#Stands for Peppermint

[uynumeotp]

Fun fact

In the Japanese version, Arven called himself "Arven onii-san" (big bro Arven) here. Calling yourself "Onii-san"... how can you be so cute?

[egophiliac]

ok so as someone still relatively new to TWST (and someone just taking the events as they come to EN instead of keeping up with the JP side) and as a Jack Howl simp

I am of the (CORRECT) opinion that he should absolutely get an Applepom look because... fwuffy. and hat with ear holes. and he'd be SO insistent that he's used to the cold and doesn't need it but he will take it once it's insisted on because he's polite and won't refuse Gramma Felmier

Also I think a fun twist on the "someone's sled breaks and their plushie tears so they have to come up with another idea" bit from the other event is that Jack goes wolf mode to pull the sled (because as said in his starsending wish he pulls sleds back at home on breaks to try and get faster as a wolf!)

I'm biased though because I need more Jacc in my life

Thoughts?

thank you anon for bringing the mental image of harveston Jack into my life. he would be SO fluffy...so warm...he would haul so many apples...

also while I love the imagery of him pulling the sled, I feel like that would probably get them insta-disqualified. :( unless they can somehow 1) convince the judges that this enormous talking wolf is actually a very well-made plush, and 2) get Jack to go along with it (I do think Jack would instantly respect Marja as being more alpha or whatever and would have to, like, choose between his sense of JUSTICE, or going along with cheating at this sporting event so an authority figure doesn't get mad at him) (...wait this is just the plot of episode 2 again) (DANGIT)

[itissadbutitsmy-artblog]

she's the kind of person who brings the whole thing up again in casual conversations

[chocobox]

hehe. iggydoll officially assembled. 🤒

[shredsandpatches]

Most of the time I try to remind myself that my frequent feelings of invisibility in public spaces are just the flip side of my unending self-absorption.

Other times I'm waiting for the barista to finish making my coffee and then someone who came in and ordered well after I did starts yelling at them about not putting whipped cream in it because she assumes it's for her and not for the person ahead of her in line who is literally two feet away from her.

[weezmancer3]

Kid Keith loved candy canes. More specifically, sharpening them and then threatening Shiro by pretending to stab him. Shiro didn't pay much attention until he bumped into Keith and ended up with a candy cane in his arm.

[writing-biting]

man sandman, man me a stand, leave me for hours, next to the stand

[side-shuffling-hyperfixations]

Nipping at Your Nose

Summary: Spiders are hypersensitive to peppermint. MJ unfortunately has to find this out the hard way.

Some people seemed to think that a pretty face could get you anything and everything you wanted but even with a pretty face, Mary Jane knew better. She had worked harder than most people knew to get where she was, scraping her self-esteem out of the gutter where her father had been determined to put it for good. He couldn’t keep her down.

Even with a pretty face, even with the success of her career, MJ still found herself pleasantly surprised to be receiving free samples of the perfume she had been asked to advertise.

The other pleasant surprise was that it truly was a quality product! It smelled sweet without being sickly and it didn’t feel heavy or sticky or sweaty on her skin; it wafted around her rather than clinging. She didn’t have to force a smile or a false air when explaining its value and when they offered to let her take the bottle she had used for filming, she did so gladly.

In the spirit of the holidays, she and Peter were getting dressed up and meeting for dinner at a more expensive restaurant tonight. It would be nice to see what he thought!

It would be nice if he even showed up, she admitted to herself, a touch of nervousness urging her to dab on a little extra around the swoop of her neckline for good measure. She wasn’t sure what had brought it on but lately he had been a little withdrawn and evasive for some reason—not just in regards to her (which was only a little reassuring that it wasn’t solely a “her” problem) but about the general public, about what was happening around them as the holidays neared.

