#Like last birthday I went to i Did show up with nothing due to time constraints and shit. I then proceeded to forget about my promise to ge

[deonsx]

Subject and scientist love (Dazai x Reader)

Content: Smut!, Forbidden love

Dazai is a 22-year-old scientist in a science laboratory, which makes him the youngest scientist there. He has a high-level authority and he has always been curious about the subjects responsible for his research. The subjects were half-human, but they were imprisoned here because they had animal characteristics. The only difference between the subjects from humans is their special abilities and, in rare cases, elf ears and tails Dazai is known for taking very careful care of his subjects, he spent years here at least, but one of the subjects was on his way to becoming the most special of all to him, he just didn't realize it yet

Dazai was a very strict scientist, he never deviated from the rules and he hated those who broke the rules. This was his field of work. He always got along well with the subjects, but he was careful not to be sincere. He always took care of the work procedure and did not show unnecessary closeness. Dazai's longest subject was the one he worked with for 4 years. It was his s/o. The subject is a 20-year-old young girl. She has elf features. Even though her powers have not been discovered yet, she has a very affectionate nature and is also very brave. Since she did not cause any problems for 4 years, she won the heart of even a cold person like Dazai.

After another tiring day at work, Dazai retreated to his office and leaned on the chair and looked at the clock. When he saw that the check-out time was approaching, he started to pack up, but it occurred to him that he had not visited his s/o today today her birthday, even though her was a test subject, when he was with her... it was strange, everything was so lively... Dazai quickly shook the thought out of his mind, he got angry at himself for such a thought, "She's nothing more than a test subject" he muttered to himself and went to the room where s/o was kept, he lifted his card to press the door and the door slowly opened inside, there was a girl sitting on her bed in a short nightgown. It appeared that the room was dark, only the moonlight coming from the window at the top was illuminating the room. The only scientist in the laboratory was Dazai at the moment.

The girl quickly got up from her bed and happily ran to dazai "I missed you!" The girl was very intrusive as always, they only had a business relationship and she had no choice but to remind him of it, but on a day like this? If they were to discuss business procedures even on the girl's birthday, it would break the girl's heart. When the girl hugged Dazai, Dazai waited for a while, but then responded, "I'm glad about that, I couldn't come in the morning due to work," he felt the need to explain, "Happy birthday..." The girl slowly backed away, "I can't see my gift?" he asked with a chuckle. Dazai took a deep breath. It was forbidden to bring anything from outside to the subjects here. He couldn't give them anything. He couldn't even remember the last time he bought someone a gift. "I can't bring you anything from outside in the laboratory."

"What if what I want is in the lab?" Dazai blinked at the girl's answer. "Something you want from the laboratory? Yes, I can give it to you." With a slight smile, Dazai wished that the girl had something to give him on his birthday. "Okay then...there will be no turning back." Before he could even comprehend what the girl said, he was pulled from her hand and sat on the bed. S/o gently grabbed Dazai’s wrist, who was trying to move away again, and brought their faces closer again “It's just the two of us here, you don't need to be wary of anyone” Dazai’s lips came closer... Before dazai approached, she said something and both of their hearts beat fast. ...I love...I love you..their feelings for each other...were not invisible

her pleading gaze locking onto his own. He swallowed hard, feeling a mix of confusion and unexpected warmth at her words. This was not part of the protocol, not at all. Yet, as their faces drew closer, dazai found himself unable to look away. His mind raced with thoughts, struggling to reconcile his professional duties with the raw emotion in front of him. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to indulge in the idea of reciprocating her feelings. But then reality set in - he was her scientist, her caretaker. This kind of relationship would only complicate things further. With great reluctance, he gently moved her hand away and leaned back, putting some distance between them. "S/o..." He started, his voice barely above a whisper. He paused, searching for the right words. "I care about you, more than I probably should. But we can't...we're not the same."

the two were still whispering so they could hear each other “I love you....you should at least be honest with me...what if I were human...then would you reject me again”

Dazai felt his resolve weakening. He knew he couldn't lie to her, not when she was baring her soul like this. He took her hand in his, thumb gently stroking her knuckles. His brown eyes met hers with a flicker of sadness. "If you were human, things might be different." He admitted softly. It was a hypothetical situation that tugged at his heartstrings. He'd always been drawn to strong-willed individuals, and S/o was no exception. Her resilience amidst all this was truly remarkable. "But you're not human,s/o..." He continued, his tone firm but gentle. "You're a hybrid, and I'm your scientist. We have roles to play here, lines we can't cross. And even if you were human, I don't know if I could give you what you want”

"You can give me anything..Osamu.." the girl's intoxicating voice distracted the boy and fascinated his mind, but this did not happen with any power. The rhythm in Dazai's heart could be heard even from outside. While the two of them were now in each other's arms, Dazai thought how wrong this contact was. ...but still he was here. S/o left kisses on Dazai's face, leaving nothing on his lips. They gently grabbed the girl and fell into the intoxicating kiss "You know you want me dazai..."

Dazai bit the girl's lip and made it bleed as if he wanted to interrupt s/o’s words, but then she licked her lip and gave her deep kisses, “what kind of thing are you...” Dazai’s resolve crumbled as s/o’s lips found his once again, her words like fire in his ears. He knew he shouldn't have allowed this to happen, but he couldn't resist the temptation any longer. His hands found their way under her shirt, tracing the curves of her back as he returned her kisses with fervor. In the back of his mind, a voice screamed at him to stop, to remember his job and responsibilities, but he silenced it ruthlessly. For now, he wanted to feel alive, to experience something real beyond the confines of the lab. His fingers tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, his body pressing against hers. The taste of her blood on his lips only served to heighten his desire. He knew this was a dangerous path, but for now,dazai chose to follow it. "Fuck," he breathed against her mouth, his voice hoarse with need. "What are you doing to me…”

Dazai’s hands fumbled with s/o’s clothes, pulling them off with an urgency that surprised him. He could feel her warmth against his skin, her heart beating rapidly in sync with his own. His lips left trails of fire down her neck, nipping and sucking gently, leaving bruises in his wake. His own clothing soon followed, discarded haphazardly on the cold floor. Dazai’s fingers traced over s/o’s collarbone, then lower, exploring her body with a mix of hunger and reverence. His breath hitched as he felt her hands on him, her touch sending electric shockwaves coursing through his veins. He pressed her against the bed, his body aligning with hers, the heat between them threatening to ignite the sterile room. Dazai knew this was wrong, but in this moment, he couldn't bring himself to care. He needed this release, this connection, this reminder that he was still human despite his work with hybrids. As they continued to explore each other, dazai couldn't help but wonder if this would change things between them forever

He knew he shouldn't be doing this - it went against protocol, against his morals - but he found himself unable to resist. With one swift motion, he lifted her onto the bed, her legs wrapping around his waist instinctively. His lips trailed down her jawline, nipping at her earlobe before whispering, he pulled out the keycard to her cell, placing it on the bed within his reach. If he wanted to stop, he could. But as he positioned himself at her entrance, he could feel her body arching towards him, inviting him in.Dazai pushed past the last of his doubts and entered her, groaning at the tightness that enveloped him. His movements were slow at first, allowing her to adjust, but soon he was moving with a rhythm born of desperation. He couldn't deny the thrill he felt, knowing he was crossing a line he shouldn't have. But the feel of s/o beneath him, her nails scratching at his back, her breaths coming in ragged pants, made it impossible to think of anything else

He felt her body tensing up around him as she neared climax, her breaths turning into moans that filled the otherwise silent laboratory. Dazai’s hands gripped the edge of the bed, knuckles white with restraint, as he tried to maintain control. He wanted this moment to last, to savor every second of their forbidden connection before reality came crashing down on them both. His lips found hers again, swallowing her cries as their bodies moved in perfect harmony. Dazai couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret - this wasn't just about satisfying his desires; he had allowed himself to become emotionally involved with a test subject, something he had always promised himself he wouldn't do. But as s/o’s nails dug deeper into his back and her legs tightened around his waist, pulling him closer

Dazai knew he couldn't stop now. He moved faster, harder, driving them both towards the edge. When she finally came apart beneath him, her body convulsing with pleasure,Dazai let go of his own control and followed suit, burying his face in her neck to muffle his groans. As they lay there, panting and spent, dazai couldn't help but wonder how he would ever explain this to his superiors...or himself

“We will hide our forbidden love from everyone, my love”

Enjoy!

It was a really long story, it wasn't difficult as I was writing it because the subject was very interesting to me and think of it as compensation for not posting for a long time ^^

[hellohoihey]

For a moment there is was so happy to be invited to a birthday party that I forgot about the for some reason unvoiced expectation to bring gifts.

[hannieehaee]

them accidentally ditching you on your bday - pu

hhu, vu, pu

part 2

content: angsty, gender neutral, established relationship, etc.

wc: 2766

a/n: tysm to the few ppl who requested this i hope u like it! pls lmk if u want a pt. 2! i decided to go on a diff direction for minghao's for further angst hehe sorry </3

masterlist

jun -

jun's absence was always a source of sadness for you. it was hard to not miss such a special person in your life, especially when his absence was so frequent due to his career.

dating an idol was difficult, but jun always made it worth it. he kept you to himself, always prioritizing you as much as he could. no day would go by in which he didnt contact you one way or another, even if it was just a quick 'i love you.'

these past two weeks had been hectic for him. going back and forth between china and korea, and even japan all at once had him in planes almost constantly. if he wasnt at a concert, he was at a fansign, and if he wasnt at a fansign, he was at some fashion event. there was no rest for a single member of seventeen during times like these. but despite that, life had smiled at jun's exhausted state for once. he had three consecutive days off; with one of them falling on your birthday.

you had insisted that using up his very rare free time on you was unnecessary. that you'd be happy to just have him home as he slept for the entirety of the three days, but he had insisted to spend the day with him. had even convinced you to cancel all other plans you may have originally had for your special day in favor of spending it with him. he had been unable to promise you anything grandiose, cringing at himself when he told you it'd just be a nice day in between the two of you. nothing made you happier than the thought, assuring him it was more than enough.

the day prior to your birthday, he had decided to go stay with his parents. he hadnt seen them in a while, and they were currently staying in jun's home in korea, so it was perfect. he was still a bit exhausted from the previous twelve days in which had received no more than four hours of sleep at a time, but he headed straight to them the moment he landed nonetheless. it was a nice evening he had with them, catching up and being fed home cooked meals by his mom. he went to sleep a bit late, but not until after facetiming you to let you know how excited he was to to spend your birthday with you. it was 1am by then, so technically it had been your birthday already. he let you go at some point, letting you know he'd be in your home by 11am sharp with a gift in hand.

the next day came sooner than expected, with jun groggily waking up, drool on his pillow showing the very deep slumber he had fallen under. he had not slept so well in months, not having allowed himself a healthy eight hours of sleep in a very long time. it was weird, though, he felt way too well rested, more than you'd expect from a regular night of sleep. upon checking the clock he realized why. it was now 2pm .. had he slept a total of twelve hours?! how exhausted had he been? it was now three hours after the time he was supposed to be meeting you. he ran to his phone to check if you'd called, only to find it dead. he had forgotten to charge it before heading to sleep. his exhaustion had truly gotten the best of him last night.

he gave it ten minutes go charge before turning it on, immediately wincing at your ten missed calls and your dejected messages wondering why he was gone, even worrying if anything had happened until finally tracking his location and realizing he had been home the whole time. you did not have his parents' number, so it had been impossible for you to contact him. by the end of the messages you'd informed him that you'd just go for a quick lunch with your friends, letting him know that it was okay if he just stayed home with his parents if he so wished. you'd only hoped he couldve kept you in mind before changing plans.

his day off could not have gotten any worse.

soonyoung -

admittedly, soonyoung could be a bit ... air-headed at times. its not that he didnt think, but more like he acted on impulse rather than logic. this would sometimes lead him to issues in various areas of his life. including your romantic relationship.

you'd been dating soonyoung for a while, already growing used to his silly antics by now. he was a silly boy, who could blame him! you found him endearing more than anything, always making you laugh and find joy in the little things. your relationship had been nothing but fun so far. not only was he entertaining to be around, but he was also a loving boyfriend and practically obsessed with you. he was affectionate to a fault, always doting on you. at some point he became a bit of an annoyance to his members, constantly showing you off to them in your absence. just like with anything else in life, when it came to you, he didnt think much. he just went based on feelings, and his feelings for you were quite strong.

this was why you were confused as to why your boyfriend was absent at this moment. the same boy who could not go five minutes away from you (whenever his job didnt get in the way, of course) without whining, had seemingly forgotten your plans for the day.

soonyoung was supposed to return from japan this morning after two weeks of absence from your shared home. you had told him it was fine if he wanted to rest instead of doing something for your birthday, which coincidentally landed today. a day in with him was more than enough, you'd assured him, but he insisted that all he needed upon his return was a quick nap with you and then he'd be ready to head out for a night out with you. except he never showed up. you waited and waited, receiving no explanation from him. you even called him multiple times, but he mustve kept his phone on airplane mode, as he never responded. you knew how easily distracted he could be, but to straight up forget to come home was too much, even for his standards.

it wasnt until five hours after his supposed arrival that you found out what had happened to him. you received a call from a very exhausted minghao, letting you know that his driver would be dropping off soonyoung at your home shortly. he and the boys had gone for a spontaneous drink after the flight, with chan having lost some sort of bet and having to buy them all drinks as punishment upon arrival. there was no mention of your birthday during the call, making you think that it had even slipped soonyoung's mind to let his members know he had previous plans.

the annoyance you were feeling was the least of your problems at the moment. you'd probably have to deal with a drunk soonyoung as soon as he and minghao arrived, having to put your feelings aside as you took care of him in order to ensure a painless hangover the next morning, yet another day in which he had to work. not only had he forgotten you, but he had prevented you from making any plans to favor spending time with him, time which would now be spent babying him until sleep took over him.

minghao -

the day had started well. you had woken up to a beautiful message from your loving boyfriend, with a few selfies attached as he told you how much he loved you and how badly he wanted to be home with you right now to celebrate your birthday. you felt truly loved upon exiting your room to find a few different bouquets of flowers, all labeled as 'from: xu minghao', your sweet boyfriend who would always give you small showcases of his affection such as this one.

he had left before you were able to wake up, having scheduled as early as 4am. he had a fashion show to attend today, along with many other previous engagements in regards to his idol life. but you were fine with it! he had promised you time and time again that he'd be home on time by 7 or 8-ish in order to have a romantic dinner with you. this had been the birthday celebration you had been looking forward to the most. you had a quick breakfast with a few friends, along with a small brunch with some family, which meant the final and most important part of your day would come last. you were extremely excited. it was a birthday dinner with the love of your life, a luxury you did not often get due to minghao's overly packed schedule.

at 6, you began to get ready, opting for a cute outfit that would have the usually composed salivating over you. at 7, you had all dinner arrangements ready. minghao had asked mingyu to drop off some dishes earlier in the day, claiming he had wanted to cook for you himself but the fashion show would leave him with no time, instead deciding to ask his best friend to do him a solid since he had been off earlier than minghao today. everything was ready by 7:30, so now all you had to do was wait.

you waited until 8, which soon became 9, only to become 10:30 and then 11 in what almost felt like minutes. you knew your boyfriend did not carry his personal phone with him during public schedules, so you didn't bother calling him, instead choosing to confirm his location with his manager, who let you know he had been driven to an after-party at around 8:30, thirty minutes after your established meeting time.

by 11:30 you had already put on your pajamas, dejectedly picking up all the dishes and saving them for another day. you weren't just disappointed, but you were sad too. he had promised you this for days, only to pick an optional schedule over you. this was very unlike him, but you still did not want to give him a pass for his carelessness.

he came back by 12, apologizing as soon as he spotted you waiting for him on the couch, only to be interrupted by you.

"minghao ... what the fuck? you say you'll be here by 8 and just ditch me for a stupid after party? is there any explanation for this or were you just trying to be a dick?", you knew you went too hard too fast, not even letting him finish his apology, but you were mad.

the venom in your voice seemed to irritate him almost immediately, causing a scary side of minghao to come out. he was never mean, per say, but he could be a bit too cold and direct sometimes. he seemed to forget his mistake immediately, instead pining the fault on you.

"y/n, im an idol. this is my job. you know its my dream to get into the fashion field. i need networking to do that. as my partner you have to understand that. its not like i didnt warn you itd be today."

"and i do understand! but all night? you could've told me. you couldve gone back on your word and i wouldve understood, but you-"

"listen. im not gonna have a conversation if you keep yelling. calm down, and when you decide to act like an adult, ill be willing to discuss this with you," it was so easy for him to dismiss you, which shocked you. he was usually so attentive.

"are you .. are you serious? are you drunk?"

"believe it or not, we're not all waiting for this day to put all our own shit aside and celebrate. i cant believe you're not being supportive. you havent even asked me how it went, i-"

"you know what? you're right. im sorry. i hope it went great, minghao. i'm gonna go to sleep now, if you dont mind. goodnight," there was truly no use in arguing. you knew him to be incredibly stubborn, and he was starting to hurt your feelings. so you marched to sleep, deciding to take the guest room instead, slamming the door shut as you finally let yourself cry at your boyfriend's lack of care.

chan -

chan was an exemplary boyfriend. he was, for lack of a better term, down tremendously bad for you. one simple look from you and he was reporting for duty, ready to do whatever you wanted. this behavior manifested in every aspect of your relationship, making him be labeled as a bit of a simp by all your mutual friends. chan did not mind this, however, being insanely into you and willing to go through all lengths to make sure you knew how loved you were by him.

your relationship was very much like a friendship, allowing the two of you to joke around and hang out as friends would, but also having all the special benefits of a committed relationship. you'd show up for each other more than anyone else, making your bond stronger than any other in your respective lives.

you had expected this to be the same case for your birthday. you hadn't mentioned it much, knowing chan was coincidentally busy during that week. you blamed him in no way for his busy schedule, always supporting his passions and even egging him on whenever he wanted to take on even more challenges (although also scolding him whenever he burnt himself out too much). but you were still somehow expected he would at least mention it.

you were surprised to wake up that day - having fallen asleep before chan's arrival home - to no type of reaction from chan. he was already awake, almost ready to leave for yet another busy day of schedules, with no single word mentioning your birthday. you knew he was insanely busy, but not even a quick 'happy birthday'? in the back of your mind you had hoped maybe he would at least bring you flowers or something upon his return the previous night, but he had clearly headed to sleep upon arrival. for someone who was usually a romantic, his lack of reaction surprised you.

deciding not to make a big deal out of it, you didn't say anything, simply bidding him goodbye with a quick kiss and an 'i love you' to match. you had the day off, but no real plans made, so you decided to just mope around the house, maybe schedule a date with one of your friends for the evening. you had kept your schedule open in the off chance than maybe chan wouldve planned a quick little something. you knew you could've just communicated this to your boyfriend, but you had wanted the romantics sue you!

surprisingly, you received a call a few minutes after chan's departure; one from one of your closest mutual friends, one boo seungkwan. it was very likely that he had remembered today's date, very much unlike your boyfriend.

