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emospritelet · 7 years ago

Note

Dark Hearts: 183: Car sex looks so much easier in the movies.

Also prompted by @ripperblackstaff. There was going to be angry sex in this chapter, but it would have been ridiculously long, so you’ll have to wait. But the angry sex is definitely coming :)

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11]

Send me a prompt from this list so I can torture the babies more or give them more sexytimes

AO3 link

Gold paced slowly back and forth across the floor of his shop. He had lost count of the number of times he had made the journey that day, but no one had come in to disturb him, so he had been left to his own dark thoughts. Shadows of the past, slithering into his brain and weighing him down. Doubts and regrets and fears which he had kept bottled up for so long he had almost forgotten what it felt like to give them free rein. And then she had come back into his life, with a child to call his own, a child he would not lose. A second chance. Perhaps his father had been right after all, in his own twisted way.

He glanced at one of the shelves where a toy rabbit sat, its blue felt waistcoat a little worn and faded, and tightened his jaw. The past was the past, and he needed to move forward. He needed to plan for the future. He needed to do his best for Gideon.

Turning on his heel, he went to flip the shop sign to Closed and locked the door before walking through to the back room. He flicked the kettle on for a pot of tea, then set down his phone and a notepad on the little table he used for his mid-afternoon tea break. Fingers drummed slowly on the table as memories flickered through his mind, as he recalled the times Belle had joined him. Sometimes she had brought cookies from Granny’s, or cakes from the little patisserie on the corner. Once, she had even brought him something she had baked: a thick slice of sticky, spicy, date and ginger loaf that had squished between his fingers and stuck to the roof of his mouth. He could still remember its sweet fire on his tongue, and he had eaten every crumb and then pulled her onto his lap and spent the afternoon kissing her on the little cot.

His mouth flattened as he poured boiling water into the teapot. Still dwelling on the past, when nothing good could come from it. He shoved away the memories, reaching for his phone and dialling the number of his lawyer.

“Alexander Gold, how the devil are you?” Ella Deville’s lazy English drawl poured out of the phone into his ear, making him grin. “I was just thinking about you, and that I hadn’t heard from you in a while. Did you tire of making money or something?”

“I’ve been busy,” said Gold. “But I have some work to put your way. Or to whomever you recommend; this is something different to what I usually ask of you.”

“Still making a killing on that waterfront property?”

“The development isn’t finished yet,” he said. “But yes, I expect a very healthy return.”

“So you have your eye on another acquisition, perhaps?” she suggested.

“This is something personal,” he said, and hesitated briefly. “I have a son.”

“Since when?” she said, her voice high-pitched and incredulous. “You never breathed a word, you sly dog! How am I supposed to send a congratulatory gift if you don’t tell me these things?”

“Spare me your indignation, I didn’t know either,” he said dryly. “Not until a couple of days ago, anyway. An old - acquaintance - came to town. With a thirteen-month old child. My son, Gideon.”

“I’d say if you have a child together she’s a little bit more than an acquaintance,” remarked Ella. “What exactly was your relationship?”

“Look, that’s not important,” he said impatiently. “We have a son together, and there are things I want you to sort out. I need to know that she can’t simply take him from me.”

Ella sighed.

“Darling, do me a favour and come to a screeching halt,” she said. “First things first. Are you certain it’s your child?”

“I —” He ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, yes, of course!”

“Really?” she said sceptically. “Does she have proof? Because if you want to exercise rights over this child, and it sounds as though you do, we need to be able to show it’s yours, understand?”

Gold hesitated.

“Okay, I don’t have any actual proof, other than that he has my eyes, and I can see some of my features in him,” he admitted. “And the timings add up.”

“You think,” she corrected. “Who’s to say that she’s given you the right age for him, or that you were the only one to taste her charms at the relevant time?”

“I - I don’t think she’s lying,” he said.

“She doesn’t have to be lying,” said Ella. “She could just be hoping. You called her an acquaintance, so I’m guessing this wasn’t a serious relationship. How do you know she wasn’t shagging the entire town? Without wishing to be vulgar, you’re a very rich man. Some women might be economical with the truth if they thought they could get something out of it.”

He was silent, an unwelcome sense of insecurity settling over him, and she seemed to read his mind.

“Look, it’s my job to think about every uncomfortable angle you don’t want to,” she said kindly. “I’m sure your instincts are right. They usually are, after all, but why don’t we make sure?”

“A test, you mean?” He ran a hand over his face. “Alright.”

“The sooner the better,” she added. “Then we can get the ball rolling on everything else.”

