#also she rushed last year and turned down the bid she got from a “bottom tier” org

[jimmystrudel]

Sorority girl rushtok rant

[tigers-eyes-26]

Destiny

Before his nonna died she gave everyone in the family advice. Some of it was good some of it sounded like the crazy ramblings of an old ill woman.  The advice his nonna gave to Luigi was “Marry a girl whose name starts with D.” He was a little disappointed but brushed it off as the illness getting to her head. He wrote the “advice” in his journal and didn’t think about it. That was until he became interested in girls.

None took notice of him until after he grew his mustache in the last years of high school. Luigi dated Destiny Del Vecchio in high school. It was his first date, first girlfriend. He remembered what his nonna said and thought they were destined to be. Literally Destiny.

They broke up before she headed off to college in another state. He was going to the local trade school. She told him maybe they would be able to meet up after collage. “You never know what could happen.” They moved on with their lives, but sometimes he would have dreams that they would be married and live in some apartment somewhere.

After the whole magic world debacle. She did call him. She saw the newspapers and her parents told her about the crazy day that a lava filled monolith broke through the road with a fire breathing dragon turtle. The date was ok, but they didn’t click. They shook hands and bid each other goodbye. He stopped having dreams about her after that.

Luigi saw the relationship between the Princess and his brother blossom. He was so happy for them. It was cute seeing them become flustered. He always knew princesses would like Mario. Every Sunday they would have family dinner in Brooklyn. Their family would tease Mario about the Princess. Luigi would look at his uncle Arthur and his wife Marie and their kid. He kinda wanted that for himself. Eventually.

During the week he looked around him. They worked and lived among toads. He loved the toads but if he was going to eventually find a wife, he would have to spend some of his time elsewhere. He told Mario he would be spending his Saturdays back in Brooklyn. He asked his family to find some nice girls he could go on dates with. They happily did. He went on dates every Saturday. He clicked with none of them. His life was just too different for them to accept. He was happy with his life and living in the Mushroom Kingdom. After a year of failed dates, He decided he would put a pin in dating for a while. He went back to only going to Brooklyn on Sundays.

Luigi continued on with his life. He didn’t need to rush things; he didn’t need to force things. One day Princess Peach called him, Toad, and Mario to go investigate the desert. The Kongs wanted to build a racetrack there, but Peach wanted to make sure they wouldn’t be messing up a tribe or ecosystem that lived there. She also wanted them to investigate if there was anything from the earth that showed up in the desert and assess if it was safe.

****

They surprisingly met up with DK while in the desert. “The princess didn’t trust the Kongs to do their own research before they built a track?” The gorilla started. Mario and Toad wouldn’t stand for anyone to bad mouth the princess. Luigi backed away from the impending fight. Only to be poked in the back. He turned to see something tall in an orange hooded poncho and a shy guy mask, pointing a spear at him. Luigi yelped, alerting the others that something was wrong. Suddenly cactus-like balls burst from the sand creating a cage around the group.

“Why are you here?” The tall shy guy demanded. It sounded like a girl. Luigi looked down out of nervous habit. Out of the bottom of the poncho were some long human-like legs. Mario opened his mouth to answer but DK got to it first. “It’s none of your business!”

 Mario glared at DK. “Don’t say that!”

“WHY NOT! IT isn’t.”

“It clearly is!”

“How do we know?”

“CHE!” Mario threw his arms up in the air. Another argument started between the two, Toad jumped in to defend his best friend.

The figure ignored the squabble and poked Luigi again. “Answer!” she demanded.

He put his arms up in surrender. “W-we were seeing if we could build a kart racetrack here.”

“You can’t. Now go home.” She lifted her spear.

“Wait! W-we need to tell our higher ups why?”

“Because I said so!”

“W-well who are you?”

She huffed, “I’m Daisy, I protect this neutral land from either side of your stupid war.”

“There isn’t any war anymore. Bowser has been defeated.”

The masked lady looked at the still flaming argument. “Are the Kongs and the Mushroom Kingdom going to war over this land?”

“Oh, heheh No we are on good terms, it’s just those two” He pointed to his brother and DK, “have some kind of rivalry going on. And Toad just…” he flipped his hands around trying to find the right word “...likes to jump in whenever he can.”

“They are annoying.” She stated.

“Yeah well, family can’t live with them can’t live without them.” She gave a snort. Did he really make her just laugh? He continued to talk. “So…you some kind of shy guy?”

“No.” her defenses raised back up.

“I haven’t seen anything like you before. Me and my brother here, are kinda new to this world.”

“….”

He rubbed the back of his head at the silence. “…Well, I guess I have to break up their fight before they start throwing punches. Hehe…” He turned around. A whistle rang out; the Pokeys dug themselves back into the ground. The yelling from Mario and DK stopped. Mario smiled at his brother, “What didja do Lu?”

He shrugged, “Just talked I guess.”

The Kongs begrudgingly accepted it was neutral ground and stopped their construction plan. Luigi and Mario told Peach that they may have encountered another female human in the desert. This excited Peach. She suggested that they all go to try to meet her again.

*****

They did meet her again. “Go away!” Daisy pointed her spear at them. “I told you we don’t want to be on anyone’s side!”

Peach stood up taller. “Who is we?”

“Like that gorilla said, ‘None of your Business.’” She turned to leave. “Now never come back!”

“Wait! Are you human?” Daisy paused her retreat; Peach continued. “I’ve lived here my whole life and I have never seen a shy guy with such long limbs.”

She gave a sign and lifted the mask. A tawny freckled face framed by auburn hair was drawn in a scowl. “You’re right I’m human, what do you want a prize?” She sniped out and turned again to walk away.

“Don’t go!” Peach reached out. “I need your help!”

Daisy swiveled around. “With What!? You’re a princess with a kingdom, why do you need my help!?”

“I need to know about people like me… were you born here?”

“Might as well be.” Her tone clipped.

 “Are… are there more of us?”

“No…” She quietly replied.

“D-did there use to be?” This time Luigi spoke up. He was sensing the sadness radiating off the woman.

She slid the mask back on and jumped up on a rock and ran away.

That night the group of adventurers ate around the fire. Luigi had cooked, he would have liked a full kitchen, but he had been learning from Toad how to cook over a campfire with little supplies. They were all surprised when Daisy stepped into the fire light. She sat down and curled her knees up to her face. The three friends exchanged looks. Luigi offered her some food.

She took it. The food smelled delicious even from miles away. She took a small bite. It was delicious!  She quickly finished what was on the plate. “Where did you learn to cook!”

Luigi smiled brightly, “from my Mama!”

Her eyebrows flattened at the revelation. “You have a mom?”

“Yeah! Don’t you?” Luigi slapped a hand over his mouth. What an insensitive question! “I-I’m S-soorry” he stammered out.

She waved away his apology. “No, this is why I came. I’m ready to talk about what happened. I figured that once I’m done sharing you can go away and stop bothering me.” She took a deep breath.

Daisy’s mom hadn’t survived giving birth to her. Her dad couldn’t take care of her alone. He was on his way to give her to nuns to raise. He took a shortcut through a construction site at night and ended up falling into a hole. While trying to find his way out he found a green pipe, he sat down on the edge and ended up in a shy guy tribe in the great desert. The tribe took in anyone who didn’t want to be forced into Bowsers army. Her father got sick, and no one knew how to help him. He died when she was 16.  

She finished her story and stared at the fire. Peach got up and sat next to her. She placed a hand on Daisy’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

Daisy just nodded. She took slow breaths trying not to cry around strangers. Luigi got up and sat on the other side of Daisy. He gave her a hug; she was surprised but didn’t shove him away.

*******

They had set up a correspondence between Daisy and Peach. They would talk to each other, Peach would visit her, they would challenge each other in many feats, and eventually Daisy would come to visit Peach. Luigi would make sure he was around when Daisy visited.

He got the courage, from the many pep-talks from Mario, to ask her if he could start writing her letters. She agreed. They wrote, talked, they would go on kart rides, compete with each other, and sometimes just go on walks together. Luigi found himself falling for her. She was loud, active, tough and spunky. He loved the energy she brought to his life. Like his brother she encouraged him to be all that he could be.

She wasn’t weirded out by the duo world living. She missed her family, so she encouraged him to visit them often and appreciate them. When Daisy did come over for Sunday dinners she could be as boisterous as the rest of his family. The brother’s uncles were impressed by her.

He tried to help her find her family on Earth. He looked through newspapers and missing persons reports. He even submitted her DNA to try to find any close relatives. It turned out her grandparents were dead, and she had an uncle and aunt who died in 9/11. Daisy just shrugged “I was never really apart of this world. I don’t even know how I would react if I could meet my family from earth…” They decided to stop looking for her relatives.

One Sunday Luigi was feeling nostalgic. He got out old photos and journals to show to Daisy. As he was reading over some of his old journal entries to see what he could share, he found what he had written just after his nonna died. “Marry a girl whose name starts with D.” He smiled. Maybe he would after all.

------------

Author Note: After I broke up with my high school boyfriend I would have dreams about him all the time! One day during winter break when I was visiting my home town we went on one final date together and that was just what my brain needed to stop dreaming of him. Then I went back to university and meet my now husband.

I'm making fanfiction of the small throw away lines in the Mario move that made me think.

-------

[extremelyblackandwhite]

ascendance - 03

PAIRING: mob!bucky barnes x reader

WARNINGS: abduction, age gap (reader is 23, bucky is 37)

A/N: it’s short and still not as exciting as it is about to become but we gotta build a ✨ foundation✨  first. hope you enjoy xx

> NEXT CHAPTER | MASTERLIST

Bucky was standing in the kitchen, back leaned against the counter of the kitchen with his eyes on the girl who was currently sat in his couch with a badly bandaged hand. He was never good at first aid, he hadn’t been good at it with his sister and he definitely hadn’t been good with her, yet he thought it would be best than let her bleed out onto her costume which she still hadn’t taken out and that included her wig. He knew what hair looked like, he could see it in the back of his mind from the dark costume room, her hair pushed back into the same hairstyle most of the girls in the opera house had. Yet he also knew that getting out of her costume was the last thing going in her mind despite him not knowing at all what was going on in her head. She just stood in silence, looking at the wall of the TV but the TV was off, despite the fact the remote was next to her. 

What was he even supposed to do with her? He couldn’t tie her to the bed or hide her in the basement, he didn’t have a basement. Besides, he didn’t know whenever she’d actually be used as a trading chip so he didn’t know how long he would have to babysit her. How was he even supposed to do John’s bidding if he had to keep an eye on her? It wasn’t like he could leave, she would try to escape. Heck, she’d even try to escape when he was in the apartment. This was a mess, a mess he needed to clean, a mess he didn’t know how to clean. 

The door bell was the first sound in that flat for 2 hours and he sighed out of relief he could finally leave and not have to stare at her and her Bambi like stare. Damned Billy. 

     - She’s a runner. - Bucky said as he opened the door, a stunned Billy walking in like a scared little mouse. - I’ll be gone for two hours. Make sure she’s okay, not bleeding and definitely not escaping. 

Billy nodded his head like a bobble doll, standing stiff by the door as Bucky grabbed the keys to his bike and left. Y/N finally looked up, away from the wall and at Billy. He couldn’t be older than her, and if he were, he couldn’t be more than a year or two older than her. He had shaggy hair and eyes which were filled with insecurity and fear yet a facade of strength which he definitely did not have. She should’ve been mad at him, after all he was the one who misunderstood the assignment (whatever it was) and got her hostage. Yet, she merely saw a boy who was scared, perhaps as scared as she was. 

    - I’m Y/N. - she pipped up as if the two of them were co-workers who were just meeting.

    - Billy.

    - Is that a nickname or a name ... you know like Billy Bigelow. 

    - Billy Bigelow’s a wife beater. - he snickered. - My name’s William but they call me Billy.

    - Do you like being called Billy? I can call you William if you want. 

    - Will.

    - Pardon?

    - I like being called Will but John said it sounds childish. - he clarified, slightly kicking the air like a petulant child. 

    - I like Will better. - she moved towards the end of the couch, patting the pillow next to her. - Do you wanna sit?

   - He doesn’t like it when people sit in his couch. 

   - Well .. I’m sat in the couch and he didn’t say anything, besides, how would he even know you were sat in the couch. 

There wasn’t much she knew about the man who had been overseeing her. She didn’t even knew his name other than the “Soldat” nickname she’d heard John call him. It wasn’t like she particularly cared about knowing him, after all he was the one who was keeping her hostage and he was also the one who had kept her alive. Yet, at this point she wondered if being alive was a faith worse than being dead. How bad is death anyway, she pondered. Maybe it hurts to leave, but it doesn’t hurt to stay dead. She wanted to believe in what he had told her, she wanted to believe that all of this was just a big nightmare, it was just a hiccup in her path. She was gonna go back, she was going back, she had to go back. She had no choice but to go back. 

Her eyes lingered on the broken window, covered by a piece of cardboard tapped to the broken glass, a shattering reminder that she had failed at escaping, had failed at leaving. She should’ve fought harder to escape, she should’ve said no when the main soprano asked her for help. She should’ve just ... done what she was hired to do. The mere thought of the opera house made her eyes swell with tears. She had been so close.

    - I’m sorry. - Will blurted out, his words causing her to immediately wipe her eyes before the tears could actually roll down. - I screwed up, didn’t mean to ruin your shot. 

    - That’s ... that’s fine. - she breathed out. - They’re gonna let me go at some point, right? They can’t keep me forever.

    - Yeah, eventually someone else will screw up. - he scratched the back of his neck. - It’s nice he didn’t tie you down or handcuff you to the bed. 

    - It’s a nice ... arrangement, I guess. 

    - Do you wanna watch Carousel? It’s always rerunning on channel 6. 

    - Are we allowed to watch TV? If you’re not allowed on the couch, I doubt the TV is a yes. 

    - He won’t know.

The beginning of the film was bittersweet as it immediately took her back to better days. Back to when she rented her very first flat in New York while a sophomore at Julliard, when she only had her laptop and a few pillows which made the very old studio flat look like a home, she would sit down in the worn out mattress with her laptop and watch old golden age musicals dreaming of the time she would be on stage. The beginning notes of the overture only brought her back to nights when the rain was harshly falling down on the rain and she was sat in her, open books of several opera music theories lightened up by the low blue light of her laptop. She had fought so hard and she was going to fight even harder to get out of this. She was going to be back in those grounds and with heavy, sleep filled eyes, she swore she would get back to the stage. 

Bucky parked the bike by the sidewalk, sighing as he realised he was not going to an empty home, the same empty home he had fought for. He liked peace and quiet, he liked to be surrounded by nothing but him and his thoughts yet now he had to come back to some girl staying in his house who was keen on breaking all off his windows. Just what he needed, someone coming into his home to fix the window. How was he going to achieve that? 

He opened the door and threw the keys somewhere onto the table near the door. Billy was standing up by the couch, Carousel was playing on the TV and she was sleeping on the couch, surrounded by the fabric of the costume she still hadn’t taken off. Not that she had anything to change into.

   - She’s sweet. - Billy rubbed the sole of his shoe against the ground. 

   - You think all girls are sweet. - Bucky walked to his kitchen, making himself a glass of whiskey. - You old enough to drink, kid?

    - I have to drive back home. 

    - She behaved? - he moved the glass in her direction, eyes lingering a bit too long on her sleeping figure. 

    - She fell asleep mid the film. Hm ... I’m gonna go. Thanks for everything, Bucky, specially with John. 

    - You should get going, kid. Your mother and father will worry.

The sound of the closed door left the two of them alone once again. What was he supposed to do with her? How was he even supposed to do his ... his duties if he constantly needed someone to watch her so she doesn’t try to escape? Where is he even supposed to find someone to watch her? Kidnappingvictims babysitting.com? He sighed out of frustration, whipping his head in her direction almost upset she existed; yet, looking at her sleeping form calmed down his features.

He put the glass in the sink, walking to his couch where she was. Somehow he always ended up in tricky situations and this had to be in the top 5 worst decisions. Yet, she didn’t deserve dying, she didn’t deserve it. It wasn’t her fault any of this had happened. She was just at the wrong place, she was just somewhere she shouldn’t have been and Bucky couldn’t blame her for that. He put a hand on the couch and snaked an arm under her figure, lifting her up from the couch and holding her flush against his chest. Her head instinctually fell against his chest, nose nuzzling his black t-shirt.

There was nothing he could do now. In all honesty, he couldn’t think of anyone in his inner circle where she would be at least in safety. The group of people he hanged around weren’t particularly of high moral standards and he wasn’t a saint either, god, he was closer to being the devil than being a saint; yet, he knew things and he knew what awaited her if she had been assigned to anyone else. In his mind all of this would be over soon; either Billy or one of the newbies would screw up and get them in trouble with the police and then John would trade her in so he wouldn’t go to prison. It was only a matter of time. 

He laid her down on his bed, pulling the comforter over her and taking a final look at her before exiting the room and taking to the couch. He pulled at the bottom of the furniture, the pillows unfolding to form a small bed which his feet would inevitably fall off, yet they didn’t make any bigger couches which turned into beds and he had never expected to have any company in his flat anyway. He too eventually fell asleep, lit by the low blue light of the TV. 

The morning was a harsh reminder for Y/N that this whole situation was not a nightmare but her reality. Her hand pushed her torso off the bed, sleepish eyes looking around as she tried to figure out where she was. She didn’t remember falling asleep in a bed but that didn’t matter because she quickly realised she was alone. She couldn’t hear anything but the ambience sounds coming from the window. She was alone. As that thought registered, she kicked the comforter away from her body and settled her feet to the ground, rushing in silent steps to the door which she opened. Her eyes registered a clear path from where she was to the exit door whose chain was down. She bite on her lip before stepping out of the bedroom.

    - Where are you going? - the familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. Y/N considered making a run from it but just as she convinced herself of that idea, he stepped in front of her, standing like a big wall keeping her from freedom. He looked her down, like a small, inoffensive prey. She thought of running once more, but she was smart enough to know he would easily overpower her. - Where are you going? 

    - Hm ... - think, anything, just think of anything. - The bathroom.

He scoffed, walking forward and towards her but she stepped back every time he got closer until her back hit the door. She stood there, small and wondering what to do as the man whose name she still did not know stood close to her, close enough she could almost feel the permeating heat coming from his body. His gloved fingers pinched her chin, pushing it up so her eyes looked into his. They were blue, a shade of blue she couldn’t really say she’d ever seen and maybe if she were in a different situation, she would’ve even said they were hypnotising. Yet, now, they just bore into hers, as if he was digging into her subconscious. He leaned closer, fingers still holding her chin up.

    - Liar. - his voice was deep and husky, deep enough it sounded like a whisper. He let go of her chin, stepping back and returning to the kitchen while she remained against the door. - We had a deal. 

    - I know. 

    - Are you trying to get yourself killed, kid? - he asked in a dry voice. 

    - Don’t call me kid. - she didn’t know what else to say. What could she said after all? - It’s condescending. 

    - You didn’t answer me, Y/N. - he emphasised her name. It sounded almost wrong for him to be calling her that, yet she guessed it was better than kid. Sure, he was definitely older than her but she wasn’t young enough to be called kid. She couldn’t even recall the last time someone called her kid. - Are you trying to get yourself killed?

    - No. 

    - Then what are you doing?

    - I don’t know.

    - You need to trust me. 

    - Why should I? I don’t know you, I don’t even know your name so why should I trust you? For all I know you could be lying to me. 

    - You think I wanna play babysitting with you? I would much rather have a free home than have you run around in costume. - he glared at her. - And you don’t need to know my name, you need to do what I tell you to do if you wanna come out of this alive. 

    - Well what if I don’t want to? - she narrowed her eyes. 

    - You want to fucking die? Is that it? - he sneered. - Because that would’ve saved the fucking headache that you’ve been. 

    - Maybe you should’ve killed me. You had no problem killing Tommy. - her words were mindless yet filled with some sort of anger. She didn’t realise what she had said until she saw his face.

His facade seemed to drop before his jaw clenched, eyes hardened as he raised his head to look her up and down. She held the knob of the door, ready to open it and escape into the bedroom but he didn’t do anything. He just looked at her, angry before he made a move yet he didn’t walk her direction, he merely opened the fridge to take a water bottle yet that look, that look still remained. 

   - What do you want from me? - she pried. - I had a life, you know. I had plans and ...

   - So did I. You don’t wanna be a kid? Stop acting like one. 

   - My parents don’t know where I am. - she followed him into the kitchen. - I am their only child and I call them everyday. At least, let me call them, let me tell them I’m safe.​

   - I can’t, that’s not how things work. 

   - So what? You’re just gonna keep me here? Forever?

   - Trust me, kid, it’s not exactly what I want either. It’s not my choice and it’s definitely not yours. 

   - I am not gonna stop trying to escape.

   - Based on how well you’ve done so far, I wouldn’t hold my breathe. 

TAGLIST: @lookiamtrying @buckyswillows @blossomslibrary @juliesland @iloveshawnieboi​ @unmagically @red-head011

[rhenuvee]

PDA pt2 (Fred Weasley x reader)

A/N: No story line, just moments :P

Warnings: The gif... + it’s in the title, George having enough of your bs again, mention of the booty, suggestive moments

Link to pt 1: PDA pt1 (Yeah so there’s 500+ freakin notes on it holy crap)

Yeah so I just kinda wrote this during my English class...

--------------------------------------------

You always enjoyed the free days you got from work. You usually helped out in the shop when you weren’t working your regular job. Fred insisted you relax in the flat, but you wanted to spend more time with him, which meant working. 

You didn’t mind it really. His shop was full of excitement, you’d take it over a boring office job any day. 

“Love! Where’d you go?” called his voice from the top floor. You were sitting on the counter on the bottom floor already ready, and taking a sip of your tea. Your ears perked as you watched your boyfriend fiddling with his tie. As soon as he spotted you, a toothy grin came upon his face but quickly disappeared once he saw you on the counter.

“(Y/n)...” he sighed quickly trotting down the stairs while fixing his tie up and heading towards you. You hopped off the counter and leaned your back on it, knowing he was going to say the same thing again.

“Why don’t you go back up and rest?” he asked rather quietly while stroking your cheek. You put down your teacup.

“Freddie, you don’t need to worry about me, I’m wide awake.” You were hoping your cheerful voice would convince him- you were telling the truth after all. He sighed again, crossing his arms.

“I don’t want you to work on your free day.” 

“And I’m not. I just want to spend more time with you.” 

Yours and Fred’s relationship consisted of lots and lots of affection- George was unfortunately a witness to it. You loved the cuddling after a long day after work, the tight hugs once you came home, the silly kisses when Fred was hyper... Maybe it was just missing him after your hours apart during work, or purely being so proud of what he accomplished. 

“Addiction? That’s not very good, love.” he teased, smirking. You gave his arm a light push and shook your head. A tease he was. “And I offered you to join me in the shower, but you said no.”

“Because every time you ask me and I say yes, your hand is on my butt before I even step foot into the shower.” He laughs at this, which you push him a little harder for. You pause and turn your head to the front of the shop, where the ‘No PDA’ sign sat in all it’s cardboard glory. 

“Are we being too much? I don’t like being annoying to George.” you said biting your lip.

“Hm? Don’t worry about George, he’s just being crabby. And I thought you liked breaking the rules.” The shit-eating grin on his face made your face hot. He pinned you against the counter, hand brushing your waist.

“Well, I don’t, until you rubbed off me.” You poked his chest playfully.

“Did I?” He asked teasingly and getting closer to you. Before you could answer, the door flung open and a few customers entered. 

You quickly pried yourself off your boyfriend and fixed your shirt which was ruffled by the counter. You glared at him and scrunched your nose. He in turn winked and stuck out his tongue at you. Fred chuckled at how frantic you looked, compared to the customers who were too late to notice the PDA that was about to happen. 

---

There weren’t any problems with customers, and the day seemed to be passing slowly. It wasn’t until there were only a couple of people in the shop at the moment, and your boyfriend decided to walk towards you. He wrapped his built arms around your waist, and his chin rested atop your head. You were a bit surprised, but smiled when you felt the familiarity of his touch.

“Fred, you almost scared me.” You said putting one hand atop his, and the other pushing the skiving snackboxes to look nice. He didn’t say anything.

“What is it Freddie?”

“Nothing...” he mumbled. “Just- you gotta stop being so bloody cute.” He took your free hand and rubbed it with his thumb. His head was in the clouds lately, you noticed. You remembered that was the same hand you had the scars from the blood quill. Your heart swelled at how sweet he was being.

“There are people still here.” you whispered. “Merlin, no wonder George can’t stand you.” you scoffed. He unwrapped his arms around you to turn you to face him.

“But that’s because we broke the no PDA rule...” You noticed that he mumbled the last bit, trailing off a little. You were left speechless as his hand was brought up- his index finger to tilt your chin up and his thumb to trace your bottom lip. You never realized when he got so close to you, but you did now as he leaned in and-

“Excuse me, Mr. Weasley!” You quickly coughed and pulled away. A small kid about eight years old tapped Fred. The little boy cocked his head in confusion as he saw both of you in an- *cough* interesting pose. Your boyfriend, quick and clever as ever, pretended and made an excuse.

“Hello, sorry I was fixing her... apron!” He said quickly bringing a hand to your back and fiddling with the tied string. You rolled your eyes, the boy giggled at how silly Fred’s tone was. 

“You know how clumsy she gets- now what did you need help with?” You glared at him as he was whisked away by the kid, but also noticing that your apron strings were now undone. You shook your head at how much of a troublemaker Fred was.

---

As soon as Fred was done recommending a product to the boy, he walked over to where you were standing with your arms crossed. You were lucky that the last few customers had already exited before this. Surprising as well, since it was just before your lunch break.

“Yes?” He asked. You stayed put in your crossed arm form.

“’Yes?’ You call your girlfriend clumsy and you say ‘yes’?” 

“Well, you didn’t let me finish, darling.” Fred leaned against the shelf slightly and threaded one of this hands through your loose hair. “She’s a little clumsy, yes- but she’s also smart, funny, kind, drop dead gorgeous...” He placed a kiss somewhere on your face for each thing he listed. You blushed at his words and placed your hands on his forearms. 

“And sometimes she looks like a pygmy puff early in the mornings, but- hey! Ow!” 

“Well then I think you’re just a right prat.” He gasped dramatically at your statement which made you laugh. 

“That hurts...” he said softly with a pout trying to sound in pain. “Care to make it up to me?” And just like that, his cheeky nature returned. He asked the question while tapping his lips with his index finger- you knew what he was implying. 

“You, Fred Weasley are too much for me.” You sighed bringing him in for the kiss he was wanting all this time. He happily leaned in as well, connecting your lips together and moving in sync. 

You couldn’t even focus, let alone control where those hands of his were touching you; one on the nape of your neck, and the other on your waist. He purposely backed you up a little against the shelf, careful not to knock any of the products over. It caused him to push his lips more, and soon slipped his tongue in your mouth.

“Fred. (Y/n).” called George quietly from just outside his room. You heard him, but Fred didn’t seem to.

“Fred...-” you said in between breaths, hardly able to say his name. You tapped him on the shoulder to signal him to pull away. He groaned as he listened, not wanting to stop.

“To be fair she was staring at my arse, first.”

“Fred!”

“Ew... fix your clothes wouldn’t you, children.” said George putting the jacket he was holding in front of him to cover the view of you. 

“George, where have you been, mate? Haven’t seen you much this morning.” inquired Fred. He was right now that he mentioned it. You only saw George a bit this morning, but he often seemed like he was rushing.

“I have a date.” He said. You and Fred’s eyebrows raised. You were all living with each other yet he gets a date out of the blue?! 

“Georgie, that’s great! Who’s your date?” you said happily before your boyfriend could spit out something offensive.

“I have a date with Angelina.” He said pursing his lips and nodding his head. His behaviour was oddly monotone despite having a date. You squealed in excitement for your two best friends who have finally got the courage to make something happen.

“Oh bloody hell, I have a date with Angelina... what am I going to do, what do I say?” Turns out George was just a little nervous. You and Fred both giggled. You bid George goodbye as he walked out the shop door. You were happy for him, and Angelina- you noticed the shy smile on his face as he walked out. You knew it was going to go well for them.

Just as a short moment of silence came over, Fred suddenly had a thought in mind.

“Wait, does this mean that ‘No PDA’ sign is no more?” He asked with a large grin upon his face. Oh god, you knew how this conversation was going to end.

“We don’t know if George’s date is going to go well.” You said shrugging. You knew it would, but you were trying to counter him. Fred’s eyebrows raised as if to say, ‘really?’ 

“Well...” he started with a smirk appearing and his hands reaching to your hips again. “Why don’t we find out? Test out its limits?” 

You shook your head, both at how sneaky he was being, and to also try to mask the red on your face. 

“Frederic Gideon Weasley...” you said in a tone attempting to be demanding. You watched as he bit his lip, clearly knowing what you were going to say. Why did your boyfriend have to be so attractive? You were also leaning into his touch, and that’s how he knew he had you.

“You are way too much trouble.” you said pointing a finger to him.

“Was that a yes?” he asked cheekily. He knew you were trying to avoid his question.

