#and i do think walls and the tour really did a lot to heal that trauma

[yellowloid]

I'm kinda new to Milex, despite loving both AM and TLSP for years, and like so many questions.......What happened to those sweethearts, what are the divorce allegations, why they don't hang out anymore, is there any tension between Miles and Alex's girlfriend?😭 I need to know

hiii and welcome to the milex fandom!!

first of all, you can check out this post to know more about the divorce allegations - but of course always remember it's just theories, no one really knows what happened (if anything happened at all)

second of all, they do still hang out! they're just very private about it and rarely ever get spotted together, but over the years after the tbhc and cdg eras we got to see them together a few times, usually hanging out in london like here (august 2020):

and here (july 2021):

but also in jnstances like this one (september 2021) (it's not confirmed that they were together but miles posted this with the caption 'ARRABIATA HEAD X' and arrabiata is Their Thing + those are alex's sunglasses and the photo was most likely taken by him idc i will die on this hill)

then we got to see them together in june 2022, hanging out at some pub:

and also at zackery michael and lola mcdonnell's wedding aka the wedding of the century aka i wish i was a fly on the wall there. this was also in june 2022, they were both there but sadly we didn't get any interaction nor photos of them together:

we did however get a few interactions between miles, (nadya) and louise.

in may 2023 they were spotted having a cute little date night at a scott walker tribute concert in london (feat. the one and only brown leather jacket):

and then of course we got to see them playing 505 together in june (💖) after five whole years of not sharing a stage:

and then again in dublin, miles opened for them on all four nights of the irish leg in october and joined them for 505 on the very last one:

during both the cts and omb eras miles has mentioned alex and tlsp quite a few times (both spontaneously or because of annoying interviewers asking him about it).

speaking of miles and louise, they ignored each other for a long time since alex started dating her back in 2018, which was quite weird considering miles usually seemed to have great friendships with alex's girlfriends (he was very close to taylor, and he's still friends with alexa). recently they started interacting more, liking each other's posts or leaving comments there (see miles commenting on her latest birthday post for alex). as i mentioned, they interacted a bit during zack and lola's wedding (katie posted a video on ig where her, kirstin, louise, miles and nadya were all hanging out together). i think at this point it's safe to say miles and nadya aren't together anymore, but her and louise were hanging out quite a lot during 2022/start of 2023 and they probably got introduced through their respective boyfriends. there's no official drama between miles and louise but they don't seem to be friends, just close acquaintances at best.

and... i think that's it anon! in conclusion they're still very much close and hanging out with each other, it's just much rarer to get a glimpse of them but maybe in the (hopefully not so distant) future we'll get a tlsp3 announcement and then they'll finally be touring together again, planet earth will heal and we'll be well-fed once again. in the meantime, i hope this little recap was helpful <3

[roseyswords]

APOLOGY TOUR SPOILERS

Ok so, the beginning is always a good place to start I guess.

Blitzø and Stolas's conversation at the beginning was so wonderfully painful. As was everything this episode. Blitzø is opening this episode with his defense mechanisms up to the max. He's trying to act so casually about everything and force things into being how they were before.

And Stolas is rightfully pissed at him for it. He doesn't want to play around with these charades and masks he wants a real conversation that Blitzø is not willing to have yet.

And I love the invitation we see to the Fuck Blitzo party. Everything about that was great. Especially Stolas acting like he was so above it and totally wasn't gonna go but then he goes later. Like Im not sure if he's lying in that moment or if he decided to go after this conversation but I personally think he had already decided he was gonna go because he never gets invited to things and he's just lying in this moment. Cuz it's funnier to me.

Side note :I just find the fact that Verosika tracks down and sends an invitation to every person who can remotely be considered an ex so hilarious. That has got to be like some fucking work. Like we see Dennis later, and Dennis was a hookup at a party. Verosika has dedication to her cause.

But back to the argument at the beginning I want to point out two moments that are really interesting. The first one is when Blitzø says relationships are boring and Stolas calls him out on this and says " then why are you here?" Because whether Blitzø wants to recognize it or not he does want a relationship with Stolas but he is not ready to admit it. And you can just see in Stolas's face that he is hoping that in that moment Blitzø will say something that is letting his guard down and sharing his feelings and then the disappointment when that doesn't happen.

And then the second time this happens when Blitzø basically does say what he's actually thinking in that whole " what do you want me to say " part and Stolas just goes yes. Exactly. And Blitzø turns back to putting his walls up.

Also I forgot this until I was raving to my mother about the episode, but Stolas also finds out that Blitzø knew there was an assassin out there trying to kill him. And we can see he is upset about it. My brain is mush rn so I don't have a ton to say about this but that was a big revelation that happened here.

I think it's so funny that the part in the trailer for Blitzø opening that portal to DHORKS was him doing His little apology tour.

But then we get to the party and oh fuck, ok let's talk about the party.

I really like how that song with Stolas went. I like how as opposed to what we all thought going into the episode, that it would be a concert he's been invited to, it's more so like a group therapy session that everyone there participates in.

I feel like Stolas got to work through some of his emotions in that song and did some amount of emotional healing with it. It was something he really needed and something Blitzø definitely needed to hear.

I like how not everything was solved with Blitzø and Stolas's conversation afterwards but that there was still growth from it. Because Blitzø was finally honest with him about what he was feeling in that moment in Full Moon and genuinely apologized for how he handled it.

I feel like the show is taking turns with them in their relationship and right now it's just Blitzø's turn to reckon with what he's done wrong and be sorry about it. This is an episode that deals with Blitzø's emotional walls and how he hurts people.

But I also like how there are hints and breadcrumbs for what Stolas's turn will probably be like. Like at the beginning of the episode Stolas says when have I ever looked down on you? And a lot of us have our answers for how some of his behavior lent itself to that reading for Blitzø. And in his song he talks about how he's partly to blame for the situation that their relationship is in as well. But we're not fully dealing with these things narratively because it's not Stolas's turn again. Stolas's first turn spread from Ozzie's to Full moon with him realizing the effects and power dynamics of their deal. And him making right on that. And I feel like his next turn later on will be them dealing with the complexities of the power dynamics of their ranks.

But we don't have to fully deal with that yet because for right now it is Blitzø's turn.

I truly deeply love Blitzø's conversation with Verosika. Because he starts off with a fake apology and his defensiveness again. But when Verosika goes into how she felt and how shitty what he did to her was and how she's justified in her anger he gives her a genuine apology. This is a really big step for Blitzø and he's making a lot of progress this episode I feel. I especially love what Verosika says to him when Blitzø gets angry and jealous over seeing Stolas make out with that dude. ( Good for him btw he needed that). And Verosika says the first step to becoming better is saying "good for him. Hope he gets laid." Because I think it speaks to what caring about another person and being good to them truly entails. Which is just wanting what's best for them/wanting them to be happy even if that means being happy without you.

I really like how this episode handles Blitzø reckoning with how his actions hurt other people and the responsibility he has for that. This was a really painful episode for him but it was one that was really needed for him to truly grow as a person.

Woo that was a long ass post.

[ifwebefriends]

Thoughts on Apology Tour (major spoilers below)

I did NOT expect to be thrown into another tense Blitz and Stolas conversation RIGHT AS THE EPISODE STARTS

Blitz is like SO CLOSE TO GETTING IT HES SO CLOSE

He basically poured his real vulnerable feelings out then played it off, like he’s getting there he kinda knows what his problem is he’s getting there I can feel it

I like almost forgot about the first time Striker tried to kill Stolas ngl and I never even thought that Blitz should have warned him idk

Why were you listening to love ballads Blitz?!?!? Huh?!?!? 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

Blitz didn’t really say the word “sorry” to the people he was apologizing to all day, he was just giving them notes/baskets, that was my first like red flag

MARTHA AND THE TEACHER OMG

THEY GOT A BISHOP AT THE GOV AGENCY BRO

THE MEMES HE WAS SENDING STOLAS

I loved the song Stolas sang, he was honest even though it wasn’t like a popular take

BLITZ’ FACES DURING THE SONG I CANNOT RIGHT NOW

Tex I don’t think Loona would like you shit talking her dad like that (or maybe she would idk)

LOVED the Stolas and Blitz interactions at the party, they learned more about each other, it’s like paving the way for better things I think

I really liked the conversation Verosika and Blitz had, it was great character development and revealed some important info

I love that Stolas is having some fun at that party and not wallowing in despair

Was sad that they didn’t really make up in this episode but from a story perspective it makes sense and I think it kinda makes for a better paced and more interesting story

A big part of me thinks that they won’t really talk or interact again until Sinsmas but they’ll be thinking about each other the whole time and trying to heal and become healthier and better people who can communicate and show love better than they can now :)

What I think is going to happen is like they won’t really talk a bunch maybe they’ll text here and there but I think some space is good for them right now then in Sinsmas when Stolas is stuck and in trouble and his back is against the wall, at the last second, Blitz SWOOPS IN TO SAVE HIM and they make up or at least start to make up and are on good terms again (apollos dodgeball please hit me please please please)

I really do think that Stolitz is endgame y’all I really do but we have a lot to work through for now

Really good episode overall

[indiaalphawhiskey]

Love your response about that Luke and Nicola thing. I appreciate how realistic but respectful you are to the people who felt… upset about it.

I didn’t fall completely into it, but I understand why people romanticized Nic and Luke because I felt the excitement too. It didn’t help that the PR world tour served it up on a platter. I can see why people felt like their emotions were used. The point of PR is to make people believe, otherwise it wouldn’t work. It felt like they wanted people’s emotional investment when it mattered to the marketing/pr team, but made them all feel stupid when they no longer needed the clout and dropped it with unfortunate timing. Particularly after Part 2’s drop, which some felt underwhelmed by. But that’s PR for you.

I can also see how our personal projections leaned into it as well. For many, having a romantic lead and actress who represented beauty outside the mainstream perception of women was refreshing and hopeful. So although no one’s at fault, I truly do get the tinge of sadness many felt after seeing what the GF looked like.

It’s ok to feel the way that you do about people, some of us are just romantics and love when human emotions are palpable because love is infectious. I felt a little stupid getting into it too, but you cross a line when you start harassing real people based on what you believe. It’s sort of embarrassing and I hope Luke and Nic are able to come back with that chemistry strong for Season 4 without being deterred.

Oh, I’m very open about how I fell (am still falling, really) in love with them. I’m not over it yet, tbh, but I think my being self-aware about crossing boundaries is extremely important in situations like this. (I try not to engage in platforms where I know Nicola frequents, to protect the fourth wall.)

Because frankly, I see them struggling now, to balance their comfort with each other while managing expectations from the fans, and I really don’t want that for them. I hope the frenzy dies down and they find their footing with each other in the public eye again.

On our personal projections, boy, do I get it. Seeing Nic bloom into this undeniably sexy, desired, beloved romantic lead has healed me in ways years of therapy could never. Plus the public love for her has very directly changed a lot of my perceptions about how truthful other people are in their positive view of me and also my own view on my capacity to be sexy and desired and attractive, and that’s priceless to me.

So I was also quite er, wounded, by the pap photos. It did, honestly, pop a very very beautiful bubble for me, because let’s be honest — Luke Newton is gorgeous, and they are gorgeous together. But then I realized that I was falling into the trap of assuming, once again, that she was the one being rejected, instead of the multitude of other equally possible realities (e.g. it really is just platonic between them, or she’s in a relationship, or she doesn’t want a relationship, or the timing is off, or she doesn’t want it to get messy with someone who’s so important to her, or her career comes first, or literally any reason it could be under the sun).

I think it’s important to honor the idea that she means so much to many of us, and that the fantasy of them together means a lot to many of us, and that is valid and okay. That’s what romance is there for, you know? For us to see the possibilities of what could happen for us and retrain our brains to genuinely believe in good outcomes.

But I think it’s important to reframe this narrative that she’s somehow losing out in this, because that’s factually incorrect and really undoes a lot of the confidence she’s given us.

I don’t blame anyone for getting attached, and I don’t blame anyone for feeling hurt. Those are emotions — you can’t control them and they’re all valid. But, I guess, when it gets tough, take a second look at her and what she’s doing, for herself and for everyone, and focus hard on the fact that that’s not born from her and Luke. That’s born from nothing other than her being entirely and unapologetically her.

[gakehc]

My Sweet Enkeli: Chapter 2

"Enkeli": finnish word for "angel".

When Noah Sebastian met Nori Nurmi for the first time, he knew he wanted her more than anything. She was beautiful like an angel and dangerous like the devil.

♡ Author's note: things are going to get more spicy! Also, we will know more about Nori's feelings towards Noah. Please let me know your opinions, I would love to know your thoughts 🖤 and if you're liking this fanfic please reblog so more people can read it. CHAPTER 1 HERE.

♡ Warnings: This is a work involving real people but it's 100% fiction written. Please remember that this is only for fun purposes and it doesn't reflect their real thoughts and behaviors. Don't take this work too seriously. +18 only. My english sucks. Female masturbation.

♡ Characters: Noah Sebastian × Nori Nurmi (OFC).

♡ Words: 2.768

♡ MASTERLIST HERE.

Even though it's not the most comfortable place in the world, her bunk is making Nori feel safe as she can hide behind the curtain that guarantees her privacy inside the tour bus. She grabs her favorite pillow and holds it tight - the one that she got from a fan as a birthday gift a few years ago -, trying to feel any kind of comfort like she could get from a hug. Of course it's not the same thing, but at least helps her to release the tension she is feeling. Why is she feeling so messed up because of a stupid tattooed singer who likes to play videogames and watch anime? For God's sake, Nori never felt so pathetic in her entire life. Not even when she was just a teenager and had a crush on a guy from school who was obsessed with aliens and conspiracy theories. She's a total control freak and she knows that she was about to lose herself a few minutes ago while Noah was holding her by her arm and getting so close to her that her heart was racing inside her chest. Losing control it's never an option!

