#Theme Birthday Party in Manila | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mwcowan · 4 months ago

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A Whole New Chapter

Happy Birthday Max (and Ripley, Olaf, and Daisy)!

June 28th was Max’s 4th birthday (and all of his 8 siblings, though we only know Ripley, Olaf, and Daisy). He celebrated with a special birthday crown, and by devouring a HUGE liver and rice pupcake that Georgia made for him. He had trouble blowing out the candle though.

One thing Max hasn’t acclimated well to are the storms, with their heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. He’s always been shy about loud noises, and here, even the rains get loud. I’ve described the intense lightning and thunder before, but just to remind you it’s LOUD! This is all made worse by the fact that we live outside most of the time, often hanging out in our upstairs open-air foyer; even if we’re indoors we almost always have the windows open. We've read that some dogs deal with loud noises better if they wear earmuffs so we experimented. Here’s Max’s first “boom boom” helmet:

This seemed to help so we’ve since upgraded this to a commercial model that just slips over his ears. We’re not sure if it really muffles the noise or if it just distracts him having something wrapped around his head. He also seems to deal with thunder fairly well by retreating to a ‘sanctuary’, usually underneath my desk in the main room, or Georgia’s desk in our bedroom. We hope he gets used to it quickly – now that we’re in the rainy season we get a thunderstorm almost every afternoon. He’ll get plenty of practice at least!

And Happy 60th Birthday Noel!

Continuing to celebrate birthdays, last weekend we went to Manila to attend the birthday party of our dear friend Noel. Michelle had planned a fun 80’s themed (just my thing!) night, with DJ, dancing, and of course food and drink. We saw many friends there and – small world time – even met two of our neighbors from Kawayan Cove that we hadn’t met before. Here’s Noel with more than his share of lovely ladies.

On the Road Again

One of Georgia’s friends, way back from her McDonald’s days in the early 80’s, has a vacation house on Lake Caliraya, which is just south of the biggest lake on Luzon, Laguna de Bay. The friend had offered for us to use it anytime we wanted. Although she wasn’t there, we took the drive and spent a couple nights at the lake.

The lake is manmade, its dam constructed in 1939 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for one of the first hydroelectric power projects in the Philippines. The dam was blown up by retreating American troops in 1942 to keep it from being useful to the Japanese, who quickly repaired it. The Japanese in turn destroyed the dam in 1945 when they retreated. It was rebuilt in 1953 by the Philippines National Power Corporation and since no one has blown it up since, it's still generating hydroelectric power. In addition to power, this large lake (about 3 x 8km/2 x 5mi, with a convoluted 157km/98 mi shoreline) provides many recreational opportunities and supposedly the best largemouth bass fishing in the Philippines (we tried but didn’t catch any…).

Even without catching anything we enjoyed our time on this very quiet and serene lake.

The only downside of Lake Caliraya, for us anyway, was the journey. From Kawayan Cove it’s about 160km each way which shouldn’t be that bad, about 2 hours or so, right? It’s not that bad at all for the first 40km or so, where we have nice, uncrowded highways to Tagaytay/Lake Taal. Past that though, with the exception of less than 10km on the SLEX expressway, it’s a slog along crowded, narrow, surface streets, making in all a pretty stressful 5-hour drive. The last 20km or so, when the route takes you up into the mountains and to the lake, finally let me relax a bit on a twisty but uncrowded mountain road. Reaching the subdivision entrance we continued for a bit on a normal 2-lane road… which abruptly turns into a single lane composed of two narrow strips of concrete. In some places there were drop-offs to the sides of the strips so you had to be very careful to stay centered, and MOST places there was absolutely no room for two cars to pass. Not sure what we would’ve done but luckily we didn’t meet another car either going in or out.

Here's the 'road' as it goes by the lake house, one of the few wide spots where two cars could pass.

Although the drive was somewhat stressful, it was a good chance to get to know our new car. Yes! I got my Fortuner! We had to wait about a month after we ordered it (waiting for that special Platinum White Mica Pearl paint), and took delivery the day before our trip. Having a brand-new car probably added to my stress, but overall it’s a joy to drive. The Innova, which is now Georgia's mom's car, served us well, and though it’s officially not a minivan it drives like one. The Fortuner (sharing the chassis and diesel engine with the Innova and the Hilux pickup) is much sportier to drive, especially on the twisty roads. Now we have a mini-SUV and a full-size SUV!

It's a Jungle Out There

The other day our caretakers pointed out a snake that had roosted in a vine near our pool deck, in fact right above my favorite spot to sit and read. It turned out to be a reticulated python, common all over Southeast Asia. These are the longest snakes in the world – the longest one ever captured was 33 feet (9.9m)! One of our neighbors is quite fearful of snakes and warned us to get rid of it as it will kill and eat dogs and cats, cattle, carabao… and you! Well, maybe the big ones, but this guy (less than 3’ / 1m) would only strike fear into you if you were one of the frogs that used to hang out in that spot.

While we’re talking reptiles, yesterday when I opened our pool umbrella I was surprised by this friendly looking tuko who had taken up residence inside. A large (this one was about 10" / 25cm) and colorful member of the gecko family, these creatures are plentiful here but are very shy and you rarely see them, only hearing their loud “tu-ko, tu-ko, tu-ko” calls in the morning and evening.

And Back to the Friendly Skies

Tomorrow we’re starting our journey back to the states, for about a 5-week visit. Check on the house, visit friends and family, go to the dentist, that sort of stuff. Max will stay here with caretaker Vima, with whom he’s become very good friends. We’ll be coming back to Manila right before Danny, Ben and Lachlan arrive for a visit in late August, which we’re excitedly looking forward to!

So that wraps up this chapter. I’ll probably be back in September.

Until then, leaving you with a couple of nice sunsets. Take care everyone!

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avemstella · 1 year ago

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Ok story time because I'm still slightly losing it over this haha.

So several days ago my mother called me and was like: check your mail and I was like um ok. And then she was like, make sure u don't open it until u go into work on Tuesday. Which um, extra weird. She was soooo cagey about it and I'm like: is my mother using me to commit some crime or something. But because I trust my mom to not make me a criminal I'm like ok I guess and so I brought this beat up manila envelope with massive sharpie scribbles on the back saying not to open it until today to work, and opened it then only to find the only contents some balloon themed napkins.

No note, no nothing, but party napkins with balloons on them. it cost my mother $5 to send napkins she probably got for 1.

So at this point I'm like: is my mother trolling me what is happening. Work went on, then several hours later I get a message from the front desk person that there was a package for me. And I was like huh, never had this happen before, but currently I still don't have my work ID card yet so I was like, maybe its that and I'll be finally free from logging in with passcodes every 5 minutes.

Then I walk up to the front desk to find a cake.

Yeah so fun fact my birthday is on the 16th but my mother decided to surprise me with weirdly early sudden birthday cake (and later flowers that got a bit lost and made me have to awkwardly call the dude back to explain where I was lol). Don't get me wrong I'm incredibly grateful (the cake was very good) but did she have to start the surprise by making me feel as if I was smuggling in contraband and risking getting arrested by fbi. Also the several hours I thought my mother had sent me a early bday gift of just dollar store napkins.

#avem rambling #my mother... is not normal #the empty nesting is getting to her #not that she was ever normal lol

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coollemonsaresour · 4 years ago

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The Love That Don't Stop

Pairing: Steve Rogers x daughter reader, Steve Roger x Natasha Romanoff. Warnings: Child abandonment, angst, fluff

Summary: It is Y/n's birthday, and she gets an unexpected present.

Word count: 2632

Request: @maximeevansblog ; The reader (me ) is the daughter of Steve rogenrs and its the readers birtday, and he takes her to the nail en hair salon , and they come back, and in the tower, they have a suprise party for her, and natasha comes with adoption papers and, he wants to her mom and a lotts of fluff thanks, and if its ready you tag me right ( natasha and Steve are dating) thanks. And if its ready you tag me right thanks

Request: Anonymous; can you do a Natasha x black!child!reader? I really liked your other fic. You don't have to if you don't want to.

A/n: I made lots of changes, cause when I went to go post it two weeks ago, my fics were two similar to the other two. The highlighted words are in realtion to the person that requested. Because I wanted to incorporate them into the fic 🙃

Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, BeEeee- you were starting to get agitated, and brought your fist down on your alarm clock, smashing it to pieces. But hey, it’s not your fault, you got your father’s enhancements through genetics, just the perks of being a Rogers.

Still in bed, you let out a yawn, and you began to stretch; mid-stretch that is when it had clicked.

It’s My Birthday.

And that’s when you smelled it. The sweet smell of a birthday tradition you and your dad have had for the past nine years of your life.

One day you showed your dad Steven Universe, and it happened to be the together breakfast episode. So ever since then, every morning of your birthday, you and your dad sit down together and have Together Breakfast.

As soon as you got out of the shower, you threw on some clothes and dash to the Kitchen. As soon as you enter you were met by a horrible sight. Your dad and a redhead kissing.

Nat and your dad have been friends since he had come out of the ice, a became even closer when you were born. Nat was like a mom to you, but you never would say that out loud, cause you didn’t want to make it wired or have her feel uncomfortable.

Your mom was never in the picture, she left you and your dad five days after you were born. Steve had no idea of how to raise a kid, he was completely lost, but then Nat had offered to help him out. The pair worked as such a great team people often thought that they were actually a couple. After years of a long, long sturdy friendship, your dad finally asked the assassin out. So basically they have been dating for about two and a half years now.

“Ew, gross,” you said, dramatically shielding your face from the sight. “ Good Morning Y/n, happy birthday,” they both said. “Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable,” you said as you sat down at the island stools. “You mean this public display of affection?” he said with a smirk and then pulled Nat in for another kiss. You then shield your face away and then began gagging and reaching.

“So it is….10:30,” you said looking around “Where’s Together Breakfast?” you said whining. “It’s right here you big baby,” Nat said teasing.

“ Cheers to fifteen years of chaotic life,” you said holding up a fork “Cheers!” they said, you each then taking a bite.

“So, Y/n, anything special on thing on the agenda today,” Nat said wriggling her eyebrows. “Not really, I was hoping that we could just go to the spa, then the salon, and just have a chill day.” You said taking another bite. “Oooh, sorry, y/n I can’t, join you today, I have busine- “ you cut Nat off with a loud groan. “ But its’ my birthdayyyyy,” you said with an adorable pout. “I know, and I’m sorry,” she said squashing your cheeks together “and I will make it up to you, but for right now-” she paused reaching over the counter to grab her bag “ I have to go,” she said giving you small hug and then turning to give steve a quick peck on the lips, and heading for the door. “ Bye,” Steve said, “bye Nat,” You say still mopping. “Bye babes,” she says giving the two an air kiss before disappearing out the door.

“So, I guess it is just me and you, Y/n,” Steve said as he started cleaning up breakfast. “Ya, I guess so, though I really wanted Nat to come today. Alright, imma got get ready so that we could go,” you said heading back to your room, leaving Steve smiling at your comment about Nat; not that you even realized.

---

“Alright, where here,” Steve said as the uber pulled up to the salon. You both walked in and were greeted by an overlay excited worker. “Hi, my name is Jess, I will be helping you out today” you then gave her a small, that she returned, then started eyeing Steve like he was her last meal. She looked like she was in her early-twenties, pale skin, about 5’3, blonde hair, and brown eyes. Probably working this job to pay off student loans. She turned to Steve, with scrunched eyebrows.

“Are you Captain America?” she asked with a smirk of curiosity, but it looked like she was trying to amuse him before he could answer “yes, he is, and he’s taken, Maybe next time sweetheart, ” you said pulling you dad away from Jess, and toward the receptionist desk.

“ Hi, Appointment for Y/n Rogers,” You say, leaning against the desk. “Right this way.”

---

You were currently sitting in a chair in front of a medium-size mirror, your hands resetting on the armrest, careful not themes up the freshly done nails. Then two Beautistions approached us, then one of them turned to Steve and asked, “are you getting your, hair done too,”

“No”

“Yes”

you and Steve say at the same time.

“Please dad, you can you a new due,” you say, Steve just rapidly shakes his head rapidly no.

“What wrong with the style I have now?” he asked. “You look like an upgraded BackStreet boy,” you reply in full honesty. He then puts his hand over his chest and pretends to be hurt. “You should die it!” one of the Beautistion said, “Great Idea…” you hesitated, search for her name tag.

“Max” she finished for you, seeing what you were trying to do. “If you don’t want to, die your whole head, you can start with highlights,” she said with a smile of excitement. Steve was about to say no until he saw your adorable pleading face. “Fine,” he said putting his hands up in defeat and moving into the salon chair next to yours.

---

After you left the Spa you and your dad headed to central park for a walk, something you two did a lot when you were younger.

You then pulled out your phone and tried to Facetime “Natty Bare 😘” but there was no answer. Which was strange, because Nat always answers your calls, no matter who, what, when, where, and why. Steve saw what you did and smiled, a smug smile. "What are you doing?" Your dad asked

"I wanted to show Nat your blue hair streaks" you said with a pout.

Halfway through the walk your legs were getting tired so you jumped on your dad’s back, you wrapped your arms around his neck and your legs around his hip.

“You’re like a pretzel,” he says linking his arms under your knees for better support. “And, you’re like a Dorito,” you tiredly mumble into the crook of his neck, Steve chuckled at the comment.

After walking a little longer you fall asleep. Steve then tightened his grip a little, as if he was giving a backward hug. He just could believe how fast his baby girl was growing up.

---

When they reached the tower’s elevator, Steve placed Y/n down on her feet to wake you.

“Y/n, baby, I need you to wake up for a minute.” “But why,” you mumbled as you leaned against him for support since you were still tired. “Cause if you don’t then this could be a very embarrassing photo.” “what pho-” before you could finish, the elevator doors opened, and then...

“SURPRISE!”

A tired smile then played its role on your face. You looked around and saw everyone there, except Nat.

Mabey she will show up later you thought to yourself.

---

An hour later she still has yet shone up. You asked around and Tony told you that she had a last-minute mission, but that she should be back at any time now. That failed to relieve your nerves.

But those nerves became worse when it was time to cut the cake. You know she was busy but would she really miss your birthday.

Apparently, yes, yes she would. Because the party was over, over an hour ago, and now it was currently 9:30.

Your dad knew that you were really bummed out that Nat missed your party, so he suggested a movie night. Movie nights were special to you and your dad because it became something you two did together, to destress. Just the two of you, Daddy and Daughter.

“Got room for one more.” came a voice that you recognized immediately. “Sorry, this is a two-person couch,” you shot back, anger leaking from your voice, your eyes never leaving the tv screen, ignoring the Russian, as she came into your view.

