#also this is the second time cake did this she also tried to get fiona to kiss hot single dad finn

[theywontletmebeprincipal]

ok ok listen. this moment is admittedly absurd, yes. but it’s EXTREMELY in character for ice king/simon/winter king/whatever. it’s very heavily implied that ice king is, essentially, simon without any inhibition or filter. all of simon’s weird little quirks are present with ice king tenfold, n ice king has absolutely zero shame about that. of course this goes both ways - simon’s depression gets a lot more intense as ice king too — but so does his pure unabashed enjoyment of life. n ice king is yknow. a bit of a pervert, whether that’s something that was always there with simon or something that was an amplified version of a much more vanilla thing he had going on. let’s not forget ice king is, n I can’t believe this is something I can say, canonically into femdom

so winter king, who’s presented - at least on the surface — as a happy medium between the two, is of COURSE going to be a little bit of a freak. he’s on this constant upper with all of ice king’s joy n shamelessness n shall we say, preferences, but absolutely none of his despair bc of course he paid the ultimate price (someone else’s sanity) to lock all that away. not to mention the fact that he’s been in total isolation for 100 years (the apparition he made of his daughter to replace the real one who’s never forgiving him for driving her girlfriend crazy doesn’t count)

simon wouldn’t fuck his clone bc he’d get weirded out. I neither know nor care if he’d still want to n frankly I don’t think it matters all that much. ice king would fuck his clone bc he doesn’t give a shit but he’d be too confused about everything to actually figure out how. winter king, who has had 100 years of sanity to sit around alone n shamelessly think about fucking his clone, not only would fuck his clone, but, if given enough time n planning, WILL fuck his clone

I cannot believe the level of apeshit this franchise is that I can say this is legitimate character analysis. but somehow. it is. love this stupid fucking show to death

To give you some insight on just how absolutely insane this new Fionna and Cake episode is, Cake encourages this sexy alternate dimension Ice King (voiced by BRIAN DAVID GILBERT BY THE WAY) to commit interdimensional selfcest with Simon and he admits he THOUGHT ABOUT IT???? WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHOW???

[sunshine-for-serotonin]

I did things just a bit different in order to keep the flow in my brain going, but hopefully you like it still!

God damn this took forever-

❣️It should be noted I write Scarab with a nonhuman dick❣️

❣️reader is also vaguely mentioned to have a decent sized chest at one point, but it can also be interpreted that you’re just wearing a tight fitting top❣️

❣️Scarab demands to “properly” court reader when they’re done as a stipulation❣️

❣️reader gets a lil mean but is generally a soft dom and she’s only mean because Scarab gets a bit bratty❣️

Being a friend of Fiona’s, of course you were concerned when she and Cake went missing, only to return a few days later after you, Gary, and Marshall Lee had scoured the city looking for her, raving about how your universe was bound to turn magical any second and how you all lived in some dude named Simons head.

….did her overalls just talk?????

After Fiona and Cake try explaining things more thoroughly to you three to clear up confusion, (it didn’t help much), they had both run off to try and find a portal, leaving you, Gary, and Marshall to talk amongst yourselves.

….at least you would have, had it not been for the commotion emanating from where they had run off too.

Arriving at the scene, you just barely managed to catch the oversized, red, alien looking bug that had been launched at you through the air by a poorly aimed kick from Cake.

Immediately, the creature began to try and bite you, struggling in your grasp to break free with its large yellow eyes unfocused and wild.

looking it over curiously, you noticed the large crystal that had embedded itself in the creatures exoskeleton. It looked painful, to say the least.

Gently cooing at it, you cradled the agitated bug to your chest.

“Poor thing, no wonder you’re so worked up! That must be so uncomfortable…”

Something about you speaking to it caused the creature to calm down slightly, staring up at you and blinking owlishly as it began to focus on your face, stilling enough for you to pry the crystal from its back.

“There you go, that’s it… good beetle…”

You could have sworn you saw a red coloration coat just under its eyes at your soothing praise, a small purr rumbling from it and causing small vibrations to shake its body.

After tossing the crystal to Fiona, you wrapped both arms around your new “companion” and hummed thoughtfully, taking note that it was still staring up at your face.

“You know, you’re quite cute when you’re not so fussy.”

more dark red spread across its cheeks to the point you knew you weren’t imagining anything, now avoiding your gaze by closing its eyes.

Gently stroking its abdomen seemed to make the purring increase, and it almost seemed like the creature was unaware of its actions, feeling the spikes on its joints dig themselves into your clothes so that you couldn’t pry it off.

“Ah, that thing seems quite attached to you, (y/n)…”

*gasp* “(y/n), quick, put him down! That’s Scarab and he’s dangerous! Give him to cake to contain him for now!”

”Scarab, huh?”

At you saying his name, the mini Scarab nodded and pressed his face against you.

“Are you sure he’s dangerous, Fiona? Look at how cute he’s being!”

“(Y/N)!!!”

“ugh, fffiiinnnneeee…”

When you try to gently pull the mini Scarab off of you, it starts to squirm to try to keep its sharp appendages stuck to your clothes.

seeing as though you weren’t going to give up trying to get him off of you, Scarab licked your neck to catch you off guard and quickly crawled under your shirt to rest against your chest when your grip loosened in shock.

looking down at the yellow eyes that slowly closed as he rested against your chest, you sighed.

“Dude, there’s not enough room for you in there. Every time I take a breath, the combination of you and my boobs makes me worry my top will break.”

When you tried to reach for him to take him out from your shirt, the mini Scarab glared at you so fiercely you gave up.

“okay, okay, fine- you can stay there, but my friends are going to take you sooner or later.”

All that comment got in response was a low purr and the closing of eyes as you rewrapped your arms around him.

After making your way back to Fiona’s apartment once the other Scarabs had been rounded up, you tried to carefully remove the sleeping Scarab from your being, only for it to awake and start babbling indecipherable things as it clung to you tighter.

“Uh, guys? A little help here?”

Despite all the efforts of your friends, Scarab held onto you stubbornly, sharp cries of “No!” emanating from his mouth.

“Fiona, are you sure he’s dangerous? All he seems to be doing is clinging to (y/n)…”

“Marshall, he literally tried to kill me and Cake! But…. Maybe it would be a good idea for her to keep holding him. We’d be able to better prevent him from fully forming that way.”

At Fiona’s words, Scarab looked up at you and let out another purr, nuzzling into your hands.

“For a cosmic god auditor, you sure are a clingy little thing…”

Glaring up at you before hiding his face in your chest, Scarab felt you walk around the room and release one of your arms from around him to open Fiona’s fridge.

Taking out a pumpkin bar, you took a few bites before noticing Scarabs gaze fixated on your lips. Not saying anything, you broke a piece of the bar off and placed it in his mouth, watching as he gave a purr and mindlessly began chewing, still hyper focused on your mouth.

Back and forth you two went, you carefully feeding Scarab while he stared at your face with such intensity that you almost wondered if he was even aware he was eating.

By the time you two had finished eating, you just barely registered the deafening silence that had taken over the room. Strange, considering the other mini Scarabs had never shut up about calling your friends “abominations” and other various insults.

turning, you saw that all the other scarabs were also staring at you, seemingly in a trance.

when your gaze would land on any of them, they would whimper pathetically and try to paw out of their enclosures, the ones in glass jars only being stopped by your friends firmly gripping the containers.

unlike with LSP, they weren’t doing this to manipulate you into freeing them. They had seen how gentle you were with their other counterpart, and they wanted that softness all to themselves.

“Well, they all seem to like (y/n)…”

“Yeah…”

You were startled out of your thoughts when you felt something wet and slimy moving over the expanse of your neck before something started sucking on your skin, like a muscular straw.

Looking down, became shocked and appalled to see that scarab was seemingly using his tongue to suck small marks onto your skin, essentially non traditionally formed hickeys.

“Hey! Stop, you’re going to leave a mark!”

Once again, the red bugs only response was another low purr and an increased fervor for marking your skin.

With a sigh, you simple rolled your eyes and walked back over to your friends with an annoyed look on your face.

“Kiss each oth-”

“Stop that train of thought right there.”

Eventually you all made your way outside, the mini scarab still held tightly in your arms, before a loud explosion turned all of your attentions to Fiona’s apartment complex, now with a gaping hole in the side.

——————————————————————————

Smoke poured from the side of the once pristine complex, a much larger version of the mini Scarab in your arms standing in the ruins with its eyes scanning the surrounding areas before locking on you. Before any of you had the chance to react, the large creature leapt down to the ground and skittered over, barreling into you and knocking you to the ground. It’s large eyes gazed at you and the smile on its face revealed several razor sharp teeth before it shoved its head beneath your shirt to merge with its other mini counterpart, a white glow overtaking its body before the fully formed Scarab appeared and pulled his head from your shirt to glare at your friends.

“Crossovers…”

“Oh, Crud.” “Oh no, he’s hot-”

All you could do was stare up at him in fear as Scarab suddenly turned his gaze down to you, still half laying on top of you as the eyes of his mask narrowed. Everyone held there breath for a few seconds before Scarab murmured in a quiet voice;

“Not you… stay out of this.”

Before anyone could react, Scarab snatched you up and skittered to the top of the now ruined apartment, wrapping you up tightly before going to fight your friends and destroy the universe as you tried to escape your bonds.

You weren’t sure how long had passed, but through tons of spite fueled cursing and you wriggling around, you had eventually managed to escape the apartment and track down Scarab, creeping up to him as he blasted another building out of existence. Thinking quick, you jumped on his back, doing your best to wrangle the crystal out of his hands.

“Wha- you! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Stopping you from destroying my world! Seriously, what’s your deal?!”

Through some squirming and manhandling on both of your parts, you manage to get Scarab on his back as you keep him pinned by straddling his waist. You’re certain he could throw you off if he truly wanted to, and yet he doesn’t.

“Now you listen here. This is my world, my entire existence! And you think it’s alright for you to come here and start destroying everything I love? You think it’s okay to just tie me up and let me sit by as you decimate the lives of millions of people? Well it’s not.”

You jab a finger into where his tie lays, paying no mind to the way Scarab trembles and shudders beneath you. You assume it’s from rage or shock at the audacity you had of standing up to a god auditor. After a few seconds, he looks away, unable to meet your gaze. You’re about to make a retort, something along the lines of “What? Can’t even look at me now?” When you feel something slick prodding at your underwear beneath your skirt.

“What…?”

Looking down at where your hips trapped his and moving back slightly, you saw that a slit had opened up in Scarabs suit, and a thick pink muscle was slowly coming out, twitching and oozing a white liquid. As if that was not strange enough, the thing began to move on its own and almost tie itself up in a knot, like it was its own sentient being. You look up at Scarab in shock, your lips slightly agape as surprise coats your expression. He still wouldn’t look at you, a thick blush coating his cheeks.

“Scarab, are you…?”

“…yes… don’t look at me.”

“I would’ve expected you to deny it, honestly.”

“It would be pointless, seeing as it’s so obvious. Besides… it would be improper to lie a young woman. Stop staring.”

It was incredible, seeing the behemoth of a being reduced to nothing but flushed cheeks and shy whimpers beneath you. You don’t even think he realized it, but he had moved his hands to your hips and was nervously rubbing circles into your sides, marveling at the feeling of how squishy and soft you were against his exoskeleton. As you sat there, partly out of shock and embarrassment and also partly to figure out what your next steps should be, you could feel small movements coming from Scarabs hips. Looking down, you could see that the movements were aborted thrusts and that his dick was now flushed a painful looking shade of red, with what you assumed to be precum leaking rapidly from the tip and pooling on his tummy. An idea started forming in your head.

“You know…”

Your hands began to languidly explore the expanse of Scarabs exoskeleton, feeling him shudder and bite back a whimper low in his throat.

“I would be willing to help you out with this, if you follow my requests.”

You watched as his eye sockets narrowed, obviously not wanting to comply, but also very desperate and needing you.

“What… what are your requests?”

“One, you have to let me see you. That means no hiding behind your faceplates. Two, you have to buy my world some time, at least give my friends a chance to try and save ourselves. Do we have a deal?”

Scarabs disbelief was tangible, the shock that you struck such a hard bargain shaking him to his core.

“Buy your world time? You can’t just-!”

“Do you want me to fuck you or not?”

It was silent for a few seconds and you feared he may reject your offer and go back to destroying your world, weird tentacle boner and all. Luckily your fears were washed away as his faceplates slid back, allowing you to see the flustered yellow eyes staring up at you.

“I accept your terms. But I have a request of my own to make. When we are done, you must agree to let me court you properly.”

“Do you really want to dance that dance?”

“I do. Even when this world is destroyed, you must agree to come with me and let me be your partner.”

“What a gentleman. I also accept those terms, but my world will not be destroyed. We’ll find a way.”

“We shall see.”

With that, you moved yourself to rest against Scarabs dick, grinding against the appendage and feeling the inhuman ridges bump against your clit through your underwear. Not having expected the pleasurable contact, Scarab startled and gave a little whine, bucking his hips without meaning to as his eyes became half-lidded. You couldn’t help but give him a little smirk.

“Sensitive, huh? Tell me, have you ever had anyone touch you before?”

The look Scarab gave you was a mix of a glare and a plea, and from that alone you could take a gander and be certain in yourself you knew the answer. Shaking his head no, Scarab wrapped his arms around you, wanting you close. He could feel your slickness through your underwear, mixing with his own steady stream of precum.

“Aww, how cute~”

“Please-mmm~…”

At his begging, you could feel the heat in your lower belly start to pool, urging you to just go ahead and fuck him already. He hadn’t even truly felt your pussy and he was already a moaning, keening mess beneath your hips. Leaning down, you began to suck and kiss along his neck, paying no mind to the strange texture.

“Mm, ah! Please, I-I wanna be inside!”

“Shhh, it’s okay… I’ll put you in. If it ever gets to be too much, just tell me to stop, okay?”

Giving you an eager nod, Scarabs eyes were practically rolling in his sockets as his dick gave an eager twitch. As soon as you had lifted your hips even slightly, it was squirming beneath your underwear and into your pussy, stretching you out on the thick appendage as you let out a satisfied hiss from between your teeth. Scarab on the other hand couldn’t help the high pitched moan that escaped from his vocal chords, sounding more like a desperate cry than anything else. Letting out a breathless giggle, you check in on Scarab, trying to focus through the feeling of his cock wriggling inside of you.

“How do you feel, Scara?”

All you could hear on his end were breathless moans, grappling with the feeling of you surrounding him as he struggled to form coherent thoughts.

“Feeling a little overwhelmed?”

"Maybe… but… it feels so good… I can't even explain it… I'm-I'm-hngh…”

The only thing on his mind is how good you feel and he just wants you to keep going, how he wants you to use him like a toy and let him fill you to the brim with his cum. Taking the hint, you began to roll your hips in a steady motion as you lazily played with your clit, a smug grin on your lips.

“Good boy, Scarab~ Taking everything so well and making me feel so good~”

“D-Don’t-haah-! Don’t patronize me… mmm-!”

“Please, you love it. Wanna know how I know?~ It’s because your dick writhes every time I even remotely praise you.”

Now that pulled a keen from his throat, despite him looking like he would rather swallow glass than admit it. Feeling the pleasure start to pool in your tummy, you decide to really start toying with him.

“Look at you, needing a human like me to tell you what a good boy you are in order to get off~ How does it feel to rely on an “abomination” for the praise you oh so desperately need, Scara?~”

“I-I don’t-mmm! I don’t need your praise! Aah!”

“Really? Then what if I told you that you weren’t being good? What if I told you how pathetic you were and that you were nothing more to me than a quick fuck to save my world?”

Those comments were enough to bring tears to Scarabs eyes, and he barely managed to speak through the cacophony of his own sniffles and moans.

“N-no, don’t like that-!”

“That’s what I thought. So just accept that you’re my good boy and I’ll praise you as much as you want, ‘kay, good boy?”

Nodding his head, Scarab began to frantically buck his hips as he felt the coil in his lower stomach begin to tighten rapidly from you calling him a good boy.

“You’re all mine, lovely~ Taking everything so perfect~”

Scarab looks at you and now he seems to be getting a bit emotional again. You are saying such good things to him and it makes him feel so incredibly good and special.

"I'm proud to be yours… I'm-I'm lucky. And… and it feels so good to… to hear you praise me!”

Smirking, you throw your head back as you let out a small moan, him finally giving in and admitting defeat made this all so much sweeter than you could have ever imagined as you continued the rapid pace of your hips, a ring of creamy white coating the base of Scarab’s dick from the inhuman amount of precum he was leaking combined with your slick.

“mmm~ Gonna cum for me, lovey? Gonna fill me up like the good boy you are?~”

That seemed to do it, a wanton cry erupting from the depths of Scarab’s being as he came with an almost frightening amount of force, filling up every bit of space your pussy could possibly have and dripping out of you to collect in the space between your bodies. Tensing your thighs and leaning down, you bit harshly into the dip between his neck and shoulder, feeling your own high crash over you and waves of bliss rocked your body and you thoroughly milked Scarab’s cock.

With a shuddering sigh, you slowly lifted yourself off of Scarab’s hips, slipping him out of you with a wet squelch and moving your underwear back into place as you settled beside him.

“You alright? You seem a little out of it…”

“I… I am fine, I simply need a minute.”

Thinking for a second, you looked down at him and cupped his face from where he lay panting, gently brushing his skin with your fingers.

“If you can get us into one of the empty buildings, we can take a bath and get cleaned up. I imagine you don’t want to go around attempting to destroy my world covered in cum.”

Your words pulled just a hint of a smile to his mouth, yellow eyes peering up at you like you were the most perfect thing in existence. You couldn’t help but think to yourself that you were absolutely going to fuck him more often if this is what he was like post-orgasm.

“You… you’re going to clean me up? Really?”

“Of course! What kind of partner would I be otherwise?”

——————————————————————————

a/n: Howdy, my loves! I realize this took a long time to get out, and I apologize for the radio silence, but I hope this is satisfactory for my fellow Fiona and Cake fans!

Drink water and take care of yourselves or I’m going to be under your bed tonight :)

byyyyyeeeeee!

[willowshimmer]

So I watched Fiona And Cake and I'm hooked...

First episode:

I love how it started with all the colors and how it felt! The voice acting was spot on and it felt surreal with the pastel theme.

"I don't wanna go to work......" Relatable... Especially since my school will start soon...

The way Cake is acting really true actually! Minus the ice... Also when cats ears and nose are cold that means they are healthy! If their hot then that means the cat is sick.

I honestly did not know Fionna's job was a thing....

When I saw Marshall Lee I screamed. I live for his DESIGN! And his personality.

Love Fern's hair. That's all I have to say.

Man Fionna's Boss is short I thought they were a kid.

Love Fionna's reaction from getting fired...And how she technically flipped of her now old boss.

PRINCE GUMBALL or should I say Gary...

Gary's so adorable! I would love to try the cookies he made! They look delicious and sweet and the latté there!

Fuck Gary's boss! He don't deserve to work with that short ass dwarf (No offense to anyone who's short) he deserves better!