"hi, kwannie," you replied upon answering.

"baby! happy birthday!!! love you!"

you sighed, "thank you, boo. love you too."

"aigoo, something wrong? sad channie can't stay in today?", you could hear and see his pout through the phone.

"no, kwannie. it's nothing. don't worry about it," even if you were slightly annoyed, you didnt want to throw your boyfriend under the bus.

"no! tell me!! you can't be sad on your birthday, cmon!"

"well .. chan kinda, uh, forgot."

"what? did he say anything?"

"nope. just left without saying anything."

"aish, that idiot. don't worry, i'll take care of this, i'll-"

"no, kwan! it's fine. i dont wanna make a big deal out of it. you guys are busy with your comeback. it's okay, i'll get over it."

"but, baby-"

"kwan, really. i'm fine, i swear. have a good day for me, okay? love you."

he humphed, but accepted your response, "fine. you better have fun today too, though, okay? love you."

and that was the end of it. you would now probably spend the next few hours a bit dejected, not looking forward to the inevitable moment in which your boyfriend realized his mistake, knowing you couldn't really be mad at him due to his busy lifestyle, but feeling hurt nonetheless.

[kurogane2512]

Ningguang Birthday 2023

Happy birthday to Ningguang!! Not me being one day late to post my waifu's birthday fics once again but ugh exam season. Anyways, I combined all the scenarios shown in her birthday art, comic and mail this year for this fic so hope you guys like it! I will also be doing all Ningguang requests in my inbox today to celebrate her day! <3

Game: Genshin Impact

Characters: Ningguang x fem!reader

Type: Fluff

The Tianquan of Liyue was known for many things, her wealth surpassing all perhaps. The Tianquan of Liyue was known as many things; calculative, materialistic, intelligent among many more. Some would say she had no care for finite possessions for the mora she possessed was infinite; however, she had proved to all she was much more than the exquisite woman she appeared to be. She was Liyue's guiding star and protector, shining down on it as brightly as the Jades she possessed. Yet, a part of her was still unknown to many, not even her closest secretaries knew of it....

"Lady Ningguang, the Yuheng declined your invitation to play Liyue Millennial today." Baiwen informed her lady on one pleasant morning when the Tianquan was surprisingly free of her never-ending duties.

"Oh? Did she state the reason?" Ningguang questioned.

"She said she has some personal matters to attend to and cannot give so much time to the game."

"I see....And what about Captain Beidou? I heard the Crux is currently docked in Liyue."

"Oh, they left last night, Lady Ningguang. We did send the invitation to her but received no reply..."

"Hmph, as expected of her.....And what about the other invitees? I assume everyone denied as well."

"Y-Yes, Lady Ningguang...." Baiwen replied hesitantly.

"Hmm....I didn't expect that new card game to become so popular and make everyone enamored with it. Hehe, it can't be helped, I suppose. Chess mates are becoming hard to find, if only she was here...." Ningguang paused and stared into empty space before sighing, "Is there anything on my schedule today, Baiwen?"

"Yes, Ms Yun Jin asked you to witness her new show today at 1 pm, she also made arrangements for lunch. Everything else was moved to other days to give you time for yourself, milady."

"Hehe, how considerate of you. I understand then, you all are dismissed for the rest of the day as well."

"O-Oh, thank you very much, milady!" Baiwen bowed with a smile and exited Ningguang's office gleefully. Ningguang sighed and rested on her table while pondering deeply, "It has been like this for months now, till when will I keep playing on my own....? What's the point of a 2-person game if there is no partner? Hmph, I'm sure the excitement for that card game will fade away soon and Liyue Millennial will stand the test of time...."

Ningguang squinted her eyes and sat up then walked outside to the external platform of the Jade Chamber, gazing at the scenery in front of her. Her eyes wandered over to the distant sky adorned with fluffy clouds and she suddenly spotted a faint twinkling of a star.

"Heh~ To be able to spot the brightest star on a sunny morning like this....The higher you stand, the closer you are to the sky, after all."

A smile formed on her face as she observed the star before it was no longer visible due to the bright sun illuminating the sky.

"I wonder if I'll spot a shooting star tonight....It would be nice if our very own shooting star came here today but I suppose that's wishful thinking...."

She looked down at the city and decided to take a walk around until it was time for Yun Jin's show. She went through the market and asked for a few things but didn't buy any as there was no requirement and there was nothing new worth investing in. She then reached the venue for Yun Jin's play and watched the stage being set-up before Yun Jin walked out and began her performance.

"This is from the new piece I've been working on. What do you think, Tianquan Ningguang?" Yun Jin asked at the end of her performance.

"Wonderful. It hasn't been long since we last met but you've surpassed yourself once again, Yun Jin." Ningguang replied earnestly.

Yun Jin beamed a smile then moved her gaze to the other people in the audience and was caught by surprise for a moment spotting a familiar figure.

"What would you say?" Yun Jin questioned while looking at a person behind Ningguang.

"As Tianquan Ningguang said, it was really wonderful."

Ningguang's eyes widened hearing the all too familiar voice, she then slowly turned around to see none other than the shooting star she had wished to meet not so long ago.

"Y/n?"

You smiled, "It has been a while since we met, Lady Ningguang and Yun Jin."

Ningguang's heartbeat fastened for a moment before she composed herself and stood up while clearing her throat, "Pleasure to meet you again as well, Y/n. How has your journey been going?"

"It's been good so far. I was missing Liyue hence thought to visit..."

Ningguang smiled at your confession, "My~ Of course, you are always welcome here. Come, have a seat. We were about to order lunch."

You accepted Ningguang's proposal and sat on the table with her and Yun Jin as a feast was being served. Ningguang was not expecting to see you today of all days, she wondered what really was your reason to come. Was it a mere coincidence that you chose to come today of all days or was there something in your mind? However, she realized she didn't care for the reason. 

When she sent invites out to her associates to play chess with her today, she had written one for you as well but refrained from sending it in the end. She knew you were more than enough capable of matching against her in Liyue Millennial, you had done it before. But she didn't know what was in your heart. Ningguang always liked being able to predict the next move of those around her, but you were the most uncertain piece on her board.

"What new region have you visited now, Y/n?"

"Oh, I went to Fontaine from Sumeru. I still have more things to do there but I had to do a few errands at Mondstadt recently then decided to come here too to meet everyone...."

"Hehe~ And here I thought your annual trip to Liyue would always be for Lantern Rite. You surprised me yet again~"

You chuckled softly and continued eating until bidding farewell to Yun Jin and being in the marketplace together with Ningguang.

"Well, I suppose you have to meet your other friends now, Y/n. It was good to see you again and I hope your future travels are as pleasant as ever." Ningguang spoke with courtesy before turning around to walk away but you stopped her.

"U-Uh, Lady Ningguang, if you aren't busy then may I take some more of your time? I wanted to say a few things...."

"Oh? Well, it's your lucky day then as my schedule is free. Come, walk with me. However, there is one condition~"

"W-What might it be....?"

Ningguang sensed your nervousness and chuckled before walking up to you and leaning close to your face, "You will not call me 'Lady Ningguang' for the rest of the day~"

You blushed seeing her up close and nodded, "I understand...."

Ningguang smiled and proceeded to walk and you accompanied her, you looked around the bustling marketplace and tried to start a conversation but were unable to. Ningguang was ethereal in your eyes and you'd always get slightly nervous around her as you didn't want to disappoint her in any way. You knew she held you in high regard and you wanted to maintain that impression.

"Well? What might it be that you wish to converse with me? Are you facing some kind of financial problems? Or perhaps you need help in some kind of business-related commission?"

"N-No, none of that....Well, I am running short on Mora recently but I wouldn't come to you for that."

"Why not? I'd be more than happy to assist you. Of course, I wouldn't just hand you a bag of mora but I can get you sufficient work that pays well. With your skills and caliber, there are a number of high paying jobs suitable for your needs and many would be more than willing to hire you just from hearing your name."

"Haha, I see....I'll keep it in mind for the future."

"Well? You haven't answered my question."

Ningguang stopped walking and turned to face you, slowly becoming suspicious now.

"A-Ah, it was actua—"

"Oh, if it isn't Y/n. How are you doing recently?" a familiar voice called out to you and you turned around to see none other than Keqing waving at you.

"Keqing, long time no see. I'm fine, what about you?"

"I'm the same as ever. I see you already met Ningguang. So, what brings you to Liyue?"

"Nothing much, just thought to meet everyone."

"Haha, that's great. Now that you are here, want to have a duel with me? I recently updated my deck~"

"Oh, right now? You don't have any work to do....?"

"Hah~ The next appointment isn't until 2 hours, I went around asking others if they are up for a match but everyone was already engaged in another and I haven't found any opponent...."

Keqing briefly paused and glanced at Ningguang, "....and a few others don't like playing it anyways."

"I-I see....Well, I don't really have any work right now so—"

"Oh, that's perfect then! Come, there are a few empty tables at Yangshang Teahouse."

You hesitated to reply then looked over at Ningguang, "....Would you like to come along, Ningguang?"

"Oh, don't bother with Ningguang. Genius Invocation TCG is too low for her status~"

"I see..."

Ningguang squinted her eyes at Keqing's remark then glanced at you and saw a pleading look on your face, seemingly indicating that you wanted her to come along. She didn't understand it, why were you so eager to have her there? You could have just left her and went about your merry way.

"As it happens, I'm rather interested in seeing a duel between our Yuheng and the esteemed Hero of Liyue~"

Ningguang mused with a smirk and Keqing sighed then the 3 of you made your way over to Yangshang Teahouse and settled on a faraway table before taking out your decks and setting up a duel. Ningguang noticed that your deck revolved around her card, she was the main damage dealer and all your supports were tailor-made for her. While she felt proud that you had invested in her card, she knew Keqing was quite formidable and her deck was rather advantageous against yours. Still, she was betting on you to win nonetheless. 

The game gradually became more heated as none of you were backing down, even attracting a crowd of on-lookers to the interesting match. Both of you had lost one card each and were close to reaching round 5, Ningguang had already figured out Keqing's strategy by observing her play so far but she was quite stunned by you. She actually couldn't figure out what your play was, she thought of many options seeing your cards but you'd always make an unexpected move and prove her wrong.

"Oi, Lady Yuheng is actually being cornered....Haha, as expected of Liyue's hero!" someone chimed from the crowd, eliciting more similar remarks all around. Ningguang chuckled looking at you, "Always so interesting....If only you showed such keen interest in Liyue Millennial too."

The match finally came to and end as you defeated another card of Keqing and she decided to forfeit as she knew she can't make a comeback with her remaining card. You emerged victorius with a resounding applause from the crowd and appreciation for a good game from Keqing.

"Well played indeed, Y/n. I didn't know you are such a good player in this as well." Ningguang remarked.

"I have played many matches going all around Sumeru, Inazuma and Mondstadt by now. But you flatter me, Ningguang, I still have room for improvement."

"Hehe, that's good to hear. The game has been very popular all over Teyvat, no wonder you were dragged into it as well."

"....Is it true you aren't a fan of it as Keqing said?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that.....I simply find it too simplistic for my tastes. I did enjoy it in the beginning but I don't see myself continuing in the long term, I'd much rather spend time on my chess."

You looked at her with a smile and nodded in understanding when a few more people approached you inviting you to duel with them. You felt overwhelmed with the crowd gathered around you and noticed Ningguang had walked away to give them space. You politely declined everyone saying you had other commitments and caught up with Ningguang.

"N-Ningguang, wait! There was something I wanted to say!"

Ningguang stopped and turned around to look at you when you saw a surprising expression on her face. You didn't ever imagine you'd see the Tianquan of Liyue making this kind of expression; full of loneliness and sadness....

"Ningguang, what's wrong....?"

"Hm? Whatever you might mean, Y/n?" she feigned innocence, swiftly changing her expression back to normal. You knew she was hiding something. You looked up at the sky and saw the sun was slowly setting, the light still spread in the sky but you couldn't wait any longer.

"Ningguang, is it okay if we go to the Jade Chamber? It'll give the best view."

"Best view for what?"

You smiled, "You'll see. Just trust me, will you?"

You extended your hand to her and she hesitated for a moment then took it and you both walked to Yujing Terrace to ascend to the Jade Chamber. By the time you reached, the sky had darkened further which was good news for you. Ningguang was about to take you inside as usual but you stopped her on the external platform and asked her to watch you. Ningguang waited in anticipation and mystery, she had absolutely no idea what you were going to do.

You looked up at the sky and saw stars appearing then took out a launch tube and placed it on the ground before turning around and facing Ningguang. Her heartbeat suddenly fastened as excitement engulfed her thinking of the possibilities of what was going to happen. You then took a deep breath and launched a firework in the sky which burst into a brilliant crimson light illuminating the words- 'Happy Birthday Ningguang'

Ningguang's eyes widened reading the words, did you have this planned all this time? Was this your main reason for coming to Liyue? More fireworks were released in the following minutes, all containing different drawing and words that described her, or at least described her as you thought her to be- beautiful, kind, selfless, elegant, compassionate and many more. She was truly taken aback, it felt like the whole sky belonged to her and was wishing her on her special day. Her surroundings were nothing but the brilliance of these fireworks that you created.

"Ningguang." your sudden voice reached her ears and she moved her gaze towards you. You smiled at her and said, "Happy birthday." A firework burst behind you at the same time with the words, 'I love you' and she was the most surprised now. How were you always capable of catching her off guard was beyond her. Nobody could do this to her, yet here you were. Her heart was beating faster than ever, the fireworks ended long ago but the thumping of her chest still resounded in her whole body.

At last, she calmed down and regained her demeanour with a smile on her face, "Thank you very much, dear Y/n. This was magnificent and that in the end....was that true? Did you mean it?"

You smiled and nodded, "It is....everything was true. Each and every word was from the bottom of my heart, it is what I have felt for you ever since we first met...."

Ningguang smiled as well, "....Was this your real purpose for coming here today?"

"It was....I just wanted to celebrate your birthday. I know this isn't much but—"

"Don't say that. I don't care how much it was, it's the thought and effort that counts and I'm feeling blessed that you did this for me...."

Ningguang walked closer to you and suddenly embraced you, "I love you too, Y/n. Thank you very much for this."

Your eyes widened and you slowly wrapped your arms around her body, "I-It wasn't much...."

Ningguang chuckled, "Would you believe me if I said I had wished to meet you today?"

"What...?"

Ningguang released the hug then looked at the stars in the sky around you, "I wished to see a shooting star today and was reminded of you since you also came in this world as a shooting star, after all. Hehe, it seems I ended up wishing to a shooting star indeed and the Archons heard my wish."

You blushed hearing her words, "I-I see....By the way, the sky is really beautiful from here. The stars seem so close...."

"Mhm, the higher you stand the closer you are to the sky. I did build this Jade Chamber to be the guiding star of Liyue, it is only rightful I should be among them."

You gazed at her as she looked at the stars then were reminded of her expression from earlier, "....Doesn't it get lonely at the top?"

Ningguang was caught by surprise at your words and looked at you in surprise, but by now she had gotten used to your unpredictable nature and simply smiled.

"Well then, wouldn't you stand by my side being Teyvat's very own star?~"

You blushed, "It would be my honor...."

You gazed at each other with a smile and you felt intoxicated, bewitched by her. The night sky around you adorned with stars emphasized Ningguang's beauty even more, her own self twinkling with them. You released your arms from around her and stepped back then took out a Kamera and pointed at her.

"Oh, you would like to capture this moment for me?"

"Yes, I still have some fireworks left too."

"A lovely suggestion. I heard that many people in Fontaine take pictures to celebrate their birthdays nowadays."

"Yes, it is quite crazy over there when it comes to technology...."

You giggled and set up another launch tube by the time Ningguang chose a spot, you then took out 2 Kameras and alternated between them in taking photos of Ningguang with the stars and fireworks.

"My, I didn't think you would have such a collection of different Kameras. It seems you are quite potent when it comes to photography~"

You smiled then finished clicking the pictures and showed to her, "These are really well taken. I'll keep some of them and you'll keep some too, right?~"

"Yes, I'd love to...."

You said in a daze as you watched her stand beside you and happily look at the photos.

"O-Oh, is there something you'd like to do? We still have time left until the day is over, I feel bad that we barely did anything worth a celebration."

Ningguang smiled softly and caressed your cheek, "You made the day special enough for me by coming here and doing all this. But still, if you insist, I do have something in mind~"

She held your hand and pulled you inside the Jade Chamber, taking you downstairs to her office where you saw a game of Liyue Millennial was laid out on the table.

"Did you play with someone today?"

"Oh....well, I invited a few people but everyone refused giving one excuse or the other. Keqing even had the audacity to say she personal matters to attend to then was happily playing that card game with you."

She sighed bitterly and you remembered her distaste for TCG then spoke, "Are you having trouble finding chess mates nowadays due to TCG?"

"....Yes, that is true.  Everyone is quite enamored with it; I even got some complaints saying that chess is too difficult and stressful and that I should simplify its rules."

"I see, that's unfortunate....I would love to play with you from now on. Truth be told, I have gotten quite bored of TCG having played it so much. Not to mention, playing chess with you is an incomparable experience...."

Ningguang blushed at your sudden compliments, "My. You never fail to impress me, give that sweet tongue of yours a rest for some time, would you?~"

"I-I'm sorry but I was just saying the truth...."

"Hehe, well then, would you care to indulge me with a game now?"

"Of course, as you say."

The two of you sat on opposite sides of the table and took out chess pieces to arrange on both of your sides, the rest of the game hadwho already been set hence making it easier and faster to start.

"Hmm, would you mind if we make the game slightly different than usual?" Ningguang suggested.

"Not at all. What shall we do?"

"Every time one of us loses a piece, the other gets to ask a question or order them to do something. How does that sound?~"

You suddenly became nervous of Ningguang's mischievous suggestion accompanied by the smirk on her face, "Uh, are there some things we can't ask or do?"

"Well, I'm open to everything. But if you want to keep some boundaries then I will abide."

You pondered for a moment and thought of certain possibilities causing you to become slightly flustered then nodded, "Okay, I'm fine with everything too."

Ningguang's smirk widened, she knew what was going on in your mind and she would be lying if she said she wasn't thinking the same things. She let you take the first move and you finally began playing, an interesting and heated game of Liyue Millennial ensuing.

"My~ Rarely anyone can match up to me this way and keep me entertained, I knew I was right about her..." Ningguang pondered with a smile.

