#and i was pretty much fluent too. as fluent as a toddler can be | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cepheusgalaxy · 3 months ago

Note

Hello, I saw your post about Brazilian OC because I'm researching to write one too. May I ask for tips please?

The premise of my story (the plan is maybe 15k-20k words) is about an American who moves to Brasil alongside his sister to restart a new life because of a dark past. He meets a 12-year-old girl whose perspective inspires him to face his past in the end.

I set the story in the Northen Brasil; more accurately, Rio Preto da Eva, Amazonas (long story on why but I got suggested to by a friend then I got attached to the place). Do you have any tips for me for portraying this little girl? Like her mixed race, her disposition, her family, her culture, food, her mannerisms, her body language, her English speech as a second language is like (she's bilingual just so they can communicate, maybe imperfect but fluent enough); how to show that she's Brazilian, basically? Not just a random kid in a random country that you can replace with another country and it will stay the same.

Thank you! I'm sorry if it's too much.

Hello! ^^ You can definitely ask for tips, and I'll help in any way I can. As a warning, this may be a bit rambly.

Firstly though, I'd like to say that I myself am not from the North, but from the North East, and there are a lot of cultural differences from here to there so I may not have advice as specific and as accurate as another person may give, but I'll give the tips I can. This is a somewhat long so I also put it under a cut :)

Now, moving on. I decided to divide this into topics so it's easier to understand:

Appearence (hair, clothing, etc.)

You ask about her race first. Amazonas is known for having the biggest amount of Indigenous communities from all the country (i fact checked that just to be sure), but the majority of people in there is also Parda [mixed black and white, you could translate that as Brown]. White people are at a minority of 24% of the population, following the <10% of Black people, so the Brown population is three times the white one. You may, ofc, chose whatever you want for her if you haven't already. Just throwing these statistics there in the case it might help.

If she's Brown, she probably will have coily hair, and she may wear it tied back or braided with a fun color, you decide. The climate in the North is mostly very warm and humid, so having her hair falling on her neck might be a bit uncomfortable so she probably wouldn't wear it loose unless it's for a special occasion or a party where she would want it super neat.

Ofc this changes from person to person, but at least in my city, girls with long hair tend to tie it for the most part and take especial care to leave it loose when they want it neater, since combing your hair with cream for it to look good loose takes a little bit more of work than just making it look nice in a ponytail or pigtails or a fancy bun. Short hair works differently and its more common to wear it loose, since there are less options for tying it and it's not as hot in your back and neck.

As a side note, she may also have straight hair. Girls her age sometimes like to straighten natural curly hair, or maybe she has indigenous ascendance if she's not indigenous herself and her hair is straight and her skin, dark.

Lots of girls also like to wear earrings and usually at twelve i don't see a lot of big ones so she may prefer to wear tiny ones, bracelets, etc.

An acessory you might also see is this one:

[ID: A toddler wearing a blue stripe turban, a bandana-like cloth on their hair, tied in a flower at the front. /end ID.]

For some reason I couldn't find an example of any older kid but it'll do lmao. This is a turban, or headscarf, that is common among women here and comes from African influence. We have the ones that cover more of the hair, and this one, which is more common for younger children, that has the shape of a stripe and has a stylized knot in the front. They can come in patterns or plain colors, like this. It's pretty cute, although not very popular amongst tweens and older teens, with some exceptions. The kid's ones usually come already tied and we call them tiaras.

Moving on to clothes, as the northern areas are very warm we usually wear tshirts, small dresses and short shorts or trousers. That is probably where the stereotype of Hot Skimpy Brazilian comes from (hand in hand with racism ofc). I notice that in colder countries people tend to layer up and wear long sleeves and pants in the summer but unless it's a party, an event or a particularly cold day that's really unusual here. Bc of the warmth, leggings and crop tops are super popular too.

Patterns are also really really common, not just in shirts but in dresses and shorts as well. That's also from African heritage.

Though I am pretty sure that patterned, long skirts are very common in Amazonas. You may want to research this one a bit more.

Accent

You also note that she speaks English, and I don't know exactly how the subject is in schools there, but in my area we learn English in a very basic and very simple range, especially at her grade. I'd say it's very unlikely that she'd have learned it there, but there's always exceptions though! If she didn't learn it in school, however, the most common way to learn it is by engaging in content in English. I learned it by engaging with the PJO fandom that is mostly in the US, for example, and my cousin learned it by playing pirated Pokemón that he couldn't get in Portuguese. Maybe she loves subtitled shows and learned there!

I'm not sure about her accent bc I'm not generally good at pointing them out, but a few things in her native language that may influence it are that, in Portuguese, vowels are a little bit more open most of the time, and she may also have trouble spelling the r in the way you do, and will probably acentuate it to compensate (my little sister does that) or switch it to a french r or a spanish r (if you've heard French or Spanish you may know what I'm talking about). She probably also speaks a little slower or accentuating each syllabe to make sure she's speaking right.

She may also just make some sounds completely wrongly, like spelling the S as a Z sometimes, like "azexual" (in portuguese when the S is between two vowels it has the sound of Z), pronounce X as "CS" or "SH" like Asecsual (asexual) or Eshtra (extra) or accentuate the Ts at the end of a word, something native anglophones tend to set aside for the most part, I've noticed.

School (coz I think that this might appear sometime, if your story doesn't take place in summer break)

A thing I'd like to note is that schools in Brazil work very differently than in the US.

Firstly, the "grades": We call them Years and they are divided in three parts: Fundamental School I [Ensino Fundamental I], Fundamental School II [Ensino Fundamental II] and Highschool. Before all of that, optionally we also have preschool or "childhood garden" or just daycare, that we also refer to as alphabetization.

F. I or E.F. I -- from 6 to 10yo. Here we have 1st year, 2nd year, etc allup to 5th year. Kids learn the basics and may or may not get in already knowing how to read and write.

F. II or E.F. II -- from 11yo to 14yo. Here we start from 6th year and go up till 9th

Highschool -- You know this one. Three years, called 1st, 2nd and 3rd year. A literal translation of its name would be Middle School. (Ensino Médio.)

We don't have homeschooling, and by law kids are obliged to attend school as soon as they are old enough to.

Schools here also have a pretty big difference from public to private that idk if you have in there.

Private schools are owned by individuals and Public schools are owned and funded by the government, as you probably know. All schools in Brazil also have uniforms.

Each private school has their own particular uniform, and you have to pay for your child's subscription, uniform, materials and snacks.

Public schools are divided in two categories: State schools and Municipal schools. State schools are owned by the state, and municipal schools are owned by the city. The state and the city all have separate uniforms, so every municipal school from a city is going to have a shared uniform, and every state school from a given state is going to share a uniform too. In public schools, the subscription is paid by taxes, and so are the uniform and food; you just have to pay for your personal material, not including books, that are provided by the school, and any school outings your child may attend to.

I took the liberty to take a look into the Amazonense public uniform and the uniform from the city you choose too:

[ID: A bunch of students wearing jeans or black pants and a white shirt with a green and yellow arc at the bottom, and a small crest on the chest. /end ID.]

^ Amazonense State Uniform

[ID: A little kid wearing black trousers and a white t-shirt, both with an orange crest. /end ID.]

^ Rio Preto da Eva Municipal uniform.

As you can see, the uniforms usually consist in trousers or shorts for younger kids or pants for the older ones and a plain shirt with the school, state or city simble. Unlike other countries, where the (girl's) uniform usually consists of some kind of skirt, the uniforms here are the same regardless of gender and come in some different sizes (Small, Medium, Big and Big-Big). Private schools also follow this model.

In Municipal Schools you usually get both the shorts and shirt by the school, and in State Schools you just get the shirt and can wear whatever pants you want, but following a dress code (usually it's "jeans or black or dark blue pants and closed shoes" and trousers are only allowed if they're a certain lenght, but maybe Amazonas has another code I'm not aware of)

Another difference from State and Municipal schools is also the offered curriculum. Fundamental I, sometimes II, is offered in Municipal schools, and highschool and Fundamental II are offered in State schools. Some schools may not follow this rule and have more or less stages.

And also the school year is a bit different: The year starts in the beggining of February, then there is a starting weekbreak for Carnaval, then the classes start for real. The year goes on till July where we get around 15 days off, then the classes come back and end at the start of December. This may change a little depending on the school's jurisdiction (Private, State or Municipal).

Schools also work in turns: Morning "Matutino" (7 to 11AM) and Afternoon "Vespertino" (1 to 5PM) or Full-Day "Integral" (7AM to 5PM or earlier). Most Municipal Schools as far as I know are morning + afternoon.

And lastly, as a side note, some medical services in Brazil are also public and free, like the SUS (unique health system), where your insurance is paid by taxes so you don't pay for it unless the service costs more than what your plan allows for.

Food

Now about food, I'm not completely familiarized with culinary from the North, but we share some dishes in common and I also did a quick search. So we have:

Lots of fish -- the Amazonas is cut by a lot of big rivers so fish is very important to the culinary

Cupuaçu -- a tropical fruit that gets delicious in ice cream

Açaí (another fruit you can make great ice cream with) with beans. Half of the people like it and the rest claim it tastes like mud.

Maniçoba -- a dark soup made of cooked cassava leaves and meat basically

Muqueca -- a kind of fish soup

Pirão -- it has the texture of mashed potatoes and it's made of cassava flour cooked in fish broth

Fried banana - you cut up banana in slices and fry them in the pan till they go gold and it's very sweet, crusty and delitious tbh. Some people put it in couscous

A lot of fruit juice, like guaraná, cupuaçu, graviola and any other fruit you can find in there

Beiju -- beiju is a sort of flour you prepare like pancakes (rolled up pankakes, that is) and they are crispy and you usually put salty toppings like chicken and cheese in there. some people like it alone though

Pão de queijo -- technically "cheese bread" but it's a completely different kind of cheese bread. it is very small and round and also crusty

You can search for more of the food but this should give you an idea.

