#and he’s good at cooking and he always has my sister and I do odd cleanup or maintenance projects that we actually like

[emawinslow]

been so focused on work and the upcoming dani trip (which is less than two weeks away night I add) that I completely forgot that I’m spending four straight days with my dad starting sunday. which is an issue for a lot of reasons namely the sleeping and appetite issues I’ve been having but. here goes nothing I guess.

[claraswritings]

heyy as a blurb for the Can I Be The One fic- how about a jealous Carmy? Like he knows she picked him but he can’t help but be a littttle bit possessive?? And she actually likes it 🫣

Hey thank you for your nice comment!!

Some SMUT BTC

If you have any other blurb ideas for my Can I Be The One universe let me know :)

Carmy could hear the person next to him at the bar try speak to him but he wasn’t really listening.. he was too focused on you.

You were talking to a guy. A guy who was easily 6’5”, broad shouldered, with a well tailored suit and slicked back red hair. A guy who was animatedly talking to you whilst you nodded politely.

You always were friendly to everyone but he couldn’t help the jealously in the pit of his stomach. Did you think this guy was hot?

‘She picked you. She loves you. She’s still with you even though you’re fucking crazy’ he tries to tell himself but as he sees you laugh politely at something the guy has said. He can’t help it.

‘Well the past three months have been too good to be true’ he told himself, his eyes not shifting off you.

And then like you always do, like you always have, you tapped into that weird ability you have to sense when he needs you and glanced across the room for him, waving him over when your eyes locked.

He doesn’t need to be asked twice.

****

“Carmy, this is Tom. He’s my brothers University friend, he’s from London and he’s a personal trainer for a rugby club”

Carmy rather stiltedly held out his hand and offered a handshake to Tom, who reciprocated.

“Tom, this is Carmy. My boyfriend.” Another person wouldn’t notice the oh so subtly emphasis on the word but Carmy did. “He’s from Chicago and he’s head chef at his own restaurant, aren’t you babe”

You were smiling at him, looking at him so happily but all Carmy could focus on was how this Tom was staring at you.

“Oh interesting.” Tom said as if he thought it was anything but. “Is it as good as Baccchanalia? The beef carpaccio was spectacular there”

“Yes.” You enthused “Carmy has worked in several Michelin star restaurants, he’s won awards, he cooks the best food I’ve ever had. I’m very proud of him”

Tom nodded “Well good for you mate.” He said before turning back to you “Say…there’s this new place in Kesington, my sister does their marketing and can get us a table for two tomorrow if you fancy it. Me and you of course”

Carmy felt his jaw clench and subconsciously he wrapped his arm around your waist. And as if you could sense his tension, you touched his hand in the spot it rested.

“Oh no thank you, Carmen and I are going to the museums, aren’t we babe?” You said politely.

“Next day then?”

“No…I’m good” you said

“Or we can catch up when your friend is back in Chicago?” Tom suggested, placing his hand on your arm, a gesture that made Carmy want to punch this asshole in his perfect jaw.

That was enough.

“Get your hands off my girlfriend.” Carmy took a step closer to Tom, folding his arms to flex his toned biceps. Tom was easily taller, but at this point Carmy would have liked his odds if he did have to lay this guy out

Tom looked a little surprised but didn’t move away from you “Relax, mate, we’re only talking aren’t we? Just an old friend hoping for a catch up…”

“You fuckin’ stupid? She said no thank you.” Carmy pushed Tom off you with a shove.

The other man looked like he was weighing up his options. He opened his mouth to speak but Carmy wouldn’t give him the chance.

“Go on, get the fuck outta here, she’s mine, fucking asshole”

“We should be going.” You added “Goodnight…” you linked your fingers with Carmy’s and led him out of the hall and into the corridor without a further word.

‘Shit you’ve fucked it by being a jealous weirdo. Fucking idiot’

He hoped this wasn’t going to be a fight. You hadn’t really fought, and he wondered if it would even come to that or if you’d just break up with him for making a scene.

Fucking apologize, idiot

“M’sorry about that. I meant you were mine like you’re my girlfriend not like my property or anything weird” he said as you reached the elevators.

“I know” you smiled at him and squeezed his hand as you pressed the call button “I appreciated you standing up for me. It was hot.”

Carmy turned to you a little surprised. “What?”

“It was a kinda sexy. Knowing you’d fight for me…” you said tone low as the doors opened and you both stepped in.

You’d pressed the button for your floor but the lift had barely started moving again before Carmy had hit the emergency stop.

His lips were on yours in a second, tongue slipping into your mouth, teeth biting and pulling on your lip as he pressed you up against the wall.

You let out a surprised throaty sound but responded in turn, hooking your leg around him, using the handrail to support you as your other hand made its way into his hair, pulling lightly as he left red marks on your neck.

Carmy could have sworn he heard the radio telling you, ‘We will have the lift up and running again in five minutes’ but he elected to ignore it, instead sliding a hand up your thigh and under your little black dress to your underwear. As soon as he grazed against the fabric, he could feel you wet and ready for him.

“Fuck you weren’t joking baby”

He touched you through the material putting just enough pressure on that you could almost feel him, as he started kissing you again.

“Stop messing with me, babe,” you muttered into his mouth.

“Okay okay” Carmy muttered “you really are my girl aren’t you” he said, pulling back to look at you”

“You know I am” you said voice low.

Carmy deftly moved the material to one side, stroking your sweet spot with his thumb, eliciting a moan out of you that went straight to him like fire.

“Like that babe” your head thrown back against the wall as he inserted a finger and then another, moving slowly in and out, as his thumb circled over again and again. He moved back a little to watch, savouring seeing you like this, knowing it was all for him, only for him.

“Carmy…” you pulled his hair a little giving him about open mouth, messy kiss, before dropping your head to suck on his neck in a way he knew would leave a mark.

He could feel you tightening around him, drawing close, and spurred on by the down right dirty sounds he was drawing from you, he picked up the pace, going faster and faster until you tensed up, biting lightly on his shoulder as your finish hit you.

You were only catching your breath, his hand still under your dress when you felt the clink and the elevator begin its rise again

“Okay, folks, that should be you moving again.” The crackled voice came from the speaker.

You didn’t say anything until you reached your floor, eyes too busy scanning the lift for CCTV, you didn’t know if you wanted there to be or not.

“Come on,” you kissed him as the doors opened. “Take me to our room and show me I’m your girl”

And for the second time tonight but with a lot more reassurance than the first time, Carmy didn’t have to be asked twice.

[firstkanaphans]

Safe House, Season 4: FK moments you might have missed (Day 4)

During the afternoon session, FirstKhaotung, PerthChimon, GerminiFourth, and Tay are sitting together in the living room. Tay is quizzing himself on the sibling names he learned the night before. He guesses that Khaotung’s sister’s name is Khao Suuay and First loudly corrects him, “No, it’s Tungkhao!”

Also, I need y’all to see this picture because not only is First looking absolutely adorable, but Tay and Fourth are sharing a shirt for punishment reasons and it’s glorious.

This is also the day where FK film that skin care ad, which I’m sure y'all have already seen. Khaotung uses the opportunity to tease his bestie a bit. 

I think he was trying to convince him that slapping his face was good for circulation, but I once again have no idea if he was being serious or if he was just trying to annoy First. I do think he would have kept slapping him indefinitely if First hadn’t stopped him.

Honestly, just watch the whole thing. It’s cute.

After that, they go back into the living room where First picks up Khaotung’s guitar and proceeds to smell it for a good five minutes straight. At one point, Khaotung takes it away from him to play something and then hands it back so that First can keep smelling it. I cannot adequately describe how bizarre this behavior is. No one seems to find it odd.

That night at dinner is when Foei and White make inappropriate comments to First, but that scene has apparently been removed from the YouTube video. You can read a brief description of what happened here, or you can watch the full clip here. Is it worth seeing? Absolutely not. But I don’t think it’s fair that GMMTV just erased what they did from the internet as if it never happened. 

One interesting thing about that scene is that First wasn’t even supposed to be sitting at that end of the table. He was originally sitting on the other end with Perth and Chimon but he moved because there weren’t enough chairs for both him and Khaotung to sit next to each other and he wanted Khao to be able to sit with Perth and Chimon instead because he’s closer to them than the older boys. So they switched.

Once the night’s festivities were over, First and Khaotung immediately snuck off alone together. This is another moment y’all have probably already seen, but I’m going to include the video anyway because you get to hear Khaotung say “guu lak mueng” and it means so much to me.

(via)

During the interview portion at the end of the night, FK are paired with Chimon. First offers to let Chimon sit between them on the couch and Chimon says “mai” about ten times. He was not about to get in the middle of all of that, which turned out to be a good call because FK end up having a lovers’ spat in the middle of the interview. 

My Thai is not good enough to be able to translate word-for-word, but the gist of it is that First was asking Khaotung what his favorite dish to cook was and Khao responded that he doesn’t cook much anymore because he’s always at First’s playing games. First takes offense to this and they go back and forth for a while. At one point, First calls him out on all of the empty water bottles in his car. Chimon just sits there and fangirls.

(Also why are they sitting so close to each other 😭)

That’s it for Day 4!

[whore-ibly-hot]

How strong is Joey? You said previously he has big man tatas

And how’d he treat his sons vs daughters? I feel like he’s accidentally lovingly misogynistic. Especially given his conservative religious upbringing. Like he doesn’t believe that darling should labor in the sun, but he doesn’t believe that darling is lesser than him because she’s a woman. Does this make sense?????

Joey's actually very good about beating back any unintentional misogyny. He has a lot of family members, but Betty Jo, one of his sisters, is probably the biggest and strongest laborer in the family. She's huge, and could probably hog tie a cow and carry it into the next field if she needed. He's no stranger to women working just as hard if not harder at traditional masculine activites than men.

He tends be more gentle and allow darling to stay in the house and do stereotypically feminine chores because he just loves them so much! He thinks they're delicate, and their from the city. He doesn't want them to overwork themselves!

As far as kids, Joey is thrilled at whatever his little guy or gal is into! More of a home chores kid? Great! Wants to help on the farm? Awesome. Doesn't really want to do anything but sit and play with rocks? A little odd, but he's more than happy to join in.

The only real difference in how Joey treats kids is age. Until the kid is about eight or so, Joey will treat them like glass. Gently holding them, extremely slow and careful piggyback rides, and baby proofing the house even if they're old enough to ride a bike and swim. Once they're over eight? All bets are off. Play wrestling, swinging the kid around over his head, or throwing them into a big bale of hay from the hayloft. All if the kid is okay with it, of course.

He's excited is his kiddo is good at something he isn't. If Joey's little boy comes up to him and talks about how much he likes cooking or baking, Joey's thrilled! He's always had someone too make meals for him, and he can't cook to save his life. He's so excited that his kiddo has a hobby he can learn with them. Regardless of what his kid is into, he'll sit and listen with fascination.

Joey has had a lot of siblings, but as the youngest boy he doesn't have a ton of experience with babies. Because of this, you'll have to tell him off from time to time, as well as his other family members because of the odd things he may do. He's only ever been around baby animals, so you'll have to explain why human babies can't be held by a scruff, or why they won't start walking within a few days like a baby cow. He's a little disappointed he won't be able to have a conversation with his kid for a few years, but that doesn't stop him from talking to them.

"Mhmm, there's my big healthy lil' dumpling'. What're you gigglin' at, huh? You happy to see daddy? Are ya?"

Joey is thrilled that his family uses hand me downs so much now that he has kids of his own. Seeing his little girl in his old red truck shirt of his little boy in some big green rain boots is enough to make him cry. Expect to see him showing the kids and the rest of the town old family photos of him in the same clothes when he was little.

He's a great dad, especially in the early years. Diapers need changed? He's dealt with grosser. Babies hungry? You stay in bed, he'll feed them. You honestly don't even need to purchase a crib, because his baby is not leaving his broad chest.

"Cmon, darlin'! I'm big and soft, I'm just as good as any old crib, and Joey Jr. Here agrees. Let him stay a lil' longer? Please?"

[copajay]

high society

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

masterlist

HAPPY NEW YEARSSS im going through a bridgerton phase rn and was reminded of my quarantine obsession w jane austen and enhypen so here's a jake period piece :P

summary: it's the early 19th century regency era, you belong to a well-known noble family but your father has been noticing a decline in his finances. determined to save the estate and his honor, he encourages you to mingle with any and every suitable bachelor in your town to secure the family fortune through marriage. none of them catch your eye, until you meet park sunghoon...'s stableman. (not proofread)

date: 01/01/24

scenario themes: period piece, rich girl broke dude cliche

idol: jake sim or sim jaeyun of enhypen

concept: fluff

warnings: mentions of hitting women (nothing crazy i swear)

word count: 7.28k

it was a typical sunday morning, you woke up in your satin sheets, calling to your servants to ready you for the day. after getting dressed and having your hair fixed, you made your way down the stairs to enjoy breakfast with your family as usual.

you've always enjoyed a life of luxury. belonging to a dignified household constantly bustling with an array of servants, housekeepers, cooks, and more, you never felt any need to marry.

why go from such a grand, happy estate to a smaller one to live with complete strangers as opposed to the hands that practically raised you? why abandon your daily latin lessons with your governess to listen to your mother-in-law lecture you about producing an heir?

luckily, you were the youngest daughter of six siblings, three girls and three boys. your brothers ensured your family name would survive and your sisters provided your parents with plenty of marriage proposals to occupy themselves with. there was absolutely no reason for you to be wed any time soon.

at least that's what you thought before you sat down to breakfast. "good morning, y/n" your mother greeted. "good morning mother, father." you acknowledged the man sitting across the table from you, occupied with a small journal in his hands.

as you were about to take a sip of your morning tea, you heard your father sigh, exasperated. "what seems to be the matter, father?" your elder sister asked, eyeing the journal.

"i'm simply going over finances. there's no need to panic as it is a matter of little emergency. we will need to find a new source of income by next sunday, and since your lazy and careless brothers cannot be bothered to fulfill their duties as men, it is up to you girls to marry men who can." he asserted.

unaffected, you continued to pick at your breakfast. you have two older sisters who are perfectly fit to wed, why should you worry?

"we have already begun looking for matches for catherine and y/n." your mother noted. your head shot up upon hearing your name, "pardon me?" you exclaimed, "what about arabella? she's the eldest of all of us."

"we have been looking for a suitor for arabella for a twelvemonth now. she is clearly unfit to be a bride, just look at her!" your mother began, prompting your oldest sibling to roll her eyes.

arabella has always been... unladylike to say the least. she sported breeches while horse riding and insisted on discussing politics and sports instead of more suitable feminine topics. it's no surprise most of the men in this age couldn't stand her.

you personally never minded. she did a better job educating you than your own governess, reading controversial female literature to you and encouraging you to avoid marriage for as long as you can, which you gladly did.

unfortunately, you weren't as forward as arabella. you wouldn't dare disagree with your parents like her, recalling how she boldly rejected a marriage proposal from a wealthy lord, angering your father.

you bit your tongue to prevent a protest from leaving your lips. what are the odds you'll actually find someone? all you have to do is push away all the suitors long enough for catherine to find someone. after all, she was a model young lady: quiet, pretty enough, and obedient.

you, on the other hand, could only be described as spoiled and insolent. perhaps not as impertinent as arabella, but you were definitely sassy in your own right. most men found your attitude off-putting and made empty threats to "whip you into shape".

