was very weak, though, and none of it seemed to match. i didn’t like the thick dark fishnets, the deep blue fabric seemed to swallow her up, and the big black afro didn’t complement her look, either. if i were rupaul, yuhua would have taken monique’s place in the bottom 3.

#thoughts #s10 spoilers

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pickalilywrites · 8 years ago

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Sweet

A/N: I ate a custard-filled doughnut hole yesterday and it was lovely. Remember to treat yo’self to something sweet every once in a while. Like this fic. Ayyyy.

Word Count: 2,339

She hates being here but it’s not all that bad. At least that’s what she’s thinking as she bites into her delicate pastry. The crispy outer shell crunches between her teeth and she licks her lips, making sure not to waste any bit of sugar from her doughnut. A moan of absolute pleasure escapes from her lips before she can help it. It’s been a while since she was able to indulge herself in her favorite dessert – they never had any in her hometown and the trainees visits to the civilian districts only came twice a month – but it always tastes as delicious as she remembers it. When she opens her eyes, she’s surprised – and embarrassed as hell – when she sees Eren and his friends standing in front of her.

They all have different expressions on their faces after observing her enjoy the sugary snack. Eren’s eyes are wide with wonder, Armin looks a bit confused (or maybe that was concern?), and that Ackerbitch has that ever-present frown her on her face.

After hastily swallowing her last bite, Annie wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “What,” she says gruffly.

“H-hey, Annie,” Armin says, looking nervously between her and Mikasa. The tension between the two isn’t a secret among the trainees. The only people who don’t know were those who either didn’t care enough to notice (such as Ymir) or those who were too stupid to notice (such as, well, Eren).

Eren, that oblivious idiot, pulls up a chair across from Annie and takes a seat. She’d be pissed, but the infuriated look on Ackerman’s face makes her a bit smug that Eren’s sitting down with her. “We saw you across the square and wanted to say hi,” Eren explains happily, ignoring the seething glare that Mikasa was giving Annie.

“Hi…” Annie says cautiously, being careful to keep an eye on Ackerman.

When Mikasa doesn’t say anything, Eren jabs his adopted sister in the ribs and she mumbles a reluctant “hey” before telling Eren, “We said hi, could we go now? I just remembered that there were a few things we should pick up before we have to head back.”

“Then you can go ahead with Armin then,” Eren replies, waving a hand to dismiss her. “Just leave a few bags here so you don’t have to carry them. I’ll meet you back with everyone else in a bit.”

Mikasa opens her mouth to protest but Armin tugs at her sleeve, probably knowing that if Annie and Mikasa were in the same place any longer a fight would break out.

“We’ll see you later, Eren,” Armin says, half-dragging Mikasa away. “Bye, Annie!”

Annie can’t help but have a smug smile on her face as she watches Mikasa get dragged off. “Goodbye,” she smirks.

Eren’s not watching any of this, only amused at the smile on Annie’s face. “You look really happy,” he observes, tilting his head. He glances back at Mikasa and frowns. “Sorry about Mikasa, by the way. She was in a pretty good mood today but she can be kind of moody sometimes.”

“I wonder why,” Annie replies. After hearing Eren’s multiple speeches about his stupidly naïve goal of defeating all Titans, she’s pretty familiar with just how stupid he can be. Still, he always seems to find new ways of surprising her with just how high his level of idiocy is. Just like now.

Eren only shrugs, laughing. “Don’t let it get to you. Mikasa’s actually a good person even if she seems a little scary.”

Annie can’t help but scoff. “I’ll have to take your word for it then.”

“What was that thing you were eating?” Eren asks curiously. It’s obvious that that’s the question that’s been on his mind since he sat down by the way he transitions into it, with no obvious connection to the last topic in their conversation. He makes a big O-shape with his hands and held it up to his face. A green eye blinked through the hole. “It looked like you really liked it. Did they have those a lot in your hometown?” He does that sometimes, starts the conversation with something casual and then suddenly asking about what he’s really interested. (She’s had him sit down with her for dinner and ask about the food and then out of nowhere ask her about the combat technique she was using during training. His ability to switch from topic to topic so quickly sometimes gave her whiplash because of his poor transition skills.)