For table manners, at least where I am from, idk about Amazonas, it's considered rude by some people to support your elbows on the table, and by most it's also considered rude to speak while your mouth is full.

Family and other details

I'm not sure how family would be very different and idk much about family in Amazonas but where l live specifically (northeast) I've seen these elements in families very commonly

single mom (usually black and poor)

a dad or grandfather with a lot of abandoned children with many different woman so you may have 7 unknown siblings/uncles

idk about other areas but here we greet our older relatives by 'asking bless' (pedindo a benção or just bença)

I am not really aware of mannerism differences but I can give you a silly list of swear words because 12 is just the age kids are really sweary and I think she could literally translate some of these by accident and some don'r rlly work in english but here they are:

Desgraçado - disgraced. Medium swearing

Miserável - miserable. Light swearing

Filho da puta - son of a bitch. you know this one. Can be very heavy or very playful

Filho da mãe - son of a mother. Heavy swearing

Filho da égua - son of a (female) horse. Medium swearing

Seu cu - your ass. Light to medium swearing.

Tomar no cu - go take it up your ass. Light swearing but can be heavier depending on circumstance.

Seu porra - the only translation i can think for "porra" is cum but it can also mean fuck. this one is calling someone a porra. a bastard in this context. light to medium swearing

Porra

Foda - can mean fuck, can mean shit, can mean badass, can mean 'it sucks', can mean 'hella cool' and really really depends. light swearing when it's used like that

Caralho - i am not sure how to translate this one. it's usually a term for when things suck. or are very cool.

Rapariga - calling someone a bitch lightheartedly. light swearing

Viado - faggot. can be very heavy or very playful

Quenga - similar to rapariga but more agressive

Desgraça - disgrace. usually to express frustration. medium swearing

Portuguese has a lot of curse expressions actually.

Some other things that may be worth noting are:

Most brazilians, unless they're very wealthy, don't have dishwashers. Or drying machines for that matter. Since it's hotter here we mostly dry up things in the sun. We use strings for that or just hang them up the wall at the back of the house.

Some brands we refer to when we mean certain products (but this one may not apply to Amazonas): Maizena (corn starch), cotonete (cotton swab), QBoa (bleach), Veja (disinfectant), Nikito (a brand of stuffed cookie), Springles (you have that one too), Play-Doh (play dough), Amoeba (a weird slime toy) and Oreo

'Gringo' is a word that means foreigner. If you're not from here, u a gringo

Your character may struggle to use 'it' to refer to some objects, because in portuguese we don't have it as a pronoun. Objects are either he or she so your girl is probably gonna call the table a she and the car a he a lot of the time. I do that too sometimes.

Very specific anime thing if she likes anime: there's a culture here that if you watch dubbed anime instead of subtitled ur a loser. it's silly but it exists.

If she's twelve she probably grew up watching Sítio do Pica-Pau Amarelo. It's a child's cartoon based off a classic child's author work, Monteiro Lobato. And she probably read Turma da Mônica as a child (the comic books ever)

She also prob watches a lot of dramas. They usually air in channels like Globo or SBT. Three very popular and classic ones are Chiquititas (a show about a bunch of children from an orphanage and one of them was the secret heir of some rich guy idk. my sister loves it), Carrossel (i don't watch novellas but i know there's a school and a black boy and this racist girl. it's also a meme) and Chaves. Some more recent ones are Romeu e Julieta and As Aventuras de Pollyanna.

We tipically use the 24 hours format so if your mc can't understand that he'll probably confuse himself a lot

"Meia" (half/middle) usually refers to the number six, when we're talking about phone numbers. That's because three and six sound way too similar and you may confuse them up so to avoid that we replace six with meia

A dozen and half a dozen are also used a lot, like when you go get groceries and eggs, idk about other countries

Vasco -- vasco is a soccer team that is a meme because they Always Lose. We have the expression "went vasco" to express someone got fucked over

She will probably refer to soccer as football when speaking english bc in portuguese, soccer is "futebol". Depending on her personality she may refure to correct herself

The girl almost definitely cheers for a soccer team. I know few people who don't cheer for a soccer team.

Talking about soccer, another team that is a meme is Flamengo. Bc they don't ever win a "world" medal. Idk much about soccer but a world medal or a mundial is a class of tournaments?

Soccer is a big thing here. We cancell classes when the soccer world cup is near.

Now for your last line--how to show that she's brazilian. I'm not really skilled in showing different nationalities in writing, but I think that the most effective tool you could use is the cultural difference. How do things work differently here in opposed to there? What is your usamerican character used to or not used to, what does he have to adapt to? What does the girl think your character should know, or be used to, when he isn't? What are the things your character prides herself for in her culture (like soccer or the food bc of the meme of Bad USamerican Food)?

Anyways, this is a really wide topic but I hope I have been able to shed a little light or offer some guidance. If anybody who sees this is from Amazonas, your insight could be helpful too!

Good luck with your story, anon!

#this is VERY long sorry #and tx for waiting!#damn i rlly managed to finish my stuff today thank god #asks #anon #brazilian characters #brazil #writing advice #character tips #amazonas anon

4 notes · View notes

mirconreadzztuff22 · 9 months ago

Note

PLEAAASE tell me about rosalina IM BEGGING YOUUUUUU whats her job?? howd she die??? DETAILS. DETAILS PLEASE.

OMG I, SO GLAD YOU ASKED TEEHEE 😇😇😇😇😇

This is gonna be me bouncing off walls and babbling like a toddler but bare with me

Okay, so,

Rosalina; Also known as Thorns (just like how Alastor is called the Radio demon), she is a Succubus Dragon. She is an ‘overlord’, and she pretty much takes over for Asmodeus whenever he’s too busy (I have a little thing where most of the succubus employees that he has were originally hers), BUT ANYWAY,

Im still working on it but pretty much Rosalina is a mythical creature, like Jeopard (and the five others I’m working on), but over the years, sinners and others began to question and outcast the creatures, so they got dumbed down to the Overlords.

And Rosalina is a hellborn, so she didn’t die 🥳🥳 (lucky for her woohoo), BUTTT if she WAS a sinner, she would have died from lung cancer, as it resembles in the cloud patterns in her skin (mainly in her dragon form and tail).

Speaking of the patterns, those patterns represent one of her abilities, which is pretty much a hypnotic smoke (similar to Valentino, I know, sue me 😞) and it causes others who inhale it (even herself, because we love a Queen who gets affected by her own shit 💀) either horny, drowsy or all of the above though it depends on her mood and what she wants to use it for.

Now, this is mainly gonna be about her personality, but outside of the fact shes an evil, horny attention whore, she’s actually pretty rational and neat. Rosalina is quick, observant and stands her ground when she needs to. Speaking of observation (random switch, I just wanted to get this out of the way); Due to this fact, she can tell if someone is uncomfortable or feeling unsafe. She’s flirting with someone and they show any sign of discomfort? She immediately stops and apologizes, going back to making harmless jokes. Someone else being a creep? She’s already sending a buff ass incubi guard to handle the situation discreetly.

Also, she’s rich, duh, she isn’t shy about it either (but she doesn’t brag, she just uses her money 💀)

(Short but whatever) As for how her relationship with Velvette started: Rosalina was taking a vacation and decided to go into the pride ring just for shiggles and what do you know? Velvette caught the succubi’s eye (and puss okay imma stop)

But with her relationships with the other Myths is kinda obvious, like Jeopard. She constantly shit-talks Jeopard, she’s okay with Minataur and Erwin, she’s not a huge fan of Kabra and Raz due to their greediness and Rosalina feels like she’s on a watch list when it comes to Andrea.

Like Jeopard, Rosalina is also bilingual. (She’s fluent in Spanish and English :3)

Overall, she’s a queen and we love her (might talk about her relationship with Jeopard later, idk, only if people want BAHSBS)

___

Masterlist for the others <33: here

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel velvette #hazbin velvette #hazbin hotel oc #hazbin hotel ocs #oc x canon #Rosalina blurbs #the seven myths #mythical creatures

2 notes · View notes

mooifyourecows · 2 years ago

Note

i am conversational in spanish and have been for a while! i’ve been learning spanish since i was like 12, so i’ve practiced a lot, which is why i’m considering what my next conquest should be. i just really want to continue to improve to the point of fluency. i know all the rules that i would need to function, just vocab is what i haven’t mastered. i don’t know nearly as many words as i need to. i do love spanish music and tv though, and i plan on going to mexico the summer between graduation and college starting to really improve!

also ASL is so cool, tbh i only really know silly stuff like cereal bath and toy and the alphabet, but i learned a bunch when my deaf cousin visited a couple years ago! she was like 4 so she wasn’t really thinking too complexly so it was super easy words but it was so fun! you should definitely try to learn. especially since it’s all physical, eventually it’s muscle memory. like i haven’t looked at the alphabet in so long but i can do almost all of it just because i did it so much when i was younger

In that case, I'd pick the language that you think would be most useful to you! Polish uses a similar alphabet, though with all those accents and what not, so it might be a little easier than Korean. Though I've heard that Korean is pretty difficult to learn for native English speakers, I also hear that Hangul is one of the best designed alphabets in the world. I also think that Korean might be more useful than Polish considering how big Korean media has become in the western world. Polish is probably a little less common, but if you have sentimental reason to learn it, maybe it would be more fun for you?

I think in terms of what would look impressive on a college application or job application, Korean would probably be the better of the two. Partially because learning an entirely new alphabet is super impressive and partially because there's probably a higher demand for Korean speakers vs Polish speakers.