"enough of this discussion. we will be attending a ball tonight in an attempt to mingle with some members of high society. I expect you girls to be on your best behavior. and be sure to invite any potential bachelors to our estate for tea!" your mother rambled.

you were undoubtedly annoyed at the circumstances, but oh how you loved getting ready for functions like these. wearing your nicest gowns, displaying your expensive jewelry and unique hair styles. then, actually arriving at the formal and being able to listen to delightful pianoforte and dance with strangers.

the ball was being held by the park estate, renowned throughout the province for being incredibly wealthy. the parks had four sons, two of whom were already married. which left sunghoon and jay as the biggest targets of every unmarried girl within a ten kilometer radius.

they were quite handsome, but you weren't interested in either. perhaps they'd make good matches for catherine, supplying your family with an alarming amount of wealth and allowing you to remain a happy spinster for the rest of your days.

before you knew it, it was time to ready yourself for the ball. excitedly, you threw on your finest corset and carefully selected your prettiest lavender gown, pairing it with a dainty pearl set.

as you situated yourself in the carriage with your sisters and mother, you couldn't help but zone out as they excitedly discussed meeting the park brothers. "i hope jay asks me for a dance!" catherine giggled, prompting arabella to shift uncomfortably.

she always seemed to react a bit oddly to any mentions of jay. you honestly didn't mind him, he's generous and far more liberal than most men. maybe not liberal enough for arabella, but you suppose nobody is.

by the time you reached the park estate, you excitedly jumped out of the carriage first, rushing into the doors of the large manor. you're not one to be impressed by ostentatious displays of wealth, but by God was this place striking.

marble and gold mosaic lined the interior walls with chandeliers latched onto the high ceilings, illuminating the magnificent paintings along the walls. a group of musicians was situated in the corner of the large room, playing loudly as dozens of ladies and lords conversed, dressed to the nines.

you looked to your left and noticed arabella fiddling with her dress. grasping her hand, you smiled before sighing, "isn't it beautiful?"

she playfully rolled her eyes, "it is, but not beautiful enough to marry into this mad family. don't fall for whatever trap mother and father are attempting to catch you in." she warned.

"yes, yes, I know. can't you just enjoy the ball?" you pleaded. she simply shook her head and announced that she would be heading to the garden for some solitude. as odd as she is, your sister is dear to you and you'd like to see her happily settled down with a good man one day.

turning, you were greeted with the sight of park sunghoon. great. you could see your mother eyeing you in your peripheral vision so now you had to acknowledge him.

"hello, sunghoon." you half-smiled and curtsied. he bowed in response, "good evening, y/n. would you care to join me for a dance?" he asked, extending his arm to you. i'd rather eat dirt. "I would love to." you took his arm.

it's not like you dislike sunghoon. he's a proper gentleman. he enjoys hunting and composing music, he's tall, handsome, and not to mention extremely well-off. but he bored you to no end, and he was very old-fashioned.

you vividly remember overhearing a conversation between him and your brothers, where he proudly claimed he would spank arabella until she behaved if he was her husband. you also remember jay getting quite upset at him afterward.

"i heard your parents were looking to give your hand" he started, interrupting your thoughts. "yes, it appears so." you responded, absentmindedly. "have you met anyone suitable yet?" he carefully continued.

you weren't an idiot. it's apparent sunghoon has had a sort of infatuation with you for a while now. "no, not yet." you sighed. you didn't miss how his eyebrow raised. uncomfortable, you decided to excuse yourself, "I need to freshen up. would you mind pointing me in the direction of the bath?"

"certainly." he responded, sounding rather annoyed. after showing you the way, you practically sprinted out the door in your heels, desperate to get away from the smell of his headache-inducing fragrance.

you spotted a greenhouse and deduced it must be close to the garden, where arabella should be. making your way there, you stopped in your tracks when you heard a clanging noise followed by muffled shushes.

deciding to investigate, you inched closer to the source of the sound and nearly yelped at the sight.

you saw arabella and jay embracing one another. but not just embracing. they were fondling, kissing, grasping at one another. it was quite possibly the most lewd thing you've ever seen.

you didn't know what to say or how to react. so you turned and ran in the opposite direction, praying neither of them saw you. unfortunately for you, you're completely unfamiliar with the grounds and ended up running headfirst into a door.

you fell on the ground with a pounding pain in your temple. sitting up, you looked around for a clue as to where you were but to no avail. you were too dumbfounded at the sight you just witnessed to process anything else.

thankfully, you heard footsteps rushing to where you were and a strong pair of arms lifting you up. "are you alright, ma'am?" the stranger's voice fretted.

"yes, yes I--arabella. OH MY GOODNESS ARABELLA. you have to help me sir." you grasped at the thin, cloth shirt the boy opposite you was wearing.

"who's arabella? what's wrong?" the man asked. you noticed he had a very peculiar accent, one that sounded more akin to commoners. his clothing was quite dirty as well. he must've been a new servant, probably a stablehand.

"my sister. she was--he--jay was... doing something to her." you rasped. it wasn't long before the man began chuckling. "oh yes, they do that quite often."

he slowly released his grip on you and stepped back. "you need not worry about her. would you like assistance heading back to the ball, ma'am?"

he turned around before you even responded, heading towards the manor before you grabbed his arm. "wait. i would actually prefer to stay out here."

you must sound like an idiot. and the puzzled look on the boy's face only affirms that. the truth is you just don't want to have to deal with your mother pressuring you and sunghoon's advances.

"what's your name?" you asked the servant, changing the topic. "jake, ma'am." he responded swiftly. "you need not call me ma'am. y/n will do just fine." you shot jake a smile.

you're not sure why you enjoy this boy's presence so much. perhaps it's his puppy-like eyes or his soft voice. "well, y/n," jake prompted.

just hearing him say your name sent shivers down your spine. what has gotten into you? he's a stablehand. a servant.

"i suggest we go inside as it is exceedingly cold out. we wouldn't want you to develop an illness" he sympathized. he led you into the dimly lit stables, where you could get a better look at him.

he had thick pink lips and long black hair that nearly covered his eyes. his nose was long and tall and he had highly defined cheekbones coupled with a sharp jawline. he was dangerously handsome.

you caught yourself staring at him and got a bit embarrassed before you noticed that his eyes kept darting down at you and away, nervously. you looked down to see your corset was disheveled after your fall, revealing a bit of your cleavage.

screaming, you threw your purse at him while attempting to cover yourself. was this stableboy about to do to you whatever jay was doing with your sister?

he put his hands up above his head as if to surrender and apologized profusely. "i'm so, so sorry ma'am! I meant to mention it earlier but I was a bit apprehensive as I didn't want to offend you-"

you steadied yourself a bit seeing how anxious jake looked. attempting to console him, you held his shaking hands. poor thing probably thought you were going to get him whipped, or worse.

"it's fine. I'm just a bit on edge after... never mind that. could you please explain to me what I saw jay doing with my sister? it is still heavy on my mind." you hesitated.

jake began looking bashful again. "when two people are overcome by lust, they tend to... fornicate." he explained awkwardly. you gasped. you weren't familiar with what fornication actually looked like, but you knew it was a great shame.

"please, please don't tell anyone." you begged him, still gripping onto his hands. "of course, not, ma'am--y/n. it's not my business to tell." he assured.

smiling, you let go of his hands. the two of you stood in comfortable silence for a while, looking out the doors to the stable at the starry sky and beautiful garden underneath it.

jake broke the silence first, "i believe it's time for you to return to the ball. your family must be getting worried."

your mood immediately soured. you wanted nothing less than to return to the ball you were once so excited to attend, especially because it was now a matchmaking event for your parents.

"right." you straightened down your gown. "do you think you could... help me adjust my corset before I go?" you cautioned. the truth is you could've easily fixed it yourself, you just wanted another excuse to be close to jake again.

he shuffled behind you before fastening one of the buttons on your top that had come undone. his hands were shaky yet his grip was firm. your breath hitched as he gently moved your hair to the side.

the tension was palpable, and before you knew it, you had turned around and were face to face with jake. your noses were nearly touching and you felt an electric shock travel from your stomach to your head.

feeling lightheaded, you moved a bit closer. you could hear his breathing speed up.

the next thing you know your lips were touching his. you knew this wasn't right, that this was not only a shameful thing to do as an unmarried woman, but with a stablehand of all people?

but in that moment, you couldn't care less. you attempted to deepen the kiss awkwardly but it was apparent you had no idea what you were doing. he didn't seem to mind though, reciprocating your efforts.

you were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. panicking, you pulled away. you didn't miss how jake seemed to lean in again subconsciously, which almost prompted you to jump back into his arms.

but you were way too terrified of getting caught. without thinking, you ducked behind a bale of hay. holding back a laugh, jake turned to face the front of the stables where arabella and jay walked in. arabella was wearing trousers and a linen shirt that she must've had on under her gown.

"jake, ready two horses at once." jay ordered, sternly. "of course, master jay." jake obediently answered.

"are you sure about this, jay?" arabella whispered, tugging on the boy's sleeve. "we have no other choice, you know my parents won't approve of you." he insisted sympathetically, grasping onto her hands.

were they about to elope?

jake handed jay the reigns to two separate horses. jay simply smiled and thanked him before handing one of the horses over to arabella. "I wish I could've at least told my baby sister." she sighed.

rage built up inside of you. how could she keep this from you? she definitely doesn't have to tell you now because you're going to make it known that you're well aware.

you jumped up from behind the hay like a madwoman, your corset still slightly a mess with straw in your hair. "arabella! how could you?" you yelled accusingly.

yelping, your sister quickly covered her mouth. "y/n, what on earth are you doing in here?" she retorted, still slightly shocked. "never mind that. were you about to elope... with him?" you motioned over to jay.

"y/n, I'm not sure what you think of me at this moment but I assure you it was for the best-" he started. "I don't care. unhand my sister at once." you seethed. "y/n! do not speak to him that way!" arabella defended.

you were furious. arabella, your tomboy and supposed spinster of a sister was secretly fornicating with jay park and now she was planning on eloping with him.

jake looked awkwardly between you and your sister as jay held his head down. you and arabella on the other hand were having a heated stare-down.

"if you stay, i won't tell a soul about this. if you leave, I will tell the entire county and a search party will be sent for the two of you within an hour. it's your decision." you growled.

sighing, arabella shot jay a knowing look to which he nodded in agreement. "we will stay. but if you know what's best for you, you'll be quiet." she warned. you wanted to scoff at her threat, but you knew it would just fan the flames all over again.

jay suggested heading back to the ball as the three of you had been out long enough. after jake led you through the servant's staircase, the three of you joined the party once again, luckily right before it was about to end.

sunghoon caught your eye right as you were leaving, and of course, your mother happened to be right in front of you when he approached you. "y/n! i've been looking for you the whole night. I was hoping to get a second dance," he slurred, it was evident he had one too many glasses of port wine.

"perhaps next time, sunghoon." you grumbled. your mother sent him an apologetic look before waving goodbye.

fortunately, there were two carriages sent to retrieve you and your family after your mother complained that the one was too cramped. unfortunately, mother and catherine jumped into the first one, leaving you and arabella alone in the second.

you honestly couldn't bare looking at her, let alone speaking to her on the way home, so you opted for staring out at the countryside through the small window.

"why were you in the stables?" arabella began. you shot her an annoyed look. "i know you're upset with me, y/n, but you wouldn't understand what it's like to be in love with someone you can't be with. it's unbearable."

"no. maybe I don't. but I do know that it's wrong to leave behind your loved ones. besides, you and jay nearly had an arrangement! was there really a need to go and do all this? mother practically begged you to be with him-"

"and his parents couldn't stand me. they told him he could never marry such an uncouth woman." she sputtered, tears forming at her eyes.

your heart hurt for your sister, but you were still far too upset to embrace her. "the stablehand, jake." you blurted.

she looked up at you, confused. "i saw you and jay..." you explained, prompting arabella to look away once again in shame. "...and I ended up hitting my head on the stable doors somehow. jake came out to help me and we somehow ended up kissing." you admitted, slightly embarrassed.

arabella's mouth opened slightly, before it closed and formed a smile. "do you like him?" she chided like a small child.

that was one of the things you loved so much about your sister. she was never judgemental, always open to hearing whatever you had to say.

"I believe I do." you smiled sadly, "but it would never work. he's a servant for crying out loud."

"do you want to see him again?" she asked, unexpectedly. you nodded before seeing a mischievous glint in her eye. she smiled widely and made a proclamation, "how's this? I help you hide your meetings with jake and you help me with jay. it may not be a long term solution but it would help, wouldn't it?"

"what about mother's obsession with marrying me off?" you huffed. "she's not obsessed with just you marrying. besides, sunghoon alone is wealthy enough to fix our financial woes. let's set him up with catherine, convincing her to set her sights on him." she stated.

springing up from your seat, you held your sister while cheering, "genius! you're a genius!" causing her to laugh and cheer as well.

that night you couldn't sleep. your mind kept replaying the kiss between you and jake. you could still feel the ghost of his soft lips on yours. giggling to yourself, you realized you probably look like a madwoman. yet, you didn't really mind. all you cared about was seeing jake again.

the next morning you mentally prepared yourself as you made your way down to breakfast. all you have to do is fib a bit to your family, it can’t possibly be that hard.

making eye contact with arabella as you waltzed down the stairs, you held back a smile before greeting your parents.

“mother, you’ll be delighted to know that i believe i’ve found my match.” you announced, rather dramatically. your mother nearly dropped her spoon upon hearing the good news, and your father simply smiled and asked, “who is it, my dear?”

“jay park.” you grinned, watching as arabella shot you a mischievous wink from across the dining table. “i was thinking we could perhaps have a luncheon at the park residence today. sunghoon also made it very apparent to me that he has been showing an interest in one of my sisters,”

this caught the attention of catherine.

“which one of us?” catherine yelped. “clearly not arabella,” your younger brother snickered, earning a light smack to the back of the head from your sister.

“he… erm, didn’t say. which is why we must find out today at the luncheon!” you stammered. as unconvincing as you sounded, your parents and siblings seemed to fully believe you, which meant your plan was now in motion.

from that day on, you and arabella were able to make your way to the park’s estate nearly daily by lying.

part of you felt guilty, but that guilt was alleviated as soon as you felt jake’s warm embrace. the two of you would lay in the garden some days, and sneak around the manor on other days, using the servant passageways.

you would constantly cover up for arabella as she would for you. and to your surprise, you witnessed a romance slowly blooming between catherine and sunghoon.

“what are your plans for the future? would you like to start a family, settle down in the countryside? or would you like to move into the city, somewhere in london perhaps?” you asked jake. you were sitting in the shade of a large oak tree behind the park manor with his head in your lap as you ran your fingers aimlessly through his soft hair.

he laughed lightly, “i always assumed I’d be stuck here forever, picking up horse dung.”

you felt a pang of hurt in your chest, being reminded of the harsh reality of being a servant. “surely that can’t be. don’t you have a home? where is your family residing?” you asked.

“of course i have a home,” jake started as he slowly got up from your lap. you immediately felt the cool breeze hit your lap in the absence of his warmth. “it’s in the southern part of town, my parents and brother own a bakery near there, on 5th street.” he smiled to himself.

��why didn’t you work in the bakery?” you prodded. you felt a bit nosy, but you were genuinely curious. “we were hardly making anything, it seems like nobody has enough to even spend on bread anymore. I had to find a job elsewhere and this seemed to be the only option.”

you felt a sense of guilt wash over you. you were so used to your own servants hanging on your every whim yet you never wondered about their livelihood. with income running low, father cut their salaries which you’re sure was already low.

“enough of that.” jake coughed, visibly uncomfortable, “will you read to me?”

you smiled, grabbing the long-forgotten novel in the grass behind you.

everything was running smoothly until the parks decided to come over for tea one eventful afternoon. you happily greeted lord and lady park along with their two youngest sons as they sat down in the drawing room.

you were only excited to see jay so you could cryptically ask about any developments concerning jake. unfortunately, you wouldn’t have any time to as your parents did most of the talking.

“so, i hear that jay and y/n are getting on quite well,” lady park beamed. your mother nodded vigorously in approval while you and jay feigned bashfulness.

“i also heard good news about sunghoon and my dear catherine.” your father added, to which lord park raised his cup to.

it was a typical, and rather boring, conversation until sunghoon decided to pipe in, “i always presumed i would end up with y/n,” he said casually, chuckling to himself.

catherine suddenly looked to mother, shocked. “i thought you were interested in catherine, mr. park.” your mother quipped.

“oh, of course. but that is a much more recent development. i’ve been pandering after y/n since we were kids for christ sake.”

your mother glared at you, clearly upset with your lying but at least you could cover it up by claiming you were too occupied with jay to notice sunghoon’s advances.

coughing awkwardly, your father suddenly stood up, brushing himself off. “lady l/n and i have long thought about this decision, and wanted to ask you personally instead of relying on correspondence.” once he had everyone in the room’s attention, he continued,

“we believe y/n and jay should be wed by tomorrow.”

you froze. you watched as jay and sunghoon’s jaws dropped and the elder parks began to protest. tomorrow?

“as happy as we all are that our children are getting on, don’t you think tomorrow is making haste?” lady park commented, but your father insisted, “we don’t need to plan the grand ceremony just yet, but an intimate procession in which legal and religious matters are sorted would be nice to get out of the way, wouldn’t it?”

you knew exactly why your father was so desperate to get you married by tomorrow as it would be saturday, meaning you had only tomorrow to correct the family finances.