Sensory overload made it difficult for him to mesh well with crowds sometimes but right now it was at the point where he would rather be left out of any potential outing and remain cooped up at home. He often cajoled her to stay in too but she wasn’t interested. The bustle, the undercurrent of excitement was part of what made the season fun! But he had promised her a candlelit dinner in a plush booth tonight and hopefully he wouldn’t be a Scrooge about it.

He was late, of course, but that adorable, dorky smile he was wearing as he slid into the booth was enough to convince MJ to cut him a little slack. “Wow, you look great, sweetheart! Sorry I got here so—hhh—” Eyes widening, he hastily buried his face in the folds of his scarf. “Hh-tchw!”

“Bless you!”

“T-Thanks.” He sniffed and then scrunched his nose immediately afterward, tucking it back into his scarf for a few seconds to scrub out the itch. “Ugh. Sorry, I’m not sure where that came from.”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe your nose?” He squinted at her, deadpan, maybe even a little bewildered, and she waved an expectant hand. “Aw, come on, I thought you’d at least give me a pity laugh!”

“I don’t think that could even count as a—ah—hh-tchw!” Fumbling through his coat pocket, he dragged out a crumpled packet of travel tissues and hunkered down to blow his nose as unobtrusively as possible. “See, even my sinuses are trying to run from that joke.”

“Remind me who it was that went with ‘Here’s your change’ during a bank robbery.”

“…Shush.”

The night proceeded as normal from there—for the most part. Peter was at least trying to be in good spirits but by the time their appetizers came and went and they were waiting on the main course, his front was starting to fall. Rather than sitting at ease and comfortable, he was acting like he was backed into a corner—fidgety, breathless, even a little panicked. He didn’t seem to know what to do with himself when he wasn’t hiding behind his tissues, napkin or water glass, chugging it so he wouldn’t have to make conversation. Eventually the waiter just left the pitcher with him.

When the refills caught up to him and he made a break for the restroom, MJ was able to let her disappointment free in a harsh, heavy sigh.

He didn’t return for a long while; the food came before he did. When he shuffled back into his seat, he kept his eyes down, sniffed hard and tried to muster himself.

“Mm, the—the chicken alfredo looks—”

“Peter, I’m well aware that you don’t actually want to be here right now but honestly, I would’ve appreciated it if you could’ve kept up the illusion until dessert.” His head snapped back up with what sounded like a gasp or a scoff and she cut off whatever protest he had in mind. “I just wanted one dinner out with you so we could enjoy the lights and decorations and music, so we could get into a fun, festive mood before we decorate the house!”

“Yeah, f-for sure! That’s gonna be lots of fun!”

“And I wanted this to be fun too so what’s the problem here?”

He was silent, holding his breath, and when he finally peeked up at her, the candlelight reflected the tears brimming in his eyes. Heart sinking at the sight, she softened her voice.

“I know the holiday season must be hard for you sometimes, remembering Ben…”

With a wet, cough-like noise, he wrested out another tissue, scrubbing furiously at his face and then blowing his nose again, barely even caring when it honked. “N-No. I mean, yes, it can be sometimes but it’s…that’s not the only reason the holiday season stings.” Squeezing his eyes shut, he shook his head with a groan. “Nngh, I didn’t want to say anything, I didn’t wanna bring you down but good grief, it’s killing me! I can’t do this anymore!”

“What do you mean? What is it, what’s wrong?” She leaned on the table toward him, but he promptly curled in on himself, shrinking away. He couldn’t even face her. Now slightly alarmed, she half-rose from her seat. Was it a meltdown, a panic attack? Was he breaking up with her? “Peter, you know you can tell me anything! Please!”

“Your—whatever you’ve got on right now, it’s p—pehh—peppermint,” he managed all in one breath, a shudder running through him as a warning to brace himself and smother another sneeze. “Hhh-tchw!”

“…What?”