Either way though, it'll be cool to know either of them! What matters most is what YOU want to do 👌

I had a friend who went to college to learn ASL, which was pretty cool but the way she talked about her class made it seem like HELL because it was a very intense learning environment. You know those types of teachers that are like "FROM NOW ON, WE WILL ONLY COMMUNICATE WITH ASL. IF YOU SPEAK, YOU LOSE POINTS FOR THE DAY" which is like... fucking stupid for a beginner class of people who know ZERO asl. like c'mon, save that teaching method for people who are intermediate at the language, ya know?

My dad had a similar teacher like that in high school but for French. She said that they were not allowed to speak english in the class but it was a beginners class and nobody knew any French so they'd just sit there and stare at her blankly as she spoke French at them. And then she'd get mad when they didn't know what she was saying lmao like WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? that'd they'd just learn through osmosis??? he said that went on for 2 weeks before she finally caved and allowed them to speak english but she had a bad attitude about it for the rest of the semester. it's like... just because you know the language doesn't mean you're qualified to teach it, you know? i'd never have the audacity to think that just because i'm a native English speaker, i could teach non native English speakers how to speak it. unless they were toddlers, i guess lol

one of my friends was an exchange student to Austria and had to learn German in like, less than a year. she said for the first few months living over there, she couldn't understand a THING. then suddenly, it all clicked. lucky for her, her host family was fluent in english so she could still communicate, but for school she said she was so lost, they'd write her up special tests that were in much more basic German. not that they care that much if you do the work. it's more for the experience of a different culture than doing school work. she'd already graduated here in America so they were like, ehh, just have fun

have you looked into an exchange program? i think there's money involved, like i believe my friend had to do some fundraising before she could go, but she said it was an amazing experience and she made so many friends in the program from all over the world! In fact, one of the other kids from my high school went to Poland for his exchange. He struggled with the language even more than my friend though because Polish is more difficult than German. At least for English speakers, since English IS a Germanic language and shares a lot of similarities with it.

but i digress

languages are interesting

0 notes

gamerbearmira · 2 years ago

Note

Any advice for drawing small children(newborn to five), of the chonky and non-chonky varieties? Specifically with proportions and shaping. I am rather clueless.

I can try???? Tbh I suck at tutorials but les get it 😭😭

Ok so

Newborn-3 months

So babies, when they’re first born, are pretty chubby. Even if they aren’t, they gain weight as they grow. They also tend to have short hair, sometimes it’s textured, but it depends. They can’t move or anything, so they often lay down on their back instead of their stomach. Also, babies at this age are still in a somewhat fetal position, because they have yet to stretch out. Most of the time they’re asleep as well. And while Mirabel here has no clothes, babies this age can’t quite regulate their body temperature, so they’re bundled up, especially in cold weather.

4-8 months

At this point, a baby is capable of holding their head up and move around a lot more. They’re still pretty chubby, gaining at least 6 or 7 pounds. They often are capable of sitting up as well, and start moving around more. Their hair is a bit longer as well, but it depends on the baby. People often dress babies in more loose clothes too, because they move around a lot more. Their eyes are open wider now too.

9-12 months

Ok so now they’re capable of standing up and walking. Babies stretching out a bit more, and are more active. They’re still the chubbsters ™️ but they don’t gain weight as fast. When they stand, their feet or legs might turn inwards, but most of the time they grow out of that by 2. Not much changes at this stage, just that they can stand and walk. Though, I will say when they walk, it’s sort of wobbly; very slow as well. At this age, they also start wearing shoes more often. Children also start growing teeth as well, too.

2-3 years

Using my ocs Ty here, since he’s not as chubby. Toddlers now, they can walk and run, and begin to do more stuff. They get taller, and since they’re starting to move away from diapers, their clothes are a bit more fitting, but still loose enough so they can move comfortably. They’re very round faced still, but they do get taller, and thus have less chubby features. Also, they often have almost, if not all of their baby teeth at this age, and so when they speak it’s more fluent. When you draw them, you have to make sure you start defining their limbs more, seeing that they aren’t as squished as before.

4-5 years

Now they’re starting to gain some height. Usually they’re between 2.5 ft and 3.5 ft , but it varies. When you draw them, you can define their faces more, some their weight is more even distributed. They clothes are much more detailed as well, since they can fluently move around and do more activities. Their features in their faces also become more defined, and at this point start to look more like their parents. They have all their teeth and sometimes can even be missing teeth, but again, it depends.

I HOPE THIS HELP 😩😩😩 again I. Suck at tutorials, so if this is wack. I don’t blame you for thinking so.

#encanto #my asks are open #my asks #my art #black artist on tumblr #artist

25 notes · View notes

navigatorwrongway · 2 years ago

Note

HI ok this is for that ��fic commentary” thing cause it’s a great idea!! I chose a part of “All The Things They Might Have Said” but tbh if you want to talk about another part of the fic, or another part of the series, PLEASE do!! I love your fics!!!!!

“And you are healing, now?” She sounded confused, but in the way adults always sounded when they didn’t want you to know they were confused.

“No.” He tried not to get frustrated. Mother said only ape-lizards and toddlers lashed out in anger. Din was neither. Besides, it only seemed obvious because Din had grown up learning this complicated system. The Armorer had to be feeling just as confused as Din had at the very start of his time with the Mandalorians, and Din was trying to use this as a meta-fore. A story that stood in for a different story, to make it make sense. “Right now I’m hshemm-kenm-kil , the time of shaking branches. I’m making sure that I don’t freeze up. I need my ‘sap’ to run, so I can catch up. I won’t push so long always, but if I stop now it’ll be years until I get better. I’m not just gonna sit around hoping that someday I’ll be okay, and have what I need to be Mando’ad .”

Finally, the Armorer seemed to understand. She’d settled into her kneeling, the tension eased so she looked less like she was about to leap up and run. “You are the tree, and your ability to improve is your sap.” She looked away, and Din watched the dilution of morning’s light on the golden metal. He was not old enough that he had to always wear his helmet. His cohort could still go play topside during the day, which the older cohorts couldn’t. Helmets were too noticeable.

“Damn this! I shouldhave dragged thatdamnReeveswith us, bound and gagged. A Tribe of Foundlings withoutaguideinhealingtheirminds. Whatsortofchildjust reinvents exposuretherapywithoutknowing? Dank ferrik.”

Din’s attention snapped back to the woman inside the helmet, and flushed. He may not have known what the exact words meant, but he knew the tone well enough; that sort of outburst was frustration. That it was said under her breath only kind of softened the sting. And Father had said those last two words, once, after hitting his thumb with a mallet.

Hi Erica!!!! Thank you sm for asking ily!!

The prompt is here <3

Part of my goal with this fic (and No Holy Cities as a series tbh) is to explore what makes Din, Din — and what makes Din a Mandalorian. And you can’t do that without taking a good look at the covert.

It’s an under-appreciated aspect of his characterization, I think, and I get why; we don’t see all that much of the covert before it’s blown all to hell in the first season. But if you think about it, these are a bunch of complex people in close quarters for long periods of time; you don’t get through that without forging some bonds. This fic in particular features Din as a young Foundling that feels acutely that he’s starting at a disadvantage. And through his eyes, the audience gets to see the Armorer — who, by my estimation is mid-late-20s or so here.

A lot of my worldbuilding is seeded from real-life equivalents, so I assume ten years minimum to reach competence as a Mandalorian armorer. Even then, it wouldn’t be strange to be an attaché of your teachers’ workshop for a while. And from that perspective, the Armorer is VERY young to be running her own forge (especially with a community built around that forge). She’s gonna have missteps!

We see her realize she’s made one in not putting more effort into winning over Koska Reeves’ parent — in the WrongWay Cinematic Universe, Casp Reeves specialized in helping children settle into their adoptive families; a very useful skillset among Mandalorians. Of course, she has her outburst (another very intentional indicator of her inexperience at this point) in Mando’a, which Din isn’t fluent in. Communicating to the reader what the POV character doesn’t understand was a very interesting challenge but I’m pretty happy with the middle ground I managed!

On top of all that, it’s important to me that Din and the other Foundlings aren’t portrayed as stupid or 2-dimensional, because kids aren’t! They have complex things going on, even if they don’t always have the language for it. If you have a look through ATTTMHS, you’ll notice that Din is pretty much always taking in situational cues and reading the people around him. He may not know why the Armorer is pretending to not be confused, but he knows she is. In the same vein, he reverse-engineers cussing from context clues from both the Armorer and a memory of his father.

I’m gonna go ahead and cut myself off there, but feel free to send in any more choice bits you want me to pop open the hood on!

#din djarin #the armorer #the armorer mandalorian #fic: all the things they might have said #series: no holy cities #mar posts #mar answers asks #pspspsps erica

8 notes · View notes

gyldowen-draws · 3 months ago

Text

Results time!

He has his nipples pierced: ✅ Truth!

L'morhi is a pretty adventurous guy who loves jewelry, what more is there to say?

He's a very good whistler: ✅ Truth!

He doesn't have the best singing voice, but he's great at whistling! Oftentimes he'll whistle little ditties he's made up while tinkering in his workshop (it sometimes gets on his professors' nerves though).

He's fluent in the dusk elf language: ❌ Lie!

L'morhi was just a toddler when his parents were assassinated and he was adopted by Rhys. Whatever he did know as a child, he lost while growing up only speaking Common. Rhys tried his best to help L'morhi maintain his language and his ties to his culture, but it was hard while constantly traveling around the content and seldom visiting his birthplace. Now as an adult, L'morhi is trying his best to re-learn the language, but he doesn't really have the ear for languages. He'll keep working on it though!

This was so much fun! Please let me know if you want to see me do this with another of my OCs 😋

Also, I'd like to tag some people in case they'd like to play too. If I tag you, no pressure! I just want an excuse to hear more about your awesome little guys. If I don't tag you and you'd like to hop in, go for it and tag me so I can learn more about your cool OCs! @harvestar, @highblooddrumming, @asteraceae-and-sapphire, @theoneandonlysemla, @choccy-zefirka

Two Truths, One Lie: L'morhi Edition!