“with all due respect, i feel like this is a bit rushed. jay and i haven’t fully gotten to know each other yet. don’t you think sunghoon and catherine would make a better match?” you suggested, your voice shaky.

“nonsense. you’ve gone over to the park’s nearly every day this week, spending hours there each visit. surely you’ve gotten to know him enough.” your mother insisted.

“then it is set. the two are to be wed tomorrow, let us discuss the details!” lady park shared gleefully.

you couldn’t bare listening any longer. wordlessly, you stood up, heading to your room, passing by arabella who was eavesdropping by the steps.

“she must be nervous.” your father announced after your departure.

once you found your way to your bed you collapsed. what were you going to do? how were you going to tell jake? you felt hopeless.

you heard a knock on your door. then another one, this time more impatient. “come in.” you groaned, ready to unleash your wrath on whoever walked in.

“are you alright, miss l/n? i heard a large slam coming from this direction.” an elderly maid asked innocently.

seeing her familiar face calmed your nerves. she had been working around the house for as long as you can remember, but she looked much more tired now. you thought back to your conversation with jake and realized how little you seemed to notice her condition weaken over time.

christ, you didn’t even know her name.

“i’m fine,” you smiled. “um, could you please set up a carriage for me? if you’d like, i’d prefer it if you joined me.” you suggested.

she looked taken aback but quickly composed herself, “yes of course, miss l/n.”

it wasn’t long before the carriage was drawn and you and your maid stepped inside. “where to, miss l/n?” she asked, “the bakery on 5th street, i believe it is located south of here.”

“pardon me miss l/n, but isn’t fetching bread a servant’s job?” she hesitated. “please just call me y/n, and i plan on doing more than simply ‘fetching bread’” you responded reassuringly.

she nodded and the two of you set course for the bakery. along the way, you decided to learn more about the maid. you found out that her name is agatha, she was aged three and forty, had three kids of her own, and had been working for your family since you were born.

once you arrived, you and agatha stepped into the nearly empty building. the only person you saw was a young man behind the counter who you assumed was jake’s brother.

“good afternoon, ma’am. how can i be of assistance?” the boy greeted, dusting off his flour-covered hands on the counter.

“i’d like to purchase ten loaves of bread.” you beamed. agatha glanced over at you, confused. “that would be ten shillings, ma’am” he smiled. he looked strikingly similar to jake when he did so.

“who on earth could be buying that much bread-” you heard a familiar voice emerge from behind the counter. you were surprised to see jake wearing much more casual clothing than you’re used to seeing him in, holding a loaf of steaming bread.

he stopped upon seeing you, quickly pulling himself together. “my apologies… ma’am.” he nearly whispered before disappearing back into the kitchen. for the rest of the time he popped in and out the two of you did your best to ignore one another.

after nearly half an hour of waiting, your order was finished. as you loaded the loaves into the carriage with the help of jake and his brother, you felt the sudden urge to tell jake about your impending marriage.

unfortunately, you couldn’t find a way to without raising the suspicions of either agatha or his brother, so you thanked the both of them and went on your way. hopefully it would all be sorted out and he’d never have to know.

once alone with agatha, you handed the loaves to her. “please distribute these among the servant’s families, and keep one for your own. I’d like to make a quick stop before i return.” you shared. “of course, where to?” she asked.

“your home.” you answered casually. “miss l/n-”

“y/n.” you corrected. “y/n, is something the matter? i apologize if i’m speaking too freely but you have been behaving a bit oddly today.” agatha nervously shared.

“yes actually, there is a cause for great concern. i am to be wed tomorrow to a man i have no affection for meanwhile i am hopelessly in love with a stableboy.” you stated carelessly.

you yourself are unsure of why you decided to confide in agatha but you felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders once you did.

“I’m sorry to hear that. i hope for the best for you always, you know you’ve always been my favorite of your siblings.” she half-joked, lightening the mood.

you couldn’t help but laugh, and before you knew it, the two of you were joking with each other like old friends.

once you arrived at agatha’s house you handed her two shillings. “this is double your salary for the day. take off early, i insist. neither mother or father will hear a word of this, i swear.” you said, clasping her hand in your own.

her expression turned to one of immense gratitude and she rushed to hug you. before you could react, she pulled away, apologizing repeatedly.

you simply pulled her back in, embracing her even tighter. she bid you farewell as she stepped out of the carriage and you began to make your way back as the sun set.

arriving home, you were greeted with the sight of your parents standing behind the front gates, visibly furious.

“where were you all this time? it is nearly dark and you did not notify anyone of your departure. my goodness, and you set off alone!” your mother gasped.

“is this how a lady is to act before she is about to be married? you better correct yourself before jay catches onto this scandalous behavior.” father boomed.

you grumbled a “yes, father” before hurrying inside, back to your chambers. you were surprised to see arabella waiting anxiously on your bed.

“where were you?” she jumped up. “nowhere important.” you shrugged. “christ, i thought you had eloped!” your sister exclaimed. to be frank, you were beginning to consider it as an option.

“nonsense. i won’t be eloping just like i won’t be marrying jay.”

you saw her face drop at the mention of her lover. “sister,” you sat beside her, “i promise you we will fix this mess together.”

“but how?” arabella sighed. “i say we convince sunghoon and catherine to marry instead of jay and i.” you shared.

your sister raised an eyebrow at your proposal, “how on earth will we do that?”

“we have to tell them the truth about you and jay.” you declared. you could see a glimpse of fear in arabella’s eyes, and you would be lying if you said you weren’t a bit afraid yourself. “fine.” she agreed. you held her hand tightly as she confided in you the rest of the night.

the following morning, the park’s estate was bustling, the servants all gossiping about jay’s new match. jake was never one to listen to rumors going around but he was particularly interested in this one, wondering if arabella had finally gotten through to lord and lady park.

“i hear the bride is the youngest daughter, y/n.” one of the cooks shared excitedly. jake froze. “where did you hear that?” he suddenly asked. “from the tailor that was fitting her dress. apparently they’re going to have a small, intimate ceremony at the church today-”

before she could finish her sentence, jake sprinted to the stables and began saddling the nearest horse.

he didn’t know what he was going to do once he arrived at the church, or even what would happen to him afterwards, but he didn’t care. he refused to stand by as you married someone else.

while at the church, you fiddled with your veil anxiously. arabella assured you that she would speak with sunghoon and catherine without mentioning anything about jake.

it was nearly time for the ceremony to begin and you were starting to worry that something had gone wrong.

suddenly, the door to the room you were in burst open, revealing catherine and arabella. “quick! give me your veil and remove your dress!” catherine ordered.

while rapidly exchanging clothes with your sister, arabella filled you in, “the couple agreed to our plan upon hearing about mine and jay’s story. sunghoon made a rather dramatic declaration of love to catherine before jay could even stand at the alter and luckily, our parents decided that these two were more deserving to be wed.”

you let out a huge sigh of relief. you were able to evade marriage with jay, but how much longer could you keep this lie up?

arabella led you down to the area where the ceremony would be held and within a few minutes, catherine made her way to the alter.

the two shared last-minute vows and right as the officiant asked if there were any objections the door to the church flew open.

“stop! stop the ceremony!” a disheveled jake panted. everyone in the room’s jaws flew open except your own. you didn’t know whether to be flattered or embarrassed at his commitment to you in this very moment.

“what is the meaning of this, boy?” lord park boomed. “i’m in love with her, sir.” jake confessed, pointing at your veiled sister. you wanted to dig a hole in the ground and lay there.

jay coughed, nodding his head in your direction, prompting jake to make eye contact with you. as soon as he saw you, his mouth made an o-shape.

you couldn’t take it anymore, standing up dramatically and declaring “he meant me. he’s in love with me and I’m in love with him.”

just when you thought the situation couldn’t possibly worsen, your mother fainted.

at this point the church was a noisy, swarming mess. lady park and arabella attempted to calm your mother after she regained consciousness and became hysterical while your father had to be held back by his sons and lord park from attacking jake. catherine was sobbing in the corner and the officiant simply stared awestryck at the scene unfolding in front of him.

while everyone was distracted, you grabbed jake’s hand and ran out the church doors. the two of you mounted the horse he rode over and ran off in a random direction.

you looked back once to see everyone emerging from the church, frantically looking for you and jake.

“where are we going?” jake asked, clearly on edge. “keep going until we’re too far for them to catch us.” you ordered.

you ended up stopping nearby a small field. dismounting the horse, you noticed a large tear in his shirt. “how did that happen?” you asked, worried.

“your father ripped it open at the church.”

for some indescribable reason, that sentence alone made you both burst into laughter. perhaps it was the ridiculousness of the whole situation.

as jake laughed, you noticed how his nose slightly crinkled, how all his teeth showed, how his eyes closed and his head was thrown back childishly.

you realized just how much you had fallen for him, and how little you could care about your family’s blessings.

“i love you.” you blurted. you quickly placed your hands over your lips as if it would take back what you said. sure it had been implied before, but you had never said those three words to his face. to anyone’s face, really.

“i love you, too.” he whispered, now moving closer to you. the two of you shared a short kiss, breaking apart before leaning back in again.

this time the kiss was deeper, more passionate. his hands travelled to your lower back as yours cupped his jaw.

you felt yourself desperately moving more and more forward, still not feeling close enough to him. he pulled away first, leaving you gasping for air.

“what are we going to do?” he asked, out of breath. “we’re going to get married.” you responded firmly.

grabbing his hand, you hoisted yourself up on the horse once again, patting the seat behind you. “are you sure about this?” he asked, hesitant.

you nodded wordlessly as he seated himself beside you. you charged back in the direction you had just come from.

you, the girl who never cared for marriage, were now determined to fight for your right to marry the man of your dreams.

you made it back to the church within minutes, spotting your both enraged and confused family standing outside.

arabella saw you first, rushing over. “you should have left, y/n. father is going to murder the both of you.” she warned.

you ignored her, walking up to lord and lady park. before you could open your mouth, you felt a harsh grip on your arm, yanking you back, “not only have you sent your mother into a frenzy, you have bought immense shame upon our family with this illicit affair. i am disgusted to call you my daughter.” your father spat.

“don’t speak to her like that.” jake threatened, moving closer to your father.

“enough of this, lord l/n. i have an enormous headache from today. it is safe to say no arrangements will be made between our children. boys, let us leave at once.” lord park commanded.

neither jay nor sunghoon moved, prompting lord park to repeat himself. again, no reaction.

“oh for christ’s sake. i understand sunghoon being a bit hesitant but this girl is clearly not right for you jay-”

“i wish to marry arabella.” jay announced, “and i don’t care if she doesn’t meet your standards. i refuse to leave the church grounds until she is made my wife.”

“neither shall i until catherine and i are wed.” sunghoon chimed in.

“and neither will i until you give my hand to jake and only jake.” you challenged, looking your father in the eye.

“this is nonsense. what has gotten into you kids?” lady park objected. your mother fainted once again, but this time nobody seemed to pay her any mind.

the officiant peeked his head out from the door, “if you’d like, i can officiate the three weddings for the price of just two.”

you saw your father become visibly more upset at the mention of pricing and were reminded of the reason your parents were so adamant on getting you married in the first place.

“father, if arabella marries jay and catherine marries sunghoon, our income nearly doubles. we won’t have to worry about our finances any longer. what is stopping you then from allowing me to marry jake?” you plead, desperate.

“he is a servant. a stablehand, y/n. below a commoner. it was a grave error on your end to even look his way.” he scoffed.

“he’s no longer a servant of mine,” lord park added, rubbing his temples, “not after this mess.”

“then he is now a baker.” you quipped. “pardon me?” your father asked, irritated. “his family owns a bakery so therefore he is a baker. not a servant. i don’t see any reason as to why i cannot marry him now?”

“just let them bloody marry.” lady park cursed just as your mother came back to her senses, causing her to fall unconscious yet again.

“fine.” your father sighed, “but you will not be living on any of my estates.”

“i will give them one of mine.” jay interjected, patting jake on the shoulder.

after that, the ceremony continued. this time with three brides, two disgruntled father-in-laws, and a single annoyed lady (as the other is still passed out).

fast forward to a few months later, you and your parents have reconciled although your father is still weary of jake.

the two of you have settled into your new estate, courtesy of jay. jake is back to working at his family bakery, which has seen a large increase in profit. you also decided to appoint agatha as the head housekeeper in your new home.

jay and arabella are happily married, as are catherine and sunghoon. your family’s finances have improved greatly and you couldn’t be happier for your parents.

you reflected on how drastically your life has changed within the span of a year as you readied yourself for morning tea at arabella’s house.

you put on a simple purple dress and in the corner of your eye, saw the pearl set you wore the night you met jake. grabbing the earrings, you placed them carefully in your ears, reminiscing to yourself in the mirror.

suddenly your husband made his way into the bedroom, placing a firm kiss on your cheek before announcing his departure for work, a tradition the two of you now have.

wishing him luck, you shared one last embrace before you sent him off.

[mastermindmiko]

Enigma

pairing: Sirius Black + fem!reader

word count: 2207

Summary: After sirius moves in, you find it harder to keep your feelings hidden, but when you go back to hogwarts, you start to realise that maybe you're not the only one who has those feelings

Warnings: none, I think maybe some spelling mistakes

Hey! If you think this didn't completely suck, feel free to check out my masterlist.

requests are open

an: In a few days, another Sirius + James' sister one shot will be posted. lmk which one you liked more.

He was what every girl and almost every boy wanted. He had the most beautiful hair and the most charming smile. He was charismatic and chaotic in every good way. He fulfilled some people's fantasies by spending a week with them, but he never stayed for longer than that.

To most people, Sirius Black was a complete enigma, but not to me. He is best friends with my brother, and he'd always come spend a few days with us during the summer, but last summer, he came to stay with us permanently.

I, like most of the Hogwarts' population was in love with Sirius Black. What differentiated me from the rest of them was that I actually knew him. Or at least as much as I could with my brother around constantly.

"Honey! Come down for breakfast!" I heard my dad shout, and I hop off my bed. It was Dad's turn to make breakfast today which made me excited. I loved my mom with every fiber of my being, but I could not ever love her cooking.

I open the door, and I stumble into Sirius. He was coming out of his room just like me. He's room is right across from mine, and the only thing separating them was a narrow hallway. James' room was right beside mine, but he mostly bunked over at Sirius'.

"Hi." I say when he's face to face with me. He gives me a smile, and I nearly faint. He really did have the most charming smile to have ever existed. He asked, "So, Monty's cooking today?"

"Yeah."

"Score!" He said, excitedly. Knowing Dad, what could be awaiting down stairs could range from bacon and eggs to his wonderful pancakes, I really hope he made the pancakes. Sirius steps closer to me and holds my hand. I also hope that he doesn't notice the way my cheeks turned red at the action. Sirius said, "Come on, let's go."

He started leading me down stairs, and I couldn't help but smile. this was the bright side of having Sirius over for the summer, getting to spend more time with him, and not having to worry about him every second while he's with his horrible family.

"Wait up!" James says from behind us, and I groan internally. James jogs up to us and puts his arm around my shoulder and around Sirius'. He separates us with his body, and I feel the need to smack him. I can't though because who knows what my brother will do if he finds out about how I feel about Sirius.

"Potters! How are you this fine day?" Dad says, and I grin. I look at the table that he has set, and I notices the pancakes. I celebrate my triumph and head to the table. I head to sit at my usual place, but Sirius beats me to it by pulling out my chair for me. I grin at him gratefully, though the behavior is odd. James sits opposite to me. Dad sits at the head of the table, and mom's seat is opposite to him.

I feel the chair next to me get pulled out from under the table, and I look up in surprise to find Sirius going to sit next to me. James notices to, so before Sirius can be fully seated James shouts, "Oi! What you doing over there?"

"I wanted a change for a bit. Besides now I can see you better without having to break my neck." Sirius teases James and gives him a flirty wink. James looks at Sirius suspiciously, but drops it when dad puts James' plate in front of him. I feel butterflies at the fact that Sirius decided to sit next to me.

James shoves a large piece of food in his mouth, and he moans at how delicious the food is. He gulps it down, and looks at dad to say, "I wish you could cook for us everyday."