The truth is that Nori doesn't tend to flirt with rockstars. She has known a lot of them and she knows how they are: selfish, always looking for a pussy and nothing more, loves to feel like they are in command. As a woman in this business full of men, she had to learn how to deal with them and she will never show any feeling that might seem that she wants something more than friendship. Yes she's always nice with everyone, always smiling and open for conversations but once a man tries to cross the line everything changes and she shows nothing but rage. Noah did try to cross the line but for a brief moment she wanted him to do that. And then, she reminded herself that she needs to stay focused on her job and not fuck things up. This tour it's very important for her, there's a lot of things to be concerned about and being involved with Noah Sebastian could put everything at risk. What if he is a total asshole? What if they fight? She has been there before. Nori isn't a person that runs away from fighting when there's something serious going on. Even though she is always trying her best to maintain a good vibe between everyone, once someone does something really wrong she loses her mind. She just can't and won't let anyone hurt her feelings anymore.

Also, time and a lot of disappointment made Nori hide herself from all kinds of flirting and love interests that might appear on her way. She was hurt too many times before and she doesn't have the strength to heal anymore - at least that's what she thinks. She doesn't see how strong she can be. It could be something totally sexual with no feelings attached but she knows that she can't control her heart so she doesn't want to deal with anything she can't control.

Her mind keeps remembering the scene that she witnessed earlier at the bar while she leans her head on the wall. How Lara was touching Noah's hair, getting closer to him and making him laugh… It's driving her insane! Nori knows that being easily jealous it's part of her nature just like the good scorpio she is. She wishes that she could be the one to touch him, to feel his locks sliding through her fingers. Deep inside she knows that the guy is messing with her real bad, she just doesn't want to admit it.

All these years that Forever Damned is on the road, everyone is always trying to convince Nori to let herself enjoy life and live some adventures, to be wilder and not too afraid of the consequences. Each girl in the band has certain habits when it comes to flirting and dating. Her sister Mirva has a boyfriend, a very nice guy who truly loves her and she loves him back so she is totally faithful to him. Auri it's hard to impress and she has an unfinished situation with an older guy in Finland - he's definitely her boy toy. But, if someone is weird enough to catch her attention she will give it a try. Maila and Lara are the wild ones. They like to hook up with hot dudes they might meet on the road, especially Lara. She doesn't need to strive to find someone, there are always hundreds of mens waiting to have a chance with her. Nori's habits are staying away from man and distractions, keeping herself inside her bubble and focusing on giving her best to her fans, always. Sometimes, she's envious about how Lara can be so bold and not afraid to seek for her physical pleasure. She wishes she could be more like her friend. Maybe, if she had a little bit of "Lara boldness" inside of her, she could let Noah get closer to her. Maybe, she could do what her body craves for her to do.

The truth is that Noah Sebastian is a hot guy, there's no doubt about that. Seeing him in person, and being physically close to the singer makes anyone easily fall for him. But he's not the type of guy that Nori tends to like. Jolly would definitely be the one who she would pay attention to in the first place and of course she finds him handsome, too. Actually, Bad Omens is made of beautiful mens, each one in its own way.

When Nori saw Noah for the first time in person, she made the huge mistake of looking him in the eye. That was enough to rock her entire world. She is used to guys with blue eyes in her homeland so staring at his darker gaze was what woken up something inside of her. The way he can shift between puppy eyes and totally mischievous look makes all the butterflies, moths, dragon-flies and all the other flying insects in her stomach fly around like a huge kaleidoscope or something like that. And the similarities between them are big, maybe because they are both scorpios but it's a fact that they have some things in common: they are both extremely perfectionists and could give their lives for their careers. When they love something, they truly do with all their hearts and souls, and this also applies to hate - it's 0 or 100%, there's nothing in the middle.

•

Another night, another show. Bad Omens is on stage and Nori decides to watch. Actually, she can't take him from her mind and couldn't resist the temptation of watching him wearing his sexy ski mask. The intrusive thoughts are getting out of control and she doesn't like this at all - it makes her anxious. She plays with the hem of her mini black skirt as Noah performs, showing his strong arms covered in tattoos and broad shoulders, his big hand holding the microphone as Nori bites her lower lip with the view. Her thoughts are starting to get more messy and inappropriate and soon she is lost in the pictures that her mind is creating. She is feeling like Eve facing the red juicy apple hanging on the forbidden tree; Noah Sebastian is the true definition of temptation. Is it really worth it to allow herself to sin? Will she end up burning in the flames of hell? Staring at Noah's eyes makes her feel like he could take her to paradise with him.

He can't help but smirk when he notices that the show it's almost over and Nori is still there. His eyes wandered to her so many times tonight that he hopes no one noticed. Knowing that she was watching him made Noah feel like the fucking king he sings about.

While the band finishes the last song, Nori takes off in a hurry. She needs to be in her safe place, away from Noah's presence for a while so she can put her thoughts in order but damn! How hard it is. It's like her mind is sabotaging her. The way he looked on stage tonight was a turn on for her, she doesn't know how she holded on during the whole show but she can feel that her underwear is definitely wet.

She looks for a pair of shorts so she can change from her stage outfit but step noises freak the shit out of her. Her eyes capture Noah walking towards her, his face red and hair wet from the sweat as he just left the stage and came immediately after Nori.

"Stalking me again?" She says, trying to keep focused on her bag full of clothes.

"I came in peace. I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday".

Finally, Noah gets her attention. Maybe, an apology means that he quit her.

"And you couldn't wait? You had to leave the stage and come after me straight away?".

"Yes. I saw you there watching the whole show and I couldn't stop thinking about it".

"If I forgive you, will you leave me alone?".

Nori knows that she is lying when she says she wants him to leave her alone and so does Noah. She doesn't want him away from her, she wishes things could be easier and Noah could be a total stranger that she would never see again so she could quench her thirst for him without worries.

"I can't promise" he answers, getting closer to her.

"So it's a no, then. You have to earn it".

"Why? Why do you keep torturing yourself like that?".

Nori keeps messing with her clothes, trying to find something like she is still remembering what she was doing before Noah entered the bus. Everything now is a huge pile of fabric on the tiny couch. Noah intervenes and holds her hand as he tries to stop her from making a bigger mess.

"I see it in your eyes that you want me as much as I want you" his voice is velvety and shivering.

"You're dangerous, Noah Sebastian".

"And so are you, Nori Nurmi".

Even though Nori says no, her body shows the contrary. Noah is still touching her hands and playing with her fingers while her eyes follow his moves. Soon, his fingers run through her arm while he is positioned behind her, his nose almost touching her head as he smells the scent of her shampoo - definitely smelling like some exotic oil, she must spend a lot of money to keep her hair so soft and healthy. She closes her eyes, letting herself feel his touch on her shivered skin. When he reaches her neck, she quickly turns around so he stops his moves, which is not a good idea because now there's the mischievous look on his face again, his eyes capturing all the details on her skin like the little freckles on her nose and how the color tone of her green eyes changes with the light of the bus. A perfect black eyeliner drawn around her eyes with some glitter on it, long black lashes framing them. The red lipstick on her lip it's almost fading. She looks like a perfect Finnish goddess, so perfect that makes Noah's heart hurt.

"You're melting under my touch" he says, a smirk on his face.

"No, I'm not" her voice is weak, her whole body losing its strength.

"I bet you're soaking wet down there".

Noah's moves are so fast that Nori can't even think straight. He grabs her and puts her on the small kitchen counter, spreading her legs so he can fit between them. His fingers quickly work to raise her skirt so they can find her arousal. She is totally wet for him, her core aching with the feeling of him touching her for the first time.

"I knew it" he is satisfied knowing that he was right.

Carefully, he inserts one finger inside of her and it enters so easily that Noah can't help but smile. Her walls feel so soft around his fingers that he needs to put another one. He squizors them inside of her, trying to find that sweet spot that will make her go insane with his touch.

"It's been a while since no one touches you like that, huh?" He asks.

Nori presses her lips against each other trying desperately to hold the moans. Her body arching as she feels the pleasure getting closer, one hand holding Noah's wrist as he holds the counter and keeps on playing with her pussy with the other one. When his thumb touches her clit, it's impossible for her to hold on. She feels an intense orgasm growing and taking her completely, making her legs shake at the pleasure that his hand is providing her. She hates herself so much for that but, at the same time, she is so relieved that he is finally touching her the way she wanted so badly; there's a war going on inside her head.

"You're cumming so good in my fingers for me, angel" he says, his mouth closer to her lips.

"I'm not… fuck, Noah!".

"Then why are my fingers so milky like that?".

He can feel her walls clenching around his fingers, he knows that she has reached her apex as she holds the counter with such a strength that her hands are getting white.

"I-I fucking hate you".

Of course she doesn't hate him. Her eyes are almost watering because of the pleasure, she wishes she could go further but there's still a little angel on her shoulder saying that she should take it easy. When Noah takes his fingers off of her she almost whimps at the feeling of emptiness. The devil on her shoulders tells her to ask Noah to fuck her right on the counter.

"You're so beautiful when you cum" he says, teasing her.

"Noah, please…" she let out a sigh.

This situation is so tiring to her that she feels like crying but she is strong enough to hold the tears. Now that she felt Noah touching her like that, making her feel an intense orgasm just with his fingers, she feels like they crossed the line. She shouldn't have let him do that in the first place but, at the same time, she doesn't regret it.

"I'm sorry, angel…" he's worried.

She looks at his totally soaking wet fingers and the mess that she made on his hand. Her cheeks blushes as he cleans them with his shirt and soon she sees that there's a huge bulge on his pants. He is so damn hard for her that it hurts to let him this way.

"Please, don't call me that. You don't understand" she says.

"I don't, as much as I try to. You're so perfect to me that just the thought of having you completely… shit! I know you want it, too".

He cups her face and caresses her chicks with his thumbs, making Nori close her eyes with his tender touch. She's starting to feel at home with him.

"It's better for us if we forget about what just happened" she says.

"I don't think I can".

"But you can try. Please, if you care about me that much, you need to try".

As much as it hurts for Noah, he knows that he will end up breaking her heart if he doesn't do what she is desperately asking him. For him, it's better if he suffers instead of her.

"If that's what you really want, I will" his voice is weak.

Noah slowly walks towards the bus exit as Nori stays there, sitting on the counter with her legs open. She watches him leave with a heavy weight inside her chest, feeling the tears finally going down on her face. Why is she even crying? She feels so stupid that she desperately searches for a bottle of wine or anything that will help to mask her suffering. Nori wishes that she could leave this tour and go home, going back to her normal life near her family where she can find the comfort she needs. Maybe, if she focuses 100% on her work, she will be able to end this tour without going insane. There's still some demos and lyrics that she needs to work on for the next album and that's going to be her escape for the next few weeks. She just hopes that Noah has understood her side and will keep his word.

CHAPTER THREE HERE

[blueberryshelves]

Another book down. Can't wait to start reading book #2.

_______________________________________________

Book Review

Title: Meet Me at the Summit Author: Mandi Lynn Bell

Book Series: Road Trip Snapshot, book #1

No. of Pages: 329

ISBN: 978-1-953388-02-5

Cover design: original cover and pen name before book republishing in 2023.

Synopsis:

For most 19-year-olds, a cross-country trip is an offer you can’t refuse, but for Marly, it’s the last thing she wants after losing both her parents in a car accident. Nine months after their death, Marly would rather stay home working the retail job she hates, than deal with her loss.

It isn’t until family and friends corner her into driving her mom’s renovated 1978 VW bus from Washington to New Hampshire that Marly is forced to face her grief and understand the guilt she feels over her parents’ death. Skeptical, Marly goes on the trip, warily exploring the life her parents knew she always wanted—hiking mountains and living out her photography dreams. On the way, she’ll discover places and people who’ll test her emotions and a guy who pushes at the walls she’s so carefully built around herself. Marly must decide: can she face her deepest wounds and reclaim the life she thought was gone forever?

Meet Me at the Summit is an intimate tale of grief, finding yourself after deep loss, and coming to terms with how life changes when you least expect it. It follows Marly as she both runs from and towards the emotions she has long held back regarding her parents’ death. A deep, insightful look into the coming-of-age theme through a heart-breaking narrative.

The Road Trip Snapshot duology, book 1

_______________________________________________

What did I think of the book?

Meet Me at the Summit by Mandi Lynn Bell My rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 3 of 5 stars

[Spoiler warning!]

I read the companion novel/stand-alone of this series, The Trail to You & Me, at the beginning of July, and fell absolutely in love with it. So, when the other two books of the Road Trip Snapshot series finally came in the mail, I was excited, and hungry for more hiking adventures and romance. I have to say, Meet Me at the Summit is not what I expected. There's a part of me that wishes I had read this book first before the stand-alone for the emotional context, but oh well. This is a coming-age-of story focused on overcoming grief, loss, and finding a way to get life rolling onward again (in this case, through the awesomeness of a hiking road trip, and some romance sprinkled in the later half of the book). There are some tough lessons in this book, such as: sometimes you just have to do what you don’t want to do, or are scared of, in order to heal yourself and get things back together again. Life happens, it’s not always fun and games, and we have to learn to face it and keep living, even if it we’d rather spend the rest of our lives hiding under a pillow from it all. It’s an emotional book, and it’s hard to not feel like tearing up with the main character as she goes through her grief at times. The scene with Marly at the Summit of Mount Washington was beautiful, sad, and possibly my favorite scene of the whole book. The different locations described in the story were a lot of fun to search up, too. As I was reading, I told my partner, “I feel like I’m getting a tour of America with this book”, and he said “Yeah, there’s not much to see here… except everything.” Lol. Favorite character/s: Ethan, Marly’s uncle. I wish he was in the book more. It felt like he grounded the story nicely as an older adult in the book in the beginning. Dylan, for the fact that he doesn’t let Marly allow her fears to consume her. How he helps her have closure at the end of the story is also touching. What drew me to this book? The cover design (original). I loved the color palette with the orange and blue, and the vibe of the illustration style. When I found out the author had republished the books with new covers, I hesitated on getting the books. I really liked the original covers, so I was over-the-moon happy when I heard I could still get them from the author’s website. Stars: 3/5 because there were just a few too many hiccups with the book that affected the reading experience for me, the main one being that there was a strange lack of detail for some of the characters when they were introduced in the story, like hair color, eye color, clothes, etc., that weren’t mentioned until later on, or at times not at all. Despite this, I would read it again in the future, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what Let the Rubble Fall will be like.