“Hh-tchw! Nngh…” Sagging, he pressed the heels of his palms against his swollen, seeping eyes. “Peppermint…s’like my holiday archnemesis, M’, I try to just ignore it as best I can but I really, really can’t stand the stuff. When I was a kid I used to love it…b-but…” He sniffled thickly, swallowed several times against the urge to cough and then added in a smaller, feebler croak, “…spiders can’t stand the stuff.”

For a few seconds all MJ could do was stare at him until she reeled back, yanking her napkin from her lap to toss it onto the table. “Oh, my gosh, Peter, why didn’t you—?! I’m gonna go wash this off. I’ll be right back!”

It was a bit unorthodox, perhaps, to use a public restroom’s hand soap to scrub one’s neck and wrists but it was lavender; it did the job well enough. When she returned to find Peter with his aching head on the table next to their plates, guilt gnawed at her stomach even more strongly than the hunger. The fact that he hadn’t gone for his food while she was away was a testament to how sick he must feel.

“M’sorry,” he mumbled first, cracking a bleary, bloodshot eye open. Then he took a breath, free and full for the first time that evening, and added, “Thanks.”

“Of course. I’m just…trying to wrap my head around this. You got super strength, super healing, super senses, a master’s degree in web design…and a peppermint allergy?”

“Uh-huh. Spiders are sensitive to strong odors in general but…during the holiday season, mint is everywhere. Food, drinks, lotions, perfumes. S’why I try not to be out and about too long. S’just too much.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it a-and I knew how much you wanted this night. I thought I could t-tough it out as long as I had my tissues, kept my scarf on to cover my face…Just wasn’t expecting it on you right off the bat.”

“So what, you were just keeping your mouth shut and buying time until the day I decided to get mint ice cream?” 

He hummed something noncommittal and she reached out, forced to bite her tongue when she spotted the hives that had broken out across his hand and wrist. Sparks of helpless frustration stirred in her but she didn’t call him out for it. She followed through, interlacing their fingers, and spoke firmly. 

“Peter, you can’t keep things like this from me. We’re partners. Partners trust each other. Partners communicate when there’s a problem. I love you but I can’t love you well if you don’t tell me when I’m doing something wrong.”

“I-It’s not your fault—”

“And it’s not your fault either. It’s nobody’s fault, it’s just what is. I don’t want you suffering in silence for the sake of my feelings. You know I wouldn’t do that for you.” He snorted softly in agreement. “Or to you. I respect you enough to let you know when I’m feeling hurt or sick or just off. This is your blanket permission to do the same.”

“…Okay. I will, m’sorry.”

She would have to remind him again in the future, she was sure, but for now simple verbal acknowledgement was enough. “The whole point of this was for both of us to enjoy our night and get festive so…what say we take this to go, get cozy on the couch and see which channels are already playing Christmas movies?”

The adorable, sheepish smile that crossed his face was weary but no less genuine. “Sounds good.”

And hopefully, MJ mused as she called for the check, none of those channels would be running her particular perfume commercial in the near future.

[c0smic-cryptid]

Playing High Fi Rush and I’m just like hmmmm, how can I turn this into Steddie.

[birrafrgrances]

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[my-life-as-a-teenage-titan]

I put it in the tags in another post but idk if anyone knows but does anybody have a good nausea remedy that doesn't involve ginger or makes you drowsy?

[oldbays]

I got lost in an ikea today.

It is a 1:1 reproduction of the minotaur in the labyrinth.

The danger in the labyrinth is not a minotaur, but the gradual wearing down of my fortitude and financial stability.

The object of my affections was a standing desk.

I did indeed find the desk, but was seduced by a 99¢ funnel.

(I have actively been trying to find a funnel for several weeks now, but only found it because I got lost. I have not slain the minotaur, just left it waiting, feeding on the weaker willed. I ignore the fact that I bought something I did not intend to buy. I /needed/ a funnel.)

I cling to the last shred of willpower as I pass a Starbucks.

Peppermint mocha sounds exactly like the kind of treat a strong-willed hunter like me deserves.