"Why's that James?" Mom says, coming down the stairs. James pauses and looks at mom scared. She heads towards the table and Sirius greets, "Good morning, Mia."

"Good morning, Sirius." Mom greets back and pulls out her chair to sit. She sits down, straightens her clothes then looks back at James. She repeats, "Why's that, James?"

"Because uh because you work too hard everyday and deserve to rest." James stutters, and I hid my grin behind my hand. Sirius on my right is doing the same as me. Mom hums, satisfied by James' answer, but not believing it one bit. Mom turns to me to ask, "How are you feeling, Honey? This years a big year."

It is. I get to take my OWLs and that means studying all the time, except when there's Quidditch of course. OWLs are very very important, and if I want to be an Auror like mom and dad I need to ace them, which isn't an easy feat. I feel my stomach bubble in nervousness every time I think about the exams. I reply, "Fine."

"You don't have to worry dear, I'm sure you'll do great." Mom reassures me, but it quite frankly does very little. James says, "You're a huge nerd, you'll do well."

I'm not sure if what James said could be categorized as an insult or a compliment. Dad jumps on the supportive train and says, "Besides, if you ever need any help your two brothers can help you."

My face scrunches up at the idea that Sirius is my brother. It makes me feel icky, but I hide my displeasure by giving dad a thankful smile. I wondered if Sirius thought about me that way, too. He's known me ever since he's known James, and as James' younger sister, I wouldn't doubt that he feels some sort of sibling connection between us like the one he feels with James.

"We need to get going, the train will leave in thirty minutes." Sirius said, and I glance up at the clock to find out he was right. I quickly munch on my food and so does everyone else. I needed to check that I have everything I need before we get going.

It doesn't take us a long time before we're on the train. I say goodbye to my mom and dad, and they rush to get to work before they're late. We go to our usual compartment where Remus and Peter are already waiting. I squeak in excitement when I see Remus, and jump into his arms.

I laugh as he embraces me just as tightly. Remus was my closest friend out of all of the boys, and I would say my only friend. Being siblings with James meant that it was hard making friends because everyone wanted me to get to him.

I feel a pair of arms wrap around my middle and pull me away from Remus. I frown at the action, and turn around to tell James off, but instead I see Sirius. My frown depends. Remus sits back in his seat, and before I can sit next to him, Sirius beat me to it. Sirius seats me beside him, and James sits next to Peter, opposite to us.

They all chat about their summers before Remus has to go to the Prefect's compartment for a meeting. I try not to think about Sirius' odd behavior and I try not to think about the way his arm hasn't left my waist. My heart hasn't stopped racing ever since he put it there.

Remus leaves the compartment and leaves a few sad faces as he goes. I grin at my brother's childish antics, and Remus reassures them that he'll be back as soon as he can. Remus waves to me and gives me a smile. I do the same, and I once again, pretend that I don't notice the way Sirius' arm tightens around me. The action however brings James' attention to the situation.

"Um, Padfoot." James says, glaring at Sirius' hand that's around me. Sirius frowns and then notices his arm. He pulls it off me and I feel cold at the loss of contact. Sirius apologizes sheepishly, "Sorry Prongs."

"You better not be thinking about my sister like that." James says, half joking, half dead serious. Sirius chuckles, but there's a tinge of nervousness to it. He replies, "No way, you know that Glynnis is my only girl."

I couldn't believe that I felt jealous, especially jealous of a girl who's twenty years older than me and a famous seeker.

~~~

I may be an idiot and I wouldn't be surprised if I am because I'm thinking that maybe this year is the year that Sirius Black falls for me. He's been acting strange, but in a good way. It's only a few things that I've noticed, they're all subtle, but they mean the world to me.

My only problem with these new actions were that they would all be perceived as protective...in a brotherly way. The thought alone is enough to make me gag.

"Potter and Black."

I look up to see that Professor Slughorn has called out the names of the partners. I hate Professors and their need to force inter-house unity. I look to find Regulus not moving from his place but his previous partner packing up his things.

Regulus doesn't move an inch, and doesn't even look at me. I roll my eyes, and head over to his desk with my stuff. Merlin! I hope this is at least a bit bearable. I huff and place my stuff on his- our desk. He doesn't say anything when I sit. I purse my lips and let out a polite, "Hey."

He hums, but doesn't look at me. Professor Slughorn starts to talk about the lesson, and so he starts to jot down some notes. So this is how it's going to be for the rest of the semester? Great. I pull out my parchment paper and start writing down some notes myself, but much less vigorous than Regulus is.

Regulus takes the lead in the potions making, and I'm not complaining. Potters have always been great at potions, but the tradition ends with me and James. We're complete messes when it comes to potions. It broke our dad's heard, but our love for Quidditch mended it again.

"How is he?" Regulus randomly whispers, and I could barely hear it. I frown and look at him confused. I ask, "What?"

"Sirius, how is he?" Regulus says, and continues to chop up whatever ingredient he has and places it in the potion. He isn't looking at me and my heart breaks a little. He still cares about him. I reply, "He's good."

Regulus doesn't reply, but nods his head. Regulus is much like Sirius when he was younger. Up until third year, Sirius was quiet which seems impossible considering how he is now. Sirius lacked confidence due to the way his parents raised him. He always said that being sorted into Gryffindor saved him. I wonder if Regulus was the same, except he didn't have anyone to save him.

"If you um if you ever want to talk or something like that, I'm here." I whisper and for the first time. Regulus looks at me. He looks like a mix between surprised and confused. He clears his throat and looks away. He continues to do whatever he's been doing. He says, "We're going to talk anyway."

"We have to get the project done." Regulus says before I can inquire about his sentence. I notice that Slughorn's rambling on about some sort of project that each pair has to get done by a month. The bells ring and Regulus packs up his stuff quickly, leaving the cauldron for the professor to check. I say, "Bye?"

The Black brothers were definitely going to be making this year interesting.

~~~

"Where are you going?" Sirius asks me as I head out with several books huddled in my arms, heading to meet Regulus to get the project done. He's resting on the couch with his arms spread out just like his legs. I try not to stare.

"Since when are you interested in my whereabouts?" I tease him, and Sirius Black, Mr. Charmer, Sir flirting, blushes, and looks away. The action fuels my suspicions that my crush may not be unrequited anymore.

"Just in case James asks." Sirius answers, and I feel my heart plummet, but I still hold on to some hope. I nod and head out of the common room. I call out once I open the portrait, "If he really wants to know then he can check that map of his."

It's not that I don't want to tell sirius that I'm meeting Regulus. It's that I don't know where they stand. Regulus clearly still cares about his brother while Sirius hates his family, I don't know if that means Regulus included.

I'm already at the library, and I sit down next to Regulus, who already has some books open and writing something. I sit down, and Regulus quips, "Took you long enough."

"I'm two minutes late!" I chuckle, and Regulus wastes no time before saying, "I think we should recreate the polyjuice potion."

"But it's very complex." I say weary of the idea. Even the best potion masters have trouble making that one. Regulus says, "which will make it all that more impressive when we get it right."

"Alright, but you're the one who is trying it, not me." I say, raising both my hands as if I'm surrendering. Regulus smiles, a rare thing that I only get to see every so often. He says, "Only if I get to turn into you."

"I'll have a stack of hairs ready." I say with a grin. Regulus' smile falls, and I miss the presence of it. It made him look much less intimidating. His eyes fall to something behind me, and I look to see Sirius sitting between bookshelves, hiding behind a large book about women's problems in the wizarding world.

"We have a stalker." Regulus says, and I actually am surprised that we can so obviously see Sirius. He's always been the best hider out of all the boys, sans invisibility cloak, of course. I turn back to my work and huff, "He's protective."

"He's jealous." Regulus says, and I look at him bewildered. I scoff and chuckle in a weird way and say, "he's acting like that because he thinks I'm his little sister."

"Now, I know that incest runs in Black blood, but Sirius looks at you the way he looks at Glynnis Griffiths." Regulus says, growing more annoyed by Sirius' presence. I stand up. I sigh, "I'll get rid of him."

I walk towards him, and he fumbles on his book, dropping it to the ground. He picks it up quickly and steps deeper in between the bookshelves. I fold my arms in front of my chest and tap my foot against the ground. I purse my lips and then say, "I assume James put you up to this."

"Yes, definitely." Sirius replies in an instant, taking off the dark glasses that he's wearing. I narrow my eyes and him and fake ignorance, "Weird, considering that James has private practice with the beaters today."

Sirius turns viably nervous, very nervous. He looks down to the ground and fidgets. Does Sirius actually have feelings for me? All the signs are there. I take a chance, "Sirius, do you like me?"

"What?!! Why would you say that- I- what I...yes." Sirius sighs at the end and looks down at the ground. I don't say anything and watch him frown. He rubs his face, frustrated, "James is going to kill me."

"He'll just maim you a little." I say and take a step closer to him. I shrug my shoulders and suggest, "Besides, we don't have to tell him right away. We can just put the idea in his head and make him open up to it little by little."

"Wait? You like me?" Sirius says, eyes wide and shocked. I roll my eyes. Some boys are really just idiots. I don't answer him, instead, I pull his tie and kiss him.

I furthermore realise why so many people that were with Sirius never wanted to leave him. He was an amazing kisser. He pulls away and grins at me. He looks at me in a way that makes me feel like my insides are doing cartwheels. I ask, "What?"

"Nothing, you're just so much better than Glynnis."

[tothebestofmyabilities]

@seemoreseymoursbay day 3! OC day

So in the episode 'Bad Tina' Zeke mentions that his dads girlfriend just had a baby, assuming that the dads gf he talks about in early seasons is Cheryl his step mom and that the father of that baby is Zekes dad we can also assume that Zeke has a very young half sibling. And I did go ahead and assume all those things so this is Zekes baby sister Cherish (Cherry for short).

Used the prompt wonder wharf

Im gonna talk some more about her under the cut bc im sure that will devolve into infodumping zeke lore/headcanons and i dont want anyone to get stuck scrolling past a wall of text

Interestingly she's the only oc i have that's part of a different piece of media rather than one of my own projects.

She's a spunky little toddler for sure she's always got tons of energy, she's extremely confident and fearless constantly running off when she sees something that excites her or to ask strangers questions. She has a big sweet tooth but also loves spicy foods, off the top of my head I don't think its been discussed in canon where Zeke is from originally but recently I've been thinking of him and his bio mom as being from louisiana (projection on my part my mom is from louisiana and bc I like Zeke as a chef and the food there is soo good) I love the idea that his mom taught him to cook the local dishes and that he makes them for Cherry. She dresses in a chaotic mix of her own love of bright, clashing rainbow colors and dingey hand-me-downs from Zekes childhood and from their other cousins. I definitely think Zeke has adhd and Cherry does as well.

I tend to draw her/think of her around age 2 1/2- 3 (so when zeke is 16ish) but in canon time she'd still be a newborn. I love the idea of Zeke with a young sibling he's portrayed in the show as being super caring, protective of and loyal to the people be cares about, and good with younger kids all of which read as big brother qualities to me and he's also mentioned wanting siblings hes closer too. (He mentioned having a 44 year old brother in Presto Tina-o but also has said his bio mom was pregnant with him at her prom which is probably just a continuity error with his throway lines but taken at face value makes his dad out to be a gross old creep which is my personal headcanon idk if there's anyone out there who are big fans of Zeke's dad and step mom but my headcanons do not paint them in a nice light so beware of that)

Based on pretty much everything Zeke has ever said about his family I get the impression that the adults in his life are pretty neglectful and irresponsible and definitely not super present (he rarely ever speaks about his dad I hc him having a job that keeps him away from the family most of the time probably something like trucking and Zeke has mentioned Cheryl being an alcoholic I also hc her as much younger than the dad maybe she's a bartender? I definitely see her having a nightlife kind of job also for reference picture her as a redhead with blue eyes and a lot of tattoos that's where cherry gets her eyes and freckles)

I believe with Cherry a lot of parenting responsibilities would be placed on Zeke and while i think he has qualities that are really well suited to that the parentification of an older sibling is not ok and would negatively impact him, I like the idea of him applying for a job at Bob's Burgers bc he needs a more stable way to provide financially than doing odd jobs around town and not only getting a job but also getting a support system and adults who care about him and his sister and their wellbeing. I think Bob would take Zeke under his wing and help him make himself and his education a priority (the belchers helping out with Cherry when they can so he can focus more on school and extra curriculars) and help him get into a culinary school after graduation. Linda would fall completely in love with her (we know how much she loves babies) and basically treat Cherry like she's her own grandbaby. They all babysit her when needed but Louise is her favorite babysitter and maybe person also she really looks up to Louise and likes to imitate her fashion style and the way she speaks, Louise would pretend that this annoys her but not so secretly finds it adorable.

Anyways clearly i could go on and on but ill just cut myself off there hope y'all like her!

[gucciwins]

a special night at the brits

word count: 3558

a/n: hi friends! i really like coming back to this series and i hope you enjoy this continuation of them. talk show y/n and harry taking is slow but very much into each other. happy reading! 💗💗💗

part one // part two // part three

+

It was a big night in London, and you felt lucky to be invited. Growing up, you remembered watching the Brits with your sister seeing all the biggest stars walk the red carpet, rating your favorite looks, and singing along to every performer of the night. Tonight you knew would be one to remember, and for that reason, Zuri, your stylist, had the most fun finding you a dress for the night. It seemed many designers wanted to work with you, but Zuri reminded you that not everyone was as kind as they seemed to work with people you respected and respected you. The dress for tonight makes you feel like a star wearing a blue silk satin corseted gown with a plunging strapless neckline. The floor-length skirt was ruched with a thigh split and a train paired with shiny strappy high-heel shoes. It was fun getting ready with your glam team, but the nerves sometimes got the best of you before taking the carpet.

The confidence you feel when taking the carpet doesn’t hit until after you have your assistant take a shot with you. It’s not always you’ll have Maeve take a shot with you, but for some strange reason, you were anxious about today, and you knew it had to do with the man opening the show. You hadn’t seen Harry since the morning after his birthday. You think about how he convinced you to meet him in Palm Springs, not that it was a hard idea to say no to.  

“I want to get drunk with you,” he mumbles into his phone.

You can’t help but laugh, “is that so?”

“Mhm…celebrate my birthday with me.”

It’s a tempting offer. You had spent a few days with Harry since he arrived in Los Angeles. He invited you over to his home and cooked you dinner once again. It was a salmon dish, and although you might not be the biggest fish fan, you thought it was delicious, maybe needed a bit more seasoning, but overall enjoyable.

His final LA shows were fun to attend, but he was so busy that you couldn’t get a moment alone with him. That is why when Harry invites you out to Palm Springs to celebrate his 29th birthday, the only answer you want to give him is yes.

“Are you sure? I-I want to be sure you’re spending it with your people, your family, and friends.” You tell him honestly, not wanting to feel like the odd person he has to tend to for the night.

“Want to spend it with you,” he reassures you. “Think we could have some birthday fun.”

You hear the shift in his voice, and you know what he’s imagining. It’s something you want, but there’s no rush, so you’ll see how the day takes you.

“I’ll drive out,” you promise.

“Love, you sure? You want to come and see me?”

Now it’s your turn to assure him that you want to go and spend the day with him, celebrating however he wishes.

The red carpet was a breeze. Maeve met you at the end, telling you that you were good to go in when there was a loud cheer, and it seemed everyone’s attention was on who had just arrived. You shared a look with Maeve, and both knew who had arrived.

The star of the night and predicted to win all of his nominated categories, Harry Styles.

Maeve smiles at you, nodding at you to keep walking, “shot a text to his assistant you’ll be able to meet inside.”

You smile at her grateful. You hadn’t shared with Harry that you’d be here tonight. You had known for a few weeks, but you didn’t know if what you had would fizzle out or continue to grow. Clearly, it’s going far better than you expected. It’s been endless dates and shared facetime calls. Harry knew how to put a smile on your face.

You’re not left waiting long when Harry and his entourage walk in. Harry looks around, and you use that time to look him over. His red carpet looks have always been unique, allowing him to stand out, and tonight is no different. He wears a black velvet suit with a flared coat and a large flower choker around his neck. It took your breath away. You’d have to ask him who designed this suit because you wouldn’t mind owning one of your own. Harry’s eyes quickly find yours, and you smile, waving him over. His eyes check you out from head to toe, and you can’t help the deep blush that takes over you.