@snowy-weather requested a L'morhi version of this game

I'll reveal the answer after 24 hours, so stay tuned. . .

Let me know if there are other OCs you'd like to play this game with!

#arthelia story #l'morhi vanwenys

5 notes · View notes

dsmp-agere-stuff · 3 years ago

Note

idk if u have done this before but maybe l!ranboo and l!tubbo and cg!tommy headcanons? like what games do they like to play, etc etc

I’m glad I reread this bc I nearly made it a fic lol. I haven’t written that specifically yet, but my master post is always there in my pinned post if you wanna double check that.

Tw: guilt over regression (at the very end)

-Ranboo is to himself when he’s little, so having Tubbo dragging him around is a bit different

-Tommy is probably gonna have to carry Ranboo, because Ranboo will walk, it’s just it’s a random chance of if it will be the way you want. He likes to wander a lot

-Ranboo is a lot more cuddly around Tommy than most of his caregivers, constantly holding his hand.

-Tubbo, on the other hand, is going to climb at least one tree every time he walks outside.

-Tommy never has to get him out of the tree, though, so he just makes sure Ranboo stays away from under the tree and watches from a bench or something.

-Tommy, handing Ranboo a coloring book: why can’t he be like you?

-Ranboo, pulling up concrete with his hands: :D

-Tommy has his hands so full with these two, he has to make sure Tubbo doesn’t get hurt from his adventures and make sure Ranboo doesn’t get lost because he started walking in a straight line then forgot what way was back

-sometimes they have to stay inside and Tubbo competes with Ranboo for who can talk the most. Ranboo doesn’t usually get that Tubbo made it a competition so he just lets Tubbo talk and waits his turn.

-they have little plays with their stuffed animals on good days where they both want something to do and want to listen to each other

-Tommy’s gotten to know how to at least hear enderman pretty okay? He’s not fluent in it by any extant of the word, but he knows what the baby version of “bottle” is, and a few other words, and could probably mimic it.

-they have so so many blankets. Ranboo hand-made most of them. Tubbo stole almost all of them. Ranboo has accepted he may have to steal them back if he wants a blankie.

-Tubbo can not say any of the words, but he can kinda get the meaning. He’ll be Ranboo’s older brother if needed, since Ranboo is usually a toddler and Tubbo is older.

-Ranboo doesn’t regress all that often, but he’s still really worried about being too much for the other two, so Tubbo and Tommy got good at reassuring him without outright saying it. Affectionate stickers are applied regularly to Ranboo’s hands.

#agere mcyt #agere dsmp #agere tubbo #agere ranboo #agere tommyinnit #little!tubbo #little!ranboo #cg!tommyinnit #ask #jade hcs

55 notes · View notes

sh-rare-pair-exchange · 3 years ago

Text

The Winner Takes It All

For @jesssssah For Jessa - I hope you'll like what I did with your prompts! It was a challenge but I had so much fun writing this, so I really hope you'll have fun reading it too!

Summary: Jace and Magnus enter a cooking reality TV show with the sole focus on winning. Both of them have their very own reason for wanting to do so. Jace needs the money to start his own business, Magnus needs something to fill the emptiness in his life. Amidst their contenders, and nearly against their will, they find something even more precious than the prize money and the pretty golden trophy that await the winner. A Jagnus Cooking Show AU

Read on ao3

Jace has to admit he’s a little nervous. He never fathomed to be starring in a TV Show, but here he is. Contestant in Boss Chef, the latest cooking show the US adapted from the UK. He has never really liked to watch reality TV, he simply doesn’t see the point in watching others do ordinary things, knowing it’s partially scripted anyway. He doesn’t see much point in watching TV in general.

Mostly TV only shows a world he’s never able to have anyway. Full of glamor, friends, and family he doesn’t have nor is likely to get. Books, somehow, are different. Books are a window into a better world where he can picture himself , maybe because the protagonists of books seem vaguer with no pre-set physics. And there are more internal thoughts he can relate to. Maybe it’s only because he’s used to reading books from an early age on, as opposed to watching TV, as they didn’t possess one in his early childhood.

Jace grew up remote and lonely, son to a single father who had very strict ideas of how a child should be brought up. Or how that child had to behave. He never met his mother, he only knows that she ran off with his father’s best friend, taking her unborn daughter with her but leaving her already born toddler, him, behind. He learned soon that it was best to not ask any questions about her, just as he learned that it was best to obey his father and make him happy.

His father didn’t believe in toys or school, he found school taught the wrong things and toys only distracted a child. He believed in a classical education like playing the piano and being fluent in Latin and ancient Greek. He believed in reading the classics, and those were the books Jace grew up with and came to like. A harsh contrast to today’s reality TV.

At least his father believed in teaching his son to survive, and thus how to cook. Over the years, even after his father’s sudden death and after he got sucked into the US foster system, Jace learned to perfect this skill. He loves to experiment with what he has, add a new spice here, a new, unexpected ingredient there, and create something new from scratch with simple means. It’s the type of cooking he enjoys the most. He’s not the one for chichi, gold on meat or anything alike. He likes it simple but with a twist. He still likes to use the plain, basic ingredients he was used to from his childhood, where they were more or less self-supporters.

But his love for cooking is also the reason why he’s nervous now. Why he is the contestant of a cooking reality show. Though the world tried its best to crush his dreams from early on, Jace never stopped dreaming. And over the time, as he came into his early twenties, he realized that his dream is to cook. Not only for himself, but for others. At the same time, he realized that he’s not born to cook in a kitchen, under a chef with the pressure to abide to a stupid pecking order.

Though his father tried his best to make him obedient to rules, in the end it had the opposite effect. Jace loves to break rules, and that’s not a good thing in a kitchen that is usually ruled by a chef with an iron fist. Jace was yelled at so many times as a child, he’s done being yelled at for his entire life. And that’s why he needs money to start his own business. That’s why he needs to participate in the damn cooking show. That’s why he needs to win. 250.000 US dollars, the winning prize, would help him make that dream come true.

As soon as Jace sees the cameras and the moderator turn to him, Jace swallows down his nervousness and plasters a cocky smile on his face. A smile he knows works, as he tried it countless times in bars or clubs, and it always brought him the desired result. The favor of a girl or boy, a dance, a drink, or a bed for the night to forget his loneliness. He knows how he looks and how to play it. And he also knows how important in reality shows that is. Looks. A charming attitude. Or a tragic backstory. But he’s determined to keep his past exactly there, in the past. He doesn’t have the slightest wish to drag it out in the open and have it examined by a whole country. Therefore, he will give them the next best thing.

He leans a little forward to answer the moderator’s question, making sure to make eye contact, adding a suggestive wink at the end of his turn. He’s pleased when he sees the faint blush on the man’s face, realizing that his charm also works in the light of a camera. He’s also pleased that he didn’t stumble over his words like some of the other contestants did. He did well, and he knows it. The audience will love or hate him and his cockiness, but he doesn’t mind either. Strong emotions are good, they’ll keep him in the show. This and his skills of course. Skills he doesn’t doubt for a second.

The moderator moves on to interview the next person, a little mean appearing man named Victor Aldertree who seems to be in his early forties. Jace concedes that Victor hasn’t much going for him besides his glare and his beard, therefore he takes in the other participants. Of course it’s not easy to judge from the few moments they already spent together, but Jace isn’t afraid of them. Beside Mean Victor, there’s a tiny red-head who tried to make doe-eyes towards him from the start, doe-eyes that he equally ignored from the start. There's a boy who doesn’t look older than fifteen but claims to be in his late twenties and doesn’t manage to complete one sentence without blushing. Andrew something, if Jace is not mistaken. There are some others Jace can’t remember, but he figures they’re all no match to him, except one. There’s also Magnus Bane. Who definitely is someone to put gold on meat, just for the looks.

Begrudgingly, Jace has to admit that Magnus looks dazzling. He wears clothes that could and probably would look ridiculous on most people, but look striking on him. Leather pants that are too tight, but Magnus has the legs to wear them. A jacket with more buckles than Jace’s biker boots, which oddly matches the glittery, golden shirt that is either made of silk or cheap polyester, but given the rest of Magnus’ aura, Jace assumes it’s real silk.

Magnus styled his hair in small spikes and put so much glitter on his cheeks and eyes that Jace wonders if little girls have already complained about a glitter shortage. But the glitter does make his eyes spark more intensely, and it does put emphasis on his high cheekbones, the firmly set jaw, not to mention his plush lips. All totally irrelevant things. What is a little less irrelevant, is the outspoken confidence Magnus wears alongside all the glitter and buckles. It’s the sort of confidence Jace experienced to be there because there’s something to back it up. If Jace needed to say who’s most likely to win this show, it’d be Magnus. After him, of course.

A laugh peals from Magnus’ lips. He’s relaxed, enjoying the audience he’s getting. He knows he looks awesome, and he knows he has the moderator wrapped around his little finger. He’s been looking forward to the first interviews of all contestants since the day he got the admission to the show. And now he’s here, he sure as hell will sparkle and shine.

He doesn’t necessarily need the money he’ll win at the end of the show. He inherited quite a lot when his biological father died a couple of years back. A father he met only briefly, as he was raised by another man and his mother. Then his mother took her life and his stepfather put all the blame on him. That’s when his path briefly crossed the one of his biological father, Asmodeus, but after a period of time in which Magnus was flattered by his father’s wealth and power, Magnus discovered that Asmodeus was not a good man. So he fled to never look back.

He’d been rather surprised when an administrator contacted him and informed him about his father’s death, and that he was the sole heir of Asmodeus’ private fortune as well as Asmodeus’ Industries, a huge construct of different businesses and firms. As Magnus had and has no idea how to run such a company, he hired people he can trust to do that for him. A wise decision. And it left him with enough money to make every dream he ever had come true.