She pauses, not quite sure if she should be answering any questions regarding her hometown. Then again, it appears that Eren is only curious about the food she was eating rather than her origins so she doesn’t see the harm in pulling out the pastry from her bag and tentatively holding it out to him. “A doughnut?” she asks. “They don’t really have these where I’m from… Did they not have any in Shiganshina?”

“Not really,” Eren says, staring wistfully at the doughnut. “We had cakes and cookies for special occasions at my house, but nothing like this. I don’t think any of the bakeries in my district had these.”

Although she had intended on eating these all herself before returning to the training camp (there was no point in saving them since Sasha would usually find any food other trainees came back and eat them behind everyone’s back), seeing Eren longing stare at the sweet treat she held in her hand made her feel a bit, well, guilty and before she knows it she finds herself offering the doughnut to him.

His face lights up, eyes wide in surprise and a giddy grin spread across his face, and he asks, “Really? I can have it?”

“Just take it,” she mumbles. Kindness was not her forte and giving her things away for free, even if it’s just one measly doughnut, makes her feel a little embarrassed.

He takes it delicately, much more delicately than she’s ever seen him handle anything before, and he takes a few seconds to be awestruck by the dessert he’s never had the luxury of tasting back in Shiganshina. The first bite he takes is small, a little cautious, but with the first swallow Annie knows he’s hooked by the pastry’s sugary goodness. He wolfs it down, not unlike how he eats all of his food, but he’s careful not to drop even a crumb of it. He’s even sure to lick his fingers afterwards and Annie’s a little pleased with herself with being able to introduce him to something so delicious. After he’s done, he sits back and lets out a satisfied sigh. “That was amazing,” he finally says. He sits up and leans forward suddenly. “Annie, that was really good! I can see why you like them so much!”

“Well, you can have another one if you’d like,” she says, already reaching for the bag to pull out another one of the fried dessert but Eren interrupts her.

“I couldn’t possibly!” he says, waving his hands about. “You probably bought those for yourself and it’d be kind of rude of me to eat another one. Oh! But I should probably give you something back as thanks.” He’s already pulling one of the bags Armin and Mikasa left behind and looking through it, trying to find the perfect gift to repay Annie.

“Er, you don’t have to give me anything,” she says. She has to admit, it’s a little nice that he’s even thinking of giving her something else.

“Hm, I don’t really have anything to give you though,” Eren says, completely ignoring her. He frowns when he pulls out a loaf of bread. “Bread’s too ordinary – Mikasa always makes me get that every time we come into town even though we always eat a ton of it at the training camp – and the rest of our food is pretty boring too… Hey! What about this?” He pulls out a hoodie that looks similar to her own in style, just a shade of green a few sizes larger.

Having never seen Eren in anything other than his military uniform, Annie was rather taken aback with the hoodie. “Why do you have that?”

“Oh! I bought it!” he says rather proudly. “Mikasa said we should all buy a jacket or something when it started getting cold. I always thought your hoodie looked really cool on you and I saw this one in the store and decided to buy it. Er, Mikasa wasn’t too pleased with it but she thinks I’m kind of an impulse buyer. I still think it looks neat though, but you can have it since everything else I bought is kind of boring in comparison.”

“Eren, I couldn’t possibly…” she begins.

“Or do you not like it?” Eren asks. He’s visibly deflated at the idea of Annie rejecting his offer. “Ah, maybe you don’t like this color or you’re already content with the hoodie you’ve got on? It’s a little late but we can go into one of the shops and I can buy you something you like?”

For some reason, the thought of visiting a shop with Eren by herself makes her cheeks redden and she grabs the hoodie from him before he can say anything else. “It’s fine. Green is…great.” She clears her throat. “It’s just that one doughnut isn’t worth a hoodie.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to buy me more donuts later on our next trip to town,” he laughs. A goofy smile sits on his face and Annie doesn’t know whether or not she wants to punch him for being so nice or smile back. “Those were really good though. You’ve got great taste, Annie.”

It’s not like she doesn’t like compliments, she doesn’t get them very frequently so getting one always makes her fidgety. She mumbles an almost inaudible thank you but it seems to be enough for Eren.

He’s about to say something else when the loud bing bong of the clock in the town square reminds them of the time. “Oh shit!” Eren says when he glances at the clock tower. “We should head back before Shadis scolds us. Do you want me to carry your bag for you?” His hands are already full from the bags Armin and Mikasa left behind but it’s so like him to offer anyway.

