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irondad-not-ironsad · 3 years

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when you love her

Summary: After accidentally throwing a drink in Gilbert's face, Anne overhears him talking about her.

Inspired by and title from "Love Her" by the Jonas Brothers

A/N: For a while, I have associated this song with Shirbert, especially the line "Drive me crazy, make me mental, no other buttons she can push. One second she's miss sentimental, then she's afraid she said to much. They say opposites attract and we're the living proof of that but I keep on coming back like a magnet." Then last night I started thinking about how the song as written as if the narrator is telling someone else about the girl he loves, and then I imagined Gilbert and Anne having a fight and her then overhearing him talk about her and then I wrote all this and promptly fell asleep because I finished it at 6 AM. So basically, if any of it is incoherent it is due to my own sleep deprivation, but nonetheless I hope y'all enjoy!

"Gotta learn to let the small things go, and know it's always far from perfect, and I know that we can get emotional, but the hardest parts are always worth it." -Jonas Brothers, Love Her

Anne truly had not meant to throw her drink at Gilbert. Yes, it is true that she had been voicing her displeasure with Gilbert quite loudly when the incident occurred, but when she had made the sweeping gesture with her arm she had forgotten that she had refilled her glass. In fact, the multiple refills of her glass were also partially to blame for this incident. Immediately running away after this also probably contributed to making her look guilty, but the sight of Gilbert's shocked face dripping wine both quickly sobered her and filled her with regrets.

She always seemed to put her foot in it with Gilbert Blythe.

Anne did not know what standard protocol was for when one's new long distance beau traveled over a thousand miles to visit, but she was certain that ruining his crisp white dress shirt was not part of it.

Honestly, she had been very much looking forward to his visit, it did not occur to her that talking to a person might be considerably different than corresponding via letter. While on paper Anne could unabashedly wax poetic about the feel of his lips on hers, when she met him at the ferry she could barely say hello without turning scarlet. One would think that Gilbert's own confidence would make things less awkward, it had the opposite effect.

Because, of course, when Gilbert saw her as he walked down the ramp, he had called out "Carrots!", ran to her and swiftly kissed her on the lips before taking her hand as if he had done so thousands of times before. And, of course, this blatant display of affection had left Anne so flustered that she couldn't even find the words to respond to his use of the heinous nickname.

It was Friday night, and because Gilbert was on fall break he did not have to leave until Monday evening. Because the sun was already going down, Anne had initially planned for the two of them to go to dinner and then part ways for the night, so they could be up early and take advantage of the day tomorrow. Anne could feel her heart beating in her throat, so the thought of carrying on a conversation over dinner seemed like the most daunting thing in the world, so when Gilbert asked where they were going she blurted out

"Party!" Gilbert, who could now add his patience to the list of ways in which he was perfect, did not give her a strange look or laugh, but rather he simply waited for her to continue. "I'm sure you want to catch up with the rest of our classmates while you’re here, and they're all at this party, so I thought it would be fun if we went?"

Anne could have sworn Gilbert had almost looked disappointed, but if he had been wanting to do something else he didn't voice it. She knew from their letters that Gilbert was not a huge fan of the few parties he had gone to in Toronto, and Anne was typically the same. While she loved the soirees Aunt Jo would put on, she was not huge on the typical college party which was a bunch of teenagers crammed into a tiny space and drinking until they made themselves sick.

This is not to say Anne was opposed to drinking as a whole. She had fun at the post exam bonfire (not counting the end of that evening), and far be it from her to refuse to participate when one of the girls would sneak a bottle of currant wine into Blackmore House. Rather, it was the noise and crowdedness that she found distinctly unappealing. Tonight, however, she was counting on those very things to act as a buffer between her and her sweetheart, at least until she found a way to compose herself.

At first, her plan seemed to be going great. When Moody and Charlie spotted them walking in, they immediately swept Gilbert away to catch up, even though he had pouted a bit at having to release her hand. She quickly found the girls lingering near the drinks, though they looked quite surprised to see her. As they all questioned her about where Gilbert was, she poured herself a drink, downed it in one go, and then poured another before answering them. Diana had given her a quizzical look, but didn't have time to question her Josie lined arms with her and demanded Anne lead them to Gilbert. Walking through the crowded house in a group of six was challenging, but when they reached the boys they were able to claim a corner for themselves to stand in.

The liquid courage was proving effective, with Anne only blushing a little when Gilbert slung an arm around her shoulder under the guise of crowding into the small space. Tillie had apparently snagged a bottle of wine from the drinks table, and tasked herself with keeping everyone's glasses full. By the time Anne had finished her second drink, she had forgotten why she had felt so awkward in the first place. When she finished her third drink, she found herself in quite a good mood a she unabashedly stared at Gilbert's side profile. Noticing her gaze, Gilbert quirked an eyebrow at her and asked

"What?"

"Have I ever told you what a splendid chin you have?" She punctuated the question by leaning up to kiss said chin, simply because she now realized she could do so whenever she pleased. He chuckled and slid his arm from her shoulder to her waist, where he squeezed gently as he chuckled.

"You haven't, but I think your chin is splendid as well." She laughed at this a bit more than was warranted, but she was still doing okay up until she finished drink four. As she held her cup out to Jane, who had gone for another bottle when the last ran out, for another refill, Gilbert bent his head to speak quietly in her ear.

"Do you think maybe you've had enough?" She ignored him as she took another sip.

"Anne" he spoke slightly louder this time, but he was still making an effort to not be overheard by any of their friends. "I really don't think you should drink anymore, you seem a little-" Getting annoyed, she spun away from his side.

"You are not the boss of me-" Truly, she had only meant to gesture at him with the hand that was also holding her drink, but in her state she didn't realize quite how full Jane had poured her cup or quite how much force she was using. The next bit seemed to happen in slow motion, as the red liquid seemed to jump out of the cup and hit Gilbert square in the face, only to drip off his splendid chin to stain his shirt. The polite thing to do would be to offer a handkerchief for him to clean himself, or at the very least apologize. Anne, however, was far too mortified to stick around long enough to do either of those things. Instead, she only took in the shocked look on his face, with his eyes squeezed shut but his mouth slightly ajar, for a second before spinning on her heel and running.

Juxtaposed to what was happening inside, the yard was quiet peaceful. The chilly fall air seemed to be enough to keep all the partygoers in the house. In this moment, the cold was just what Anne needed to knock some sense into her. Just in front of the porch was a small garden where there were still a few flowers in bloom, so Anne decided to enjoy their company. She would usually feel a tad guilty to pluck someone else's flowers, but she was sure a frost would be coming soon anyways, and she needs something to occupy her hands so she begins weaving a crown.

A few moments pass by as Anne tries to avoid thinking about what had happened, knowing that the second she allows herself to she won't be able to stop and she'll do something embarrassing like cry or scream. When she hears the door open, she pays it no mind, assuming that it must be someone leaving. The footsteps, however, stop on the porch and she thinks perhaps she ought to make her presence known in case the people were seeking privacy. As she prepares to stand, she hears Gilbert speak and finds herself frozen in place.

"I'm fine, really. Just wanted to get away from the noise for a moment, you guys can go back in if you want."

"She yelled at you and threw a drink in your face in front of anyone, how are you so calm? I'd be fuming." Anne did not often find herself agreeing with Charlie Sloane, but in this case he made a point.

"It's… well you'll understand it one day Charlie." There's a pause during which Anne assumes his companions gave him an odd look, as Gilbert explains. "Well, when you love her, no matter the fight you know she's always right." This only left Anne more perplexed, as she saw absolutely no way to spin this so that she would be right, and she had a very vivid imagination.

"While I suppose love must hurt then, eh?"

"It's worth it." For the first time, Gilbert sounds almost flustered, She swears she can hear him blushing. The third boy, who Anne realizes must be Moody, joins the conversation at this point.

"Well, I suppose you knew what you were getting into, seeing as she cracked a slate over your head the day you first met." She heard a chuckle which she could tell was Gilbert, before Charlie again attempted to question his sanity. Before he could finish his sentence, Moody interrupted him. "Well, we should be heading back inside."

Once she hears the door open and close, she sighs. Finally alone again, she looks down at her lap and realizes she had absentmindedly finished the crown as she listened to their conversation. She figures it's time for her to face the music, but as she goes to stand she once again is interrupted by a voice.

"I know you're down there." She turns to face the porch just in time to see Gilbert come up to the railing and lean over it to look down at her. "I noticed the flowers when we got here, and I know when you run off you tend to take solace in nature." She allowed herself to fall back to the ground from where she was balancing on her knees.

"If you knew I was here, why didn’t you say anything before?"

"I figured you probably didn't feel like seeing anyone, so I wanted to get rid of the boys first."

"I didn't mean to! Throw the drink at you, that is." She looked down again, not able to meet his eyes as she added "I forgot that my cup was full." to her surprise, he laughs at her, and not just a chuckle. As Gilbert cackled, Anne found herself getting annoyed.

"It's not funny, it's mortifying! I can only imagine what everyone, you included, thinks of me right now! Oh, and your shirt must be ruined, to top it all off!" With that, she buried her face in her hands, as if she could simply undo the events of the night through sheer force of will. She barely registered the sound of Gilbert walking down the stairs, or the feeling of him sitting next to her in the garden. She only looked up when she felt his jacket come to rest on her shoulders.

"Hey, it's not really that big a deal. Honestly, all of our friends are too drunk to judge you, and just think what a funny story this will be in a few years! Also, in regards to my shirt, it's just clothes, I have others." She couldn't help but return his smile.

"Sorry for getting drunk, I'm not usually like this."

"Honestly you weren't that bad, not compared to some of the others at least. I suppose I was just a bit disappointed- not in you though! I was looking forward to spending time with you, but the party wasn't exactly conducive to that." Anne felt the residual anxiety leave her as if a weight was being lifted, and she reached to take his hand.

"I was looking forward to that, too… but when I saw you I had the realization that being together in person was much different than writing letters, and I found myself getting extremely flustered, meanwhile you were downright smooth! So I thought being around our friends would help act as a buffer, and then the alcohol seemed to help as well… you must think I'm completely ridiculous." He chuckled and bumped her shoulder with his.

"I think you're the perfect amount of ridiculous, actually. But, really, you shouldn't be at all intimidated by me. Really, write to Bash if you want, he can assure you I am anything but cool, especially when it comes to you."

"As tempting as that sounds, I don't think the post office is open at the moment." She releases his hand so that she can use both of hers to place the flower crown on his head. "There, it's impossible to be nervous around someone who looks silly."

"I'm not sure what you mean, I think I look quite handsome in a flower crown." He pulls a face that is so silly, she cannot help but kiss it, holding his cheek as she presses her mouth to the corner of his.

"You're right, in fact I think we should go inside so everyone can see how dashing you look."

"Or we could stay out here for a while?" He looks so nervous as he suggests it that she cannot help but tease.

"All alone? Without a chaperone? My, what the mothers of Avonlea would say if they could see their beloved golden boy now."

"I- that's not-"

Deciding to put him out of his misery, she silences him with a kiss and finds herself wondering how she ever felt nervous around him in the first place.

"Cause when you love her, no matter the fight you know she's always right, and that's alright. And they say love can hurt, but seeing her smile will fix it every time" -Jonas Brothers, Love Her

A/N: Is this my second fic in which Anne and Gilbert see eachother in person for the first time after the events of 3x10, they get into a fight about something silly, makeup and Gilbert wears a flower crown at some point? Yes, yes it is. It's also my second fic featuring Drunk!Anne so perhaps I'll have to write Drunk!Gilbert soon. Also the characterization of Gilbert and Anne in this fic is heavily based on two scenes: 1) The 'eyes' scene in 3x1 because clearly Anne gets a little flustered around Gilbert, and I think we would still see that in the early stages of their relationship and 2) THE scene in 3x10. Specifically, how when Gilbert says he has to leave, Anne is awkwardly like "ok, bye?" and then he just grabs her hands and kisses them, and then like two minutes later when he jumps of the carriage to kiss her not caring that their are people watching. So I basically took the two minutes we saw of them as a couple and decided this is what they would probably be like. Anyways, thanks for reading! As always, comments are super appreciated!

#shirbert #anne with an e #awae #anne shirley cuthbert #gilbert blythe #anne x gilbert #my writing #shirbert fanfic

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slytherinbarnes · 4 years

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Sub Rosa [76]

v. the gospel of josephine

Pairing: Bellamy Blake x reader

Word Count: 6.1k

Warnings: angst, anxiety, language, angst, drugging.

Summary: Something’s rotten in the state of Sanctum, and you’re hopeful you’ll soon find out what.

a/n: i officially finished writing and editing sub rosa yesterday! i can’t believe we are nearing the end of this journey! the taglist for this series is open! I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think!!!

previous chapter // season masterlist // series masterlist

You wake up with a strong feeling of unease.

It’s strong enough to pull you out of sleep, strong enough to leave you feeling on edge for most of the morning. You don't know why or where it came from, considering the incredible night you had the night before, but it lingers around you, making you anxious. It’s strong enough that Bellamy notices and questions you about it, looking worried because you seem worried, but you reassure him that everything is okay, despite feeling like the opposite.

You eagerly head downstairs once you and Bellamy are ready, accounting for all of your friends and family, except for one.

Clarke.

That sends your nerves into overdrive, but Bellamy reminds you that she was having fun with Cillian the night before, and they left in a fury of passion, meaning she probably slept at his place. He convinces you to let it go and not worry just yet, before the two of you sit down at the bar with Murphy. He’s already drinking, despite it being pretty early in the day, and you follow suit, throwing back a shot of some awful alcohol as soon as you sit down beside him. He turns to you with an appreciative smirk. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. I like this version of you.”

You and Bellamy both answer, “Quiet, Murphy.”

He raises his hands in surrender, sliding the shot in his hand over to you, which you take with a nod of thanks and quickly throw back, the liquid burning as it moves down your throat. The boys both order something to sip on, and you sit between them, waiting for the alcohol to dull the sharp edges of your nerves. Eventually Jordan comes wandering into the bar, babbling something about Delilah being unlike herself, and when you all look at him in confusion, he takes a breath and says, “Something about Delilah seems off, so I brought her some daisies and gave them to her, reminding her that she told me daisies are her favorite flower. She took them without arguing, agreeing that those are her favorite.”

Bellamy shakes his head, still confused. You watch his curls bounce as they move, bringing you an odd sense of comfort. “So?”

“So, yesterday she told me her favorite flowers are Calla Lilies.”

Murphy smirks and looks over at you and Bellamy, “Calla Lilies are nice.”

Bellamy holds his gaze before they both start giggling, but you keep a straight face, listening to Jordan’s fears, wondering if it has something to do with your unease. “I'm serious, something happened in that reliquary. It's like she doesn't even know me. “

Bellamy advises, “Just play it cool, she'll come around.”

You snort, thinking of Bellamy’s version of playing it cool with you, which involved a lot of anger and insults, leaving the two of you at odds until you were in direct danger of dying. He looks at you with a small smile, “What?”

You hide your smile and answer, “Nothing.”

Murphy adds onto Bellamy’s advice with a shrug, “Yeah, that and, like, maybe don't get flowers for a one night stand.”

You hear the door to the tavern open and you spin around quickly, a rush of relief washing over you when you see Clarke standing at the door. You and Bellamy wave to her, and you start to relax, until you see the guard standing near the door, clearly keeping an eye on your twin. Your unease comes rushing back again, reminding you that something isn’t right, though you still don’t know what.

You see Madi jump up from her seat when she sees Clarke, running over and hugging her, speaking to her quickly before she runs off with a smile, grabbing her pack. You slide out of your seat when you see Gaia abruptly stand and step in Clarke’s way, and you start to move over to them, Bellamy following you, both of you catching the tail end of Gaia’s lecture to Clarke in Trigedasleng. “Wof em teik em nila reya? O, em’laik, ge jok op kom fayaslais?”

What if she skins her knee? Or, I don't know, gets a paper cut? You gather enough to guess that they must be talking about Madi, and Clarke glances at you as you approach, looking conflicted. You come to a stop beside Gaia, looking between them before your eyes land on your twin. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, fine. Where are the others?”

Bellamy, up to date on everyone's whereabouts, answers first, “One of the Primes is showing Raven and Emori how to build a radiation shield.”

“Ryker?”

Bellamy nods, “Yeah, I sent Echo and Miller to watch their backs.”

Clarke turns to look at you, “And our mother?”

You sigh, “Still in the library. Jackson said he found her sleeping with her head on a book.”

Clarke nods, and then turns to Madi, who’s lingering nearby. “Speaking of books, let's get you to school.”

You and Gaia immediately start to argue, and you step closer to your twin, whispering low enough that only she can hear. “Clarke, what the hell? You just said yesterday it was too dangerous for Madi.”