But in the end, it also left him a little bored. And weary of other people’s intentions. He can have everything money can buy, and that attracted people who were just there for that. He gave away his heart and got it back broken, when he found his now-ex in bed with another man. Friends were only friends as long as he gave. Therefore he learned to build a wall around his heart to make the betrayal of all sorts bearable.

And it worked. But it’s also lef him lonely and yearning for something, that’s why he’s here. He loves the thrill the cameras provide, he loves the adrenaline that cooking against others and being judged by real pros will bring. And he loves winning, he always did. Anything else is out of the question for him.

The other contestants don’t seem a threat to him. They’re too dull, too nervous, or too unskilled, or a combination of them, to be a threat. All but one. Jace Wayland, or was it Herondale? He frankly can’t remember, but the first name stuck. It’s a ridiculous name, if it even is a real name. Probably a nickname of some kind.

Jace is wearing biker boots, faded washed-out jeans with cuts, a simple white tee, and a used biker jacket. An outfit absolutely not suitable for a television show, if it didn’t emphasize his thigh muscles and his firm ass in a rather favorable manner. Not to speak of his biceps and delicate collar bones. Or to mention that ridiculous tattoo gracing his neck. But what annoys Magnus for real is the cocky smile the blond wears with a lot of bravado and confidence. It’s that kind of smile Magnus really wants to… cook off his face, Magnus reins himself and his unhelpful mind that tries to escape towards the gutter sternly in. Definitely cook off his face, and not another four letter word.

Today is the first real cooking test for the participants. The so-called skill test, which means they need to perform a certain cooking task to perfection. If they fail, it’s the first and the last test for them. It’s not something Jace is particularly looking forward to, he likes the creative part of cooking rather than following a certain procedure by the books, but he also doesn’t mind.

He hasn’t enjoyed a formal education, but he knows his stuff. When he hears what he has to do, a victorious smile spreads over his face. He has to grill a one-inch porterhouse steak to medium-rare, which seems a rather basic task but isn’t that easy in reality.

But it’s a task he has done from early childhood on, his father had made sure to hammer the lecture about the different states of grilling a steak home by punishing him each time he failed to master one. And today won’t be a day to fail. Today, he’ll excel.

Jace prepares carefully the items he needs. The meat is of a high quality, but he didn’t expect otherwise. The first thing he does is to retrieve the steak from the fridge and place it on his cooking station. Meat doesn’t like to be put onto a hot grill when still cold, something Jace can oddly relate to. The meat needs time to warm up.

Jace takes a brief second to look around. He has to admit that the huge kitchen area which is overlooked by a balcony and several cameras so that the audience behind the screens won’t miss a thing is equipped nicely. Each contestant has their own dedicated cooking station with pans, pots, knives, and everything a cook’s heart desires. The pantry is well stocked and, depending on the challenge, accessible for everyone, as is the fridge. The huge dining area is used to serve the dishes to the judges when it comes to surviving another round.

The only thing which is really tricky is that he’s not used to the grill he has to use. How quickly it heats up, how well it holds the temperature, those kinds of things. But he’ll manage. When he places the meat on the grill, he doesn’t look on a watch. He doesn’t need a thermometer. He has a good gut feeling of these things and relies on it rather than on gadgets.

When the sides are well browned, and the top and bottom are caramelized to a mouth-watering dark brown color, Jace checks the surface. He nods satisfied when it gives a little towards the middle, springing back quickly. His steak is ready. Perfectly medium rare.

When the judges cut the steak, he’s proven right. The meat is of the desired pink color with just a hint of red. And it’s warm through the middle, as the judge states pleased. Jace passes with flying colors. Mean Victor, the annoying redhead, Blushing Andrew and of course Magnus Bane pass too, but two contestants are sent home for poor performance (or complete lack of personality, or both). But Jace cannot bring himself to fake pity for them or claim that he’s sad that they go. He never understands why people do that. They’re here to be the last, why would he mourn the loss of his rivals? He’s glad for everyone who goes. His stand might lose him points with the audience, but Jace isn’t here to make new friends.

When the surviving contestants gather to hear the new task, Jace is curious to know what it is. He’s watched the UK version of the show for reference, and there were some tasks that recurred, but often each season also had a special one. He really hopes that the mystery box, where each of them have to cook a meal from a box with predefined ingredients, will happen here too. It’s one of the tasks he’s really looking forward to. It really proves who can cook and doesn’t need to rely on fancy specials to make a good impression.

When the judge announces what their next task is, Jace has to quickly plaster his smile back on his face. It’s one the UK version has never featured so far, and Jace really hates his fortune that the US now thinks it’s a great idea to start with it. It’s a team challenge where they are gathered into several groups who have to take over a pop-up restaurant. They have to replace the normal staff working there and create dinner for the guests. The guests are allowed to vote, and the team that performs worst is sent home.

It’s not that Jace doesn’t like teamwork. In fact, he doesn’t mind teamwork. As long as the team does what he says, which is admittedly not often the case. And that’s the part Jace doesn’t like about teamwork.

His smile falters a second time when he hears with whom he’s teamed up with. Mean Victor and the redhead. Maybe at least the redhead will listen to him, as she seems so keen to make an impression on him and get to know him. But something tells him she’ll think she knows everything better. Maybe he needs to start calling her by her name, Clarissa. Maybe.

As quickly as Jace can, Jace escapes to the hotel all contestants are staying in. They are caged in one hotel to prevent them from getting side-tracked and can focus on the show, at least it’s what the producing company told them. Jace suspects it’s more to stir up drama when the participants see each other constantly. At least they got their own rooms and don’t have to share a youth hostel like he’s seen in one of the ridiculous topmodel shows every single country seems to have.

Jace doesn’t smoke often, but sometimes he does. It soothes his nerves and makes him pleasantly dizzy. He leans against the wall outside of the hotel, in the smoking corner the hotel generously provides for its guests. The cigarette glows reddish when he lights it, and it’s a relaxing sight. Not so relaxing is the voice that interrupts the quietness of his thoughts.

“Smoking isn’t good for your taste buds.” Magnus steps closer, deliberately choosing to lean against the wall next to Jace. Over the few days since the production started, he had to admit that he finds the blond increasingly interesting.

“Do tell,” Jace replies, flipping the ashes from his cigarette. “Want one?” he asks, already fishing his crumbled package out of his pocket.

Magnus eyes the package suspiciously, before shaking his head. He reaches for a small, golden etui inside his fancy jacket that has again more buckles than Jace ever thought possible of being attached to a jacket. Red rubies blink briefly in the light of his own cigarette when Magnus opens the etui to take one cigarette out.

If it were anyone but Magnus, Jace would think the gold and the rubies are fake. With Magnus, he’s not so sure. It’s probably real. Jace huffs when Magnus produces an equally golden lighter out of his pocket to light his cigarette. He even spots a red ruby on the lighter.

“Snob,” Jace mutters, which makes Magnus pause for a second.

“Fair point,” he concedes, “but life’s too short to spend with ugly things. Apropos ugly, happy with the teammates?”

Jace just snorts. “If I wanted to torture the guests at the pop-up restaurant, I probably would be. Victor always looks like he’s going to stab someone soon, and that he’ll enjoy every second of it. And Clarissa…”

“Looks like she wants to eat you alive. I have noticed. Not your type?” Magnus asks in sympathy.

“Nope. Not at all. What about you?”

“Also not my type,” Magnus says which earns him another snort. “I’ve got Andrew. Always looks like he can’t find his own ass with both hands and an atlas.”

Jace huffs out a laugh, nearly choking on the smoke. “That’s the most accurate description of him I’ve heard so far. And the other?”

Magnus shrugs, making a vague motion with his hands. “Sebastian and then something French sounding. Seems like he’s a contestant in a lookalike for you.”

Jace laughs outright now. “Well, he’s not winning this one. I look way better.”

“That you do,” Magnus says with a wink, pleased when he sees a faint pink flush covering Jace’s cheeks at the compliment. “Well, he’s also not winning any cooking contests. But he’ll survive the next round. If he does what I say.”

And something in Magnus’ voice tells Jace Magnus will make sure of it.

“ Teamwork,” Jace mutters in a way that sounds a lot like an insult.

“I don’t mind teamwork,” Magnus says with a chuckle, “as long as everyone does what I say.”

They both look at each, both grinning when they see mischief and agreement dancing in the other’s eyes. Despite Jace’s best efforts not to, he realizes that he starts to like Magnus.

Later that day

Magnus rubs tiredly over his face while waiting for the elevator to bring him to his room. The team challenge had been exhausting, just as he’d expected. And they had ended up nearly getting kicked out of the show, something that still stings. And even though he thought their guests were particularly hard to please, they had a point in their criticism. They hadn’t worked well as a team. They could have done better. If the others had listened. Which they only had in the end, but at least not too late - the dessert they served, a chocolate peanut butter bar with vanilla ice cream, had saved them.

And it’s done now. They survived, they move on, and on his own Magnus is sure he’ll have no problems acing the next tasks thrown at him. But for now he’s glad when he’s back in his room and can huddle up under his comfy blanket and forget for a moment that he needs to return into a kitchen and be his usual dazzling self in about eight hours.

He doesn’t need to look around to know who’s approaching, the confident steps and the swagger that evaporates from every clang of heels tell him enough. Jace. Of course he and his team excelled in the task and got rated with the highest marks of the round. Though Magnus is rather sure the good perception had a lot to do with Victor wielding some knives in front of the guests, radiating stabbing energy to everyone who dared to voice criticism, as much as it had with a good performance.

“Heard you all had trouble finding it,” Jace says with a smug smile before he edges past Magnus to enter the elevator that just arrived with a loud ping first.