“Y/N!” He exclaims happily, coming towards you with open arms. You both notice the cameras around you but choose not to focus on them. Harry sweeps you in a tight hug, your arms going around each other’s waist. Harry takes a moment to breathe you in.

“It’s good to see you, H,” you breathe out.

“Absolutely gorgeous. You’re gorgeous, Y/N.” Harry runs his hands down your side feeling the silk material hugging you tight.

“Me?” You pull back, shaking your head, “look at you!” You gesture to his look. “Absolutely stunning.”

Harry pokes your cheek, “take a compliment for once,” he teases.

You laugh, “sorry, sorry. It’s overwhelming coming from you.”

“Why?” He frowns before he gets a twinkle in his eye. “Is it because you know I mean it?”

“Harry,” you pout. You step closer to him and lower your voice to a whisper. “It’s because you say sweet things, and I know I can’t kiss you to thank you.”

Harry smirks, “you want to kiss me?”

You roll your eyes, giving back his space, but he follows after you. “You know I do, Harry.”

“Later,” he promises.

You love how easy conversation is with Harry, how at ease he makes you feel. You love spending time with him, and knowing that he’s leaving for tour in a few days makes you sad, but he’s promised that it’s only you he’ll be missing when he’s touring.

“Are you sitting by me?” Harry asks you backstage between all the hustle going on around you. You were told you’d be sitting close to Leigh-Anne, knowing Harry’s table was towards the middle of the room.

You shake your head, “don’t think so, sitting somewhere else.”

Harry pouts, “no, you have to sit with me.” Your laugh rings loud, making Harry’s friends turn their way and smile at you, clearly happy to see you. “Jeff will have it all figured out. Please say yes.” You sigh. It’s hard to tell him no, and the truth is you didn’t want to. Harry doesn’t let up, leaning in and kissing your cheek. “Please say yes,” he repeats.

You hesitate, and Harry turns his attention to Maeve. “You’ll both join us,” he tells her. Maeve shrugs, giving you the final say.

You smile, reaching out and touching the lapel of his coat. “You win, Harry. We’ll sit with you.”

Harry pulls you in for a hug kissing your temple three times. “Save me your second drink, love. I’ll be there soon.”

“Good luck!” You yell as he’s pulled away to a dressing room to change into his second look of the night, and you know by the time he comes back out to sit with you, he’ll have a third outfit.

+

A few of Harry’s team that you had the pleasure of meeting a few weeks ago, lead you to the table where Harry’s sister is sitting. He had not shared that he brought his sister or mentioned if you’d like to meet her, but you had to assume he knew and wanted it to happen, or he wouldn't have invited you to sit with him.

You have a moment of panic before Maeve mouths to breathe. Thankfully, Tom was kind enough to do introductions for you. “Gemma, this is Y/N, a friend of Harry’s. Y/N, this is Gemma Harry’s sister.” You didn't know if you should shake her hand or give her a hug, but Gemma made it easy for you by pulling you in for a quick hug.

“Lovely to meet you. He’s actually talked about you,” Gemma shares.

“Has he?” You asked, surprised.

“Mhm…tons,” she teases.

You know that means she knows about you and Harry being an item? No, a thing? A couple? You still have a few things to figure out with Harry, but the one thing you do know is that you’re head over heels for him.

“I’ve heard wonderful stories about your family. He gushes about you whenever he has the chance,” you share because if there’s one thing about Harry, he loves his family.

“He’s the family baby, no matter how much he fights it,” Gemma tells you, and you both share a laugh.

You both enjoy Harry’s opening performance together, lost in how easily Harry makes the stage his own. It’s clear he was meant to be there. You know you’d never get tired of watching him shine. Sitting back down, you’re buzzing for Harry to join you but know you must go backstage to present an award for the night. You excuse yourself with Maeve promising to be back soon. You get a round of “boos,” making you giggle. Gemma squeezes your arm, promising to save you a seat next to her and Harry.

“Maeve, why did I agree to do this?” You’re full of nerves, closed envelope in hand as you’re waiting to be introduced.

She laughs, taking back your lipstick and putting it back in her bag. “You’ll be fine. You were born to be in front of the camera.”

You know that’s true, you loved acting and getting lost in character, but you also loved an audience because you can feed off their energy and rely on doing that in a few moments. Your name is announced, and you walk out, grinning at the audience. You reach the podium and wait a few seconds to let the cheers die down. “Hello, I’m Y/N Y/LN, and it’s an absolute honor to be here tonight. A few of you might recognize me from my films, but most will recognize me from The White Lotus. If you don’t know the show, you’re missing out because Jennifer Coolidge said I’m amazing.” The crowd laughs, and just like that, you feel at ease. “Thank you to the Brits for having me come out and announce this award of the night. I remember growing up and sitting in front of the telly with my sister as we dressed in our favorite dresses and took turns accepting fake awards while also singing our hearts out. Now none of us turned into artists to be able to receive one of these awards, but I think handing them out is the next best thing.” The nominees are introduced, and you wait patiently to announce the winner. Your fingers are crossed for Harry but know you can’t say that at least not yet.

The opening of the envelope is nerve-wracking. You feel your hands begin to shake due to the anticipation. You do your best to hold back a smile as you read over a familiar name.

“The winner for best pop/r&b is….” You take a short pause and then shout into the microphone, “the one and only Harry Styles.”

His celebration is shown on the screen as he hugs his sister before making his way up to the stage. It’s a long walk, and wow, does Harry look good. He’s wearing a sage green suit with a silk top with a few buttons open to show off his chest. Fuck, Harry sure was leaving you breathless with his outfits.

You pulled Harry in for a hug whispering your congratulations to him. He swayed you side to side. “Thank you. Thank you for being here for me.” You only squeeze him tighter in response.

“Think you’ve got a speech to give,” you tease, knowing this might have been going on for a second too long on live TV.  

“Does this win mean you’re going home with me tonight?” Harry whispers in your ear.

You laugh, “maybe if you win them all.”

Harry winks, giving you a kiss on your cheek, and you finally let each other go to allow him to give his speech.

“Wow! Thank you so, so much for this. First of all, I know this was a fan-voted award, so to all my fans that voted - thank you so so much.” Harry raises the award in the air before closing out his speech. He walks with you backstage, laughing at Harry’s circle he made on stage, trying to set the microphone down before deciding to just follow you.

Harry seems to know the backstage well and pulls you into a dark corner pressing you against the wall. You let out a gasp of surprise but don’t dream of pushing him away. You raise your hand, letting yourself twirl the single curl he keeps pushing back.

“What are we doing, Harry?” You whisper, wanting to pull him closer.

Harry leans in closer, his mouth a single breath away from you. “Sharing a moment alone with you.” Harry brushes his lips against yours. Feeling a bit daring, he teased you with a flick of his tongue, making you moan and draw him closer until you were kissing like your life depended on it. You would have stayed with Harry tucked in this corner forever, but Harry was up for many more awards and needed to be seated. Slowly and with great reluctance, you pulled back. “Met your sister,” you push him back and hoped your lipstick stays transfer-free; Zuri assured you it was the best of the best.

“Hmmm…” Harry drops his shoulders, frowning. “Sorry, I did forget to mention I brought her with me tonight.”

You shrug, giving his bicep a squeeze, “besides the panic that first set in, it was fine. We got to talking, and I learned she’s the nicest Styles.”

“Hey, hang on,” Harry pouts.

You bump his shoulder, “don’t worry, you’re still my favorite.”

Harry smiles, showing you his dimples, and you know you’ll never tire of it. You walk back to his table and are met with loud cheers, a shot of tequila passed to everyone in honor of his first win.

The night goes on, and the drinks don’t let up neither do Harry’s wins for the night. Harry wins artist of the year and song of the year, sharing sweet speeches expressing his love to his mother, who signed him up for his audition that changed his life and named the four other boys who began this crazy journey with him. It’s amazing to see Harry acknowledge where he came from and where he is now. You’ve seen his career grow from the video of the public, but now you’ve gotten the chance to know Harry Styles, the boy from Holmes Chapel, and you know he’s a genuine soul.

One final award of the night: album of the year, and it was being presented by Stanley Tucci. Everyone knew it would be a clean sweep, but no one dared to say that aloud until Harry received the last award on stage. Harry’s table has been the most popular of the night, but he always finds his way back next to you, resting a hand on your thigh for comfort. Everyone at his table knew you and Harry were more than friends, but in the eyes of the world, you were only friends.

“If it’s me, you’re coming home with me, remember? You promised,” he whispers, and you shake your head because, of course, he remembered even a few drinks in he hadn’t let himself forget.

“I’d happily go home with you even if you lose,” you assure him. “But we all know this one is yours.”

A few months later, his name is called, and Harry breaks into the loudest cheer. You stand up, embracing Gemma, needing to share your excitement before Harry slips away; he pulls you for a quick hug and promises you’ll have the best night together.

Harry keeps his speech short, passing it on to Tyler and Tom, using that time to speak with Stanley Tucci, not a care in the world as the cameras caught them laughing and smiling with each other. It showed the world how much of a flirt Harry became a few drinks in.

+

It has been one of the best nights of Harry’s life. Being home and honored at an award show he’s been attending for over ten years makes for a memorable evening. Harry is doing his post-interviews, ready to call it a night and head out with you at his side, ready to party and drink. You’ve already promised to stay the night with him, and Harry knows he’s going to spend all his time with you until it’s time for him to leave the country.

“How does attending the Brits feel?” The interviewer asks.

Harry grins, his charisma shining through. “It’s wonderful. Coming home and attending events I’ve been attending for years makes the room feel full of family.”

“How are you thinking of celebrating tonight?” Another person asks.

Harry sways side to side, fidgeting with his rings, then looking at the journalist who asked the question. “To celebrate, what I want to do is go have dinner with my friends.” He shrugs, “I’m going to have a drink,” he emphasizes, although he knows he’s already had one too many tonight. “I leave for tour in four days. So probably won’t go crazy. It’s going to be fun. Thank you.”

He hands the microphone back and thanks everyone for their questions. Harry sees you talking with his sister on the other side of the room and can’t help the smile that blossoms on his face. Harry knows his sister is going to give his mum a full report on you, but he doesn’t mind one bit. He can’t wait for you to meet his mum now, seeing how well you got on with Gemma and all his friends.

Harry was about to make his way across the room, his eyes locked on you in that beautiful silk dress, when he stopped and asked a few more questions. He’s the man of the night, so Harry doesn’t mind, and neither does Jeff, who gives him a thumbs up. Harry knows Jeff only has his best interest in mind, but you’re someone he hopes to keep in his life for a long time, headlines be forgotten.

“Is there a certain person in mind you want to share that drink with?”

Harry laughs, knowing they’re fishing for something juicy, and as much as he has had to drink tonight, he’s good at staying tight-lipped. “They know. Promise they do,” he can’t help the blush that covers his cheeks as he thinks of you.

“What drink are you having?” They ask.

“Can’t go wrong with tequila,” he shrugs.

He bids them goodnight and walks out of the press room with his team following close behind. Once they enter the corridor, and Harry’s sure all the cameras are gone, he slows his walk to find you talking with Sarah and Pauli; he hates to interrupt (not one bit), but he’s ready for a bit of attention from you. He slips his hand between yours, and the grin that takes over your face is instant. You let the conversation die as you trail behind everyone with Harry by your side.

“I know you didn’t come here for me,” he starts. “But I am thrilled to have shared this special night with you.”

You feel your heart fill with warmth, it’s been a perfect night, and you’re happy you were able to be reunited. “Thank you for letting me join you. You know I enjoy spending time with you, and selfishly I would never say no to spending more time with you when you’re leaving in a few days for longer than I’d like.”

Harry knows leaving will be hard on you both, but he selfishly wants to bring you out with him, but he knows you have work to focus on just like he does.

“Do–would–,” he sighs, unable to get his thoughts out correctly.

You sigh, “I’d love to go out and see you, but you know I can’t.” Harry nods understandingly, “I promise as soon as you’re back in the UK, I’ll find a way out to you.”

Harry lights up, knowing there’s going to be a date to see you filling him with ease. “Do you promise?”

You place your hand over your heart, “cross my heart, Harry.”

Harry smiles because he trusts you, knows you'll be okay, and that this relationship you’re building will survive with the nurture and care you’ve both been putting in. Harry’s tempted to ask you to be his girlfriend but won’t because when he does, he wants to keep you to himself for longer than a few days. You talked animatedly about how Mitch showed you the easiest way to shoot back a shot promising that he won’t be able to keep up with you now. Harry kisses your temple and knows that upon winning awards tonight, the true prize he's taking home is you.

+

send me a love note of what you thought, amores 🫶

[astarion-can-spawn-me]

Work Ethic

Park Ranger! Halsin x Park Ranger!Reader

Modern!Au because why the hell not?

Summary: may or may not have been heavily inspired by the park rangers I grew up around at my local culture center. That little old place holds such a special place in my heart. I am a junior park ranger after all 😎

Sweat beaded at your brow, but your hand was quick to delicately pat it away. The summers were unforgiving, even under the gray skies of the early morning. Though you could see off to the distance, just peeking over the green tree tops and old buildings of the past, just the faintest hues of orange and reds just ready to burst from beyond their little horizon. With the rays came the few farmers that lived within the small town, bidding their wives and children goodbye, the faint yelping of a dog from behind their glass windows are their happy panting as they hopped up along side their masters in their pick up. They would only have to drive a few miles further up a ways to hit their farms where they have been settled for the past 100 years or so.

It was an odd place to have a little culture center in such a small town, but a small town emblazoned with their own culture and tradition. Old murals adorned the sides of old buildings, depicting musicians and food. Though many of the locals didn’t visit the culture center, maybe occasionally for their child’s school field trip, it definitely didn’t see the action of it’s sister centers in the bigger cities nearby, but around certain holidays it would see it’s fair share of tourist, but now it was just another simple day.

This was far away from what you thought a park ranger would ever be doing. You always pictured a Steve Irwin type herding people through muddy river basins or through rough and rocky terrain along forest trails. You’ve come to appreciate the cultural and historical aspect of it all, it was probably for the best.

“Oh this stupid damned thing!” Huffed out a voice as you pushed past the glass doors. A thud came after it as a woman scrunched her face to the old thermostat. “You would think they would allow us to control our own AC instead of having to call the head office!”

“Now Ms.Jaheira, patience is a virtue!” You teased, your hat now being placed upon your head, fingers pinning the badge to your freshly ironed shirt.

Jaheira was a veteran in the field, hopping from one national park to the next. Her knowledge was admirable, but sometimes you would always catch the look of longing in those wise eyes, but the laid back nature suited her, at least now it did. It was less of a burden on her weathered shoulders, less pressure upon herself. If you did have to categorize her, she would have been the Steve Irwin type you always imagined as a child. She was the one to hobble through muddy basins and conquer rough woodland trails.

“Well good thing the all maker has bestowed such a prized gift onto you!” She chimed up, finally the ancient AC humming to life. Already the cool air began cutting through the stiff air like a knife. “It’s field trip day, remember”

She was already following you to the break room, her steps always precise, always made with confidence. Though she still gave you a stern look as your head tilted back with a little groan as you tossed your purse onto the table.

“Yes I know, which is why I have double checked with everyone today. Musicians are gonna be the first for their music demonstration. Then our local butcher has kindly volunteered for a cooking demonstration and you would be pleased that he is exonerated in one of our local dishes” your hand went to grab the phone out of your pants pocket, now scrolling through emails to double check your memory of the day’s itinerary. “Then dear old Elminster will calm things down with his history of the area and whatnot, then lunch time which has been donated. I also contacted wildlife and fisheries to have someone teach the kids the laws and safe handling of the wild life of the area, but they said they are sending over a ranger from one of the wildlife parks….oh! And then the old woman who runs the quilting club in the spare room will give a weaving lesson”

“Wow, I’m impressed” Jaheira said with a raise of her brows, a hand sassily placed upon her hip. “And you will be pleased to know I have set up the rooms for the different demonstrations, the band is here, Elminster is currently critiquing our displays, and the food preparations are all in order” she confirmed with you. Always orderly, you can always trust her to keep everything in line as well. A nice pair the two of your made. “It’s just our fellow park ranger we are waiting on…” she huffed out as she looked to the watch upon her wrist.

There was no time to worry about that, as the quiet humming of engines were already heard within the small break room. The wholesome sounds of buses, the chirping of kids and their teachers already urging them to quiet down. That was Jaheira’s cue to walk back to the front, opening the doors, that prideful smile upon her face as she greeted the children, their small bodies already pouring into the room, her voice already rising above all others to give off the usual spiel.

“Alright children! Are you ready to learn about your culture and history!’ She shouted excitedly to the children, already leading the group to the displays that lined the halls and little rooms, skillfully giving her explanations to the group of kids.

It left you to round up the musicians into their places, checking in on the cooking demonstrator, but of course…that left Elminster.

“Stop a bit and speak to an old man” he huffed out behind that wise, old beard of his as he clutched a shaky hand onto your outstretch arm.

“Maybe later Mr.Elminster, there’s a lot to do as you know” you said with a smile as you began urging him to the room that the band was setting up. “The kids are going to listen to the music, then head to the cooking demonstration and then head back to you, so it will give you much to ponder of how you are gonna educate them” you spoke up as you lead him to the room, helping him sit upon one of the upholstered chair.

“You are certainly right my dear, even though getting older is suppose to make one wise, it is still hard to find that right words, especially on an empty stomach” he said with a wink, but you already knew what he was eluding to.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have Jaheira bring you a plate when they are done with the cooking demonstration for lunch” which he gave you a kind pat on your bent down shoulder, all the response you needed to straighten up from your hunched down position. Though you were met by a towering figure the moment you turned around.

“My apologies for being late, I kind of got lost out here…” the man was huge, strong stature. Scars on his face, tattoos peeking out from his collared shirt, trailing up upon his face. You were pretty certain even if you were standing further away from him, you could still pick up the scent of fresh dirt and leaves that permeated from him. Even the faintest scent of sweat, but not in a bad way, in an endearing way if that makes sense. Like the smell of a hard working father coming home to engulf his children in a hug.

“I’m sorry, you are….?” You trailed off as you bent your neck to look at him, eyes slightly squinting to the badge on his shirt.

“Park Ranger Halsin, wildlife and fisheries sent me out here for a demonstration, I use to work for them, but I ended up taking a position at the wildlife refuge at the coast” he explained, already following your steps as you began to lead him back to the entrance. He may have not known, but you were skillfully avoiding a tangent from the old Elminster. He may have been a wise man, but a wise man with many words that lead simply nowhere at times.

“Yes of course, let’s get you set up in our other demonstration room” you spoke out, now quickly following his lead to the glass doors. “And I don’t blame you, it may be a small city, but this place is tucked away, definitely not as grand as the other culture centers” you bashfully said as you followed him up to his truck, tailgate already being lifted down with those strong, calloused hands of his. You could even see the faintest traces of dirt on his hands.

“But still important none the less” he said with a soft smile as he reached into the back, already pulling forward boxes and strangely a pet carrier. You tried to slyly lean a bit to peak at what he could possibly have stored in there.

“Oh this is Philippe” he said, almost with a childlike excitement as he opened the pet carrier. Of all things you would have never expected a raccoon to lazy start reaching up for him. But he excepted the creature with open arms. “I uh…rescued him and he’s been with me ever since. Also a good way of showing off our native species.” those strong arms held the creature tenderly, like a father to his offspring.

“I can’t say I encounter raccoons that are companions.” You were astonished, fingers tenderly giving the animal’s head a little scratch. Though those hands of yours grabbed on of the boxes he pulled forward, Philippe already knowingly hopping upon the other one as Halsin grabbed it.

“They definitely shouldn’t be pets, I know that may sound hypocritical coming from me, but you know how raccoons like to wash their food before they eat it? Well I let him do it back home…and he got ahold of my cellphone too, so not a good mix. I also learned rice doesn’t really help with water logged phone either.” You knew the scornful look he gave the raccoon was all in playfulness, which made a little laugh bubble to your lips. You could already picture it in your head.

“Your dear Philippe sounds like a menace.” You giggled out as you pushed past the doors once more, he following after you through the gush of cold air that blew up to greet you from the comfort of the culture center. Your ears also perked up to the sounds of the lively music coming from one of the demonstration rooms, intertwined with laughter of the children.

“Well, he is still a wild animal at heart I suppose” he chimed, his heavy footsteps following you to the empty demonstration room, his box being set upon the table set up front, already laying out his items.

Different pressed leaves now displayed out, the branches of different native plants. All the works of what’s was very befitting of a park ranger who dealt with the more wild side of the job description. He even had animal traps out as well.

“Alright, I’ll give you a rundown. I’m gonna inform the kids of different plants in the area, which ones are safe and not safe, native and common animals, insects, birds. I will also go over safety, why I have the animal traps.” He explained as he motioned to all the stuff he had set out. “Even though they should always be supervised while out in forested areas, it is still better to be able to recognize traps that farmers could set up for coyotes and bobcats and know not to touch them.” He listed off as he squatted down to once again cradle the raccoon in his arms, the raccoon lazily accepting his fate in the comfortable embrace. Now that the fast paced introduction was over, you could finally admire the man before you.

Yes he was tall and strong, but attractive. His hair whisped about his shoulders. A braid or two peaking out and adorned with thin pieces of colorful thread and an occasional decorative bead. Even having such an intimidating stature, those eyes were kind and gentle. Almost as if you were starring into the eyes of a farmers most trusted companion, his loyal dog. Those scars upon his face couldn’t diminish that softness.

But his shirt….you could see those well earned muscles bulge beneath that gray uniform shirt. Who knew those frumpy uniforms could look so flattering. You didn’t let your fleeting eyes linger for too long as you connected your gaze with his again.

“Well I’ll leave you to finish setting up, but I’m sure the kids will enjoy dear old Philippe, I’ll send the group over after the cooking demonstration, I can try and push back Elminster after everyone has eaten, maybe it will help him be better with his words.” You couldn’t help but give a little huff of a small laugh at your own little joke, even if he did not understand quite yet himself, but he only nodded, that kind smile still upon those lips.

“Me and Philippe will be waiting happily” he said, motioning to the raccoon whose head simply lulled lazily about. Such a pampered and spoiled creature, you could tell he was lovingly cared and doted on.

Elminster was delighted by the news once you quietly reported back to him when the kids had all migrated to the cooking demonstration room. So your little hunch about him wanting to eat first was correct.

“So…I see our fellow park ranger is quite the sight…” Jaheira spoke out quietly to you from the back of the food demonstration room, arms crossed over her chest. “The scars may be a dead giveaway from at least having something to do with the great wild, but tattoos? That would have thrown me off…”

“Oh I know, I honestly didn’t have much time to ponder over that when he first got here…” which was true, wasn’t something you saw everyday, not even from the culture centers in the bigger cities. “But it gives that rough edge, should excite the kids more. They might be slightly disappointed when he actually begins to speak, he is quite soft spoken.”

“Interesting…” was all she managed to say before she stepped forward to chime into the demonstration. You and Jaheira switched off though, she fixed herself and wise Elminster a plate for their little lunch, tucking away back in the break room to enjoy their meal as you beckoned the kids to where Halsin waited.

Their excited eyes upon seeing the raccoon brought a dumb smile to your face as your looked to their excited faces as they all sat down, all sitting at their edge of their seat.

Honestly it was all quite interesting, watching Ranger Halsin expertly explain everything, to simple ways to tell the difference between leaves, to why a plant was named whatever it was named. Even to the animal traps, you couldn’t help but almost have the same wide eyed expression as he would set them off and warn them of their dangerous nature and explaining that it was important to always stay away from them an such.

And of course, can’t forget about Philippe who got all the loving he needed for at least a month. By the end of the day he would probably want his own space even from his master’s arms.

Sadly the kids were beckoned off for lunch, giving the last goodbye to Philippe, but their sadness was quickly forgotten by the food that was now being provided to fill those stomachs. That left you carrying a plate to the break room, where Halsin now sat, Philippe away eating his own meal at his feet. The Ranger gladly took the plate, you now sitting across from him.

“I forget how it is, you know, dealing with children, I miss their excitement and hunger for knowledge…” he spoke up, voice almost rumbling in the small break room.

“Must be a different pace from what you are use to” you chimed up, handing him a napkin, which he also accepted.

“Indeed, but I prefer this, adults can be cruel. Their egos get in the way of everything…” a soft frown pulled at his lips, but it was quickly washed away with a bite of food. “They always venture off, get lost, put themselves in danger, never eager to learn. Children on the other hand, they devour everything that is told to them.”

“Plus this place is also charming, believe it or not, I come from an even more rural place than this” he spoke, a sense of nostalgia dripping off his words “nothing but swamps and forest for miles…”

“Then it makes sense why you are in this profession” you said as you began eating.

“Well I started off in wildlife and fisheries, but it became too much. Hunting season is the worst to deal with. Neighbors get mad about who is hunting where. Poachers…god the poachers. But park ranger life is more befitting, I find it better to teach rather than deal with petty wildlife disputes.“ you knew about those disputes all too well, sometimes you would hear about those petty disputes in the local grocery store between old farmers or just the locals gossiping about someone they knew.

“Well it all is a bit different than what we deal with here. Our other ranger Jaheira has more experience with wildlife. I didn’t get much of a chance to, but I learned to find this outlet satisfying.” You admitted as you pushed your plate aside, hands now removing your hat. Halsin followed your move. It was like you could now finally see his face fully, but it was not a disappointment, not at all.

“We do forget that history is also very important, remember, you are the back bone in the preservation of history and that needs just the same amount of importance as wildlife, even if history may have not been so kind to it.” Halsin had such a way with words, voice speaking them so smoothly, he was seeming to hold a much greater wisdom than Elminster, who you could faintly hear drowning on and on about traditions and all stories. You can already picture those school children comforted by food just fighting the sleep that wanted to take over their senses.

“You are definitely right about that..” your head could only picture the old photos of the town you reside in, how those old photos showed a spread out community with so many fields in between. Now it was only pothole filled roads with shady patch jobs, small town lawyers offices, and an occasional fast food joint.

Humanity at its finest.

Something about the way he looked at you, it made you almost bashful. An intense stare, endearing, and comforting all at once. You could feel a wave of multiple sensations travel up your spine in a shiver. All you could do was fiddle with the napkin that sat in front of you, struggling to find the right words to piece together in your mind.

“Are you free? This weekend?” He finally spoke up “I mean tomorrow, I’m sorry if I come off as strong” he finally managed out, honeyed words now seeming to be nervous. “But, I would like to take you to the refuge I work at, I finally got my boat fixed up.” His fingers were now the ones fiddling. Though you can only smile as you nodded your head.

“Yes I would love to” and with that, a number exchange was made and a timid goodbye was bid as he loaded up the last of his things, tailgate making its way down that old town road.

“A date at a refuge huh?” Jaheira’s voice almost startled you from your trance of staring out the door, the culture center now quiet and still, now almsot seeming empty and lonely from the once lively state it was in.

“Oh hush….” You dumbly muttered out as you began to straighten everything up. There was no mistaking that soft hint of pink upon your cheeks.

The nervousness only set in until that morning when you could only stare at yourself in the standing mirror in your room, poking and prodding at the old clothes you decided on. There was no use in wearing something nice if you were going to spend time on a boat. You were cut short from your worrisome glances in the mirror as you heard an engine rumble again from outside your quaint little home, already rushing to the front door to close and lock it.

Halsin was gorgeous, those early morning rays of sun doing him justice as he stepped down from that old pickup truck that was covered in a layer of first, boat already hooked up to the hitch. Handsome in his own clothes, wrinkle, stain, and all. Hell you didn’t even mind the thin layer of mud that caked the heels of his boots. Though quick good mornings were said as he helped you into the passenger seat, soon leaving a trail of dust behind.

It was peaceful, the morning sun shining down through the windows and soft music playing through the radio, the wind from the rolled down windows whipping your hair about and his. The smell of dirt and forestry strong within the interior of the truck, but that was probably due to the fur leaves and crumbs of dirt that peskily made their stay on the floor, embedded into the mats of his truck. It was nice, even when the dirt scented air turned into the consolidating smell of muggy marsh as the refuge finally rolled into view you appreciated it.

Soon your hair was whipping with the winds that blew by once upon the boat, the hum of the motor steadily humming, the soft solaces of the waters rolling by refreshing on your face and exposed arms. You couldn’t help but reach out and run your fingers upon the wild rice that made their homestead on the steep banks that rolled by. The boat came to steady stop , Halsin leant back next to the motor, glancing down to the murky waters below.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve been here…” you spoke out softly as you also looked to the waters below, watching the adolescent fish ripple the surface in their young curiosity, but would quickly dive down deep into those waters if a shadow would move too quickly. “I use to come all the time when I was younger.” You finally looked up and over to Halsin, who was now looking to you with that soft smile.

“Same here, it’s what pushed me in this direction in life.” His own words were also soft, as if not to disturbed the surroundings around you. “Growing up I would wake at the crack of dawn to walk along the waters, to drag my little row boat out. The rangers would always call my parents to let them know where I was, they always took me in to respite myself in their little station, showing me the things they found. Their passion ignited a life changing revelation for me.”

“Agreed, but once again, it lead me down a completely different route, but now that I think about it, I may have been life telling me I was needed else where. A gentle nudge showing me that I’m probably not cut out with dealing with lost folks along riverbeds and trails.” You joked, Halsin’s laughter joining your own.

“Like I said, it’s definitely not fun.” He added with a grin, now moving from his spot next to the motor to be closer to you, hefty body shaking the boat gently, disturbing the waters that had finally calmed down from your arrival. His hand was rummaging in the beat up ice chest that now was situated next to him, handing you a chilled canteen of water “But, it was a better fit, being a wildlife officer made me forget about the simplicity of nature, the calmness of it.”

The calmness of nature, but you couldn’t decide if it was nature itself that was the calm one, or Halsin’s gentle touch to the land doing the calming for it.

The day was spent laughing and sharing stories of nostalgia, of work, of life. You found the muscles in your cheeks hurting from the permanent smile upon your face as the two of you listened to each other intently with care. It was almost a shame when he rolled you back up to your house, that morning glow now replaced with the setting sun, everyone basked in a dark orange hue, but you didn’t mind, that color gave you a since of fulfillment as you took his calloused hand in yours as he helped you down back to solid land.

“Thank you for joining me, I really enjoyed your company” he softly spoke out, that intense stare now locked onto your own, but this time it was bashful, but that shiver of emotions traveled up your spine nonetheless.

The same could be said for him as that calloused hand still gingerly held onto yours.

“I did as well…” you felt dumb as that’s all you could say, that stare almost halting your thoughts, sending your mind into blankness, that hand of his sending a burning sensation through your fingers.

“If you don’t mind maybe we could….do this again?” He spoke out hopefully, those eyebrows furrowed together to match that hopefulness that dropped from his words.

“I would love to, maybe you can even visit here…?”

“Yes, I would love that….”

[lightwing-s]

the idea of food vlogger is because i want to dote jason with delicious food... and i feel like he and both reader would enjoyed being cared for, also, it would warm the batfam knowing theres someone to care for jason when he still hesitate to totally allow himself to be part of the family and let them care for him🥹🥹

for reader's part, there is someone who will appreciate them instead of taking them for goods. my idea for readers backstory is that she dont feel fitted in her high class family, like she has a sister and a younger brother who succeeds in many while she just... you know. cooking and baking and alcohol at first serve as a distraction, then it becomes other taking her love language for granted, then it became a fight, a big break away from home for college as well, a content maker for while of escapism, a job, somewhere in between...

i think how reader meets jason is when she notices her new neighbor seldom out always hiding (past!arkham knight -> red hood) and never seems to eat. and she always make lot of food as she tends to let herself follow the flows even though she cant possibly eat up. so. she left it on jasons doorstep and a note by saying a brief hello. jason at first of course was skeptical but still eat it since hes highly tolerant to drugs and who would honestly left food that is wrapped nicely in a lunchbox at someone's doorstep lol. aftet times, he would find out reader bank account and bank in a few hundred dollars and wouldn't take no for answer. (he did not include fancy dinnerware or cutlery set as well) reader... well, didn't expect it but she did need money and it also mean she can use the set to make more food for her strangely nice, grumpy neighbor.

jason and reader after sometimes both want to know more on each other. but didn't do so as afraid to freak each other. it just happen in a point when jason about to head out (buying gifts for reader) and he saw reader putting a batch of freshy baked cookies and milk on his doorstep. and... his first word is... "really? cookies and milk? what are you, a santa?" reader blink eyes, "um. no. just in mood for it... do you still want it?" jason faceplams, "about that, come in first..."

and that's how they meet! this is what i had in mind though, i would die to know how you think they would meet!! (write this i beg you honor🫂🫂!!) (seriously gonna stop myself being so talkative on askbox lol😹)

You had just moved from your hometown, family and life in general just not feeling right to stick around any longer. A new city, a new place, a new job, a fresh start. That was all you needed and things had been going… fine. Just a tidy bit lonely. 

You’d often find yourself sitting by your window and watching people roam around in your street and at the small park just in front of your building. That’s when you first noticed your quiet and quite strange neighbor, making their way in very early in the morning and looking like someone who had just put on an all nighter. And then, you started a ritual of watching him arrive every morning before going to work, and leave just as you’d return.

Mrs. Dawson from downstairs would tell you how she’d never see him bring anyone or anything around, even food. So, you decided to be a kind neighbor and just, you know, feed him. He lived on your floor, and you could just wait to hand it to him once he came home. But weirdly, that day he didn’t show up at his usual time and just decided that the next best option was to leave it at his door. So, you looked at the metal lunch box sitting on his door mat and just felt… odd.

So, you hurried up inside your apartment and got a pen and a post-it block with the intention of writing him a note. You just didn’t count on not knowing what to write at all, ending up with a ‘hi’ and an awkwardly drawn smiley face.

You did it for a few days, unsure if he was even the one taking the lunch boxes away, but finding them emptied out by your door every night. One day, he sneaked in a one hundred dollar bill that you kindly slipped under his door. But then, you’d wake up to the same bill thrown under your door, and the same thing would happen every time you tried to sneak it under his. You didn’t need his money. You weren’t doing it for that anyway.

You just liked it, and even prepared a full meal plan for him with every tiny bit of information you managed to get from his life, which really wasn’t much. You used it as content for your channel, and people would wonder who the hell you made that food for, as you couldn’t just eat it all by yourself. They swore you must have had a boyfriend.

It was sunday, and it was raining heavily and you were out of ideas of what to make that day (and out of food in your pantry as you didn’t have the time to go to the supermarket recently), so you decided to bake your comfort food: cookies. After a few batches were done, you put them in a box with a ribbon on top, and even got some warm milk in a glass bottle to go along, and headed to his front door. 

You were just putting it there, making sure to position it nicely, when a grave voice nearly made your heart jump out his chest.

“Really? Cookies and milk? It’s not even Christmas yet.” You turned to find your neighbor, the one you’d been feeding for the past month and who you hadn’t noticed looked this hot, standing right in front of you, jacket hood over his head, and said jacket dripping water on the wooden floor. You didn’t know how to or what to reply, and just stood there for a while until you noticed his eyebrow go up.

“Uhm… no? I was just in the mood for it, and it was kind of the only ingredients I had at home… Do you still want it?” you asked, unsure of what to expect next.

Jason, on the other hand, mentally slapped himself for sounding so rude to you, especially after your cooking had been the only decent source of food he’d been getting in a while. Instant ramen and fast food orders were just not it. “No! Of course I want them.” he hurried to get the cookie box, immediately opening it and stuffing a cookie in his mouth. It was delicious as usual, and he even rolled his eyes as the taste filled his tongue. “Sorry for my lack of manners,” he said, mouth still stuffed. “Your food has been the highlight of my days these past few weeks.” 

Upon his words, you felt the heat burning up your cheeks and instinctively looked at your feet. “I wished I could’ve made a real meal, I was just out of ingredients and…”

“It’s perfect!” he interrupted you, thinking that whatever you were going to say would be plain stupid. Anything you made him was enough, and he was so thankful for your meals he couldn’t even put them into words. “But if you want to make something else, for the both of us, I have a few things inside I think you could work up a meal.” he said with uncertainty, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

Recounting everything you still had at home, you gave him a shy smile, still not certain where to look, but managing to get a glimpse of his own shy smile and puppy eyes. “I’m sure I could figure something out.” You said, and entered his apartment as he held the door open for you. The two of you cooking together your first meal of many more to come.

.

a/n: don't you ever stop being talkative in my inbox, missy! I loved this. I love just creating backstories for my characters and usually not writing the story lmao, so i feel you (i’ve been obsessing with ghost riley from cod and i just had to make my own oc recently lol). and now i'm heading to bed because it's 2 am and i have to wake up at 6am. but writing again made me feel so great tonight, thank you to you all and hopefully i'll see you soon.

[antibioware]

ok i'll bite. have you read any one piece fics, and are there any you would recommend?

you're so damn lucky One Piece is a fandom full of shit fanfictions because last time someone asked me a question like this, they ended with a 50+ fanfictions rec list.

Anyway, I'm gonna divide the list between gen/pairingless fics and fics with a romantic pairing.

NO PAIRING:

for all the love and gold (don't just do as you are told) by guiltylights

Nami asks Sanji to reduce the amount of money spent on grocery shopping.

Blood of the Covenant by kiite

Zeff never wanted a kid. A restaurant, sure— but he hadn’t planned for the kid. (Or: a brief look at Sanji’s childhood, through the eyes of the man who raised him.)

triskelion by razbliuto

Sink your fangs in, sister, and don't let go. — The Boa Sisters, still breathing despite all odds.

[this one is insanely good, literally made both me and my girlfriend cry]

UV by razbliuto (Viola/Doflamingo, Viola/Monet)

There's only a one letter difference between ultraviolet and ultraviolent. — Viola, and the art of unforgetting.

[while this one does have pairings, it's less a romantic story and more a deep dive into traumatic relationships in Viola's life. This is my absolute favourite OP fanfiction and it's heavy, be warned]

that certain calmness by grainjew

Because Sanji's rebellion has always been service, and there is nobody he would rather bow to than his captain.

you are not immune by pheenick

It starts with a rather gut-busting sneeze that’s concerning enough to bring all conversation juddering to a halt. Sanji blinks, absently patting his chest before furrowing his brow at a strange thickness congealing in his throat. Another sneeze. Fuck.

Customer Service in the Food Industry by Maldoror_Chant

They were starving. That was reason enough for Zeff to open the Baratie's doors and feed them, whoever the hell they were. Then he offered them a job, because the waiters and most of the other cooks had all jumped ship again and these guys looked kinda tough and not likely to scare easy. He didn't care if they were refugees of the World Government, he didn't care about their past, he didn't care what else they could do as long as the dishes were cleaned, the soup served, the vegetables chopped and Zeff's rules respected. Oh, and the pigeon had to stay out of the kitchen. That was a must. Give the Health Inspector the wiggins otherwise. Oddly enough, it did not turn out to be a complete and utter disaster. Strange things happen on the seas.

[CP9 post-Water 7 start working at the Baratie, the concept is so funny]

nothing to do (with you) by guiltylights

Judge thinks that Sanji is a failure of a son. Zeff doesn't think that much of Judge at all.

the mortality of kings by guiltylights

Zoro and Sanji, the right and left-hand men of the future Pirate King.

breathlessly, live (there's a place for us) by guiltylights (modern AU)

'You don’t have to prove anything, you know,’ Nami says finally. Sanji frowns, puzzled. ‘I’m not proving anything?’ ‘No Sanji, I think you are. It sometimes feels like you’re doing this more for your own sake than for mine.'

we slept on the ocean last night by Origamidragons

It starts like this: Luffy can’t sleep alone. (Pirates have nightmares, too. The Strawhats, as always, find a way through.)



PAIRINGS:

Burning Man by neonglaceon (Zoro/Sanji, multiple chapters, M rating for sex scenes)

“You’re lucky, Zoro,” she had spat, eyes turned up towards the sky, like she was trying to hold in tears. He'd never seen Kuina cry before. He’d never seen any expression on her face other than her teeth gritted in determination or her grinning in victory. “I want to be the greatest swordsman too. But girls grow up, and their bodies become weaker than men's. I’m never going to be the greatest.” Kuina tells him this, and Zoro can barely comprehend the words she’s saying. He thinks of the countless hours he’s spent training by the river bed, the green locks of his hair left on the floor after Koushirou helped him shear it all off, of the people he thought of as family a lifetime ago calling him by a name he despised. Zoro puts a hand to his chest, where he’d hastily wrapped bandages earlier that day, remembering how his body had begun changing and he didn’t understand why- “You’re lucky to have been born a man, Zoro,” Kuina finishes lamely. Zoro sees red.

[This is THE trans man Zoro fic and one of my favourite zosan fanfics, I suggest to pay attention to the trigger warnings before reading]

and then the sun came out by demonzoro (shrinewreck) (Zoro/Sanji, M rating for sex scenes)

Maybe there is something to be said that the first time they kiss, they kiss on a sinking ship. As if to say: this too, is inevitable. The waves are gnashing above the sea’s bottomless maw, and the timbers of the sinking galleon groan their own dirge – as far as this space of sea is concerned, the world is ending. Then there they are, balanced on the cusp of it, concerned only with how they exist relative to each other. There’s an awful devotion to it, and it shouldn’t be romantic. But Sanji is hopeless. He’s always wanted a love like this.

Be Hungry For Me byJacknessofHearts (Sanji/Usopp)

It takes more than years for Sanji and Usopp to confront their feelings. It also takes a lot of good food.

Don't Look Back byJacknessofHearts (Nami/Vivi)

Nami and Vivi and saying good-bye.

[This is the best namivivi break-up fic]

Like Ink Through Her Veins by grainjew (background Nami/Vivi)

Vivi manages, away from her crew. Usually, managing means ruling a country, reading the newspaper, and checking up on her father. Sometimes, though, it means sneaking out of the palace at midnight and getting drunk with passing pirates.

[while this isn't a pairing fic as much as it's a Vivi-focused story, the romantic pairing is important enough to the story to finish on this side of the list]

poison and wine by Origamidragons (Nami/Vinsmoke Reiju)

Nami isn't expecting to run into Vinsmoke Reiju plotting a murder at the same high-society party where she's planning a heist, but, well. Two birds, one stone.

You, Drowning Between My Arms by ginger_snappin (Sanji/Usopp, M rating )

Again and again, Sanji is forced to relive the day after he rejected Usopp.

[God I fucking love "stuck in a time loop" fanfictions, especially if they have characters as well written as this one]

salvage by hongmunmu (background Sanji/Usopp)

Franky offered Usopp a place in his family. Leaving Water 7 on the Thousand Sunny, Usopp considers who he is, why he left, and why he's there now.

[fic focuses more on Franky and Usopp's student/mentor relationship than romance, but as before, it falls more on the pairing fic side of the spectrum]

free and alone, together bysrididdledeedee (Alvida/Boa Hancock)

In which Alvida arrives on Amazon Lily, and everything changes.

Easy as Anything, Simple as That by Trixree (Sanji/Luffy)

“Luffy? What’s the matter?” “We’re gonna’ have a wedding,” he says incomprehensibly. Which—no. Absolutely not. Haven’t they had enough of weddings, lately? Nami's certainly had enough for a lifetime, thanks. “What are you talking about? What wedding?” she demands as coherently as she can while running on only two-and-a-half hours of sleep. “Mine and Sanji’s,” Luffy declares.

a glance that holds the world and all its seas by JacknessofHearts (Sanji/Usopp)

It's the big party after defeating Hody Jones. Usopp gets Sanji away from all the mermaids. (Honestly, Sanji, these nosebleeds are disgusting.)

Inevitable by LibbyLune (Zoro/Sanji, M rating for violence)

A closer call than usual makes Sanji give a precipitously timed confession, and waiting for Chopper to let him out of the infirmary makes waiting for a response much worse than he could have anticipated.

To Argue and to Cherish by modeoheim (Zoro/Sanji)

On a small island, on a lovely night full of music and fun and food, Zoro and Sanji accidentally get married. It is as ridiculous as it sounds—or at least it is at first, until Zoro finds being married to Blackleg Sanji isn't as bad as one might assume.

Variations On A Theme by rainsometimes (Franky/Nico Robin)

Four short interconnected pieces in which Franky does not save Robin from drowning. Although he’d like to.

stolen things by Origamidragons (Nami/Vivi)

A catalogue of things stolen by, for, and from Princess Vivi of Alabasta with regards to a certain thief, as documented by her long-suffering captain of the guard.

But Patience Boasts by Augment (background Zoro/Luffy)

Sanji and Zoro have very different love languages.

NSFW/Just Porn:

Little Things by KuriKuri (Zoro/Law, NSFW)

“Yeah, well,” Zoro says, “I thought you’d say no.” “Why would I say no?” Law asks, the corners of his lips tugging down in a frown. “Because you’re a control freak,” Zoro snorts, looking away from the sake bottle to meet Law’s eyes instead. “I thought control freaks didn’t drink.”

eager baby, blue by torkz (Nico Robin/Jinbei, NSFW)

Jimbei is training, and Robin is not immune to huge, handsome men in blue.

go back to sleep by itsmylifekay (Zoro/Sanji, NSFW)

His skin tingles with an unfamiliar sensation and he shifts, mind becoming more alert as he takes in his surroundings and the strange, lingering warmth on his arm. If he concentrates hard enough, he can feel the fading shape of long fingers pressed into his skin. “Go back to sleep, stupid marimo,” he hears. Sanji is standing close by, pulling on the last of his clothes and straightening his tie. His voice is low in the softness of the early morning and Zoro grunts at the words.

[fox-actually]

OC Obsessed! Whether they are mine or yours. But here is a lil' something on all of them! All characters based from Hogwarts Legacy are 18+. Taking a page from other creators to have a place where I can toss out HC's and lore I want to use in my writing.

Arianna Blackbriar: A pureblood Slytherin princess from the British Royal family and a witch. Bubbly, friendly, outgoing yet reserved in upper-class social settings. Bi-curious but prefes men, wants to be liked by everyone. Being forced by her family to be in an arranged marriage, but she is in love with her bodyguard. She wants to run away and do more with her life than family lineage. She loves fossils and sneaking out at night. Nicknames: Aria, Ari, Princess, Divine

Ashton Blackbriar: Separate AU from Aria and not related. A pureblood Slytherin prince from the Royal family and a wizard. Charismatic reserved, stoic, secretly wants everyone to like him. Bi, but prefers men in private, but with women in public due to his status and being forced into an arranged marriage. He wrestles being one way in public and another in private with the man he is in love with. He loves crystals and smoking weed. Nicknames: Ash, Handsome, Silverspoon(not in an endearing way)

Albion Hale: An orphan whose family was killed by werewolves around age 6. Covered in scars, he survived and found his way to Hogsmead, where the owner of Honeydukes adopted him. In a cruel twist of fate, he was turned into a werewolf, but his transformations were successfully and unknowingly suppressed by the mysterious professor. Carefree, easy-going, loves giving hugs, and almost always without a shirt. This Hufflepuff started Hogwarts in his 5th year and is a bit behind when it comes to his magical ability's, focusing on taking over his father's store and becoming a professional chef. He has found the love of his life and can't wait to spend the rest of his life with her. He took odd jobs as a bodyguard and is covered in tattoos. Nicknames: Al, poppa bear

Mason Bishop: 1 of 6 brothers and sisters, the youngest, this Gryffindor jock is nothing but a good time. Happy, cheeky, prank pulling, awesome Quidditch player, and overall sweet dork. Has mommy issues being the baby of the family. He will try and make anyone laugh, loves making new friends, and is over all a sweet guy and not your typical jock. New to love in all shapes and forms, his first real girlfriend is about to make him a man, already puppy sick in love with her; Mason will do anything to make her happy. He will try anything once and is a pretty good cook.

Tessa Davenport: A transfer from Australia, an Animagus, taking the form of a rare pink manta-ray. Sorted into Hufflepuff, she is a loud and feisty short woman. Super athletic, loves surfing, swimming, fire baton throwing/dancing. Her accent quickly caught the attention of her fellow classmates. With two older brothers, she grew up a tom-boy who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty but always cleans up nicely for events. Still getting used to her new surroundings, she has developed strong feelings for another transfer student, and he seems to return those affections.

The Professor-Darien Steele: This Gryffindor alumni has mysteriously returned the night Albion Hale was "bitten" by a werewolf. Experimenting on Al to suppress his transformations. Darien is master at potions, transfiguration, and deception. His only reason to return to Hogwarts is to research the rare power known as ancient magic, experiment on students with magic and alchemy. He has learned many secrets and keeps them in his back pocket for a rainy day of blackmail. He seems to be everywhere and gives off a charming eerie vibe. Every time you see him, he always physically looks a bit different or has become an entirely new person. Wonder why that is?

[crushedsweets]

Can you talk more about Eyeless Jack? I really love him😔❤️

holds him in my hands... yes i can.. yes. i . can..

ive already gone on about his sacrifice and whatnot.. ok . ok. what to talk about. im gonna repeat hella stuff prob.

jack nyras .. mid-late 20s... human sacrificed to a demonic deity. . cute guy overall.

as i mentioned, similar to the proxies, he has a rando cabin in the woods. slenderman actually sees him as a good utility, so while he's not a proxy, he's kept around and allowed freely in the forest without any uhh... chaperone, i guess.

his cabin is even smaller, 1 bedroom 1 bathroom, small kitchenette, small living room, etc. there's a bit of an underground bunker, sort of like a tornado bunker. he keeps 2 freezers down there. u can imagine whats in them.

the main sort of ummm... like, driving issue and character 'arc' for jack is his guilt and battles w his own humanity. he was technically possessed by a demon/deity for a year straight, and while the demon is now 'resting', he still committed the atrocities he did, and he still relies on humans. for a while after he regains consciousness, he's really skinny bc its really hard on him emotionally to eat. eventually he just gets sort of numb to it (with the help of the other creeps.. not intentional help moreso 'dont be a pussy do what u gotta do man') . jeff is especially the one telling him to 'man up and do it' so he lives. toby and ben are more understanding of why its so hard for jack.

again jacks the eldest of many siblings. i'm thinking perhaps it goes.. jack>daughter>daughter>son>son>daughter. 3 sisters, 2 brothers. he was driving and working by time he was 16, his parents had too much pride to let him help with bills but he was getting groceries and cooking a lot of food for the house.

family meals were kind of a thing in the nyras household. jack was a good cook, lots of traditional meals, etc. he's been cooking dinner for his siblings since he was like 11. his dad always thought it was odd that jack took that on, esp since he had a sister a few years younger than him, but he legit just liked it.

there was a good bit of parental pressure to be a doctor, but if that weren't the case, he'd love to go into culinary. you know. before he had to cook human meat.

he can digest raw meat, and he has a theory that he goes longer between meals if he eats raw meat, BUT he often still cooks it and tries to make it just. more normal for him.

also he can and does still eat normal food, but it lost a ton of its taste for him. he relies still on human meat, but he can go like a 1-2 weeks between meals before he starts getting violent and dealing with severe pain. sort of like tokyo ghoul style ?

mmm.. he still has a missing persons case file open. his mother still tries to get the police to keep looking, and his brothers have even tried doing crazy shit like going into creepy parts of the city alone to figure shit out, but his sisters and dad eventually gave up and assumed he was dead. his mom still believes he's alive fully. none of them know what really happened to him

he works as human remains disposal for some rando guys that ben helped him find off the dark web. thats how he pays for the cabin, but the cabin is under brian's name since...... well. um. lol. jacks missing and presumed dead and he sure as hell isnt human enough to have a house.

cute guy !!!

[bihansthot]

It’s Christmas in July! Yes the kids get presents, we generally stick to traditional Chinese holidays and heritage but the kids are mixed so they do get to celebrate both their parents traditions. I don’t have a strong heritage, I’m Scandinavian but my grandparents were the type of immigrants to assimilate entirely and become “American” rather than hold on to traditions, but Christmas and Halloween are very dear to me so we always celebrate them. Bi-Han loves me enough to even get the whole clan in on the celebrations and let the kids go trick or treating throughout the compound but I’m getting off topic because it’s Christmas! We don’t get extravagant presents for the kids in July just what my family calls “little stinkies” which are just like cute, silly presents like a new stuffed animal for Bingbing, some art supplies for Shixue and new soccer balls for Xiao-Han and Xiao-Bing. Usually I would make a nice Christmas dinner but July has been so odd this year that it snuck up on me so we’ll just have a nice bowl of Bean and Bacon soup and some crusty bread, Bi-Han might make some dumplings as well if he’s not too busy today. We put the Christmas tree up to enjoy and Syzoth is rather perplexed by the holiday as a whole as Outworld doesn’t have Christmas but he’s enjoying learning about it and having a trial run before real Christmas happens. As usual he’ll just have grubs and crickets as it’s what he can stomach, I feel guilty not being able to cook for him but he never complains. Sareena has even gotten in on the festivities and donned an ugly Christmas sweater, we have gifts for her children as well but shopping for half demons is a little complicated but they really like sweets which they don’t get often so in addition to some toys we got all the kids some tanghulu. We’ll spend the evening watching Christmas specials and enjoying some hot cocoa, it’s always cool in Arctika so it’ll be nice. I’m excited to spend some quality time with the whole family before the chaos of a newborn comes along but we’re all excited about the egg hatching well all of us but Bingbing, she’s used to being the baby and isn’t excited to be a big sister. I’m sure she’ll be fine once the hatchling is here and she realizes her parents still love her just as much as before. I hope you loves are having a good Christmas in July if you celebrate and if you don’t I hope you’re having a wonderful day in general!

[growingupgreene]

An odd epiphany I had last night: part of the reason I don’t like most meat is because I don’t know where it comes from. Let me explain.

Tldr; growing up by a farm/ knowing hunters means I feel more comfortable eating meat that I know comes from local/ sustainable practices.

I was raised pretty much entirely vegetarian. My mom doesn’t allow meat cooked on her stove and was the primary cook, so that translated to my sister and I preferring a vegetarian diet. We did occasionally try meat at common meals with our neighbors, but we generally didn’t eat meat. Today my sister is a vegetarian, while I mostly describe myself as vegan for various reasons, but will try most things at least once (I’m not actually vegan but it’s easier than going on an at minimum five min rant). I’m not gonna insult my host by flat-out refusing to eat something unless it triggers a dietary issue for me.

Over the years I came to realize that I mostly like the various versions of pig and not cow or chicken. Now I tend to avoid eating pigs, since they’re highly intelligent and also my dream pet, so I end up not eating meat 99% of the time. I’ll eat it on special occasions though.

One of those special occasions is the farm End of Year Potluck. Every year one of the farm people makes venison. And it’s consistently the best meat I’ve ever had.

He kills the deer himself, often in the woods by my house. He prepares the meat, marinates it, and then finally slow cooks it to perfection.

I don’t eat a lot, since meat fills me up way faster than my regular diet. But I will always get at least one slice of the venison. I know exactly where it came from and that it was killed as part of the deer cull. The county has open season to keep the deer population down so they don’t overrun everything in suburbia. Part of the regulations is that you have to use a crossbow instead of a gun, since the places people are hunting are mostly residential.

When it comes to eating meat on other occasions, most of the time I don’t know where it came from. Sure, someone bought it in the supermarket, but where was it raised? In humane conditions? Who killed it? Were they fairly compensated? The lack of answers to questions like these, plus my knowledge of how the mass food industry works, is often a factor in whether I’m willing to eat the meat. Let alone whether it’s a type of meat of which I actually like the taste.

As mentioned previously, I didn’t have a lot of meat in my palate growing up. That’s my theory as to why I tend to not enjoy the taste of most meat now. And unless I have a fairly good idea of where it came from/ that it was raised and slaughtered humanely, I won’t go out of my way to eat it.

I have similar questions about my vegetables and other foods, though in those cases it’s almost entirely about the people farming them. I try to eat more organic and fair trade foods, as they have greater regulations and often have less toxins. And people tend to be treated better and paid more fairly. Not always, but it hopefully helps.

Of course it’s impossible to be constantly vigilant. All of the things I’ve said are broad generalizations. We live in a society where more and more often the food choices available to us have already been made for us. Like many industries, there is only the illusion of choice between companies. But I do believe that by consistently buying products that represent the world I want to see, there is a small difference made in the long run. After all, commercialist capitalism means that we vote with our purchases. After years of only seeing organic products in more expensive stores, they’ve become a staple in all grocery stores. And brands that started as niche health foods have become more mainstream. So maybe there’s hope

[thefisherqueen]

I fell a bit behind on Letters from Watson, time to read Shoscombe old place today! :)

Sherlock Holmes had been bending for a long time over a low-power microscope. Now he straightened himself up and looked round at me in triumph. 'Holmes is not human' confirmed, but only in the sense that it is inhuman to be bend over for a long time without developing extreme back pain

“Is it one of your cases?” “No; my friend, Merivale, of the Yard, asked me to look into the case. I don't know if it just my terrible memory for names, but Merivale does not sound familiar. Which is a bit odd, a 'friend' of Holmes we don't yet know. Also strange that Watson is referring to this case as 'your case'. As a result, this case feels rather old? Like it happened long ago, when Holmes and Watson were much less intimate

Actually, more things point in that direction. Like Watson receiving a wound persion

Norberton nearly came within your province once.” “How was that?” “It was when he horsewhipped Sam Brewer, the well-known Curzon Street money-lender, on Newmarket Heath. He nearly killed the man.” “Ah, he sounds interesting! Deranged reaction from Holmes here. I love it. Also, being almost beat to death with a horsewhip sounds extremely painful. Definitely a sadist at work here. Probably only got away with this torturous attack because the dude's rich

And here, I expect, is the man who can tell us.” The door had opened and the page had shown in a tall, clean-shaven man with the firm, austere expression which is only seen upon those who have to control horses or boys. Very amused by the implication that boys behave just like horses. Also slightly bewildered by the sudden appearance of a page. Whom makes up the domestic staff of this household? We've seen occasional references to a page, maid and cook, but they pop up so irregulary that it seems like mrs. Hudson employs them to only almost immediately sack them

He bowed with cold self-possession Watson what does that mean??

“First of all, Mr. Holmes, I think that my employer, Sir Robert, has gone mad.” Holmes raised his eyebrows. “This is Baker Street, not Harley Street,” said he. From wikipedia: "Since the 19th century, the number of doctors, hospitals, and medical organisations in and around Harley Street has greatly increased. Records show that there were around 20 doctors in 1860, 80 by 1900, and almost 200 by 1914."

He thinks of nothing but the horse and the race. His whole life is on it. He's holding off the Jews till then. If the Prince fails him he is done. Always charming, jewish people being referred one to one as money loaners. I guess that makes the Robert's attack on Sam Brewer antisemitistic in nature

And she takes it to heart. She is brooding and sulky and drinking, Mr. Holmes—drinking like a fish. A large part of why I love reading older books and books not written in my native language. Expressions are sometimes so suprising and delightful - drinking like a fish is so vivid

It's all changed, Mr. Holmes, and there is something damned rotten about it. But then, again, what is master doing down at the old church crypt at night? And who is the man that meets him there?” Holmes rubbed his hands. “Go on, Mr. Mason. You get more and more interesting.” Excited autistic hand rubbing time again! :)

So, in summary, so far we've got a man who's violent, mistreats his sister, creeps around at night on some secret business, is severely in debt and utterly reliant on one outcome of a gamble to solve his financial problems. Sounds like a good cocktail for a major interferrence plot to secure the gambling outcome. Torture, murder and abduction not excluded from the possiblities

It was on that second night. Sir Robert turned and passed us—me and Stephens, quaking in the bushes like two bunny-rabbits, for there was a bit of moon that night. This makes such a good image

“There is her maid, Carrie Evans. She has been with her this five years.” “And is, no doubt, devoted?” Mr. Mason shuffled uncomfortably. “She's devoted enough,” he answered at last. “But I won't say to whom.” “Ah!” said Holmes. “I can't tell tales out of school.” I will forever be amazed by the amount of vagueness one can employ and yet for it still be understood as saying 'my master is fucking the maid'. Such creativity

We can't fit that into our plot.” “No, sir, and there is something more that I can't fit in. Why should Sir Robert want to dig up a dead body?” Holmes sat up abruptly. Way to drop a plot twist, my man

“What is the name of that inn you spoke of?” “The Green Dragon.” “Is there good fishing in that part of Berkshire?” The honest trainer showed very clearly upon his face that he was convinced that yet another lunatic had come into his harassed life. Lol. That poor man. I'm getting my hopes up for another cozy inn scene, it feels like a while ago we were treated to some good, intimate Holmes/Watson room sharing

Thus it was that on a bright May evening Holmes and I found ourselves alone in a first-class carriage So I read this fic on AO3 where Holmes and Watson also were alone in a first class carriage and they - ok, nevermind, my AO3 history is between me and my browser only

“Let us consider our data. The brother no longer visits the beloved invalid sister. He gives away her favourite dog. Her dog, Watson! Does that suggest nothing to you?” “Nothing but the brother's spite.” “Well, it might be so. Or—well, there is an alternative. Hm, let me do a poor attempt at considering the data. My best guess is that the brother - sir Robert - wants the dog out of the way for something. What do dogs do? They dig things up and like bones, which might be inconvient if you're digging up dead bodies? They bark when strangers enter the grounds at night? Considering that a stranger did enter the grounds, it might be just that Robert was concerned about the dog raising alarm on that

“But the crypt?” “Ah, yes, the crypt! Let us suppose, Watson—it is merely a scandalous supposition, a hypothesis put forward for argument's sake—that Sir Robert has done away with his sister.” Ok that does make more sense as to why the dog had to go! Of course, a dog would not be fooled by an impersonator. Nor would a horse

My dear Holmes :) :) :)

So the stranger who Mr. Mason saw was the one who's now impersonating the sister, I gather. Gods, the 'man in dress for means of evil deception' trope is old

“How far is this crypt from the house?” asked Holmes.“A good quarter of a mile.” “Then I think we can disregard him altogether.” “I can't afford to do that, Mr. Holmes. The moment he arrives he will want to see me to get the last news of Shoscombe Prince.” “I see! In that case we must work without you, Mr. Mason. You can show us the crypt and then leave us.” Always love Watson and Holmes sneaking around at night

“But why in the world would anyone want to burn the bones of a man who has been dead a thousand years?” asked John Mason. “That is what we are here to find out,” said Holmes. “It may mean a long search, and we need not detain you. I fancy that we shall get our solution before morning.” Are they actually going to open up coffins? That is some gothic shit and I'm here for it

Then, as Holmes returned no answer, he took a couple of steps forward and raised a heavy stick which he carried. “Do you hear me?” he cried. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” His cudgel quivered in the air. But instead of shrinking Holmes advanced to meet him. “I also have a question to ask you, Sir Robert,” he said in his sternest tone. “Who is this? And what is it doing here?” First: oops. Second: Holmes, for your own and Watson's sake, please avoid becoming the next corpse in that crypt

“How came you to know of this?” he cried. And then, with some return of his truculent manner: “What business is it of yours?” “My name is Sherlock Holmes,” said my companion. “Possibly it is familiar to you. In any case, my business is that of every other good citizen—to uphold the law. It seems to me that you have much to answer for.” Holmes' confrontations just are the best. Imagine being this large man with a fearsome reputation, pulling a weapon upon a stranger you find in your own crypt at night, and he just calmly confronts you with what filth he has dug about you. Scary levels of confidence there. I would be taken aback too

“‘Fore God, Mr. Holmes, it's all right,” said he. “Appearances are against me, I'll admit, but I could act no otherwise.” Wondering what excuse this violent villain will come up with

“Well, Sir Robert,” said Holmes, rising, “this matter must, of course, be referred to the police. It was my duty to bring the facts to light, and there I must leave it. Glad that Holmes will not hush up this case. That man may not have murdered his sister, but everything else he did was still out of all bounds, and only done for purely selfish reasons

It is generally known now that this singular episode ended upon a happier note than Sir Robert's actions deserved. (...) Both police and coroner took a lenient view of the transaction, and beyond a mild censure for the delay in registering the lady's decease, the lucky owner got away scatheless from this strange incident in a career which has now outlived its shadows and promises to end in an honoured old age. A rather dissapointing ending to this story, in my opinion. I guess that 'debts should not bring about personal ruin' is a rad point, just as 'don't believe all scandalous gossip', but all the rest just reads like the result of class privilege. Looking for actual work instead of just gambling to gain his own income was of course not even considered. His near deadly attack on Sam Brewer was not adressed, nor are his violent ways. Possibly Doyle considered this a realistic outcome in his time? I love, however, that both Holmes and Watson still made their contempt for this man clear