The game went on for some time until you finally lost your first piece, and the first ever piece in the whole game hence giving Ningguang the first chance to ask something.

"Hmm....well, I'll give an easy one since it's the first loss. Have you had your first kiss yet?"

Your eyes widened in shock, "T-This is easy?!"

You looked at Ningguang's playful expression then replied with a slight blush, "N-No, I haven't...."

Ningguang chuckled in amusement and squinted her eyes looking at you, subconsciously licking her lips then continuing the game. Next was your turn to ask her something as she lost her first piece.

"Um, have you dated anyone before me....?"

"I was confessed to and even offered marriage proposals but I refused all. So, you are my first— in everything~"

You knew what Ningguang implied by that, and you truly hoped it would come true. The game continued more and you continued asking each other questions, some rather intimate but nothing overbearing. Ningguang was winning hence got more chances to tease and fluster you from her questions, also enabling her to know more about your likes and dislikes.

"Hmm, let's change the direction of the questions now. This time, I ask you to take off your shirt~"

"H-Huh?! That's a huge jump all of a sudden!"

Ningguang smirked, "Let me rephrase it then. I order you to take off your shirt~"

You were further shocked and tried to protest but she was unhinged, "Don't forget you agreed to everything, dear Y/n. I don't take lightly to people going back on their words~"

You gulped and eventually nodded then proceeded to slide off your shirt and keep it aside, sitting in front of the Tianquan in just your bra and pants now. Her gaze trailed all over your exposed body, cunningly observing your features as if they were an intricate design carved by the finest of hands. The game then continued and you finally got your chance to make her do something too.

"Uh....t-take off your dress....."

You gathered all your courage to say that, earning a short chuckle from Ningguang who expected this, "How bold of you, dear Y/n~"

"I-It's only fair, right?"

"Hehe, you are correct...." Ningguang stood up and proceeded to untie the strings of her dress, you intently watched her remove her accessories starting from the fur around her neck, down to her finger claws then finally slide down her qipao and standing in her black lace lingerie. Your face heated up as your eyes subconsciously took in her features, her perfect curves and breasts all in front of you to feast on.

"You are staring a bit too much, dear Y/n. Hold in your urges until later tonight, will you?~"

"I-I don't have any urges!" you exclaimed bashfully and looked away while she sat down at her place with a giggle, "How adorable you are...makes me want to have my way with you right here~"

The atmosphere between you two grew tense as the game continued, you were struggling to keep your eyes off Ningguang's body while she was enjoying this little game too much. She was much swifter in stealing glances at you and made it seem she was focused on the game rather that the immoral thoughts she was having.

"The next order I have for you is...." Ningguang trailed off and stood up from her seat then walked towards you, your heartbeat fastening as she came closer. She then straddled your lap facing you and wrapped her arms around your neck, your heart skipping a beat at her action.

"....Kiss me~"

Her thumb brushed across your lower lip and you put your hands on her waist to pull her closer as she leaned in and connected your lips together. Her soft and moist lips gently cuddled with yours, a blissful feeling spreading in your body at the contact. She was everything you needed, only you knew how much you had held back all this time to hold and feel her this way. Without much thinking, you grabbed her tighter and suddenly pushed her to the table making her lie lean on it while you kissed her passionately.

Surprised by your sudden rough movements, she wrapped her legs around your waist and pulled you down to kiss you deeper. Your tongues entangled in a heated manner, heavily breathing into each other's scents. She moaned into the kiss as she felt you rub against her abdomen, her nails digging into your back as you went down to kiss her neck. Your hand slid towards her thigh and caressed her dragon tattoo, a low chuckle leaving her lips sending vibrations in you.

"And here I thought the Hero of Liyue was much more restrained. You knocked off all my pieces in one go, it seems I'm obliged to follow all your orders now~"

You blushed then grinned, "Well, I did knock out my own pieces too so that makes us equal and considering you were already winning earlier...."

Ningguang continued, "....I'm the true winner and get to order you once again? Is that what you want?~"

"If that's what you want to give me as my return gift, I'll gladly accept it~"

"Haha~ A return gift, you say? And here I thought you still had more gifts to give me~"

"You still want more, Tianquan Ningguang? You do realize you'd have to give a fair amount of return gifts then?~"

"And you think I cannot afford that?~"

Ningguang smirked wider and you smiled then snuggled into the crook of her neck, "What do you want me to do, Tianquan Ningguang?~"

"Stay with me on this lonely night and many more lonely nights to come. Be the star that shines beside me and never leaves me alone"

You leaned up and looked into her eyes, "I accept the contract, my Tianquan."

You smiled at each other and passionately kissed once again, her legs tightened around you and you lifted her off the table to carry her to her room and lay her on the bed. The Tianquan spent the night together entangled with her lover, she no longer felt lonely being at the top of the world and knew you would always be by her side in any and everything. She looked into her mirror next morning after a passionate and lustful night and caressed the marks left by you on her neck. Of course, she had to get you back for it. No wonder you were given strange looks by people as you left the Jade Chamber later with a red kiss mark adorning your cheek that she so discreetly made as a goodbye kiss.

[austinswhitewolf]

Watching You

Hello everyone!! I heard this song the other day and this idea hasn't left me since. So I had to put it down and @klizzie93 helped. Thank you lovely! The thought of how great of a dad Austin will be makes my heart melt. I am always open for requests if anyone has any.

You and Austin had been together for eight years now. Four years ago, you had the wedding of your dreams, beautiful, quiet, intimate and on the beach. Only family and very close friends were in attendance to celebrate with you. 

It was maybe a half year later that you had surprised him with a little Elvis onesie. He had been over the moon, tears of joy falling down his face as he spun you around and couldn’t stop holding you. The next week, whenever he was within arms reach, he was always touching you in some way shape or form. As your belly grew, he started to bring home little outfits and stuffed animals. When you were three months, the both of you had decided to start decorating the nursery so it wouldn’t need to be done near the end of your pregnancy. It had been hard, but you were able to keep it from the public until you announced it when you were five months along. It was partly thanks to it being winter when you first were starting to show. The announcement was of your belly with his hands over it, and your hands over his. When you had the gender reveal and found out you were having a little boy, you were over the moon, a little Austin running around. As the months rolled by, you were getting more antsy, sore and finding it hard to get comfortable. There were nights you had trouble sleeping as the little one would not settle down for very long. Or kept kicking your bladder making you jump up and race to the bathroom. As your due date rolled around, Austin had made sure to have the month leading up to your due date off as well as nothing set in stone for work. The few days before you went into labor, you were crabby and couldn’t control your emotions very well. Austin, god bless the man, was there the entire time, getting you whatever you needed, helping you stand up or sit down, rubbing your back gently to help with pain. And he never once let anything you said go to heart. When your water broke, you were laying in bed, trying to get some sleep but your lower back was sore and you could not get comfortable. It was in the middle of the night when you went to shift to your other side that you felt your water break. It took you a few moments to realize what had just happened. When you grabbed Austin’s arm, he cracked his eyes open and the look on your face had him shooting up in bed.

The moment you told him it was time, he jumped out of bed, threw on a pair of joggers, a t-shirt and sweatshirt before helping you up out of bed, getting you into something dry and comfortable before he grabbed the go bag you had gotten ready last week. He helped you down the stairs and to the kitchen, where he set the bag on the island while he proceeded to race around looking for his phone, keys and wallet. Had this been any other situation, you would find it adorable at how flustered he was. You shuffled to the counter near the doorway to the mudroom, grabbed his keys and wallet and shouted to Austin when you heard him bound back up the stairs, that his phone was on the dresser. It was six hours later that little Alexander James Butler came into the world. You didn’t know you could love him any more than you did when he was in your belly but you were wrong. Austin and you were in awe at how beautiful he was, how tiny his fingers were. A week after you had gotten home, you posted a photo of Alexx’s little hand wrapped around Austin’s little finger. The first month took a bit of figuring things out before you both had a system figured out. 

As the weeks turned into months and firsts with Alexx passed by, you couldn’t help dressing him up like his daddy.

When Austin’s birthday rolled around, you pulled out a box you had been very sneaky in hiding, and it took a bit to actually make the gift happen. When he opened it, it was a new carhartt jacket and tucked underneath was a perfectly matching miniature one for Alexx. The amount of pure adorableness that filled the house when Austin put the jacket on and then slid Alexx into his for a few photos, made your heart melt. Alexx’s first word was ‘mama’ but it wasn’t long before he followed it with ‘dada’. When Alexx had started to hold onto furniture to take a few steps, Austin was always hovering, worried about him falling and hitting his head. Alexx was 11 months old, he took his first unassisted steps from the middle of the room, where he had been playing with a few toys, over to Austin. The video call Austin was on with his publicist and manager was quickly ended and he spent the rest of the afternoon encouraging Alexx to walk between you and him. It was around then that he moved from single words to short sentences. He really was a mini me to Austin, always wanting to do what he was doing, wear what he was wearing. You never got upset over this. It was something that you had always dreamed of. When Alexx turned one, you had a big party with both your family and Austin’s as well as a few select friends. When Austin went back to work, he did filming where he could be home each night. Once Alexx was old enough you started to travel with Austin so he wouldn’t be away from the two of you for long. Your job was one you could easily do remotely from anywhere as long as you had internet, and that wasn’t ever an issue. It was during filming of a movie in Canada, that the three of you decided to head to a local park. With it being a little chilly out, you had Alexx bundled up in his carhartt jacket that matched Austins, and a little knit hat. You had made sure to get a new matching jacket everytime Alexx grew out of the current one. The three of you were on a blanket on the grass, you and Austin were just relaxing as it was a full day off for him. Lunch had been eaten a while ago and now Alexx was playing with a few of his dinosaurs. You were starting to doze off in the warmth of the sun when you heard Alexx say ‘Shit’ causing you to shoot up and look at him with wide eyes. “What did you just say Alexx?” You could not believe it, looking over at Austin who’s eyes were also wide. “Shit” He said, not knowing why you were looking at him like that. “That’s a bad word. Where did you hear that word, Alexander!?” You lifted him up and stood him between your legs, looking into blue eyes that were a mirror image of your husband’s. “Daddy said it yesterday. I want to be like him! We match!” The innocence in his voice, had you not been so shocked, would have been adorable. But when the words registered, your head slowly turned to look at Austin. He was biting his lip to keep from laughing. When he saw the look on your face, he couldn’t hold it in anymore, the laughter bubbling out. “Austin Robert Butler! What… When… Why did he hear you say that?” “I was on the phone with Kate, talking about the publicity circuit that I’m going to have to start after this wraps up here. I smashed my toe on the corner of the dresser, honestly, I thought he was sleeping.” 

You shook your head at him and rolled your eyes. Of course, you knew this was bound to happen some time, just not this soon. Alexx was always watching everything Austin did and was trying to copy him and do what he was doing. When Austin would play his guitar, Alexx had to pull his little one out and play with him. When Austin would cook, he had to be there helping. “I swear, one day, you will be sorry. He is going to be causing trouble like you. And breaking hearts before you know it.” The look on Austin’s face at those words had you laughing now. “It’s Kismet Aus.” You smiled, kissing him on the cheek before turning back to Alexx. “No more using that word okay baby? There are some words that are bad and that is one of them.” Gently pulling the knit cap off his little head that was crooked, you smoothed his hair down before placing it back on straight. You then pulled the zipper back up that had started to slide down. “Daddy! Lets slide!” Alexx shouted, holding his arms out to Austin, his fists clenching closed and back open over and over. You just rolled your eyes in loving exasperation. Austin stood up, leaning down to scoop Alexx up into his arms before giving you a kiss quickly. And true to form, Alexx leaned out of Austin’s arms to kiss you on the cheek. A smile broke on your face as he turned and carried Alexx towards the large playground set. You pulled your phone out and took a few photos of the two of them before just happily lounging back and watching them interact. The thought about having another little one had been playing around your mind for the last few months. You would have to bring it up to Austin soon. The thought of him having two little ones in his arms just melted your heart even more. About an hour later, Alexx was getting fussy and both you and Austin knew he would need to be put down for his nap very soon. So the decision to head home was made. You gathered the blanket and bag that you brought lunch in since Alexx was squirming in Austin’s arms. “Daddy… I don’t want to leave!” He whined, putting on the best puppy eyes he could. Your husband looked at you for a moment. Hell, was this what you felt every time he gave you that look? “Buddy, I’m getting tired. Don’t you want to go home, get into comfortable pjs and curl up with me and mom for a nap? I know that’s what I want to do.” Austin said, fingers of his free hand tickling your son’s sides gently. A squeal left little lips and eyes crinkled up with joy. “Stopp Daddy!!” He squirmed even more before grabbing Austin’s hood and turning into his shoulder more. With a smile, the three of you started back to the vehicle. “Movie also?” “Sure Bubbs. Whatever movie you want.” You said, knowing he would be out like a light within the first five minutes of the movie. When you got to the vehicle, Austin made quick work of buckling Alexx into his car seat while you put the blanket and bag in the back. It wasn’t a long drive back to the apartment you were renting, but by the time Austin parked and turned the car off, Alexx was asleep. While walking into the apartment, he woke up and was groggy. Small fists rubbing at his glazed blue eyes. “Daddy, mommy, snuggle and movie now?” He asked, and oh my word, your heart melted. “Yeah, lets get changed while Daddy gets everything set up okay?” You held your arms out to take your son. He slowly leaned over towards you and you plucked him from Austin’s arms. When you went and let him pick out what he wanted to wear, Austin moved into your room, pulled the covers of the bed back and grabbed the remote for the tv, and Alexx’s blanket, before changing into a set of sleepwear that you had all gotten together on a recent shopping trip. And of course when you walked in, Alexx had the same set on. “Mommy! You need to match!” Alexx pointed to Aus as you set him down on the big bed. “Okay, I’ll go get into mine Bubbs.” 

Once you had changed also, brushed your hair out and walked back into the bedroom, a huge smile filled your face. Austin was laying on his side of the bed on his back. Alexx was lying curled against his side, little fist clenching his blanket that he had bundled up between him and Austin’s side. If only you didn’t leave your phone in the kitchen. Making your way over to the bed, you laid down on your side, arm draping over Alexx and Austin’s stomach. “We are watching Land Before Time Mommy!” Alexx said, smiling at you and snuggling down even more between the two of you. “Oooooh. That’s a good one!” You responded with a kiss to his cheek. You trailed your fingers over his fluffy golden hair while Austin started the movie. When Little Foot met Cera for the first time, you glanced down and saw Alexx sound asleep. That didn’t surprise you at all, but what did was seeing Austin sound asleep as well. Smiling, you reached up and gently brushed a strand of hair off his forehead. This was a moment you never wanted to leave. Warm, curled up with your two boys and no worries at all. 

[ineedtotouchgrassrightnow]

Moon,Sun,Earth

”The moon needs the sun to shine but the sun couldn’t care less earth is the one who recieves all the sunlight"

Child of Zeus!!!

You've been friends with Percy for years. You two just clicked from a young age, and nothing could alter that. You were each other's complement – you on his right, he on your left. Inseparable, wherever one ventured, the other followed; an unbreakable bond that time couldn't touch.

Every time he fell sick, you cared for him despite his reluctance, cautious not to make you catch the sickness. Whenever he fought with his stepdad and needed someone to confide in, you were there. Through every bout of poor grades, you stood by him.

Since meeting Annabeth, everything went awry. Initially, he praised her intelligence and agility. But it escalated, becoming a recurring issue in where every conversation somehow revolved around her. Hanging out? "Annabeth showed me-" Your birthday? "Annabeth did the funniest thing yesterday!" Even breaking your arm was tied to Annabeth, as he exclaimed, "I think Annabeth is mad at me." The focus shifted entirely.

It has reached a point where he cancels plans with you to cater to her every need. He promised to assist you with training later in the day but had to cancel due to Annabeth's fever. Even after she reassured him she was fine, he stopped talking to you. He ignores your waves when you cross paths, always choosing Annabeth. Every new quest or important news, he rushes to tell Annabeth. In his constant pursuit of her, he overlooks the one who was there for him from the beginning.

You reached a breaking point after he forgot your birthday again. It was worse than enduring his rants about her last year. Does he even know your birthday? If you were to ask him, 'What's my birthday?' would he mistakenly say July 12th, thinking about hers?

"Why are you acting so stuck up?" he snapped at you, frustrated with your behavior.

"Why am I acting stuck up? Why are you behaving like you're better than me?"

"When did I ever start acting better than you?"

"I don't know? Maybe after you completely forgot about me!? Perhaps it was when you replaced me with someone who is just another facade of me!"

"Don't you dare disrespect Annabeth!" he shouted, his voice clear and sharp, sending shivers down your spine. He had never defended you like this before.

"Disrespect? You disrespected me. What are you talking about? After all I did for you?" You couldn't help but laugh at his demeanor. "I wasted my whole life looking after you!" Your hand gripped into a fist.

"I took care of you every time you got in a fight with your stepdad! I nursed you back to health when you were sick! I walked you home! I tried to help you get better grades. I stayed up late talking to you even if I had a big test the next day!" Your nails dug deeper into your skin as your fist clenched turning white.

"I never asked for any of that! You just wasted your own damn time!"

"I wasted my time being a good friend!?"

"I never asked you to be my friend in the first place! You just came along some random day and never left! Following me around like a lost puppy with no life!"

"I'm sorry for caring about you!!! I won't do it again!" The words hung heavy in the air, a bitter acknowledgment of the unraveling friendship.

"Good, I don't want or need you in my life!"

"I want you!" You yelled without realizing. You quickly covered your mouth, but he still heard you. Percy didn't know what to say in response to that, the pissed demeanor fading to a confused look mixed with disgust. The tension thickened as the weight of your confession lingered in the air, both of you grappling with the sudden shift in the dynamic that had defined your friendship.

"Did you honestly think I would be anything more than friends with you?"

"I don't even like you romantically!" You felt your heartbeat race as you lied.

"I want you back! You were my friend, my other side. I miss you!" You took a deep breath as you felt your lungs giving out.

"I miss listening to you rant about your day, about the girls that bullied you, about your favorite class! I miss you! I miss my friend!"

"Were you my friend or was I YOUR friend? “Was I your friend... or were you my friend?" The questions echoed, revealing.

"Look, can we just call this quits? I have training with Annabeth-"

"Annabeth this, Annabeth that! What about Y/N this and Y/N that? Huh!? What does she have that I don't? What did you see in her that you couldn't see in me after years?"

"Do you want the truth?"

"I don't... I don't know. Something about her..." His face turned a slight pink as the heat rushed to his face, thinking about her. The room filled with an awkward silence.

You couldn't help but start laughing loudly too. "Y-You don't kn-know!?" Your sentences were breaking up due to your unstoppable laughter.