Steve then paused the movie, causing you to turn your head toward him, annoyed.

“How was the mission,” he asked her.

“I don’t know” She replied accompanied by a tight-lipped smile and shrug. You were about to say something but “Because it is not over yet,” she said looking nervous.

She then pulled out a manila folder and approached you and sat down in between Steve. The Folder was labeled “Confidential” with a red ribbon and bow tied around. The folder She then handed you the folder causing you to look up at them in question.

“Open it,” Steve said pulled Nat toward him sat her in between his legs, and then wrapped his arms around her shoulders, trying to help calm the nerves surging through her.

You carefully untied the ribbon, and open the folder. “On this day Y/n M/n Ro-” You mumbled quietly and then stopped, your face going blank. Your vision then started to get blurry with tears threatening to spill.

“Wow, y-you’re really, um getting good at that face,” Nat said, a million thoughts going through her mind.

“Y/n,” Nat said, voice flooded with worry. When you didn’t look at her, she used her fingers to lift your chin, so that you were looking at her. And when you locked with her that’s when the dames broke, as the tears sprang free from your eyes.

“Oh, no, baby, baby please, don’t cry,” she said trying to wipe away the tears rapidly falling down your face. “ I understand if you don’t want to go through with it,” she said wiping the tear that fell from her face.

“We don-”

She was cut off with the air being knocked out of her, as you crashed into her wrapping your arms around her torso, burying your face in her stomach, sobbing. She then wrapped her arms around you and held you close, one hand rubbing up and down your back trying to calm you, the other gently twirling some of your coils with her fingers.

Nat always felt like you were her child, even some people in public would mistake her for your mom, But she didn’t know how you felt.

Nat was so nervous that her soul was shaking. She knew how the topic of a Mother, is one that stings for you.

---

*Flashback*

Nat POV

I pulled up to Y/n’s school, today was her first day of Kindergarten, and in the morning she was so excited. That morning I bruised her hair into two puffs, curled her sideburns, and she then wore a Captain America shirt, with joggers and light-up sneakers. I swear she was the cutest four-year-old in the world.

I then saw Y/n exit the school, but my smile flattened when I saw the sad expression on her face. I then hopped out of the car and head toward her, as I get closer it looks as if she was crying. When I get to her I pick her up and place her on my hip, and instead of her giving me a hug like she usually does she just tucks her head into my neck.

“Hey, baby,” I saw trying to cheer her up “You okay,” I ask she just nodded and let out a little sigh. Then I hear laughing voices and I turn my head to see a group of second graders.

“See I told you to see was adopted, her parents probably didn’t love her,” one of them said.

“ There is no way Captain America is her dad If that lady is her mom, they’re both white, and she’s not”

“She just a baby and a lier,”

“ She probably doesn’t even have a mom,” another said laughing, causing Y/n to sniffle.

I then cleared my throat, successfully grabbing the attention of the bullies, sending them a death glare, and then headed to the car, and then buckled Y/n into her car seat. I then sat in the driver’s seat and adjusted the rearview mirror so that we could look at each other.

“Don’t listen to those, mouth breathers Y/n you hear me.” Y/n still didn’t look at me her eyes trained on her fingers fiddling in her lap.

“Um, Nat, umm, where is my mom, and w-why, um, why does she, not love m-me?” Y/n said with a sniffle. Her question made me want to go up to those kids and beat the shit out of them.

“ well y/n your mom had to do something important and should be back soon,” I had to lie to her because I didn’t know how to explain to a four-year-old, that her mother abandoned her and her dad because she thinks giving life to the sweetest little girl was a mistake.

Like what did Маленький шар совершенства, ever do to her.

“But Y/n, let me tell you this, Your dad loves you, so much and would let anything bad happen to you, you know that right detka,” she then nodded her head, sniffled, and wiped her tears.

“And I love you too, milashka, and I will never stop loving you.” I love you, Nat” “Now how about we get some Ice cream annnnnd, not tell Steve, because he is going to be mad because you haven’t eaten any dinner yet,” I said starting the car and putting a smile on Y/n’s face.

How could a mother ever leave a child like this, so sweet, innocent, and pure?

*Flashback over*

---

No one’s POV

“So is that a yes, baby?” Nat asked nervously that you might say no because you were crying.

You just nodded your head yes, as Nat hugged you tighter.

“Oh, dad I forgot to tell you, while we were out...I, um, need a new alarm clock,” you said with a nervous chuckle.

“Again,” they both said, not surprised at all.

“Mabey you should use your phone, you’re always pretty careful with that,” Nat said bopping your nose and squishing your cheeks together. You then reach into your pocket and pull out your phone. You went to the contacts and changed “Natty 😘” to “Mama🔥”.

“What’s my contact name Y/n?” Your dad asked.

“❤️Captain🤍Crunch💙,” you said sliding your phone back into your pocket and laying back down on Nat’s stomach.

“ I love you, mama,” you said nuzzling further into her

“I love to baby, always has and don’t plan on stopping”

*Bonus*

(Nat and Steve in the kitchen after putting Y/n to bed, because she fell asleep during the rest of the movie because you were tired after crying)

“So...what’s up with the hair, “ Nat said sipping on her tea, taking a step closer to Steve. He then shrugged his shoulders, and shook his head, with a goofy smile. “Uhh, Y/n thought I needed a new look,” He responds shaking the colorful hair from side to side. “Well, I like it,” she says as she runs her hands through his hair, “ Oh, do you,” Steve said placing his hands on her hips. “Yea…I do,” she says standing on her tippy-toe, kissing his lips. Steve then leaned more into the kiss. They went from kiss to make out sess, really quick.

“How about we don’t do this in the kitchen,”

“Mmhm”

---

@the-bau-quinjet

#steve rogers x daughter!reader #mom nat #dad steve #romanogers #steven universe #steve rogers #natasha x child!reader #avengers x teen!reader #avengers x teen reader #avengers x black!reader #avengers poc reader #steve rogers x natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x daughter!reader #avengers x reader #Romanogers x reader #Romanogers x daughter reader #steve rogers x teen!reader #Steve Rogers x daughter reader #Natash Romanoff

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puppypeter · 4 years ago

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These are all dark fics, READ THE TAGS before reading the fics. It is your responsibility to check whether what you are about to read is something that you can stomach. While most of these fics are based around trauma, recovery etc many feature triggering scenes or flashbacks as well as darker themes. Please be safe and don’t read them if they can be triggering for you! Proceed with caution! Most of them are Hydra Trash, but still not just the ugly bits as I like there to be a plot. Hiding them below the cut:

between scylla and charybdis | 21590 words

Sam Wilson has been witness to a lot of things he wishes he could unsee. Civilian families shot dead in their cars because of miscommunications at checkpoints. Riley’s body spiralling to the ground in a smoke-plumed plummet. His own face in his bathroom mirror after waking up hung-over as hell at two in the afternoon, the day after the anniversary of Riley’s death, year after year after year.

And now, in an abandoned bunker on the outskirts of Boston, a seemingly unremarkable manila folder at the bottom of a filing cabinet.

Berceuse | 10730 words

There are strange, new things Bucky needs from Steve.

Dreamers Often Lie | 11040 words

As far as Bucky remembers, sex is something that is painful and terrifying if you wake up while it's happening. As the Asset, sleeping through sex was a rare treat. When Steve lets Bucky know he's interested in a sexual relationship, what Steve doesn't know is that they have fundamentally different ideas of what that entails.

despite the threatening sky and the shuddering earth (they remained) | 71532 words

“They really didn’t want the mask to come off.” Hill thumbed through the scans, and pulled out a film that she then handed over to Sam, face mostly expressionless but for the flat line of her pursed lips.

Sam accepted the film and held it up to the light, angling so both he and Steve could see it, squinting at the outline of the Winter Soldier’s skull, and the blips of unnatural white that showed up, God, in his brain, not to mention about half his teeth, plus the mask, with its thin protrusions—

“Those are pins,” Steve realized. He looked over at Hill. “The mask—it’s nailed to his face.”

Hill’s face was as unmoved as ever. “Like I said. They really didn’t want it coming off.”

Fire And Water For Your Love | 77084 words

When the Avengers investigate an abandoned HYDRA base on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., they unexpectedly encounter a dark-haired man with a torn metal arm, who leads them to an even more shocking discovery deeper inside the base. The Avengers must reconcile what they have found with the lies S.H.I.E.L.D. has been telling for decades.

Give An Inch | 5070 words

The Captain has a warm smile and clear, open eyes. The Soldier knows these are tricks. He's fallen for them before and he won't do it again.

Humans As Gods | 4818 words

"HYDRA's scientists had been delighted to find their serum-reversal procedure had worked. Their jubilation was dampened by the discovery that Steve's smaller self might no longer be Captain America-sized but was still 100% Steve Rogers, and Steve Rogers was now mad enough to spit nails. A minor oversight in the design of the containment area meant that smaller-Steve had simply wriggled out of the now ridiculously-oversized restraints like an angry ferret escaping a paper bag, and punched the nearest technician in the nuts.

Chaos ensued."

HYDRA scientists successfully de-serum Captain America, only to discover that they are utterly unprepared for Steve Rogers. Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier follows his instructions to the letter. This works out just great.

The Only One That Needs To Know | 6571 words

Bucky can't control his body. He can only control what secrets he keeps.

I Was Wearing My Blue Coat | 11503 words

Following exposure of his past as the Winter Soldier, anonymous postings of explicit video footage, 63 charges of murder and the wrath of the Internet, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes finally steps into the limelight and tells his story to Zenat Patel of the New York Times.

Compliance Will Be Rewarded | 4767 words

Someone told him once: "Compliance will be rewarded," and he remembers pressing his head against a man’s leg in open supplication. He remembers hands in his hair, and a gentle grip on the back of his neck. He remembers a man telling him "so good, so good for me aren't you?" And he remembers nodding his head in a desperate attempt to be exactly as good as he was supposed to be.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bucky Barnes is physically free from Hydra, but the hold on his mind lingers still. All he wants is to go home, and he'll do anything he can to get there.

To Burn Your Kingdom Down | 12370 words

The Avengers go after a Hydra splinter cell with a nasty habit of brutalizing their prisoners. Steve has some ugly history with them, and when a rescue mission gone wrong leaves him and Sam in enemy hands, the situation gets uglier still.

Worth The Wound | 7709 words

The asset knows that maintenance is better than punishment. But with Steve, maintenance becomes more pleasant, soft and gentle and everything he could dream of. It was only natural that he decided to prolong that maintenance a little longer.

The Spaces In-Between | 6971 words | Part 1 of What We Tried So Hard To Hide Away

"Memories are like buckets of water: they weigh on the heart and the brain until the body fails. You're blessed to stay forgetful and young, Soldier."

Sometimes blessings feel like curses.

Illuminate The Scene | 7086 words | Part 2 of What We Tried So Hard To Hide Away

The doctors had wanted to keep the Soldier. Shock him and freeze him until he was fixed, or tear him to scrap if he couldn’t be repaired so that he wouldn’t be an entirely wasted investment. Steve is the only thing stopping them.

When the Soldier can't trust his own body, how can he trust anything?

All These Riots Of Broken Sound | 83790 words | Part 1 of Forever Is A Close And Honest Friend

When Steve and the team return to Avengers tower to find Bucky gone, they must venture into B.A.R.F. to figure out what triggered him to leave and hunt those who wronged him. Trapped in a simulation of Bucky's worst memories with rogue HYDRA agents waiting to strike, 100 years of secrets, lies, pain and love drive the team to their limit and push Steve towards a realisation that is a century in the making.

I Was Lost But Left A Trace | 3585 words | Part 2 of Forever Is A Close And Honest Friend

Disorientated, the Asset reached up to wipe at the moisture on its cheeks and was shocked to find it clear, instead of the crimson it has been expecting. It didn’t understand why this misidentification had caused uproarious laughter from the technicians.

“It is not blood,” the Asset told him, “but it is still a malfunction.”

This sobered the technician a little, and he nodded tightly.

“Yes. It is. But we will fix you.”

I’ll Always Be Blamed For The Sun Going Down | 9907 words | Part 3 of Forever Is A Close And Honest Friend

He knows he’s in the right place. He has heard the guys at the docks laugh and joke about the queers who come out after dark, looking to earn a little extra cash. He has seen the johns, when he’s been out late enough, skulking in the shadows like predators hunting for their next meal, looking for something in particular. Sometimes they look at him.

A small, rusty pen knife that his father had picked up in Europe during the Great War sits heavy in the breast pocket of his jacket. Just in case.

Book Of The Moon | 16019 words | Part 4 of Forever Is A Close And Honest Friend

In 1929, Bucky Barnes falls in love for the first time and resigns himself to never telling a soul, let alone Steve, the object of his affections. In 1943, half a world away from the man he can never have and fighting for his life and his sanity, something new begins to bloom.

Habeas Corpus | 18054 words

An unexpected incident in the field leaves Steve Rogers facing the infiltration of a Hydra base and retrieval of important intelligence, all while pretending to be the Winter Soldier. Unfortunately, there are important aspects of the Soldier's past that Bucky hasn't disclosed, and Steve has no idea what he's really walking into.

Bullies | 14979 words

Written for the MCU trash meme prompt:

I wanna see Steve being messed with by his secretly-HYDRA coworker buddies. I want them generally fucking with him, "accidentally" doing terrible things to him or getting Steve into awful situations, telling jokes that aren't really jokes, gaslighting, performing sexual-assault hazing under the guise that "that's what people do now," pressuring him into other sex shit, anything, just fuck Steve up.

Steve isn't failing to fully catch on because he's dumb or oblivious: it's just that he is Steve, so he wants to believe the best of everybody, and he doesn't want to believe that he could be working for/with bullies and that (as Natasha says) he essentially died for nothing.

Not Unwanted, Not Unloved | 50320 words

They'd resigned themselves to never becoming parents - until Bucky gets pregnant and drops off the grid without even a whisper to his mate about his condition. Steve will still raze the earth to find him, but that doesn't mean he likes what he finds.

The Tones That Tremble Down Your Spine | 13889 words

Tony tells him they’re planning a party for Steve’s birthday. He knows how parties are supposed to go.

Lacuna | 62875 words

The Winter Soldier doesn't remember Steve Rogers, but he needs Rogers' help.

OR: The one where Bucky doesn't remember Steve, but falls in love with him anyway.