She steps back with a smile, waving off your concern. “Chill out, she'll be fine.”

You give her a look of complete bewilderment, shocked to hear the words come out of her mouth. Even weirder, the tone of her voice sounds different, slightly higher pitched than normal. You turn to look at Bellamy, wondering if he’s catching onto her weirdness, and his brows are pulled together in confusion, but he looks more amused than anything. You, however, are not amused. You turn your gaze back to Clarke, repeating her words back to her. “Chill out?”

She shakes her head, not understanding your confusion. “What?”

You stare at her open mouthed, trying to figure out what to say, but Bellamy puts his hand on your arm, stopping you. He just smiles at Clarke, clearly enjoying this new side of her. “Nothing. We both just think that happiness looks good on you. I take it you had fun with the doctor?”

“Cillian?” A look of amusement passes over her face. “Let's just say it'll be a while until he recovers.”

You give her another weird look, unused to hearing anything about Clarke’s sex life. The two of you are close, but that’s not something either of you have ever really discussed. Hearing about it now, even in joke form, is strange. She doesn't seem to notice, because she starts to walk away, but you reach out and grab her arm, stopping her. “Wait, what’s up with the guard?”

“Apparently, people with blood like mine are a target. The Primes insisted.”

Blood like mine? You’re about to interrogate her further, but she pulls herself free from your grip with a smile. “Gotta go, don't want Madi to be late!”

And then she turns and heads towards the door before you can even make a sound of protest. Madi waves goodbye to you before she slips out the door, and you just stand frozen in place, dumbfounded. You’re pulled out of your shock when Gaia starts to rush past you and Bellamy, her pack in hand. Bellamy holds out an arm to stop her. “Gaia, slow down. Madi will be fine.”

You and Gaia both turn to look at him like he’s lost it too, and Gaia instantly argues, “Fine? They gave Clarke a bodyguard for being a Nightblood, and she just sends Madi to school?”

You’re interrupted by Blythe Ann, Delilah’s mother, walking over to the three of you, a tray on her hand. “Can I get you guys anything else?”

You shake your head, ready to finish your conversation with Gaia and Bellamy, but Jordan interrupts from his place beside Murphy. “Ma’am, can I ask you something?”

“Only if you call me BA.”

“What happened to Delilah last night?”

She freezes a little, and you can see her fighting back a wave of emotion as she robotically answers, “Our little girl became one with the Primes. You were there, what's wrong?”

Bellamy tries to stop the conversation before it gets into dangerous territory and threatens your fragile peace. “Ah, nothing's wrong.”

But Jordan answers her anyways, too determined to learn the truth, no matter what it may cost him, or the rest of you. “She's acting like she doesn't even know me, that's what's wrong.”

“Oh child, I miss her too. Priya's return blesses us all.”

She chokes out the last sentence, a forced smile on her face, before she turns away from all of you. Jordan walks closer to your group, looking very confused. “Priya's return blesses us all? What does that even mean?”

Gaia snaps back, “It means that they believe in something. That faith should be respected.”

She turns and stalks off, presumably to keep an eye on Madi, which you’re thankful for. Right now, Bellamy can sense the growing tension, and he turns to Jordan with a look of sympathy. “Jordan, we're guests here, and we need their help. I'm sure whatever happened between you and Priya-”

Jordan cuts him off, looking annoyed. “Delilah. It happened between me and Delilah. I know you think you need to protect us all because you couldn't protect Octavia, but I can take care of myself.”

You see a look of hurt pass over Bellamy's face at the mention of Octavia, but he doesn't get a chance to say anything in return, because Jordan turns and stalks off, leaving the two of you in the tavern. You reach out and squeeze his hand in comfort, but then your unease washes over you, reminding you of its presence, and you shake your head, looking out the door of the tavern. “Clarke seems off.”

Bellamy gives you a doubtful look. “She seems fine. Happy, even.”

“She told me to chill out, Bellamy. When has Clarke ever said chill out? In fact, when has Clarke herself ever chilled out?”

“She probably just picked it up from the doctor.”

“After one night?” He shrugs, and you cross your arms over your chest, challenging him. “Okay, and what about what she said about the guard? ‘People with blood like mine’? Why wouldn't she say blood like ours? Or Nightblood?”

Bellamy just shakes his head. “She probably just misspoke. I know you’re on edge today, but everything is fine, la lune.”

You give him a surprised look and whisper, “You never call me la lune.”

“Is that okay? I’ve always felt like it was a family only thing, and I didn't wanna assume-”

You cut him off by reaching out and pulling him into a kiss, silencing all of his fears. You pull away enough to say, “Yu laik ai seingeda.”

You are my family. His face splits into a grin and he whispers back, “And you are mine.”

“Good.” You step back a little, looking up at him. “This better not be the end of blainen natshana though. I like that nickname too.”

“It won’t be, I just like to have options.” You laugh, shaking your head at him, your earlier unease temporarily forgotten. Bellamy takes advantage of the moment and nods towards the bar. “I got access to a map earlier today, you wanna look it over?”

“Sure.”

He walks over to the bar and grabs the map, rolled up and waiting, along with Murphy, dragging him over to a little table to join the two of you as Bellamy unrolls the map for all of you to look over. It’s pretty bleak, most of the map labeled as uncharted territory, which Bellamy mentions. “200 years, this is all they mapped.”

Murphy muses, “Why leave when you're safe, right?”

You turn to Murphy with a smirk, “Oh, come on, Murphy. Where's your sense of adventure? We're pioneers!”

“I don't want to be pioneers. Pioneers find the red zone and wind up dead, or get caught in randomly occurring, psychosis inducing eclipses. You really want to go through that again?” Bellamy absentmindedly grazes the stab wound on his thigh, and your fingers ghost over the bruises on your neck. Once he’s sure neither of you want to experience that again, Murphy adds, “I've been asking around. Apparently, this whole thing's built on top of cave systems. The bugs start to freak out, the party goes underground.”

Bellamy shrugs, “Right, so we find our own cave system, and Raven builds us a radiation shield. Murphy, we can't stay here forever. And even if we could, what about the other 400 of us?”

Murphy looks ready to argue Bellamy’s point when the intercom in Sanctum fires up, announcing the start of a funeral. You all pause and listen, and as it finishes, Blythe Ann calls out to the three of you, “Rose is being offered to the woods. All of you are welcome.”

“Thank you.”

Murphy glares at Bellamy. “Don't even think about asking me to go to that funeral. Seriously, take Jordan. It'll get his mind off of being dumped.”

You all look around the tavern, searching for him. “Where is Jordan anyway?”

Bellamy sighs, rolling up the map as he looks towards the door. “I think I know where he is, come on.”

You start to follow Bellamy when he steps away from the table, but Murphy stays firmly rooted in place. Bellamy glances back at him, reminding him of your earlier joke. “Hey, suit yourself. But if he gets us kicked out, you're a pioneer.”

Murphy rolls his eyes and stands, following you and Bellamy out of the tavern. You all watch as people file towards the stairs to head into the woods, and Bellamy waits until no one is looking your way before he leads you over to the palace, careful to weave between buildings and stay hidden. The three of you run up the hill to the palace, but instead of going up the stairs to the main building, you jog to the door on the bottom level, the one that leads to the reliquary. When you reach the door, the keypad is hanging off, the wires exposed. “Like father, like son.”

Bellamy pushes the door open slowly, hesitant, checking to make sure no one is waiting for all of you on the other side. Once he sees that it’s clear, he slips inside, motioning for the two of you to follow him. You step into a large room, mostly dark, save for the light that comes through a window in the center of the room, casting an eerie glow on the room full of...skeletons. You get a chill down your spine, bringing back your unease in full force as you look at the skeletons lined up in the center of the room and Murphy mutters, “You gotta be kidding me. Which part of ‘I hate dead people’ did you not understand?”

“Quiet, Murphy.” Murphy gives Bellamy a look but goes silent, but you shake your head, agreeing with Murphy. “Bellamy, I don’t like this.”

Bellamy gives you a reassuring look before he calls out into the room, “Jordan, we know you're in here.”

Jordan steps out of the shadows, looking at the three of you, and Bellamy shakes his head. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What you would've done, the you before Praimfaya anyway. That was my favorite Bellamy.”

The door behind you suddenly closes, and you look towards it in shock, eyes falling on Gaia. You nod, “You too?”

“They worship Nightbloods. I'd like to understand why that is.”

Murphy quips, “I'd like to leave. There's no way I'm getting thrown out of the one safe place on this moon because you got dumped.”

Gaia starts to wander over to the skeletons, looking at them closely, while Jordan disappears to the back wall, looking it over. You, Bellamy, and Murphy all linger near the door, not too eager to get closer to the skeletons, when the door slides open again and Clarke steps into view. Her tone is scolding as she looks you all over, “This is Sanctum's holiest place, you shouldn't be here.”

You give her a weird look, wondering why she gives a shit about Sanctum’s holiest place, and she must catch it because she gives you a sheepish look. “I'm sorry. I just, uh, I saw you on the steps.”

“Does that mean your bodyguard could too?”

She nods, “Good point, let's take this outside.”

But Gaia argues from her spot nearby, “Not yet.” You look over at her, watching her run a finger over the back of one of the skulls, her expression one of awe. “The mark of the Flame? They're all Commanders.”

You exchange a look with Bellamy before you walk over to the skeleton, seeing the infinity symbol imprinted on the back of the skull. You think of your first day in Sanctum, of the flag Emori pointed out to all of you. “That's why the symbol was on the flag.”

Bellamy starts to walk among the skeletons, coming to a stop in the center of the room, looking around at them. “The ones in the front row must be the original Eligius team, there's 12 of them. Oh, and they take kids.”

Clarke counters, “Familial love is a powerful motivator. People will do anything to ensure the survival of the ones they love. Now let's ensure our survival and get the hell out of here.”

You all start to step towards her, intending to leave, until you hear the scrape of a door opening. When you follow the sound, you see Jordan standing at an open door, and you all walk over to join him, flicking on a light inside the newly exposed room. You get another chill when your eyes land on an operating room, fresh Nightblood staining a pile of gauze near the operating table in the center of the room. Murphy eyes it with unease. “Operating room attached to a crypt. Really?”

Jordan spots something and rushes inside, grabbing a pile of pink fabric, neatly folded and placed on a table. He holds it up for the rest of you to see, “She was here. This was Delilah's, I'm sure of it! Still think I'm overreacting?”

You all step into the operating room, and Bellamy looks your way as he begins to think out loud. “Okay, let's think this through. Becca created the Flame after apocalypse one. She obviously provided the tech to Eligius III before that. That means that-”

Gaia cuts him off, voice full of realization. “They're not Commanders.”

You look at your boyfriend, fighting back your growing anxiety. “So what the hell are they?”

Jordan spots a computer on the other side of the room and makes a beeline for it, plopping into the chair and firing it up. “Let's find out.”

You all gather around him as he starts to type away on the keyboard, and Murphy jokes, “Monty taught him how to hack too. That's my kind of parenting.”

Jordan clarifies, “No hacking needed. The Eligius systems all use the same access code.”

He types in the access code, clicking on a few things until he pulls up a list of video files. You quickly scan the names of the files, pointing out one that sounds promising. “Eureka, try that.”

Jordan clicks on the file, and a bearded man appears on the screen in full view. Behind him is a second man, much older, and a young woman tied down to the operating table that stands behind you. You watch the man take a deep breath and begin, “Here we go again. Today's subject is Brooke, Earth embryo 47. Presents with black blood; 21 Earth years old, 22 doing time in the incubator.”

You and Bellamy exchange a look as the other man encourages, “You can do this, Gabriel. Twenty five years of work, the failures. This is the one.”

Gabriel continues, “If I'm right, the reason all previous metempsychosis trials have failed is because the host's neuroanatomy was not developed enough to support the file size of a mature human mind.”

File size of a mature human mind? You hate the sound of that, and you glance over at your twin, searching for the unease you’re sure she must feel. You’re surprised to find her expression passive, not yet concerned with the events on screen. You turn back to the screen as you hear the girl start to struggle, watching as Gabriel injects something into her arm, and she eventually grows still. You all watch in horror as Gabriel stands staring at the screens around the room, monitoring scans of the girl’s brain, muttering about different areas going dormant. Jordan’s voice is a quiet whisper when he chokes out, “Did they just kill that girl? Did we just watch someone die?”

None of you answer, too enthralled with what’s on the screen, because now the two men are holding up a small piece of hardware, reminding you so much of the Flame. “The body's ready.”

And just like the Flame, they insert it into the back of her neck, though they don't use any passphrases. They just cut the girls neck open and insert the tech inside before stitching her up again, and then they sit back and wait. Jordan skips through the video a little, the two men waiting for a while, playing it again as the young girl blinks awake slowly and the older man calls out, “Something's happening, she's waking up. Josephine, can you hear me?”

At the mention of the name, you go completely still, looking over at your twin, remembering what she told you yesterday. But still, her expression is impassive, seemingly unshocked to hear the name. When she senses you looking at her she meets your eyes, her expression turning to one of worry once you lock gazes. You mutter to the others, “Josephine was Russell’s daughter.”

You turn back to the screen as the girl lets out a blood curdling screen, and you turn back in time to watch her fall off the operating tables and scramble back into the corner. Gabriel drops in front of her, moving slowly, trying to soothe her, and he finally whispers, “I've spent the last 25 years trying to bring you back.”

The other man tries to get close to Josephine, but she presses herself into the glass at her back, trying to get away. Gabriel starts to soothe her, whispering, “It's okay, it's okay. It wasn't his fault, it was the red sun.”

“The eclipse, I was right.”

Gabriel nods, “Yes, you were. It turns out it affects more than just insects.”

Josephine seems to think for a minute, before a realization hits her. “Our memory drives. You reverse engineered them to upload our entire minds. That's brilliant!”

You look at Bellamy, both of you looking horrified as you start to put the pieces together. On screen, Josephine hugs both men, but you ignore it, too focused on looking at your twin, trying to gauge her reaction. But when you look her way, she just seems lost in her own head, a faraway look on her face. You reach out and take her hand, bringing her back to you as Gabriel concludes, “The key is a fully developed brain. Once the adult host's consciousness is gone, the mind stored in the drive uploads with ease. Now, we still have loads of tests to run, but so far, Josie's consciousness, herself, appears to be whole. In other words, eureka. More soon.”

And then the video ends, leaving all of you staring at the screen, stunned. Murphy is the first to break the silence. “They're immortal.”

Jordan counters, “They're murderers. They murdered Delilah.”

Clarke shakes her head, looking at all of you. “It's not murder if they go willingly.”

Jordan’s anger rises, his voice breaking as he yells, “Did that girl look willing to you?!”

Gaia adds, disgusted, “That's how they made it better, easier, by manipulating people into believing they were sacrificing themselves to some false gods. 'Becoming one with the primes' like Delilah's mother said.”

“Well, so much for respecting their faith.” You all look at Murphy in shock, and he adds, “I mean, no offense. You let a bunch of kids fight to the death to become your God.”

“Murphy, that's enough.” Bellamy turns to your twin, who has now dropped your hand and stepped away a little, silent. “Clarke, you're okay with this?”

“Well, I didn't say that. I just don't think they pose a threat to us, that's all.”

You turn to her incredulous, not understanding how she isn’t more bothered by this. “Clarke, they literally pose a threat to you because they know you're a Nightblood! And based on what we just saw, I'm thinking that's the only reason they let us stay!”

Gaia starts to step away, face pulled into horror as she moves to the door. “Madi.”

You feel a wave of nausea roll over you at the thought of your Nightblood niece away from all of you, potentially in harm's way. Gaia looks at you, “I have to get her before they find out what she is.”

You nod, letting her know you agree, and Clarke calls out, “I'll go with you.”

As she starts to walk past you, Bellamy says, “Bring her back to the tavern so we can decide what to do.”

Clarke nods, and you watch her leave, following Gaia, before the rest of you step back into the creepy skeleton room, now understanding that these are all the bodies from the previous hosts. Jordan stands in front of the one labeled Priya, looking absolutely devastated. “These are all her.”

Bellamy looks towards him, his voice low. “Jordan, I'm sorry I doubted you.”

Jordan nods, silently accepting his apology, before Bellamy adds, “Log out of the system, we need to cover our tracks.”

Jordan heads back into the lab to hide any evidence that you were even here, and the two of you turn to Murphy, who lets out a sigh. “I hate to say it, but I agree with Clarke. This isn't our fight.”

You give him a confused look. “You still want to stay?”

“I want to live, only these people know how to do that forever, as it turns out. That wouldn't suck either.”