When Marshall started singing I was just amazed by the voice acting again! Like such voice is amazing for him!

Oh the poor coffee...

Aw! Marshall likes the cookies! I hope he meets Gary some episode!

I don't trust this version of Lumpy space princess...

I LOVE HUNTER! They are so gentle and nice! I get a bit of gender enby vibes from them.

I LOVED THIS EPISODE!♥️

Below is the next episode review cause this is getting a bit long and cause I explore a few dark topics.

Second Episode:

I missed Simon so much!

I don't like how he's basically a human attraction to the citizens. I just don't feel comfortable with that cause of anxiety and I don't like getting asked questions in general.

I personally think that kid should've just left Simon alone and not talk about his past to HIS ENTIRE FAMILY!

I do think what's interesting about the trauma of Simon is that he's so traumatized from his past as the "Ice King" to the point he can't look at ice without freaking out. It's like soldiers who have been in wars and are so traumatized by loud sounds to the point they just at times attack.

I like Finn's new design! It matches well with now personality.

And I like how TV (One of Jake's kids) is with him.

So wait Jake's DEAD!?

Blindfolded into a forest... What could go wrong?

I really love the forest layout cause of colorful and bright it is! It blends in with the vibe it's going for.

I was at first like "Woah there's blood!" When Jake killed the fish but then it made sense cause Adventure Time came out year's ago and they now they're audience has grown since then so it makes sense.

I would love to hear more stories from before Simon was the Ice King.

"SUCK ON THESE NUTS!" YES!!

More things that I noticed about Simon when he was fighting the bear thing is that he's not a fighter, he's not violent, he's just trying to fit in the best he can but even he can't cause of how people keep reminding him about his past as the Ice King.

I know what Finn did was irresponsible cause he just blindfolded Simon and led him into a forest but let me explain. He's lost Jake. And when Jake dies he was probably and most likely devastated since he lost the only person he was mostly close to a that was like a brother to him. That's his way of coping with stuff! But he doesn't know alot about Simon so he tried to do the one thing that helped HIM! He tried.

I was so HAPPY to see Marceline and Bubblegum again!

I find it very funny that Bubblegum's skin sticks to the tattoo gun.

Love Marceline's new hair cut as well.

I just Simon to be happy with his wife! Is that to much to ask!?😭

Also I think I catched a Steven universe reference when Cake came out Simon's hair.

This episode was heavy and full of emotion to unpack and I think I like that!

I love the series so far and hope more of it soon!

Also I'M BACK!

[bionicghost]

My theory and analysis for simon and his plotline in fionna and cake (under the cut)

Looking at that whole bit at the end of the episode where he’s trying to get Betty back. I mean first of all such a parallel to when Betty had Magic Man’s hat and tried to do some magic summoning bizz on ice king because being with him like this was “living life in a fun house mirror” which incredibly similar to the clips and magic taboo shit simon is doing especially with the encirideon and the fact that he spends the whole episode wanting his old life back and wanting to be with Betty again. They’re doomed lovers!! Constantly trying to find their way back to each other but they can only do so at the cost of themselves.. can never be together.

Evil choose goose from the pep butt special episode was so funny. Simon really went off the rails and just decided to kidnap him for a magical conduit. The freaking shrine with golb lol. Simon and Betty are such mad scientist x mad scientist. I’m wondering if evil choose goose mentioning fiona and cake is what caused that connection, or if it was just echoing what’s been on Simon’s mind this whole time that he’s been “back.” Fionna and cake did mention that statue has been there for 12 years, the amount of time he’s been Simon.

The way he says to golb “find me a path” to Betty and is trying to arrange the pieces - he thinks he’s failed because choose goose interrupted. However, theorizing that the way back to Betty is through his own mindscape. Fionna and cake’s world is clearly a creation of his own headspace. The way Cake pops out of the back of his head like that. The ice symbolism and the ice prince in fiona/cake’s dream. The statue of Betty, the characters we all know put into Fiona and Cake’s world, THE CHEERS THEME, the 20th century, all echoes of Simon’s old life and of the story of Fionna and Cake.

So curious if this series is going to end with him being successful and finding Betty or if its going to be more about getting closure and moving on. Clearly it hasn’t worked in the past when Betty and Simon have tried to manipulate the universe under any means to get to each other. I could see the story with Fionna and Cake being more like a Simon wishing he was in her world, her wishing she was in his, they realize what they’d miss if they were switched, then see they have to move on and make their own reality work. Or maybe they will just work together to change their realities and Simon will get to be with Betty and Fionna will get magic. I feel like it’ll be a tricky thing to pull off though without undoing the narrative adventure time has been working on for a long time.

Honestly so happy that they’re doing this series because the end of adventure time was so open ended. It was clear the story wasn’t over yet, as ice king/simon were never wanting to just be a human again in OOO. Marceline and Bonnie spent all this time being friends with ice king and getting use to where he was in the world. In many ways, Simon was happier that way as well, he mentions that in the second episode. If he was ice king, he’d feel like he was still part of the magical world. As Simon, he only feels like he’ll be happy in his old life (with Betty). Also at the end of adventure time, Betty just being trapped forever felt super unsatisfying, especially with how much her character develops in the search for Simon. I feel like this season will really give some closure there.

And of course just more time to develop and show Bubbline and Gary + Marshall Lee!! The original series was robbed of being able to show full gay content. We’re all living our best lives being able to see them happy! Excited for the potential slow burn Gary/Marshall Lee and seeing that develop, as that’s not something we got with Bubbline.

[mostofthingsmostofthetime]

My thoughts on Fiona & Cake so far -

* Sailor Moon style Fiona & Cake AU? Ahh, yes, please! Would tottally eat that shit up.

* Ice Prince? God Damn these show runners are really gonna have me simping for every possible version of Simon (except Ice King, who just made me kinda sad)

* Don't know the name of the style, but Fiona & her world are so cute

* Love that they gave Fiona's thighs some chonk. She's a grown woman she should have a grown women's body (obviously everyone's body is unique but you get what I mean) without needlessly sexualsing her (or so far anyway, but I hope that remains true to the end of the show)

* Marchel Lee is cool as fuck & I'm pleased so far with Donald Glover's performance

* Wow, it took me way too long to get who Hunter was supposed to be

* The male human version of LSP is just 'correct character design' in every single way

* Oh, so Gary dyes his hair in this universe. That makes sense.

* I get that they're sticking to established gender bend cannon, but I gotta be honeet I miss Peppiment Butler

* Also dosn't it seem out of character that this version of Pep But is not only "above" this version of Bubblegum but is so horrible to him when (despite his "shady ethics" he was shown as genuinely pretty loyal to the princess in the original series)

* The first intro was so cute but the second (& I guess permanent one now) is fucking awesome (just have to be careful about the glitches coz they hurt my eyes)

* Why am I so down bad for this depressed old man lol

* Marcy, I'm happy for you, girl, but you need to check on your dad

* Oh yeah, Choose Goose is evil now & I don't want to see him anymore

* Little girl, please leave that old man alone

* Actually, are all the "future people" this rude all the time? Like get out of that man's house.

* Not prismo hiding fanfiction in Ice King's head, lol

* The red suit bounty hunter is a dick but at least his design is cool (& weirdly attractive when his not going all Cthulu)

* Can the show stop showing us Simon's ass? Like, isn't he going through enough as it is? There's no need to keep humiliating him!

* Feels weird to find Finn hot now, but well, can you blame me? Coz like...Damn. Also, when shit hits the fan, I don't want him blaming himself. I mean at least he tried to help Simon.

* The Jake tattoo 💔😭 but hey, at least we know now that him & Finn will eventually get reincarnated together

* Sorry but I don't really like Cake's "new" design she went from cute to creepy (think it's something about the eyes) & no hate to the VA but I'm not loving her voice either

* Not too big of a fan of Cake in general so far tbh like I don't hate her or anything, but I think Jake was just so funny, wise & likeable (+ had a much more appealing design) that it's gonna take a while to get used to her & if I'm being honest I'm also unsure of how I feel about Fiona so far

* As Finn's human mum is bassically just computer code, does that mean she can't ever go to the afterlife & be reincarnated to be his mum again? Like if her software (or whatever it's called) gets destroyed, then that's it, game over? She just never gets to be his mum again? When she barely got a chance to, in the first place. I'm gonna cry!

* Farm world Finn makes me sad

* Old regular dog Jake deserves all the head smooshes, thank you, Cake

* Wonder who Finn's wife was in that world (maybe an alternate version of his wife from the pillow diamesion?)

* Not Finn's son playing out a Romeo & Juilet storyline, lol

* Jesus this show should have been rated F for flamethrower

* Wait no did bug Man just kill dad Finn (making his kids orphans)?

* Brian David Gilbert, is that you!?!?!?!

* OMG, shut up! GumbLee just randomly deciding to hang out with each other was so cute 😭💖

* Oh, so Winter King is super fucked up.......well, at least he looked cool & could sing (poor ice Marcy)

* Speaking of singing, omg The Candy Queen! As coo coo for coco pops as she was, that blender song was iconic (shame about her people though, hope she doesn't end up blaming Fiona)

* Butch (am I allowed to use that word?) soldier Bonnie, toxic Yuri & GumLee kiss all in one episode? Oh, I know the gays were being fed, lol.

* Ooh, there's that sweet, sweet character development I was hoping for, for Fiona (still waiting on Cake's)

* Evil Marcleline's wardrobe is not a want but a NEED!!!!!!!

* Dammit Prismo I know you don't mean to, but you gotta stop flapping your yap, or you're gonna get Fiona & Cake killed

* Fuck Miss Abadeer all my homies hate Miss Abadeer

* Good thing Cake is getting a handle on her powers

* I don't know how to feel about human Huntress Wizzard

* No, the one world (so far) where Martin isn't terrible & he dies!!!!!!!

* Yes, Simon, your existence helped someone!!!! Even looking like John Lennon on Crack, you were a good dad (considering the circumstances)

* Not Huntress wizzard to!!!!!!

* Oh shit the remote. That's probably not good

* Well, at least Cake didn't become vampire food

* Wait, we really don't get to see if alt Bubbline murder/suicide each other?

* Baby Finn better survive the vampire world, or I'm gonna lose it

[mymelodyheart]

Save The Date Chapter 11 ~What’s Brewing Claire?~

picture credit

 Previously in Stramash ...

Jamie pulled back to look at her face and tipped her chin up to survey the cut on her lips. "He did this?"

She could only nod as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

Jamie turned the gun in his hand and marched towards the door, shouting at the police ushering Jack out to wait. Before Claire could scream for him to stop, he brought his forehead down on Jack's nose in a head butt before handing the weapon to a nearby officer. The sound of cartilage crunching echoed in the tiny room, making Claire wince. Jack fell onto his knees with a loud thud, holding his bleeding nose, shouting improprieties muffled by his hands.

"Now, that was uncalled for, Fraser," an officer clucked, but his grin and the amusement in his eyes implied he wasn't too bothered over Jack's injury. "Now go and get some rest. I'll handle the paperwork and delay the statement for tomorrow morning. You both have done enough to save the day."

  If you wish to read this on AO3, here is the link.

If you wish to read this from the beginning:

AO3 link

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  Jamie studied Claire. She lay relaxed on the examination table, going through her phone and reading messages. She looked untroubled and seemed to have recovered from the ordeal this past weekend. The only tell-tale sign left of that hellish night was the tiny scab on her lower lip and bruising on her right cheek where Jack Randall had struck her. She was whole and safe, and yet here he was, having trouble letting go of that incident.

When he'd helplessly watched Jack shoved a gun against her neck and dragged her away from his sight, he'd felt the full gravity of her vulnerability and his inadequacy to secure her safety. But how Claire had handled the situation was nothing short of mind-blowing, albeit heart-stopping. She'd kept her presence of mind, aptly keeping Geneva talking while the tech specialist monitored the audio listening device. The moment they'd identified the voice on the phone, the administration in Broadmoor had been immediately alerted to make sure Geneva didn't go anywhere until the police arrived.

Geneva and Jack were in jail now, awaiting trial and most likely would stay there for a very long time. He really needed to stop fixating on what could have gone wrong and focus on the matter at hand, like their baby's condition and Claire's health.

He puffed out a breath and sprung onto his feet. "Ye comfy, Sassenach?"

"I'm good," she replied, without looking up from her phone screen.

"Ye ken, we can cancel the baby reveal for another day."

"I know, but I prepared so much food already."

They were having his family and closest friends over for afternoon tea to share the news of their baby. Claire had insisted on a celebration to invalidate the ordeal Geneva had put them through, determined not to allow recent events to cast a shadow over their upcoming nuptials. Jamie had thought it was too soon, but Claire had pressed that the sooner they moved forward from the incident, the better. 

So last night, she'd spent the entire evening preparing shortcrust pastries, scones batter and making Victorian sponge cake. Apparently, she'd taken some lessons in baking and cooking from Mrs Fitz so that she could host parties like Jenny and his ma. It was as if her work, all the travelling she'd been doing, preparing for the wedding and recovering from trauma wasn't enough. She also needed to put up a brave front.

Though the doctor had given Claire an all-clear in London after a routine checkup, Jamie had insisted on another examination when she'd complain of spotting last night. He hadn't a clue what that had meant, but the concerned look on her face was enough for him to push her for another doctor's appointment. To his relief, she'd hardly put up a fight, and he'd immediately arranged a consultation with a private practice to speed things along since the NHS hospitals were notorious for long waits.

"I just want ye to be certain, Sassenach. That's all. I dinnae want this tea party putting a strain on ye."

Claire put her phone down and glanced up at him. "I'm pregnant, Jamie, not incapacitated. I know you're worried about the spotting, but I'm quite certain pregnant women gets them sometimes. I don't feel ill, but here we are, taking precautions."

Sighing, he moved to her side and took her hand in his. "It's just that I'm bothered about that bruise behind yer back. It looks vicious. I ken bruising looks a lot worse than it is, but I cannae help but wonder if the baby has been harmed when ye banged yer behind on those shelving units after Jack pushed ye. I'm concerned about any delayed complications. Or if the doctor in London overlooked something."

She squeezed his hand. "Your worries are valid, Jamie. The odds of miscarriage or complications might be highest in the first trimester, but I haven't had any issues." She shrugged. "Oh, well, except for the tiny spotting last night. I'm sure everything's fine. Try not to worry."

Easier said than done, Jamie thought. How could Claire sit there looking so calm?  Now that she's pregnant, the world was suddenly full of threats: unpasteurised juice and dairy, soft cheeses that she loved so much, fish high in mercury, saunas and hot tubs, secondhand smoke, changing Adso's litterbox. Not to mention aunt Jocasta's bloody stories of baby-abducting fairies. He really needed to stop reading too much pregnancy information; otherwise, he'd go insane.

Claire gave him a look that said she could tell he was overthinking things.

He promptly kissed her on the lips. "Aye, I guess ye're right," he conceded. "I'm sorry for over-reacting."

The door suddenly opened, and in walked a friendly-looking middle-aged female doctor. "Hello, Claire! Dr Fiona Innes. How are we feeling today?"

"I'm good, just a bit nervous about the spotting," Claire breathed. 

"Understandably." Then the doctor turned to Jamie. "And ye're..."

"James Fraser. The one who got her up the duff," he replied, taking the doctor's outstretched hand and giving it a firm shake. 

"Jamie!" Claire gasped, her face crimsoning profusely.

The doctor laughed. "Hah! I like that! A good sense of humour will get ye through anything." She dragged the ultrasound monitor closer to the exam table and pulled up a stool. "So, let's get started so we can put both yer mind at ease, shall we?" She proceeded to put gloves on and prepare the probe that Jamie had the unfortunate luck of knowing already what it was for. "Now, Claire, I want ye to lie back and place yer feet in the stirrups." 

Claire did as she was told while Jamie helped her ease down. He winced when he heard the sound of latex snapping over the probe. He looked away and took Claire's hand in his.

"Is this your first ultrasound visit, Mr Fraser?"

He glanced over his shoulder, thinking the doctor must have noticed the strain on his face. "Aye and no."

Dr Innes arched an eyebrow.

Jamie pointed at the probe and tried not to grimace. "I've seen a doctor used that thing on her when she was hospitalised a few weeks ago. I hadn't known what was going on then, so I walked away and let them get on with it."

"I see." The doctor refocused her attention back to Claire. "Now relax for me and big deep breaths," Dr Innes advised as she put lubricating gel on the blunt tip of the probe. "This will be a tad bit uncomfortable."

Claire shut her eyes and took a deep breath while Jamie whispered all sorts of nonsense in her ear. When her grip clenched into a tight vice, he pressed his lips on the top of her head.

A few seconds passed, and that's when he heard it. He stilled. It was loud, clear and steady. The unmistakable sound of a heartbeat coming from the monitor. It was their baby's. He let out a sharp exhale, realising he'd discovered something powerful in the tiny, vulnerable life form growing in Claire's womb.

His ma once said that the heartbeat was the first music that a child heard and that every bairn was born knowing the rhythm of their mother's song. To Jamie, this was the sound of their child's soul, the unspoken words already speaking volumes. It was as if it was saying, I'm alive and well, can you hear me?

"Weel, that sounds like a strong and healthy heartbeat there," Dr Innes remarked. "See right there?" Jamie and Claire stirred in their positions to take a better look at where the doctor was pointing. "That's yer baby."

Releasing Claire's hand, Jamie stepped closer to the monitor and tipped his head to the side, adjusting his eyes to discern the grainy image on the monitor. When he finally figured out the shape, mixed emotions began to bombard him in all directions. He felt the complexity of love at seeing a piece of himself and Claire on the screen, inspiring fierce protective instinct to kindle within him. Words like elation, joy and sobering responsibility were too meagre terms and did not give justice in describing how visceral all his emotions were.

"T-that ..." Jamie pointed an index finger at the image, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Is that a ..."

"It's not what ye think, Mr Fraser. That's the foot," Dr Innes responded briskly. She shifted the probe at a different angle to capture another image. "As far as I can see, everything seems to be in perfect working order. I can safely say ye have a healthy, strong baby, so ye can both rest easy."

Jamie continued to stare at the monitor, still trying to wrap the idea of impending fatherhood around his head. "The baby is no' missing any parts, is it?"

"The baby has everything it should have at this stage of the pregnancy," the doctor replied, amused. "Though I think we'll need another few weeks to be able to tell the gender."

"Thank you so much, doctor," Claire said gratefully, pushing herself upright. "We were worried about the spotting and thought it might have had to do with the stress and trauma of what happened last weekend. It was mad, really. I nearly got abducted and had a gun pointed at me."

The doctor threw the probe's latex into the waste and began peeling off her gloves, seemingly unaffected by what Claire had just revealed, making Jamie think physicians were used to hearing such stories. The doctor gave them both an understanding look. "Having a gun pointed at ye is quite jarring, so I understand why ye're both concerned. So how are ye coping mentally?" 

"I try not to dwell on it and carry on as usual," Claire shrugged. "So far, I'm dealing with it fine."