[itissadbutitsmy-artblog]

idk how to help you flirt with him so you have to kill him 😔

[inkdrinkerworld]

Spencer doesn’t know when the habit had developed, but it had.

You’re standing next to him while your relationship was still a BAU best kept secret, in the kitchenette and almost softly and absentmindedly, his nose brushes your shoulder when no one is looking, his lips following soon after.

That was offense number one (not that you minded.)

Number two came when you were upset, stressed beyond belief from playing politics in the BAU and trying to keep them from another court scandal.

Spencer was reading the file over your shoulder- a list of the BAU’s shortcomings in the words of Erin Strauss- and at your stressed sigh his nose presses into the material of your blazer and then his lips follow.

“I’m sorry angel.” You shake your head at his words.

“Not your fault, Spence. They hired me to play politics but they’re stretching things too far. It’s all a bunch of hypotheticals and exaggerations.”

Spencer knows what it’s like, he’s been under the criticism before with the rest of his team, he’s seen what it can do to be under the microscope like this.

“I can bring you a sugar donut from the kitchen.” You smile, leaning your head back over your chair and onto his chest.

“You’re the best ever.” Spencer rolls his eyes as he kisses your forehead.

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

Emily sees the next time it happens and she honestly can’t believe her eyes.

Spencer abhors public displays of affection, he really really does. Everyone knows it, and yet you’re sleepy on the jet, already in your pyjamas as you sit beside him.

Despite Strauss’ plan for you to divulge information about the team, they’d all come to love you and your fierce protection of them.

You’re one of them; even before you’d gotten with Spencer.

“Just close your eyes,” Spencer murmurs, his own eyes heavy, but he wants you to sleep first. You’d not been having the best time in Oklahoma with them, you’d been up the majority of the week helping them with the case and keeping the legalities between the jurisdictions and the statue of limitations on some of the evidence.

A yawn tears through your words, “I just wanna finish my tea, Spence.” Spencer hums, watches you take a few more sips of your peppermint tea and then reach for your bag. You tug a thin blanket from it and drape it over your legs.

“You okay, mama?” Derek asks as he sips his bourbon. You turn your head, that sluggish feeling of moving through mud filling your head.

“Tired, dunno how you guys aren’t.”

JJ laughs, “We all slept babe, you were the only one trooping through.”

You shrug, Spencer’s hand tucks between your cheek and shoulder. Emily pretends to be busy pouring her own bourbon while everyone else goes about their own wind down routines, she sees the ease with which Spencer’s nose presses into the hill of your shoulder and then his kiss imprints on the same spot.

You melt under the affection too, a sticky and gooey as your face leans into his palm and your eyes shut.

“Alright, Spence.” She whispers, smiling a little as Spencer strokes your hair and your eyes become heavier.

[ellecdc]

James' Love & the Adventures of Padvix

poly!marauders x fem!reader who is very foxy [1.2k words]

CW: animagus reader, modern AU but still magical, they're staying at an airBNB, padfoot and vixen are out of control and James [+ Remus] are smitten

Remus looked so pretty; his cheeks and nose kissed pink by the cold, a soft, satisfied smile on his face, and the snowflakes landing on his hat and tawny curls poking out from under it that took their sweet time to melt under his effervescent warmth. 

James was in love. 

“Are you going to help me here or are you just going to keep staring?” Remus commented then, not bothering to look up at his boyfriend whilst a cheeky smirk danced on his lips. 

James wanted to kiss him senseless. 

So he did. 

Remus tasted like the peppermint hot chocolate he enjoyed earlier, the peppermint hot chocolate he’d probably enjoy when they got back inside, the cold winter air, and happiness. 

James was in love. 

“Sorry Moons.” He murmured against his lips before pressing one more, two more, let’s make it three more kisses to his lips before he did indeed help load the chopped wood into the strong IKEA bags.