Bellamy shakes his head, pretending he isn't hearing what he's hearing from Murphy. “Reattach the keypad outside the tunnel. We're right behind you.”

Murphy looks at him for a long second before he nods and steps out the door, leaving you and Bellamy alone in the center of the room. You look at each other, unease surrounding you both, your boyfriend appearing just as anxious as you are. “Right now, they only know Clarke is a Nightblood. We need to make sure they don't find out about you and Madi. It’ll be much easier to keep Clarke safe if she’s the only one we need to protect.”

You nod, tears welling up in your eyes as you think about the danger the three of you are in, now at risk of being body snatched by a group of people you could care less about. “I’m scared, Bellamy.”

He pulls you into his arms, holding you tight against him as he whispers into your hair, “I am too, but I’ll keep you safe.”

You both pull away when you hear Jordan come out of the lab, turning off the light and closing the door behind him. You give him a serious look, “Everything taken care of?”

“No one will ever know we were here.”

“Good.” You look at the skeletons, circled around you like a small army. “Then let’s get the hell out of here.”

The three of you slip out of the door and join Murphy outside, the suns of Sanctum now set, darkness now blanketing the village. You realize now all of you must have been in there for a while, and you hope no one noticed your absence while you were gone. You, Murphy, Bellamy, and Jordan all head back to the tavern, opening the doors to find everyone has returned from the funeral held for Rose. You grab one of the larger tables, plopping down into a chair while the boys grab drinks, setting them around the table before settling into their spots. Bellamy slides into the chair beside you, both of you pressed together, seeking each other’s comfort to keep your unease at bay. Gaia, Madi, and Clarke come into the tavern a few minutes later, joining you at your table. Clarke sits at the head and Madi sits across from you, while Murphy sits across from Bellamy and Jordan and Gaia sit at the other end.

You fill Madi in on everything you’ve learned since seeing her last, letting her know how much danger all of you are truly in. Clarke sits silently through the whole thing, allowing you and Bellamy to catch her up, and at the end of the rundown, Madi turns to Clarke, noticing her silence. “Clarke, you realize staying says we're okay with what they're doing.”

“Yeah, and what's the alternative?” You all look over to Murphy, who takes a sip of his drink before continuing, “Go back to space? Sleep for another hundred years on our way to a planet even less likely to support life?”

“Build our own compound. Emori, Echo and Raven will be back in the morning. They'll know everything we need to build a radiation shield. After that, it's just hard work.”

Murphy counters, “Over how many lifetimes? No, seriously, how many eclipses? How many swarms? How many terrorist attacks?”

Clarke nods, “I agree with John.”

You look at Clarke, brows pulling together. John? Never in the time since meeting Murphy have any of you called him John, other than Emori and your mom. But Clarke continues speaking like she didn't just say the weirdest thing you’ve ever heard. “I don't like who they are either, but we need them to survive.”

You glance at Bellamy, who is watching Clarke closely, and you spare a glance at Murphy, who also picked up on the weird name drop moment. You shake your head at her, looking at Clarke like you have no idea who she is. “What the hell is wrong with you? You’re way too calm about this, Clarke.”

She opens her mouth to answer, but Jordan, who has had his eyes locked on Priya across the room, speaks before Clarke can get the chance. “They're murderers, raising people to give up their bodies, brainwashing them into believing they're gods.”

“He's right. It's a perversion of everything Bekka Pramheda believed. The Flame was about passing wisdom on to the next line, not keeping it all to yourself.”

Murphy, ever critical of the Grounder religion, counters, “Yeah, well, no offense, but Becca wasn't a god either. She was a scientist who made herself a Nightblood in the lab the same way Abby did to Clarke.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Clarke freeze up a little, shocked by the words. You turn to her, about to ask what’s wrong, when Jordan suddenly bolts from the table, practically running over to Priya. You and Bellamy jump up after him as he snaps at the Prime, “I know what you did.”

You and Bellamy each grab one of Jordan's arms, holding him back and warning, “Hey, bad idea.”

Jae looks at Jordan with concern. “Is everything okay here?”

“How can you be okay? She was your child.”

Priya seems to understand what’s happening, because she turns to face Jordan head on. “I know you miss Delilah, hallowed be her name. But she's happy, Jordan. She wants you to know that.”

The words freeze Jordan up just enough for you and Bellamy to drag him back to the table and force him into his chair. As you reach the table, you see that one of the chairs is now empty, your group missing one person.

Clarke.

You look around the tavern, eyes falling on a blonde haired person slipping out of the building without another word. You turn to Bellamy, your voice low enough for just him to hear, and you whisper, “Something is wrong with Clarke, and she’s walking out of the tavern right now. We have to talk to her.”

He nods, backing you up, and the two of you jog to the exit of the building, stepping out into the cool night air, searching for Clarke. Bellamy spots her first, walking just ahead past a row of buildings, and the two of you walk quickly behind her, calling out, “Clarke!”

She turns around, stopping in place, looking at you with concern. “Everything okay?”

Something inside of you tells you to answer in Trig. You don't know why, but you listen to the voice, answering, “Flish em of. Osir gaf in chich yu op soulou. Kom nau.”

Get rid of her. We need to talk to you alone. Now. She looks at you for a long second, face blank, and you glance at Bellamy, finding that he is just as confused. Clarke was fluent in Trigedasleng long before the rest of you, thanks to her three months of isolation after Mount Weather, and it’s never taken her so long to translate before. But she finally does, turning to look at the guard that lingers nearby. “Give us a minute.”

The guard stands up straighter, indicating that she’s going nowhere, and Clarke sighs and motions to the building beside you. “Fine, we'll go in here.”

You and Bellamy follow her inside, turning on her as soon as she closes the door. “Where were you going?”

“To see our mother. What's wrong?”

You shake your head at her. “How are we on different sides of this?”

“I know how they survive seems harsh. But from what I've seen, these people are happy. Their world works, we destroyed ours.”

Bellamy gives her a hard look. “This isn't about us.”

“So we can judge them but not ourselves?”

“You know I judge myself every day.” Bellamy looks over at you, his eyes telling you he’s going to test a theory as he walks closer to her, answering in Trigedasleng. “You want to know the difference between us and them? Ai sin in feis-de kom keryon ai don rip klin ona flashpa, nou ona fleta.”

I see the faces of the people I've killed when I dream, not in the mirror. Clarke stares at him for a long second, and then she asks, “I'm sorry. Can you repeat that last phrase? It sounds like Flashpa means flashback. So was it a dream?”

You freeze in place, the sudden roar of blood rushing in your ears the only thing you hear. You look at your twin, the pieces suddenly falling into place. The uneasy feeling you’ve had all day, the weird language, strange behavior. Bellamy connects the dots too, because he grabs Clarke and slams her into the wall of the building, pinning her in place with his arm at her neck. “Who are you?”

She surprises you by stabbing him in the neck with something, and you watch Bellamy fall to the ground, your stomach sinking with dread. You run over to him, calling out, “Bellamy!”

You drop down to Bellamy’s side, eyes catching the rise and fall of his chest, your fingers reaching up to his neck to check his pulse. You sigh in relief as it thumps steadily beneath your fingers, and your brain registers the feeling of danger seconds before you feel a prick in your neck. Clarke drops something near your feet, and you get a glimpse of it as you start to fall, some sort of Sanctum tranq stick. You hit the ground beside Bellamy, panicking when you realize that you can't move, cant speak, can't scream. Your body is frozen for real this time, triggered by something in the sedative, and the only thing you have control over is your eyes. You see darkness creeping up at the edge of your vision, and your eyes are wide with fear as Clarke’s face drops into your line of sight, a smile on her face as she answers Bellamy’s earlier question. “Josephine Lightbourne, nice to meet you.”

You feel a rush of crushing anguish, and if you weren't temporarily paralyzed you're sure that you’d fall apart, letting out a scream that would break this entire moon in half. Tears immediately flood to your eyes instead, blurring your vision as the darkness rushes closer, your mind running over one thought over and over. Once the adult’s consciousness is gone. Josephine Lightbourne, nice to meet you. Once the adult’s consciousness is gone. Josephine Lightbourne, nice to meet you. Once the adult’s consciousness is gone. Josephine Lightbourne, nice to meet you.

The last realization you have before you get sucked into the darkness is that Clarke Griffin, your sister, your twin, your shining star,

is dead.

Gone forever.

next chapter

#the 100 #the 100 rewrite #bellamy blake #bellamy blake x reader #bellamy blake fanfiction

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royalcordelia · 5 years

Text

I gotta purge my thoughts and emotions! Here we goooo!

The symbolism of Gilbert harvesting honey, being at peace with an insect that is associated with aggression, it’s too much man. He’s a caregiver, a tender soul, a light-hearted spirit, but he’s strong and true.

I mentioned it in another post but the part where Gilbert says “Give my regards to the queen” or whatever really just made my heart swell. Aside from the fact that he’s a major cutie, it made me think of this line from Anne’s House of Dreams.

"Yes, red—to give warmth to that milk-white skin and those shining gray-green eyes of yours. Golden hair wouldn't suit you at all Queen Anne—MY Queen Anne—queen of my heart and life and home." Oof.

Things are so easy with him and Anne now ahh my heart. When she’s reading the obituaries, he steps right into her space like it’s nothing.

She offers the idea of the obituary, and he just looks so..proud? enamored?

And of course he gives his immediate approval and she’s so happy to have it and their gazes linger? Like is that LEGAL?

I don’t blame Anne for staring at him during the dance scene like, he’s such a cutie pie.

But she does not seem to notice she’s staring at him, but he notices pretty quick and stares back.

There seems to be a whole lot of “is she still looking?” “is he still looking?”

Then there’s that moment when the set restarts and he’s smiling down at her and there’s an expression on her face that’s like, “My god, that’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

And they both look down at their hands like “we’re holding hands, aren’t we cute!”

Honestly, the dance becomes a moment for just Anne and Gilbert to enjoy together. But once they step off to dance the two of them together, the rest of the world fades out, the music changes, and things slow down.

Anne weaving in and out of Gilbert and Charlie but BLATANTLY ignoring Charlie is a mood.

You can tell by the end Anne feels warm and wanted. She’s confident, happy, and glowing.

The shot where their hands separate? Did someone say Pride and Prejudice (2005)

How’s that for eyes full of romance, Anne?

The fact that they’re both just standing there staring at each other? Right out of a fanfiction, I’m so pleased.

Oh my god and then she gives a happy, nervous little chuckle and he nods and takes a deep breath.

Then commences the “Oh my god, tachycardia!!!” phase.

He definitely lets her leave, and then steps out a few seconds later, even though they’re technically leaving at the exact same time.

Honest to god, I would not be surprised if Gilbert alluded to Bash or delphine or SOMEONE that he thinks he’s falling in love with Anne with how many times they’re bringing it up. That scene with Bash is supposed to make Gilbert, and the audience, wonder about Winifred and Anne.

That’s why the scenes with Winifred, while pleasant and nice, are superficial. And why the scenes with Anne have tangible chemistry.

Also that scene where they’re handing out newspapers reminded me of all the times in middle school and high school where my friends would push me towards a guy and say “ASK HIM IF HE LIKES YOU!!!”

“WHAT HAS HE SEEN!?” im dying.

btw he’s got a nice tie on i like it

She blinks at him like “If you want to live to see tomorrow Gilbert Blythe you will walk away.”

anyways if you need me i’ll be burrowing into the ground.

#anne with an e #anne of green gables #shirbert #awae spoilers #anne spoilers

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koala-smiles · 4 years

Text

Liquid Courage

My friends found my AO3 account and started reading my fics. Here’s a request of theirs.

Shirbert College AU

Read On AO3 When Gilbert’s professor had assigned everyone study groups, he didn’t think he could possibly be lucky enough to be in the same group as the cute redhead who sat in front of him every day. It completely surprised him when he was put in a group with her. The english class wasn’t part of his major, but he figured it was important for doctors to know how to write well, so he signed up anyways. He was glad he did, because even on the off chance that he didn’t learn anything, he got to meet the cute girl in front of him.

He had tried to make a good first impression with her on the first day, he really had. But, looking back, he supposed that calling her “Carrots” to try to get her attention probably wasn’t the best idea. After smacking him over the head with her textbook, she had stormed out of the classroom, and he could only think that it was lucky he had waited until the lecture was over to try to talk to her, or else she might have gotten points off for her absence.

--------

The first time they met up as a study group, he was running late. He tried his hardest to be on time, but there was a big group in front of the library that he couldn’t, for the life of him, get through. When he finally got through and got to the table, he was out of breath. The three girls in the group didn’t seem to mind, though, as they were deep in discussion about some advanced literary topic that he didn’t understand.

“Are you all in the same major then? You seem to get along well. I’m Gilbert, by the way.”

The girls looked over at him. The brunette, who’s name he remembered was Diana, smiled along with the blonde, Ruby. The cute redhead, he noted, was not.

“I’m Diana, this is Ruby, and that’s Anne. And yes, we are all English majors, but we’ve been friends for years.”

Anne met his eyes, tilted her head. “You know what they say, birds of a feather flock together.”

Lost in her gaze, he could hardly think as he finished it for her. “Until the cat comes.”

Her eyes got as fiery as her hair. “Excuse me?”

“You know, the full phrase? ‘Birds of a feather flock together until the cat comes’? It’s a warning about fair weather friends.”

“Are you saying that my friends are going to abandon me?”

He took a step back in surprise. “No, not at all, I wasn’t thinking, I’m so sorry. I had assumed that, as English majors, you guys would know the full phrase. I’m really sorry.”

This seemed to only make her angrier. “Oh, so you think that you’re smarter than us, mister high-and-mighty pre-med? You think you know more than me?”

“No, I just read it somewhere, I know I’m definitely not better than you guys at English. This whole study group will probably be you guys getting into higher stuff while I’m stuck on the most basic concepts. Again, I’m really sorry, I wasn’t thinking when I said that.” He was stumbling with his words, trying his best to smooth over his stupid mistake. Diana and Ruby just looked amused at this.

Anne closed her eyes, seemed to calm herself, and sat back down. “Alright then, let’s get started actually studying.”

Gilbert couldn’t say he learned very much, as he spent much of his time stealing glances at the cute girl in front of him.

So her name was Anne.

He couldn’t get it out of his head.

-------

Anne loved studying in the library. She wouldn’t say she romanticizes life so much as that she enjoys the little things in life. And to study as people go about their lives around her? She couldn’t help loving it. It made her feel like the protagonist of a novel.

What she could not say she loved, was her friends bailing on her study group for it’s fourth meeting.

She couldn’t truthfully say she was still upset with Gilbert. They seemed to get along just fine when they weren’t arguing, which seemed to be happening less and less. At the last study group, they actually got into a really long conversation about coffee beans. She couldn’t pinpoint when it started, or why it lasted for an hour, but she really enjoyed it.

She sat down at their usual table with her coffee, wondering how she’s going to explain to Gilbert that Diana and Ruby decided that they were going to a party at Charlie Sloane’s rather than come to the study group. She didn’t even realize it when Gilbert sat down.

“Small crowd today, huh?”

Her head jerked up and she almost spilled her coffee. “Gilbert! I’m so sorry, Diana and Ruby wanted to go to a party and I told them that they should come to the study group because it’s really important that we learn this week’s lesson but they absolutely refused and—”

“Hey, no worries, I was actually going to go to my friend's party after this. I completely understand.”

She smiled. He had a way of putting her at ease. They dove into their notes, determined to understand the really hard lesson.

Thirty minutes into studying, they were already off the topic of English.

“I don’t understand how you’ve never had a latte!”

Gilbert shrugged at this. “I’ve never really thought about trying one. I always drink my coffee black, so I never have much of a reason to go to the fancier coffee shops.”

She shook her head in amazement. “Come on. We’re going right now. I know for a fact that the Starbucks down the street is still open. We’re going.”

“But the lesson—”

“It’s not like we were studying anyways. Besides, this is a more important lesson. The lesson of good coffee.”

As they walked down the street, his hand brushed hers. She pulled hers back and fought down a blush. There’s no way she liked Gilbert Blythe, right?

---------

As Gilbert sipped his overpriced coffee, he had to admit that Anne had a point. It was just sweet enough that it tasted nice without hiding the flavor of the coffee. He was sitting across from her, trying to think about anything other than how pretty she looked. Then he noticed the clock over her shoulder.

“Shit!”

This made Anne jump. “What’s up?”

“I promised Charlie that I would be at his party half an hour ago. I’m so sorry, do you mind if I go?”

“Charlie? Charlie Sloane?”

“Yep, that’s the guy. Do you know him?”

“No, but that’s the party that my friends are at. Do you mind if I come with you? If you can stand anymore of my presence that is.” She smiled during the last part and bumped his arm to let him know she was joking.