Not A Perfect Soldier | 93354 words

In a world where HYDRA was wiped out in the '40s, Steve is found by the Army rather than SHIELD. General Thaddeus Ross wants a perfectly obedient super-soldier at his command, and to that end, he sets out to break Steve to his will. As Steve struggles to come to terms with all he has lost, his life in captivity is only made bearable by the presence of another prisoner-- another super-soldier known only as "Soldat". Then the Avengers strike a deal with Ross to "borrow" him for missions, and Steve is faced with a team who dislikes him, an organization he doesn't trust, and the question of what he's willing to do to escape Ross's clutches.

For Want Of Him | 103174 words

It's the twenty-first century, and Steve Rogers has never been more alone. Everything he knew, everyone he loved, is now gone, and a dark, bitter loneliness claws at him, raking bleeding gashes into his heart. And then there's Brock Rumlow. Rumlow is like salt in his wounds; vicious, and cruel. But his dark brown hair and teasing smirk reminds Steve of someone long dead, and his New York accent sounds like home...He's a soldier like him...he understands. And Steve makes the fatal mistake of trusting him.

The Same Measure | 4943 words

The Winter Soldier was never allowed to stop unless an injury was too grievous.

To Be Unmade | 5114 words | Part 1 of Alexander Pierce Should Have Died Slower

For the asset, things only ever get worse. The external scars fade quickly enough. The internal ones dig deeper and deeper.

But the internal scars are called love, and doesn't that make them worth the hurt?

Do Not Put In The Icebox | 7143 words | Part 2 of Alexander Pierce Should Have Died Slower

When the asset malfunctions on a mission, Rumlow and Rollins learn more than they ever wanted to know about Pierce's hobbies.

And then everyone has pancakes.

The Knowing Makes It Worse | 4130 words | Part 3 of Alexander Pierce Should Have Died Slower

No is a bad word and invites punishment.

Or, Alexander Pierce is a very bad man who delights in manipulating and degrading the asset.

Love Is For Children | 5303 words | Part 4 of Alexander Pierce Should Have Died Slower

Bucky understands how the game works. He can't understand why it makes Steve cry.

But Natasha and the other Avengers are there to help.

I Just Wanted To Be Sure Of You | 4461 words | Part 5 of Alexander Pierce Should Have Died Slower

Bucky has Bucky Bear; it's only fair for Natasha to have something of her own.

Visiting a toy store wasn't strictly necessary, but if Tony wants to throw money around, no one's going to complain.

“Till The End Of The Line | 6069 words | Part 6 of Alexander Pierce Should Have Died Slower

It's hard to take a friendship right back up when so much has changed over seventy years.

Particularly when HYDRA's conditioning resurfaces.

*if you feel that any of these fics shouldn’t be in this list please just send me a message! :) I have read them all but over the past 1+ years so some of them I might not remember all the details of :)

#HTP #hydra trash party #dark fics #recovery fics #but with A LOT of trigger warnings #puppy peter fic recs #don't like don't read #hydra angst #bucky angst #bucky whump #MIND THE TAGS!!!

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winterscaptain · 4 years ago

Text

on paper.

Aaron Hotchner x Fem!Reader a joyful future fic

a/n: this is one that i’ve been so excited to share with you, and it goes quite nicely with the other piece i’m planning on posting later in the week! there’s a graphic in this one, with alternative text under the tag list for those who may need/want it. this one takes place in au!2017.

words: 2.2k warnings: none!

summary: “there is an enduring tenderness in the love of a mother to a son that transcends all other affections of the heart.” - washington irving

masterlist | a joyful future masterlist | ajf faq | requests closed!

The day before your birthday is more than a little strange. There’s something in the air, almost buzzing, as you go about your day. Aaron and Jack are fidgety, and you only hope they aren’t planning something ridiculous like a surprise party.

Nevertheless, normal life must continue, fidgety boys or not.

At the moment, you’re picking up a couple of things on the way home from soccer practice with Aaron, Jack, and Isaac in tow. For the time being, you’re alone as Aaron takes Isaac and distracts Jack with the threat of junk food. It’s really the only way you can get everything you need.

There’s a toddler sitting in a cart, waiting for her father as he studies the wall of cheese. She drops her toy and you scoop it up, bopping her on the nose with it before putting it back in her lap.

“There you go, sweetheart. Don’t want to lose that.”

She laughs, and her father turns around, getting his bearings before dropping his shoulders in relief. “Thanks. That could have easily been a crisis.”

You wave him off. “No problem. I get it, trust me.”

“D’you have kids?”

With a laugh, you nod. “I do. Two boys. My little one is about her age and my oldest is almost a teenager - it’s a little scary sometimes.”

What you don’t see is Aaron, who heard everything, approaching you from behind. You never differentiate the boys - in fact, Aaron’s not sure if he’s ever heard you refer to Jack as anything other than your son.

Never stepson, never your boyfriend’s or fiance’s or husband’s son.

Your son.

His eavesdropping soothes something in him, confirming what he already knows, but it doesn’t erase all of the anxiety. Or is it anticipation? He’s not sure.

Only tomorrow will tell.

+++

When you wake up, you’re confused.

Sunlight streams in through the window and Aaron’s side of the bed is neatly made and cold. As you open your bleary eyes further, you hear a pair of feet patter down the hallway and return with two larger ones.

Jack and Aaron cross the threshold of the bedroom with a breakfast fit for a king. All your favorites, carefully arranged on a tray. You pull yourself up as Aaron kicks the little feet out at the bottom and sets it over your legs.

“Breakfast for the birthday girl,” he says, almost in a sing-song. It’s a brush out of character, but you know he lets his inherent need for whimsey get the better of him when the situation calls for it.

Jack follows his father, carrying Isaac just like you taught him.

You pick the mug up off the tray and hold it between your hands, letting it warm you. “Boys, this is so thoughtful. Thank you.”

Jack crosses to your side and kisses you on the cheek. “We have presents for you, too.”

“Really?” You ask, raising your eyebrows.

Jack nods, and you notice when Aaron elbows him lightly in the ribs before he speaks.

“You get to open one now, and another one at dinner,” Aaron explains.

“You two spoil me.” You smile and shake your head, taking a bite of one of the many offerings before you. Isaac struggles a bit, and Jack plops him on the bedspread so he can wiggle into your lap.

Aaron huffs, ruffling Jack’s hair. “You’re supposed to help Mom with Isaac so she can eat on her birthday.”

Ignoring Aaron, you assure the boy with a wink. “I’m fine, Jack.”

The sulky look disappears off his face and he hops up on the bed himself, sitting on the other side of your legs. “So do you want your first present now or after breakfast?”

Your eyes light up and you look over at Aaron. “Is it in here?”

Aaron nods and crosses to the same lockbox that held your engagement and wedding rings until he gave them to you. Popping it open, he pulls a little velvet case and returns to your side.

You never thought to look in it after the wedding - he keeps all the ring boxes in there, but you never take your rings off and never feel the need to open it. poke around in Aaron’s things.

When he sets the box in your palm, you open it.

The contents take your breath away - it’s a mother’s ring, with your birthstone and Topaz for Aaron in the center, the design complimentary with your wedding rings. Beside those, an Aquamarine for Isaac, and an Opal for Jack.

And room for more...

“Do you like it?” Jack peers over the tray to get a better look at it.

You take it out of the box and slip it onto the ring finger of your right hand, admiring it in the late-morning light. “I love it.”

Reaching for Jack, he leans over so you can kiss the top of his head. “Thank you, my darling. It’s beautiful.”

Aaron takes your hand after you release Jack and kisses your knuckles, right over the ring. “We’ve been working on it for ages. It was supposed to be done in time for your birthday last year, but we didn’t quite make it.”

You grin at him. “Better late than never, right?”

His mouth quirks. “My thinking exactly.”

+++

All day, the boys make it their mission to keep you entertained.

In the early afternoon, Aaron put Isaac down for a nap while you and Jack started your favorite movie. When Aaron came back, he’d handed you your favorite snacks and tucked you right under his arm.

Needless to say, thirty-five started off on the right foot.

Dinner is a somewhat subdued affair, with Aaron doing all the cooking and Jack cleaning up behind him like the world’s cutest scullery maid. Isaac happily sits in your lap most of the time, watching and listening, as he usually does.

It’s the end of dinner that really gets exciting. Jack’s looked a little nervous the whole time, been a bit restless. Finally, you cave.

“You okay, bud?”

He nods and looks over at Aaron, who raises his eyebrows in a question you’re not privy to.

Without a word, Jack gets up and scampers to his bedroom.

“Your second present,” Aaron explains.

There’s an all-knowing air to your reply. “Ah.”

The two of you share a little look and a laugh. How you managed to get here, with him, with your sons, with all of it, you have no idea.

Aaron stands and clears the table with alarming efficiency, dropping a kiss to the top of your head for good measure.

When Jack returns, it’s with a wide, flattish box that he unsuccessfully attempts to hide behind his back. He stands at your side and sets it down next to your plate, hovering.

You and Jack wait patiently for Aaron to return, and when he does -

“So, Dad and I have been working on this present for a while,” Jack starts.

You smile and poke him in the ribs. “That seems to be a theme, doesn’t it?”

He laughs. “Yeah, I guess so.” He swallows and takes a deep breath, as if he rehearsed his next thought. He probably did. “We wanted to do something special for your birthday this year, so we actually wanted to wait to give you this one.”

Aaron pulls his chair right next to yours. “This is a bit overdue, but we’ve never really done anything quite on time, have we?”

“No,” you say, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “No, we haven’t.”

“So, with that in mind…” He places the box in front of you and taps it twice. “...we have this for you. It’s from both of us - Jack and me.”

You squint at him for a minute, picking up on something that sounded like nerves in his voice.

What on earth would he be nervous about getting me?

Checking in with Jack, who’s focused solely on the box, you tear into the paper. It only startles you a little when Jack leans against you, looping an arm around the back of your shoulders.

When did he get so big?

You can hear tissue paper inside, and it’s exceedingly lightweight, but you resist the urge to shake it. The anticipation is killing you.

Inside the box, a manila folder stares at you, legal-sized and taped closed.

There’s a laugh in your voice as you attempt to cut the tension that arcs between the original Hotchners.

“Aaron, if you got me the GW law review, I’m gonna be annoyed.”

“Just open it,” he says, quiet. There’s something else in his voice behind the anxiety - it almost sounds like pride.

You follow instructions as best you can with both of your boys nearly in your lap.

It takes you a minute to realize what the papers are, but when you do, you drop the packet like they’re on fire and cover your mouth with a gasp. You wrap your free arm around Jack’s waist and pull him impossibly closer to you.

He’s shaking.

His voice is almost a whisper. “I thought since everything else was kind of official that we should… do this too.” He looks over at Aaron, who nods. “It was my idea, and Dad helped me with the paperwork.”

“I wrote the supplementaries myself,” Aaron says, a little smile on his face. “And there’s also something else in the folder, just for you. I haven’t read it.”

With a breath, you collect yourself. Shaking the manila folder, you find another sealed envelope, marked ‘ONE’ in familiar handwriting. Inside, a letter. Jack rounds the table and stands beside Aaron while you unfold the paper, your fingers tracing over the creases.

You read the letter in silence, hearing her voice as you do so. When you’re finished, your eyes are a little misty, and your lower lip shakes, you fold it and replace it, intending to bring it to bed with you tonight so Aaron can read it.

“What is it?” Aaron asks.

You furrow your brow. Don’t you know?

“The lawyer said it was confidential - for your eyes only - by Haley’s request.”

You nod. I’ll let you read it. Later.

He nods, his eyes soft.

For Jack’s benefit, you reply out loud, too, “Just some more paperwork.”

Jack picks up the packet from under the tissue paper and puts it in front of you again.

“So, all you have to do is sign it.” He hesitates before he speaks again. “...If you want to.”

You look up at him and brush the endlessly wayward hair off his forehead. “Of course I want to, honey. There’s nothing on this green earth I’d love more than to be your mom on paper, too.”

His face breaks out into a grin, and he sprints off again. When he returns, it’s with the fancy pen from Aaron’s office - the one he really isn’t allowed to use.

You look at Aaron, who rolls his eyes and shakes his head before telling you, “I already put in our time off for the court date next week.”

His hand covers yours. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was going to say something else.

But, because you do know better, you know there’s nothing to say.

+++

tagging: @arganfics @quillvine @stxrryspencer @agenthotchner @wandaswitxh @hurricanejjareau @ughitsbaby @rousethemouse @criminalsmarts @shrimpyblog @genevievedarcygranger @ssaic-jareau @good-heavens-chris-evans @angelsbabey @writefasttalkevenfaster @venusbarnes @hotchsflower @ogmilkis @marvels-agents100 @hotchslatte @risenfox @mrs-dr-reid @captain-christopher-pike @dwellingsofrosie @pan-pride-12 @sunshine-em @jdougl-love @sageellsworth05 @dreila03 @forgottenword @aaronhotchnerr @ssa-morgan @buckybau @tegggeeee @abschaffer2 @ssacandice-ray @ellyhotchner @lotties-journey-abroad @mrs-joel-pimentel-23-25 @laneygthememequeen @violentvulgarvolatile @mooneylupinblack @ssareidbby @violet-amxthyst @zizzlekwum @lcvischmitt @qvid-pro-qvo @mandylove1000 @simsiddy @jeor @synonymforlame @roses-and-grasses @bwbatta @capricorngf @missdowntonabbey @averyhotchner @cevanswhre @joanofarkansass @infinity1321 @popped-weasels @evee87 @nuvoleincielo @spencerelds @ssahotchnerr @this-broken-band-girl @winqhster @reidtomestyles @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @the-falling-in-the-danger @nattylite49 @crazyshannonigans @softbibxtch @iconicc @mangoberry43 @andreasworlsboring101 @kerrswriting @mac99martin @itsalwaysb33nyou @ceceguajardo-blog @baumarvel @kerrswriting @messyhairday-me

Alt Text of the Letter:

My darling _____,

You are perhaps the only person in the world who can appreciate how absolutely morbid this is. I’m sitting in some random hotel room, in witness protection, writing a letter to the person who’s going to marry Aaron and adopt Jack in the event of my untimely demise - an alarmingly apparent possibility, as it happens.

If you do end up reading this without me, I apologize for the dramatic irony and dark humor. Blame Aaron. I wasn’t funny before I met him.

Just kidding.

It feels silly. I wrote two versions of this letter in the vain and selfish hope that Aaron would move on if something happened to me. The first letter is for a stranger, someone who came into his life after I’ve gone, who has captured his fickle and guarded heart. This version of the letter serves two purposes:

The first - I want to tell you that I love you, I trust you, and if something happens to me, I know you will raise Jack as your own son. It’s exactly what I want if it comes down to that.