The doctor looked at Claire curiously, her expression full of empathy. "Sometimes ignoring it isn't as cut and dried as you think. Try and get some counselling. Ye're going to deal enough with all the hormones impacting yer physiological, physical and mental well being. This is the time to be enjoying this exciting time in yer life, so counselling is just taking a precautionary step to ensure you are in a good place and prepared for what the next few months will throw at ye."

Jamie locked eyes with Claire, and a silent agreement passed between them. They both understood the impact of a traumatising experience, and he wanted to take the doctor's advice on board. 

"I'll make sure she and the baby are well taken care of," he reassured the doctor, patting Claire's thigh.

"I'm sure ye will," the doctor smiled, pressing buttons on the monitor.

"Let's just hope he won't go over the top," Claire added. "He has a tendency to do that."

The doctor pulled out copies of ultrasound images from the printer and glanced up at Jamie. "I can understand the need to protect, but just bear in mind, us women are more resilient and stronger than we look," she pointed out. "And pregnant women aren't as frail as society perceives them to be."

Jamie laughed. "There's no question about that. After all, my wife-to-be here achieved what twenty-four specialist firearms officers could not."

"Oh?" Dr Innes looked surprised. "And what was that?"

"She single-handedly took down a maximum-security prisoner escapee, helped led the police to his psychopathic accomplice and in the process saved an innocent mistakenly imprisoned," Jamie explained. "I ken it was a foolish move with her being pregnant and all ..."

"It might have been foolish, but I happen to believe Claire's response is inherent in all mothers and mothers-to-be, and it's something almost impossible for the human brain to override." 

"Och, aye?"

"It's called maternal instinct, Mr Fraser, and it's as old as life itself." Dr Innes got up and handed him an envelope containing the ultrasound images. "So woe to anyone who dares a mother-to-be or new mother harm because they're utterly more ferocious than any man wielding a gun when it comes to defending their nest." She looked between him and Claire and smiled. "Anyway, congratulations to you both on your coming parenthood." Then she faced Jamie and patted him on the shoulder. "And as for ye, congratulations on yer newly acquired bodyguard. Ye can sleep well tonight." 

..........

Jamie walked in and placed the last of their shopping bags onto the kitchen counter. "Is there anything else ye need, Sassenach, before I go?"

Claire felt him approach and busied herself, placing apples in a large bowl and then lemons in another. "Umm ...I think I have everything I need." She felt his eyes boring into her back but tried her best not to get distracted. "Shall I make a sandwich to take with you?"

"No, I'm no' hungry."

"Oh, alright ...I guess I shall see you later then."

"I have a few minutes to spare. Want to talk?"

"Talk about what?"

"What ye're feeling. Ye haven't said much all morning ...since we left the clinic. And ye hardly talked to me while we went food shopping."

She took out a knife and honing steel from a drawer and went through the motion of sharpening the blade. "Oh ...I guess I must have been preoccupied with my mental to-do list. That's all."

A long silence ensued, and after what felt like an eternity, he let out an exasperated sigh. "Sassenach, can ye stop what ye're doing for a minute and look at me?"

Hot tears suddenly settled behind her eyes, but she fiercely blinked them back and breathed deeply, swallowing down conflicting emotions and refusing to let them fall. She didn't want to be the type of woman who cried at the littlest and inconsequential thing. She'd never been a crier before, and she wasn't about to become one if she could help it.

"I'm busy, Jamie."

"Please."

Bracing herself, she placed down her utensils and faced him. "What is it?"

"This ..." Jamie waved his hand at the shopping bags on the counter. "I ken what this is. Ye havenae sat still ever since we came back from our trip. Ye've decluttered our bedroom and cleaned out all the kitchen cupboards. And now an afternoon tea party? I ken what ye're doing. Ye're keeping yersel' busy to forget what happened in London instead of talking about it."

"No." She shook her head. "It's not that."

Jamie impatiently rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "Weel, what is up with ye then?"

"Hormones."

"Hormones," Jamie echoed. "Why did you no' just say so?"

She felt her face heat up. "I don't know. Maybe I didn't know it at the time. Or perhaps, because it all seems so silly that I'm getting all worked up for nothing."

Jamie stepped closer and braced her cheeks with both hands, a calloused thumb tenderly swiping her lower lip. "Listen to me very carefully. Whatever ye're feeling or going through, hormonal or not, is never silly. Everything ye have to say is important to me. Trust me on that. I always want to know if something is bothering ye and be able to help ye fix it. Yer body is going through many changes, and it's normal yer emotions are all over the place. So no more self-deprecating thoughts about yer feelings. Am I making myself clear?"

She pursed her lips and nodded, tamping down the urge to cry.

"Very well then, tell me what's going through that mind of yers. At least we can clear the air between us before I go, and my whole family comes and start noticing that something isnae right. Today is supposed to be a celebration of our baby. I dinnae want anything to ruin this day in as much as I think we should delay this for another time."

"Fine." She shut her eyes to search for the right words, but no matter how she formulated them in her head, it didn't sound right. Saying it out loud would only make her appear pathetic. But there was no way around it once Jamie set his mind in extracting something from her. 

"Sassenach?"

Her eyes flew open. "Yes?"

"Yer face is getting redder by the second. I'm beginning to worry."

"Very well, if you must know ..." She blew out a breath. "You haven't touched me since that night in London, that's what," she blurted out. "I feel like you're avoiding me. Every time it was time for us to go to bed, you always had some excuse, like you haven't walked the dog or you need to check the emails." Unable to hold it back any longer, she suddenly burst out crying. "I know it's hormones talking, and I'm acting silly. But I can't help but feel the way I feel because I'm hormonal and horny. That's why I'm keeping myself busy, so I will not overthink things. Because if I did, I'd start believing you don't want me anymore, even if logic says it's not true. Happy now?"

He blinked rapidly as if his brain was short-circuiting. 

"Yeah, just the reaction I knew I was going to get. See what I mean when I said I was acting silly?"

"No," he groaned out loud. "Sweet baby Jesus! Ye cannae say things like horny  when I have to go."

Claire slapped Jamie on the chest. "Jamie! You wanted to know what was wrong! Now that I've said it, you can't blame me for it!"

"Cancel the tea party, and I'll tell Willie I'll be late!"

"No!"

"Why no'?"

"Because!"

With a deep groan, he grabbed her neck from behind and gave her a hard kiss. There was nothing tender or playful about it, just a desperate act of trying to get his fill. He let out a frustrated moan as his tongue swept in her mouth, and a hand cupped her breast, his arousal hard and thick against her belly, letting her know how much he wanted her. When he finally broke the kiss, they were both gasping for air. He pressed their foreheads together, breathing harshly into her face. "How could ye think, even in yer hormonal state, I dinnae want ye any more? Damn it, Sassenach, I've been aching for ye these past few days."

"Then why didn't you touch me?" 

He shook his head as he attempted to even his breath. "That night in London, after I took ye back to the hotel, I wanted to bury myself deep inside ye so I could remind myself that ye're really alive and back in my arms. But when I saw that bruising behind yer back and knowing what ye've just been through in yer pregnant state, I thought if I took ye right there and then, I might cause ye irreparable damage, physically and psychologically. I wanted to make sure ye're properly healed first and that our baby was safe. God, all those nights I was away from our bed, I've been doing push-ups to release all those pent-up frustrations of not being able to make love to ye."

"So you did want me all along ..."

He tapped her nose. "Aye, ye silly goose."

"Oh Jamie," she sighed. "You still don't get it, do you?" She placed a hand against his face and smiled for the first time that morning. 

"Get what?" he asked, looking suddenly confused.

"You should know by now, lovemaking is the best stress reliever. I thought you knew that." 

"Weel ..."

"Remember the times when you were all worked up and conflicted, and how much better you felt after sex?" When he nodded, she pressed on. "Whenever you and I have sex, whether it's fast, hard, long or a quickie, it always came from a place of love. And we've talked about this before ...love heals. The most wonderful thing about our lovemaking, it puts us in that intimate space where we can better connect, heal, open us to those hard conversations, helping us in the process to find closure and release. If sex worked for you to ease your stress, why should it be any different for me? I needed you most after that horrendous night, Jamie. I needed your body to ground me. But I understand now why you didn't touch me that night."

Jamie stared at the ceiling and sighed before looking at her with a mixture of wonderment and torment. He let out a pained laugh. "Weel, right now, I'm under a lot of stress and pressure." He took her hand and placed it on his bulging arousal to make a point. "How about we continue this in the bedroom and let off some steam? I'm stressed, and ye're horny. Ideal combo! Ye can use my body anyway ye want."

Claire clucked her tongue and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "Oh, no, you don't, you sneaky, Scot! You're running late as it is." She placed both hands on his chest and began pushing him out of the kitchen. "How about you let me get on with food preparation, and you finish what you need to do so you can come home as soon as you can in time for the tea party?" she proposed.

"How about my stress levels?" he grumbled.

"Your stress levels are fine!" She turned him around and smacked him on the bum. "Now go. Mrs Fitz will be here any minute to bring the Battenberg cake I ordered."

At the mention of Mrs Fitz, Jamie didn't need any more prodding. He gave her another quick kiss and left the cottage, muttering something about getting a new house before slamming the door behind him.

..........

The rest of the morning and early afternoon passed by quick, and something in Claire lightened even though she was a nervous wreck hosting her first traditional English tea party.

She looked at the kitchen counter laden with several tiered plates displaying the delicacies she'd meticulously prepared. She was ready, and everything looked perfect. 

She'd made four different tea sandwiches to be on the safe side: pear and stilton, cucumber and cream cheese, egg salad, and smoked salmon and dill. And then there were scones, lemon curd tartlets, fruit tarts, and shortbread and Linzer cookies she was looking forward to gorge on. On the other end of the counter were Mrs Fitz's Battenberg cake and Claire's pièce de résistance, Victoria's sponge filled with jam, berries and double cream. Her teabox was neatly packed with Darjeeling, Earl Grey, and Assam, and the pitchers of lavender and elderflower lemonade were cooling nicely in the fridge. 

Perfection!

She was about to wash the sink when she heard a rap on the window. She looked up and saw Jenny waving at her. Letting her in through the kitchen back door, she was surprised to see her carrying a stack of real estate pamphlets and magazines with its pages tabbed with colourful sticky notes.

"Jen! What's all that?"

Jenny shrugged. "Weel, after what happened to ye in London and with everything going on at the moment, I thought I'd make yer life easier." She plonked down her load on a nearby stool and picked up a magazine, leafing through the pages. "I heard from Willie ye and Jamie are looking for a bigger place. So I decided to grab all these. It has listings of every available property for sale in the surrounding area. Ma and I saved the pages we thought ye and Jamie might like."

"Oh, Jen!" Claire gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

Jenny waved a hand. "Think nothing of it!"

Feeling emotional, Claire gave Jenny a big hug. "That's very thoughtful of you. Thank you so much." When she finally broke away from their embrace, she noticed deep furrows on Jenny's forehead. "Jen? What's wrong?"

Jenny's usually brilliant blue eyes suddenly looked serious as they landed on the bruising on her cheek. "Does that still hurt?" 

Claire touched her cheek. "Oh, this? No, not at all. It looks worse than it is. Poor Jamie getting all these weird looks when we're out and about. He was even accused by some granny of being an abuser. I can understand why but I had to step in and explain to the old dear."

Jenny wrung her hands and gave her a small smile. "Actually, I -I came early because I wanted to talk with ye. Just us two."

"Oh, do you want a drink first?" Claire offered, jerking a thumb in the direction of the fridge. "I have some lemonade ..."

"No! Please! I need to get this out before anything else."

Claire nodded. "Alright then, I'm all ears."

"I-I want to apologise for ..." Jenny's chin crumpled, seemingly attempting to blink back her tears. " ...for what happened to ye in London."

"Wot? Oh, Jen! Why are you apologising? That wasn't your fault."

Jenny raised a hand, which told Claire to let her talk. "It was in some ways my fault, Claire. Geneva was my friend, and I tried to push Jamie and her together. I shouldn't have told her last year there was a vacancy in the village, and then she wouldn't have come back and pursued her interest in my brother. I honestly had no idea she was capable of such horrid deeds. If I'd known, I wouldn't have taken her into my circle of friends and family."

Claire shook her head. "No one could have known, and no one knew. Even her work colleagues and peers were shocked when they found out what she's done. She's a master manipulator, Jen, and she probably manipulated you too under the guise of friendship."

"Still ..." Jenny insisted. "If it wasn't for my meddling ..."

"Stop right there!" Claire wagged a finger at Jenny. "We've locked horns on the subject before and moved on from that already. Alright? Past is past. We all make mistakes. The most important thing is we learn from it. So no more mention of Geneva."

This time Jenny's smile reached her eyes. "Fine! Just dinnae tell Jamie we talked about this."

"Whyever not?"

"Jamie has given everyone in the family strict orders, not to mention about London today."

"Really?"

Jenny nodded. "He didn't want to ruin today's celebration rehashing what happened. Unfortunately, I had to in order for me to apologise, but enough of that now." She clapped her hands. "So, how about that drink. I'm parched." She whirled around and stopped, her eyes widening when she saw the spread Claire had prepared. Walking over to the kitchen counter, she took in everything with a smile. "Goodness, did ye make all these?"

Claire smiled with pride. "I did. Except for the Battenberg cake. Mrs Fitz made it."

"Ye said, ye didnae know how to bake," Jenny said almost begrudgingly. 

"Now I do, thanks to the wifey Bootcamp I attended, also known as Mrs Fitz's kitchen."

"These all look scrumptious. It's been ages since I had a proper English afternoon tea." Jenny glanced up at her and grinned. "So, what are we celebrating?"

Claire nearly blurted out the baby news, but she quickly caught herself. Sliding an arm around her soon-to-be sister-in-law, she walked Jenny to the end of the counter to show her the sponge cake. "Today, we're celebrating love, friends and family."

Jenny poked a finger into the clotted cream and licked. "I like the sound of that. That'll always be a perfect excuse for a celebration or a proper afternoon tea party."

Claire smiled. "I couldn't agree more, Jen. I couldn't agree more."

..........

Jamie came home from work and noticed all the sandwiches, tarts and cakes laid out on the kitchen counter. He was mildly astonished that Claire had been able to prepare so much in the nick of time. He glanced out the window and spied her and Jenny in the garden, busily arranging tablecloths on the long wooden table. Looking at his watch, he realised he had about fifteen minutes to get ready before their friends and family started arriving. 

But first things first.

Stepping out into the backyard, he snuck behind Claire and wrapped his arms around her waist, planting a soft kiss on her neck. "Mmm, ye smell of berries, lemon and lavender," he whispered, running his lips on her bare skin and ignoring Jenny's mumbling about getting a room.

Claire turned in his hold and smiled up at him. "And you reek, mister. You won't be served tea smelling like that."

"Fancy a shower with me then?" he suggested, feeling mischievous. "Jen's here to look out for guests."

"Nice try, but I had a shower already, and Jen is our guest today." 

He leaned down and nibbled her earlobe, making her squeal.

"Jamie, you're going to get my dress dirty. Oh, fiddlesticks ..." She suddenly stilled mid-laughter and made a face, her hand covering her nose. "Urgh ...what's that smell?"

Jamie let her go and took a whiff of his shirt. "Oh, it's just a bit of wood stain I was working with. It'll come off in a wash."

Her face suddenly turned pale. "Oh, God, I think I'm going to be sick. Tell Jen I'll be right back ...and you ...you go have a shower before your parents arrive." With that, she spun around and ran back to the cottage.

Stunned, he watched her disappearing form and whistled under his breath. "What just happened?" he muttered, even though he knew the answer had to do with the dreaded pregnancy sickness. She'd been doing so well so far he almost thought morning sickness was nothing but a myth, even though Claire had revealed, she couldn't stand the smell of aniseed, star anise, fennel, and liquorice.

"Maybe, she's pregnant and suffering from sickness?" Jenny replied, walking past him with an armful of wildflowers to put into the empty vases dotted on the wooden table.

He hadn't realised Jenny had returned from wherever she'd disappeared to. He needed to be careful not to reveal their baby news too soon, or the surprise would be ruined. Jenny was simply someone who couldn't keep a secret. 

"Ach, I should have known chemical smells always make her nauseous," he explained, not wanting to give too much away to his perceptive sister.

Jenny twitched her lips from side to side as she trimmed the bouquet's stems with pruning shears. "Aye, that will be right!" she smirked.

He glared at his sister. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged and gave him a knowing look. "Nothing! Now go have a shower, and I'll take care of things here until Claire feels better."

Jamie was about to say more when he heard the sound of a car parking in the driveway. As Jenny made a move to take a look, he quickly made a beeline back to the cottage before anyone saw him, hoping Claire had already recovered from her bout of sickness.

..........

Jamie leaned back on his chair and glanced around. It was a perfect summer late afternoon, and everyone seemed to be having a great time and enjoying the food Claire had prepared. The sun warmed his face and bathed the garden in dazzling light, making the different shades of green and the profusion of wildflowers more vibrant and alive. The chatter was lively, and funnily enough, no one complained about the lack of alcohol which was highly unusual for a gathering in Scotland. But, he suspected his godfather must have a flask of whisky or something similar tucked away somewhere as he was getting louder and more boisterous as time went by.

He took Claire's hand in his, and she turned his way and smiled. Her face looked pale, but there was an aura of tranquillity radiating from her that told him she was happy and content. Though her plate was full of food, it remained untouched, and if anyone had noticed, no one said anything. "How are ye feeling, Sassenach?"

She took a huge deep breath, held it in for a few seconds and then relaxed. "I'm fine," she sighed. "It's a lovely day, isn't it?"

He knew she was valiantly fighting back the sickness that must be creating havoc in her body but was too stubborn to give in to it. "Shall we tell them about the surprise so you can finally have a rest?" he suggested in a low voice, so no one would hear. "It cannae be comfortable sitting here when ye feel so unwell."

She shook her head as she gulped in more air. "I want to wait for uncle Lamb. He'll be here soon."

Quentin's plane from Athens should have arrived four hours ago but was delayed because of some mechanical issues. Jamie hoped for Claire's sake Quentin was on his way and wasn't dilly-dallying somewhere, like planning a grand entrance. Jamie kissed her cheek, hoping to sweet talk her to giving up this charade of wellness. "I'm pretty sure ye're uncle will understand once he finds out about yer condition."

"I know," Claire murmured. "But I want today to be perfect and complete. I want to see uncle Lamb's face when we announce it."

"But it's already perfect."

"Not without uncle Lamb."

Jamie prayed for patience and tamped down the urge to haul this beautiful but infuriating woman in his arms and carry her to bed. He squeezed her hand and yielded to her request, knowing this get-together was important to her. "Whatever ye say, Sassenach. Just let me know if ye need anything."

"I will," she replied between sharp intakes of breath.

Jamie decided not to press anymore. He knew this was one battle he couldn't win without creating a scene in front of their friends and family. But if Claire thought she was pulling this act off, Jamie was convinced, his perceptive family had already caught on with what was passing. Claire was a terrible actress, and she couldn't even lie to save her life.