"Bullshit! Y-You, I- I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ANYMORE!" You couldn't take it anymore. All the thoughts in your head were mashing together and mixing to the point you didn't know what to think. The room echoed with the chaotic laughter.

"Fine then! Forget me! Go, leave, go hang out with Annabeth!"

"Thank you." Percy rolled his eyes and left, leaving you standing all alone, dumbfounded.

*"I hate him! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!"* You knew you could never hate him, but you needed to feel like you could hate him.

You watched as he walked up to Annabeth, and his mood increased right away, the same way it used to when you two would hang out. The contrast stung, emphasizing the void left.

Even if you hated her, you saw what he saw in her – she was smart, sassy, charming, strong-minded, and all the good stuff. She had nothing negative about her! He would be crazy not to be head over heels for her. Yet, you couldn't stop feeling guilty. You knew she did nothing wrong; she was always nice to you, but she was just... so UGH!?

A new pit of rage mixed into your stomach, one that grew bigger and bigger every time you saw them hanging out, laughing, or doing anything together! The conflicting emotions churned within, a storm of resentment and self-blame.

Not knowing what to do, you went back to your empty cabin, cabin 1, and grabbed everything that belonged to Percy: his hoodies, his sweatshirt, the stupid letters he would write to you when you were younger that made no sense since he had bad dyslexia, and the stupid stuffed dog he got you at the fair after struggling many times to get it. In your fit of rage, you went to grab a towel he left a long time ago and ended up hitting your side on an extra bunk bed. All the emotions you had bottled up came pouring out of nowhere; this was the final straw. Tears came down your face like crazy.

“I HATE HIM I HATE HIM I HATE HIM I HATE HIM I HATE HIM I HATE HIM I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE MYSELF I HATE MYSELF I HATE MYSELF I HATE MYSELF I HATE MYSELF”

Ignoring the pain in your throat, you shouted uncontrollably. Once you started yelling, you couldn't stop; your breaths became uneven, and you sounded like a distraught child crying. If you were a child, you would probably run to Percy about this too.

Without thinking, you shoved all his stuff into a box, getting ready to leave. However, the stupid bear just stared up at you from the box, a silent reminder of the shared memories.

“…”

You ended up throwing the bear onto your bed and walked off with the box in your hand, a sobbing mess. Your destination: Cabin 3, Poseidon’s cabin—the one where Percy would be.

As you were about to knock on the door, a laugh you knew all too well reached your ears. "I- I love you so much-" The words were abruptly cut off, replaced by the sound of a kiss. It took everything in you not to drop the box; a wave of sickness threatened to overwhelm you at any minute.

Without thinking, you placed the box in front of the door and banged loudly, surely startling them inside. You ran off to the side of his cabin as the door opened. "What is it, Percy?" "Just some stupid box full of my stuff," he sounded annoyed but took it inside.

Alone in camp, with your only friend turned against you and longing for the girl you wished to be, you felt stranded. The wait until you could leave weighed heavily on you.

Feeling a sense of emptiness, you stared up at the ceiling, boredom consuming you. With nothing to do or say, time passed, and as darkness enveloped the surroundings, you remained motionless. No standing, no thoughts, no appetite – just a lingering inertia as you lay there, lost in a void. Despite skipping meals, you knew the campfire was unavoidable, bound by camp rules. Summoning every ounce of strength, you reluctantly stood up, acknowledging that you would have to face them there.

Each step towards the campfire felt like a heavy burden, the weight increasing with every step. As you arrived, the sight of them together, laughing and sharing a moment, struck you. A shiver ran through her, and he offered his jacket, a familiar gesture that once belonged to you. She hesitated, blushing, but he insisted, and you witnessed the echoes of your past now shared between them.

Uncertain of what to do, you sat on the ground, drawing in the dirt with a stick you found nearby. Seeking any distraction to make time pass faster, you focused on the simple act of creating temporary patterns in the earth beneath you. It was a long 30 minutes, but you finally decided on getting up and leaving. You felt her eyes on you – her disgusting, kind gray eyes.

You went back to your cabin, laid down again, and started sobbing loudly. You hated him so much, but how you loved him! You ended up going into a depressive episode. You refused to eat for days on end, refused to train, refused to do your hair—refused to do anything other than lay down. It's been a mess outside; Zeus is fighting with Poseidon again due to this. Percy hurt you, and now the sky is fighting with the sea.

The sky is thundering like crazy, and the water is going wild as well. Hey, this is your fault; you should know better—water and electricity don't mix well together.

[sassyfrassboss]

Where did all the money go?

So we keep coming back to the fact that Harry & Meghan are broke, like on the verge of bankruptcy broke.

Going back over the past 5 years I am going to delve into their finances.

Meghan was estimates to be worth $5m when she married Harry. Now, we know this just isn’t in fact true. While Meghan may have earned close to $5m while appearing on Suits, she also had to pay her agent, PR people, attorneys, etc. By the time that is all said and done, she was probably closer to $1.5 million, and that’s being generous.

Now Harry is said to have had about $20m at the time from his inheritance from Diana. This was due to not having to touch that money so it was able to accumulate over time. There are also rumors that he received about $3m from The Queen Mother (this has been heavily disputed) and will be set to receive about another $4m from that trust on his 40th birthday.

While a working royal, Harry was only responsible for paying for personal items such as clothing and travel. He never had to pay a mortgage, electricity bill, or car payment.

I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt that he had about $25m at the time he married Meghan. With her income we can say that as of May 2018 they were worth a combined $26.5m (this does not include her merching money from 2016).

So they lived in Nott Cott and according to them, had no staff because the place was just “so tiny!”

From November 2017 until March 2020, I would say Meghan has probably earned close to $20m in merching contracts. Plant has stated that she knows for a fact Meghan, at one point, was earning $250k per item she was merching per outfit, so up to $1m a day. I do believe this money has been set aside and Meghan is using this as her fallback plan. I truly don’t think she has touched this money.

So Fiscal year 2018 they had $3.5m minus any personal expenses. We know she wasn’t paying for her clothing and they were getting free private jet rides and free stays so I am going to say at the end of 2018 they had about $3m of that $3.5 remaining.

When H&M moved into Frogmore in March 2019, the UK paid the refurbishment bill of close to $4m USD. While living there they paid for household staff such as the chef they had, housekeeper, and nannies.  So I am going to take about $250k off of the $3.5 and let’s say another $500k for personal expenses. Fiscal year 2019 they ended with $2.75m.

January 2020 I am going to estimate they went into the year with a possible savings of $5.75m from Charles. We know they stayed for free in Canada and didn’t have to pay for security at the time.

By March 2020, I estimate that they went into being “private citizens” with close to a possible $32m in the bank (not including her merch money).

Their house was $14m and rumor is that Charles gave them an approximately $4m down payment. Let’s say H&M put down an additional $3m out of their own pocket. Now they have $29m and a mortgage of $50k a month, plus staff salaries. I estimated that their yearly expenses were close to $4m a year for household and security. To have spending money I figured they would need to earn about $6m a year.

So if they were to earn no income, that $29m would last about 7 years. However, we know they have received about $13m to Archewell plus whatever they earned from Spotify & Netlfix. Which I doubt was a lot after overhead for their projects.

$29m plus the $13m and approximately $4m from Netlfix & Spotify combined is about $46m, plus Harry’s $35m three book deal ($10 million because he only wrote one book).

This would put them at possible $56m (up to $81m) net worth from 2018 until current if they were careful with their money.

Rumors of them being beyond broke means that they have spent a total of $56m in 5 years, but probably closer to $70m.

Yet they have nothing to show for their insane spending other than their house.

[unmotivatedwrit3r]

Autumn Winds and Boyfriend Hoodies

jason todd x reader

(A/N): So my last few weeks have been something like open and close a show, then get COVID, then have 6 essays due this week, but after his week, I'll hopefully have breathing room.

This is a birthday gift for the wonderful Citi @citrinesparkles who has been so patient about my ramblings and is just a lovely human. Citi, I hope you love it :)

warnings: none that i can think of?