The other is to congratulate Aaron for pulling his head out of his ass and making the right choice. Tell him I’m proud of him.

Here’s the really morbid part: I’m so sorry I can’t be there. I know there is only one real circumstance in which you ever read this letter. Even thinking about losing you is impossible, so if you've really lost me and gotten this far, you’re stronger than even I can imagine.

You know you have my blessing. My son, our son, is in the best hands in the whole world.

I love you. Always. Haley

#aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x reader #aaron hotchner imagine #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fanfiction #aaron hotchner #criminal minds #hotch #tali writes fanfiction #tali talks cm #a joyful future #a joyful future fanfic

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be-ready-when-i-say-go · 4 years ago

Text

In Sorrow and In Joy-Part 1: Fault

Luke learns the hard way what it means to be a dad and how to keep his family safe and together. Dad!Luke with a South Asian Reader. This is a collaborative experience with A Family of Five.

CW: Over the course of this series, themes of racism and prejudice on the basis of religion are present. Please read or skip as necessary.

Enjoy my masterlist | Series Masterlist

Support me on kofi.

No one has my permission to repost my work of fiction. This includes translations as well.

__________________________

Luke wants to vomit. It hits him hard and fast in his gut how much he’s not ready to be a father. But there you are, staring at him, the fear clouding your brown eyes. He can’t bolt. Even though he definitely wants to. He can’t. He’s not ready to be a father. He wanted kids, but much later in life. When the band wasn’t in a whirlwind of touring and music. When he felt like he could breathe for more than three seconds.

“It’s going to be okay,” he says. “It’s going to be alright.”

“We’ve barely been married a month,” you whisper. “Are we ready for a kid?”

No, he’s not even sure in the slightest if he’s ready for a kid. But here you are, hands trembling with the pregnancy test. He has no choice but to be ready. “We’re going to make it. We can do this.” Even the sound of his own voice betrays him. He wants to be strong for you. Just because he wants that doesn’t mean it will happen of course.

Over the course of the pregnancy, Luke’s fear subsides. It’s not as bad as he thinks. Yes, it’s hard. You have to cut back on the coffee and that makes you a little grumpy. Sometimes you get snappy, but he finds it endearing. Luke gives up alcohol to help with morale. Luke watches his baby grows everyday. You start glowing; though it’s hard to keep up with the dietary restrictions. But Luke’s there. He’s right there at every appointment, he’s there to rub your feet; he starts cooking more for the two of you. He sets up with nursery with Calum’s help. You direct the both of them.

Birth is taxing, your body feels like it’s been hit by a mack truck. But you keep going. Luke’s there, holding your hand for every push. He brushes back you hair from your sweaty forehead. He whispers in your ear how strong you are, how great you’re doing, how it’s only one more push. Then finally Zahra’s scream pierces the chaotic hospital room and you’re body is filled relief. She’s here; she’s placed on your chest. It’s strange, this tiny baby--yours and Luke’s. Your heart swells.

She’s here.

__ Luke’s not home. He said he would be; he said he would work late tonight but be back home well before the wee hours of the morning. The album is a slow, painstaking process for you. Luke alway seems to be upstairs, writing, playing, gone out with the boys. You are alone, bouncing, feeding, cooking, changing diapers. You think you just need patience; give him some time to adjust. The two of you have a child, though. How much time does he need? You can’t do it alone. Ra cries in your arms. You’ve tried giving her a bottle. You’ve changed her diaper. She still cries. You don’t want to call Luke; if he doesn’t want to be here, you’re not going to bother him. But nothing is working. Nothing in the slightest.

His phone rings, then a second time, then a third. Then a fourth. “Hey, baby,” Luke answers.

Ra cries. You sigh. “When are you coming home? You said you’d be home by now.”

“Shit, I’m so sorry! I’m on my way. Does Zahra need anything?”

“You can’t drive if you’ve been drinking.”

“No, no, I haven’t been.”

Luke arrives home ten minutes later. Zahra’s not screaming anymore, but she’s still fussy. “Oh, how’s my sweetie?” he coos, picking her up of your arms. She calms immediately. “Did you just need Daddy? I’m sorry I didn’t come home earlier. I’m so sorry,” he whispers into her ear.

__ Zahra giggles, clapping her hands. You coo at her, brushing a hand over her hair. “Yeah, is someone excited?”

She responds with another laugh. Holding out another spoonful of the applesauce, you make some airplane noises. Applesauce is her current favorite snacks right now. You glance up to the clock, almost afternoon. Luke hasn’t surfaced yet. But judging by his inability to almost walk last night, you’re not shocked.

Sometimes Luke does well. He’s present; he’s here. He’s playing with Zahra, talking to her. He’s changing every other diaper. He’s cooking for all of you. Then sometimes he’s still acting like a teenager. He’s coming home drunk; or he’s staying out at all ungodly hours. Tomorrow is Zahra’s first birthday. There’s a big party planned, but there’s still so much to do today. You’re not even sure Luke’s going to be sober enough to remember his own name.

Just as you scrape the bottom of the little cup, giving Ra the last scoop Luke descends the stair. He’s squinting, rubbing at his temples. It would be so easy to start an argument with him. He’d cave easily because he’s head is no doubt pounding. Instead you point out the water and advil. “Welcome to the land of the living,” you say.

All three of you manage to get the rest of the things for the party, the pitchers, streamers, plates and ribbons. Luke even convinces you that you need a Instagram wall, so you two discuss fabrics to put on the wall. Luke pulls down a soft pink fabric with crowns all over it. “Because Zahra’s a little princess.”

The sentence makes you smile. But when you look at him, you see the tight skin, the sunken eyes. He is visibly still hung over. The soft moment shatters just as quickly as he comes around. Later in the night, Luke’s finished putting Ra down for bed when he crawls into your shared bedroom. He rests his head on your chest, wrapping his arms around you. “I’m so sorry,” he says quietly.

Luke knows he’s spiraling. He know he’s pushing away from you. He wishes he wasn’t so terrified. But he can’t help but feel a little cheated. He loves Zahra but she came so fast. A little bit of Luke’s youth feels snatched away. He’s trying to snatch it back, chase it down. But he’s hurting you.

“I need you here, Luke. I need you to be here and if you can’t do that, I can’t stay here.”

Luke’s heart seizes. Tears are starting. The back of his head throbs as the hot water falls down his cheeks. “Please don’t leave me. Please. I can’t lose you two.”

“Then act like it.”

And he does until six months after Zahra’s second birthday. When he does come home he reeks of booze. Sometimes you don’t see him for two days. He’s spiraling. You can’t do this. You can’t fix him, baby him and raise an actual kid. You’ve asked Calum and his wife, Ra’s godparents, to take her for the weekend. You need to have this conversation with him with no interuptions. They happily take the giggly baby for a couple days.

When Luke comes home, he spots Calum’s wife with his baby. He knows it’s bad. He rushes over, pulling Ra into his chest. “Hey, princess,” he smiles. She babbles back to him. “Going over to Uncle Cal’s for the weekend?” he asks Ra, but looks to Calum’s wife.

“C’mon, Ra, let’s go baby girl,” she says taking the girl back.

Luke’s heart is in his ass. He stomach threatens to pour out every bit of his lunch and every ounce of tea he drank while recording vocals. With one hand on the doorknob, Luke thinks about just driving away from the house. This has been a long time coming. He’s fucked up too many time. He wants to stop, he really does. But being a parent terrifies him. How can he take care of someone else when he can barely take care of himself? How can he expect you to put up with his bullshit?

Instead of running, Luke inhales deeply before releasing it. He turns the knob, pushing the door open. You sit at the kitchen counter, hands folded over a manila envelope. Tears are in your eyes. He can see them streaking your face. He’s fucked up. When he approaches you, he reaches for the pen. “I’m sorry to do this,” you cry. “I am so fucking sorry.”

His chest hurts, eyes clouding up with tears. Luke shakes his head. “There’s no need for you to be sorry. It’s my fault. I didn’t clean up my act.”

“I love you, please know that. I love you to the ends of the earth. But I’m thinking about Zahra. My past, all the shit that I went through.”

Luke strokes your arm, voice cracking as he speaks, “I know you are. That’s what makes you such a great Mum, and person.”

“Fuck, I’m so sorry.”

Luke kisses your forehead, the top of your head, arm sliding around your shoulders. “It’s my fault. Don’t cry, baby, please. Not over the likes of me.”

Your head falls into the crook of his shoulder, your face a mess of tears and shot. He rubs your shoulders. “I’ll go get help. I’ll clean up my act. Don’t give up on me for forever. I’ll sign these papers. But please, please, don’t give up on me. Let me still be in her life. Please. Give me another shot in the future.”

“I could never take her away from you fully. That would be horrid.”

Luke pulls the envelope from underneath your arms. “I’m not going to fight you. Let me just have a lawyer look over this. But I promise I’m going to go to help. I promise you, baby. I promise.” His blue eyes are so full of tears. You nod. You’ll give him a second chance.

#luke hemmings #luke hemmings fanfic #luke hemmings fic #luke hemming series #luke hemmings series #dad!luke #dad!luke series #5sos #5 seconds of summer #h writes #luke hemmings x south asian reader #luke hemmings x reader #5sos fanfic #5sos fic #5sos imagine #5sos series #5 seconds of summer fanfic #5 seconds of summer fic #5 seconds of summer imagine

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phgq · 4 years ago

Text

Surprising loved ones in the new normal

#PHnews: Surprising loved ones in the new normal

MANILA – The doorbell rings and you’re greeted by a delivery person who tells you that “someone” ordered food for you. But instead of handing you the delivery, she tells you that you need to pick it up from the car’s trunk.

You’re suspicious, but agree to do so. She leads you to her car and when she opens the trunk—surprise! It’s decorated with nearly a dozen balloons, lights, and a streamer that says “I miss you!” You later realize that it’s from your boyfriend who’s currently abroad working to save enough for your future together.

This is what goes on in the “car trunk surprise” business that’s making rounds on social media as a new way to surprise loved ones in the new normal that currently restricts travel and bans large gatherings due to threat of Covid-19 pandemic. It’s also a side hustle which has helped displaced cruise-line worker Babe Ruth Tolentino, 30, earn extra cash after major cruise operators suspended their sailings.

“Nag-decide ako na mag-start ng business na puwede sa’kin. Ngayong pandemic, mahirap magwork ngayon kung saan-saan. Meron naman kaming car, so ‘yun na lang yung naisip ko (I decided to start business that I can handle. Now that we have pandemic, it’s difficult to go around to work. We have car, so I came out with this idea) instead of just delivering food or other items,” Tolentino told the Philippine News Agency.

Tolentino said she and her sisters lost their jobs because of the pandemic so she thought of making use of their cars to delivery items to make profit.

“Sabay-sabay kami nawalan ng work. Ayun nga, may mga kotse then wala naman kaming mahanap na work, ‘yun na lang (We lost our jobs at the same time. We had cars but we couldn’t find work, so that’s what we thought of),” she added.

(Clockwise) Aira Aranas, Ella Aranas and Babe Ruth Tolentino, the brains behind "Mi Amor Car Trunk Surprise", are all smiles as they join car trunk surprise recipient Mima for a photo. (Contributed photo)

Since her sisters were crafty, she decided to combine their artistic talents and her social skills to put up a business that eventually became known as “Mi Amor Car Trunk Surprise”. Mi Amor, which in Spanish means “my love” is the perfect tagline considering they offer surprise packages meant to be delivered to loved ones.

“Yung mga sisters ko, sila yung may knowledge sa mga decorations so parang in-adopt ko nalang din ‘yun para in one plan na ganun, sama-sama kami. Sila yung nagde-decorate, ako lang yung nag-a-approve ng mga bookings (My sisters, they’re the ones with knowledge in decorations so I adopted that so that we have this joint plan we can work on together. They make the decorations, I approve the bookings),” she said.

The car trunk surprise caters to different occasions -- birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, bridal showers, or even a random day you decided you want to win back your ex-lover.

Tolentino said that preparing a car trunk surprise would usually take two to three days, depending on the theme of the client’s preference. They would have to print customized streamers, photos of the recipient to put on a clothesline, and a letter.

Buying the flowers and cake and other food would have to be done on the day of the delivery to guarantee freshness. Setting up the car trunk surprise would only take around an hour, she said.

But the most challenging part is looking for the recipient’s address, she said: “lalo na kung yung bahay nasa liblib (especially if the house is in a remote place).”

The car trunk surprise caters to different occasions -- birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, bridal showers, or even a random day you decided you want to win back your ex-lover. (Contributed photos)

Most accommodating

Although there is a bunch of other car trunk surprise businesses around, Tolentino considers theirs the most accommodating when it comes to customers’ requests. It also helps that it’s among the most affordable car trunk services around.

“What I can say is affordable siya (It’s affordable). Sa reviews, sinasabi nila mas madali kaming kausap ganun (In reviews, people say we’re easy to talk to),” she said.

The cheapest car trunk surprise package, Package A costs PHP1,499 inclusive of a theme of your choice, music to be played when the trunk is opened, balloons, five to 10 photos to be hung up, coated mallows, a special message card.

Package B, which costs PHP1,999, offers the same inclusions as Package A but with a box of banana cupcakes and a plush toy. Package C, which costs PHP2,499, also offers the same inclusions but with a choice of either two boxes of banana cupcakes or brownies, a small expensive toy, and a flower bouquet.

On top of the package is a delivery fee which will be computed based on distance, but clients who live within Biñán, Laguna don’t have to pay a single centavo since it’s where Tolentino and her sisters currently live.

To date, Mi Amor Car Trunk Surprise has surprised recipients from all over Region 4-A or Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).

She said that her experience as a cruise line worker has trained her to be customer service driven such that she always makes it a point that her clients are given their money’s worth.

“Before kami nag-start, nag-observe din naman ako. I tried to inquire sa mga ganyan, then sometimes ay ‘hindi po puwede ma’am, may ganito, ganyan’ sabi ko baka puwede po medyo mababa yung price, ‘hindi rin po.’ Hindi accommodating masyado ‘to. I said iibahin ko siya sa way ko (Before we started with our business, I observed how others did it. I tried to inquire with other shops, then sometimes they’d say, ‘we can’t do that, ma’am because of this and that’ and I’d ask, maybe we can get a lower price, they’d say, ‘we can’t do that.’ They’re not that accommodating. So I said, I’ll take a different approach),” she said.

Tolentino’s quest to be more accommodating eventually paid off as clients have been leaving rave reviews on their official Facebook Page.