View all my reviews

[typewriter83]

Yes! (Same anon) I agree so much with your take, but I think it’s interesting that in the game Ellie DOES leave JJ because ultimately her relationship with Joel and Tommy isn’t healed. She doesn’t fully internalize why Joel did what he did until she is about to take Abby from Lev. So in the end, I guess she also realizes she took herself from JJ, which is just a whole other layer of hurt. Why must this poor girl suffer so much 😭

I’m just wondering what Tommy losing a child would do for the direction of the show… to me, it would make him less likely to guilt Ellie to leave her child on another revenge mission. But if the child lives, I guess I could see Tommy being so broken from being separated from Maria and the kid that he really pressures Ellie. Also, there’s the chance they could just straight kill off maria in childbirth. I’m so scrambled by this new plot point because it could just go so many directions.

One of my favorite things in the game is how much Tommy did seem to be a loving uncle to Ellie. I have fears for how him having his own child will affect that relationship. Is it also weird of me to think that two pregnancies in one season is just a lot pregnancy lol? So my mind is just going so many ways.

In conclusion, I’m a jj fan. I hope we get to see the little guy

I’m also not sure how I’m going to survive next season. It will be a hard watch.

There’s a lot of storyline issues with Part 2, but more characterization than anything. The idea that Ellie would give up the family and always wanted to seek revenge - it’s hard to grasp, but I think Ellie loved Joel above all others, even Dina (maybe not JJ, but she did leave him so…)

Does Ellie leaving Dina to seek revenge for Joel’s death prove that Ellie has a violent heart. I think it proves she has a broken heart. That’s my two cents on that.

Tommy doesn’t really establish a relationship with Ellie in season 1, then again she doesn’t really establish a relationship with him until part 2, so that all tracks. It’ll be interesting to see how they play it out - Gabriel Luna and Bella Ramsey were filming a lot longer than Pedro Pascal (as far as we know - he could have flown somewhere to film and they kept it under wraps; if so, good for the production team for keeping it quiet!) - so I would hope that we’re gonna see some scenes with Tommy and Ellie.

When watching season 1, Jackson looks like more of a functioning town than in part 2 of the game. Yes, Jackson had walls and electricity but they were still lacking - whereas in the first season, Jackson is shown to be thriving - full of life. Maria having a baby could show how comfortable (complacent?) the town is, and is therefore vulnerable. Drawing on comparisons to The Walking Dead - the people in Alexandria were complacent and therefore vulnerable to the dangers outside - if the show takes that kind of turn, it would be very interesting. When I first watching episode 6 - “Kin” - my first thought was that the wall and Maria’s tour of her town reminded me strongly of Alexandria, and I kept waiting for an attack that never came.

I’ve gone off on a tangent. I think if they’re gonna follow game 2, with Tommy and Ellie’s relationship, then he has to bond with her - but if they’re gonna play off the idea of Ellie’s “violent heart” maybe we’re going to see something different with her relationships - and I think I’ve established how much I hate that idea, because deep down, Ellie is lovable and traumatized and just wants to belong.

🫶🏻

[faith--in-the-future]

I have a lot of thoughts on why louis doesn't do certain things but they're all tangled in my head

[skylarmoon71]

Eobard Thawne (Flash) - Chapter 17

Eobard, Barry and Cisco are working out a way to get Eli safely back to his time without tampering with anything. Since the boy was overly excited to see the speed lab, you’d offer to give him a little tour. 

Though a part of you just wants to study him more. You’d like to say that this is crazy, maybe he was some villain trying to get to you all by playing on a weakness. But when you look at him, you can’t feel an ounce of ill intent. If anything he feels..familiar. Like you know him. He also has Eobard’s image, even the freckles, but your eyes. 

“I can feel you staring, mom.” You flush.

“I’m sorry.” He just shakes his head, leaning his back on the wall as he admires the build. 

“It’s fine. I get that this is a lot. Can’t say I planned for this to happen.” 

“Wait, I thought you did. You ran here didn’t you?” 

“I didn’t.” 

Now you’re confused.

“I was at school then this big time hole thing sucked me right in. Dad’s always been really strict about time travel. He warned me never to do it. It’s like the number one rule of my powers.” His eyes drift down to his feet. 

“When I came out of it I sort of got scrambled and I ran into you. Sorry about that.” 

You just smile. “It’s okay. You really don’t have to keep apologizing. Speed healing, remember.” He grins.

“Totally forgot about that.”

You both let out a little laugh, and once again you’re looking at him. You’ve seen Nora travel back and forth countless times, so it’s not like the whole offspring traveling to see their parents thing is new to you. But this time it’s your child. It’s a bit incredible to say the least. 

Eli’s expression though, it looks a bit distant. Sort of the way he was when he looked at Eobard.

“Eli, I’m sorry if I’m crossing a line, but is your relationship with Eobard not good?”

You can see the fleeting look he gives. He tries to mask it quickly. 

“Nah, it’s not bad. He’s like most dads you know. Tough on their sons. “ He lets out a laugh, but this one doesn’t sound as joyful as the first one. 

“Just because he’s hard on me it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love me…right?” 

You feel your heart tug. The fact that he has to ask that question says it all. You can’t stop yourself, you move forward, pulling him into a hug. He doesn’t even hesitate, and you get the feeling that he’s used to this. Your affection, and it warms your heart. You rub his back, he sighs.

“I know I’m already fifteen, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of your hugs mom.” you smile. 

“I’m glad, son.” 

Those words make him hold on tighter, and a feeling of warmth washes over your body. When he pulls back, you hold his cheeks, admiring him. 

“I can’t believe I made such a handsome boy. I got some good genes, didn't I?” He laughs. 

“The best genes mom.” He commends. 

You’re both laughing again, and Barry strolls in. He feels a bit bad. He doesn’t want to break up the little moment. Seeing you like this brings a sense of nostalgia with his own daughter. You finally turn when you catch sight of Barry. 

“I’d like to say I have good news, but I don’t. I’ve tried running back to his time, but the speed force is blocking me. It’s like it doesn't want to let me through. “ 

“Trying to run him back won’t work. I think I figured out why he’s here, and how to get him back.” 

Eli looks astonished. 

“Really?!” 

“Yeah.” He cheers. 

“You’re awesome mom! No surprise there.” 

He lifts you up, giving you a spin and you giggle. 

You could get used to having a kid.

[thedoubteriswise]

okay so. I am a smart adult with many important responsibilities. I have good taste and care about things that matter. for this reason, I’ve been trying to identify where in cql canon wangxian manage to fuck.

because they definitely do; I like a good post-canon getting together fic as much as the next guy, but it’s just not realistic.

allow them. it’s already been so long.

(just like this goddamn post turned out to be, let’s do a cut)

right. so initially it looks like you could place this right after the time skip in episode 33, because it shows us that wwx is with lwj in cloud recesses. we know that he spent the night in the jingshi because he wakes up there the next morning before he goes for a nostalgic tour of his old school.

and also visits the cold spring, where lwj is mostly naked. nice.

but wait! wwx is surprised by the scars on his back and chest. that seems like something he would have known about if they’d already been naked together the night before, so I’m going to say they did not fuck immediately upon wwx’s return to cloud recesses. okay, fine, they’re taking things slow, that’s cool.

maybe they could work it into the next night, then. oh wait, lqr is injured and... staying in the jingshi? for reasons?

I don’t know why. he must have his own house in cloud recesses, and it’s probably at least as comfortable as lwj’s, but here he is. he lives to stop his nephew from getting laid, I guess.

the next day they do some Q&A with the kids and determine that they need to head to qinghe to figure out what’s going on with this sword thing. great! we love a romantic road trip, plenty of alone time. but they also have to do their jobs, and then jin ling needs to get rescued from a wall of dirt, and jc is unfortunately there being himself, and then they have to grill nhs about his tomb full of angry sabers, etc. etc.

with all that going on, their next obvious chance is at the inn immediately after interviewing nhs. this evening has already included:

wwx gazing lovingly at lwj from afar

lwj carrying wwx on his back

lwj pawing at wwx’s robes trying to deal with his cursed leg

lwj helping wwx up the stairs, serving him wine, fixing his flute, and generally being at his beck and call

a very sexy and homoerotic duet

and now they’re alone and drooling over each other as usual. this seems like a plausible spot, right?

it does! but no. after they go back to the nie basement o’ swords and hear the backstory on nmj’s death, we see them walking in yueyang and lwj asks wwx how the curse mark on his leg is doing. wwx says it’s almost healed, which may or may not be a lie, but his inner monologue says:

he’s more concerned about the wound on his arm from the sacrificing curse, which lwj doesn’t know about, because wwx won’t tell him and they still haven’t been naked together.

also, this silly teenage shit doesn’t make much sense unless they’re still dancing around each other.

you guys love the sound of opportunities as they go flying past, don’t you?

right after this, lwj gets drunk. I’m aware that Stuff Happens in the novel scene that inspired this bit, and they do incorporate some of that into the show by having lwj commit petty larceny and admit that he “likes rabbits” as part of the softest and most loving conversation in human history oh my god

but lwj goes to sleep right on time, and the next morning, wwx is laughing and reassuring him that nothing happened.

after this, it’s time to go on a fucked up field trip with the kids in yi city, so they don’t really have any time alone for a few episodes until they’ve finished that and everyone is back at yet another inn. I wonder if they learned something about wasted chances and poor communication from this miserable songxiao story?

maybe! look, they’re being cute and domestic. there are currently no material barriers preventing them from having sex, nor will there be any specific evidence later on proving that they didn’t.

but they’re still firmly in mystery-solving mode and the juniors and lxc are floating around. the vibe isn’t quite there. if I were to pick the most solid reason why I think they’re saving room for jesus at this point, it would be the tension that happens when wwx again asks how lwj recognized him. lwj asks why his memory is so bad, and wwx replies that he wishes he had a bad memory. even though they’re comfortable and happy being together, there’s still some fundamental distance remaining. there’s no sense of romantic resolution. that was actually a point against all their previous opportunities as well; they’re all very sweet, but none of these feel like the place in a story where the romantic leads Officially Get Together.

okay, off to koi tower! shit is getting extremely real. everyone’s busy insinuating that they recognize wwx, but no one is saying it explicitly. wwx isn’t supposed to be here. the guy he’s pretending to be also isn’t supposed to be here. he and his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s brother are trying to figure out if his boyfriend’s brother’s boyfriend is a murderer. no one is comfortable and the political intrigue leaves no time for fucking in front of anyone’s salad.

I guess there’s plenty of time to make dozens of armed guards and like half the people they know wait while they have a romantic moment, though.

could they be more in love? And that sure feels like a romantic resolution that might be followed by narratively-earned sex.

ah. no, unfortunately wwx gets stabbed again. this certainly sucks, but it does have the helpful consequence of making lwj take him back to cloud recesses, where they are mostly alone and as safe as they can be in the circumstances. now there’s even more tenderness and also some plot-justified touching and skin exposure. plus, lwj just made a very public declaration of love.

too bad wwx has probably been unconscious since he started coughing up blood in the forest near lanling. he’s also still visibly in pain. fresh abdominal wounds tend to kill the mood.

but hey, the injuries on this show are only as serious as they need to be to move the plot forward and facilitate gentle h/c scenes, so by evening he’s looking perfectly healthy and walking around under his own steam like nothing’s wrong. I guess that problem can be ignored moving forward.

lxc then offers the the most devastating highlights of lwj’s backstory, like, all at once. it’s nice that he includes a flute solo to give wwx a second to process this mountain of terrible information. what the fuck.

there he is! the most devoted man in the whole world! turns out they can actually be more in love after all.

and then the following scene... look, I’m lazy and I don’t know how to make gifs, but screenshots cannot properly convey how good it is. you all know. the hesitant way wwx approaches, the slow and gentle piano version of wangxian, the two of them watching the snow together, it’s. ugh.

remember how I was talking about how the last scene with no material barriers was an unlikely candidate because of the lack of romantic resolution?

well, here’s wwx still being cagey at the beginning of this conversation.

and here they are in the middle of this conversation, having some epiphanies about the course of wwx’s life - I love this shot for a lot of reasons, but I extra love it because it shows wwx out in the snow, with lwj as the safety and warmth waiting behind him, god this show goes hard, holy shit

they both recall their vow to live with a clean conscience and internally say some very corny things about each other because they are both So Much, and then,

ah, what the hell. he can say it out loud after all. romantic resolution accomplished.

and then the camera slowly pulls away as wuji plays.

a slow zoom out? swelling music? listen, I am a connoisseur, I know a tasteful fade-to-black indicating a sex scene that won’t happen on camera when I see one. at last, we have a winner!

now you may think this post is finally over, but I actually have one more piece of evidence for you - the next scene shows the two of them the morning after, meditating behind a screen in the hanshi while lxc is waiting for jgy to show up.

before wwx got de-cored, he was a pretty powerful cultivator, right? the chances that he’s just bad at meditating or that he can’t stay focused on this task seem slim to me. so why does he keep falling asleep?

well. he had kind of a late night.

[stolen-pen-name23]

“it’s nothing. it’s just a bruise.” with Obi-wan?

Hello again, my friend!! Thanks you for the prompt!! This onee kinda got away from me so I posted it on Ao3, but you can read the whole thing under the cut too!

Read on Ao3

Anakin didn’t really know this Obi-Wan person all that well yet, but he could tell there was something wrong with him. Well, something wrong besides the quiet mourning he was clearly trying to keep hidden. He wasn’t all that successful, but Anakin wasn’t going to call him out on it.

Of course, Anakin was sad too. As if it wasn’t enough that his mother could not come with him, the man who had finally managed to free him was dead.