“Of course! It’s not far from here, if you don’t mind walking.” His heart actually skipped a beat just thinking about spending more time with her.

As they set off toward Charlie’s, he noticed that her hand was brushing against his more and more. He smiled and looked over at her.

“What?”

“Oh! Nothing. Sorry.”

She shook her head and smiled.

He made himself look straight ahead.

Of course she doesn’t like you, you idiot. Stop fooling yourself.

He could dream. At least she seems to like spending time with him. He could be happy as friends, if that’s all she wanted. He focused on the road again, leading her to his friend’s house. He’s probably just jittery from the caffeine. Yeah, that’s gotta be it.

When he opened the front door, Anne looked surprised by the number of people that fit in the house.

“Charlie is known for his big parties. It gets a bit loud.”

She nodded, and made her way inside through the moving bodies. They found a quiet corner, as much as the corner at a party could be quiet.

“Can I get you something to drink? There’s usually a full bar, but there’s always non-alcoholic drinks if you’d prefer.”

She shook her head, “Get me something to take this edge off.”

He nodded and made his way to the bar.

By the time he got back with their drinks, Diana and Ruby were talking with Anne.

“I see that you guys found each other!��

Ruby, clearly drunk, just giggled when he walked over. Diana took her by the arm, gave Anne a look that clearly meant something, and dragged Ruby back to the living room, where people were dancing.

Gilbert and Anne were just talking and drinking for a while, when suddenly Anne perked up. “I love this song! Come on.”

He let her lead him to the dance floor, and loosely danced as she let herself spin, wild and free, usually braided hair flowing behind her. He was captivated. After a couple spins, she seemed to get dizzy, and he thought it might be best to get her sitting down. He brought her to a bench behind the house to get her away from the noise, and was surprised when she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“I see why they call alcohol liquid courage. I would never dance like that in front of anyone otherwise.”

He smiled at this. “Well I think it was beautiful. You looked free. And you should really let your hair down more often.” He twirled a piece of her hair around one of his fingers. “It looks as fiery as your personality, and as beautiful as your heart.”

She was silent for a moment, before asking a small “Really?”

“You look gorgeous either way, but you truly look like yourself when you let it down.” He dropped the strand he had. “Taking that elective class was the best decision I’ve ever made, just because it let me meet you.”

She pulled her head off his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I’m being too forwa—”

He was cut off when she pulled him in to kiss him. He was surprised, but quickly met her passion with his own.

When she pulled away, seconds or eons later, he let out a quiet “Wow”.

She smiled, put her head back on his shoulder, took his hand in her own, and looked up at the stars.

#anne with an e #anne of green gables #fanfiction #anne shirley #anne with an e fanfic #anne with an e fic #shirbert #shirbert fanfiction #shirbert fic #college au #college #fanfic #awae #awae fic #awae fanfic

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crackimagines · 5 years

Note

For the Child!Blyth AU that you're doing, how would the class and possibly the staff react to Blyth doing something unexpectedly and extremely adorable?

EDIT: Child!Byleth Post Masterlist here!

—–

I can imagine that anyone finding what little Byleth did ‘Cute’ would be met with a face like this from him:

Regardless, I love this prompt!

Thanks for the ask, merciful-chaos, I hope you enjoy!

—–

Sweet Hearts (FE: Three Houses Short Fic)

Child!Byleth Professor AU

It is revealed that the Tiny Professor has never had sweets, or anything similar despite that being a necessity for a child. It’s up to Flayn, Mercedes and Annette to help Byleth with this tragedy.

—–

Byleth didn’t know what to do with freedays. He was so used to working as a mercenary 24/7 and barely had any time for relaxation. Even if it did happen, it was only during the dead of night.

Now as a Professor, he was now able to roam freely on Sunday’s to his heart’s content.

Part of him wanted to grab his stuffed bird (Reference to this post!) and walk around the school for comfort, but he knew as soon as he did, he’d get everyone ‘aww’ing over him.

Plus, some of the students would look down on him for it. Considering he was a professor now, he wouldn’t be allowed the same luxury as before. He had to appear strong, although his height and age did not help at all in that regard.

All the while, Sothis was watching his internal conflict.

(Sothis) “You know, you’re making quite a big deal about carrying that toy. Why not do it? Your age permits it, does it not?”

(Byleth) “No. That would lead to complications with the students.” He replied, albeit he seemed reluctant to leave the comfort of his stuffed bird behind.

Uncharacteristically, he let out a sigh and left the bird on his pillow.

He began walking towards the door and opened it. It was surprisingly quiet, so he decided to go on a stroll.

Byleth made small talk with the house leaders as he passed by and as expected, made sure to bring up the topic of being a tiny professor into the conversations. He tried his best to be respectful, but that didn’t seem to get him anywhere.

So, he decided to visit the dorms and see if there was anyone in this damned academy that would talk to him normally like Jeralt or the mercs did.

Fortunately for him, he just came across Flayn.

(Flayn) “Oh, Byleth-er no sorry, Professor!”

(Byleth) “Byleth is alright on free days like this, Flayn.”

(Flayn) “Well alright then, Byleth! Would you like to accompany me to the dining hall? It’s the lunch hour, so everyone’s heading in.”

He silently nodded and followed Flayn. She talked to him, well more accurately AT him. He was far more focused on the fact everyone began chatting that the two kids being together was adorable.

it’s a shame too, he really did like Flayn, but had no idea how to actually talk to her, leading to the impression the tiny professor had a crush. Which wasn’t true. Probably.

When Byleth and Flayn grabbed their plates, they sat down near an empty table and began to eat.

(Byleth) “…Your plate just has fish.” He said aloud, quite confused.

(Flayn) “Yes, it’s a personal favorite of mine, I can’t have enough of it! Just like sweets!”

His plate consisted of the bare minimum, a bit of meat and veggies, though it’d be more akin to a snack.

He was used to the mindset of sticking by mercenary traditions so if the worst case scenario happened, he wouldn’t be reliant on the ways the monastery changed him.

It was then that he heard Mercedes and Annette behind him.

(Mercedes) “Ah, hello! Is it okay if we can sit here, Professor? There don’t seem to be other seats.”

That was a lie. As he and Flayn walked in, Byleth counted about 4 different tables that were open.

He probably guessed it was so they can speak more with their ‘little professor’.

Byleth was very thankful that he didn’t quite understand emotions, because he’d be making the biggest pouting face imaginable, which would’ve made the situation worse.

Regardless, he did like the two students. They worked hard and took it seriously, making sure their teammates were okay was the cherry on top.

He wouldn’t mind having to not deal with their coddling, however.

Before Byleth could say anything, Flayn nodded and motioned them in.

(Flayn) “Go ahead!”

Mercedes and Annette smiled and sat down.

They also placed a giant plate of steak next to him.

(Annette) “As we were getting our food, we noticed you were eyeing that piece for a liiiitle bit too long! I bet you thought it’d be childish if you went for it!”

Byleth was sure that his inner child didn’t show up like the bird situation. Obviously, that had failed. Because they were completely right.

He hesitated going for the plate, but Mercedes saw it and pushed it closer.

(Mercedes) “Please, do not worry about it! The food here is quite good, and it’d be a crime if the staff didn’t even eat anything that they’d enjoy!”

She had a point. Besides, if Jeralt said if these kinds of actions was acceptable, then why not? Perhaps he was being a bit too cautious for nothing. He nodded in thanks and added it to his plate. Though his face didn’t move, everyone could tell he was quite satisfied.

Once he was finished, he politely put the silverware onto the table and looked at Flayn.

(Byleth) “Thank you very much for inviting me to lunch.”

(Flayn) “Huh? You’re not getting dessert?”

Dessert. Now that was a term he was barely familiar with. He didn’t really have the luxury of sweets as a mercenary, even during his birthdays that wasn’t exactly an ‘always’ thing.

He couldn’t remember the last time he tasted a candy.

(Byleth) “There’s…sweets?”

(Annette) “Jeez, the way you’re talking you sound like you’ve never had them, professor!”

(Byleth) “Actually I…I never-”

All three of them gasped before he could finish his sentence.

He was about to say ‘I never got too many chances to eat sweets’, but of course, Mercedes added fuel to a fire.

(Mercedes) “You’ve never had sweets, professor?!”

All the students from the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, AND Golden Deer turned to face their direction. He could hear the voices now.

“What kinda kid doesn’t have sweets?” “The poor thing!” “I feel kinda bad…”

Byleth honestly considered slamming his head against the table to knock himself out. She had just screamed that out, although he could tell she didn’t mean to. Though…WHY did she have to scream that?

Instead of Byleth slamming his head, Flayn slammed her hands on the table.

(Flayn) “We’re fixing this mistake right away then! Mercedes, Annette! Please fetch the Professor one of your best baked treats!”

(Mercedes) “Right away!”

(Annette) “Got it, let’s go, Mercie!”

They both got up to presumably go to their dorms. Flayn looked at him with the most serious face he had ever seen her have. Though, this was the completely WRONG reason to have it.

(Byleth) “F-Flayn, you don’t have to make a big deal out of it-”

(Flayn) “Yes I do! Even YOU deserve to enjoy yourself time to time!”

(Edelgard’s voice) “It’s true you know.”

Byleth saw Edelgard walk over while smiling.

(Edelgard) “You don’t know what you’re missing, Professor. Sweets can really make your day.”

(Claude) “How about that? Our Professor’s so gone off the deep end, he never got to enjoy things like candy!”

(Dimitri) “Hah, I can’t say I’m surprised to be honest. You should enjoy your youth, professor! When you get to our age, those things become scarce!”

WHY IS EVERYONE HERE!? He shouted to himself.

(Flayn) “Don’t worry, Byleth! Mercedes and Annette are the best bakers here, they’ll fix you up in no time.”

Everyone began to laugh, though Byleth wasn’t. Once again, his stone face prevailed over the embarrassment that was surging forth internally.

(Mercedes) “We have it!”

(Annette) “Here, take it professor!”

It was some odd brown-blackish square treat. It was soft, yet hard at the same time. What the hell was this thing?

(Flayn) “Ah yes, this one is a personal favorite! It’s called a ‘brownie’. It’s made of chocolate!”

(Dimitri) “My my, you two are bringing out the big guns!”

(Claude) “Hey, gotta have the first time be memorable, right?”

(Edelgard) “Well professor, dig in!”

Byleth knew if he refused, they’d force it down his throat. So he swallowed his pride and took a bite of the brownie.

His eyes sparkled upon tasting the brownie. It was the most delicious thing he ever had.

After the first bite, he quickly devoured the brownie. Making everyone’s smile even bigger.

(Claude) “Hey, I think he liked it!”

(Annette) “Oh, thank goodness! My heart was about to stop!”

(Mercedes) “This was our best treat we made, I’m so happy he liked it!”

(Dimitri) “What a relief. Honestly I would’ve said that the professor wasn’t human if he didn’t like it!”

(Edelgard) “Hah, how was it, professor?”

Everyone leaned in for his response, and he couldn’t help but smile back.

(Byleth) “G-Great…”

That brownie had made him lose all senses, and couldn’t really process anything else than wanting another one.

He began to blush a little as he looked down, speaking quietly.

(Byleth) “May…May I have another brownie, please?”

Everyone’s heart melted.

(Mercedes) “Of course! Come Annette, let’s get cooking!”

(Annette) “Right, we’ll be right back, professor!”

(Flayn) “We have now steered you off this dark path! Welcome to the light of sweets!”

Some of the students began clapping while others laughed and went back to their meal.

Claude chuckled and went back to his table while Edelgard and Dimitri did the same.

Flayn stayed with Byleth, and the two began discussing at length about how great sweets were, and of course, were treated to brownies.

Later that night…

Once the high of the brownies wore off, it was then Byleth realized what he had done to his reputation that he worked hard to maintain.

He fell onto his bed, clutching his bird in embarrassment as Sothis floated near him, a smirk growing.

(Sothis) “Oh, how mighty your maturity is, falling to your knees to a mere treat!”

She began laughing as he groaned into the fur of the bird.

Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard would no doubt spread word to the students. He wasn’t going to live this down anytime soon.

He began to regret everything he did during lunch today.

Except eating the brownies.

…Damn it, now Mercedes and Annette have even more of a reason to think of themselves as his ‘Big Sisters’.

He wanted to curse yet thank Flayn for introducing him to sweets now.

#fire emblem #fire emblem three houses imagines #fire emblem three houses #fire emblem three houses headcanons #byleth #flayn #mercedes von martlitz #annette fantine dominique #edelgard von hraesvelgr #claude von regan #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #sothis

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professionalfixator · 5 years

Text

The Mad Dash Of Love

Another one in my Roody series! Yipee! I’m so proud of this one and it’s been brewing in my brain for weeks.

@silverlight85, who always asks me for more fics!

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Tillie and Ruby explored the fair, oohing and ahing every few seconds. They had never seen anything quite like this before. The colours, the sounds, a man on stilts and a man juggling. It was quite the experience.

"Look, an organ that plays by itself!" Tillie cried, excitedly.

Ruby squinted at it. "How is that even possible?" she wondered. They continued to explore, until Tillie suddenly stopped and tapped Ruby’s shoulder.

“Ruby, I think you need to see this.”

Ruby turned and her heart instantly sunk. Across the fair, Gilbert Blythe was walking arm-in-arm with another girl. Her Gilbert Blythe. The boy she had loved since forever is walking with a woman who was not her. She swallowed dryly, unable to peel her eyes away. Tillie tried to comfort her but she just shrugged her off.

“I need to be alone,” Ruby whispered, walking off to an obscure, quiet part of the fair. She collapsed on the ground, hugging her knees, the smallest of tears slipping out of her eyes. But it wasn’t from sadness, it was relief. For years she had spent pining over him, but he never once showed her any affection in return. He never loved her, and now he’s with someone else. It felt like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Her hand drifted to her pocket and she pulled out the handkerchief. She had forgotten she even had it, but at the sight of it, her heart did a cartwheel. Moody’s handkerchief. He gave it to her when she was crying over Gilbert. How long did she spend crying over him, not even noticing that Moody was there all along? He was always a true friend, but now she knew he could be so much more than that. Holding the handkerchief gingerly in her hand, she felt those all too familiar butterflies exploding in her chest. It all made sense. She didn’t love Gilbert anymore, because...she was in love with someone else.

The realization slapped her in the face and she leapt to her feet. “I’m in love with Moody Spurgeon!” Ruby shrieked. “And I have to tell him RIGHT NOW!” She stuffed the handkerchief back in her dress pocket and took off running. Dodging all the various passerby's, she searched the crowd for him, but was dismayed when Moody was nowhere to be found. She ran over to Charlie, who was in line for ice cream. “Charlie!” she cried, grabbing his arm. “Have you seen Moody anywhere?”

“He’s at the barn, rehearsing for the dance,” Charlie answered quickly, confused. “Why? Is everything alright?”

“I need to - I need to find him,” Ruby gasped, catching her breath.

“Well, you’ll definitely find him at the barn,” Charlie said.

“The barn,” Ruby repeated, with a nod. “Thank you!” she cried, before running off again. As she ran, she passed by Tillie, who was admiring dresses.

“Ruby, where are you going?!” Tillie called, running after her.

“I can’t stop!” Ruby cried over her shoulder. “I need to find Moody, I have to tell him something!”

“I - okay, I guess I’m coming with you!” Together they ran ran through the fair, racing by the hammer game where Billy was showing off, a woman selling flowers and Prissy and Jane strolling and gossiping. After an exhasting run, after which Tillie was completely out of breath, they reached the barn and Ruby threw open the door.

Just as Charlie said, Moody was standing on the stage, with his banjo, rehearsing with the band. Ruby stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of him, and the world seemed to move in slow motion. Moody was focusing intently on the music, so focused that he didn’t notice her run in, and the pointers the band director was giving him. His eyes were sparkling with excitement. Ruby watched him in awe, breathing hard from the run. The smallest of sighs escaped her, but as she watched him play, her courage dissipated. He couldn’t possibly feel the for her what she felt for him - no one ever did.

Tillie ran in after her, out of breath and clutching her knees. “So, what was it you wanted to tell Moody?” she grumbled.

Ruby turned away from Moody, her heart heavy. “Nothing,” she replied, quietly. “I can’t tell him.”

Tillie groaned. “You mean, I ran all the way over here for nothing?!”

“Tell me what?” Ruby whipped around with wide eyes and Moody grinned at her.

“Yeah, Ruby, tell him what?” Tillie said, still annoyed at having to run so far.

Ruby’s brain blanked. “I-uh-I just wanted to - uh - say that you’re, uh...you’re...” She swallowed dryly. “Your - uh - banjo playing is really great.”

“Oh. Well, thank you!” Moody exclaimed. “I’ve been playing it since I was a kid, so...it’s second nature to me now.”

“Have you ever written a song before?” Ruby asked him, thankful to even be talking to him in the first place. At least it was something.

“Nope, never have,” Moody replied with a shake of his head. “It always seemed daunting.”

“There’s always a first,” said Tillie.

“I mean, I could try, but what would I write about?”

Ruby shifted awkwardly. “You could write a song about...me,” she suggested, boldly. Tillie’s eyebrows shot up and she stifled a laugh, however Moody seemed to seriously consider it.

“Hey, that’s a great idea!” he cried.

“Really?” Ruby repeated, the blush rising on her cheeks.

“Yeah!” Moody exclaimed. “It’ll be great practice for me, and you’ll get your own song!”

“My own song?” Ruby sighed. Tillie glanced between them and rolled her eyes.

Moody looked at her for a moment longer, his gaze softening. “Yeah...”

Their moment was interrupted by the bandmaster calling Moody back to the stage to rehearse the “Dashing White Sergeant”. Moody turned back to Ruby. “i gotta go, but I”ll see you at the dance tonight?”

Ruby nodded quickly. “Mm-hm, I’ll be there,” she replied.

“I’ll...see you there, then.” He bounded back to the stage and Tillie dragged Ruby back out the door.

“He’s going to write a SONG ABOUT ME!” she squealed. That would be the first of many times she will mention it the whole walk back to the fair.

To be continued...in the dance scene of 3x06.

#roody #millis #moody x ruby #ruby x moody #moody spurgeon #ruby gillis #gilbert blythe #awae 3x06 #anne with an e #awae fanfic

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mangoesblythe · 5 years

Text

Drawing

wordcount: 1145

requests: open

masterlist

It was your first day of school in Avonlea. You were really nervous about making a good first impression. you were way to early so you decided to just sit on the floor and draw. you didn't wanna be the first one in the classroom.

you got lost in your drawing as someone suddenly touched your shoulder.

"Hey I'm talking to you!"

you look up

"Oh I'm so sorry I was lost in my thoughts"

"I'm Billy Andrews" the boy says staring at you weirdly.

"y/n y/l/n"

"what are you doing? he asks grabbing your notebook.

"that's private" you say pulling it back.

"yea whatever" he said ripping it out of your hands.

"nice drawings" he said in a sarcastic tone.

"I don't give a crap about what you think about my drawings just give me back my note book."

"you know girls your age shouldn't be talking like that"

"just give it back" you said getting annoyed.

he threw your notebook at some other guy standing there.

"careful!" you yelled.

they both laughed.

the boy threw it back at Billy again.

"give it back!" you yelled starting to panic.

another boy walked towards them.

"Hey Blythe catch!"

great another one

Billy threw your notebook at the boy and he catched it.

"what is this?"

"my notebook... and I'd like to have it back" you said irritated.

the boy looked confused and handed you your notebook.

"oh why you gotta be like that bud" Billy said.

"I'm not your bud Billy" the boy says eyeing him "And don't bother her again"

"whatever man" Billy replied walking towards his desk.

"thanks" you said with a soft smile.

"I'm y/n I'm new here"

"yea I figured." he said smiling.

"I'm Gilbert" he shakes your hand. his hand feels warm and soft.

"what do you write in that notebook?" he asks.

"I uhh I draw"

"can I see?"

"uh I don't know I ju-"

"it's fine" he smiles at you "I understand if it's private.

"No it's fine" you say handing him your notebook.

he opens it and his eyes widen.

"you're good! it's really meaningful"

"thank you." you feel your cheeks heat up. Gilbert notices and smiles.

"I better go" he says "If Billy bothers you again you can always ask for my help"

"thanks that's really sweet"

"well uhm see you in class" he smiles at you and walk towards his desk sitting next to one if his friends.

"he's kinda cute" you think to yourself.

"What do you think you're doing talking to Gilbert Blythe!" you snap out of your thoughts and look at a very angry girl standing in front of you.

"wha-"

"you can't talk to him!"

you look confused

"why not?"

"Ruby has liked him for years and she has dibs" she says gesturing towards a crying girl standing not to far away from them. she was crying.

"I'm sorry" you're still confused.

you can't just call dibs on a boy that's ridiculous.

"don't let it happen again!"

she says walking away from you.

nice to meet you too. my god what a bitch

even though you thought she was acting crazy you were kinda scared of her.

at lunch you sit alone against a tree. none of the girls even tried to talk to you. it made you feel really alone. you opened your notebook and drew some random doodles.

"hey y/n" Gilbert sat down next to you. looking at your drawing.

your eyes widened as you looked at the girls. they were already staring.

"why are you sitting all alone?"

"Gilbert please leave. I'm not supposed to talk to you."

he looks at you confused. he gets up "did I say something? " he asks looking at you. "no we just can't talk okay"

"alright then"

you watch him walk over to his friends. he looks a little disappointed and a little annoyed. I guess that's understandable. you stare at hime for a second. you flip the pages of your notebook and start drawing him. you thought he was pretty cute and you didn't know what else to draw anyway.

twenty minutes later your drawing started to look like Gilbert. it wasn't nearly finished but you could see it was him. his soft eyes and the shape of his lips.

five more minutes before lunch was finally over. you hated all the stares you got and the whispers around you.

you put your pencil back on your paper and work on Gilbert's soft curls.

"what's that?" your notebook gets snatched out of your hand by the same girl that approached you earlier.

her eyes widen and she laughs.

"I tell you to stay away from him yet you just talk to him again. And now you're drawing him!" she yells. everyone is now looking at you.

"you should've stayed away from him" she says and she throws your notebook into the water.

"no!" you try to grab it but it's to late. all your drawings. gone. hours off work. gone.

tears form in your eyes as the girl slaps you across the face and walks away laughing.

"are you alright!?" Gilbert is running towards you. he grabs your notebook out of the water.

"please Gilbert leave. I don't wanna be slapped twice today"

"what?" he looks at you. he's really confused.

"you don't know about the dibs?"

"dibs?"

"she said some girl Ruby has dibs on you"

"wait so when Josie said "you should've stayed away from him" she was talking about me?"

oh so the bitch does have a name.

"yea..."

you feel tears running down your face.

Gilbert sits down next to you still holding your notebook. he wipes your tears away and looks at you.

"don't cry" he says putting an arm around you.

"but all my drawings"

He then starts flipping the wet pages of your notebook. some pages are stuck together and all your drawings look smudged. he suddenly stops.

you feel your cheeks burning as Gilbert looks at a drawing of himself.

"you drew me?"

"I uhh"

omg no no no.

you look at the floor.

he chuckles "you look cute when you're embarrassed"

is he trying to kill me...

you suddenly feel him lifting up your chin.

his face really close to yours. you feel your heart beating in your chest. you look at Gilbert who is now staring at your lips. He leans in and softly presses his lips on yours.

what's happening!?

you start to panic and pull away quickly.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that"

now it's his time to be a blushing mess.

"no it's just I panicked" you say chuckling.

"I do like you Gilbert"

he looks up and smiles. he leans in and kisses you again. he slowly moves his lips and you kiss back this time feeling your whole body tingling.

#gilbert blythe #gilbert blythe imagines #gilbert blythe oneshots #save anne with an e #anne with an e #gilbert blythe oneshot #gilbert blythe imagine #awae #awae fandom #save awae #awae incorrect quotes #awae cast #lucas jade zumann #lucas zumann #lucas zumann imagine #lucas jade zumann imagine #lucas zumann imagines

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o-daintyduck · 5 years

Text

AWAE 3.08 Reaction feat. MY FREAKOUT

The synopsis is giving me hope kinda.. We’ll see Ka'kwet but she’ll still be at the school so more weeping, Aunt Jo visits and brings a devious scheme,.. is it about Diana?? Will she or won’t she have to go to Paris? But why is it devious? And what about shirbert?????

Here we go.

Bruh Anne looks gorgeous in this still photo. All that fire just accentuates her looks!!!

Like an animal??? I’m angry already.

Mr. Avery is back!!! They’ve certainly hatched a plan of some sorts… But I guess it won’t be successful *sighs*

I knew she was in the barrel… Lol everyone knew that.. prolly.

How long will she hold her breath.. and will that poor boy hold the nun without giving anything away.. she’s going to hit him, isn’t she? WTF

Omg Mr. Avery is a beacon of light in this scene… he’s so pure.

Oh my Gods!! Did the plan actually work? She’s holding on it…

Anne is so happy!! Is she lying to Marilla tho? Lol

Wait did they make up??? Moira won’t let me de clown in the Dianne fight too!! Insufferable… But I’m so happy at the same time.. Wait is Anne imagining this?

Well I figured it out before “Diana” ran away, cut me some slack guys… Normally I’m not this stupid..

Fuuuckkkkkk the SCHOOLHOUSE BURNT TO A CRISP…. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY…

Gilbert sure loves to think out loud,“ the printing press can’t just up and walk away by itself!!”

Yep the fault of small minds…

Man I really miss the schoolhouse… I’m weeping already..5 minutes in..

Miss Stacy is so hurt… the memories i can’t...

Rachel’s gonna throw a fit too!!! Rachel had memories in the school too.. I can’t -

Yass things will not be the same… I said it once and say it again.. Rachel will go rogue by the serie ends… And I’m living for it!!!

I still can’t believe Ka'kwet actually fled that place… So proud of her!!! And anxious too rn.

Ahhhh Bash’s mom is here!!!!!!!!!!!! I already love her… Finally some of that mother’s love for Bash that he missed and Gilbert too!!!!

It’s a diff actress maybe but don’t care … It’s Bash’s mom y'all!!!!!

Yass someone to keep Bash in check too.. love it!! *chef’s kiss*

Lol Anne and Gilbert talking sooo loud!!! And nobody seems to care… Lol

Okay petition for a new gc name– “Can I borrow your pen?”

Okay so the shirbert scene just ended like for the 5th time… And I was gaping all along… Wtf

I really need to meet that kid of Rachel’s… Such chaotic energy to have burned down the shed multiple times.

Was this how Marilla and Rachel behaved when they lived together in the books??? I know the discussion is serious but so precious at the same time.

Lol Bash’s mom definitely is going through a “cultural shock” atm I CAN’T. Two white women cleaning his house while he was away *no offense* but so so hilarious…

Bash’s face says it all..

This first meeting of Grand mamma- Delli is too much for me too handle… Gonna go hug my Nana..

Wait Hazel is fine!! Mom still thinks that she was only summoned for childcare… Welp

Ruby couldn’t speak in front of Gil b4 if her life depended on it.. but oh look now with the crush gone- she’s a new person!!! And the things she saying have me jumping up the roof!!!!

Well ruby I trusted you too much, didn’t I? Aren’t Anne and Gilbert enough on there for bringing up Winnie and now you too!

Gilbert peeked at Anne, I mean how can a boy be so stupid.. no I’m not saying ooc calm your spears,people. my heart is breaking for Anne I can hear it almost.

Diana is going to fight with Jerry too, isn’t she?

LEAVE JERRY ALONE!! he deserves to be happy!!! Not hating on Diana… But he deserves better ..better than this.

My fav gal Aunt Jo!!! Diana wrote to Cole, maybe..and he told her.

Lol its not even been 15 minutes and I’ve written an essay already!!!

I’m confusion.. why does Diana have no choice??

Bash’s Mom lived all her life like this.. it will take her some time to break free from that. But until then, welp

Bash teasing Gilbert is out of this world!!!! And have you heard that Delphine is cho cho cute.. i cringed myself typing this.

I swear Anne is me!!! Had to take a test just today!!! And I was cramming until the last moment.. Matthew and Marilla are so proud.. and jittery too

WHERE IS KA'KWET????

Diana looks like she’s holding back a flood of tears even while eating.. ohhhh she gonna take the test!!!!!!! YAYYY

Aunt Jo’s happiness and pride knows no bound (mine too)

Moody dude, in the words of the ever so great Taylor Swift, you need to calm down.. Diana hasn’t studied nothing think of her..

Where is Gilbert ?? The gc needs to renamed to may I borrow your pen… To commemorate another one of Gilbert’s shenanigans. Ehh called it ! He didn’t take the test..

I’m all for bromance bw Miss Stacy and Bash but nothing more than that please….

This is the 4th (and presumably last) appearance of Winifred… I want her to remain involved, shes too cool, but just can’t figure her out even now…

Here it is!!! An advantageous marriage.. very few people could have called it b4 the season.. but it is canon.. I’m not worried about shirbert.. but just how far Gilbert is willing to go for his ambitions.

Okay the kids are wasted!!

A drunk Anne and somewhat sober Gilbert, the perfect combo!!!!!! I have read atleast 5 fics head canoning this…*another chef’s kiss for the fic writers*

Okay nobody imagined this …I take that back… That look Gilbert is giving her made my stomach to leap a mile…

What’s holding you back? Ahh the question of the ages… I’m gushing at this so much,like this is serious but the first person Gil wanted to ask was Anne about all of this.. and she’s so drunk but at the same time utterly heartbroken, still encourages him to do it…. Slow burn madafuka.

Okay the PROPOSAL just happened !!!

And I’m freaking out just every bit as Anne!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m really not okay and they had to show Ka'kwet feeding off of berries… The poor girl *cries yet again*

They are searching the letters, aren’t they???

No, the dictionary and a wedding ring… And here I go weeping again…

I really went outside to scream at the sky a second ago… But need to scream again!!!! I’ll not be okay this week or this year at all.

Anne needs her bosom friend now… She’s just been PROPOSED!!!!!!! I know it’s gonna go haywire any second now but please let me live this for now… I can’t even imagine this is happening..

Aunt Jo with the best advice… Just hope Anne takes it as we want her to..

Bash has his mother with him.. i’m just happy for him.

He’s gonna propose Anne and I too need to get up for this again…. BASH IS THE WHOLE FANDOM RIGHT ABOUT NOW.

And that’s how you shatter a million hearts!!! “Now I can be happy with Winnie”.. I’m still happy that they didn’t stretch this till the finale atleast.. the heartache would have been unbearable.

Marilla is onto something. Now Rachel has full reign over these old hacks.

Go Rachel Go go Go Rachel!!! They just got vetoed!!! And I love it… Other 2 women will have to be Muriel and Marilla..

SHE’S HOME AT LAST!!!!!

And in her mother’s arms!! Is it too late to give those nuns and that whole school HELL

Poor Minnie May and Diana.. atleast she’ll understand now that she always has a choice to be herself no matter what anybody says…

I love that They’ve made up!!! They are made for each other… #DianneForever

“I’m in love with Gilbert Blythe!”

Aren’t we all? Anne.

It took me 3 hours to watch this episode because i was freaking out so much, tell me if this was comprehensible at all if you came this far…

This episode was different for so many reasons but the proposal...oh the proposal... excuse me gotta scream again..

And “Anne rejected” him... i guess Moira couldn’t stray far from og on this one.

#anne with an e #shirbert #anne shirley cuthbert #gilbert blythe

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seawolvesanddragons · 5 years

Text

Anne With An E Season 3 Episode 9

SPOILERS

ONE EPISODE LEFT CAN YOU BELIEVE!!!

Guys what do we even normally do when we don’t have new AWAE episodes.

-Ka’Kwet’s opening scene was so cold and scary and heartbreaking. She’s been so brave for so long, and now she that she’s finally reached home she is finally letting all her other emotions out. The girl has been through hell, and the actress did amazing

-Anne! In a blouse! And a skirt!

-Anne stumbling around still trying to process her feelings and Marilla IMMEDIATLY saying “Go to him, don’t make the same mistakes I did,” YES I’ve been waiting for them to touch on these parallels for SO LONG

-Marilla 100 percent ships them. She’s been waiting for this, just look at that smile.

-Matthew is a literal angel. “I’m in love with Gilbert Blythe!” “Oh...ok!”

-I’m pretty sure I read Anne meeting Hazel in the exact same way in a fanfic and gotta say it is pretty spot on perfect for both characters. But also the whole time I was mumbling “no don’t just talk to Hazel, go to Bash, find Bash, he’ll understand the signifigance”

-NO ANNE DON’T LEAVE A NOTE THAT NEVER WORKS

-But that PS slays me.

-I knew from the moment she put that note down it was going to get ruined and not make it to Gilbert

- I was so confused at first as to why Gilbert was at Diana’s house. I was like “Is he there to ask Diana about Anne?”

-THE FLASHBACK WITH THE DANCING

-Gilbert Blythe you really going to have a flashback like that and STILL talk about proposing to Winnifred? Boi. You had us fooled for two seasons thinking you were smart, but you’re just extra stupid.