“When we confirm that he’s mine, I want to make provisions for his future,” he said. “A trust fund for college, certainly. And there’s child support to arrange, too. It appears she got married.”

“Is the husband going to be a problem?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “She won’t tell me anything about her private life. Our interactions up to this point have been - somewhat fractious.”

“Knowing you, I suspect that to be a gross understatement,” she said, sounding amused. “Look, let’s take things one step at a time. I suggest you get her agreement to the test. If she refuses—”

“—then she’s probably lying to me,” he finished, a ball of ice sliding into his stomach at the thought of it. “Understood.”

“In the meantime, why don’t you give me all the details you can, and I’ll see what we can find out,” she said, and he nodded, took a deep breath, and prepared to tell her what he knew.

Belle felt a little down after she left the hospital, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. Moe was feeling better, and would be out within the week, by which time she would in all likelihood have moved back into his place to care for him. His feelings towards Gold were unsurprising, and entirely mutual; the two men had detested one another for years, and she couldn’t see that changing anytime soon. His belief, stated with complete certainty, that Gold would want little to do with Gideon, was not something she shared. Her own fears were quite the opposite.

After a quick lunch at Granny’s of soup and buttered crusty bread, she made her way back to the house, intending to look through what food they had so she could make dinner, instead of Gold. He would no doubt be at the shop for most of the day, and the least she could do was cook a meal. It was a surprise, therefore, when she entered the house to find him already in the kitchen, an apron around his waist, pulling cloves from a bulb of garlic.

“You’re home,” she said, and he glanced over his shoulder.

“Yes, I thought I’d close up early.”

He seemed calmer, some of the coldness and tension gone from him, and she shifted from foot to foot, watching his hair bounce as he peeled the cloves and began chopping the garlic into fine slices. She bit her lip.

“Did you - uh - have a good day?”

She cringed at the hollow words, and he stilled for a moment, as though he were considering her question.

“It was uneventful,” he said. “You?”

“I went to see Dad.”

“Ah.” Gold began chopping again. “How is he?”

“Awake and complaining that they want him to change his diet,” she said. “He’s okay. The doctor says it shouldn’t take longer than a week to get him out of hospital and home, so at least that’s something.”

“Good.”

There was silence for a moment, and Gold pushed the sliced garlic to the side, reaching for an onion and cutting it in two.

“What are you cooking?” asked Belle.

“I thought I’d do chicken with a cream and mushroom sauce,” he said. “Broccoli and potatoes on the side. Is that alright? I’ll make sure the vegetables are soft enough for Gideon to eat.”

“Yeah, that - that sounds good.”

She shifted from foot to foot, listening to the rhythmic sound of his knife slicing through onion.

“Mary Margaret asked me to go for a drink tonight,” she said, and he looked over.

“Well, you should go.”

“But Gideon…”

“I can take care of him,” he said. “I’m not completely clueless, you know.”

“It would only be for a couple of hours,” she said, unsure why she was still trying to talk him around, when he had already agreed.

“As I said, go.” He carried on chopping. “The two of us will be perfectly fine. I remember the routine. Dinner at five-thirty, followed by a bath, then a story and warm milk, then bed, correct?”

“Yeah.” She opened and closed her hands. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Gold put down his knife, turning to face her with a flat expression in his dark eyes.

“Given the circumstances,” he said quietly, “I think any time we get to spend together is a thing to be cherished, don’t you?”

She could feel her insides shrink and curl, and took a step back.

“Right.”

Gold turned away again, scraping the chopped onion into a pile next to the garlic.

“Just you and Miss Blanchard, is it?” he asked.

“I - I think she said Ashley and Kathryn were coming as well. She suggested meeting between six and six-thirty.”

“Well.” He seemed amused, though she couldn’t think why. “Have a good time. Would you like to have dinner at the same time as Gideon?”

“That would probably make things easier.”

“I’ll prepare everything for five-thirty, then.”

Dinner was a little strained, but Belle busied herself with feeding Gideon, so the silence from Gold didn’t bother her too much. The sauce he had made for the chicken was delicious, and Gideon seemed to enjoy it, his small hand curled around the last little floret of cooked broccoli as he watched his parents eat.

“What time will you be back?” asked Gold, and Belle took a sip of wine, shrugging.

“I won’t be late. I’ll be back before ten.”

He nodded, spearing a piece of chicken on his fork.

“Can we talk when you get back?”

Belle flicked her eyes up to meet his.

“Okay,” she said warily.

“I think we need to, that’s all.”

His voice was calm, but her stomach still dropped a little, as though a heavy weight had fallen into it.

“You’re right.”

Gold nodded again, popping the chicken into his mouth, and Belle looked down at her plate, her appetite all but gone.

Once dinner was over, Gold cleared up while Belle went to change, Gideon watching him from the high chair. He washed the few dishes, wiping down the kitchen counters and table, and picked Gideon up, holding him in the crook of his arm and kissing his forehead as he heard Belle’s feet on the stairs. She breezed into the kitchen, looking effortlessly beautiful in a tight black blouse with little cap sleeves above a flared skirt, and sandals on her feet. She had put on makeup, her lips stained berry-red, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.

“Right,” she said briskly, as though she was steeling herself for something. “I’ll see you later.”

She stepped forward to kiss Gideon, pressing her lips to the top of his head before looking up.

“I have my phone,” she said. “If you need to call, don’t hesitate, I mean it.”

“Have a good time,” he said. “Give my regards to your friends.”

She gave him an odd look at that, which made his mouth flatten. Of course she wouldn’t have told them she was living at his house. He wondered if any of them even knew he was Gideon’s father. He watched her leave, dark curls bouncing around her shoulders, and looked down at Gideon.

“Bathtime for you, young man,” he said, and Gideon grabbed his tie, fingers clutching at the purple silk.

“Oh, you want that?” Gold tugged at the knot, unfastening it and pulling the tie from around his throat. “Well, it wouldn’t kill me to be a little more casual, would it?”

Gideon promptly put the end of the tie in his mouth, chewing and drooling, and Gold grinned.

“Not the fate I imagined this tie would have,” he said dryly, flicking open his collar. “Come on then, let’s get you ready.”

Gideon enjoyed his bath, splashing excitedly in the water and burbling nonsense, and Gold couldn’t keep the grin from his face as he watched his son. Afterwards, he dried him off and dressed him, rolling onto his back on the changing mat and lifting Gideon into the air to squeal and kick his legs in excitement. Gold laughed out loud, love bursting through him, but Ella’s warnings had made him anxious, and the smile fell from his face as he lowered Gideon onto his chest and held him close. Having him here could be the start of something new and wonderful, his own child to love and treasure. But shadows of the past were creeping in to darken his mood and slip cold fingers of fear into his heart. What if he came home in a week or two to find his house empty, his child gone? What if Belle had lied, and Gideon was not his?

Insecurity was needling at him, and he kissed Gideon’s cheek, transferring him to the crook of an arm and getting to his feet with the help of his cane. He could worry about their future later. At that moment, all he needed to concentrate on was getting Gideon some warm milk, reading him a story, and putting him to bed. Routine was important for babies.

“Okay ladies, drink up!”

Kathryn set fresh drinks in front of them all, slipping into a seat opposite Ashley and brushing blonde hair out of her eyes, and Belle pushed away an empty glass and reached for her gin and tonic. Mary Margaret sipped at her wine, setting down her glass with a smile.

“We should make this a regular thing,” she said. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I get so busy with work and trying to organise the rest of my life that I don’t set aside enough time to do anything fun.”

“I hear it’s called being an adult, and I’m firmly against it,” said Kathryn, raising her glass. “I’m in for girls’ night.”

“Me too,” said Ashley eagerly, and Belle shrugged.

“Well, as long as I’m in Storybrooke, I’m in.”

“How long d’you think that’ll be?” asked Mary Margaret, and Belle pulled a face.

“Not sure. Until my Dad’s able to look after himself. Could be a few weeks.”

“Well, if you need help with anything once he gets out of hospital, you just let me know,” she said, and Belle sent her a grateful smile, taking a slurp of gin.

“Come on then, Belle.” Ashley nudged her. “We’ve talked about movies and books and the fact that Storybrooke still doesn’t have a decent bar, but we haven’t seen you in almost two years, and we never heard a word about you getting married and having a baby! Tell us all about your man! How did you meet?”

Belle ducked her head with a smile.

“Oh, we can talk about me some other time,” she said. “It’s so long since I was in Storybrooke, and I’ve been dying to know what’s been happening with you all. Did you ever make it work out with Sean?”

Ashley grinned, blushing a little and shaking back her blonde curls.

“Yeah, his dad came around in the end,” she said. “I’m still not exactly his favourite person, but at least he lets me in the house now.”

“Good thing too, the way you guys were having to sneak around to bang each other,” remarked Kathryn, and Mary Margaret snickered.

“Yeah,” said Ashley pensively. “Car sex looks so much easier in the movies.”

They all giggled at that, and Belle took a slurp of her drink. The alcohol was going to her head, and the sensation was pleasant.

“Will your dad open the shop again?” asked Mary Margaret, and Belle took another drink.