But Anakin knew that Obi-Wan was feeling the loss more acutely. Anakin could sense that Obi-Wan had held great respect, admiration and love for his late Master. He could also sense his grief, even if he was skilled at hiding it behind walls.

That didn’t matter right now. What mattered was the way Obi-Wan was pale and shaking slightly underneath all of his robes. He was sitting hunched forward on the little couch in their quarters, his elbows on his knees. His gaze was unfocused, and as far as Anakin could tell, he hadn’t eaten anything recently either.

“Mr. Kenobi sir?�� Anakin said shyly.

Slowly, Obi-Wan’s gaze turned to Anakin. He looked like he was trying to focus his eyes. “I told you that you can just call me Master or Obi-Wan if you prefer,” he said softly.

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin corrected. “Are you alright?”

Obi-Wan nodded the affirmative, but Anakin wasn’t convinced.

“You’re not looking so good.”

“I’m fine, Anakin.”

“Do you want me to get you something to eat?” Anakin actually had no idea how he would acquire food for Obi-Wan. He didn’t know where anything was, and even if he did, he didn’t know how to cook anything. But if Obi-Wan wanted something, Anakin would do his best to get it for him.

“No, I’m fine. Not really hungry.”

Anakin frowned. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Obi-Wan nodded sullenly. “I’m sure. I’m going to go to bed though. I know it’s early for you. You can stay out here and watch the holo if you want, I guess. Just… Don’t wander alone in the halls yet. I don’t want you to get lost.”

Anakin didn’t want to get lost either. The temple was huge and this morning when Obi-Wan had given him the tour, the other padawans stared at him. Even some of the knights and masters stared at him. No, he had no desire to leave the safety of their quarters just yet.

Anakin couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. This was officially his first night in the temple. They had arrived from Naboo this morning and they had gotten situated in the small apartment. He’d hoped Obi-Wan would have wanted to spend a little more time with him, getting to know him and all that.

“Okay, Obi-Wan,” Anakin said quietly. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Padawan,” Obi-Wan said, but the look on his face indicated the word felt weird on his lips. He shook his head. “Good night, Anakin.”

Anakin nodded at him as he took his leave.

Anakin sighed and flipped on the holo. He’d never had a holo before, but he quickly figured out how to work it. He stared at the moving images in wonderment, flipping through channel after channel, never settling on one thing – just content to watch the moving images.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he heard shuffling from the hallway behind him. He turned around and saw Obi-Wan stumbling towards the fresher. Anakin flicked off the holo and raced after Obi-Wan.

When he got to the fresher, Obi-Wan was already there, leaning heavily over the toilet and heaving into it.

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked nervously. “Are you okay?”

Anakin cringed. Of course he wasn’t okay. It was a dumb question, though it didn’t seem to matter. Obi-Wan couldn’t answer him at the moment anyway.

Anakin tried to remember everything that his mother had ever done for him when he was sick. He remembered his mom rubbing his back. Slowly, Anakin approached Obi-Wan and laid a gentle hand on his back.

Obi-Wan yelped and jumped sideways as far as he could in his weakened state. Anakin yanked his hand back in alarm.

“What—”

Obi-Wan was breathing heavily and his eyes were squeezed shut.

“What’s wrong?” Anakin asked, his voice coming out smaller and squeakier than he would like.

“It’s nothing, it’s just a bruise,” Obi-Wan said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“A bruise?”

“On my back,” Obi-Wan panted.

Anakin took a step closer to him. “Can I look?”

Obi-Wan looked a little unsure. “Yes,” he finally said.

With careful fingers, Anakin slowly lifted up Obi-Wan’s shirt. He gasped at the dark purple bruising all over his back. His stomach sank. He immediately turned and looked at the contents of the toilet and then back at Obi-Wan. It was only then that he realized there was blood on his lips and his chin.

“Obi-Wan, you need a healer,” Anakin said, panic rising in his voice. “You… you’re throwing up blood that’s not… when the slaves would get beaten too hard they…”

“Shhh, Anakin, it’s alright.”

“No!” Anakin shouted. “No, you’re… you’re dying and I—”

“I’m not dying,” Obi-Wan said. He put his hands on the ground and moved to stand up. It was an ill-conceived attempt. He fell back down to the ground with a soft thud. He looked up at Anakin but his eyes were unfocused. “Okay, maybe that’s not a good sign.”

Obi-Wan coughed and blood spluttered out of his mouth. “Yeah, not a good sign,” he murmured.

Anakin’s panic rose. “What do we do?”

Obi-Wan lay down fully on the tile floor. He glanced up at Anakin. “Go find a healer.”

“What?”

“In the halls of healing. Remember, I showed it to you this morning when I took you around the temple? Go there and find someone. They can help.”

Anakin nodded. “Okay,” he said, trying to make his voice sound even and sure. “Just stay here, don’t try to get up.”

“Don’t think I could even if I wanted to.”

From the look on Obi-Wan’s face, Anakin could tell that he meant it to sound light-hearted, but it only added to Anakin’s worry. He gave Obi-Wan a parting glance before darting off into their quarters and out the front door. He ran in the direction of the halls of healing, or at least he ran in the direction he thought the halls of healing were in. The more he ran, the less familiar everything appeared. Anakin paused when he entered a great room with large pillars and beautiful art on all the walls. He had no idea where he was and his eyes welled up with tears.

“Hey little one,” a female voice said from behind him. “Are you okay?”

Anakin whirled around and came face to face with a tall, pink-skinned mon calamari woman. “Um.”

“You must be Anakin,” the woman said. “I’ve been very excited to meet you. Where’s your Master?”

The tears welling up in Anakin’s eyes spilled over.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong, little one?”

“Obi-Wan is hurt and he... he sent me to get a healer but I— I don’t know where to go,” Anakin said around choked sobs.

The woman’s face turned serious. “He sent you to get a healer?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, it’s your lucky day. I’m a healer. Come with me,” she said. She reached out a webbed hand and Anakin took it, grateful for the direction and the physical comfort of it.

They made their way back to Obi-Wan.

***

An unshakeable feeling of heaviness was what greeted Obi-Wan when he woke up. He groaned and fluttered his eyes open. A figure stood before him, and his eyes focused to reveal Master Che. He groaned again.

“Glad to see you’re still with us,” she said. “Thank the Force Anakin was able to find Bant and they got to you when they did.”

“Huh?”

“You had your new Padawan worried sick. Poor kid,” Vokara said, shaking her head.

“‘kin?” Obi-Wan asked. “Where?”

“He’s fine. He’s with Bant right now. She’s showing him her medical instruments.”

“Oh. That’s good. What happened?”

“I was kind of hoping you would tell me that,” Vokara Che said, fixing him with a glare. “You had internal bleeding, Obi-Wan. Your kidneys were failing. There were massive bruises on your back. How did you even get those?

Oh. Oh yeah.

“During the fight with the… with the Sith. I fell off a catwalk and landed on another one below it. Landed on my back,” Obi-Wan said weakly.

“Obi-Wan that was three days ago,” Vokara said. “You’re lucky it wasn’t initially too severe.”

“Initially?”

“You would have been fine if you immediately got medical treatment.”

“I was busy,” Obi-Wan said simply. It was true. He had to tend to the hasty funeral arrangments and then the parade and then he had to take Anakin back to Coruscant and then he had to convince the Council to let him keep him and then… well then his body had started to give out on him. Vokara gave him a sympathetic look. He felt small underneath it.

“I know. But you need to take care of yourself. You have a Padawan now.”

Obi-Wan’s breath hitched.

“Oh, Obi-Wan,” Vokara Che said. She squeezed his shoulder. “It’ll be alright.”

He put his face in his hands and stifled a sob.

“It’ll be alright,” Vokara Che repeated. “Trust in the Force.”

Obi-Wan nodded, sniffed and steeled himself. “Right. Right. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’ve been through a lot, young Kenobi.”

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he offered a simple nod.

“Is it alright if I go get Anakin?” Vokara asked. “He’s been dying to see you.”

“That’s fine,” Obi-Wan said. Vokara turned and left, presumably to retrieve Anakin.

In truth, Obi-Wan wasn’t sure he wanted his brand new Padawan to see him like this, but he knew it was important for the boy to see that he was okay — that he still had someone in this strange new place to stand by his side.

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin shouted as he burst through the door. Obi-Wan winced.

“Oh, sorry,” Anakin said in a whisper this time.

“It’s alright.”

“Are you okay?” Anakin asked.

“Yes, I’m fine, Anakin.”

“That’s good. I don’t really know anyone else here. Well, actually, I know Miss Bant now and she’s really nice, but I don’t really know anyone else and I like you and I—”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said softly. “Volume.”

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

Obi-Wan played with a loose string on the edge of his blanket. He ripped a few of the stitches but stopped before he could do any more damage to the innocent garment. He could feel Anakin hovering awkwardly next to him.

“You don’t have to stay here, you know? You can go back to our quarters if you want.”

Anakin shook his head vigorously. “No, I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“I– I don’t know how to get there.”

Oh. Right.

“Well, I’m sure Bant or one of the other healers would be more than willing to—”

“No!” Anakin said quickly. “I don’t want to go. I want to stay with you.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t help the little wave of warmth that filled his chest. “Okay,” he said. He then patted the bedsheets and nodded his head. “Come on then.”

Anakin gave a wide, toothy grin before he climbed up and snuggled himself into the cramped little space right next to Obi-Wan.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Anakin asked.

“Yeah,” Obi-Wan said. “Yeah, I’m alright. Let’s just get some sleep okay?”

“Okay,” Anakin said softly, his eyelids already fluttering closed. “Goodnight, Master Obi-Wan.”

“Goodnight, Padawan.”

[helnjk]

A Change of Scenery - C.W.

Charlie Weasley x fem!reader

Requested: yes!

omg hi! I just saw the fanart of the oldest Weasley brothers(🥵🥵🥵) and was hoping you could do a Charlie x reader thing? Maybe the reader is a healer at the sanctuary and Charlie doesn't mind getting hurt because he gets to see her but she literally has no idea he adores her till he spells it out. With promt 42 of your list maybe? Totally cool if you want to leave it out 😁 love you and your work! -🍄

“what the hell were you thinking?”

Word count: 3.1k 

Summary: moving to romania for your absolute dream job, you did not expect to meet a cheeky, flirty redhead along the way. 

Warnings: mentions of injuries, food, & drinks. charlie is a dragon tamer, reader is a healer, of course he’s going to end up with a few cuts and bruises. 

A/N: god i love charlie weasley with all of my heart. that is all. 

prompt is in bold

-

Being connected to and living somewhere very in tune with the earth had always been a dream of yours. It just so happened that your new job had you transferred to the perfect place: Romania. 

Sure, it was quite far from England and had quite a different culture, but the beauty of the mountains and the picturesque scenery made up for it. The fact that you were also working in one of the best medical wings in the country, on a dragon reserve on top of that, was basically your dream come true. 

“Alright, and this right here is your station,” announced the head healer, who insisted you call him Gerry, gesturing to a decently sized office space. “You can decorate it anyway you like, as long as it’s appropriate. Most of the folks around here aren’t locals either, so we’ve got loads of photos up and lots of owls coming in and out everyday.” 

“It’s perfect,” you grinned. 

Gerry left you alone to get settled, and you didn’t want to admit it to anyone, but the first thing you did once he was out of earshot was to squeal excitedly and do a little happy dance. 

It was just all too exciting, really. Dream job, dream location, dream view even. After your burst of excitement, you spent a bit of time just staring out of the window, taking in everything. In the distance, you could even see the silhouette of a dragon peeking over the canopy of trees. The fact that this was going to be a regular occurrence just spurred even more delight in your heart. 

Later in the day, after most of the introductions were made and tours were finished, you could be found familiarizing yourself with the medical wing of the sanctuary. 

“C’mon Gerry, I’m completely fine!” you heard a gruff voice complain. It was coming from the hallway outside, but the accompanying footsteps sounded as if they were on the way to the wing. 

“You know it’s protocol, Weasley,” a very amused Gerry replied as they rounded the corner. 

Beside your boss was one of the most gorgeous men you had ever laid eyes on. With wind ruffled hair the color of sunsets and lightly tanned skin, you almost didn’t notice the small, almost inconspicuous limp he was sporting. It also took you a few seconds to realize that he was probably one of the dragon tamers of the reserve, the first one you were going to meet and treat, it seemed. 

“Ah, Healer L/N, perfect!” Gerry called out to you, “This is Charlie Weasley, one of our on-site dragon tamers.”

“Nice to meet you,” he smiled, holding out his hand for you to shake. 

“You too,” you said in reply, trying not to think about how warm and calloused his hand was in yours. 

“His leg got swiped by the tail of a Chinese Fireball,” Gerry explained as he motioned to the leg that Charlie wasn’t putting much of his weight on.

You could see the redhead roll his eyes, “Honestly, I’ll be fine! This has happened more times than you know.” 

Despite his best efforts, both you and Gerry managed to get Charlie to take a seat on one of the beds that lined the wall. With a sigh, he rolled up his trousers just enough for you to see the area of the wound. 

“Lucky for you, treating this doesn’t take much time,” you smiled. Swiftly, you took your wand out and muttered the correct incantation, “There. Good as new!” 

“If I get to be under the care of Ms. L/N here, I wouldn’t mind getting injured more often,” he flirted, sending you a cheeky wink. 

Gerry just guffawed a loud belly laugh, patting Charlie on the shoulder fondly, “Don’t you go running off with one of my best healers now, Weasley. We just got her!” 

“Don’t worry, Gerry,” you smiled, “I think this one’s too injury-prone to run anywhere.” 

–

As the last work day of your first week at the reserve was coming to an end, you were surprised to see Charlie Weasley knocking on the open door to your office. 

“Hey,” you said, sending him a small smile.

“Hey,” he parroted, stepping inside. 

“Anything I can help you with?” you asked over your shoulder while putting away the last of your files and slipping out of your healer robes, “You’re not injured again are you?” 

Behind you, Charlie gulped as he saw the little sundress you wore underneath. His head spun at the sight of your exposed legs and he nearly forgot what he was about to say. 