The two of them stepped into the steamy warm cabin. No, it wasn’t actually steamy, that was just James’ glasses. But before James' bag of firewood even hit the ground, gentle fingers were pulling them from his face before Remus pressed a kiss to his nose. 

James was in love. 

De-fog-ified, James’ glasses made themselves back home on his face as he looked around the living space of the small cabin the four of you had rented for the week. 

“Where’d they go?” He inquired aloud, hearing a canine ‘oomph’ in response. 

Remus and James both moved to stand behind the sofa to find you and Sirius - or, rather, Pads and Vix - on the rug in front of the fire. Padfoot appeared to be laying casually (which told James and Remus that he was very much up to something) whilst Vix performed dramatic “mousing” jumps onto Padfoot’s back, eliciting those canine “oomph’s” they had heard upon entering. 

James was in love. 

“I’m pretty sure this airBNB was ‘no pets allowed’ you two.” Remus teased, though he seemed no less pleased at watching the two of you roughhouse. 

“Please.” James scoffed as he lazily fell over the back of the sofa. “A quick vanishing spell and we’ll be leaving this place cleaner than we found it.” 

“Why do you think we get perfect ratings for every place we rent?” Remus chuckled as he navigated around the sofa like a normal person, lifting his leg when you started to zoomie across the area rug and nearly collided with him. “Merlin, Vix, you’re a hazard.” 

Padfoot let out what sounded awfully close to a laugh before Vix went to do one of her mousing jumps at him again, only for him to roll onto his back so that her front paws landed into his stomach and then rolled back over, completely encapsulating the much smaller fox under his large frame. 

If James was none the wiser, he would have assumed that the dog was the only animal in the dwelling; Padfoot returning to laying far too casually. 

James was in love. 

“Padfoot.” Remus chided, giving the dog a look of faux exasperation. “Can she even breathe under there?” 

The dog huffed in a way that told both boys he was rolling his eyes before two front paws circled the tip of his tail and two back paws started bunny kicking the base. Padfoot seemed to be cocking an unimpressed eyebrow at the little vixen as James started cackling. 

“She’s wild today.” 

“I have a feeling it’s not one sided.” Remus murmured in response as Vix’s head popped out from under the large dog's fur, the two of them staring each other down before both of Padfoot’s front paws slammed down onto the rug in an invitation to play, and Vix launched herself at his face. 

Vix ended up on her back between his paws as she swatted and nipped at Padfoot’s muzzle and bunny kicked the thick fur around his neck as Padfoot mouth-wrestled and gently nipped at Vix’s scruff. 

“Oh come on you guys,” James moaned, “you’re gonna be all slobbery!” 

Padfoot stood then - tail straight up in the air and wagging slowly - allowing Vix to stand and bolt in one direction, reappearing from the other side of the room before Padfoot even began his chase. 

James was almost dizzy when all he could see was the occasional blur of orange fur and Padfoot pausing in the middle of the room with his ears and tail up before the blur reappeared and he took off again after her, Remus laughing so heartily at the chaos that he ended up nearly collapsing into James’ side. 

James was in love. 

The room fell eerily quiet for a moment before Vix flew over the back of the sofa, landing between James and Remus, and Padfoot appeared in front of them looking disturbingly close to launching his very large frame at the bunch of them. 

“Pads, don’t you dare!” Remus shouted through a laugh, holding his hands up as if ready to fend off the large dog. 

Vix seemed to think it was hilarious too; the high pitched cackling sound foxes often make leaving her mouth as she flattened herself to the sofa - so happy, so excited, so full of love that her entire little body seemed wholly incapable of staying still. 

James was in love. 

Padfoot let out an excited bark and licked excitedly at Remus’ hands before moving his affection to Vix’s head. 

“No!” James laughed before scooping the fox up into his arms. “I want cuddles before the two of you are covered in slobber.” 

Vix melted into James’ embrace whilst Padfoot clumsily made his way up onto the sofa that he was a little too big to fit on, though Remus still did his best to accommodate him. 

“The two of you are menaces.” Remus muttered good naturedly as he threw his arm over the back of the sofa. 

“She started it!” The now human form of Sirius argued as he leaned into Remus's side.

“Who? Her?” James asked as he held Vix’s little face up against his own, both of them shooting Sirius their best puppy dog face. “Sirius, look at her. How could she be the problem?”

“So what? I’m automatically the problem?” Sirius scoffed in offence. 

“Yes.” James and Remus chorused. 

“I’m cute too!” Sirius nearly shrieked then. 

“Adorable.” Remus agreed quickly. “But you’re the kind of cute that screams trouble.” 

“Oh, as opposed to what? Her innocence?” Sirius muttered then, gesturing to Vix with a frustrated hand. 

His ire melted away, though, when the fox gave his hand a gentle lick. 

“Oh for Merlin’s sake, she’s adorable.” He grumbled petulantly as he stole the fox from James’ embrace, cradling it in his arms so Remus and James could admire you from over his shoulders.

You melted back into yourself then, smiling widely up at the three boys; love, mischief, excitement, and contentment oozing from your being that could only come with knowing how loved you were and loving them just as much in turn. 

James was so in love.

[theostrophywife]

written in the stars.

pairing: theodore nott x reader. song inspiration: until i found you by stephen sanchez feat. em beihold. author's note: boyfriend theo is the best theo. if you're wondering, then yes writing this hurt me as much as it hurts reading it but like in the best way possible.

Theodore Nott has always had an affinity for the stars. 

When he was younger, Theo's mother used to take him to the rooftop of Nott Manor and point out the constellations to him. The stars told stories, his mum had said. Theo listened with rapt attention as she recounted the tales of Aquila, Heracles, and Orion as they glittered against the backdrop of the English countryside.

The two of them would make an entire evening out of it. Laying on his back atop a nest of blankets and pillows, little Theo watched as the stars climbed higher and higher, filling the horizon with hope and light. Stargazing had been their special secret. The one thing that wasn’t tainted by his abusive father. Theo guarded the memory of those nights in his heart like a priceless treasure.

After his mother’s passing, Theo continued their tradition of stargazing. Even if she was no longer alive, all he had to do was look up at the sky to feel her with him. For that reason, the stars were special to him and he’d never shared its meaning with anyone. 

Until tonight. 

“Watch your step, cara mia.” Theo said as he guided you by the small of your back. 

The dark cloth covering your eyes prohibited you from seeing, but you trusted your boyfriend to keep you from falling. Though you weren’t a fan of surprises, Theo was impossible to resist. All he had to do was flash those pretty watercolor eyes at you and you were an absolute goner. 

For you, Theo had always been the exception. 

He guided you up a staircase, keeping a firm grip on your waist as the two of you ascended. Wherever you were going, it was pretty high up. You smiled as Theo took hold of your waist, knowing that you weren't the biggest fan of heights. Sometimes it felt like he knew you better than you knew yourself. When you reached the top, Theo unfastened his tie from behind your head. 

“You can open your eyes now, sweetheart.” 

You blinked, letting your eyes adjust to the dark. The wind whistled through the stone arches of the Astronomy Tower, framing the starkissed night with its marble pillars. The soft glow of the moon illuminated the nest of blankets and pillows arranged in the middle of the wooden floor. 

“Did you do all of this for me, babe?” 

Theo smiled. “I thought you might like to go stargazing with me,” he said, his voice soft. “Do you like it, my love?” 

“I love it, Teddy.” You beamed, standing on your tiptoes to kiss his nose. “But not nearly as much as I love you.” 

Theo grinned before pulling you in for a proper kiss. His lips were soft against yours and he tasted like peppermint. Butterflies erupted in your stomach as your knees buckled slightly. Theo never failed to make you feel like a lovestruck school girl. It never stopped feeling like this despite how many times you kissed this boy.