“Finding what?” Magnus asks gruffly. He steps in after Jace, who leans casually against the mirror, a foot rested comfortably against it, his hair ruffled, a spark in his eyes, and Magnus really doesn’t want to start thinking about that smile he carries.

“Finding your asses.” Jace grins at him innocently, the innocence contradicted by the suggestively raised eyebrow and the words he says next. “Maybe you’ll need a hand next time?”

Magnus just glares at him, too tired to come up with a witty comeback, a fact that annoys him definitely more than the teasing itself. “I think that’s you,” is all he says when the elevator comes to a stop at the fifth floor with a ping.

“I thought we were all accommodated on the same floor?” Jace asks somewhat perplexed when Magnus doesn’t move to step out himself.

“I guess only the ones who’ll they suspect to leave early,” Magnus mutters his weak and late response to Jace’s teasing, pressing the button to the seventh floor where the suites are located. A suite he paid for himself, of course. Thankfully the door closes quickly, but not quickly enough so that he doesn’t hear Jace’s next words that sound a lot like snobbish bastard.

Magnus sighs, allowing himself a small, pleased smile. He doesn’t know why, but he enjoys riling Jace up a little. And he even enjoys it when Jace does the same to him. Maybe this part even a little more, as it’s been a long time since anyone dared to challenge him, and even longer since he allowed it to happen.

Jace is still buzzing with the win yesterday. He knows it doesn’t have an effect on how things will unfold in the future, but it has been an amazing feeling to come in first place. He had to admit that his heart had stopped a moment when he had realized how badly Magnus had fared, but it had started beating again when Magnus’ team was saved in the last minute by the dessert they dished out. All in all, yesterday couldn’t have gone better. He doesn’t want Magnus to be forced out too soon, it’s too much fun to see him scowl when he wins. And the second to last place might teach him a little humbleness, though Jace doubts it.

Jace stands at his cooking station, bouncing up and down on the balls of his foot. He hates these minutes where he has to wait until the judges finally explain the task of the day. Of course it’s deliberately done to keep them all on edge. The moderators are masters in dragging the inevitable out as long as they can, putting fingers in the wounds of the people having not performed well the last few days, trying to hype the people who did to make them reckless. But this doesn’t work with Jace. He’s buzzing, but he’s also contained. He knows how to focus.

“I am sure you are all curious to know what your next task will be.” Finally the judge of the day takes over.

“You bet we do,” Jace mutters very quietly, but the smirk he gets from Magnus, who occupies the cooking station two places apart from him, tells Jace that he might have not been quiet enough.

At least the judge hasn’t heard it, or at least he pretends he hasn’t. “Your next task,” the judge pauses to take a deep breath, “ is the mystery box! It means you will all get a box with ingredients, and you have an hour to create something with them! We want a two-course-meal, so you can decide if you do a starter and a main dish, or a main dish and dessert. The hour starts now!” The judge claps excitedly in his hands.

Excitement Jace can share. He hoped that the mystery box would be part of the American version too. He’s good at coming up with tasty meals from the things he gets, it’s the way he learned to cook. He never dared to demand anything special from his father, so he always made do with what his father bought, or their garden provided.

Jace takes a moment to assess what the mystery box the assistant placed on his kitchen counter has to offer. There’s no meat in it, but that doesn’t particularly bother Jace. He’s not of the opinion that every main dish has to contain meat.

There’s cauliflower in the box, pomegranate, red onions, sesame paste, several seeds, mint leaves, cashews. Spices and things like olive oil they are allowed to take from the pantry. Jace stares a moment longer at the ingredients as slowly a plan is starting to form. He’ll turn the cauliflower into the main dish. He’ll marinate it with oil and salt and pre-roast it. In the meantime he’ll prepare a miso glaze which he’ll put on top of the cauliflower before letting it roast for the rest of time. When it’s fully done, he’ll put the pomegranate seeds, sesame seeds, caramelized cashews and red onion and some fresh chili as the final touch. It might sound a little wild, but he’s sure the sweetness of the pomegranates together with the miso glaze will go perfectly with the hotness of the chili and underline the flavor of the cauliflower.

When the judge first announced the task, Jace had been sure that he’ll go for a starter instead of dessert, and the ingredients he has left prove him right. He’ll prepare an eggplant masala with tomatoes, garlic and ginger for the spice and fresh coriander for the looks and taste. But first he has to start off with the cauliflower to get it nice and soft.

He rinses the vegetable briefly before applying some tablespoons of olive oil and adding several dashes of sea salt. He wraps it tightly into foil before placing it in the oven and setting a timer for twenty-five minutes. This should be enough for a cauliflower this size and it leaves him enough time to prepare the miso glaze and the eggplant masala.

Jace works quickly and efficiently, chopping the needed herbs and vegetables with skilled ease. Nevertheless, he feels the time pressure. One hour is not a lot to prepare two complete dishes, even though he knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t bother much with cleaning up behind himself, there’s no time for that. He knows he would have gotten a punishment from his father for leaving such a mess, but now he doesn’t care that some spots on his apron are telling witnesses of the dishes he’s preparing.

When the timer sets off, Jace quickly jumps over to the ovens, which are stationed a little separate from the cooking spots. He grabs the oven mitts and pulls the baking tray out. He unwraps the foil to see if it is pre-roasted enough.

“God damnit,” Jace curses when in his haste his wrist connects with the hot tray. “Fuck,” he adds for good measure when the burning pain fully enfolds. It’s not his first burn and probably also not his last, but it always hurts like a bitch.

At least the damn cauliflower is as it should be.

“Here,” he suddenly hears a voice beside him. “You look like you could need a hand,” Magnus says with a wink, a statement that would leave Jace flustered all over and pissed if Magnus wouldn't hold a cooling ice pack in his hand.

“Thanks,” he mutters, taking the pack out of his hand and brushing accidentally against Magnus’ fingers, a touch that makes them both lock eyes. Jace presses the pack to his aching wrist, holding eye contact the whole time until Magnus breaks it with another wink. Jace looks after Magnus who strolls back to his cooking station as if he has all the time in the world. Of course his place is spotless, and so is Magnus. His apron is as white as a bride’s dress. Bastard. Jace manages to drag his eyes off of Magnus and onto his vegetable again. Miso glaze. He needs to apply the glaze and put the thing back into the oven for another few minutes. Preferably without wounds this time.

Jace rubs exhaustedly over his forehead with the back of his hand. He managed to dish out his two courses just in time, and the judges are happy when they examine it. He passes another round, and so does Magnus. And of course there are others he doesn’t care about that pass too. He’s happy, but he’s also tired, and his wrist is still throbbing.

“We have a special surprise for someone today,” the moderator announces, thrilled, after the judges told the last contestant to pack up his things and leave.

Jace frowns. He learned to dislike surprises, as they never meant something good.

“Jace, are you ready for an extra life interview?” The moderator beams at Jace, and he is rather sure that it’s a hypothetical question. So he nods and smiles the cockiest smile he can manage. Even though he’s not ready. He doesn’t want to be surprised, but he steps towards the moderator anyway, while all others are allowed to leave and retreat to the solitude of their hotel rooms and watch him getting grilled.

Magnus hesitates for a second when he sees the lonely figure slumped into one booth in the hotel bar, his hands curled around an empty glass. But then he gives himself a startle, and goes over to the bar to order two whiskeys. When the waiter passes him the glasses, he strolls over to the man.

Jace doesn’t look up at him, though he must have heard him walk over in the otherwise quiet bar. It’s something that would make a less confident man than Magnus probably turn around, but Magnus has made up his mind. And when he has made up his mind, there are only a few things that can stop him. Being deliberately ignored by someone certainly is none of them.

With gentle fingers he plucks the empty glass out of Jace’s hands and replaces it with a full one. He’s careful not to touch Jace, he doesn’t want to rile him up, not this time. Despite having shared some fun moments with him, he doesn’t exactly know where they stand with each other, but he feels Jace shouldn’t be alone right now. When Jace’s hands curl around the full glass, their fingers touch for a heartbeat. It’s just the ghost of a brush, but it finally makes Jace look up and acknowledge his presence.

Jace lifts his glass in a silent greeting, and Magnus takes the gesture as what he hopes it is, an invitation to sit down. When Jace doesn’t object, he takes a sip from his whiskey, the amber-colored liquid running smoothly down his throat.

“Thanks,” Jace mutters.

“I thought you could use a refill,” Magnus declares, taking another mouthful.

“It’s not exactly a refill when it’s something else, isn’t it?” Jace asks, swirling the remaining whiskey in his glass.

“I suppose it is not. But life’s too short to drink cheap booze.”

“You’re such a snob,” Jace says, but lacking real conviction. “But I’m sure you can afford it. Not everyone has the sad backstory of growing up poor, have they? I’m sure you’ve heard.”

For a moment Magnus contemplates to outright lie and tell Jace that he hasn’t heard, but Jace is not dumb. He probably knows that by now everyone who watches Boss Chef, and probably even a few who don’t, and certainly all participants, know everything about Jace’s past. At least what the producers decided to drag into the open.

“They had no right doing this. I’m sorry it happened,” Magnus says with a serene voice, signaling the waiter to bring two more glasses.

“Yeah, well. Me too.”

For a moment their eyes lock before Jace averts his gaze and stares into his now empty glass and it leaves Magnus wondering if Jace means he’s sorry that his past was being revealed, or his past happening. Probably both. At least he feels like that.

“You know, when I signed up, I thought that they’ll maybe pick up the story with my father. The way he brought me up, his death, the foster system. Things like that. I never suspected they would go find my mother and ask her why she left me behind. Apparently, I was an evil kid.”

Jace accepts the full glass with a nod when Magnus pushes it towards him. They probably shouldn’t drink so much, given tomorrow is elimination day. But he can’t bring himself to care right now.