“It’s fine,” Annie assures him. It would actually probably be much better if she handled a bag for him but he refuses her help (typical Eren) so she just clutches the hoodie he gave her in one hand while her other hand holds onto the bag holding the few doughnuts she has left.

He’s as chatty as ever, talking up a storm as they make their way back to the rest of the trainees. She really wants to ask him what he was going to say before the clock tower interrupted earlier but she’s not the best conversationalist and before she knows it he’s back with Eren and Mikasa and she’s back with, well, Reiner and Bertholdt. Bertholdt, nervous as ever, splutters a hello while Reiner teasingly asks her what she’s doing with the suicidal bastard so she tells him to shut the fuck up, shoving a doughnut in his mouth so he’ll stop talking.

She spends the rest of the return trip back to the training grounds wondering what Eren was going to say, holding the hoodie Eren had given her and thinking about whether she should actually wear it.

It takes a while for Annie to finally wear the hoodie. She doesn’t want to seem too eager and wear it right away so she just keeps it next to her while she sleeps. A few nights later she feels guilty about leaving it unworn – after all, it was a perfectly good piece of clothing and she didn’t want it to go to waste – so she wears it to bed and finds that it’s surprisingly warm and comfortable. She’s never really considered green to be her color but she supposes it doesn’t really matter since she doesn’t plan on wearing it out. Until one day she stumbles out of her cabin half asleep and forgets to change her hoodie. She’s already eating breakfast in the dining hall when she finally notices thanks to the rather odd stares she’s been getting from her peers. Looking down at herself, she notices that she’s wearing the green hoodie rather than her standard white one. “Ah, fuck,” she mutters. Changing would require her to go back to her cabin and make her late for training. She’s too lazy to walk back and too tired to deal with scolding from Keith Shadis so she ignores the weird looks and continues to eat her bland oatmeal. Besides, everyone’s too afraid of her to say anything to her. Except, of course, Eren.

“Annie! Is that the hoodie I gave you? It looks really good on you!” a voice says excitedly. She looks up to see none other than Eren Jaeger. Because duh. “Er, not that your normal one looks bad on you. You look nice in that one too! I just mean to say that you look, um. Nice.”

“Thanks,” Annie mumbles.

“I was afraid you weren’t going to wear it because you hated it,” Eren says, smiling sheepishly. “Not that I want you to wear it just to make me feel better or anything! It’s just that it’s good to get someone something they like, you know?”

“It’s a nice sweater,” she tells him. Sure, it was a little large on her and the color stuck out more than she liked but it was amazingly soft. “You have good taste.”

His face lights up when he realizes she’s echoing the very compliment he gave her just a week ago. “Thanks,” he says happily and gives her a big grin.

There’s something about his smile, she thinks. There’s a word for it. It’s not happy or pleased. It’s sweet, she realizes.

#ereani #eren jaeger #annie leonhardt #snk #everyone else buys practical stuff with their trainee wages #all annie buys is doughnuts #a girl after my own heart tbh

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ruffsficstuffplace · 8 years ago

Text

The Keeper of the Grove (Part 54)

It was late when they arrived back at Keeper's Hollow, Weiss riding on Zwei's back as the magical exhaustion set in. She could still walk and stay awake, but now it just felt incredibly difficult to muster the willpower to do much of anything, alongside a very physical and real growling in her stomach.

It felt strikingly like the aftermath of a particularly brutal test, and just like then, all Weiss wanted to do afterward was gorge on something sweet—in this case, chocolate chip cookies.

“Elemental weaving is a largely mental process,” Penny explained as she and Qrow cooked chicken tortillas for dinner. “Magic already exists in all bodies and beings as the base components for matter, and the Gift is both a body capable of accumulating and storing larger than usual amounts of it, and a bmind able to harness and manipulate it in ways difficult or impossible through conventional means.

“Most Fae just have the former, which tends to manifest in greatly enhanced physical capabilities like the Watchers, or just the latter, which tends to manifest in skill in science and the arts like the Makers and Creators.”

Weiss nodded. “So how rare is it, anyway?” she asked after she swallowed her mouthful of cookies.

“With the extreme amounts of magic in the Valley's wellspring, along with the frequent exposure to it from its food, environment, and our magitechnology?” Penny said as she chopped up vegetables. “About 20-42% of the population, with 61-67% of that going on to become professional weavers. The rest tend to gravitate towards other professions, oftentimes makers, watchers, and/or creators, either from personal choice, or simply not being capable of handling the stress and rigours of weaver training and occupations.”

Weiss picked up her glass of milk. “So why isn't Candela overflowing with weavers? We had to use energy like there was no tomorrow, or else the collectors would overload,” she said before she took a drink.

“Two reasons: genetics, and the nature of your magitechnology,” Penny said as she brought the tray of vegetable fillings to the table.

“As your magitech started to become cheaper, easier, and more convenient than training and hiring human weavers, the importance of preserving their bloodlines and avoiding genetic modifications that could impair their abilities became less and less important,” she said as she went to get the tortilla wraps. “At times, they were even actively hunted down and removed from the gene pool at large to avoid their side-effects, like the increased vulnerability to dementia and other mental illness.

“It didn't help that, unlike Fae, your designs tend to protect and isolate magical exposure to its users as much as possible,” Penny said as she laid them on the table, next to the vegetables. “To use a metaphor: while the Fae were outside getting regular doses of sunlight, you humans were locked in your homes with blackout curtains over the windows.”

Weiss smirked. “Fitting. Makes me wonder what would have happened if we hadn't made the full switch to magitech...”

“You humans wouldn't have started a realm-wide resource crisis because you ran out of shit to build it with, for one,” Qrow said as he came over with a crock pot full of chicken.

Weiss nodded. “Did the Fae ever suffer something like the Resource Crisis?”

“Plenty of times!” Qrow said as he set it down in the center. “Believe it or not, Sekhmet used to be a rainforest before we Fae fucked it up royally. In terms of how long we've been able to bang two rocks together and call it music, being the poster-civilization of sustainable living was after we got out of our shitty teenage years,” he continued as he ladled out shredded meat for everyone's wraps but Ruby's.

“But it's been a long day, and that's an even longer story, princess, so that's all the Chronicler Qrow you're getting today,” he said as he made a quadruple-large tortilla for Zwei.

“We'll eventually get to it in your history classes, don't worry,” Penny said, smiling as she and Qrow worked together to keep Zwei's dinner from falling apart. The head sticking in through the window started to drool like crazy.

Weiss shrugged, and dug in. She hummed after she took her first bite; her herbs and vegetables had helped make a damn good sauce.

She still had too much energy from sleeping at Abner's lab earlier, so Weiss spent most of that evening building and setting up the new equipment they'd received, starting with the barn and her lab/kitchen, and after that, the long abandoned weaver's section of the training grounds.

“Alright!” Ruby called out as she worked in an underground hatch, only the very tips of her horns visible. “I'm turning the valve on—tell me if anything happens!”

“Got it!” Weiss said as she stood by with a lamp in her hands.

She watched as a long-dead fountain came back to life, water trickling down its numerous grooves, filling its many basins, and a waterfall appearing in the center and pouring out onto a platform big enough for two or three Fae to sit and meditate under.

“It's working!”

“Woo!” Ruby cried as she climbed out. “Go me!”

The two of them stood there, admiring their handiwork, until the combined light of their lamps and the water brought out some rather unpleasant details they'd missed earlier.

“… Do you Fae happen to have bacteria that can eat all that mold and fungus?”

“Yeah, we do, but we could also just turn the water off again then torch it! Weaver equipment is made to withstand all the elements.”

Weiss hummed. “Yeah, that'd work much better.”

Ruby shut off the water, and the two began to head back to the house.

Weiss yelped and nearly dropped her lamp as she came to face with a ferocious looking bird Fae, ghostly and glowing an ominous blood-red.

“Oh, hey!” Ruby said. “The Echoes are already appearing! Neat!”

Weiss stepped well back as the “echo” of Raven Branwen pulled out her sword and got into a combat stance, her eyes narrowed and her mouth/beak curled into a scowl. “What the hell are 'echoes,' and why are they happening?” she said as her eyes darted between Ruby and Raven.

“Echoes are the pieces of you that you leave behind after you die,” Ruby explained. “Usually, it takes a ritual to make them appear, but when there's so much raw magic floating around before and during the Eve, they just come out all on their own.”

Weiss watched a different echo appear some distance away from—Summer, her cloaked figure and the Keeper's scythe a calming silver. The two echoes charged each other, their battle too fast for Weiss to see, so ferocious she could hear the clashes of blade-on-blade and the faint sounds of war cries from long ago.

It was far beyond the level of anything Weiss was capable of, or that she'd ever seen in her entire life—even Ruby's wiping the floor with all of her guards that fateful night.

Raven swung too hard and missed, all the energy in her sword exploding into the ground, sending ghostly dirt and debris flying several feet into the air.

Summer took the opportunity to swing the Keeper's scythe right at her neck, stopping just before she cut her head clean off her shoulders.

The air was tense as the two figures stared each other down, seething hatred in Raven, amusement in Summer's.

Summer pulled the scythe away, and offered her hand with a smile.

Raven ignored her as she picked herself and her sword off the ground.

The two echoes parted ways, and disappeared.

It all happened in the span of less than a minute, though it felt like it had dragged on for much longer.

“Holy shit...” Weiss whispered.

“Yep,” Ruby said. “And that's when mom was holding back.”

Weiss looked at her in disbelief. “That's her holding back?”

Ruby nodded. “Mom was always way stronger than Aunt Raven or Uncle Qrow. It always bothered her, my aunt, since their family has always been kinda obsessed about being the strongest around, probably because they were from Sekhmet.”

“How'd they end in the Valley?”

Ruby shrugged. “Uncle Qrow says it's a REALLY long story—so long he's never really found the time to tell me!” she replied innocently.

Weiss stared at her for a moment, before she nodded slowly. “Do these echoes just show up, or is there a pattern?” she asked as they resumed walking.

“They tend to appear wherever someone had really important memories, or where they spent most of their time, but only if you're related to them in some way,” Ruby replied. “It's mostly for family, but Abner always sees echoes of Ilaya at his place this time of year. You could also summon them by bringing something they used to own and used a lot, seeing as part of their essence rubs off on it.”

Weiss smiled. “You Fae certainly bring a new dimension to the value of heirlooms and antiques...”

“Mhmm!” Ruby said. “As the saying goes, 'Our bodies falter, our memories fade, and our breaths cease, but Havalon remembers always.'”

They walked through Weiss' farm, and noticed one of the mana detectors that had been planted among her crops was glowing and beeping in warning.

Weiss sighed heavily. “Oh, what now...?” she muttered as she walked over to investigate.

“You think your vegetables turned into elementals too?”

“I seriously hope not! Cheese blobs with faces and sore-stiff ointment that moves, I can handle; I don't know how I'd react to vegetables that scream when I harvest them.”

“They definitely won't do that,” Ruby replied. “You're their weaver; they'll probably think it's a great honour to be picked and eaten, maybe even tell you when they're at their best so you can get the most out of them.”

Weiss cringed. “Please stop before I have to become a full-time carnivore; at least I know meat's supposed to move around before I can eat it...”

They halted as they reached the edge of the fence. There was an echo walking through Weiss' crops, wielding a hoe and tilling the soil. She was an arctic fox Fae from the tiny ears and the ridiculously fluffy tail, wearing a long, flowing dress of distinctly human-make, with her glow a pale, icy blue.

“Relative of yours?” Weiss asked as they watched her work and slowly come closer to them.

“Uh… not that I know of...?” Ruby replied. “I haven't really seen her before, either.”

The mystery woman got close enough to reach. Weiss slowly held out her gloved hand, her fingertips brushing the echo. The crystals on it began to glow.

Then, a flash.

Weiss found herself in Keeper's Grove, a long, long, long time ago, seeing through the eyes of the mystery woman as she worked. From the grunts of effort and the sweat she was regularly wiping from her brow, she was just as new to farming as Weiss was, when her farm was just a patch of sweet potatoes.

She heard a voice ask something in broken German.

The woman turned, and Weiss found herself looking at one of Ruby's ancestors. She had the same silver eyes, the friendly face, and the black hair, only her horns were much more pronounced, there were almost no whites in her eyes for how wide her irises were, and her hands and feet clearly ended in what looked like hooves.

The woman chuckled, affectionately said something in the same language, except much more fluently.

Ruby's ancestor smiled, getting a mischievous look on her face as she struggled to say something in a playful tone, before suggestively waggling her eyebrows.

The woman made an exasperated noise, then planted her hoe in the ground. She narrowed her eyes at Ruby's ancestor, shaking her head before she walked up to her.

From the loving expression on her face, it was clearly for a kiss.

There was another flash, and Weiss found herself back in her own body, her legs crumpled beneath her, Ruby holding her up and sounding increasingly desperate.

“… eiss?! Weiss! Are you okay?”

Weiss blinked, groaning and shaking her head. “What happened…?”

“You touched the echo of that fox lady, she disappeared, and then you fainted!”

Weiss looked at the mana detector, now dark and quiet, then to her crops, no more trace of the echo.

“Call the Terrace and Abner,” Weiss muttered as she took off her gauntlet, the crystals now glowing a pale shade of icy blue.

Weiss was amused that the senior weaver for the night shift was an Owl Fae.

Less amusing was the way Keeper's Hollow was swarming with weavers once more, this time with chroniclers deep into their tablets and comm-crystals, half frantically requesting files from all over Avalon and an audience with Elder Oobleck himself, the other half studying the data from the mana detector, what footage they had seen of Weiss touching the echo and it disappearing before she fainted.

And from the way Penny was conversing with them in Actaeon, shaking her head even as they pleaded desperately with her, she could just tell they were itching to crack her head open and see what memories they could pull up.

Through Qrow, she relayed what she had seen through her vision to the chroniclers, Ruby, and Abner who was attending through the second's comm-crystal. The things they knew was that the ancestor she had seen was Gabija herself, and that the time-frame was a few decades after the First Settlers had landed.

Everything else was a mystery.

The chroniclers grilled her relentlessly, frustrated at what little she could tell, before they sighed and returned to their referencing the Codex, calling up their fellow chroniclers, and trying to rebuild the vision from the mana detector and her gauntlet.

“What was that all about?” Weiss asked after the last finally gave up.

“You may have found a very important key to unlocking the mystery that has been boggling the Fae for a thousand years,” Abner said.

“The short version of it is: the Valley wasn't always an Eldan Settlement, it started as a split-off,” Qrow said. “A lot of unethical and illegal shit happened here, and when everything went to hell, the survivors called the Council to save their asses…

“… But not before destroying most the evidence that would link them to the crimes against Avalon that would get them executed or worse, a lot of identities changing, and folks mysterious disappearing of the face of the realm.”

“They burned down the original Chronicler's Grove...” Abner said sadly. “Aside from the loss of all that data, there was also the fact that those who did come forward for their crimes and pleaded guilty were put into witness protection, and what information we do have from just after the Council retook the Valley was delivered via Info-Grid—not nearly as fast, expansive, or reliable then as it is now, made worse because they were ferrying secret messages that were destroyed at the slightest hint of being compromised.”

“So what does what I saw have to do with all that?” Weiss asked.

“Because, Weiss, that lady whose memories you saw was probably Gabija's mate, and the key to why Keeper's like me are so special,” Ruby replied.

“And you don't have better records of her? She was the first Keeper of the Grove, right? Did no one happen to have a pen and paper on hand?!”

Abner sighed. “She and her mate requested the latter's true identity be kept a secret, for reasons unknown. And more importantly, this was WELL before anyone realized just how important the Keeper bloodline really was...”

“Go get some sleep, Weiss,” Qrow said. “Believe us: the answers to the mysteries of the Valley are massive teases, who also love coming when you least expect them.”

Weiss scowled. “I'm starting to realize that, and it's giving me a real headache...”

#rwby #white rose #the keeper of the grove #fanfic

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pocket-anon · 8 years ago

Text

Operation: First Noel (5/7)

Well, @xhookswenchx, Day 5 is coming to you a tad late, but here it is, 1.6k of pure exhaustion-driven silliness. Seriously. There is really no substance to this whatsoever. But then, such can be said for many of the treats we consume during the holidays. :) Apologies for any typos. Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow.

Find it on AO3. Missed a chapter? Get caught up here.

Summary: When the residents of Storybrooke enjoy a rare period of peace over the holiday season, Henry asks his family for something he’s never had - a real Christmas. A series of holiday vignettes. (Captain Swan/Captain Cobra/Captain Charming. Canon Divergent. Domestic Fluff, Humor, & Smut. Rated E purely for Chapter 4.)

Requested tags: @optomisticgirl, @deathbycaptainswan. Want to be tagged on updates? Let me know!

Chapter 5: On Being Awesome at Christmas

“Merry Christmas Eve!”