“Nah I’ve got a better track record than that, thankfully,” he chuckled. Doing his best to keep the calm facade he had going on, he leant against the doorframe as he asked, “Got any plans tonight? I was wondering if you’d fancy getting a bite to eat.” 

You were caught off guard by how nonchalant and straightforward his invitation was.

“Is this your way of asking me on a date?” you asked, finally turning around to face him once again. 

He raised an eyebrow, “Do you want it to be? Because I just wanted to be a nice person and show you around Romania, but if you’re looking for a date…” 

“Oh shut it, Weasley,” you groaned, “The tab is on you tonight, then.” 

Charlie sent you a grin as you strode out of your office. Despite your faux-annoyance, you were happy to have someone show you around. Being a healer was your dream job, but it did have some setbacks. Obviously, you were needed at the medical wing of the reserve for the majority of the week and that didn’t give you much time to familiarize yourself with the town and the people. 

Because of how remote the reserve was, most staff and employees lived on site. There was a designated area for the many different cabins and living quarters. To give you more of a tour of the little Romanian town nearest the reserve, Charlie offered to side-along apparate you. 

You could feel heat creep up your neck and spread along your cheeks as you gripped firmly on to his muscular arm. 

The sun was just about to set and cast gorgeous hues of orange and pink across the sky as the two of you landed just outside the town. Charlie led you along, showing you where the most important areas were; you saw the town square, the little street bazaars, and the most popular eating places. 

By the time the pair of you got to one of his favorite restaurants, a quaint little place in one of the sidestreets, your cheeks were sore from laughing too much. After the initial awkwardness as you tried to navigate topics that interested the both of you, you found yourselves chatting away animatedly. 

“Yeah, Fred and George were an absolute nightmare when they were little,” he chuckled, fondly recalling the many times he and his older brother Bill were left to babysit their younger siblings, “But they’re great. They’ve got a shop in Diagon Alley now, selling prank products of all things. It’s wild.”

“Your family sounds absolutely lovely,” you said. It warmed your heart seeing how his eyes lit up talking about them. “It must be so hard being so far away from everyone.” 

He nodded slightly before taking a sip of his drink, “Definitely. My first year here was such a big transition. I’m lucky I get to go home every so often.” 

There was a lull in the conversation as you dug into your food, but it was far from the awkward silence you were expecting. 

Maybe working in Romania wasn’t going to be so bad after all. 

–

“Why is it that when you get hurt, I’m always the healer on call?” you sighed playfully as Charlie walked through the door of the medical wing. 

It was the fourth week in a row he had to come and get something patched up. They weren’t major injuries, thankfully, but you had come to learn that the dragon tamers were required to know how to perform the basic healing spells. The things Charlie would come in for were almost always resolved with a quick episkey. 

“You know me,” he joked, taking a seat on one of the empty beds, “Always so accident prone.” 

“Sure.” You rolled your eyes. 

Still, with your wand in hand, you gestured for him to show you where the injury was. 

“I’ve got two things today,” he began. You raised your eyebrows in response. “This is the first.” 

 Charlie quickly rolled the sleeve of his top, his toned arm flexing at the movement. In all the time you had worked at the reserve, which wasn’t that long at all, you still hadn’t gotten used to how fit he was. A quick intake of breath had you re-centering and focusing on the task at hand. There was a small burn on his forearm, not enough to cause too much concern. 

You cast the charm quickly so as not to be distracted further, “There, all done.” 

“There’s still one more place that’s hurt Y/N.” 

By the way Charlie spoke, you knew he was up to something. Inwardly you sighed, “Alright, let’s get to it then.” 

Your heart seemed to stop as he began to unbutton the first few buttons of his top. 

“What’re you doing, Weasley?” you asked, trying your hardest to keep your composure as you got a peek of his very toned chest. 

With a dramatic sigh, Charlie leant back and pointed to an area above his chest, “My heart hurts, Y/N.” 

For a moment you just stared at him, looking absolutely ridiculous in the position he chose to don, eyes blinking owlishly. Truthfully, you didn’t know whether to laugh or to send the strongest stinging hex in his direction. 

“Charlie Weasley, you thank Merlin and Morgana right now that I’m not hexing your balls off,” you said, rolling your eyes. 

“I’m being serious, Y/N!” he continued, “I don’t know if I’ll survive this!” 

“Pity, does that mean I’m losing my ticket to free weekly meals?” she joked, already turning on her heel to get back to what she had been doing before he entered the wing. 

There were sounds of shuffling as if Charlie had gotten back up on his feet again and then, “Definitely not! I’m banking on those meals, one of these days you’re going to be begging me for an actual date. You’ll see.”

“Keep dreaming, Weasley.” 

You sent the redheaded dragon tamer a sarcastic smile, but he just sent you a flirty wink in reply. 

–

“Code white. Need extra hands in the medical wing ASAP.” 

The shimmering white bloodhound soon dissolved into nothing as it delivered its message to you, early one morning. You had just gotten to work, not even in your healer's robes yet, when Gerry’s patronus appeared. 

As you rushed to the medical wing, another patronus made an appearance and rattled off what had happened and who was hurt. Your heart dropped the moment you heard who you were going to be treating. 

“Oh Merlin,” you whispered to yourself the moment you saw the state Charlie was in, “What did you get yourself into?”

In all the time you had been working at the reserve and as a healer in general, it was not unusual for you to treat severe injuries. In fact, you liked to think that when you were faced with someone’s life or quality of life in your hands, you worked even harder and smarter. However, seeing Charlie more battered and bruised than you had ever seen him made your heart pound loudly in your chest. 

“Healer L/N, you’re right on time,” Gerry spoke to you clearly, rapidly explaining the situation and what you needed to do. 

In a flash, you had your wand out and were muttering all the healing spells that came to mind alongside your head healer. You didn’t notice how you were holding your breath and clenching your wandless hand until you let out a sigh of relief when Charlie began to stir. 

“He’s stable,” Gerry announced and released a breath. 

You felt a soft pat on your shoulder as he left you to deal with the patient, deeming it alright for him to step out and get back to his other responsibilities. Carefully, you walked towards the redhead whose eyes were fluttering open. 

“What the hell were you thinking, Weasley?” you murmured softly, your wand sweeping over him one last time to check is vitals. A soft hand reached out to push the stray strands of hair that had fallen in front of his face and you felt him lean into your touch. 

“Y/N?” Charlie mumbled, his eyes still half-closed. 

“I’m right here,” you said in reply. 

“What happened?” he asked, trying to prop himself up but groaning in pain. 

“What happened,” you began, going to help him get to the seated position he wanted to be in. He smiled up at you and you could barely remember what you were trying to say. With a small shake of your head and clearing of your throat you continued, “What happened was that you were being an absolute idiot who absolutely did not call for backup when a nesting mother was going on a rampage.” 

Despite his obvious discomfort, Charlie had the audacity to chuckle slightly, “Sounds about right.” 

“Don’t you dare do that to me again, Weasley,” you admonished, pulling back and shooting him the dirtiest stare you could muster. “You nearly gave me a heart attack. When I got Gerry’s patronus, all I could think about was–” 

As if an electric jolt shocked you, you cut yourself off before anything else escaped your lips. 

“Was what, Y/N?” he asked softly. 

His eyes were shining with something you couldn’t quite name, but the sincerity in his face gave you pause. 

You shook your head, “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” 

Instead of continuing to reprimand him for his foolishness, you busied yourself making sure he was comfortable and that everything was alright. The potions he needed to take later in the day and the different salves to be applied to his skin were placed on the bedside table. Pillows were summoned, fluffed, and placed behind him. 

As you shuffled around the room, purposely ignoring the redhead, his eyes were trained on you. 

The moment his eyes opened and he felt your hand brush gently across his face, he thought he had to have been dreaming. If it weren’t for the ache in his muscles and the sting of his burns, he would’ve believed that he was in some alternate reality wherein he woke up next to you every morning. 

He was tired of waiting for his fantasies to come true, he decided. 

“Y/N.” 

The way he said your name sent shivers down your spine. Your whole body froze for a microsecond before you turned to face him. 

“Yeah, Charlie?” 

“Look at me please,” he begged. 

With a deep breath, your eyes locked with his and you were almost blown away with the look on his face. 

Sincerity pooled in his eyes as they scanned your face, trying to see if your own expression gave anything away. You felt like a deer caught in the headlights, unable to move or look away from him. 

“Tell me what you were thinking,” he whispered gently. 

It was now or never.

“All I could think about was how,” you gulped, taking a steadying breath, “How you could’ve died or gotten so hurt, when I hadn’t even had the chance to tell you how I felt about you.” 

You could hear Charlie’s sharp intake of breath and you had to look away, unable to face the rejection you were ultimately going to hear. 

“Y/N–” 

“And, and I know that you don’t feel the same–”

“Y/N–”

“But, just seeing you lying there–”

“Y/N!”

Charlie’s voice rang through the whole wing, a sharp contrast to the otherwise silent space. You sucked in a deep breath, surprised. 

“Y/N you have to know I’m absolutely mad for you,” he said clearly. 

You blinked furiously at him. 

“You-I, what?” 

Charlie tried to reposition himself so that he could face you properly, but you could see that he was still in a bit of pain. Instead of letting him maneuver himself uncomfortably, you placed a soft hand on his shoulder before taking a seat by his legs. 

Immediately, he went to take your hand in his. “I think you’re absolutely breathtaking, and talented, and passionate. I just haven’t had the balls to ask you out on a real date.” 

“Then what are you waiting for, Weasley?” You offered him a small smile, glancing back down at your intertwined hands. 

The smile he sent you left you breathless. 

–

“You ready to go?” Charlie asked, leaning against the doorframe with his legs crossed just like when he had visited your office that first week. 

A small grin inched its way on to your face at the sight of your boyfriend. His hair was just a tad bit windswept, adding to the rugged look he insisted he could pull off (and he definitely did, you just didn’t like feeding his ego too much). 

“Just about,” you smiled. “Let me get out of these stuffy robes first.” 

And, just like the first time he had knocked on the door to your office, you turned to shrug off your uniform and hang it up in one of the hooks beside your desk. Instead of keeping his thoughts to himself, Charlie grinned widely and whistled at the sight of you in your dress. 

Just as you were about to chide him for being inappropriate, strong arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you backwards. A small ‘oof’ escaped your lips as your back made contact with Charlie’s strong chest. 

“Charlie!” you slapped his arm lightly, “C’mon, I’m still at work!” 

“What so I can’t show my girlfriend some appreciation for being absolutely drop dead gorgeous?” he mumbled, pressing soft kisses on the joint where your neck met your shoulders. 

You rolled your eyes, “You know I love a good compliment. I would just rather you do it outside my place of work.” 

With a chuckle, Charlie released his grip on your waist. “Alright, alright.” 

“Just for that, the tab’s on you tonight, Weasley.” 

“Ah so the usual, love?” 

“Of course.” 

Charlie held his hand out for you to take, and unlike the first time he took you out, you allowed yourself to blush, take his calloused hand in yours, and press a soft kiss on his lips. 

–

General taglist: @expectoevans @george-fabian-weasley @gxthsanrio @slytherinscribbles @harpyloon @nuttytani @mesmerisedangel @amourtentiaa @sarcasticallywitty15 @lumos-barnes @cruciostyles @writingsomewrongs

Charlie taglist: @pinkypurplemagic @lifeofkaze @oldschoolkiddo

[bastillewolf]

Hey I know you probably have like a billion requests already but maybe you could do something where the reader is good friends with corpse (maybe with some unspoken feelings) and they ask him to visit their country side home lmao-

I'm really embarrassed about asking this and I know it sounds strange but being out in the country side can be really good for mental health and I just want this boi to heal--

I'm so sorry hahah

Thanks

That’s not strange at all, darling!! I love this ask! I’m so sorry it took me so long to answer this, my mental health hasn’t been very good lately. I suppose I found this ask rather appropriate and I guess that’s why I liked writing it so much. Hope you enjoy!

Sunrise, Sunset - Oneshot

Pairings: Corpse Husband / Reader.

“Yo,” is the first thing you hear as you open your Discord. It’s not his regular greeting, and he sounds more tired than usual.

“What’s up?” you asked curiously. “Everything okay? Haven’t talked to you in a while.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I got really busy.”

“I can tell from your voice,” you chuckled. It had more of a rasp to it- if that was even possible.

“Yea, I can’t do too much for too long. I love that I’m able to work on music now, but it exhausts my voice so much that I can’t even stream sometimes.”

“Maybe you should take a break,” you comment.

“Probably. It’s almost done, so then I can stream more,” he replies.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Hm?”

“I’m talking about an actual break, from everything.”

You hear him exhale deeply as if he’d already been considering it himself. “That does sound very nice.”

“I know, I always have the best ideas.”

“You do, except you forgot about the fact that I can’t really go anywhere. I mean, I’d love to take a break, but if I just sit here at home, I’m gonna either end up doing nothing or start working anyways. I don’t see me relaxing that way.”

“I didn’t forget about anything; I just hadn’t gotten to that part yet.”

“Oh?”

You’d be lying if you said that noise didn’t make you blush. “Remember how I said I live in the countryside? You know, it’s quite cosy here, and I have a guest bedroom to spare. If you want, but only if you’re comfortable with it, you could come over.”

It was quiet for a moment and your poor nerves were wondering if you’d said something completely wrong. You knew how he was about his privacy, but you’d figured that having known each other for a more than a few months now, you’d be at a point where you’d become actual friends, especially considering you always talked over Discord. At least, when he wasn’t busy.

“I... You wouldn’t mind?” he asked softly.

“Of course not!” You immediately replied, trying your best to make him feel as welcome as possible. “It’ll be so much fun! I was just worried you wouldn’t feel comfortable with it, otherwise, I would’ve invited you over a lot sooner.”

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes! I’m always looking for people to take care of my chickens.”

“You have chickens?” he sputtered.

“Sure do. And that was a joke, by the way.”