Three months after they launched their car trunk surprise business, Tolentino and her sisters opened a party supplies kiosk to cater to those who also wanted to have mini parties in their homes.

The "Mi Amor Surprise Me" party supplies kiosk was opened three months after the launch of their car trunk surprise business. (Contributed photo)

Tug at heartstrings

This Valentine’s Day, she said many potential clients have started inquiring their services. But she said she can only accept as much as three clients per day.

“Feb. 14 is para dito lang sa Biñan kasi super busy ko po. Hindi ko rin sila maipagda-drive kasi yung store namin is tatlo, pupuntahan ko every hour, tse-check ko kung ano na status so magiging busy din ako. Tatlo lang kukunin namin (We will only cater to those living within Biñan on Feb. 14 because I’d be super busy that day. I won’t be able to drive because we have three stores which I visit every hour to check. So we can only book about three clients),” she said.

For Tolentino, the best part about their business is getting to witness the happy look on recipients faces the very moment they receive the surprise.

“Iba yung feeling. Minsan nga naiiyak din kami lalo na kapag mga parents yung sinu-surprise ganun. Nakakadala yung emotions (It feels different. Sometimes we also feel like crying when clients surprise their parents. We get carried away with emotions),” she said.

She said most of their clients are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) or siblings who want to surprise their elderly parents.

“Kasi nga hindi na nakauwi. Mostly yung mga nagpapa-surprise 60th birthday, 18th ganun. Mga hindi na nakapag-party sa bahay (It’s because they can’t come home. Most of those who avail of our services are those who want a surprise for 60th birthdays or 18th birthdays. Those who can’t throw parties in their homes),” she said.

Until now, Tolentino says that she and her siblings find time to surprise their own parents given their knack for pulling off surprises.

“Mahirap nga lang sila isurprise kasi siyempre magkakasama kami sa bahay. Ngayong pandemic triny naming i-surprise sa resort (It’s difficult to pull off a surprise because we live in the same house. But this pandemic, we tried surprising them by taking them to a resort),” she added.

When cruise lines resume operations, Tolentino plans to get her job back and let her sisters manage their party supplies business.

“Yung sa car trunk, ‘yun ang hindi ko pa sure kung paano ko siya gagawin. Marunong din naman mag-drive yung mom ko so baka ituloy pa rin nila (As for the car trunk business, that’s what I’m not quite sure about doing. My mom knows how to drive, so they might keep doing it),” she said. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Surprising loved ones in the new normal." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130489 (accessed February 14, 2021 at 09:53PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Surprising loved ones in the new normal." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130489 (archived).

#Philippines #News #Filipino #Pinoy #Tourism #Politics #Culture #Editorial #Environment #Society #History

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hocenimlatine · 5 years ago

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Love Has Many Spots

A/N: HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! He’s a Valentine special from my series PASSENGERS on Ao3.

Summary: It's been five years since Hux has taken public transportation.“I remember all the times the two of you would take the bus on weekends for little trips and Harry and I would occasionally bump in. Is it strange now?” She asked, catching him off guard. His brows furrowed, how was it not already strange to be talking about his dead ex-fiance. Bumping into people was one of the reasons he hated public transportation.

Armitage Hux x Black Reader

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All you asked was, “Do you have any plans for Valentine’s day?” And Hux paled at the question. Of course, he wanted to do something for her that day he was just undecided.

“I-I...well...I mean,” He floundered around spewing out random words.

“It’s just a question Armitage, no need to have an aneurysm.” Y/N took a bite of her mashed potatoes. “Zara’s having a party and I wanted to know if you’d come with me.”

He visibly relaxed, taking a breath before thinking over his plans before replying. “It’s a Friday night, I’m available. Is it some kind of love-themed party?” He chuckled, the only one amused at his little joke.

“No, black and leopard; it’s her birthday.” You replied.

“Oh what a nice birthday, double the love.” He smiled at her before continuing to eat.

“No, it’s actually the fifteenth, we just have a habit of celebrating into our birthday.”

He froze, eyes looking up at you.

How could you so calmly bring your birthday up?

“Darling, why didn’t you tell me your birthday was in two weeks?” Hux sighed, very disappointed that he never asked about it.

“Because it’s not, mine is in March.” She shrugged. “I just never told you because I’m pretty sure both of us are trying to avoid the age talk.”

And she was right, Hux had been avoiding that big time. They knew there was a difference of age, it was just how much. Clearing his throat, he slicked back his polished hair before asking the inevitable.

“So, how old will you be in March?” He watched as she indifferently said: “The same age as Zara.”

Of course, she would want to be playful now.

Her eyes glanced up to see his furrowed brows before truthfully answering.

“I’ll be twenty-four on March 17th.” Twenty-four, you were going to be twenty-four in March, which means you are only twenty-three.

“Okay,” His voice rose an octave because the difference might be a little larger than he thought.

Y/N stopped eating and waited for him to present his age. Instead, he pulled out his phone and pulled up the calculator.

“Do you really not know your age?” She laughed.

“When you get my age, you tend to try and forget.” He said before putting his phone away and he just stared at her.

“So…”

“I’ll be thirty-four in May.” He said almost in a whisper. You leaned closer for him to say it a little louder. Clearing his throat he repeated himself. You sat back and thought over his words.

“So ten years?” She said and he nodded. She hummed and he took a deep breath as they sat in awkward silence.

“Is there...a problem?” He asked, praying that you wouldn’t bolt out of here.

“Armitage I do like you, I really do, it’s just I never, I mean I knew you were older than me, just not ten years.” You said honestly. Well, you didn’t run so that was good.

“Would you like to not continue?” He asked and you shook your head.

“No, no, no, it’s not that. It’s just thinking about it sounds weird but I like you, Armitage.” Your hands flew to his. He was so relieved to hear this, caressing her hand he said

“Ok, but just let me know if it ever gets too much, I care about you and I don’t want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable.” And with that, you nodded.

�� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hux eyes were glued to the screen of his computer as he read the latest report. His laser-sharp focus was only jolted by the placement of mail on his desk. He mumbled thanks to Veronica as he continued to read. Reaching for his pen, he knocked over the pile of mail and instantly groaned when he had to pick it up. Bending down, he noticed a pink envelope against the manila and white ones. With furrowed brows, he picked it up noticing it had no sender address. He looked to the door and back to the card.

How was it able to get past the mailroom?

Still, he opened with a frown only for him to relax at the sight of a valentines day card. It read: ‘I had no idea what to get you for Valentine’s Day’, covered in glitter and hearts, he opened it up to hear a deafening smooch sound that had him as pink as the envelope. ‘So how ‘bout a kiss!’ was printed inside the card right above your neat signature. Hux shut the card and slid down a little in his seat trying to hide his blush to no one in particular. If a silly little card had him acting like this, imagine what a real kiss would do.

Later that day, after you had trudged home from afterschool you were welcomed to a busy house of Zara and a few friends getting ready for tonight. Your foot wasn’t even in the door before the girls came squealing at you. Y/N was so tired and wanted to take a nap before going out, but the bus took longer than expected and there was no way the girls would let her sleep. No one even said hi as they all were pulling her to the kitchen.

“What are you guys doing to me?” She braced herself. “Please let me at least take off my coat before you make me a drink.”

But surprisingly, you weren’t met with a row of shots, you were met with a large bouquet of flowers and a card. On the counter stood a glass vase with a bright array of flowers; orange calendulas, red chrysanthemums, white daffodils, snowdrops, and yellow primroses created a beautiful base for a single red rose that bloomed from the top.

“We’ve been waiting for you to get here so you can read us the card.” One of the girls said. You gave her a look; she didn’t need to know what was in the card, but you were thankful they didn’t open it.

“Honestly, he’s really putting effort, you deserve it,” Zara said. Opening up the envelope, you read the small little card and the girls watched as a smile began to appear on your face. This caused them to bounce off their feet asking you to read it. You gave in handing the card to Zara as you held the gift and smiled.

“My Darling Sweetheart, I hope these flowers show how much you’ve brightened up my life since the day I’ve met you. Each flower represents the months I have been so lucky to share with you; to joy, passion, new beginnings, hope, but above all, love.”

Zara read and the girls yelled. Y/N hugged them tightly as she ascended up the stairs to put them right near her bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hux had to work late and would be meeting you there, which strangely had you nervous. Scrunching your toes to bring warmth, you nervously rocked back and forth as you waited for him.

“Oh my gosh, stop being so nervous you look hot.” Zara scolded you.

Y/N took a deep breath before taking her advice; there was no reason to be nervous. After all, he already had met Ally and Zara, there were only a few people here that were invited that she actually considered friends so he wouldn’t be judged too much. The door opened behind them, revealing Hux wearing a black suit and a white dress shirt. Both girls turned to look at him, Y/N with heart eyes and Zara with daggers.

“The theme is leopard.” Zara spat. Hux felt as if he was caught as his eyes widened. Unbuttoning his jacket he revealed the leopard lining. This, as well as a seal enveloped for her, had Zara very pleased.

“Subtle, quite nice.” Zara nodded.

Once their interaction was over, he turned to you who stared at him as if he was something out of a magazine.

“Hi,” you smiled up at him.

(Y/h/c) hair was slicked back into a sleek ponytail that moved along with you revealing your mesmerizing face; the makeup you wore was just enough to accentuate your natural beauty, “Hi, Hap-” Before he could finish his sentence they group was being led to their room. Y/N grabbed his hand and he followed with a blush settling in his cheeks. The room was large with a 70” television and their own personal bartender.

“I was afraid she was going to skin me alive.” Hux followed closely behind, taking a seat next to you. Like the gentleman he was, Hux began to help you out of your faux leopard coat only to falter. His jaw slightly dropped at your outfit. He’d never seen you in something so...revealing. Placing your jacket down, you fixed the straps of your black bustier lace jumpsuit that hugged every inch of your body, every.

“You alright?” She asked at the blinking Hux. Clearing his throat he nodded which made her smile. “Good,” Y/N said, placing her hand on top of his.

Zara began talking, thanking everyone for celebrating her birthday with her, especially since it was Valentine’s day. At this, you squeezed his hand. Hux looked at you, who was still focused on Zara, but a small smile appeared on your face and then to his as well.

“And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for.” Zara turned her back to the crowd and shimmied out of the full length black faux fur before revealing the vintage Versace leopard baroque silk dress. Everyone clapped, snapped, and whistled at the fashionista’s outfit of choice.

Hux couldn’t deny he felt slightly out of place. Everyone was young and very much into their “brand” as they all had their phones out all focused on Zara. But he took this time to look at all the couples, they were all different. Of course, he knew love came in different shapes and sizes, but after finally telling each other their ages he couldn’t help but be observant. Like right now, the couple across from them had to at least have a 15-year difference, because she definitely looked closer to Hux’s age than her boyfriends.

At least he wasn’t the oldest one. And at least he was with you.

“She looks so good right?” Y/N’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. Hux just smiled and nodded, because he would need much more than a vintage Versace dress to take his eyes off of you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The drinks were pouring and the karaoke was flowing as everyone slurred the words to their favorite song. Hux sometimes participated, but it was so hard when he didn’t know the words and he couldn’t take his eyes off of you. He even hated it when he had to take a phone call and had to leave you. When he came back, he stood at the bar observing you and Zara sing together. It was a slow song, but the cousins had so much fun singing it. A lopsided grin appeared on his face before he took a sip of his drink. His eyes fell over the slope of your shoulders, the curve of your back, sway of your hips, but most importantly your lips. Enrapt in thought, he had missed Zara pointing him out to Y/N, who then made her way to him.

“What are you doing over here?” You pouted.

“I just want to sit and look at you, you’re mesmerizing, is that alright?” He sent a small smile to the girl who peered up through coated lashes. In her drunken state, she rolled her head along with her eyes. He couldn't help but laugh.

“By the way, Happy Valentine’s Day Armitage.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Y/N.” He smiled.

“Did you like my gift? I know it wasn’t much.” Y/N said. A blush immediately appeared on his cheeks at the thought of the card. She couldn’t help but laugh: “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Yes, did you like mine?” He asked wrapping his arms around her waist.

“I loved it, Armitage, it was beautiful.” You told him honestly right before a mighty yawn. His brows furrowed, this wasn’t the first time tonight that he had caught you yawning. It was just little ones here and there, but this one was the exhausting type.

“Are you alright? Have you not been getting enough sleep?” His worried voice caused you to smile. He was so cute when he was worried about you.

“I’m just tired that’s all. I had a long day.” She scratched her head. “As soon as I got home I had to get ready and then I had to make sure everyone who pre-gamed got here safe.” He pulled you closer before softly smoothing down the hairs that were affected by her actions.

“Well, if you want to go I’d be happy to take you back.” He said, but you shook your head.

“Stupid Zara lost her key, we have to go back together.” She sighed.

“Well whenever you both are ready to go let me know. I’ll be back, I have to use the bathroom.” Y/N released him from her hold and went to search for Zara. Hux’s mind couldn’t stop thinking about the way you looked in his arms and how he so badly wanted to kiss you. Absentmindedly, he opened the door to the bathroom only to see a sight that he shouldn’t have and quite frankly didn’t want to. “Oh, I-I, I’m sorry,” He immediately closed the door.

“I told you to lock the door!” He heard Zara shout-whisper before she was popping her head popped out. “Ginger Styles,” She called out and he guessed that was him. He turned to see her give him a serious look. “Take Y/N home,” Zara said.

“I-I offered to take you guys hom-”

“No, take her to your home. Tell her to put the keys in my bag and that I’ll be recovering.” She cut him off and he nodded.

Walking back to the party room, Y/N noticed how flustered he looked. “Are you okay?” She asked. He sat down and took a deep breath. “Yes, if you’re ready to go now, just let me know, I’ve been advised to take you to my place.”

Her brows furrowed at his sentence. “Who said that?”

“Zara did.” He replied. You began to get up and look for her but Hux grabbed your hand. “You do not want to look for her, trust me. She said to leave the keys in her purse and she’ll be recovering.”

You might’ve been drunk, but you knew what that meant.

“Oh...Oh my go-” Y/N’s face scrunched up in disgust. “I mean I’ve heard them have sex and I’ve been traumatized ever since, but you saw them?” She whispered and he nodded. “Poor baby!” Throwing your arms around his neck you held him tight. His fingers grazed against your back before landing on your sides and gently squeezing you tight.

“Are you ready to go?” He mumbled to the side of your face and she nodded.