“It wasn’t a no.” you said trying to supress the smile on your face as you were whisked away to your bedroom by your loving boyfriend.

-------------------------------------------

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[hxlyhead-harpies]

The Last Dream of My Soul part 2. (R.L.)

This part is a bit short but I hope that’s okay with you all! Any feedback is appreciated and message me or comment if you want to be tagged! My requests are also open. Enjoy!

Pairing: Young!Remus Lupin x Reader

Summary: The very bookish (Y/n) has spent most of her life alone, aside from her best friend Lily and her beloved books. But when the infamous Marauders get thrust into her life, how could she resist the beautiful and unattainable Remus?

Warnings: none

Word count: 1.8k

Part one

By your second week eating breakfast with the Marauders you were starting to feel like you really belonged with them. James was extremely funny, in your opinion the funniest of the group. He never failed to make you laugh when you sat near him in the common room and once he made you laugh so hard in the Great Hall that you had almost choked on your toast. Sirius was also funny but in a different way. He playfully flirted with anything that moved, something that would normally make you scoff, but with him it just made you laugh. You weren’t as close with Peter, though you helped him with his transfiguration homework and he occasionally shared his sweets with you. And then, of course, there was Remus. Remus was by far your favorite of the group, though it was for reasons you’d never dare disclose to anyone but Lily. He was sweet, sending you reassuring smiles when you’d muster up the bravery to tell a story to the group. He’d slip you chocolates when you were studying late at night and fostered the same love for muggle literature as you. Every little thing he did only added to your attraction to him. In your eyes, he was absolutely perfect

You looked forward to the evenings in the common room, sitting next to the crackling fire with the marauders and Lily. Laughing at James and Sirius’s jokes and stealing glances at Remus’s face, seemingly glowing the light of the fire. You finally felt as if you had found your place at Hogwarts.

“Hey (Y/n),” Remus said, startling you out of your thoughts. You turned to look at him.

“Yeah?” you replied. He shifted in his spot on the floor, next to the couch where Lily sat with James.

“I just finished Crime and Punishment,” he said. You turned in the large armchair where you sat to fully face him.

“Oh really? How did you like it?” you asked.

“I liked it, though I have to digress- you were right- it is a bit dense,” he answered. You smiled at his from your seat, quickly looking down at your hands.

“Well of course. I told you so,” you responded. You heard him laugh lightly from the floor.

“I was wondering though if I could borrow your book? The one you talked about at breakfast the other week,” he inquired.

“Oh of course!” you said. “I can go fetch it for you right now.” You gestured towards the stairs that led to the girl’s dormitory.

“Oh you don’t have to get it right now,” Remus said. You smiled and shook your head.

“It’s no trouble. I’ll be right back,” you replied, pushing yourself up from the armchair. He thanked you as you made your way towards the staircase, but you just smiled and waved him off.

When you got to your room you rifled through your bag, attempting to locate the book. You searched for a moment to no avail, before realizing that you had left it on your bedside table. After you retrieved it you turned to head back downstairs, only to almost run directly into Lily.

“Oh my goodness Lils! You scared me,” you said, clutching your chest.

“Oh I’m sorry,” she replied.

“What are you doing up here?” you inquired. Mere minutes ago she was downstairs in the middle of a conversation. You wondered what had brought her upstairs so early. She usually didn’t leave the common room for at least another hour.

“It was getting late and I’m tired,” she replied, shrugging. “Plus James and everyone else decided to go up to bed,” she continued. You felt yourself deflate.

“Oh,” you said. “I was supposed to bring this down to Remus. I guess I took too long,” you said, holding up the book. You felt embarrassed that you had gone all the way upstairs to retrieve him the book when he had just decided to go to be without waiting for you.

“Don’t be silly,” Lily said with a smirk. “He’s still waiting for you downstairs.”

“Oh,” you responded.

“Yes he’s waiting for you all alone in the empty common room,” Lily said in a teasing sing-song voice. You felt yourself blush.

“Lily, I’m going down there to lend him a book. What do you think is going to happen?” you said. Lily just laughed, wiggling her eyebrows at you. You shook your head and headed down towards the common room, now feeling slightly nervous. When you got to the bottom of the stairs you saw Remus’s head pop up. He had moved from his spot on the floor to the now vacant couch. He shot you a smile as you walked over to him.

“Here it is,” you said, handing the book to him. “Sorry I kept you down here waiting for me, I didn’t know everyone was planning on turning in so early.”

“Oh it’s no problem,” he replied, taking the book from you. He quickly flipped through the pages, feeling the worn parchment against his fingers.

“Wow, Lily wasn’t kidding. You really have marked this thing up,” he said, chuckling. You ducked your head in embarrassment.

“Yeah… Sorry about that,” you responded sheepishly. Remus looked up at you, his eyes sparkling in the dim light.

“Oh don’t worry about it. I can tell that you really love the book,” he said. You nodded silently, averting your eyes to your shoes. A silence fell between you as Remus turned the book over in his hands. You were debating whether to bid him goodnight and go upstairs or attempt to start a conversation with him. Luckily, he made the decision for you.

“At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, what is this book about?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. You giggle softly before sitting down next to him on the sofa.

“Well,” you began. “It’s the story of the muggle French revolution. It follows a man who was kept as a political prisoner, his daughter, a French aristocrat, and a drunken lawyer. It’s full of intrigue and espionage, and while not a romance, it contains what I consider to be the most romantic scene ever written,” you said, catching yourself before you continued to ramble. You look up to meet Remus’s eyes to see that he’s smiling.

“That sounds incredibly interesting,” he said after a moment. You smiled and nodded.

“What qualifies it to be the most romantic scene ever written?” he asked in an almost teasing, yet earnest tone.

“I’m not sure exactly. Something about the words is just perfect. I guess it’s just the kind of thing I wish someone would say to me,” you answered shyly. You saw him nod in your peripheral vision.

“Are you a fan of romances then?” he inquired.

“Yes, I am. They might be my favorite type of book to read,” you answered abashedly. You had always loved the allure of romance novels; Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre had been your go-to reads throughout your adolescence. You longed for a romance of your own, and since that seemed unattainable, you lived vicariously through your books.

“I don’t think that’s anything to be ashamed of,” Remus said, “Though I can’t say they’re my favorite types of books.” You laughed.

“That doesn’t exactly surprise me, Remus. You are a boy after all,” you said jokingly, nudging his shoulder with your own.

“Hey! That’s an unfair stereotype. I’m sure plenty of boys enjoy romance novels. I am just not one of them,” he said with a smile, nudging you back.

“Why don’t you like them?” you asked. He shrugged, his joking demeanor morphing into a more uncomfortable one.

“I don’t know exactly… I just don’t picture myself wanting a real-life romance, so why would I want to read about a fictional one?” he elaborated. You felt your stomach drop.

“Oh,” you said, attempting to keep your voice even, “so you just don’t want to fall in love?”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s it. I don’t think the whole falling in love and marriage thing is for me,” he responded. You hoped that you appeared to have an unbothered demeanor because it felt as if your heart was breaking.

“That sounds a little sad, don’t you think?” you asked. Remus shook his head, still appearing a tad uncomfortable.

“Not to me. Besides, loneliness isn’t the worst type of pain that one can feel,” he replied. You frowned.

“I’m not sure about that. For me, the pain of loneliness seems unparalleled. I want nothing more than to fall in love,” You took a deep breathe, playing with the hem of your sweater. From the corner of your eye, you saw Remus shrug.

“I guess that’s where you and I differ,” he said after a beat. You nodded quietly. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, you stood up from your seat on the couch and dusted off your skirt.

“Well, I best be off to bed,” you said. Remus looked up at you quickly. He gave you a small smile before bidding you goodnight. You quickly turned around and rushed up the stairs.

By the time you got to your dorm, your body felt heavy with disappointment. You closed the door hurriedly behind you before flopping onto your bed. You let out a sad sigh, looking up at the ceiling, After a minute you felt the bed dip beside you and you look up to see Lily grinning down at you.

“So how’d it go?” the redhead asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Fine,” was your response. Lily groaned before laying down next to you in the bed.

“Come on (Y/n). Please just tell me what happened,” she begged.

“Nothing happened,” you said simply, “and it’s been made clear to me that nothing ever will happen.” Lily looked at you, clearly confused.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I have been informed that Remus Lupin is not one for romance. He doesn’t want it now, and he doesn’t want it ever,” you replied, wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall.

“Oh,” Lily said softly. “That was not how I expected that to go.” She turned her head to look up at the ceiling.

“It’s fine,” you said. “I’ve gone seven years without needing a boyfriend. I certainly don’t need one now,” you said defiantly, getting up to begin getting ready for bed. You saw Lily frown.

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t want one. You’re allowed to be sad you know?” she says, propping herself up on her elbows.

“Lily, if I let myself be sad over every boyfriend that I never had then I would have been sad for the last seven years,” you replied. Lily began playing with the threads of the quilt that was splayed across your bed.

“I guess.” She got up quickly and went to join you by your dresser. “Well even if Remus Lupin is too daft to realize it, you’re quite a catch,” she said reassuringly. You giggled quietly.

“Thank you, Lils,” you responded.

“Don’t worry someday you will meet your Mr. Heathcliff,” she reassured you, patting you on the shoulder, before skipping off to her own bed. You run your brush through your hair, desperately hoping that she was right.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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@goosegorl​ @serenefreakgeek​

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

The gang on their wedding days

[Been meaning to post this one for a while — since I’m applying to get married today, now seems like the time.]

Jake steps into the room like a child wandering into his parents’ dinner party.  His bow tie is askew, seams of his jacket misaligned for all that it’s a custom-tailored tuxedo.  If the buttons of his shirt aren’t one hole off from their intended placement, they still manage to convey that impression from across the room.

Rachel feels a rush of affection for him, her first best friend.  The boy who’d run and fought and splashed through mud with her, back before adults started telling her to be careful of her dress and him to be careful of her.  Only he could show up to his own wedding looking like he’s ready to be expelled at any moment.  Only Jake.

And yes, she gets mushy at weddings.  Sue her.

Tom steps up next to Jake, far more elegant in an off-the-rack suit.  Some people actually got the fashionable genes in this family.

Rachel surges across the room.  Tom gets a quick hug, and then she turns all her attention on Jake.

“You only have to look nice for the next three hours,” she tells him briskly.

“Three.  Hours,” Jake repeats.

With expert motions she realigns his… everything, until at the very least the clothes are sitting the way the tailor intended.  She tries to finger-comb his hair, thankful for the heels that put her at an inch above his height, but it’s obvious that he has also been running his hands through it and the style is hopelessly deformed.

“You can survive anything for three hours,” Rachel says as she does all this.  “I’ve seen you do it.”

“But if I mess it up—”

“Then stop, go back, and do whatever it is over.  We’re not exactly on a time pressure, here.  Nobody’s gonna die if you trip at the altar or forget your lines.”

“Okay.”  He stuffs his hands in his pockets, deforming his jacket again.  “Okay.”

She can see him starting to relax as he glances around, shoulders coming down.  Cassie’s place isn’t quite like they remember — it’s been repaired since the war, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic expanded to nearly five times its original size — but it still feels as close to home as any place does.

“Have a glass of water,” Rachel says.

“But what if I have to pee during the ceremony?”

She rolls her eyes.  “Babysit him,” she mouths at Tom.

Tom gives her a gesture in response that approximates What do you think I’ve BEEN doing?  Whether he means the last four hours or the last twenty-six years is, really, a moot point.

Rachel leaves him to it, and charges off to go check on the others.

************

Marco leans against a tent pole, trying to roll one of the rings across his fingers the way Vegas poker players do with chips.  So far it’s not going well.

“Canapé,” Ax is saying carefully.  He attempts to lean next to Marco, nearly going all the way over.  “Can-nap-peee?”

“Uh, no.”  Marco catches the ring as it makes its third or fourth bid for freedom, stuffing it back into his pocket.  “That…”  He tilts his champagne flute to point.  “…is a canopy.  Or a chuppah, I guess.  Canopee.  Canapay is the little pastry thing you’ve already filched in bulk, don’t think I didn’t notice.”

“Ah,” Ax says.  And then, “This temperature and rate of precipitation is within optimal survival parameters for humans, is it not?”

“Nuh-uh, Ax-Man, I will not be pulled in by your smooth small-talk skills.”

“Did you not wish to make conversation?”  Ax frowns.  And then he stuffs another canapé in his mouth.  “This is making conversation,” he adds through the mouthful.

Marco squints.  “Is it, though?”

“It is indeed.  Did you know that the rotating-wheel can opener was patented in 1870?”

Marco’s response to that one gets cut off when Rachel comes charging across the open tent space like a small freight train.  Tobias is balanced on her shoulder, flaring slightly as she runs.  She yanks the champagne flute out of his hand.  Marco makes a squeak of protest, but Rachel just sets it firmly on a bussing tray and turns back to glare at him.

“What did we agree?” she asks sternly.

Marco rolls his eyes.  “That I’d stay sober-ish for the toast, and not do anything too embarrassing.”

“You’re the best man.  You have one job, Marco.”

“Excuse you, the best man’s one job was that banger of a bachelor-slash-ette party we did Wednesday night.  Did you like the part where we all dived out of a helicopter and flew clear through the lower atmosphere to that rooftop bar?  Because—”

“So you got the drinking out of your system.  You promised.”

“Sober-ish, come on, it’s just one wine-spritzer-thing!”

Rachel turns away from him, looking Ax over.  “You realize you’re going to have to demorph and remorph at some point before the ceremony, right?” she asks.  “And that when you do, someone’s going to have to go through the whole kit and caboodle of getting you into that tux all over again?”

“Yes,” Ax says.  “Yes, I do.”

She stares at him.  He stares back, looking as innocent as it is possible to look while also chewing three jalapeño pastries at the same time.

«You should probably just listen to her,» Tobias suggests.  «By the way, where’s your date?  Not that I quake in fear for the wedding cake or anything, but, uh…»

“Menderash has been instructed not to eat anything on a human plate without seeking my opinion first,” Ax says, somewhat stiffly.

“Yeah,” Marco says.  “So far he’s only eaten two earthworms, a candle, some decorative sand, and part of Collette’s bouquet.  You two have nothing to worry about.”

“Part of Collette’s bouquet?” Rachel demands.  “We can’t send a bridesmaid up the aisle without—”

“Already replaced it, I am on top of this.”  Marco flips his hair back from his face.  “I am a flower master.”

«So where is Menderash now?» Tobias asks.

“Helping Cassie’s mom,” Marco explains.

«And Cassie’s mom is…?»

“Delivering a baby cow.”

Rachel makes a noise like she’s choking on air.  “Doesn’t Michelle have vet techs for that kind of thing?  She’s supposed to be getting ready, not, not…”

“It’s cool,” Marco says.  “She’s got her makeup on, her hair is done perfectly, she’s got an apron-thing to keep her dress nice and gloves over her nails, it was a breech birth so they needed a real doctor and Walter was busy supervising the caterers, she’s got Menderash and Steve helping her out—”

“She kidnapped Jake’s dad?” Rachel demands overtop the continuing babble.

“He said he had never delivered an offspring outside of his own species before, and expressed deep curiosity on the subject,” Ax offers.  “Menderash is a certified medic with andalite training, so they should be well-equipped to assist.”

Marco makes jazz hands in the air.  “It’s a free pre-dinner show!  Cow birth.  Better than icebreakers.”

There’s a very long pause.  Rather than dignify that with a response, Rachel turns and stalks away.

Marco watches her go, halfway awed at her ability to navigate an open yard so well while not only wearing six-inch heels and a multi-layer floor-length dress, but also balancing an enormous updo on top of her head and a red-tailed hawk on her left shoulder.

“Is it just me, or did Jake and Cassie make a monster when they asked her to be maid of honor?” Marco says.

«You wanna take over her responsibilities, then?»

Of course Tobias heard that.  Stupid hawk hearing.

“No thank you!” Marco yells after them.

Cassie, meanwhile, is currently picking her way across the open space under the tent, bunches of dress hiked up to above her knees.  This last is, of course, the source of Rachel’s consternation.

“Here.”  Rachel attempts to pull the wads of skirt out of Cassie’s hands and drop them back to the ground.  “You’re going to wrinkle it.”

Cassie stubbornly refuses to let go.  “You told me not to let it drag on the ground.  If I let it down, it’ll drag.”

“Cassie, Cassie.  That is a hand-tailored Christian Dior gown that I commissioned to be custom-fitted to your measurements.  There is no way that it is too long if you let it…”

Cassie drops the bunches of tulle.  The end of the skirt falls all the way down, where the bottom two inches rest, unmistakably, on the muddy ground.

Rachel somehow manages to wince with her entire body while also not moving at all.

«It’s a look,» Tobias suggests, by way of consolation.  «Kind of.»

“How…?”  Rachel peers closer at Cassie.  “Wait, where are your shoes?”

Cassie shrugs, embarrassed.  “Uh, inside somewhere.  I was having trouble balancing in them.”

“Well that’s why!”  Rachel’s emphatic gesture almost dislodges Tobias.  With years’ experience, he dodges her waving arm and retains his perch.  “The dress was tailored to fit you with shoes on.”

“They were getting stuck in the grass—”

“They’re kitten heels!”

“Yeah, and they’re still heels.”  Cassie looks stuck somewhere between amusement and embarrassment.  “I don’t really do heels.  Sorry.”

“Hey Tobias?” Rachel says, as if to thin air.

«Nuh-uh, leave me out, I want no part in—»

“Remember me telling Cassie that we should really try the whole outfit on before the wedding?”

«Uh.  Yes?»

“Do you also remember Cassie agreeing to it, and then the day of, haring off to go try and save a bunch of vultures instead?  Remember how we tried to reschedule, and there was that ALF mission on the same day so she never showed?  Remember that?”

Cassie clears her throat loudly.  “I think it’s a very nice dress.  It’s fluffy and also comfortable, and look!”  She tucks her hands away.  “It has pockets.”

«Vultures are actually fundamental for waste disposal in ecosystems all over the world, and the poisons used on livestock—»

“Do you think you could at least wear the shoes long enough to go up the aisle?” Rachel asks.  “And maybe even for a few photos as well?”

 “Uh.  I’ll try.”  Cassie hikes her skirt back up (Rachel full-body winces again) and starts picking her way across the lawn back toward the house.

“There’s no way I’m going to be able to un-wrinkle it in time,” Rachel mutters.

«Yep.  So you’re just going to have to live with it.»

“I hate living with it.”

«Wanna go check on whatever monstrosity of a replacement bouquet Marco probably inflicted on Collette?»

“Fine, fine.”

**************

Cassie walks up the aisle in a custom-tailored gown, an edelweiss and valerian flower crown, and slightly muddy Timberland work boots.  The sole on the boots is apparently tall enough that the skirt does, not, in fact, drag on the ground or get tangled in her feet.

«Somewhere out there,» Tobias comments, «Christian Dior is crying into an overpriced silk handkerchief and doesn’t even know why.»

Marco has never more deeply felt the utter unfairness of Tobias being able to use thought-speak while human, because they’re currently standing at the front of the aisle and he can’t even respond.

But Rachel should still count this one as a win.  The gown looks stunning on Cassie, lacy and princess-ruffled while also having the kind of practical cut that allows her freedom of movement.  And, Marco notes with a smirk, freedom to wear her morphing leotard underneath; the purple spandex is just visible peeking out from underneath the white silk neckline.  He’s got morphing clothes under his own tux — never leaves home without ‘em — so really, he can’t judge.

Plus, Michelle’s got her dress and just her dress on by now, and her locs are still tucked into their silver-beaded updo.  Really, the cow birth was just a momentary inconvenience.

“Hi,” Jake whispers, when Cassie reaches him.

She grabs his hand.  Then she stuffs her bouquet into one of his jacket pockets, and grabs his other hand.  “Hi,” she whispers back.

“This is pretty exciting, huh?”

“Yep.”

Ax clears his throat delicately, and they stop talking.

“There is an Earth tradition,” Ax says to the entire assembly, “that the captain of any ship may perform a wedding ceremony at will.”

In the front row of seats, Michelle laces her fingers through Walter’s.

“Although there is no legal precedent for this custom,” Ax continues, “it is nevertheless possible to become ordained as a wedding officiant if one just completes the proper applications.”

One of Jake’s great-aunts mutters something loudly about the lack of rabbi.  Sarah leans over and kicks her in the ankle.  Rachel beams her approval.

“Therefore, I am here to make official through human custom that which has already been forged through affection and respect.”  Ax looks from Jake to Cassie and back.  “The bond between warriors who have fought and faced death together can be neither lessened nor improved upon by mere ceremony.  The honor shared between two such beings who have chosen to risk loving each other in spite of knowing the reality of loss is one that we recognize today.  We can recognize it, but not sanctify it beyond the sanctity of what these two humans have already shared.”

Rachel lets out an audible sniffle.  Marco does his best not to smirk at her.  It’s not that sappy a speech.

“I have been assured that the bond between two humans who like each other far exceeds the bond between those who merely enjoy each other’s company,” Ax says.

And now Marco has to fight the urge to bang his head against the nearest support pole.

“I have witnessed this myself.”  Ax stares around the room.  “I have witnessed compromise and forgiveness, compassion and challenge between these two.  I therefore believe it is correct and proper that this bond be formally recognized by the State of California.  Is there anything you would wish to add?” he says to Jake and Cassie.

Cassie leans up on tip-toe.  Jake bends to meet her.

She whispers her vows into his ear, not bothering to share with the rest of the gathering.  After a moment, tears on his face, he leans in and whispers back.

Recognizing his cue, Marco grabs the rings and passes them over.  They’re boring-looking, in his opinion, plain silicon bands without anything shiny.  But they’re also easy to morph, easy to shovel manure while wearing, easy to wear without catching on anything.  Very Cassie.  Very Jake.

Speaking of which, the Timberlands prove to be a good call.  When the time comes, Cassie stomps the shit out of that ceremonial glass.

**********

In a slight break with tradition, Rachel and Tobias are actually the first ones to go back down the aisle.  Then Marco wheels Collette out, followed by Tom and Melissa, then Jake and Cassie go.  That way, Rachel’s got time to sprint back over to the main tent and check on the banquet.

Most of the tables are arranged correctly, the centerpieces in place and the cards arrayed.  Rachel does a mad sprint of the room, straightening decorations and confirming with the caterers that they got all the instructions about who needs what in their diet.  Between the number of kosher eaters on Jake’s side and the number of vegetarians on Cassie’s, Rachel made the call to go all the way to a fully vegan buffet.  That’s probably going to get some of the relatives complaining about kids these days and rabbit food, but there’s no pleasing everyone.

Rachel deftly switches a few of the placecards, thereby putting Jordan on point to deal with their great-aunt and grandmother who have both already overindulged at the open bar, muttering an apology as she does.  She puts Tobias to work making sure the bows on the backs of chairs are straight, and rushes up to the long table at the front to confirm that the armless chair meant to accommodate Cassie’s bulky skirt is in the correct place.

D.J. is here, playlist at the ready.  Dance floor is clear of grass.  Weather’s holding, but tent covers are on standby.

Slightly sweaty, she rushes back out with a chair under each arm just in time to catch the guests coming across the lawn.

“Everyone except the parents, head off to the cocktail hour!” she calls.  “Jake, Cassie, moms and dads, with me.”

While Marco’s date (a photographer named Dakota) sets up the camera, Rachel goes into a flurry of motion straightening bowties, adjusting hairdos, and touching up makeup.  Steve’s got a spot of cow blood on his forehead, she discovers to her horror, and by the time she’s done scrubbing that off Jake’s managed to get his tuxedo jacket misaligned again.  Finally she steps back, breathing hard, and nods to Dakota.

Everyone smiles.  The camera goes off.

“Okay.”  Rachel claps her hands loudly, because Jake and Cassie are looking ready to stand up and go join the reception.  “That’s one down, just twenty-three to go.”

********

Rather than tossing her whole bouquet all at once, Cassie picks it apart and gives a single flower to every single guest she can find.  When the bouquet itself runs out, she disassembles her flower crown and hands that out piece by piece until everyone’s got at least one blossom.  It just seems fairer that way, she says when Rachel asks.

Several of the traditions, Rachel reflects, seem to be lost on Jake and Cassie.  They cut the first piece of cake… and immediately hand it to Ax.  And then they cut the second piece, and the third piece, and keep right on cutting slices of cake and handing them out to people until Rachel has to step in and wrest the knife away.  She’s grateful that they refrain from any of the food-fighting nonsense, since both their wedding outfits are headed to a charity auction first thing tomorrow morning, but honestly.  They’re supposed to eat the first two slices, not drop half a tier of cake into the black hole of hungry andalite.

Cake served, Marco clinks a fork against a glass.  “Ladies, gentlemen, and proletariats!”

There’s a general murmur as people look around, trying to spot who’s speaking.

With a hand from Jake, Marco climbs bodily onto the banquet table.  “Everyone!” he shouts, and now they’re all looking at him.  At him, and at the champagne flute in his hand.  “Jake and Cassie!”

It gets a polite round of applause.

“Gotta start at the beginning, right?”  Marco looks around the room, grinning.  “So there I am, some snot-nosed three-year-old, minding my own business.  And this chubby, dorky-looking little white kid comes running up to me and is like…”  He leans in.  “‘You wanna be my best friend?’”

He grins at Jake, who is flushing bright red.

“I shit you not, that was his opening line.  ‘You wanna be my best friend?’  So I’m like…”  Marco pantomimes reeling back in shock.  “I dunno man, seems like a lot of commitment to make to a total stranger.  You want explore our options first, maybe get a prenup, see if we’re compatible?  I mean, for all I know five years from now you’re gonna find some younger, hotter best friend and then there I’ll be out on my ear with nothing to show for it.”

There’s a smattering of laughter throughout the room.  Marco visibly draws strength from it.

“But you know what?”  Marco leans down to look around, smiling like he’s got a secret.  “Little dork kept right on showing up to my house and letting me use his television and getting his mom to give me fluffer nutters, and next thing I know it turns out he really is my best friend.  I think he was onto something.

“Anyway, you think that one was bad…”  He raises his eyebrows.  “Couple years later, there we are in first grade, and this girl in teeny-tiny first-grader overalls comes into the room like…”  

Marco claps one hand over the top of his champagne flute and clamps the other under the base, and actually walks a few steps down the table with the determined air of a very small and klutzy version of Cassie.

“And her opening line is…”  Marco raises the flute to his mouth like it’s a microphone, dropping his voice.  “‘You wanna see my moth?’”

Again, there’s a smattering of laughter.  Cassie has a hand over her mouth, halfway doubled over in giggles at the memory.

“Now, us being minuscule and all, I’m like ninety-nine percent sure that there was no double entendre going on here,” Marco says.  “And I have to admit, no one has used that line on me since.  So I say ‘sure,’ because I’m like six years old and this seems like a reasonable question.  She lifts her hand up…”

Marco accompanies this with a pantomime of peering through his own fingers into his champagne.

He looks up.  “And it’s not even a freaking moth!” he cries out.  “Turns out, it’s just some little worm thing.  So I tell her.”  He puts on a snotty voice, mocking his younger self.  “‘That’s not a moth, that’s just some little worm thing.’”

There’s a pause.  Marco glances around the room.  “See if you can tell where this story’s going.”

Marco and Cassie glance at each other.  Cassie’s grinning smugly.

“She puts it in the classroom’s terrarium,” Marco drawls.  “It turns into a rock.  Two weeks later, rock cracks open and out pops a moth.”

The room cracks up again.

“So fast forward another few years, and she’s standing there holding this eight-eyed, venom-fanged thing.  And she’s all like ‘just touch the spider, Marco.  Don’t you want to be a spider, Marco?  Isn’t it cute and fuzzy?’  As if she is completely unaware that she’s holding a giant-ass eight-legged freak.”  Marco takes a sip for strength.  “And right then, I look at Jake.  And I’m thinking Jake, don’t ever let this girl go.  Because if she doesn’t even think wolf spiders are ugly, then she’s got no idea about you.  So here’s to Jake and Cassie.  Made for each other, because no one else will have ‘em.”

Jake pokes Marco in the ankle, but he’s laughing as he does it.

“All right,” Marco says, “brace yourselves, and someone get some more tissues for my second mama, because I’m about to get sappy.  I love you, Jean!” he calls.  “I know we all gotta cry it out sometimes.”

She laughs and flaps a dismissive hand at him, but she’s also misty-eyed already.

“Dudes, I gotta be honest.”  Marco is looking at Jake and Cassie.  “I didn’t think we’d get here.  I honestly did not believe, for a good long while there, that there were gonna be any weddings or graduations or driver’s licenses in any of our futures.  Just seemed like a good idea not to bet on any of us having any futures, you know?  Seemed like it might be the surest option.”

Cassie laces her fingers through Jake’s.  Silently, her mouth pressed into a line, she nods.

“So, uh.”  Marco sniffs, spinning back around and thrusting his champagne flute into the air.  “Here’s to me being wrong, yeah?”

“To Marco being wrong!” Jake echoes, and tosses back his glass.

“To Marco being wrong!” the entire room calls back.

Marco jumps back down, Cassie and Jake catching him as he lands.