Fortunately, their intimate tea party was animated and loud, and it diverted the attention from Claire. Directly opposite them, Tom and Willie were discussing the merits of owning a mini campervan for spontaneous weekend trips around the Highlands. On one end of the table, Murtagh passionately ranted and raved to Brian and uncle Duncan about the Tories and how SNP was the solution to Scotland's political future. Next to Claire, Annalise showed Ellen and aunt Jocasta how to work the Instagram app while Jenny, Mary and Geillis cackled over some celebrity gossip they've probably read somewhere. Grannie Annie had meanwhile fallen asleep in her seat with Adso in her lap and Rollo at her feet. At the far end of the garden, Finlay, Geillis' boyfriend and Ian were having a go at playing badminton but kept hitting the shuttlecock over the hedge to both their frustration. 

Though Jamie was happy the tea party had gone as planned, he couldn't relax, too worried about Claire predicament. If it got to the stage where Claire lost any more colour to her face, he was sure no one would be able to blame him for whatever course of action he would take next.

"Right, does anyone want some fresh cuppa?" Claire suddenly announced, getting up from her seat.

Annalise immediately jumped to her feet. "I can do that."

Willie got up too. "I'll put the kettle on."

"I'll clear up the empty dishes," Geillis offered, already grabbing an empty tiered plate stand. "We dinnae want this stunning antique piece being knocked over, now do we?"

Ellen reached over to Claire from her seat and patted her hand. "Everything was lovely, dear. I couldnae decide which was my favourite. And that lavender lemonade was refreshing."

"Aye," Murtagh piped in as he got up and sat directly opposite Claire. "I bet it will taste even better with gin or vodka."

Brian frowned at Murtagh. "The lavender lemonade tastes good as it is. There's nae need to spoil it with alcohol. Besides, it's good for ye to give yer poor liver a wee break. If ye're no' careful, yer gene pool will soon have a swim-up bar."

"I dinnae drink that much," Murtagh grumbled. 

"Aye ye do," Aunt Jocasta pointed out. "Dinnae think for one minute I didnae notice ye've been spiking yer tea."

Before Murtagh could retort, Geillis came back in time with a steaming mug and placed it in front of Claire.

"Ooh, what's this?" Claire asked, looking into her drink.

"It's ginger and turmeric tea," Geillis declared. "It's good for ye. I brought it with me from Glasgow. It's organic, and thought ye might like it."

Jamie couldn't help but smile to himself. He knew ginger tea or any form of ginger were effective in reducing nausea. Claire probably knew too because her eyes lit up and gave Geillis an appreciative nod. If he wasn't a hundred per cent certain earlier, everyone knew about Claire's condition, now he's more convinced than ever they were playing along. Jamie appreciated the gesture, but this had gone on too far. Where the bloody hell is Quentin?

"I'm back!" boomed a voice, waking grannie Annie up. It was as if Jamie's thoughts had conjured Claire's uncle from thin air, and there he was making a grand entrance as Jamie had expected. "I hope there are some leftovers. I'm famished."

Claire laughed, twisting around on her seat to watch her uncle approaching. Ellen got up and started plating some food for Quentin.

"There's plenty of leftovers," Annalise assured as she placed another platter of sandwiches on the table. "Claire made enough for the entire village."

Quentin gave Claire a quick kiss on the forehead before greeting the rest of the party, who'd gathered back around the table. "Sorry for the delay," he apologised, finally taking a seat next to Claire. "Our plane was stuck on the tarmac without any air conditioning. We had no choice but to sit there and stew in the heat while the engineers fixed the plane."

"Well, I'm glad you're here now," Claire said, looking adoringly at her uncle. 

Quentin stared at the bruising on her cheek. "I don't like the look of that. It looks ..."

Sounds of several throats clearing ensued, a signal to Quentin not to pursue the London topic any further.

"Very well," Quentin nodded in understanding. "I'm glad too that I'm here."

Claire smiled. "Alrighty, so now that everyone's here, Jamie and I have an announcement to ..."

"Hold that thought, sweetheart," Quentin interrupted as he bent down to retrieve the holdall he'd placed at his feet. "I brought a souvenir."

Jamie bit his tongue at the interruption.  

"I hope it's not another ceramic plate," Claire groaned, unaware of Jamie's frustration.

"No. I got something better." Quentin waggled his bushy eyebrows as he unzipped his bag and proceeded to rummage through its contents. "Wait for it! Wait for it!" Suddenly he yanked out a bottle and held it up for everyone to see. "I got Ouzo!" he announced with satisfaction.

"Yesss, ya beauty!" Murtagh cheered happily, banging a hand on the table. "I love Ouzo."

Aunt Jocasta scowled at Murtagh. "Ye like anything alcoholic. Ye'll drink Listerine if it was placed in front of ye."

"What's Ouzo?" Claire asked as she stared curiously at the offering. "I mean, I've heard of it before, but I've forgotten what it is."

Jamie was about to fill in the information and tell her she wouldn't be able to stand the smell of it when Quentin expertly uncapped the bottle and held it under Claire's nose. Oblivious to Jamie's hitch of breath, Claire pressed her nose closer to the opening of the bottle to take a better whiff. Ah, shite!

"It's an anise flavoured liquor," Quentin described. "Mostly served as an aperitif in Greece.."

Jamie watched in awe as Claire's head jerked back and her face contorted when her senses registered the smell, and a low, gurgling sound came from deep down in her belly. He winced, half expecting any moment now a horrific scene of projectile vomiting, and the recipient would be none other than his godfather sat opposite her. But Claire jumped to her feet, startling everyone, and her hand immediately clapped over her mouth, golden eyes bright and tearing up. Quick thinking Jenny, grabbed a sprig of mint she'd put in the vase, macerated it in her hands and offered it to Claire. Everyone gasped and watched in fascination as Claire took the green leaves and stuffed her mouth with them, and began to chew, jaws working overtime, reminding Jamie of a cow feeding in the fields. Nobody said a word, waiting for the next scene to unfold or for someone to offer an explanation.

Swallowing audibly, Claire finally untensed and slumped back down to a loud hearty burp. And as if nothing had happened, she calmly drank a good measure of her ginger tea, put the mug down and then smiled. "Sorry about that. So where were we again?"

Eyes bulging almost out of his head, Quentin sputtered before he managed to string a coherent sentence together. "W-What the bloody hell was that? Was that some kind of weird side effects from what happened in London that I have no idea of?"

Claire looked at Jamie, looking suddenly exhausted. "Can you please tell them?"

"Tell me what?" Quentin bristled.

Jamie dropped his head on his folded arms resting on the table and allowed it to bounce once. Twice. Thrice. God must have taken pity of him because when he glanced up, everyone shouted in chorus. "Claire and Jamie are having a baby!"

   Dear Readers,

Thank you all for the response and feedback I received for my previous chapter. I know it got a bit crazy; therefore, today's update is more subdued to allow everyone's breathing to go back to normal.  Nevertheless, I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much I've enjoyed writing it for you.

Anyway, I hope you're all keeping safe and taking care of yourself and mostly taking the time to enjoy the last days of summer. Keep up the good vibes and be well. X

[unbridgeabledistances]

hi 💜💜 i got a prompt about ian x body image a while ago (my inbox is a hot mess and i may have deleted the prompt lol, but i did paste it into my phone notes)- and i was feeling some feelings today & had some spare time amidst my travels & ended up writing this!!

prompt: can you write about ian and his relationship with his body image, esp post-canon when they move to the westside

(tw for body image/eating disorder/food mentions)

--

He didn’t really even think about it the first times that he did it— skipping a few meals that went unnoticed in the morning clamor of the Gallagher kitchen. He noticed his skin growing tauter and tighter around his abdomen with every passing day, a hollow absence sitting like a rock in the pit of his stomach.

He did it for a reason—he’d been getting more lingering looks under the flashing lights at the club, more unwelcome fingers pressed against the now-present ridges on his stomach, tracing his toned upper arms. The less there was of him, the more they wanted him.

The thing about Ian is that he was always disciplined; the middle child, the one who was overlooked and ignored and blended in until he decided that he had to make a name for himself. He and Lip and gotten into hair-tugging, jaw-smashing fights about this very reality; Ian was completely, totally, absolutely ordinary. Until he made himself extraordinary—until he burst through the storefront labeled “ARMY” at a strip mall with smudged windows and said with a tall chest: I want to enlist.

Everything had led up to this— every push-up on the creaking slanted floor of their childhood bedroom, every jog at the crack of dawn. He was going to make something of himself, he was going to be a hero.

He was going to get the fuck away from Mickey, and his wife, and whatever else kept pushing him down and holding him back.

When Ian came back from the army, when he was sleeping on exposed floorboards and working at the club all night—that was when it all actually started. When he decided that less of him meant more—when he decided that he should give people the best show he could, because everything else was fucked up anyways. This was all he was good for.

But then Mickey came through the door, pale skin flashing in the strobe lights, wearing that fucking dark button-up with sleeves folded to his forearms and smelling like nice cologne that he’d almost definitely stolen from one of his brothers’ bathroom shelves; and for a brief moment after the initial shock set in, Ian was proud— proud of how much negative space surrounded him, proud of how he could press his thighs into stretched golden spandex better than any of the other men thrumming to the beat beside him on the podium. Proud of how much other people wanted him, when Mickey didn't.

It was only later, after Mickey carried him home (easily, too easily) after he’d passed out in a snowbank, and Ian had woken and waited for Mickey to burst into his bedroom door at the Gallagher house while he leaned against the wall and scribbled on a notepad— later, when Mickey was about to curl on the floor and sleep using one of Liam’s balled-up t-shirts as a pillow— that Ian noticed Mickey’s eyes lingering on his uncovered torso, a second longer than the quick glances of admiration from the well-dressed men with greased-back hair and grubby fingers at the club. It hit Ian, then, when he saw Mickey’s gaze that was soft around the edges, the same fuzziness and confusion of Fiona’s stares when he would chatter on for too long in the mornings:

He’s worried about me.

But Mickey played along— Ian was back, and Mickey stayed beside him this time, and chuckled when he walked down the stairs to the sight of Ian cutting off the bottom half of his old ROTC pants, now multiple sizes too big and hanging baggy even at the hips. Mickey curled beside him on the twin bed, silently stroking hair back from his forehead and cradling his cheeks with a feather-light touch as Lip and Liam’s even, sleeping breaths swirled around them. And Ian kept doing pull-ups, and told Carl that he liked the way that Mickey smelled. Mickey came out for him. And for a while things were really, really fucking good, and Ian didn’t even think about the gnawing hollow feeling in his stomach at all any more.

Until a grey morning came, quick and silent, and kept him frozen under the sheets for days.

In the months afterwards, Ian trained harder, faster—he met up with Fiona as she pushed Liam in the stroller and jogged beside them, ran before and after shifts at the club, did push-ups on Mickey’s grimy floor while he was out handling Rub N’ Tug shit.

I’m not Monica. This wasn’t going to happen again. His body could do this. His body could fix his brain.

It couldn’t.

Most of what happened on the “road trip” with Yevgeny (that was the only phrasing that Ian could really mentally use to name the incident, the only semiotic filler for “kidnapping” that didn’t want to make him burrow even deeper under his tattered blankets) was a blur—Mickey feeding him fistfuls of pills and room-temperature Gatorade, luring Mickey to the dugouts where he tried to do a pull-up and felt a quivering in his limbs, a weakness rather than a familiar and fulfilling burn. Slamming Mickey in the face with a fist that was too flimsy, too weak—a fist that still left the blooming of a bruise on Mickey’s jawline, a splatter of blood caking into his eyebrow. But still weak, still not enough. Definitely not strong enough to fight off two MPs with loaded guns, tangling his hands behind his back and forcing him into the backseat of a car.

More blurry days— on the road with Monica. Breaking up with Mickey. Getting a job at Patsy’s. Withering away, purple bags sagging under his eyes. Becoming less, always less.

Then, a glimmer of light— he met Caleb. He studied to be an EMT. He got a call from Mandy, got to wrap her in his arms in less-than-ideal circumstances.

“I got tired of starving myself to fit in that golden thong.”

It was the first time he’d said it out loud.

He started to run again—and he started to not miss it, the hollow feeling gnawing at his insides, the twisting lack. He met Trevor, he went to brunches, he ordered mimosas and muffins and kept himself in shape, but didn’t push himself too far.

So it surprised him, really, when once again his body and mind weren’t in sync.

That was the biggest thing he’d think about, in the idle hours of he and Mickey’s prison cell, months later—that for once in his life, years after the nights at the club or the hazy early mornings at Patsy’s or in a baggy janitor uniform, he was actually doing really, really fucking good. He had a following. He was strong. Or at least he thought he was.

But something about being near Mickey pulled him out of his head and into his body, centered him— it always did. Mickey had always liked his body; Ian remembered how Mickey’s eyed at lingered that night at the dugouts, when they were two kids doing pull-ups and Mickey watched his muscles clench in the moonlight, two sets of shining eyes and bodies warm with beer leaning closer to each other in the muggy air. But Ian never felt a need to flaunt his body, or change his body, for Mickey— and in so many ways, those first days in prison were like his body was coming home. Sometimes it was hard, and fast, and filthy words whispered into each other’s skin—and sometimes it left them grasping for breath in an entirely different way, in fingertips lazily skimming over collarbones and fisted into roots of hair, of breathed “Fuck, you’re so fucking beautiful”s escaping Mickey’s parted mouth that Ian mentally stored but never brought up again, because he knew in the best case scenario Mickey would just roll his eyes and call him a “soft bitch,” and in the worst he would just flat-out deny it. But Ian felt balanced in a way he hadn't in months, with all the "Gay Jesus" bullshit pressing in. He took his meds, he did his nightly sit-ups, he counted down the days—until the hourglass was slipped out from under his fingertips and he was teleported back to the Gallagher house, back to the place where so much of this began and so much was about to end.

The hollowness, the hunger, didn’t really need to be there anymore once he was out— it was only a dull murmur. A ghost, a memory trapped in dreams of strobe lights and prying hands.

Mickey got out, and they got married—and in the moments before Ian called Mickey an “ugly motherfucker” as he let a smile crack onto his face—and he knew Mickey felt it, knew Mickey heard: I have never known anyone as beautiful as you.

And Ian’s fullness just kept blooming and compounding and radiating after the wedding; they fought, and then they didn’t, and it didn’t matter anyways because they were fucking married. Ian kept doing sit-ups before they went to bed, even though he felt like he didn’t really have to anymore. Something big had shifted; something had settled and given way, had filled in all the cracks.

So he’s surprised, when they move to the West Side, and that feeling starts to stir again; faint, fuzzy, like some sort of invasive and shapeless amoeba in the dark corners of his brain, whispering and hissing that there should be less of him. On their first morning in the new place he heads to the gym, wearing a camo t-shit that covered his torso and shoulders—and of course he ends up making a fool of himself next to some guy, some guy that he could have been, with sweaty toned abs and bronzed skin and rippling muscles. He doesn’t know why it gets to him, that small interaction—he’s so much happier now, so fucking happy he’s buzzing with it, but there’s also something churning in the faultlines of transition; that aching for hollow absence and stretched skin and interested eyes, that feeling that made him woozy and lightheaded as a kid but also sickeningly proud, like every moment of standing tall, of dancing, of staying alive was a statement, a challenge, a test of how much he could push his ability to be desired.

He immediately pushes the thought down. He doesn’t fucking need that anymore to keep his head above water; he’s stable, he’s loved, he’s fed. He’s growing organic tomatoes, and definitely developing a farmer’s tan from his days hunched over their way-too-tiny community garden plot tenderly watering and pruning the vines and brambles. He is desired. So it doesn’t make fucking sense that the hunger, the clawing in his stomach for the absence, doesn’t really stop.

**

“Okay Gallagher, spill.”

Ian felt his eyebrow raise instinctively at Mickey’s tone. “Huh?”

“You’ve been staring at this fancy fucking chicken thing you made for, like, twenty minutes. Stop staring at it and eat your goddamn dinner.”

He felt a twist in his gut. I don’t want to.

“M’actually not really that hungry.”

Mickey’s eyes narrowed. “The fuck’s up? You stressed about work shit?”

Ian huffed out a breath of relief. “Nah. It’s not that.” He fiddled with his fork on the plate, drawing lines into the sauce pooled under the tomato-basil chicken he’d made. It was healthy, it was good, he’d worked out today; he could stomach a couple bites of dinner if he fucking had to. He just had to work up to it. Even the smell was making his stomach twist— it had smelled good while he was cooking it, placing fresh-scented basil leaves into the simmering sauce, but now it just was too much.

Mickey’s boot nudged against his calf from under the kitchen island. “Ey. Is it a tired thing? Or a… sick thing?” His eyes darted to their kitchen cupboard, where Ian kept his meds on the bottom shelf by the water glasses. “Or, like, a food thing?”

Ian felt his fingers go slack around his fork. “A food thing?”

“Yeah, man, y’know. When you get all weird about food.”

A tightness in his chest. “What the fuck? I don’t get weird about food.”

Mickey’s eyes flickered to meet his—and Ian would have gotten more pissed off if he didn’t see the soft concern bleeding into Mickey’s gaze, how cautiously Mickey was trying to broach the topic. Ian blew out a breath. Of fucking course Mickey noticed this shit— he always did.

“Weird how?”

“I don’t know, man. You’re usually good, especially compared to when you were fucking starving yourself when we were kids. But, uh… I don’t know.” Now it was Mickey’s turn to play with his food, scraping his fork along the remnants of sauce on his plate that was nearly clean. “You got kind of weird about working out and shit in prison. And then at the house, with all the quarantine bullshit the first few weeks. Eating fuckin’ cereal all the time, then not eating at all. You’ve been normal since then, or whatever. Lookin’ healthy.” Ian felt Mickey’s gaze drag over him. “Just don’t want you getting stressed out and not eating again or whatever.”

Ian felt a muted warmth blooming in the hollow of his stomach, filling in the cracks of where the jagged feeling continued to claw. If it was anyone else laying out this fucking analysis of his habits Ian would’ve gotten defensive—or at the very least annoyed, that someone was pinning down yet another one of his behaviors, putting them under a fucking clinical microscope.

But of course, this was Mickey— and the difference with Mickey was that he cared, he cared so much that it made Ian’s body ache every time he realized it. Those words wouldn’t have come tumbling out of Mickey’s mouth if they hadn’t been building for a while, hadn’t been gnawing away at some corner of his mind over time.

Ian raised a hand over the table to clasp into Mickey’s warm palm—reaching over the empty plate, the plate of uneaten food.

“It’s, uh. A food thing.”

Mickey’s eyes met his—open, listening.

“You’re right about all the starving myself shit from forever ago. And the not eating. And the… quarantine stuff. I guess I just thought that now that things were good, it’d go away? And I feel so fucking good right now. But sometimes I just have weird days.”

Mickey huffed out a breath. “I fucking know you do, dumbass. M’just saying that I notice that shit. And we can figure it out.”

Ian felt the corner of his mouth tick upwards. “I really thought it was gonna go away. I’m a fucking adult.”