Magnus shifts in his seat, and he accidentally brushes against Jace’s thigh. But when the other doesn’t withdraw, neither does he. He keeps his leg where it is, not pressing against Jace, merely leaning against him, but enough so that they both feel it.

“You weren’t evil, Jace. You were just a toddler when she left, and no toddler is evil. Maybe you had a bit of a temper, maybe you did destroy her flowers - but that’s not a reason to leave a child behind with a more than questionable father. She’s the evil one. You deserved better.”

Jace is silent for a while, sucking at his bottom lip before he answers. “What would you know?”

Now it’s Magnus’ turn to grow silent. He knows more than he likes to know. About mothers who think their kids are evil. He knows that his mother had been mentally ill. It still hurts. It still hurts that she left him in the most final way to leave someone. It wasn’t her fault. But it also wasn’t his, a fact that took Magnus a long time to believe, and sometimes he isn’t fully sure he’s gotten to that point already. The blame his stepfather put on him didn’t help, nor did the fact that he discovered his biological dad was in fact what his and Jace’s mother claimed their children were. Evil. Asmodeus was an evil man who tried to coerce him into following in his footsteps.

“More than you know,” Magnus whispers. “My mother killed herself and blamed me for doing so. As did my stepdad. And I, for a long time.” He’s not entirely sure why he confides in Jace, he hasn’t voiced this to anyone besides his therapist for a very long time. It’s not to get pity, he doesn’t need that.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Jace’s voice is firm, and it makes Magnus look at him. Their eyes lock, and the fire he sees in Jace’s eyes makes him nod. And suddenly he knows why he told Jace. Because he understands, without him having to say much. Jace understands because he’s been through something similar. He felt a similar guilt and pain.

“What was your bio dad like?” Jace asks, guiding the glass to his lips. The ice cubes cling softly against each other as Magnus takes his time to answer. He’s glad that he chose to come here to sit next to Jace. He’s glad to still feel his leg brushing against his.

“He’s the one who was evil,” he finally says. “Well, at least he was rich.”

“Fathers, eh?” is all Jace says, but the fact that Jace increases the pressure against his leg tells him enough to know that Jace also understands this. Fathers.

“Are you not afraid they’ll do the same to you?” Jace muses after they’ve been comfortably silent for a while.

“No, I don’t think they will. I give them enough without it.”

“So it’s all a show? The glitter, the free-wheeling bisexual stuff and so on?”

“It is, and it isn’t. I like glamor and glitter. I am bi, and I’m proud of it. But I always found it easier to laugh than to cry. And we know how television works. If they want a story about me, they’ll drag some of my past lovers or orgies I had into the open, things I don’t care about. I give them that, so they’ll leave the things I care about in peace and in the past.”

“Yeah,” Jace murmurs while standing up, swaying just a tiny bit when he does so, “if I’d known I would’ve told them I’m bi too.”

When he stands, the sleeve of his shirt rides up, revealing the angry looking burn mark from the accident with the oven before. Without thinking, Magnus reaches for Jace’s arm to have a better look. He brushes gently over the red mark with his thumb.

“Does it still hurt?”

“A little,” Jace confesses, looking entranced at his wrist and Magnus’ gentle moving thumb.

“This is supposed to help,” Magnus whispers so lowly that Jace nearly doesn’t hear it. He sucks in a breath when out of a sudden he feels Magnus’ soft lips pressing against the burn, placing a chaste kiss to it.

They stare at each other, Magnus still holding Jace’s arm, Jace still standing still, before Jace withdraws his arm the same moment Magnus lets go.

“Thank you.”

Magnus isn’t sure if Jace means the kiss, their talk, or the drinks. Magnus hopes it’s for the first two.

“Good luck for tomorrow, Jace,” he calls after him when Jace is already on his way out of the bar.

Jace turns around, his usual cocky grin in place. “I don’t need luck. I have the skills. But good luck to you, Magnus.”

Bastard, Magnus mutters, but cannot help the smile. Some laugh. Some get cocky. Both are so much easier than to cry.

Several days later

The after party of Boss Chef is in full swing, but Jace doesn’t feel like celebrating. He made the second place, out of twenty contestants. That’s not bad. But neither is it good. Good would have been the first place, the check about 250,000 dollars and the ugly golden trophy. Jace never liked to lose, but to lose the possibility to fulfill his dream of becoming his own master really sucks.

Jace decides to skip the rest of the party which is held at the production studio where they also cooked. The corridors are quiet, everybody is busy getting drunk, getting blown or crawling at Magnus’ feet, who, of course, won. If Jace hears any mention of his delicious slice of chocolate with pistachios and caramelized macadamia nuts served on vanilla ice cream ever again, Jace thinks he’ll punch someone. Maybe Victor would be up for a fight, he looked as sour as Jace felt when the last three places had been announced. Victor third, Jace second and Magnus first.

He doesn’t really begrudge Magnus the victory though, he’s at least glad that it’s him and not Victor. Magnus is good, he’s a worthy winner. But he really wanted to win himself. Jace moves towards the exit. When he walks by the door that leads to the studio where they filmed all the cooking, he pauses for a second but then he presses the handle down. Locked. Jace hesitates another second, but then he fumbles for the paper clip he knows he has in the pocket of his jeans. He learned to pick locks at the age of seven, time to put it to use again.

The lock is no match to Jace’s skills, and a moment later he’s inside. He closes the door behind him carefully. The room is only dimly lit but Jace doesn’t bother to turn on the lights. He isn’t entirely sure what he’s doing here, but when he sees that the place is not yet cleaned and the remains of the dishes the last three contestants served are still there, he walks over to Magnus’ place.

There it is. The chocolate slice. The pistachios. The nuts. Only the ice cream is gone, probably stored in the fridge. Or melted in the drain. Jace glares at the dessert that cost him the victory. Desserts have never been his strong suit, and when after the starter and the main dish he was on dead level with Magnus, a bad foreboding bestrode him. A foreboding that had been right.

Jace takes a spoon and digs into the slice. He sucks the chocolate from the spoon, closing his eyes against his will when the different flavors hit his taste buds. It’s rich and heavy, but not too much. Sweet, but balanced with the roasted aroma of the nuts.

“Enjoying yourself?”

Jace's eyes snap open when he hears the voice. He turns, leaning against the kitchen counter to face Magnus. Magnus doesn’t sound half as smug as Jace thought he would after winning. Instead, a genuine smile plays around Magnus’ lips and his eyes glow nearly golden in the lightning of the room.

“Shouldn’t you be in the other room celebrating?” Jace asks, dodging the question.

Magnus shrugs. “I found the company a little dull. And Victor looked like he wanted to get his hands on a cocktail stirrer to stab me with the blunt side of it.”

Jace gives a quiet huff of suppressed laughter. “Who says I’m not doing the same?”

“That wouldn’t be your style,” Magnus muses, “I bet you're more the hands-on type. Fist fight?”

“If you insist.” Jace says, not being able to hold back his grin.

Magnus chuckles and leans in to pluck the spoon out of Jace’s hand. He scoops up a mouthful of the chocolate and swallows it. “So what do you think?” Magnus asks, eyeing Jace intently.

For a second, Jace is drawn to say something along the lines of okay or edible, but he realizes that Magnus’ question is genuine. That he really wants to know what he thinks.

“It’s good,” Jace says, “really good.” Jace steals the spoon back to take another bite, just then realizing how close Magnus stands. He’s so close, he can smell his perfume, which has a soft undertone of sandalwood, a smell Jace very much likes.

“I think it would taste even better with caramelized peanuts instead of macadamia,” Jace adds, looking Magnus directly into the eyes, making sure that he understands that it’s a genuine remark and not a mockery.

“Peanuts,” Magnus repeats, retrieving the spoon again from Jace. “You might be right,” he says after tasting another bit. “I will try that out.”

Jace watches Magnus as he makes another half step towards him, spreading his legs automatically to make room for Magnus.

“What I wanted to ask,” Magnus starts, placing the spoon into the sink, before leaning yet another inch closer, “was, did it help?”

Jace’s breath hitches adorably in his throat. “Did what help?”

“The kiss. To your wrist. Because if it did, I bit my lip earlier. And it still hurts.”

Jace feels more than sees the smile on Magnus’ face. His heart thrums in his chest, and he feels a little dizzy. And a little brave. “It helped,” Jace whispers, “and I’m happy to return the favor.”

He leans in and bridges the final gap. They’re not touching otherwise, only their lips meet at first in a tentative kiss that soon turns more heated. Magnus curls his hand into the collar of Jace's shirt and presses against him, kissing him hungrily.

“Do you think that’s enough,” Magnus pants when they gasp for air.

“Better safe than sorry,” Jace gives back, reaching for Magnus to draw him in again.

“Agreed.” Magnus moans when Jace wraps his arms around him and starts to stroke his back, the usage of his nails making Magnus shiver with want.

They’re both breathless when they break apart.

“You don’t happen to have other injuries on different body parts?” Jace says with a slight smirk, “I’d sacrifice myself to kiss them too.”

“Would you, now,” Magnus laughs, running his hands down Jace’s side and settling on his hips, daring to slip one finger under the hem of Jace’s shirt to stroke the naked skin there. He loves feeling the small shudder that runs through Jace’s body at his tender motion. “Where could that be?”

“I don’t know,” Jace murmurs, pressing a soft kiss just under Magnus’ earlobe. “Maybe here. Or here.” He kisses his way down Magnus’ throat, nibbling at the tender flesh. “Or maybe here.” He gives Magnus’ ass a heartfelt squeeze, laughing when he hears Magnus’ squeal of pleasure and surprise, a sound he’ll definitely deny being able to make.

“I think I’d like that.” Magnus manages after he can catch his breath again.

“So my room?” Jace asks while still caressing every inch of Magnus’ skin he can reach with his lips and tongue.

“No,” Magnus says firmly, “my room. And yes, I am a snob. But my bed is double the size of a standard one, and I have a jacuzzi.”