He didn’t really give you much time to prepare. He’d instantly asked if he could come over in two days, which meant you had to clean, do the groceries, and have another mental breakdown within that short time.

When he did arrive at your relatively small but homely cottage, you knew that even if you’d had more time, you still wouldn’t have felt like you’d prepared enough. You were incredibly nervous, especially as the cab slowed to a nerve-wracking speed until it finally stopped in front of your little wooden fence that really couldn’t keep anyone out of your garden because it was so ramshackle.

You nod your head to the driver politely, who got out of the car to unload a bag from the trunk. Then, the door opened, ringed fingers sliding across the yellow polish on the metal framing. He pulled himself up and out, finally allowing you to take a good look at his face.

His hair was dark and curly, as to be expected from what you’d seen in the pictures, though you could barely see it underneath the hood he’d pulled up. His dark brown eyes immediately found yours, and a shy smile graced his lips, which you bashfully returned with a small wave. It made you want to hit yourself multiple times. He paid the cabby and thanked him, allowing you to take a good look at his attire, at his frame, at his whole being. He was wearing a black hoodie with some chains around it, along with dark baggy trousers and, go figure, black sneakers. He was slightly slouching, probably so the driver wouldn’t be able to make out his face in its entirety, but overall he looked lean, even while his face was more pale and tired, with dark circles surrounding his eyes.

He locked the creaky wooden fence behind him, quickly closing the distance between you two with only a few strides. He dropped his backpack on the floor, saying, “hi.” “Hey,” you replied with that stupid smile still on your face and now quite possibly a hint of red dusting your cheeks. He just chuckled at the slight awkwardness of the situation, before wrapping his arms around you in a warm hug. He smelled like nice cologne, and he gave really good hugs. It said a lot that you could tell that from just the one. “Thanks for letting me come over,” he muttered, finally allowing himself to sound as exhausted as he looked.

“I told you, it’s nothing.”

When you met his eyes again as he pulled back, you knew he was quietly telling you that it meant more to him than that. Feeling shy under his dark gaze, you shook your head, saying, “Come on, let me show you around.”

It wasn’t that big of a tour, but it was home and it was comfortable, so you never felt embarrassed about it. You made enough money, to be fair, from your career through YouTube, but you’d never really had the heart to leave the house. At least you had a guest bedroom, and the garden was something to dream of. To trade that in for a bit more storage space would be such a pity.

“-and this is going to be your room, for however long you wish to stay,” you finish with a flourish of your hand. He set his suitcase down on the freshly made bed and nodded, glancing around for a bit before his eyes landed back on you. “Did I tell you how much I appreciate you doing this for me?”

You huff, “Once or twice now.”

“I’ll be off your back in a few days, don’t worry. I think I just needed to get out of my stuffy apartment for a bit.”

“Stay as long as you’d like,” you told him assuredly, “I know how stressful it can be and I haven’t even been through what you have. I can’t imagine what it must be like.”

He shrugs, “I have my ups and downs. It’s mostly my health issues and anxiety holding me back.”

“Well, I hope you can relax a bit here, then. People seem to feel more at ease without a bustling city around them,” you said.

He glanced out the window and nodded. “Yeah, I immediately noticed it as I got out of the car. It’s so... quiet here. And the air, of course. It’s so much nicer.”

“I usually take walks in the early mornings. You should come along sometime if you’d like. The sunrise is always really pretty when you get up on the hill.”

The corners of his lips quirked up. “I’d like that.”

“Great,” you replied, clapping your hands together, “I’ll let you get settled and start dinner. The uh- the bathroom is shared, I left a stack of towels on the rack so you can use those.”

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

You nodded shyly, silently closing the door behind you as you stepped into the hall. You let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the wall, pressing the backs of your hands against your cheek in a vain attempt to cool down the heat and tone down the redness. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d reacted this way but the times you’d spend talking about everything and nothing with Corpse through Discord calls that lasted until the early mornings. You knew you shouldn’t be feeling this way. You didn’t want to risk the friendship you had with him, but the tingling that had sprouted in your gut the moment he’d gotten out of that car told you that this was going to be hard.

 You knocked on his door quietly, afraid you were accidentally going to wake him when he didn’t want to be awoken. You didn’t know what kind of morning person he’d be, but he told you yesterday that he wanted to join you for your walk today. And while you were going to leave half an hour later than usual because it took you that long to work up the courage to knock on his door, meaning you were going to have to hurry a bit to catch the sun rising, you were still scared he was going to react grouchily. But when he opened the door, already dressed and ready to go, you realized you’d foolishly forgotten that this wasn’t just anyone, but that this was one of your friends; someone you already knew, even if it hadn’t been physically. Of course, he’d open the door with a smile, even though he looked more tired than the day before, which worried you.

“How did you sleep?” You made it evident in your tone that you were rather scared to ask the question, but it made him chuckle.

“I think you already know the answer to that. I don’t sleep well in general, so don’t worry. It has nothing to do with the bed or your hospitality.”

“Well, if there’s anything I can do for you, I don’t mind being woken up.”

He shook his head as he followed you downstairs and out the front door. “To be fair, I slept more than I usually would, but your rooster woke me up.”

You laughed, “Yea, I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything about that.” You held the wooden fence gate open for him, following him to the grass field until you were walking next to him. You silently picked up your pace a bit, worrying that you might miss the sunrise when you had promised it to him.

“I know, I know,” he replied amusedly, “Can we go see them later? The chickens?”

“Sure,” you smiled, “I also have a few ducks. You’ll love them, they’ll try to rip the shoelaces from your feet.”

“Sounds great.”

The walk to the hill wasn’t too far, but the hill was quite steep, which was always an exercise for people who walked with you for the first time, so you’d figured he’d start trailing behind you after some time. Thing is, he started trailing behind relatively earlier than you had expected him to.

Glancing back over your shoulder, you called out, “you good? We’re almost there.”

He nodded, though you could see him slightly panting, and you turned around to jog up the last bit until you reached the top. You could see a sliver of light start to peek over the horizon, making you glance back to see how far away he was.

But instead of having moved forward, he was now sort of slouched over, holding his stomach as he panted loudly. “Shit,” you cursed yourself as you sprinted back down until you skidded to a stop in front of him. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry, I should have slowed down-“

“It’s fine,” he waved you off, slowly catching his breath. “I can do it, I just take a bit longer.”

“I’ll carry you if I have to. I got us into this mess.”

He chuckled, but it sounded a bit hoarse.

“Come on,” you said. He furrowed his brow in confusion but followed you anyway. Walking along the side of the hill was tricky, but you made it around without any issues. He was able to keep up this time and gratefully plopped down on the grass beside you, just in time to watch the sun fully appear from behind the horizon.

“Holy shit,” he breathed.

“Yea, it never really gets old.” You laid down, feeling twigs of grass tickle the bareback of your neck.

He joined you, scooting a bit closer until your arms were brushing against each other. You couldn’t tell if he’d done it on purpose, so you acted like it hadn’t affected you, keeping your eyes fixed on the sky above you. At least, you tried. They flickered when you felt fingertips graze across your lower arm until they reached your palm, where his nails slowly dragged along your skin until his warm digits intertwined with yours. His rings felt cool against the heat and tingling you were suddenly feeling in your hand. He didn’t let go of you, not as you laid there for what seemed like hours, nor during the entire walk back.

‘Is this what friends do?’ you were silently asking yourself, watching the ducks try to free his shoes from its laces, ‘is this what friends do when they need support? Is this his way of coping, or is it-‘ You quickly shook the thought away. Of course, he wouldn’t think of you that way. He probably did stuff like this with all his friends. You knew how playful he could get, his guy friends included.

Yeah, it was just that. It had to be.

You were both laid back on the couch that night, stuffed to the brink with the famous lasagne you’d put together. The TV was on, but it sounded more like static noise in the background. “I think I can just fall asleep right here,” you hummed. The glass of red wine you’d shared – because neither of you could handle liquor – had created a pleasant buzz between the two of you.

“That seems a lot less comfortable than your bed.”

“You don’t know a thing about my bed,” you huffed indignantly.

It was quiet for a moment then, a sliver of tension seeping through the warmth of your home. “I think it’s probably about as comfortable as mine, otherwise you’re treating your guests too much,” he replied.

“I don’t know,” you admitted, “I’ve actually never slept in the guest bedroom. I might just be treating my guests too much and I’d never even know about it.”

He suddenly sat up and turned the TV off. “Come on,” he said and was already up the stairs by the time you’d made an attempt to move.

When finally reached the upstairs and were about to round the corner, you were suddenly picked up and slung over his shoulder, causing you to let out a loud shriek. “Corpse!” you laughed, “Please put me down!”

“You were taking too long,” he grumbled, dropping you down on the bed unceremoniously. He shuffled over until he was laying down next to you and lifted the covers up until it reached your neck.

“So?” he asked.

You had your eyes closed. “I might be treating my guests too much.”

He snorted. “Fucking knew it,” which made you laugh.

You laid there for quite a while, not really caring if either of you fell asleep with your regular clothes still on. “Hey Corpse?”

He hummed.

“I’m really glad you came. It gets lonely over here sometimes.”

He shifted, but because it was so dark you couldn’t really see what he was doing. Suddenly though, you felt him hovering over you, his elbows resting on either side of your face as his hand reached across to move a strand of hair to the side. He leaned down and hesitantly, his lips barely touched yours, a silent question if this was okay. You moved back against him, your hand finding his cheek in the darkness. His kisses were gentle, but passionate, which made your breaths heavier and deeper. When you pulled apart, you were both breathing heavily, mostly from the tension that had arisen.

“I really like you,” you admitted.

“Good,” he replied, wrapping his arms around you until you were tucked against his chest. You hit his arm playfully, “Cocky bastard.”

You hear the smirk in his voice as he said goodnight.

TAG LIST CLOSED!

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[dianagj-art]

MIPHA! MIPHA! MIPHA!

I tried to do more of the screenshot/cinematic kinds look but I gave up and just bullshited the backgrounds bc I didn't wanted to look so plain but I also didn't want to do a background

anyways Mipha is here! it's Mipha time!

(Friendly remainder that what's bellow is just copy paste from my draft and there's probably a lot of typos and gramar mistakes)

More of Yiga Link AU

<Previous / next>

A group of young Zoras finds Link's body sinking on the river, south of the Minish Woods. They take him out to land and check on him, he is barely alive and they quickly take him all the way to Zora's domain. They send the fastest of them first to inform the princess and she meets them halfway.

Link's wounds are bad, but she still can heal him, they take him to the domain to keep an eye on him, besides he is still uncouncious. They set him up on that little area for other species when they visit, and Mipha had other healers take a proper look at him.

The princess buys him clothes from a merchant since his are barely existent with so many cuts. The zora recognize those cuts, they know the boy was on a Yiga attack and unfortunately, they find his tattoo behind his neck.

They are not idiots and they fear the boy might be a spy and all was just a set up, the princess still wants to talk to him. Mipha was no fool and she wasn't as naive as most people outside the Domain may think, but she was curious, and there was a feeling in her chest that told her there was more to know about this boy.

Link wakes up in unknown clothes, he has no idea of where he is but soon finds out as he started to look around. He remembers what happened and a hand grips his chest. He knows he shouldn't be alive.

"That was terrible wound you had there," The voice startled him and he instantly stood up to go into combat mode. "Don't stand, you are not fully healed yet." he really didn't have another option, there wasn't a part of his body that did't hurt and the pain brough him down to the bed again.

He looked up to see 3 zoras, two tall ones dressed in armor flanquing a smaller one in shinny red scales and dressed in zora jewerly. The princess.

"Don't be sacred" she said and gestured to her guards to stay put as she walked to him, "I just came to look on your wounds"

Link frowned at that, the princess? Coming here to check on a stanger's wounds? Yeah sure. Link remembers his tattoo and quickly hides it with a simple illution spell that wouldn't take that much of his stenght.

"Dont you have healers for that?" he asked coldly.

The princess laughed lightly "Yes," she admitted and stood by his bed, her amrs behind her body, holding her spear "and they know more about hylian anathomy than I do, but they can't do what i can. Your wounds were bad enough to require my assistance."

Link frowned again, "what does that mean?"

Mipha smiled and gestured at the bed, "Can I?" Link recoiled his legs, leting her space to sit down, the princess did, leaving her spead resting on the bed besides her, she extended her hand to him, "give me your arm" she said softly.

Link hessitaded but he rested his arm on her hand. She carefully took off his bandages and let exposed a deep cut on his forearm, the boy winced at the sight.

The princess then put her other hand above the wound and closed her eyes. Her palm started to glow and link gasped loudly. His arm started to feel cold and a bit numb, but the pain was gone, and soon the same sensation washed over his body. It was nice.

Mipha was focused on the wound but she looked up for a moment to catch his expresion, she smiled lightly and looked down again.

The light coming from her palm dimmed until it was gone and his exposed wound wasn't there anymore. Slowly, the pain came back to the rest of his body. Mipha let go off his hand and he lifted his arm to his eye level, twisting it one way and another, trying to see the trick but no, the wound was really gone.

"You... You really have healing powers..." he had herd the rumors but no yiga had actually seen it, just heard things from other people.

Mipha hummed a laugh, catching link's atention, "Outsiders are always so surprissed to see it" she stood up, taking the spear again, "I have other things to attend, but i'll come back to heal the rest of your wounds latter."

She leaves with her guards, a few minutes latter another group of zoras show up. Two of them check on his wounds and tell him to rest while the other two just guarded the entrance. He had a bad feeling, whenever he peeked an eye to the other room he saw a guard. He didn't know if that was normal or if it was because of him.

He rests, too tired to try and transport, and fully knowing that in this state he wouldn't be able to fight. He starts trying to form a plan to get out of there. Taking a swim was not an option, anywhere near water he would be an at disadvantage. He had to make it to the montains that sorrounded Zora's Domain, he could take a run for it once he were back to his feet, he had no idea if zoras were fast runners but they had short legs, he was sure he could outrun them. Once close to the montains he could teletrasnport himself to a higher place and away from them.