After saying your goodbyes, Hux was helping you into the back of a cab, the two began their long journey to Manhattan. Surprisingly, they weren’t nervous. Maybe it was the mixture of alcohol coursing through their blood or maybe they were just so comfortable with each other, it didn’t matter that he was taking you to his home.

But, in your case, you were so tired you had fallen asleep on his shoulder within minutes of driving. He held you close as streetlights cast over your beautiful face. His thumb would gently rub circles on the back of your hand as he watched you sleep. An angel was what you were, as his eyes would always fall to your lips that were puckered and agape. You were exhausted but you were exquisite in his eyes.

A few blocks away from his building he woke you up. Exiting first, Hux walked around the back of the cab to open your door to help you out. With his arm around you and your head on his arm, he led them to the elevator to his apartment. You, in your tired state, didn’t fully take in the full opulence of the lobby, the elevator, or the hallways to his apartment. But entering, you couldn’t help but gasp as you were met with a large view of the Lincoln Square area. Hux let you take the lead, turning on the light to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself. Your eyes fluttered around watching New York City move beneath you. Of course, he would live somewhere with a view like this. He made his way beside you studying your face.

“Armie...this is beautiful.” She said breathlessly.

“It doesn’t even come to a close second.” He replied; you turned to find his eyes already on you. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” Hux said, before pressing a kiss to your lips.

#Armitage Hux #armitage hux x reader #hux x reader #hux x you #black reader #hux x black reader #armitage hux x black reader #POC #star wars poc

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cheekymonkeysph · 9 months ago

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purplesurveys · 4 years ago

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831

When you were a kid...

Were you happy or sad when you found out your babysitter was coming? I didn’t have a babysitter. My grandparents took care of me and my siblings and cousins when we were growing up; and if they were both busy I was usually the one expected to care for everyone. Which was okay with me, since I was the most ~motherly~ one in our little group anyway.

Did you have a boyfriend in kindergarten? I studied in an all-girls school from kinder to high school. Outside of school, also no boyfriends. The boys at my neighborhood were super rowdy and hated girls, so I didn’t like hanging out with them.

Did you ever play hopscotch at school? For sure. I was a little mischievous - I would steal a bunch of chalk from the classroom so I can doodle a hopscotch court on school grounds for me and my friends to play on. I definitely wasn’t the most goody-two-shoes kid in the beginning, lol.

Did you refuse to eat your vegetables? Yeah, hated them. We have this local brand of instant noodles that have pieces of carrot in it, and I remember grouping all the tiny carrot bits at the edge of my plate. I didn’t learn to feed myself until I was around 8 or 9 though, so prior to that my elders would just include vegetables in all my meals and I’d have no choice.

What did you usually dress up as on Halloween? Some basic costume like a witch or pirate. My mom wasn’t super into Halloween and would just get us costume packs from the toy store. I wanna be the complete opposite for my kids.

What was your favorite television show? As a much younger kid I was into Hi-5. When I got a bit older I liked Pokemon, SpongeBob, The Fairly OddParents, My Life as a Teenage Robot, etc. Then when I got slightly older I started watching the real-life shows too, so like That’s So Raven, Suite Life, Drake and Josh, Zoey 101, Hannah Montana. Did you have D.E.A.R. time in school? (Drop Everything and Read) Yes, a few times each year. When I was still a bookworm it had been one of my favorite segments in school because I got to see other kids reading, which was my favorite hobby then. But by the time I was in high school and stopped reading, I remember always struggling to find a book to bring because I didn’t read anything anymore D: If I remember correctly, I think Athenna lent me most of the books I brought for DEAR time since at the time she was into John Green and YA in general. Did you ever read the 'Magic Treehouse' series? No. I googled it to see the cover, and I know as a kid it wouldn’t have interested me enough to pull it out of its shelf. How about the 'Bailey School Kids' series? Nope. Kids my age were into the Geronimo Stilton and Mr Men/Little Miss series. Do you remember the first movie you ever saw in theaters? Yes, it was a Stuart Little movie when I was maybe 3 or 4. I’m guessing it’s Stuart Little 2, because Google says it came out in 2002 and I was 4 years old then, so it checks out. Who was your best friend in elementary school? Angela was my best friend in some grades, but you know how kids are...once they vibe with someone else, they’ll hang out with them 24/7. Angela was a way more sociable kid so she got close with everyone, while I remained terrible at making friends. If she wasn’t my best friend at the time, I had no one. Did they continue to be your best friend in middle school? We don’t have middle school but I’ll guess that this is like Grade 6 and 7 for us? Anyway, no. ~Middle school~ was worse for me because this was when cliques started to form and material trends became the basis for being visible, e.g. owning a Blackberry, wearing Nike Roshes, getting side bangs lol, etc. I had none of those, so I was left behind both in terms of visibility and having friends. I only had a best friend again by the time I entered Grade 7, in which time I met Gabie and the ball started rolling from there. Did you ever watch 'The Land Before Time' movies? No, I didn’t. Did you ever watch the show 'Arthur'? I don’t think it aired here, so no. I did read Arthur books though; they were one of my favorites. Did the tooth fairy give you a lot of money? I honestly thought the tooth fairy was real. I never told my parents whenever a tooth would come out because I thought it was none of their business. That said, they just genuinely never knew to put money under my pillow because my dumbass never told them hahaha. I’ll never forget how crestfallen I was when I woke up to no money though. How often did you visit your nearest grandparents? I lived with them until I was 10. I only visited my other set of grandparents whenever my dad would come home from abroad, so I didn’t and haven’t ended up being close to them. Did you ever play with 'Little People' toys? Never heard of them but when I looked it up the toys looked familiar, so we probably did. How about Polly Pockets? Yes. Did you collect anything when you were a kid? Pokemon cards and pogs, heh. I also had my fair share of notebooks. Did you get an allowance? No, my parents didn’t teach me how money worked early on. I was a packed lunch kid until high school, and when I did ask for money I – and I’m not kidding – would only get a ₱20 bill, which was only enough to get me a tiny snack. What was your favorite sport to play? What is it now? Track, but then it shifted to table tennis when I joined the table tennis club initially out of peer pressure. What foods did you not like then that you do like now? Chicken curry, definitely. Were you into American Girl dolls? No. What was your first pet and what did you name it? It was a goldfish but I don’t remember whether I named it Goldie or Fishy, lol. Did you ever read the 'Junie B. Jones' books? No. What did you want to be when you were a kid? All the things I wante to be were astronaut, firefighter, veterinarian, and writer. What was your first word? Your first sentence? (If you remember) My parents didn’t keep track of either...I definitely would with my own kids. Have you moved into a new house since you were a kid? Yes, several times. When I was an infant we briefly lived with my dad’s parents in Manila. My mom couldn’t take the poverty and pollution there so we moved to a city in Rizal, where my mom’s parents + some extended family live in a duplex. At one point we switched houses in that duplex, and the unit that we switched to was where I lived for most of my childhood until we moved to our present house by the time I was 10. Were you friends with your neighbors? As a child, yeah. I was mostly friends with the girls though because like I said, the boys were super rowdy and sexist in that they never let us play basketball with them and stuff. Did you enjoy exploring your backyard? We didn’t have a backyard. Did you bake cookies with your grandparents? Sometimes! I would mix the dough and turn them into balls. :) What was your biggest fear when you were a kid? Flying cockroaches, because we had a lot of them in our old duplex unit. I also had an irrational fear of catching TV ads at night because I found them too loud and too vibrant. Who did you look up to most? My dad because I barely saw him as a kid. When he was lower down the ladder at his job he’d be gone six months and only stay with us for one. It wasn’t until I got to high school and he had a much higher position that he was away for only four months and home for one and a half. Did you ever play the 'Reader Rabbit' computer games? I don’t think I’ve heard of that. Did you have a swing set in your backyard? No but we had a relative who had a playground at their place, and we’d go over there often. I spent a good amount of my childhood going as high as I can on their swings. How about a sandbox? Same relative had a sandbox too! It’s my favorite part of a playground and even during playtime in school I would usually be found alone in the sandbox. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike? I’m 22 and still don’t know how... Did you ever spy on your neighbors through the window? Sometimes. Our houses were very close to each other and their open window is right across the part of our house that also has an open window, so sometimes we’ll fool around and peek. Were you a teacher's pet in kindergarten? No, but I gave my teachers a reason to remember me because I was the kid that peed their underwear everyday and had to go home in shorts. I’ve always been shy and even as a kid I was unable to ask permission to go to the washroom. Did you ever build a treehouse or a fort in your yard? No, ours was too small to build anything like that. Did you ever find anything interesting in your yard? No, just different types of bugs and caterpillars. Did you ever have 'themed birthdays'? Kinda? My 7th birthday party was mostly a plain, theme-less birthday party, but so much of the decorations and giveaways were Bratz-themed because I was into Bratz at the time. Did your parents let you drink soda? They would have let me but I personally never liked it. Did you ever watch 'The Powerpuff Girls' or 'Dexter's Laboratory'? I watched Powerpuff Girls but not Dexter’s Laboratory. Did you sleep with a blanket or stuffed animal? For the most part I preferred cuddling with a pillow. Did you ever have a night light? For some points in my childhood, yeah. Ultimately, I preferred lights out though. Did you watch 'Winnie the Pooh'? Nope, just read Winnie the Pooh books. Did you ever have an imaginary friend? What was their name? I named them Katrina but I wasn’t imaginative/creative enough, so when seven minutes passed after I created her and she still wasn’t talking back to me, I gave it up haha. What kinds of games did you play with your friends during Recess? Dodgeball was a favorite. We had a big field just right outside our classroom so we’d all go out, pick our teams, and play for the whole 30 minutes. We’d do it for lunch, too. Fortunately our teachers never barred us from playing, because I guess they knew it counts as exercise for us too. Did you dream of being a princess or did you not really care about that? Not really. I wanted to be an astronaut more haha. The only princess-y things I did were to wear my blanket around my neck like a cape, and to wear a tiara on my 7th birthday party. Did you have a special name for your pacifier? What was it? No. Did you watch 'Blues Clues'? Yesssssss. I grew up with Steve and Joe. It was such a fun show to watch. What kind of car did your parents have? I don’t remember the make anymore but we had a black sedan until I was around five. It was mostly broken-down and had no aircon, but it was my dad’s first car so it was his absolute baby and I never had the heart to complain about the car’s flaws to him. He eventually sold it and we had a blue Mitsubishi Lancer after. Did you ever flush anything down the toilet by mistake? I don’t remember ever doing that, thankfully lol. Were you afraid to sleep by yourself? No, I think I was excited to start doing it. Growing up in a cramped duplex, I shared one bedroom with my entire family until I was around 9; so when we moved to our own home, I was the first one to call dibs on a bedroom. What was your favorite subject in elementary school? Language, which is a class where we were just taught basic English grammar. I loved reading as a kid and got fluent in English early on, so I was always a top student in that subject. How often did you go to the park? We don’t have parks. What was your favorite kind of cake as a kid? Chocolate cake from Red Ribbon. Did you ever want to grow up? I never actively ‘wanted’ it because I was already kinda forced to grow up early, what with all the issues happening at home and me having to shield my siblings and cousins from whatever screaming match was happening inside.

#survey #surveys

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theycallmebeccawrites · 6 years ago

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Perfectly Imperfect: Chapter 2

With Tumblr holding my original writing blog @beccaheartschrisevans captive (aka flagged as explicit), I have made a secondary writing blog and may end up closing the other all together. In the meantime, I am reposting all of my stories on my new blog.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Wren Arnold (OFC)

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: n/a

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

Perfectly Imperfect Masterlist | Chris & Wren Masterlist

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

May 9, 2020

An old, solid wood door with a cheap hook lock separated Chris Evans and the four women who had showed up over an hour early to Addy's third birthday party. They had brought their children, all of who Addy had been happy to see, but the four moms were way overdressed, or rather underdressed, for a preschool party. One mom was wearing a tight pair of black jeans with a silk top that barely concealed her breasts, while another was wearing a black leather skirt, a partially see through maroon top and a pair of knee high boots. The other two moms were wearing dresses that one would expect to see at a cocktail party, one skin tight and red and the other black and short.

Adelaide had turned three 2 days ago and Chris had arranged for all of her classmates at her preschool to come over to their house for a Sofia the First themed party. What he hadn't expected was for four of the moms to show up an hour early and proceed to flirt with him, or try to, instead of actually trying to help him set anything up. He'd lost count of the number of times his butt had been pinched or he'd been told how strong he was while they had petted his bicep.

Chris felt guilty for the way he'd told them to keep an eye on the kids while he'd fled to the laundry room right of the kitchen. The term 'chicken shit' came to mind as he leaned against his washing machine trying to figure out what to do. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he selected his family members and Wren and quickly typed a message:

SOS GET HERE NOW!

He hit send and then started to type again:

House invaded by the

He paused, for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain the situation he was facing. They were all moms, they'd come in a group and they all, apparently, wanted him and were offering themselves to him in front of each other and the kids.

House invaded by the horny mom brigade.

He hit send and his phone blew up a moment later with 'lol's, 'lmao's, and 'on our way'.

Then he got Wren's message:

Just parked. I'll be there in a few minutes.

Knowing he needed to get out there before the women decided to try and find his bedroom, Chris took a deep breath and unlocked the door. He opened it and startled when he saw one of the women leaning against the doorframe.

"There you are," she smiled, flipping her hair. "I wondered what you were up to." Her eyes flickered around the laundry room. "This room is a good -"

The sound of the doorbell cut her off and Chris breathed a sigh of relief as he ducked under her arm then all but ran to answer the door. After throwing it open, a large smiled spread across his face when he saw it was Wren. He all but pulled her inside and gave her a big hug.

"You have no idea how happy I am you are here," he muttered to her, holding her in his arms for a minute longer than needed, hoping the horny mom brigade would back off if they thought he and Wren were something.

"They can't be that bad," Wren laughed as she stepped out of his embrace. She smoothed her floral knee length skirt. "Where are the kids?"

Chris's face paled as he realized that the house was too quiet.

"We put a movie on for them," the mom in the black dress said from the entrance to the kitchen. She was holding a wine glass that was half full. "Who's this?"

"This is Wren," Chris told her. "She's my uh -"

Once again, Chris was saved by somebody arriving and he said a silent prayer of thanks when he saw it was his mom, siblings, niece and nephews.

"I'll go check on the kids," Wren offered with a smile. She slipped the strap of her crossbody purse over her head and then tucked it behind a chair so it was out of the way. She quickly said her hellos to Chris's family and then led his niece and nephews to the TV room where Addy and her school friends were watching a movie.