Emma gapes and then laughs when her father opens the door to the loft wearing a Santa hat and a cheerful grin. “Very nice, Dad.”

He beams and steps back to let her, Killian, and Henry in. “Your mom thought it would be fun,” he says, nodding toward the kitchen.

Emma looks to see her mother standing at the sink in a pretty silvery cardigan with reindeer antlers perched adorably in her hair. Snow cocks her head playfully, her expression sunny. “Just getting into the spirit,” she tells them. “You weren’t kidding when you said Christmas was a big deal. The amount of neat Christmas-themed stuff we found on the internet is insane.”

“Yeeeah, well, it’s pretty big business,” Emma chuckles, handing David her cookie platter before Killian relieves her of her long wool coat. Her pregnant nose immediately picks up on the savory aromas wafting through the air. “Smells great.”

“Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, stuffing, and cranberry sauce as requested,” Snow announces, reading off a hand-written list that was sitting on the counter near her.

Henry, still in his coat and with a wolfish grin on his face, is already standing by the stovetop with his head almost directly over the pan of gravy that simmers merrily there. “Awesome.”

Emma looks impressed. “Wow, you really went all out.”

Her mother shrugs. “Hey, we promised to help give you guys a real Christmas, and we may not be Granny, but your father and I know our way around a kitchen.”

“Well, we brought Christmas cookies and pecan pie, since we know how you feel about apple,” Henry says proudly, setting his foil-wrapped dish to one side on the counter.

Snow arches an eyebrow at him. “A whole pie or half a pie?” she asks teasingly.

He gives a harassed sigh and rolls his eyes. “Come on, that was three months ago.”

“Just checking.”

Emma sends Henry back down to the Bug to get the gifts they brought for her parents and Neal, and she busies herself with helping Snow in the kitchen while David and Killian attempt to keep her energetic little brother in check while he chases his favorite rubber ball around the loft.

“What time is Regina coming?” Emma asks.

Snow glances at the clock. “She should be here any minute.”

Emma fixes her mother with a questioning sidelong look while finishing the mashed potatoes with a generous splash of heavy cream. “How does she feel about this whole Christmas thing?”

Snow pours the gravy through a strainer and smiles patiently. “Well, you know Regina. She’ll join in with the right encouragement, but she’s rarely the one to lead the celebration.”

“No, I meant since she’s the one who kind of… stole Christmas. Before.”

Her mother gives a little laugh. “You know she doesn’t actually have anything against Christmas, right? She’s just like the rest of us – it’s new to her,” she points out, pushing the last bits of gravy around the bottom of the strainer. “I mean, clearly she understands it's supposed to be fun, or else she wouldn't have withheld it from us and then given it back to Henry later. She gets it. I don’t expect her to show up wearing bells, but I’m sure she’s as open to enjoying it as we are.”

Emma grins wryly. “Well, if she isn’t, we can always spike her eggnog.”

Snow laughs. “What?”

“Eggnog. It’s a drink.” Emma tilts her head thoughtfully and goes to investigate the contents of the refrigerator.

“Is that like grog?”

“Is what like grog?” Killian asks interestedly, coming over to fish Neal’s ball out of the corner. He rolls it back across the floor toward the living room where Neal and David are now distracted watching Henry tuck presents beneath the Christmas tree.

Emma rolls her eyes. “Mention grog and a pirate appears,” she says, smirking at him affectionately.

He shrugs amiably and props his elbow up on the breakfast bar. “I am what I am, Swan. Now, what about grog?”

“Not grog. Nog. Eggnog,” Emma chuckles, pulling a jug of whole milk out of the refrigerator and setting it next to the cream before reaching for the eggs. “It’s something people drink at Christmas. It’s egg, sugar, milk, cream, and a little nutmeg. I’ll show you. You can spike it with rum or bourbon or whatever, especially at Christmas parties where the guests are unsuspecting. Makes for interesting stories.”

“A Christmas tradition involving rum, and I wasn’t told until now?” Killian tsks and angles his head at her reproachfully.

Emma grins, her lashes shielding her eyes as she glances down to locate her parents’ handheld mixer under the counter. “Admittedly, an oversight.”

He snorts. “I should say so.”