wc: ~1200

~~~~

It’s been a long day. There’s no special reason, nothing you did or didn’t do. You had the right supplies for your before-work caffeine and you left on time. You even found a ten at the bottom of your bag that you’d completely forgotten about when you went to buy lunch. But you feel like you didn’t sleep as well last night, and someone opened a window somewhere before you’d even arrived, giving the late autumn winds full permission to whip through the building, leaving an unshakeable chill in their wake. 

It’s an even chillier two block walk from the bus station to your building, and you welcome the heat as you step inside. Your plans tonight: shower, heat up leftovers for dinner, and watch a movie or two on Netflix before you go to sleep. Even better if your boyfriend can in fact make it over by 8. You got a text earlier in the day that he’d gotten safely home from his two-day mission with minimal injuries, so you’re optimistic. You open your text chain with Jason as you walk up the stairs to the third floor to let him know you’re home and he can come by whenever. 

And then you get to your apartment, walk inside, and it’s freezing. You toe off your shoes and head towards the heater. There’s no warm air blowing — which is expected as it feels like it’s 60 degrees in your apartment — and the light that glows to indicate it’s on isn’t blinking a dull green as usual. Five minutes of fiddling later, you give up and email the maintenance for your building. The automated response you get says that they close at 6 in the evenings except for emergencies—which you don’t qualify as—and they won’t get back to you until tomorrow morning.

“Great, just what I needed,” you mutter to yourself, stripping off your coat to hang it up and dropping your bag by the door. You take off your shoes and put your keys on the hook by the door. You’re already getting chilly. “A hot shower sounds really good right now.”

There’s a knock on the door 40 minutes later, after you’ve showered and heated up dinner and gotten your food and drink to the coffee table. The TV is on, showing you the Netflix home screen. You don’t want to put your blanket on your lap while you’re eating, so you resign yourself to just being chilly for the next half-hour or so. The knock comes as you’re scrolling through your list, searching for something low-effort to watch, and you let out a heavy breath before untangling yourself from your squished position on the couch in order to put your bowl and the remote on the coffee table and open the door.

Jason’s on the other side when you open it, in sweatpants and a hoodie under a leather jacket. Just seeing him makes your evening so much better. He looks exhausted, heavy bags under his eyes and in soft clothes, and there’s a spark of warmth in your chest because he trusts you enough to see that part of him and you feel so incredibly lucky. 

“Hi,” you say, and you can feel a dopey smile crossing your face. You see Jason’s eyes scan you quickly, traveling over your snowflake pj pants and fuzzy socks and one of his t-shirts, and he smiles back at you. 

“Hi babe. Did you want to stand in the doorway all night or?” You step back, opening the door wider as he comes inside. 

“You know Jay, if you didn’t want to eat the remaining leftovers in my fridge, you could have just said so.” Jason laughs, a bright thing that makes you smile too. 

“Missed you too.” 

He takes the door to close it behind him and then leans towards you. You catch his face with your hands as his arms circle around your waist and back. It’s a soft kiss, and his lips are warm, staving off the chill that you’ve felt since you walked in, and you take a second to press your forehead against his temple, just relishing in the fact that he’s here, safe, with you. 

He’s a little taller than he usually is, and you look down when you step back; he’s wearing work boots. He only wears those when he needs to fit something bulky in his shoes because he doesn’t have to tie them. 

“Minimal injuries, huh?” you ask. Jason follows your eyes down to his shoes and shrugs. 

“I’m walking, so I’d say it’s minimal.” You turn to the kitchen. 

“Sit down and put whichever ankle it is on the coffee table. I’ll get your food. And an ice pack.” 

When you look back at him, Jason is grinning. He hangs his leather jacket on his hook on your coat hanger. 

-

By the time you get back to the coffee table, any warmth you’d been feeling is gone, and the ice pack you have in your hands isn’t helping. You hand Jason the ice pack first and he positions it properly over his ankle before you hand him his food. He takes it with a murmured ‘thanks,’ and you hum in response, picking your food back up and sitting back in your spot on the couch. Your food isn’t warm anymore, more lukewarm, but you’re not willing to uncurl again just to heat it up. 

Jason’s settled on a movie, you realize; there’s something paused on the screen. You didn’t even hear him start it. 

“Babe, you okay?” When you look at him, Jason’s face is creased with concern. You feel guilty for making him worry when he just got back and you’re frustrated at yourself that it’s something so mundane. 

“I’m cold.” The words sound sort of whiny and pathetic to you when they come out of your mouth, but Jason’s face lights up. 

“Hold this,” he says, passing you his bowl. You take it, confused, as he wriggles around, pulling off his hoodie. It’s dark red and huge and has a tiny logo in the corner of what you think is a Wayne Enterprises shelter in the narrows. Jason takes his bowl back and hands you the hoodie, then motions for you to give him your bowl. You hesitate, fingers twitching towards the sweatshirt.

“I run warm, so don’t feel like you’re putting me out. It’s all yours, babe.” 

It takes you a second to find the hood and the sleeves, but it’s warm and smells like Jason’s favorite cologne and a little bit of cinnamon.  

You turn to Jason, fixing the hair that had gotten messed up as you yanked the hoodie over your head. He’s staring at you, a smile on his face you’d never seen before. 

“What?” you ask, taking your bowl back from him. “Are you realizing I look better in it than you do?” 

A snort of laughter from him startles you into your own laughter. For the first time all day, you don’t feel a chill.  

-

Later on, when your food is finished and there’s a large bowl of popcorn on Jason’s lap that you’ve both been taking from throughout the movie, you’re sure you’re keeping the hoodie. And you’re right; Jason doesn’t get it back until he moves in with you, years later. By then, the logo’s peeling, but it’s softer than it used to be. 

The smiles Jason makes when he looks at you though? Those are the same. 

[maggyme13]

Moving above the Underworld (3/?)

Ellie just moved into a new flat. Introducing herself to her downstairs neighbor with a cake she did not realize what the future held for her and him. And what had an asshole coworker to do with it?

AN: Part 3 :) Ready for the first climbs into Sys world?

Don´t like-> Don´t Read Minors DNI

Warning: misogynic men, cursing

Wordcount: Around 3k

Masterlist

Series-Masterlist

Part 2

„Today Mr. Silver´s men will come and get everything, so make sure it is ALL cushioned and complete!“, her boss stated for the tenth time that day. “Yes, Boss. We checked everything at least four times today already.”, Sasha, one of the two coworkers she liked working with replied. “Then check again. We don´t want something to get lost just because it is that time of the month.”, he sneered back, and once again did Ellie question why she was still working for him. “Mr. Jolly? Mr Silver sends us.”, a deep male voice called out from the entrance of the workshop before anyone could answer their boss. “We have been awaiting you, gentlemen. Everything should be ready and packed. Do you need any help?”, the man in question greeted overly nicely. It was so fake the young woodworker had to suppress a gag. “No. We are enough, Thank you. Just tell us what belongs together so we can unpack accordingly at the location.”, the man denied. “Sasha will help you. Everyone else is back to work.”, and with these words, her boss left together with his friend. “Have fun. If you need help let me know. I´ll be trimming the white ash for the cupboard that is due at the end of the month.”, Ellie told him. “Could you trim my Rosewood for the chess table I have to build? The fields have to be forty by forty at the end. I already put it on the trolley next to the saw.” “Yeah, You good with forty-five by forty-five? Or should I trim it to fifty by fifty?”, she shrugged. She did not mind helping those who helped her too. “Forty-five is good. Thanks.” “No Prob. Call if you need help with anything.”, she jokingly saluted and went to get her work done. Ellie had just finished preparing her wood when Sasha came over from where he helped the men pack the truck. “What´s up?”, she questioned upon seeing the slightly stressed look on the man's face. “Mr. I-am-the-best did not wrap the pedestals for the cabinet properly and one slipped when they loaded it.”, he sighed. “What's the verdict?”, Ellie almost growled. The last three weeks they had worked mandatory overtime and everyone was tired and a bit raw. “We need to redo it. It cracked in a way we can´t fix that easily. Do we have leftovers with the right grain?” “Yeah. Tell the men we will prepare everything and take it with us tomorrow. It needs to be trimmed properly, sanded, and oiled. I´ll get to it. There goes the hope that I could get some sleep tonight.”, Ellie groaned. “Thank you. Breakfast tomorrow is on me. My wife would kill me if I am late home on her birthday.” “It´s fine. Greet her from me and get some good bagels.” “Will do. Will do. You are a lifesaver.”, Sasha smiled, though his eyes showed pity. .--..--..--..--..--..--..--..--..--..--..--.--..--.

“You can park the cars over there. They will be searched and your tools will be checked. Every one of you will be stripped and searched as well.”, a gorilla of a man with two long beard braids declared, “Lady, you´ll be last. Everybody else hurry up.” One after the other went through the entrance and disappeared into the villa until only Ellie was left alone with the Viking. Because that was the only way she could describe the vibe he was giving. He had said nothing else after the first declarations, only stared them down, mustering every one of them with his eyes staying on her the longest. Ellie noticed the contemplation working behind his eyes and she gulped a few times nervously when they were alone. “You´re up next. Step through the door and get into the room on the right. Someone will be waiting there for you.”, he suddenly said and she saw the smirk on his face when she jerked together in surprise. Why had he suddenly decided to speak again? Shocked and shy Ellie simply nodded once and did as she was told. The entrance door was huge and looked like an old oaken castle door at first sight, but when she stepped through she noticed the steel that was enforcing it. Quickly finding the door she hoped a woman would be standing behind, she slowly stepped through it. “Excuse me, I was told I should get in here?”, she announced her appearance in case she had accidentally chosen the wrong door only to stop dead in her tracks. No woman was waiting for her to undress but a man. But not just any man, no, her neighbor stood there, arms crossed over his chest. “H-Hi. How far do I have to strip? Can I keep my underwear on?”, she asked shy, praying mentally for him to say yes. It would have been embarrassing enough to strip before a stranger, but now it would be her neighbor whom she meets almost every day.

Instead of an answer, he stares her down, his eyes roaming over her body in calculation and with a small smirk on his face. Ellie wanted to disappear into the ground. “Do you have any weapons or recording devices with you?”, he rumbled in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. “A-apart of my cutter knife on my belt, no.”, she answered with a gulp. “I see.”, he stated, stepping almost uncomfortably close and pulling slightly on her shirt, only enough for it to look like it had been taken off “Go through that door. Your Colleagues should be waiting on the other side.” Her neighbor followed her through the door, almost as uncomfortable close as he stood before, causing her to step away in discomfort caused by her coworker's looks. “I will show you to the rooms you will be staying in as well as the areas you are permitted to enter.”, he declared with a coldness in his voice that she had never heard before, “Ms. Miller, you will be staying in this room. The three of you will share the one on the right. Each has an en-suite and closets. You will be responsible for your Breakfast and Lunch. Ingredients will be provided. Dinner will be served each day at 6 pm. The Kitchen provides it cooked and hot in this room.”, he motioned to the next room a few doors down the Hallway. Water and other drinks will be provided in that room as well. Any questions?” “Why do we have to share and she gets her own.”, Solomon ´Asshole´Creed mumbled in a way that was obvious that it wasn´t meant to be heard by anyone else. “Because we have not been informed that Ms Miller would be with you. It was planned that each room would be shared by two. There was no time to arrange other housing in this short amount of time.”, her neighbor stated without even looking at him. Ellie knew that was a lie. She had informed him about her planned absence a few days prior in case anything happened at their house while being on this work trip. “Now follow me to the office and area you can use for your machinery.” The room itself was bigger than it had looked on the blueprints they had seen in the plans during the building process. “Thank you, Sir, we would like to start working now.”, Sasha smiled. “Good.”, and with these words her neighbor left them to their work. “So what did you do to get that room? I would suggest a Quicky, but then who would want to fuck a woman that thinks she's a man?”, Solomon cornered Ellie as soon as the door had closed with a hiss, “You were in there Longer than any of us after all.” “Nothing. Can we start now? I don´t fancy any more Overtime if not necessary.”, she mumbled back. Used to her coworker's antics she had decided long ago not to play into his shenanigans. “As we have discussed earlier. Ellie and I will cut the boards to length and do any special cutouts. The two of you glue it.”, Daniel the other coworker Ellie liked to work with declared. “Don´t make any mistakes Missy. The floorboards were imported and expensive.”, Solomon spat readying his tools. ­-..--..--..--..--..--..--.

Despite the fact they worked with only two short 15-minute breaks they were only finished around 8 pm, which means another three hours of overtime. Entering their break room, as they had declared it, they ate dinner �� Chicken Curry with rice was served- before each of them returned to their room. After taking a quick shower, where she tried to get rid of the varnish that had found its way onto her skin, Ellie got dressed in her sleepwear and laid down to fall asleep. The next morning they eat an almost lavish breakfast. The kitchen had placed fresh bread buns, a lot of toppings, fruit, as well as tea, coffee, and different kinds of egg dishes in the room for them to eat. They started with assembling the large inbuilt cabinet that the office table would stand before. It will consist of four cabinets (two on each side) for folders with push-to-open doors. Next to them is one shelf with hotspot lighting and bloodwood inlays, for expensive booze bottles and other stuff the customer wishes to show off. Then in the middle three cupboards with four drawers each would stand. Each drawer front had bloodwood and maple inlays that, once everything came together, would form an intricate but simple honeycomb pattern only visible from a certain distance. The cupboards in the middle would be covered by a black matted glass sheet for protection. Planned was that they finish the wall system that day. Unfortunately, it took longer than anticipated to reach that goal and when 6 PM came around they had not been able to secure the cabinets to the wall. It should have been an easy task to finish in time, but someone (the Asshole of the group) had managed to build two of the four cabinets out of angle and so aligning them had been a pain in the ass and took three times the usual amount of time. It did not help that a certain someone also took at least one smoke/ toilet break every forty minutes or so. “How unfit for a job can someone be? Aligning should not take that long.”, Solomon growled, “We are on overtime again.” “Then go get off the clock. I can finish this on my own.”, Ellie almost bit back, she had enough of his bickering and was in dire need of some quiet and alone time.

“Make sure to clean up. That should be your specialty as a woman

after all.”, he huffed before disappearing. “Bastard. We can help you with that.”, Sasha offered, even though he looked as tired as every one of them felt. “No. I can do it with some quiet right now. Just save me some food. Shouldn´t take longer than an hour.” “Of course, we save you some. We will place a note for them to know you will eat a bit later because you need to finish something. Don´t overwork yourself.”, Daniel agreed and the two men left her alone. As it is usual, it took almost twice as long as she had believed it would and so she was starving when she stepped into the break-room ready for some nice cooked food. Only to find nothing was left. It seemed the kitchen staff had taken it away. “Guess Apples it is.”, she sighed eyeing the fruits in the middle of the table, “Better than nothing.” -..--..--..--..--..--..--..--..--. “Damn, you look like shit. How long did you take to finish up yesterday?”, one of her coworkers breathed the second he saw her bleary-eyed face. Not in the mood to talk, Ellie simply held up two fingers while piling food on her plate. She had not slept well the night prior. Her stomach had cramped out of hunger almost the whole time. “Did you at least do your job properly this time and we can assemble the table today?”, her asshole coworker piped up. Again she only held up a thumb instead of a verbal answer. They just started their task for that day when it became apparent some important things were missing. Ten Screws. Ellie knew she had packed them even though they were now gone. “I knew you should not be allowed to help pack.”, Solomon mocked her, “Now fix this mess before I call the Boss.” Leaving to search for someone who could help her, she wanders the halls they were allowed to and finds a housemaid. She told her they needed someone at the office because of a small problem they came across. “I will see if I can find someone.”, she smiled and Ellie thanked her. “What's the problem?”, her neighbor asked not half an hour later only for Solomon to answer, “Missy messed up and forgot to pack shit we need.” “That means?” “There was a bag with ten screws for the table. It is not with the stuff your guys had taken. We need them to finish building the table. If it can´t be found in the truck, someone needs to return to the workshop and get new ones.”, Ellie stated, not daring to look her neighbor in the eyes. He had sounded and looked pissed when he entered. “I´ll make a few calls. Continue working.”, he answers and they do as they were told. Assembling parts of the Table they were able to. Another half an hour later her neighbor showed up again. “Ms. Miller. You are coming with me.”, he rumbled, looking so pissed she was sure he was about to execute her and dump the body in a ditch. In silence, they drove back to the workshop where, luckily no Mr Jolly was to be seen. Looking around the workshop she finally found the screws on her worktable. To her confusion. Ellie could swear she had packed them and checked multiple times before leaving that they had left nothing behind by accident. “I swear they were not here when we left.”, she mumbled almost like an apology. Without a word he notions for her to get back into the car. His silence disturbed her and she started thinking about finding a new place to stay. The whole trip took two hours. That meant another day of overtime and less sleep for her or else they would not be able to finish in time. Despite everything they had managed to assemble the table by the end of their workday but did not manage to get to their goal, starting assembling the conference area. Again over time. “That´s all your fault, Missy.”

“Oh eat me.”, she grumbles back, not in the mood for another doubt of bullying by her ´favorite´ coworker. “Would love to show you where your real place should be.”, he bit back, disgustingly licking his lips, “someone should fill you up, and make you a damn stay-at-home mom like it should be. No more playing man.” “You're disgusting. I am done. Finish this shit on your own. Sorry Sasha, Daniel, but I can´t do this anymore today.”, she stood up and packed away her tools. “Go. We can finish this in no time on our own. You already did enough OT yesterday. Rest and tomorrow we start fresh.”, Daniel assured, though Ellie barely acknowledged him, already on the way out of the door. Only to nearly stumble into Alejandro. “Sorry.”, she mumbled with a forced smile and disappeared towards the dining room not noticing the confused and slightly worried look following her. Pasta arrabbiata was served. With a full stomach, and after a quick shower, Ellie went to bed on time for the first time in weeks. The next day they finished assembling a small conference area with only the hidden bar left to install. It would take another whole day. It was planned to fit into an alcove on the right side of the room, opposite to the small conference area. The front was made to look like the surrounding wall. Inside was an expensive cooler with a glass door that could be set to four different temperatures and was meant for wine. A small ice-cube machine able to do spherical cubes was hidden behind two double doors made of maple. An intricate cupboard for hanging glasses upside down was situated just at a height that made it comfortable to reach. The Lighting was indirect and would dim itself regarding how well the rest of the office was lit. At the end of the day, they had installed the innards of the bar, which left only the fronts and cleaning for the last day. The four of them were done just in time, leaving them with only the task of adding one last layer of varnish on the floor before leaving. With the instructions to not enter the room for 24 Hours, but to leave the AC on so the room is well-aired. Leaving cleaning the work van for the upcoming Monday, all of them left to enjoy their well-earned weekend. For three weeks Ellie did not cross paths with her neighbor causing her to worry she had crossed a line while being on that job. All the while Solomon was meaner than before. Pissed she had managed the assembly that well and that the customer had nothing but praise for her and the other men. He even lied to their boss that she had damaged some of the furniture and had unprofessionally tried to cover it up. It was so bad she got an official reprimand, even though their customer was more than satisfied with the work they had done. Her other coworkers tried to speak in her name and get the boss to overthink his decision, but her boss, being friends with Solomon, would rather listen to him and not anyone else. The side remarks and workload became so bad that she thought of resigning and finding a new job.

Part 4 AN: Thank you all for reading:)

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[ggukkiedae]

🔴 yoonmiya started their live: it’s my birthday… 

BTS • 2023.12.13. 20:30

dialogue and comments in italics are in english

the weverse live starts with yoonmi setting it up and sitting back, letting her dog dipper rest his head on her lap, soft music playing in the background

she’s quietly watching the number of viewers for the first minute before she speaks

“hi everyone! hi, i thought i’d come on live for a bit to celebrate my birthday with you. i won’t be live for so long due to personal circumstances, if that’s okay with you”

she opens up her personal phone to look through the comments

some time is spent with her greeting in the different languages she saw in the comments

yoonmi! how are you feeling?

“not too bad, actually. i’m a little bit sad, but i’m okay. i’ll be okay”

are you celebrating somehow?

she smiled softly at this question

“i had breakfast with the tannie oppas two days ago. all of them. they brought out a cake for me and gave me gifts, and we sang happy birthday to all three december celebrants. you’ll never believe this, or maybe you will, but jiminie oppa bought me a kitten!”

she reaches down out of view of the camera and comes back up with a small scottish fold kitten in one hand, gently supported by her other hand

“guys, this is rajah, my new friend. dipper loves her, don’t you, boy?”

the big dog lifted his head, sniffing rajah until rajah booped his nose with her paw

dipper snorted and licked rajah once before putting his head back on yoonmi’s lap

yoonmi placed rajah on dippers head, keeping a hand there to secure her, and read through comments

rajah is so cute!!

dipper and rajah!!

are you going to be in the music bank global festival? Or aaa?

“i’m not, sorry guys. i’m taking a small unofficial break for a bit. i already filmed a few things for 2024, so look forward to that, especially if you’ll be missing a certain golden maknae”

a small bark came from the side, so she looked off camera and laughed before putting rajah back where she came from

“nala actually likes sleeping beside rajah. i think she just likes the fact that she isn’t the smallest fur baby anymore”

do you have anything else planned for your birthday?

“not really…”

she tilted her head in thought before scrolling through her phone

“all my friends and my siblings are pretty busy, but i don’t mind. i like that it isn’t so hectic for me right now”

she shifts slightly, adjusting dipper to reach for something on the table next to her

“i have this little cake, though! yoongi oppa had it delivered to me earlier today”

you looked so good during mma and mama! congratulations!

she flushes a little, laughing to shake off her embarrassment

“thank you, and i wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you guys. i promise i’ll continue to extra work hard for you and the oppas until they come back and we’re together again”

have you been keeping in touch with hannah, seri, and ari?

“of course”

she laughed a little bit

“that group chat is the one that woke me up with all the buzzing. there were endless birthday greetings”

she smirks a little bit before leaning close to the camera like she was telling a secret

“i went to the last days of both the nct nation concert in seoul and the sweet mirage finale shows, and i’ll be there for the last fate tour seoul stop in february. are you guys jealous?”

i think it’s sweet how you were there for all the enlistments

were you with the boys when they shaved their heads?

“i was with every one of them, i promised them i wouldn’t miss any of it”

her hand reached up, tugging lightly on the ends of her hair

dipper looked up from her lap, nuzzling his snout into her hand, so she moved to pet him instead

you’re makeup is pretty!!!

did you come from a schedule?

“i did my makeup for fun today, no schedules”

she thought for a little bit, glancing to the side then back to the live

“i was in the company for a bit a while ago, but it was more of cleaning than working, making sure nothing’s dusty, you know?”

she laughed a little bit while scrolling through the comments

how about you play the happy birthday song?

she just shook her head

“no, i think i’m good”

mark better have sent something good to you

she actually laughed the hardest so far with this comment

“he was on facetime with me until i fell asleep last night… when i woke up, he was scolding hannah unnie for messaging me too much”

she picked up a dior paper bag from the table next to her 

“he also sent me all this makeup! it’s like he has intuition because i’ve been running low on my lip glow oil, the face palette, and my blush. not to mention the flowers and the bracelet”

she places the paper bag down and leans forward to show off the silver bracelet around her wrist

you look tired are you okay?

“i’m fine, i promise”

she nodded and pressed her lips into a tight smile

“it’s just been an emotional few days, but don’t worry about me! i think i can cope for the next six or seven months”

she leaned back a bit, giving reassuring nods before a short silence took over until she was zoning out and staring at nothing

“yeah, i think i can do it”

she looked back to the live and smiled

“i think it’s time for me to go, now. next time i go live, i’ll spend longer with you guys, don’t worry!”

she leaned forward, lifting dipper’s face to be visible on screen

“this is good night from me and dipper! thanks for celebrating my birthday with me, army. love you lots, take care of yourselves, and thank you for charting spring day queen!”

-END-

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[blinger301]

Royalty! AU

Somewhere in the kingdom of Gryffindor, prince Harry had just welcomed the guests of some of the most respectable families around for an important occasion. His birthday had just arrived, and he was of the most respectable age. 18.

He was meant to act of his age, but what would life be unless it wasn't a little thrilling? That was what a kind young girl had once taught him. She had the most luxurious head of red hair that fit her oh so perfectly. Her freckles only enhancing the beauty of her face and the darkness of her eyes.

She was a angel on earth. Her name? Miss Ginevra Weasley. 

They had met at the early age of him 12 and she 11. Official anyway. They had crossed paths a few times, but had only officially met through their parents. She had been a huge change to his life since then on. And so was her family.

She had expected to arrive at 3:00pm at the latest, with the time being 2:41pm as of now. Then his long time friend, Draco Malfoy, was also set to arrive then.

They had met at the age of 11. They had been at each other's side ever since. Even though he and Ginevra had not seen eye to eye at times, they were still able to get along. Now, he would be able to see them again after 4 years since they last separated.

The red-haired angel and the blonde pointy noser Ponce. All together once more. He wondered if Heir Malfoy still had such a ridiculous hair style. 

He chuckled at the thought of him being an exact replica of his own father. Uptight and pointy. Soon the long awaited carriages pulled up simultaneously, surprisingly enough.

First stepped out the glamorous Ginevra Weasley in a beautiful emerald green dress. It hung loosely on her shoulders but clung beautifully around her waist. She elegantly got out of the carriage but walked clumsily toward Harry due to the height of the dress.

It was rather amusing.

"Harry!! Nice to see you! Happy Birthday." She gave her greeting as she hug him. Harry thanked her in return before getting a whiff of lavender. It was calming until her relatives rushed by with hurried greeting and a few back pats.

They really are an interesting bunch.

Then came a glamorous silver carriage with a beautiful engraved M in the middle. No doubt who this belonged to. Lady Malfoy and Lord Malfoy stepped out first, before walking toward them arm in arm. They exchanged familiarities and well wishes before going inside.

Ginny and Harry stared at the open carriage in anticipation for the other guest of honor. But nothing. "Get out of there Malfoy, before I come myself!" Ginny warned, tired of his antics. She was met with an indecent gesture.

'Yep. He's in there.' Harry chuckled to himself.

Leaving Ginny irritated. She almost went over before he finally emerged. And he was one word, amazing.

His hair had grown a lot, which was why it was tied in a pristine ponytail. Did Harry send the wrong information, "Well if it isn't Weaslette and Scar head." He teased. 

Now Harry knew that was him. 

Draco hugged Ginny for a while before turning to Harry. He expected a hug as well but all he got was a smile and a pat on the back before Draco sauntered inside.

Harry didn't know if that was the same bratty Ponce he once knew when he saw how easily he went along with the guests. Shaking hands and conversing only to politely leave afterwards. This was just very confusing.

There was no way he could have gone from pointy nosed git to angelic faced royalty. It made absolutely no sense. When Ginny patter him on the shoulder that was how he snapped out of his stupor.

"You good? You seem...frustrated." She showed concern as she patted down his collar. Harry merely said he was fine, so she let him be. This is what he liked about her the most. She was understanding.

They finally made their way inside. Ginny left to meet some of her friends that came, leaving Harry to his own devices. He scanned the crowd in content. Happy with how everyone was so happy and relaxed. A good way to spend the day. His mother along with Miss Weasley and Lady Malfoy were by the tea table chatting, while the father's were by the champagne tower.

It was going splendidly, "Enjoying your party?" He heard a whisper beside him. Only to turn and see Draco with a glass of champagne.

"Yeah, it's quite nice." Harry replied, only to receive a small hum from Draco as he slipped on his champagne. They stood there for a while before Draco broke the silence.

"So how is 'The Wooing Of Miss Ginevra' going?" Harry grimaced at the words that left Draco's lips. He and Draco had made this whole plan for Harry to get into Ginny's good graces. And now that he looked back it was quite embarrassing.

"You still remember that? It was a bit childish now that I look back at it." He answered without missing a beat. He was not going to let Draco win this silent game they had going on. After that, they went back into silence.

A few people approached them for a little conversation, to which they both complied with. Overall the party was getting quite full. And Ginny had yet to appear, so they had no idea what was to be done now.

Draco put his glass down on a nearby table, "Let's get some air, you look like you could fall any second from boredom." Before Harry could protest, he grabbed him by the arm before pulling him away toward the fields.

They had passed by Ginny heading the opposite way, so naturally Draco pulled her along as well.

"Slow down!! I can barely run in these death traps." She bellowed, gesturing to the tight restrictions of her black flats. They had quickly arrived at a big oak tree in the middle of the pastures. It was obvious great memories lay there.

Draco nudged Harry, "Put your coat down for the lady to sit. Who taught you manners." He pulled the coat off of Harry and lay it down on the grass for Ginny to sit. Who just giggled and went along with it.

Harry crossed his arms and pouted, "Seriously?"

"Stop whining. It is your duty to tend to the guests." Draco waddled a finger at him like a nagging mother before taking a seat beside Ginny. He put his head on her shoulder before engaging in a conversation with her.

Harry just watched, irritated. They just laughed casually when necessary, not once added Harry. He knew this was bound to happen, but he let it happen.

When he looked back at them, green met silver and Harry was officially in trouble.

[aylacavebear]

She Thought She was Normal

Story Summary: Maria really thought she was normal, for most of her life. It was normal for people to have natural talent, she would tell herself the older she got. Many things came easy for her, and that was probably how their rivalry began when she was five and he was seven and she met the Winchesters. Little did either of them know that it wouldn't stay like that forever, both having a far larger destiny than they could imagine

Word Count: 3264

Please don't take my work. I'll post warnings for each chapter. Will eventually be 18+!

Warnings: Some angst

----------------------------------------- Chapter 11 - So much for being normal

There was a moment when she’d almost told Jess to come with her, but due to her guilt, she brushed the feeling away. It was probably just her guilt telling her that she didn’t want to be alone when she faced her Uncle, right?

It was a decent drive from Palo Alto, California to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Her guilt ate away at her the entire drive. She stopped once to sleep in the back seat of her truck, pulled off the road in a secluded place, and picked up coffee at the nearest gas station after. The part that bothered her was that she didn’t even have her Uncle’s number so she could call him. 

She took a deep breath as she pulled into his driveway and turned off the engine, looking at the house from her childhood. Maria pursed her lips before she got out of her truck and went to the front door but before she could knock, the door had opened, and her Uncle was standing in front of her. He didn’t say a word, he just wrapped his arms around her, grateful she was okay.

“I’m sorry, Uncle Bobby…” she said quietly, hugging him back

“You’re here, and that’s what matters kid,” he told her, barely keeping his tears in check. She probably had no idea how much he always worried about her.

They embraced for a short time before they went inside. She had shed a few tears, mostly out of guilt for being gone so long, but in truth, she’d missed him terribly. Maria sat down on the couch as Bobby stood on the other side of the coffee table.

“Want a drink?” he asked her.

“No thanks. I cut back, a lot, thanks to Sam,” she replied with a small smile.

“How is that boy?” Bobby asked, finally sitting down behind his desk.

“He’s doing good, even dating a really nice girl,” she told him, “I was staying with the two of them the last several months. I even took a small break from hunting…” she looked down at the coffee table, “I needed it, the break.”

“You look like you’re doing better than the last time I saw you,” he told her.

She chuckled a little as she looked over at him, “I am. I finally grieved. Sam and Jess helped me through it, and get my alcoholism under control.” Then she looked at the coffee table again, “So… I had a dream, and you were in it. It’s the other reason I’m here.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Dreaming about your crazy Uncle, huh?” he chuckled.

“You’re not crazy,” she told him, shaking her head a bit before looking at him, “I want to apologize, for taking that book, from your safe. It’s… it’s in my truck. I haven’t even thought about it since that night.”

The fact that she had admitted that to him surprised him, “In all honesty, that book belongs to you. I was just supposed to keep it safe till you were old enough, along with this,” he told her as he grabbed a small box out of his desk drawer and placed it on his desk in front of him, “It showed up about four months after your fathers funeral. With a note, to give it to you on your twenty-first birthday.”

Those words hurt a bit when she heard them. The promise she’d broken and now felt worse, “I’m sorry, Uncle Bobby, for not keeping my promise,” she told him, feeling the tears again 

“You already apologized for that,” he sighed, just thankful that nothing horrible had happened to her over the years.

Maria smiled a little and took a deep breath, “Who’s it from?” she asked, slightly curiously.

Bobby sighed, “Your dad,” he told her.

She bit her bottom lip, nervously when he said that, her eyes on the small box on his desk. He picked it up and walked over to her, holding it out for her to take it. Maria took a deep breath before she even reached for it as her heart pounded in her chest. 

It was a simple box, brown in color, like a shipping box you’d find at any post office. There wasn’t much weight to it and it had Bobby’s address on the top of it. She pulled her boot knife out and cut the tape. Inside she found a folded piece of paper and another small box, but that one was made of wood with sigils carved on the outside of it. She practically held her breath as she pulled out the piece of paper, and unfolded it.

My Dearest Maria, If you’re reading this, it means I’m no longer with you. You have your Uncle and the Winchesters. Don’t grieve alone, please. Bobby has a book for you that will help you understand things about your past that you couldn’t know till you were old enough. It also means I didn’t get the yellow-eyed demon or I’d be telling you this in person. You need to go to Lebanon, Kansas. There’s a safe place there for you and for family of your choosing. It’s connected to who and what you are. All of the things I’ve collected over the years are in a room there and they’re all yours now. Love Always, WW, Your Father

Maria wiped away the few tears that had slid down her cheek, then handed the note to her Uncle so he could read it before she pulled the wooden box out, setting the other one on the table. It wasn’t much bigger than a wallet, those longer ones women normally carried. Maria ran her fingers over the engravings before she opened it. At this point, she thought her father had some sort of sense of humor, as inside that box, was another smaller one. This one was very different though. On the top of it was the Aquarian Star, engraved into the wood. She recognized that it was a sort of puzzle box, and somehow, it opened. The box was thin though, just under an inch thick, roughly three inches long.

Maria moved the little box around, looking at each side of it before she flipped one of the thin sides open, the top then sliding to the side, revealing a key, “I wonder what this goes to?” she mumbled out loud as she took it out of the box.

He watched her, remembering back to before she’d been conceived, “I’m here for you. I just want you to know that,” Bobby told her, knowing what was ahead for her and the choice she’d eventually be faced with.

“Thanks, Uncle Bobby. I’m done running from things,” she told him, meaning it, still concentrating on the key in her hands.

Bobby had read the note and had been watching her. William had been cryptic, which was nothing new for him, “Lebanon huh?” he mused as he glanced over at the key in her hand.

“You up for a road trip?” she asked her Uncle as she looked up at him.

“I ain’t got nothin better to do sept sit around here,” he chuckled, “How do we even find what that thing goes to?”

“You’re gonna laugh,” she chuckled, remembering her dream, “Pretty sure I can find it.”

He gathered a few things before the two of them left. He followed her in his car. It was just under a six-hour drive to Lebanon, Kansas and she had a vague idea of the road she was looking for.  Both their minds were swirling with thoughts, too many questions, and not enough answers. That uneasy feeling came back again but again, she brushed it off, believing it was still tied to what she was currently facing. 

She slowed down when they reached the city limits. It was a somewhat small town and it had a peaceful feel to it. As she drove, she turned down a side street, Bobby following her. Three more turns before she was on a one-lane paved road that was leading through the forest. She recognized it from her dream as goosebumps traveled down her body.

It was three miles before she saw it in the distance, the abandoned building from her dream, and it looked the exact same, perched on a small hill. Goosebumps ran down her body again as she continued driving, Bobby not far behind her. She felt a mix of anticipation, excitement, and apprehension the closer she got, as well as that uneasy feeling. 

Another two miles up that small road and it opened up a little. She slowed down, noticing something she hadn’t even thought she’d find at the base of the hill that the building was sitting on. Maria pulled off to the side of the street, and Bobby did the same behind her, both of them turning off their vehicles and getting out.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Bobby mumbled as he joined her in front of her truck, staring at what was in front of them.

It reminded her almost of what a huge waterway entrance would look like that you would find in cities, made of thick concrete, although it had been bricked in with a door in the center, six concrete steps leading down to it. She pulled the small box from her pocket as she descended the stairs, almost holding her breath as she put the key in the keyhole and turned it. The door unlocked and the two shared a look before she opened the door as Bobby followed her inside.

The door had opened to a metal catwalk, with a staircase to their right that led down to the main floor. There were no lights on so Bobby turned on the flashlight he’d grabbed. The two walked down the stairs and came across an old-style electric box attached to the wall that seemed to be from the forties or fifties, possibly older. She flipped the lever and the place buzzed to life as the lights turned on. In the room they were standing in were a lot of old-style equipment like a ham radio, telegraph, switchboard, map table, and several other electronic devices that neither could identify at the moment. 

There were no doors in this room but there were several openings, like archways with a couple of stairs that led to different places. A hallway before what looked like a library behind them, another hallway across the room, then a smaller one that had a couple of stairs leading to yet another area beyond the stairs. The place was massive.

“Uncle Bobby, I think we found Fort Knox,” she breathed as she looked around, before heading into the library.

“You took the words right out of my mouth kid,” he breathed, looking around in awe.

The walls of the library were covered with bookshelves and filing cabinets that contained books and files, along with old scrolls. In the center of the room were three tables that looked like the old ones you’d find in an actual library, with desk lamps to match, and two chairs on either side of each table. At the far end was a huge telescope in its own circular room. She looked over the book titles, none of which she’d ever seen before in her life, fascinated. Bobby had wandered off down the steps and through the small hallway, finding the kitchen, which was decent size, stocked, not only with food but also with anything you’d need to cook with, from the fifties at least.

They spent the next hour exploring the place. It truly was massive, containing numerous bedrooms which were all decorated the same, a laboratory, a shooting range with three targets, a gym, a garage with several older vehicles and motorcycles, and several rooms that had more files in them, one of which also contained a dungeon that looked as though it could hold a demon with a devil’s trap taking up most of the room, carefully painted on the floor. There were also numerous showering rooms near the bedrooms, as well as an infirmary. Bobby discovered the electrical room, which powered the entire place while Maria went into the closest bedroom with the number one on the door. 

It looked like the rest. A full-size bed in the center with a small headboard and a shelf above it that was as long as the bed was. A wooden dresser to one side with a night table next to the head of the bed, complete with a lamp and clock. To the other side was a closet, and along the wall was a small desk, also with a lamp and chair. The only thing different about this room was that there was a piece of paper on the pillows. 

Maria took a deep breath as she walked over and picked up the letter, feeling as though the air had been sucked out of the room as she read it.

My Dearest Maria, I wish I could have shown you this place myself. This bunker belonged to the Men of Letters, your grandfather was one of them. I was too until two months before you were even conceived. So you are what’s considered a Legacy because you weren’t raised as a Men of Letters. The bunker is fully warded against everything. Nothing has ever been able to break in since it was built. It contains every book, scroll, and relic they found over the last thousand years, plus all their files on their hunts and experiments. I’ve added to it over the years with things I’ve found, and now, all of this is yours. Share this only with hunters you trust, implicitly.  Bobby has a book for you and you need to read the chapter on Zamariel. It will help you understand more of where you come from and help the power inside you Bloom. Your mother, Bobby, John, and I knew her as Mari. I wish I could be there to tell you this in person. Just know, that your mother and I loved you, even before you were born. We never looked at you as anything other than our little girl. You have a destiny I never fully understood but your mother did. John knows the important stuff and he’ll be helpful.  Goodbyes are never easy. Just know, I’ll always be with you, in your memories and in your heart, as is your mother. Consider this place not only a safe haven but also your home. I never had time to comb through the books to find anything on the yellow-eyed demon. Perhaps you’ll have the time and find what I couldn’t. I love you Munchkin. Love, Dad

Maria was in tears when she finished reading the letter from her father, not realizing that Bobby was standing in the doorway just watching her. So much for being normal, she thought to herself, wishing her father was there. She figured he had to have written it sometime after her mother died but before she had turned ten.

“You okay kid?” she heard her Uncle ask her and he put his hand on her shoulder.

She nodded as she turned to him, willing the tears to stop, “My dad, he was here, in this room,” she told him, her voice shaking, handing him the letter.

Bobby read the letter and rubbed his hand over his mouth and down through his short beard. William hadn’t mentioned this place once to him. Maria took a deep breath to calm herself further as she looked around the room again. The thought of a permanent home was slightly foreign to her but at the same time, she’d dreamed of having that.

“So, wanna move in?” she asked her Uncle after a few more minutes of silence. The thought of her and her Uncle living together made her smile a bit, remembering how things were when she was a kid.

He looked at her for a moment, still trying to wrap his head around everything, “It’s probably safer than my house,” he finally replied, still in awe of the place. He too remembered back to when she’d stayed with him. He still saw that sad, five-year-old little girl who showed up with her father so many years ago.

The two headed out to what they deemed the war room where the map table was located and talked about who they’d tell and the time it would take to move Bobby and his collection of things into the bunker. Within an hour, they had it all planned out, which included a call to Sam. That feeling she’d had before she left Cali came back, and it hit her like a ton of bricks, making her have to steady herself on the map table. She instantly called Sam.

“Sam, I’m going back to Cali and I’m picking up Jess,” she told him as that uneasy feeling grew.

“What are you talking about Sis?” Sam questioned her, confused.

“I don’t have time to explain Sam,” Maria told him, heading out to her truck, Bobby following close behind.

“She doesn’t know about any of this and I don’t want her to,” Sam told her, getting frustrated.

“Listen, the last time I got a bad feeling about something I lost my father. So there's no way you’re talking me out of this,” she told him firmly.

“What’s going on?” she heard Dean ask in the background.

“Maira, don’t,” Sam warned her.

“Sam, she loves you, and this is for her own good, whether you like it or not,” she replied firmly before she hung up on him.

“Lemme guess, he don’t want her to know,” Bobby asked as they reached their vehicles outside.

“He’s just being stubborn, that’s all. I’ll see you in a couple days, back here,” she told her Uncle before they said their goodbyes.

She was beyond determined to save Jess. She had no idea what was going to happen. It was just that gut-wrenching uneasiness like before when she was a teenager, and this time, she wasn’t ignoring it or letting someone talk her out of it. Typically the drive would have taken a full day, but she had no intention of going the speed limit. An hour after she was on the road, she called Jess.

“Hey, look. I know this is gonna sound bizarre and crazy, but please, trust me. I need you to pack some clothes and necessities,” Maria told her.

“What’s going on? Does this have something to do with Sam?” she asked, trying not to worry.

Maria debated lying to get her to agree, “In a way, yes, it does. I’ve just got a really bad feeling that something bad is gonna happen. I’ll be there as fast as I can and we have to leave as soon as I get there, so meet me outside. Don’t let anyone inside, no matter who it is. I’ll call you again when I’m almost there,” she told her quickly, seriously.

“Alright. I trust you, you’re like a sister to me. I promise I won’t let anyone in,” Jess told her before the two hung up.

Jess wasn’t sure what to think but she didn’t argue either as she quickly packed a bag with what Maria had told her to. She only got part of the story of how Maria’s father had died. Maria had told her about the nightmares, mostly, as well as that uneasy feeling. Now, all she could do was wait for her to show up, which wouldn’t be until the following day.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 12

Tag List: @deans-spinster-witch @kazsrm67

Link to the master list for this story.

[the-cult-of-russo]

Such a Softer Sin (Part 27)

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Warnings: I’m not specifically tagging this one, if you’ve seen the show, nothing will shock you. Smut will happen eventually so minors DNI, thanks.

A/N: Guys, how the fuck is this it already? Well, almost it, I’m posting the epilogue right after this. 

—-------

“A shepherd's dog had a master who took no care of him, but often let him suffer the greatest hunger. At last he could bear it no longer; so he took to his heels, and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood. On the road he met a sparrow that said to him, "Why are you so sad, my friend?" - "Because," said the dog, "I am very very hungry, and have nothing to eat." - "If that be all," answered the sparrow, "come with me into the next town, and I will soon find you plenty of food." So on they went together into the town: and as they passed by a butcher's shop, the sparrow said to the dog, "Stand there a little while till I peck you down a piece of meat." So the sparrow perched upon the shelf: and having first looked carefully about her to see if anyone was watching her, she pecked and scratched at a steak that lay upon the edge of the shelf, till at last down it fell,” Billy read softly, book in front of him near your bump where you lay on your side and he had a hand on your bump. The baby was due any day now and the nursery was complete, painted blue and gold. You were excited but a part of you wasn’t ready for your pregnancy to be over. It was exhausting on your body and your emotions had taken quite a beating, but you knew deep down you’d miss it too. You’d miss feeling Kosmos move around or kick you, miss feeling him when he had the hiccups. You’d miss the special bond you felt at carrying him around for all these months but you were definitely ready to meet him finally. You really couldn't wrap your head around the fact you’d created a life. You lay there feeling peaceful and calm, listening to Billy’s soothing and quiet voice as he read to his son, something he did every night. It was making you sleepy. When he finally finished the chapter, he shut the book and it woke you up a little.

“Daddy can’t wait to meet you, little one. I’ll see you real soon,” he murmured adoringly, moving to place a sweet kiss to your bump that had you smiling as you melted. He sat up, setting the book on the nightstand before he looked at you with a smile. He lay down facing you, a hand stroking your cheek and you gave him a sleepy smile. 

“I love you,” he said softly and you didn’t think you’d ever tire of him saying it.

“I love you too,” you replied, rubbing your cheek against his hand. 

“I… I was alone for the longest time but I can’t remember what it felt like anymore, what it was like before you. I know I must have been miserable,” he admitted and his words felt like they seized up your heart.

“I can’t believe you're finally here. You're here and you’re havin’ my baby. I’ve lived a long time but I feel like my life is only just really beginning… I’m just really happy you’re here,” he murmured and you smiled at him, turning your face in his hand and kissing it. 

“I’m happy I’m here too. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” you whispered and a blinding smile overtook his face. He leaned in, kissing your lips softly before he wrapped his arms around you and you snuggled into him, slipping off into a peaceful sleep with his scent and warmth surrounding you. 

The next day, you were in the Royal Gardens with Karen and Azalea. One of the little girls here, Zoe, was turning six in a few days and Billy loved to throw the kids a huge birthday party every time it was their birthday, something you found adorable. The three of you were busy making crowns from the flowers in the garden for all of the children to wear as you all chatted. 

“I just can't believe he’s here, he’s so amazing,” Azalea gushed with a dreamy look on her face. She’d recently found her mate, someone who came in from another pack and he worked at the hospital. 

“Well, you deserve it. You’ve waited long enough,” Karen smiled warmly at her and Azalea smiled. You winced as you pricked your finger on a thorn as you tried to get a pink rose off a bush, and you stuck your finger in your mouth, turning to Azalea.  

“I’m really happy for you,” you murmured sincerely with a smile. She looked more radiant than you’d ever seen her before and you were glad she finally found her mate. 

“I really think that-” your words were cut short as a pained gasp left your lips, your hand flying to your stomach as you felt a blinding pain. You felt a weird sensation and as you glanced down, you noticed liquid soaking your pants and dripping onto the floor and into your boots.

“What is it?! What happened?!” Azalea asked quickly as she rushed over.

“Oh my gods, I think her water just broke,” Karen cried out, hovering over you. The shock and panic set in then as you realized it was time.

“I’m gonna have a baby,” you muttered, turning your wide eyes to the girls, looking like a deer in the headlights. 

“I’m not ready! I’m not… I don’t know the first thing about babies! I’m gonna drop him, he’s gonna crack like an egg,” you rambled, in a state of shock as Karen cupped your cheeks and made you turn your unfocused eyes to her. 

“You're going to do fine, Y/N. You’ve read a bunch of books and it’s going to come naturally to you,” she soothed, glancing at Azalea who nodded frantically. 

“We need to get her to Curtis,” she said quickly, the pair of them guiding you to the medical facility.

You cried out again as you stepped foot in there, everyone rushing around you as the pain ripped through you. You knew it would hurt but nothing prepared you for just how much. Everything was a blur around you and you found yourself suddenly in a hospital gown in a room with Curtis and some nurses and you stood next to the bed, gripping hold of it as the pain tore through you again. Tears streamed down your face as you tried to breathe through it like the books told you, but you couldn't. 

“I want Billy,” you wept, hunching over the bed as you struggled to breathe.

“He’s coming, don’t worry,” Curtis soothed, moving over to rub your back.

“I want… I need Billy,” you repeated, shaking your head as the tears rolled down your face. The door burst open and you looked over, seeing Billy standing there with eyes wider than your own as he just stared at you for a long moment like he too couldn't quite believe it was time. 

“Are you okay?” he asked shakily and you clutched hold of the bed, glaring at him from over your shoulder.

“I’m in labor, Billy, so no, I’m not okay,” you bit out and he looked completely floored by the hostility in your voice. You’d feel bad about it later. The pain gripped you tight again and you cried out, making Billy rush to your side. He helped you to lay on the bed and it suddenly dawned on you that Curtis was about to see more of you than you’d ever thought. If you weren't in so much pain, you might have been embarrassed. 

“I’m just going to check you over, okay?” he asked you and you nodded tearfully, taking in large heaving breaths of air while you could before the pain happened again. Billy stroked your hair, trying to soothe you and you willed his touch to work like it normally did. 

“Alright… you're fully dilated, you're ready to push,” Curtis informed you.

“What? Already?” you asked, looking panicked at how fast everything was moving. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart, you can do this. It’s time to meet our son,” Billy murmured to you and you nodded, sniffling a little. 

“Every time you feel a contraction, I want you to push for me,” Curtis instructed. Billy clasped one of your hands between both of his, holding it tightly as you let out a pained moan and started to push. 

“Come on, you can do this, Y/N. You’re strong, one of the strongest people I know,” Billy implored and you shook your head, crying from the pain. When it eased off, you stopped pushing, sagging into the bed as you wept pitifully and Billy used one of his hands to smooth your hair from your sweaty face. 

“I can’t do this, I can’t. I’m strong in battle, not here. I'd rather be hacking off limbs right now,” you whined and Billy pressed a kiss to your hand. 

“You can do this,” Billy argued firmly and you shook your head. Another pained noise left your lips as you started to push, feeling the contraction wracking your body and you felt like you were going to pass out. You pushed for a few more contractions but nothing seemed to be happening. You were exhausted and in so much pain, it made you miserable.

“Please make it stop… it hurts so much, Billy, I want it to be over,” you lamented through your tears. He moved your face to look at him and he looked like he was in pain to be seeing you this way. Or maybe he could feel it, you didn't know. 

“I know, sweetheart, I know. It’ll be over soon, alright? You just gotta push him out. Think of little Kos, think of holdin' him, meetin’ him. You can do this. He’s ready to meet his mom,” he insisted and you nodded as your chest heaved. 

When the pain hit again, you let out a yell as you tried to push as hard as you could and you suddenly felt the relief at the same time you heard the sounds of a baby crying. Your body fell limp, relieved for it to finally be over and you were in shock as a smiling Curtis came over and placed the baby on your chest. Your whole body trembled, eyes wide as you stared down at the little baby you helped to create. He was perfect. You were so overwhelmed by happiness that you were sobbing again as you blinked down at him. Billy’s hand came to stroke the baby’s tiny head and when you tore your eyes away to look at him, tears were coming down in rivulets on his face.

“Hey there, little man,” he murmured through his tears with a face splitting smile. You looked back to the small baby in your arms, overtaken by how beautiful he was. He looked just like his dad and you could hardly beehive he was really here.

“Welcome to the world, little Kosmos,” you whispered, placing a delicate kiss to his small head. 

A little bit later, you were sitting up in the bed, watching intently as Billy held Kosmos, staring down at him like he’d just found a rare gem. It was a sight to behold, watching the pair of them together like this and you couldn't look away. You felt a lot calmer now after the pain was over but you were beyond tired. You refused to sleep though, not yet. You didn't want to sleep and miss anything. The door knocked and both you and Billy looked over at it as it opened. Frank and Karen came in with smiles on their faces. Karen was holding a bunch of flowers and Frank held a little blue balloon. You weren't quite sure where he’d gotten it since you knew that there were no balloons on the castle grounds. The idea of him going out to find one touched you. Their eyes immediately went to the baby in Billy’s arms and Karen's hand went to her mouth, her eyes welling with tears as she quickly set the flowers down on the over bed table at the end of the bed. 

“He’s so small,” she murmured in awe and Billy stood with a wide smile. You watched as Frank approached and Billy moved to put the baby in his arms. Frank’s lower lip wobbled a little, his mouth opening and closing a few times like head so much to say, yet couldn't find the words. He tried to choke back a sob and Billy rested a hand on his back as he watched his best friend admire little Kos. 

“He’s perfect,” Frank whispered, a finger stroking the baby’s little cheek. 

“I know,” Billy smirked, wiping at his own tears as he struggled to reign in his own emotions. 

“How are you feeling?” Karen asked softly as she turned her eyes to you as Frank held the baby.

“I’m okay, just a little sore,” you replied wryly and she moved over to hug you.

“I’m so happy for you,” she smiled and you smiled back. Frank came over then, sniffling a little as he handed the baby carefully to Karen who grinned down at him. Billy engulfed Frank in a hug and they held each other tightly for a moment. 

“This is all I ever wanted for you, man,” Frank murmured.

“I know,” Billy replied in a whisper. They moved away, each wiping their eyes with a chuckle before Frank made his way over to you. He wrapped his arms around you in a tight hug and you smiled as you hugged him back.

“You did real good, I’m proud of you,” he said softly and the words filled you with warmth, so similar to what you know Kos would have said if he was here. 

“Thanks, Frank,” you smiled tearfully. 

They stayed for a little while, each taking turns to hold little Kos like they couldn't get enough of him. They left after a bit though to give you some peace and not long after, Curtis told you that you were clear to go home. As you got back to your room, baby in your arms, you really couldn't believe it was over with. He was finally here with you. While the nursery was finished, he’d be staying with you and Billy for a bit first and a bassinet was next to the bed on your side. It was a little overwhelming to think you had a whole person to take care of now, but Karen had been right, it had been coming naturally to you. You moved over to the bassinet and set the sleeping baby inside of it carefully.

“You want me to help you change?” Billy asked softly and you nodded. You were still in the hospital gown and you wanted to be more comfortable. You’d had some nightgowns made, despite your preference of sleeping in a men's sleeping tunic, to make breastfeeding more easy for you. Billy was gentle as he helped you out of your hospital gown and into one of the new ones and you shot him a grateful smile.  You moved to sit on the bed carefully, wincing at the ache between your legs as you did and Billy hovered, watching you with worried eyes. Before you even sat back against the headboard, he was fluffing up the pillows and setting them behind you to make you more comfortable and your lips twitched into a smile. Just as he was about to sit down, Kos started to cry softly and you were so in tune with him that you knew he needed to feed. 

“I’ve got him,” Billy said with an amused smile, going over and scooping him up. He gently handed him to you and you pulled the night gown down, feeding him as Billy moved to sit beside of you. He stroked his head softly, moving over to kiss your cheek sweetly and you smiled. He was so happy and you could feel it. You felt like your heart might burst. 

“He’s the luckiest kid alive to have you as a mom,” he murmured, gazing down at the baby. 

“I’ve been a mom for like a few hours,” you snorted and he moved his eyes back to you then, amusement shining behind them.

“Nah, you’ve been a mom for nine goddamn months and you love him more than anything. I can feel it. I feel blessed to have you as my mate, to get to have a kid with you,” he admitted fervently and you felt your chest expand as you smiled shyly. 

“I love you,” you murmured and he smiled at you.

“I love you too,” he replied easily before he looked down at his son.

“And I love you too, little man,” he grinned, leaning down and kissing his small head. You didn't think it was possible to feel this happy and it left you dumbstruck. Never in your life had you thought you’d achieve this kind of completeness you felt right now. 

You were sitting in your old pack house the day after, Kos in Leanna’s arms as she cooed down at him, the same awe and wonder on her face that everyone seemed to have when they held him. You had little Orion on your lap and he was babbling away, flailing his little arms and legs. He was a little over one now and you couldn't believe how much he’d grown. He was so sweet and adorable, you loved him. 

“How’s motherhood treating you?” Leanna asked, finally looking up at you as she rocked Kos slowly. 

“It’s going good other than the sore nipples and wincing everytime I sit down,” you snorted and she laughed, shaking her head fondly.

“Yeah… I don’t miss that. You get used to it all though,” she grinned.

“I hope so,” you smiled wryly.

“I have to admit… I never really saw you as the type to have a child, but it suits you,” she said softly and you smiled, heat nipping at your cheeks.

“I’ve changed quite a bit since back then, I guess,” you mused and she smiled at you.

“I know a lot of bad things had to happen to get to this point, but maybe it was worth all of the pain. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy before,” she admitted. It hurt to think of all you’d lost but you’d gained a hell of a lot too. None of it would ever replace the ones you’d lost but you knew everything happened for a reason. If none of that happened, you might not be sitting here with Kos right now and the thought made your chest feel like it might cave in. A lot had changed since you first got here and not all of it good, but you did feel happy now. Fate had a funny way of working things out and despite it all, you were glad to be here, to have Billy and to have Kos. You felt more whole than you ever had in your entire life. 

Taglist: (if you’ve been asked to be tagged and aren’t here, it wouldn’t let me tag some people.)

@firexfate

@blanchedelioncourt

@ratsys

@sunshinedaisies-anddeath

@snowkestrel

@music-indie-tv

@idaofinfinity

@sweetserendipity65

@ramadiiiisme

@k-marzolf

@celestialams

@woowwwee

@noortsshift

@rainbowgoblinfan

@mysweetlittledesire

@promnightbinbaby

@intothesoul

[soulkeeper801]

Unexpected - Twice’s Sana pt 3

(A/N: Part 1, Part 2)

Last part

Minatozaki Sana x f!reader

Fluff

“Why didn’t you tell her it was my birthday?” Momo asked.

Sana had already told her friends about the sudden invitation and the party that had to be thrown on Friday so you could see each other again. No one understood why she said Tzuyu’s name when two birthdays were around the corner and could have been easier to do.

“Or mine,” Jeongyeon continued.

They were gathered at the living room hanging decoration for a really improvised birthday party. The girls bought food, alcohol and even invited some more people over.

“Screw it,” Momo said in a moment of realization, “I’m gonna celebrate my birthday with this party, too”.

“Right, let’s make it a joint birthday party,” Tzuyu replied, looking for Sana’s agreement.

“Then I can celebrate my birthday too, right?” Jeongyeon asked, getting nods of approval from the other girls.

Sana smiled in relief. They didn’t need to go over all this trouble but they still did it to make her happy. They didn’t know you, nor did they know if you were going to be good for her, yet they always had each other’s back and were going to do as much as they could to help.

---

When you asked Sana what time to arrive, she reminded you it was a small gathering between friends, nothing too fancy. So when you got there and noticed the loud music and the open door that let you see all the people inside, you realized it was bigger than expected.

You had bought a present for Tzuyu but now it seemed like you should have brought something to drink instead. The atmosphere made you a little anxious since you could have a hard time meeting new people, until your eyes caught her.

Sana had a cup in her hand as she was chatting with someone standing next to her. You couldn’t hear her laugh, but by her gestures you knew she was laughing. 

You took a couple steps towards her until you appeared in her range of vision. She smiled widely at the sight of you.

“You made it,” she said, giving you a soft hug. “I was looking forward to seeing you again,” she confessed boldly, maybe thanks to the alcohol she had before.

“This is for Tzuyu,” you said, signaling the gift bag you had brought. “I noticed she has a bike, so maybe she likes it”.

Sana went to bring her so she could thank you personally.

“You didn’t have to, Y/N!”, Tzuyu said, receiving the gift. “Please, get a drink, eat something,” she politely offered, showing you the way to the table where the bottles and the food was.

You nodded and walked by her side, not noticing how Sana was following you with her gaze. She saw how easily you struck up a conversation with the younger girl, making her laugh and even chugging a beer with her. Soon after, Jeongyeon appeared by your side and by the look on your face she must have told you it was her birthday too. She stayed a little longer around you and seemed to be asking many questions, one after another. Your gaze caught hers and she flashed a bright smile towards you.

Jeongyeon excused herself and left you alone next to the table and Sana took the chance to go back to you. You didn’t catch what, but the older girl whispered something in Sana's ear that made her chuckle.

“I didn’t know I had to bring more gifts,” you said as soon as she stood by your side.

She smiled, “you didn’t have to bring any, but that’s who you are”.

The music was loud enough for you to get closer in order to hear what you were saying, her hair tickling your face due to the proximity. It could be the alcohol in your blood, but you felt her gaze was lingering in your lips.

“Y/N!” a very tipsy Tzuyu yelled from the middle of the living room, “come dance with us!”

Sana smiled and took your hand to bring you there. The girls cheered for you both and it made you react shyly. She looked ethereal under the lights and the way she was moving seemed unreal to you. 

“Oh my God, go for it!” one of her friends pushed her towards you, so you caught her by the waist, pulling her close.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered in your ear, one of her hands resting on your shoulder while the other grabbed your arm.

You shook your head energetically, letting her know it was all fine. Having her in your arms felt right after all.

After a couple of songs, Sana asked if you wanted to breathe fresh air outside. The not so subtle invitation didn’t go unnoticed by her friends who threw knowingly smiles and stares towards you, gaining blushes from the both of you.

“They are terrible,” Sana said, looking a bit embarrassed when you were finally outside. 

She took a seat on the little garden before the house as the music became the background for your conversation. 

“No worries, they seem fun,” you reassured her.

She nodded and let out a deep sigh, her gaze fixed on the floor. 

“Do you know why I asked you to come here with me?” she asked, cautiously averting her gaze to yours. 

"Because you wanted to breathe fresh air? Or maybe stare at the moon? The moon looks so beautiful tonight I-”

Babbling. It’s all you ever could do in a situation of stress. You were nervous, so words kept flowing without stopping from your mouth.

Until you felt her lips against yours. 

She took your chin between her fingers, brought your face against her, pressing a soft kiss on your lips. She pulled apart for a second to study your expression. Your cheeks were red, your lips parted. 

You went for her lips again. This time her tongue found her way into your mouth, as her arms wrapped around your neck to bring you closer. You rested your hands on her waist, the kiss growing hotter by the second. 

She pulled apart one more time, “Wait, Y/N, I need to tell you something,”

Eager as you were, you kept pressing chaste kisses against her jawline. She tilted her head to the side to give you more access.

“Mmm?” you simply answered, not giving much thought to whatever she was about to say. What could be better than what you were doing?”

“I…,” she started, “might have lied about this party.”

You pressed one final kiss against her pulse point.

“Oh, I know,” you replied before leaving a kiss on her lips.

She looked dumbfounded which you found adorable.

“W-what? How?”

“Tzuyu told me,” you answered, before taking a glance back to the house. The tall girl was drunkenly dancing in the middle of the living room wearing a plastic crown and a sash that said birthday girl.

Sana opened her mouth as if she was about to complain.

“It was my fault,” you continued. “I asked what her sign was and she didn’t know what to answer. I guess she panicked and just ended up telling me”.

“Are you mad?” she cautiously asked.

“Mad? Do you think if I was mad I would do this?” you claimed her lips one more time as she corresponded immediately. You felt her smiling into the kiss, her arms wrapping around you again. “I’m thankful,” you said, pulling apart a little to rest your forehead against her. “For the coffee you never treated me to”.

She chuckled at your answer before going for your lips again.

[lady-de-mon-coeur]

Lady In Red

Chapter 4. Puzzle pieces