"Well, I assume there is still a lot to do before the other guests arrive," Chris's mom declared. "It will be all hands on deck to get this party ready." She headed into the kitchen, grabbing the wine glass out of black dress's hands as she went. "Thanks, dear. But alcohol at a three year old's birthday party might be a bit much."

Chris waited until everyone else had followed his mom into the kitchen before he did a little happy dance. He didn't feel an ounce of guilt for sticking his mother on the horny mom brigade; they deserved whatever she threw at them.

By the time Chris made it into the kitchen, his mom had everyone doing jobs: skinny jeans was helping Scott fill coolers with juice boxes; red dress was helping his older sister put together vegetable trays; black dress was helping his mom open the Sofia the First themed party plates and cups; and leather skirt was helping his younger sister fill the piñata that Addy had begged him to buy. With the four women occupied, Chris went out to the backyard to make sure both gates were closed and that the party games were ready to go.

It was another fifteen minutes, or so, until more of Addy's classmates arrived. Chris helped her answer the door while Wren, his niece and nephews wrangled the other three year olds. Most of the parents stayed for the party while others made their apologies and promised to be back within two hours time.

The next two hours were complete chaos, at least to Chris. Wren, who was used to dealing with twenty excited kids for eight hours a day, handled it like a pro. She seemed to have a sixth sense about when it was time to do a different activity and when the kids needed to rest for a little bit.

Meanwhile, the horny mom brigade had hidden themselves in the shade of the large tree in the backyard, trying to stay out of Chris's mom's eye line to avoid getting set with another task. It had humored Chris to great lengths that his mom had deemed the four women the perfect volunteers for helping little ones, whose parents had left, get to the bathroom.

Therefore, it was no surprise to anyone, when the horny mom brigade and their offspring were the first to leave the party. It was only after they'd left that the other parents, both moms and dads, started laughing and had informed Chris that the women tried this stunt whenever they knew there was a single dad in the picture. They'd all gotten a kick out of his nickname for them and had asked him to bring his mom with him to future birthday parties that the four women would be attending.

By the time the last party guests and their parents had left, Addy was stretched out on the couch in the TV room passed out from exhaustion and a sugar crash. Chris's family stuck around to help with the major clean up, but they eventually filled out, leaving the last bit of the cleaning to Chris and Wren.

"Thanks for your help today," Chris said as he dried the serving dish she had just washed. "I can honestly say we couldn't have done this without you."

"I love being around kids, you know that," Wren shrugged as she washed a bowl.

"Why don't you have any kids?" Chris asked her as he put the towel down to put the bowl away.

"Because I don't have a husband," Wren replied. "I'm an old fashioned girl, Chris."

"You'll be a great mom someday," Chris stated. His mind instantly went to Jessa and with a crack in his voice, he added, "and your kids will be lucky to have a mom like you."

Chris saw Wren's shoulders tense and then heard her shut off the water. He watched as she turned around and he knew that she'd caught the change in his voice. Turning away from her, he fussed with the dishes in the cupboard in order to get his emotions under control. He wasn't ready, wasn't sure he'd ever be ready, to talk about Jessa.

Only his family knew the real reason behind his and Jessa's divorce and he'd purposefully kept it that way. After all, the last thing he wanted was for the media to splash the fact that Jessa didn't want to be a mom all over the front pages and have his daughter find out one day from one of her classmates.

His mind flashed back to that November afternoon when he'd brought Addy home from a playdate. He'd put her down for a nap and then had gone into the bedroom he'd shared with Jessa, only to find her bags packed and her sitting at the end of the bed waiting for him.

At first, he'd thought she was going on a trip or being called away to fill in for another wardrobe assistant for Marvel, but then she'd handed him a manila envelope and had said the word 'divorce'. She had done some more talking, but all he had heard was 'blah blah I can't do this anymore blah blah blah I never wanted to be a mom blah blah blah.'

"Chris?" Wren's soft voice forced him back to the present. "What's wrong?"

Chris felt her hand on his shoulder and he took a deep breath as the anger he felt at Jessa for abandoning Addy threatened to return. He refused to let that anger affect Wren more than it already had and he refused to ruin an otherwise perfect day.

"I'm ok," he told her as he turned around. "Just had a not so pleasant memory."

"I'm here if you ever need to talk," she said, genuine concern showing on her face. "You know that, right?"

"I do know that," Chris nodded. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close.

Chris knew that Addy would suffer from not having her mom in her life, but he also knew that she would always have his mom, sisters and Wren in her corner. Those four strong women would show her more love than she'd know what do with. Knowing that made his heart hurt a little less for his daughter.

After ending their hug, Chris and Wren returned to their task of washing and drying dishes. It was as they were working that Chris mentioned that he'd recently gotten a job on a television drama that was going to start shooting in Boston in June.

"What are you doing this summer?" he asked. He had planned to have Addy in daycare with his mom and sisters taking up the slack when they could, but when Wren mentioned that she had the summer off, he had started to get an idea.

"I haven't made any plans yet, why?" she asked.

"Do you have any interest in taking care of Addy for me this summer?" he asked. "It will only be during the week and most of the time it will be normal hours, but I do know there will be some night shoots."

"Do you need an answer now?" Wren asked, hesitantly.

"No, I don't," he replied then quickly added, "But please don't feel pressured to say yes. My mom and sisters have already agreed to help. I just thought you and Addy would have fun together."

"I think we would, too," Wren nodded. "But I'll still need to think it over."

"I understand," Chris told her. "Take all the time you need."

They finished doing the dishes and then Wren said her goodbyes. Chris watched from the doorway as she whispered goodbye to Addy and then he followed her to the front door.

"Text me when you get home," he told her as he opened the front door.

"Will do," Wren nodded.

Chris watched as she made her way down the path to the sidewalk. She gave a slight wave as she reached the end and then she started walking to her car, disappearing from his view.

Closing the door, Chris took a deep breath as he leaned against the door. He barely had a minute to himself before he heard Addy call for him. Shaking his head, he pushed off the door and made his way into the TV room where the best part of his life waited for his attention.

Chapter 3

Want to find me off tumblr? I'm @beccatheycallme on twitter. I also post my stories on AO3.

My tag list is always open, just let me know if you'd like to be added!

#chris evans #theycallmebecca #beccaheartschrisevans #theycallmebeccawrites #chris evans fanfic #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fan fiction #perfectly imperfect #chris and wren #chris evans x ofc #chris evans as a dad #chris evans x original female character

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artificialqueens · 6 years ago

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Paris (Trixya) - Lyonne-dlm & Saiphl

Well, we know November is far gone now, and that all of us are really getting into the Christmas mood, but we don’t really care that the Trixyawrimo is over now, we took one of their prompts, put into our beloved Soulmate AU, and added a pinch of Christmas Vibe, poured some ice and shook it.

Here is the result, and we hope you like it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

PARIS (Trixya) - Lyonne-dlm & Saiphl

Almost five years have passed since Katya and Trixie finally found each other on that art gallery, five years fully charged with the best memories and moments built by the two of them. From the perfectly awkward shared milkshake in the closest diner to the gallery where they met, to Trixie’s first concert. From moving in together and Katya’s weird style of decor, to their meticulously planned wedding, with the perfect flowers and the princess dress that Trixie had always dreamt about.

Katya still thought Trixie was her personal miracle, the only reason to keep her going; the only woman that could make her want to wait for her down the aisle all dressed in white and still cry each time she watched the video of the magical moment when they swore to love each other forever.

Trixie was holding an iron grip on Katya’s hands, looking intensely to her ice blue eyes, when they finally were allowed to say their vows. Katya cleared her throat and started talking. “Trixie, I’ve been drawing you since i was 16. I grew up watching you smile in my dreams. My heart broke when I saw you cry and I fell in love with you.” She sighed deeply, trying to keep her voice steady. “All those years before meeting you and when I was 27, I finally got to meet you for the first time in the gallery, got to Kiss you for the first time, got to hear your voice, know your name and to touch you.”, a soft smile spreaded on Trixie’s lips by the memory of that first moment, when she heard the raspy voice live. “I needed to, I had to make sure you were actually there.” Katya lifted a hand to touch Trixie’s face, still in disbelief of her being real. “I know that after you find your soulmate you are supposed to stop dreaming about them, but really how could i stop dreaming about you? my dreams are still about you Trixie ,Now i am 29 and i can barely wait one more second to be your wife.” Katya said, finally falling to her own emotion, and smiling fondly to her soulmate.

Shea reached to give Trixie a tissue to clear the tears off her face, still avoiding to ruin her perfectly beated face. Trixie looked at Katya, holding her hands again before saying her own vows. “It took eleven years and like a zillion of messages from Shea to find you, Katya and I have to admit that I was giving up on finding you… “ She said, giving a side look to Pearl, who was holding hands with an impressive brunette girl, who was leaning her head over Pearl’s shoulder. “That’s something I’m not proud of, thankfully, my friends kept the hoping up for me… Thank you Pearlie, Shea… this couldn’t be happening without you.” Trixie said, not looking to her friends, but knowing that was how she felt. “Every night, when I heard your voice saying I love you and good night baby, was the reason to keep moving every single day. I love you Katya… so much, and I can’t wait to be yours, forever.”

Katya’s tears were drawing soft lines on her face, Raja helping her to fix it without releasing their hands holding. They shared an intense gaze, and then kissed when they were allowed to, sealing their everlasting love promise.

Life had been awesome since then, and they were grateful of all the things they got to do and achieve together. What led them to that precise moment, when life changed forever for the both of them. They were taking a long vacation in France, taking their time to discover the country side of the most romantic places of the world.

Katya was drawing Trixie sitting on a fountain, so concentrated that she was totally foreign to the children playing nearby. “Katya… I need one of those”. Katya kept drawing, not even looking at her, only to pay attention when she felt a soccer ball hitting her leg and Trixie’s. A little freckled boy ran to them, the only brave enough to reach a couple of strangers and talk to them, asking for his ball. Trixie took the toy and gave it back to him, to hear him say “Merci Barbie,” making her laugh lightly.

Katya lifts her face from the sketchbook she was working with “a sketchbook? baby, we have thousands of those at home, but if you need it right now I can give you mine.”

“I need one of those Katya…” Trixie repeated, turning to look her in the eye, barely directing her arm to the group of playing children.

“Oh… oh, a child” Katya says, amused by her wife’s admission, “like, really need it or it’s just hypothetical, like the kid we raised a couple of years back, in our little place in Chicago?” Outraged, Trixie looked at Katya, hitting her arm lightly. she knew fully well they’d only imagined having kids.

“I’m just making sure we are on the same page baby” Katya takes her hand and drags her back to the bench they were sharing. “You know I want to raise a family with you, but you need to be conscious of how it will change our lives.” Katya looks at her, deadly serious, and saying matter of factly “we won’t be able to travel so often, and also, we’ll have to be… a little bit more discreet with… you know”

Trixie nodded to each point, already picturing herself holding their little bundle. “And will require a lot of time from the both of us, from the search of the donor, going through keeping them alive, to them leaving to college,” She said. Her mind was full of the images of their child riding a bike, going to the first day of school, doing their driving test.

Katya knew the precise moment when Trixie’s mind started going wild on the idea of the baby, and she snapped her back touching her cheek. “Don’t forget the sleepless nights when they get sick,” Katya said, in a kinda dark tone, remembering her own nights of fever along her childhood. “The science projects, the nightmare nights, them knowing their soulmate and when they get a heartbreak.” She continued, still putting over the table their own experience on finding each other. “We are going to have to be in everything and put them first in our decisions. Taking all that into consideration. Do you still want to do it Trix?“

“Yes Katya, I want to hear little steps running in our house, and wake up on sundays to find you painting with our baby,” she continued, her face lighting with the expectation. “I want to bake birthday cakes and plan themed parties… I want to be the mother of our child.”

==================

Months later, they were looking on Trixie’s laptop to the profiles of the sperm bank, trying to find the best option for the donor. After more than three hours and what seemed to be an endless parade of male specimens, Trixie finally found what she was looking for. “There he is Katya, he’s perfect… like perfect”, she said all full of excitement and waking Katya from the tiredness of looking straight to the laptop for so long.

What Katya saw when she looked at the screen, almost made her cackle. “Trixie… he looks like my father when he was young and my mother made sure to get into his pants.” Trixie gasped at that piece of her wife’s story… she hadn’t known before, and didn’t need to know that her-mother-in-law was the one jumping her father-in-law’s bones.

“And you just made him like 25% less perfect with that phrase Katya,” Trixie said humorless, but still liking the guy, who’s profile made him look like the male version of Katya. “Still, I like him, at least his features will help our baby to look like they’re your actual kid.”

Katya smiled fondly at her wife. she was seriously involved with the process of making their family growth happening, and it melted her heart. “You know what? you’re right, I like his face. The only thing that’s really different from me, is that his eyes are a bit of a different color. I think he can be the 50% of our baby that I cannot give.” She kissed Trixie’s temple, and the other blonde clicked the selection button on the page. Their journey was starting.

The following week, they went to an appointment with Trixie’s doctor, who explained them the whole fertilization process, and how they’d have to wait from two to three weeks before knowing if the whole thing had actually been successful and the little one will grow healthy inside Trixie’s womb.

From the day the eggs were put inside Trixie they were both excited and terrified. Katya taking care of her and driving from her studio, to Trixies job to pick her up and then going back together home. When the time finally came to take the pharmacy tests, Katya was holding Trixie on their bathtub, getting her relaxed with a bath bomb and a silly conversation about how Raja and Manila were finally agreeing on getting married in… four or five years. They left the tub when the water was getting cold and Katya was the one looking to the sticks of the tests because Trixie didn’t found the bravery to do it by herself.

“We… we made it! There’s a little human cub growing inside you Trix!” Katya yelled excitedly, hugging her wife tightly and lifting her up from the ground. “We’re going to be moms! I love you baby, so much, SO, SO, SO MUCH!” Katya kissed Trixie passionately and deeply, exactly the same way she’d done it since the very first time.

“My God we are going to be moms!” Trixie said, finally realizing the magnitude of what was happening. “Katya… we’re doing this, like actually doing it”, she breathed heavily. “I love you too, and I love baby cub… and love us all!” Trixie cried, lacing her arms behind Katya’s neck to find balance, she felt her legs so wobbly, that she doubted they could keep her up by themselves.

That same week, they went to the doctor and he confirmed the news, as expected, just one of the three eggs had worked, but it was well positioned and being careful along the first trimester, they would get a perfectly healthy newborn for the first weeks of april of the following year.