-Diana, love, darling, ditch the rules and run after Anne anyway. You’ve already done so much rebelling this season, add one more.

-That scene where they dragged Ka’Kwet away was so awful, and for a moment after the gunshot...

-I really wish I have more about Ka’Kwet’s storyline in this review because this was the MAIN storyline of this episode, and Ka’kwet and her parents went through so much, the actors did amazing, and it was heartbreaking, seeing them torn apart, seeing her parents pushed off the land and unable to rescue their daughter. But honestly, I have no words beyond what I’ve just said - heartbreaking, and so scarily true - and typing it over and over seems to cheapen the effect somehow.

-I am here for Ms Stacy and Bash friendship only thank you very much

-Wait...this whole time Gilbert has just been hanging out helping at the school? ANNE COULD HAVE GONE THERE TO TALK TO HIM JESUS

-Oh look, more signs from the universe

-For a moment I actually thought MOODY was going to talk some sense into Gilbert. That is how low and desperate this show has brought me, I seriously thought Moody was about to be the sensible one.

-I was right about the note btw

-That scene between Ka’Kwet’s parents and Marilla and Matthew..this episode had a lot of focus on mothers (Marilla, Hazel, Ka��kwet’s, and even Diana’s mother a little, even Mary and Ms Stacy) but what really brought it home was that touching scene between Marilla and Ka’Kwet’s mother, and how Marilla didn’t need language to understand - because she’s a mother

-Also did anyone else notice how Anne and Marilla were basically wearing the same outfit? Because I did and my heart

-Matthew continues to be the goddamn best

-Lmao Gilbert just...walked away from the rebuilding efforts? Somehow stumbled upon the girl’s old clubhouse? Found a shell? Boy what are you even doing, just go home so Hazel can tell you that Anne stopped by you fool

-Minnie May’s revenge on Diana’s this episode was so accurate of small children. How old is Minnie May even? I feel like she’s hardly aged.

-Diana’s “I know, right” to Marilla was so goddamn relatable

-I fucking love Anne’s loyalty to her friends. She and Ka’kwet met..twice? Maybe three times? No more than four or five and she just without question was willing to go to all lengths to help her.

-”Kill the Indian to Save the Child” brought me straight back to my middle school textbook and the nausea that accompanied it.

-The nun and those men are all disgusting, and seeing Ka’Kwet so close yet so far from her family was awful. I really don’t know how they are going to handle this in the next episode; as satisfying as it would be to see them rescue all the kids, to see the newspapers create an outrage, the fact remains that these schools did happen, were approved of, and didn’t just go away.

-Gilbert Blythe check your goddamn shoe

-Hazel and Bash’s argument/predicament is so frustrating and the thing is both of them are a little bit right in different ways, but are so against listening and letting go of their beliefs to make it past this point. Hazel refuses to see how she hurt Bash growing up, and how things are different here. Bash refuses to see how Hazel felt stuck in the choices she made to protect Bash. But Bash learning about his father...it’s almost a footnote in everything that happened this episode, but it meant so much to him and his storyline.

-Gilbert Blythe now has a shell, a pen, an unread and lost note, probably Matthew’s cufflinks, and no fucking clue what he is doing.

-Get yourself a friend like Diana “proposing to another girl with his mother’s ring how dare he” She’s so insulted on Anne’s behalf

-”I’m going to ask” YES GIRL THAT RIGHT THERE IS CALLED EMOTIONAL GROWTH I’M SO PROUD OF YOU

-she would stop and pick flowers for Hazel this lil angel

-That ending....look, call me a clown but..I don’t think he’s there to propose. I’m not even sure he’s at Winnifred’s house, they didn’t show the two of them in the same scene. I think it’s a misdirection.

-And, as always, where the fuck is Cole. And Jerry for that matter. And did Aunt Jo leave already? She was there for like 2 days, in season one she was visiting for a few weeks.

-So...one episode left, and we have: queen’s results, Ka’kwet, Gilbert’s “dramatic horse riding scene”, whatever scene has Anne in an nightgown and Gilbert at her house (IF that’s them in the same scene, it could be two different scenes that we’ve already seen this season), Bash and Hazel reconciling, Diana not going to Paris (?), Ms Stacy (?) and of course Anne and Gilbert. Also, can Gilbert please recover his father’s things? Poor boy. Like, Damn, how long is this episode going to be? Doesn’t matter, I’m watching it even if its 13 hours.

-was this the first episode without Rachel Lynde?

#awae #awae spoilers #awae season 3 #anne with an e #anne shirley cuthbert #ka'kwet #Marilla Cuthbert #matthew cuthbert #gilbert blythe #sebastian lacroix #bash lacroix #hazel lacroix #muriel stacy #ms stacy #diana barry #diana berry #minnie may

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charmanderdiyoza · 5 years

Photo

♡♡♡ HAPPY BFSN MY ANGELS ♡♡♡

YA GIRL IS HAVING SUCH A GOOD DAY I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO PUT IT INTO WORDS. ain't no game like a no makeup and a red lip game, and also omg so like, the sun is SHINING here in nyc today and the weather is absolutely perfect. there’s a breeze that flits through every so often that keeps you refreshed, but the sun keep shining down & keeps u warm right to ur bones and whew its just, magic kinda day. i spent like an hour and a half sitting in the park with a couple friends just drinking coffee and laughing and. whew. im so full of light today ok u guys

a girl ALSO FINISHED UNDERGRAD. SHES OFFICIALLY A COLLEGE GRADUATE BABY!!!!!!!! i decided that i didnt want to walk in graduation so i’m really really officially done and oh my god!! it!!! does not!!! feel real!!!!!!!! i have an actual degree!! in political science! AND i figured out how i’m going to pay for law school so now all i gotta do is sit down and do my studying for the LSATs all summer so that i can take them in the fall and Y’ALL LIFE IS JUST SO GOOD TODAY. i feel so free and happy and on top of the world. my roommate who i love but is literally a terrible roommate (never cleans ANYTHING)

thank u to @thelittlefanpire and @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold for tagging me so far today!!!!!! love u guys!!

@cllarkegriffin @nvermindiseeyou @hostagetakerandhisgirlfriend @clarkgriffon @chants-de-lune@raven-reyes-of-sunshine @clarkegriffintitties @anne-shirley-blythe @peterstarkss@clarkesablake @aspeckof-stardust @anilengka @charmainediyoza @zavens @clarkegriffinblake@starboybellamy@marvelscaptainss @bettsfic@hopewolves @peraltiagosclarke@montygreen@hostagetakerandhistraitor@chancellorgriffin@thehundredtimesobsessed @the-most-beautiful-broom @nightbleeder@johnmurphysass@octannibal-blake @thelittlefanpire @viviansternwood @talistheintrovert @is-a-bele @galaxyblake @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold @baellamy @youleftme-clarke @lameblake

per usual, pleaseeeeeee anyone i haven't’ actually tagged feel free to tag me or shoot me a dm asking to be added!! and TAG ME IN URS!!! i love to see ur beautiful wonderful little faces!!

♡♡♡ & as always, be kind and be well ♡♡♡

love u guys!

#this is a tag for my selfies #bfsn #bellarke fam selfie night #FULL OF LIGHT I SAY #I AM FULL OF LIGHT

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cescalr · 6 years

Note

ME would like to suggest some fluffy willoughby/don

Don had invited Will over for Christmas.

Their year at Whitewater College, a boarding school purely for sixth-form students, had been fine. so much as any year after what happened at Slaughter could be fine. And it was fine because Clemise was in some other country, and Don had taken a few months, but he did get over their break-up. And it was fine because Don felt somewhat - he wouldn’t say traumatised by the events of that night, but… he wouldn’t say he didn’t feel in some way terrible about them, even now, if he reminisced too long on what happened.

But. That’s that, really. Don doesn’t dwell too much. You just got’t’deal with this sort’ve thing, y’know? Deal, and move forward.

Anyway. It’s Christmas. There’s no point bringing down the holiday cheer by thinking on that.

[Fic continued under break, or you can read it on Ao3; my profile is linked on my blog!! I’d put it here but tumblr is stupid and external links break tags.]

Don looked over from his place lying down to where Will was, still fast asleep on the mattress they’d set out for him. It was early morning, still – the light coming through the blinds in lines, brightening up parts of the room and, unfortunately, shining straight into Don’s eyes.

“Fuck,” Don muttered to himself, as he sat up in order to get away from the too-bright sunlight. “Too early. Shit.”

Well. Not that early; the sun didn’t rise until it was actually morning in winter, unlike the bullshit you got during summer – but still. Regardless, Don hadn’t been quiet enough, it seemed, because Will stirred.

After he blinked away sleep, Will seemed to register what day it was.

“Merry Christmas, Ducky,” He said, as he sat up. Don had tried to get him to use the proper bed and let Don sleep on the mattress instead, but Will had refused.

Truthfully, he wasn’t so bothered about that. It meant no springs digging into his back while he tried to sleep, after all.

“Merry Chris’mas,” Don replied, “Or, It would be, if y’d stop callin’ me Ducky.”

“We’ve had this argument for over a year, Ducky.” Will smiled. “You’re too late, it’s stuck.”

Don grumbled lightly and without heat as he scooted to the end of the bed then stood (so he didn’t end up standing on Will – Don’s bedroom isn’t very big), stretched and moved out of the room.

Once he was back from the bathroom, Will was dressed.

“Y’ever ‘eard of a ‘lazy day’?” Don asked, dryly. “Y’know… what Chris’mas is t’mos’ people?”

“I have,” Will said, plainly.

“Alrigh’ then,” Don rolled his eyes. “C’mon. Breakfast.”

They were home for Christmas, of course, but that didn’t mean the teens at Whitewater didn’t throw a week-long event – mostly drinking and partying in the art department’s basement, thrown by the drama club, because of course – in preparation.

“Donnie!” A girl, rather drunk, called out. “Blakey, Donnie! Over here!”

“Lauren,” Don replied. Will greeted in kind, and the two made their way through the crowd to the girl and the rest of the group.

“Neither of you are drunk yet, and it’s five somewhere!” She exclaimed, shoving two plastic cups of some alcoholic beverage into their hands. “Also, Danny got his sister to cough up the you-know-what, so we’ve got some brownies if you want any!”

“They only just arrived, Lauren, stop trying to get our friends addicted to pot,” Sam said, sighing, as he rolled his eyes. He was sat on a free stool, a book in one hand, and a water bottle gripped tightly and protectively in the other.

“Chill, Sam,” Lauren said, loud enough to be heard over the pounding of whatever EDM mess the ‘DJ’ had decided to play.

“I’ll chill when you stop trying to spike my drink, bestie,” Sam said, dryly.

“You know I love you!” Lauren sing-songed, then grinned. “Oh, my girl’s over there – Sammy, dear, show these lot where the food an’ shit is, yeah?” And with that, she was off – Don lost her in the crowd mere seconds after she’d entered it.

Sam rolled his eyes. “C’mon then,” Sam said, standing. “Food’s on the other side.”

As they walked, Don spotted various different people he’d met over his first year at Whitewater. There was Alex, Lillian, Sabrina, Derek – to name a few.

(Of course, there was Jesse, Zak, Michael – but… well, they didn’t really count as much. Though, Zak was talking with Alex; his cousin. Maybe he’d end up a better person in the new year? Only time would tell, Don supposed.)

“Y’ gotta have fun!” Lillian said, grinning. Sabrina slung her arms around their shoulders. “An’ us homosexuals have to stick together,” She added, swinging them around to face the drinks table instead of the buffet. “meaning - I need some money; buy my wares.”

“I recommend the ecstasy,” Lillian chimed in.

“You would,” Will said, smiling, as he carefully extracted himself from Sabrina’s grip. Don stepped away, and walked over to the table. “Five o’clock somewhere,” He said, shrugging.

“Right on,” Derek grinned, appearing out of nowhere. “I heard drugs.”

“Wanker,” Sabrina rolled her eyes. “I thought you were off with your mates?”

“And miss my main friendos?” He laughed, loudly. “No-way, broseph! I’m tryin’ t’ be a bit more sportsmanly, y’know? More of a team player.”

“They’re not gonna let you on the lacrosse team, Derek,” Lillian said, “Not after last time.”

Derek shrugged. “I can try,” He said, solemnly, and then was gone again.

“Jesus Christ,” Sabrina muttered, rubbing at her forehead. “Anyone else get a headache from his sheer presence?”

“I’m still trying to figure out his species,” Sam said. “I’ve figured Alien, but what kind…” He mused.

“Doesn’t matter,” Lillian dismissed. “Drink! Food! Illicit substances to fuel our various addictions, be they basic-bitch or hardcore asshat! Let’s go!”

Don rolled his eyes, and downed his drink.

And that had been the main theme of it.

So. Don had been home for a fair few days, now; Whitewater let you home for the week before, of, and after Christmas, and Don had made the most of it. It’d been a real long time since he’d seen what few mates he’d had back home – what with Slaughterhouse and then joining Whitewater after being cooped up at home for his mandated week-long ‘recovery’ period, after which he was supposedly supposed to be all better now, off you trot, and then the Christmas he’d spent at home with his mum as the actual ‘recovery’ period, according to her, and then another whole few months before summer, but then his mates had been out of the country, so then it was another couple months until now but - whatever. He’d hung out with what mates he had left, that first week, meaning Josh and Terri and James – Josh’s girlfriend and brother respectively. They played video games and smoked in the empty park and pretty much did exactly the same sort of shit they’d been doing when his mum had been wholly convinced that he was ‘depressed’.

Then Josh and Terri and James went off to Ireland for Christmas, and – Will came to stay. For Christmas week.

And then Will got a phone call, and now he was just going to stay until college started up again, and go back to Whitewater with Don. Logically. Practically.

Don – didn’t really need to ask.

Anyway.

“Ah hope you boys are ‘ungry,” His mum said, plating them and herself a full English. “Chris’mas is the only time ah bother, so you both better enjoy it!”

“Thanks, mum,” Don said, and she smiled and squeezed his shoulder lightly as she walked past. “Thank you,” Will said.

(“Thank you for having me over, M-“ Will started.

Babs’ smile dimmed. “Babs is fine, don’t you worry yourself with formality,�� She said, warmly. “Come on in, it’s freezing!”)

“Eat up,” Babs encouraged. “You’re both growing boys, and we’ve presents to open!” She smiled, conspiratorially; they’d gone out Christmas shopping with her individually, and so she knew what they’d gotten each other, and appeared to be having the time of her life with this knowledge.

Don ate his breakfast.

“So. This one of the posh twats you replaced your old mates with, then, eh Don?”

“Josh,” Don greeted. “Bit of a dickhead but the right sort.” He told Will. “Will, Josh.” Don gestured.

“Willoughby Blake,” Will said, “And not too much of a twat, I wouldn’t say. You?”

“Josh Blythe, and I ain’t no dickhead to good people, y’ prat,” Josh said, scowling a little at Don. He fished a pack of smokes out of his pocket. “Fag?”

Will smirked. “Yes;” He said, “I also, do indeed, smoke.”

“Cool,” Josh said, tossing him one. “Terri’s my girl, now, by the way.” He told Don.

“Terri… Blythe?” Don cracked a smile. “That’s a bit awkward, innit?”

“Oi, sod off,” Josh flipped him the bird, then set about lighting his own cig. “Blythe’s a plenty common name.”

“I wonder why…” Will trailed off, leaning against the low stone wall.

“Yeah yeah,” Josh rolled his eyes. “Nothin’ James hasn’t said yet.” He scowled slightly. “Fucken’ incest jokes… made by my own goddamn brother…”

“How’s everythin’ at St. Dunstan’s anyway?” Don asked, changing the topic.

“David’s still a right prat,” Josh said, thankful for the change in track. “Ah heard George is expectin’, but she could just have the flu. Maybe she’s dyin, ah don’ fucken’ kno’. We never talk, do we? Fucken – anyway, Muhammad got into that right fancy college, so he fucked off, along with his family, and jus’ about ev’ryone else ‘as gone t’ some other sixth-form. Yanno, ‘cept me, ma brother and Terri. There are some new arseholes, but they stick to each other.”

“Dunstan’s was always a shithole anyway,” Don said.

“Damn right,” Josh stood, dropped his cigarette to the floor and put it out with the heel of his trainer. “You gotten rusty at Halo since ya fucked off t’ the posh south or what?”

“I did better than you las’ week, y’ dick’ead,” Don said, dropping off of the wall. “C’mon. Y’ever played Halo, Will?”

“It’s fucking freezing.” Will said. “Why are we walking around the town centre?”

“’Cause we got nothin’ else t’do, obviously,” Don said, stomping through the snow. “An ah wan’t’ get an idea of wha’ ah wan’t’ get for my friends, you twat.”

“Should have done this earlier on, then,” Will said, glancing around. “Most places are closed.”

“’Course they’re fuckin’ closed, it’s a Sunday,” Don said, rolling his eyes. “Doesn’ mean there ain’t shit in the windows, y’ twat.”

“Of course,” Will said, glancing around again. “What’s that?” He pointed.

“Fuckin expensive piece of shit, that’s what tha’ is,” Don said, but he walked over to the shop Will was pointing at anway. “Never been inside – ah think they’d chase me off.” He said, dryly. “Smell the fuckin working class on me or some shit, like fuckin’ bloodhounds.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ducky,” Will said.

“There’s fuckin’ diamonds on those ten-thousand pound and up watches, Willoughby, I ain’t going anywhere near that shit.”

“Come on.” Will said, “It’s the only place that’s open.”

“The fuckin’ Macdonalds is open, Willoughby – oh, for fuck’s sake, fine.”

Don walked after Will, who’d already entered the store.

Don looked around, as he caught up with his friend.

“There’s perfectly fuckin’ good watches elsewhere, Will,” Don said. “What a fuckin waste of ten grand, Christ on a bike…”

“I’ve seen better watches,” Will agreed. “But we’re looking at the ones with price tags, which is stupid. Come on. They usually put the better things near the back.”

“The ones with – Willoughby,” Don said, “What –“

“Here we are.” Will said, satisfied.

The watches did not have diamonds on them, which was preferable – but they didn’t have price tags, which was worrying.

“Why the fuck would you look at the ones without price tags?” Don asked.

“Because you can look at them.” Will said, pointing to the fact that they weren’t hidden behind what seemed like five hundred layers of glass and security measures. “And they’re not particularly garish, are they Ducky?”

“No,” Don said, warily, squinting at the watches. “Ah guess not. But this is pointless, I’m – prob’ly jus’ goin’t’ get a watch where ah got my last one, I mean, it lasted a good while.”

“It lasted a year Ducky, that’s terrible,” Will said. “Mine broke the year before last, but I’d had it for nearly nine by that point, and it broke because I broke it.”

“Fuckin’ dumbass,” Don said. “Perfectly good fuckin’ watch.”

“I am aware of that, yes.” Will frowned at the watches. “Do you like any of them?” He asked.

“Can’t fuckin’ afford any of this shit, can I?” Don asked. “Humour me,” Will said.

Don rolled his eyes and huffed, but did take a proper look at each of the watches in turn.

“That one,” Don said, pointing at a simple black-leather and silver with a white clockface and normal, black numerals and clock hands. “Most normal fuckin’ watch here.”

“Man of simple tastes,” Will smiled. Don elbowed him. “Fuck off. Not all of us are fancy posh twats – hell, I think y’d like a pocket-watch, fuckin – I know you would, you’re like that.”

“Like what?” Will asked.

“A posh, sentimental git, obviously.” Don said. “C’mon, let’s go.” He said.

“My cover’s been blown,” Will said, smiling, and Don rolled his eyes. “Fuck off,” He said, good-naturedly, grinning as they left the store.

Previous Summer:

“How are ya this fine mornin’?”

Don glanced over at Terri. “Not bad,” He said. “You’ll be off t’ Ireland tomorrow, righ’?”

“Nail on the head,” Terri said, dropping down onto the floor beside him. “Josh’s scramblin’, try’na pack all his crap. James is off, prob’ly somewhere with George.”

“Thought she had the flu,” Don said.

(George nearly always ‘had the flu’.)

“Those bitches are getting fucking married, y’know tha’,” Terri snorted. “Or haven’t ya seen the loving couple? No fuckin’ flu or baby rumours are gonna keep ‘em off each other’s backs.”

“Guess not,” Don said. “Smoke?”

“Nah.” Terri waved a hand. “Try’na quit.”

Don snorted. “Bet Josh loved that.”

“He’s a dick’ead, but you knew tha’,” She laughed. “God. Love ‘im tho’.”

“Yeah.” Don said.

“You ‘ave a girl?” Terri glanced at him.

“Did,” Don said. “Clemsie.”

“Clemsie?” Terri shook her head. “Posh fuckin’ princess?”

“Don’t,” Don said, shortly. “She had to move country, with ‘er fam’ly. We broke up ‘cause o’ tha’.”

“Shit, Don, sorry.” Terri sighed. She clapped him on the shoulder, then leaned over to look him in the eye. “Still. Better to be friends than to lose everythin’ over a long-distance piece of shit relationship, righ’?”

Don thought of Meredith and Audrey, and winced.

“Definitely,” He said. “We video call. It’s – not that… we didn’ get t’be together very long. Tha’elps, ah guess.”

“Helps a lot.” Terri shook her head, then flopped back against the wall. “’Elps a fucking lot.”

“Yeah,” Don said.

“Y’make any friends at those posh schools o’ yours?” Terri asked. “Other than that Clemsie chick?”

“Kay, Will.” Don said. “Lauren, Sam, Sabrina, Lillian, Derek, Daniel-“

“See, fuckin’ knew you’d thrive there,” She said, shoving him in the shoulder and grinning. “Always though’ y’ deserved better than fuckin St Dunstan’s.”

“So do you lot,” Don protested. “It’s a shithole, nobody deserves that.”

“Victims of fuckin’ circumstance, the lot of us,” She said, slumping back. “But I mean it.” She turned her head and looked at him. “Y’ the best o’ all o’ us, y’ prat. Accept it. Well. I mean, Muhammad’s a medical fuckin’ genius, but that’s a whole different ballpark and he’s a hopeless twat mostly, so I don’t count him If I did, he’d be the best no question – but yanno. I’m comfortin’ you, ‘ere.”

“Thanks,” Don said, dryly.

“No problem.” She grinned, and shoved him lightly in the shoulder again. “C’mon. Dad recently fixed up an old foosball table o’ his fam’ly’s, an’ I wan’na see if you’re any better than Josh or his bro,” She clapped him on the shoulder. “An’ maybe you can tell me all ‘bout your new friends, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Don said. “Sure.”

“Terri?” Don asked.

“Yeah? Oh, Don,” She unlatched the door and opened it. “Come inside, it’s fucking cold. God, I hate winter,” She slammed the door shut behind him.

“Do you know anywhere I could get a pocket watch?” Don asked.

“At an affordable price? Yes, of course, never doubt me,” She spun on her heel. “Or, rather, never doubt my dad. Dad!” She yelled.

“Wha’?” A voice boomed back.

“Y’know where we could find a custom watchmaker’s that ain’t damn expensive?”

“Yeah. I’ll drive yeh. Say ‘hello’ t’ Don for meh!”

“How the fuck does he know?” Don shook his head.

“The man has magic, I swear to god. It fuckin’ annoys me I got mum’s genes in that matter.” Terri grumbled, and walked into the living room. She dropped onto the couch, and Don followed suit.

“Is this for that boy o’ yours?” Terri asked, grinning lazily as she leaned back on the couch.

“He’s – why d’y’ have t’put it like tha’?” Don leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.

“’Cause I like to make people question things,” She said, “Obviously.” Terri stood and moved into the kitchen, then returned with two cokes. “Here,” She tossed him a can. “It’s shit but mum’s addicted me to it, damn the woman.”

Terri dropped onto the beanbag. “Here’s to a very fuckin’ Merry Christmas, y’ prat,” She grinned as she lifted the can in imitation of a toast.

“Hear hear,” Don opened the drink and returned the toast.

“Dad’ll be done in a few minutes,” Terri said, “But – in all seriousness, is this your prezzie for Willoughby or what?”

“Yeah,” Don said. “Fuckin’ git’s as fancy and sentimental as it gets, so…”

“Y’ sentimental y’self, ya prat,” She said, fondly. “Which is why we’re goin’ the whole nine fuckin’ yards, ‘cause a custom one’s a better fuckin’ gift than any stock shit. Better quality, usually, too, ‘cause the maker actually cares about the fuckin' end product.”

“I’m not fuckin’ sentimental, much,” Don said.

“No, y’ just sappy, y’ fuckin prat,” Terri sunk down into the beanbag chair. “Don’ lie to me, Don, I’ve known ya for nearly our whole lives, mate. And I’m older, so I win.”

“If I’m sappy y’re twelve,” Don put the coke can down on the floor, unfinished.

“And proud of it,” She grinned at him. “Only way I can win arguments, I ain’t no good with words.”

“How’d you do in English?” Don asked.

Terri pursed her lips and sighed. “Fuckin failed it, didn’t ah?” She glowered at nothing. “Good fuckin’ thing I can drop out ah sixth form and jus’ go for a level four apprenticeship, huh? Or was it three…” She trailed off, frowning as she thought.

“Eh, whatever.” She chucked her empty coke can into the bin. “Score,” She grinned. “Anway,” Terri turned her attention back to Don. “You’re a total sap, I’ve got evidence. Point is, I’m strong-arming you to go the whole nine-fuckin’ yards, because even tho’ I can trust you to do it on yer own, without me you’ll totally get scammed out o’ your money.”

“Terri,” Don said, flatly.

“What? Who out’a the two of us knows trade, huh? Not you, y’git.” She grinned. “Also I wanna know exactly what inscription y’ put on the fuckin’ thing.”

“Fuck off,” Don said, leaning back onto the couch. “Thanks.”

“Mixed messages, there, oh Donald,” Terri grinned, and dodged the cushion he threw at her. She picked it up and put it under her head, her grin turning self-satisfied. “I always win,” She reminded him.

“No you don’t,” Don said. “Remember the trip to Wales, in year eight?”

“We never talk about the trip to Wales in year eight,” Terri said, automatically. “That’s the first rule of our friendship. Right above ‘we don’t talk about Alex Connors.’”

“Noted,” Don said, sitting up. “Which is above ‘there was never a Chase Johnson’.”

“See, he gets it,” Terri grinned at Don. “We keep each others' dirty little secrets, we get along.”

“Blackmail is the only reason we’re friends,” Don said, dryly.

“And don’t you forget it!” She grinned, laughing, and fell backwards onto the beanbag.

“You two. Got t’ get goin’ now.” Her dad said, suddenly appearing at the doorway. How the six-foot-five craftsman managed this had always been and always would remain a mystery.

Don’s started to believe the story that he killed a strange looking wasp that had holed up alone in it’s hive in the attic of a customer’s house and that’s what gave him his strange abilities a lot more since the events at Slaughterhouse.

After all – Meredith’s not dead, and neither is the dog. The dog which looks exactly like the one in the paintings… of a dog that had lived hundreds of years prior.

“We’re ready, come on,” Terri said, standing, and Don followed the two Blythes out of the house.

“Ah, Terri Blythe, it’s been a long time.”

“Heyo, Uncle Terrance,” Terri said, stepping up to the counter. “Ma friend ‘ere – Don, y’ remember? – needs to get a prezzie for his boy.”

“Terri,” Don said, sighing.

“What?” She looked at him. “Fuck off, you idiot. Ah’ve squinted at your act for a week, bitch, I know exactly how you feel about him. Or do we need to talk about Alex?”

“Fuck off,” Don said. “Hullo, Mr. Connolly.”

“Donald Wallace,” The man said, surprised, as he removed his glasses to quickly clean them, then replaced them on his face, mostly all the way down his nose, in order to squint at Don as if he wasn’t sure Don was actually what he was seeing. “My my, it’s been – how long?”

“’Bout a decade, Uncle Terry,” Terri said.

“Indeed.” The man replaced his lens cleaning cloth back into his pocket, like some old-timey handkerchief. “So what brings you both here?”

“Like ah said,” Terri stated, slowly, “He needs to get a present for his friend for Christmas.”

“My dear boy, it’s only four days away!” The elderly man said, agitated, as he went about retrieving various designs and sheets for pricings. “I can make it in that time, of course, and as always you will get the family discount – but you’ve left yourself very little time to plan!”

“Ah only came up with the idea yesterday.” Don winced.

“That’s even worse!” The man came to a stop, the desk that served as the counter piled high with various pieces of paper. “You’ll need to make the decision today, but you can ask for the inscription upon completion, thank the lord above,” The man narrowed his eyes at Don. “And next time, son, figure things out before the deadline!”

“Righ’,” Don said. “Will do.”

“Good.” The man sighed, relieved. “Now. Take a look,” He gestured to the pile, “And tell me which parts of which designs suit best. And remember – family and Christmas discount, so don’t say no for no good reason.”

Don nodded, somewhat awkwardly, as he started rifling through the papers. Terri wandered off, to browse through the clocks, which included watches - pocket and otherwise – lining the walls and displayed, lovingly, across tables.

“Eight years old,” The elderly man shook his head as he muttered. “And now – you’ll be graduating soon, I imagine?”

“There was an incident,” Don said, “At the firs’ sixth-form ah went t’. After tha’, we ‘ad t’ repeat lower sixth at a new place. So, uh. One more year.”

“I see,” The elderly man inspected a watch hung on the wall and frowned, then set about buffing out an invisible scuff mark. “Where did you go?”

“Slaughterhouse School,” Don said, and the man froze.

“In Slaughter,” The man – stated. It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah.” Don said. “The School –“

“Blew up, yes, I heard.” The elderly man pursed his lips. “A right shamble. Still, at least you got out safely.” The man turned away from the watch on the wall, then cleaned his glasses – avoided eye contact. “… What really happened?”

Don looked blankly at him.

“I may be old, Donald, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know things.” Terrance squinted at him, then put his glasses back on. “Fracking doesn’t usually cause that sort of damage.”

“Well,” Don said. “They weren’ very –“

“Responsible Frackers, I know,” The man’s nostrils flared. “They give it a bad name, that company. No, what I mean is – stories spread. Legends… an old clockmaker hears things.” The man sighed, and looked at the pictures of his customers on the wall behind the counter.

In a few of them, there was a familiar dog.

“Big fuck off mole rats,” Don said. “We had to blow it up.”

“We?” The man’s head snapped over to Don. “How many people killed them?”

“… Dunno,” Don said. “Mr. ‘Ouseman killed one, mostly, then we beat it the rest o’ the way dead. Then – I used Will’s snuffbox to get another, an’ the lighter Will’d been bequeathed to blow up the school – usin’ the gas,” Don explained. “Clemsie killed a li’le one.”

“I see.” The man paused. “Well. I suppose we’ll see how that turns out eventually.”

“Wha’ d’y’ mean?” Don asked.

“Here.” The man said, instead, handing Don a stack of designs. “Find your friend a pocket watch. And think up an inscription, while you’re at it! Don’t leave that as last minute as you left this! I need to talk to my niece. If you’ll excuse me…” And with that, the old man had bustled him off and walked away, over to Terri who was poking a stuffed cat.

“Merlin died then?” Don heard.

“Not all pets can live forever,” The man sighed. “It’s a burden some must face alone.”

Don looked back up at the pictures.

1891

1912

1925

1956

1993

2001

2014…

Don frowned, then shrugged, and looked down at the designs.

Design 3048: Forever.

Design 246: Eternal.

Design 13: Infinite…

Don raised his eyebrows, then shrugged, and started picking out parts of the designs he thought Will might like.

Previous Summer:

“The Johnsons moved to America?”

“No Idea where they go’ the money either, mate,” James said, leaning back on the couch. Terri, from her place on a cushion on the floor, chuckled. “Inheritance, got’t’ be,” She said, as she dispatched of a few grunts. James nodded as he circle-strafed around a hunter.

“No wonder I ah’ven’ seen Mikey ‘round.” Don said.

“They didn’ tell nobody,” Terri scowled. “Fucken’ Lillian didn’ even bother tellin’ her bes’ friend, the wanker.”

“Lisa cry on your shoulder ‘bout it?” Don asked.

Terri grimaced as she picked up an energy sword, then started running around hitting elites with it. “Yes.” She said, glowering at the TV. “There was snot and everything. Fucken’ wan’ed t’ punch Lil’ for tha’.”

“Can imagine,” Don said.

“’Course y’ could, y’ sap,” James said, and Don elbowed him, which caused him to fail in circle-strafing and get shot.

“Bastard,” James said, elbowing Don back, and Terri laughed, finding an enemy-less corner so James could respawn.

“Willoughby Blake,” Terri said. “Don kno’ yer ‘ere?”

“I have it under good authority that you’ve known him for a very long time,” Will said, “And I was wondering if you could distract him for a – short while, while I go get his Christmas present?”

“Fucken’ell, mate, what’s with posh bastards and waitin’ ‘til the las’ minute?” Terri grumbled, but she stepped inside, and left the door open. Will hesitated before following, and stayed at the door while she put on her boots. “Relax, y’ twit,” She waved a hand, before she started doing up the laces. “I don’ bite.”

“Alright,” Will said, and moved to lean against the wall.