Tho he didn't know where to go from there. It's not like he could go back to the Hideout.

Mipha comes back that evening and heals two more of his wounds before leaving. Link is starting to think that maybe her healing magic tires him as much as illutions and trasportation tires him. It takes a few days for him to be fully healed, all the time he is forced to stay on the rooms to "rest"

All the time he feels uncomfortable, he feels watched. It gets worse when he is fully healed and the princess wants to give him a little tour around the domain, everyone always stares at him, or maybe they are looking at their princess and he was just being paranoid.

He had never been to Zora's domain, to be honest, he hadn't seen that much of Hyrule, and he was intrigued to see and learn more.

As they start to walk around the Domain a little red-scaled Zora runs to her and hugs her leg "Sidon!"

"I'm sorry princess," another Zora runs to her, "he's been running away the whole day, he doesn't wan't to do the jump"

"If you don't jump how am I going to teach you to climb waterfalls?" Mipha asked him and he just hugged her tighter, hiding behind her from his instructor.

Link quickly put two and two together and figures out he must be the young Zora Prince, but he was most concerned with the idea forming on his mind. Would they follow him if he jumped? He eyed an opening on the level they were on, and without really thinking about the heigh he kneeled down

"If I jump would you jump?" he asked Siron, "I can't swim as well as a zora would, so if i can make that jump I guess a zora prince would have no trouble doing it, right?"

Siron thinks for a moment then nods. Link walks to the edge and looks down to the long drop. "Having second thoughts?" Sidon's instructor asked him. Link just frowns at him, and takes a few steps back, he took off his shirt and dropped it before sprinting and jumping.

He hits the water gracefully and as he sinks he prapares to transport, but sees a lot of Zoras around him. He sees that at the bottom of the lake there's a whole underwater town that probably outstretched fartest of what he could see. He goes out to the surface and finds it quite hard to not let the current take him away, even when he was under their castle as there were underwater walls shielding him from the strong current of the main water fall of the domain. A few zora heads pop out, looking at him curious. Some heads look younger, maybe teens? And look at him impressed and exited

"SIDON!" Link lifts his gaze and sees someone had jump and the tiny zora splashed in the water. He looks around but the zora prince doesnt come out.

"OW!" something bites his toes and a tiny shark head pops out, sidon smiles with sharp teeth and giggles until the current starts to drag him out. Link lets him, surely other people would help their prince. But they dont they just look, and as much as the tiny zora tried the current kept draging him.

Link reaches out a hand and takes him, wraping his scaly hands around his neck as he swims to the base of the castle structure. He leaves sidon on the rock and climbs up too.

Mipha's head pops out behind him, "you swim quite well for a hylian" Link jumps in surprise, when had she jump? he didnt even see or hear her splash, "You are bleeding," she said and he lifted his feet off the water to see quite a deep bite. "SIDON!" mipha screams distressed, "how many times do i have to tell you it's impropper to bite others!" she lifted herself to the place they were sitting and patted the space between link and her, he puts there his feet and she healed him. As always he stared at her hand facinated.

"I have to thank you, for not letting the curent carry Sidon" she said, "you shouldn't have to, he is 23, he should be strong enough to be able to withstand it." link looks at sidon as he jumps into the water again swiming closer to the rocks. 23? "but I would have done the same" "and thank you for jumping, her instructor had been trying to make him jump all week"

Link looks at his foot and thinks of all the other wounds he had, all the wounds the yiga had made. "I should thank you," he said, "I should be dead. You saved me."

"those wounds were no accident, were they?" she asked, "the yiga were sent to kill you" Link nods, "but why?" he sruggs.

"I have to leave," he said softly, "but i'll hate to leave without paying back what you have done for me,"

Mipha smiles, "I'm sure we'll think of somehting," she stands up, "I know a place you can stay meanwhile. Sidon! Lets go!" he swims to them, his little back fin braking the surface, he jumps towards Link, mouth open. Link backs up but Mipha catches him on the air and hums a laugh. "I'll meet you at the top," she said to link and pointed over his shoulder "you can use the leadder to climb up."

Mipha swims up the waterfall they just jumped from with sidon on her back. They meet at the top and Mipha leaves sidon with his instructor. He runs to link when he shows up and tries to bite his leg, "My prince, dont do that!" the instructor pulls him away before he can do damage and sidon smiles with his spiky teeth.

"I have to apologyze for his behavior," Mipha said tho she is trying not to laugh, "His new teeth just came out and he has a need to bite eveything."

They walk to a village at the top of the mountain overseeing zora's Domain. Mipha pays him a night to stay and tells him good bye. Link is bafled that she has so much trust in him, he plans on just leaving, but he has a chance. He now knew and gained the trust of two zora royals. He knew they were the only heirs of the zora domain and since the king didn't had a mate... He could make a move. And maybe, he could be allowed back with his people.

[dorothyzbornaks]

Final thoughts on Crazy Love. This first off was such a lovely gem of a show, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and the way it mixed genres. I saw someone elsewhere mention the overall theme being healing and second chances which I think is pretty spot on.

This was mostly Noh Go Jin’s story in the end, and the show does handle it fairly well. They give a pretty compelling backstory that does show why he is the way he is, but the writing doesn’t use this to excuse his actions. Yes he went through a lot of trauma as a kid and later as a young adult, he would’ve been I think 23 when when all that went down, and it’s understandable why he built up the walls he did. But he still was an asshole to a lot of people and he needed to come to terms with that and change his ways. And it did take most of the show for him to really change, they didn’t make it easy. There were baby steps but it took the rooftop scene and Shin A’s kidnapping to really force him to wake up. There is some interesting unexplored aspects of his past around poverty and class that I wish could’ve been touched on more, how he probably felt he had to be better then everyone else because of his past and expected similar from those around him. 

In the beginning there was a better balance between him and Shin A, her journey felt a bit more in focus until the misdiagnosis and fake amnesia come out. But at least I felt the writing still gave her her due, and picked back up her desire to be an instructor with a constant thread of learning to live her life better because of her scare. I was glad they ended her story the way they did, with her going to a different company and finding success without Go Jin’s help because she worked hard and put herself first for a change. Sometimes I feel the female lead can really be pushed to the side in the last few episodes, and while she was less in focus her story didn’t feel forgotten. 

There were a handful of moments, including in this last episode where she tells Soo Young she was the first person since her mom to pick out an outfit for her, that implied Shin A probably stepped into a caretaker role when her mom died. And I wish it had been explored more because I feel that would explain a lot about her and the way she lashed out when she thought she was dying. 

One thing I missed once they properly got together was the manic energy they had early on, and show in general tbh, from the first half. I kept hoping that the crazy side of Shin A might come out one more time, but I guess it can be argued it got buried once she really came to terms with how she wanted to live her life and stopped bottling her feelings up. While I loved how healthy they were as a couple, if jumping into being a bit too sweet too fast, I would still say the writing falls a little short in a few areas there. They were really two rather repressed people, just in different ways. He puts up walls, she holds it in and they become an outlet for each other and it was great. But while it’s easy to see why Go Jin starts to fall for her, I think the show lacked a little in showing why Shin A would fall for him. There was a good effort, she starts to see a more human side, there are bonding moments, he does a few nice things plus in spite of his behavior she’s clearly always admired him as an instructor. But she put up with a lot of shit and had more negative feelings to over come, I just wanted a bit more. There was enough, plus their chemistry was great, that I can hand wave it.

I do think she should’ve been on his apology tour, like they never really actually talk about all the crazy shit she did or how awful he was to her. Like they almost go there when they fight about the secretaries but it got dropped. 

I enjoyed the mixing of genres a lot, I love romcoms the most but I enjoy the build up and sometimes get a bit bored when the main couple get together. But since this show also had the mystery and melo, it kept things interesting to the end while still giving us good couple moments. I do think the ending felt a bit rushed, not the way A Business Proposal did, but there are some things left unexplained and other things that I think they simply didn’t have time for. Like once more was revealed about Se Gi some more time on his backstory would’ve been nice. I think if this was 20 episodes we might’ve even gotten some of the stuff I wanted from above too. The final ‘villain’ was kind of meh, again I think lack of time to build up and expand better on him. Ultimately, his purpose was to set into motion the story and Go Jin’s journey, so he felt a bit of an after thought in the end. 

I liked the forgiveness all around ending, sometimes second chances are deserved. Go Jin got his and the others deserved one too. The final office scene with all the warmth between him and the employees was cheesy and I loved every minute of it. Plus he brought his own food and coffee, we love growth. 

Also I love there was no weird time jump. Obviously they are married in the final scene so some time has passed but it’s a sweet look at their life together not some jarring jump forward or separates them for dumb reasons. It felt like a proper closure to their story.  I saw a lot of people didn’t like the first 2 episodes but I enjoyed it from the get go and this show probably will stay as one of my favorites. 

[justmypartner]

Make it Work: Chapter 10

Summary: When offered a permanent position with the FBI, Hailey agrees to take it under one condition: Jay comes too. As their personal lives and work lives begin to change, the two partners find it increasingly difficult to navigate their complex relationship and manage their feelings for one another.

Writer’s Note: The Finale!!! I’m so sad to wrap up this story. This story was the idea that inspired me to start this account and dive into the fandom world as a fic writer, so it’s very special to me. It has been so fun to develop, and I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s reactions and input after each chapter. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this story and joining me for this journey😭❤️ ...& be on the look out for info about my next multi-chapter which will be out soon!

Tagging: @angelsjedi , @brookerz122493 , @cpdfan2014 , @the–carousel , @maya-asturias , @itsdesiree86 , @tvshowsaremyhappyplace , @stephanie708​

Read on AO3 or below

“So, the FBI and New York, huh?” Trudy questioned, settling into the barstool across from the younger detective and flashing her a curious look. The goodbye party at Molly’s was just finally dying down, and Trudy took advantage of the quiet moment to question her for the first time since finding out she was leaving.

“Yep,” Hailey responded, a sheepish look on her face with the response.

“When did you and Halstead finally… you know, get together or whatever?” Trudy asked, sending a heat directly to Hailey’s cheeks.

“What? No, I mean, no… It’s not like that,” Hailey stammered out, embarrassed by the question.

“Uh huh. Right, because anyone would just give the FBI an ultimatum when offered an elite position, all just to keep their ‘partner’,” the sergeant said sarcastically.

“It’s not like- I mean he’s a great partner. The best one I’ve had in all my time with the CPD. I’m better with him as my partner,” she shrugged before continuing. “When they offered me the job, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse, except there was a part of me that wanted to refuse it. The part of me that was missing him. Without even thinking I just told them I wasn’t going anywhere without him. It was like my mouth was moving before my brain could catch up,” Hailey confessed, immediately grimacing at the soppy words.

“Look, kid. I’ve worked with so many people over the years. I’ve had horrible partners, I’ve had some that left an imprint on me that I’ll never be able to shake, but I’ve only ever had one that I would give up this job for, only one that I would’ve even considered bargaining with the same way you did,” Trudy confessed, a perceptive look on her face. “That partner is my husband.”

Hailey shook her head, a half-frown, half-smile expressed across her face. Just as she was about to respond, Jay came walking up. She watched as he bantered back and forth with the sergeant, smiling, but zoning out as Trudy’s words sunk in with her. She hadn’t fully confronted what she felt for him. She knew she had feelings for him, she just kept them buried, knowing those kind of feelings could ruin the great thing they’d built over the years. But at the same time, she realized doing so could mean missing out on something even better. She snapped back into focus when he asked if she needed a ride. She refused, and he joked a little more with Trudy before saying his goodbye and walking on.

“He’s a good guy. I’ll kinda miss him,” Trudy admitted, turning around briefly after he walked away. Her head snapped back to Hailey quickly. “You tell anyone I said that and I’ll deny it,” she threatened, causing Hailey to let out a throaty laugh.

“Really though, from the outside looking in, what you two have seems to be more than just a partnership,” Trudy told her. Hailey blinked her eyes closed slowly, reluctantly giving in to the sergeant’s attempts to pry the feelings out of her.

“I’ve definitely let my mind wander. You know, he looks at me a certain way and I think what if we were more than partners? What if we took that leap? But I’ve never been good at relationships… I don’t want to ruin the thing we’ve built by trying to turn it into something more,” Hailey divulged, feeling a strange sense of release finally talking about those difficult feelings she had tried to hide for so long.

“I dated this guy once. He was a geologist,” Trudy said, causing Hailey’s eyes to widen and her brows to curve into a question. “Yeah, it didn’t last long. Anyway, he used to use the word watershed a lot. He really loved the double meaning of it. Obviously in geology it represented actual water or whatever, but he also used it to describe things that really impacted his life. Turning points. I never really understood it in that way until I met Randall. Before him, I had already given up on the idea of relationships, then he showed up out of nowhere and suddenly my entire outlook changed. He was my turning point… my watershed guy, and there was nothing I could do to change it. I guess what I’m trying to say is if you think Halstead could be your watershed guy, don’t wait too long to make your move Goldilocks. You’re only tempting fate the longer you push the idea away,” she finished, taking a sip of her drink as she observed Hailey’s reaction to her story.

“I’m going to miss you, Trudy,” Hailey said softly, raising her bottle to clink with her glass as the words resonated with her.

- - - -

The obnoxious beeping of Jay’s alarm woke him, and he groaned as he mustered up the energy to roll over and turn it off. It had been two weeks since the incident, since he confessed his feelings, Walker was suspended, and Hailey told him she needed time. Hailey took those two weeks off, telling Drake she needed to take time to heal, both physically and emotionally. It was time he happily granted after everything that happened.

Within days of Walker’s suspension, an official investigation had opened up concerning his misconduct. With that came several other female agents with stories to tell about the man. Stories very similar to Hailey’s. Nothing official had taken place yet, but things weren’t looking good for him, and the prosecutors all but promised that Hailey and those other women would finally get justice for what he did.

Fortunately, Drake and the rest of the Manhattan office backed each of the victims completely, sending out memos voicing their total and consistent support for anyone that ever needed to come forward with allegations of misconduct. Especially internal misconduct against other agents.

In this office, we protect the badge when necessary, but we also demonstrate accountability when that same badge is being abused. Victims should never be silenced, and victims should never be blamed, especially when they are members of this sacred institution.

This was the line that stuck out to Jay in all of the memos, and he was proud to represent a group of people that were willing to address the issue in such a way. It meant a lot to him that they had Hailey’s back in a way the CPD didn’t, and he hoped it brought her some sense of peace their former department never could.

In those two weeks she took off, Jay and Daisy were partnered up again considering both of their partners were off the job. The dynamics around the office were weird. They hadn’t filled the void left by Walker, and without Hailey there, Jay didn’t feel like himself. The gossip was lighter than he was expecting, something he was grateful for, but he and Daisy both caught lingering stares anytime they were in the office. It was already distracting to not be working with Hailey, and the stares certainly weren’t helping. He was just counting down the days until her return, but in a way it seemed as though the rest of the office was as well. Everyone wanted to gain back some sense of normalcy after everything that went down.

He didn’t see her in all of that time she was off, but they kept in contact through the occasional text. In those texts, they avoided talking about them. It was mostly just him catching her up on work or her catching him up on the Walker case, all very brief and to the point conversations. She told him she needed time, and that was exactly what he was giving her.

At that moment he laid there in bed, it was the weekend, and he was relieved to have it off. They had caught some rough cases throughout the week, and he needed one day that wasn’t filled with horrible people who did horrible things. He also needed something to keep his mind from missing Hailey. Pretty much every time he closed his eyes during those two weeks, he pictured her lips against his, her body tucked into his side, and her light breath against his chest. The memories of that day lingered like phantom touches, and he couldn’t get her off of his mind. He needed a distraction from it all, but he didn’t have any plans for the day. He could have easily stayed in bed longer, but he knew if he did that he would just end up spending the rest of the day there wallowing, wondering when Hailey would be ready to come back to him. So, he forced himself out of the bed and began his day.

Once he was up, showered, and fully caffeinated, he lingered by the window, catching the idea to tour the city as he watched the people walk about the street below. In all of the time they had been in the city, he still hadn’t taken an opportunity to get to know it. It was a clear, warm weather day, so he thought it would be a perfect time to meander the still unfamiliar city. He hoped the unfamiliarity would force his mind to think about something other than Hailey.

His tour started by taking the subway to Times Square. He always thought it was an overrated attraction, but standing in the middle of it all, looking up around him he realized why people find it so alluring. There was a surreal feeling he had standing there, a feeling he really couldn’t explain. Afterwards, he made his way to Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and around lunchtime he ate at some hole in the wall restaurant outside of Madison Square. The deeper into the city he got, the more charmed he was by it. Looking around while not also chasing a criminal or looking out for a threat changed his perspective in the best way possible. Nothing would ever replace the spot Chicago had in his heart, but he really was falling in love with New York. After lunch, he wandered around, people watching and taking in how unique every street seemed to be. With his career, he never really got the chance to travel, so being a pseudo-tourist for the day sort of mimicked that. It was an interesting experience for him.

It was nearing sunset, and he was scouting out the best spot to catch it. He was never a sit around and watch the sunset kind of guy, but he figured new city could mean new traditions. Just as he was scouring the internet for the best spot, a text came in from Hailey.

Can you meet me?

Along with the text came a pin of her current location. He was in Lower Manhattan, and the location was only a few blocks away on the Lower East Side by the river. His face lit up when he read it, and he felt like he couldn’t move his legs fast enough as he started in her direction. He made his way through crowded sidewalks, the usual noise of traffic and other city sounds around him falling silent to the pounding of his heart in his chest. Two weeks without her, he wasn’t even concerned with what she had to say, he was just ecstatic to finally see her. He made it to the edge of a park by the river, one that looked impalpably familiar. Then he saw the bridge and the orange tint in the sky, and it hit him. It was the spot from the picture she showed him on the plane to the city. He crossed the street and entered the park. His eyes scanned the area, circling the field briefly before spotting a familiar blonde sitting on a blanket under a tree.

Her back was to him, and he took in every detail he could from afar before she could notice. It took him a moment to realize it was her because she was wearing a dress. In the four years he had known her, he had only ever seen her wear a dress a few times and only on special occasions, but this one blew them all out of the water. It was a pale yellow sundress with a delicate flower pattern. Her legs were kicked out to the side under her, and the dress revealed the beautiful tan tone of her skin, the Greek in her that gave her that subtle olive glow. He noticed the way her golden waves fell effortlessly down her back and over her shoulders, and it amused him to see she had paired the dress with simple white sneakers. Such a Hailey Upton thing to do, balance out something as frilly as a yellow sundress with something so casual like a pair of sneakers. The color of the dress suited her so well, and she was quite literally glowing in the orange rays of the setting sun.

As he approached, he noticed a box of pizza and a bottle of wine settled beside her. Oh God is this a date? He thought to himself, becoming aware of the boring t-shirt and jeans he was wearing and the fact that he just spent the day working up a sweat as he walked around the city. He wished he could pop home, or even in a nearby store to at least change his shirt, but he was already there and there was no turning back.

“Hi,” he finally said when he got close, his voice just loud enough for her to hear. She quickly stood and spun around, beaming at him as she did so. She smiled for a long moment, silently taking in his presence with a radiance of joy spread across her face.

“God, I’ve missed you,” she finally said, breathing out the words with a solaced breath.

“Me too,” he said simply, taking in how stunning she was. The bruises that once lined her neck and chest were all healed up, and the spot on her lip that was once split was mended. It was like nothing ever happened. She looked perfect.

“Sorry I look like this. I just spent the day touring the city, but you…you look…” he began, but a dozen words fought to come out. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Perfect. Incredible. Of all of those words, his brain settled on a breathy “wow.” She laughed lightly, shyly looking to the ground as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“You look great… and thank you,” she said, sending him a toothy smile as he nervously chuckled back.

“So, uh what is all of this?” He asked, forcing himself to make real conversation before he embarrassed himself with further nervous babble. He noticed her finger tips lightly tapping in a mindless rhythm against her thigh, and he had to swallow away the grin that formed. He knew she was just as nervous as he was.

“Right, uh sit. I just wanted to do a dinner. A thank you for being there for me. I know you said I don’t have to thank you, but I do. Really, I do,” she said timidly as she dropped back down onto the blanket. He followed suit, settling on the ground with his knees pulled into his chest.

“I thought you hated New York pizza,” he chuckled, his eyes settling on the box before them.

“Oh I absolutely do, this is the one decent slice I have been able to find in this pizza hell of a city. It’s no Bartoli’s, but it’s edible,” she joked. He snickered at how worked up she got over pizza, and he grabbed the plate she was holding out to him.

“So, how’ve you been?” He asked, recognizing they had fully bypassed that initial level of small talk.

“Better… way better,” she admitted, and he knew by the look in her eyes she was telling the truth. It made him happy to hear, and even happier to see.

“I’m glad,” he told her with a grin. A warmth flushed through his body as she smiled proudly back at him.

“Yeah, I’ve actually been seeing a therapist. Dealing with what happened, and even dealing with stuff from Chicago that I never really dealt with,” she admitted. Years ago she changed his outlook on therapy, and he grew to learn just how beneficial it could be. He was surprised to learn therapy was a new thing for her, but it made him happy that she seemed so excited about it.

“That’s so good, really. If anyone knows how helpful that is, it’s me,” he said as he locked his eyes with hers.

“Yeah, I spent the last two weeks thinking about the thing with Walker, going over it with my therapist. I spent my sessions talking with her about everything, and I’d just go home and wonder what I could have done differently, why I missed the signs that his friendliness was more than just…”

“Hailey, none of what happened was your fault. You were nice to him, and he took advantage of that. End of story,” Jay interrupted, waving a hand in front of him to emphasize his words.

“No, no, I know that. I just kept thinking about what he said about me leading him on. While I know I definitely wasn’t doing that, I did start to question why I so easily looked past his comments and his flirting. I mean, I would have shut that down immediately in any other situation with any other guy. Like, I knew it was happening, yet I let the comments go and still agreed to keep seeing him after work. I kept thinking about that, kept talking it over with my shrink, and I eventually realized what it was,” she said, her focus fixed on the sky behind Jay’s head as she spoke, and he noticed her fingers restlessly playing with the hem of her dress.

Jay wrapped his arms tightly around his knees, locking his fingers around his wrists, anxiously waiting for her to finish her thought.

“Every time I went out with him, it was an excuse to get away from you… a distraction because I couldn’t stop thinking about how I felt about you,” she confessed.

Jay let out a shaky breath. He had figured she had feelings for him, imagined what she was thinking when only her eyes were communicating what words weren’t, but the verbal confession still took him by surprise. He looked at her, stupefied and relieved by the admission, and there was a long pause. She took a breath and finally continued as her eyes seem to roam the sky for her words.

“Before I left Chicago, Trudy said something to me that I just couldn’t stop thinking about. But, we were going through this big change, new city, new job, it all just didn’t seem like the right time, and I wasn’t even sure if you felt the same way. But then we’d have these little stolen moments, these blips of time where it felt like we were going to make that jump, and something would get in the way,” she said. Jay almost let out a chuckle at how familiar her words sounded. It was like she had snuck into his brain and was reading off a script of his own thoughts.

“When I was out with Walker, I was passing the time with him to forget about you. Yet, every single time, you were all I could think about… Trudy said the longer I pushed the thought of us away, the more I was tempting fate. Well, I’m done tempting fate. I’m done letting people and time and situations stand in the way of us because Jay, you’re my watershed guy,” she rambled, her words rolling together the quicker she spoke. She took a series of deep breaths after the long monologue, clearly fighting back tears as Jay tried to process everything she was saying and everything it carried.

“Watershed guy? I don’t think I’m follow-“ he questioned before she cut him off. She snickered lightly before continuing, shaking her head amusedly as she tried to find the words to continue.

“Right, you don’t get that… uh there’s a story behind that, but what I’m trying to say is my life hasn’t been the same since I’ve met you. You’re always there. When I expect it and even when I don’t. In more ways than one, you have made me a better person, a better detective, and now a better agent. We came into each other’s lives and for me it was like everything changed. I’ve never had a partner like you. I’ve never had a friend like you, and at some point I realized I can’t even picture what my life would look like without you. I don’t want to. You… you are my turning point,” she said, inhaling sharply.

“Jay, I’m in love with you. I love you so much more than I thought I could ever love anyone, and I’ve been pushing it down for so long but I can’t anymore. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you said those words to me. I know I made you wait for me, and I would understand if-“ with that, Jay leaned forward, kissing her with the desperation and fervor that had been building up in him over the past two weeks. The past four years if he was being honest. She relaxed into the kiss, bringing her hand to the back of his head, brushing her fingers through his short hair as she pulled him closer into her. They sat there in the middle of the park together, lost in each other, and completely oblivious to the world around them as they unleashed almost four years of pent of feelings. When they finally pulled away for air, they giggled against one another’s mouths, coming down from the reality of the euphoric moment. Hailey leaned forward into him, placing a brief kiss against his lips before pulling away again, staring into his eyes and rubbing a thumb over his mouth lightly.

“So, does that mean we’re on the same page?” she asked with a smirk.

“That means, I’m in love with you too,” he said back, tangling his hand into her hair and bringing her back to him for another kiss. She smiled widely, before settling back onto folded legs.

They ate dinner together under the setting sun, watching as the sky changed from day to night. They talked and laughed for hours until they realized they were the only two left in the dimly lit park. Upon the realization, they gathered everything from the ground and made their way out of the park, their hands intertwined together and their faces sharing the same twinkled smile.

“So, what now?” He asked as she swung their joined hands together between them. They walked slowly, savoring every second as they maneuvered half-empty sidewalks.

“Now, we go back to my place… if you’re willing to share a bed with me again,” she said in a confident whisper, pulling on his arm slightly so that she could raise up and say it into his ear.

The corners of his mouth curled up in return, and he bobbed his head dramatically in endorsement.

“You had me at go back to my place,” he said firmly, smiling as she giggled next to him. He leaned down, pressing a kiss against her temple, and they continued to make their way back to her place, at a slightly quicker pace than before.

- - - -

“I know I said this before, but you make a great pillow… among other things,” she innuendoed, raising her brows and kissing the grin from his mouth. They were wrapped up in her bed, unable to keep their hands off one another from the moment they made it back to her apartment. It was late into the night, and they remained tangled together, their hands mindlessly traveling each other’s bodies as they basked in the afterglow.

“You make a pretty damn good weighted blanket… among other things,” he teased back, causing them both to giggle. Once the light laughter had subsided, he broke the silence with a question, a heavier question than he intended.

“So what does this mean for our partnership?” he asked her, his fingers still dragging lightly across her bare shoulder.

“What do you mean?”

“I just mean what if the FBI doesn’t let us stay partnered together,” he whispered, slight concern in his voice. There was a silence as she thought it over, and her fingers that traced circles against his chest suddenly stopped. She sat up, resting against his chest the same way she did weeks ago as her eyes peered intently into his.

“I think we’re great together. As partners, and as I’m sure time will tell, as more. This doesn’t need to blend with the work stuff. I know us, and I know we can keep things separate. If they have a problem with that, they can take it up with me. I’ve given the FBI an ultimatum for you before, I will gladly do it again,” she replied, a sneaky grin expressed across her face. He shook his head with a smile in response, bringing a hand down to push a strand of hair out of her face.

“I love you,” he said in a soft whisper. She brought her face close to his, merely inches away.

“And I love you,” she whispered back before connecting their lips.

“Whatever happens, we’ll be fine,” she reassured him upon pulling away.

From detectives to agents, partners to friends, friends to lovers, they’d endured a lot of change in the past few years. They were bound to face even more change ahead, but one thing Jay knew for sure, it was only the beginning of an entire lifetime of change they’d endure together.

“Yeah, we’ll make it work,” he nodded, and she smiled widely before crashing her lips back into his.