“I think it’ll be a while before he’s fit to work,” she admitted. “I’m gonna run it while he’s sick. Opening hours may be a bit shorter, because I can’t leave him on his own all day, but at least if it’s open he’ll have some money coming in.”

“What about the baby?” asked Mary Margaret.

“I’ll have to take him with me,” sighed Belle. “It’ll be a lot of work, but I’d rather do that than let the business fail.”

“Gotta make rent, especially in this town,” noted Ashley, and the others murmured agreement.

“Zero chance of Gold easing up on the rent just because of a slight case of hospitalisation,” added Kathryn. “Bastard never cuts anyone a break.”

“Yeah,” said Belle quietly.

Hearing Gold’s name tossed out as though it were something dirty made her cringe. She knew that the fact that he was Gideon’s father would come out before she left; the length of her likely stay had made that almost a certainty, and imagining the looks on the faces of her friends when they found out was making her squirm in discomfort.

“It’s not just for Dad, it’s for me too,” she said. “I don’t exactly have anything in the way of savings, so if I don’t work, I can’t buy anything that Gideon needs.”

“Won’t your husband send you cash?” asked Ashley, puzzled. “Is he out of work or something? I thought Mary Margaret said he was a businessman.”

Belle was silent, turning the glass between her fingers, her heart thumping hard in her chest as her anxiety grew.

“Can we talk about something else?” she asked eventually, and the other three exchanged looks.

“Sure, honey.” Mary Margaret patted her arm. “Listen, when your dad gets out, let me know. I’ll bring something over so you don’t have to worry about cooking that first night he’s back.”

“Ooh, good idea!” said Ashley. “I’ll bring cake. It’ll be store-bought, because trust me, you don’t want to eat anything I baked.”

She was grinning, and Belle sent her a wobbly smile, touched by their kindness.

“How are things over at your dad’s place?” asked Kathryn, and Belle shrugged.

“Okay, I guess.”

“Mr Gold sent a team in to clean the place up,” added Mary Margaret.

“Wow,” remarked Ashley. “What the hell happened to give Gold a personality transplant? He never does anything that doesn’t turn a profit.”

“You’d have to ask him,” said Belle, feeling highly uncomfortable.

“I guess he can see you’ve got your hands full,” said Mary Margaret. “I think it’s nice of him.”

“Nice is one word,” agreed Ashley. “Unexpected is another. I never thought he’d go out of his way to actually be a decent human being. You promise him free flowers or something?“

She giggled, to show she was joking, but Belle clapped a hand to her mouth to hold in a sob, squeezing her eyes shut as tears pricked at them. A chorus of sympathetic noises ran around the group of women, and it only made her want to cry more. Mary Margaret rubbed her shoulder, her eyes troubled.

“Honey, what is it?” she pressed gently. “Is it your dad? I thought he was feeling better.”

“No, he is, he is,” said Belle tearfully, wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry, it’s just - it’s been kind of a stressful time lately, and Gideon’s teething, and I haven’t been sleeping…”

“Understandable,” said Kathryn. “You’ve had to haul your ass to Storybrooke to take care of your dad, you’ve got a new baby…”

“You’re apart from his father,” added Ashley. “That can’t be easy, not having his dad there to help out.”

Belle closed her eyes, wishing their well-intentioned comments would stop.

“I think - I’m sorry to be a party-pooper, but I think I might go,” she said. “Do you mind if we do this another time? Maybe next week?”

“Of course,” said Mary Margaret, squeezing her shoulder. “You want us to walk you home?”

“No, no,” said Belle hastily. “It’s not late, and it’s not far. I’ll be fine.”

She stood up, grabbing her jacket and shrugging it on before any of them could insist. Having them walk her over to Moe’s place, with no idea of what state it was in and whether that would arouse suspicions, was not something she had the energy to do.

“Call me tomorrow,” said Mary Margaret. “We could do lunch or something.”

“Yeah, I will,” said Belle, with a tremulous smile. “And we’ll definitely have a girls’ night when I’m not an emotional wreck, okay?”

She hurried out into the cool night air, taking deep breaths to calm herself as she made her way quickly down the street. Gold had said he wanted to talk, and although she felt in no fit state to have the discussion that they needed, she knew she couldn’t put it off forever. She would have to face him, and explain herself, and she hadn’t the faintest idea what she would say.

#tinuviel-undomiel #fic: dark heart #rumbelle fic #my fic #rumbelle angst

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guideseeder67-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Healing Lemongrass Chickpea Thai Green Curry with Toasted Coconut Brown Rice

Jan 02

This vegetarian Thai green curry is made with chickpeas, ginger, garlic, turmeric, green curry paste, and lemongrass. The ultimate bowl of healthy comfort food to eat when you’re feeling under the weather. Served with a delicious coconut infused brown rice!