**********

After everyone but Menderash and Ax has finished eating, it’s Tom who becomes the next one to tink a fork against a glass for attention.

“In the spirit of full disclosure,” he tells the room, strolling slowly toward the head table.  “I promised my brother there wouldn’t be a horah.”  Tom stops, directly next to Cassie.  “But what he didn’t know is that I’d already made a promise to my new sister-in-law that there would be.  So what’s a guy to do?”

He snaps his fingers.

At this cue, several things happen at once.  The DJ switches to “Hava Nagila.”  Several people mob Jake at once.  Tom grabs Cassie and lifts her bodily over his head, carrying her chair and all to the middle of the dance floor.

With a squeak of laughter, Cassie grabs the top of Tom’s head for balance.  Jake is being hauled out next to her on a chair of his own, supported by Tobias and Menderash and Rachel and James.  Marco and Ax are herding the rest of the gathering, shoving people into a circle and linking arms together as they go.

“I hate you!” Jake calls over the sound of the music and his own fit of giggles.

“Gotta keep the in-laws happy!” Tom yells back, unrepentant.

*********

“You sure you’ve got everything you need?” Rachel asks.

Cheyenne, the head caterer, gives her a double thumbs-up.  The staff are tipped and most are ready to go, having divvied up the several extra schaeffers’ worth of falafel and butternut squash puree and other entrees that Rachel’d set aside for them.  Melissa is set to take over tending bar from here, as planned, and she’s going to keep the groomsmen after for a few minutes for cleanup duty.

“Okay.”  Rachel glances around at where the last of the countertops are getting a quick once-over with disinfectant.  “Okay.  If anything comes up…”

“I have your number.”  Cheyenne smiles and nods.

Pushing back out of the room, Rachel heads for the gift table.  Everything looks like it’s in good order, but she wants to make sure it all gets packed up properly and that none of the cards get lost in the kerfuffle.  It’s mostly donation receipts, at Jake and Cassie’s request, but some of the traditionalists on both sides came with soup tureens or the like —

“Hey.”  Jake catches her by the arm.

Rachel turns to look at him.  “What’s wrong?  Is it the great-aunts?”

“Nothing’s wrong.  It’s all perfect.”  He’s smiling shyly.  “Thanks.”

“I need to check on the gifts,” Rachel says, because she’s a coward who doesn’t know how to do mushy conversations, especially not with Jake.

“The gifts are fine,” he says.  “It’s all fine.  Because you made it that way.  So… thanks.”

When he pulls her into a hug, Rachel can’t resist straightening his hair one last time even as she returns the embrace.  “You realize I do this for fun, right?” she asks, holding him at arm’s length and looking him in the eye.  “Like, I could’ve hired a wedding planner, but honestly why bother?”

He shrugs.  “Doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate everything.  All of it.  Without you, Cassie and I wouldn’t even…”

Then, because this is all getting too honest, Rachel links her arm through his and drags him onto the dance floor for, he’s about to realize, their middle school gym class’s favorite godawful square dance.

*********

When she has do-si-doed Jake within an inch of his life, Rachel tosses him at Cassie.  She pivots around and gives Tobias a flourishing courtesy; he returns it with an equally ridiculous bow.

“It is marvelous, how well they have adapted their balance to compensate for their lack of legs,” Menderash comments to Ax.

“Very true.”  Ax leans next to him against the bar.  They are currently sharing a delicious beverage Melissa has made for them, simply by unscrewing the lid from a nearly-empty jar of olives and handing over the remaining liquid.

It is true, some of the dancers are more talented than others.  Michelle and Walter are synchronized with each other and the beat of the music, even if their choice of moves is not nearly as audacious as the spinning thing Marco and Dakota are doing.  The bride and groom, meanwhile, are looking at their own feet and keep bumping into each other as they move.  Between their relative unconcern with anyone but each other and the broad hem of Cassie’s dress, the other couples are giving them a wide berth.

“Do you wish to attempt such feats?” Ax asks, glancing at Menderash.

Menderash gives a full-body shudder.  He flaps one hand in an andalite gesture that, if translated to English, would approximate fuck that.

Ax grins, drinking more olive juice.

“Have you done such a thing?” Menderash asks.

“Never for very long,” Ax says.

Jake and Cassie have given up on dancing entirely, descending into a giggle fit in the middle of the dance floor as they both attempt to disentangle Jake’s cuff link from the lace of Cassie’s hem.  Rachel swirls by, briefly blocking their view.  She’s switched partners.  Dakota is doing their best to teach Tobias how to waltz while Marco and Rachel are now swing-dancing their way across the dance floor.

As both andalites watch in awe, Rachel spins Marco in a circle, swinging him out and then drawing him back close to her body.  Marco pirouettes, throwing his head back so that his hair flares around his face, and then throws himself backwards.  Rachel catches him neatly around the waist, dipping him nearly to the floor.  Marco braces on her shoulders and she flings him upward with her whole body so that she actually lifts him off the floor for a second before gracefully sweeping him back down.  They separate until just the tips of their fingers are touching, and then spin back together until Marco suddenly swoops under Rachel’s arm, coming up on the far side as she pivots around in time fro him to fall back against her.

Ax is reminded of the way they fight.  There’s something almost joyful in their ferocity on the battlefield.  There’s something almost frightening in their enthusiasm on the dancefloor.  Neither of them seems to know how to do anything by half measure.

One by one the other clusters of dancers have stopped to watch as well.  Jake and Cassie, now sitting hopelessly tangled up in each other, seem quite happy to have the spotlight stolen.

Rachel swoops an arm around Marco’s waist and slides into a back-and-forth tango step.  Within two beats he’s caught on, falling into the same rhythm as her.  When the tempo of the song changes he grabs her shoulder and nudges her into a circular waltz.  They’re unrehearsed, and inexpert, but moving with such force and communicating so rapidly that it doesn’t really matter.

“Yes,” Menderash says softly, “I very much do not wish to attempt to dance.”

Ax smiles at him over the rim of the olive jar.  It’s empty, and in the time it takes him to set it back on the bar and catch her eye, Melissa has replaced it with maraschino cherry liquid.

The song crescendos; Marco leans his full weight back as Rachel flings him into a long spiraling turn that ends with him sliding on his knees clear between her legs, popping up behind her just in time to brace as she tips backward into him.  She spins once, twice, four times, then swings him into a dip so low that his hair brushes the floor.

As the song ends they freeze like that, chests heaving, hair damp with sweat.

They both seem to become aware at once that the whole room’s watching them.  Marco opens his mouth to say something, when Rachel’s smile turns wicked.  That’s the only warning he gets before she opens her arms and lets him drop.  Marco squawks indignantly, throwing out both elbows to catch himself.  He gets ahold of Rachel’s arm and tries to yank her down as well, but ends up pulling himself to his feet as well.

The whole room breaks out into clapping.  Marco sweeps into a low bow.  Rachel visibly considers pushing him over again before deciding against it.  Instead she runs to try and rescue Cassie’s hand-sewn lace hem and Jake’s antique silver cufflinks from their respective owners’ incompetence.

*********

“Hey Tobias?” Rachel says around a yawn.

«Uh-huh?»

Idly they watch as Tom waltzes Cassie’s grandmother around the dance floor.  She’s 4’11” to his 6’4”, so it’s pretty hilarious to witness.  But at least they’re not totally mismatched: each has a single sprig of valerian from Cassie’s bouquet tucked behind one ear.

She and Tobias are sitting on the ground at one corner of the dance floor.  Rachel’s got her shoes off to massage her aching ankles, and Tobias is perched back on her shoulder.  With clever motions of his beak he’s fishing the pins out of her hair one by one, dropping them into her hand as he slowly disassembles her updo.

“How do you feel about never, ever getting married?” Rachel asks.

Tobias drops another bobby pin into her hand.  «Best idea you’ve had all year.»

[timextoxhajima]

Playlist Feels: SHORT SERIES PART 5 FINAL

PART 1 / PART 2 / PART 3 / PART 4

Member: Lee Juyeon

Genre: angst and ... fluff? lots and lots of fluff?

A/N: WHAT a ride, what a ride. thank you for reading through this, i know it took REALLY long so i hope it was worth the wait. this is a short chapter because i didn’t want to make it draggy ;(

Taglist: @muvtharecca​

“I'd rather be with you.”

ring

your eyes stir first. a deep breath through your nostrils. the cool air sours the nerves in your nose and there is a weight on your waist when your legs twitch under the blanket. 

ring

the noise urges you to wake your muscles up, and your eyes finally open to watch the rather heavy snow billowing outside the window. 

gentle, cotton-like white sunlight coats the room with its angelic touch, and it was made all the more heavenly when you process juyeon’s scent wafting in the air.

ring

“please tell me you don’t have a husband wondering why you didn’t go home last night.”

the statement feels like a flick in your cheek as you turn around, a rigid frown on your forehead and ready to give him a slap on his face.

but he notices your need to defend yourself through half hooded eyes, and he kisses you like flowers in the sun, in a bid to stop you.

ring

juyeon pulls away and wipes your bottom lip with his thumb, eyes travelling back and forth between your eyes and your lips.

“are you gonna get that or am i getting it for you and telling the person we spent the night together?”

a scoff runs through your dry throat as you turn on your back and fumble across the night stand, reaching for your phone. 

“hello?”

“oh, good. you’re alive.”

“hi, kev,” a smile spreads across your lips, and juyeon tightens his hold around your waist, nestling his face into the back of your neck. 

“are you planning on coming to work or do i tell him you’re ‘unwell’ today?”

juyeon leaving light, flowery pecks on your skin pushes you into distracting bliss, with the snow falling outside and the christmas decorations on the opposite building a striking red against the cream walls.

“i--”

“i’ll send you to work. what time do you need to be there?” 

“oh my goodness, did you--”

the phone is snatched away from your ear and juyeon presses the screen to his ear. 

“what time does she need to get to work?”

a pause. kevin is definitely surprised because he’s louder than normal, but it sounds like he is telling juyeon what to do with his colleague.

“okay, i’ll get her there by then. okay, bye, thanks.”

juyeon hangs up before you could say bye to kevin, and he places the phone on the nightstand on his side, away from your reach. 

“what time did he say i could get to the office?”

“in an hour,” juyeon shoves an arm under your neck, and the other circling around your waist even tighter than before as he pulls you on top of his chest. 

the warmth feels nauseatingly addictive. it feels like coffee on a cold day; a warm embrace after a long walk alone. 

you cautiously wrap your arm around the sides of his chest, ear pressed into his skin and listening to the soft, rhythmic beating of his heart.

it really sounds like music, a gentle lullaby that you’d listen to sleep.

“come on,” he buries his nose into your hair and takes a deep breath. “any later and you’re going to be late for work. you can get a sandwich and some tea on the way to work.”

it takes a considerable amount of effort to pull you away from him, your hands pressing flat into the mattress as you push yourself up. 

the strands of your hair get tangled in his fingers when he reaches up to tuck them behind your ear, and he cranes his neck upwards to give you a little peck on your nose. 

we lost five years, but why does it feel like we didn’t? 

you have the universe in your eyes but all i am seeing is my face in the reflection off the windows to your soul. 

every pore, every wrinkle, every crease on your face i can memorise like lyrics in a song. 

the hymn of your voice is not honey but silk on my skin when you sing words of comfort into my bones.

you may be the fire to my candle that wears me out, but you are also the light that brings me purpose. 

without you, i am nothing. without me, you are untouchable. 

unreachable.

“unbelievable,” the whisper comes out more like a gentle sigh when you rush out through the door of the apartment building. 

the skies are white and it looks like the gods had tucked planet earth away with a fluffy, cotton blanket. 

juyeon greets the lobby administrator, patting his pocket to make sure his car keys were present. 

little specks of white land in your hair under your beanie and your lashes, and you are snapped out of your winter wonderland when juyeon wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him.

the feeling fills your gut with an overwhelmingly nauseating taste of nostalgia, and juyeon gives you a smile when he knows you are aware of his intentions. 

“really trying to make up for those times, aren’t you?” 

juyeon looks away, the grin widening in his eyes and halving them into the crescents that should belong in the sky along with the stars.

“i’m going to try, and i’m going to hope you’ll let me.”

his confession feels like a little puppy jumping out of a box that was under the christmas tree. 

“when did you learn to talk like that?” a tease runs off your tongue and you wrap your arm around his lower torso. 

“when i realised i can’t lose you again,” juyeon looks back down at you and blinks, the movement seeming like it lasts forever. 

you purse your lips in an effort to hide your smile, but juyeon tells right away and finds your chin, tilting it upwards to lay a gentle act of affection on your lips.

he pulls away, and for awhile, it’s like there is nobody else in the world besides the two of you. 

your head is tilted again, ready to lean forward for another moment of undying love when a honk blares the both of you out of your romance. 

both your head snaps around and you look at kevin in a cab. 

“very sweet, but sorry to burst your bubble-- you have fifteen minutes to get to work, else our boss will have your head.”

you turn to juyeon automatically, and he leaves a peck on your forehead, releasing you and nudging you to the cab.

“go,” he nods. “i don’t want you to be late. i’ll drop by your office after your work and we’ll go get dinner.”

agreement finds your nerves in the form of a nod too, and you hurry to the cab once you realise the driver looked like he was having a shit-ass day. 

juyeon waves you off as the cab drives off, and you revel in the cliche, romance movie playing over and over and over and over--

“wow, he really got you good, huh?” kevin snorts, and you turn to see him leaning forwards, trying to read your obviously zoned out expression.

“tsk,” you whack him with your handbag. “let me live a little.”

kevin laughs as you place the handbag back into your lap, hands pressing into the leather. 

the pressure on the bag evokes a strange plastic crinkling, and your hand slides in to investigate the source of the noise.

kevin is looking out the window when you pull out the familiar looking items, items that coaxed you out of your shell and into juyeon’s arms so long ago.

your eyes travel upwards from the sweets in your hand and out onto the streets as the buildings whir past, soft smile and decided vulnerability never once leaving your heart. 

and you’re pretty sure it’s never going to slip through your fingers again. 

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

[berrynarrybanana]

Deck the Halls pt. 2

A/N: Okay! Here is part two! I’m sorry I’m a little later than the evening, but I forgot that I had work tonight....anyways...here is part two. Harry is being a little cheesy and romantic in this one, and I love that about him because even though he’s a scrooge, he’s still baby for Holland. I hope that you all are enjoying this so far, and expect part three at any random point in the day tomorrow lol. Love you all! 

Warnings: Mentions of death, violence, smut, fluff....other things i can’t remember at this moment? 

Word Count: 9.7k

Holland’s POV 

Holland stood there, staring at the dark blue paint on Harry’s door with wide eyes. 

“He really has lost his true Christmas spirit, hasn’t he?” She whispered, shaking her head as her heart sank just a little in her chest. “Sugar sticks, this is going to be harder than I thought.”

She turned towards her own door, walking back inside of her flat with a sigh. 

London had been her home for about ten hours now, and she was more than ecstatic to finally have her own place. It wasn’t the size of her home back in the North Pole, and it wasn’t nearly as grand, but it was hers and she loved it. Her Father showed her around London for most of the day, helping her settle in before he finally bid her farewell, and since he’d left her alone, she had been sitting on the couch in her flat, binge watching movies that she’d never seen before. 

During a sappy movie about falling in love at Christmas, Holland felt a strong pull in the center of her chest. Her heart started beating rapidly, and her palms were sweaty. At some point, she slipped off of the couch before she started pacing in front of her door. Everything in her brain screamed at her to open the door, to poke her head out and see what could be in the hall.

So she did. 

And there Harry was, walking down the hallway like he stepped right out of her dream. 

Now that she had finally met him, she was worried that fixing his spirit would be a challenge that she couldn’t handle. She walked back into her flat with a dark cloud over her head, and a sad feeling in her chest. In her mind, their first meeting was magical and grand. She didn’t expect for it to be over in under ten minutes, and she definitely didn’t expect to faint when she first saw him. It made her cringe just thinking about it, her body hitting the ground after they met eyes. 

She was in London to find him, for gingerbread sake. 

She knew that she would obviously run into him at some point. 

As she curled back under her blanket on her new couch, a Christmas film still playing on the television, she started to think about what happened to Harry’s true Christmas spirit. After reading the book that Morpheus gave her, she came up with a few odd theories on what might have caused his spirit to dim, but she didn’t have any solid proof. 

All she really knew about the situation was that Jack Frost wanted to destroy Christmas, and he wanted to absorb the powerful magic that only two souls forged from the same star could grant him. It just so happened that Harry and Holly were both souls forged from the same star, and souls that contained true Christmas spirit. It was a double whammy that could give Jack Frost the power to destroy any other magical being, including Santa Claus himself. 

She tried not to dwell on the negative parts of her journey to London, but the positive ones instead. Her soulmate was just across the hall from her, and though it would clearly take some time to warm him up to the idea of soulmates, he was still there. They were both safe when they were together, according to Erotes. His presence would cloak hers, protecting her from any outside forces, and her presence would bring light and joy into his heart. 

It was all very exciting, having a soulmate that could protect her and love her (even if he wasn’t there quite yet.) and she was excited to learn everything she could about him. Morpheus and Erotes had a theory that the nightmares might cease with the souls being near each other, and Holland kept that in the front of her mind as she started to doze off on her couch.

But she still had a nightmare. 

She had one worse than the last few that she’d had, actually.  

This time, there was no mercy at the hands of Jack Frost. 

This time, he knew that she was watching and taking notes. He made sure to pull her out of the ice by her hair, holding her up as she gasped out. He looked her in the eye, the chill that he sent through her body much colder than the water he held her under. Jack Frost looked her dead in the eyes before he looked back at Harry with a smirk. His lips pressed into hers next, kissing her with cold and slimy lips before he dunked her head back under the water. This time, she heard Harry screaming from the shore, his voice laced with agony as he called her name out. 

Holland woke up to the sound of banging on her door, her name being called out. 

She let out a shriek, her body falling off the couch in shock. 

She recognized Harry’s voice, scrambling to her feet as quick as she could before she opened the door. He stood there, his chest heaving and his eyes dark as he looked at her with tear stained cheeks. Her heart shattered in her chest, her body relaxing when she realized he was safe and that he was standing right there in front of her. He let out a sigh, reaching up to brush his sleeve under his nose. She crossed her arms over her chest, anxiously shifting on her feet as he stared into her eyes for a few minutes in silence.

“You’re alright?” He asked her, licking over his bottom lip as she nodded. “Fuck me.”

“Excuse me?” She asked, her eyes growing wide. “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh, no.” Harry said quickly, his hands flying up in defense. “I didn’t mean it like that, Holland. I swear, it’s just an expression.”

She cleared her throat, pressing her lips together as she nodded slowly. 

“Well, since you’re alright, I’m gonna go back to bed.” Harry said softly, gulping as he brushed his palms over the outside of his thighs. “Just do me a favor, and don’t go near any lakes.”

“Noted.” She whispered. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” he whispered, pulling her door shut. 

“What in the candy canes is wrong with that boy?” She muttered falling back onto her couch with a heavy groan. “My soulmate is insane.” 

                                          ❄️❄️❄️❄️

November 11 Holland’s POV

Holland didn’t see Harry for four days after their initial meeting.

She expected him to come banging on her door when the nightmares happened again, but she didn’t hear a peep out of him. She had to admit that they were pretty standard nightmares compared to the ones they had been sharing the last few nights. They were just run of the mill, ‘oops, Jack Frost got me again’ nightmares that she’d been having almost her entire life. 

During the time that they spent apart, the night that they met continued to replay in her head. She couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d run across the hall in his pajamas just to bang on her door in the middle of the night to check on her. He looked so heartbroken, and distraught, that it almost broke her heart to see him that way. She realized then that she could feel his emotions just as strong as she felt her own. Their souls were one and the same, and they were both hurting. It made Holland want to wrap herself around him, but that was hard to do when he was never around. 

She also could tell when he was home due to the warm feeling that flowed through her veins and the pull in her chest. That feeling was the reason that she knew he was never home, and she wondered if he was avoiding her because of it. So instead of sitting around and pining after him, she decided to hit the streets and explore the new city that she’d always dreamed of seeing as a little girl. There was on use in wasting her time here, waiting for Harry to come around. 

He would come to her in his own time.

On her second day in London, she decided to bundle herself up before taking herself on a walk around the small village area that she lived in. It was filled with cobblestones and tiny shops preparing for the biggest (and best) holiday of the year. Everyone was slowly putting up decorations in their windows, covering the glass outside with fake frost. Holland absolutely adored it, even if it wasn’t the same as The North Pole. She loved the enthusiasm and the electric feeling in the air that only Christmas could inspire. 

On the fourth day, she ventured just a little farther than her tiny village to the busier streets of London. She was lost in her head, watching the people rush by as they talked to themselves. It made her a little nervous when she saw cotton stuffed in their ears, and she wondered if maybe it was a cultural thing that she knew nothing of. She made a mental note to ask Harry about it the next time that she saw him. 

“Grab a cup of Christmas cheer!” Holland turned her head at the sound of ringing bells that sounded like they belonged on Santa’s sleigh, and the word Christmas. “Come to Java Java for our signature holiday Peppermint Mocha!” 

“Peppermint.” Holland’s lips spread into a smile as she turned around, moving in the crowd of people towards the shop. “I love peppermint.”

She was starting to understand why people talked to themselves, but it still seemed weird. 

Holland walked towards the shop, smiling at the elf standing outside with a sign in her hand. 

“Hello, kind elf.” Holland waved at her, causing the girl to give her a funny look. “What is a peppermint mocha, and how do I get one?”

“It’s coffee, and you just go inside-” The girl said, her brows raising. “-and pay for one.”

“Oh, that’s easy!” Holland exclaimed. “Thank you for your help! Merry Christmas.”

She reached for the door, pulling at the handle, but it didn’t budge. 

“You push it.” The girl said, her voice trailing off. “The door is a push, not a pull lady.”

Holland’s cheeks grew warm as she pushed the door open, smiling over her shoulder at the girl. 

When she walked into the cafe, she felt like she was back in the North Pole.

Java Java was adorable and Holland was ecstatic to see their decorations. There was tinsel draped over almost every surface, and little reindeer figurines on the counter tops. As she stood in line, she noticed a little girl looking up at her with wide eyes, a little doll in her hands that caught Holland’s attention. The doll looked a bit like her, with white blonde hair and a pretty blue dress. 

Holland was almost confused by it.

“Hello there,” Holland crouched down, pointing at the doll. “What’s her name?”

“Elsa.” The little girl whispered, looking at the doll and then back at Holland. “Are you Elsa?”

“I’m sorry.” Holland glanced up at the sound of someone’s voice. “She’s absolutely obsessed with Frozen and...you do kind of look like Elsa.”

“That’s what I thought when I saw her doll.” Holly smiled at the girl's mother before looking back at the girl. “What does Elsa do?”

“She’s a princess.” The little girl spoke with a lisp due to her missing front teeth. “She can shoot ice from her hands.”

“That’s so cool!” Holland gasped in excitement. “And her dress is so pretty.”

“I want one just like it when I grow up.” The little girl smiled. “I want to be a princess.”

“Well, everyone can be a princess.” Holland said. “I’m a princess.”

“You are?” The girl’s eyes grew wide before she snapped her head up to look at her Mum. “Did you hear that Mummy? She’s a princess.”

“I heard, Maddy.” The mother chuckled, glancing at Holland. “Isn’t that amazing?”

“Can you make me a princess?” Maddy bounced on the balls of her feet. “I want to be a princess just like you and Elsa!”

“Oh, I’m afraid that I can’t make you a princess.” Holly said softly “Being a princess comes from within, Maddy.”

“Like from your tummy?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. 

“Like from your heart.” Holland giggled. “Do you have a kind heart?”

“I think so.” Maddy nodded. “I like to read to the ducks in the park, does that make me kind?”

“I think it might.” Holland nodded. “Being a princess also means that you must be brave, are you brave?”

“I fell off of my bike last week, and I didn’t even cry!” Maddy exclaimed turning back to her mother with a smile.

“That is quite brave.” Holland hummed, tapping her finger against her chin as if she was deep in thought. “Well, I guess that makes you a princess, Maddy.”

“Mummy, I’m a princess!” Maddy cheered out. “Just like Elsa!”

Holland stood up, looking at the Mother as she smiled at her daughter.

“That was really kind of you.” The lady said. “She probably won’t stop talking about it for the rest of her life.”

“I’m glad it made her day just a little brighter.” Holland chuckled, stuffing her hands in her pocket. “She’s a very lovely little girl. You’re doing a wonderful job with her.”

The woman’s face softened, her eyes filling with tears. 

“Thank you.” She said. “I don’t mean to cry, it’s just that...things have been hard since her father passed away.”

“Oh my.” Holland said. “I’m so sorry.”

“She truly is a brave little girl.” The mother wiped under her eyes, sniffling. “She’s been keeping me afloat during this entire thing, and I just...you making her smile has been the best thing that’s happened to us all year.”

Holland’s heart squeezed in her chest, and before she knew it, she was wrapping the woman in a hug. 

“Everything will work out just fine.” Holland whispered. “You’re going to be alright.”

“Thank you.” She hugged Holland back. 

Holland continued talking to Maddy and her mother while they stood in line, and after a little bit of back and forth, she even paid for their drinks and a special treat. She waved them both off when they left the shop, playfully curtsying in honor of Princess Maddy. When Holland went to order her own drink, the girl behind the counter stared back at her with wide eyes. 

“You really do look like Elsa.” She said. “Are you into cosplay?”

“I don’t know what that is.” Holland laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “And I don’t really know who Elsa is.”

“She’s a cartoon character in a movie.” The girl explained with a chuckle. “It’s called Frozen.”

“I should watch that.” Holland made a mental note. “What’s your name?”

“Oh, it’s Sarah.” The girl pointed to her name tag. “I forgot to ask what you would like, I’m sorry.”

“That’s quite alright!” Holland said. “I would like four of your peppermint mocha drinks and as many of your sugar cookies as I can buy.”

“Oh, okay.” Sarah typed at the screen, nodding her head. “Are you going to drink all of those by yourself?”

“No, I thought that I would pass them out to strangers to brighten their day.” Holland said, pulling the card that her father gifted her from her pocket before handing it over to a chuckling Sarah.

“That’s funny.” Sarah said, handing the card back. 

“Why?” Holland’s brows pulled together. 

“Oh, you were serious.” Sarah said, her face turning to shock. “It’s not a bad thing, I just thought you were being sarcastic.”

“I don’t know what that means.” Holland said softly, her cheeks growing warm. 

It was starting to become a pain, not knowing things. 

“It just means that you’re trying to be silly by saying something that you don’t really mean, but like you mean it….if that makes any sense?” Sarah said. 

“Oh that makes perfect sense.” Holland said it as if she meant it, but she didn’t. 

“Really?” Sarah asked. 

“No, I was actually trying out the sarcastic thing.” Holland giggled. “Did it work?” 

“It did.” Sarah tossed her head back with a loud chuckle. “You’re really funny, um-”

“It’s Holly.” She said. 

“Holly.” Sarah nodded. “I think you’re great.”

“Thanks, I think you’re pretty cool too!” Holland smiled. “I’m sure I’ll see you again if I like this peppermint mocha thing. I really love sugar and sweets.” 

“We’ve got plenty here.” Sarah said. “Have a great day, Holly.” 

“You too, Sarah!” 

When Holland had a tray full of coffee in one hand and a bag full of sugar cookies in the other, she set off in search of something. There was a warm pull in her chest, one that told her Harry was close by. She followed her instinct, turning down several alleyways and small side streets until she found herself standing in front of a black door with chipped paint. 

There was an equally worn sign hanging above the door that read Paradise Records. She did her best to open the door with a full tray of coffee, still upset that no one wanted to take any of the drinks she offered them. Everytime she stopped a stranger, they turned their nose up in disgust before walking off with a sour look on their faces. 

Holland, however, had downed her entire drink. 

She was honestly considering taking another one for herself, if no one else would drink it. It was sweet, and filled with notes of chocolate and peppermint. It was like heaven in a tiny paper cup, and she made a mental note to insist that her father make them a staple at his bakery when she finally made it back home to the North Pole. As Holland walked into the shop, she caught sight of a boy with dirty blonde hair writing something down in a journal. There was another boy with long, dark brown hair sitting on a stool behind the counter with a guitar. 

What she didn’t expect to see as she walked up to the counter, was Harry. 

He walked through a beaded curtain, his eyes trained on a sheet of paper and his brows furrowed. 

“Harry!” Holland chirped out, sitting the tray of drinks and cookies down on the counter. “Oh my garland!”

All three boys turned their attention towards Holland, but she was only looking at Harry. 

“What-” Harry muttered. “How?”

“I don’t know, I just...I was walking and here I am!” She smiled, clapping her mitten covered hands together. “I went to this bakery because I heard someone talking about peppermint mocha, and I love peppermint. So I got one for me, and then I got more for other people, but everyone just looked at me funny when I tried to hand them out. And I met this little girl and I helped her become a princess, and then I learned that I look like Elsa-”

“Holland!” Harry said her name, causing her to take a deep breath. “Breathe.”

“Holland, baby, breathe!” 

The memory of Harry calling her baby while he tried to bring her back to life sent a shock wave of ice water over her body. She stared back at him, her breathing a little heavier as his brows furrowed. He almost seemed worried, as if Holland was going to talk the air out of her lungs. 

“I thought I was bad with coffee.” The boy with short brown hair snorted out a laugh, reaching for a cup. “I’ll drink your peppermint mocha, love.”

“Yeah, go ahead.” Holland said, her eyes still locked on Harry. “Um, I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize.” He cleared his throat, dropping his paper to the counter. “Have you never had coffee?”

“No.” She said. “What is it?”

“Magical little beans that give a lot of energy.” The boy said, taking a sip from the paper cup with a hum. “This is so good. Where did you get this?”

“Java Java.” Holland turned towards the boy with a small smile. “There was a really lovely lady named Sarah there that made them for me.”

“Mitch!” The boy smiled, looking over at the boy with long hair as he stopped playing guitar. “Did you hear that? Sarah made these.” 

“Shut up, Niall.” Mitch grumbled. 

“Do you know Sarah?” Holland turned towards Mitch as her smile grew. “I love Sarah, she’s such a wonderful person.”

“She’s cool.” He nodded, offering Holland a small smile. 

“Mitchell has a crush on Sarah.” Niall snickered, glancing at Mitch.

“Oh!” Holland chirped, looking between both boys. “Having a crush is a lot of fun, isn’t it! I have one on Harry.”

“Okay!” Harry interrupted, dropping the papers to the countertop. “I’m getting my coat and walking you home, I think you’ve had enough excitement for the day.”

“Harry’s got a girlfriend.” Niall sang out, but his voice was cut off as Harry landed a smack to the back of his head. 

Holland pressed her mitten covered hands to her lips, watching with wide eyes. 

“That’s for sleeping with my sister.” Harry said. “And for teasing.”

“Oh, c’mon.” Niall groaned out, looking over at Mitch as he smirked. 

“He said you would get it when you least expected it.” Mitch shrugged, going back to playing his guitar. “You deserved that one.”

“Is having a crush on Harry a bad thing?” Holland asked. “Why did he hit Niall?”

“Because Niall is dating Harry’s sister.” Mitch said. “And Niall and Harry are best friends.”

“My brother is dating my best friend.” Holland said. “Pippa and Nick are very happy together! That’s not a bad thing, is it?”

“No, it’s not, but Niall is an arse.” Harry’s voice made Holland’s heart rate pick up. “Let’s go.”

“It was lovely to meet you!” Holland waved at Mitch and Niall. “I’ll see you again soon!”

“Oh, definitely.” Niall chuckled. “Goodbye!”

                                          ❄️❄️❄️❄️

Harry’s POV

Harry guided Holland out of the shop with his hand hovering over her lower back. 

He made a mental note to never give her coffee ever again. He had never seen anyone talk so fast before in his life, and he knew Niall, for fuck’s sake. When they made it into the cold, London air, Holland curled in on herself. Harry felt a jolt of panic rush through his bones, reminders of her cold body lying on ice flashing before his eyes. He couldn’t explain the itch he got in his arms, but the urge to hold her close was almost unbearable. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side.

“Is this alright?” He asked her, his cheeks burning up as she smiled at him. “You look cold so I thought-”

“Yeah, it’s nice.” She said. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you in front of your friends, Harry.” 

“You didn’t.” He said quickly. “But they don’t know about you, or my dreams.”

He felt horrible for keeping things from them, but he couldn’t tell them about her. 

They would think he was certifiable, especially now that she was real.

“I didn’t tell my friends, either.” Holland said softly. “I thought they would be afraid of me if I told them.”

Harry’s eyes snapped towards hers, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. 

“I don’t think anyone could be afraid of you, Holland.” He chuckled, tightening his arm around her waist as a crowd of people rushed by them. “You’re like Bambi.”

“Okay, first I was Elsa, and now I’m Bambi!” She tossed her hands in the air, causing Harry to laugh at the adorable expression on her face. “I don’t know what any of that means...well, I know now that Elsa is a princess who has ice in her hands.”

“Something like that.” Harry laughed softly. “And Bambi is a baby deer who has a lot of trouble walking.”

“I walk perfectly fine.” Holland frowned at Harry, her lips pouting out in a way that made him want to fall to his knees. “Well, except for when I skip to my death on a frozen lake.”

“That was too soon.” Harry shook his head, his fingers grasping at her coat protectively as his expression shifted. “That’s not funny, Holland.” 

“Gumdrop, you need to smile more.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I’m starting to think that might be the reason you lost your Christmas spirit.”

Harry stopped in his tracks, his blood running colder than the wind whipping around them. 

His arm slipped from around her waist slowly. 

“What did you say?” He watched Holland turn to stand in front of him, her eyes wide and her lips pressed together.

“Your Christmas spirit? It’s kind of in danger.” She said softly, glancing down at her feet. “And it’s my job to fix it.” 

Christmas spirit. 

There were thousands of questions running through his mind. 

But shamefully, his first reaction was harsh defense to get her to back off. 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He let out a bitter laugh, brushing his fingers through his hair, fluffing up the curly strands. “You can’t fix me, I’m not bloody broken just because I don’t like Christmas.”

“I’m not trying to fix you, Harry.” She said. “Your soul is just a little lost and I’m just here to help restore it.”

“That’s basically the same thing as fixing me.” He snapped, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “If that’s what you’re really here for, you can go back to wherever you came from, because you can’t make it better.”

“I can try.” She said. “I don’t know what happened, and I don’t expect you to tell me, but I can try to make things better.”

“I don’t need your pity.” He snarled. “I don’t need anyone.”

“Well, I need you.” She said quickly, her hands reaching out for him. “I need you in my life, Harry.”

“I can’t save you.” He shook his head. “I’ve been trying to save you for sixteen years, Holland, and I can’t do it.”

“That’s just a nightmare.” She said. “When it happens in real life, you’ll save me because you have to.”

“I can’t.” He whispered as she moved closer to him. “I can’t just watch you die, Holland.”

“You won’t.” She tentatively slipped her arms around his abdomen, the familiar scent catching Harry’s attention as she rested her cheek against his chest. “We’re going to figure this out, I promise.”

Harry melted in her arms, sliding his own around her body as he pressed his nose into the soft material of her bright red coat. He inhaled sharply, the scent of berries and clove soothing his senses. He couldn't be upset with her, no matter how hard he tried. So he gave in as her fingers toyed with the ends of his long curls, and her breath warming up his neck. 

He needed her too. 

And he couldn’t explain it, but his heart ached for her. 

“How?” He whispered against her shoulder before lifting his head up to look down at her. “How can we figure this out?”

“I’m working on it.” She gave him a smile that was meant to be reassuring, but he could see through her facade. “I’m doing everything I can to fix this, Harry, but I need you to let me in just a little. I can’t do this without you.”

He swallowed around the lump in his throat, nodding.

“That’s going to be hard.” He said. “I don’t let anyone in.”

“Well, I promise to treat your soul and your heart kindly.” She said. “Seeing you down makes me feel down, Harry. I would never hurt you, ever.”

“I’ve already hurt you, haven’t I?” He said softly, lifting a hand to brush a few strands of hair from her face. “I’ve hurt your feelings.”

“You just…” She licked over her bottom lip, and Harry bit back a groan at the sight of her candy pink tongue. “You can be a bit...well, like Scrooge sometimes.”

“Ow.” Harry said, a smile pulling at his lips as Holland tried to hold back her own. “That hurt my feelings.”

Her face fell, and Harry’s eyes grew wide. 

“No, Holland, I didn’t mean that seriously.” He said. “I was just-”

“Being sarcastic.” She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “Sarah taught me about that today.”

“Did she?” Harry chuckled. “Sarah is really lovely.”

“She is.” Holland nodded, her eyes glancing up towards the sky as she thought aloud. “And I think she’s gonna marry Mitch.”

Harry’s eyes grew wide, his arms tightening around Holland’s waist in shock. 

“Excuse me?” Harry asked, his heart beating faster. “What?”

“I don’t know, after I saw Mitch, I just kept picturing Sarah in this lovely white dress with flowers in her hair.” Holly looked back at Harry. “What?”

“Are you a psychic or something?” He asked softly. “Like, can you see the future? Is that why we keep having those dreams? And why is it me that’s meant to save you? Why did you chose me, I don’t-”

“Harry.” Holland lifted her hand, brushing her fingers over his cheek. “Breathe, gumdrop.”

Breathe. 

He inhaled sharply before letting out a long exhale. 

“I have a lot of questions.” He shook his head, biting at the inside of his cheek. “Do you...would you like to talk about it with me over dinner?”

Holland raised her brows, pressing her lips together as Harry tried not to squirm. 

“Are you asking me out on a date, gumdrop?” She sang softly, swaying on her feet as Harry dropped his head back, groaning.

“If I was, would you say yes?” He glanced at her, tilting his head forward slightly. 

“Yes.” She said. “I said I have a crush on you, what makes you think that I would say no?”

Harry tried to fight off the smile creeping up on his lips.

“You’re really cute.” He said softly. “And I hate that you make me feel like a fucking kid, but I also really like it. I haven’t been this...reckless in a really long time.”

“Well, I’m yours for-” Holland snapped her mouth shut, shaking her head. “We’ll save that for dinner, yeah?” 

“Whatever you say.” He chuckled, brushing his palms over her back. “Let’s get you home, okay? It’s cold out here and I don’t want you freezing to death.” 

Harry blinked rapidly after he spoke, the weight of his words sinking in as Holland let out a loud laugh. She tilted her head back, slapping her mitten covered palm over her mouth as Harry inhaled through his nose, his lips smashing together as he nodded. 

“Let’s just forget that I said that.” Harry cleared his throat awkwardly as Holland laughed loudly. “C’mon, Bambi.”

                                                 ❄️❄️❄️❄️

Holland’s POV

Holland spent three hours looking for something to wear to dinner with Harry. 

They weren’t actually going anywhere, but she still wanted to look nice for him. 

Before Harry left Holland on her doorstep, they made a plan to get pizza (because Harry learned that Holland had never had pizza before) and talk. They didn’t put any pressure on the evening by going into detail on what they would talk about, but she could tell that Harry was having an internal battle as he said goodbye to her. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek before he took off down the hallway of their complex, his head ducked down and his hands in his pockets. Holland smiled the entire time she watched him walk away, her heart fluttering. 

She spent most of her afternoon dancing around and singing to herself. It was the first time in her life that she would be just a normal girl, not Santa’s daughter or a Christmas Princess. She would just be Holland, a girl living in London, eating pizza with her soulmate. She couldn’t wait to learn more about Harry and his life, and her mind was reeling with questions to ask him. 

Holland decided to wear a blush colored sweater with little pearls stitched into the fabric, and a pair of light wash jeans. She put on some fuzzy socks so that her toes wouldn’t get cold, and she tossed her hair up so that it would stay out of the way while she was eating pizza. She wasn’t sure what eating pizza entailed, or what it was, but she didn’t want her hair getting in the way. When her hair was up, she tried out the new lip product that a lady sold to her a few days ago when she was in Harrods. She let out a soft ooh when she swiped it over her lips, smiling. 

When she was done with the lipstick, a series of knocks pulled her attention from the mirror in her bathroom. Harry was home, and she could feel it in her chest. 

When she opened the door, Harry stood there with his hands in his coat pockets, and a sympathetic smile on his lips. Holland raised her brows when she saw Niall and Mitch behind Harry, both standing there with smug smirks on their own lips. 

“So, I know that we were supposed to have pizza tonight.” Harry cleared his throat. “But I forgot that it was Wednesday, and that I had plans with these two idiots tonight.”

“Hey, I am not an idiot.” Mitch pushed Harry’s shoulder with a scowl. “Niall might be, but I’m not.”

“Hey!” Niall glared at Mitch. “That was rude.”

Holland tried not to laugh, rolling her lips in as Harry closed his eyes and let out a sigh. 

She could sense his frustration by more than the look on his face. 

“It’s okay, Harry.” Holland smiled at him, shrugging her shoulders. “We can do pizza tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, we can.” He opened his eyes, nodding. “But I also wanted to ask if you would like to join us? My sister will be there, and so will Sarah.”

“Sarah!” Holland smiled wider. “Let me get my shoes!” 

“You might have some competition, mate.” Niall chuckled, but he quickly stopped when Harry shot a glare over his shoulder to Niall. “I’m starting to think she has a crush on Sarah too.”

“Oh, Sarah is very pretty, but I only like Harry.” Holland moved aside, opening her arms out as Harry smirked back at her. “Come on in while I get my shoes on.”

When all three boys entered her apartment, they stopped in their tracks. 

“It’s a winter wonderland in here.” Niall cheered out as he rushed towards the small table by her sliding glass door that led to the balcony. “Look at this little Christmas village.”

“Oh my god.” Harry whispered, his eyes growing wide as he took it all in. “Fuck me.”

Mitch slapped a hand down on Harry’s shoulder. 

“You okay?” He asked softly. “I know Christmas isn’t your favorite-”

“I’m fine.” Harry said, turning back to Mitch. “I don’t know why, but...it doesn’t bother me.”

“It’s because you’re in love.” Mitch squeezed his shoulder. “Welcome to ‘Pining over girls that are way too good for miserable sods like us anonymous’. We have complimentary tequila and tissues at the door.” 

Holland tried not to hug Harry after she heard him say that her decorations weren’t a bother. 

Instead, she walked back to her bedroom in search of shoes and a coat. 

She pulled a long, tan coat from her closet before she dropped it on her bed. As she bent over, looking for shoes in the bottom of her closet, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. 

“Knock, knock.” 

Holland lifted her head up, turning around to see Harry leaning against her doorway with his arms crossed and a smile on his lips. 

“Hi.” She had one boot in her hand, her hair a little mussed up from the clothes that brushed over it. “Hi.”

“You said that already.” Harry chuckled, pushing himself off of the doorway before walking towards her. “You okay?” 

“Just a little…” She paused, trying to find the word. “You’re pretty, and it’s distracting sometimes, that’s all.”

Harry stopped in his tracks, his cheeks turning pink as Holland smiled. 

“You just say whatever pops into your pretty little head, don’t you?” He mumbled, watching her with curious eyes as she nodded. 

“Why wouldn’t I?” She asked. “Keeping things to yourself is no fun, and I really enjoy when your face looks like a surprised frog.”

“Excuse me?” He parted his lips, staring back at her as she laughed. “You know, I was coming back here to apologize for the whole pizza thing, but I’m not doing that now.”

“There’s no need to apologize.” She rolled her eyes, pressing a palm against her wall as she tried to wriggle her foot into a boot. “It’s been a really weird week for both of us, and I can’t blame you for being a little forgetful.”

“I was really looking forward to us finally talking about this whole thing.” He cleared his throat, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets as Holland reached for another shoe. “I just want to figure out how to keep that man from hurting you, Holland. I think if he did hurt you, it might kill me, and I don’t understand why I feel that way about you when I hardly know you.”

She couldn’t tell him that it would kill him if she died, not yet at least.  

“Let’s not think about it tonight.” She grunted, sliding her left foot into her boot before she zipped it up. “Let’s just have fun! Show me what it’s like having fun in London.”

“Do you really want that?” Harry asked. “You want the proper London welcome?”

“The whole shebang.” Holland nodded, sliding her coat onto her arms before she stopped in front of him with a bright smile. “I want you to show me what you do for fun, gumdrop.” 

“Alright.” Harry smiled back at her, brushing his thumb softly over her chin before bumping his forefinger under it as she giggled. “Let’s get this show on the road, Bambi.”

**

Harry’s POV

“Here you are.” Niall placed a glass of red wine in front of Holland before handing Harry the beer that Holland insisted he get. “And for you, H.”

It was a gingerbread stout, the liquid dark as it sloshed in the glass. 

Harry only ordered it because Holland wanted to know what it tasted like. She claimed that he smelled like gingerbread and she wanted to have a sip of the stout to see if it would remind her of him. He knew that he probably wouldn’t drink it anyways, even if Holland didn’t want it. He was more concerned about his sister meeting Holland, and getting Holland back home safely. 

He lifted his glass to his lips, taking a small sip as Holland watched him like a hawk. It definitely tasted like gingerbread, and it almost made Harry tense up in his seat at the memories it brought back to his mind. But Holland pressed her hand to Harry’s arm, and it calmed him down almost immediately. Her curious eyes distracted him as he put the glass down. 

“Does it taste like cookies?” She asked him, batting her lashes as she leaned down to sniff at it, causing her nose to scrunch up. “It doesn’t smell like cookies.”

“Have a sip.” Harry handed her the glass, watching her eyeball it as if it were going to jump out and bite her. “You’ll like it, I promise.”

“Alright.” She whispered, pressing the glass to her lips before she sipped. 

When she pulled it away, she narrowed her eyes in a comical manner before lifting it to her lips again for another sip. 

“I do like it.” She said. 

“Do you want that one instead of yours?” Harry asked. “I don’t mind switching.” 

“I haven’t tasted mine yet.” Holland set the stout down on the table, reaching for the glass of red wine that she picked for its name. Holland Oaks Mulled Christmas Wine. “I wonder if it tastes like berries.”

I wonder if your lips taste like berries. 

Harry shook the thought from his head, watching Holland take a sip of the red liquid before she pulled it away with a sour look on her face. He tried not to laugh as she reached for the stout, taking a large sip to drown out the taste of the wine on her tongue. Harry covered his mouth with his fingers, holding in a laugh as Holland shook her head, a small shiver causing her shoulders to roll. 

“I don’t like that one.” She muttered, shaking her head. “They should take my name off of it.” 

“Hmmm, I’ll see what I can do about that, love.” Harry took the wine glass, taking a sip as Holland moved the stout in front of her. He took a swig, shrugging his shoulders before he sat the glass down. “I think it’s nice. It kind of reminds me of your perfume.”

“Oh, I don’t wear perfume.” Holland said. “It’s my aura.” 

“What?” Harry blinked back at Holland as she nodded. “Your aura?”

“Yeah, it’s berry and cloves.” She smiled. “I think I like this one because it’s your aura. You always smell like warm gingerbread and spice.” 

Harry held his breath, tilting his head as he tried to find the words to say. 

“We’ll save that for the pizza talk.” Holland patted his shoulder gently. “I’ll explain it later.”

“Please.” He nodded, reaching for his wine to take another sip.

He put it down immediately, remembering her words. 

Berry and cloves. 

“Slap me on the ass and call me Sally, is my brother drinking wine?” Harry groaned when he felt Gemma ruffle his hair. “Hiya, doll.”

“You’re an asshole.” Harry grumbled, swatting her hand away. “Hi.”

“Sarah!” Holland exclaimed, causing Harry to turn his head towards her as she straightened out her spine. 

“Holly.” Sarah looked just as surprised and excited to see Holland. “I didn’t know you knew Mitch and everyone.” 

Mitch and everyone. 

Harry tried not to smirk at that, but he made sure to nudge Mitch’s calf under the table. 

“Yeah, Harry is my neighbor.” Holland smiled back at Harry before accepting Sarah’s hug. “I loved that peppermint mocha drink you made me today, but Harry says I shouldn't have anymore.”

“Oh, did he?” Gemma took her coat off, draping it over her chair before she sat down next to Niall with raised brows. “Why is that, Harry?”

“She’s worse than Niall.” Harry defended, pointing towards the Irish lad. “Nearly talked until she passed out earlier, it was crazy.”

Gemma rolled her eyes, leaning over to kiss Niall. 

“I don’t want to see that.” Harry slapped his hands over his eyes in a childlike manner causing Holland to giggle. “That’s gross.” 

When he peeked between his fingers, Gemma looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“What?” He lowered his hands, looking behind him. “What are you looking at?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head, clearing her throat before she turned her attention towards Holland. “So, I’m Gemma.”

“That’s such a beautiful name.” Holland said. “It’s very nice to meet you, Gemma. My name is Holland, but you can just call me Holly.” 

“It’s a pleasure meeting you, too, Holly.” Gemma gave her a soft smile before lifting her menu up. “So, what are we eating today, lads.” 

Harry watched Holland look down at the menu in front of her, her brows furrowing as she read over the items listed. He leaned closer, sliding his arm over the back of her chair to look with her. He felt her lean in closer, settling into his side ever so slightly as she hummed. 

“What do you like to eat?” He asked her, brushing his fingers over her bicep. “Do you have a special diet or anything?” 

“No.” She shook her head, glancing at him before looking back at the menu. “I really only like to eat sugar.”

“With the energy you have,I’m not shocked by that.” He chuckled. “Do you want me to help you find something?”

“I’m sure she can order her own food, Harry.” Gemma piped up. “Give her some breathing room, why don’t you?” 

“Oh, I have plenty of breathing room!” Holland was so naive and innocent at times that it made Harry just want to wrap her in a blanket and hide her away. “And Harry smells nice, so I don’t mind.” 

He felt his cheeks grow hot at her words, his fingers pressing into her bicep as he glared at Gemma. She sat with a smirk on her lips, glancing back at her menu as Niall cackled. 

“So-” Harry cleared his throat. “Chips are a must.” 

“Okay, so let’s get some.” She said. “What are they?” 

“Fried potatoes.” He said. “We’ll dip ‘em in ketchup.”

“And malt vinegar.” Gemma said. 

“No malt vinegar, it’s gross.” Harry scrunched up his nose as Holland looked over at Gemma. 

“It’s the proper way to eat chips, Harry.” Gemma sang under her breath. 

“Then let’s try it with that.” Holland had a soft pout on her lips, the pink lipstick she smeared over her beautiful berry lips almost gone. He couldn’t wait for it to disappear so that he could see the natural red shade that sent his heart soaring. “I want to do it right.”

“Malt vinegar on the side, then.” He said. “Do you like fish?”

“I’ve never eaten a fish.” She said. “Is it good?”

“Yeah, it’s good.” He assured her. “Maybe we’ll do fish and chips?”

“You don’t have to order the same dish as me, Harry.” Holland said. “You can order whatever you want, I’ll be fine.” 

“Well, there’s also cottage pie-” Harry started, but Holland’s soft gasp cut him off. “What?” 

“I can have pie for dinner?” Her eyes grew wide, causing Harry to chuckle. “I want that.”

“Well, it’s not like regular pie.” He said. “It’s got meat and-” 

“But it’s pie.” She smiled. “For dinner.” 

“Okay, pie for dinner it is.” He said. “I’ll order the fish and chips just in case.“

                                               ❄️❄️❄️❄️

Holland ended up eating Harry’s fish and chips. 

He wanted the cottage pie anyways, so it worked out. 

When she took her first bite of the pie, she looked utterly disgusted and betrayed. He tried to warn her that it wasn’t like dessert pie, but he was almost glad that she didn’t like it. The little scrunch to her nose and the shake of her head had him chuckling. He took the dish, passing his fish and chips over to her before pressing a subtle kiss to her temple. He hoped that no one else saw him do it, but when he looked up Mitch was smirking at him from the other side of the table. 

“Holland.” Harry whispered her name. “Do you know what the world's largest island is?” 

“Greenland.” She said it out loud, slapping her hand over her mouth when everyone shushed her. “Sorry.” 

“I’m sure the pricks behind us stole the answer to that question too.” Niall grumbled. “Cheaters.”

They were winning trivia at least. 

It was all thanks to Holland and her magical brain. 

For someone who knew so little about the modern world, she knew a lot about history and geography. Harry carried most of the music questions alongside Mitch, Gemma carried the math questions, and Niall and Sarah carried pop culture. It was the perfect team, and they were kicking ass. Harry was proud of Holland, and he made sure to bump his knee to hers subtly whenever she gave him an answer. If it was a correct answer, he would squeeze her knee. 

He checked in with her often, asking if it was okay for him to touch her in that way. He almost died when she gave him a shy smile before telling him that she liked it a lot. He couldn’t keep his hands away from her then, always finding some part of her to touch respectively. 

Harry handed the last sheet in to Hank, the guy who ran the trivia scene, before he dropped his hand to Holland’s thigh. She rested her head on his shoulder, covering her mouth as she yawned. Harry decided then that it was probably time for them to go home. They had a lot going on, and it was starting to take a toll on him as well. He was glad that Holland had the chance to let go for the night, sipping at her gingerbread stout while she laughed with her new friends. 

Something inside of Harry clicked when Gemma and Holland shared a knowing look before laughing, as if they already had inside jokes. It dawned on him that he needed her in his life just as much as she needed him, and he wasn’t about to let some slimy iceman drown the girl that he was falling in love with. Harry supposed that his touches weren’t only to show Holland his affection, but they were also a byproduct of his protective nature that was clawing its way into the front of his mind. 

“Let’s go home, yeah?” Harry squeezed her thigh, turning to kiss the top of her head. “Get your coat on, love.”

“Gumdrop, you’re having fun with your friends.” Holland lifted her head, pouting at him. “I’m okay, you can keep playing.”

“Don’t you dare leave us now.” Niall said. “We’re actually winning for once, mate! Don’t take our brainiac away from us.”

“We’re tired.” Harry rolled his eyes at Niall, tossing a note onto the table. “We’re gonna go to bed at a decent hour, unlike some of you heathens.”

“Oi, I’ll be tucked in bed before ten!” Gemma said. 

“Really?” Niall looked at Gemma with a frown. “But, it’s Wednesday.”

“Holland, darling, are you ready to go?” Harry tried to change the topic, unsure that he wanted to know about Wednesday’s with Niall in his sister’s household. 

“Yeah, I'm ready.” Holland draped her scarf over her neck, smiling at everyone as Harry moved beside her. “It was really nice to see you all again, I had so much fun.”

“Harry, I need Holland’s phone number.” Gemma said. “Send it over to me.”

“No.” Harry said plainly. “Goodnight, I love you all. Be good!”

Harry guided Holland out of the pub, sliding his arm around her waist as she leaned into him. 

They didn’t talk much on the walk back, merely holding onto each other as they stumbled towards their building. Harry let Holland wrap herself around him in the lift, her head pressed to his chest as it moved slowly from floor to floor. He made sure to rub his palms over her back just how she liked, his heart swelling when she let out soft little hums. 

“I feel warm and fuzzy.” She whispered. 

“Is it because of me or the alcohol?” 

“I think it’s both.” She lifted her head with a soft giggle, looking up at Harry. “I think I like alcohol.”

“Wait until you have your first hangover, you’ll change your mind.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Let’s get you tucked into bed, you look drained.”

“I feel drained.” She yawned, pulling away from Harry before she stumbled into the hallway. 

Harry chuckled as he watched Holland stumble up to her door. 

She turned around to look at him with a pout after she unlocked the door, pushing it open. 

“Well, I guess this is it.” She whispered. “I’ll see you tomorrow for pizza?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, smiling as she scrunched her nose up. “What?”

“Nothing, I just…” She sighed. “I think I might miss you tonight, that’s all.” 

Harry’s heart was beating so loud that he could hear it in his ears. 

“I’ll miss you too.” He lifted a hand, brushing his thumb over the apple of her cheek. “But you need some rest.”

“So do you.” She whispered, giving him a soft smile. “And you know where I am if you need me.”

“I do.” His head moved closer to hers, and he watched her breath hitch in her throat. “Do you want me to kiss you, Holland?”

“Yes.” She didn’t hesitate, giving him a soft nod. “Kiss me, please.”

It was a quick peck at first, but it sent sparks shooting in the night sky. 

Holland’s eyes slipped shut as she grabbed Harry’s sides, pulling him closer to her body as he chuckled against her lips. She caught him off guard with another kiss, her tender lips moving over his so passionately that he thought he might fall in love with kissing her right then and there. He didn’t waste time, cupping both of her cheeks as he let his tongue swipe over her bottom lip. She parted her lips for him, allowing his tongue to massage over her own. 

Berries and clove. 

That was all he could taste, all he could smell. 

“Fuck.” He pulled back, gasping softly as Holland whimpered. “Holland, we should slow down. We’re both exhausted and I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to...we should just slow down.”

“Okay.” She nodded, clearly still breathless. “I um...goodnight, Harry.” 

“Goodnight.” He pressed his forehead to hers, brushing his thumb over her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

                                                    ❄️❄️❄️❄️  

Holland’s POV 

“No.” Harry held Holland’s hands tight in his own, holding her back as her body started to move towards the ice. “No, Holland. Stay with me.”

“I have to go.” She whispered. “You know that I have to.”

“I can’t watch you die.” He pulled her closer, pressing his forehead to her own. “Baby, I can’t let you go.”

“But you can.” She gave him a soft smile. “You know that it’s the only way.”

When Jack Frost pulled her under, Holland didn’t fight. 

She was tired of fighting it, tired of trying to survive when she knew that she was doomed. 

She just wanted it all to be over so that she could sleep peacefully. 

Holland woke up with a gasp, sitting up straight in bed in a daze. 

It took her a second to realize that someone was knocking, but when she did realize it, she nearly tripped over her duvet on her way out of bed. She rushed to her front door, flinging it open without hesitation. Harry plowed into her, wrapping his arms around her as tears sprung to her eyes. She clenched them shut, swinging her door closed as Harry sobbed into her hair. 

“Why didn’t you fight?” He croaked out. “You didn’t try this time, Holland.”