Mickey shrugged. “Sometimes shit doesn’t work like that, Gallagher.” He chugged a sip of water from his glass, apparently glad that this heavier part of the conversation was over now that he knew what was up. “It’s like what you tell me about my shit with Terry. Trauma doesn’t just magically fucking disappear.”

Trauma. He’d never really thought about it like that before—he had plenty of childhood shit to work through, between abandonment and raging mental illness; and he’d never really thought that his body image issues made the list.

But maybe they did— maybe this was another wound, one that he could learn to heal.

Mickey kicked his shin under the table. “There’s cereal and stuff in the cabinet, I got the Fruit Loops shit you like. Want me to wrap up the chicken and shove it in the fridge?”

All he could do was nod— and once again feel that warmth on his insides that Mickey was this good, that he knew how to make shit like this easier.

And he snuggled into the couch beside his husband, a bowl of soggy cereal in his hands.

[loftec]

what do u think about the new episode? because i personally fucking hate it :) i hate shameless, the only thing i care about right now is fic 😔

Same, my friend. I have been thinking about what to say or not to say about this for over a week and every time I've sat down to just type something out, I haven't been able to articulate anything. But I have so much to say, so I will try.

Now, if you (reading this, right now) are one of the lucky peeps who like this season and what it's got going for Ian and Mickey, so far... then maybe skip this rant. I honestly don't want to drag you down with my criticism. It's so ok to peacefully enjoy something without having to listen to people being crabby about the thing you love. Pax vobiscum.

That said.

(Crabby rant under cut.)

But if you're like me, kinda hurt and let down for the very last time, please stay a while. I'll tell you why I'm like this, and why I'm no longer angry, just disappointed.

Here's the thing, the first episode wasn’t any fun for me, but I quite enjoyed the second! It was the kind of low-stakes close-knit family stuff I want from a Shameless episode. Literally all they have to do to keep me happy is cram a bunch of Gallaghers into a kitchen and let them talk to each other for five minutes. I'm very easy to please. I like Sandy, I like what she does for Debbie's character. I like Tami, I like that Lip seems a lot happier. I like Liam, someone please take care of the boy. I like that Carl has a goal, and that he's all grown up. I like that Ian and Mickey are married and that they're a part of this family again. It’s a nice vibe, we’re having a party for Franny and it’s not perfect, but we learned something and we’re having fun. It’s fine.

On the whole, it’s nice. But for someone whose main priority is Ian and his significant other, it’s the same old bullshit all over again.

In seasons 1-5, I'm pretty sure Ian and Mickey only had like three conversations with each other that weren't plot relevant. But it was fine, it's en ensemble cast and Fiona, Lip and Frank got most of the A plots. Ian and Mickey had a lot of serious stuff going on, so the 5 minutes they got to do something each week had to be used dealing with all the shit they had to deal with. It's fine. This is fine. It's fine. I understand how TV works. We cut in on them in the middle of a conversation about Jean-Claude Van Damme, and I understand that they've spent the whole evening together and that they've talked about other things as well. Silly, inconsequential things, things people talk about when they like each other and want to be close and get to know each other. And when we're dropped in the middle of Ian, Mickey and Svetlana playing house in 5x1, I understand that it has been a period of time since we saw them last, and that things have changed. That they have talked about some things, and not talked about some things. And I happily played along and filled in all the gaps, I did the work; I imagined them together on a good day, on a calm evening lounging on the couch, on a lazy morning sleeping in. Quiet breakfasts, lively dinners. I imagined what they would say to each other, what they would talk about and what they still couldn't talk about. I did the work because it felt like it was worth it, because I knew that the story they were focusing on (Ian's illness and Mickey coming into his own) were worth it. That they needed every second they could get to tell the story of a mentally ill teenager and his abuse survivor boyfriend learning to love and support each other, and get better and grow up on their own terms.

I, the fool, kept thinking that one day. One day it would get better and they would get a break and the show would give them a minute, just a minute here and there, to be happy. Have a conversation that we could get in on. Have one good day for us to witness, and not just imagine.

Instead they broke them up for production reasons, for behind the scenes bullshit, for no reason at all, other than the simple fact that the show runners have never once cared about Ian and Mickey as much as we have. As much as Cam and Noel have. They had no qualms about rewriting a whole season's arc to make no sense in the last minute. They had no issues with throwing a beloved character in prison and leaving him there for a season and a half (which could have been good storytelling... if not every single Gallagher to ever get locked up had some lucky thing happen to spring them out again way before they’ve done their time). They had no problem with letting Ian say and do one thing one minute and then the exact opposite the next.

I think the thing that truly made me give up on the show at that time was the tattoo. We had such precious few things to work from when trying to understand these characters and we did our very best. We took the crumbs and we built a whole castle of cake. And one of the cornerstones, one of the first fucking things we ever knew about Mickey Milkovich, was that he could spell the name "Ian Gallagher". And if they wanted to give him a bad tattoo, they still could have. Maybe he did it himself and got it wrong because of the angle. Maybe there was a miscommunication and whoever did it on him got the name wrong. But no, they had to have him sit there and claim that he didn't know how to spell his boyfriend's name. It was so petty, so mean-spirited, such a massive fuck-you to anyone who dared to care and retain the things they'd previously told us about Mickey, I just had to stop caring about canon. I drew a line for myself around the canon I could understand as emotionally consistent, and ignored anything that landed on the other side of it. Perhaps not the best way to watch a TV show, but then I also stopped watching the show. So it worked out.

Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be about the first five seasons. But I'm obviously still bitter, and I wanted to explain why I'm well past the point of chasing after crumbs. Because it’s still the same bullshit, only now they’ve exchanged important, nuanced storylines about coming out and getting better for... I don’t know. Talking about sex and arguing about money.

Here is an incomplete list of loftec’s crumbs of disappointment, so far:

Ian and Mickey have been married for 6 (?) months, and the writers will have you believe they still have not had a conversation.

Ian is still relegated to C-plots (only now he's sometimes allowed in the background of an A plot, which is fun I guess but still not near what he deserves after all these years).

Meanwhile, Lip got two separate extended scenes detailing how he tricks his girlfriend into spending less money, in the first episode. That’s so much airtime spent on one point. In the second episode, he had a casual conversation with his baby! Ian and Mickey haven't had a casual conversation about anything since fucking never! 

Ian and Mickey have talked about sex and money, so far. Nothing else. Important things, I'm sure. But let's compare this with Lip in the same episode. Lip and Tami wake up together, they get to be sweet to each other, talk about their lives and daily routine, they have a chat about coffee and someone they know who is having a hard time, then they get into the subject of their conflict du jour. Ian and Mickey get a weird allusion to how much sex they're having (so much sex you guys, just believe and it will come true!) and then they're arguing about jobs and money. For two whole episodes. Except that one time where they got derailed and accidentally talked about monogamy instead.

Monogamy. Something they haven’t talked about before. And apparently a word Mickey doesn’t understand, or know how to spell.

And it still feels so petty, because it's just. So specific. They could have chosen any of the magnificent character traits of Mickey's that they teased us with in the first five seasons, and this is the thing they pick? And then turn into a main character trait?? Mickey can't spell. Mickey doesn't understand words. Haha ha. And I'm not purposefully misunderstanding this scene, I promise. I understand what they were trying to do. I most certainly understand what Noel acted his ass off to convey. I am not here freaking out about Mickey wanting to be with other people, or Ian saying this or doing that. I'm not worried about them cheating or getting a divorce. I'm just really disappointed that this is where we are now.

That Mickey, who we all saw through and understood to be smart and loyal, quick on his feet and quippy as anything, has been reduced to this. I'm pretty sure he's had his hand down his pants in half the scenes he's been in so far. I don't know what that means, but it's like... a choice. And I don't like this choice. They could have had an insecure conversation about monogamy and money and we could have gone on this journey with them as they struggle with their inability to communicate and I would have been all for it, if it had been written with something more, anything else, something to break through the plump humor and crass approach to this marriage that Ian spent half of the last season trying to have a conversation about! But never got to, because the writers thought it would be funnier to have Mickey punch Ian in the face and run off with some guy, rather than talk to him!

Also, I know this is getting outrageously long, but the fighting. The fighting is another thing. Who here watched that scene in 3x9 where Ian tries to get Mickey to be honest with him and Mickey kicks him in the face rather than admit he's gay, and thought, hey! Guys being guys, am I right? Who here watched that scene in 5x10 when Ian punched Mickey in the face because he didn't know how to accept care from someone who loves him and wanted to feel a feeling, and thought; oh yes, this is just how they communicate! This is fine! I know I didn't. But sure, why not. It's a choice, I guess. They're just manly men, and manly men fight with their significant others. They beat the shit out of each other, no problem. This is not something we need to have a conversation about, not at all.

This is about writing. They easily could have written Ian and Mickey’s scenes differently. They could have had incidental bits of conversation, hinting at their lives outside of this conflict they’re having. They could have been in the background of someone else’s scene, just a quick gesture of something nice that would help flesh out the bits in between. They could have conversations and storylines about pretty much anything, and still bring up the question of monogamy and Mickey’s residual insecurities about Ian’s past infidelity. They could have been subtle about it, instead of writing a clown scene where Mickey acts like a clown and Ian doesn’t remember that he’s done a lot of shit in their past that they maybe need to talk about. Because they still haven’t talked about it? NOT ONCE? THEY WERE IN THE SAME CELL FOR MONTHS! AND NOT A SINGLE CONVERSATION WAS HAD. THIS IS FINE. I’M FINE.

I get it. This is supposed to be a fun show about whacky characters. It's supposed to be outrageous, the show runners and writers are choosing these things to get a reaction. I get it, and I don't like it and if you think this means that I should stop watching the show and shut up, then I agree with you.

But also, I love these characters and this community, and I want to like this season. Our last season. I want to watch it and still hope that Ian and Mickey will get to have a conversation about nothing special, just because they like each other, before it's over.

And if not, there is always fic. And you know I will be making them talk to each other in NTW until there are no words left.

[im-justso-bored]

Week 4 of Clown Theories and Analysis

S3E04 - Still Got It

First I wanna say, this episode did the impossible for a lot of us, I think, and got me to actually feel bad for Niko, even if it was for only 10min lol. Also i didn’t like a lot of things about this episode but by the end of the episode, a lot of it made sense. Like how they changed the location titles with the names of the characters which I realized after finishing the episode was done to fit the structure of this episode which makes sense. Literally every time, I saw someone’s name, I was like “do they not know who their fanbase is? we know who these characters are, we obsess over them on the daily” Anyway, I’m gonna adopt that format and use it for this review as I rewatch

Eve - we all know Eve needs therapy, she’s had more than enough trauma but i really need her to go to have someone tell her to stop being in denial about her attraction to V. Like she kissed her, had that whole stuffed bear moment at the end of 3x03 and now is spamming tf out of Niko. im glad that tie has finally been severed although it did come at the huge cost of Eve’s emotional and mental state. i’m really interested in episode 6 to see how this really shapes Eve. also Dasha dug her own grave with that kill, there’s no way Eve is going to believe it was V. V wouldn’t cross that line and she’s had many opportunities to in the past. Also it was said that the bond between Eve and V would grow in terms of trust and understanding of each other, so I have no doubt that Eve will figure out it wasn’t V.

The scene with Jaime and Eve was great. im glad they finally somewhat mentioned Raymond. I think Eve was about to say something about her killing Raymond before she got distracted by what Jaime said. that was the most so far that we’ve seen any reaction from Eve regarding that. Also Eve’s reaction to the teddy bear in bed “What do you want from me?” Like Eve, you know damn well...

Konstantin - So K definitely stole the money and had Kenny killed. As well as the accountant and as we all know from this episode, the accountant’s wife because of the email she got from Charles. i think he stole it to get out of the Twelve and get off the map (possibly with Irina). And exactly what Irina is saying is what is going to happen “It’s going to catch up to you and you’re going to end up dead”. 

Villanelle - i’m really not a big fan of how animated they’ve made V. Going back to season 1 and seeing her now is a huge contrast and not in a good way. Like she was always silly and a bit childlike, but never over the top. I was really happy with how they portrayed V during 3x03 especially with the car kill, that brought me back to s1 V but this episode fell flat for me. I hope it’s toned down a bit next episode. I can imagine that her character will be toned down more after episode 5 as I can’t imagine her reunion with her family (or maybe that’s not her family) ending well. 

I loove the fact that V really tried to bake a cake for Eve, my heart 🥰 

I also love the way they ended the episode with her, it was a nice set up for the next episode. I wonder how V will react to Niko’s death. it’s no secret she doesn’t like him but i can imagine she would feel bad for Eve and angry at Dasha for killing him because of what it will do to Eve. 

Carolyn - Fiona’s performance this season has just been exceptional. I really like the line that Carolyn said about respecting each other’s grief to Geraldine. Carolyn is such a unique character and we all knew that Kenny’s death would affect her in some way but didn’t know how. I think Fiona and SH have done a great job of showing her grieving process. 

Dasha - I concur with what everyone else has been saying, that French lady from the 12 (Or maybe not from the 12, I still have a feeling Dasha isn’t actually working for the 12) can step on me. 

so i said it before but i really think Dasha dug her own grave by killing Niko and either Eve or V is going to kill her. I saw a theory that i really liked about how Eve doesn’t like actually killing someone but she’s always been really interested in the kills that V carries out and that never seemed to bother her much. so maybe it wouldn’t bother her as much if she asked V to do it for her instead of her doing it herself. i would really like to see that. it would further the bond and trust between her and V which is what is supposed to happen this season.

Niko - we all saw it coming, but like it still hit hard. i don’t like him but he didn’t deserve to go like that. he finally got away and was just trying to live his best life. RIP. that’s all i really have to say about that lol

OVERALL - i really didn’t like this episode the first time i watched it but watching it a second time really made me appreciate it more. that’s really how i’ve felt with all the episodes for season 3 so far. i can feel the season building up to something but i have no idea what that something is. i have a few theories like about Dasha and Konstantin but in terms of V and Eve, that could really go anywhere. but like i said, im not worried about Eve thinking V killed Niko. i’m worried about how this season will end for them. but we’ll see! we’re halfway through and i’m still really enjoying this season, i’m both excited and nervous about what the second half has to offer!

[singledarkshade]

Party Time

Summary: Invited to a party, the Doctor and Rory find it's not the party they've been invited for. Sequel to The Doctor And The Nurse, A Fishy Tail, Getting To Know You, Kernel Of Stubborness and Home Sweet Home.

Rory stared at himself in the mirror.

“I don’t think I’ve ever worn anything like this,” Rory mused, pulling at the collar of the tuxedo to loosen it.

“Really?” the Doctor asked appearing behind Rory in the mirror, he was also dressed in a tuxedo although hadn’t put on the fancy shoes he’d made Rory wear, “I seem to need to wear this every few weeks.”

Shaking his head, Rory asked, “So, where are we going again?”

“The Star Liner of the Medraxion Emperor,” the Doctor told him, “The parties are legendary, and I think we both deserve a night of fun.”

Rory shrugged, “Did we have to dress up in the monkey suits?”

“It’s a fancy party, Rory,” the Doctor told him disapprovingly, “We want to look our best. And let’s face it,” he fixed his tie and grinned at their reflections in the mirror, “We look good.”

Rory chuckled softly.

“Come on,” the Doctor tapped his friend’s shoulder, “Let’s get going. They do this dip which is just,” he did a chef’s kiss, “And the cakes are amazing.”

“I do like cake,” Rory smiled.

The Doctor grinned and bounced away heading to the console room, Rory following on behind.

  “Wow,” Rory breathed as they stepped out the TARDIS and directly in front of him was a window showing a myriad of stars and swirling colours.

“Ahh,” the Doctor stepped out behind him, “The Colleian Nebula. One of my favourite sights on this route.”

Rory continued to stare, letting out a breath of amazement, “I’m so glad I came with you.”

The Doctor clapped him on his shoulder again, “We should get to the party. Come on.”

Tearing his eyes away from the scene before him, Rory followed his friend along the corridor. The sound of the party reached him as they moved closer to the doors, and Rory smiled when they entered the hall. It was lit up with what looked like floating candles around the room, everyone was dressed in finery with wait staff circling carrying trays filled with drinks or canapes.

The Doctor grabbed two glasses and handed one to Rory.

“This is Julton wine,” the Doctor told him, “It’s strong, be careful not to drink too much.”

Rory handed it back, “I’m not much of a drinker normally, so alien wine is probably not a good idea.”

Taking a sip of his wine, the Doctor nodded, “That’s a good attitude.” He put one of the glasses down and grabbed another from a different tray, “Try this. It’s like apple juice.”

Accepting the glass, Rory took a tentative sip before smiling at the taste. He looked around the room and was amazed that the fact there were aliens mixing with people who were human (or human looking) didn’t surprise him anymore.

The Doctor began to move around the room, listening in to conversations and Rory simply followed on behind not wanting to lose sight of his friend.

      “Doctor,” a woman called from behind them making them turn, “I’m so glad you received my invitation.”

Rory studied her, she had long black hair and was wearing a red evening dress, but it was the determined stride that put him on alert.

The Doctor frowned, “You’re not Madeline Grainger.”

“I’m Melinda,” she replied, “Her daughter.”

“Where’s your mother?” the Doctor asked genially but Rory could hear the edge in his voice.

Melinda smiled at him, “She’s in her room. Mother has not been keeping well recently and the party was a bit too much for her. She asked I bring you to see her as soon as you arrived.”

The Doctor glanced at Rory and nodded slightly, before he turned back to Melinda, “Lead on.”

“Doctor,” Rory murmured as they followed the woman, “You don’t like this, do you?”

He shook his head, “The invitation I got was for a party. There was nothing to indicate Madeline was ill.”

Rory nodded, “Not been keeping well doesn’t sound like it’s something that just came on. But I can check her if you want.”

“That would be a good idea,” the Doctor replied, “Keep your eyes open, Rory.”

They reached one of the state rooms, and Melinda opened the door for them. Motioning them inside Rory frowned at the empty room, turning as the door closed and he heard the lock click ominously.

“Your mother seems to have either gotten well and gone to the party,” the Doctor noted, “Or she’s so sick she dissolved. Making the bed after her.”

Melinda smiled coldly but said nothing as the door to one side of them opened and three more people entered the room.

The Doctor looked around before asking, “Anyone else joining us?”

Melinda stayed silent as the two women and the man joined her facing the Doctor and Rory.

“You know,” the Doctor rolled his eyes, “If there’s a reason for this, now would be the time to say. Otherwise, we will be leaving.”

“You’re going nowhere,” Melinda snarled, “I worked hard to get you here at the right time and place. I admit I expected the blonde bimbo to be with you but from the looks of him, your friend will work.”

Rory stiffened and glanced at his friend who was staring coldly at the woman.

“Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?”

Melinda smiled, as the man of their group pressed a gun into Rory’s side, “Completely. Which is why we’re all armed and if you don’t do what I say we will kill your friend.”

The Doctor smiled suddenly and took a seat on the bed, “And what do you want me to do?”

“You are going to steal the crown of the Medraxion Emperor,” Melinda told him, “And then take us off this ship.”

The Doctor look at her thoughtfully, “Really?”

“I have your box, I have your friend,” she replied coldly, “I don’t see any other option for you.”

The Doctor stared at her for a few minutes before nodding, “Well that’s true, you’ve got me. I’m assuming it is in a secure area of the vessel that not one of you can access.”

Melinda nodded.

“Then I need Rory with me.”

“Oh, you misunderstand,” Melinda laughed, “You won’t be stealing it. He will while you walk him through it.”

“What?” Rory demanded.

Melinda turned to him, “I’m not a fool. The Doctor is slippery, but he has a major weakness.”

Rory stared at her.

“That would be you, in case you’re wondering,” she told him.

The Doctor stood, “You really want to be careful about any threat you make.”

She smiled at him, “Your friend will go with Fiona and retrieve the crown for us. Once they’ve done this then they will bring it to your box and then you will take us to safety.”

The Doctor glared at her before nodding, “I need to speak to Rory and tell him what to do.”

Melinda nodded magnanimously, “Just make sure he does what we want him to.”

      “Doctor…”

“Rory,” the Doctor cut him off, “I need you to do as I say. I am going to get us out of this, but you will have to go with them to steal the crown.”

Rory frowned, “I’m not a thief. I took a penny sweet from the shop once and felt so guilty I went back the next day and gave the shopkeeper ten pence for it.”

The Doctor smiled slightly at his friend’s confession.

“I’m the last person who could steal this thing,” Rory continued, “I will be caught in seconds.”

“Do you trust me?”

Confused by his friend’s question, Rory nodded, “Of course I do.”

The Doctor placed his hands on either side of Rory’s face, “Then trust me. I’m going to create a telepathic link between us, as long as you’ve got a hold of the sonic screwdriver, then it’ll be as though I’m right beside you.”

Rory stared at him for a moment before nodding again. Closing his eyes, the Doctor reached out with his mind and gently slid into Rory’s. Making sure he avoided looking at any memories the Doctor created the link.

Rory gasped at the connection and the Doctor had to catch him.

“Take this,” the Doctor slid the sonic into Rory’s hand, “Do not lose connection with it or we’ll lose the link. Okay?”

Shakily Rory nodded.

“Alright,” Melinda called, “It’s time to do this.”

      Rory gripped the sonic screwdriver as Fiona held his arm tightly moving them towards the secure room the crown was being kept in. The communicator that had been shoved in his ear was uncomfortable, but Rory knew if he tried to touch the thing then Fiona would not take kindly to it. He could see two guards standing in front of the door, both were armed and built like American Football players. Rory hoped they would stop them, hoped that the Doctor would find a way to escape even if he ended up imprisoned.

“Calm down, Rory,” the Doctor’s voice came.

Glancing to one side he was surprised to see Fiona hadn’t reacted.

“I’m talking to you in your mind,” the Doctor explained, “Don’t react and don’t speak aloud.”

Before he can think of a reply the guards noticed Fiona and Rory walking towards them.

“This is a restricted area,” the first guard growled.

“Oh,” Fiona batted her eyelashes, as she gave them a sweet smile, “I didn’t realise. We’re just looking for a private romantic place to look at the stars.”

The second guard gave Rory an amused smirk before adding, “Go up one floor. The observation deck will be empty just now.”

“How kind of you,” Fiona gushed before two shots came from the small clutch bag she held under her arm. Each shot found their mark in the guards’ hearts and Rory cried out moving instantly to try to save them.

“I wouldn’t bother,” Fiona said, lifting her skirt slightly to allow her to step over the bodies, “I don’t miss.”

Rory glared up at her, “You didn’t have to kill them. There must have been another way.”

Fiona chuckled, “It was easier though and it means you understand that I will have no qualms in shooting you if you don’t do what I say.”

Ice trickled down Rory’s spine at her words while he checked both men’s pulses just in case, before he slowly stood.

“Stay calm, Rory,” the Doctor’s voice came once more, “Stay calm.”

“Get over here now,” Fiona ordered, before touching her ear, “Mel, we’re at the door.”

“Alright, Doctor it’s time for you to tell your friend how to get in,” Melinda stated, “And trust me if you try to double cross us, your friend has already seen what a good shot Fiona is.”

“Rory,” the Doctor said, this time his voice was not around him but directly in his ear, “Use the sonic. I’ve set it for you, and it will open the lock then disarm the security system around the crown.”

Rory frowned and asked, “It’s that simple?”

“It’s that simple,” the Doctor confirmed.

Activating the sonic screwdriver, Rory was both surprised and relieved when the lock clicked, and the door swung open. Rory followed Fiona inside the room and stopped when he saw the jewel that they were there to steal. The crown looked as though it was made of one full piece of diamond, with rubies set inside the solid jewel before it shifted and became pure gold with emeralds.

“Don’t let it confuse you,” the Doctor’s voice said, this time through their link, “Switch the sonic to setting 445. Once you remove the casing, do not touch it.”

Rory glanced down at the sonic and changed the setting as told, the moment the security case was deactivated Fiona stepped forward taking a black velvet bag from her clutch and slid the crown in.

“We have it, Mel,” Fiona crowed, “We finally have it.”

“Get to the meeting point,” Melinda ordered, “The Doctor will be taking us to safety.”

“What about my date?” Fiona asked turning to where Rory was standing the sonic still clutched in his hand.

“If you harm Rory,” the Doctor snapped, “Then the deal is off.”

There was a pause that Rory heard every heartbeat pulsing loudly in his ears as he waited.

“He comes too,” Melinda stated.

      The Doctor walked with Melinda and her cohorts to where they stashed the TARDIS, relieved to see the blue box. He stopped outside the door and folded his arms.

“Open it,” Melinda ordered.

“Not until Rory is here and I see he’s safe,” the Doctor replied.

Anger covered her face, “You forget who is in charge here.”

“Nope,” the Doctor shrugged, “Trust me, I am well aware of the hierarchy.”

Before she could retort Fiona and Rory walked through the doors, a black velvet bag held in Fiona’s arms.

“Yes,” Melinda breathed seeing the package, “The crown.”

“You were right,” Fiona laughed, “It was easy and we’re going to be rich.”

Rory slid across the room to move to the Doctor’s side, his relief at being back with the Time Lord and the TARDIS palpable.

“Alright,” Melinda and Fiona both produce weapons again, “It’s time to leave.”

The Doctor gently rested his hand on Rory’s shoulder briefly before he opened the door of the TARDIS. Rory slipped inside first and headed to the console before the Doctor allowed Melinda, Fiona and their people inside.

“It’s true,” Melinda breathed, “Bigger on the inside.”

The Doctor entered the door last and closed the door behind him before heading to the console.

“Where to?” he asked.

He could feel Rory’s eyes on his back but didn’t move his gaze from the small group of people standing just inside the door.

“The only place we can auction this off,” Melinda smirked, “I’m sure you know where that is.”

The Doctor nodded and entered the co-ordinates, he threw the lever to send them into the time stream. The familiar sound of the engines filled the room, and they began to move.

“What the hell?” Rory breathed moving to the Doctor’s side, seeing Melinda, Fiona and their people beginning to phase out before suddenly disappearing, “What happened?”

The Doctor chuckled, “I move the TARDIS around them.” They landed and he motioned Rory to follow him to the door. Stepping outside he nodded to see he’d moved only a few feet and could see Melinda and her group being arrested by security.

“How did you do that?” Rory demanded confused.

“Never give me a way to access security systems,” the Doctor chuckled.

Rory frowned, “The sonic. That’s why I had to hold onto it, not for the telepathic link.”

“Well, I used the link to set the sonic to send the message,” the Doctor explained, “Sorry I couldn’t tell you, but I didn’t know how much they could overhear.”

“What now?” Rory asked.

“Now,” the Doctor turned and placed his hands on either side of Rory’s face, removing the telepathic link before smiling, “We enjoy the rest of the party.”

A smiled touched Rory’s face, “Sounds good.”

Wrapping an arm around his friend’s shoulders the Doctor led him back to the ballroom, “Let’s hope there’s still cake left.”

[cieliossun]

here’s to never growing up

a little shameless fic to sooth your troubles.

Pairing: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich

Description:  It was finally Franny's fifth birthday. What did Ian do? Spent two weeks planning it. The party is full of disapproving PTA moms and a new friend for Ian. Ian had spent weeks planning this party and he was damn well sure it was going to turn out well.

word count: 2,814

read on ao3

The sun was bright today. The rays shining on the Gallagher backyard. Ian was frantically running around the backyard making sure everything was in line for his niece's 5th birthday. The entire backyard was decked out in whatever leftover party decorations Ian could find in the basement. Small party tables with fun tablecloths were placed around. Balloons were everywhere. Ian found a pile of streamers in Carl's room and placed them on the stairs and tables. There was no necessary theme to the party, it was just Ian felt obligated to go all out. He had Lip get the cake, Liam to get the other food, Carl to get party favors that weren’t weed, and Mickey to keep Franny and Debbie away from the house. So far everything was looking up.

Ian was sitting on the steps looking at his phone waiting for someone to text him that something was wrong. He would look at his phone lock screen every few seconds, see nothing there, and put back down next to him. Finally his phone dinged. He rushed to pick it up. It was from a small group chat he put together.

the one who sold weed once

hey are we serving alcohol at this party????

the one with a son

Nah, half of us can’t even drink, recovering alcoholic and the lithium thing

the smart one

What about all the PTA moms?

the one with a son

They’ll just have to get over it.

Me

Okay, can you all shut up? This is a five year olds party, we’ll be drinking the soda Liam

gets.

It seemed everyone got the message because they stopped texting. Ian sighed and leaned back. He tried to drown out the sound of buzz on the streets. Luckily Frank was nowhere to be found, he hadn’t been for the past few days. Something shocked Ian out of his small trance. There were voices that were familiar coming down the street. Ian stood up to see Tami with Fred on her and Lip a few paces behind her with a white box in his hands.

“Hey fuckwad!” Lip called when he spotted Ian. Tami swatted him, most likely for the language. “Sorry.” Lip apologized. Lip set the box on a table and pulled his little brother into a hug. Ian pulled away and patted Fred on the head.

“Thanks so much for getting this, you two are amazing!” Ian opened the box to see a rectangular pink cake that had swirly white writing. Happy Birthday Franny! It was perfect and Ian let a small weight off his shoulders.

“Eh, you just owe us for Fred’s 5th birthday.” Tami patted her son's head.

“I can do that.” Ian sighed and smiled. They both looked to be doing better. He had heard about the fight they got into at his wedding and was glad to see them back together. Lip had sent him too many pictures of the house and Fred.

The back door swung open, startling all three of them, revealing Carl and Liam. “What’s up whores!” Carl yelled. Lip, Tami, Ian, and Liam collectively sighed.

“We really need to have a talk about language in this family.” Tami sighed. Ian nodded and took a seat at the table. Liam and Carl made their way down with a lot of bags.

They set them on the table just in time for Mickey to stroll in. Liam started pulling bags of chips out and Lip told him where to put it. “Carl, are you just gonna stand there?” Ian cocked an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” Carl asked and Ian groaned. Lip saw his brother's stress and took Carl away from the table. Tami took Liam and the rest of the bags away from the poor man.

Another presence slipped into the chair next to him and kissed his head. Mickey. Ian pulled his head up to see his husband. He smiled for a second before realizing. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, comforting my stressed out husband?” Mickey smiled.

“Where is Franny? And Debbie?” Ian looked frantically around the backyard. The party wasn’t really a surprise. Ian had asked Debbie two weeks ago if he could plan it, but Ian didn’t expect to really take over his life. He really wanted to be special for the little girl. “You were supposed to be keeping them occupied!” He groaned.

“Calm down hotstuff, did you happen to look at the time?” Mickey cupped Ian’s face and made him face Mickey. Ian was confused, mad and shocked all at the same time. Once Mickey let him out of his hold Ian pulled his phone from his back pocket. The time read 1:45. The party was starting in 15 minutes.

“Fuck.” Ian sighed. Ian had been so focused on things going wrong he must’ve lost track of time. “I’m sorry, I’m just really stressed. I want her to like this.” Ian pulled his hands down his face and faced his husband.

“Dude, she’s 5, she got excited by my name tag yesterday, I think this will fill her to the brim with joy.” Mickey rubbed his shoulder. Ian felt better knowing Mickey was next to him. “Jesus you are tense.”

“Hey Ian!” Tami’s voice broke through the small silence. “People are arriving!”

“Let them in.” He called behind him. Tami gave a thumbs and went back inside. “Well, our backyard is about to be filled with every mom and her kid from Franny’s school, you ready?” Ian asked.

“Jesus, ready for the dirty looks at my hands? I’m used to it by now, so I guess.” Mickey kissed Ian’s cheek before getting up. “Just, uh, holler if you need help. Please don’t put any more stress on yourself.” Mickey smiled before stomping up the stairs. He was met with the first kid and mom. The mom smiled at him and he smiled back before moving into the house.

Ian sighed and got out of his chair. “Ian! So nice to see you!” The mom smiled as she approached Ian.

“Mary!” Ian faked a smile. Mary Lynn was a god damn bitch. She never liked Mickey or Ian. She would pretend to be nice to them and Franny only to go over to the other mom’s to talk about how horrible they were. Ian pretended not to care, but sometimes he would rant to Mickey about how much he wanted to punch her. “You look great!” No she didn’t. Ian was resisting the urge to pull her fake blonde hair off her head.

"Chelsea here is so excited to hang out with Franny! I can’t believe she’s turning five, they grow up so fast!” She gave the fakest laugh Ian had ever heard. Ian returned it.

“Yeah, we’re excited too!” Ian wanted so badly for this conversation to be over. “You can go ahead and find a seat, Franny will be out soon.” Ian gave one last fake smile and pulled his hand from her grip. He walked in the back door only to be met with six more PTA moms.

Today was gonna be a long day.

-

The party was in full swing now. Franny was running around and playing with her friends while their mothers sat at tables talking. Ian was leaning against the chain-link fence watching his niece run around with a big ass smile on her face.

Another presence took its place next to Ian. He turned to see the dark red hair of his little sister. “Hey, you really didn't have to do this, you know?” Debbie smiled.

“Eh, I didn’t have anything else to occupy my time,” Ian smiled and took a drink from his cup. Debbie patted his shoulder and sighed. “You know, you might want to mingle with the moms over there.”

“Oh, god no. I’d rather not inhale the cheap perfume up close.” Debbie laughed.

“Well them maybe you should go hang out with your daughter, I’m gonna head inside, see what other shit Carl has to drink.” Ian patted his sisters head before walking away. He made his way into the Gallagher kitchen to see the rest of the family scattered through. Liam was plastered by the punch bowls, Lip was by the pack and play with Fred, Carl was sitting on the table, and Mickey was leaning next to the fridge.

“Welcome back,” Carl said, not even looking up from his phone. “Drinks and food are over there, we will be serving cake in 40 minutes.” He deadpanned.

Ian pushed his head, forcing Carl to look up and smile. “Oh, hey man!”

Ian smiled and went over to the counter area, not before throwing his cup away. “Hey, are Kev and V coming?” He leaned over to Liam. He invited the neighbors not only because they were some of his best friends and they loved Franny, but for moral support and help as well.

“Yeah, they just had to close up the Alibi.” Liam sighed and continued to stir the punch. Ian ran his hair through his hair. Then a knock came from the door. “That must be them.” Liam said and turned around.

He was right. Veronica and Kevin were strolling in with Amy and Gemma racing in front of them. “What is up to my favorite people in the world!” Veronica exclaimed as she strutted into the kitchen. Kev waved to everyone, but his attention was clearly on the very eager girls who wanted to get outside and see their friends. “God, it has been way too long!"

“You were two nights ago.” Mickey said. Mickey was now over by the Pac-And-Play with Tami. V shushed and he went back to playing with Fred.

“So Ian, how are you holdin’ up. I know PTA moms can be a handful.” V sighed and placed herself next to Ian.

“I think I’ll be fine with you and Kev here. I texted Fiona earlier for a pep talk.”

“Damn Fi, she always gave some sort of pep talk, shitty or not. They fuckin’ worked.”  V sighed and laughed.

“God, can parents please name their children something fucking normal. I swear I literally just met a kid named Neptune.” Lip groaned as he swung open the door. “Also Ian, some people want to talk to you.”

Ian groaned. V gave his hand a squeeze and he took a deep breath. Time to venture back into the unknown.

-

Ian had been outside for about an hour. Turns out what the mothers wanted to talk to him about was alcohol. Whether he was serving it? Where was it stored in the house with the kids? Ian finally got away from it all. He was sitting in a lawn chair in the shade watching Mickey play with Franny.

“Hey do you mind if I sit?” Ian looked up to see a mom he had never really seen before. She was tall and had blonde hair, like most of them. But this blonde looked real. It was in a high ponytail. Her eyes were blue and her makeup was pretty and subtle. She wore a pink bomber jacket, white undershirt and gray pants.

“Oh, yeah sure, go ahead.” Ian smiled and pointed to the chair next to him.

“Thanks, I was getting tired of listening to Jennifer go on about her failing marriage, and you looked lonely.” The woman smiled.

“Did she tell you the reason it’s failing?”

“No, what is it? Something juicy?”

“Nah, he won’t let her drink more than three tequila shots.”

“That doesn’t seem that bad.”

“ A night. ” Ian smirked and the woman laughed. “I’m Ian by the way.” He held his hand out.

“Amara.” She shook his hand. “This is a really nice party, did you plan it all by yourself?”

“Eh, only a little bit. It’s not like it took up my life for about two weeks.” Ian smiled. Amara laughed. She seemed different from the rest of the moms there. She was fit, like really fit, she seemed a tiny bit dorky, but she was nicer than any of the other moms.

“Tell me about it. When my son turned 4 we held this “small” gathering that ended up turning into a whole block party!” Amara laughed.

“Wow, I feel like that happened when I was like 12. Gallaghers knew and know how to party.” Ian smiled.

“You haven’t seen the chaos that is my company.” Amara smiled. “I’m surprised you aren’t serving alcohol today, PTA moms and all.”

“Oh, basically none of us in this family can drink anymore, other than my little brother and my deadbeat father.” Ian sighed. “My older brother and sister are recovering alcoholics and I can’t drink on my meds. It fucks with my lithium.” Ian takes a swig of the Pepsi in his hands.

“Oh, that sucks. But that’s the South Side for you.” Amara sighed. “My wife and I may have moved to the North Side, but we won't forget the weirdos here.”

“Wait, you’re gay? And South Side?” Ian was now even more interested in this Amara. She was gay. No wonder she was so different then the rest of the moms. And she was raised on the south side. She definitely did not look like it.

“Oh, hell yeah! Most of my company is a part of the LGBT community. And yes, born and raised in a foster home here. That is how I met my wife, Callie. She’s over there playing with our son.” She pointed to a woman with dark skin and brown pixie cut. She was playing with a small boy who looked to be about the same age as Fran.

“Very pretty. My husband and I are born and raised as well. In and out of foster and group homes, though.” Ian smiled.

“You’re gay? No wonder the moms despise and love you.” Amara laughed. “Who’s your husband?”

“Him.” He pointed to Mickey who was now swinging Franny around.

“Oh, is he the one the moms are mad at because of his tattoos?” Amara asked and Ian nodded. “I bet they’re fucking dope, my friend did one of my favorite tattoos.” She pulled her sleeve to expose her wrist. On it was what looked like a heart, but it looked like it belonged to a robot. “I have two more, but they’re on my back.”

“I only have two. One is a military thing, and the other is a set of boobs.” Ian sighed at the memory of the failed tattoo.

“Dope!” Amara beamed and they both laughed. “But why boobs?”

“It was supposed to be a memory of my mother, but it went wrong.” Ian smiled.

“Does your husband have any others, other than the knuckle tats?”

“He has one on his forearm, long story. And my name above his heart.” Ian looked back over at his husband. He was laughing and dancing with Franny. Amara cooed and smiled. “Yeah, he did spell my last name wrong.” He looked over to Amara. She sighed and hung her head back.

Suddenly Franny was in front of them. “Uncle Ian! Let’s do the cake. Pwease?” She gave Ina her best puppy dog eyes. Ian laughed and stood up, hoisting her up.

“You comin?” Ian looked at Amara. She smiled and hoisted herself up, tightening her ponytail.

-

Everything had settled down by 9 PM. Franny was asleep, Lip and Tami left, Liam was downstairs watching TV and Carl was doing who the fuck knows in his room. Ian came into the room from the bathroom to see his husband leaning against the headboard scrolling on his phone. “Well you are a sight for sore eyes.” Ian said leaning against the doorway. Mickey shot his finger up and Ian laughed. He crawled onto the bed and rested himself right next to Mickey.

“Hey, who were you talking to today? The blonde chick?” Mickey started to play with Ian’s hair.

“Don’t get jealous, she has a wife. And her name is Amara, and she is one of the most cool PTA moms I have ever met. She’s South Side too, her and her wife.” Ian smiled at his husband. Mickey looked slightly amused.

“You know, it was really amazing that you did this for Franny, lord know both of us didn’t get the luxury of this.” Mickey sighed.

“Fiona tried her hardest, but I got sick on my 5th birthday.”

“When are you not sick, honestly?” Ian laughed at Mickey’s comment. Mickey smelled nice. A mix of cigarette smoke and soap. It was a smell that reminded Ian of where his home was. He wanted to move out and get a cat and kid with Mickey, but that was a problem for future Mickey and Ian. Ian was focused on Mickey, not realizing that he was slowly falling asleep. He drifted off, but not before pulling Mickey down with him.

“Thank you.”

[beeposstuff]

Marshall Lee || By The Golberry Trees

Marshall Lee x Reader

(Adventure Time)

...

Aaa was really something. Something special? Possibly. Something incredibly strange? Definitely. Something that made The Girl want to stay?

No. Not really.

But there she was, walking through a forest in Aaa in the late evening, trying to focus on the sounds of birds and not the rustling thing in the bushes. It was, actually, a rather enjoyable walk, apart from the occasional demon-shaped tree branch that scared the wits out of her.

The Girl came to a cluster of golberry trees, all laden with ruby red fruits of the early autumn. Walking up to them, she noted their winding branches and gnarled roots that oozed age, before reaching out to grasp a fruit.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Legend has it that it you take the fruit from a golberry tree the Prince of the Nightosphere will come and eat you." She whipped around at the deep voice, and was surprised to see a teenage boy in a red plaid shirt reclining in the air. Upon closer inspection, he appeared to have fangs. He also held a golberry in his hand, half drained of its colour.

"Well first off, there are a bunch more golberry trees covered in fruit so who will know the difference, second, you're a hypocrite-" The Girl pointed to his fruit, he chuckled and muttered "touche" under his breath before tossing the drained fruit away, "-and third, what's a nightosphere prince?"

His grin spread quicker than wildfire.

"Well, have you ever felt the feeling of eyes watching you?" Fang Boy crept closer, "In the dark, when each of your footsteps feel retraced, like there's someone behind you?" He suddenly disappeared, "like there's something breathing down your neck?" His breath was hot against her neck. A shiver ran up her spine.

Fang boy noticed her discomfort, and floated up to back in front of her with an evil cackle. It suddenly occurred to The Girl that the sun had set over twenty minutes prior. 'Drat, this is what I get for being ignorant to my watch' She thought.

"The nightosphere prince isn't someone to be messed with, babydoll. That's why I'm here,"

"And... why are you here? I don't really get it." He was really up in her face now. Like, his chest was almost touching her face since he was floating. Fang Boy put finger under her chin and tilted her head, staring holes into her eyes.

"To not be messed with." He flashed his fangs menacingly before disappearing into the trees. He left The Girl dumbstruck, slightly frightened, but overall intrigued by this spooky inhabitant of Aaa. As she began to walk back through the path in the forest, her peripheral vision saw his shadow flash over the moon.

"Babydoll, bad boys like me are pretty dangerous! I think it'd do you good to know that!" He called out to her, but she rolled her eyes. That sentence sounded contradictory and a tad desperate, 'I bet he's having some sort of teenage crisis, it happens.' she guessed. His spooky factor went from an eight to a zero very quickly after that thought.

Meanwhile, as she walked Marshall watched her through the branches, sipping the red from another golberry fruit.

'She's different. Cool and tough, yet fragile like glass,' Marshall thought,

'Maybe I won't shatter her.'

.

a couple of weeks later

Marshall was so done with everything by the time Fiona, Cake and him had finished their adventure. In complete honesty it was just Fiona and Cake's adventure and he was only there to make sure they didn't wake a demon or sent the planet into the sun or something else really bad. His fingers itched to play his guitar. O the comforts of home, how irreplaceable they are to the weary.

His path home happened to go through the same part of the forest as he met The Girl, and as he floated drowsily underneath one of the golberry trees he felt something hard bounce off of him.

"Ouch!" Marshall rubbed his head, then looked up with a frown on his face to search for the unsporting branch. There was no branch, however, but his frown dissolved when he saw The Girl giggling above him, with an armful of ruby red golberries.

"That wasn't very nice,"

"Actually, that was payback for the other night, 'Prince of the Nightosphere'" She retorted,

"Oh, just prince? Babe, call me the Vampire King."

"I'd rather not, titles are overrated. I'll just call you Fang Boy." She imitated fangs from her mouth with her fingers.

"If you're going to be like that, then it's Marshall. Marshall lee." He sighed, a smile in his voice, and floated up to be on level with her. He mimicked her reclining position in the tree, but in the air.

"Okay, Marshall Lee. Catch!" She threw a golberry at him. She giggled when Marshall flailed a bit to catch it, from surprise. Caught off guard, his cheeks flushed, and it was then The Girl saw the cracks in his 'Bad Boy' façade. He chuckled.

"You haven't told me your name yet," Marshall probed after some silence. He was staring at her, as if trying to read the answer from her eyes.

"You'll have try harder than that." She smirked slyly. Marshall mirrored her smirk, exposing his fangs.

"Is that a challenge?" He raised an eyebrow,

"Only if you want to know my name, it is."

.

timeskip

He tried. He really did, from flying her up to touch the clouds and letting her fall a few metres, to interrogating people he thought she would know, to making the biggest puppy dog eyes and etcetera. The thing is, she didn't know anyone. She was unknown to most of Aaa, just a wanderer new to the land and who had decided to linger longer. She wasnt afraid of heights, and knew if he was so interested in getting to know her he wouldn't let her fall. And the puppy eyes washed off her like a trickle of water against a mountain. These were also only a handful of the attempts, too (which mostly involved relentless pranks). So, after many months of trying to learn her name, Marshall Lee was afraid to say that he was defeated. Defeated by a beautiful girl he wished he knew the name of.

But, even though he didn't know her name, at least he felt he knew her. Her giggles, her likes and dislikes, how she laughed at his jokes and helped him with his pranks (unless they were against her). How she smelt like fresh golberries, how she would brighten up his entire day with a smile, and how her nose would crinkle when she laughed. Her dreams, her poetry, 'glob, she was poetry', and her glassy eyes that no matter how deep he looked he couldn't see through.

Marshall sat on the roots of a golberry tree on a Sunday evening, waiting for The Girl to arrive. He had a mini keyboard with him that he had found abandoned in the trash, and was pressing random keys as anticipation grew inside him like a cancer. In all honesty, his final scheme to learn her name wasn't really a scheme at all. 'But it would be super cool to know her name,' Marshall thought.

Footsteps startled him, pushing him back down into a puddle of nerves.

"Oh, hi Marsh!" The Girl was surprised, "You're sitting? On the ground?"

"Uh," Marshall swallowed, taking in a breath, "I just thought I would try something different." The Girl sat down in front of him on the ground. "I've got something for you, a song," Her eyebrows shot up, and she smiled.

"I'd love to hear it."

Clearing his throat, Marshall looked to his keyboard.

"Slow dance with you,

I just want to slow dance with you,

I know all the other boys are tough and smooth and I got the blues,

but I wanna slow dance with you,"

After his last line of the song, Marshall looked up meekly at The Girl, only to see a single tear track down her cheek.

'OH NO WHAT HAVE I DONE?' Marshall internally screeched at himself, instead saying: "Are you okay?" in a soft and broken voice. She looked in his eyes, and for the first time he actually felt like he knew her, truly.

"I'm great," The girl wiped her eyes and smiled. "In all honesty, I kind of want to slow dance with you too, Bad Boy Marshall Lee." He blushed, but stood up and grabbed The Girl's hand.

"Then why don't we?"

So he pulled her up, and placed his arms around her waist while she wrapped hers around his neck. The pair floated into the sky, twilight surrounding them. She laid her head on his chest, and could feel him humming the tune of his song. It felt so new yet so timeless as they swayed against the breeze.

"Hey, Marshall?" The Girl spoke after it seemed an eternity without words.

"Yes, babydoll?" They looked in each other's eyes as Marshall slowly began to let them down. Once she felt the Earth beneath her feet, she spoke again.

"I didn't plan to stay here long. But, every time I see you I never want to leave, even if you are pranking me or dropping me or scaring me," She sucked in a breath, "I think I-" The Girl was cut off by a kiss. A short, sweet kiss that said 'I know', and really, that was all that needed to be said.

"(Y/N)." The Girl said when they pulled away.

"Huh?"

.

"My name is (Y/N), Marshall."

[thedeviltohisangel]

He’s A God, He’s A Man: 5

It was too soon.

masterlist is my url/writing

send in your thoughts!

Lydia was peacefully changing the bandages on a wounded soldier when there was a shift in the air. The quiet hospital, save for the occasional groan when a patient tried to roll over, suddenly shifted like a fireball had rolled into it. Her fellow nurses were helping carry in three men that were limp in their hold. Blood caking their faces. Body parts pointing in directions they didn’t naturally point in.

“What happened?” She moved towards the bed that now held one of the men. “Get me a knife and towels!”

“Tunnelers. We think one of their devices when off before they got far enough away.” One nurse, Fiona, began to wipe the blood from his face and arms while Lydia used the knife to slice his clothes from his body in a bid to look for the extent of the damage. 

“Shit the pieces look like they’re really in there.”

“Dr. Whitworth isn’t here, Lydia and we aren’t-” Lydia grabbed the arms of Fiona.

“We’ve watched him perform surgery like this a million times.”

“Lydia-”

“Don’t say it, Fi. He won’t make it until the doctor comes back. If this was your husband or brother wouldn’t you hope someone would at least try?” 

“You performed surgery without authorization?” Ada held the toast in her frozen midbite when the story had flowed from Lydia’s mouth.

“Kind of. But it all worked out!” Lydia quickly shoved the bread into her mouth. She hadn’t spoken of that time since her last conversation in France with Tommy. In all honesty, her actions were reckless and naive and she could have been responsible for his death that day. But she had saved him. She didn’t regret it for a single second.

“I’ll say,” Ada replied with a smirk. She had female intuition. She knew Tommy was actually smiling now that his long lost love wasn’t so lost anymore. Had heard in the streets that Tommy Shelby would go to The Garrison and be so taken by the new barmaid he didn’t even bother to order a drink. That he had been late to a meeting in order to hear the end of the story she had been telling him.

“You should be eating a real breakfast, Ada, and not just bread and jam.” Lydia swallowed as Polly came strolling into the kitchen.

“Everything’s been making me ill lately. This is all I can stomach.” 

“Is it the flu?” Instinctively, Lydia reached her hand to Ada’s forehead to feel for a temperature. There was none. And her skin was no paler than it had been the other day in this very kitchen. Maybe she did seem a bit swollen or bloated.

“No I don’t-Polly!” Ada exclaimed as her aunt grabbed her tit.

“When was the last time you bled?” Lydia’s eyebrows shot up as she realized exactly where this inquiry was going.

“I’m only a couple weeks late,” Lydia looked at her like she knew she was lying, “Fine! A few weeks late!”

“And the father?” Polly asked as she fell into the third seat at the table.

“Doesn’t know. He’s left town for a bit,” Ada got visibly upset at the deep sigh that fell from Polly’s mouth and the way Lydia avoided eye contact with her. “He’ll come back! I’m sure of it.”

“There’s a woman in Cardiff,” Polly began but was interrupted by Tommy appearing in the doorway.

“I thought I heard your voice.” It seemed as though he hadn’t even noticed the other two at the table. Choosing to focus on Lydia’s surprised face as if he had caught her in the middle of something improper. “Did I interrupt something?” Tommy finally glanced towards the faces of his aunt and his sister. Polly looked stern and Ada looked guilty.

“Not at all! I was just expressing how I would like a tour of your office.” Lydia stood quickly from the table and smoothed the front of her skirt. Quickly she moved to grab Tommy’s arm and gently guide him back from where he came.

“Hold on-”

“Thomas, we were discussing feminine problems and it’s incredibly embarrassing that you are still standing here.” She was looking at him with a perfectly serious expression and raised eyebrows as if she was daring him to inquire on the topic of their conversation one more time. He opened his mouth but closed it after a moment of thought. Ada smiled gratefully at Lydia as her brother finally turned back into the parlor.

“I got the best bottle from Harry’s cupboard for you. I think you’ll like it.” Tommy handed her the whiskey as he opened the door to the betting shop.

“Looks beautiful,” she murmured as she handed it back to him. The shop was slowly building to its bustling nature. Men were counting money and adding numbers on the till. Lydia was drawn naturally to the chalkboard that seemed to be the centerpiece.

“Monaghan Boy,” she said as she tapped the name with her finger, “I heard you made quite the spectacle with him downtown.” Tommy smirked.

“Giving people a reason to part with their coin.” He put the whiskey down on a nearby table in order to pull a cigarette from his back pocket. “You talking to the locals about me?” Lydia blushed.

“The men at The Garrison wax poetics about you. And I can’t help if I’m curious as to the man you are today. Though I am happy to see you managed to find a way to work with horses,” she teased. She remembered how he had told her his dreams of owning a stables and spending his days riding and training and grooming the animals. She wonders how much of the gypsy spirit still resided within him.

“I have a habit of getting what I want,” he said low enough so only she could hear. So he knew exactly what he meant behind those words. She stepped closer to him. They had a tendency to create this little moments inside their hectic world. Where nothing could penetrate the air around them. Lydia had become addicted to the way that felt. 

“What I want, Thomas, is to drink this whole bottle with you before the sun reaches it peak.”

“I have work to do.” He did. That much was true. But he also needed to create distance from her. It was beginning to feel good and that was dangerous.

“Is that what you want?”

“No,” he whispered like it was the most sacred of secrets. He so badly wanted to kiss her. To fall right into the abyss like he had back in France. To pretend that his life was simple enough that he could meet a girl and fall in love her and have a beautiful future. But that wasn’t his life. At one point it had been. But now it was razor blades and racetracks and war. And Lydia, his little dove, was standing right in the crosshairs.

“Where’d you go?” she whispered as she traced her fingers down the side of his face. She had noticed the look in his eyes drift to a faraway place. “Come back, Thomas.”

“You’ll be patient with me, won’t you?” She furrowed her brows at his question.

“What do you mean?” He laced their fingers together and pulled her into the private office.

“Things in my head aren’t always right anymore. Things in my life certainly aren’t what they were when I met you. I can’t do things with you the way I had and the way I want to and I just need to know that you’ll be patient with me.”

“Yes. You never have to ask if I’ll wait for you. I’ve drank myself to sleep just to see you in my dreams,” she confessed. Tommy didn’t have the heart to tell her about the opium he smoked in order to see her. Unable to stop himself, he pressed his lips to her forehead. He let himself absorb the feeling of her skin and tried to tell her, in that simple action, that he could find a way to love her again if she could find it in herself to love a man like him in return.

“Would you like that whiskey now?” he asked with a smile. For Tommy Shelby, life felt pretty good. And that scared him.

----

Lydia couldn’t stop giggling as Tommy peppered kisses all over her face. She had just stopped by his group of men to say goodbye as she was heading into town to pick up more supplies with Fiona.

“Thomas, I’ll only be gone an hour.”

“I’ve never been away from you that long before.” He knew he sounded like a child but he couldn’t find it in himself to even feel slightly ashamed about it. Every second that was away from him was a second that he wasn’t able to protect her and love her and show her off as his. His. Tommy Shelby had never had anything that he didn’t have to share with his brothers and sister. Lydia was going to be his wife. He would never have to share her affection or her attention with any of them. Only he would know the joy of her love.

“When I get back, I’ll change your bandages with the new ones we are getting. They should be more comfortable as you get ready to…” She couldn’t get the dreaded words out. Tommy had been given a clean bill of health by the doctors. He was due back out on the front lines soon. She wouldn’t know where he was and what he was doing the way she had been. Things could happen to him and she could be the last to know.

“We don’t have to worry about the future,” he whispered as he threaded his fingers into her hair, “we have right now and let’s make the best of it.”

Tommy woke to the sound of his name being called out the window. He was grateful for it. The hospital caught fire moments after his last conversation with Lydia. He barely survived his heart breaking from the sight once, he didn’t want to feel it all over again. He thinks his mind was playing tricks on him. Reminding him how loving Lydia had caused him pain previously. Letting him know that it could again.

With his coat wrapped tightly around him, Tommy walked to The Garrison through the rain. He had just put down his beautiful white horse. Cursed by the Lee family. Tommy thinks that is why he always had to be on guard. Always be one step ahead. Because everything in his life was cursed. And his curse was to watch the people and things he loved crumble while he stayed strong.

“Did you walk here in the rain?” Lydia pulled Tommy inside and pulled his wet cap and coat from him. 

“I just shot my new white horse. The one you were admiring the other day.” He had ridden it to the bar with the intent of showing her. Showing Lydia the beautiful things that he could afford. That he was moving up in the world. It had been in a bid to impress her and now it had backfired.

“Why? He looked perfectly fine and beautiful when you were riding him the other day.”

“He looked at me the wrong way. It’s not good to look at Tommy Shelby the wrong way.” His stare was blank as she sat across from him at a table. Like he was looking right through her.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she whispered. He seemed fragile sitting in front of her. She didn’t want to rock his boat.

“Do you remember when I took you dancing in France?” Lydia chuckled.

“It was hardly dancing, Thomas. More like we snuck into the American camp and danced outside their event.” She remembered it clearly. Dancing to the faint sounds of music and glasses clinking and Tommy’s heartbeat guiding her along the steps.

“It was a sad song we danced to. I remember my chest feeling tight. But I didn’t know if it was because of the song or because I was falling in love with you.”

“Tommy…” That was a strong word. One they hadn’t said out loud to each other since Lydia had shown up in Birmingham. She didn’t want to say it. Campbell was still here and guns were still missing and Tommy Shelby was not her Tommy Shelby. She was still trying to memorize the new scars and bruises and calluses that had appeared since France. She couldn’t be in love with him yet.

“I think I’m falling in love with you again.” On the tip of her tongue were words telling him that he couldn’t say that. That is was too soon and too new and too much for her to handle. That he wasn’t in the right state of mind to be making such an admission to her. That she hadn’t imagined it happening this way.

“Do you mean that?” Tommy stood and walked around to her side of the table, kneeling on the floor so she was slightly taller than him.

“I do. And I’ll prove it by doing it right. Will you let me court you, Miss Wilson?” She giggled as Tommy took her hand and daintily kissed the back of it.

“How can I say no to that, Mr. Shelby?”

“I wouldn’t let you.” He kissed her hand again. “I want to show you more of the business. I want to take you to the races.”

“As long as business doesn’t take up too much of the time.” She knew businessmen like Tommy back in New York. Money and networking always took precedent over her company at dinner or a party.

“You’re my priority, yeah?” She nodded, his fingers holding her chin so she had to look at him and see the sincerity in his eyes. “Will you accept a gift from me? Something to wear?” Lydia knew that Tommy was a man of new wealth. But she was also fiercely independent and didn’t want him to think she needed his money or was attracted to him because of it.

“Only if you don’t go overboard.” Her face was stern and it was Tommy’s turn to read the sincerity in her eyes.

“Of course.”

“Then I guess we will be off to the races.” If only they knew.

@aveiangdon @odetostep @girl-w-a-quill @itsilvermorny

[the-nazario-chug]

The Shallow

Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoy this! I've been wanting to make a Raleigh fic forever lol I'm actually really proud how this turned out, which does not happen often.

Summary: Leraine Young, AKA Raine, has returned to the Madison Square Garden. This time not as the opening act, but the act. However, her notorious fake-ex crashes the party (in the best way).

Pairing: Raleigh Carrera (M) x MC (Leraine Young)

Word Count: +2,100

Disclaimer: Pixelberry owns Platinum and Raleigh Carrera. A Star Is Born and all the rights belong to Warner Bros. Pictures.

The energy of the concert hall is on fire. When a crowd of twenty thousand people is stomping their feet and chanting her name like she just won the world series, it's hard not to get nervous. And excited. Also nauseous.

With that in mind, she should try not to puke on stage in front of thousands of her fans, a jumbo-tron, and just about the entirety of the American press.

So no pressure, as usual.

Raine! Raine! Raine! Raine!

Needless to say Zadie and her team had gone all out for this show. Raine is all dolled up in a gorgeous purple and blue gradient leotard, covered in sparkling rhinestones and flashy tassels, complemented with rhinestone fringe ankle-boots. Her black wavy hair dyed with a dark red ombre and her makeup neutral with a dark lip (though with a sprinkling of blue eye-shadow glitter). She's clutching Raleigh's guitar which he had given to her the day they met, something she now considers her good-luck charm when the man himself isn't present. (it also goes well with her outfit, which is a plus.)

Speaking of her handsome as sin, totally not fake ex-boyfriend, he did say he'd be here to send her off tonight. Raine's seen hide nor hair of him, but she didn't want to take it personally. If he’s busy she knew they could meet up later and celebrate. Unfortunately, it is a sacrifice commonly made in their line of work, so they both tried their damnedest to not let it get between them.

As Raine tries to sneak a peek through the curtains, she feels a tap on her shoulder and turns (definitely hoping for it to be Raleigh) to see Fiona grinning at her. Looking suspiciously like the cat that just caught the canary.

"There's been a change of plans. Open with your rendition of 'Shallow' from A Star Is Born. It'll be our little announcement for your cameo in the movie."

This is a little odd, it wasn't often Fiona changed plans last minute. It didn't really make sense how eager her manager looked either as she was hardly easy to please.

It also happened that song was supposed to be a duet.

Though as the cheers rose to a roar, the thought was swept from Raine's mind. It wasn't so unusual to go solo for a duet, and she has a long performance to ready herself for. So, she takes deep breaths as Fiona gives her a thumbs up and hurries off to the wings.

Despite the cacophony out on the stage, Raine can still hear the echo of her heels beat in sync with her thumping heart. And when she grins wide and gives a cheery wave, they become even louder than she thought possible. Raine laughs in delight.

The lights blare down and she can hardly see a face in the stadium.

"What's up MSG! How are we feeling tonight?" Raine yelled into her microphone as she yanked it from the stand, and turned it to the screams from the audience.

"I'm thrilled to be here for all of you. I know you're as hyped as I am for the new movie 'A Star Is Born' coming out this fall. So tonight I'm happy to start off with the premiere hit 'Shallow' as the cherry on the cake! I hope you all enjoy!"

In the excitement, Raine adjusts her guitar and readies herself to strum the melody. A lilting acoustic intro filters through the speakers.

Only thing is, Raine hadn't started playing yet.

Her chest constricts as the cheers rise again in intensity. In the din, Raine can hear footsteps against the floor of the stage, and when she turns she can't hide the way her jaw drops.

"Tell me somethin' girl,"

Raleigh is sauntering towards her, all bow-legged swagger and strumming his own guitar. He doesn't even bother to keep that cocky smirk off his face 'cause he knows he got her good.

"Are you happy in this modern world? 

Or do you need more?"

Looking up at her through his lashes, eyes bright and his hair tousled to perfection. He's wearing a tank top with a suspiciously familiar rhinestone design and how dare you level tight denim jeans. Suddenly her heart is racing for an entirely different reason than just the thrill of performing. This had been planned since the start and she was none the wiser. Last minute change of plans, her ass.

Raine decides not to bother getting lost in all the details though. Any surprise that includes her man serenading her while looking fine as hell, she isn't going to complain about.

"Is there somethin' else you're searchin' for? 

I'm fallin'"

He was close now, real close. The soft timbre of his voice rolling over her in waves, tempting Raine to close her eyes and appreciate the soothing tones. The only thing stopping her is Raleigh's eyes, piercing hers with an intense honesty and longing she had only recently gotten to see in earnest. A gaze she was starting to adore. Her own stare, meanwhile, wanders down to his arms that are looking too good in that top, the muscles tensing with a light sheen of sweat reflected from the packed stadium and lights. She'd be embarrassed from her ogling, if his survey of her in return wasn't as shameless.

And as sure as Raine is that they are not supposed to be seen together like this in public, she should have guessed that Raleigh would be this ostentatious while breaking that rule.

"In all the good times I find myself longin',

For change,

And in the bad times I fear myself."

While Raleigh continued plucking the instrumental, Raine finally registered some fans talking in her periphery.

"Oh my god, didn't they break up?"

"He's trying to win her over! That's so romantic!"

"They still look so good together, are they gonna start dating again?"

Taking another breath in, Raine knows her part was coming up. So she gives into her temptation and takes a step closer to him. Close enough that she can feel the heat of his breath against her cheek. She raises the mic between them.

"Tell me somethin' boy,

Are you tired of tryin' to fill that void?

Or do you need more?

Ain't it hard keepin' it so hardcore?"

Filling the space between them with her voice, she thought about how fitting this is for them. Though she didn't doubt it was intentional. Now she understood why Fiona would have this change of heart, allowing them to be seen like this. It was as dramatic as their faux break-up for sure. Generating hype for her upcoming cameo and therefore, her royalties.

But Raine didn't care about that. All she cares about is the man in front of her. The spotlight is shining a halo around his perfect-messy hair, and she finds herself wanting to run her fingers through it. For a brief moment, she wonders if her urge would give their game away somehow. (Not that she already had with that lean in.)

Screw it. Raleigh can surprise Raine at her own concert, she's allowed to have some surprises up her rhinestone encrusted sleeves too.

"I'm fallin'," As Raine continues the chorus, she reaches up strokes her free hand through his dark locks. She holds in her own giddiness while Raine swears she can hear squeals erupt from the crowd, but Raleigh is all she wants to keep her attention on. A surge of satisfaction and affection grows in her chest when she sees the shivers that course through him, and how his eyelids flutter in pleasure. The almost inaudible rumble from Raleigh's chest that she can feel from their short distance apart. Pride that she's the one who can do this to him.

"In all the good times I find myself lo-ongin'

For change," Her hand drifts from his hair to his ear, and cheek. Restraining a shiver of her own as her thumb rubs the stubble along his jawline, then glides to his mouth and grazes his bottom lip. Raleigh's eyes are dark and the electricity of the connection between them sparks with vigor. God, she wants to kiss this man already.

All good things to those who wait, she decides, especially when Raleigh Carrera is concerned.

"And in the bad times, I fear myself-"

Her voice echoes throughout the Garden, and as Raine reaches up again to brush a stray lock of hair from his brow, it feels like they're the only two in the world. In the silence of thousands holding their breath, and the air crackling with unspoken tension, she's never felt so connected to a single person.

In that moment they both grin, their hearts zinging with that knowledge. Raine tilts her head back slightly and serenades the hell out of her beau. When her belting voice reverberates, the tension cracks and their fans cheer unabashed again.

"I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in

I'll never meet the ground!

Crash the surface, where they can't hurt us, we're far from the shallow now."

High off the thrill of the stage, and each other, Raine and Raleigh lean closer and sing together. Practically nose to nose, Raine can hear the cheeky intrusive thought in the back of her mind that he is so it for her, now.

"We're far from the shallow now…"

As the crowd's cheers reach their peak again, they both stay in each others space. For a second it feels like they're in their own little bubble again, like no one could hear them.

Until Raleigh mutters something that is very much heard by everyone.

"Be my girl, Leraine."

Raine's eyes dart to his, to find him already looking up at her with a soft smile.

"Raleigh… ?" Right now that's all she can squeak out, she knows he's aware how close the mic is to their faces. And their audience is almost unnervingly silent. Raine supposed some part of her knew they'd get back together in public after the concert but she wasn't expecting it to be so quick.

He smiles patiently, and steps back before going down on one knee. Thousands of voices gasp and mutter amongst themselves. But Raleigh's only looking at her.

"I know I messed up big time, and I didn't realize it until it was too late. I never meant to hurt you. And I never expected how much that would hurt me. 'Cause you make me want something real, Leraine. You make me want to be real. What's between us is like nothing I've ever known before, and I was an idiot for not seeing that sooner. Do you wanna give this another chance?" Raleigh's voice is soft but sure, like he's been waiting to let all of that out forever.

Some of it is for show, Raine isn't naive enough to think otherwise. So no one suspects their first go around was fake. But what Raine does know is his feelings are real and just for her. What the public knew didn't matter as long as she had Raleigh Carrera in her life.

Pulse hammering, Raine smiles and whispers into the world.

"Yeah, I'd honestly love that."

Raleigh grins and surges up to meet her, and all of the sudden he's holding and kissing her finally without anymore waiting necessary. And all she can think is woah. Their guitars and the microphone who knows where now. Hopefully not smashed on the ground.

Still, she doesn't regret what just happened in the slightest.

In the elated screaming around them, Raleigh mutters against her lips, "I'm totally gonna spin you."

"What? You are not-!"

He's got that shit eating grin on that she knows means, I've got a great idea everyone else knows is bad but none of you can stop me.

"Yup, I'm doing it. This is happening."

"Raleigh, no it's-!! Auh!"

Even with her protests, she's still laughing when Raleigh lifts her by her thighs and spins her on the stage. Much to the delight of everyone in attendance.

When they're both out of breath and Raleigh's put her back in his arms, the words he whispers in her ear Raine knows are meant for her alone.

"I'm glad I've got you keeping me honest, love."

Lights flash around them as he keeps holding her close, no doubt the paparazzi and fans alike capturing every moment. And just like the song from their impromptu duet Raine can see with clarity how crazy her life has now become. How deep they both are in this sea of stardom.

Well, so long as Raleigh’s there with her, she can’t bring herself to mind.

[cosmic-fairycore]

Raleigh x MC wedding!hc

As requested by @lady-kato (sorry it took so long!)

This is by no means any good, I felt inspired but then realised this is HARD when you have no experience in love. hehehehehehehe. I also tried to make sure this was gender neutral so if you spot any mistakes let me know!

They had been together for quite a few years, they started officially dating 3 months after their fake relationship was over.

The engagement came out of nowhere, like I’m talking there wasn’t a ring nowhere. Both of them had just came back from tour and Raleigh realised they can’t live without her. It was super spontaneous but romantic aswell and mc was in absolute shock.

It was kept a secret and they got married a month after getting engaged. They told a handful of friends and family and got them to Puerto Rico since it’s Raleigh home and it’s the only place they can actually escape the paparazzi.

They get married on some secluded beach, the waves are crashing against the rocks, the sun is shining. Avery is the officiant ( you absolutely cannot change my mind on this one). Shane is Mc’s man of honour. Hank cries the whole way through the ceremony because he feels like a proud dad. Fiona, Zadie and Micah are all there too!

Mc and Raleigh are just completely ecstatic and won’t. stop. smiling. They are each other’s partner in crime, Raleigh knew she was the one the moment she wasn’t afraid to sass them. Mc didn’t want the r&b sensation, she just wanted regular old Raleigh Carrera.

“I never saw myself as the marriage type. I always thought, why would I want to settle when there's still so much to explore? But then I met you MC, and I realised it's not settling, how can I settle when you constantly have me on my toes. Falling for you scared the crap out of me but I've never felt more alive or wanted. I know we’re going to have a lifetime of adventures together. You make me a better person, you keep me grounded and god your optimism and goody-two shoes nature has seriously rubbed off on me. Everyday with you is a day spent well, even when you force me to watch one of the many stupid rom coms you love so much. I love your smile, I love how you make me laugh, I love everything about you. Here’s to forever baby.

Mc crying. Raleigh crying (they swore it was just hay fever)

They have a small reception at Raleigh’s childhood home. Raleigh’s family kinda went all out with the food so basically there is tons and tons of good food. And alcohol.

Mc naturally smears their wedding cake all over Raleigh’s face which in return, lead to cake all over her face too.

Raleigh specifically tells mc not to put any of their music on the playlist but of course she doesn’t listen. 🎼moving in time on the dance floor🎼 “mc seriously ...” queue a very serious eye roll from Raleigh who groans in annoyance “what? it’s a good song! and the person that sings it is super hot”

Their first dance is just them swaying in the middle of the garden with Raleigh’s dad strumming on a guitar in the background. “who would’ve thought we’d be dancing at our wedding all those years ago when I had to bail you out at the surprise party” “okay first of all you did not bail me out. second of all that was just a ploy to make me fall in love with you” “(insert smirk) well it worked”

OBVIOUSLY they sing a duet together (after a lot of peer pressure on Raleigh’s end)

They’d honeymoon in some exotic island, maybe Bali? Anyway they have a grand old time for 3 solid weeks of sunshine and relaxation.

They discuss the whole name business. Raleigh tells her they don’t want her to feel as if she has to take their surname. Mc appreciates this but tells them she wants to share everything with each other. She decides to change her surname to Carrera but in public she’s still known by her own. For now.

Once they return home, MC has to go back on tour (she has the Asian leg of her 3rd world wide tour woo go mc!) and Raleigh has to go back to New York to record their next album which means they’re apart for quite a long time.

During this time, there is speculation that Raleigh dumped MC for this model that everyone believes they’re dating. Raleigh is PISSED because they love their wife<3 and they kinda accidentally spill the beans in an interview.

“So Raleigh is (insert model name) your newest victim?” “absolutely not” “are you sure?” “yes” “but you broke mc’s heart, it seemed like you two were quite serious” “ we are serious. she’s my wife” the audience literally gasps, the interviewer gasps, the whole world gasps “we’re married”

[clearwillow]

3. Favorite line/scene you wrote this year 📝💖

Argh @bearpluscat, that’s a hard one! Do I have to choose just one, cause there’s been some favorites across a few stories also what the hell I didn’t realize I had written so much go me lol

Okay so in no order:

Sharp-Dressed Hanyou: When he’s trying to get the cat hair off the black suit with the lint roller and Kagome’s trying to brush it off with her hands. No spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read it, but the image it presented when I was writing it was just too funny. And @lenbarboza‘s art sparked the idea but of course I took the silly route and y’all can’t tell me Buyo didn’t shed like crazy at some point.

Does This Game Have Fall Damage?: It’s pretty much one scene out of the bigger story that had no real place, but just some Haldir and Ithilwen father-daughter bonding time over Donkey Kong Country was fun to write.

Guide to the Recently Deceased: This one came about spitballing ideas with @c-s-stars and though it came out darker than I anticipated overall, this little bit where Jack and Esther try to determine if they’re alive or not is a favorite:

"Jack?" A moment passed before she heard, "Yeah?" "Are you dead?" Another pause. She squinted her eyes to see a mound of snow move and shift before uncovering Jack's head. He shook the snow out of his hair before he looked up at her. "I think we're alive!" he grinned.

Toddler Tizzy: I could say the scene where Kagome tries to get Inuyasha to take a bath when they first go back to  her time, but I think I’m gonna have to say the talks that Grandpa and Inuyasha have. Of all the stuff we were given in filler episodes, you’d think we’d have gotten some more interaction between those two.

Call Me Maybe: From my behemoth of a fic and the one update I made to it all year yikes, this bit, and I’m surprised no one’s screeched at me for the dialogue honestly lol:

Morwen paused the video again. "I suppose we could get takeout. Fiona!"

The strawberry blond poked her head around the doorway. "You bellowed, Mom?"

Morwen didn't bother to address Fiona's sass, or look up from her laptop. "Tell your sister to go pick something up for lunch."

Fiona disappeared, only to reappear seconds later. "Like what?"

"I don't know," the elleth sighed "All I know is that she needs to be gone for a while so I can finish her cake. Something portable that don't need no dishes would be good."

Both Celebrian and Sam looked up at Morwen, trying to make sense of what she said. Celebrian was mouthing "don't need no" frowning the more she did it. Neither one could figure out why, but they knew it wasn't proper language for any culture. Her accent had also gotten thicker, which could only mean it was picked up from the area.

Finally, Mating Fever: Can’t list the entire fic? Damn. I could say the pervy stuff, cause I surprised myself with this one, but... how about any moment with Youkai Inuyasha? He just took off and became this total smartass and was just hella fun to write. Also the literal dog-pile scene when Human Inuyasha gets pinned between the other two by an impulsive sit command. lol I’m so mean to the poor dude.