As if reading your thoughts, Theo smiled against your lips. “Come on, Y/N. I want to show you my favorite constellations.” 

The two of you laid down beneath the stars, making yourself comfortable amidst the blankets and pillows. Wordlessly, Theo pulled you into his arms and you nestled into the crook of his neck, breathing in the familiar scent of sea salt spray and sun kissed skin. 

“Tell me the story of the stars, Teddy.” 

He smiled, brushing your hair back. “That one right there is Ursa Major. Otherwise known as the Big Dipper, but if you look at the entire constellation, it actually forms a bear.” 

“I remember learning about that when I was little,” you said, gazing up at the sky. “Didn’t it have something to do with Zeus?”

Theo nodded. “In Greek mythology, the Olympian God Zeus fell in love with Callisto and got her pregnant. After she gave birth to the child, Hera was so mad she turned Callisto into a bear.” 

“That hardly seems fair,” you responded with a frown. 

“Zeus was a bit of a wanker,” Theo said in agreement. “Hera was even worse. She cursed Callisto to wander the forest for years in bear form until she was hunted by her own son Arcas. Just as he raised his spear to strike her down, Zeus stepped in and sent them up to the heavens. Callisto as Ursa Major and Arcas as Bootes.” 

“The Greek gods were truly a piece of work,” you replied. “But at least we got those constellations out of them."

You squinted, pointing at the cluster of stars hovering in the east. “What’s that one?” 

“That’s the constellation of Leo,” explained Theo. “Named after the Nemean lion that Heracles defeated during the first of his twelve labours.” 

“Didn’t he make a cloak out of the lion’s pelt?” 

“Smart girl,” Theo said proudly. “The cloak made Heracles invincible and more fearsome than he already was. The Nemean lion’s heart is made up of the star Regulus, which is associated with the arrival of spring.” 

“The Little King. I read that it burns hotter than the sun.” 

Theo couldn’t help but smile. Before he met you, he never thought he’d find someone to share such a special and intimate thing with. He was worried that no one else would understand his love for the stars, but as he watched you peer curiously up at the sky, your nose scrunched in careful concentration, Theo felt all of his doubts fade away. 

“Regulus is unique because it can be seen in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.” 

The blue star glittered brightly above your heads, as if it was showing off for the occasion. “It’s beautiful,” you breathed. 

Theo stared at you, at the childlike wonder shimmering in your eyes, and he felt like the breath had been knocked out of his lungs. The gravity of what he felt for you hit him all at once. 

“Yeah,” Theo said softly, still looking at you. “Beautiful.” 

You grinned, intertwining your fingers and kissing his knuckles. “How do you know so much about the stars, Teddy?” 

“My mum taught me.” Theo answered, drawing circles on your hip. “When I was little, she used to take me to the rooftop of the manor and tell me the story behind each star. She was fascinated by them. Before she met my father, she wanted to teach astronomy at the Stati Magia.”

“The Italian School of Witchcraft?” 

Theo nodded. “My mother attended the Stati Magia, just like her mother and her mother before her. A tradition that I unintentionally broke, as nonna Lucia loves to remind me. Sometimes I think the old bat wishes that I was born a strega instead.” 

You giggled. “You would’ve been a very pretty witch.” Theo chuckled as you propped your head up in one hand. “Did your mum end up becoming a professor?”

“No,” Theo said sadly. “After I was born, my father said that her place was at the manor. He refused to move to Florence, even though he knew it was my mother’s dream.” 

You stroked his hair, nodding emphatically. Theo rarely talked about his mother. You knew that her passing was a painful subject for him, so you never pushed him to talk about it unless he wanted to.

“That’s awful. I’m so sorry, my love,” you said. “But at least she was able to pass down her love of the stars to you. In a way, she lived her dream by teaching you.” 