The first trimester they lived in constant stress, Katya making Trixie bring her along on walks because she was afraid to let Trixie alone, and cooking herself every meal Trixie ate. Trixie started having a very healthy lifestyle, quitting immediately coffee, wine and what was the most difficult for her to leave: sugary things. Every doctor appointment was a whole event. Those visits fit into a schedule composed of the morning pregnancy yoga routine that both Katya and Trixie performed religiously, then the enriched breakfast and Trixie’s pregnancy vitamins, then getting ready and driving to the doctor’s office.

When they reached the week twelve and they were told everything was going perfect, they were so happy, relieved and excited, that they invited all their friends to share the news about the new member of their family.

“Oh my God! the first one of the next generation, I’m so excited!” Shea said, looking pointedly to Trixie’s womb, trying to make it grow faster by looking at it. “I hope it’s a girl, so we’ll be able to spoil her to death.”

“You bet, I’ll make sure she’s a total brat”, Pearl said, getting a loud cackle from her girlfriend Violet and an annoyed look from Katya. “What? She will be my first niece, I have a moral obligation to spoil her rotten.” Violet nodded in agreement to her girlfriend, who lifted her face proudly to get support from her soulmate.

“Guys, we don’t even know if it’s a girl or a boy,” Raja said lazily, taking a sip of wine to create a dramatic effect to her words. “And we all know that it doesn’t matter what’s the sex of the baby, we’ll going to spoil them rotten, just because we’ll be madly in love with them.” The group of women agreed, and Trixie leaned her head on Katya’s shoulder.

Katya surrounded her with an arm and told her wife “we’re so screwed… this bunch of crazy women will create a monster that we have to raise to be a good human being.” Trixie laughed at how funny that sounded, because she knew deep inside that their friends will always take care, spoil, and make sure that the little one is safe, that was what family was meant to do. And all of them were family.

==================

October ran faster than they expected, the last thing they were talking about was the diner with their friends, and then Halloween was coming, giving room to a November that Trixie spent melting herself into each one of her cravings. Going from a full pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream mixed with candy corn; chocolate flakes and what Katya described as the biggest monstrosity created since the atomic bomb: A Gigantic Burrito drowned in melted cheese and covered with chili, apart of the chili inside.

They started decorating the baby’s room, painting the walls in soft mint green, with some rabbits and bears that Katya painted by herself, spending most of her rare free time on their kid space. Step by step, the room started shaping, first with a wooden crib, which Trixie dressed up with a quilted cover, and Katya installed shelves that would soon be filled with stuffed animals.

One day Katya arrived home with a package that was big enough to require help to be put inside their home. It had been sent by Katya’s mother in Boston, the rocking chair that Katya’s grandfather made when she was born, the last piece of furniture made by the man before passing away. Trixie asked Katya to put it beside the window. “I’ll sing them to sleep there, and I want to breastfeed our kid sitting on that piece of her mom’s story.

December finally came, with a heat wave that no one could actually explain. Trixie and Katya started the Christmas decorations, full of the hot pink Trixie loved so much, and part of the red that actually was a part of Katya’s personality. The little fireplace on their house held a full display of their wedding pictures, and below, a print of the first fuzzy image of their baby. Hung on the mantle were a hot pink christmas stocking with Trixie’s name embroidered in golden letters, and Katya’s all red and also embroidered but in a pearly black color. “I’ll put a hanger for the baby, Trix” Katya said, frowning at the empty space on the fireplace. “It’s their first Christmas, they deserve a stocking in the fireplace.”

“Katya, they won’t be here to open their gifts on Christmas morning, maybe we can wait to next Christmas, so we can actually get Christmas photoshoot and official family greeting cards,” Trixie said. She rubbed the slight curve of her womb that she popped buttons on her top to show off. “Don’t look at me like that, we haven’t even chosen a name for them, we can’t have a nameless stocking in the fireplace… not on my watch.”

It was the day before Christmas Eve when they had their 20th week appointment; Trixie’s bump kept growing, to the point she actually looked pregnant, and she finally got to wear a stupid denim overall that Katya hated, but tolerated because Trixie was very excited to wear it. “We will know today, you know?”, she said to Katya when they were driving to the doctor’s office. “It’s time to know if we’re having a boy or a girl… I’m nervous baby.”

“Everything will be fine, love. Also we will be better able to decide on a name once we know what sex they are.” They walked hand in hand to the office, and kept holding hands when the doctor finally let them know the baby’s gender. Both of them cried a stream of happy tears when the words ‘it’s a boy’ came out of their doctor’s mouth.

What followed was the largest argument they’ve had since they met. Trixie was nagging on the idea of a single name, something simple. Katya was spreading some names here and there. None of them actually coming to an agreement until Trixie said. “No Bible names, nothing Jew… please, nothing personal, it’s just I think they’re so common. Also, I don’t want none of those fancy ‘Blake Cinnamon’ thing, I respect our child enough for that matter.”

“Well, what do you think about gender neutral names?” Katya prompted ,”I mean, we don’t know what he’s going to want when he grow up, better to give him a starting point.” Trixie arched a brow, pondering the idea, and finding it endearing. Also, a gender neutral name would be a nice surprise for their friends, who will keep asking what the baby was.

“I’m on it, we’ll make some research at home” Trixie said, giving Katya some room to breathe. They finally had an agreement.

It was close to midnight when Trixie put aside the computer, totally frustrated and looking at Katya as if she had a third eye and palmed fingers. “No Katya, for the hundredth time today, my son will not be named Blake, and that’s a final word.”

“It’s a good name Trix, come on, you can’t just dismiss any friggin option I’m giving. And no, my son will not be named Avery… it sounds awful.” They looked at each other, fire, annoyance, and tiredness in their respective gazes. “If I didn’t know this baby is a boy, I’d name her Helena… just a face like Helen of Troy would cause such a war between two loving women.”

Trixie snapped her head, looking at Katya. “There it is, we haven’t considered greek names!” Katya looked at her, rubbing her chin and arching a brow in deep thought.

“You know, I’ve been studying the greek myths for the new collection, a reinvention of the classic figures. I’ve just read about the Trojan war, and it all happened because Paris couldn’t keep his hands to himself, and needed to kidnap Helen to him.” Katya explained, making Trixie huff in annoyance. “The point is, I guess Paris is a good name, like… gender neutral, and also will always remind us of the time we decided to become his mothers, as we were in France when we decided it to happen.”

Trixie nodded, “I guess it’s a good idea, Paris. Paris Mattel-Zamolodchikova, I really like it Katya.” She leaned to kiss her wife to seal the deal “His name is Paris, and I’ll embroider it tomorrow on his stocking, so he will have a proper presence in our house.”

“And on his first Christmas” Katya said enthusiastically, then put a hand on Trixie’s belly, who gave a little jump “did you felt that Katya?”, Trixie asked, amused. “Oh… Oh! there it is again, have you felt it?”

Katya’s eyes opened wide, looking from Trixie’s face to her hand on her belly. “That’s him. It’s Paris kicking!” The baby kicked one more time, making them excited, happy and teary. “He likes my voice baby, he really likes it.” Katya kissed Trixie once and then bent to talk to the bumping baby “Hello Paris, I’m Katya, your mom, and she is Trixie, your mommy, and we are very excited to know you’re our boy.”

“And right now, we’re going to bed, cause I know you’re not tired Paris, but I’m exhausted, and you go wherever I wanna go… at least now.” They both laughed, and Katya got off the couch to help Trixie to stand up.

Some minutes later, Trixie was fast asleep, leaning on Katya’s chest, a soft smile spreaded on her lips, before Katya whispered “Good night Baby. Good Night Paris. Merry Christmas. I love you both.”

#paris #saiphl #soulmate au #lesbian au #trixyawrimo #trixie mattel #katya zamolodchikova #trixya #raja gemini #manila luzon #shea coulee #sasha velour #pearl liaison #violet chachki #rpdr fanfiction #lyonne dlm

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austinturner · 2 years ago

Text

5 Essential Tips in Choosing the Best Caterers

Hosting an event requires effort and dedication, especially when choosing the right food to serve. You are fortunate if you hire the best caterers in California to make your celebrations not only memorable but hassle-free.

During these significant events it is essential to ensure the quality and presentation of the dishes on the table. The passion of the chefs and the staff in serving delicious dishes is also a must.

So if you are looking for these qualities then hiring a catering company that provides high-quality culinary services is your best option.

But how do you hire the right caterers with the right qualities? How do you plan the perfect menu? And how do you throw traditional Filipino events such as weddings, anniversaries, and birthday parties like the ones back at home?

Well, consider these tips when choosing the best caterers. Read on and make sure to gain good insights!

#1. Check for Reviews and References

Seeking out good reviews is a good way to start looking for the perfect caterer, as this gives you a definite idea of their food, quality, and service.

Make sure to spend some time reading customer feedback through online sources such as official websites, business listings and social media platforms. This will help you decide whether to continue with their catering services.

You may also inquire about recommendations and experiences from family, friends, or previous clients. Their reviews can be considered as reliable sources since you will likely have a similar experience to theirs.

#2. Schedule a Menu Tasting

Even if a caterer is highly recommended and serves appealing food, it is still a good idea to read the menu and try out the dishes before hiring them.

Catering businesses like Manila Food Mart, a Turo-Turo restaurant in California, provide a vast catering menu of Filipino cuisine that you must definitely enjoy with your guests. Rest assured that you have plenty of dishes to choose from like your favorite kare-kare, caldereta and bopis! Choose as well those celebration noodles, the all-time Pinoy favorite pancit canton and pancit palabok.

Schedule a menu tasting and request various samples to determine the flavor, quality, and presentation. Taking the time to savor the food allows you to choose and create the perfect menu for your event.

Additionally, this gives you the opportunity to find out if the caterers are well-versed in their products and services. You can try by asking about the ingredients used as well as how they prepare the dishes. If a caterer is unable to answer these questions, then that is considered a red flag. Opt to hire only those who understand real tasty food like Manila Food Mart!

#3. Expertise with Events

Another tip for choosing the right caterer is the ability to accommodate your specific type of event. Find one that is willing to meet your expectations by discussing the style, theme, and size of your venue.

Moreover, it is important that the caterer’s specialty matches your event. If for instance you decide to host a classic Filipino birthday party, make sure to hire Manila Food Mart with their catering services that include serving traditional Pinoy dishes for authentic Filipino celebration.

Other than providing delicious meals on the table, every caterer must reflect the formality of an event through their services. So do not hesitate to share how you want to celebrate these momentous days and see if your chosen caterer has any experience with this kind of event.

#4. Provides Menu Flexibility

Your chosen caterer may have certain recommendations and specialties they are known for, but the ability to go beyond their standard menu options is also important.

High-quality catering services must be willing to make changes or adjust the menu according to your preferences, especially if you are expecting guests with allergies or dietary restrictions.

At Manila Food Mart, you can choose from a variety of chicken, pork, beef, and seafood dishes to suit different tastes. So if you have guests allergic to seafood, you can try vegetable-based recipes like ampalaya con tofu (sautéed bitter gourd with tofu) or tortang talong (eggplant omelet).

Dishes with your choice of meat are also available for catering, such as afritada, a Filipino chicken or pork stew cooked in a tomato-based sauce with potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers.

Consider informing caterers of your menu options and requirements ahead of time to avoid inconveniences and ensure that your guests will enjoy the food throughout the event.

#5. Excellent Customer Service

Choosing a catering business that serves delicious food is the safest option for planning a successful event. But if your caterer is not open to any of your ideas, you may want to reconsider.

Make sure to hire caterers who treat you as valued customers by listening to your suggestions and helping you plan your event at every step of the way.

Catering services such as Manila Food Mart offer the best Filipino dishes in Orange County and have accommodating staff filled with enthusiasm and hospitality.

Allow your guests to enjoy both the food and the occasion by choosing a catering company you most feel comfortable with and whose work you respect.

The Takeaway

The search for the best caterer doesn’t have to be difficult as long as you keep these essential tips in mind. With the key ingredients of unique flavors, excellent service, and a quality dining experience, you are bound to find the perfect caterer.

Located in Lake Forest, Orange County, California, Manila Food Mart is here for you to relive and recreate the nostalgic feeling of joyous gatherings and special events by serving the most tasty, delicious Filipino dishes.

Look no further! Bring the celebration to the next level with the event caterers of Orange County and rediscover the comfort of home and family occasions today! Contact us!

#ManilaFoodMart #filipinoRestaurantOrangeCounty #filipinofoodlakeforest #BestCateringOrangeCounty #affordablecateringCA

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summerells · 2 years ago

Text

5 Essential Tips in Choosing the Best Caterers

During these significant events it is essential to ensure the quality and presentation of the dishes on the table. The passion of the chefs and the staff in serving delicious dishes is also a must.

So if you are looking for these qualities then hiring a catering company that provides high-quality culinary services is your best option.

Well, consider these tips when choosing the best caterers. Read on and make sure to gain good insights!

#1. Check for Reviews and References

Seeking out good reviews is a good way to start looking for the perfect caterer, as this gives you a definite idea of their food, quality, and service.

#2. Schedule a Menu Tasting

Even if a caterer is highly recommended and serves appealing food, it is still a good idea to read the menu and try out the dishes before hiring them.

#3. Expertise with Events

#4. Provides Menu Flexibility

Your chosen caterer may have certain recommendations and specialties they are known for, but the ability to go beyond their standard menu options is also important.

High-quality catering services must be willing to make changes or adjust the menu according to your preferences, especially if you are expecting guests with allergies or dietary restrictions.

Dishes with your choice of meat are also available for catering, such as afritada, a Filipino chicken or pork stew cooked in a tomato-based sauce with potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers.

Consider informing caterers of your menu options and requirements ahead of time to avoid inconveniences and ensure that your guests will enjoy the food throughout the event.

#5. Excellent Customer Service

Choosing a catering business that serves delicious food is the safest option for planning a successful event. But if your caterer is not open to any of your ideas, you may want to reconsider.

Make sure to hire caterers who treat you as valued customers by listening to your suggestions and helping you plan your event at every step of the way.

Catering services such as Manila Food Mart offer the best Filipino dishes in Orange County and have accommodating staff filled with enthusiasm and hospitality.

Allow your guests to enjoy both the food and the occasion by choosing a catering company you most feel comfortable with and whose work you respect.

The Takeaway

Look no further! Bring the celebration to the next level with the event caterers of Orange County and rediscover the comfort of home and family occasions today! Contact us!

#BestCaterers #filipinoRestaurantOrange County #FilipinoFoodLakeForest #FilipinoFoodOrangeCounty #BestPinoyFoodOrangeCounty MFM #TuroturoOrangeCounty

0 notes