“You’re such a snob,” Jace confirms, “but life’s too short to spend in a tiny bed and a regular bathtub, I guess?”

Magnus huffs in amusement, taking Jace’s hand and pulling reluctantly away from his lips. “Exactly. And for the record, I might be a snob, but you’re an ass.”

“I am not. But I can finally help you find yours,” Jace gives back, laughing when Magnus slaps him lightly.

They leave the production studio quietly, both glad that they don’t run into someone. The streets are empty too, and the short walk to their hotel is only prolonged by some more kissing.

A small grunt peals off Jace’s lips when Magnus presses him against the mirror as soon as the door of the elevator closes behind them.

“I love the noises you make,” Magnus whispers in Jace’s ear, sending goosebumps down Jace’s spine. “And I’ll promise you’ll make a lot more of them soon.”

For once Jace fails to give an answer, too busy tilting his head to give Magnus’ access to his throat and pulling him closer at the same time. When they finally reach the seventh floor, Magnus fumbles for the key card to his suite.

“Wow,” Jace manages when he steps inside. “This suite might just be bigger than my entire apartment.” And he’s not even exaggerating. Determined not to let himself be intimidated by the opulence of it, Jace makes a direct beeline towards the bed, toeing his boots off before throwing himself on it.

A soft sigh escapes him when he sinks in. Magnus smiles at him, crawling on top of him. “I knew you’d like it.”

“What’s not to like,” Jace whispers, “comfy, big bed, beautiful man, a little snobbish but apart from that…” Jace reaches for Magnus and pulls him the rest of the way on top of him.

“I agree,” Magnus says, “great bed, gorgeous man, a little bit of an ass, but well. I’ll make do.”

“So you think I’m gorgeous,” Jace says with a pleased smile, ignoring the teasing.

“And you think I’m beautiful.”

They both nod at the same time, which makes them laugh before they both dive in to kiss each other.

“Really gorgeous,” Magnus confirms while he kisses his way down the neck tattoo and towards the collar of Jace’s shirt. He hears the small catch in Jace’s breath when he opens the first buttons, and he gives Jace time to voice any concern but when Jace entangles his hands in his hair to guide his lips back to his skin, Magnus proceeds.

He kisses his way down, admiring Jace’s muscular chest and defined abs, before he tugs at the cuffs of Jace’s shirt to pull them off. He frowns at the still angry looking burn on Jace’s wrist, and before Jace can protest, he starts to kiss the spot again, swirling his tongue over the little wound until Jace moans softly.

Magnus smiles when he feels Jace’s impatient fingers on him, fiddling with the buttons of his shirt. He makes quick process of them and shrugs his shirt off, pleased when he hears the appreciative tone Jace makes. He might be a little older than Jace and more slender, but he’s sure to keep in shape. His abs are just as pronounced and the darkening of Jace’s eyes tells him he noticed too.

Magnus was always confident in his own body, that’s why he likes to wear glamorous things. Or show off a little. He kneels over Jace, smiling down on him while popping the buttons of his fly slowly open, revealing his expensive black Versace boxer briefs. He stands up, holding Jace captive with his stare, before slowly dropping his pants, making sure to move his body in a way every stripper in Hollywood would be jealous of.

His smile turns into a smirk when he sees the growing bulge in Jace’s pants. Magnus hugs his thumbs into the hem of his briefs, pulling them slowly down and over his ass, his hips swaying suggestively. With the grace of a dancer Magnus settles over Jace again, placing a kiss to his lips.

“Can I?” Magnus whispers, his hands trailing towards Jace’s jeans.

“Fuck yes,” Jace answers, lifting his hips eagerly when Magnus unzips him and discards his pants and underwear without further ado.

For now Magnus ignores the erection Jace is already sporting. He strokes the sensitive flesh between Jace’s legs, and when he hears the hitch in Jace’s breathing he came to find so endearing, he dives deeper to not only caress Jace’s inner thighs with his hands but also with his lips.

Jace moans shamelessly when Magnus starts to suck, his hips bucking but Magnus is quick to press him down again. He bites lightly into the spot he just caressed, delighted to find that already a hickey is blooming there, even more delighted when he hears Jace’s soft whimper.

“Are you okay?” Magnus asks gently while scooting up again, moaning himself when he instantly feels Jace’s hands on him, his nails scratching over his back while the other hand kneads his ass.

“Very.” Jace had been a little nervous, but he’s not any longer. The way Magnus takes charge but always makes sure to check in with him makes him feel secure. “But I have never done this. With a man,” Jace clarifies when Magnus raises an eyebrow. “But I want to, with you,” he adds after another pause where Magnus simply stroked his jaw with the tip of his index finger.

Instead of answering right away Magnus bends down to kiss Jace thoroughly. Just when they’re both panting breathlessly, he replies.

“I want you too,” Magnus whispers while reaching for the top drawer. He opens it and fishes lube and condoms out of it. “I want to ride you.” A grin spreads over his face when he sees Jace eyes widening at his words.

Jace bites his bottom lip at the clear statement, containing the moan that wants to slip out. His cock gives a more than interested twitch at the images that pop into his head. He watches mesmerized as Magnus pores some lube on his fingers to quickly prep himself before he tears the package open and rolls the condom over Jace.

“Okay?” Magnus asks again, waiting for Jace to nod eagerly before sinking down, blowing all images Jace had away, as nothing Jace imagined compares to the reality of Magnus riding him. Magnus grins down on him while taking his hands and pinning them next to his head, making clear who’s in charge as his hips circle at a quickening pace, driving both of them mad.

Jace comes with a guttural moan, quickly followed by Magnus who collapses down on him, allowing Jace to wrap him in his arms. They barely manage to clean each other and dispose of the condom before they fall into bed again, wrapping themselves into the heavy blanket and each other. They’re both asleep in seconds, more content and satisfied than in ages.

Jace is the first to wake. Magnus still lies next to him, snuggled firmly against his back, a leg thrown over him and his arm slung around his waist possessively. Jace sighs, blinking against the rays of sun that woke him up. He doesn’t want to be awake; he doesn’t want to face reality.

The night with Magnus feels like a dream, and Jace knows what happens to dreams. They’re not real and shatter as soon as you wake up.

Magnus tightens his arms around Jace when he feels him stir. He wished he could prolong this, forever if possible. He doesn’t want to let go of Jace, not just yet. He knows what comes after a night like this. Awkward goodbyes and the realization that his partner never meant they wanted the true him but the flawless image he maintains.

But Jace stirs, and he turns, so that they’re facing each other. Magnus struggles to open his eyes when he feels his gaze on him.

“Hey,” Jace whispers, and something in the softness of Magnus’ not yet fully awake features make Jace brave again. “You look beautiful.” He kisses Magnus softly on the lips. “Just to make sure you’re really okay.”

Magnus laughs, a smile stealing his face at the statement. The awkwardness he feared isn’t there, instead there’s the ease of the night before. “I’m sure I look horrible with all of my make-up smeared over my face,” Magnus says, rubbing at his eyes.

“No,” Jace says, catching Magnus’ hand by his wrist. “You never looked better.”

“Sap,” Magnus says, but not hiding the fact how much he likes to hear Jace say it.

He pulls Jace on top of him, realizing that he loves to feel his weight pressing him down. “I have some interviews to give today, but I can call you later?”

“You can even see me later.”

"Mmhm. That would be nice,” Magnus replies, pressing a kiss to Jace’s tip of the nose.

“Very nice indeed.”

A few weeks later

Magnus smiles at the cell in his hand. He’s been in a long business meeting, and after tiring discussions he finally has the time to open the messages Jace sent. Jace’s name on his phone never fails to make him smile, though most of the time the messages are nothing extraordinary. Just things Jace likes to share with him, what he did during his day or a quote or a song that reminded him of Magnus. And it’s these ordinary things that make Magnus smile the hardest.

Magnus is quick to reign his smile in when he sees the raised eyebrow of his lawyer, Raphael, and the amused grin on the face of his personal assistant.

He pockets his phone with a firm gesture. “There’s one more thing I need to discuss with you.”

Jace stares flabbergasted at the man in front of the door to his apartment. The man, though he doesn’t look older than forty, has an old-school aura around him. He’s dressed in an old fashioned but expensive looking gray three-piece suit, brown loafers, and a striped tie. He has a brown briefcase in hand that looks as if it’s emerged from the early 1920s. He’s just missing the monocle to complete his look.

“You sure you have the right door?” Jace asks, unsure what a man like that could want from someone like him.

“Jace Wayland?” the man asks and when Jace nods, he proceeds to pull a stack of papers out of his briefcase. “Then I assume I am at the right place. My name is Ragnor Fell, and I have an offer for you. I speak on behalf of a client that wishes to stay anonymous. May I?” The man gestures towards Jace’s apartment, and Jace is too perplexed to do anything but step aside and let him in.

He’s glad that he battled his weaker self yesterday and cleared the kitchen table of the empty wine bottle and glass. Somehow, he’s sure that not much escapes the man’s eye, though he tries politely not to look at anything in particular.

“What kind of offer?” Jace asks while sitting down.

Ragnor places the papers in front of him. “It’s a business opportunity. My client happens to know that you’ve been looking to go into business with some kind of… food truck. And they think it’s a promising investment.”

The way Ragnor stumbles over the word food truck and spits it out as if it’s a disease clearly tells that he’s not sharing his client’s sentiment.

“It’s all in the papers,” Ragnor adds, pushing the documents towards Jace.

Jace looks at the documents, shortly thinking that it’s kind of odd to choose a font that looks like the font of a typewriter. “And how do they know that?”

Ragnor shrugs, folding his hands neatly on the table. He took the seat opposite of Jace and looks expectantly at him. “It’s not my business to question my client’s motivation. Or choices. But as far as I know,” