#Lily has managed to pull pieces of wood out of the bottom of that thing that are as long as her and I have no idea how it's still standing

[witchcraftingboop]

So my goal when setting up my apt was to keep the "visible upon entry" areas dark and obviously a fair bit gothic and then have my bedroom be a pastel vibrant pit of comfort and niche whimsies. The main area, and the largest, is my living room, and it's been lightened up a fair bit by shelving my altars again and given more of a studious, mildly dark aesthetic look. But my bedroom is very quickly progressing towards the cozy pastel whiplash room I'd imagined. We're definitely slowly getting there (the main hold up is the fact that if I replace my ancient dresser, then I have to carry it out to the dumpsters, and I really do not want to do that), but so far it's endlessly satisfying to lounge around in my pink satin night gowns and fluffy bunny slippers in a mostly-pastel room and then slink onto my plum couch to make some tea by cat-skull-candlelight. I truly cannot wait to finish decorating both rooms

[extremelyblackandwhite]

timeless - 01

PAIRING: medieval!james “bucky” barnes x reader

WARNINGS: sexual content (18+)

A/N: hello! today i’m on a roll, having so much fun writing. thank you so much for the support for the first prelude, hope you enjoy the first chapter xx

NEXT CHAPTER

The noble man is not shy about their situation and as he pulls her slip up to her  shoulders, draping it right under her chin as he slide his hands in the back of her thighs, pushing her knees to fold to her chest making her whimper and beg with breathless and quiet cries of pleasure. The Grand Duke had barely touched her and the touches he had given were much too soft for her to find herself  already hot with her wetness spreading throughout her lower body.

Opening her mouth to speak, she tried to say something, ask something even but before she could do as such he slowly caressed her bottom lip, making her gasp against it and at his cold touch. Her tongue wrapped around his thumb slowly and eagerly as he pushed it forward and into her mouth allowing her to suck on it.

She caught a glimpse of his sly grin as he lodged himself in between her spread out legs, her warm skin rubbing sinfully against his while his hands slide up and down her legs before closing them behind his back, locking them vigorously to which she responded with a slight yelp when his large cock snaps into her. As it stretched her walls, she felt her whole body shake and shiver almost as she’d been lacking this experience for years. With his hands on either side of her body, he started rocking at a steady pace with his arms tangled around her torso, pulling and pushing her in ways that made her think only animals could mate like this. His hips snapped back and forth, in and out of her, making her scream loudly in both pain and pleasure which engulfed her entire being.

She felt her back lift from the mattress as his cold lips slide along her neck and chest, nipping and nibbling at every bit of skin they encountered and sucking until they were his to claim from sight and sight alone. The red and purple tones looked so real - they felt so real too, everything felt so real.

And when he pulled at the back of her head, with an arm firmly pressed against her back and his naked hips flushed against hers, Y/N knew, she knew fully well, that it was far beyond any dream she had.

She woke up with the sun shining in the direction of her eyes, however the sun was still rather low on the horizon. She groggily moved er legs to the side, noticing how her slip was still on. Her hand brushed the side of her neck, somewhat still feeling the ghost of the dream Grand Duke’s lips there. Curiously, she grabbed a mirror from her night stand, holding it up to her face but there were no marks, her neck was untouched. What a vivid dream. 

A sudden knock on the door wakes her from her transe and she found that she’s still sweaty and, now, even warmer and wetter in between her smooth legs. She shout out she was improper at the moment, that she could not receive or see any visitors right away and that whoever who was at the door should wait until she was proper, and the knocks on the door stop. She grabbed her used dress from the ground, throwing it on before rushing over to the door, one hand on he handle and another one against the wood of the door, opening it ever so slightly.

     - Oh, Eliza, are you alright? - she asked, adjusting her hat.

     - The princess and the prince went out for a town visit and me and the girls were wondering if you’d like to join us for a walk in the gardens? It’s a lovely day out. 

     - I would love to.

     - Great, we’ll wait for you outside the door then. - Y/N nodded before closing the door and walking to the still packed trunk to grab something proper for a garden walk. She settled with a lace ivory dress and a parasol, meeting up with the other ladies once she was ready to go.

From what she had gathered, they were mostly ladies of Genoa’s other noble families who had been personally summoned by the Queen to be part of court. Although all of them were nice and polished ladies, Y/N preferred Eliza’s company over the other women as she seemed to share a rather cut throat view of her situation and economic position much different from everyone else. She was also rather a fan of gossip which Y/N had to admit was entertaining. 

As the women walked down the foot paths, Y/N couldn’t help but be enchanted by the beauty of the flora and fauna present in the royal gardens. The palace might’ve looked old and scary but the gardens seemed to hold a child like spirit blooming in several types of flowers, mostly lilies and daffodils with the most wondrous scent. Her eyes lingered on the flowers as their dainty heels hit the little pebbles of the pathway, stopping to smell the yellow daffodils illuminated by the cloudy skies. She closed her eyes to feel the scent hit all her senses until a different scent made her open her eyes once again. Roses. She could almost see them just from the scent alone, white roses with perfectly shaped drops of dew in a long garden. However, there were no roses in the garden, no sight of roses anywhere. As she looked up, she noticed that not a bit further was the same man who had visited her dreams just a few hours ago. It was now her turn to stare at him, watching eagerly as he stood next to the King dressed in lighter clothing, hair loose yet still using the dark leathered gloves.

The Grand Duke seemed to notice he was being watched as he turned his attention towards the lady in waiting which led her to place her parasol in front of her face, turning his back to him.

    - I know. - Eliza gave her an understanding look. - He’s like the sun. You know he’ll burn you but you can’t help but look when it shines.

    - What is he doing at court? - she questioned. Grand Duke was quite a high up status considering Addia had never had a King or Queen meaning the noble family ruled. 

    - Genoa and Addia have the oldest alliance in the world. The King brings him in whenever any of his children are engaged to foreign nobility. He seems to have a keen eye for people born for power, he knows a gold digger from an economic proposition. 

    - Do you really think he killed his wife? - she hid her face from his with her parasol. 

    - A couple screaming during a fire and only one comes out? The answer is right there. 

    - Why would he do that?

    - Who knows. - she shrugged. - He’s not one to dally around with other women. Some people think he did it to escape a forced marriage but I personally believe he’s a sadist. If you go by his bedroom at night you can always hear screaming.

    - Shame, I would personally warm his bed if he allowed me. - one of the ladies smirked, waving coquettishly at him. 

   - Let me know when to attend your funeral, Anne. - Eliza rolled her eyes, pulling the two girls away from the area. - I’m sure you’ll look lovely with death gracing your features.

   - Don’t be worried, Eliza, he seems to be rather ... busy. - Anne opened her fan, fanning it ever so flirtingly, eyes quickly moving over to Grand Duke Barnes who was speaking with the King but at the same time keeping an eye on the lady in waiting’s back, almost unaware that everyone who passed by could see it. - Why don’t we go for tea?

   - I really should wait for my princess. 

   - She’ll be fine, Y/N. - Eliza wrapped her arm around hers, guiding her towards one of their bedrooms where they would have tea. While most ladies decided to change into a different set of clothing, Y/N decided to go set down her umbrella instead of changing her clothings.

As she climbed down the stairs she found herself somewhere unknown. The portraits on the walls were different from the ones from last night and as she delved into the dark walls barely lit due to the harsh black out burgundy curtains covering each window, she realised she was much further away from where she wanted to be. Nevertheless she continued to walk down the halls, expecting that at some point she would reach her bedroom, exit or at least a wall. However, before she could continue with her walk into the palace upstairs, she noticed a slightly open door with dim lights coming from it. Her curiosity got the best of her and, after looking around to see if someone was near, she carefully padded towards the door. 

She walked into the room, noticing the lack of decoration except for a few shelves with old dusty books. Y/N’s fingers danced on the top of the books, most being classical pieces any noble man of high education would have read, however as she kept looking, behind some books she found a few loose papers which caught her attention. She pulled them out noticing the titles “Critique of Pure Reason” and “Discourse on Inequality”.

     - Do you read, milady? - she gasped out of surprise, dropping the papers on the floor as the man they had just been discussing stood a few feet away from her. - I didn’t intend to frighten you, my deepest apologies.

     - These texts are banned in Genoa. - was the only thing she could manage to say before dropping to the floor to collect the papers, extending them towards him with shaky arms and hands. 

     - Genoa has always been very behind in scholarly matters. - he took the papers back, placing them back in its original spot, slowly passing by her side causing a waft of the same rose scent to pass by. Maybe it was just his cologne, she reasoned. - They belong to my wife, she was always one to be interested in new philosophies.

    - Do you mind if I borrow them? There’s not a lot of enlightenment texts in Arendelle and my mother thinks it’s a dangerous philosophy. - she wondered if she should be asking someone believed to have ended his partner’s life for his partner’s texts but her curiosity took the best over her judgement.

    - You can borrow whatever you’d like, milady. - she was about to thank him before the door hit the wall, calling for her and his attention. 

    - Y/N! - her mother burst through the room as if she was a child misbehaving and maybe she was as she was fraternising with someone all the people she met believed was nothing but good news. - Y/N, my darling, you were supposed to come and see your poor mother today. 

    - I got distracted. - she observed her shoes for a while before her eyes quickly gazed onto the Duke who had his lips tightly pressed. - Mother, this is Grand Duke James Barnes. Grand Duke, this is my mother Lady Catherine Bouvaire. 

   - Pleasure. - he remained stiff like a statue, hands behind his back. - I must return. Take whatever you’d like, milady. Good day. 

The man left in a hurry, closing the door behind him rather harshly which made Y/N jump quite a bit before her mother placed herself in front of her sight, hands on her waist. 

   - You were supposed to have come visit me yesterday, Y/N. Have you already forgotten about your mother?

   - No, mother. I am so sorry, I just ... I really have no excuse. - Y/N scratched the side of her wrist. - I returned to my chambers rather late.

   - I hope Duke Barnes wasn’t the reason you were late. I don’t want you speaking with that man, he’s dangerous. 

   - Don’t you think it’s all gossip? There surely should be circumstances if he ... terminated someone’s life.

   - Aw, darling ... - she pulled a fly away of hair behind her ear, hand caressing her skin from ear to chin. - You know why I worry, you’re too good but he’s a bad man, Y/N. Seeing you standing next to men like him always worries me they could hurt you. 

    - I’m sorry, mother.

   - Why don’t you let me brush your hair, it always calms me down. 

   - Yes, mother. 

tag list: @lookiamtrying​ @kmuir1​ @anxiousdreamersworld​ @tinymalscoffee​@navegandoaciegas​

[tuancore]

Lost You (Part 14) :

Starring- Jinyoung x reader

Genre- Angst

Summary- It's your choices and actions which made you miserable.

You could feel your entire world collapsing before you, oxygen leaving your lungs, suffocating you to death. It was a horrible feeling, your body was crying for oxygen to let you live, but you had absolute no reason to. As much as it killed you inside you were going to meet ends by killing yourself from outside as well.

As soon as your eyes shut close, you felt yourself falling into some sort of black hole, getting sucked from within. Thats it, you are going to leave everything behind and rest in piece, you thought.

________

The doctors operated on you restlessly for hours, Jinyoung stood outside the operation theatre his face already pale and puffy from crying. All he prayed was for you to be safe and to come back to life, To him, To your love, To where you belonged.

The doctors were finally done operating on you after two and a half hours.

"Doctor, how's she? She's fine right? Nothing happened to her right—" Jinyoung clouded the doctors with multiple questions his fingers intertwined together. Exhaling a short breath, they replied "Mr. Park, we managed to save her..but if she—".

"If she what doctor?" He shouted impatiently, "You See.....Mr. Park we have to wait till she gains consciousness until then we can't say anything clearly, let's just hope for the best, now if you excuse me" The doctor excused himself leaving Jinyoung behind, crying to himself.

BamBam approached him, embracing Jinyoung in his arms, rubbing his back, "Hyung, Noona will wake up soon. Don't worry, she's the strongest".

"But BamBam what if she never wakes up, what if I lose her?" Jinyoung panicked, grabbing his hairs harshly "I can't lose her Bam, I can't, how will I even breathe seeing her in this condition?".

"Hyung, Hyung....please calm down, nothing bad will happen, have some faith in her, she won't leave you", BamBam tried to assure him, "If anything she loves you, she'll not go anywhere leaving me, leaving you, any of us".

And just like that it's been two months and you still haven't opened your eyes. Seeing your lifeless form before his eyes were burning and eating Jinyoung alive, he felt so helpless for the first time in his life, even if he gave up all his money and his soul he won't be able to wake you up. All he was required to do was pray and wait for a new day to bring the possibility of you waking up.

"Oppa..." The voice made Jinyoung turn his head around, while he sat beside your ward bed on a barstool holding onto your cold hands securingly, "Minyoung, You here? Not having work today?".

"I do have work but I wanted to visit Unnie first, that's all" She smiled, staring at you, "Oppa, I just hope she wakes up soon, it's been so long. It's kind of hard to not have her around and I want you to be healthy Oppa, you're neither eating nor sleeping properly. Do you think unnie will be happy seeing you like this?".

"Yeah, you're right...." He turned to face you, his heart hurting everytime to see your hands getting pierced with syringes and that oxygen mask which was keeping you stable, " But Minyoung, I'm healthy don't worry, as long as she's by my side, I'll be okay ".

"Where's BamBam?" Minyoung asked, "I thought he would be here".

"BamBam? He hasn't visited for two to three days, anyways why are you asking about him?" Jinyoung asked back, raising his brows in curiosity.

"Stop with that suspicious upfront" Minyoung laughed hitting Jinyoung's shoulders playfully, "Lisa unnie was worried about him, he hasn't been answering her phone calls".

"Lisa hmm, there's nothing to be worried about he's busy with things at the studio, tell her not to care about that dork that much. Yugyeom is there with him" Jinyoung laughed, "Oppa if he's with Yugyeom it's 110% confirm that they'll cause some trouble, for you all to wrap up later, it's so casual for Lisa unnie to get worried".

"I know, I know. Salute to Lisa for bearing with BamBam's annoying ass" Jinyoung grinned, at the thought of Lisa always running after BamBam with the amount of headache he gives her.

"Aigoo it's already, 11:47. I guess I'll be on my way to the clinic, see you Oppa" She hugged Jinyoung gently, then after facing you again, "Unnie wake up soon, we're all missing you a lot".

"Please baby, please come back to me, with every passing second, I'm losing a part of myself" He sniffed, reminiscing the times you both have spent together, "Remember baby you always scolded me for not helping in household chores, and that one day you'll leave me if I didn't start being a good boyfriend, helping you with those. I'm sorry...." He sobbed kissing your knuckles, "I'll do whatever you'll ask me to, I promise. I'll do the dishes, I'll do the laundry, I'll clean the washroom. Anything, I'll keep you like the princess you are....all you have to do is come back to me. Please....I love you. Please".

"Bam the hell are you doing?" Lisa growled through her phone, making her boyfriend shudder in fear, "I'm sorry Lili baby I was busy".

"Busy? What kind of busy? That you haven't answered my calls for three days, not even a single message", she continued ranting while BamBam bit his bottom lips nervously, glancing at Yugyeom every now and then who was busy drinking his chocolate milk, "Baby...I'm just busy at the studio with some mixtapes, it's been exhausting lately. I promise I'll call you from now onwards, don't worry too much, hmmm?".

Sighing loudly, Lisa mumbled "Okay, take care, by the way Bam".

"Yes Lili?".

"Just go and visit the hospital, Minyoung told me that Jinyoung's condition is also worsening, it's not good for his health", She explained, tone laced with concern, "Lisa, hyung hasn't been himself since the day Noona— I'll spare myself some time and go there".

"Sounds good, and one more thing. I'm coming back in five days" Lisa contained herself from squealing. BamBam's face lit up at the news, clutching his phone tight he grinned widely, "OMG! Finally! You've been stuck at Rosé's place for three weeks now, that's enough for her".

"Yeah, but it's definitely not enough. I'm cutting my visit short because my childish boyfriend is being a nut".

"Hey! What do you mean by a nut? I'm the coolest you know so it's definitely you who's a nut" He bragged, dabbing again. Yugyeom let out a scoff walking out of the room.

"And I'm the hottest okay" She chuckled lightly, "Yeah yeah a very hot nut though, Lisa come back soon I miss you", he muttered lovingly.

"I miss you more Bamie".

________

The work and everything started getting the best out of Jinyoung, he was ditching meals and sleep continuously. He ran from office to hospital and then from hospital to office without any fixed schedule. Everyone requested him to get some rest at home, Yugyeom and BamBam even suggested that they will keep an eye on you. But Jinyoung was not satisfied with any of that, if he wants to be with you, Then he will be with you. His words were solidified in concrete.

Except for today, everyone planned on not letting Jinyoung step inside your ward until and unless he attends today's meeting. The investor was giving up a huge amount for the project and Jinyoung's company can't miss on this.

"You guys sure that this will convince Sir to attend the meeting?" A blonde lean boy one of Jinyoung's employees asked, chewing his fingertips, "Of course! Hyunjin don't worry. Noona means the world to Jinyoung hyung, he'll even walk to the moon just for her sake, so chill", Yugyeom encouraged Hyunjin who was still not so sure.

"Please hyungs do anything, but please please convince Sir to lead on this meeting. He has been rescheduling this meeting for weeks and I don't think that the investor himself have that much patience" Hyunjin explained desperately, "I do understand that he's here for ma'am he cares for her, he loves her but job is also important. Please convince hi—".

"Shut up! He will go with you, just stop with your blabbering" BamBam shouted, irritated hearing Hyunjin's pleadings since then.

BamBam and Yugyeom proceeded with their plan by locking your room's door from inside not letting Jinyoung in, "Hyung! You'll get to see her after the meeting only!" BamBam shouted from inside holding onto the knob tightly.

"BamBam that's not fair! You can't do this I swear I'll break the door if you don't open it!" Jinyoung snarled from outside banging on the wood. "Stop banging loudly, Do you want Noona to get disturbed?" BamBam's words made Jinyoung stop and sigh in defeat, "Fine I'll go....".

"Good choice, so we'll be waiting for you right here after few hours...." BamBam smiled waving a bye from the little glass hole in the door, "Few hours" Jinyoung repeated sadly not wanting to leave you even for a second.

"After you Sir" Hyunjin spoke for the first time after Jinyoung's arrival. He nodded after capturing your form, grabbing the file from Hyunjin's grasp walking towards the exit flipping through the pages, with Hyunjin following behind.

Yugyeom and BamBam passed a thumbs up towards Hyunjin, mouthing "Told you".

Unlocking the door, BamBam and Yugyeom plopped themselves on the couch. Both of them already tired from sweating day and night at the studio, but they knew that someone has to look after Jinyoung because he has completely lost himself.

Suddenly your heart rate monitor started to beep sending a panic wave through BamBam and Yugyeom. They jumped to their feet running to examine you, your breathing was highly unstable even though you had the oxygen mask.

BamBam stayed with you while Yugyeom rushed outside to call a doctor to check on your not so good seeming state. Your chest heaved up and down due to your erratic breathing, your lungs suffocating you.

"Noona... Noona...." He called out desperately, "Nothing will happen to you Noona...", BamBam pulled out his phone ready to dial Jinyoung's number but stopped at the thought of Jinyoung being in the meeting.

"Doctor please...do something it looks like she's getting short of breath" Yugyeom barged in along with the doctor, she immediately stood beside you, checking your pulse rate and heart rate.

She injected you with some medicine, then again leveling the monitors after awhile your breathing was back to normal. BamBam and Yugyeom almost had a cardiac arrest, if it wasn't for the doctor to have you stable again.

"What was happening to her?" BamBam asked the doctor, "She's fine right?".

"Don't worry she's good, and I think she'll wake up soon" She smiled at both of them, before walking away.

"Gyeomie...." BamBam whispered facing him. Yugyeom nodded with a smile, "Yes yes I heard, Noona we're waiting".

Your head started throbbing with pain, almost unbearable, you tried opening your eyes but squinted them with the ache, tears filling your eyes. You heard someone calling your name voice laced with shear panic.

"Noona!" With the last call out, you opened your eyes, panting and sweating heavily as if you've ran a marathon, "Calm down, calm down..... Everything is okay, you're okay. Slow down, breathe in, breathe out".

"BamBam...." You whispered, through the mask. Later catching the proper rhythm of breath, still with your head throbbing you managed to rotate your eyes across the room. Hospital.

"I didn't die?" You mumbled which was audible enough for BamBam and Yugyeom to hear. "Noona, stop saying things like that. You're safe and sound. Nothing happened to you by god's grace", Yugyeom snapped, shaking his head.

You didn't dare to ask about Jinyoung, not that he has left your mind or heart, but the slightest thought of him pained your heart, neither did Yugyeom or BamBam were bothered enough to bring Jinyoung up.

Later the doctors performed few tests on you to make sure everything was normal. Fortunately the reports were declared normal and that if you wish you can get back home as soon as possible.

"Shouldn't we call Jinyoung hyung and let him know about her?" Yugyeom asked BamBam, "We should but not now, he's still in the meeting and if we informed him right now, he'll leave that meeting in between and hurry here, which we don't want..." BamBam explained, waiting for doctors to shift you back to your ward.

Thanks to the medicines, due to which your headache completely vanished, you still felt light headed almost floating in the sky, legs wobbly, breathing heavily. The doctor handed you a pair of clothes for you to change from that hospital gown.

"This...." You asked the doctor confused about the clothes which you were certain belonged to you, hesitantly taking the dress from her hand. "The young man who's with you kept these clothes just in case and see it was fruitful", You nodded your head mind thinking about BamBam since he was the one with you meanwhile the doctor clearly referred to Jinyoung.

"You can walk..." Yugyeom uttered examining you from head to toe as you walked with the doctor. "Of course I can, I didn't break my legs".

"So wanna go home?" The doctor asked you with a humble smile, "If you want you can, I'll just arrange the discharge papers".

"Will it be okay to take her so soon, like she just woke up?" BamBam asked worriedly. "Everything is fine, you can take her home. She'll get proper rest at home".

Sitting at the backseat of BamBam's car you stared outside of the window, it was already evening with the sun almost setting while BamBam sat on the driver's nseat with Yugyeom beside him.

"Noona Jinyoung hyung isn't at home, he's busy in some meeting, so no one would be at home, if you want I can take you—" Cutting BamBam in the midway, you sighed in frustration, "I don't want to hear anything about Jinyoung Bam! Just take me somewhere else but not to him".

Yugyeom and BamBam locked eyes in eternal confusion and shock, "What do you mean by not to him?".

"I just don't want to see his face, I don't wanna go back to him".

"But Noona he—".

BamBam held Yugyeom's arms shushing him, "So I'll take you to Youngjae's place then...".

Eyes widening you shrieked loudly, "Youngjae's place? BamBam have you both completely lost it. Why would I want to go to that bastard's place, he's the reason why me and Jinyoung are having problems".

"What do you mean?" Yugyeom cut in curtly.

"I know Youngjae is the one responsible for mine and Jinyoung's relationship to end so brutally!" You snarled clenching your fists, your nails almost digging into your palm's flesh.

"I know you both knew this, then why would you want to take me to his place?", You asserted your pitch rising with every word.

"Because he's your bestfriend" Yugyeom and BamBam announced in unison. Your face falling at their words, pondering over it, a sharp pain shot through your head making you groan in pain.

Part 13 // Part 14 // Part 15

______________________________________

[gaamagirl565]

Matters of the heart ep 14

slight language warning but it's only in one line Matters of the heart Episode 14:

A mission of memories {OPENING CREDITS} {Open to inside Varian’s house; Quirin is setting up a banner that says “Happy Birthday”} Varian: I cannot believe he’s turning 13… Quirin: it goes by fast doesn’t it? Varian: Whatever happened to the little blonde headed doe-eyed little boy that used to come home with one of the deadliest creatures you could possibly find and all covered in mud!? {A loud crash is heard and everyone turns to see Isaiah hanging off the railing with a rope around his foot} Isaiah:..hi dad… Quirin:...He's still here he just got bigger... {Zapada runs out from the kitchen covered in flour and frosting} Zapada: What happens here!? AH! Isaiah! What are you doing!? Isaiah: you know, just hanging out… {Zapada helps him down; Varian walks over to them} Varian: Well that's the last time I asked you to hang decorations off the railing…*he takes some frosting of Zapada’s nose*...mnnn strawberry... what are you doing by the way? Zapada: baking the cake! If I am to be a good mother I need to make a cake for copilul meu! Varian: ……. Zapada: what? {Varian spins and dips her} Varian: What a woman you are… Isaiah: ew...Okay well now that I've had my daily gagging... I'm going to go find Nathaniel. Varian: Nathaniel? I thought you two hated each other. Isaiah:  well... ever since the incident with the “beast”  we've been getting to know each other and actually…. he's not that bad. Varian: Are you telling me you've managed to get through to one of your past bullies and put your bad blood behind you and become friends? Isaiah: Yeesss? {Varian picks him up and hugs him} Varian: I’m SO proud of you! Ohh! So grown up! Isaiah: DAD! Spine cracking! Disks slipping! Varian: oops sorry! Isaiah: okay well i’m off! Varian: Be back in time for the party! Princess Lily and, the king and queen are coming over! Isaiah: I will! {Isaiah leaves} Varian:  he's a good kid... by the way did you get it made? Quirin: you know I did... {Quirin takes out a case and opens it to reveal a sword with an eclipse engraving on the bottom of the blade and a metal golden snake wrapped around the hilt} Zapada: Well now that's a sword if I have ever seen one! Quirin: Only the best for my grandson. {he places a hand on Varian’s shoulder; cut to the tree line of the forest} Larkspur: Marvelous... what a quaint little town. isn't it cute Noremoth? Noremoth: If you want to think that go right ahead. Larkspur: ugh,  what's the issue now? Noremoth: there is no issue! me and Corona just don't exactly... get along. we have some history just leave it at that. Larkspur: whatever.  the point is we're finally going to be able to make our move. is our vessel ready? Cassandra: please don't make me do this… Larkspur:  see but that's the sad thing you don't exactly have a choice. either you activate the device or We could just kill the whole town now. Your choice. Cassandra: NO! Please! Larkspur: Well? make your decision. Cassandra:.. I'll.. I'll do it… Larkspur: that's a good girl... bring it in. {Two cult members roll up a much smaller version of the Demanitus device only this one is only 10 feet tall} Larkspur:  it took us many years to perfect the device.  we took the blueprints of the original and.. modified it if you will. We made it travel-sized!  and we altered the effects. Cassandra: altered? Larkspur:  yes... altered.  you see the original device protected Corona this one will bring devastation.  once it implants itself in the ground this device who create such a large rainstorm that it will completely waterlog all the crops. that and provide substantial damage to the nearby villages.  Corona will be so weakened from the devastation and so distracted by it they won't suspect an attack. We’ll slip in, kill the alchemist and any that stand in our way, and take the moonstone shard for ourselves. Cassandra: NO! I WON’T LET YOU! Larkspur:... how cute... you act as if you have a choice. {magic zaps around Cassandra turning her eyes a different color and she screams; cut to black; fade to the orchard and Isaiah sneaking in} Isaiah: Nathaniel?...You here? CAW-CAW! Nathaniel: that is still the stupidest way to alert somebody. Isaiah:  more stupid than you? Nathaniel:  way more! {He playfully tackles Isaiah and they tussle in the dirt; Nathaniel pins him} Nathaniel:  And The Mighty Nathaniel bring down his enemy! The Crowd Goes Wild! Ahhhhhh! Isaiah: alright you made your point! Haha! {Nathaniel helps him up} Nathaniel: come on better get back to the party before the princess gets there. Isaiah: good point...By the way I-!? {the ground shakes for a second and clouds form in the sky; thunder and lightning crashes as the wind picks up; Isaiah’s eyes dilate in fear as rain falls heavily on them} Nathaniel:  what's going on!? Isaiah: I-I...I don’t… Nathaniel: Isaiah? {Isaiah kneels down and curls into a ball as the rain pelts them} Nathaniel: Isaiah! Snap out of it! Isaiah Isaiah:..I...I..mum...I… { Nathaniel smacks him} Nathaniel: MOVE! {Nathaniel grabs him by the arm and pulls him as they run through town} Nathaniel: I can't see! I have no idea where I'm going there's too much rain and wind! Isaiah: ngghh… Nathaniel: look dude I know you're scared but I need you to focus! Isaiah: R-right...so..rry.. {they stand in the rain trying to get their bearings; a distant voice calls out} Isaiah: huh? {Varian calls out from the doorway} Varian: Isaiah! Isaiah can you hear me!? Where are you? Isaiah: DAD! Varian: Isaiah!? Isaiah: DADDY! Varian: FOLLOW MY VOICE BUDDY! Isaiah: OKAY!... {Nathaniel leads them both in the direction of Varian} Varian: Come on! Just keep walking! I’m right here! {once they come into view Varian rushes out and grabs them both; he takes them inside to which Isaiah promptly falls to his knees and starts gagging} Varian: Isaiah!...there we go. Let it out. {Lily runs over to him} Lily: you okay? Isaiah: *nods* Eugene: What could be causing a storm like this!? it was dandy not even 5 minutes ago! Rapunzel: I don't know! *she takes off her coat and wraps it around Isaiah*  here sweetheart you'll catch your death. Isaiah: th-thank..you...your majesty… Varian: I'll get a fire started… {Varian runs over to light the wood in the fireplace but stops and looks out the window; he sees the rain as snow for a spit second; lightning flashes and he’s 14 again with the amber behind him; he shakes his head back to reality and lights the fire} Rapunzel: Varian are you okay? Varian:  it's just... just like last time. storm out of nowhere...Just as violent too. {Rapunzel hugs him; Quirin places a hand of him from behind making him jumps slightly} Quirin: It won't be like last time... we're all together.. all we have to do is wait this out. Nathaniel: My dad was out hunting today. I hope he's going to be okay. Varian:  Nathaniel if I know your dad he's one of the most stubborn people I've ever met on this Earth. he'll be just fine in fact he's probably already home. Nathaniel: you're sure? Varian: I'm positive... besides it would be too dangerous to send a search party right now. Nathaniel:... you're right… {Zapada walks over and hands him hot cocoa} Zapada: Here...drink.. Nathaniel: thank you Mrs.Varian Zapada: oh! Please just Zapada! That is far too formal...ohh.. {they all giggle} Nathaniel: *laughs* {Cut to the cult taking shelter in a nearby cave} Noremoth: you never thought that the evil weather storm would come down on us two now did you? Larkspur:  calm yourself Noremoth... it is but a minor setback. Noremoth: MINOR!?  you're not the one who had to carry the vessel’s unconscious body here! {he points to an exhausted Cassandra} Noremoth:  and on top of all of that! how are we supposed to turn the machine off!? Larkspur:  relax it'll run out of energy in a few hours... until then you're just going to have to sit here and be patient.  you can do that can't you? Noremoth: *mockingly* You can do that can’t you!? {Thunder crashes and a man yells} Larkspur: Someones coming! Everyone to the back of the cave! {they all move back; and Joseph walks into the cave} Joseph: Bloody weather...I'm going to catch my death out here... I hope this doesn't lead to pneumonia. {he accidentally hits his foot against a piece of metal} Joseph: *picks it up* what the-!? {Larkspur pins him to the wall and holds a knife to his throat} Joseph:  I don't have any money!  I don't have anything right now! please don't kill me! Larkspur:  just who are you? Joseph: I’m Joseph of old Corona!  I was out hunting.  I got stuck in the rain. please I'm only looking for a place to take shelter! Noremoth: What are you waiting for Larkspur? just kill him... we don't have time for this. Larkspur: now wait a minute... I have an idea... I'm sure a little friend here would love to keep his life. {Joseph nods vigorously} Larkspur:... you're from old Corona correct? well then can you tell me some information? what do you know of a Varian? Joseph:  what do you want to know about that traitor?  he's a spineless weakling that doesn't deserve the title that he's going to be given. Larkspur: Is that so?  so I can assume you quite dislike him? Joseph:  I hate the bloody bastard… Larkspur:  well then it looks like our interests align for the time being. Joseph: huh? Larkspur: you see... Varian has something of ours... and he's caused a great deal of trouble for us. we would be very glad to see him “disappear” if you catch my drift. Joseph:.... keep talking. Larkspur: if you could give me some information I could make it worth your while.  think about it. I kill Varian.  I get what I need from him.  and you get him out of your life forever.  it's a win-win. what do you say? will you help me? Joseph:.... what do you want to know? {Larkspur smirks and we fade back to the inside of Varian’s house} Isaiah: ACHOO! {Varian walks over and hands him a box} Varian: Sorry this isn’t the birthday you imagined, bud. Isaiah: Dad what are you talking about?  okay yeah the rain storm was kind of out of left field but other than that this turned out to be a pretty good day.  I got to spend time with my friends and family.  there's cake. and presents. what more could I ask for? Varian: aww buddy! {Isaiah opens the box} Isaiah: no way...this..this is a Scabbard...why would I need a-? {Quirin hands the sword to him} Quirin: Happy birthday, Isaiah. {Isaiah holds it and poses} Isaiah: ALRIGHT! MY OWN SWORD! THANK YOU! {he swings it around} Lily: eep! Eugene: oh sure the kid is already a walking accident magnet but sure throw a sword into the mix. {Zapada walks out with a lop-sided cake} Zapada: who wants cake? {They all stare} Zapada: Do not stare it is rude! I tried! Varian: and you succeeded! It still looks... moderately edible. {Zapada cocks an eyebrow}

Varian: and this is the moment I shut up. Zapada: good call, Iubirea mea… {She sets the cake down} Everyone: Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear- Nathaniel: -Scarface Everyone else: -Isaiah!

Everyone: Happy birthday to you! Eugene: And many mooorrree! {Isaiah blows out the candles} {END CREDITS}

[fizzyhosh]

Binding

Chapter Six

Prologue | One | Two | Three | Four | Five

Summary: Remus likes things predictable, orderly, and punctual. His comfort-zone is compromised when he meets (Y/N), a girl who is indifferent, spontaneous, and not outwardly friendly. Despite their obvious differences, he can’t seem to stay away from her, even when they aren’t working side-by-side at the most boring job on the planet.

Word Count: 3.3k

A/N: OMG WHAT A WILD RIDE! I’m so happy y’all have stuck with this story until the end! It’s been a slow af burn but the final part is finally here! I hope you all love it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it! Shout out to @swellwriting and @fortisfiliae for being my betas for this last part, go give them a follow!!

•••••

JOIN MY TAGLIST | Masterlist | Request FAQ

•••••

bind·ingˈbīndiNG

noun

1. a strong covering holding the pages of a book together.

adjective

1. (of an agreement or promise) involving an obligation that cannot be broken.

•••••

As expected, Remus went straight to his room when he got home and locked himself in to avoid James and Sirius. Well, more specifically, he abruptly walked inside the apartment, taking in short, shallow breaths that James recognized as 'panic', ignored the guys as they asked a million questions, locked his bedroom door behind him, pushed his small dresser in front of the door like a barricade, and fell on his bed to cry.

He felt like a five-year-old but didn't care. He royally messed up. He switched back-and-forth between crying silently, his shoulders shaking from the massive sobs, and letting the exhaustion take over and falling asleep.

When he woke up after a few hours of this routine, a soft knock sounded on his door, followed by a concerned, "Rem?"

Remus ignored the voice, his back to the door, until he realized who it was. He rolled off the bed and dragged his feet to the wood separating him and Lily. Shaking his head at how dramatic he had been, he nudged his dresser out of the way and cracked open the door slightly, looking down at the girl.

"Hey," she said with sweetness laced in her voice. No wonder James was in love with her. Two words had been spoken and he already felt a little calmer. Her eyes flickered down to the dresser and she frowned. “Did... you barricade the door?”

"What are you doing here?" Remus mumbled.

"James told me you've been in your room since you got home a few hours ago. Can I come in?"

"I'm not particularly fond of the idea of guests right now."

"Let me rephrase that, then. I'm coming into your room so we can talk."

With a deep sigh, Remus stepped slightly to the right, allowing just enough space for her to walk into the room. Lily pushed past him, unbothered that he was dramatically pouting and sighing as a way to tell her he was annoyed by company. She knew. She didn't care. Lily sat on his bed, crossed her legs, and waited until he joined her—which took a few moments because he was dragging his feet still—before clearing her throat. "Spill it, Remus."

Remus shook his head. "It's nothing-"

"I don't appreciate it when you lie to me. I'm trying to help you because clearly you're spiraling and when you spiral, it's never good. I can't help you if you don't let me."

So he did. He told her about the girl at the bookstore and how he visited the library because of her and how that day, she found out and was repulsed by him.

After Remus finished, now having more tears on his face than before, Lily sighed and pulled him into a hug. "Even though she has a boyfriend, I felt like we were getting somewhere. Maybe not romantically, but I felt comfortable around her. She was starting to become one of my best friends."

"Have you talked to her?"

"No," he said as he pulled away from her. "And I'm not going to. I don't want to scare her more than I already have. She's probably already blocked my number."

"I highly doubt that. She was probably just caught off-guard because she didn't know you liked her, but I don't think she's going to call the police on you anytime soon."

Remus didn't say anything.

"You don't have to come to my party tomorrow. I'm sure you didn't want to anyway, but just saying, I won't be offended. I know you like to watch movies when you're like this."

"James is still trying to get me to go."

"In that case, you are officially uninvited to my party. Now he can't make you go because I won't let you in at the door."

Remus smiled lightly. "Thanks, Lily. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

The redhead smiled brightly and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Rem. Don't think too hard about Y/N or you'll overthink it again. Just talk to her at work on Monday." She stood up after squeezing his shoulder and left without another word.

___

Thanks to Lily's kind words and even kinder act of uninviting him to her party, Remus was able to stay in his room and wallow from dawn to dusk the following day.

He did, however, bravely decide to send a text to Y/N, just to see if he was still blocked. If she responded, maybe he could see how she was feeling about everything and panic accordingly.

To Y/N

Sorry about yesterday. Hope you can give me a chance to explain myself better.

*Message Delivered*

He sighed and set his phone down, close enough to feel the vibration if he got a text back, but far enough away that he wasn't obsessing over it.

He glanced at the book on his nightstand and frowned. It was the most recent recommendation and he actually was interested in it when Y/N described it to him. He leaned over and picked it up, resuming from where he read last, which wasn't far from the title page.

It was a book he heard a lot about, being a classic novel and all, but had never felt the need to read. It was pretty good. Being a period piece, it forced him to focus on what the words were trying to say instead of worrying about Y/N and what she was doing. She had mentioned that today was her anniversary, so he really didn't want to think about her and her boyfriend.

"Moony?" James tapped on the door and Remus grunted in response. The door cracked open and James' head popped in. "We're leaving soon. Get ready."

"'M not going," he mumbled, pulling on his bottom lip as his eyes scanned the words on the page.

"Yes you are. Put your book down."

"Are you my dad now? I'm not going. Lily uninvited me anyway."

"What? Why?"

"So you couldn't force me to go."

"Oh, come on, she told us about what happened. Sirius and I agree that a party will help you get your mind off Y/N."

"Honestly, James, my mind was off her until you said her name. Besides, parties don't do that for me."

"Because you don't get drunk enough. Here's the thing. If you come, you can get hammered and forget everything and I'll look after you to make sure you're safe. I won't touch a drop of alcohol."

"Yeah, until you ditch me to woo Lily."

"I can multitask," he said with a smile.

"I'd much rather wallow in my room until the manager of the library fires me for not showing up to work. Unless Y/N recommends she fire me sooner."

"No. I'm not going to let you just sit here feeling sorry for yourself. You liked a girl and she rejected you? Suck it up. You weren't and aren't a stalker. All you did was visit a public place often while you built up the courage to talk to someone. You've done nothing wrong and if she thinks you have, she has to deal with the fact that she turned down a brilliant bloke like you."

Remus stayed silent as James stared at him. After a few moments, he groaned and closed the door, leaving Remus alone. James was never very patient, and he didn't want to yell at his friend, so he figured it best to leave before he could.

It was nice being home alone. He was able to wander into the kitchen and get food for the first time since he got home, without the chance to getting interrogated by his well-intentioned but stubbornly nosy mates. He kept his book in his left hand, worried that if he took his eyes of the difficult-to-understand dialogue for even a second, he'd start thinking about all his problems again. He navigated the pantry with his right hand until he found a water bottle and a row of crackers.

After plopping on the couch with his new snack on his lap, Remus was able to settle back into a faster reading pace, his brain no longer fighting to multitask.

His eyes flicked over the edge of the book to read the name that popped up on his phone screen. He had an incoming call from James. When the notification went away, his phone told him he had already tried calling twice and Sirius had called once. It wasn't until Lily's contact picture popped up that he answered the phone, knowing it had to be serious if she wanted to call as well.

"What is it, Lily?"

"It's James. You gotta come."

"I already told you I'm not going to that bloody party—"

"Mate. You have to come."

Remus heard shuffling before Lily's voice replaced James'. "Remus. You are invited to my party. Now come. I mean it, you'll be sorry if you don't."

"How's that?"

"There's someone here you're going to want to talk to."

"Are you lot trying to set me up?"

"No, Remus. It's her. She's here."

"...What?"

"Get over here."

She hung up and Remus slowly lowered the phone from his ear. It suddenly felt like he wasn't in control of his body as he stood up and changed his clothes, making sure he looked presentable. He ran around the house looking for his shoes, his favorite jean jacket, and his wallet and keys. A million questions raced through his head as he drove to Lily's house.

Why hadn't she texted him back? That meant she didn't want to see him, right?

In that case, why was he driving to see her? Maybe she did want to see him? Why would she go to Remus' friends' party if she had no intention of ever seeing him again? Probably because she thought he wouldn't be there because he ranted about how much he hated parties.

Also, why wasn't she on a date with her boyfriend on their anniversary? Or maybe this is their date? That's a pretty lousy date.

Remus' hands shook as he pulled up to the house, parking on the curb and taking a moment to catch his breath.

In all of Remus' life, mostly in the last five years of being friends with James and Sirius, he had only been to four parties that had no real occasion. These were the kind of parties that would get out of hand quickly and therefore were the kind that Remus despised. Unfortunately, Lily's party had no attached occasion -- no birthday, Bar Mitzvah, wedding, baby shower or anything remotely party-worthy was happening.

It had been an hour since the party started which meant it was definitely going to be crowded inside. How would he ever find Y/N in that mess of people?

As he walked across the lawn to the front door, he made a plan. Or, attempted to. Maybe he should act like he'd been there the whole time so if he happened to bump into her, he wouldn't seem like he'd been stressing for the last 32 hours. Or he should say screw it and search every corner of the house for her?

As soon as he opened the front door, Lily and James were by his side and all logic and planning had left his brain.

"Where?" he asked simply, not waiting for pleasantries.  

Lily gestured to the back porch with her head and James pat his back. "You got this, mate. I think she might have been looking for you."

Lily smacked his arm. "Don't tell him that! You might get his hopes up, you absolute buffoon."

James cleared his throat. "Right, sorry."

"I'll see you guys later," Remus said as he brushed past them and pushed his way to the back door. What was he going to say? What if her boyfriend was there? Remus would have to just ditch right? Either that or get his face pounded in by some bloke he'd never met.

He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his unruly hair. As soon as he stepped outside, it was quieter, although there was still a fair amount of people outside. He instantly spotted her, sitting alone—bless the heavens—with her back to him.

He slowly walked up and stopped when he was a few feet away from the outdoor furniture she sat on. He cleared his throat and she turned slightly.

Whatever reaction he expected from her when she saw him—anger, horror, grief, sadness—was replaced with a look of nonchalance.

"Took you long enough to get here. What sort of friend is an hour and a half late to their best friends' party?"

Remus was taken aback but took advantage of the fact that she didn't seem pissed at him. "The sort that despised parties?"

"Then why are you here?"

He took a seat next to her, leaving enough space so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. "I could ask you the same thing. I was told that you were here. And I wanted to see for myself, I suppose."

"Well whoever told you that was telling the truth."

"So, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be celebrating your anniversary with your boyfriend? Who, by the way, still doesn't have a name."

Y/N paused before shaking her head. "And he'll never get one. Because we broke up."

"What?" Remus stuttered but tried covering up his shock. He looked at her, as she continued to look out at something in front of her.

"Yup. About five hours ago, I think. I remembered your friend Lily was having a party so I wandered around until I found it. I knew around where you lived and figured she couldn't be far."

"Why didn't you just... ask me?"

"Oh, my phone broke. Well, it got smashed by a less-than-thrilled ex-lover of mine. He doesn't take break-ups too well apparently."

Remus frowned. "That explains why you didn't answer my text. Unless you're mad at me and wouldn't have responded anyway...?"

"Why would I be mad at you, Remus?" Y/N sighed, similar to a disappointed mother.

His eyebrows knitted together as he played with his hands. "Well... you know... I was a creep?"

"No you weren't," she said sternly as she finally looked at him. He had forgotten how her gaze made him feel, as this was the first time she looked directly at him since he had walked outside. His insides became jelly and he didn't know where to put his hands. Why did one person have such a powerful stare?

"I wasn't?"

"No. All I've heard tonight is how terrible of a person you are and I'm sick of it."

Remus frowned again, more in confusion. He hadn't said terrible things about himself to her, so who had?

"From my ex-boyfriend, by the way," she mumbled, like she could read his mind.

"Oh. You... talked about me?"

"You're why we broke up." She looked back down at her hands and his eyebrows rose.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"No you're not. I know you hated him."

"I never met him."

"That doesn't matter, does it? You still hated him."

"You're right. I hated him a lot. And I don't hate people, like, ever. Just strongly dislike usually."

Y/N smiled at her hands and Remus cleared his throat.

"So, how did I cause a break-up?"

"Well... it was what you said. About how you wouldn't have gone to the bookstore so much if you had known I had a boyfriend."

"How so?"

She took a deep breath. "Your rant about how you pretty much came in as often as you could just to see me did weird me out at first, but then I thought about it. It really was sweet that you were so nervous to talk to me. So I broke up with that guy, he yelled at me about how you were being a stalker. I hated how he talked about you. You’re the cause because no one, not any of my ex-boyfriends, had ever done something as romantic as what you had done for me."

"Uh, that was romantic to you?"

She smiled and looked at him. "Hear me out, okay? The speech alone was romantic, but the actual acts were far more heart warming. I mean, come on, Remus. You didn't know a single thing about me but you wanted to get to know me. You said you couldn't even focus on your movies, which I know is a big deal."

Remus' cheeks flushed and he opened his mouth to speak, or more likely stutter, but she wasn't done.

"My last boyfriend never even held the door for me. I had to plan our own anniversary, for crying out loud. He only asked me out in the first place because he knew I hadn't dated anyone in a while. He knew I was completely available and alone. But you? You still wanted to be my friend after learning about my boyfriend. All the guys I've dated in the past haven't cared about getting to know me. They've just wanted to date me and if I was taken, they'd ditch. You knew when to ask me if I was okay and you didn’t pry into my life, though I could tell you wanted to, because you respected me. You gave me advice that no one else has dared to give me because you knew I needed it. You're a genuinely kind guy, and I don't care what people say, but that beats a bad boy any day."

Remus cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. "Who said I'm not a bad boy?"

Y/N scoffed and smacked his chest. "Shut up."  

He went back to his normal slouch and smiled at Y/N shyly. "I'm glad you didn't interpret my intentions wrong. Would've been nice to know how understanding you were before my 33 hour breakdown, but I'll take what I can get."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"It's alright. So we're cool?"

"We're cool," Y/N said with a bright smile.

"Friends?"

She scoffed. "Friends? After we both have given long speeches about how we fancy each other?"

"That was your idea of an 'I like you speech'?" he teased. He liked it perfectly.

Y/N laughed. "Okay how about this? Remus Lupin, I like you a whole lot. You're kind and incredibly cute and the moment I first met you, I thought you were the biggest dork I'd ever seen. Thank you for helping me realize how big of a dick my boyfriend was because I feel like you and I clicked instantly and I've been able to tell you anything. I like you a lot."

"You said that twice. Ow, sorry! No need to hit me! Y/N L/N, I like you a whole lot too. I'm glad you finally realized how stupid your boyfriend was and I promise that if you'll have me, I'll treat you better than you can imagine. You're insanely adorable and hot at the same time, it's a bit annoying, really, and I've been my happiest when I get to be around you."

Y/N smiled widely and her cheeks warmed intensely. Remus leaned down, placing his hands against her cheeks. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear before leaning down and kissing her sweetly. He'd been waiting for this moment for a long time, and he was ecstatic to finally be kissing the girl he pinned after for so long. Their lips moved together in sync, trying to forget the rollercoaster of emotions they had each felt that day.

When they finally pulled away, neither of them could stop smiling. "Will you be my girlfriend, Y/N?"

She bit her lip. "Only if you promise to continue showing me good movies and reading my books."

"Of course. That's a binding agreement we have."

••••••••••••••••••••

ALL: @coolepowersthings @elfenbensord @flowercrownchic @portkeys-and-prose @rochelle-the-ravenclaw @siriuslyimmoony @bluemadcnna @the-apple-princess @vulpecula-minor @chlorineaddiction @puppycat714 @alyenaaa@marauderskeeper @oceanaged @knreidy1 @sirus-hufflepuff-padfoot @heartbeats-wildly @sarcasm-slytherin-sass101 @sly-vixen-up2nogood

REMUS: @harrypotterimmaginaa @finnofamerica@stateofloveandvedder @gryffindorprincess379 @onthebroadway@serenefreakgeek @wolverinesbeer @ceruleanrainblues@knowledgeisthebomb @havecourage-darling @sleep-i-ness @j-brielmalfoy@asktheanimagus @itshelaodinsdottirbitch @blubmachine@aheadfullofsherlock @quicksilver21 @unsureem02 @lallanas

Binding Tags: @wolverinesbeer@ceruleanrainblues @the-apple-princess @acutelittlehufflepuff @oceanaged@coolepowersthings @elfenbensord @blubmachine @fortisfiliae @wolfenbeck @stylespowus @mamapuritysan @golddustcoven @rochelle-the-ravenclaw@marauderskeeper @marauderwolfstarjily

[thewildheroine]

Meet Me In Between |Part One| (Infinity War Spoiler Story)

Warnings: Blood, explosion

Word Count: 2152

Pairing: Ghost!Peter Parker x Reader

A/N: OH MY GOSH GUYS I’M SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR THIS SERIES. I’ve been thinking about it since I saw Infinity War and I’m happy to have finally gotten a chance to publish it. This is a spoiler story though so please, Please, PLEASE, if you haven’t watched Avengers: Infinity War yet do not read this story. The biggest motivating/plot point is the most heartbreaking scene in the movie. I hope you guys enjoy the first part of Meet Me In Between!!!!!!

(Muy Importante endnotes at the bottom!) 

|Masterlist|

|Intro and Summary| |Part Two|

I stare out the window of the classroom. The early morning sun comes in thick rays past the skyscrapers. Our teacher drones on at the front drones on at the front of the class about the civil war or something close to that at least. My attention is on what is happening outside though. The sound of cars and people racing to get to work reverberate all the way from the streets and up into the class.

Abruptly I feel something brush against my elbow as though whatever it is is trying to grab me. I wave my hand around so people just think I’m discouraging a fly. Most of them already know the truth anyway. Well, they think they know the truth. Every single day I’m bombarded with questions about my ability to “see ghosts” and every day I try to explain to everyone that that isn’t how it works. Most of the time the inbetweeners that find me don’t actually mean to. In the between, the space I call that is stuck in the middle of the living and dead and world, people who have been lost for God knows how long meander around not knowing what is going on and occasionally bumping into me. I avoid them. At least I would if I could see them.

Whatever my gift is doesn’t allow me to use it to its full capability. I can only feel the inbetweeners. Their emotions as well as their bodies. Ever since I began high school I honed my ability to zone them out so I wouldn’t be called a weirdo.

The thing is, people did find out but they didn’t see me as the peculiar ghost girl. They adored me actually. I guess I have the Avengers to thank for that in a way. Because of them, my ability is seen as just another cool quirk rather than a curse. It’s made me popular in my school and people idolize everything about me because of the fact I can enter the in between.

Again, the invisible in-betweener bumps into my shoulder, and I shake my hand at them more so I can push whoever it is away. I ignore the transition when I go from the living world to the in between. Like always the empty class is covered in cobwebs. The world is dimmed by an eternal twilight that watches me nefariously. Instead of being able to see whoever is bumping into me I just see a warped space in the air that looks like a veil that is rimmed with a blurred rainbow.

I sigh and drop my head into my hands, willing the in-betweener to disappear. When he continues tapping my shoulder though I growl and look up at him or where I think he is at least. The tapping then stops and I can feel the glimmer of fear flowing through my head. The bulwark that guards my mind rises defensively, shutting off the emotions he has managed to force into my head.

“Y/N,” a voice next to me says. It isn’t his though. “Hey, adventurer lets go. If I’m late to astronomy again Ms. Hurley’s going to give me detention.” The in-betweener flickers away from my vision, reminding me of a dying light bulb. Once I return back to my world I have to let my eyes adjust to the amount of light pouring in through the windows. My eyes blink hard as I look up at Lily who taps her foot at me to show her sarcastic impatience.

“Sorry,” I shake my head and grab my backpack from the ground. The nearly weightless item hangs loosely on my figure as I stand and start walking out of the class with my friend. A crowd of people waits conspicuously outside, stalling to see the so-called ghost girl make her way to class.

“Move it, kids,” Lily hisses at them so that the crowd splits in half. “The adventurer isn’t doing interviews for underclassmen today.” I shoot each of them an apologetic smile before glaring back at my friend.

“I’m not doing any interviews for anyone ever,” I retort frustratedly before aggressively tearing my headphones out of the phone jack. Lily fakes disappointment while we begin mounting the flight of stares to astronomy.

“Awww,” she bemoans, randomly leaning against my body to be dramatic. I have to grab the metal railing for support. “Come on adventurer. Not even for those boy toys always checking you out?” I scoff and roll my eyes. My hand twists around my back and shoves the headphones into my back pocket.

“First of all I hate being called ‘the adventurer’,” I emphasize my point by mimicking quotes with my hands. “I don’t adventure. Sometimes I’m in the in-between and sometimes I’m here and also there are no guys checking me out.” Lily stops at the top landing, leaving me to push her away so we don’t block anyone's path.

“Oh, come on Y/N!” she chuckles loudly. I close my eyes, not wanting to acknowledge all the eyes locked on us. “Eli has had his eyes on you since sophomore year,” I smirk and nod, almost able to find her ignorance humorous.

“Yeah,” I drone and turn towards our class. “Wonder why that is?”

“Don’t pull that Y/N,” Lily groans as she follows me into Ms. Hurley’s class. The entire ceiling is a window shaped like a dome which allows us to use her giant telescope. Thousands of dollars of the school budget had to have gone into this room alone. I wouldn’t expect less from a Montessori school. Especially one located in Manhattan.

“Don’t pull what Lily?” I ask placidly, honestly too annoyed at this point to react with any emotion.

“That whole, oh my life is so hard. No one really likes me as a person and they only want to hang around me because of my weird gifts.” I watch, bemused at how she slouches her shoulders and whines in a high voice to imitate me. I blink hard and shake my head, still wondering how that impression even resembles me.

“I am nothing like that,” I reply calmly. Lily straightens herself, brushing the invisible specks of dust off of her dress before grinning ear to ear.

“That is totally like you,” she smiles smugly. I open my mouth to begin arguing but the door shuts behind me loudly, signaling that Ms. Hurley just entered the class. My eyes stay pointedly on Lily for a moment more before I slump into my seat. Our teacher clumsily approaches her desk while trying to balance a mug of coffee in her hand. Much to our relief, she sets it down on the wood before any of the contents has a chance to spill over the edge.

She sighs tiredly before pulling up something up on her laptop. I half listen to her as she begins informing us about our class agenda. Just like in history class, my attention is dragged over to the window. My eyes stare out of it expectantly. Something pulls at my heart suddenly and I know that for the first time in a very long time it is my own heart speaking to me.

Without explaining myself, I stand from my chair and walk towards the glass. Everyone stalls for a moment, curious about what the hell I’m doing. Finally, Ms. Hurley calls for me to sit back down. Instead of listening to her directions though, I keep approaching the window. I’m barely able to breathe once I reach the glass. My heart palpitates too fast.

Reluctantly, I look up as much as I can, silently dreading what I may see. At first, I find nothing but the warm blue sky. A few birds coast on the wind but there is nothing extraordinary about what I’m looking at despite the feeling that still rages inside of me. My eyes stay on the sky though, not hoping but preparing for what will come. Finally, I see what was calling for me. Right when it enters our atmosphere it just looks like a black streak heading towards New York. The normal person wouldn’t think much of it. I’m anything but normal though.

“Get down,” I whisper while backing away. Whatever is up in the sky doesn’t slow down and I begin fearing the absolute worse. I turn around to see all my shocked peers staring up at me, probably thinking I may have just looked at a ghost. My eyes meet Lily’s though and she automatically knows that it can’t be that.

“Guys,” my voice raises from my panic. “You need to get-”

I don’t even get the chance to finish my sentence when the window behind me is blown out. My body flies forward before meeting the ground harshly. Luckily my arms wrapped around my head right when the impact happened, keeping me a little safe while I skid across the floor. I slam against the leg of a chair that was left in a hurry.

As I pull myself up I hear the screams of my classmates as they rush out of the door to escape what had just happened. I look up, the black spots getting in the way of me seeing all of what just fell to the Earth. Gusts of air keep entering the school as I stand.

Right outside of the class is a giant thing of metal. Mechanisms work together to keep it up in the air and off of the Earth’s soil. Not giving it a second thought, I step towards the ship, the cord connecting me to it taut and basically begging me to investigate. The wind being emitted from the growling circle of metal blows my hair around my face but I’m too focused on what I’m seeing to keep the strands from disrupting my line of sight.

The ship fills up the whole entire street. Debris fly around Greenwich wildly. Pieces of newspapers even manage to float up and into the classroom. I crouch to the ground instinctively, preferring not to risk capture by what may be inside.

“Y/N!” Lily shouts for me. I stand and turn around to face her as she sprints into the classroom. Her hands immediately rise to check my face for any injuries. She swipes her fingers at the cuts I hadn’t even known existed since I was so infatuated with the ship. “We need to go,” she gasps breathlessly while staring behind me. I glance away from her and watch in complete awe as the debris in the streets floats upwards. Before I can figure out how Lily pulls at my arms. She struggles as I drag my feet into the linoleum flooring. Only when she starts imploring me to run do I turn away from the catastrophe that is New York and out of the messy classroom with her.

Lily keeps leading me even when we get to the bottom floor of our school. Her hand stays on mine as she tugs me away from the front door where I can hear the sounds of a fight beginning. We run through the cafeteria, which may very well be the only room in our whole school that wasn’t destroyed by the ominous ship.

Finally, we exit the building and pant. Lily laughs, relieved by how she made it out of there alive. I know how much that means to her. She and I went through the original attack on New York together with our mothers. It terrified her even to this day. I, on the other hand, am anything but relieved.

I still hyperventilate fearfully as though there is not enough oxygen in the world to support every cell in my body for even a moment. My hands run themselves through my tangled hair, tugging out strands as they move across the scalp mercilessly. Again, I look up to the sky, still hunting for something that I don’t know.

Then I see him swing overhead. His red and blue suit is just a blur against the monochromatic backdrop but I recognize him in an instant as the Spider-Man. My heart falters when I realize he is rushing towards the invader. A tear falls from my eye when the superhero disappears behind our school, leaving me alone with my confusing emotions.

“Please don’t go,” I mumble, not knowing why I would say it in the first place. Even Lily looks at me strangely as I collapse to the ground in an emotional heap made of tears and blood. I wheeze against my hands that were nicked by the glass when the window shattered. I wish that it was someone else’s emotions in my head. An in-betweener who is still in shock from arriving in the new domain. It’s not though. The heartbreak I feel comes from my very own heart and soul and I don’t have any idea if I’ll ever know why.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the very first part of Meet Me In Between but I do need to let you guys know something. With finals approaching along with the end of the year I’m super stressed (especially since I have two really low B’s. Oof.) Seeing that that is the case I’m going to be posting my stories less frequently. If anyone would like to share any preferences they have my ask box is always open. I was thinking I would post Fly Away Wednesdays, Meet Me In Between Fridays and any one-shots, requests, or challenges during the weekend. I’ll probably begin this schedule after this week.

If you would like to be tagged from now on in this story please leave a comment or send me a message via ask/chat box. Requests are open as well!

[not-just-any-fangirl]

Days Of Summer CH 8

A/N; Hey y’all! Ready for some fun dumb summer camp au? Cus we are!! Go shout some love at @hannah-nobody and feel free to drop by my inbox with song ideas/recs! I maaaaaaaaaaay have have Waving Through A Window on repeat for the last lmao whoops

Here’s the updated playlist!

Summer has arrived, and with it the start of the two month long music camp; Fairy Tail! Full of new songs, friends, and adventures, the campers learn things they never knew about themselves and one another. And just how easy it is to sneak booze and a full sized karaoke machine out into the middle of the woods.

Camp Rock!AU

Pairing: Nalu, Gajevy, Gruvia, others mentioned; Fairy Tail

Words: 4956

Rating: T

Parts: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight: Warm Blood

And I can not control it

The way you're making me feel

And you have got me going

Spinning in circles 'round your warm blood

For the first time since arriving at camp, Natsu didn’t feel like a bundle of butterflies were trying to escape his gut. He was still pretty sure his friends were only being nice out of pity, but at least he was confident in the fact that they didn’t hate him. Well, Gray might still but Natsu was fine with that, seeing as the feeling was mutual.

Okay, so Natsu didn’t hate him, but Gray sure as fuck pissed him off.

“For the last time, it’d be way worse to have a monster live under the bed than to run across a monster in the woods.”

Natsu turned on his heel, walking backwards so he could more properly shout at Gray’s stupid opinions. “Honestly, a monster that lives under your bed could kill you at anytime! Just grab your ankle and bam! Monster late night snack.”

“If you can’t successfully run from something in the woods that’s your own fault for going out there.” Levy added, arm linked with Cana’s. “What are you going to do if it’s in your house? Move?”

Cana balked at Levy, clearly affronted by her side. “I can’t believe my bed mate could be so blind.”

“We don’t have to be bedmates, you know,” Cana waved off her wry comment, nose in the air as she continued to speak.

“Who said the monster under your bed is mean? Maybe they just want to be nice and dry. Now, a monster in the woods is a mean son of a bitch who wants to skin you and suck the marrow from your bones.”

“This is blatant mothman erasure and I will not stand for it.” Loke gasped, holding his phone to his chest, pausing in his texting to perform the dramatic action.

“We get it, you’re gay,” Cana rolled her eyes, sharing a cheeky grin with Juvia who at least had the courtesy to cover her snort with her hand. Natsu and Gray shared their own snigger at Loke’s offended gasp, hands placed on his hips while he lectured Cana.

“Firstly, a proper love of cryptids is LGBTQ culture, not just gay culture, and secondly,” Loke cocked an eyebrow, dragging his hand along his body as though he were showing off a trophy, “I’m bi, I don’t deny anyone the opportunity to get a piece of this.”

“I wish you would,” Gajeel grunted, face relaxed as he glared at innocent leaves caught in the light breeze along the path. Natsu threw his head back, howling. The rest of the group followed suit, Loke’s sputters drowned out by their raucous laughter.

“Juvia is deeply saddened to betray Gray, but she must agree with Natsu and Levy. How are we sure the wooded monster is the unkind one? Juvia would much rather face a beast in the wild than where she is supposed to be safe.” Juvia shuddered, arms wrapped around herself. Natsu couldn’t understand how she was even close to cold, long jeans and long sleeved black shirt with an ankle length fur-lined vest both confusing him and making him sweat just by looking at her.

“Juvia!” Gray gasped. Natsu blinked, chortling at his betrayed expression and Juvia’s following plea of forgiveness. Gajeel slung his arm over Juvia's shoulders, rolling his eyes at her squeak. Natsu grinned as he watched his cousin, the beast of a teenager looking as though he’d rather shove someone through a plane glass window before hugging them, when in actuality if you gave him a kitten he’d kill for you. Natsu would know. Lily is what made Gajeel give Juvia the spare bedroom all those years ago.

“I hope I get paired with someone cute,” Loke sighed. Natsu rolled his eyes at his friend’s comment, turning back to face the front and kicking a stray pebble.

“We know,” he groaned, falling back into the group between Levy and Gray. “You want someone to run away with into the night and live your rockstar dream. It’s all you’ve been talkin’ ‘bout since breakfast!”

Loke snorted, making a face at Natsu before turning back to his phone.

“I just hope I don’t get paired with someone I hate,” Gray said flatly. Natsu pulled down an eyelid at Gray’s pointed look, sneering at the pale boy’s middle finger in return.

“Feeling’s mutual, dickhead.”

“Oh be civil, you two twats,” Cana glared over Levy’s head, eerily reminding Natsu of Erza for a second. “Besides, despite as tight lipped as Mr. Only-Drummers-Are-Emo-Enough-For-Me has been about his second talent, I can guarantee you all it won’t be guitar. Boy has two left thumbs.”

“Oi, I'mma lefty.” Gajeel grunted, easily ignored by the group as they neared the surrounding crowd that swarmed the announcement board.

From his pretty average 5”7’ standpoint, Natsu couldn’t see over the heads of the crowd, but Gajeel most definitely could, and he had stopped dead in his tracks.

“What’s up metalhead?” Natsu turned back to ask.

“The photo.”

“What?”

“The application form photo. I didn’t think anyone else would see it.”

Natsu frowned, remembering taking his own photo. The form had said to include a photo of yourself that accurately describes you, but still showed your face. His own was just a photo of him standing against a white wall. It was pretty much the same as a passport photo, except he wasn’t looking at the camera.

“What’s wrong with your application photo?” Levy asked, leaving the group behind to say with Natsu and Gajeel.

Gajeel avoided looking at her. Instead, his eyes slid to Natsu, cringing as he revealed precisely what was wrong with it.

“The suit.”

Natsu’s chest swelled with joy.

“You fucking idiot.”

He ran towards the crowd, ignoring Gajeel’s groans of shame behind him. He pushed Gray out of the way- the other boy landing on his backside with a very satisfying thud- and shoved through the rest of the mass of bodies, desperate to get to the board and see his cousin’s embarrassment on show for all to see.

Once at the front, Natsu’s eyes went straight to the photo of his cousin. It wasn’t hard to miss. It was awful. Not only was Gajeel wearing the hideous white suit purchased for him by his father, but he also wore sunglasses and a fucking fedora. An honest-to-god white brimmed m’lady fedora. Natsu let out a howl of laughter, not caring about the people around him looking at him strangely. It wasn’t until after he’d gotten over his cousins wide-legged, rock signs in the air like he just didn’t care stance, that he realized that Gajeel has been paired with none other than Levy.

Oh ho ho, Gajeel was going to love that.

Natsu’s eyes slid over the rest of the announcement sheet, snorting over Gray’s own heavily eye-linered photo. The snort turned into a laugh when he noticed the moron was paired with Juvia.

It wasn’t until his eyes reached the bottom of the list that he found his own partner. His eyes fixed on her photo, all his laughter dying out.

Fuck.

Sitting next to his own photo was a candid of Lucy, smiling and reaching for the camera, obviously just discovering she was being photographed and unable to hide her laughter even as she reached for the person. Her eyes danced, clear and bright, her hair swirling around her as if the breeze had known just when to blow to make her golden hair catch the afternoon sun. She was so pretty. She was so good.

She was breathtaking.

Natsu’s fingers itched to grab his guitar and a notepad and find a little nook with a bean bag and an amp so he could lose himself in the music. The crowd milled and brushed against him, their own excited chatter swelling as they looked at their assigned partners.

“Juvia is so happy!”

“Aw fuck.”

Natsu turned at the familiar voices, Juvia latched onto Gray’s arm and swooning, Gray trying to lean away as respectfully as he could and looking as comfortable as Natsu would feel in a tutu and pointe shoes. And he’d know, considering all the things Juvia had managed to trick Natsu into when Gajeel absolutely refused. Two boys Natsu didn’t know were wailing beside them, Levy trying her best to console them with an apologetic smile.

“Levy why,” the dark haired one wailed. The ginger one was hugging her, kids around them casting the trio a wary look before pushing by, and Levy increasingly getting flustered by all the attention.

Natsu was saved from having to abandon the melody playing in the back of his head by Cana appearing from the ether and pushing herself between Levy and the taller boy, her arm slung carelessly over Levy’s shoulder and her grin lazy and purposefully relaxed.

“Now, now boys,” she cooed, “there’s enough of our little Levy to share. You’ll still have down time to steal her away from Gajeel to your hearts’ content.”

Natsu didn’t laugh. He was too busy wondering if Lucy had seen the announcement yet. What did she think? Had she asked to be switched yet? Natsu didn’t know if they were even allowed to do that, but he figured if there’d be an exemption it would be for Lucy to not have to deal with him for hours on end everyday.

“Natsu shouldn’t worry,” Juvia said from behind him, her hand comforting on his shoulder. “Juvia knows how silly that is to say, and she may have only known Lucy for a few days, but Juvia knows that Lucy enjoys spending time with her friends, and Natsu, Lucy has already decided you are her friend. Even if you doubt Juvia and the other’s thoughts on being more, please do not doubt your friendship with Bunny Girl.”

“That’s going to be a thing now, isn’t it?”

Natsu stiffened at the voice behind him, light and sweet and bouncy like a giggle was just begging to break free. Natsu had made her giggle at breakfast. A fuck ton. Or maybe she had just been laughing at him.

“Lucy!” Juvia exclaimed happily before a sudden shyness was stealing her voice pushing her to put Natsu between her and Lucy. Natsu cocked his head in confusion as he looked at his cousin’s best friend, seeing as how once Juvia had decided some one was her friend she lived up to her talent in musical theatre and the drama of the stage, as Juvia liked to put it. Natsu called it batshit crazy. He looked over his shoulder, avoiding Lucy’s warm grin as he realized who she was standing arm in arm with. Juvia cast him a kind smile before slipping away, murmuring to herself about finding her beloved once more.

“Yo, Mira. What’re you doing with Luce, shouldn’t ya be rounding up all the brats for a rave or something?” Natsu asked, relaxing at the familiar face.

“Natsu, you know Laxus and his friends are older than you.” Mira Jane smiled at him, a mix of fond and exasperated that was one of her more honest expressions. Natsu knew how hard being the face of the camp was on her, and how she fell back into the persona if she wasn’t careful. “Besides, do you really think Ever would risk getting sweat in her hair at a rave?”

Natsu barked out a laugh, picturing the stuck up brunette screaming at a crowd of uncaring people. He wasn’t as close with Ever, Bickslow, and Freed as Mira was, her main connection being her friendship with Laxus while Natsu was closer with Mira’s little sister, Lisanna.

His joy at picturing Ever’s disgust melted away as he thought of his friend. Natsu hadn’t seen her in a year or two, not since she had been accepted into Edolas’ advanced medical program, her dream of being a vet snowballing with her talent in school and easy to love personality propelling her two years ahead so she had already graduated and was on her first year of university. He knew he’d only have held her back, but he missed his best friend so much it hurt sometimes. Natsu had never opened up to someone like he had with her, and there were days that a certain feeling nagging in his gut told him he had annoyed her so much that she decided to throw herself into her education and run to a new continent.

Just like how Lucy would probably run away after a week of being forced to work with him.

“So,” Natsu said, forcing a grin and his thoughts away from Lisanna and how much fun she was having without him around, “You decide Lucy’ll be your new protégée?”

Mira gave him a knowing grin that reminded Natsu far too much of her earlier years in the She Devils, pulling Lucy closer to her side and speaking sweetly. “Of course! Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, Natsu, and Erza has been keeping me updated on all the happenings of the campers.”

“Snitch,” Natsu hissed under his breath. Mira continued speaking as if she hadn’t heard anything at all.

“So you’ll be seeing me much more often, can’t let all you babies have all the fun you know.” Natsu cringed, tucking into his scarf to hide his frown. Mira was speaking in the same sweet voice, but Natsu could hear her words for what they really were; a threat. If there was something Mira loved more than her music it was meddling in people’s lives, particularly in the affairs of the heart. Which meant Natsu didn’t even want to imagine the horrific and scarring things that might happen if she decided to ‘help’ Natsu woo Lucy, which would not only be a futile effort but might actually ruin Lucy’s time at camp, which was the absolute worst thing Natsu could imagine. “And you know how much I love helping out new talent, especially one with as much raw potential as Lucy.”

“You think I have talent?” Lucy awed. Mira giggled and nodded, either unaware of Lucy’s adoration or simply used to it. Natsu felt a pang as he watched Lucy make heart eyes at Mira. She would definitely have preferred to have the silver haired girl as her partner. That would make her entire time at camp, let alone week.

Natsu jolted when Lucy turned to look at him, still giddy off of Mira’s praise as she smiled at him.

“So have you seen the names for who’s being partnered?” she asked.

“Erm,” Natsu replied, tucking deeper into his scarf.

“You think your partner will be that bad?” Lucy asked sympathetically. She gave him a reassuring smile, Natsu losing himself in how pretty her eyes were and the way the noon sun lit them up. “Whoever they are, they won’t be as hopeless with the guitar as I am, I can guarantee you that much.”

Natsu smiled awkwardly before turning on his heel and disappearing into the crowd, both to stop himself from saying something stupid like ‘The only hopeless you are is hopelessly cute’ or other dumb shit, and to save himself from having to see the disappointment on Lucy’s face when she found out he was her partner.

Lucy blinked in shock as she watched Natsu’s back. She turned to Mira Jane, worrying her lower lip.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Mira Jane patted her arm before leading her to the board, shaking her head ruefully and making the silver hair framing her face bounce. It was so pretty and shiney. Lucy would have to ask her her shower routine to get it so soft and healthy.

“Natsu is just a little shy sometimes. He’ll get a thought in his head and honestly, it’s easier to convince Erza of something than Natsu.” Mira Jane gave her another smile, kind but a little strained. “He’s best friends with my little sister, Lisanna, have been since they were children, but I still can’t read him. It's quite annoying.”

Lucy laughed awkwardly, unsure of how Mira Jane’s sweet tone lined up with her words. “I don’t think I’ve seen her at camp.” Lucy said, diverting the topic away from a certain pink haired boy who had given Lucy the cold shoulder. Just after they had agreed to be friends. “What talent does she focus on?”

“Oh, no no no. Lisanna is in Edolas for her veterinary degree. She skipped the last two grades and got accepted early. You should hear Elfman go on about how proud he is of our genius sister. ” Mira Jane grinned, easily maneuvering through the crowd until they stood in front of the board, only a few feet from where they had been talking with Natsu. Lucy half heartedly scanned the pictures in front of her, looking for herself. So Natsu’s best friend was a genius going to school in a different country to save animal lives. Okay. Not like he had high standards for who he hung out with then. Of course, he seemed to be as thick as thieves with Gajeel, so maybe Lucy wasn’t too out of her depth. She frowned, feeling a headache growing behind her eyes. Hard to read indeed.

“Oh,” Lucy breathed, finally finding her own picture. Right beside Natsu’s.

They were partners.

“Do you think he’s upset?” Lucy asked Mira Jane, tearing her gaze away from the candid photo Natsu had submitted that looked like it belonged on a magazine or album cover.

“Yes, but not for the reasons you’re thinking of,” Mira Jane soothed. “Natsu’s always been a little nervous of what people think of him, and from what I understand, your opinion is ranked very high on that list. You just need to give him time to get used to the idea that you wouldn’t actually prefer to die than spend an hour or two with him, and then it will be smooth sailing for you too.”

Lucy felt her cheeks heat as Mira Jane spoke, looking at the ground and tightening her arm on the one Mira Jane had looped through. She didn’t know why, but the thought of Natsu caring that much about what she thought made her both nervous and a little happy. Which was ridiculous. Because Lucy was here to learn music theory and how to improve herself as a musician, not to find a summer love.

But oh, Lucy didn’t think it would be all that bad to have Natsu come and sweep her off her feet. Especially if he were shirtless again...

Lucy squeaked as she tore herself from her thoughts. She ignored Mira Jane’s curious look, and distracted herself by waving to where Juvia stood with Cana and Loke and a shorter girl with long blue pigtails and a nervous look in her eye.

“C’mon, Lucy, why don’t you introduce me to your friends!” Mira suggested. Lucy blinked at her, already being pulled forward by a giggling and excited Mira Jane before she had the chance to form any words. Thoughts of maybe-shirtless Natsu’s drifted away as Lucy went back to aweing over how she was linked arms with her idol, and about to introduce her to Lucy’s friends. God, if Loke tried to hit on her Lucy would throw his damn phone in the lake. See how much he’d call her his sunshine then.

If there was one thing Gray was thankful for, it was the privacy of his cabin. And noise cancelling headphones. But he had left those in the jacket he had accidentally stripped out of at Lucy’s cabin, so he was stuck simply ignoring his two mentally imploding bunkmates as he dealt with his own, actual, catastrophe.

He couldn’t believe there was no one else at camp who played the violin. What was worse, was he couldn’t believe he had actually been stupid enough to put down violin as his second talent. He should have put costume design like Loke, or bullshitted and put piano like Cana. But no, he had decided to be a complete dumbass and be open and vulnerable and honest.

And now. Now Gray was going to have to dance.

“I’m so fucked.”

“You’re fucked?” Natsu squeaked, pausing in his spot where he had been pacing for the last three minutes. “I’m paired with Lucy and she’s going to hate me? What if I can’t teach her how to play guitar? What if she can’t teach me how to sing? I’m going to make a fucking fool out myself, holy shit.”

“Yeah, you are,” Gray said flatly. He had more important things to do than coddle Natsu right now. Like planning how to fake his death, which frankly would be easier than turning down Juvia. He hadn’t known the girl very long, but he already had an inkling that she was even more stubborn than Cana. It didn’t help that every time she looked at him it was with adoration. His friends might call him emotionless, but even he couldn’t crush her so flatly. Also, saying no to people he didn’t hate made him break out in hives.

A pair of flying pillows pulled him from his thoughts, both nailing him in the face.

“Oi!”

“Don’t be a dick, Strawberry’s got enough issues without ya agreeing with the voice in his head.” Gajeel grunted, going back to petting Lily obsessively.

“I don’t have a voice in my head,” Natsu scowled. He resumed pacing, sending Gray a middle finger at his disgruntled noise. Gray watched Natsu walk, changing his step mid stride as Happy wound around his ankles, eager for the muffin Natsu had shoved in his pocket at breakfast that the moron had forgotten about. “And I’m not the only one hiding in here. Juvia was searching for ya high and low when I was heading back.”

“Fleeing from Bunny Girl,” Gajeel interjected, still glaring at the wall under Gray’s bunk and above Loke’s. Gray was seriously considering the idea that Gajeel was trying to burn down the cabin with his mind. Natsu ignored his cousin, turning on his heel and pacing back towards the door.

“You don’t have to worry about screwin’ up in front of her like we all know you will, you could sneeze in her face and she’d still basically worship you,” Natsu scoffed. Happy meowed, tiring with his chase and batting at Natsu’s ankle. He slowed, allowing Happy to crawl up his leg and his body so he could perch on his human’s shoulder.

Gray groaned, claiming all three of what were now his pillows, burying his face in them. Maybe if he was lucky he’d suffocate and this conversation would end.

“Is she like this with everyone she meets?” he asked, not really caring if Gajeel or Natsu heard him.

“Nope,” Gajeel said flatly, shattering all of Gray’s hopes.

“Whyyy,” he complained, smothering his whine into his pillows. Great. He was going to act like a dipshit in front of a girl who had an apparently massive and unique crush on him. He didn’t know why that thought bothered him, but it did, which meant Gray was not looking forward to these next three weeks.

“Trust us when we say we have no fuckin’ idea what she sees in you, dude,” Natsu said, helpful as always.

“Go jack off to your fantasies of Lucy telling you she hates you,” Gray snapped.

“Why, you wanna listen in or something, you pervert?” Natsu snarled back. Gray threw Gajeel’s pillow at him, cursing to himself when he almost hit Natsu’s dumb cat. Fucking cheater had an adorable built in shield that stopped Gray from maiming him. Natsu sneered at him, lips twitching between a frown and a smile at their fighting. Why were his friends so weird.

Shit.

Natsu wasn’t his friend and he definitely didn’t think that. He was getting cabin-fever was all. Or the stress of mentally preparing himself to do a musical number from Cats was getting to him. Yeah, that made more sense.

Gray looked back at Gajeel.

“Why the fuck are you so catatonic?”

“Shove it,” Gajeel grunted. Lily sat in his arms, not minding the heavy pets his human was using on him, obviously used to being Gajeel’s comfort in times of stress. What the giant had to be stressed about that Gajeel couldn’t punch into submittance was beyond him, but Gray wasn’t about to risk being said punching bag.

“Nah, pervert here has a point,” Natsu agreed, crossing his arms over his chest. Happy chirped in agreement, a strange ‘aye’ sound that made Gray think he’d choked on a kernel of food as a kitten and had done some damage that Natsu was too oblivious to notice. “What’s your issue? Levy seems nice enough to wait at least three sessions before laughing at your horrible singing.”

“How the fuck am I gonna teach her how to play guitar?” Gajeel asked, more like he was talking to himself than answering Natsu’s question. “She’s the same fucking size as it!”

Gray wondered if Gajeel knew how often he said ‘fuck’.

“I’m more worried about how she’s going to teach you how to sing,” Gray said instead of answering his question.

Natsu held up his hand for a high five from Gray.

Gray threw Natsu’s pillow back at him, hitting him in the face. Happy meowed angrily as his perch was disturbed, jumping from a sputtering Natsu. Gray blinked in surprise as the cat was suddenly on his bunk, having scaled the bed. He curled on Gray’s shins, purring as the fluffball pinned Gray to his bed.

“Oi!” Natsu spat, glowering up at Gray. He ignored how the yellow was still noticeable on Natsu’s jaw, and the following twinge in his gut, scowling at Natsu before a smug grin broke out and he began to pet Happy. “Don’t steal my cat!”

“He chose me. Blame Fluffy here.” He mocked. Gajeel remained impassive as he pet his own cat and muttered to himself about breakable girls and guitar scales. Natsu sneered at him, hands shoved in his hoodie pockets as he stopped pacing the room, finally.

“His name’s Happy and ya know it!”

Gray snorted, looking back at the cat curled into a tight ball on him. He didn’t know that many cats, and as he scratched behind an ear and pulled deeper purrs he wondered if they were all clingy like Happy seemed to be. Then his mind drifted to other cute, clingy, blue creatures and he flopped back into the bed with a groan. How the fuck was he going to deal with Juvia? What if he was weak to her wide eyes? Would he snap at her and make her cry? God, he hated when girls cried. What the fuck was he supposed to do with his hands? What if she tried to touch him while they danced? Gray didn’t do casual touching.

“Do you really think Lucy will hate me?”

Gray whipped his head back at Natsu, the dumbass having lowered his gaze and worrying his lip after asking his question. He pulled on the edge of his beanie, dragging the dark gray fabric down so no part of his hair escaped it. Gray scowled as he thought about how it looked like Natsu was trying to hide in the damn fabric.

“Of course not,” he spat, huffing as he looked away from Natsu while sitting up. Because he didn’t want to look at him. Not because he looked like a fucking puppy with hopeful and wide eyes as he gave his full attention to Gray. His hair might be natural but Gray was adamant that he wore coloured contacts. “I don’t know why but she’s decided she likes you, and once Lucy has decided you're her friend literally nothing you could do can change that. Trust me.”

“She’s not just being nice and pitying me?” Natsu asked, hope gone from his expression as he looked over Gray warily.

“Oh definitely,” Gray yawned. He scratched under Happy’s chin, smiling to himself at the loud purrs he pulled from the odd coloured cat. He sensed Natsu’s mood drop, his smile slipping from his face slightly. “But that’s just because I can’t fathom a reason as to why I’d hang out with you outside of being bunkmates, and in case you haven’t noticed, Lucy’s a bit better at not being a horrible person to other people than I am. Actually likes most people too, that freak.” Gray snorted. Happy rolled into his back and batted at Gray’s hand, both offering his white tummy for belly rubs and threatening Gray’s wrist. He decided it was worth it and rubbed the softness of Happy’s stomach.

“Okay,” Natsu said. Gray looked away from Happy, quickly turning back to the cat when he saw Natsu’s small smile. It was a little shy, a little soft. It was sickening.

Happy meowed once before slinking away from Gray and abandoning him. He curled onto Gajeel’s lap next to Lily and Gray couldn’t help but feel betrayed.

“Juvia means well,” Natsu called suddenly. “She can be a bit crazy, and weird, but nothing she ever does is fake or half hearted. You don’t have to worry about what she thinks of ya, Numbnuts.”

That wasn't what he was freaking out about, but Gray nodded anyway, appreciating Natsu’s attempt. “Ok, no need to worry.”

“But are you sure Lucy doesn’t hate me.”

Gray groaned, loudly and trying to convey all of his annoyance through a single sound.

“Oi,” Gajeel called. Gray looked at him, ignoring Natsu’s resumed pacing and wringing of Gajeel’s pillow in his hands. “You hurt Juvia and I’ll kill you.”

Gray let his head fall back into his pillow. He really fucking should have put ‘more drums’ as his second talent.

[kokkoro]

Violet Blue (6/15)

summary: General wolf rules for life: Eat. Rest. Rove in between. Render loyalty. Love the children. Cavil in moonlight. Tune your ears. Attend to the bones.  Make love. Howl often.     Clarissa Pinkola Estes

or

being moms is hard, being werewolf moms in the suburbs is even harder. (on ao3)

March.

1.

You know March by its smell. That dense, stale feeling that seems to sit at the back of your throat as the snow melts for what will hopefully be the final time. The earth is soaked, puddles in the yard and the dips of pavement, muddy bits of slush that’s more water than snow--grass flattened and bent.

It makes work difficult. Everything blends together, runs together, and in your line of work it does nothing but make your life miserable. Anya can see it wear you thin. You know by the way she hesitates that fraction of second just outside your office, how she takes stock of your desk and the mess when she enters before glancing at you.

“Cigarette?” she asks.

A part of you recognizes the joke, but you’re too tired to play along. “Now is not the time.”

She digs one out of the pack anyway, sets it unlit between her lips. At least she has the common decency not to test your patience by lighting it. She sits on the arm of the chair in front of your desk instead, crossing her legs. “How long have you been here?”

You don’t answer.

“Harrison can wait, you know.” She takes the cigarette between her index and middle finger, holds it. “He’s cornered. Got nowhere to run and if he does we’ll find him.”

“An animal is at its most dangerous when cornered.” You stare at the file in front of you, the dates and times and places. All carefully compiled and organized, but things start to swim, and you close your eyes for a brief moment before looking up. “The sooner he’s caught the better.”

“And you’ll find him,” anya says. “You’re of no use run dry.” She flicks idly at the cigarette between her fingers, uncrosses her legs. “Go home. Enjoy what’s left of the night with clarke and the kids. We’ll be here tomorrow.”

You find it's difficult to say no to that.

You get back late--close to eleven and mere seconds from dropping everything and falling asleep in the hallway. You put away your jacket, step out of your shoes and set aside your laptop bag and your keys. When you peek into the living room you find clarke with her feet propped on the coffee table, slouched and reading one of your books by the lamp on the end table. She has her fingers in her hair, ruffling away the tension from keeping it up all day. However, the moment she catches sight of you out of the corner of her eye there in the hall her hand drops and she smiles.

“Hey,” Clarke says, and it's quiet and soft. It feels like forever but you make it across the room and to the couch. She tilts up her head and you dip low to kiss her and it takes very little effort on her part to pull you down into her side.

You go willingingly, tucking your face in the crook of her neck with a sigh. You hear her chuckle, the rumble of the contented hum deep in her chest and the rustle as she corners a page of her book and closes it.

“Took you forever,” she says as she brushes the hair gently from your face. She smells like fresh air and the woods and little traces of the kids and all the tension in you seems to disappear.

“I’m sorry,” you say but she shushes you, her lips finding your forehead and pressing there absently.

“You’re going to miss these days when it’s your turn to watch the kids.”

You shake your head. “Never.”

5.

You’re ambushed the moment you walk through the door monday evening, jack first with his tiny growls and you brace for impact as he barrels into you with a grin. You’re quick to place the shopping bag on the little table next to the door, beside the bowl where you toss your keys, before more come rushing around the corner.

“Got you!” he exclaims, voice muffled by your shirt but triumphant all the same. You scoop him up under your arm and then danny too when she tackles your side, lily attaching herself to your leg, and their shrieks of laughter fill the small hallway as you carry them into the kitchen.

“Clarke,” you say a little breathless, attempting to control the wiggling, and she looks up from the kitchen table where she’s sat between madi and aden. They share a book and madi colors on sheets of loose-leaf papers, her little tongue peeking from between her mouth and she doesn’t even bother to look at you. Clarke rests her chin in her hand.

You place jack and danny carefully back on their feet once they stop kicking and then peel lily from your leg. You walk forward and brace your hands on the table, leaning over for a quick kiss that clarke smiles through.

“Welcome home,” she says.

“What did I miss?”

Clarke shakes her head. “Not much.”

You take a seat at the table across from her, volleying attention between jack and lily. You get them all cleaned up for dinner when the timer on the microwave goes off and clarke gets up to take care of the crock pot on the counter. Hands are washed with soap and warm water, but there’s stubborn smudges of marker that refuse to disappear.

You sit down at the table to eat with bowls of stew and a warm loaf of italian bread that melts butter on contact and familiar chatter settles over the kitchen. You cut up small bite-sized pieces of meat and carrots for madi, politely ask jack to chew before speaking, and sneak glances at clarke from across the table. She catches you on several occasions, but you’re not exactly being discreet.

There’s a little bit of after dinner roughhousing that clarke pretends to tolerate, but you see the slope of her lips and the way she watches you. The lot of them pull and tug, little growls and bared teeth, and you’re more than content to let them. that is until a close shave with the coffee table you and clarke only manage to avoid through heightened reflexes alone.

It’s bed after that.

You trace your steps back downstairs after things quiet down, Clarke not too far behind as you make your way to the table by the front door and the bag is right where you left it. You turn around just as she reaches the first floor landing, standing at the bottom of the stairs watching you.

When you’re close enough she reaches for you, her hand curling into your shirt and pulling you closer.

“What’s in the bag?” Clarke says, kissing your cheek.

“A birthday gift for lily.”

“Another?”

“Just something small.” You glance down at the bag and clarke’s lips tilt in a small smile. “It was cute.”

“Let me see,” she says, and you pull out this small pair of overalls. An embroidered daisy sits at the base along one of the suspenders and when you hand the garment over to clarke she traces the design with her thumb.

“No lilies?” she teases.

“Unfortunately out of stock.”

Clarke laughs softly. “It’s cute.”

You lift your shoulder in a shrug. “I thought so, too.”

6.

You remember the little cabin in the woods where lily was born with a bittersweet kind of ache. Far north near the Canada border with its long dirt driveway and dappled sunlight and the strong smell of earth and pine. You and clarke had been together for three years, known each other for longer, and yet on that march 6th four years ago you’d say spring arrived early.

She was named after the lilies you planted every year in the little box underneath the window where the sun hit the side of the house. These large casablanca lilies with their white petals and gentle scent. She was small though, and oddly quiet besides the initial wail and the soft whines that followed, but you remember holding her in your arms for the first time, clarke beside you in bed, and finding yourself unable to hold back the wide teary smile as you watched her settle there.

You miss it sometimes. The crispness of the air and the freshness inherent in it, the ever present briskness you could feel in the spaces between your ribs (the cold clarke complained about but used as a perpetual excuse to be close). The freedom you had, the wide open space. The memories of lily with you in the garden, more a hindrance than help, dirt under her nails and smudged on her face but she smiled often and smiled brightly.

It’s different here, but the laughter is the same. March 6th feels like spring here too as you watch lily sprint about the backyard in her overalls and bare feet, clarke hot on her heels, the sun warm and gradual in its descent. Remnants of blue frosting sticks to lily’s sleeve and you think you see a little bit in her hair and the others fumble about doing their own thing. There’s no more snow, and while the scent of rain lingers, it feels far behind.

You all get back later that night from a run and you find you missed it, being busy with work and all. With the kids you take it slow, they stumble and get sidetracked, following their noses which generally means into trouble. It’s less dangerous here in the small forest behind your suburban house than it was back home, but you know that it's not an excuse to be careless. You might not need to worry about bears and mountain lions and the pups biting off more than they can chew, but people--humans are another kind of monster altogether.

(the kids can pass as small foxes, lost puppies maybe, but you and clarke… to little old Mary and her toy poodle down the street you’re not anything but wolves and wolves don’t wander around the suburbs for long)

You bring up the rear, clarke nosing open the back door and then slipping inside, danny and jack following closely behind her into the hall. Madi gets stuck on the steps, lily and aden darting past and into the house, and when you get close you dip your head and pick her up gently between your teeth, carrying her inside.

It takes you and clarke over half an hour to get everybody clean including yourselves. Afterwards you get extra blankets and pillows from the closet and dump them in a pile onto the floor in front of the couch.

Lily gets to pick the movie and once you have Balto up and running on netflix you sink among the blankets and pillows and get comfortable. There’s clarke at your side, her head on your shoulder and her arm around your waist, and the kids as close to the tv as you’ll allow... You don’t even make it through half the movie before falling asleep.

When you wake up the television is muted and the room is quiet. Some children’s movie plays and the colors flicker and illuminate the otherwise dark living room. You can feel clarke’s nose pressed against your neck and you see madi curled into her side. Lily’s half draped across your stomach and you find you can’t move without disturbing the other tiny bodies asleep spread out in the divots between your legs. You try though, just a little bit--your leg is cramping and you shift. You hear clarke’s soft exhale, feel it along the side of your neck and you know she’s awake.

“You okay?” she mumbles quietly without opening her eyes, and you turn your head to kiss whatever you can reach.

“My leg hurts.”

You watch her lips stretch slowly into a smile, languid. Her fingers fan out over your ribs and you can feel the tenseness in her muscles as she stretches subtly given the space. She settles once she’s satisfied however, clears her throat just so, and you know she’s not moving.

It’s warm and that’s all that matters.

17.

You wonder what the neighbors think when your driveway is packed pull with cars on a warm saturday evening. People of all manner and shapes and sizes pile out in droves and fill your backyard. There’s no music, but there is the sizzle from the grill Gustus claimed the second he arrived (much to Jake’s dismay) and the shouts and chatter of family gathered in the house and backyard. You see lily in glances, streaks of blonde hair and her bubbly laughter, oddly enough enjoying being the center of attention.

Gustus’ grandsons, almost double digits now, include aden in their wild goose chase for bugs near the far edge of the yard near the trees. You watch them near the drooping oak and it's low slung branches, their outstretched hands and dirt smudged knees, and run your fingers over madi’s back and hope you won’t be the one to retrieve them should they get stuck.

“Where’s your wife?”

Maybe you’ll send anya to get them instead.

“She’s inside with abby,” you say, turning to anya who steps beside you in the small little observation spot you sequestered at the edge of the party for the time being. Madi hides her face in your neck, shy, grip tight where her hand is curled into the back of your shirt.

“She still not keen on parties?” anya says, gesturing to madi and you look away with a smile of your own.

You shake your head. You see clarke through the kitchen window with the pitcher of sangria and a bottle of vodka and you quirk a brow when she catches you staring through the glass. She smirks at you, mouthing something you can’t make out and abby nudges her in the side with a roll of her eyes when she notices her daughter’s attention is elsewhere.

You turn back to anya. “I think it’s the noise.”

“Or maybe you spoil her.”

“I spoil them all,” you say, and the blunt honesty at your own expense makes anya laugh.

By eleven o’clock the kids are out like lights in the living room, spread out over floor and the pull out couch in sleeping bags and an abundance of blankets. You and the other adults, however, enjoy the nice night out by the fire pit, the flames tame but nonetheless warm. Clarke sits between your legs holding what must be her fourth glass of wine. Her cheeks are flushed and her skin is warm to the touch where you’ve sneaked a hand under her shirt, keeping her close against you.

Anay nurses a beer, custom brew courtesy of gustus who sits across from you with a mug of his own. He catches your eyes over the lip of his mug and you hide your smile into slope of clarke’s shoulder, shifting your attention to lincoln and, for lack of a better term, his wife. It’s a relatively new development, but more than welcome.

“It’s not too bad,” Clarke says, and you watch the firelight flicker over her cheeks.

“Certainly not ideal,” Abby comments, her hand resting on Jake’s knee. He reclines back in a lawn chair, and you wouldn't be surprised if he was already asleep.

“I never said it was ideal. I said it wasn’t bad,” Clarke replies, voice soft and even, and you feel her relax into you. “It might not be what we’re used to but it’s… it’s nice. A bit small and unusual but nice.” Her face goes a little wistful, how you can see the side of her face as she stares off into the distance. “The pickings are a bit slim though,” she says after a moment, glancing back at you with a tilt of her lips. You can already feel yourself smiling. “I’m sick of squirrels.”

Gustus’ laugh is low and just a tad bubbly. “Little fuckin’ devils,” he says with this rosey grin. Around you snickers are hidden behind hands and only abby manages to quell it well enough to offer a half-hearted ‘language.’

The fire crackles and spits and you kiss the side of clarke’s neck, reveling in the quiet hum you feel under your fingertips.

“Kindergarten?” Abby’s says, and your surprised by how well she handles the news. There’s only the one light on in the kitchen and for the sake of the kids just one room over her voice is soft, but that does little to hide the skepticism.

“Yeah, maybe...” Clarke says with this small shrug, busying herself with filling a few drinks for the adults still outside. She hands one to you to carry and you accept it with a kiss. “I think it would be good for them.”

“A public education?” abby says, looking at you for your opinion. All you do is look back.

“Being around kids their age,” clarke emends. “They know when and where things are appropriate--”

You shoot her a look, endeared. “Clarke.”

“Most of the time,” she’s quick to correct, shaking her head at you. “It’s just something we’re thinking about.”

“Well,” Abby says, and you turn to see the sincerity in her eyes as she breathes in, watching her daughter with something like softness in her eyes. “It’s up to you. You do what you think is right, but you know you can count on me if you need help.”

Clarke’s shoulders slouch with the exhale that escapes her. “I know, mom.”

31.

“I need to get another pair of shoes for jack,” Clarke tells you the following saturday night. Her voice is soft in your ear, her body draped across yours in the comfort of your bed. You like feeling her breathe, stomach to stomach and her scent all around you.

“Aden’s basically grown out of most of his pants,” you add, trying your hardest to stay awake, but it feels like a battle you’re both losing.

“You get out of work early tomorrow?”

You hum an affirmative.

“What do you say about a group trip to the mall?” Clarke asks as she snuggles closer and you chuckle softly at the sensation.

“Sounds like fun to me.”

[headstrongblake]

Five times tattooed (fywo)

ASHLEY’S ON READING BREAK - @trikrulinkon

1. So you have an appointment—and you’re going to be here how long? Octavia shot a glare towards Louis, “I don’t know, a while, if you want to go back to the restaurant and find that babe I’m sure she’s right were you left her drooling.” There went his biggest smirk onto his face as he appeared to weigh his options. Octavia rolled her eyes and started towards the shop entrance. “You better pick me up.” She tossed over her shoulder before she went inside the tattoo shop without her red headed friend. He could do whatever, she was going to get another tattoo today regardless. Besides she’d heard this shop was one of the best in DC. “Hi, I’m lookin’ for Lincoln Woods, I called about an appointment?” She told the person behind the counter before a tall man with a Mohawk came out from the back room. This her? A brow raised in his direction as who she assumed was Lincoln came around the front of the counter and leaned against it. Welcome to Second Dawn, so what’re we looking at doing today? 

“You know Atlas— the Greek Titan who holds up the world on his shoulders? I want him but I want my Atlas to be wearing a cut, like…” Octavia pulled out a photo from the inside of her riding jacket, “This one.” She said, putting down on the counter a worn out photo of herself with her big brother, his arm slung around her with a smoke in his other hand. They’re both laughing but for the life of her now she couldn’t even remember why. But they looked happy and that’s all that mattered to her. “Actually, I want my Atlas to be him, but with the world on his shoulders.” Octavia said, finger tapping on her brother’s image as she glanced up at the artist. She unzipped her jacket, swiftly shrugging out of it to reveal her purple tank top underneath. “I’d like it to fit here,” Her hand rubbed over the patch of skin above her elbow on the back of her arm. “You think it’s do able?” 

The artist looked between the photo and her placement of the tattoo before it appeared like he was trying to work out the drawing in his head. He picked up the pencil left on the counter and began sketching on the back of a page that the receptionist handed him. Except he stopped a moment and looked back at her. That’s a pretty tender placement. Octavia lifted her shoulders, “Not my first tattoo, if you think it’ll work, I’m game.” That answered appeared to be to his liking because before she knew it he was telling her to take a seat while he sketched something out for her to approve. 

2. Today she’s itching to get out of this apartment. Get out of Alexandria and try to remind herself of all the reasons she has to stay sober. Bellamy. Her job. Her life depends on it. Louis. Her job. Murphy. Fox. Murphy. Bellamy. Fox. Louis. Bellamy. Bellamy!!! Inside these walls she might go insane and so Octavia finds herself on her bike. At first the plan is just to ride until the cravings pass. Just long enough to get her feet on stable ground so to speak except by the time she even feels remotely close to calm she’s already in DC— already parking outside of Second Dawn. 

Though she might not ever understand it, there’s something about a tattoo shop that brings all her… well everything to a halt. For however long she sits in a chair it’s like all her stress and responsibilities melt away. Today is no different as she pulls the shop door open and heads inside. There’s two artists already with clients which is fine for her because truthfully, Octavia had no idea what she would even get a tattoo of today. It was definitely not one of her planned moments but she looked at different sketches on the walls and in their artist books nonetheless before she heard a familiar voice behind her. Back again? Octavia sucked in a breath pushing her thoughts of sobriety and ways to break it away to put her best forward as she turned around to see Lincoln. “Duh, it’s been almost a year since I got new ink, that might as well be a crime.” 

Except in her spur of the moment decision, Octavia forgot to consider cost in her decision to show up in the tattoo shop. She thought a moment. Something small would suffice, maybe even a quick tattoo could provide enough distraction. If nothing else, she deserved a reward of sorts. It had been three months. Erin and Ryder still called daily but she was staying away from all of it despite the past two years…at least she was trying her hardest to. “Things have been kinda tight though, so I was thinking something small behind my ear, here.” She touched behind her left ear. As she began to gather all of her hair in her hands to secure it in a bun out of the way, her eyes shifted around at different pieces of work. What could she reward herself with? What mattered? Octavia pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she moved closer to a collage of stars, moons, and a sun with a face. Her lip ticked upwards as she saw the sun. “Can we do this one?” She asked, directing Lincoln’s attention to the drawing. There was a nod of his head before he pulled the pin out of the piece on the wall. Shouldn’t be a problem, let me get this cleaned up a bit first, you can take a seat in the chair. “Thanks,” She offered, surprised that he was able to take her right away before she made her way past the front desk to head into his work space. Still her mind raced but here at least she didn’t feel suffocated. 

It wasn’t long before Lincoln was preparing the different inks and his needle as Octavia sat in one of the chairs. The last time he’d tattooed her, she couldn’t shut up despite the fact that he was practically a stranger. Though Octavia always felt jazzed while she was getting tattooed except today when he asked if she was ready, Octavia simply nodded and allowed her eye lids to fall shut trying to lose herself in the therapeutic buzzing.  

3. Octavia’s filled with hope and buzzing with a smile on her face. It’s a world of difference in her attitude than what she displayed when she sat in his chair three months ago to get the first tattoo behind her ear. Today, she’s here for a matching set. A moon behind her ear to compliment the sun that’s already healed. Again, she’s rewarding herself. Six months clean. No coke. No oxy. Nothing more than a shared joint with her brother or drinks at a member’s house with her girls. Today everything seems manageable and it’s days like these that make it hard for her to even fathom why Bellamy doesn’t quite trust her. Obviously she knows what she’s done to him or rather herself that’s made him quick to think the worst but it’s her days like these when she feels like she’s coasting in a synthetic high despite nothing in her system that make her believe she’s got this beat. Drug addiction? Handled. Drug addict? Fuck no, that’s not her.

You going to let me in on the secret with these? A smirk pulled at her lips, brow raising at his question as she tried her hardest to sit still as Lincoln worked behind her ear. Guess she never did tell him much of anything the last time she sat in his chair. Octavia was too focused on ensuring her attention was on the sound of the buzzing that came from the needle and the sharp pain in her skin to keep herself sane that day. “Can’t a girl just like what she likes?” It’s half true. She really did simply like the design that she had seen the first time but now when she ran her finger along the healed sun she thought of it as her hope. The sun would continue to come up everyday and shine brightly so long as she remembered to keep herself straight. The moon matched and would remind her that she’d made it half way through an entire year. All she had to do was continue to put one foot in front of the other and take each day as it came. She’d made it this far—she could make it the rest of her life.

Alright then, keep your secrets, go ahead and check it out. Octavia tossed a smirk his way before she got up and headed towards the mirror near his work desk. Her finger reached up to touch her ear that had a new tattoo behind it and all she could do was smile at the ink in the mirror. It was exactly what she wanted. Exactly what she needed. She turned on her heels and slipped her cash out of her back pocket to hand to Lincoln. “Once again, you’ve nailed it—next ones going to be a giant masterpiece though.” Octavia was determined. The next tattoo would be a large grand piece. 

4. All of Octavia’s tattoo’s have a reason. Some hidden meaning behind the art that she displays so proudly but the one on her wrist that matches Bellamy’s and the one Lincoln was beginning to outline on her back now meant the most to her. In the beginning the younger Blake wasn’t sure how she wanted this tattoo to look or even what she wanted to express with it but after hours of pouring over different designs that Lincoln concocted with her guidelines, it looked perfect. It was a giant piece that would take up a majority of her upper back and dip down into the middle over her spine which meant she was going to have to do more than one sitting but it was everything. The flower placements were perfect with a mandala design behind them. The color choice was exactly what she wanted. 

Didn’t take you for a flower girl. While Octavia sat with her arms resting on the back of the chair, she chuckled at his suggestion. “Come on, every girl likes flowers.” She teased knowing that most girls that walked into a tattoo shop were getting a variety of the same handful of tattoos—infinity signs, anchors, a quote, or flowers. “Back when my dad was in the Grounders MC he traveled a lot but uh, he always came back with two white lilies and one black one.” Had Lincoln not been carefully outlining her tattoo, she’d have probably shrugged but instead she focused on keeping still. “Guess it felt like a good way to keep him with me.”

5.  There were some days that Octavia wasn’t convinced she’d make it to twenty, let alone twenty five but somehow she’s done it and that was a reason to celebrate. After all, twenty four had been a year of incredible ups ( a new promotion, a new club, a new guy ) and devastating lows ( Erin’s death, Bellamy’s imprisonment, her relapse and overdose ) but she was doing a lot better. If she kept going the way she was, she’d even have the one thing that she’s always wanted in eight months— a patch and a place to belong. Things were finally heading in the right direction and her birthday was proving to be the only challenge recently. 

Her birthday would be lonely this year. Sure, she’d be surrounded by friends and the people who care about her but it’s one of the first in a long while that her big brother would missed. Octavia tried to make it up to him near her birthday but when she’d arrived for his visitation, the guards told her Bellamy’s visitations were revoked for the time being. They wouldn’t tell her more or explain any details but she’s not an idiot. She knew how the system worked and something had to have happened. Knowing her brother— it was probably a fight between him and another inmate. So instead she decided on spending her birthday in Lincoln’s chair adding more ink to her skin. 

Octavia came up behind Lincoln while he worked at his desk with a smile on her face as she gently touched her fingers to his shoulders so that she didn’t startle him entirely and mess up whatever he was working on. She slid her hands down the front of him, leaning on him to press a kiss to his cheek as she peered at his worked over his shoulder. “Hey, you still up for that session tonight?” Yeah, just finishing it up now. Emerald hues widened when she realized the work she was glancing at was the tattoo she’d given him free range to design so long as it fit nicely on her shoulder, upper arm, and slightly up her neck. “Shit…wow Lincoln, this looks so good, you sure we can get it all in one sit?” Depends on you, whatever you can handle. Octavia stood up straight before moving herself over towards the tattoo chair as she shrugged out of her prospect cut, “That sounds a lot like a challenge.” Though admittedly, she was perfectly okay with spending her birthday getting a new tattoo. This one could signify her growth. A step in a direction that hopefully would be her new rest of her life. “Let’s do this.”