“I was just so tired.” She brushed her palm over his back, tucking her nose against his shoulder as she tried to soothe him. “I’ve had a long day. I didn’t have the energy to fight him, gumdrop.”

“Please don’t ever do that again.” He pulled away, grasping her face before he pressed a series of damp kisses over her cheeks. “Please, promise that you’ll always fight him, baby. Don’t let him win like that.”

Holland lifted her hands, brushing her thumbs over the outside of his wrists as she curled her fingers around his forearms. 

“I love it when you call me baby.” She confessed, looking into Harry’s eyes as he tried to catch his breath. “It’s alright, gumdrop, just breathe.”

They stood there for a few minutes, Holland rubbing soothing circles over Harry’s wrist as he stared into her eyes. It didn’t take long for him to calm down with her in eyesight. Holland noticed his chest slowing down, no more haggard breaths ripping from his nose as he tried to hold back tears. When he was done crying, she wiped at his cheeks with her fingers before she brushed his hair over his shoulder. Holland brushed her palm over his t-shirt covered chest before she grabbed one of his hands in her own with a soft smile. 

“C’mon.” She said softly, reaching for her flat key hanging on the key hook by her door.

She pulled Harry behind her, despite the heaviness in her limbs threatening to drag her down to the floor. She locked up her flat before turning towards Harry’s, not at all shocked when she saw the door wide open. She walked into his flat, familiar with the floorplan that was nearly identical to her own. Harry followed behind her without a word, his fingers holding onto her for dear life.

“What are we doing?” Harry’s voice was raspy and rough as Holland pushed into his bedroom, walking him straight towards his side of the bed. “Holland?”

“I’m sleeping with you tonight.” She whispered, turning back to him with a soft smile. “Get comfy, okay?”

“Do you think it will help?” He asked, climbing onto his side of the bed as Holland walked around to the other side. “It’s never helped me before, sleeping with other people.” 

Holland had to admit that hurt just a little. 

“Um, it should.” She said. “I read about it in a book, actually. I think it will keep us both from dreaming.”

She did read it in a book, but it wasn’t one that Harry could get his hands on. It was a book that Morpheus  gave her, and it touched on the topic of soulmates. Holland read about shared dreams between soulmates, and how nightmares could stop if they slept near each other. The closer the souls were, the less likely they were to have nightmares. Holland hoped for both of their sakes that it was true. She just needed a peaceful night’s sleep to regain her strength. 

“Who is that man?” Harry rested his head on his pillow as Holland slipped her legs under the duvet. “Why is he doing this to us?”

“Do you promise not to laugh at me if I tell you who he is?” Holland settled her head on the pillow next to Harry’s, letting out a sigh as she turned on her side.

“I promise.” Harry turned on his side, his knees knocking into hers. 

“It’s Jack Frost.” She said. “And he’s trying to take our power.”

“What power?” He asked. “Why does Jack Frost need power?” 

“Harry, let’s save it for tomorrow, okay?” She leaned forward, kissing his forehead before she fell against her own pillow. “I’m so tired.” 

“Tomorrow.” He lifted his hand, brushing a few strands of hair from her face as her eyes slowly slipped shut.

[firstofficertightpants]

In Your Honor - Ch.1

Luz has wanted nothing more in life other than to join the ranks of the Emperor's Knights - the highest rank of royalty defenders, but after a disaster of a first impression with the bratty princess, she starts to wonder if it’s worth it.

“Ah, Bonesburough!” Eda lets out a deep breath as she drives the carriage carrying her wife and step daughter. “I haven’t been here since Lily and I were kids.” The streets were much larger and busier than the small human village they had just left. The sounds of merchants trying to sell their wares mixing with the busy talk of the locals. Bonesburough was the largest Elf city in all of the Boiling Isles and it was home to the largest royal elvish family, The Blights.

“Oh I'm so excited to see where you grew up!” Camilia places a kiss on Eda’s cheek, causing the witch to blush momentarily. Eda laughs as Camilia leans against her, the two sharing the drivers spot for the carriage. “This move is gonna be so good for us, Mi Alma, I can tell.”

“Well, getting a fancy new job in the castle helps with that.” Eda adds as they slowly make their way through the traffic. “That's my wife , a small town healer getting a gig at the castle. I'm so proud.” The witch glows with pride as it's now Camilia’s turn to blush.

The two continue flirting as Luz, their loving daughter, rides inside the carriage with all of their belongings from their old home. Moving to the city means a lot for a fourteen-year-old.

Especially when the town is home to The Emperor's Knights. Only the coolest and most badass knights make into their ranks and Luz has been training her WHOLE life to make it in. Magic doesn't come easy to humans, many can't do it at all, but thankfully with the help of her step mom she's been able to learn just enough spells to try out in the Tournament. Whoever can survive long enough in that tournament will, without a doubt, make it into the Emperor’s Knights.

Luz is also aiming to be the first human to enter their ranks. Even though her Aunt Lilth is one of their highest ranking officers, Luz wanted to get in the hard way. Through hard work and determination! Aaaand lots of reading, as she's doing now. Luz flips the page in her hefty book ‘Spells, and how to Cast them Safely’ while she writes notes on the parchment inside when suddenly, the carriage comes to an immediate stop - sending her and her book flying out of her seat.

“Come on out, Mija , we’re here!” She hears her mother's voice muffled through the thick wood of the wagon.

Luz pulls herself up off the ground and jumps out of the carriage door. She lets out a small gasp as she sees her new home, a pretty large building made of brick. It had to be at least two stories tall! So much larger than her childhood home.

“Holy cow! Mom this place is huuuuuge!” Luz excitedly runs around to the other side of the carriage where her mother and Eda were unstrapping their small luggage from the top of the wagon. “You can fit like..” She takes a small break to count on her fingers. “Ten of our old house in there.”

“Woah, slow down there kid.” Eda chuckles as she pulls down a suitcase. “Take a breath and help me out here so your mom can go unlock the house.”

Luz jumps at the chance to help Eda, taking her luggage and pet carrier, bouncing the whole way as they follow her mom up the few steps to their new home. It takes Camilia a second to figure out the lock but once she does Luz launches herself into the building. She sets the suitcase and pet carrier down by the stairs before running up them, an echoing warning from her mother following her. She finds so many rooms on the second floor. They have two bathrooms, a master bedroom and like three smaller bedrooms. So much more than her old house.

“Hey mom, can I pick my room?” Luz shouts down the stairs. She hears the sound of the rest of their luggage coming in by Eda’s magic but no response from her mom. She goes halfway down the stairs and finds her mom moving some of the boxes to other parts of the house. “Hey, mom! Can I pick out my room?” She repeats loud enough for her mom to hear.

“Ask your mother, dear.” Camilia doesn't even look up from the box she's sorting.

Luz huffs, walking down the rest of the stairs. Her mom gives her one stern look causing Luz to rush out the door before she could face her mother's wrath. She leaps down the few steps to Eda who has just magiced the last of the boxes inside. Luz puts on her most innocent face as she approaches her step mother.

“Heeey, Eda? Can I pick my own room?” She gives Eda her most powerful puppy eyes, batting her eyelashes like she's never done anything wrong in her life. Eda looks down at her, clearly unamused, but eventually breaks and sighs.

“Sure thing, kiddo. But the master bedroom belongs to me and your mom, okay?” The owl witch pats Luz on the head before returning her attention to the carriage.

Luz practically runs back inside, grabbing her luggage and pet carrier, before sprinting up the stairs. She finds the one room with the best view of the castle and sets her stuff down. She bends down to open the pet carrier, looking inside to check on her familiar.

“King, wake up! We’re here.” She reaches in and pats his bone head, waking the small demon. “I'm surprised you slept the whole way!” King stretched and yawns before walking out of the carrier, dragging his small stuffed bunny with him.

“I'm the King of Demons, Luz, no small carriage ride will keep me from my afternoon nap.” The bone demon speaks, though his mouth doesn't move. He does small circles around the room before finding a corner and dropping his bunny rabbit. “Nice place we got here Luz, much larger than our old room.”

“I know!” Luz squeals. “Wait until you see the rest of the hou--”

“Mija! Your Aunt Lilith is here, come say hi!” Luz gets interrupted by her mom from downstairs. The sound of the door closing echoing through the house followed by the soft sounds of her aunt and mothers talking.

“Come on King.” Luz picks up her familiar before heading down the stairs. She sets King down at the bottom before jumping into her aunt's arms. “Aunty Lily!” She hugs the older witch tightly before letting go.

“Hello Luz.” Lilith greets her niece with a pat on the head. “I brought you a house warming gift.” She pulls out a rolled parchment and hands it over to the younger witch in training.

“Oh my god, thank you Auntie.” Luz unrolls the parchment to reveal a poster for the Emperor’s Knights and practically crushes her aunt in another hug. “I'm going to put this up right now!”

Lilith waves as Luz runs back up the stairs, King struggling up the steps after her, before turning to her sister-in-law.

“Are you prepared for tomorrow?” her voice carries a tinge of concern as she watches Camilia unpack another box. The human woman sets down another stack of plates before standing and turning to Lilith.

“I mean, how ready can I be?” She laughs nervously. Camilia was about to be the only human to work in the castle. A task that carried so much stress to be the best, as many Elves looked down on Humans for having shorter lives and no magical talent.

“If anyone tries to say something, I’ll just challenge them to a witch's duel.” Eda says proudly as her sister looks at her with doubt.

“You won't be able to stick around every day she works, Edalyn.” Lilith points out. “Especially since you personally refused the Kings request to join the Emperor’s Knights with me.”

Eda grumbles a reply, walking off towards the kitchen with a stack of plates. The sounds of the porcelain plates clinking together drifts softly from the entryway. Lilith lets out a soft sigh before returning her attention to Camilia.

“I’ll be there tomorrow so if anything happens, please reach out.” She smiles at her sister-in-law.

“Of course.” Camilia gives Lilith a pat on the shoulder before seeing her out with the promise of seeing her tomorrow.

With that taken care of, Camilia and Eda spend the rest of the night unpacking and helping Luz set up her new room. The family was full with excitement for the days to come.

The next morning Luz wakes up to a scrying call. Her mother's voice comes through the small mirror she uses for calling, and Luz fumbles out of bed as she reaches for the mirror on her nightstand.

“Mija? Mija! Luz!! Darn it girl, wake up.” Camilia called through the compact.

“Sorry mom, I guess I was just really tired from the move.” Luz yawned as she held up the compact mirror.

“You need to start getting up earlier if you want to continue training with Eda.” Camilia tsks as her daughter sets the mirror down to try and fix her hair in her vanity mirror.

“I know mami but is there a real reason you called me?” Luz does a double finger gun in the vanity mirror, confirming that her hair is exactly how she wants it, before picking the compact one back up.

“Yes, your Auntie Lilith forgot her lunch today.” Camilia explains. “Can you bring her some food from home?”

“An excuse to see the castle up close? Of course I will.” Luz smiles. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She bids her mom farewell before getting ready for the day and bounding down the stairs.

Luz finds Eda sitting at the dining room table, King curled up on her lap as he reads the daily paper. Sitting in front of her is a perfectly wrapped up lunch, the handkerchief cover made with a cute raven pattern.

“Is that...?” Luz points to the lunch as Eda lowers her paper.

“Yeah, your mom already called me about it but I’m not technically allowed in the castle, so you have to take it.” Eda explains with a rather bored tone. “Lilith already told the guards to let you in so just tell them you're her niece.”

“Okay! See you later, Ma.” Luz gives Eda a quick kiss to the head, and ruffles Kings fur, before heading out the door.

The path to the castle was long but thankfully easy to follow. It was the only path wide enough for two carriages to head down side by side. Luz began her long walk to the castle, buzzing with excitement of finally getting to see the building in person.

Maybe, if she was lucky, she’d even make a new friend.

[f-117-nighthawk]

Playlist Update? From MY Brain? More Likely Than You Think

can't remember the last time I posted these all together but I just put a few new songs in. I've been playing Arknights bc STARSET songs keep being used in the trailers, and then I was listening to Transmissions while making dinner, and uhhhhh there's two new Transmissions songs on the playlists, plus whatever else the spotify links needed to update to my ever-changing apple versions.

This is just the main playlist, because this one is now 3h 40m, and the other three playlists are about an hour each. I’ll give them their own post tomorrow. Under the cut, because it's also Write Random Snippits and Include Important Lyrics time

Dark Matter

Surprise surprise, this one’s got probably the most work done on it. A lot of that is moving things around, a few deletions, and the additions.

DM now starts with Your World Will Fail, Dark Matter, and Eater of Worlds. Turn the Lights Out still kinda applies, but I stopped vibing with it starting everything, and wasn’t really sure where else it should go so it got dropped. It’s role is sort of picked up by a UtA song later? Anyway, the opening three are still very much about not only the birth of [REDACTED], but the birth of the universe itself. And that’s why it feels better to start out with YWWF. Because it is the start.

(Your world will fail my love/It’s far beyond repair/Your world will fail my love/It is already there)

(Bring me your soul/Bring me your hate/In my name you will create/Bring me your fear/Bring me your pain/You will destroy in my name)

(Can’t imagine the violence/The rage and the love in my madness/I am the eater of worlds and I’m looking for someone to feed me)

Remnants of Stars is a hook to Filaments at this point, but stays way up here because the thing it’s about connects back up to those three ^ and is something slowly realized by the Paladins throughout the series. There’s kinda three different points that they realize something new about this (at the moment, I Am the One, Cosmic Vertigo, and Centigrade).

(Shed all you know and make way for a galaxy of light/Answers found hidden inside the smallest stone/Bringing forth a new way of life/Open your heart to the sky)

Apocalypse 1992 hasn’t changed. Still about The Fall, still the turning point for the entire damn war. Still about poor Krolia. Still the Rogue One of DM. It happens between parts of Awakenings, detailing the rise of [REDACTED] and the final hours before the destruction of everything sentient species knew beforehand.

(Fly high through apocalypse skies/Fight for the world we must save/Like tears of a unicorn lost in the rain/Chaos will triumph this day)

Apex is the final moments of Apocalypse 1992 from the Red Lion’s perspective, and connects nicely (just as in the albums lol) to the next UtA songs. Which we’ll get to in a bit.

(Brother mountain/Now we sleep/For a thousand years/I will see you again/Something is coming/Coming for me)

You Keep What You Kill covers the slow degeneration of the Empire between The Fall and the Battle of Arus. The knowledge harshly taught by the Thuanial War is forgotten under the influence of Zarkon, Haggar, and [REDACTED]. Marzin and Galraasa quickly rise the ranks as the Empire’s left and right hands, like omens of destruction before them. The four are the ‘holy half-dead,’ the ones who shape the devouring of the universe before them.

(Defying dimensions/These ruthless creatures will steal your soul/Breaking away from the chains of mortality/They won’t be taken down/Bow now to the holy half dead/The master to death mongers calls)

The Glory and the Scum is partially here bc I missed having Delain, I’ll freely admit that. (Delain split up! Like six months ago! I’m still sad!) Here, it’s (most) of the reason why Krolia isn’t around until MGHM. Think Winter Soldier-ish. It’s also from Krolia’s perspective as she’s talking to Kolivan in a conversation I implied in Shatterpoint. Perhaps it shall see the light of day.

(Look at what we've done/Take a step back/Shake your head at what we have become/We're the glory and the scum)

The Seven Sisters is about Keith, mostly, and connected to Closure via its influence on Child From the Stars (Lost in the Dark) and also to Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met. Also the thing about the Pleiades has kinda become A Thing associated with my two favorite halfbloods.

(I cast my hope upon The Pleiades/The Seven Sisters who would come for me/They’d fall to Earth to grant a child’s dream/But I’m still waiting)

Starlight is the Adashi song. Here, it’s the sad part, based around the time that the SFSS Genesis launches for Kerberos. It also is sort of about Shiro’s thoughts throughout the war as he watches ‘from distant skies’ (and influences String Theory kinda)

(At night the earth will rise/And I’ll think of you each time I watch from distant skies/Whenever stars go down and galaxies ignite/I’ll think of you each time they wash me in their light/And I’ll fall in love with you again)

Waking Dream and Abyss are Awakenings. They’re specifically the Red Lion waking up on Sendak’s ship to her new Paladin, but also sort of the rest of the Lions as they find new Paladins for the first time since The Fall (and, also, an accidental hook to the end of Filaments just by virtue of being on the same UtA album…)

(Centuries like flowing streams as years go rushing by/Waiting in the dark for afterlife)

(Open my eyes in a daze/How long has it been? Am I so out of place?/Warmth I can no longer feel/My mountain is gone, I’m surrounded by steel/The strangest of structures arises ahead/Seems to be held up by nothing/Where have I gone, do I dream?/How can the stars be all I can see?)

Who Will Save You Now is about the Paladins in First Contact. It’s the video messages they send to their families, the warning that Something Is Out Here that they need to prepare for. It’s a declaration of protection for Earth, but a recognition that the Paladins may not be able to do what they say.

(I will not take from you and you will not owe/I will protect you from the fire below/It’s not in my mind/It’s here at my side/Go tell the world that I’m still alive)

Then there’s The End of the Beginning. Which is, well, the eponymous fic. And don’t forget the String Theory connection! Fun fact: part of the last chapter leads directly into part of String Theory at the moment.

(Every night I die just a little/All this time, I’m caught in the middle/All your life, you fought with no winning/This is just the end of the beginning)

A Simple Plan is about anything but a simple plan. Lotor is making his secret bid for the construction of the Sinkline ships, but there’s one more thing he needs before it can come to fruition. Haggar has suspicions, and knows one thing that she needs to keep from both him and Voltron. Team Voltron is still struggling to fit into their new roles, especially with a Black Paladin who adamantly does not want to be Black Paladin, and is in desperate need of one thing to fix the last of the damage done during the Battle of the Sarnan Nebula.

(How long can we hold off ending?/How long can we pretend we’re ok?/No one goes on fighting it forever/I know I’m better this way)

Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met. Such a short song for such an important fic. It skips all the way over Naxzela to the Mission to the Baaria Shipyards, the first major offensive that isn’t somehow connected to canon (even if only a very very small part of it is actually at the shipyards lol). This is also the song that solidified Keith’s very queer identity in Dark Matter. And more Pleiades stuff!

(In this lonely place, bathed in silence and thoughts of you/I can’t see your face but I’m trying to envision you/So are you really out there? Are you awake with memories/Of a boy you haven’t met yet who’s wished upon the Pleiades?)

There’s another fic in here that I’m still waiting for a song to catch my ear, but it’s pretty big so I’m putting it in here. For the moment, it’s called MGHM 2.0: Electric Paladinloo. Featuring the Whispers, Voltron, and a few mullets.

And then. Hoh boy. The beast of beats. TRIALS (reimagine), Dark On Me, String Theory, and I Am the One. We’ve got [REDACTED], we’ve got [spoiler], we’ve got the first major turning point in the entire war, and the first revelation of the true nature of [REDACTED]. Hence the honor of being the separation point of my two main DM folders. TRIALS is the first part, the horrifying realization. Dark On Me and String Theory itself are from Shiro’s perspective. I Am the One is… an image song? I guess? That’s all I’ll say on that. (I would like to note that the STARSET songs bar OWtT tend to be about the Shiroganes…)

(Hear me from the bottom/Forged in regret, I'm the silversmith/Doomsday, you we had it coming/Marching the streets with an iron fist/Obey no more in silence/The steel in our hearts will be monuments/Today, they'll hear the violence/We'll rise from the dark like Lazarus)

(You're the cause/The antidote/The sinking ship that I could not let go/You led my way, then disappeared/How could you just walk away and leave me here?/Light the night up, you're my dark star/And now you're falling away)

(You don’t believe in space/You don’t believe in light/You don’t believe that anything is well beyond your might/We walk across the sky and beneath the ocean floor/We’re never going anywhere we’ve never been before)

(I am the one/I am the architect to rule your fate)

House on Fire is the aftermath of String Theory, and a large vibe of We ARE Struggling Together! It’s about family, never letting go of something you care about, and the slow act of trusting.

(So I’ll just hold you like a hand grenade/You touch me like a razor blade/I wish there was some other way right now/Like a house on fire we’re up in flames/I’d burn here if that’s what it takes/To let you know I won’t let go of you)

Belgrade is The klance song! It is a) a bop b) always stuck in my head because it is That Good. The line in the chorus about ‘sweet songs of seduction’ is eternally funny to me bc a)they’re both ace and b)QPR’s don’t usually involve seduction. Belgrade also leads almost directly into…

(We pretend in the darkness/We pretend the night won’t steal our youth/Singing me the sweet songs of seduction/Let me be the fool, fool, fool/Who will live and die for you)

Here to Save You is about Sam. Mostly. It’s also about Pidge. And Zaivorge cannons.

(A slave for humankind/I made sure I would survive/To stay alive/Now it’s time to move on/When there’s nothing left to prove/I’m coming to get you)

Iron is the third Closure fic (the second is End of the Beginning, forgot to mention that. They’ve slowly moved away from actually being related to it in anything but name and general idea). It’s about Keith coming to terms with parts of himself, and learning how to use them to great effect. Also has a huge info dump about the Blade.

(You can’t live without the fire/It’s the heat that makes you strong/‘Cause you’re born to live/And fight it all the way/You can’t hide what lies inside you/It’s the only thing you know/You’re embracing that, never walk away)

The second major turning point in the war is Monarch, Birthright, and Firewall. I really recommend reading the whole lyrics for Monarch, because the entire thing is very much a Lotor song. I had a bit of trouble picking a lyric to use here. Monarch is here because Lotor is also the ‘singer’ of Birthright, and both songs are to a very specific high-level target of the Coalition. Firewall is a little different as it’s a Team Voltron song not a Lotor song, but happens because of the same thing the other two do. They’re all not exactly a direct result of Iron, but they wouldn’t happen how they do without it, and then [REDACTED] swings back into the fray and things learned in String Theory/the framing story for Through Apocalypse Skies hit in full force.

(I am not the person you remember from before/The one you patronized and stepped on, the one you hurt/And I have pulled the arrows, now my skin has become stone/No longer am I prisoner to your empty fucking words)

(The voices in my head have all begun to sing/(The voices in your head have all begun to sing)/And they sure as hell hope I am listening/(I sure as hell hope you are listening!))

(They come to your dreams with illusion/They come to bring shape to your mind/You know how to stop the intrusion/We all have to fight for our lives)

and then, The Day the Earth Collapsed

(How much time has been elapsed/Since the day the earth collapsed?)

Here Comes the Reign doesn’t come into full effect until several months after Birthright/Firewall, but starts with The Day the Earth Collapsed. It’s largely about Haggar and [REDACTED]

(You made something they can’t take away/Now bring the fire of the burning sun on everyone)

Supersonic is here… kinda as a placeholder? Things have shifted around since its original purpose, and frankly it’s here still as a framework for what I like to call The Meme Battle. It’s generally about the increase in Coalition support and general winning as they go after warlords in the aftermath of Feyiv, culminating in I Need a Hero which is, of course, The Meme Battle.

Yes, it’s the Shrek version. It’s the Meme Battle.

(Supersonic, polyphonic, this is our war/Mustering the armies, marching faster than before)

(I need a hero/I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night/He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast/And he's gotta be fresh from the fight)

But Tonight We Dance isn’t exactly a klance song, but it’s here for them. On a diplomatic mission gone wrong, the Red and Blue Paladins of Voltron uncover a literally-buried government conspiracy, a rebel cell, and nearly die. A normal days work for the two of them. But they’ve really gotta stop having relationship milestones in the middle of a warzone.

Another reason it’s here is Tonight We Dance is a very aro song to me. “A language universal, but I speak not its tongue” hits hard. I felt like I needed a bit in here to remind listeners/readers that romance isn’t a language Keith speaks. And it becomes very explicit in this fic, just like Belgrade.

(Tomorrow we might wake in servitude and silence/I will give you everything if only you would have me/Tomorrow we will sweat and toil/Our hands will quiver, caked with soil/Tomorrow we'll give it one last chance/But tonight we dance/But tonight we dance!)

But Tonight We Dance is the last of the Closure fics, which is why it’s here. Closure in general is a lot of Keith’s character development and some of the struggles he goes through to accept his place in the universe and the fact that yes, he does have people that care about him. The last fic is me shining a brighter light on Closure’s chorus and taking a ‘last goodbye’ as never needing to say it again

(I am the child from the stars/That got lost in the dark/Between heaven and hell/I am forced to live on/I am the cause when you sin/I am the demon you skin/But there is no more tears to beautify/This is my last goodbye)

Then we step back into the universe-level action with Soulbound. Revelations from String Theory and Firewall swing back in with a vengeance on a joint Whispers-Voltron mission, leaving them reeling and Krolia questioning her very identity.

(Soulbound, endlessly forever/Locked between the darkness and the light/Don’t drown in the swarming, blackened rising/Hold on to humanity and fight)

About three months after that is My Darkest Hour and Faster Than Light. Haggar realizes something and goes searching for her fifth [spoiler], sending the Blade and the rest of the Coalition scrambling. These also lead directly, and I mean directly, into…

(When the sun comes crashing down/When the world is spinning round and round/I will face what must be my darkest hour)

(Once more we’re flying fast as light/Dark matter passing in the night/Pursued by a force we can’t outrun/As we hurtle towards a dying sun/We maneuver through the remnants of a moon/On the solar winds of supernovas/There is not a place to hide, the Matriarch is close behind/It’s plain to see she’s coming for us all)

Cosmic Vertigo and Other Worlds Than These. Together they are the second of two revelations in what, exactly, is [REDACTED]

(Banish me like burned down planets/Write my fate with sparkling lies/I am the universe; you're just one sky)

(Pull the wool out from your eyes/It won’t shade your frail belief/In the end we cannot hide/There are other worlds than these)

Godhunter is Team Voltron, well, hunting for gods, even as one of them disappears.

(She’s been watching for a century/With hatred, and with scorn/If you know the hunter’s coming/Then you hide or keep on running/'Cause she’s slain the gods before)

Trophy Hunter, Ember, and Redemption are the culmination of Godhunter. I’ve been thinking of them as akin to the suicide mission in Mass Effect 2, if that gives you an idea of what the hell they run into. Also I switched which specific Redemption is on the playlist, because I was listening to Red Handed Denial again and their Redemption was vibing way more than the Hammerfall one. They link up to Godhunter and Soulbound in subject matter, and lead directly into…

(You, you won’t escape me, I’ll rise from the deep/In this final moment, no words left to say/I can’t let you be when a life fades away/You, you won’t escape me ‘cause I’ll set you free)

(Dark matter falling from the sky/Dancing flames reflecting in your eyes as you watch them burn/Watching all your riches witches burn)

(Remember me not for the mess I’ve made/But who I could have been/Finally I’m going home)

World On Fire, This is a Call, The Reckoning, The Wind That Shapes the Land, and Louder Than Words. Switched the order up a bit so it makes more sense chronologically, because the message ‘sent by forces beyond salvation’ has to get there before the reckoning can begin.

(World on fire with a smoking sun/Stops everything and everyone/Brace yourself for all will pay/Help is on the way)

(This is a call to action/This is a call to arms/All lives for one, together/There are no false alarms)

(I see your face, find peace of mind/Between the madness and the sadness and the fire burning/The end of war, the great divine/We’ll see the day of reckoning)

(Search within/Uncover the will to win/Turn against the tide that washes o'er/Find the strength to fall and rise again/Open up the gates, unleash the force/I am the wind that shapes the land/Old as time and twice as strong/Oceans arise at my command/I alone can carry on)

(We have the force to fight/We have the blinding light/A war is more than heard/Coming in louder than words)

[tabloidtoc]

Globe, April 12

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Brad Pitt Blindsided by Abuse Bombshell

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- former Vanderpump Rules hunk Jax Taylor hauling trash outside his L.A. home, tennis star Venus Williams had some courtside cuddles with her pet pup in Miami, sitcom star turned pot peddler Jim Belushi during a spin around Santa Monica

Page 3: Chrissy Metz runs errands in L.A., David Hasselhoff with his wife Hayley Roberts in Calabasas, Lena Headey buzzed around in L.A. on an electric bike

Page 4: Toxic TV talker Ellen DeGeneres is trapped in a tragic tailspin, belting back booze while struggling to get a grip on her fading career and rocky marriage -- after losing 1 million viewers this year alone, Ellen's once high-flying show is on thin ice and she's fighting with wife Portia de Rossi amid talks of a $300 million divorce -- her ratings are tanking, and her marriage is coming apart at the seams and she's knocking back the red wine to drown her sorrows -- her strategy is to let the storm about her talk show die down and then pull in some huge guest stars to win back her audience and reestablish herself as top dog on the talk show circuit -- at the same time, her 12-year marriage to Portia has been hanging by a thread and the two had been at loggerheads after serial house-flipper Ellen put the estate she bought from Maroon 5's Adam Levine on the market for $53.5 million and Portia thought it was finally going to be their forever home and it was like pulling the rug out from under her -- then another crisis struck home as Ellen rushed Portia to the hospital after she collapsed and Portia underwent an emergency appendectomy and is now recuperating but her spouse is a mess over Portia's health crisis and she's been drowning her sorrows in booze -- Ellen realizes much more than ever how much she desperately loves Portia and what she's got to lose if they split but she also knows it's be a lot of work to get the relationship back on track once Portia recovers

Page 5: Chevy Chase secretly cheated death after a secret heart condition landed him in the hospital for five long weeks and now he may never be out of the woods -- the 77-year-old, who is now recovering at his Westchester, N.Y. home, recently revealed the heart issue snuck up on him -- Chevy needed valve replacement surgery, and recovering boozer Chevy's long history of swilling alcohol had left him with an enlarged heart and acute cardiomyopathy, a disease that makes it harder for the organ to pump blood to the rest of his body and his heart problems stems from his years of drinking plain and simple and it's affected his heart, weakened it over the years -- however, before risky surgery could be performed, docs needed to make sure the comedian was stable enough for the procedure -- in 2017, Chevy claimed he'd finally gotten sober after one of his daughters said she gave up on him and his wife Jayni threatened to leave him if he didn't clean up his act but it may be too little too late for the comedy legend because valve replacement surgery could affect his activities for the rest of his life and it means his heart was pumping through an ineffective valve, and this damages heart muscles, which never grow back and he could have ongoing chest pains or dangerous heart rhythm disturbances, which could lead to heart attack or death

Page 6: Dr. Dre's estranged wife, Nicole Young, claims the rap mogul knocked her out cold in a drunken rage -- it's the latest bombshell in the couple's brutal divorce war, with Nicole making the explosive charge in an application for a restraining order that was denied by a judge and she also alleges Dre punched her squarely in the face after he felt she disrespected him at a party in 1999 and Nicole claims she woke up in their car with Andre speeding at over 100 miles per hour, drunk and out of control and he was swerving and weaving and she thought she was going to die and she also claims a drunk and angry Dre held a gun to her head during a 2012 dispute, saying she was terrified he was going to kill her -- Dre has denied all of Nicole's abuse claims

* In a desperate bid to save their crumbling romance, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are seeing a sex therapist to spice up their fizzling bedroom romps -- the duo called off their wedding plans after a stormy four-year affair and are on the brink of the end -- A-Rod staved off a break at the last minute by dashing down to the Dominican Republic, where J.Lo's filming her new flick and patching things up for the moment -- the biggest issue has been Alex's roving eye plus sexting various women on the side, and Jennifer wants to get to the bottom of why she's not enough for him

Page 7: Jeopardy! contestants want celeb medic Dr. Mehmet Oz axed as guest host -- casting the dubious doc celebrates the elevation of talking heads at the expense of academic rigor and consensus, according to a group of the game show's former winners and contestants in a letter -- the letter cites instances in which Dr. Oz used his authority as a doctor to push harmful ideas, and referred to a 2014 letter penned by faculty at Columbia Medical School, where Oz also teaches, calling for his removal from the program and the letter concludes inviting Oz to guest host is a slap in the face to all involved

Page 8: Jeffrey Epstein's accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell's third desperate bid to get out of jail on bail has been nixed by a federal judge -- the 59-year-old British socialite it rotting in a Brooklyn, N.Y. federal slammer denying charges she recruited underage girls to be sex slaves for her late lover Epstein, whose 2019 death in his jail cell is suspected on being a staged murder, despite an official ruling of suicide -- Maxwell's offer to plunk down $22.5 million and give up her citizenships in England and France was nixed by Judge Alison Nathan, who agreed with prosecutors the suspected Israeli intelligence asset was still a flight risk -- meanwhile, Ghislaine's lawyers claim she was abused by a guard and is losing hair and weight due to poor treatment in the slammer, where she's awaiting a July trail date

Page 9: Billionaire Queen Elizabeth is bracing for a big pay cut -- due to the financial crash triggered by the COVID pandemic, the Sovereign Grant, the tax money allowance the royals get, is expected to be slashed by more than 25 percent when it comes up for its five-year renewal in 2022 -- last year, Her Highness raked in $114.2 million from taxpayers, but that bundle was exceptional and cannot expect that to be repeated -- a major cost, besides allowances for the royal family, is a renovation of Buckingham Palace, which prices out at $500 million over 10 years -- one saving is Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle have been stripped of their titles and public paychecks -- Her Majesty is aware of the current financial situation and is happy to play her part in cutting costs

* Prince Harry has landed a job as a hot-shot exec of a firm providing mental health and life counseling but it sounds like the tech start-up company is really using him as a celebrity showhorse -- Harry, who studied art and geography in college, will be Chief Impact Officer for BetterUp Inc, saying he intends to help create impact in people's lives -- BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux refused to say how much he's paying the prince, but noted Harry will have a meaningful and meaty role and will attend all employee meetings at the San Francisco headquarters and Robichaux also hinted at Harry's true value, saying he'll be a special guest at company events; in other words, the company will use him as a celebrity draw and they'll lure potential clients and investors to events by saying they can run shoulders with the prince and Harry has no psychology training; he will be a showpiece -- Harry first hooked up with BetterUp by using its app that gives proactive coaching and provides endless possibilities for personal development, increased awareness and an all-around better life and Harry says he was matched with his coach who is truly awesome and has always given him sound advice and a fresh perspective, which is so valuable

Page 10: Lisa Marie Presley is getting back on track after her son Benjamin Keough's tragic suicide and bitter divorce from Michael Lockwood, but she's still a hopeless addict -- Elvis Presley's 53-year-old daughter smokes like a chimney from morning until night and is struggling for every breath and she goes through a pack or two a day minimum and she simply can't quit and she has cut out triggers like booze and coffee, but she still needs her cigarette fix from the moment she wakes up until she puts her head down at night -- she was snapped having a smoke outside a COVID-19 testing center in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley and it was the only time she was spotted in public since her son died in July -- she started smoking at age 15 and has admitted this is the one thing that got her and bit her in the ass that she can't shake even those she's kicked pain pills, cocaine, booze and opioids and she's tried everything she can think of to quit: patches, nicotine gum, going cold turkey, but nothing works and she did stop for a spell after being hypnotized but a day or two later she was lighting up again -- she's losing weight, exercising more and eating healthier, but her smoking habit is the elephant in the room

Page 11: Following the heart-crushing suicide of her brother, Elvis Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough has become a death doula, a counselor who helps terminal patients and their cope with the devastating trauma -- Riley announced she'd completed her training on social media -- the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and her first husband Danny Keough, Riley was devastated when her brother Benjamin Keough committed suicide with a shotgun last July -- spurred by the tragedy to become a death doula, Riley says she thinks it's so important to be educated on conscious dying and death the way we educate ourselves on birth and conscious birthing

* Reality TV train wreck Mama June Shannon claims she and her boyfriend Geno Doak spent $900,000 in a year to feed their drug addiction and the couple were spending $2500 a day, if not more, on methamphetamine -- June entered rehab with $1.75 in her pocket and they've been clean 14 months

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- reformed boozer Luann de Lesseps sips a soft drink in Mexico (picture), Real World star Rebecca Blasband believes she had an otherwordly 15-year beyond-the-grave relationship with Beatles legend John Lennon's ghost, in Australia a not so itsy bitsy spider bite turned into a giant wallop of a headache for Melissa McCarthy, Ilana Glazer and husband David Rooklin are happily expecting their first baby ironically right before of her horror movie False Positive, Sarah Silverman says no one ever told her not to use tongue in screen kisses and it got her fired from a show called Pride & Joy

Page 13: Al Pacino gets all gussied up in Italy to play fashion godfather Aldo in the biopic House of Gucci (picture), Justine Bateman (picture), Tom Selleck covers up his signature 'stache with a mask in L.A. (picture), first-time mama Katharine McPhee hit a sour note with composer husband David Foster for blabbing their newborn son's name Rennie David Foster on Today

Page 14: Rihanna plunked down $13.8 million for a new Beverly Hills mountaintop mansion that's literally surrounded by noteworthy neighbors like Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey and Madonna who live in the same exclusive star-studded cul-de-sac, Tom Cruise is on a mission to unload his Rocky Mountain getaway for $39.5 million, Goldie Hawn gushes her life partner Kurt Russell is still hot as heck after turning 70

* Fashion Verdict -- Miranda Lambert 4/10, Taylor Swift 5/10, Phoebe Bridgers 1/10, Giuliana Rancic 7/10, Brandi Carlile 6/10

Page 16: Cover Story -- Angelina Jolie is determined to paint her ex Brad Pitt as an abusive, drunken monster, and now she's got their kids backing her claim that he's the dad from hell -- the mom of six, who's been battling Brad in court over custody and money for five years, filed new bombshell papers saying she and her children want to testify their life was the pits -- while the documents are sealed, Angelina is making sure their kids paint Brad as violent and aggressive and her shocking charges continue earlier accusations by oldest child Maddox, now 19 and in college, who accused a booze-fueled Brad of abusing him on a private flight five years ago and Maddox essentially painted his dad as a demented monster and he went into detail about Brad's terrible temper, the abuse he inflicted on the whole household with his binge drinking and the scars that exist to this day because of the appalling way he alleges Brad treated his mom during the marriage -- Brad has reportedly been sober for years and Angelina's new claims of domestic abuse are basically a rehash of the old accusations -- legal experts also maintain the minor kids can only testify if Brad agrees to it, which is doubtful -- the superstars have spent a combined $10 million in legal fees and are currently battling over visitation rights for their brood and Angelina has refused to compromise, wants full custody and calls it a fight to the death and she doesn't care about Brad or how anybody sees their fight, she just wants what she feels she is entitled to as a mother and will fight with every inch of her body and soul to get it

Page 19: 10 Things You Don't Know About Topher Grace

* Katherine Heigl boasts she's bionic after having two titanium disks inserted into her neck and the actress says the surgery has freed her from the most excruciating pain

* Wendy Williams broke wind in a stunning fart-burp combo while she was live on camera, right in the middle to discussing Kim Kardashian's divorce from Kanye West -- the gassy lassie seemed surprised at her own outburst and apologized to the audience

Page 20: True Crime

Page 23: William Shatner is creating an artificial intelligence-powered version of himself -- in true sci-fi fashion, people in the future will be able to ask him questions about his life and times -- the 90-year-old icon is the first person to be captured by an advanced video and sound system developed by the L.A.-based company StoryFile -- Shatner says with StoryFile, we can now be present for the future; your authentic self, for all time

* Furious perfume mogul William Lauder is battling to kick his former mistress Taylor Stein and their 13-year-old love child out of her home and into the street, because their supposedly secret love affair was revealed -- the big stink exploded after the 60-year-old Estee Lauder heir learned his secret teen daughter wrote on social media that her parents were divorced but actually, Lauder never wed Taylor, but kept her like a queen in a $7 million, 6000-square-foot Bel Air mansion with a $1 million annual allowance for years and the only condition was that she keep their affair and the child under wraps, but the Park Avenue playboy claims she blasted their pact to smithereens when his illicit daughter blabbed about the relationship online -- Lauder hooked up with Taylor in Aspen in 2000 while still wed to wife Karen, mom of three of his daughters -- he knocked Taylor up in 2005, but told her to get an abortion because he was then in the midst of divorcing Karen but three years before the 2009 divorce, Taylor got pregnant again and gave birth to their girl and that's when the moneybags lover boy drew up the hush-hush deal

Page 24: COVID vaccines hidden dangers -- scientists warn shots don't work and have nightmare side effects

Page 27: Gal rock roadie Tana Douglas is snitching on music superstars including George Harrison and Iggy Pop, who she got close to during her wild years traveling with bands -- in her book called Loud, she recalls her job hauling equipment for bands nearly ended at age 21 when Beatle George Harrison was ready to propose, but she blew it; the two were getting close under a kitchen table after George fled his own birthday party, where he was embarrassed by his present: strippers and she ruined the mood by firing up a cigarette and George told her he would marry her tomorrow if she gave up smoking but the first female rock roadie couldn't kick butts -- she has crazy stories about saving AC/DC's frontman Bon Scott when he overdosed, Elton John who did drugs and threw tantrums, The Go-Gos, and doing a line of coke with Iggy Pop intended for David Bowie

Page 28: Health Report

Page 30: Julianne Hough has plumped up her kisser, and her new look falls flat -- the newly single star may have gone overboard with lip fillers to the point where she's almost unrecognizable -- Julianne's had some surgical and nonsurgical things done, but her lips just look wonky and no one can understand why she'd do it because her lips looked fine to her friends and family, but Julianne obviously thought they needed more volume and clearly got carried away -- she's also totally gone overboard with the spray tanning and hair extensions and she ditched the short blond bob that suited her so well and now she's looking like a Kardashian -- her lips look a bit swollen, so it's possible they will settle down and her natural lip proportions appear to have changed, with her upper lip the same size as her lower lip

Page 32: Tori Spelling has got the marriage blues and she's been out and about without her wedding ring -- the 47-year-old mom of five was spotted buying veggies at Underwood Family Farms in California's Moorpark with her kids but minus husband Dean McDermott and her wedding ring -- Tori's fed up with her mate, whining he's not doing his share around the house or paying her enough attention and they've found themselves in a real rut where they spend less and less time together and barely mention one another on social media and they haven't had a date night since goodness knows and Dean is never in the romantic mood and lately, they're more like brother and sister than husband and wife -- Tori wants Dean to step it up and start acting like a hubby instead of a leach and Tori's exhausting herself by taking care of the domestic chores single-handedly at times while Dean has other things on his mind and he hasn't picked up a vacuum or washed the dishes in weeks and sometimes he doesn't seem to be aware she's in the room and it's frustrating her to no end -- ditching her ring is sending Dean a very clear message that he needs to stop taking her for granted and work on the marriage

* Paul McCartney dove deep into his Beatles past and emerged with a children's book inspired by the group's 1966 hit Yellow Submarine -- Grandude's Green Submarine, a sequel to Paul's picture book Hey Grandude, will be released in September and changes the color of the submerged vessel

Page 36: Reality TV momager Kris Jenner is worth an estimated $190 million and masterminded the megabucks careers of her reality star daughters, but she confesses she was clueless about dough when she became divorced -- Kris confesses first husband Robert Kardashian handled everything and she never paid a bill during their 13-year marriage that ended in 1991 -- she said she woke up to responsibilities that she didn't have the day before but she says she's a quick study and she knew she had to get it together and she felt such an enormous sense of accomplishment to be able to figure it all out and pay her own bills and make her own money and do her own taxes and there were times when she didn't have a lot of money, but she was very organized -- now she studies business for new opportunities and she's interested in different businesses and how they evolve and how they become successful and she just enjoys the business world

* Bobby Brown's son Bobby Jr. died after accidentally overdosing on a killer cocktail of alcohol, cocaine and fentanyl, his autopsy reveals, but lawmen say they are now opening a criminal investigation into the 27-year-old's death at his father's home in suburban L.A. -- the autopsy report showed in his final hours Bobby Jr. consumed a deadly mix of tequila, cocaine and the prescription medication Percocet -- he was Brown's second child with former galpal Kim Ward

Page 38: Long-lost letters written by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's father, Alois, reveal the freaky Fuhrer grew up to be a cruel, tyrannical, arrogant lout, just like his old man -- the 31 letters were discovered by retiree Anneliese Smigielski in the attic of her house in the Austrian town of Wallern and are the basis of a new book by historian Roman Sandgruber -- penned to Anneliese's great-great-great-grandfather Joseph Radlegger, who sold retired customs official Alois a farm when future Nazi monster Adolf was six in 1895, the letters reveal Hitler's dad was a brutal boozer and boss of the house, but depended on the skills and money of his third wife, Klara, a former servant girl the cheating creep had seduced and wine-guzzling Alois was awfully rough with her and beat little Adolf and the other eight kids -- like his father, Adolf felt superior through the knowledge he had acquired in self-study and he saw himself as a military, technical and artistic genius, not only as a painter, but also as an architect, writer, composer and actor

Page 40: Bethenny Frankel is sporting an engagement ring from fiance Paul Bernon -- the three-stone ring features a huge eight- to ten-carat emerald-shaped center stone and if it's a real, natural diamond, its estimated value is up to $1 million

* Gwyneth Paltrow just babbled something her second husband, Brad Falchuk, probably doesn't want to hear: she never wanted to get divorced from Chris Martin but she wed Brad in 2018 and Gwyneth calls him the most amazing man adding they've built something that she's never had before

* Suzanne Somers brags she and husband Alan Hamel are having sizzling sex three times a day before noon -- she blames doses of hormones for their frisky urges in their golden years

* Klutzy comic Chelsea Handler jokes about her subpar skiing skills online, but later revealed she wrecked her knee and broke two toes after she flew into the trees on a snowy slope in Canada -- Chelsea confesses she took the terrible tumble in British Columbia, where she was training with a personal instructor

Page 41: Vin Diesel's son Vincent is learning it's a good career move to have a movie star dad -- the 10-year-old has landed a $1000-a-day role in his father's new Fast and Furious flick -- the kid plays the younger version of Vin's character Dominic Toretto in the already completed, ninth F&F film -- Vincent's mom is Vin's longtime galpal, Mexican model Paloma Jimenez, who also has two daughters with Vin -- unlike his dad's megabucks salary, Vincent got the basic $1005 daily rate

* The faith-based Duggar family of 19 Kids and Counting fame is still feuding after a sleazy sex scandal ripped them apart -- Jill Duggar Dillard, who's outed herself as one of four sisters molested by big brother Josh Duggar, reveals she hasn't visited her parents' home in years -- Jill and husband Derick Dillard, say they aren't allowed at Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's Big House without her father's permission and Jill reveals there's some restrictions but also they just feel like they have to prioritize their mental and emotional health -- TLC axed the family's show after Josh was exposed as a child molester and in the past, Jill's admitted she's not on the best terms with some of her family

Page 42: Kim Kardashian has been getting back in touch with her body big-time now that she has booted Kanye West from her bedroom and her life and she's been strolling around totally nude -- with the pair's six-year marriage officially kaput, Kim is gleefully letting it all hang out, while indulging in once-forbidden McDonald's french fries -- Kanye made a habit of telling Kim to cover up and picked her to pieces for wearing sexy outfits and he said she needed to class up her act and grow old gracefully but now she's free to express herself and a lot of the time, especially when Kanye's looking after the kids, she's walking around totally in the nude and it's liberating for her to be at one with her body and she's made no secret of her desire to pursue a racy image and right now Kim's priority is to get her mojo back and learn to love herself again physically

* Britney Spears confesses she's been so wrapped up in battling the conservatorship over her estate, she forgot about singing until her mom reminded her -- the singer hasn't cut an album for five years as she's battled dad Jamie Spears for control of her $60 million fortune after a court gave him control when she went bonkers in 2008 -- she now realizes she's neglected her career after mom Lynne Spears sent her a video of her signing You Got It All at a '90s concert in Singapore and Britney tweeted that her mom reminded her that she can sing and she never sings anymore

Page 44: Straight Talk -- Cradle-robbing Scott Disick has struck again, scooping up a new galpal half of his 37 years, who is barely out of high school -- the latest victim is Amelia Hamlin, 19 years old and daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin

Page 45: Sharon Osbourne is demanding at least $10 million to walk away from The Talk after being accused of racist and sexist attacks on co-hosts -- Sharon is playing hardball, saying she was wrongly vilified for branding lesbian co-star Sara Gilbert a fish eater and calling Chinese-American Julie Chen slanty eyes -- it's going to become a battle royale and Sharon's made her demands clear and will fight tooth and nail and she's a street fighter and is used to playing down and dirty, owing to her years as a hard-nosed rock manager for husband Ozzy Osbourne

[ashleyinwondrland]

I rewrote the ending of PLL with A as the capital A!

So I rewrote my dream ending for Pretty Little Liars.  Its stupidly long.

After Mona went to Radley, Ezra was mad about which direction the book was going in (he was obsessed) so he became A so he could control the story and found it to be more exciting than just writing. It was like he writing everyone's lives, he was the ultimate writer. Every writer wants to think their words will influence people, Ezra got to see it first hand. And he would get to write his own ending.

He used it to track down Ali and hired Charlotte, and made her think that she was actually Uber A and was the master mind when he was really pulling the strings.

He was obsessed with Aria more than the others and wanted to be able to keep her if everyone found out which is why he was slowly trying to isolate her from her friends. If he was the only one who Aria had to turn to, then he would never lose her. The perfect romantic ending, the two against the world. Romeo and Juliet but with a honeymoon.

When she found out about the book Ezra had to take a break from being A or else they would connect the two, so he hired Shana and handed the reigns over to Charlotte for awhile and orchestrated himself getting shot (tho it wasn’t aimed well) to get back in Aria’s good graces.

During the time he gave Charlotte, her working from France at first with Shana, Jenna and others doing her bidding, Charlotte became more obsessed with the power and Ezra lost control of the game. Charlotte went off the rails, and took it too far. She was writing chapters that Ezra wasn't able to edit.

He couldn't just rip out the pages of the dollhouse, the family connection or Charlotte turning herself in. She wrote an ending to the book that didn't satisfy Ezra. Even though he was now in clear of all charges, and he could technically move on, his book, his life's work was now no better than a paper back in the bargain bin at a pharmacy.

Ezra spends the next 5 years trying to recreate the magic he had with that book. Everything he writes is meaningless compared to the story that slipped out of his hands. Every bottle he drinks he prays has the answer at the bottom. But then his prayers are answered when he hears Charlotte is being released.

He realizes now it’s time to get back in the game but first he has a loose end to tie up. A perfect way to bring the game back and get rid of the person who ruined it. He called Charlotte, under the pretense of talking about bring A back. He knew the hospital would never be able to really cure her, and she took the bait. They met at the Church where only meant to push her out of the window. But once she got to bragging about being a better A than him he lost control and strangled her before tossing her out.

Now the game was his again. Which mean he would have to call on another old helper.

He had to call on the person who else who was just as invested in the girls lives and had access he didn’t (to Radley specifically). Someone who knew everything but like him had never been implicated, which is where Wren came in. Ezra knew about Wren and him flirting and kissing Spencer. So when Ezra sat down to an unsuspecting Wren they got to talking. After buying a few rounds Ezra slipped in that these Rosewood high school girls are such teases. Wren took the bait, going on about Spencer and how she was always playing him hot and cold.

Wren joined team A and gave Ezra access to whatever Radley files he needed and helped Charlotte be able to get in an out without questions. Wren also gave Ezra access to his cabin to be used for backup A head quarters just incase Ravenswood got found.

Ezra had the perfect partner in his British friend. Wren also had his own help, Melissa, who didn’t know quite what she was involved with but she knew it would protect Spencer and Ezra having found out about her burying Bethany when Melissa accidentally confessed it to Wren used it to blackmail her into becoming the Black Widow. As far as Melissa knew, Wren was also being blackmailed because he wanted to protect her and she had no idea Ezra was behind it

Jump forward to when Ezra finally got back with Aria and everyone was happy, he knew it was time to finish the game, the last chapter. Which is why he proposed to Aria and tried to rush her into getting married.

But he had to be sure he could truly trust her, over all of her friends. That if everything came out that she would side with him, even if it meant silencing her friends. He gave her the file, and tried to get her over to team A. Watching her choose him made him fall in love with her all over again. She didn't need her friends, and now he knew if something happened to them then she wouldn't fall apart. Because she had him. And he would always have her.

During the game Mona started to feel her A addiction again. She needed to focus and win this time. Her medication was just getting in the way. She went off it and started to recall things from Radley, visitors who came to see her, who came to see Charlotte, and who came to take the game away.

She doesn’t have all the pieces together when she accuses Ezra in front of everyone of being AD, and no one believes her but finding out she is off her medication they decide to get her help and don’t think twice about her accusations. She screamed they were in danger but none of them, especially Aria would listen.

Jump forward a year and Wren goes back to hospital to take care of Mona. But Wren doesn’t have the strongest will and Mona convinces him that they need her. She started the game, they needed her to end it.

Ezra and Aria are about to get married and be all happy so Ezra surprises her with a new house, the one Toby built. He told her it was poetic, that they live and love in a house their friend's love built. It was a house meant for love. Aria is so excited but what she doesn’t realize is the under ground bunker he built, where all his AD stuff is and also would be a comfy place if say your wife finds what you have been up to and you have to keep her somewhere.

Spencer goes to the brew and finds Wren there arguing with Ezra in hushed tones (about not killing Mona, leaving such a giant loose end) she had no idea they knew each other. She confronts them and they make a stupid lie about Ezra spilling coffee on Wren.

She asks Wren what he is doing in town and he just says business and tell her he has to leave but they should catch up soon. Wren, being the flip flopper that he is, still didn't know which Hastings lady he would take down to the bunker, should the time come. But seeing as Spencer was standing in front him, gorgeous as ever, he was leaning her way. Part of the deal Wren made with Ezra when he explained about the bunker was that Wren got to also bring a “friend” down. Ezra starts to get panicky, he knew Mona was out and about. He knew that she wanted the game back but he couldn't let her ruin his ending. Aria dismisses it as pre wedding jitters.  

A day before the wedding Aria goes to the new house to take some pictures as reference for when she is furniture shopping and to sending little photos to her friends. Ezra suggested they not bring visitors by until after the wedding and they get some furniture. She goes out back to the tool shed, notices the ground is uneven and finds a secret door in the ground. She goes under and finds everything, but what she doesn’t know is Wren is already down there and he hits her over the head, then calls Ezra and tells him they have a problem.

Ezra planned to tell Aria everything about the book on their honeymoon and if she reacted badly was going to claim and accident happened where she goes missing but keep her in the bunker (he had practice making someone go missing) but now Aria was in the bunker and he couldn’t just let her out. He goes to the bunker where Aria is terrified and won’t go near him, he thinks she just needs time to cool down. He tells her that she will understand everything soon, and they will be happy. That if he trusts her as a writer then to trust the love story he has written for them.

He takes her phone and sends a text to everyone saying “we can’t deal with the wedding stress and our parents constantly arguing over useless things like table cloths, we decided to leave for our honeymoon and elope. I’m sorry and we love you all.”

He figures that will keep everyone busy for awhile while he tries to convince Aria to get on board, reminding her how she betrayed her friends for him and how their love story would go down in literary history. She already chose him over her friends more than once, what would make this any different.

In the mean time, the girls are hurt Aria left to get married without them but they understand, except for Spencer who feels like things don’t add up because she had spoken to Aria just a couple hours before and she was excited for the wedding. Spencer looked back through her texts with Aria and looked at one of the house pictures to realize she knew the house. Toby had built that house. She decided to go over to make sure that everything was alright.

The girls all disperse, Emily and Ali talking about how they need to get home to the girls and Hanna to see if she can refashion the bridesmaids dresses into something she can show to a client, though after they leave Spencer realizes Emily’s Fitbit fell off and sends her a text that she will hold onto it til they see each other again and put it in her pocket. Spencer gets to the house to see all the lights out. She goes up to the porch to peak in, but figures they must have left for their honeymoon. She turns to go only to come back to face with Wren, but before she can question him she feels something slam into the back of her head and everything goes black.

Spencer wakes up in a cell across from Aria, her phone missing and Ezra & Wren are just standing there, both looking concerned. Ezra apologizes for hitting her so hard. They explain they didn’t want things to work out like this, and once they calm down it is very comfortable and nice in the make shift home they built down in the bunker and when things were settled they could all move away to a much bigger place so the girls would have more room. Ezra knows that they will still have questions so he leaves them both with his manuscript, detailing all the events, with a little creative editing and with the ending that has yet to unfold.

They jump to the end and read that Ezra plans to be the hero, and pin the entire thing on Spencer, who became AD as a way to keep the girls together after realizing how much she missed them when they came back for Charlotte’s trial and used Charlotte’s death, who she killed, to keep them in Rosewood

He planned to make it seem like Spencer followed them on their honeymoon, making use of Melissa by having her getting on a plane as Spencer so they had her on the flight manifest, and tried to kill Ezra for taking Aria away while confessing she was AD and Ezra, in self defense, pushes her off the side of a cliff. Aria freaks out how the man she loved could even think about her best friend while Spencer keeps flipping through looking for clues.

Meanwhile, the others grow concerned they haven’t heard from Aria, who should’ve landed and always texts after a flight or Spencer, who wasn’t at home when they checked and wasn't answering her phone.

Mona shows up and tells them AD is back and is ready to end the game, for good and she knows at least one person helping is Wren but she doesn’t know who AD is yet. She knows if she says Ezra again they will try to throw her back in the hospital. They assume at the very least Spencer was probably kidnapped and after Caleb can’t pin point her cell phone Emily remembers Spencer has the Fitbit and maybe they can track her with that (might have to bend reality) and Caleb is able to find a location, the house Toby built. They make their way there.

Spencer and Aria try to break out, Aria manages to toss a bobby pin to Spencer. Ezra comes back asks how far they are in the book and what they think of it so far, he actually sounds genuine for their feedback. Realizing this is the only chance they might have, Aria tried to distract him by asking him questions like what will happen to Melissa after. Ezra thinks for a moment and then goes into that why they were perfect for each other, because even after everything she wants to help him with her writing. He then admits that Melissa would end up being the one he actually pushes over the cliff. While Ezra is still facing Aria, Spencer gets the lock open and  uses her copy to knock him over the head though she knows he won’t be down for long so she opens Aria’s cage and they run not realizing they have no where to go.

Above ground, the others get to the house and start to look around when Toby sees the shed and mentions he didn’t build a shed. When they open the shed they see Wren inside who is starting to open the trap door who tries to make a run for it but Hanna manages to trip him and he hits his head on a rock. The guys work on tying him up while the girls look for Spencer, thinking Wren is AD and the bunker would be safe now and they come across Ezra who looks dazed and convinces them that AD kidnapped Aria and himself and that the girls have to get out of the bunker before AD comes back.

He starts to lead them out when they run into Spencer and Aria who yell that he is AD, Ezra acts quickly and grabs Ali as a hostage while pulling out a knife. He tells Ali that this whole mess started with her anyways, it should end with her.

Behind him is the sound of a gun cocking, aimed right at his head, Mona says “Actually this started with me, and I am going to be the one to finish it.”

Ezra and Wren are taken into custody, where the both face charges of extortion, stalking, kidnapping, murder, building a creepy bunker without a permit and statutory rape

The girls all agree it’s time to finally leave Rosewood, for good

I don’t get paid for it nor have years to plan it out but thats another story and please write your opinions at the very least in the tags !! Also if you add your opinion in the discussion comment thing or in your tag, a calorie free cookie is in your future !

[soda-fawn]

Well I got bored and my brain refuses to work on anything that I should be working on so.. uhm have a meet-cute with UF Sans.. sorta

Sans grumbled as he moved through the streets. It felt as if hell froze over today, and the snow just wouldn’t let up. His car wouldn’t start, Papyrus left early and banned him from using his bike during the winter months. Sans didn’t blame him, but he still hated that he couldn’t use it. 

He would have preferred that today. To put on a helmet that would keep his gold tooth from freezing. Sans got used to this feeling when he lived in Snowdin, but it got worse on the surface. There was never this bad of blizzards in the underground, there was never this bad of cold in the underground. Hell, they were surrounded by the mountain walls on all four sides, so it was never that bad. 

So it was understandable that Sans found winters a little unpleasant on the surface. Sans wore a few layers today, an old scarf Papyrus “offered”, aka he forced him to take it for these last few weeks, his bright red turtle neck, an old worn hoodie that still smelled of his room in Snowdin, his signature jacket, some sweats that he found and just threw on, and finally his sneakers that he refused to get rid of despite Papyrus’ demands. 

He was a little surprised he wasn’t overheating, then again that was a little hard for a skeleton to do. 

The snow crunched under his feet as he made his way to a nearby bus stop. It was a familiar sound, the busy cars and people weren’t. Sure he’d been here for a few years, but he never got used to the number of people. 

He also didn’t want any sort of interaction today, he was tired and irritated. So you can imagine how thrilled he was to see someone else at the bus stop. 

He huffed and shuffled inside the little shelter. It was cold but better than being out in the snow. He took a glance at the other person at the bus stop.

….

His jaw became slacked. 

It was a small, well not really but most looked small to him, human huddled up in the corner trying desperately to stay warm. Their face red from the cold while they tried so hard to huddle in what looked like a thin sweater. They just seemed to have said sweater, jeans, and boots that were soaked at the bottom. 

They looked up at him, their eyes glazed over with regret. They scooted even closer in on themselves as if to give him room to sit down. It was adorable. 

Sans couldn’t lie, he did find humans attractive, only a few though. 

So seeing one that he did find attractive, fucking adorable right now, huddled up, shivering, cold, and offering him a seat was almost a dream come true. 

He took the seat next to them and gave them a curious glance. 

“You okay?”

They looked up at him, confused. they shivered again and gave him a curt nod. 

“..Ya don’t look it dollface. Yer shiverin” he pointed out. 

His pride swelled when he noticed their face flush. 

They bit their lip and began to fidget with their hands nervously. 

“Yes, i’m okay, just a little cold” they muttered. 

Sans’ grin grew, “I can see that.”

They laughed.

Sans’ soul swelled and pounded. God their laugh was adorable. 

“W-Well I was in a hurry this morning. It doesn’t look like I needed to be though, the bus is..is pretty late” the shivered again and shuffled a little closer to Sans. He figured it was because he was giving off body warmth. He most certainly didn’t mind it.

“Explains yer choice in clothes” he chuckled. They seemed so surprised by his laugh, their eye’s held a soft wonder and amazement. It made him a little embarrassed, he couldn’t say why. 

They snapped back to reality and laughed again, his soul thumped hard. 

“I didn’t think it would snow!” they defended. It caused another chuckle to come from Sans. 

He was pleasantly surprised when they started laughing with him. 

They shivered again, a small sneeze following after. 

He stared at them as they sneezed for a second and third time. “Ya gonna stop any time soon doll?” 

They laughed and nodded. 

They sniffled and shuffled again, hugging themselves now. Sans felt guilt swarm in him again. He was just letting them freeze! 

He slid off his jacket and pulled his hoodie over his head. It was a little obvious that he was more built than the average human skeleton now that he had two layers off. He placed the hoodie in his lap and slid the jacket over him once more. He glanced at the human next to him and his grin widened when he noticed their face had gotten redder. 

“Ya see somethin ya like dollface?” he teased. 

Their face flushed even deeper and it caused a roll of laughter to leave Sans. 

“Heh..’m just pullin your leg” he finally said. They puffed their cheeks.

“You think you’re funny don’t you?” they asked. He chuckled again.

“Oh sweetheart I think I’m hilarious” he got a significantly closer to them. He could smell them, they smelt sweet of vanilla and lavender. They stared at him for a second, a small smile cracked on their face. They analyzed his face a little more, taking the time to look at his teeth and his eye lights. 

Now he was the one becoming embarrassed again. He simply placed the hoodie in their lap and moved back to his seat and out of their personal bubble. He desperately tried to ignore the red dusting his cheekbones. 

They made a noise of confusion as the began to examine the hoodie. It would be too big to fit them, they simply placed the hoodie next to them and gave Sans a patient smile. 

“Wear it ‘fore ya freeze.”

“Oh no, sir-”

“Sans”

“..Sans. I can’t take it”

“Sweetheart do ya want to get sick?” He asked, finally facing them. 

They didn’t answer, just looked down at the large hoodie next to them. 

“But that doesn’t mean I can take it”

Sans huffed and grabbed the hoodie and scrunched it up. He gave them one more mischievous grin and rudely placed the hoodie over their head. They made a small surprise sound, which sans loved, and tried to stare at the skeleton before the hood engulfed their vision. Sans resisted the urge to laugh at how cute they were. 

They grumbled out a thank you and pulled their arms through the sleeves. They had to pull the sleeves up a little to even get their hands out. Their fingertips were a bright red and it made Sans wince. They must have been even colder than he thought. 

They pulled the hood back a little and gave Sans a bright and genuine smile. 

Sans’ soul thumped harder. 

“Thank you so much si- Sans, it’s so warm and comfy” the smiled. Sans could almost melt when he saw how happy it made them. 

“Keep it”

“What?”

“Keep it Sweetheart, suits ya better than it ever did me” he laughed off. 

They stared at him for a moment, confused and surprised by Sans’ generosity. He was a little surprised too. 

“I’d hate for ya to freeze doll, but y’know, if ya want I could warm ya up a different way” He purred. It sounded a lot more like him. 

Their face flushed and the hid their face in their hands and laughed. 

“You’re awful!”

“Oh but ya love it doll”

The two of them laughed. There was a small screeching sound and Sans looked up to see a bus that stopped by. It opened it’s doors and the human sitting next to him stood up and waved him goodbye.  

“I’m sorry to cut this short, I hope I see you again Sans!” They called out as they rushed towards the bus. 

Sans felt his stomach drop. 

He really didn’t want them to leave, he was just beginning to enjoy himself and relax. He didn’t even catch their name. 

He regretted not asking as the bus drove away. He hung his head and waited for the next bus to come. The “Monster” bus. 

It was downright insulting that he had to use a different bus, people tried to justify that “Monsters were just bigger than humans, they need more room!” Sans understood the real reason, humans weren’t accepting of their own species, why would they like monsters? 

He was damn happy Papyrus worked with the king on getting this bullshit fixed. Sans just let out a loud growl and exited the bus stop. No point in sitting there and let his anger boil over and ruin his mood, he just had the loveliest interaction with a cute little human. Better yet they liked him and had his hoodie. 

He took his time as he waltzed his way to work with his brother today, taking the time to imagine how cute and flushed that adorable human was when he gave them the hoodie. That genuine smile. To Sans of all people. 

---

Sans grumbled as he walked into Muffet’s bakery, the loud shrill of the small bell above him announcing his arrival. He really didn’t mind the spider monster, but he was craving his beloved mustard more than anything now. Mustard that Grillby would make. It had a slight kick to it that Sans couldn’t really describe.  It was basically alcohol to Sans at points, took a lot to get this skeleton drunk though. 

Sans wasn’t allowed in Grillby’s establishment for the time being. Grillby was always doing shady things, from underground to the surface the man never changed. But he never expected the entertainment that he provided to haunt Grillby. 

Grillby really wasn’t a bad guy, he never let a worker do something they were uncomfortable with. He still turned a blind eye to many dealings in the underground. From hosting illegal fights and biddings to adding poles in the far corner of his speakeasy underground. 

Asgore was pretty unhappy with it, and if word got out Asgore would have Grillby’s head. Everyone needed things to go right with the humans, even one little slip-up or bad impression could leave all monsters in a sticky situation. 

Even if they had been here for a few years, people still didn’t like them.

So here Sans was, in this overly purple bakery. It looked like a knock off Halloween store. But Sans had to admit, Muffet had gotten better with her baking skills and hired a few helpers. She had also become very successful, had her own clothing line. Sans wasn’t surprised. 

Muffet could really be as greedy as she wanted on the surface. Monster treats were becoming more popular, that’s why Grillby was in hot water and why Muffet had increased her prices. She was one of the only bakeries that served both humans and monsters. 

Felt like the 1950s.

Yeah, Sans had to go through basic school so that he was up to “Human Standards” as Papyrus called it. Good thing Sans was a fast learner. 

“Hello sir, how may I help you?” 

Sans turned to see a relatively short spider monster. It wasn’t Muffet, which surprised Sans to say the least. Their skin color was a soft maroon and instead of six arms they only had four, or at least four visible. Instead of a short bob, their hair was in a long braid that reached their waist. Sans was suddenly thankful he didn’t have a need for hair. 

Sans glanced over at the many deserts that littered the cases. “Aster usual” was all he said as he pulled out his wallet. The employee seemed surprised and quickly nodded. “T-That’ll be-” She was cut off by Sans handing her the exact amount. She gave him a quick glance and began to count out the money. Sans stuffed a few bills into the tip jar and turned on his heels. 

He was met with those same eyes he had met months ago. The two stared at each other in disbelief for a second. Sans gave them one quick glance and saw that they wore the exact hoodie he gave them. 

He met with their eyes again and they nervously smiled, probably noticing Sans’ gaze. His feet seemed to move without his permission. 

“What’s a dame like ya doin here, doll?” he teased. 

They lightly laughed, “I could ask you the same thing” they answered. 

Sans moved to the chair that sat across from them, “ya mind if I..?” They quickly shook their head. He took the seat across from them and examined them more. 

Their hair seemed a little shorter and they seemed much happier and healthy. Then again the last time he saw them they were freezing cold, and it was summer now. Not the unbearable winter. They held a soft and genuine smile at Sans. The hoodie seemed to be washed more times than Sans could count, no mustard stains near the collar, and it actually smelled nice rather than a room that wasn’t cleaned for months on end.

 Sans felt his soul thump. They didn’t just throw it away, they held on to it and took care of it. 

“It’s been a long time since I last saw you Sans” they smiled. 

He was surprised that they remembered his name. “Heh I guess it has been, I neva caught yer name” 

They looked at him surprised, “Oh! I guess I never really did introduce myself! I’m (Y/N)” they said. 

“..(Y/N) huh?” 

It rolled off his tongue nicely. He could get used to saying it more often, as much as he enjoyed calling this lovely little human nicknames, their name was just as sweet. If not sweeter. 

They nodded and leaned towards Sans a little, not a big gesture or really a noticeable body language change, but Sans noticed and loved it. 

“So Sans, what are you doing on this side of town?” 

Sans was taken back that they seemed to want to talk to him. He really shouldn’t be so surprised that they were treating him with kindness but he couldn’t help it. 

“I’m just pickin up lunch for me an’ my bro” he grinned. “What about ya dollface?”

They seemed to think for a minute. “Well, Papyrus and King Asgore went along with what they promised and have been decreasing the segregation between monsters and humans. I’ve been wanting to come here for some time, I wanted to come in when it was first opened but, uhm, I couldn’t. So I’m taking advantage of this while I can!” 

Sans’ grin grew even more. “How ya likin it? The food.”

“It’s a little odd I have to be honest.”

“Yeah, that’s cause it just turns into energy. Human and monster food are very different” Sans spoke up. 

There was soft amazement in their eyes when they glanced back at their own food. They were easy to entertain and it made Sans’ soul soar. Sans was brought out of his trance when a brown paper bag, with a small illustration of Muffet with the title “Muffet’s Bakery” plastered on the front. There was a little note at the bottom saying “Thank you for stopping by!”��

Another conversation with this adorable human was cut short again, this time by Sans. He wasn’t very happy with it. He muttered a ‘thank you’ as the maroon spider walked away. 

Sans gave (Y/N) an apologetic smile as he stood up. “It was really good seeing you again sweetheart, would you like to get a drink with me sometime?”

They gave him a curt nod, “Yeah I would love to! Is there a time and place you’d prefer? I heard that speakeasy ‘Grillby’s’ was really good!”

Sans stared down at this adorable human. He knew he wasn’t allowed in the establishment, but, who was he to say no?

“Yeah we can go there, how about tomorrow night at 7?”

“Yeah I’d love that” they smiled. 

Sans relaxed and grabbed the bag, heading for the door. He stopped when he heard the chair scoot out quickly, “I’ll see you then Sansy!” they called out. They missed it but the nickname made Sans blush, hard. He walked out the door with a large grin on his face.

[ilguna]

Lacuna - Maltalent (f.o)

summary: they say the odds tend to favor those who need them. well, they were wrong.

Word Count; 4.5k

Warnings; swearing, DEATH MENTION

NOTES: i give reader a last name to fit the world.

! Takes place between Chapter Twenty and the Epilogue of Lacuna !

–

You pace the backrooms of the justice building, popping your knuckles and pulling on the fingers that didn’t pop. You fiddle with your mother’s ring, stop in front of a mirror to fix your hair and any smudged makeup. You go back to pace only to be fixing the way that the dress lies on your body too.

Taking a deep breath, you pause in front of the grand doors, the ones you’ll be walking out of in a couple of minutes. The peacekeepers are indifferent to your staring. They have to be.

It’s only a few minutes on stage. All you have to do is stand in front of a microphone, try your best not to cry, address the elephant in the room, and then receive all the rewards they have to provide because of your win. Then, you’re allowed to leave the stage and head right back here.

Only, you’re going to be standing in front of the entire district. The faces of District One will be staring back at you with judgement and hatred. But that’s not the worst part--the worst part is that you get to stare right at the family of the tributes you killed, and see their animated picture too.

And if Finnick doesn’t show up soon, you’re going to have to do it alone. Not with him standing a few feet away, in front of his own microphone with his own speech prepared. No, you’ll have to do this all alone and just hope that he shows up in the next district.

You take a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

The doors behind you open, and a bunch of footsteps accompany it. You turn around, hoping that this is Elysia, your prep team and Mags escorting Finnick into the room. But as soon as your eyes go over the group, you realize that he’s not there.

“Is the train coming?” you ask.

Elysia shakes her head, “No, he hasn’t even left the Capitol.”

“What? Why? We’re right here--”

“It wasn’t his choice.” Laurel explains to you calmly, “He’s hoping he’ll be in District Two, but he’s not sure.”

But he promised.

“Oh.” you turn away now, looking back at the doors.

“The mayor is almost done introducing you, when the doors open, go to the microphone on the left.” Elysia tells you, the prep team makes some last minute adjustments to fix the mess you’d made out of yourself, “Take it easy, don’t rush it.”

“Read from the notecards.” Laurel says, “Look at the families when you address them.”

You nod a little, despite wanting to outright reject that idea. If you have to look at the families, you’re assuming you should be looking up and into the crowd too. Over a hundred people, packed into one little space watching you give a speech on your victory that you hadn’t even written.

“You’ll be amazing.” Cleo assures you, “A lot of the people back in the Capitol are sympathizing with you.”

“I’m going to give a speech in front of a whole district that wishes I had been the one to die.” you look over the people staring at you, “The Capitol’s sympathy is worthless.”

“It’s not like that--”

“I ruined the career’s plans from the beginning.” you insist, “Killed Eytelle, backstabbed Allio, nearly died, Finnick set the cornucopia on fire and I recovered enough to give Lennox an execution that has been the talk since the summer!” you try to calm yourself down, “And now I have the nickname ‘The Executioner’ and I’m being praised for it.”

You turn back towards the doors, “And District One would have had two winners if it weren’t for me. Lennox and Trink would be here, if it weren’t for my plan.”

They have no time to say anything, your name is being called, the doors opening. You do your best to take another deep breath, no longer nervous but a little angry and annoyed instead. As you walk through the doors, you force a smile and grip the notecards tight in your hand.

There’s a lot of clapping, no cheering. You steal glances, trying not to avoid eye contact entirely, but there’s a lot of angry faces in the crowd. You’re sure to keep away from Trink and Lennox’s family, not wanting to see them until you have to apologize to their family. 

On the left, you were able to see the mayor take a seat right next to someone else, you don’t know who. Maybe some district official? But off to the right are the mentors, you can just tell. By how they’re dressed and the way they get their own place to sit.

It’s a girl and a boy, they can’t be much older than you. Maybe sixteen, seventeen or eighteen. You can’t really tell, all you know is that they’re no younger than sixteen. The girl is blonde, her hair is curled at the bottom naturally, and she has green eyes. The boy resembles her closely, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes.

You try to remember a name to their faces. You recognize them, so they had to have been within the last two year. But nothing comes to mind, not even the title they were assigned after either of them one.

Your eyes then wander to the right microphone, knowing that Finnick would have been there, giving you a reassuring smile. He would be right here for you the entire time, not letting you be the only one to go through this. Half of the time up here would be dedicated to him. He would be sharing the unwanted spotlight, and it wouldn’t have fallen just to you.

“Thank you.” your voice is strained at first as you go to look back to the crowd. District One is so bright, with their white buildings and colorful insides, “I am thankful to be here today, to stand in front of a crowd and to be alive. And the only reason I can be, is for the noble sacrifice that District One had made with their tributes, Lennox and Trink.”

You still don’t look up, “I’m sure that if Finnick were here, he’d say the exact same.” you take a peek at the notecards, not knowing where to go. You know that the speech doesn’t have to be long, but it can’t be too short either. Plus, you can’t avoid the families for long.

Biting the inside of your cheek, you look up now, starting with Trink on the left, “I would like to offer my apology to the family of Trink Nenni. I know that losing a daughter and sister can be hard, and life will never be the same without her.” Trink was an only child, it’s only her parents, “Outside of the games, Trink proved to be a great person, and she gave me the benefit of the doubt--”

“That’s because you’re a liar!” someone in the crowd shouts, “You lied to all of them for your own selfish gain!”

The peacekeepers jerk, but they don’t go after the person. You’re glad that they don’t. It would only give the people in the crowd a bigger reason to hate you.

“Inside of the arena, she was a shoulder to lean on, and a great ally.” your attention is then turned to Lennox, and you can feel the world slow and your heart speed, “I would also like to offer my apology to the family of Lennox Laude.” he’s got his younger brother and parents on the platform, “Lennox was smart in and out of the arena, he knew what he was doing, he was prepared.

“I’m sorry that the games ended the way they did, and if I could go back, I wish I had made his death quicker. No one deserves to have a death drawn out that long, no matter what they’ve done in their life.” you’re lying. All of that is a lie. Lennox got what he deserved, and you wish you could have done more.

“I’ll also apologize on the behalf of Finnick, for lighting the supplies on fire. I can’t imagine how expensive all of that would have been to replace, it must have cost their sponsors and District One great fortune.

“Once again, thank you for your sacrifice, and I wish District One well, in the future.”

The clapping is reluctant. The mayor takes the right microphone after, which is when she hands over the plaques--both yours and Finnick’s--that District One is required to make and give. Then, a couple of girls hand you flowers. You bid the district goodbye, and head right back into the Justice Building, where Elysia and everyone else is waiting to help you.

You think that it’s over, and you’re going to get on the train to head to District Two, when Elysia informs you that you have to eat with the mentors of Trink and Lennox, as well as the mayor and the families.

All at once, you can feel your body deflate.

“I have to do that for every district?”

Mags nods, and you can see that she was afraid to tell you this part.

“How long does it last?”

“Two hours at most. It’s a dinner celebration. After, you get back on the train and we head towards District Two.” Elysia says.

“But you’ll all be there?” you ask hopefully.

Laurel nods, “Elysia and Mags will be. It’s not our place.”

“Oh.” your eyes wander, and your fingers glide along your ring finger until they connect with the silver, “Right.”

Despite all of this, you’re taken back to the train anyway. You go ahead and set your plaque and the first round of flowers into a box that Elysia provided. Then, you go to Finnick’s room, standing in the doorway for a moment. 

The bed is neatly made, there’s no wrinkles. It doesn’t look like anyone has touched it. So, you go ahead and neatly lay the plaque and flowers on top of the blanket. 

The next couple of hours is spent in front of a mirror in the bathroom. Laurel has decided to go with one of the nicer, shinier dresses, saying that she wants you to blend in with the other mentors. 

She thinks that if you look like one of them, you’re less likely to be looked down upon. It’ll be harder to hate you or something.

Soon, you’re walking out with Elysia and Mags. At the actual dinner, it’s a lot easier than you expected. Instead of being sat near the family, you’re across from the mentors instead. There, you’re able to enjoy yourself a little bit.

Until they speak, “(Y/n) Gallows.” The girl draws out your name, her voice is sweet, smooth, “Gallows as in hanging?”

You stare at her, because her name seems to be right on the tip of your tongue. There’s something about her voice, like it’s dripping sugar. Entrancing, inviting, friendly. But no matter how friendly it is, there’s some hidden intentions.

“Yes.” you answer, eyebrows drawing together, “In my family, we take the last name of our mothers, because my great-grandmother used to hang Capitol commanders during the Dark Days.” 

It’s true, and it’s a wonder how your family’s bloodline hasn’t been wiped out because of it. Especially since your great-grandmother was so good at it, and she wasn’t caught until she turned sixty. That's when your grandmother and your mom went into hiding until your great-grandmother’s investigation died out.

Of course, they killed her and tried to make an example out of her too. But your last name still turns heads. You’re still surprised that it hadn’t clicked in the minds of the Capitol officials when they constantly had to read your last name.

The boys’ eyes widen, and the girl raises her eyebrows. For a moment, you think you’ve got them off your back, finally. But then, she smiles. 

“Cashmere and Gloss, but I’m sure you know that.” 

It clicks, now. It’s the back-to-back wins. The brother and sister duo. Gloss won the sixty third games, and Cashmere won the sixty fourth. Gloss is eighteen now, and Cashmere is seventeen.

“Nice to meet you.” you smile back.

The dinner is so much easier after that. Soon, you’re having to bid Cashmere and Gloss goodbye, and offer your condolences one last time to Trink and Lennox’s family. On the way back to the train, you can’t help but to think about how Cashmere and Gloss didn’t seem to care that you killed their tributes.

Maybe it was the impression you left, because that’s the only reason you can think of.

--

District Two. Allio and Eytelle. Both tributes you killed.

And there’s still no sign of Finnick.

“He’ll be at the next one.” Elysia promises, fixing the headband in your hair, trying to offer you a polite smile, “Here’s your cards, the microphone to the left, okay? Big smiles.”

“Right.” you say, staring at the dark oak doors. These ones are much more engraved than the ones in District One. However, by no means does it make them look nicer. In fact, it looks so cluttered.

If you reach out, are they smooth? Or will you get a splinter the second your finger touches it?

You aren’t able to know. The doors open at the mention of your name, and you’re walking through them the second after. Today, the notecards are a light orange, and so is the dress you’re wearing. The headband is white, and so are your shoes.

District Two is also bright, but not as colorful. Just like District One, they’ve got rich-looking citizens with what looks like relatively new clothes. Off to the left is their mayor, on the right is the mentors. And since you studied up, you can now name the girl standing there: Enobaria.

She won the sixty second games. Her famous kill was when she ripped the neck out of a tribute, and because of it, she had her teeth sharpened. She’s got dark hair, brown eyes. You can’t name the guy next to her at all, though. You don’t know who he is entirely.

As you stop in front of the left microphone, you hold your chin up a little higher. Caesar and Claudius couldn’t shut up about the fact that your head was down, like you were trying to avoid all of this. So, you’ll give them what they want, and you stare straight into the district.

To further it, you smile, and lower the notecards, because you’ve memorized it now. You want to see their criticism after this.

The clapping quiets, a hush falling over the people. Your eyes wander along the people in the crowd, “Thank you, for your warm welcome. I’d like to apologize for Finnick’s absence, it seems he’s held up in the Capitol. Instead, I will speak for the both of us today.

“I would like to thank District Two for the sacrifice of their tributes. Not only were Eytelle and Allio great candidates, but they were also great people. Eytelle was nice, and even if she didn’t speak very much, she was kind.” you look to her family, “I’d like to offer my apology to the family of Eytelle Josic. I hope that you can forgive me for what I have done. I just didn’t want her to suffer.”

Eytelle’s got a younger brother and sister, it looks like. No father, only a mother. From where you stand, you can see the sad expression on her face. She nods, she understands. She might even be thankful that you didn’t just leave her. And to close out this story, you give the animated picture a look.

Your eyes then travel to Allio’s family. This won’t be as easy, you backstabbed Allio. And his family is angry. His only sister glares angrily, as for his three younger brothers--you don’t know if they have a single clue what’s going on.

“I’d also like to offer my apology to the family of Allio Bevard.” the mother’s lips curl, like she wants to lunge, “I know what I did was cruel, but it was for survival. Allio wasn’t a very trustful person, and that was for a good reason. I’m sorry that it had to end that way.” one look to the animated picture, and then back to the crowd.

“I’m thankful to be standing here today, and it wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Eytelle and Allio. Thank you.”

There’s some angry yelling, but the clapping drowns it out. You accept the plaques for both you and Finnick, and then the nice flowers too. Inside of District Two’s justice building, you pass them off to Elysia momentarily as you try to calm yourself down.

“Please tell me that Finnick will be at the next stop.” you look at Mags, then Elysia. The next stop has Blaire, and you can’t do it alone, “We should run through the Capitol real quick to get him.”

Mags has got her lips pressed together, sealed tight. And Elysia has an expression on her face that you read easily. The answer is right in her eyes.

You slap the notecards into her free hand, picking up the plaques and flowers as you march right out of the building. Back on the train, you set your things neatly into the box, and as for Finnick’s room, they’re on the bed. It’s beginning to look more like a memorium than a celebration.

Maybe it’s a good thing.

At the dinner, you keep to yourself, mostly. Enobaria and the other mentor aren’t as friendly as they looked on the stage. Now, they look big and angry. They might be teenagers too, or they’re just getting out of it, but they don’t like you. And you don’t think you really like them either.

--

District Three, this is going to be much easier.

Blaire and Verda. You didn’t kill either of them, and it helps that Blaire was a friend.

Today’s dress is navy blue, it goes to your knees. With only black flats. Today, there is no hair accessory.

“I’m sorry about Finnick.” Mags holds up her paper, you offer her a smile.

“I’m not.”

The doors open, and you head right out. There’s a distinct difference in the districts now, District Three isn’t nearly as nice as the first two. The only thing that’s nice is the justice building. Behind the crowd, with their business buildings, you can’t think of any compliments.

At the left microphone, you smile to the crowd, “Hello District Three. I’m honored to be here today, to speak for you. Finnick’s not here, so I’ll be speaking for him too. Even if he didn’t know your tributes well, I did. And I appreciate the both of them.

You look up to Blaire’s family, “Blaire Heinle was a good friend to me inside of the arena. And I can’t stop thinking about how I saved him not only once, but twice because something inside me told me it was the right thing to do.” Blaire’s got his brother and his parents. They all look sadder than Eytelle’s family did, “I am speaking from my heart when I say that I wish Blaire hadn’t sacrificed himself to save me from Lennox. I believe he thought he was in my debt, but it was quite the opposite.

“I would like to offer my deepest condolences for the Heinle family. And I want you to know that I haven’t gone a single day without thinking about Blaire. We might not have known each other for very long, but he meant something to me. He was a dear friend.”

Blaire’s animated picture really does sting. You can’t look at it for as long as you want to, it hurts too much. Verda is much easier, though. She’s got two sisters, and both her parents, “As for Verda, she was a pretty soul. We had one conversation inside of the training center, and she seemed to be kind. Even though I had allied myself with the careers, she didn’t care. She was indifferent. I’d like to apologize to you.”

A deep breath as you look back to the crowd, “District Three has been so incredibly kind to me. And if it weren't for Blaire, I really wouldn’t be standing here. Believe me when I say I wish I could do something to show my appreciation.”

District Three is loud, with clapping and cheering. It brings tears to your eyes, and you accept the plaques while fighting off those tears. The flowers are a pretty blue color. You say goodbye one final time, before you’re leaving the stage and going back to the train.

Again, you set your plaque and flowers into the box neatly. But for Finnick’s, you’re barely in there long enough to toss them on the bed.

District Five will be different.

--

Under any other circumstances, you would be excited to wear this deep maroon dress. Now, it just feels wrong.

District Five isn’t as loud with their clapping. You take the left microphone, give a big smile and lift your chin. It feels wrong, especially since you had helped Finnick trap Elodia--the girl--in a net to kill her. 

“District Five, I would like to thank you for your tributes and sacrifices. Under any other circumstances I’d be excited to be here, and would even ask for a tour on how you do things. It’s unfortunate that things are the way they are.”

You look to Elodia, “Elodia and I didn’t know each other. But before the private training session with the gamemakers, we and the other girls were able to share a laugh, even if it was for a second.” next is Moises, “I’d like to offer my condolences, I can’t say that I knew him very well either. The two of them died nobly.”

You accept the plaques and flowers, give one final thank you, and leave. Inside the train, you organize your plaques and flowers. Finnick’s things lay in one big heap on the bed.

You can’t help but to want to set it all on fire. But that’ll only get you in trouble. So, you leave the room and head back to your own. Knowing that District Six is the next one up.

--

“Thank you for letting me be here today.” you force a smile, “Ossie and Amos were two brave souls. I appreciate everything that they did inside of the arena to allow me to be here today. I hope you can believe me when I say that I take no pleasure in knowing that they’re no longer here with us today.”

Eyes to Ossie, “Ossie was a beautiful girl, kind. I wish I would have had the time to get to know her in a more calm setting. Had I not been allied with the careers, I would have gone to her.” next is Amos, “Amos seemed to be great friends with Mac. I didn’t see much of him inside of the training center, so I can’t say a lot.

“Thank you, District Six.”

The mayor hands over a silver plaque and the boys give you yellow flowers. You thank them greatly, and leave the stage carelessly.

--

“In my opinion, I think District Seven provided two very brave people.” you smile at Mac and Cass’ families, “As I mentioned in another speech, I was able to have a laugh with the girls before our private training session. In this time, Cass seemed to happy, and after we exchanged a few words, I realized I should’ve allied myself with her.

“However, it wasn’t only the girls that had talked to each other, Mac also joined in. At the time, it seemed so dumb them, talking about boy trouble. But now I can appreciate the fact that we were all able to be normal teenagers, even if it was for a couple of minutes. 

“Before the games had started, Cass and I shared a competitive look that was all in good fun. It looked like she wanted a race to the cornucopia, and I felt sorry, knowing that the moment we got there, our friendship would be temporary. I’m glad that I wasn’t the one to kill her, because I’m not even sure if I would have been able to.

“Thank you, seven. For producing two very beautiful people that I could consider friends. I hope your district prospers with your future tributes, and I hope that if there is a victor in the near future, I can be friends with him or her.” 

The mayor hands over the same polished, silver plaque that the others do. These flowers are lilies, so incredibly delicate.

Later at the dinner, the families and mentors were tearful. You spent the entire dinner explaining the conversation between all the girls and Mac in as much detail as you can remember. At the end of the night, the mentors requested that you’d come visit whenever you want, if it was possible.

--

The next couple of districts were a blur.

District Eight was easy, Sydney and Nestor were nothing to you. Their plaque was silver, their flowers purple. You thanked their district deeply, and the only mentor that considered your feelings was a nice woman named Cecelia. She was a mother of kids, herself. And she couldn’t help but feel sorry that you had to go through the games at such a young age. You liked her.

District Nine had Kent and Claris. Once again, pretty useless. Silver plaque, red roses. No mentors talked to you, and even though you didn’t kill their children--both of the families glared at you the entire time. 

District Ten was a little harder again, since you killed the girl from ten. You had to assure her family that Hallie’s face haunts you, especially when she seemed so kind. The first death on your hands, and it had to be Hallie out of all people. As for Clay, it was much easier to make a speech. No mentors stood out to you.

And now here you are, in District Eleven. You killed Horace, and you made your hatred for Thyme no secret. 

And surprise, surprise, there is no sight of Finnick.

You’ve had to face all the faces of the people he’s killed for him. Had to apologize on his behalf for not only being here, but also his kills. It’s not your place. He should be owning up to it.

He promised you he would be here. He promised that he’d be going through all of this with you. And where is he? In the Capitol? Watching all of this live from his nice apartment?

Fuck Finnick.

And now you get to face Thyme’s family by yourself.

You thought that you had gotten over all of this, that you weren’t jealous or angry anymore. But with how much time you’ve had to think between districts, it’s starting to bubble again. 

Mags doesn’t want you to be mad, but it’s hard not to be.

Especially when you think he deserves it.

You can hear your name announced through the door, and with gritted teeth, you force a smile. Knowing that this is the second to last appearance before you can finally go home.

[rubysunnday]

O’ Christmas Tree

Summary: You and Finn can’t wait until the Christmas tree is up to do ‘other things’.

You honestly didn’t know what Tommy and the others were thinking, leaving you and Finn in charge of the children and the Christmas tree.

“I mean, it’s almost as if they want something to go wrong, Finn!” You exclaimed as you watched their cars disappear down Tommy’s ridiculously long drive.

“You can say that again,” Finn grumbled as he stumbled down the stairs carrying a box of decorations. “It’s not even been ten minutes and I’ve already lost Katie and Charlie to the kitchen.”

“Tommy and John are going to kill us if we make their children ill,” you warned, taking a box out of Finn’s arms, giving him a kiss on the cheek as you passed.

“I was planning for us to go ice skating and drink coca,” he said, sighing as the lights came out in a giant tangle. “And then other things were meant to happen.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Other things?”

“Yeah, other things.” Finn looked up at you. “Ya know, bedroom – “

“We found a gingerbread house!” Katie yelled, interrupting Finn before he could finish his sentence. You giggled as Finn groaned, turning around to hit his head on the wall as you walked up to Katie.  

“Was it an assembled gingerbread house?” You asked, crouching down so that you were eye level with Katie.

“Was being the keyword,” Finn added, smirking as he looked down at them.

Katie giggled, holding out a plate to you and Finn which had what was once a wall on it. “It fell apart after Charlie ate a window.”

You took the plate and stared after Katie as she skipped back down to the kitchen. “They’ve eaten an entire gingerbread house, Finn.”

“Yeah, I can see that, love,” Finn replied, wrapping his arms around your waist. “We should probably put this tree up and then send them to bed.”

“So, we can do ‘other things’?” You queried, turning around to face him.

“Maybe,” Finn replied, smiling as you kissed him.

Your romance had been a whirlwind of emotions. You’d met after he’d tripped you up in the Garrison one night, catching you before you knocked into Arthur and fell flat on your face. He’d been smitten with since that day, the two of you rarely leaving the others side. Your parents had kicked you out when they’d discovered you were in love with a Peaky Blinder, throwing you into the street despite the awful weather that night.  

You’d ran to their house on Watery Lane, practically falling into Arthur when he opened the door. He’d caught you, taken you inside and warmed you up, saying nothing. He’d hugged you until Finn had burst through the door, taking his brother’s seat as you sobbed into his arms.

You hadn’t spoken to your parents since, but you didn’t regret choosing Finn over them. You’d gained a whole new family in the process.

“Do you think if we stand on the top of the stairs and throw the decorations at the tree it’ll work?”

You snapped out of your mind and turned to stare at your boyfriend. “If you want smashed baubles and lights everywhere, then go for it.”

“Haha,” Finn muttered, glaring at you as you knelt down next to him and helped him untangle the lights.

The two of you sat there for a while, untangling the lights and wrapping them around the giant tree in Tommy’s sitting room. Finn hoisted you onto his shoulders so that you could reach the top of the tree, wrapping the lights around the top point.

“I thought this was meant to be a joint effort?” You moaned as you hung baubles off the branches, no children in sight.

“They’re all in the sitting room listening to Karl read them a story,” Finn replied, his voice muffled by the tree. “And finishing the gingerbread house. We should probably put them to bed.”

You dropped the box you were holding. “I’ll go close the curtains and turn their beds down if you get them upstairs,” you called as you quickly ran up the stairs.

“Hang on!”

“Too late!”  

Finn swore quietly as you disappeared upstairs, begrudgingly putting the box he was holding down and walking into the sitting room.

“Right, bedtime,” he called, chuckling at the groans which arose from the kids assembled on the chairs.

“But Uncle Finn,” Charlie moaned, sulking in his chair.

“The sooner you go to sleep the sooner Santa comes,” Finn reminded them, and he was suddenly in the middle of a stampede as they all rushed upstairs, tripping over each other as they charged to bed.

“Uncle Finn,” Karl said quietly, following behind Finn as they walked upstairs. “Is Santa real?”

Finn paused, looking down at his nephew. He wasn’t good at this kind of thing. He’d been very quick to realise Santa wasn’t real and had never truly believed in him. But Karl strongly believed that he was, and he didn’t want to ruin the illusion for his nephew.

“Of course, he is, just ask Auntie y/n.”

Karl hummed in response, scampering off to find you as Finn relaxed slightly, glad he’d managed to wriggle out of that one.

You turned around as Karl came in, looking slightly perturbed.

“What’s wrong?” You asked as he climbed into bed, snuggling down with the teddy bear you’d given him last year.

“Is Santa real?” He asked quietly as you sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Of course, he is! What makes you say that he isn’t?” You asked, tucking him in.

“Just something Uncle John said.”

You froze. “Huh. And what was that, exactly?”

“That Santa was a stupid story to make a usually dull month more exciting.”

You were definitely going to kill John later.

“Well, Uncle John doesn’t know what he’s on about, ok?” Karl nodded sleepily. “Go to sleep and in the morning, Santa would’ve dropped off all your presents!”

Karl smiled as you bid him good night, kissing his forehead. You softly shut the door behind you, walking straight into Finn as you did so.

“Hey, you,” Finn whispered, kissing your neck, his hands wandering around.

“Finn, my love,” you replied, pushing him off gently. “We still have a tree to do.” Finn groaned loudly and you elbowed him, telling him to shush. “I’m also going to kill your brother when he’s back.”

“Which one?” Finn asked, not at all surprised, as you walked down the stairs, your arm in his.

“John. He nearly spoiled Christmas for Karl.” You rolled your eyes. “Him and his big mouth.”

Finn chuckled, spinning around so that he could kiss you on the lips. “The sooner we do this tree…”

“The sooner we can do ‘other things’, I am aware,” you chuckled, shoving him off and towards the tree. “That is if your family doesn’t magically appear first.”

Finn sighed. “Which is highly likely since the last time we were nearly caught.”

You giggled as you set about hanging baubles from the tree branches. The top of the tree only just missed the ceiling, leaving just enough room for a star at the top. Although how you were going to get it up there was a different story entirely.

“Which star this year?” Finn asked, holding up two different stars.

“Gold,” you replied quickly, snatching it out of his hand. You looked up at the tree. “We’re never getting that up there.”

“Hang on.”

Finn suddenly ran off and you watched in confusion as he ran out the front door, narrowly missing one of Tommy’s maids as she cleaned the porch. A few minutes later he came back, carrying two wooden ladders.

“This is a terrible idea,” you called as he proceeded to climb up the first one, placing the second one on top of it and against the wall.

“Climb on my back,” Finn called, turning around to look at you.

“Nope.”

“Oh, come on, how else are we meant to get the star on the tree?”

“We wait for Arthur to come home?”

“But then we would’ve failed in our mission.”

“The mission being?”

Finn raised his arms and the ladder wobbled precariously. “CHRISTMAS!”

You huffed and began to climb the ladder. “If I die, I’m suing this entire family.”

Finn laughed as he helped you climb onto his back, holding your legs tightly as you leant forward and, somehow, managed to put the star on top of the tree, wedging it against the ceiling.

“Tada!” You sung softly as he helped you down, the ladder holding steady as you climbed down.

Finn jumped off the final rung and ran towards you, scooping you up in his arms and spinning you around.

“Bedroom?” He whispered in your ear and you felt a tingle go down your spine.

“Of course,” you replied, smiling into his kiss as he lifted you up, your legs wrapping around his waist as he carried you upstairs, never breaking the kiss.

You got to the top of the stairs and Finn could wait no more as he sat you on a table, passionately kissing your entire body. You giggled as his hand began to wander again, disappearing up your skirt.

“We’re back!”

John’s loud voice filled the hallway and the two of you groaned. You buried your head into Finn’s shoulder as his hand fell back down to his side.

“Every bloody time,” you muttered, taking Finn’s hand as he helped you off the table, straightening your skirt.

“Hi!” You called cheerfully, walking down the stairs, trying to ignore your pounding heart.

“Everything ok?” Tommy asked as you reached the bottom step.

“Well, apart from John nearly ruining Santa for Karl, everything was fine,” you replied, glaring at the man.

“I did what?”

“Karl overheard you saying Santa wasn’t real, you prick.” You swatted his arm and John quickly moved behind Tommy.

“He doesn’t –“Ada began.

“No, I reassured him and told him that Uncle John is just an idiot,” you replied, giving John a false smile. John glared back at you, ducking as Polly smacked him around the head. The conversation carried on as Finn’s hand found yours squeezing it tightly.

“Other things?” He asked quietly, his hand wandering yet again. You giggled, grabbing his hand and moving it further up.

“Gladly,” you replied, smirking as your hand began to wander too. Finn stiffened, coughing slightly and you tried not to laugh as his face slowly turned red.

“Y/N come have some drinks by the fire,” Arthur called, grabbing your hand and dragging you away from Finn.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Finn growled, and you giggled, winking over your shoulder at him as you were whisked away.

“Maybe another night, Finn,” Ada whispered, giving him a knowing look as she followed the rest of the family into the sitting room.

Finn just glared, storming outside to get some much-needed cold air.

[missmalice202]

Designing Your Melody: Chapter 15 - Satisfied

Chapter 01 - Chapter 14

If Marinette had been a nervous wreck before her Fashion Week show, that was nothing compared to her instability at that moment. As a matter of fact, anyone watching the poor girl would have assumed that she’d become unhinged.

Pacing around her room, she pointedly avoided looking in the mirror for the thousandth time that evening.

After much agony, she’d finally decided on a relatively casual appearance for her and Luka’s first date. Surely he wouldn’t choose to do something too extravagant for their first official date. Was this their first date, or did their meeting at the café last week count as their first date? Was that even a date? She didn’t know…

Spiraling ever further into a tizzy, she let out a shrill scream when her mother popped her head into her room and announced that Luka had arrived to pick her up.

Sparing a cursory glance at her phone, she realized that he was early. She needed the extra five minutes to settle her nerves. It just wouldn’t do to have him see how much this simple date was affecting her.

Releasing a sigh in resignation, she allowed herself one final glance in the mirror, just to check and make sure that nothing had fallen to disarray in her nervous breakdown.

Her hair was still elegantly pulled away from her face and gently curled to fall in waves to just below her shoulders. None of her lightly applied make up had smeared from screaming into a pillow earlier. Thankfully, the tunic length red sweater was knitted in a soft, fluffy cashmere and didn’t indicate that she had been mercilessly bunching up the hem in her fists for the batter part of an hour. Vertical striped leggings completed her outfit and when she finally reclaimed what little composure she had left, she stepped into a pair of black velvet ankle boots.

With that, she decided that she was ready as she ever would be. Snagging her purse on the way, she made her way down her stairs – and missed one of the last steps, resulting in her clumsily sliding down the stairs the rest of the way down.

Stunned from the fall, she could only sit at the bottom of the staircase with her legs sprawled out around her. Her head swiveled to the side when she heard a faint snickering. She looked on in horror as her parents both were attempting to suppress their laughter, but their failure was audible.

To make matters worse, Luka was standing with them, a look of horror on his face.

“Oh my god, Marinette, are you alright?” He rushed over to help her, grasping her arm firmly and pulling her to her feet.

She brushed herself off and adjusted her sweater where it had bunched up around her waist. Thank goodness she’d decided against wearing a dress. She would have had to change her name and move out of the country if she would have fallen down the stairs in front of Luka in a dress!

She shook her head to get rid of that line of thinking right away. She still had to salvage this situation, not get hung up on something that hadn’t even happened.

“Yeah, I’m fine” she assured him.

He held out his arm for her to take, which she did so gladly. They turned toward her parents and bid them goodnight, Luka promising her safe return later that evening.

From the looks on their faces, Luka’s concern for her safety was the right course of action to gain their approval.

Upon exiting the bakery, Luka turned to Marinette and asked, “Would it be okay with you if we took the metro? There’s a place I’d like to take you to and it’s a kind of far to walk or for me to ride my bike to.”

She looked at him with her eyebrow raised. “Oh? And where is this place?”

“There’s a crêperie a few blocks away from where the Liberty is moored that I think you might enjoy.”

And with her approval, they headed toward the nearest metro station.

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“Luka,” Marinette said enthusiastically around a mouthful of the crêpe complète - a savory buckwheat crêpe stuffed with ham, egg and cheese, “you were right.”

He leaned back in his seat with a smile and waited for her to continue. “This place is amazing! I can’t believe I’ve lived in this city for my entire life and I’ve never been here before.”

She wasn’t exaggerating. Not only was the food delicious, but the crêperie Luka had chosen also boasted an extensive cider list, which they both had chosen from and enjoyed.

In addition, they had chosen to dine outside under the navy-blue awnings so they could enjoy the mild October night. Each of those factors resulted in an atmosphere of quiet comfort and did much to relax Marinette.

She and Luka had been thoroughly enjoying themselves, laughing and teasing each other, sharing bites of each other’s food (and Marinette had to admit that his duck breast crêpe was better than her ham), and generally reveling in each other’s company.

As for her companion, he had done everything he could to put her at ease. When their date began, he made a conscious effort not to invade her personal space and toned down the flirting. At least, he did at first.

Now that she was more comfortable in his presence, the metaphorical gloves had come off. He was back to his outrageously charming self and Marinette was in a much better mind frame to handle him. Their playful banter resulted in one of the best times she’d had in a very, very long time.

“Oh my! Is that you, Marinette?”

Upon hearing the sickeningly sweet voice coming from behind her, she snapped up in her chair, her previous feeling of ease instantly evaporated. She turned her head to look at the young woman approaching the table.

All in all, she hadn’t changed much in the two years that had passed since Marinette had last seen her. Her dark auburn hair was pulled up in a ponytail instead of cascading down her back, but she still sported the blunt bangs that ended just above her almond-shaped green eyes.

Knowing that she was trapped and wouldn’t be able to avoid the upcoming confrontation, Marinette greeted the other girl with a barely restrained grimace.

“Hello, Lila.”

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At Marinette’s terse greeting, Luka realized that there was more to this meeting than he was aware of. It appeared these two ladies had history, and if Marinette’s reaction to the other girl’s interruption of their dinner was any indication, it was a bad history.

“I thought that was you,” the green-eyed girl – Lila was what Marinette had called her – exclaimed. “How are you? It’s been so long since I last saw you.”

“Not nearly long enough,” came Marinette’s reply through clenched teeth.

There was something about the way that Lila talked that struck Luka as fake. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but her whole demeanor toward Marinette just screamed hostility and set him on edge.

However, he didn’t want to jump to conclusions and sat back and observed their conversation.

“The other day, I saw pictures from your little fashion show online,” Lila said, her voice dripping with condescension. “I would have come to your show myself, but I was in Achu visiting Prince Ali again.” She flicked a finger through her bangs and rolled her eyes. “I swear, the prince is always after me to spend more time with him. It’s like we’re practically engaged already!”

“Sure, Lila,” came Marinette’s impatient response.

Apparently, that hadn’t been the response the other girl had been aiming for because her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “But enough about me! It’s just so wonderful that you’ve finally gotten over your little crush on Adrien and were able to somehow convince a model of his caliber to agree to appear in your show.” She smirked as Marinette’s jaw clenched at the backhanded compliment. “The media coverage of his appearance must sure have gotten you a ton of attention. I guess that’s how the business is, using every connection you’ve got to make sure you end up on top. Good for you.”

Luka was stunned. Surely this vicious girl wasn’t trying to say that Marinette was using her apparent friendship with Adrien Agreste to get her foot in the door of the fashion world. Anyone with eyes could see how talented she was.

He hazarded a glance at his date and sure enough, rage was radiating off her in almost visible waves. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that she had unconsciously gripped her table knife in her fist.

He reached over and place his hand over hers and gently pried to potential weapon out of her shaking hand. It wouldn’t do to have his date get arrested for assaulting someone with a deadly weapon.

Apparently, his intervention had been enough to snap her out of her murderous rage and she took a breath to calm herself.

“For the record, Lila, I didn’t use any of my so-called ‘connections’. When Alya mentioned my upcoming show to Adrien, he volunteered to model for me. I didn’t have to ask him for any favors and to be honest, I’m offended that you’d try to say that I’d use my friendship with Adrien to further my own career. We’ve been friends for years, a fact that just kills you inside, and we always do whatever we can to help each other out.”

Feeling proud for some reason at Marinette standing up for herself to this vile girl, Luka watched as the other girl drew herself back with a gasp and pressed her hand to her chest as if to ease an ache there.

“How could you think that?” she gasped. “I wasn’t trying to say that at all! I was just complimenting you on how clever it was of you to use an already internationally well-known model in your show, knowing that it would guarantee you’d get more attention.”

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Marinette shake her head, obviously out of patience with the girl.

“Lila, I know you well enough to know that your ‘compliments’ are never what they seem. You haven’t changed since school and I feel sorry for you.” She watched as Lila’s eyes widened in surprise and she took a step back. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to my date.”

At the reminder that the two girls were not alone, Lila’s sharp eyes focused on Luka, where he was sitting across from Marinette with his hand still casually resting on her own. He could see the gears in her mind start to turn as she tried to figure out a way to come out of this altercation the victor.

“You’re date?” she crooned, gazing roving appreciatively from the tips of Luka’s carefully (for once) styled hair, over the black blazer he wore with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, to the tight blue jeans the did nothing to hide his muscular legs, to rest on the black boots he had chosen to wear that night. It was obvious she liked what she saw and Luka didn’t appreciate being assessed like he was something for sale.

“Yes,” Marinette said, getting her attention once more. “You’re interrupting our date and we would appreciate it if you left.”

Lila sneered at her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were on a date. I thought he was just a friend or something. I didn’t think that someone that looks like him would go on a date with someone like you.” Her gaze flickered to Luka’s once more, checking to see if he had picked up on her compliment toward him.

“To be frank,” she continued, “I just can’t believe that you’d go out with anyone other than Adrien, considering how absolutely in love with him you were for years.” She gave Marinette a quick nod of approval and went on to say, “Good for you. Finally getting over your creepy obsession with him must have been hard, but don’t you think it’s a little unfair to your ‘date’ here to use him for a rebound?”

Okay, enough was enough. Luka had heard enough and intervened on Marinette’s behalf.

“I don’t mind if she’s using me,” he said calmly, ignoring the way Marinette’s head whipped around to stare at him in horror. “I’m just happy that a girl like Marinette agreed to go out with me tonight. With as beautiful and talented as she is, if Adrien couldn’t see that, then his loss is definitely my gain.”

Growing visibly frustrated that the seeds of doubt she’d tried to plant hadn’t taken root, Lila hastily made an excuse and stormed off, leaving behind an amused Luka and a surprised Marinette.

Glancing back at his companion, Luka grew concerned when she continued to stare at the table, refusing to look at him.

“Are you ok?”

She took a shuddering breath before looking up at him, eyes swimming with unshed tears. “I am so sorry about that.”

“What do you have to apologize for?” he asked, wiping at a stray tear that had finally spilled over. “She’s the one who interrupted us. If anyone should be sorry, it’s her.”

She shook her head at him. “I’m sorry about the things you had to hear, about me, and about you.”

“Marinette,” he started, squeezing her hand again to reassure her, “it’s easy for anyone with eyes to see that she’s just jealous of you and was trying to stir up trouble.”

Her shoulders sagged in relief that he didn’t believe anything he had heard that night. But it made him wonder. “Has she always been like that?”

He laughed at Marinette’s heartfelt groan. “Ugh, it was even worse when we were in school together. She’s a compulsive liar and I was one of the few people who could see how fake she was. The fact that I couldn’t be manipulated by her lies made me her enemy in her mind. She wasn’t satisfied until she tried to completely ruin my life.”

At Luka’s shocked expression, she explained. “She’d plant stuff in my bag or locker and accuse me of stealing. She made up the most horrible rumors about my friends and then would tell them that she’d heard it from me. And once, she went so far as to pretend to fall down a flight of stairs at school and then timed it just right that when she called for help, it looked like I had pushed her down the stairs.” She scrubbed her face with her hands, still upset at that particular injustice. “I almost got kicked out of school because of her lies.”

Luka couldn’t believe it. Of course, he believed every word that Marinette said, but he couldn’t believe that anyone could dislike the kind-hearted girl to such an extreme.

When he told her as much, she laughed. “Well, you said it yourself. She was jealous of me. I was friends with Adrien in school and she wanted to be where I was so she could weasel her way into his life.” She smiled smugly. “But he didn’t fall for it either and he called her out on her bullshit.

“I don’t know how he did it, but he said something to her that scared her enough to make up some ridiculous story about how she has some mysterious medical condition that makes it impossible for her to control what she says, or something like that. God,” she said in disgust, “she reduced the principal to tears with her ridiculous lie. But after that day, she pretty much left me alone.”

“That’s a relief. You don’t need someone so toxic in your life,” Luka said comfortingly.

“I know,” she agreed. “I appreciate whatever it was that Adrien did to get her to leave me alone, but it wasn’t enough to stop her lying and most of my friends still thought she was the greatest thing in the world.”

With a final shrug of her shoulders, she declared, “That’s it, I’ve wasted enough of our time together on her.”

So they returned to their meals and changed the subject, continuing to enjoy what time they had left together.

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If she were to be completely honest with herself, Marinette was shocked at how easy it was for her to talk to Luka. After she’d gotten over her initial bundle of nerves, she found it was completely natural for her to interact with him, Granted, he’d made it a point to make her comfortable, so that definitely helped. In fact, if he hadn’t gone out of his way to casually touch her throughout the night, she would have thought that they’d just been hanging out together, grabbing a bite to eat between friends.

But it was in those small, imperceptible touches that he’d declared his intent. Whether it was lightly stroking the back of her hand with a calloused fingertip, or gently grasping her shoulders to steer her around a puddle on the sidewalk, or firmly placing his hand on the small of her back to steady her when the metro had jerked, it was those small intimacies that indicated to her that he was interested in more than a friendship or a professional relationship with her.

Even now, walking the few blocks from the metro station to her house, he had subtly place himself between her and the street, ever mindful of their surroundings and how they could affect her.

She shivered when a sudden gust of wind cut through what little protection her sweater gave her from the chill October night. Without hesitation, Luka slid off his blazer and draped it over her shoulders, letting his hands linger before caressing down her back to return to his side. She shivered again, but this time it had nothing to do with the cold.

She snuggled into his jacket, enveloped by his warmth and the gentle scent that was all Luka: warm, sweet, and carrying the faint snap of an ocean breeze.

She hummed her appreciation as she snuggled the jacket more firmly around her, relishing in the feeling of being surrounded by Luka’s essence while ignore the traitorous whisper in the back of her head that being held in his arms would be a much better alternative to some flimsy jacket.

Far too quickly for both of their liking, they arrived back at the bakery. Marinette glanced up at Luka, his face in shadows from the streetlight. She smiled at him and took off his jacket, returning it with a mumbled “Thanks”.

Seconds pass in silence as neither wanted to say goodbye, but they both knew that the evening had to end sometime. Finally, Marinette crumbled under the awkward silence and says goodbye.

“I had a great time. Thank you for taking me out tonight, Luka.” She tilted her head back to get a better look at his face through the shadows.

With a playful chuckle, he lifted his hand and ran it down her hair, fingers threading through some of her curls to rest on the back of her neck. Her breath seized in her chest as he leaned closer to her face.

Her stomach exploded with butterflies as his breath fanned over her face.

Her eyes shoot wide when she feels his soft lips press against her forehead. Her skin tickled when she felt his lips curl into a smile against her as she continued to just stand there like a deer caught in headlights.

She was still frozen in shock when he leaned back and looked at her. Since it was obvious that all brain activity had ceased, Luka gently turned her toward the door and opened it for her, gently pushing her inside.

He waited patiently until he finally heard the telltale click of the lock that ensure that she was home safely before he turned and headed home, eager to pick up his guitar and put the feelings he was feeling into song.

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Chapter 16

*Woohoo! Longest chapter to date. I liked using Lila as a semi-villain here because I feel like Luka would be able to see right through her nonsense.

Thanks to everyone who reblogged, liked, and commented on this. It makes me feel so good to see my phone blow up with notifications from everyone lol.

Until next time, My Lovelies XOXO*

@write-for-your-life2