#Maybe she hasn’t told her brother she’s dying. Maybe she’s living with the dread that she gave up her life in order to stop Surtr

[hulloitsdani]

@moe-broey THANK YOU!!! AND IM GLAD THE RUFFLES ARE APPRECIATED!!!🎉🎉🎉

But seriously this is the highest compliment, because this is actively what I’m trying to do when it comes to how I draw Kiran! I really want to convey how unabashedly charming this silly little tactician is. It helps explain how they keep the order intact on a social level and also why this keeps happening:

In retrospect, Alfonse never really stood a chance, did he?

Anyway I won’t lie, I did all this for the Loki bit. Please imagine that she’s just off screen for all these outfits hitting that exact pose.

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Out Of Time ~ 135

MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 2,665ish

Summary: Y/N wants a small wedding. Tony and her find out the gender of their baby. Steve and Y/N go for lunch. (Read note and the end of the chapter.)

“I want our wedding to be small,” Y/N stated randomly a few days after the proposal. She was currently sitting in Tony’s new workshop, watching him set things up. 

“Okay, honey,” Tony responded, not really hearing everything. 

“Like, really small.”

“Whatever you want, you know that.”

“Like only me, you, and whoever’s marrying us.”

Tony looked at Y/N. “What if I already told both Rhodey and Happy they could be my best men? And invited Pepper?”

“Really, Tony? I just… I think it would be easier, for me, if it was just us.”

Tony dropped what he was doing and turned so that he was giving Y/N his full attention. “May I ask why?”

“I just… this wedding… I… it’s stupid. Never mind.”

“No, no, no, no, no.” Tony rolled his chair so that the was right in front of Y/N, and took hold o her heads. “You tell me and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

Y/N inhaled and exhaled shakily as Tony rubbed his thumbs over her hands. “I… I have no one to walk me down the aisle.”

“Oh, honey.” He reached up with one hand and cupped her cheek. She leaned into it. “I didn’t think about that.”

“I know that Steve’s still alive, but… I’m not ready for that yet. He didn’t trust me… and he—“ Y/N’s voice broke as she got emotional, “—he hasn’t for a long time. He’s also never liked the idea of me and you. So why would Steve even be willing to walk me down the aisle? And if he won’t, who will?”

Tony pulled Y/N onto her lap with a sigh. “If it makes you feel better, none of my family would be there either.”

Y/N buried her head in her hands. “Oh my gosh, I’m being so selfish. At least I have a family member still alive.”

“You are not being selfish, you’re being realistic.” He pressed a kiss to her head before gently guiding her hands away form her face. “How about… well, you know I really don’t like your brother right now either, but why don’t you try and ask him to walk you down the aisle? I think it would be good for the two of you, healing in a way. Maybe even tell him about the baby.”

“I’m not telling anyone until the second trimester.”

“Then wait until then. Meet him somewhere for lunch—“

“If there’s still a place open.”

“—and tell him.”

“I’m just… scared.”

“I know, honey. But I’m worried this will do you and the baby more harm than good.”

“Okay… in a few weeks, I’ll reach out.”

“That’s my girl.” He kissed her softly.

“I don’t want to be fat in our wedding pictures,” Y/N blurted out, pulling away from the kiss. 

Tony chuckled. “Then we’ll get married after the baby is born. We’ll wait until the baby is old enough and we can get Happy and Pepper to take care of it.”

“Why are you so good to me?”

“Maybe cause you’re so good to me.”

~~~

Week 10 started with the “pregnancy glow” and Tony constantly commenting on how big Y/N’s breasts were getting. 

Week 11, her growing baby bump was causing aches and cramping. At one point, Tony found Y/N curled up on the floor, crying. He felt terrible that she was going through this. Tony carefully lifted her up, tucking her into bed, and spent the day cuddling her. 

Week 12, the nausea was basically gone, making the couple happy. 

Week 13 was full of dizziness. Y/N was struggling to stand up or stay standing by herself. This caused Tony to order her to bed rest, over-dramatically.

Week 14 came and it was the start of the second trimester. The doctor came over to check on both mother and baby, as well as reveal the gender. Y/N was hesitant to know the gender, wanting it to be a surprise. But Tony was an impatient child who was going to end up getting his way, legally or otherwise.

“Okay,” the doctor hummed, beginning the ultrasound. “We have ten toes, a strong heart beat, ten fingers.” Tony held onto Y/N’s hand tighter as he watched the screen intently. “Are you sure you’re ready to know the gender.”

“Yes!” / “No.”

“Come on, honey,” Tony begged. “I just want to know so we can start decorating and picking out names. Please?”

Unfortunately, Tony’s big brown eyes were hard to say no to. Y/N was going to be totally screwed if their child ended up with his eyes, but at least Tony would then get a taste of his own medicine.

“Fine,” she conceded.

“Yay!” Tony celebrated, giving her a kiss. “Now, doc, what is it?”

“Congratulations, it’s a girl,” the doctor told them with a smile.

“Yes!” Tony cheered. “I knew it!”

“You knew it?” Y/N questioned.

“I told you, I had a dream about it. So real. And we named her Morgan.”

“So I’m guessing any other names are off the table because you had a dream about it?”

“Like I said, it was so real.”

“I’ll have to think about it. While I do, can you go grab me a water, I’m dying of thirst.”

“Of course.” Tony kissed her templed before rushing off.

“Doc,” Y/N turned her attention to the doctor, “is it… this is so awkward but, is it okay to have sex? Even while being pregnant?”

“It’s completely safe,” the doctor chuckled slightly. “I’m guessing your sex drive as gotten a boost this week?”

“You have no idea. Literally anything Tony does makes me want horny. I was just scared—“

“Every new parent is. But you’re fine. The baby is well protected and higher up than you think.”

“So it won’t, like mess anything up?”

“Nope, you’re completely fine. I say enjoy it while it lasts, because it won’t last very long.”

“Thank you so much.”

~~~

That night, Tony was getting ready for bed while Y/N laid down, watching him. 

“Tony?” She called.

“Yes, dear?” He responded, looking her way.

“The doctor said it was okay to have sex.”

Tony choked a little. “Wh-what? You asked them that?”

“Well, lately, my sex drive has started to kick up and everything you do makes me horny.”

“Everything I do, huh?” He wiggled his brows. 

“So, please, help me?”

He came over and placed a seductive kiss on her lips. “I will always help you,” he whispered.

~~~

Week 15 came with extra clumsiness and a dreaded phone call. Tony was out getting groceries as Y/N at there, staring at her phone. She needed to call Steve and tell him everything. Things either needed to start getting better or they needed to fall apart once and for all. After taking a deep breath, Y/N finally pressed call and held the ringing phone to her ear. She felt like it had rung for hours before she finally heard Steve’s voice.

“Y/N?” He wondered, clearly confused. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

“I’m fine, Steve. I was just calling to see if you would like to meet up for lunch soon?” Y/N said, trying to remain calm. “We need to talk.”

She heard him sigh. “Yeah, I suppose we do. I’m free tomorrow. I know a place in the city that’s open. I’ll text you the address. Say we meet up around 1?”

“That sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

“Right. Okay. See you then.”

Y/N hung up and leaned back agains the couch, closing her eyes. She could do this, she had to do this.

~~~

Steve was nervous. So nervous, that he had arrived at the restaurant about an hour and a half before he was to meet Y/N. They had always had their differences, but he knew that the past couple of years had really driven a rift between the two. With him being the main reason for that. He was stuck in his own head when Y/N finally sat across from him.

“Steve,” she greeted, not giving anything away.

“Y/N,” he responded, with a small smile. “How have you been?”

“I’ve be fine. You?”

“Same.”

Before the conversation could actually go anywhere, the server came up and they ordered. Steve was a bit surprised at how much Y/N had ordered. 

“You hungry?” He tried to joke after the server left.

“Well it’s really hard not to be when you’re eating for two,” Y/N responded.

“W-wh-what? Eating for… t-two?”

“I’m pregnant, Steve.”

“Wha—how? I-I-I mean, who’s is it?”

“Really, Steve? Guess.”

“Well from what I was told you were seeing both Bucky and Stark. So I really—“

“It’s Tony’s. I… while I was dating both of them, I had rules. Like no sex.”

“And so Bucky dies and you break that rule?”

“Really, Steve? You know what?” She shook her head, pushing herself to stand up. “I don’t know why I let Tony talk me into doing this. I don’t need you there at the wedding. I can—“

“Hold up, Y/N, sit down. I’m sorry. I was just… I haven’t been good with my emotions for a very long time. Can you just sit back down, so we can talk about this?”

“Fine,” Y/N huffed.

“Before I get into anything more, I just want to make sure that I heard you correct. Did you say something about a wedding?”

“Tony and I are getting married.”

“That’s… that’s… good. You both deserve some happiness.”

“Thanks. We’re going to get married after the baby arrives.”

“Smart.”

“And I was… I was hoping that you might walk me down the aisle. And before you say anything, I realize that you, and Tony and I don’t have the best relationship, but I have no family. Only you.”

“I… I’d be honored too. But are you sure Tony wants me there? That you want me there?”

“You’re my twin and my only living relative, of course I want you there. But only if you want to be there. And, Tony just wants me to be happy. That’s all he’s ever wanted.”

“I’d love to walk you down the aisle. On one condition.”

“What is it?”

“You tell me the baby’s gender.”

“It’s a girl.” Y/N smiled, rubbing her belly. “Her name is Morgan.”

“Morgan. I like it. Are you planning to give her a middle name?”

“Currently that’s up for debate. I like Sarah or Maria, but Tony’s insisting on Howard.”

“Howard?”

“Yeah, I know. He’ll probably end up getting his way. Just can’t let him know that yet.”

Y/N and Steve sat at the table, talking and laughing, for a few hours. It was nice, good, different. Especially after all that had happened. Steve walked Y/N to her car.

“Can we do this more often?” Steve asked, a little nervous. “I’ve missed this, missed us.”

“I’d like that,” Y/N responded. She hugged Steve. “I love you, Steve.”

“Love you too.”

~~~

“Hey,” Tony greeted as Y/N entered his workshop. “How was lunch?”

“It was good,” she responded, leaning in for a kiss. “Of course, not everything is fixed and we still have a long way to go before we ever get back to where we once were.”

“You’re welcome,” Tony smirked, giving her another kiss. “Do you want to see what I’ve done for Morgan’s room today?”

“I think you’re nesting more than I am.”

“Probably right. I just want everything to be perfect and ready for our little girl.”

“And, knowing you, nothing with be. There’s always going to be something that needs fixing or updating.”

“How lucky am I to have a woman that knows me so well?”

“Extremely.”

~~~

Week 16, Y/N began experiencing her skin darkening around her nipples, inner thigh, armpits, and navel. She grew concerned but luckily Tony had already read all about it and told her that there was nothing to worry about. This week she also began to wedding plan. Nothing big, just looking at dresses and flowers and cakes. Steve and her had also began texting back and forth, as had her and Nat.

Week 17 was full of backaches and pregnancy brain. Tony couldn’t help but laugh at the pregnancy brain, though was immediately there to help soothe the backaches.

It was now the beginning was week 18, and Y/N felt like her boobs were huge. Tony enjoyed it, which led to them having sex a few times. They had just finished showering. Tony was getting dressed after helping Y/N do so, as Y/N laid in bed. Her hand was on her stomach when she suddenly she felt this uncomfortable pressure. She groaned.

“You okay, honey?” Tony asked, slightly concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Y/N responded. “I’m sure it’s—ugh.”

Tony was quickly by her side. “What is it?”

“There’s these pressure.” She rubbed her stomach. “It’s coming and going and—ah!”

“Maybe I should call the doctor.”

“No, no, I think I’ll—ah!”

“Yep, calling the doctor. Unless…”

“Unless what, Tony?”

“Hang on.” 

Tony pushed Y/N’s shirt up, revealing her growing bump, and rested his hands on it. The pressure happened again. Y/N winced.

“There is it again,” she said through clenched teeth. Tony couldn’t help but break out into giddy laughter. “What are you laughing at?”

“She’s kicking,” Tony responded with a large grin. “Morgan’s kicking.”

“What?” There is was again.

“Hey there, Morguna, I can feel you,” Tony leaned in and spoke to the baby. “Be kinder on your momma, will ya?”

“She’s kicking,” Y/N repeated softly. “She’s kicking.”