Regina arrives by the time Emma finishes whipping the eggnog mixture together. Per Snow’s prediction, Henry’s other mother appears to be in good spirits and doesn’t have a hint of bah humbug about her. The corner of Emma’s mouth quirks as she watches the woman cuddle Neal on her lap and entertain him by conjuring little dancing lights in the palm of her hand. She hasn’t doubted Regina’s ability to find redemption for a long time, but there’s still something heart-warming about seeing the woman who was once the Evil Queen now joining her family to celebrate a holiday like Christmas. Honestly, if Emma thinks about it, stories like Regina’s and Killian’s, stories about lost souls consumed by sadness and resentment who, through the love and forgiveness of others, found their good hearts and new beginnings – those are some of the most Christmas-y stories of all.

The eggnog chills in the refrigerator while they sit down to dinner, pushing another table end-to-end with her parents’ regular one in order to make room for all seven of them and the impressive spread. Everyone has too much to eat; they all do a double-take when even Henry slumps back in his chair and claims he’s so full he can’t move.

He does move, eventually, as do the rest of them, when Neal's bedtime rolls around. Emma's little brother hurries about giving goodnight hugs and kisses to all assembled before Snow shuttles him up the stairs. The rest of the party migrates to the kitchen. Henry joins Killian and David in clean-up duty, Regina seats herself at the breakfast bar, and Emma hauls the eggnog out and begins to ladle it into mugs.

Regina lifts the mug Emma hands her and studies the cold white concoction dashed with nutmeg inside. “What is it?”

“Eggnog,” Emma explains. “It’s a Christmas tradition.”

Killian sips from his mug tentatively and furrows his brow as he licks a trace off the bottom edge of his moustache. “It goes down well enough, love,” he comments, setting it on the counter and reaching for his flask, “But I agree it could use a little something.”

David, hands tied up in the sink, agrees to a little splash of liquor in his cup as well, and Killian turns next to Regina, brows raised. “Your Majesty?”

Regina eyes her eggnog again, unconvinced of its merits, before holding it out to him and nodding. “What the hell.”

Killian chuckles and pours her a healthy dose. He tucks his flask away, retrieving his cup and clinking it against hers. “Cheers.”

Regina’s forehead wrinkles as she drinks, and she swirls some eggnog around her mouth like a sommelier before swallowing. Her frown disappears, and she pooches her lower lip and shrugs. “Well, what do you know? I guess rum is good for something after all.”

Killian laughs and points at her approvingly, cup in hand. “Ah, you see? There may be hope for you yet.”

While they wait for the pie to re-warm and for their stomachs to recover enough to eat it, Henry convinces them to play a few rounds of dice, using sugar-coated peanuts to wager. Regina initially sniffs at the idea of participating in such a boorish activity, but she begrudgingly allows her son to teach her how to play. Once she shoots her first game, however, her competitive nature takes over and she proves to be quite aggressive, especially when pitted against Killian, who is, naturally, the most experienced player in the room. Her enthusiasm only grows after her second cup of eggnog, her cheeks becoming delightfully rosy and her laugh a little louder, and Emma and Killian share amused looks when she goads them into playing one last game.

“Why, Regina,” Killian quips, “Who knew you’d make such delightful company with a few shots of rum in you?”

“Shut up, Pirate, and place your bet.”

It’s a great night overall, but the highlight comes near the end, after they consume the pie, when Killian gets up to take the dirty plates to the kitchen and David, who’s preparing to wash more dishes, meets him halfway.

Regina, her dark eyes still shining and a little glassy, suddenly cackles and points. “Hook is under the mistletoe,” she sing-songs.

Killian looks up to see David’s share of the plant hanging from the wooden beam above them. He glances at the Prince and rolls his eyes as he begins to turn back to Regina. “Surely, you don’t expect me to—” His words are cut off when David, who’s also enjoyed a couple servings of eggnog, merely plants a big smacking kiss on his cheek and walks back to the kitchen sink as if nothing ever happened.

Regina snickers. Snow titters behind her hand. Emma laughs until tears sting her eyes and her diaphragm hurts and the baby begins to kick. And Henry looks around at their family with a grin almost wider than his face and declares that for people who have never done Christmas before, they’re pretty awesome at it.

Thanks for reading! Ready for more? Click here for the next chapter!

#gfss #gf ss #my writing #operation: first noel #cs fic #cs ff #cs christmas #cs christmas ff #ouat ff #ouat fanfic

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