You know that feeling when you start getting a little sick — the feeling that something just isn’t quite right? Well, I have that right now. A slight fever crept in and my glands started to swell. Immediately I could tell that my body needed rest and a healthy dose of anti-inflammatory, disease-fighting food.

So of course, Thai green curry was on the dinner menu.

And guess what? It works. I make this recipe and my healing chicken soup every single time I’m sick. The next day I wake up feeling a little better. Thus, this recipe was crowned the name ‘healing thai green curry’… with a few other descriptors in there too, I suppose.

Before we get into just how amazing and incredible this recipe is, I want to let you know that 1) you don’t absolutely need to have lemongrass to make this dish fabulous and b) I need you to make this recipe immediately. I SAID IMMEDIATELY. OK?

Besides being vegan and gluten free, this comforting Thai green curry is filled with the most delicious flavor combination I think I’ve ever tasted. I could proclaim my love for it over and over again, and if you trust me for recipes, then you know you need to make it too.

And here’s what else is awesome: It truly is filled with heaps of anti-inflammatory good-for-you spices and herbs:

Garlic: Studies have actually found it to be effective against fighting colds. It also has been known to fight infections naturally. I actually eat a clove raw when I feel sick. Tony thinks it’s weird because he’s the one who has to kiss me.

Ginger: A true tummy tamer aka really good for when you have an upset stomach. Put it in your smoothie or put it in this curry.

Lemongrass: The leaves of this plant are often used to make medicine. Its oil is often used in aromatherapy too. Check out how else lemongrass is commonly used here. I love the flavor it gives this curry and I promise you will too. Of course, you can always leave it out if it’s unavailable to you or if you don’t like it.

Turmeric: Super trendy for the past year or two, but always delicious and a known anti-inflammatory spice. I love the brightness it adds to this dish. I recommend using fresh turmeric.

Thai Green Curry Paste: You can get this at most grocery stores, but if they don’t have it — you can order it from Amazon.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to make this fabulous dish. I love to do it for meal prep and cook everything up on a Sunday for myself, then divide into containers. I’ve also included an easy recipe for a delicious toasted coconut brown rice that I think pairs well with the curry.

I hope you all enjoy this dish as much as I do! It’s a new favorite of mine. If you make this recipe, be sure to rate the recipe and leave a comment below, or take a pic, upload it to Instagram and tag #ambitiouskitchen! xoxo love you guys.

THAI GREEN CURRY RECIPE VIDEO

Healing Lemongrass Chickpea Thai Green Curry

Author: Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/4th of recipe (includes rice)

Calories: 389

Fat: 12.7g

Carbohydrates: 42.1g

Sugar: 5.1g

Fiber: 11.5g

Protein: 12.2g

Recipe type: dinner, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour

For the brown rice:

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 cup uncooked short grain brown rice

For the Thai green curry:

2 teaspoons olive oil or coconut oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup diced green onion

2 stalks lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced

1 heaping cup diced carrots (about 3 large carrots)

1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger

3 tablespoons finely diced fresh basil

2 tablespoons green curry paste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric (or 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground turmeric)

1 (15 oounce) can lite coconut milk

1/2 cup vegetarian broth (or water)

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce (or coconut aminos)

1 lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen peas

To garnish: Cilantro, green onion & hot sauce

To make the brown rice: Add one cup of brown rice to a pan along with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Toast rice over medium heat for 5 minutes until fragrant. Next and 2 1/2 cups of water to a pot; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add in garlic, green onion, lemongrass, carrots, fresh ginger, and diced fresh basil. Stir fry for about 5 minute until the onions begin to slightly brown. Next add in green curry paste and turmeric and stir for 30 seconds to release flavors.

Add in coconut milk, vegetarian broth, chickpeas, soy sauce, lime juice, salt and red bell pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Right before serving, stir in frozen peas. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Serve over brown rice in a bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro, green onion and a dash of hot sauce if you like things spicy. Serves 4.

*You can leave out the lemongrass and still get fabulous flavor! I know it can be difficult to find. I usually get mine from Whole Foods.

If you'd like more protein in this dish, add another can of chickpeas, or if you aren't vegetarian/vegan, you can add 1/2 pound of chopped cooked chicken breast.

3.5.3251

PIN THIS CURRY RECIPE:

Source: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healing-lemongrass-chickpea-thai-green-curry/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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dashlung62-blog · 5 years ago