“Yeah she is. And I can already tell she’s a fighter, just like her parents.”

~~~

Week 19 was full of heartburn and constipation. Steve and Y/N also met up for lunch, slowly making amends.

Week 20, Morgan was restless. Kicking up a storm. Y/N was getting little sleep. It wasn’t helping that she also had leg cramps and swelling int he hands and feet.  The only time Morgan would calm down was when Tony was talking to her. But Y/N couldn’t wake Tony all the time, that just wasn’t fair. So Tony, ever the clever Tony, recorded himself telling stories and singing songs to play so that they could get sleep. Still wasn’t helping Y/N all that much, but it was at least calming Morgan down.

Week 21 was almost just as restless as the previous and added shortness of breath. Tony was extremely worried about that. Luckily the doctor was already planning on coming by. The doctor said that it was normal and that Y/N just needed to take it real easy. The doctor also told them that Morgan was looking very healthy, which put the parents at ease.

“She’s going to look just like you,” Y/N told Tony one night as he was rubbing her belly and talking to Morgan. “I know it.”

“You don’t want her looking like me,” Tony chuckled with a shake of his head. “Besides, she’s going to be beautiful, just like her mother.” Tony got quiet and solemn looking. “Do you think I’ll be like my father?”

Y/N knew this question was going to come up eventually. She was just hoping it would be later. “I knew knew Howard as a father. I just knew him as a good man. And I’ve always felt bad about how he treated you, that you didn’t know the man I did. But, Tony,” she cupped his face and made eye contact with him, “you are not your father. And you have learned from him. You will be the greatest father for our child.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. I would have never let this continue on if I didn’t.”

“I’m so lucky to have you by my side.”

“I know."

next chapter >

I leave for Disney World in a week. It is the last big family vacation that I will be on for a while.Because of that, I will not be on tumblr March 19th through March 24th. I will actually be deleting the app so that it’s not a distraction.

Most likely, nothing will be posted during that time. If something is, it will have been queued up. Things that are posted while I’m out of town will not have tag lists attached. I will put this note in all the fic posts until then. 

So do not come at me for spending time with my family instead of including the tag list. (I say that knowing that people won’t care and still come at me.... be respectful and get over yourself.)

And in case you didn’t read the note at the end of the last chapter, I will be doing two endings (Tony’s Ending and Bucky’s Ending).

If you want to be added to the tag list, please dm me or send in an ask.

[bunny-hoodlum]

Asynchronous With You: Ch 6

ship: naruhina

rating: teen (quite possibly mature or explicit later)

tags: Modern Day AU, Foster Siblings, Family, Angst, Unrequited Love, Poor Communication, Missed Opportunities

summary: An awkward journey full of self-denial and missed moments between two foster siblings. Perhaps their love will find the right timing someday.

"I think everyone should know," she said.

They were walking the usual route to their high school, the train station coming up ahead. Naruto kept a protective though furtive gaze on Hinata as he walked behind her on the steps.

He swore she's never modified her skirt. It would be against the dress code she's forced to protect. So he has no idea why it feels like he's seeing more of her than usual.

"Know what?"

Usually he's already doing this, because he's worried about perverts. Even in grade school, he was worried. If it weren't for their teachers educating them on Stranger Danger, he probably would have had to do it himself.

He had to learn it the hard way before Kurenai-obasan took him in, but so did Neji apparently. That's why he's gotten good at being less obvious with his suspicion, and also why he can better tell apart intent based on their body language.

He used to perceive everything around him to be potentially malicious. He never realized the toll that had been taking on him until Neji taught him how to really see.

He stood close behind her on the platform as they waited.

"That we're fosters."

A burst of wind shot through the platform, ruffling overcoats and business suits and whipping pleated skirts and loose hair in a sudden frenzy.

The PA announced the train's arrival, and it wheezed to a stop soon after.

He observed Hinata as she flattened her skirt down and smoothed her bangs, but none of it registered in his brain.

It was simply auto-pilot for him to follow her onto the train, then using his larger frame to block the other passengers from nearing his little sister.

Right. His foster sister.

In all of their nine years together, they've never told anyone. It wasn't that it seemed weird, it just… never occurred to them?

But now it did seem pretty weird.

"Why, though? In a couple years, it's not going to matter anymore."

She turned her face against her shoulder to look at him, but he didn't know what she was thinking. It was the same schooled features she put on last night when visiting Neji, like there was a one-way mirror and only she could see through him.

Then she looked away.

"You're not going to introduce a girlfriend to Kurenai one of these days?"

"Hmm?" The suggestion bloomed in his mind and quickly withered. The idea wasn't… very appealing. Something about inviting judgment onto his life and stuff. He defends himself in every aspect but at home, and he'd rather keep coasting on the good thing he's got. "Dunno. Hadn't ever thought about it."

He certainly wasn't going to introduce any of the one's he's taken to bed when the apartment was empty. He's rarely done it with the same girl twice, mainly because he can't help but lose interest.

He blames it on sexual incompatibility.

"Well, I know I will."

He misses the melancholy hedging around her words, and latches onto the opportunity for an easy ribbing.

"You're gonna bring a girlfriend over?" he's happy she shoots him a look so that she can see his corny grin, otherwise he worried she might've mistaken him for serious.

He's nonplussed by the severity of her glare, but then she says "Maybe when you're not around," and he no longer knows what to think.

"Wait, what? Hinata?" He's craning left and right in hopes of catching a smirk or a giggle from her, but she's evasive. Has she? "Hinata, are you--?" And since third grade she said? "Also, what's that supposed to mean 'when I'm not around'? Huh? Hey, what's that supposed to mean 'when I'm not around'?? Hinata???"

"We're getting off topic--"

"Bullshit! I have questions!"

She ignored him.

"I vote to tell our friends that we're fosters. And I'd like to have it taken care of during Lunch. What's your vote?"

Is this what she sounds like during her Public Morals Committee meetings? Because it was doing something to him.

Oh, right. She wanted an honest answer.

But… "What do you get out of announcing this? I mean, aside from knowing how to introduce me in the future or whatever. Have you thought this through at all?"

What's the rest of the school going to say?

The guys who share their skin mags with him might get wary and reject him. The girls he's dumped might try to get to him through her. Teachers might give up on disciplining him, essentially offloading their responsibilities onto her as both Public Morals Committee and his sister. And he wasn't having any of that shit again.

All kinds of things could bite them in the ass one way or another.

She hasn't replied to him at all, and he thinks she's upset again, but he has to make his point.

"Hinata, the way things are now isn't broken, so what are you trying to fix?"

"It would help me."

"Huh? How? With what?" He waited, and she was silent. A drop of dread sank in his chest for her. "So something is wrong," He leaned in closer, causing her to shrink. He sighed. "Hinata, for someone who wants the world to know we're fosters, you sure don't seem willing to rely on me like a sibling."

"I don't favor Neji-niisan over you."

"Yeah, well, you don't have to," Tension clutched at their throats. "People always have more history with their blood. I can't really compete, y'know?"

He can't compete at all, actually.

Sometimes he thinks his only true brother is Sasuke, but he still wants to work at this. She just has to let him.

"I'm sorry. I just thought it would be less lonely if we could talk to each other normally again. And we only see each other at school these days, so…"

He envisioned her waving to him in the halls between periods, or her having a reason to cheer him on during a deadlift tournament. It would prevent people from making the wrong idea about them.

Damn, he felt stupid now.

"Fine!" He intoned with mock-annoyance. "If it'll make you happy."

She looked over her shoulder again, and what she found was his warm, supportive smile.

________________________

Hinata gathered her friends, Kiba, Shino, Ino and Sakura.

And he gathered his friends, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Chouji.

Ino had tsked in distaste when she saw Sasuke, had gone as far as to drag Sakura away so that the others sat in-between them. He caught some sort of nickname from her lips, but wasn't sure what she had really said.

As Naruto stood before them alongside Hinata, his gaze fell on the skinny lad scribbling away at his sketchbook, and immediately his fight instinct was switched on.

"What's your monochromatic ass doing here??! Did anyone invite him?!" He jabbed a finger in Sai's direction.

The monotone, softboy, little creep didn't even look up.

"I'm making a record of these proceedings for posterity," he lifted the sketchpad and flipped it around.

Inkified Naruto was pointing right back at him with an agape snarl. Sai then proceeded to show everyone else individually, and they all cracked up, one by one.

Ino was absolutely dying. Stomach-clutching and tears rolling, the whole nine yards. She snatched the sketchpad from Sai and begged if she could keep it.

"Whaddya want that for??" Naruto interrogated. He was so about to punch Sai and throw his art supplies in the pool. This was Hinata's announcement and the softboy was ruining it.

Ino mockingly tilted the sketchbook side to side. "Something to keep your ego in check, Charato."

Hinata faintly snorted. He wasn't sure until he saw how she had her face turned around and her shoulders were lightly trembling.

He frowned at her, feeling betrayed.

"Ahhhh, alright, enough! Me and Hinata have gathered you all here for a reason! So shut up and listen! Hinata, tell them!"

Hinata jolted out of her humor, her face flushing as though this were the first time she's done public speaking.

"Uh, Uhm… Naruto-kun and I… we're foster siblings. We, uh… we live together," Hinata froze up under their collective stares. With a stiff smile, she half-heartedly sang "Ta-da," and punctuated it with rather embarrassed jazz hands.

"And as our friends, you're the first to know," Naruto added. "Also we don't care if the whole school finds out. So don't worry, we're not sharing this out of confidentiality."

Their collective shock evaporated rather quickly.

Sakura was the first to speak. "Well, that answers a lot of questions. And raises plenty more." She ended it with a growl and a glare. That accusatory look irked him.

"Feel free to ask away! I've got nothin' to hide!"

Sakura flattened the back of her skirt as she rose up like a dignitary representing The House of Hyuuga. And then like a certain video game attorney, she pointed at him.

"I always wondered why you obsessively protected Hinata in the past, but never showed any romantic initiative towards her. Now I have to ask, knowing the sex maniac that you are: Do you ever sneak into her bedroom?"

"No," He answered unconvincingly. He looked at the jury one by one, unsure how much of their scrutiny was sincere or misperceived. Sasuke was leaning forward, arms circling around his knees. He looked a little too interested in the idea of him and Hinata… doing things… "I-I've never done that! I would never do that! Hinata's special to me, okay?! You've got a filthy fuckin' mind, Haruno!"

"Me?! You've tried to sneak into the female locker rooms!" Sakura took off her shoe and slugged it at him. "Multiple times!"

Naruto hunched up and twisted away as the shoe smacked his shoulder and bounced away.

Hinata moved in between him and the one-woman mob. "Okay, this is getting out of hand--"

"I will never fucking do that to Hinata. I was in an orphanage for six years. And they're not all run by saints."

Dammit.

This was way more than he ever wanted to share.

He took a few steps back before turning tail. He jogged downhill as fast as he could.

What was he doing?

Uzumaki Naruto doesn't run away.

But it was either that, or… have them watch him cry.

________________________

AN: So this is missing a scene cuz I cut it. I might not use it anymore, and instead I'll see if the backstory I had expanded upon will be worked in later on in the plot. Because before I started writing this, I had anticipated that things would actually get cuter from here on out. (Also anticipating that I may work in at least one smutty chapter in the future. Yeah, it's totally diverging from this fic's original concept when I posted it for Secret Santa, but that's okay!) And the total Ego Death I unexpectedly wrote just feels kind of Deus Ex Machina in a way to Naruto's vices. I just can't have him maturing right now. That's a plot route I don't have any material for, and I don't quite see it as not defeating the other stuff I had planned to write. (I'm also happy to state that I'm starting to get a better picture of how to condense this content on AO3, because I honestly feel like this could be Ch. 2 now. :B I mean, it's too short on its own if I do, but it kinda has that hook for the rest of the story.)

I hope you enjoyed this update! 😘💕💕💕

[cerasus--flores]

ok y'all what do you think

did aubrey, kel, and hero forgive sunny and basil, or not?

personally I think that... partially

this is based on how I would react, btw

omori spoilers and personal opinion also this kinda turned into a fanfic so enjoy my awful writing ig--

at first, my guess is that they would be.. confused. for four years they have thought that mari killed herself and, out of nowhere, the two kids that seemed the most affected by it get into a fight that causes on of them to lose an eye, and in the hospital after said fight, they come up to them and say "yeah that was a lie"???? i would be dumbfounded, mind you

afterwards they're angry. how dare they fake her taking her own life?! to let them think that they were not enough for her! sunny was her sibling and he killed her, basil was attached to her and he staged her suicide?! only some psychopath would do that! aubrey would yell at them; kel would start asking questions out of frustration, probing them about what exactly they did; hero wouldn't even look at them, he would stay back trying to repress what he's feeling as he always has, maybe silently crying out of anger because if he dares start anything right now he won't stop and he doesn't want that. they would leave the hospital room after this, they have thoughts to collect.

now, they're walking on the walls. aubrey's mind is full with sentences such as "i knew basil wasn't worth it", "of course the weirdo with the knife killed his sister", "was i good enough for her? fuck if it matters, they killed her", "if anything they should have been the ones to d-" she stops her thoughts there. she doesn't know if she could deal with them dying, not anymore.

kel feels... numb. he, also, feels like there are needles all over his body. the voice in the back of his head telling him that it couldn't be that simple, that they loved mari, that they were friends is arguing with the louder, simplistic part of his conscience that yells that they killed her and lied to them, that the past three days he was walking around with a psychopath who killed his own sister and best friend of the group, and that he had tried to help the monster that set them all up to believe that it was partially their fault. he can't ignore it and move on, not this time.

hero is conflicted. if anyone is going to feel multiple things at once right now, it's him. a breeze of something reminiscing of relief comes to him when he realizes that this wasn't his fault, that he wasn't a bad friend or a bad lover, that he was not responsible for mari passing away. another breeze, one of dread, also passes by when he realizes that getting rid of guilt was one of the first thoughts he could differentiate. she's still dead, even if you're not the culprit, she's fucking gone. he also ponders, if ever so slightly, how he would've reacted had basil and sunny not faked her death. would he hate them? lash out on them? understand them? hate himself? possible scenarios pile up in his subconscious, waiting to be realized in his dreams, or nightmares. if anything, he notices that he's becoming overflowed by tears streaming down his face, and scenarios going through his mind. would he be studying if she hadn't died? would he still be afraid of spiders if she hadn't died? would he have spent more time with her, with his friends, and with new people if she hadn't died? would he like the same movies, shows, songs, games, things, if she hadn't died? if she hadn't died, would he be happy? thoughts, scenarios from the past and the present are all coming down on him. he feels like he can't breathe. he gets choked up on tears, and disappears to the bathroom for 15 minutes.

next thing they feel is... hard to describe. I'd say it's disbelief, or maybe questioning; questioning what was a lie, what wasn't. sunny becoming a shut-in could be just a cover-up for killing mari, same for basil. was his caretaker in on all this? sunny and mari's parents? how many people knew? how many people were aware of what truly happened? was it really just the doing of those two? how many people had hidden the truth from them?

and then, in a hoarse voice, kel repeats something he said a few days ago

"we were just children"

aubrey punches the door before finally breaking and falling to the floor, weeping like a newborn, barely catching her breath, everything starts to spin around her as she cries her heart out because kel was right; they were just kids, all six of them.

hero opens the door to the room where basil and sunny were, and notices that they are smiling. it is not out of nervousness, or malicious intent; he doesn't get the sense that they got away with a plan to murder her, or that they were caught. they aren't smiling ironically or mockingly either; basil did not pay much attention to him despite the noise coming from outside, and sunny hadn't even noticed that he entered the room.

if his current wreck of a mental state had to take a guess, the eldest would say that those smiles were of relief. the smile you see a tired worker make when they get home, or that a mother will make once her children stop crying because of an injury. he would guess that the smiles the two injured boys were carrying were smiles of people that finally got rid of a burden they've been carrying for a long time. as if they were just starting to heal from a pain they had to endure for too much time.

and seeing that fully broke hero.

he ran to sunny, making him aware of his presence by hugging him from behind, tightly, and with his nails digging on the younger boy's already wounded arms. sunny remains without response other than a single eye welling up with tears.

"why... sunny, why?" he can feel his voice crack from the tears, as sunny looks up crying and still, showing that tired smile he's had ever since he finished telling the story of the death of his sister.

"we loved her" is his only answer after minutes of the older brother of the group holding onto him, "so I'm happy I can finally tell you the truth." his voice shakes, as if the tears and the injuries weren't enough. hero's knees give up and now his head is resting on sunny's shoulder; from here he can see kel crying, resting his head on basil's bed, while the latter seems to have fallen asleep once again. aubrey us nowhere to be seen, but he trusts that she hasn't gone far, or rather hopes so, since he's past the point of pulling himself together and looking for her.

sunny's mother comes to pick him up around half an hour later. before leaving, aubrey hands him a piece of paper with phone numbers scribbled down onto it. "wait for calls from these a year from now," her voice had a cold, yet shaken tone. "then we'll tell you if we forgive you. can't guarantee we will though." sunny takes it and thanks her, telling her that he doesn't mind. he then leaves the hospital,, and faraway town, for a long time.

it doesn't take rocket science for the three friends to figure out that mari's death was an accident. their 12 year old friends could not have planned such a murder by themselves, in their eyes; yet it still hurts. it hurts for aubrey and kel to cross the street and see basil on the other block. it hurts for hero to look at the photos he took of basil's polaroids and see the times when mari and sunny played together. it hurts thinking that they were living a lie, intentional or not.

and yet, when they dialed sunny, a year after he left, they don't say "i forgive you," nor "i hate you." they can not. they are unable of forgiving the deceit, the fact that they left them to believe that they were guilty in mari's death. they are unable of forgetting about the pain they had to go through during four years, of forgetting mari was there, and that they took her away. but, maybe because "the culprits" were on isolation, maybe because the truth was told to them on a hospital due to their injuries, but they could tell that this had wounded them too. that the also carried so much of the pain that her passing caused. that when basil and sunny told them the truth, it rid them of something they could not imagine.

and then, it was simple. it wasn't about forgiving or forgetting, they could not do that either. rather, it was about healing

so, when they dialed sunny, a year after he left, they say

"when are you visiting? we need new memories together."

[ickle-ronniekins]

fools in love

request from nonnie!!! “pls could you write a story about fred being real sad bc he hasn’t seen the reader in a long time since she’s a year younger and still in school and he’s super busy with the store and he has these huge plans for them and he’s just having a rough day and then he finally gets to see her after a long time??? thank you!!”

pairing: fred x reader

word count: 1.6k

A/N: a little shorter, but i hope you like what i’ve done with the prompt :D i’m notorious for writing a lot and making stories very, very long but i wanted to try and write something that was only one or two scenes and end it with a big grand gesture so i hope this leaves you all smiling!!

tag list: @mintlibri @seppys-return-to-madness @how-do-life-does @fopdoodledane @fredd-weasley @iprobablyshipit91 @semmelsemi @cottageoflove @laneygthememequeen @snakesonaplane-7 @lupinsx @keoghans @helloallthethingsilove @bobduncanlover @dreamer821 @the-hufflepuff-of-221b @62442-am @wtfweasleyy | message me if you’d like to be added lovelies

“Promise, it’ll go by so quickly, darling! I’ll see you soon.”

Fred felt stupid enough with all of these new customers looking as though they were positively in love with him, as he willingly and very quickly turned each and every one of them down, earning him eye rolls, a bombardment of questions and swift glances at his left ring finger to see if they could get any answers out of him for why he’d been rejecting them, exactly. He didn’t need to be reminded that he’d made a promise he wasn’t able to keep. He didn’t feel much like talking. He didn’t feel much like doing anything at all. He felt positively dreadful.

Surely, it couldn’t have been months since he’d last seen you, could it? But alas, it could. Surviving on letters alone and not much else, you’d planned on visiting him one long weekend at the beginning of your final term at Hogwarts. But when Professor Snape had caught you in the Owlery late one evening after hours, sending yet another letter to Fred, he’d placed you in detention for not only one weekend, but four. A whole bloody month. Hogwarts without Fred was seemingly miserable.

Fred, feeling more on edge than before, had plans for that weekend you’d meant to visit. Not just any plans, like showing you his and George’s new artwork for the shop, their new apartment just above it, their inventions that they’d just designed and were getting ready to market and sell after placing on the last finishing touches. It was the first time he’d be seeing you in months—more like years, it felt like. He’d wanted it to be special.

George dropped a very large box of Extendable Ears on the shop desk, took one out, and held it up to the bare spot where his missing ear should be. He grinned at Fred and said, “What’ve you said, mate? I can’t ear you!” He found himself rather funny, rightfully so, and earned himself a laugh from Fred, who was grateful for the few mere seconds of thoughts not surrounding how much he bloody missed you.

George, before closing up the shop for the evening and heading upstairs to make them both dinner, clapped his brother on the back and told him, “Just a few more weeks, Freddie. Don’t look so glum.”

Fred didn’t sleep that night. Maybe an hour or two. Which didn’t help in the morning when the sunshine brought in more customers than he could’ve imagined; the desolate, colorless street of Diagon Alley was swarmed with people visiting from all over. He barely had any time to collect himself and discuss the day’s endeavors with George—each of them were pulled in separate directions with hungry customers itching to get their hands on any and all Weasley products, even those that hadn’t hit shelves yet. Fred grinned cheekily at his twin from across their very busy store. Suppose his day could be looking up.

A few hours into it, and he reckoned he shouldn’t have spoken so soon. Not only had he nearly fallen off of a ladder reaching for something on the highest shelf (his wand was upstairs in his bedroom; not a great place for it) and caught himself on the front desk at the very last minute, earning a sharp pain in his ankle, he’d also needed to stop a few individuals from sneaking out without paying for their items, only to then be followed around by a girl who wouldn’t leave him alone and a very angry bloke who did nothing but complain and yell about how his pygmy puff wasn’t changing colors throughout the day (it wasn’t supposed too).

When the shop was finally empty and he had a chance to sit and actually feel the pain radiating from his feet up through his legs, he pulled at his hair and yanked off his tie; he was absolutely bloody exhausted and was not at all looking forward to the fact that he and George still needed to restock the shelves before the weekend’s end. Luckily, though, he’d been able to slip away and grab his wand.. should make things a bit easier.

George emerged from the storage closet wearing a very cheeky grin, and it only seemed to deepen when Fred frowned. “What’re you so chipper about?” he asked, unbuttoning his vest and throwing it haphazardly over the countertop.

“Bad day, Freddie?”

“Bloody hell,” Fred replied, letting his head fall into his hands. He frowned again, about to explode, but rethought his choice of words, “Not bad, per se, just—long. But I reckon that comes with the business eh?”

George just smiled as he slowly took some Weather in a Bottle products, Decoy Detonators, Basic Blaze Boxes and began to gingerly place them on some shelves.

“Seriously, mate,” Fred began, peering quizzically at his twin who looked as though he was trying very hard to suppress a big secret, “what’s up with you? Something happen you need to tell me about?”

“No, nothing,” George replied, and a larger grin lifted his cheeks, “I just reckon your day could still turn around, is all.”

Fred scoffed. “Yeah, right. Always have loved that enthusiasm of yours, Georgie.” George shrugged his shoulders, his smile only deepening yet again, when he suggested to Fred to head back to the supply closet to grab more of the newer items to place on display at the front of the store to attract more hungry crowds. Begrudgingly he went, not very keen on the sharp pain in his feet now extending all the way into his back. Merlin, he just wanted to lay down.

He took his wand out of his pocket, ready to Accio the nonsense out of all of these items, when something nearly scared the living daylights right out of him. A yelp escaped his lips. He jumped on the spot, whirled around quickly, and discovered a small light in the corner had been flicked on.

“You know,” you began, and crossed your arms in delight, “you’re quite a sight for sore eyes after a long day.”

A very large grin plastered itself across his face; suddenly, all pain in his body seemed to subside at the sight of you. Butterflies were engulfing him. He was positively bewildered at the sight of you. He felt like a right fool for screaming in his own shop, but couldn’t help but grin like mad. Without even thinking properly, he ran across the crowded space to you, lifted you up off of the table you’d been sitting on and spun you around, encasing you in a bone crushing hug you were bound to feel the effects of later.

“What’re you doing here?” he asked breathlessly as disbelief flooded his body.

You slapped him playfully. “You’re not the only one who can pull off the greatest of surprises, Fred Weasley.” You draped your arms across his shoulders and inched a little closer. He felt his insides twist in the best of ways; were you really here? “Reckon I could give you a run for your money.”

“You mean to tell me you’ve actually escaped the wrath of Severus Snape?”

You rolled your eyes casually. “Thank Merlin for McGonagall. Told me not to worry. Has Snape doing other sorts of business, so I doubt he even noticed. Right load of bollocks that was, wasn’t it?” He laughed haughtily at your jokes and his hands tightened around your abdomen.

“Got to hand it to you—you’ve certainly shocked me, that’s for sure.”

“Color you impressed?” you winked.

Kissing you for the first time in Merlin only knows how long nearly set his soul on fire; the steady pounding of his heart seemed to increase the second your lips touched his, the touch he’d been dying to feel, imagining over and over again in all the time you’d been apart. When you tried to pull away to tease him again, he pulled you back, noting that he wasn’t quite yet finished with you, and you both stayed there, your hands in his bright red hair and his gripping your whole body tightly, for several long minutes, or maybe even days.

“You, my love,” he started, tugging gently on your hair, “have no bloody idea just how much I’ve missed you.”

“Nah, I definitely know,” you replied cheekily, flipping your hair, earning a smirk and a wink from him. Then you softened and said breathlessly, “I’ve missed you, too. School’s just dreadful without you.”

He felt a pang in his chest. It had always been difficult being a year apart, especially now with them owning the shop and you still attending Hogwarts. You’d seen one another nearly every single day for six years, even before you got together. It was strange having that all shift dramatically. “I’ll just have to make it up to you then.”

“Oh yeah? Like how?”

“Got a few surprises up my sleeve.”

“Oh really?” you asked, placing a hand to your hip and grinning like mad. “You didn’t even know I was coming! How could you already have something planned?” You wiggled your eyebrows at him and continued, “Think you’re going to out-surprise me? Think again, Weasley.”

You pressed your lips gently to his again; the feeling of your eyelashes softly brushing his cheeks sent him into a tizzy. He held you delicately in his hands, as if he were afraid you were going to break, or slip right through his fingers. He opened his eyes, just for a moment, to make sure that yours were still closed. When he saw that they were, he closed his again and gently, very gently ran his hand over the very tiny box he had hidden away in his pocket, holding what would seemingly replace the gold band you had on your left ring finger that’d been there since you were little. He felt the edges of the box against his fingers.. the box that had been there ever since he purchased it a few months ago. Another surge of raging fire raced through his bones; he was sure it was from both you running your hands absentmindedly down his chest, and also the thought of what the weekend would bring. Guess his plans hadn’t been ruined after all.

When you parted and you brought your hands to his cheeks, gently running your hands across his stubble, his smile just deepened at the happiness radiating off of you. He could hardly wait to out-surprise you. “We’ll just see about that, darling.”

reblogs & feedback are always appreciated! thanks darlings for always reading and requesting x

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars CVIII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: Tomorrow I’m posting a hidden moment about what happens once the kids are at school and two former marauders are left alone. Stay tuned! -Danny

Words: 4,225 

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘Better Off’ -by Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler

Chapter Six: Hidden Nightmares.

"Prefect, eh?" growled Moody, his normal eye on Ron and his magical eye swivelling around to gaze into the side of his head. Harry had the very uncomfortable feeling it was looking at him and moved away toward Sirius and Lupin.

"Well, congratulations," said Moody, still glaring at Ron with his normal eye, "authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes or he wouldn't have appointed you..."

Mel took her friend away from Moody in case he decided to continue trying to scare him to death.

"I was never a prefect myself," said Tonks as she walked past them. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."

"Like what?" said Ginny.

"Like the ability to behave myself."

"Same reason why Mel didn't get a badge," Emily walked past her daughter. "I hope this works as a lesson..."

"Sure does, now I know I'm doing something right," Mel smirked.

"What about you, Sirius?" Ginny asked.

"No one would have made me a prefect! I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."

"I think Dumbledore might have hoped that I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends," said Lupin. "I need scarcely say that I failed dismally."

"What about my dad?"

"Matthew was a brilliant student but Dumbledore knew that giving him the badge would've been like given us green light to go around doing whatever we pleased," Sirius grinned.

"Again, same the reason why Dumbledore didn't give you a badge," Lupin smiled.

"You really think I would let my friends do mischief without any consequences?" Mel feigned indignation.

"Yes," The three adults replied.

"Well, I think I'll sort out that boggart before I turn in... Arthur, I don't want this lot up too late, all right? 'Night, dears."

Mel walked into Harry just as he was getting up and she stumbled backwards.

"Sorry," He said quickly.

"It's fine..."

"You all right?" Moody asked them.

"Yeah, fine."

"Lovely dinner," Mel smiled tensely.

"Come here, I've got something that might interest you," He told them.

From an inner pocket of his robes Moody pulled a very tattered old Wizarding photograph.

"Original Order of the Phoenix," growled Moody. "Found it last night when I was looking for my spare Invisibility Cloak, seeing as Podmore hasn't had the manners to return my best one... Thought people might like to see it."

Harry took the photograph and Mel leaned closer to take a look.

"There's me," said Moody. "And there's Dumbledore beside me, Dedalus Diggle on the other side... That's Marlene McKinnon, she was killed two weeks after this was taken, they got her whole family. That's Frank and Alice Longbottom — Poor devils, better dead than what happened to them... and that's Emmeline Vance, you've met her, and that there's Lupin, obviously... Benjy Fenwick, he copped it too, we only ever found bits of him... shift aside there–

That's Edgar Bones... brother of Amelia Bones, they got him and his family too, he was a great wizard... Sturgis Podmore, blimey, he looks young... Caradoc Dearborn vanished six months after this, we never found his body... Hagrid, of course, looks exactly the same as ever... Elphias Doge, you've met him, I'd forgotten he used to wear that stupid hat... Gideon Prewett, it took five Death Eaters to kill him and his brother Fabian, they fought like heroes... budge along, budge along... That's Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, only time I ever met him, strange bloke..."

It was the first time she'd ever seen of her grandfather. He looked a lot like Dumbledore, but he lacked the warm gaze and the fancy robes. He had the same hair colour as her though, and there was a similarity between his nose and her dad's.

"That's Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally... Sirius, when he still had short hair... and... there you go, thought that would interest you! Eh?"

Five people were staring up at them: Petter Pettigrew, Lily and James Potter, and her own parents.

"That's great," She tried to sound enthusiastic. "Look at that..."

"Yeah," Harry's voice sounded heavy. "Er... listen, I've just remembered, I haven't packed my..."

"What's that you've got there, Mad-Eye?" Sirius asked loudly from the table.

Harry left so quickly she almost thought he'd disapparated, she understood though, that picture was full of ghosts, and for some reason, she felt kind of responsible for them– maybe Harry felt that way too, after all, it was him Voldemort was after...

The adults surrounded the table and stared at the picture, there were tons of quiet exclamations and nostalgic chuckles as they examined it, but what made her leave the room was the way she knew her mother and Sirius had finally found their friends' faces staring up at them, she could see something dark and heavy falling on their features.

Mel didn't feel like sticking around to hear stories about when they were all young and alive, when Peter was still Peter and not the traitor that had gotten his friends killed. It was stupid to remember something they couldn't have back.

She was in the main hall when she heard someone crying.

"No! No... riddikulus! Riddikulus! RIDDIKULUS !"

Mel ran up the stairs and found Harry looking at Mrs Weasley... She was sobbing above a second Harry, only that this one was dead.

'Boggart', Mel thought.

"Harry, we need to get help–"

"Mrs Weasley, just get out of here!" Harry's eyes fixed on the vision of his own body. "Let someone else —"

"What's going on?" Lupin rushed in followed by Sirius and Emily. Moody was right behind them."Riddikulus!"

Mrs Weasley wept harder.

"Molly– Molly, don't... Molly, it was just a boggart," Lupin patted her head gently. "Just a stupid boggart..."

"I see them d-d-dead all the time! All the t-t-time! I d-d-dream about it..."

She had been dreaming the same thing that summer– hell, her boggart had been the same thing years before that! Seeing it again that night caught her off guard. A thousand different images of Harry trapped in the cemetery came to her, the pain she'd felt that night, the memory of Cedric's body laying on the grass...

She tried to get out of the room as fast as possible.

"D-d-don't tell Arthur– I d-d-don't want him to know... Being silly... Harry, I'm so sorry, what must you think of me? Not even able to get rid of a boggart..."

"Don't be stupid," said Harry, sounding impressively calm.

"I'm just s-s-so worried– Half the f-f-family's in the Order, it'll b-b-be a miracle if we all come through this... and P-P-Percy's not talking to us... What if something d-d-dreadful happens and we had never m-m-made up? And what's going to happen if Arthur and I get killed, who's g-g-going to look after Ron and Ginny?"

"Molly, that's enough," said Lupin. "This isn't like last time. The Order is better prepared, we've got a head start, we know what Voldemort's up to — Oh, Molly, come on, it's about time you got used to hearing it — look, I can't promise no one's going to get hurt, nobody can promise that, but we're much better off than we were last time, you weren't in the Order then, you don't understand, last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one..."

"Don't worry about Percy," said Sirius. "He'll come round. It's a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open; once he does, the whole Ministry's going to be begging us to forgive them. And I'm not sure I'll be accepting their apology..."

"And as for who's going to look after Ron and Ginny if you and Arthur died," Lupin looked up to Emily and smiled a bit, "what do you think we'd do, let them starve?"

"Certainly not!" Emily kneeled beside her, hugging her by the shoulders. "Not after all you've done for us! After seeing how much you care about Harry! You're one of the best friends I've had in a long time, I would never abandon your children..."

Harry turned and locked eyes with Mel. He had a distraught expression on his face as he watched her cover her mouth, struggling to breathe.

One time when she was six, Mel had to be taken to the nurse because some kids cornered her in the playground and she lost it; a teacher carried her out. When her mother arrived they told her Mel had suffered a panic attack.

A panic attack wasn't exactly a good omen nor the best way to spend her last night before going back to school, but she had no control over it.

"Deep breaths, Mel..." Harry muttered, quickly making his way towards her. "It's okay–"

The boy tried to touch her and that stirred her into action. Mel slapped his hand out of the way and ran out before someone could stop her. She ran up all the way to Buckbeak's layer and she locked herself there until her crying stopped.

"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs Weasley yelled.

Mel let out a pained groan, her head was pounding after last night and all she wanted was to get to the train so she could take a nap. Mrs Black's portrait was howling, but no one tried to close the curtains since the house was loud with voices coming from every floor, all gathering their stuff before leaving.

"I'm dying," The girl leaned on her mother's shoulder. The woman ran her fingers through her hair tenderly.

"You had a rough night. Been years since you had one of those..."

"It was the stupid boggart," She muttered. "I'm okay now. I'll see Erick, so that's kind of cool..."

"You and Harry haven't talked, then?"

"Mum..."

"I'm not trying to force you–"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!"

A dog ran into the hall, looking rather lively.

"Oh honestly... well, on your own head be it!"

Mrs Weasley, Emily, Mel, Harry and Sirius all left the house together.

"Where's Tonks?" Harry asked.

"She's waiting for us just up here," said Mrs Weasley.

"Wotcher, guys," Tonks -disguised as an old woman- winked at them. "Better hurry up, hadn't we?"

"I know, I know... but Mad-Eye wanted to wait for Sturgis... If only Arthur could have got us cars from the Ministry again... but Fudge wouldn't let him borrow so much as an empty ink bottle these days... How Muggles can stand travelling without magic..."

Sirius was having the time of his life though, running around chasing pigeons and barking loudly. Mel and Harry laughed at his antics, Emily rolled her eyes and mumbled something about him being a child.

As they walked through the streets watching Sirius chase cats and go crazy with the poor birds, she felt Harry glancing at her from time to time. Mel knew he only wanted to help, and perhaps he was a little hurt about the way she'd reacted last night. However, she was far from even acknowledging that she'd cried in front of so many people.

"I felt it, you know?" Harry said when no one was paying attention. "Your panic attack..."

"I figured," Mel said numbly. "It's the lifeline... doesn't matter, I have it under control."

"I could've helped," He insisted. "When we were little–"

"We're not little anymore," She replied sternly. "You handle your stuff, I handle mine. That's what we agreed on."

Harry's jaw clenched, he didn't speak after that.

It felt like a type of rebirth when she crossed the platform and found herself in front of the scarlet train.

"I hope the others make it in time," said Mrs Weasley.

"Nice dog, guys!" called Lee Jordan.

"Thanks, Lee," said Harry.

Sirius made a show of himself, acting as the perfect puppy.

"Mel, come here for a moment," Emily drew her away from the group, looking anxious.

"What is it?"

"I didn't say anything until now because I didn't want to make you uncomfortable during your stay but... oh, well..."

She noticed how her mother glanced at Sirius, who was rolling around at Harry's feet.

"Mum... Are you and Sirius... a thing?"

Her mother hesitated.

"I know you've noticed how... I mean, we've... we're not exactly together."

"Oh," She frowned. "Why not?"

"What?"

"If you want to be a couple, then be one."

"I... you... you're not upset?"

Mel gave her a small smile. "You deserve to be happy. I want you to be happy. If being with Sirius gives you that, I have nothing against it. He's a good man– bit stubborn, but he treats you well, right?"

"He was always a good friend..."

"I hope all goes well, then."

The woman stared as if she'd mistaken Mel for someone else.

"You have more of Matthew than you could ever have of me, you know?" Emily beamed. "I'm thankful for that."

"Sirius would be an idiot if he rejects you, to be honest."

Her mother laughed.

"Don't get your hopes up about this, though..."

"I trust you," Mel brushed it off, hugging her one last time before going back to the group.

Five minutes later Lupin was wishing her a safe journey. Mel held onto him tightly, his scent filling her lungs.

"I'm going to miss you lots," She mumbled against his chest.

"You'll see me soon," Lupin rubbed her back. "Now, just because you weren't made a prefect doesn't mean you're allowed to misbehave. Make us proud."

Sirius ran up to her and crashed against her legs, she kneeled and hugged him as well.

"I'll miss you too, Snuffles... look after my mother while I'm gone, okay?"

He barked, snuggling his face closer to hers.

"Well, look after yourselves," Lupin told the rest of the teenagers. "You too, Harry. Be careful."

"Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled," said Moody. "And don't forget, all of you — careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all."

"It's been great meeting all of you," said Tonks. "We'll see you soon, I expect."

"Quick, quick," said Mrs Weasley as the whistle blew a second time. "Write... Be good... If you've forgotten anything we'll send it on... Onto the train, now, hurry..."

For one brief moment, the great black dog reared onto its hind legs and placed its front paws on Harry's shoulders, but Mrs Weasley shoved Harry away toward the train door hissing, "For heaven's sake act more like a dog, Sirius!"

"See you!" Harry yelled from the door.

The black dog chased the train barking madly until they turned, then he vanished.

"He shouldn't have come with us," Hermione murmured.

"Oh lighten up, he hasn't seen daylight for months, poor bloke," Ron shook his head.

"Well, can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. Are you coming with us, Lady?" Fred asked.

"Maybe later," She shrugged.

"All right, see you later!"

"Shall we go and find a compartment, then?" Harry asked.

"Er..."

"We're — well — Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said awkwardly.

Suddenly Mel felt really bad about not going with Fred and George.

"Oh," Harry tensed next to her. "Right. Fine."

"I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey," said the girl. "Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."

"Fine– Well, we... might see you later, then."

"Yeah, definitely. It's a pain having to go down there, I'd rather — but we have to — I mean, I'm not enjoying it, I'm not Percy."

"I know you're not," said Harry.

"I'll tell Erick you say hi, Mel," Hermione offered, thinking that would ease her mind.

"Brilliant," She said without much excitement.

"Come on," Ginny spoke, Mel felt immense relief as she turned to look at the girl, "if we get a move on we'll be able to save them places."

"Right," said Harry, and he looked as pleased as her.

After a while of silent walking, they ran into Neville, which was even better, more people to talk to.

"Hi, guys– Hi, Ginny... Everywhere's full... I can't find a seat..."

"What are you talking about?" said Ginny. "There's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here —"

"I don't want to disturb anyone..."

"Don't be silly," Ginny chuckled. "She's all right."

They all followed her inside.

"Hi, Luna! Is it okay if we take these seats?"

The girl beside the window looked up. She had straggly, waist-length, dirty-blond hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Harry knew at once why Neville had chosen to pass this compartment by. The girl gave off an aura of distinct dottiness. Perhaps it was the fact that she had stuck her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping, or that she had chosen to wear a necklace of butterbeer caps, or that she was reading a magazine upside down. Her eyes ranged over Neville and came to rest on Harry. She nodded.

"Thanks," said Ginny.

In the middle of all the movement of putting away trunks and pets, Mel and Harry somehow found themselves seated together. The girl thought it'd look suspicious if she were to move now, it would confirm that she was actively avoiding him.

"Had a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter."

"I know I am," said Harry, frowning slightly.

Her eyes then moved to the next person, which happened to be her.

"You're a Dumbledore."

"Yeah, people keep saying that," Mel said.

Luna moved to Neville. "And I don't know who you are."

"I'm nobody," He said.

"No you're not," said Ginny. "Neville Longbottom — Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," sang Luna.

"Guess what I got for my birthday?" Neville asked them.

"Another Remembrall?" Harry teased.

"No– I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago... No, look at this... Mimbulus mimbletonia."

"Sick!" Mel beamed. "Er- in a good way..."

"It's really, really rare," said Neville excitedly. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."

"If you do manage, I'd love to have one," Mel eyed the plant with interest.

Harry did a strange noise next to her and she stared back, daring him to speak.

"Does it — er — do anything?" He asked, glancing nervously at her.

"Loads of stuff! It's got an amazing defensive mechanism — hold Trevor for me..."

Neville put the toad on Harry's hands. Luna was staring again.

Neville held the Mimbulus mimbletonia up to his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill.

Liquid squirted from every boil on the plant, thick, stinking, dark-green jets of it; they hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered Luna Lovegood's magazine. Ginny, who had flung her arms up in front of her face just in time, merely looked as though she was wearing a slimy green hat, but Harry, whose hands had been busy preventing the escape of Trevor, received a face full. It smelled like rancid manure.

Neville, whose face and torso were also drenched, shook his head to get the worst out of his eyes.

"S-sorry," he gasped. "I haven't tried that before... Didn't realize it would be quite so... Don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, as Harry spat a mouthful onto the floor.

Mel cackled, cleaning her face without an ounce of grumpiness.

"That was amazing!"

The door of their compartment slid open abruptly.

"Oh... hello, Harry. Um... bad time?" Cho stared at the lot with an anxious expression.

"Oh... hi," Harry quickly tried to clean his face.

"It's a terrible time," Mel said brightly, "We stink."

"Um... well... just thought I'd say hello... 'bye then."

Cho Chang was blushing when she closed the door. She heard Harry groan and fall back on his seat.

"Never mind," said Ginny. "Look, we can get rid of all this easily. Scourgify!"

"Sorry," said Neville timidly.

"Don't be, that was really interesting to watch," Mel smiled.

Neville blushed at her comment.

"I'm starving," Ron walked in, Mel quickly made room between her and Harry, which he took without even noticing.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," said Hermione. "Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Ron.

"Malfoy," replied Harry.

" 'Course," Ron made a face.

"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione to Mel. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll..."

"Cheating of course," Mel shrugged.

"Who's Hufflepuff?" Harry asked.

"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," said Ron.

"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," said Hermione. "Oh! Erick seemed fine, Mel– couldn't talk to him because of Malfoy, of course..."

"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," Ron explained, "and we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something..."

"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!"

"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse it at all."

"So you're going to descend to his level?"

"No, I'm just going to make sure I get his mates before he gets mine."

"For heaven's sake, Ron —"

"He's not being unfair, is he?" Mel defended him. "If anyone deserves detention, that's them..."

"I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him, he hates writing," Ron then pretended to be the Slytherin. "I... must... not... look... like... a... baboon's... backside..."

Everyone laughed, but nobody laughed harder than Luna Lovegood. She let out a scream of mirth that caused Hedwig to wake up and flap her wings indignantly and Crookshanks to leap up into the luggage rack, hissing. She laughed so hard that her magazine slipped out of her grasp, slid down her legs, and onto the floor.

"That was funny!"

Her prominent eyes swam with tears as she gasped for breath, staring at Ron. Utterly nonplussed, he looked around at the others, who were now laughing at the expression on Ron's face and at the ludicrously prolonged laughter of Luna Lovegood, who was rocking backward and forward, clutching her sides.

"Are you taking the mickey?"

"Baboon's... backside!"

"Hey, Lovegood," Mel grinned. "We're going to be great friends..."

"Can I have a look at this?" Harry asked Luna. He was staring at the magazine she'd dropped. "Mel, have a look at this, will you?"

He was showing her an article over Ron's shoulder.

SIRIUS - Black As He's Painted?

Notorious Mass Murderer OR Innocent Singing Sensation?

For fourteen years Sirius Black has been believed guilty of the mass murder of twelve innocent Muggles and one wizard. Black's audacious escape from Azkaban two years ago has led to the widest manhunt ever conducted by the Ministry of Magic. None of us has ever questioned that he deserves to be recaptured and handed back to the dementors.

BUT DOES HE?

"What is this?" Mel asked, her voice slightly shaking with contained laughter.

"Hang on," Harry said distractedly. "This one's about Fudge.."

Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, denied that he had any plans to take over the running of the Wizarding Bank, Gringotts, when he was elected Minister of Magic five years ago. Fudge has always insisted that he wants nothing more than to "cooperate peacefully" with the guardians of our gold.

BUT DOES HE?

Sources close to the Minister have recently disclosed that Fudge's dearest ambition is to seize control of the goblin gold supplies and that he will not hesitate to use force if need be.

"It wouldn't be the first time, either," said a Ministry insider. "Cornelius 'Goblin-Crusher' Fudge, that's what his friends call him..."

"Anything good in there?" asked Ron.

"Of course not," said Hermione. "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that."

"Excuse me," said Luna. "My father's the editor."

Mel had to bit her lip to not make a sound.

"I — oh. Well... it's got some interesting... I mean, it's quite..."

"I'll have it back, thank you," Luna took back the magazine and buried her face behind it.

The door to the compartment opened again.

"What?" Harry snapped at Malfoy.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention... You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah, but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

The group laughed. Mel felt something crawling up her chest, ready to pounce.

"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," said Hermione.

"I seem to have touched a nerve... Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."

"Get out!" said Hermione sharply.

Mel's heart skipped a beat.

Dogging.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere @t-rexs-world​

[ashleyswrittenwords]

Subtleties of a Suitor (Part 1 of 2)

Summary: Pre-calamity AU where Zelda’s powers awaken in time, but not everything is back to normal after Calamity Ganon is defeated.

Note: This is all @intangiblyyourswrites‘s fault. Also, the second part is NSFW -which also happens to be Kristie’s fault. Enjoy!

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Scrawling ink coated the underside of her hand and left light imprints on the edge of the paper. That paper was bound within leather covers that rarely left the Princess’s desk. It was a journal of upmost confidence; containing her deepest secrets and cresting moments of happiness. The highs and lows of her life caught between compressed papyrus.

It was hardly secretive that her lows were concentrated in the years before, caught in the repetitive cycle of failing expectations that were handed down to her from birth. This desk and this journal were Princess Zelda’s small reprieve. Even going as far as referring to it as an old friend because it felt better to write with purpose than to speak nothings into a void.

My dearest friend,

A worry line creased her forehead. The nameless friend was so accustomed to moments of happiness nowadays, it felt alarming to her that she was writing with distress once more.

These days have been nothing short of harrowing. In my last letter, I was convinced that he finally understood my intentions after Calamity Ganon was sealed away. I thought-

She paused her pen strokes and glared at the page, willing herself to connect thoughts to words and words to paper.

We don’t meet anymore, we haven’t since before the monster was sealed away. Even though the night prior haunted my dreams for weeks following my expressed wishes to cease these small moments of privacy. No matter how sweet and innocent they could be. As you know, in my heart of hearts I can’t bind him to me when-

When Zelda could never be his. When, in times of great enlightenment and prosperity, their fates have crossed and her father now sees him only as a valuable combatant in his army. When destinies have been fulfilled and they were no use to one another.

They both knew this in the beginning, but with the veil of ignorance and Zelda’s everflowing failure, she was convinced they were fated to die with the kingdom. It was a simple case of action and reaction. If she didn’t unlock her sealing powers, then Calamity Ganon would not be defeated.

The knowledge most likely drew out their passion. Pages upon pages recounted shaky hands and blushing cheeks that glowed hot and bright against starry skies. A string of months where she felt more warm than she had ever been and more loved than she thought she deserved.

Then, a week after the Calamity, when Link was pressing her against the railing of an empty stairwell far from the celebratory festivities, she broke their kiss after her guilt grew too heavy for her chest to bear. Zelda will never be able to forget the unmasked hurt on his face as she thickly told him that they couldn’t do this anymore. Among it all, Zelda told him she loved him.

I was under the impression he understood. Father offered Link a promotion and he didn’t even wait a day to think about it. The next evening another man was waiting by my door and of course it shocked me. A part of me wanted to be belligerent when Link hadn’t bothered to ask, another part was more than understanding. But now?

Now I’m rethinking everything.

It started two weeks ago.

The court was lively. Since Calamity Ganon’s appearance and subsequent defeat, Hyrule Castle had its fair share of celebrations. Three months later, the Zora was being hosted within its walls. Without looming dread over her head, Princess Zelda found herself in more social circles. The Zoran princess and Champion, Mipha, became an especially close contact. As opposing as the two princesses were, they had cultivated a solid friendship. Zelda assisted Mipha with fitting into Hylian customs and Mipha was a fantastic listener.

“Link hasn’t said anything about it to me,” Mipha said gently, swinging her little brother in her arms. Prince Sidon made a disgruntled noise and reached out towards Zelda once more.

The small prince smoothed the trouble in her brow as she heaved him in her arms. “Well maybe it’s for the best. We should both move on.”

They were taking turns about the court, trying to spend the dying summer days. Sidon giggled and reached out to his sister.. Mipha seemed to be debating what to say before opting for nothing at all and looked across the room. Her Hylian companion followed her gaze to find Link communing with her father and few other Zora. It was typical for him to parade around the Hero of Hyrule as if he were some trophy.

“I don’t know, Zelda,” Mipha softly said beside her. A joke from Link made the group laugh and suddenly the blond caught her eye. As if stung, Zelda looked at the marble tiles in front of her. She scorned herself when her mind would drift from the fact that he wasn’t wearing his Champion’s Tunic. “His burden is lifted, yes, but it’s not like him to so easily let go of someone.”

When Zelda didn’t respond, Mipha tried to reassure her. “I could be wrong. If anything, we can refer to Lady Urbosa.”

As they walked, they soon found themselves amongst a throng of Zoran and Hylian ladies who began to gossip about the affluential bachelors in the room. Although she was physically there with polite smiles galore, her head was miles from the court. There was something about wealth they were talking about when all went silent.

“Master Link!” a woman exclaimed, “What a pleasant surprise!”

Suddenly, Zelda was back with slight vertigo. The group moved from her and began asking a dizzying amount of questions.

“Tell us, how frightful was that monster?”

An excited Zoran was nearing jumping out of her draped fabrics. “Heavens! Recall to us how you slayed the dreadful Calamity Ganon, please sir.”

“Oh goodness, Catherine, not with my weak nerves.”

Why hadn’t they asked Zelda those questions? She was there too!

The man seemed caught up in the storm of women and it occurred to Zelda that she had the opportunity to slip away amongst the chaos. Right when she discreetly bid Mipha goodbye, Link began speaking.

“You’re all too kind. I’m afraid I’m not a very good storyteller,” he wore a graceful smile, but she could see the anxiety behind his eyes. She knew him. Then, she saw the skies in his eyes and any desire to leave dissipated. “I can tell you that Princess Zelda saved my life.”

All eyes fell on her and she felt the acute urge to stare at her feet. Her voice sounded foreign, “You say the most fantastic hyperboles, Captain.”

Those were the first words she has said to him beyond common pleasantries in three months.

“I assure you that there was no embellishment in the slightest.” Link was looking at her along with the rest of the ladies.

“Ah, well,” Zelda trailed off, “It was only fair when you saved mine.”

That caused a sea of hushed whispers around them. The woman that separated them spoke up excitedly, “Will you allow us a story or two, sir?”

“My apologies, I should be off to the barracks right now,” Link said, meeting her again. “I came to bid Her Highness goodbye.”

Another wave of whispers as the woman between them shuffled off quickly. Confusion ebbed at the Princess, but refined manners kept it at bay. Link reached out to her and she instinctively offered her hand, but his fingers grazed the underside of her forearm, the tips of his glove brushing down its length before finally clasping her palm. As he bent down low, he held her gaze, and it felt like they were the only people in the room. Warm lips pressed a long, searing kiss to her hand, and it revived the sensation of those same lips drifting up the inside of her thighs.

He pulled back, “You look lovely this evening, Princess. I hope we cross paths again.”

Zelda’s lips drew tight together and she nodded chastely, not trusting her voice to speak. Footsteps on marbled signified his leave and she looked at Mipha, who stared back with bewilderment. The two princesses thought the same question.

What was that?

Her ink quill scratched against the paper from added pressure, she readjusted her grip.

I thought about it for the rest of the evening. That one moment dredged up emotions I spent weeks burying. Logically, I had chalked it up to basic biology; chemicals in my brain that were ultimately a hindrance to my responsibilities. For a few hours, that had worked until I found out that that night would be the first of many where he would bid me goodnight.

The next day was no better because Father decided he was honored enough to dine with us.

“I’m so glad you can join us, Captain!” King Rhoam boisterously said. “There is a seat next to Princess Zelda.”

The woman stared holes into her empty plate as the chair beside her grated against the floor. When her father coughed to clear his throat she glanced up, “Isn’t it nice that he has joined us, Zelda?”

“Oh, yes,” she smiled tightly, hardly meeting their eyes. “It’s good to see you, Link.”

Her hands folded tightly in her lap. Zelda didn’t hear him reply, so she assumed he demonstrated his signature nod. Perhaps he didn’t want to be there either. Before the Calamity, he was never permitted to sit at the royal table, much less next to the princess. He was a simple soldier then, she reminded herself, someone with promise. Princess Zelda assumed this was another way for her father to show off the Hero of Hyrule to the lords and ladies at the table.

The thought made her bite the inside of her cheek. Didn’t he deserve better? Had he been asked what he wanted?

Supper crawled by painfully. Typically, she didn’t mind if someone sat by her but she hadn’t realized how common it was to brush arms with a neighbor. Each time they touched, she’d involuntarily flinch away. Sometimes he would mumble his apologies that were a little too close to her ear.

Like all things, the torture ceased and as Zelda was about to excuse herself, dessert was announced.

“Where are you off to?” Link said, watching as she was already half-risen from her chair.

The Princess swallowed her curses. “I’m excusing myself,” she lilted, not quite leveling with him. “A lady should keep her figure.”

It was a bold-faced lie. She knew that he knew she loved sweets and would easily endure three courses of her most hated dishes to reach them. Zelda dared him to say anything. The door to the kitchen swung open and revealed several servants. Her father suddenly eyed her oddly, “Are you not planning to stay? I requested fruitcake for this evening on your behalf.”

Oh.

Link looked away as she flopped back in her seat. Despite the rolling in her stomach, her cheeks flared in embarrassment and she rushed to say, “Thank you, Father.”

As much as Zelda wished it would, the issue hadn’t immediately folded. When a large cake was placed on the table, she had the full intention of taking the slice to her room under the guise of studying a fallen Guardian’s laser module. It would be an easy solution to this problem. The cake knife was in her field of view and she went for it, only for another’s to brush her hand away.

With accusation in her eyes, Zelda watched the smallest smile - almost unnoticeable - cross Link’s face.

“What are you doing?” she said under her breath, glancing around the table to assure no one was watching. It hadn’t seemed to be the case, but this was exactly what she didn’t want. The Princess knew this court and though they’re opinion of her had shifted, the lords and ladies would cling to any rumor no matter how innocent his actions were.

His eyes were carefully guarded and if he had been anyone else, she would have been offended by how large the slice of fruitcake was when he set it on her plate . Right when she moved to stand, he caught her with his words.

“Who is it that has you caring about the way you look?”

At the head of the table, King Rhoam was laughing at something an advisor said. By now, it would look uncouth to leave the table mid-course. With a heavy breath, Princess Zelda pulled her chair in and spread her napkin over her skirts. The cake was layered with lemon icing, which would usually make her exponentially excited. Her lips upturned into a soft frown. He shouldn’t ask questions like that. It wasn’t fair.

Annoyance surged into her chest. “Does it matter?”

He was quiet for a moment and conversations from others dominated the air between them. The fruitcake tasted stale in her mouth.

“Yes.”

She wasn’t looking at him - she couldn’t. A stirring feeling lodged itself in her throat and threatened to bring about everything she tried to undo. Memories of laughing so hard in Hyrule Field, doubled over in her saddle from something ridiculous he had said; learning in that moment that he looked at her like she was the moon on a cloudless night; his hands twirling her into a circle besides a campfire to the sound of her humming ballroom tunes.

He had asked me if I fell out of love with him or he had hurt me in some way. I hadn’t and I wasn’t then and I am not now. It wasn’t just about me, but him as well. If it came out to the court, to the public, that we were having an affair, of course I would be criticized. My character put into question and subsequently tarnished for as long as it stayed in the minds of my peers, but nothing would happen to my title. I would still be the Princess of Hyrule.

Link would be scrutinized and his reputation ruined. He could be subject to expellment and be banished from the castle or Castle Town entirely. That was a fear I had harbored and for me to perpetuate our relationship for selfish indulgence… that isn’t love. At least, not a love he deserved.

Daintily, Zelda set her fork beside her plate and partially turned to him. The man had been expecting her as if this was any ordinary conversation, his fork pressing down the spongy dessert instead of eating it.

“Only because you care so much,” she uttered with a stiff back. “The royal family of Labrynna will be hosted in Hyrule Castle in just a few days. I haven’t seen their prince since I was a child.”

His expression hadn’t changed, but he ceased his movements with the fork. Guilt pricked at the edge of her consciousness. Link placed his fork on his plate and reached up. Immediately, her faced flushed hotly and felt his coarse fingertips brushed her cheek. There wasn’t any movement to indicate that she would pull away from his touch.

Then, he smirked. “There was cream on your face.”

It was like he didn’t care! I was mortified.

Her ink pen ran underneath the last word several times to create a line deep enough to bleed onto the next page. The worry line on her forehead had creased deeper as she recounted the events that had happened.

I should have made it clear to him after dessert was over, but when we were taking leave, Father got caught up in a conversation with him. I couldn’t confront him at that point and when Link came to my door again to say goodnight, I shouldn’t have opened it. And when I did, I should have told him: Link, this is inappropriate and I’ve told you that I didn’t want this to continue. Especially in front of my father, no less!

But I didn’t.

Zelda’s face burned and she couldn’t get herself to write down that she might have liked it. She was someone who was both stubborn inside and out, and even her feelings wouldn’t leave with tumultuous effort on Zelda’s part. What was she supposed to say? That she really does miss him and that every second around him chipped deeper in the hole he left?

It was rude. Irresponsible. Ungentlemanly and without regards to propriety. OR my feelings for that matter! What if the way I felt about him is different? Three months is a long time.

And then she remembered his self-satisfied smirk when her face was hot under his hand. Her handwriting grew more frantic against the paper and she had to consciously apply less pressure before the quill-tip punctured through the surface.

Her mind shifted to the days after.

Labrynna was hosted in Hyrule Castle amongst continued celebrations of Hyrule’s success. Their King and Queen were welcomed with open arms, overwhelmed by the jubilations of Hyrulean citizens. Along with them was their son and daughter: Prince Tyrion and Princess Aurra.

Prince Tyrion had written to Zelda several times after the Calamity about their shared childhood, a time she hadn’t remembered at all herself and referred to Impa more than once to verify his stories and to write back to adequately pretend she had. The Labrynnian princess was someone Zelda wasn’t aware of whatsoever and even her father had leaned in during the processions to ask of her name.

Aurra, however, was acutely aware of Zelda. More importantly, she knew of the Hylian Champion who slew a monstrous being of myths.

Not long after making her introductions to Princess Zelda and King Rhoam, she skipped to who was at King Rhoams side and curtsied. Before Zelda could see Link’s reaction, Prince Tyrion took up her view. She offered the appropriate pleasantries and allowed him to take her hand, but she didn’t miss when Link took Princess Aurra’s.

She made note that he didn’t bring it to his lips.

Through the day, she didn’t wander from Prince Tyrion’s side. He was an interesting man; well read and well traveled. She found him to be a fantastic conversationalist nor was she blind to his charm. Dark eyes paired with brunet hair that was shorn close to his ears, which were notably shorter than any Hylian’s - a common trait amongst his people.

However, he was also arrogant.

As King Rhoam led the party through the castle grounds, a level above the barracks and training grounds, Tyrion spoke up.

“You know, Your Majesty, I am well trained in the arts of combat,” he said with a slight smile.

Rhoam raised a brow, turning slightly to face his daughter and the Prince. Two men sparred below, each clash of their swords echoing off the walls. The King of Labrynna nodded in affirmation, a certain pride in his face. “Yes, it’s custom for our prodigy to learn the blade from young ages. Tyrion has a special affinity to it.”

“Fascinating. I hope to see your skill during your stay, young man.”

“Well,” the smile of the Prince’s face and he gestured to Link behind him. “I would be honored to spar with the Hero of Hyrule.”

Princess Aurra stopped her chattering with Link and grabbed the sleeve of his blue tunic, “Oh, brother, you will surely lose. Isn’t that right, Link?”

Zelda swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable with her familiarity with him after only hours. Even more was how unbothered he was by it.

“It surely would be quite the duel,” Rhoam mused, “As long as it has your approval, Captain.”

Link nodded Tyrion’s way, graciously, “The honor would be all mine, Your Highness.”

He said it to the Prince, but his eyes meandered to Zelda’s.

The preparation took an hour and by the time Princess took her seat overlooking the training grounds, the sun casted a golden glow over them. King Rhoam was incredibly eager for the duel, shooting secret smiles at his daughter as the two men shook hands below.

It was clear who would win to the Princess, Link was at the top of his class even before he became her attendant. She scolded herself, though, and told herself that she shouldn’t underestimate Prince Tyrion so soon.

Dimly, she could hear the two opponents giving their regards to one another. The Prince had changed into an elaborately designed sparring outfit that appeared to have leather padding laced at his forearms. Link, however, changed only into Hylian trousers.

Princess Aurra hummed next to Zelda, “Is that the magical sword? It looks normal to me.”

It wasn’t as he had chosen a Knight’s Broadsword to match Tyrion’s.

“It isn’t the Master Sword. We returned it to the pedestal after felling Calamity Ganon.”

Aurra blinked, “Together?”

Zelda politely nodded. That sword was an extension of Link and she remembered comforting him after he realized its purpose was served. The night of, she felt his tears through her nightgown and told him he was more than his destiny - they both were.

After Link gave his regards to King Rhoam and Princess Zelda, a man who had sparred prior held an arm out and shouted to begin the duel.

“Oh, how exciting!” Aurra squealed.

The two men  circled each other like vultures. Prince Tyrion was the first to push forward, a simple feint that Link sidestepped. He was testing the waters. Then, the Prince leapt forward and went for his opponent’s side, who parried without losing ground. There were several short exchanges of the Hero being passive, while Tyrion was assertive.

Before Zelda knew it, she was gripping the sides of her chair as they danced. Tyrion was grinning wildly at his stoic opponent. He hadn’t been bluffing earlier, he was skilled. The Hylian Princess had seened Link spar time and time again, never did it take so long for him to disarm his opponent in some manner. The sun beat down on them, creating glistening sweat on their skin that bled darkly through their clothes.

Suddenly, Tyrion had space for a large horizontal slash before Link could recover from a parry. Zelda let out a yelp and watched him duck into a lateral roll, regaining his senses and plenty of ground between them.

Tyrion harked out a laugh, “You are brilliant, sir!”

They were panting now and the comment brought a sideways smile to Link’s lips. “I appreciate the regard, Your Highness. You’re a remarkable swordsman.”

They took a moment to breathe and Link did the unthinkable. His Champion tunic was discarded easily to the ground and Zelda held her breath when his eyes found hers on the perch where she sat.

Princess Aurra gasped softly. Zelda didn’t blame her. Hard lines on his stomach were only more prominent in the sun and his chest heaved with his hard breaths. The lack of coverage revealed the flex of his arm as he readjusted his grip on the blade.

It wasn’t an oddity that he was now half naked. Tyrion had long let the strings that laced the neckline of his tunic loosen, leaving a large portion of his chest exposed. Considering that they were already in the heat of midsummer, the sight of shirtless men should be expected at this end of the castle. But Link, well, he was always different.

The Prince of Labrynna lunged forward with a grunt, thrusting his blade out. Where Tryion was tactful, almost mechanical, in his movements, Link was fluid. He took his opponents strikes like water, flowing into the gaps of his defenses and reevaluating in a moment’s notice. It truly was an art in Zelda’s eyes, a very dangerous art.

Much different than anything Tyrion had done, he brought his blade upward in a sideways slashing arch with a loud shout. Princess Zelda’s heart surged in her chest. Link grit his teeth and threw his weight back into a flip, landing on his feet.

Surprise registered in Tyrion’s eyes and couldn’t recover fast enough when Link brought his blade against the hilt of His Highness’s broadsword. The blade was sent skidding along the dirt.

“Ah,” Tyrion brought his hand up to further demonstrate his lack of weapon. “I yield.”

It was then that Zelda realized she was holding her breath. Her father and his guests had all stood and applauded, so she followed suit.

“Good show!” Aurra leaned on the stone wall. “Very well done!”

The two men clasped hands again with a few words of respect. The Hylian princess watched a short regaling and found an opportunity to slip away from the processions without another glance at the arena.

[unpopularly-opinionated]

FINALLY FINISHED NARUTO AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Honestly, and this might sound harsh, but I think I give the series overall a 6/10. Being generous, I’d say it’s maybe a 7/10, but I’m deducting one point because I’m almost positive the only reason I’d rate it that high is because despite all it’s flaws, after watching 720 episodes across two series and 10 movies, you’re just going to be attached to the characters and show regardless of how you feel about it.

I know it’s super popular, or was anyways, and I can absolutely see why, but there were just too many issues that bothered me personally. It’s frustrating because I want to like it, I really do. There’s so many elements at work here that are so just perfectly me that it’s almost weird that I don’t like it, but I don’t. Obviously I liked it enough to spend hours upon hours watching it, but I think I just kept expecting it to get better at some point, and that point never happened.

More about my issues with it below...

I don’t know how to frame this (I never do) so it’s mostly just off the cuff.

I’ll start with the easily dismissible criticisms, the movies. Obviously all but one of the movies are non-canon (and I’ll get to the canon one shortly...), and they’re made by other studios so it’s not entirely fair to criticize the series based on them. I’m far too used to this weird format from Pokemon and their non-canon movies, so it wasn’t a huge deal to me. I will say that, much like the Pokemon films, almost all of the Naruto films followed the same exact format: Naruto goes to a location we’ve never heard of before and will never hear of again and is forced to protect someone abrasive and annoying until the enemy is defeated and they become BFFs that we’ll never see or hear from again.

I’d say, in order from best to worst:

Road to Ninja - Naruto the Movie

Naruto the Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel

Naruto Shippuden: The Movie 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire

Naruto Shippuden: The Movie - Bonds

Naruto Shippuden: The Lost Tower

Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

Naruto Shippuden: The Movie

Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom

Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Blood Prison

The Last: Naruto the Movie

Yes, you read that right. The one canonical movie I put in dead last. Originally I thought that position was reserved for Blood Prison, which offended me because of just how utterly contrived the plot was and how out of character everyone needed to act to get it moving. But somehow, The Last took last place because of just how bad of a movie it was that for some reason has the audacity to be canon. And look, I know why it’s canon. It’s where Naruto and Hinata ‘officially’ get together and it ‘explains’ some missing plot elements from the series (more on that...), so of course it’s canon.

But come the fuck on, the last movie in the franchise, the one canonical movie, the one that may or may not take place after the Great Shinobi War, I.E. the big final battle of the series, has Naruto going into the fucking hollow earth through a cave portal that takes him to the moon, which is falling because the man on the moon is an incel and hates earth? What kind of methamphetamines were the writers on for that one. The Hinata and Naruto bits were fine, but holy fuck was that plot bad. They may as well have put Naruto in a spaceship and sent him to Mars to fight Martian Shinobi, I mean if we’ve already crossed the line, why not run a marathon beyond it.

The movie was meant to explain away a one-off line made in the series, that admittedly I did sit and ponder whether or not they’d ever explain it, about the Sage of Six Path’s brother, Homura, who went to go live on the moon after they defeated their mother Kaguya. It was mentioned so briefly and only once that I thought for sure it wasn’t ever going to be brought up again. I also wondered where Byakugan came from since we’d gotten an explanation for Sharingan and Rennigan during the series, but never for Byakugan. I actually don’t mind the explanation that it came from Homura’s bloodline, I think that tracks well enough. The man on the moon bit was...odd, but when I thought of how strong Homura was, I didn’t think much of it. I actually thought he somehow was going to still be alive and he’d come down to earth after they defeated Kaguya, but that never happened.

Here’s the rub though, and one of my issues with the series as a whole, which is that the show seemed to keep writing itself into these weird corners where they’d be forced to do something completely nonsensical, purely because they were the ones who wrote them into those corners. It would’ve been simpler to just say all visual jutsu was derived from Kaguya’s power, or the Homura died so there’s no man on the moon, or that Tsunade died so Kekashi needs to become Hokage, etc. They didn’t have to write themselves into these scenarios, but they did anyway and the end result was them having to write complete and utter nonsense to rationalize why they did it in the first place.

Kekashi becoming Hokage doesn’t really make any sense, like at all. They literally bisected Tsunade during the war but willed her back to life when they could’ve just as easily killed her then and there since she’s largely irrelevant to the rest of the series after the war, and then it would’ve made more sense why Kekashi, the man who on numerous occasions said he didn’t want to be Hokage, would then be forced to become Hokage as he’d be the next strongest (eligible) shinobi after Tsunade. I feel like it was all meant to be a payoff to Obito’s dying words to Kekashi which told him to become Hokage, which even then I found myself asking why the fuck would he say that? Kekashi almost was Hokage once before and was so relieved when Tsunade woke up from her coma so he wouldn’t have to.

Also can we talk about how bad that final episode was? I mean don’t get me wrong, it was cutesy as fuck and actually brought a tear to my eye (when Naruto asked Iruka to be his dad I fucking lost it, I won’t lie), but they cut it off before the wedding? Before the aftermath? Before he becomes Hokage? Like I understand Boruto exists, but I don’t feel like that’s a justifiable excuse for ending your long-running series on merely the assumption that he’ll become Hokage in the future. Maybe if the show was a whole 500 episodes shorter I’d be comfortable with it ending on a vague, yet hopeful ending, but when I’ve spent fuck knows how many hours on this series you bet your ass I’m expecting some mother fucking payoff.

Also do not even get me started on Sasuke. What. The. Fuck?!?!? My guy literally just sends a note via carrier pigeon to the wedding? That’s it? Did I just fucking hallucinate the last 720 episodes or wasn’t Sasuke supposed to be like the second main character??? The absolute absurdity.

This isn’t even much of a comparison because it’s so much shorter than Naruto, but it’s all I got in the moment, but imagine if at the end of Return of the Jedi, Han Solo just decides to fucking dip. He’s just not there. He and Chewie hopped into the Millennium Falcon the moment the Death Star was destroyed and just dipped. No longer in the movie, just gone. Didn’t say anything to Luke or Leia, just up and left. That would be insane.

It’s even more offensive knowing him and Sakura end of together. My. Fucking. Gods. This has been the relationship I’d been dreading since the start when it became abundantly clear they weren’t doing even the barest minimum to actually establish a relationship between them. As it is, when I watched The Last, I thought to myself: “Well, Naruto and Hinata’s relationship hasn’t been the most well-developed relationship I’ve seen, but it’s still leagues better than whatever hatchet job they’re going to pull to convince me Sasuke and Sakura end up together”. We didn’t even get the hatchet job. That’s just how little of a shit they gave. They did not even bother pretending to give any explanation as to how I’m supposed to believe they end up together. I’m quite literally just supposed to believe it because I know it will happen. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, it’s just something that is and therefor I must accept it. Absolutely ridiculous. As it stands, the show gave us more reasons why Sakura and Lee should end up together than they did for her and Sasuke. Fuck, I’d even buy Sakura and Inu before I’d buy Sakura and Sasuke.

I could go on, I really could, but it’s late and I’m just looking forward to putting this behind me. At some point, probably not too soon, I will watch Boruto. As it is, my watch schedule is pretty thoroughly booked up for a while. I can’t foresee myself ever watching this again. I know I sound harsh on it, but I wanna reemphasize that I want to like this show. It’s not a show I think is bad period, it’s a good show I think was just done rather poorly. It all felt very off-the-cuff, much like this shitty review. I don’t know what the manga-to-adaptation pipeline looked like when the show was live, but clearly something got fucked up somewhere.  This really feels like the Fullmetal Alchemist to Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and I can’t help but want Naruto to get the Brotherhood treatment...if such a treatment even exists.

[ourloveisforthelovely]

Second Chance 9

Harry Potter AU

Link to Chapter 8 

Pairings: Sirius Black x Reader 

Rating: M- 

_____

Remus Lupin was mad! He was seeing red mad. After Sirius had stormed out of the house the night before and Remus learned of the breakup; he was ready to fight. Remus completed his role as “big brother” and held you as you sobbed in his arms. It took all that he had not to throw his wolfsbane potion against the wall and wait for Sirius to come home (he would be embarrassed by these feelings later but now he didn’t care).

After he got you calmed down enough, Remus sent you home with Tonks. The two would make sure that you would be okay. Both knew that you would need them in the coming days.

The next morning Remus and Tonks returned to Grimmauld Place. Sirius lay on the couch passed out drunk. Remus gave his girlfriend a nod before going into the kitchen and coming back with a large metal pot and a wooden spoon. Tonks smirked as Remus put the pot down by Sirius' head and started banging loudly.

It took Sirius all of three seconds to jump off of the couch. The man looked petrified as he tried to get his pounding heart and head in order.

“Remus, what the hell? Oh, merlin, I feel horrible.”

Remus crossed his arms over his chest.

“Well, you should! Think about how my poor sister feels. What the hell are you thinking? She’s pregnant with your baby and you leave her? This isn’t the Sirius Black that I know. You would never do Y/n like this.”

Sirius sat down and put his hand over his forehead. He was trying to ease the pounding in his head. Sirius wanted to tell Remus that he regretted everything because it was true. After drinking a large amount of booze, Sirius was regretting the last conversation that he had had with you.

“Remus, I fucked up. I know.”

‘You fucked up?”

Tonks questioned. The best friend in her was ready to attack.

“You did more than fuck up! You have crushed her. Y/n hasn’t stopped crying all night. Are her feelings a game to you? Sirius, you aren’t 16 fucking years old anymore. I have to ask. Are you on drugs?”

Sirius looked up over his hand. His eyes were bloodshot and exhausted.

“No, but it would make a lot more sense if I was. I think cocaine sounds fun.”

Tonks fought the urge to start wailing on her cousin.

“Y/n is worried about you. She can’t stop crying. I hope you are proud of yourself.”

Tonks and Remus’ words were finally starting to click in Sirius’ hungover mind. The logical side of his mind (the side that was still himself) was in high gear panic.

“She’s crying over me?”

Out of nowhere, Remus reached out and smacked Sirius with a book that Kreacher had kindly provided. Sirius glared at Kreacher but realized why the elf was joining in on his torture. You were kind to the elf. Sirius hated that you treated the ugly little jerk like a fun new pet.

“What the hell do you think?”

Remus snapped.

“She’s devastated without you. She has lost you twice and neither time she’s had a choice in the matter”

Remus added, angrily sitting down in a huff. The werewolf in him was beginning to take over and he was ready to rip his friend apart in your honor. Remus didn’t get it. Why did Sirius enjoy hurting you so badly? Was it some kind of fucked up game?

“Look, before the two of you straight-up murder me, listen to what I have to say. I broke things off with her for her own good. Don’t you two realize how people are going to talk about her. It doesn’t matter if I am innocent or not. She isn’t going to be the murder’s wife and baby mama forever. Do you really want that for her? I want her to have a chance to have a normal relationship with a guy that I could have been.”

Remus sighed.

“She is already known as the murder’s wife and baby mama. Whether you want to admit it or not, Sirius, Y/n had been living under that stigma for a very long time and she is used to it. She doesn’t care. Y/n wants you. She loves you. Why can you not get it through that thick skull of yours?”

Sirius looked down at his feet. He hasn’t thought about it that way.

“I regret my decision. I want nothing more than to curl up with my head on her lap and beg for forgiveness.”

Tonks faked a gag.

“Well, then you better start figuring something out.”

Over the next few weeks, to Sirius’ devastation, you wanted nothing to do with him. You wouldn’t take his calls, letter, visits, nothing. It didn’t matter how much he pleased with you. Any kind of communication came through Tonks or Remus.

“How can I apologize if she won’t see me?”

Sirius snapped at Remus one night when Sirius dropped by. Remus stood with an alien-like expression on his face as he listened to Sirius rant.

“I’ve tried talking to her. Maybe when she said she’s had enough...Y/n has had enough too. It looks like the two of you are going to parent this child separately.”

Finally, after another month and half of being ignored by both Harry and yourself, Sirius got a letter from you one morning...

“I want to see you. We need to talk about the baby. Come by at 6:00”

Sirius was at Remus’ house at 5:45. You sat in the living room when he stepped in. To say that you were dreading this meeting was an understatement. The girl in you was dying to see Sirius. You wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms and tell him that you still loved him more than the waking world. The logical side of your mind was trying to say, he is going through a lot. We lost our daughter. This is where all of this is coming from. Your heart, however, was broken over Sirius’ desertion.

The moment that your eyes met his, your heart broke all over again. You poor darling looked exhausted.

“How are you?”

Sirius asked, softly. He noted how pale you looked. You looked as pale as Remus did a good 95% of the time.

Still beautiful though….

His mind supplied. You were still the most beautiful woman that Sirius had ever laid eyes on. He wanted nothing more than to apologize and beg you to come home to him.

“I’m okay. You?”

Sirius shrugged as he took his leather jacket off and sat down beside you. His eyes were on your tummy. You had gotten bigger since he had seen you. He could only hope that this could be a sign that his child was still okay.

“I’ve been better. Is the baby okay?”

You nodded, noting that he still had his wedding ring on.

“Yeah, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I went to the doctor yesterday and everything is looking fine. I’m a bit further than we thought. I must have gotten pregnant right when you got out of prison.”

You were relieved when Sirius smiled.

“Looks like we are in for it again.”

You smiled as you began to feel ill again. What you hadn’t told Sirius as the doctor was concerned about your constant illness.

Sirius had picked up your sudden mood change.

“What’s going on?”

He questioned, reaching for your hand. His eyes locked on your wedding band and engagement ring. Was this a sign that there was still hope?

“I just haven’t felt well.”

You replied, trying to wave it off. Sirius, meanwhile, didn’t buy it.

“Should we call your doctor?”

You shook your head.

“The doctor knows.”

Sirius put a hand over his face and leaned back. You were closing him out.

“Can I do anything? I don’t care what it is. “

Sirius hoped that his being kind would get him some points. Maybe if you saw that he still cared, you would accept whatever he could do.

“That’s sweet but I’ll be fine.”

“Look, I have a job coming up. I’ll be gone for a few weeks. Should I cancel it?”

You shook your head and stood up. At the moment, you needed to look away from Sirius’ heartbroken face. You needed to remember the hell that he had put you through.

“ No. I’m not your responsibility anymore.”

Sirius was on his feet and behind you. His hand slowly wrapped around yours.

“Please don’t say it like that. I still love…”

You held a hand up.

“You made your choice. Please. Just go enjoy your life. You haven’t had a fair chance at doing that.”

Sirius slowly turned you in his arms. His heart broke seeing the tears in your eyes. Tears because of him...again

“I made a mistake. I don’t know what I was thinking. Y/n, I’m not me without you.”

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to your lips. The two of you stood kissing for a few moments. Sirius placed a hand on the side of your cheek to deepen the kiss but you pulled away.

“Stop being mean. Just go.”

You didn’t give Sirius a chance to reply before turning and quickly walking into another room.

(3 weeks later)

Sirius sat in a bar keeping his eyes on one of the death eater targets that he had been watching for the past three weeks. He hadn’t heard from you since the incident at Remus’ house. The memories of the last kiss was the only thing keeping Sirius going. At least you kissed him back. That was nice.

His phone ringing pulled Sirius from his thoughts. Glancing down, he sighed seeing Remus’ name and stood to go outside.

“You called?”

He asked cheekily, hoping to make his friend laugh. Instead, Remus sounded almost panicked.

“You need to come home.”

“What? Why?”

Sirius questioned. Remus quickly cut Sirius off from saying anything else.

“Y/n had the baby.”

Sirius almost dropped the phone as he did mental math real quick to affirm that it was too soon.

“What?!”

He yelled. Remus took a deep breath needing to calm himself down in order to talk to Sirius.

“She passed out this morning. I came down for breakfast and she was sitting at the piano. I asked her what was wrong and she said she felt so strange then passed out. When we got to the hospital, the doctor couldn't do anything to stop the labor.”

Sirius was about to panic!

“What the hell happened? Is she okay? The baby? Talk to me Remus because I am about to take out a lot of people in this bar to get outside.”

“The baby is fine. The doctor has her in intensive care. Y/n...she hasn’t woken back up. The doctors are doing everything and I don’t know what is going to happen but you need to be here in case…”

Sirius rubbed a hand over his face.

“I’ll be there in five minutes.”

Remus had barely hung up the phone when Sirius came running around the corner. Sirius looked close to losing whatever sense of self that he had left.

“I need to see her!”

Remus reached out and put his hands on Sirius’ shoulders.

“The doctor is in there right now. It may be a bit.”

“Fuck that!”

Sirius snapped. Remus tightened his hold on Sirius’ shoulders.

“I want you to listen to me, Sirius. I need you to calm down.”

Sirius shook his head. There was no calming down. He wasn’t going to calm down until he knew that the love of his life was going to make it. Sirius wouldn’t be able to make it without you. He might as well throw himself out of the hospital window.

Remus took another breath.

“Your daughter needs you. Whatever crazy is going through your head...you need to put it on hold and think about your child. Come on, you can at least see her until Y/n is free.”

Sirius was shaking as Remus tried to push him down the hallway. How did Remus expect him to keep a grasp on reality at the moment? How in the actual hell was that going to happen? Sirius had lost Matilda and now he could lose you…

Stepping into the nursery, Sirius had to practically be pushed by Remus until Tonks came into his view. She sat a few feet away holding a small little bundle.

Tonks immediately smiled seeing her cousin. The expression of crazy on his face made her freeze for a moment before she mentioned him over.

“She’s just fine. A little on the small side but the doctor thinks after a few weeks she will be fine. Now hold your arms out.”

Sirius’ eyes widened as he stared at Tonks like she was insane. All of the horrible information that Sirius had received in such a short amount of time was making his PTSD go crazy. Tonks softened her tone.

“Now don’t be scared of a little girl. She’s darling.”

Tonks placed the baby in the crook of Sirius’ arm as he looked down slowly. The baby was tiny! Tiny was a bit of an understatement. Sirius felt somewhat better the moment that the baby yawned and snuggled closer to him.

“Look at that, already knows her daddy.”

Tonks said with a smile. Sirius tightened the blanket around the little girl automatically fearing that the air was too much.

“Are they sure that she is okay?”

He asked, nervously. Tonks nodded.

“We just need to keep her extra warm.”

“She needs her mother.”

Sirius said, sadly. Tonks' happy expression faded as she laid her head on Sirius’ shoulder.

“Her mother will be with her when she can. Have the two of you thought of a name?”

Sirius nodded.

“Aurora.”

Tonks turned her attention to the nurse who was writing the name down. She didn’t have to look at the nurse any closer to know the women clearly recognized Sirius. Her wary expression told Tonks everything that she needed to know.

“He’s the father.”

Tonks explained as the nurse nodded and stepped out of the room. Turning back to Sirius, Tonks motioned to the empty chair.

“Sit down and unbutton your shirt a bit. You’ll be able to keep her plenty warm.”

For the next hour, Tonks and Remus sat quietly watching Sirius hold his new daughter with an expression of awe and panic on his face.

Remus leaned over with a smirk.

“If that baby cries, she will scare him to death.”

Tonks grinned.

“I never thought that I would see big bad Sirius Black scared of a baby girl.”

Remus glanced down at his watch before turning to Sirius.

“We should be able to see Y/n now. Tonks will stay with Aurora.”

Sirius didn’t want to give up the baby but at the same time, he needed to get to you. Standing, he slowly put Aurora back into Tonks waiting arms. The little girl shot him a small sneer due to being moved from the warm spot that she was in.

“It will be okay.”

Tonks said, soothingly as Sirius turned and followed Remus back down the maternity ward.

The doctor was stepping out of the room as Remus and Sirius walked up. Remus decided that he would be the one to do the talking. Sirius definitely wasn’t in any condition to say anything that made sense.

“How is my sister?”

The older woman nodded politely.

“Her conditions are improving. Why she is not waking up, I don’t know. Right now, I am afraid it is just a waiting game. You’re welcome to go in now”

Remus waited until the doctor walked away before turning to Sirius.

“You should go in.”

Sirius didn’t wait for Remus to say another word before storming in. His heart sank the moment that he looked at you. You looked so tiny in the hospital bed. The sight of you hooked up to a bunch of machines was almost more than Sirius could handle.

He quickly knelt down beside you and took your hand in his. Your skin was so cold...so cold and so pale. Sirius pressed his lips to your hand before moving to your wrist.

“Come on, sweetheart. You can’t bail out on me now.”

Sirius stood up enough to press a soft kiss to your icy lips. This had to be the most painful kiss that he had ever had. Your lips weren’t soft and warm like usual. Sirius didn’t want to think about how it felt like he was kissing a corpse.

I can’t think like this!

He snapped in his mind before sinking back to his knees beside you. If he had to sit like this for the rest of forever he would.

_____

@brokencasbutt67-writer

@authoressskr

@fandom-trash-worth-it

@hankypranky

@summer-novak

@li0nh34rt

@tas898

@marichromatic

@maggioli-m

@sprnaturallover

@emiwrites3reads

@mycuddlycorner

@stuckinsaudi1

@knight-of-gleefulness

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts

@deanwherescas

@wontlookaway

@untoldshortsofthefandoms

[cornholio4]

A Date With Prince Ali

Author’s note: I admit I was using this story as an excuse to gush about Knives Out; an enjoyable movie even if you're like me and your biggest exposure to mystery stories are Scooby Doo episodes and movies.Over a year of Ladybug salt and LIla Salt; different types of stories and using pairings with Felix and Damian Wayne (not a fan of either of those pairings to be honest). Then I realised why not try one that is Marinette X Ali as surprisingly enough there are no stories of that yet.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng just sighed when class was just finishing and Lila began spinning off her latest tale about some celebrities that she had supposedly met, really it was quite frustrating how all suckered in they were. Nino told everyone about how his parents were taking his little brother Chris to an appointment so they could have their own party there with him as a DJ.

Lila of course said she would love to come over when she has time and has another story she has been waiting for the right moment to tell them. This made Marinette groaned and Marinette almost missed it when Nino asked if she can expect to find her there.

"Oh no sorry Nino, I already have plans..." Marinette told him and then saw disappointed glances from most of the classmates as this was another occasion she had missed out with Lila involved. "Look sorry but I already have plans; I'm going to go see Knives Out tonight." Marinette explained and everyone looked at her incredulously as everything they knew about the movie didn't seem like it would be one Marinette would see.

Then of course Lila was putting up a facade of how disappointed she was that Marinette would not be coming. "Really girl, if you don't want to come because Lila is coming then you can at least be honest and tell us... No need to make up a story on the spot..." Alya chided her and Marinette sighed at her words along with the disapproval that came from Adrien.

It wasn't an excuse and she really did plan to go see the movie that afternoon, she had been looking forward to it for some time.

What her classmates didn't know was that she was actually a big fan of mystery stories, from her childhood of watching mystery movies with her parents (she watched a lot of the TV show about Hercule Poirot), watching Scooby Doo as well as reading the Agatha Christie books. She actually loved watching the mysteries build up with all the clues and red herrings built up and put together in the ending.

In fact when she was accused of stealing by Chloe she was putting her deductive skills to rest and she also got to use them when she began to suspect that Adrien's father was Hawk Moth. She rarely got to use the skills she developed from all the mysteries stories she had seen and read.

True the deductive skills failed to convince her classmates that Lila was lying but that was neither here nor there.

Later she got home and noticed a parcel for her and she opened it to see a necklace looking like it came from the kingdom of Achu and guessed it must have come from her secret admirer again. She had been getting presents and letters in the mail for a small while from a secret admirer saying they had only just gotten the courage to send these tokens of their feelings towards her.

She began wondering who it could be with her first hope being that it was from Adrien but soon her feelings began dying out. It had to do with his words about Lila's lying not hurting anyone.

What instantly could get her out of a Lila related sour mood was wondering who could be her secret admirer; she had yet to tell Alya about it. Mostly because she was pretty much dreading whatever scheme Alya could cook up to find out who it could be.

Some of the presents were mostly jewellery and she figured it must be someone well off, one of her first candidates was Luka but looking at the expensive jewellery it may not be there. Unless the Couffaines were secretly wealthy and were being humble about it to the point of living in their small houseboat. Currently her best candidate would be Kagami.

Her parents were gushing about her latest gift from her admirer and were encouraging her to wear it for the movie today. She thought it would be a little much but she decided to do so. She had changed into a detective outfit she had designed and Tikki was asking about where it came from.

She had explained that during the last summer at a birthday party for one of her cousins; it was a murder mystery role play party that she was so excited for and designed everyone's outfit. Her role was as the lead detective's deputy.

She had gotten to the door but then saw someone enter through the door and it was someone in a hooded jacket along with some sort of chaperone bodyguard. The person took his hood down and saw it was Prince Ali of Achu.

"Prince Ali, what a surprise..." Marinette blurted out remembering when she had last saw him as Ladybug. Rose had told everyone about how excited she was to have ice cream with him and some time ago she had been disappointed to tell them that Prince Ali admitted to her in his last message that he liked someone else and was sending her letters before he can finally confess in person.

She felt sorry for Rose and tried to console her along with the other classmates, Lila made a half hearted story that she was asked by Prince Ali himself to keep it secret that she liked some other princess. Of course they had eaten it up.

Rose had said that Prince Ali really spoke fondly of her and said he hadn't had a chance to see her along but she was kind, clumsy and adorable with a passion for fashion.

Marinette knew that Prince Ali was in France related to a charity he was doing and how it would be a busy one, Lila made up a claim that she would try and see if they can get time to get them to see him again. Lucky Lila counted on the fact that it was reported that he would only be in France for 3 days and how unlikely it would be that he would be in Paris to see them.

A part of her thought about directly asking him about Lila but she decided she didn't want to use him like this to settle a grudge against a bully.

"Marinette, hasn't had time to see you directly..." Prince Ali admitted to her with a blush with Marinette feeling like she should be questioning why he was there. "I managed to make enough time in my schedule to come here and see the girl I liked." Prince Ali told her sheepishly and Marinette froze having put the clues together:

The presents having come at the same time when Rose talked to Prince Ali with his message about sending presents to his crush and the description of this crush.

Uh oh...

"I am... flattered your majesty but... Rose likes you and I am sure a girl code or a sis code exists..." Marinette trying to come up with the best excuse she could do. Her parents were no help as they were gushing about it and how Marinette was always a princess to them.

"Rose is a good friend but I can't help it when I saw a pretty girl and what Rose told me about you; how helpful and kind you are. I noticed your designs on your website and I was amazed by your talents. Plus the achievements you have made." Prince Ali told her and Marinette's cheeks began going red. "Are you doing anything tonight?" He asked hopefully and she shook her head.

"Sorry but I already made plans, I want to see this movie at the cinema called Knives Out..." Marinette told him and Prince Ali put out his hand offering to treat her to a movie. Her brain shut down and it only rebooted again when she noticed she was led to his limo.

She smiled awkwardly at Prince Ali as she sat next to him, she then began wondering if she even liked him like that. He was handsome alright but that was not enough for her to fall for someone; she knew Adrien was handsome but didn't care for him when she thought he was a bully friend of Chloe. She only started to fall for him at the umbrella incident.

Maybe she could give Prince Ali a try as he was a nice boy starting charities and being nothing but kind to Rose.

They reached the cinema and Prince Ali helped Marinette out as they entered with his chaperone and his hood disguise back up, they got in line and paid for their tickets. They got to the screening room and Marinette noticed Aurore and Mireille there who recognised Marinette but not her apparent date. They were going as Chris Evans fans and were wierded out when Marinette revealed she was a mystery fan.

They sat down and the ads and trailers played and followed by a message from the movie's director Rian Johnson asking the audience not to spoil the ending to their friends as it was a whodunit mystery. Marinette with a serious look on her face zipped her mouth shut at that which Prince Ali laughed at and she just looked sheepish.

They watched the movie and during the first act Marinette saw how intentionally horrible most of the characters were. while because she hated being scared was the main reason why she hated horror movies another one was because it was hard to like any of the characters in those movies and want to see them survive.

They laughed at scenes in it (especially at Daniel Craig's hilarious accent) while Marinette was analysing any potential clues and feeling tense as it went on. The movie ended and Marinette left with Prince Ali gushing with the others about how good it was but Marinette made a move of asking they be silent about spoilers when they got out of the cinema room.

Marinette took mystery stories very seriously.

They got out of the cinema and Marinette gave him a kiss on the cheek as they went began smiling awkwardly at each other. Then somebody shouted that it was Prince Ali and they just noticed his hood fell down. They quickly got back into the limo and it drove off.

The paparazzi followed them back to the bakery and Prince Ali helped Marinette out and got her into her home as they had taken pictures of them.

At Nino's party, Nino had told her big story and was going on about how twenty minutes ago Prince Ali phoned her about some paperwork he had just finished at the moment to open an orphanage in her name.

Then Rose screamed out looking at her phone saying Prince Ali was in Paris right now and was seen exiting their local cinema with a date! She was gushing about Prince Ali finding love with her crush but then the classmates began looking at Lila asking about what she had just said despite her attempts to change the subject.

Curse the horrid timing.

Rose's eyes were bulging and told everyone to come and see who it was and everyone was speechless when they saw the photos. Lila looked herself and let her frustration get the better of her and ranted about Marinette on the spot.

[stephkaylor]

FAVES & FAILS: #1 (Teen Wolf)

I’ve decided to do this questionnaire when a show/book series/movies where I answer these questions with fun gifs too (its Tumblr, what did you expect?), if you want more info, the original idea post with links to each of my completed lists is here ⚡️. A bunch of my faves have already ended so getting all of these out will take a minute, but I’m aiming to post a new one twice per week. 🤞🏻Anyway, enjoy!! OH!! ALSO, I’ll be discussing plot elements in this list so...SPOILER ALERT!!

TV Show FAVES and FAILS: TEEN WOLF

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER: STILES STILINSKI

HANDS DOWN, no question about it! He was the soul of the show, and funny, and so incredibly human on a show full of the inhuman, and that was what made him so integral.  Anyway, I could go on forever about how much I love Stiles, but here’s a gif:

LEAST FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER: GERARD ARGENT

There isn’t really a male that makes me want to punch something, so good for the writers, I guess?

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER: LYDIA MARTIN

I really want to say Allison but it HAS to be Lydia, hands down! Her character development from a girl pretending to be vapid and shallow and who hid her genius so she could “fit in”, to a strong, powerful, confident woman secure in who she really is and the power inside of her (figuratively AND literally, lol), this girl is the real MVP.

LEAST FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER: MONROE

This was hard because there are several female characters that made me want to throw my laptop out of the window.  The short list is Kate Argent, Allison’s mom... I could go on... but Monroe’s systematic attempt to wipe all supernaturals out of Beacon Hills and then maybe the rest of the world gave me fucking high blood pressure and a rage issue. I don't care how “scared” you are, killing a kid who hasn't done anything wrong just because they are different than you is some fucked up, borderline genocidal bullshit. And she survived the finale!!? Like I had to deal with her self-righteous smirky attitude and you didn't even have the decency to punch her in the face and let me watch?!? Rude.

THE CHARACTER THAT DESERVED BETTER: Aiden (and kind of Ethan)

I badly want to say Allison again here because I love and miss her tons. But she died protecting her family and friends and I believe that she is happy wherever she went afterward.  Watching Aiden die in his twin brother’s arms I don’t know who I felt the worst for.  The boy dying, or his brother who now has to live without him... I’m gonna go cry now, brb.

THE DEADWEIGHT CHARACTER WE SHOULD’VE DUMPED IN 2009: Kate Argent

Luckily she was not a regularly appearing character, but when she showed up it was always “for revenge” and I'm like...can we just...not this season? I was having a lovely time and then you showed up with your petty anger for whatever fucking shit that happened in, like season one.  Like, honey... if it’s been so long since you’ve been relevant that I have to google what you’re upset about because I have honestly forgotten...maybe it’s time to let that shit go.  Kindly fuck off now, please...

OVERHYPED CHARACTER: Derek Hale

Like, don’t get me wrong, he’s great and I loved when he was on the show, but I feel like some people think he carried the show and it wouldn't survive without him.  Well, surprise! because he went away after season 4 and I still think some of their best shit came in season 5 and the beginning of season 6.  

UNDERHYPED CHARACTER: Deaton

Um, he was basically Scott’s druid emissary and he got no recognition for it.  He saved all of the main pack members’ lives at least once.  Also he didn't make Stiles pay for the windows, so he’s apparently not an asshole. 

OVERHYPED SHIP: Scott and Malia

I feel like they had to adjust the final season A TON because of Dylan’s injury and Kira not coming back and I think the writers panicked when they didn't know who to put Scott with (because our leading man could never not have a girlfriend, *gasp* THE HORROR!) because Lydia needed to be with Stiles and I think they picked Malia because she was basically the only one left...I was never into it.  In fact, when my friend texted me after we watched the episode where they get together, my response back to her was literally “meh 🤷🏻‍♀️”.

UNDERHYPED SHIP: Allison and Isaac

It would’ve been so nice to see where that relationship went.  Don’t get me wrong, had she lived, I would’ve wanted Allison to end up with Scott.  But I loved that the show was willing to say that it is okay to fall in love more than once in your life.  Sometimes the shows aimed at a younger audience have a tendency to act like your first love has to be the one you’re with until you die and that’s just not realistic. It was nice that the writers didn't box these characters into that mold because it gave them more depth as characters. 

FAVORITE SHIP: Stiles and Lydia

I don’t know how to explain how much I love this pairing.  Like, from the beginning he saw her for how amazing she was and he supported her as she came into her powers and then she was always there making sure that someone was taking care of him when he was taking care of, literally, everyone else, and then when he disappeared SHE KNEW something was wrong nearly instantly, and ‘remeMBER I LOVE YOU’ I need to stop before this run-on sentence goes on forever.  ALSO they’re canon official, which never fucking happens for my ships so I’m fucking excited, sue me.

FAVORITE VILLAIN: Deucalion

His backstory was well-developed and deep, he was clear with his goals, he actually executed said goals in a logical and timely manner, he was a fucking ALPHA OF ALPHAS, nuf said. 

MOST HEARTBREAKING MOMENT: Allison’s Death

Hands down, the most heartbreaking moment on the show, and I will fight anyone who comes at me with a different opinion. Because like--she was smiling when she was stabbed because she had figured out a way to help her friends and then she died in Scott’s arms and told him she loved him even though they weren’t together she still loved him and he still loved her, and I truly believe that she had zero regrets when she died, and how bittersweet is that???!  But Scott couldn't take her pain because it didn’t hurt anymore, and Lydia had to feel her best friend die and she screamed Allison’s name and if you are not hurting right now are you a monster???!?!

FAVORITE STORYLINE: Eichen House Escape/Dread Doctors in Season 5

It was hard to pick between the Dark Druid storyline in season 3A, but the Eichen rescue/Lydia learning how to be a BAMF Banshee from Meredith while she was catatonic (ALSO ‘Stiles saved me’ I AM DEAD!!!), and the whole la bête du gévaudan thing was great, and reuniting the pack after Theo had royally fucked it up earlier that season, it was all just superb! *chef’s kiss*

STORYLINE WE COULD’VE DONE WITHOUT: Like, the whole second half of the last season, TBH

It was a petty, counterintuitive, and just garbage. The monster was dumb, Monroe is a royal twat (as I stated above), and it didn't have a conclusion.  Like, the fuck? This isn't Game of Fucking Thrones you guys do not need to leave every season finale with so many loose ends it make people want to throw their laptops off of a cliff into a vat of hydrochloric acid.  And it was the LAST SEASON so there’s no hope of fixing this bullshit storyline. ugh, kill me now. 

BIGGEST PLOTHOLE: Scott’s pretty selective “True Alpha” powers

They, like, kind of tried to pass it off as it taking a ton of energy so he can’t always do it all the time.  But he got through a mountain ash barrier to save Deaton and activated his True Alpha but then couldn't get into Eichen to get Lydia out because of the mountain ash...? oh and also where the fuck did Cora and Isaac go? (I, sincerely, hope he’s not still just chinning in fucking France wondering were Argent fucked off to)

OVERALL MARKS OUT OF TEN (10 being that watching this show has probably increased your life’s worth by at least five percent; 1 being the only thing this show has given me is a stomach ulcer and trust issues): 

8.75 out of 10.  This show was a blessing and I would definitely recommend it to other people. (mostly because I love to get people hooked on my favorite shows and then they're stuck and we can be tortured together). 

THE END! Thanks for reading my overly-long and overly-obsessive list.  Do come again soon.  I’ll probably have another of these up next week.  🤍🤍🤍

[scoundrels-in-love]

1 for the romance prompt meme?

This only took my like 4 days get around to, though I got the idea immediately!

1.

A Touch

Takes place in the Arranged Marriage/Soulmate AU I first touched in If I’m gonna (lose) love someone, (don’t) let it be you.

[Send me prompt?

Also on AO3 because this deserves to stand on its own, if only for the connection it holds to that verse.

———————

Wanting is easier when you have no concept or words for the ache in your rib cage or your weary fingers or longing for something undefinable to cushion the weight of cold darkness in nights filled with doubts over decisions that will affect too many lives. At least that is what Brienne thinks. After all, a child will crave food, but if he does not know all the many kinds there are, if he doesn’t know the sweetness of strawberries or honeyed milk, his mind will conjure simpler images to taunt him with instead of impossible feasts.

She wishes she could go back to that simplicity.

To the time all she wanted after an exhausting day was her father’s comforting hug and low voice reminding her that words are wind. To when her mother’s and brother’s smile, blurred around edges by sunlight and time, would fill her with vague understanding of solace, but the yearning digging in her chest was blunted by knowledge no one can cross the riptide separating them.

To the time thought of loving and being loved by anyone else was incomprehensible and merely a breeze of longing, instead of a constant gale that pushes her toward the sea that may swallow her foolish heart.

But, she thinks as she watches Jaime shed his armor, perhaps it’s not the sea she should fear, but the jagged rocks awaiting her beneath Casterly Rock.

Before he can catch her staring, she turns away and focuses on her own armor. By all means, their squires should be here to help, but Jaime had sent them away on some errand, though she thinks he merely had no mind to deal with anyone in this state. They’ve seen so many men, and boys as well, fighting and dying. Both on the ‘wrong’ and the ‘right’ side, if there is one. She hopes there is. She has to believe there is.

There’s a hissed curse behind her and in next moment, she’s by his side, helping with the particularly frustrating buckle. He glares at her (not at her, but his own loss of ability, Brienne reminds herself), but she doesn’t step away.

“You hurt your ribs in the fall, did you not? The sooner you get out of this and see Maester the better,” she explains matter-of-factly and something softens in his face as he acknowledges her diversion from the emptiness by his right side. In turn, something sways in her chest at the sight, tapping gently against her heart.

Together, they divest him of his armor quickly, but before she can return to her side of the tent (the camp can only support one garishly lavish Commander tent and it is not as if they can explain they’re wedded in no more than name and co-leadership), he grasps her arm with the half undone vambrace. She opens her mouth to ask, then closes it, because the wanting is back, whispering to her about basking in the simplicity of taking care of each other that had drove her across the invisible line running through their shared space in the first place.

They work in silence, even when his fingers graze the white line sitting a top few red ones and far too many black ones on her left wrist, revealed where her doublet’s sleeve has ridden up. They have never spoken about it and by now, Brienne doubts they ever will. The reasons why it doesn’t really matter have changed through the years, from spiteful defiance to it’s not what binds us together. And even the definition of the ‘it’ that does has shifted and grown, far beyond words she ever thought she’d use or he is likely to think in regards to her.

She takes in a shuddering breath and pulls her arm away to get started on the next piece, pretending not to notice the twist of Jaime’s mouth as if she had dug her fingers into a dark and deep bruise, but he is too stubborn to say it.

Last of battle induced rush has seeped out of Brienne by the time her blue armor has become a pile on the floor and part of her wants to crumble by it, wants his arms around her - solid and filled with warmth of life -, wants nonsensical promises of ‘we did the best we could’, wants, wants.

(He gave her this armor and the sword, he shields her back and her left in battlefield and bloodbath of court, cannot he be another sort of armor, just for half an hour? But no, if now she’s merely a child imagining the sweetness of a foreign fruit, knowing it would surely ruin her.)

“I need to wash my face,” she says instead of all the nonsense buzzing softly in her throat. “Wouldn’t want to give the Measter even worse a scare, true,” Jaime agrees and she bristles a little, but enough for him to see. (But what doesn’t he see?) His mouth twists again, but not in satisfaction as it used to when he landed a well placed reminder of her ugly looks. But Brienne has no time to decipher it as he pulls her towards a chair, leaving her standing there dumbly and leaves to fetch a bowl of water and cloth, dragging another chair closer as he returns.

“Sit. I have had enough of standing for now and I have no intentions of tiptoeing for the right angle.” She does as told and catches a glimpse of grin. “This is the best thing to come of this battle - you have never listened to me before.”

“I listen when you say things worth hearing.”

The sunbeam fades from Jaime’s face as he puts cloth to her cheek and begins cleaning away the blood and the grime. “I told you not to charge in there - you could have died.”

“I think the experience of battlefield you like to bring up at any opportunity will tell you that any of us could have died at any moment.” The first part almost brings out a smile, before it is chased away by reality. She regrets it.

“That doesn’t mean you should seek it out, Brienne. You know better.” He sounds hoarse, somehow more so than he had when they entered the tent, though it makes no sense.

“I do. And I knew I could manage.” She had, too. It hadn’t even been the moment she earned a new scar. Brienne tries not to think of the one that had.

“And the other time?” Of course Jaime doesn’t hesitate to remind her. He tilts her head, fingers gentle on her jaw and then chin, so he can get a better angle.

“Also then.” She hadn’t, in truth. But she had seen him fall from his horse, sword just out of his grasp, and nothing else had mattered. Her hands clench on her knees, much like her gut does at the memory, and also to contain the ache in her hands, the sort that only comes from wanting to touch him. (It’s becoming more and more familiar with each month and she fears the day it will stop fading away. It’s bad enough it arrives even when he’s days’ worth of ride away.)

“You shouldn’t prioritize me on the battlefield.”

“I did not.” It’s not a complete lie, she had saved other soldiers as well, but it’s not clear truth as well - living among the lions has taught her few things about necessarily cast shadows. And yet she continues, goaded by the weighed gentleness of his gaze and touch.

“And every soldier in an army will protect their commander. We need you.” I need you. As commander, as friend, as everything he cannot be and everything he is though he doesn’t see it.

“We need you, too,” he tells her resolutely and she wants to hear the same sentiment in it so badly she almost can.

He puts the cloth away, done with cleaning, leans in closer and angles her face again, inspecting the wound on her forehead. “It will scar.” She nods mutely at that. “They say scars make a man, Ser.”

Part of her wants to take offense, like she had back when they first met and he had told her he doubted marriage between men would do much to ally the Kingdoms. (The way dust had kicked around him when he landed on ground hard a minute later still sends a spark of satisfaction through her.) Yet, the rest of her knows he means well, using the title he himself had given her. You’ve earned it with honor and wear it with such.

“If not that, at least it cannot do any further damage to my looks,” she concurs.

Jaime opens his mouth to say something, but his agreement is not something Brienne wants to hear right now so she snatches the cloth from the table: “Your turn.”

Since he hasn’t suffered a head injury that bleeds quite profusely, there’s less work to be done, but she doesn’t rush. And if he notices that Brienne uses the advantage of having both hands to keep touching his jaw almost constantly, he says nothing.

The silence stretches and winds around them, like the ribbon that had been tied around their joined hands during the wedding, though it brings comfort instead of resigned dread.

Neither of them move to rise even when she is done, taking what little rest and strength they can before they are thrown back into counting their losses and gains, planning next move.

Yes, Brienne thinks as she looks at him, it was immensely easier when she didn’t know the want of kissing someone more than words without anchor in a song, when relief hadn’t taken form of his pulse and his arms and her name on her husband’s lips. When If only Jaime was here wasn’t the first thought to cross her mind as she stands on battlements, staring at the night sky - sleepless from her duties (which he’d give insight in or frustratingly joke about) or merely growing pains of longings as they take shape.

And yet, none of the steps she has taken to be here have been easy. Natural and necessary, maybe, but not easy. So it makes a cruel sort of sense that loving her husband, her soulmate, would be the same.

She smiles a little at the thought and Jaime quirks eyebrow at her, but she blessedly escapes a questioning with the arrival of Maester with Jaime’s squire in tow, who then piles new reports on the table. The reprieve is over, but it has given her much to treasure and feed her longings piece by piece to quiet the hungry ache when Jaime is unreachable. (Even if sometimes it is when he’s standing right next to her.)

[7deadlycinderellas]

if the summer of our lives could just come again, ch32

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20373064/chapters/59147731

 Casterly Rock

Valonqar, that was the word sticking in Cersei’s throat.

While the other denizens of Casterly Rock mill about, confused about whatever sorcery had come over them

All she could think of was the spectre of Maggy’s sick, yellow eyes, and that single word, valonqar.

She stares in the mirror to the words “shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you” echoing through her head.

She still can’t reason how she allowed herself to end up back here, put here by her own father. Her only daughter, stolen away from her to Dorne, her sons still in King’s Landing, under the thumb of that Tyrell harlot.

She had long thought that the valonqar, the little brother, would be her own. She’d always known Tyrion to be a vile, spiteful beast. His recent absence from King’s Landing only confirmed her suspicions.

And Jamie, who always swore he would be there for her was gone. He had not followed her back to the Westerlands, instead insisting that it was his duty to continue guarding the king.

He had abandoned her, she would just have to accept that.

She can’t get the words out of her head, golden crowns and golden shrouds. Falling and choking and poison, purple and red and red and gold.

Her fingernails scratch at her throat. Her golden crown had been stolen, and she will claim her golden shroud before she could be forced to watch the others.

Her fingers don’t do the trick, not sharp enough, not strong enough. She becomes faint but does not fall. She looks in front. The mirror.

She wonders for a moment if the glass breaking will attract people, who might presume to come to her air. But no, she suspects they are all caught up in their own petty little thoughts.

The glass is good, sharp and quick. The blood flows thick, and Cersei laughs. Lannister red, spilling from her throat. No golden shrouds for her.

As the world begins to dim, she continues to laugh. The sounds of a door opening, and a scream scarcely make themselves known behind her, and her laughter rises and peaks as the blood drips down her neckline, staining her gown.

 Greywater Watch

Shireen comes into the hall and sits down roughly at the table next to Sansa.

“Childbirth is terrifying, and I’m never doing it.”

Sansa snorts quietly, eyes remaining trained on the harp standing before her.

“Good luck with that.”

After a moment, Sansa looks back up.

“How is she?”

“Exhausted. The midwife warned her about how long first time births can take.”

Sansa remembers hearing Catelyn’s stories, that she’d been in labor with Robb for nearly two days before he’d come, and after that, all of the others had seemed to take no time at all.

Meera had called for the midwife the day before, but stayed on her feet as long as she could stand. But even the strongest of them has a breaking point.

Bran had fallen asleep, still letting her cling to his arm.

“She’s seen me at far worse than this,” he had insisted, “I have no excuse to leave her side.”

The midwife had nodded approvingly. Men often had excuses to leave their wives sides during birth, from the more infuriatingly expected; insisting that it just wasn’t done, to the more understandable; that they dreaded seeing them in pain.

The rest of the small keep were trying to go about their daily work. The sky remains dark gray, even on the days no snow falls, even on the rare days with no fog over the water.

Inside, at the table, Sansa and Shireen keep at the harp.

They’ve managed to get four of the five runes to dimly light up, but never at once, and it really grinds on Shireen that she can’t figure out how to trigger  the sequence of notes.

They’ve been going at it every day at least, and they still have made so little progress.

After staring at it for a long time, Shireen finally mutters to Sansa.

“Maybe we have this wrong.”

Sansa looks at her, confused. Shireen fingers the strings of the harp.

“These runes were of the First Men...but how do we know they were the ones who would have played it?”

Sansa furrows her brow.

“Who else would have?”

“Well, when the First Men came to Westeros, they didn’t find it empty. They fought with the giants and the children of the forest.”

Sansa thinks, and studies the instrument in front of them.

“It does…seem rather small for a harp. I never had to stretch as much as Leonette did because I’m so tall, but I’ve never had to hunch either…”

Her fingers linger along the strings, which are spaced a bit more closely than she would expect. Both of them were rather novice players, she muses ruefully, a seasoned one might have noticed more quickly.

There’s an idea blooming in Shireen’s mind, but it’s formation is interrupted when the midwife emerges to tell them that mother and child are both doing fine and resting, if not quite comfortably.

“It’s a good thing you regained the use of one of your legs,” Meera whispers sleepily, “Because I’m not going to be doing anything until mine stop being jelly.”

Bran chuckles, and they both stare quietly down at the blanket wrapped bundle on her chest.

“I never thought I would get to have any of this,” Bran admits, softly, “One of the first things I remember after waking up after my fall was everyone going on about how I would never marry or have a family...like that meant much to a ten year old. I was so much more worried about never riding a horse or swinging a sword again.”

Meera laughs in response. She rests her head on his shoulder and then her voice quiets.

“I would have married you then. We would have had children, if it were still possible for you, you never really talked about that-”

Bran still finds himself a little red.

“It seemed to work like I’d always heard it would, but I wasn’t exactly whipping it out and comparing notes with other men.”

They both laugh before Meera continues.

“If you had given me so much of a glimmer of hope that you still felt...When you stared at me with those empty eyes...that was the only time I ever really thought you were broken.”

Bran shifts to push her sweaty curls back off her forehead and assure her she never has to worry about that again, but she’s already fast asleep, snoring lightly.

He pushes her off his shoulder back onto the pillow and carefully lifts the bundle from her chest.

“We still haven’t come up with a name for you,” he admits to his daughter, “But I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

In the morning, once all three of them have had a chance to rest, the rest of the keep file in a few at a time.

The look on Howland’s face is one of wonder as he cradles the tiny person and he has to be goaded to pass her to his wife.

“I never admitted before, how much it frightened me, how close our house got to dying out…”

Jyana interrupts, knowing how petty the concern feels now.

“Have you thought of a name yet?”

Bran and Meera look at each other.

“We’ve got a few ideas, but nothing that seems..right.”

Shireen, who has been hovering behind, trying not to call attention, makes a comment.

“Gilly told me the Free Folk don’t usually name their children until they’re older.”

Bran smiles.

“While it would be nice to have some extra time, I don’t think I can get used to just calling her ‘baby’”.

But at that moment, the as of yet unnamed baby chooses to wake and fuss, and so the crowd leaves them be.

Later, when Meera has been coaxed onto her feet and out of bed, they join the others out at the table, dragging the cradle out behind them. It looks more like a basket than a cradle, woven from dried grasses and weeds by Jyana and the other women in the keep, with Sansa and Shireen looking on curiously.

Shireen is twisting and tying together several bits of the left over dried ferns

“What are you working on?”

Shireen frowns, looking at the bundle, before answering.

“About how big do you remember Rowan’s hands being?”

Bran pinches his mouth together in thought.

“Is that what you’re trying to make?”

Shireen nods. She gestures over her shoulder to where Sansa’s scribbling furiously.

“Between the two of us, the best guess we had is this harp was meant to be played by one of the Children of the forest, and they have much smaller hands than us.”

Meera leans over and plucks one of the strings.

“This seems kind of big for one of them, even if it’s small for a harp…”

Shireen has another epiphany. She waves Sansa over to her side.

“We should try playing it at the same time. Meera’s right, this is too big for one Child to play by itself.”

It takes practice to learn to keep rhythm with each other, to get used to each other’s presence and movements, but it comes. By suppertime, when Howland comes in from his solar, and Jojen and Jyana come in from shoveling the duck coop and the canoe launch of snow, it’s happening.

“There it is!” Shireen announces excitedly, “The last rune!”

And with that last one revealed, it doesn’t take long. The twang and twinkle of the music being played echo throughout Greywater Watch, attracting the notice of nearly everyone.

Shireen could feel the vibrations through her skin down to her bones. The music warms her in a way she hasn’t felt since long before winter. It spreads from her fingers to every part of her. She’s warm and alight when she realizes all eyes are on them.

Jojen makes a quiet noise among the notes, and points to the side of the harp. Shireen does her best not to break the rhythm when she leans to the side to see what she hopes: all five runes carved into the side, all lit up at once.

She nods to Sansa, and they keep it up as long as they can.

Beside the table, the as of yet unnamed child in her cradle gurgles. When her father moves to soothe her, he catches sight of something he hasn’t seen in too long.

“The fog’s breaking-” Bran interrupts the music, “The sun’s come out!”

The sun breaks through the clouds and fog, bathing the swamplands in light.

Shireen keeps playing, one eye trained out the windows.

 Winterfell

Gendry’s toes are poking through his boots.

It seems an odd thing to focus on, but it’s where his mind is. They’re all ragged, they’ve been fighting too long. Cloth is worn through, gloves torn ragged, soles flop off boots, revealing stocking and skin both. The snow still falls outside and soon the frost will begin to get to them. The wights, the fever, the cold, the frost.

This is where his mind is when he hears the words that the Night King has been spotted. It was Nymeria, of course, and her mistress passed the word. They know he’s coming, even though they can barely see in front of their own faces. The snow hasn’t stopped falling for three weeks. But what is snow to a direwolf?

Well, finally. The plan, he assumes, is still in place.

With his toes shivering in the cold, he goes to meet the others, at the base of the Broken Tower.

The east wall has long since fallen, but the pile of rubble is high enough to slow the dead just enough. Some of the archers have left their posts on the other walls to help guard this one, when it risks being overrun.

When Gendry reaches the meeting point, Arya’s already there, pacing.

“Father went up the steps, he said he had to say goodbye.”

She pulls away from Gendry’s touch. There’s not much he can do now.

Eventually, Jon emerges from the Godswood, accompanied by Ygritte.   He tosses Arya Dark Sister and she passes the dagger to Gendry, who holds it in one hand, the other resting on his warhammer. Ygritte nods to them, before leaving to join the other archers.

Gendry looks at where Jon is holding Longclaw.

“Robb gave it back?”

“Not much else he could do. He could swing an axe now, but he doesn’t have the reflexes yet, or the time to learn.”

Gendry sighs. He imagines what Robb must be thinking, stuck among the sick in the Great Hall while his men, and his wife, continue to fight outside without him.

The three of them stand, and wait. It’s all they can do. Ned eventually emerges, his face in his hands.

“Father you should go,” Arya tells him, her voice short, “You’re still injured.”

Ned shakes his head, and rests his hand on Ice’s hilt.

“I will not stand by the fight for my home and my blood, injured or no, especially as the four of us are the only ones wielding Valyrian steel right now.”

His words are solemn, suited to the situation.

Which makes the whole standing around the tower holding their weapons and waiting for the Night King to arrive seem all the more ridiculous. They have spread out enough that they can guard each side of the tower, but aren’t far enough apart for them to not be able to see each other.

Around them, the fighting continues. Wights make their ways over the walls and are cut down by groups who run from one end to the other. They’ve lost too many archers to keep them from climbing the fallen wall. A pyre burns close by, and every body thrown onto it risks it spreading. Parts of the stables have already gone ablaze, along with several storage sheds.

Arya wonders how long it will take to rebuild once everything is done.

She slips into Nymeria’s head, just for a look, and the blue eyes pierce through her, through both sets of her eyes, blood freezing in her veins. .

She breathes deeply in and out. Gendry is looking her in the eye from his side.

“Almost?”

She nods.

A walker appears from over the wall, it’s steed kicking off any who get near.

The rider is taking aim with it’s ice sword, when a blow from Gendry’s war hammer renders the beast broken. Arya slices the animal’s head clean from it’s body and Jon dispatches the walker in the same manner.

One down. Who knows how many to go.

They wait.

Arya cuts down one, Jon another. They don’t know how many there will be. The wights too, get close to them and get cut.

Eventually, Arya’s eyes go white for a moment and Gendry knows what will happen.

None of them see the Night King come over the downed wall. His horse is nowhere to be seen. They don’t know if he walks or climbs or crawls, or just sort of floats in that otherworldly manner. But the air somehow goes even colder, and they know he’s here.

Gendry feels the air try to leave his lungs. He hadn’t been here at this point before, too busy in the chaos. The direction he’s coming from is at a corner to Gendry, so he takes the opportunity.

The Night King stepped straight in front of Ned, so Gendry lunges forward and swings at him with his hammer.

It practically slides off. With barely a glance, it’s as though the iron weighs nothing to him, and the force causes Gendry to land hard on the ground. Jon takes a swing too, also knocked off with the slightest movement of his hand. Gendry doesn’t see Arya attack, but she ends up on her back on the ground as well.

She pulls herself up, spitting. Her face is scraped, but she’s moving.

Arya turns to meet her father’s eye.

“Plan B I guess. Get to a safe distance. We hope it works. “

In the last intact floor of the broken tower, Benjen counts his moments. He savours the last words he shared with his brother, with his nieces and nephews. The moments they were so careful to give him. They all took the perilous climb, among the loose stone and broken beams, to say their goodbyes. He can hear the shouting below, and he knows his time is coming.

The level he is on is high enough to see over the walls of Winterfell, and he’s helpless to tell them that they’re still coming.   That the Great Other may have come, but his followers are still behind him as well. He wishes it was higher, wonders how far his eyes could see if he was as high as the eyrie.

Then the moment comes, and he hears the feet on the staircase leading up to where he is. It hadn’t been easy for him to climb this high, and Benjen hopes it will prove as treacherous for the Night King. The younger Starks had been correct that this was the best place for him to hide. The crate of dried meat is nearly empty now, that the weeks and moons have dragged on, and Benjen knows hunger will come for him, even if the Night King does not.

Though Benjen is no longer so sure of his own beliefs, as the steps get closer, he prays. He prays to all of the old gods, and all of the Seven. He even spares a word for the Red God Stannis had spoken of, just for completion, but the steps do not slow.

A brick falls, a step. Another step. A beam cracks. Benjen entertains himself with an image of the Night King falling through the floor and shaking his fist.

Another step. Benjen clutches the flint and steel close to the drum of wildfire.

Another step. A thump.

Benjen finds the skin creeping in fear, even with all of the time he’s had to resign himself to his probable fate. The younger had fought him, saying there had to be a way, but he knew the instant he knew they’d gotten over the wall.

The Night King would come for him, and stare him in the eye.

He’s staring him in the eye now.

His eyes are so blue, Benjen thinks, as he tries to strike the flint and steel. There are no sparks being produced, and he can’t tell why. He’s too entranced, too drawn by those blue eyes. The vat of wildfire is still not lighting. He steps closer.

Down on the ground, Arya frowns at the top of the tower.

“I think there’s something wrong,” she tells Gendry.

The tower still stands, as it has.

On the other side, Jon’s head jerks at a movement in the sky, coming through the clouds and the snow.

When the scales and claws become more visible, Jon hears Ned beside him whisper a prayer.

Benjen heard them too, up in the tower. The Night King’s fingers were nearly upon him. He didn’t know the sound of a dragon’s cry.

That day during the siege of Winterfell, the tower once burned by lightning, burned again, this time in dragon’s fire.

And just before the conflagration begins, the sky opens and the sun begins to shine. Not too many of the fighters have the time to take notice.

The blast knocks everyone in range onto the ground, human and wight alike. Several of the wights do not get up, they are burned too quickly. So quickly have the army of Winterfell become used to disposing of the bodies.

Gendry’s head had cracked against the ground. He sits up with a groan and waits for the world to stop spinning. Beside him, Arya jumps to attention, ignoring the buzzing in her ears. When Gendry stands, he stares for a moment at the blood leaking from her right ear.

Arya doesn’t spare a word. She jumps up, grabs her sword, and leads Gendry to where the human shaped blur is falling from the burning tower.

Jon and Ned are already in place, looking no worse for the wear.

The movements come as if second nature, for all they had gone over them in hurried conversation between shifts.

The ambulatory corpse lands with a thud, leaving a hole in the walk underneath. When it begins to move, a swing from Longclaw knocks him back, and another from Ice keeps him down.

Gendry lunges forward with his hammer, using it to crush the pelvis and pin the Night King to the ground. Swifty, he trades Arya the dagger for Dark Sister. Arya climbs atop the pinned corpse, ignoring his ice blue eyes. Jon strikes one of his arms, and Ned the other.

Arya plunges the dagger as deeply as she can, but this time she’s not aiming for the heart. She cuts with precision, but nods to Ned when she needs help breaking the ribs.

His chest feels like pure ice, flowing through like human innards. But Arya is a child of the north and she can handle a little cold. Her fingers fight their way through the squelch and bone to find the sharp sliver of dragonglass.

She grasps it, pulls it free, and throws it on the ground. With a single movement, Ned severs the Night King’s head, and Jon crushes it into dust.

The Night King is no more.

No one speaks at first, merely milling around. Around them, the other fighters are still moving.

“The wights won’t fall yet,” Jon comments, “But there won’t be anymore.”

“How many more are there?” Gendry questions. He doesn’t expect an answer. They don’t know.

Above them, the dragon swoops lower, and Ned stares in wonder.

“We should try to communicate with her,” Jon comments, head nodding in Ned’s direction, and they move to climb the remaining ramparts and take account of the situation.

When he tries to walk, Gendry stumbles. His head spins anew now that his blood isn’t rushing as much. He leans hard on Arya’s shoulder, and she’s pressed back against him just as hard. He thinks he mutters some words he thinks are supposed to be encouraging. She hears little of it, the buzzing has not ceased.

They reach part of the fallen east wall before collapsing. This is bad, Gendry thinks, they’re both clearly injured, they need to get to the Great Hall. Wights could find them at any moment, they don’t know if dozens, hundreds, even thousands remain. But they can’t move, it’s too cold now despite the sun. The quiet is too tempting. He throws an arm over Arya and tries so hard to feel her chest rising up and down.

The last thing Gendry remembers before letting the quiet take him is the freezing air hitting his toes. Fuck those boots he thinks. As he drifts off, he thinks he feels warm fur brush against them, and something warm wrap around him and Arya’s bodies. He even thinks he feels a wet muzzle brush against his face.

He supposes they’ll find out eventually, under the light of the sun this time.

[kaspbrak-tozier-reddie]

Band of Toziers - 4/?- ao3 

Pairings: Reddie, Storis, Byler

Words: 14.5k

Preview:

- The Losers come over as soon as Eddie send them a text, with a 'Code WTF?!' - The Party drive up to Derry to meet Richie after Mike sends them all a text Just a sappy chapter on Mike, Boris and Richie meeting the Party and Losers Club.

We're now getting some Reddie, Storis and Byler stuff now ❤

Notes:

Because there are two Mikes, I'm calling Mike Wheeler 'Mike' and Mike Hanlon 'Michael', when the two are in the same place. If I get lazy or lose track, I may refer to both by their surnames just to lessen the confusion.

This does jump from boy to boy, so I'm sorry but it should get better. I've never done this sort of thing before.

An hour after Eddie had sent a 'Code WTF' (Unique situation - changes per person), Bev rushes over. She doesn't bother with the front door and jumps in through Richie's bedroom window.

"Uhhh, did you make a clone machine?" Bev asks as soon as she picks herself off the floor. She eyeballs the three Richie's in the room, noting the subtle differences between the 3 and picks out her Richie, the only one with the bad eyesight. The other two look like weird variations of Richie's personalities.

Happy Richie:

Okay, now she's reaching, but that's just the vibe he gives her.

Emo Richie:

Fall Out Boy,

My Chemical Romance, and

Panic! at the Disco.

maybe industrial

maybe a plug

double lobe

Bev's reaching, but she wants to have fun before they come by and trash her judgement.

"Hi I'm Michael, but you can call me Mike," the one dressed in bright colours says, holding out his hand towards the young redhead.

"Hi, Mike," Bev replies.

"I'm Boris," the emo looking Richie says.

"Hi, I'm Beverly, but please call me Bev," she replies. Her strong demeanour falters into shyness. Nothing about this is okay. Why hadn’t Richie told any of them about his family?

”So, uh, I’ll explain when the others get here,” Richie says.

As they all wait for the rest of the Losers to arrive, the 5 of them sit in absolute silence. Bev is confused, watching as the three Toziers interacted with each other just by eye glances. She noted a heap of similarities in their demeanours. "Weird right?" Eddie asks.

"Yeah, and here I thought one Richie was enough," Bev replies.

Richie's bedroom door swings open and in walks the rest of the Losers Club. "SUP FUCKERS?!" Bill screams as he enters, then he sees the 3 Toziers sitting around Richie's desk. "Oh shit!" Stan, Ben and Mike spot the 3 Toziers in the room. Completely disregarding Eddie and Bev who are chilling by the window.

"Richard, did you finally make that cloning machine? The one you've been talking about?" Stan asks.

"Nope," Richie replies. "This is my twin brother, Mike." He gestures to the identical twin in the bright clothing, "and this is our cousin, Boris."

As Boris looks at the rest of the Losers, he locks eyes with a blonde-haired boy. He smiles slightly, at him, and the boy smiles back.

Now was Richie's introduction of the Losers, all groaning in dread

"Guys, this is Big Bill, our ring leader. If he jumped off a cliff, he'd expect us all to follow," Richie says as he hugs the leader.

"This is Haystack, he's a gifted poet. It got him a girl that's way outta his league," Richie points to Bev and tussles Ben's hair.

"This is Mike Meyers, you know, that dude from Austin Powers. Mike's our nerd, he lives in the library."

"Finally, we have Staniel or Stanley Urine, either one works. He likes watching birds, at first I thought he liked watching girls but I found out he meant the actual animals. So I promise, he's not a creepoid."

Mike and Boris laugh simultaneously.

"Ignore him," Stan says. "I'm Stanley Uris, that's Mike Hanlon, Ben Hanscom and Bill Denbrough." Stan throws a quick smile to Boris before looking away, blushing.

Beverly catches it in her peripheral vision. Stan's demeanour changed as soon as he saw Boris. "Eddie, do you know if Stan had a crush on Richie at some point?" Bev asks the hypochondriac. Eddie feels a pinch of jealousy running through his veins but still thinks upon it. He wasn't subtle with his feelings, but if Stan did have a crush on Richie, it would've been subtle. The hypochondriac tries to get into Stan's mind but comes up blank.

"I don't think so, why?" Eddie responds.

"I swear I just saw Stan blush."

Eddie sits upright and looks directly at Stan.  He tries to hide his jealousy, and takes his time before saying, "Richie?"

Bev shakes her head, "Boris."

Eddie wants to laugh, that can't be right. Stan is emotionless and often talks about dying or birds. So, it can't be true, that Stan blushed, Bev must've been seeing things. But then he sees it for himself, Stan is laughing with Boris, his cheeks are bright red but he doesn't even care. He elbows Bev and gestures to Stan, she smirks, then turns back to Eddie. "So, what about you and the Trashmouth? Told him yet?"

"No," Eddie lies through gritted teeth. He has to talk to Richie about it first before they tell the Losers.

*

"So, Mike, you seeing anyone?" Ben asks Richie's twin.

"Yeah, my best friend, Will Byers," Mike replies.

"Gee Rich, step up your game and ask out Eddie," Bill says.

"I thought that - " Mike sees Richie shaking his head; he doesn't continue.

Much like Eddie, Richie wants to wait until he has spoken to his hypochondriac boyfriend.

Richie listens in on Mike, learning about his group of friends. Like Richie's group, they have a name for themselves. Instead of the 'Losers Club', Mike's group calls themselves the Party.

There's a shit ton of similarities between the two groups that Richie realises as Mike explains. The Party sit in Mike's basement playing Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) and the Losers Club sit in an underground bunker (clubhouse) doing god knows what, mostly drinking and playing 'truth or dare' or 'never have I ever'.

Then as Mike starts explaining his friends, Richie quickly learns that Mike's their ring leader like Bill's the Losers Club's leader.

Will sounds a bit like Eddie;

Dustin = Richie;

Lucas = Stan;

Jane = Ben;

Maxine 'Max' = Bev; and

Steve = Mike.

Richie got all of that just by Mike's descriptions of his friends. It amazes Richie, sometimes, how fast his mind works. Maybe it also has something to do with his undiagnosed ADHD.

"Anyone want anything to drink?" Richie asks, they all said 'yes'. "Eds, can you help me?"

"How many times, Richard? Don't call me 'Eds'!" Eddie responds and gets up, following his tall boyfriend down the stairs.

*

"Hey, Boris, can I talk to you for a second?" Beverly asks the 'emo-looking' Richie.

"Yeah, okay," Boris replies, he gets up from his seat on the desk and sits on the window sill, beside Bev.

"Do you like Stan?" It catches Boris off guard, it stammers a little. "It's just, he's been blushing like mad and he never really does that." Boris looks towards the blonde-haired boy for the umpteenth time today.

There are several things that Boris notices about the bird expert. The way he stands when talking to people; perfect posture. His hand gestures as he speaks. Boris is not one to believe in 'love at first sight' but he thinks that he can let this one slide. There's just something different about Stanley compared to Theo. He started to like Theo a few months after they started to hang out, maybe it was the drugs or the alcohol but he's been sober for 48 hours now. He hasn't had a craving for weed, coke or alcohol since he laid his eyes on the blonde-haired boy.

Beverly nudges Boris, "you're staring," she states. "I can hook you two up if you want?"

"No thank you, Beverly. I need to get to know Kolibri first," Boris says.

"'Kolibri'?"

"It means Hummingbird in Russian." Boris removes himself and goes back to join Mike and the others.

Bev just lets it sink in, 'Hummingbird'. Why did he call Stan a Hummingbird?

He did make Stan laugh before; it makes sense. Maybe.

Stan looks over to Bev, she quickly signals over. He mutters a quick 'sorry' to Mike, and pads over to Bev. "You called?" Stan says.

"Do you like Boris?" Bev asks, cutting to the chase, she's not in the mood for that airy-fairy bullshit.

"No, maybe, yes? I don't know," Stan sighs.

He too isn't one to believe in 'love at first sight', he finds it bullshit. But he couldn't explain his feelings about Boris any other way.

"He called you a hummingbird, in Russian."

"It's the way I laugh, it sounds like I'm humming." Stan smiles and blushes. Beverly had only ever seen one person do that, and that was Eddie whenever he spoke about Richie. With Eddie, it was a sign of embarrassment and shame because of the bullshit lies Sonia fed him. But Stan? Stan's is because he's shy, he's opening up to Beverly about something that he would normally go to Richie for. Richie would make a joke, to break the tension, but would 100% support him.

"Is it weird? He looks so much like Richie, I need to talk to him." Stan gets up and goes downstairs to where Richie and Eddie are pouring everyone a drink.

*

"Richie, Eddie, can I talk to you both ab - " Stan cuts himself off as he walks in on Richie and Eddie kissing. "Never mind." He does a 180 and heads back to the stairs.

"Wait!" Richie calls, "We'll explain just tell us what you wanted, please."

"Okay, I'll go first," Stan says, he sighs, "I may have developed some sort of crush on your cousin." Eddie's jaw drops; he didn't misread Stan. Richie smiles, which freaks Stanley out. "Why are you smiling?"

"Because it's cute!" Richie exclaims.

"But he looks like you! I just don't think - "

"You worried you'd get feelings for me or something?"  

Stan pauses for a bit and looks at the ground. "I don't know, maybe. You both look alike, he's basically like you. So's Mike."

"Stan, look at me." Stan moves his head up and meets Richie's eyes. "Look me dead in the eyes and tell me that you only see me as a friend."

Stan looks to Eddie, who's still got his lips parted. The blonde boy smiles momentarily at Eddie, then looks back to Richie. He searches Richie's face, looking at the similarities between Boris and him; physically. Okay, so Richie's kinda hot, Stan thinks, but as he gets to the personality, Boris is more chill and conventional. He isn't spontaneous like Richie is.

Richie is bothersome, his jokes are appalling and not to mention his flirting with Eddie. Considering what Stan just saw in the kitchen, he's hoping that Richie will be less vexatious. But then again, even before Eddie, Richie was annoying. Who knew a 5-year-old could be that irritating? Also, he's astonishingly intelligent, barely has to study for anything and will still pass with flying colours (it'll be interesting to see what he'll be like at college). Stan's spent too much time with the trashmouth that he's not fully attracted to him, besides his looks. But that's because Boris, who looks a lot like Richie, opened a floodgate.

"I like you as a friend," Stan says, staring at Richie.

"Also, Stan, please don't say anything to the others about Rich and me, please," Eddie says.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Kaspbrak," Stan replies and grabs a tray off the bench.

*

The three boys carry up a tray each of the drinks, for the Losers, Mike and Boris. Richie gives Stan a wink and shoves him lightly into Boris, causing him to fall directly into Boris' lap. Stan gives a tight embarrassed smile at Boris before giving Richie the middle finger, to which, Richie responds with his own.

Mike watches from the sidelines, looking between both Richie, Stan & Boris. He nudges Michael, "Does that normally happen?" Mike asks.

"Hmm, no, Stan and Richie say one or two words to each other. Then just stare,"  Michael replies. "Richie smiling at Stan? That's not normal."

"When Richie tried to set Stan up with Greg, he smiled exactly ... " Bill trails off and looks directly to Stan, who, by the way. hasn't bothered to remove himself from Boris' lap. "Oh."

Even Ben and Bev notice the smile that Richie is giving Stan, whenever their eyes lock. Everyone in that damn room can see that Richie and Stan are best friends. Mike Wheeler thought that maybe Richie and Stan hated each other but that smile; that god damn smile ... It's living proof that Stan likes Richie's opinion. Because Richie and Stan are best friends.

Bev walks over to the three boys, leaving her boyfriend with Richie and Eddie. "You know, Stan told me that he needed to speak to Richie," Bev says.

"That makes no sense," Michael says. "Stan has never once asked for Richie's advice."

"Whenever Richie and I have our smoke sessions on Fridays, he tells me if Stan had spoken to him," Bev explains. "Not to mention, Richie goes to him before he comes to me."

"Wait, wait. Does that mean that Stan found out that Richie was gay before you did?" Bill asks. Bev nodded. "If you knew for a whole 5 months, Stan knew for what? 5, 6? Months?"

"8, actually." The boys' jaws drop; Stan had kept a secret for 8 months and said nothing?

It puzzles the Losers as to why the two-act like they hate each other when, in reality, they're the best of friends.

Mike is just listening in by this point when he starts to get a little bored - he's not going to lie. He decides to talk with the others on the opposite side of the room.

"How's it going, Mike?" Eddie asks.

"Good, good. This is the chaos that I miss," The Party's leader says. "It was before we met Jane and Maxine, it was just us boys."

"Chaotic as fuck?" Richie chimes in, Mike laughs and nods his head. "Say, Mikey, invite your friends up. We've got the room and I'm sure mom won't care. If not, we can chill at Mike's farm."

Mike shrugs and pulls his phone out from his pocket. He opens the Party's group chat inviting the Party up to Derry.

**** **** ****

A few hours later, the Losers, Boris and Mike all head down to the clubhouse. Showing the two newcomers the ropes. As per usual, Eddie and Richie sit in the hammock, just not head to toe like normal. More like sitting side-by-side, cuddling. "Say, Koromyslo, you and Edward? Yeah?" Boris pipes up. Richie ignores the question, only focusing on the unknown word that sounds a Russian translation of sorts.

"What's a 'koromyslo'?" Richie asks.

"Rocker," Boris says monotonously. "So you and Edward? Yes?" Stan giggles.

"You fucking snitch, Stan!" Richie yelps.

"I said nothing, you two are so obvious!" Stan laughs. "You always sit head to toe. Now you're cuddling?"

"You're insufferable," Richie mutters.

"He isn't denying it," Beverly says. "Did you two finally admit your feelings?"

Richie rolls his eyes and looks at Eddie, the boy beside him nods head slowly with caution. The Trashmouth cups Eddie's face in his hands and kisses him. He goes to lean down a little more, trying his best to get in a comfortable position but accidentally leans too much into Eddie. The hammock rocks dangerously and tips the two boys out.

Richie's glasses are just millimetres from falling off his face and are held up by Eddie's shoulder. Quickly fixing them, he looks up to see Eddie straddling him. "Well, I like this view," Richie says. Eddie groans in disgust.

Why? Goddammit, Richie! Eddie thinks to himself

"Come on guys! Leave this place for our innocent childhoods!" Ben groans.

Eddie pushes himself off Richie, dusting himself down before holding out his hand for Richie. "Damn, then I can't tell you ... eh, who am I kidding? I've jerked off to the thought of Eddie's mom down here," Richie says.

"BEEP BEEP RICHIE!" All 6 Losers groan and Eddie punches him in the arm.

"Why do I like you?" Eddie mutters.

Richie looks somewhat offended but knows that Eddie is 100% joking. The two reposition on the hammock and Richie leans over to grab a comic book. His backpack sits by the wooden post that's barely within arms reach. Bev watches on, silently hoping that the hammock tips over again; that would be priceless.

*

Mike and Boris watch the Losers Club sit around minding their own business. Richie and Eddie are reading a comic together, while Stan is bird watching, from a hole in the ceiling. Bev, Ben, Mike (Hanlon) and Bill are playing cards quietly by the swing.

The only sounds that can be heard are the rustling of pages turning; rope squeaking, as the hammock rocks gently; leaves rustling above them, and birds chirping.

Suddenly a buzzing noise interrupts the silence, every head in the underground bunker turns to Mike. He pulls his phone from his pocket.

"Hey, babe?" Mike answers.

"We'll be there in like a day. We're catching a flight now," Will says on the other side of the call.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Will. Love you."

"Love you too."

Mike hangs up the phone. "What?" Everyone goes back to what they were doing, leaving Mike to his thoughts.

"It's 6 pm, guys," Bill says.

"Crap! Mom's not going to be happy! I'll be grounded for sure!" Eddie says.

"You're staying at mine, remember?" Richie says as he helps Eddie out of the hammock.

"Shoot, sorry, Rich."

"All good, Eds."

Mike follows but looks back to Boris, who's waiting patiently for Stan. The Wheeler boy sees something in his cousin's eye; a look that he's seen today and every day, for the past year. It's the look of love, no doubt about it. He climbs up the corroded aluminium ladder where Richie and Eddie are waiting. Mike feels a slight wind change and sees Eddie shiver. As if on intuition, his brother wraps his arms, tightly, around the hypochondriac. "Hurry, you two. Eddie will get hypothermia!" Mike calls.

"It's not that - " Stan emerges from the bunker and immediately gets hit with the wind change. "Never mind, it's a wee bit chilly."

Boris quickly hoists himself up and shrugs off his leather jacket, enveloping it around Stan's shoulders. The boy blushes ferociously, as he tugs the jacket's opening together, he leans into Boris for extra warmth.

As the 5 of them walk up to the streets of Derry, Mike feels like he's 5th wheeling, slowing down his pace to walk behind the couples - one couple; Richie breaks his awkwardness.

"I was thinking since your friends and boyfriend are coming tomorrow, what if we go on a camping trip? The 6 of us? The week before we're set to go to college?" Richie says.

"Hang on Rich, 6 of us?" Stan asks.

"Well, wouldn't want Boris to be 5th wheeling now, would we?" Richie replies, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yeah, but why me?" Stan states.

Richie simply points to the leather jacket that's enveloped around the blonde's shoulders. Stan reddens again, leaning into Boris to conceal his embarrassment, but that only makes it worse.

**** **** ****

The following day, Mike awaits the arrival of his friends. All but Dustin and Lucas were coming, due to last-minute college plans and family vacations, the two couldn't make it; but Max, Will and El are coming. The three of them are catching a taxi into town. "When were you friends supposed to get here?" Maggie asks Mike.

"9 am," Mike replies, still pacing impatiently. The clock on the wall reads '11 am', the Party is 2 hours late and Mike's starting to worry. "Maybe their flight's delayed."

Maggie nods, hugging her second son briefly before heading off to work, leaving Mike and Richie alone, in the kitchen. The Wheeler boy checks his phone again for the 10th time within the past 20 minutes, still no messages from his friends. Richie makes another cup of coffee for himself, putting himself in the way of Mike's pacing line.

"Check the Snapmap," Richie says, getting annoyed with his brother's pacing.

"I don't have snap chat, and neither do my friends," Mike replies.

Abruptly, a boy comes down the stairs in nothing but boxers, huffing out in annoyance. Boris could hear the two of them, all the way upstairs. He's usually a heavy sleeper so how the fuck is Eddie still asleep?

"What even is social media?" Boris replies groggily.

"Did you seriously just get up?" Mike ripostes.

"Yes, now quiet. I need my normal 4 cups of coffee before anyone talks to me," Boris says and grabs the pot of coffee, pouring it into a mug that he pulls from the cabinet above. Richie and Boris leave the kitchen to wake up elsewhere, allowing Mike to deal with his chaotic crisis.

*

Finally, 3 hours later, the Party shows up, "What the hell?" Mike says as he stands on the bottom-most stair. "Where have you guys been?!"

"Our taxi broke down, we had to walk all the way here. No reception." Will puffs out.

"Mike, who's at the - oh, hello," Richie says as he goes down the stairs. "I take it, you're Will." Will just about faints when he sees Richie and it doesn't help that Boris exits from the kitchen, causing poor Will to faint.

Richie yells for Eddie with his 2 fanny packs (that he no longer uses) but still has first aid supplies.

The feisty young lad comes bounding down the stairs with a cold and wet cloth. "Well, lay him down," Eddie says. "And Boris, Richie, mind if you leave the room? I don't want him to faint again." The trashmouth and the emo leave the room, while Eddie tends to Will.

"Richie wasn't kidding," Mike says.

"Yeah well, you pick up a few things when your mom makes you think you're sick when you not," Eddie retorts; he turns his head to look at the girls. "Hey, I'm Eddie, Mike's told us all about you."

"I'm El, and this is Max," the brunette says. "Who were those boys?"

"The one with the glasses is Richie, my boyfriend and Mike's brother. They had no idea that the other existed until yesterday." Eddie explains. "The other, dressed in black, is Boris, their cousin. He was adopted by a Russian family when his parents died. His story is super morbid."

Will stirs on the couch and Mike rushes to take Eddie's place beside Will, keeping the cool cloth on his head. "What happened?" Will asks.

"You fainted, guess my brother and cousin are a bit too much," Mike says. "You okay?"

Will nods and Mike leans down to peck his lips.

"Don't worry, I'll bring them out, just don't faint on me again," Mike says.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Will replies, the boy spots Eddie in his peripheral vision. "I'm Will Byers."

"Eddie Kaspbrak," Eddie replies and takes the cloth off Will's forehead.

Mike walks back out with Richie and Boris; the two boys behind him, scratch the backs of their heads nervously as they are introduced to each of the Party members. So as it turned out, Mike and El dated before Mike got with Will. It had taken El moving away with the Byers for Mike to realise that he wasn't in love with El, he was in love with Will. "I had spoken to El, about it," Mike says, "thankfully she was understanding."

"We were better off as friends anyway," El states.

It's awkward for a moment, and Richie thinks of a good icebreaker. "Shall we head down to the quarry?" Richie asks.

"Where Koromyslo?" Boris asks.

"You know where we were yesterday?" Boris and Mike nod, "It's a few yards further, it's where we like to go swimming."

"Ahem!" Eddie fake coughs.

"Sorry, most of us, like to go swimming. Eddie hates it because there are germs," Richie fixes. "But, babe, let me just say that there are germs everywhere you go, including a hospital."

Eddie rolls his eyes. "If we're going, we need swimwear," Eddie says. El and Max look at each other, "Shit, Richie maybe we should go and get Bev."

Richie whips his phone out and immediately starts texting the redhead and not even 2 minutes later, she's bursting into the Tozier residence.

"I heard two gals needed swimmers," Bev says. "Hello, I'm Beverly Marsh, the only girl in the group of 7 dirty annoying, chaotic boys."

"Piss off Marsh, I just wanted the swimmers. You're not coming," Richie spits, then starts laughing and as does Bev. "Sorry, she can be a bit of a handful sometimes. Ignore her, she's just happy that she has other females to talk to."

The redhead sticks her tongue out at the trashmouth, only to get a middle finger in return. "Well Bev, I'm Maxine, Max for short. And this is El," the other redhead says. "I think we're going to get along just fine." Bev leads them up the stairs, letting the 4 boys wonder what the fuck just happened.

"Girls." They all said simultaneously.

**** **** ****

As the lot of them finally made it to the quarry, they are aced with the massive cliff. "Is it safe to jump?" Max asks.

"We do it all the time," Richie says.

"Yeah, after Bev constantly shows us up," Eddie replies and on cue the redhead pushes past everyone, jumping straight into the murky green water below. Boris goes next, somersaulting into the water.

"Oh come on!" Richie cries and goes to do a run up.

"No! Don't you dare, that's dangerous"' Eddie says sternly, Richie gestures to Boris. "You're clumsy and idiotic; he's probably done a heap of practice. Do. Not. Do. It."

Taking his boyfriend's advice he just does a basic run and jump, landing feet first in the disgusting water below.

Since Eddie is left with the newcomers he links them up, standing in between El and Will, taking both their hands in his and guiding them forward. Mike spits out the shitty water that got into his mouth and as does Eddie.

Boris, Bev and Mike immediately start to splash each other and wrestle, in the water; while Richie sits on the sandbank to get to know the others a bit.

Max starts off, talking about how she beat Mike's highest score on an arcade game. It was the initial reason as to why she thought Mike hated her. ' 'MadMax' beat my high score '. Richie and her, got talking about skateboarding, he had always wanted to try it but never got around to it. "I'll show you, I taught El not too long ago and now she's a pro," Max says.

"Well, in that case, sign me up," Richie replies.

El's next. She had fled the orphanage when she was 12/13, she met Mike, Dustin and Lucas in the woods one rainy night while they were looking for Will. Richie starts to laugh as El said that Mike hid her in his basement for a solid few months without no one knowing besides Dustin and Lucas.

Before Will can say a word, Richie feels cold water on his now partially dry hair. "You're dead Marsh!" Richie bellows.

"It wasn't Marsh this time," Eddie teases.

"I don't care that I love you, you're going down Kaspbrak!"

Will, Max and El watch on as Richie and Eddie tackle each other, laughing.

[blushbot]

owo ocs u say? have u got a lot? Just a few? Would you give a brief rundown of your favs? I like other people's ocs.

TRIPS OVER MYSELF TO ANSWER THIS

I have...like.......I wanna say like 8 main ocs right now, related to my would-be comic A Thorn Stood Between (usually abbreviated to ATSB) and like of those 5 that I really focus in on as my faves.

My current icon is (very old) art of one of them! His name is Gautier he’s a 516 year old vampire, he’s genderfluid (more masculine than anything else but there is wiggle room in there...) and he was born in Paris. He’s a bastard BUt he loves his family. All of them. The whole family tree. Even the ones who don’t accept the gift of vampirism. He’s telepathic and can fuck with peoples dreams also. He was turned by another of my ocs, an ancient Roman vampire who currently goes by the name Aurelio (it was originally Aurelius!) and they were lovers for uh... maybe a century before Aurelio had to go to Egypt for a currently indeterminate amount of time (this part of his backstory is barely fleshed out right now sorry) and didn’t leave any indication of why he had to leave and never sent any letters back to Rome or anything... Once he came home, no worse for wear, gautier got pissed because he figured Rello was dead and he stormed out, never to be seen again.

Aurelio is in his 2000s... he’s forgotten his exact birthdate so for simplicity’s sake he always says he’s 2000 and that his birthday is on January first. He’s demiromantic/pansexual, he kinda sorta has depression, and he’s a writer! He’s got his work published under many different names spanning... his whole life pretty much. He can also turn stuff into gold. I like to call it a selective Midas touch. I have the idea of him being a Roman emperor who faked his own death to not get assassinated for real rattling around in my head but idk if I want that to actually be canon.

My main character and current favorite boy is named Benji. He’s a piece of shit stoner who self medicates with weed for his anxiety and ADHD because he refuses to take his actual meds. He also kind of gets murdery if he doesn’t smoke weed because he’s only been a vampire for about 100 years. Gautier turned him when he was just 25 because Benji had watched his then-lover, Lance, die in some sort of work related accident, while he was in New York to go to school. He went back home to Montreal, gautier saw the state he was in, and... Benji was afraid of dying so he accepted gau’s “gift.” He almost went blind the first night he was a vampire because he stayed outside at sunrise and looked at the sun and now he has to wear glasses forever. In like the 50’s he reached the murdery phase that all young vampires go through and somehow got himself a wife at the same time? Who he got pregnant? But then he tried Drugs for the first time and it fucked with his head and he almost killed his wife but he decided to just leave instead because he was like actually lucid for once and realized he was a menace to society. He ended up living in a hippie commune for a while, got into punk subculture in like the 80s, dated another character, Desdemona, in the 90s until she cheated on him. A few years before ATSB starts a vampire hunter shows up in Montreal and almost kills him so he flees to the city he and Desdemona lived in, Theodore, hoping that she still lived there in the same apartment. She did and she let him live there! But Desdemona has a dickhead boyfriend named Luca who happens to be an alpha werewolf and he and benji do not get along but it’s fine. Really. Benji was really uncomfortable sleeping on their couch at first but he got over it. Until he crashed his car. Despite that he kept putting off finding his own place. He did manage to find himself a boyfriend though! Another main character and best boy, in fact :]

Zeb is a big buff himbo and he’s GAY and TRANS because I like to project. Zeb is an ex-Catholic satanist and part of him and Benji bonding at first was Zeb telling benji about how he beat up a nun and got expelled from catholic school when he was like 13. ...truth be told, the two met on Grindr and were SUPPOSED to just hook up but. Benji fell in love with Zeb immediately upon laying eyes on him (plus Zeb kind of looks like lance...) and insisted they go on a date instead. Zeb agreed and now 2.5 years later at the beginning of ATSB they are living together and in wuv. Zeb has a Pomeranian named princess and if anything were to happen to her he would kill everyone in the room and then himself. Princess is very small. Zeb can hold her with one hand. That makes him cry sometimes but unless you’re benji or his best friend Monica he will End you if you ever see him crying. He has a shitty mom and doesn’t like to talk about it. Zeb is a mechanic and works for his dad’s rival, which is the only thing his dad is unsupportive of. He has an older brother named Ray who lives in like Seattle or something whom he hasn’t seen in person for a while and he kind of dreads Ray eventually visiting because Ray is a vegan and zeb doesn’t know how to feed a vegan. Zeb really likes muscle cars and motorcycles and benji fucking bought him a vintage muscle car for his birthday or something one year because benji doesn’t have a good grasp on the value of money and zeb cried.

The last of the main 5 is Wiley...he’s the very oldest of my current ocs out of universe but the youngest in universe. He’s a 23 year old and he still lives with his parents on their family’s farm. He’s a werewolf BUT NOT THE SAME KIND AS LUCA. He’s a beta which I assure you isn’t related to a/b/o please believe me please. (I can explain the difference if you want) he’s a good ol country boy from the south but he’s actually good I mean that genuinely. He’s gay because I can’t resist having exclusively mlm in my main cast. He is just a simple farmer with self esteem issues. He was kind of a dickhead in middle school and to overcompensate for that he’s overly nice to everyone he meets. Part of why he acted a fool is because he hadn’t come to terms with being gay yet, part of is it because his folks moved up to Theodore, NY (as far as I know that isn’t the name of a real place. That’s a fictional city that I made up to be the setting if that’s the name of a real place I’m gonna die) because that’s where his grandpappy went to retire and Wiley’s dad, Baxter, wanted to be with his pa when he died. And Wiley wasn’t really able to properly process all of that when he was like 13. So he acted out... he and benji are best friends nowadays and benji and his younger brother, Grayson, are the only people he can really be rude to. He just can’t do it. He sells his family’s produce at a local farmers market every Saturday.

I’d talk about desdemona, Luca, and Monica a bit more but I’ve written a damn novel already Jesus Christ. I have a toyhouse if you wanna take a look there though!!! A lot of pages are kind of outdated and only four characters have proper profiles (gau, Aurelio, benji, And Zeb. I’m sorry Wiley) but you can at least see what my guys look like on there!

[5ivebyfive]

How about head cannons for a Supportive Trini's parents IE who do you think takes Trini's coming out better. Does she get kicked out doe they change there ways? Does she get to still see her brothers?

Headcanon for Trini having supportive parents…

I think this could totally happen. It’s common fanon that they’re not supportive, usually due to religion, but we never see Trini’s family as super religious. And, yes, Trini’s mom is a bit out there and overbearing, but we didn’t see evidence that she wouldn’t still support her daughter.

So what could that look like? Well, Trini’s mom has this need to always know what’s going on with Trini. Who Trini’s hanging out with, what she’s doing in her spare time, and if she’s on drugs. Possibly she’s lost someone to drugs so she’s overly cautious of Trini. Whatever her reason for being the way she is, she’s there, in Trini’s face and business at all times. Trini doesn’t do well with people forcing things out of her or making her open up. And this is something her friends learn and adapt to. Her mom? Not so much. So why on earth would Trini want to tell her parents she’s not entirely straight? She isn’t sure what label she belongs to, but she knows she’s not straight. 

And this eats at her for a long time. Possibly years. And deep down she does love her parents, even her mother, but she doesn’t know how to be honest with them. Maybe she did with her dad at a young age, before the boys were born, but that was a lifetime ago. Now, he mostly keeps quiet while his wife interrogates. Sometimes he breaks in and tries to get her to ease up, but he too wants to know what’s going on with his daughter. He’s not an absent father, just a more reserved one. Maybe it’s because of that that he knows Trini could have something/some things bothering her that she isn’t sharing with them. 

And see, he remembers his daughter as a rough and tumble little girl. Afraid of nothing. Always inquiring about everything. Some days he’d take her out somewhere and she wouldn’t stop talking, because she was so excited to have his time. He remembers that little girl and sees now his teenage daughter who doesn’t talk, who glares at her dinner plate, and he wonders what changed. He wonders if they did something wrong. He wonders if he let his wife go off one too many times. But he knows his wife cares, and worries, and that this is her only way of showing it. They’ve had endless talks about how she needs to calm down more, but that usually ends in her yelling at him.

Trini’s mom may have a slight anger problem.

She knows it. She isn’t proud of it. But her daughter has a way of really setting her off and making her feel like she doesn’t know anything. And she needs to know. Everything. This is her child. Her eldest child. And she knows Trini is unhappy. She knows the moves have been hard on her. But she can’t find it in herself to have an open, earnest conversation with Trini. It’s hard for her. So she finds herself yelling instead. She wishes she could handle it better.

But Trini wants to tell them. She wants them to know that about her. They’re her parents! She loves them. She has been dying for their attention and love since the day her brothers were born. Since the day she was born! And she talked about it with Kim, and Kim supports her. Kim always supports her. Kim told her that it could end badly, but not to focus on that. To instead focus on the possibility that they take it well, and that it starts to mend things between them all. And Trini talked to Zack, and Zack told her to do it. To give them a chance to step up and be her parents. So she decides she’s going to tell them.

Trini waits until her brothers have gone to bed, and she goes downstairs and finds her parents in the kitchen, and she sits them down, and goes through the painful process of opening up to them. Of telling them part of the reason of why she’s been so upset in recent years. That she feels different, and that she feels that she won’t be accepted, and that she wishes she could put a label on it because that’s what you’re supposed to do. She tells them all of it, and she sit with a pounding heart as they digest it. It’s her father, for once, that speaks first. He tells her that she’s ridiculous to think they’d love her any less just because of that. He tells her that it’s okay to not know what she is, as long as she’s figuring out who she is. He takes her hand and he squeezes it, and she almost cries. But her mother hasn’t said anything yet, and that’s what she’s dreaded the most.

June looks up at Trini and shakes her head slowly. Trini feels everything starting to crash in and grips her father’s hand harder, then her mom speaks. “I wish you had told us. Your father is right, Trini, we won’t love you any less because of this. I just wish you could tell me things more often. I wish you-” And her husband cuts her off and shakes his head. 

And Trini…Trini is soaring. She can’t believe what she heard. She was preparing herself for the worst, but it actually went okay. There were no hugs and kisses, but they came through for her. 

In the following months and years, Trini’s dad tries harder to spend time with her. Even if they don’t talk. Sometimes they do. He was the first one she told that she was dating Kimberly, and he was the first one she told when she wanted to propose. He was there for her as she got older, and she felt like she had her father back. She didn’t care that they didn’t have deep conversations, or that he was a little awkward when she brought Kimberly over for dinner the first time. He was trying, and that was everything to her. And the day he walked her down the aisle, where she would wait for her bride, he had the biggest grin on his face. He kissed her cheek and said “I love you, Trini” and she couldn’t have been any happier in her life. He was there to help her and Kimberly fix up their first house, he helped them find their second, and he was the proudest grandpa in the world. 

Trini’s mom had meant what she said, but it took her a little more time to get used to it all. She was uptight when Kim came over for the first time, and when the girls went to Trini’s room she yelled about the door staying open. But she saw, before anyone possibly, how her daughter felt about Kim. She knew her child, even if she didn’t know her. She knew Trini was in love. And it was hard for her, because she had expectations of how their lives would all go, and letting hatred or homophobia into their lives, hurting her daughter in any way, wasn’t what she had envisioned. Who would want their child to be hurt in that way? But as the years went by, she loosened up. She realized it was more about her expectations and assumptions than any issue with Trini being gay or being in a relationship with another girl. Because really? June liked Kim. A lot. Kim was outspoken and loud, and it almost reminded her of herself. Before the children. She silently prayed that if they ever had kids, Kim would learn to talk to them like she never quite had. Trini’s mom found friends who also had children who were gay, and they helped her ease up about it all. By the time the girls were graduating college, June had a pride flag on the back of her car. When they got married, June sat in the front row weeping with joy. She had never seen her little girl happier, and seeing that kind of smile on Trini’s lips healed everything in her heart. And then, when they adopted a beautiful baby boy, and when she held him for the first time, she knew that he was going to have the greatest life with wonderful mothers.

Trini knew she had a 50/50 shot when she told her parents that night, but she never imagined just how beautiful her life would be with them standing behind her and supporting who she was.