Read on AO3

[1] [2] [3]

2,747 words

"Earth to Adrien. Hello! Are you alright, kid?"

"Mmm?" Adrien asked absentmindedly, still tapping his chin with his fingers.

"Oh Lord, you both are so silly, you and your ladylove," Plagg sighed in frustration. "Gross! I can't bear all the lovey-dovey stuff and the heart eyes! I need my Camembert!"

While Plagg was munching a slice of Camembert, Adrien returned to his thoughts.

Could it be that Marinette was the love of his life? he asked himself.

He was the kind of guy who always listened to his heart. And now it was telling him he was right. So many things started making sense, clicking together like puzzle pieces.

He thought back to the day not so long ago, when the new ad was filmed at the pool. Marinette was there, and Adrien got so confused about the way he felt that he bumped his head against the car because he couldn't take his eyes off her.

And that day at Musée Grevin, when Marinette tried to kiss him while thinking he was a statue? This almost kiss affected him like an exploding bomb. The way he was freaking out afterwards was only comparable to the day his heart started beating for Ladybug—a real coup de foudre, that is.

That day at the ice rink—if he was being perfectly honest, he wasn't quite sure that what he felt back then upon seeing Marinette in Luka’s arms wasn't jealousy.

The way his heart was melting in his chest whenever he and Marinette slow danced together.

The warmth that filled his entire being when they cuddled together in the Startrain (he felt the same warmth filling him again at the very thought of Marinette pressing her head to his chest like a sleeping kitten).

The way he completely forgot how to breathe, and this is all due to seeing Marinette with her hair down.

And last but not least, the way he felt when Marinette confessed her love to Chat Noir out of nowhere. And although he rejected her, he still felt things.

No, this reverie will lead him nowhere.

Adrien had to make an effort to shake off the daydreams and think more clearly.

What if his heart was wrong? After all, he did not have enough proof. That's what his brain kept telling him.

Adrien rubbed his temples to get his thoughts in order. Then he captured a paper sheet and started scribbling down hastily:

"1. Ladybug wasn't there when Marinette had a birthday date with Evillustrator.

2. Marinette wasn't available when Ladybug attended the Nadja Chamack talk show. Alya was babysitting Manon for her, as she mentioned in her video call.

3. Marinette hid her mask during the filming of the music video for Clara Nightingale, just like I did, in order to avoid being recognised as a superhero.

4. The way Ladybug always seemed to despise Chloé.

5. Ladybug happened to be in New York at the same time as our class did.

6. The way how quickly my letter was delivered to Ladybug. It makes a lot of sense if Alya really is a confidant of Ladybug’s identity.

7. Both girls recently broke up with their boyfriends and are avoiding them now."

"What are you writing so fervently, kid?" Plagg asked suspiciously. "A new sappy poem to your lady in red?"

"Not really", Adrien answered absentmindedly.

He re-read what he had just written and sighed disappointedly.

All of this felt too far-fetched. That proved nothing. He was just clutching at straws.

These were indirect proofs that could be easily debunked by the mere fact that he once saw Ladybug and Marinette side by side.

Yeah, it happened only once, yet it was real.

The day madame Mendeleïev was akumatized and robbed them of their kwamis.

The memorable day he almost figured out Ladybug's identity to be… Marinette.

The day Marinette temporarily wielded almost all the miraculous.

Adrien's throat suddenly went totally dry.

Stop it, Adrien, he internally berated himself.

It might have been just a figment of his imagination. Just a coincidence. Just wishful thinking. Maybe he just really wanted it to be true.

Because if he were to be reasonable and rely on nothing but logic, there was no way Marinette could be Ladybug.

He was now sure that he was the guy Ladybug had been in love with all along.

But Marinette wasn't in love with him! Never has been. She had said so herself multiple times. She liked him as a friend, not as a love interest.

And the more Adrien thought of this, the duller the world around him was getting.

"What is it now, loverboy? Can't tell a good rhyme for "eyes"? You can try "french fries" or whatever."

Plagg's voice again. Adrien must have zoned out for a moment.

Adrien got up and started fumbling around in the desk drawer. It might be his last hope.

There it was—the love letter he got for Valentine's Day, which he believed to be from Ladybug.

And there was also that note from Marinette saying she would see him again tomorrow at school.

Adrien stood up and went to the window, staring into the distance.

It would be fine if he could get a sample of Ladybug’s handwriting.

Because, as nice as it was, the love letter still wasn't enough of a proof. It might've been just wishful thinking that the letter was from Ladybug.

Should he ask her about it when she comes next time?

"Drop it, kid! Just stop!"

Adrien looked up, completely dumbfounded.

Plagg was floating around in the air, holding the paper sheet Adrien had just covered with his thoughts on Ladybug's identity.

"Plagg, what are you do—"

"It's me who should be asking you what you're doing. But I already can see that."

Adrien scowled.

"Give it back to me, you sneaky cat!"

"Here, you can have it." Plagg scoffed, dropping the paper right into Adrien's extended hand. "Look, I see what you're trying to do here, and I don’t like it, like at all."

"Why not?" Adrien asked, staring with wide eyes at his kwami.

"Are you kidding me? Because trying to figure out Ladybug's identity will lead to nothing good, that's why. You know that all too well, boy," Plagg grumbled in a granddad's preachy tone.

"Do you mean I might be on to something, don't you?" Adrien asked mischievously.

"I didn't say that!" Plagg burst out. "Don't try to put words in my mouth!"

The room went quiet as a grave.

"Okay, kid, let's be reasonable," Plagg said a moment later in a much milder voice. "Don't try to investigate who is behind the mask. You know it's a big no-no. Period. And also, make sure to destroy this list by the time your lovebug drops by next time."

"Fine!" Adrien said with a joyless chuckle, crumpling up the paper and slipping it into his pocket, while Plagg occupied himself with another hunk of cheese.

***

"C'mon, spill it, girl! I won't let you go without hearing all the details".

Marinette was sitting at her sewing machine, crafting a new hat.

"I don't have much to say," Marinette said with a shrug.

"But our boy looks like he was born again. You can't tell me that nothing happened between you two!" Alya exclaimed joyfully, and her glasses flashed in the ray of sunshine streaming in through the window.

Marinette reluctantly turned away from the sewing machine.

"Well, we were just sitting on his bed crying and talking about our broken hearts, that's all".

"Is that really all?" Alya asked incredulously, leaning in so close that her nose almost brushed Marinette’s.

"Not really." Marinette answered, turning immediately the colour of the setting sun.

"Oh, really? What else? I'm dying to know." Alya said eagerly.

"We… uhm… kissed," Marinette articulated as her voice dropped gradually to a barely audible whisper.

"On the lips? Is it true?" Alya gasped, her eyes as big as saucers.

Marinette nodded silently.

"I knew it, I knew it!" Alya cried out, her fist shooting triumphantly into the air. "And what’s now? Our lovebirds are together, aren't they?"

"Yes, kind of," Marinette confirmed, rubbing the back of her neck, her voice returning to its normal volume. "He said I could come whenever I wanted. And then we kissed again."

"Oh Lord, how romantic! Rose would be over the moon to hear that!" Alya cooed, but then she remembered something.

"By the way, I have to make an interview with you to keep your cover." She informed. And upon seeing Marinette’s perplexed expression, she quickly explained: "I told Adrien the other day that I got to know about your feelings for him while making an interview with you for the Ladyblog. He might be getting suspicious if the said interview never comes out."

"Then I have to check my schedule. Maybe I can accord you some time later this evening," Marinette responded, and they both laughed.

"Wait, I'm not done with the news yet." Alya went on. "There will be a birthday party taking place on the Liberty this Sunday. It's Juleka's birthday. You're invited too. Don't you dare miss it."

"A birthday party? That's cool! I'm all in!" Marinette exclaimed ecstatically, turning back to the sewing machine.

She had hardly made two stitches when she started realising something.

"Wait a minute, Alya Césaire! What did you just say? The Liberty? Weren't we supposed to go to the movies?"

"We were, but the plans have changed. We all agreed that throwing a party on the pirate ship would be much cooler." Alya shrugged nonchalantly.

Marinette narrowed her eyes.

"I can smell a trap."

"What trap? What are you talking about?" Alya said, batting her eyes innocently.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about! Luka will be there, too, since it's his birthday as well."

"Uhm… Yes, and what of it?" Alya said, still feigning ignorance.

"I know what you are trying to do. You want to trick me into talking to him since I started avoiding him."

"Gotcha!" Alya exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "You basically admitted that you are avoiding Luka."

"What?.. No, I'm not! It's not that!" A totally red Marinette covered her face with her palms so that only flaming red ear tips could be seen. "Alya, you can’t do that to me," Marinette begged miserably from behind her palms. "I can't do this. It will be super awkward."

"But how do you call what you are doing now?" Alya retorted, slamming her fists to her hips. "It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! You cause everyone around you unnecessary trouble. Even Adrien noticed you were avoiding Luka. It needs to stop!"

At the mention of Adrien Marinette surrendered.

"Okay, you won. I'll be there. But I can't promise that I'll talk to Luka."

"That's my girl!" Alya said way more softly than just a minute ago. "I knew that common sense would triumph. There's no need to overcomplicate your life, Marinette. It's overly complicated as it is." She patted Marinette’s back reassuringly.

***

Marinette was turning over in her mind the encounters Ladybug had with Adrien in the past.

She gets distracted by his marvellous green eyes looking at her from the limo window, his mouth agape in awe.

He blushes slightly as they awkwardly greet each other at the TV studio.

He rushes to her rescue when Riposte is about to stab her.

He can't bring himself to so much as touch her shoulder, retracting his hand halfway.

He pulls his hand away as soon as he realises that his hand is on her shoulders.

He latches desperately onto her after his akumatized bodyguard throws him off the skyscraper, the look in his eyes telling her more than any words ever could.

Love, respect, and admiration for her came through in all his doings.

So then, he'd been in love with her all along.

And that tender love poem he wrote for Valentine's Day was for her.

Marinette wondered how he was going to get the love letter delivered to her. Would he have asked Alya to do it for him? Or would he have been standing outside all day long, waiting for her to pass by?

She couldn't fight back a giggle at the thought.

Maybe the reason he ended up throwing the letter in the trash can was exactly that he didn't come up with a plan to deliver it.

But the girl it was addressed to got it nonetheless and loved it so, so much.

She rummaged through her things in a desk drawer until she found what she'd been looking for—a crumpled paper sheet covered with Adrien's neat handwriting.

She knew the content of the paper sheet by heart.

Marinette let out a lovesick sigh.

She longed to see Adrien. She couldn't resist the urge to melt into his embrace and hear his comforting words. She had to see him right now.

She got up abruptly.

"Tikki, transforme-moi."

***

It was a matter of a few minutes to reach his house and find him standing at the window of his room, as if he were waiting for her.

"Adrien!"

***

As soon as they pulled apart after a particularly long kiss, Adrien suddenly said, scratching the back of his neck:

"May I ask you something, Ladybug?"

After having gotten a nod of approval, Adrien pulled out a pink-coloured piece of paper from his pocket.

"Was that you who wrote this?"

Ladybug turned bright red so quickly, as if someone had pushed a button inside of her.

She recognised the heart-shaped Valentine's Day card immediately. The silly, sappy love poem she sent him a while ago but forgot to sign.

No matter how embarrassed she was about having written it, there was no use denying the truth.

"Yes, I… Yes, it was me," she mumbled, lowering her gaze to examine the black spots on her hands. "Did you… did you like it?" She dared a question after what seemed like an eternity, cringing at the sound of her own voice, which suddenly became too thick for her liking.

"Yes, I liked it a lot." Adrien's voice was as soft as marshmallows. "It wasn’t signed, so I always hoped it was from you. I'm so glad I guessed it right."

Ladybug didn't expect this. She looked up to see such a loving look in his eyes and such a heartfelt smile on his lips that she could barely resist the urge to kiss him senseless.

Adrien reached out his hand and touched her cheek, giving her goosebumps. Then he leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Ladybug," he said. "This is the best letter I've ever gotten in my life."

Ladybug felt a rush of warmth flood her chest.

How could someone be so kind and gentle? He kept the postcard so dearly, as if it were the most precious thing in the world, just because he thought it was from her. He really loved her so much!

He was perfect! She found herself falling in love with him more and more.

Ladybug cuddled closer to him, and he hugged her tenderly in response.

"I love you so much, Adrien," she murmured into his chest. "You're so kind and so generous."

Adrien said nothing, pulling her closer to him.

"Did you know that your cousin Félix once tried to kiss me against my will?" She continued after having relished his closeness for a while.

Adrien stiffened.

"He did what?"

"I immediately knew it couldn’t have been you because I know you'd never do something like that." She continued in between kisses to his cheek.

Ladybug could feel Adrien's hands on her back balling into fists. He murmured something suspiciously similar to "I'll kill him".

"Don't you worry," she said, placing a soothing hand on his arm. "He got what he deserved—a good punch in the face."

Adrien chuckled a dry, short chuckle.

"You should have told me ages ago." He said, looking her straight in the eyes.

Ladybug smiled fondly at him.

"What would it be good for? I managed to handle it on my own. At least now I know that I'll never mistake him for you again."

She was silenced with an ardent kiss from Adrien.

Her mind immediately went completely blank, and right now she wouldn't want it any other way. Shadow Moth and Félix be damned. As long as she had Adrien by her side (and Alya and Chat Noir, of course), she was sure she could make it.

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 19

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 1697

Warnings: Swearing

Summary: Hangman learned his lesson a long time ago to never show his true feelings when someone's words or actions hurt him. To do so showed weakness that could be exploited, and Seresin men couldn't show weakness. Of course, there was an exception to every rule, and Jake's always came in the form of women, three in particular: his mom, Juliette Kazansky, and the girl whose name he could no longer bring himself to speak. She was the girl that got away; she was his biggest 'what if' and his biggest regret; she would forever be the ghost that haunted his dreams. Jake believed that's where she'd stay, for he would surely never see her again after what he did.

Or so he thought.

Notes: This is the sequel to India Lima Yankee; I'm using the same callsign for the Female OC as in Ghost Story because I just really like it, but they are different characters; chapters in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: Blindsided Hoax

****

Ghost

Why did hangovers from crying your heart out always seem more painful than alcohol-induced ones? Maybe because the former came from the heart rather than a bottle, and while one's metabolism could eventually process the alcohol, it took much longer for the body to move past emotional damage. 

Regardless, Ghost wanted to do nothing more than stay in bed and ignore the world. She peeked at the time on her phone and sighed dramatically. She had an hour to get ready before meeting Jackie at the coffee house. With a Herculean effort, Ghost rolled out of bed and shuffled to her bathroom, going through the motions of curling her hair and doing her makeup. She moved sluggishly due to her headache, causing her to fall behind, so when Ghost saw Jackie's name flashing on her phone's screen, she picked up and immediately answered, "Hey, I'm running late, but I'm almost done and shouldn't be more than-"

"I don't care," Jackie interrupted shortly, her voice oddly devoid of her usual enthusiasm. "Change of plans anyway. Can you open your door? I brought breakfast."

"What?" Frowning, Ghost hurried to her front door and swung it open. Sure enough, it revealed a morose Jackie standing with a massive bag of to-go containers. Hanging up her phone and looking her sister up and down, she asked, "You look like shit. What the hell happened to you?"

Stepping inside and without missing a beat, Jackie replied, "My husband told me he wants a divorce. What's your excuse?"

Had her sister not dropped the bombshell, Ghost would've been offended at the comeback, even if it was true. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?"

Jackie pulled container after container out of the to-go bag. "Ryan called me at eleven p.m. last night to tell me he wanted a divorce. I didn't know what to do, so I cried all night until the tears ran dry, went and bought breakfast, and decided to come here instead of eating out."

"Look, I'm all for eating my feelings right now, but why didn't you call me when it happened?" Ghost placed her hands on Jackie's shoulders. "You know I'm always here for you no matter what."

"I didn't want to interrupt your girls' night with Juliette. You seemed like you needed it."

"She would've understood, and I'd much rather help you through your problems than deal with my own. We could've commiserated together."

Jackie raised an eyebrow at her sister. "Wait, were you crying last night, too?"

"Yeah. Between Ghoul's birthday, some stuff from the performance earlier, and being around Hangman again and realizing I'm stupidly still head over heels for him, my emotions had enough of me bottling it all in. Hence-" Ghost motioned at herself- "why I look like shit. But seriously, that's nothing compared to what you're going through. Did he give you a reason?"

Jackie slumped into a chair and began opening the containers. Ghost did the same, listening to her sister lament. "Said that we had 'irreconcilable differences' and that I didn't 'communicate.' What he means is that I don't tell him where I'm at every second of the fucking day and that he doesn't want children, and I do! I told him this when we first started dating, and he said he was open to the idea of it, but now, all of a sudden, Ryan's totally against it and says he doesn't want a family. I don't know if he always was and thought he could change my mind or if he thought I would choose him over my dream of having kids if he gave me the ultimatum. I just don't know..."

The elder Blackwood shoveled a heap of hashbrowns into her mouth while Ghost smiled sympathetically at her sister. "Have you told Mom and Dad?"

Jackie scoffed. "No. They never really liked him from the beginning, and I hate that they ended up being right. They'd never say it outright, but they wouldn't have to. I'd still hear the silent 'I told you so.' Why was I so stupid? I should've listened to them!"

Ghost watched her sister drop her fork and crumple into herself. She rushed over, enveloping Jackie in a comforting embrace and saying, "You loved him, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. We can't help who we love sometimes."

"Eight years. Eight years down the gutter. I'm almost in my mid-thirties. I wanted kids by now! Who's going to want to marry me after this? Who's going to want kids with an old maid?!"

"First off, with the amount of guys watching you last night, including some of the Daggers, you will have no problem snagging a new guy. Second, you are far from an old maid. Don't let the media get to you with their unreasonable beauty and life standards. Third, it's Ryan's loss. He's the idiot, and anyone with a brain would tell you the same." 

"Yeah, but I wanted him. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him," Jackie said sadly, wiping away her tears. "I guess I need to start thinking about what I'm taking. I don't care about most of our furniture. He can take everything, for all I care, but I want the cats. If that's all I get out of this divorce, then I consider that a win."

"The cats love you more anyway," Ghost joked gently. It did earn a slight chuckle from her sister. "Whatever happens, you have me to help get you through it."

"Thanks, Annalise." Jackie braced her head in her hand. "I love that you joined the military and are a kickass fighter pilot protecting our country and all, but I miss having you around and being able to visit you whenever I want."

"It's definitely a downside to being a pilot. For the record, I miss you too." Ghost reached for the avocado and salmon toast. "If you want moral support while you call Mom and Dad, I'm here."

"No, I, uh, I should do that by myself. Thanks, though." Jackie reached for the salt and sprinkled some on her eggs. "Now, tell me what Hangman did that made you, of all people, emotional. And don't say it's nothing. Please, let me hear your problems so I don't have to think of mine right now because it'll be all I think about once I leave."

Ghost reluctantly obliged, shrugging. "It's not even anything he did. Not really. We had a brief moment yesterday when we reverted to our old ways, where there wasn't any tension, but then the Daggers arrived, and it disappeared. It hurts to be around him, and it hurts to be away from him. Part of me wants to tell him I'm sorry for cutting him out the way I did and apologize until he takes me back, but then I remember how I felt in that hospital room and remind myself that I never want to feel that way again. If I let him back into my life, I risk that. I'd rather feel nothing than feel that again..." Having finished her toast, Ghost moved on to the decadent strawberry banana French toast, munching slowly on it while she mulled over what she wanted to say next. Jackie patiently waited. "I didn't want to say anything to anyone about it because they'd just tell me to talk to him about it, but how would I even bring it up after all this time?"

"The time will come, as cliché as that sounds. You two aren't done with each other. Of that, I am certain," Jackie declared, finishing off her eggs and hashbrowns. "Besides, he couldn't take his eyes off you last night. Should've seen the look in his eyes when that guy wouldn't leave you alone at the bar."

"What was the look?"

"Murder." The simple remark made Ghost laugh in disbelief. With that said, the two sisters continued talking, avoiding the sensitive subjects for each of them until two hours had passed. Jackie groaned when she glanced at her watch. "Ugh, I have to face reality again."

Ghost scooted closer to her sister. "You want to stay another day?"

"Yes, but I have to face this. If you can face terrorists, I can face this. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I have to be."

"Door's open any time." The girls stood and hugged each other tightly, neither quite ready to let each other go. 

After a few sniffles, Jackie forced herself away. She took a deep breath and said, "We've got this. We're Blackwoods."

"Damn straight. Call me when you land?"

"You got it." Giving Ghost a two-finger salute, Jackie strode out of the apartment with her head held high. Ghost watched her leave until the car drove out of sight. Then she shut the door and shuffled back to the table, assessing the damage done to the food. They'd killed four entrées with no leftovers. An impressive feat considering Ghost could barely eat a full meal in one sitting most times. 

Sleepiness suddenly overcame Ghost, and with the food coma rapidly hitting, she swiftly cleaned up the mess and then collapsed onto her bed. Ghost had just shut her eyes when her phone rang. Seeing Juliette's name on the screen, she answered with as much cheerfulness as she could muster, "Hey!"

"Go back to bed," Juliette immediately said, laughter in tone. 

Ghost groaned. "How'd you know?"

"Because I know you. I was going to see if you wanted to come help Rooster with the nursery, but it sounds like you need more sleep."

"Give me an hour, and I'll be there."

"Ghost, your hour naps are like mine: they end up being three instead. Enjoy sleeping. One of us should, at least. Call me when you wake up if you still want to come over."

"I do. It's been a morning, and I promise I'll tell you when I get there later. Thank you for understanding."

"Of course. I'll see you later."

Bidding her friend goodbye, Ghost set her alarm and once more closed her eyes. This time, nothing interrupted it, and she slipped into a deep sleep.

****

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