A soft smile tugged at your boyfriend’s lips. “I suppose she did.” 

You laid back down, but this time you cradled Theo against you. He rested his head against your chest, listening to the calming sound of your heartbeat. Talking about his mother will always be hard, but you helped ease the pain. 

“What about those stars?” You asked, pointing to the north. “What did your mother tell you about them?” 

“Perseus and Andromeda,” Theo answered. “Those are actually her favorites.”

“The chained maiden.” 

Theo stirred, inclining his gaze to the horizon. “Andromeda was the Princess of Aethiopia, the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia. She was said to be very beautiful. Her mother bragged that Andromeda was fairer than the Nereids, which angered Poseidon. As punishment, the Sea God sent the creature Cetus to ravage that coast of their kingdom.” 

You nodded, recalling the story. “King Cepheus chained her to a rock and offered her as a sacrifice to appease the sea monster.” 

“Luckily for Andromeda, the hero Perseus found her before Cetus could attack again. Perseus fell in love with Andromeda and defeated the monster so he could free the princess. They ended up marrying and became king and queen of Mycenae. When they died, the goddess Athena placed them side by side in the heavens so that they would never be parted, not even by death.” 

“A love written in the stars,” you said with awe and wonder. “I can see why it’s your mother’s favorite.”

“When I was a boy, she told me that she hoped I’d experience a love like theirs, minus the sea monster of course.” You chuckled. Theo knit his brows together like he did when he was deep in thought. When he spoke again, his voice was barely audible. “It’s sad to think that she never found her Perseus.” 

You brushed his hair back, running your fingers through his curls gently. “She might not have found her Perseus, but she did have her Theo.”

Theo turned over and looked at you. The intensity in his gaze made you shiver. He was so ingrained in your heart that it felt inaccurate to continue calling it yours.

“After she died, I never thought I’d share her stories with anyone again, but I’m glad I shared them with you.” 

“Thank you for trusting me, Theo.” You said as you placed a kiss on his temple. “It means the world to me that you not only shared your mother’s stories, but her memory as well. I would’ve loved to meet her.”

The tender smile on Theo’s face was heartbreaking. Then softly, he whispered. “She would’ve loved you, Y/N.”

Your heart cracked open, his words spilling like sunlight over every crevice, warming you from the inside out.

Tears formed at the corners of your eyes, but you forced yourself to give Theo a watery smile. “Because I’m a nerd who memorized obscure mythological facts?”

Your boyfriend smiled. “No,” he said gently, caressing your cheek. “Because you made her wish come true. You are my love written in the stars, cara mia.” 

The moonlight kissed Theo’s tan skin, the silver beams caressing his face like a lover as if the moon and the stars craved to commit his beauty to memory as badly as you did. Gods, he was breathtaking. 

This was the Teddy you knew and loved. Your Teddy.

Those watercolor eyes shimmered with emotion. “Sometimes I think the gods made you just for me, like our souls are linked in a way that neither logic nor magic can explain. Whatever it is, I think I’ve loved you since before the heavens and the earth existed and I’m fairly certain that I’d still love you even after the last star falls out of the sky.”

“You’re the love of my life, Theodore Nott.” Tears streamed down your cheeks as this boy—this beautiful boy ensnared your mind, body, and soul. “I’d find you in any universe and in any galaxy. Maybe someday we’ll be immortalized in the stars too.” 

Theo held your face in his hands. His expression was open and vulnerable, like he wasn’t afraid to lay himself bare before you. As if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

“We’re two halves of a whole,” Theo said. “I loved you yesterday. I love you today and I’ll love you tomorrow. You’re it for me, Y/N. You and no one else.” 

“You and no one else, Teddy.” 

Under the constellations of the star crossed lovers, Theo kissed you so gently that it made your heart ache. As Andromeda and Perseus kept watch over the horizon, Theodore Nott knew one thing for certain.

Someday the stars would tell your story too.