“Da’, I’m off! Seeing the Wallaces!” Terri shouted, as she stood. Terri grabbed her coat off of the stairs, at the end of the bannister, and threw it on. “Fucken’ cold out, innit?” She said, as she walked out of the house. Will followed. “Yes,” He said. “Quite.”

“Post twat,” She said. “You be good to Don, y’ ‘ear meh?”

“I-“

“Don’ even,” Terri warned. “I ‘ate liars. Now go ge’im somethin’ fucken’ nice, and don’ le’im say ‘no’ ‘cause ya spent money on it, ya hear me?”

“Roger that.” Will said, “Ma’am.”

Terri snorted. “Ge’ the fuck out’t’ ‘ere, y’ posh bastard. An’ I expec’ somethin’ nice enough, too, for the good fucken’ advice ah give ya both, y’ blind twits.”

“Initiation’s simple, bitches.” Terri slammed a crate of beer onto the table. “Drink me under, an’ ah’ll respect ya fer life.”

“Y’ for real about this, Terri?” Don asked.

“Well, no, bu’ it’ll ‘elp,” Terri said. “Wha’, col’ feet already, Wallace?”

“No,” He rolled his eyes and gestured with the beer he’d already picked up. “Jus’ remember when Mikey drank you under the table?”

“Not my best momen’, bu’ I’m tryin’ t’ recover from tha’, ‘ere. Whoever ‘andles their drink bes’ wins.”

“Ah know who’s gonna fucken’ lose ‘ere, then.” Don said.

“Fuck off, Ducky,” Will said. Terri grinned.

“Fuck’s sake, Willoughby,” Don downed some of his drink.

“Don, Donald, Duck, Ducky. Ah ge’ it, tha’s cute,” Terri grinned, leaning back on her beanbag. She downed a beer, then slammed the empty can down on the floor. “Pacing’s for wimps,” She announced to the ceiling.

“If y’ say so,” Don said. “’S no’ fuckin’ cute.”

“I’m older, what I say goes, it’s cute,” Terri said. “Get me drunk enough, Blake, mate, an’ I’ll tell ya stories about ‘ow much of a sap ‘e is.”

“Fuck off,” Don said. “Or I’ll bring up Cha-“

“Two can play at tha’ game, Donald Wallace,” Terri said, interrupting, as she reached over for another can.

“I have to say, I am curious,” Will said, supressing a smile of amusement. He was onto his second can.

“Ah-ah,” Terri waved a hand at him. “Y’ get t’ know Don’s embarrassing shit, but ah jus’ met ya. Which means y’ don’ get t’ kno’ mine… problem ‘ere is if ya ‘ear Don’s from me, ‘e’ll tell ya about mine. So, yanno, that ain’ ‘appenin’.”

“Shame,” Don said, downing his drink. “Really.”

Lunchtime on Christmas Eve saw a small get-together, with the two Blythe families and the Wallaces.

“Lisa’s still fuckin’ angry at Lil’, an’ she’s over at her gran’s for the yearly fam’ly gatherin’, so she ain’ showin’ up this year. Jus’ us lot, Mrs. Wallace,” Terri said. The two families would be leaving later on, to be in Ireland for the next day. Cutting it a bit close – but then, that was the Blythes, for you. Both sets of them.

Babs smiled at the two sets of Blythes as she stood aside and let them in. “It’s Babs, Terri,” She reminded the girl, like she’d been doing for years. “Come on. Group photo – Don, grab the camera, I’ll go get Dad.”

“Mum-“ Don started, but she was already gone. He sighed, shook his head. “He’s fine where he is,” Don mumbled, but he went to go get the camera anyway.

“Ev’ryones ‘ere,” Don said to Will. “Terri, James, Josh, David; ah, Terri’s dad, an’ Mr. and Mrs. Blythe.”

“So all the Blythes, then,” Will said. “Christmas eve dinner?”

“Fucken’ lunch, mate,” Don said. “Dinner’s later.”

“Ah, but it’s breakfast, dinner, and supper or tea.” Will said.

“Fuck off,” Don said. “We’re doin’ a fuckin’ group photo. Mum’s gettin’ dad’s urn. Let’s go.”

Will nodded, and followed Don into the living room. It wasn’t too cramped, but it was a fair bit cramped. Babs placed the urn on the mantlepiece of the electric fire. “Ev’ry one, gather round, I’ll jus’ set up the camera.” She said, taking it from Don. “Found out a remote activation method, bloody handy,” She explained as she went. The Blythes used the urn as a dividing line, and made sure to leave enough space for the three remaining individuals. “C’mon,” Terri said, gesturing. Don walked over and stood next to his dad, and Will, being tall, went on the back row, between and behind Terri and Don. “There we go,” Mrs. Blythe muttered, then smiled at them. There was space on the other side of the urn for Don’s mum, though it was a bit of a squeeze, and as Babs set up the camera, she asked everyone to move a bit closer in, so they were all in frame, and posed properly. Babs then quickly squeezed into place, and they all smiled at the camera as the flash went off a few times.

“Great!” Babs smiled, and Mr. Blythe – Josh’s dad – clapped his hands. “What’s for Lunch, eh Babs?” He asked.

“Sunday roast,” She grinned. “Wen’ all out for it, so be grateful it’s not sandwiches. Le’s go eat!”

"Present time!" Babs said, clapping her hands once after she'd received confirmation that they'd finished eating. "I'm gon' go grab somethin' while you two start - go on, go on!" She gestured, herding them into the living room before absconding up the staircase.

"Camera," Don said, knowingly, then flopped down onto the couch.

Presents from their friends had been coming in since the Christmas holidays started - Don's not entirely sure how Lauren knew to send Will's here, or how or why she'd convinced Sam and the others to do the same, but he hadn't paid much attention to that. Will had brought ones that Clemsie and Smudger and Kay and Hargreaves and Wootton had sent - after all, if it does anything, living through what happened at Slaughterhouse at least makes you a permanent entry on the Christmas shopping list - and Don's had arrived last week. The various Blythes' presents were also under the tree, a couple joint presents; Josh's family got Don and Will and Babs one present each, so that made three presents from the four Blythes, and David got Don and Babs - the Wallaces - some chocolate, but Terri gave Don and Will and Babs a present each - so four from the two Blythes.

Trying to figure out which bag of presents had been from which Blythe family had been somewhat futile. Thankfully, the individual presents were a bit more obvious.

(Both families were - bad at tagging, still, though.)

"Alright, which first?" Will said. Don sat up, stood up, and walked over. "Let's get the Blythes over and done with," He said, "Can' fuckin' figure out which is which for them, an' it's bugging me."

"Indeed," Will said, picking up one that had 'Will' on it in sharpie. Don picked up his, and dropped back onto the couch. He opened it, and a note fell out - Terri's, then; she always wrote little notes that she stuck inside the packaging, instead of on it.

Told him you like him yet, dickhead?

- T.

Don resisted the urge to facepalm and hid the message amongst the wrapping paper. "Who's your from?" He asked. Will was struggling with an overly sellotaped lump of a present. He found a place he could rip it from, though, and quickly did so. "Terri," He said, frowning slightly at a message written on paper with, of course, sharpie. It bled through, but Don didn't try to read it via the back of the paper. Will scoffed, lightly, and dropped the message, which disappeared into the wrapping paper. "Your friend has an interesting sense of humour," Will said.

"She's like tha'," Don said. "Always 'as been."

Don grinned at the copy of a Halo game he didn't yet have - a present that was as much for him as for her, likely since co-op was the only way she ever accepted anyone play Halo - and placed it down on the couch next to himself. "What'd she get you?" Don asked.

"A - puzzle box." Will frowned at it. He shook it, and there was something inside it, but how to get in there was - well, a puzzle. "... Interesting choice."

"She got me a cardboard box once," Don said. "And a coat hanger."

"Why?" Will blinked at him. "No' sure," Don shrugged. "She got 'er own boyfriend - b'fore they were t'gether, obviously - a keytar once. Tha' was mem'rable."

"... Alright, then." Will said, for lack of a better response. Don wasn't sure what you could say to that, anyway.

They made their way through the rest of the presents, and on the fifth Babs entered the room.

"Candid." She said, grinning, and Don sighed. "Mul'iple, actu'ly."

"Mum," Don sighed, and she laughed. "Come on, Don, grab Dad, would you? ;E's still in the dinin' room." Well. The kitchen/diner, since it was one room with a table crammed in the corner.

"Alright," Don said, standing. "Yeah, I'll get him."

Don left the room, and Babs sat down on the couch.

"See, I've known Don for a very long time, bein' 'is mum an' all," Babs said. She turned and smiled at Will, "An' I knew 'e liked tha' Clemsie girl from the momen' 'e saw 'er - an' ah can tel when he's grown t' like someone, too."

Will didn't reply.

"My boy's go' a big 'eart, and 'e cares abou' you," Babs said, plainly. "An' I'm no' gon' warn y' abou' no' 'urtin' 'im, b'cause ah kno' y're no' the type," She said. "So jus' let y'self be 'appy, Will. Y're a good kid; y' deserve it."

Babs stood and set up the camera as Don entered the room. "Will, be a dear and take the photo, wou'd y' please?" Babs asked. "Don, bring y' father over 'ere." A few flashes later, the photos were taken. "Ah've got' go take a few presents round to our Jackie's," She said, "So ah'll be back soon enough. You two carry on with the presents, don' wait for me." And with that, Babs was gone.

Don shook his head slightly, and moved to the tree. "Which next?" He asked.

"Ah - why not the Lawrences?" Will asked.

"Then the other 'slaugh'erians'" Don grinned. "Sure." Don tossed Will his present from Smudger - customary, generic; they hadn't really gotten to know each other, after all, Smudger and the rest of the group, since after the events of Slaughterhouse and everyone went home from that police station, well, the Lawrences moved country, so. Don put the riculously expensive chocolate - the same as what Will had gotten from the male Lawrence - aside, and then grabbed Clemsie's presents for them both. He handed Will his, then opened his own.

Don, a letter read, Merry Christmas! It's been such a long time - we should all really meet up in the new year. Kay will be back in England in the summer, and we'll be visiting family then, so I could pull some strings. It'd be nice, to see everyone again. Staying friends after everything that happened - well. It feels like a good idea to me.

I hope you and Will have had a good time at that new college - I keep getting letters from Wootton, bless him, about the place his mother sent him to this time. At least Hargreaves is keeping an eye on the poor boy; much like you, they were lucky enough to get sent to the same place. I'm pretty sure if they could, the Hargreaves would have adopted Wootton already, but - well. Given how often he's with his actual family, he might as well already be Isaac's little brother.

We really should all speak more. It's not like we have phones and skype or email or anything... certainly, we have a lot better than letters. I mean. Really.

See you both in the new year!

Signed,

Clemsie.

"Got a letter," Don said. "You?" "Yes," Will nodded. "Something about getting the gang back together, as it were."

"'S no' a bad idea," Don said. "Ah mean. We 'aven' spoken in around a year. Tha's a while."

"True," Will said.

"Guess we'll see if Smudger's therapist thinks it's a good idea," Don said, because though they didn't all keep in much contact, they did say the important things occasionally - usually on gift-giving days. Really, they did need to keep in better contact.

Ah well. That'll be a new years resolution, then.

Don turned to the present, which was a simple photo album. I heard you take photography, now, some paper masking-taped to the inside cover read. Here's a place to store it all. :)

Signed, Clemsie.

Signed, Smudger.

"Huh." Don shrugged and put down the album. "Alright."

Will put down his present from Clemsie and ostensibly from Smudger - obviously the presents were from Clemsie, but Smudger had signed the notes masking-taped onto both, if not the letters.

Don took the present from Kay Will handed over to him and opened it.

Clemency's gotten it into her head we're going to catch up in the summer. I'll see what I can do, since I will be back in dreary old England, but in the meantime - I heard you take maths.

You might want to train up your logic if that's the case, so I've given you a 'how to' book on chess, free of charge. I usually make people pay for this since I wrote it, but. We're friends, and it's Christmas, so.

Just try and fucking beat me next time we meet, I dare you, Wallace.

Signed,

Kay.

Don shook his head and held up the book in response to Will's identical copy. They grinned, slightly, at each other, then reached for the next presents. Hargreaves sent them both identical copies of dungeons and dragons, which he'd presumably sent everyone, and Wootton had sent them fudge. After that, it was Babs' presents - a scarf for Will and a camera for Don (who attempted not to think about how much that cost; most of the Christmas shopping budget, probably) - and then it was time for the presents they'd gotten each other.

"You first," Will said, handing over his present to Don. Don took it - internally thankful his present didn't go first, for a multitude of reasons - and opened it.

After the cardboard box and the wrapping paper had been put aside, Don looked at the watch - repackaged, likely, so Don couldn't see the price just from looking at its original box. It's the one he'd pointed out as the one he'd liked best, simple and sleek and fucking expensive, probably, and completely out of his range.

"Will-" Don started but - "Just take the present, Ducky," Will said.

Don tried to read his expression, for a moment, but gave up and nodded, slowly. "Well? Go on then, Willoughby, open yours," Don said, gesturing, as he finished removing the protective wrap from the watch and put it on.

Don waited as Will unwrapped the pocket watch, and waited as Will took a moment to look at it.

"I..." "Just take the present, Duck," Don said. Will smiled at him, and Don smiled back.

"There's an inscription," Don said, gesturing. "On th'back."

Will closed and turned over the pocket watch.

Bequeathed.

Don watched his face, quitely - Will's reaction was immediate. Many feelings were quickly telegraphed across his face, but Don only caught a few - wonder, surprise, but chief among all -

Panic.

Ah. Shit.

Will stood and walked out. Don hesitated, but this was much less life-threatening than the last time he'd hesitated to go after Will - so, he went. It didn't feel much less nerve-wracking, though, but Don didn't focus on that part.

Don had heard the front door close, and sure enough - when he opened it, Will was there, out on the cold, snow-covered pavement.

"Y'kno', if y'ate the gift, y' can jus' tell meh - y' don' 'ave to leave the 'ouse y' dramatic git," Don said. It was cold, and he was still in his pyjamas, and the posh twit currently stood outside his house was probably the most interesting thing to have happened to his little council estate street in years, but at that moment Don didn't rightly care much what Mrs. Johnson saw from between her half-closed curtains, or what Clara-Anne Jenkins could spy on from behind her blinds.

"It isn't that I hate it - It's more - I -" Will stopped, mid-sentence, frustrated enough to start pacing, back and forth, crunching a short path into the snow. "'S'more wha', Willoughby?"

Will didn't reply immediately, just let out a breath that clouded in the cold air.

"It doesn't matter, Ducky." Will said.

"'Course it fuckin' matters, or y' wouldn' 'ave left th'fuckin' 'ouse." Don pointed out, reasonably.

"Donald."

"Willoughby." Don walked over, mindless of the cold and the snow, and frowned at the other eighteen-year-old. "I don' wan't' renact a fuckin' soap-opera, jus' tell me wha' the fuck is wrong."

"Nothing's - wrong," Will said. "I just - I didn't... No-one's ever thought I or... anything about me was worth remembering. Especially not - something like that. Something that..."

"Important?" Don asked, quietly.

Will nodded.

"Well. I do." Don said. "Fuckin' 'ell, Duck, o'course I do."

Will stared down at him, for just a moment - and then, carefully, a move you could almost call furtive - leaned forward, and pressed his lips (cold, chapped - but soft, softer than he'd have thought) to Don's.

Somewhere far away, a door slammed shut, and Will moved back.

Before he could get the wrong idea, Don caught Will's hand with his own. "Y' kno', Will, I kno' yer cold-blooded an' that, but I'm fuckin' freezin' out 'ere."

Will laughed. He let himself be led back inside the house. Don dropped his hand and closed the door, then turned to look at Will again. Before he could say anything, of course, the door opened.

"Candid." Babs said, grinning. "Tha' was a beau'iful momen', really; one for the scrapbook."

Don sighed.

"First've all," Don said, "Mum, what the fuck, d'y' think y're doin'?"

Will grinned. "I, for one, think it's sweet. I should like our moments together to be captured."

"Ah, shut up, ya sentimental git." Don rolled his eyes. "Mum, 's weird, y' really don' need to."

"Actu'ly, Don, ah do," She said, frankly. "Mem'ries're precious thin's. Bes'to capture 'em so they're no' forgo'en."

"Alrigh', alrigh'-"

"Great!" Babs clapped her hands. "Now. Who wants lunch?"

#shr #slaughterhouse rulez #fanfic #wallacake #christmas fic #belated I kno I'm sorry #A 'Nonnie | anon asks #All The Asks | asks #i am truly sorry about how long this took #cowritten by edgycinnamoncocanut #<3

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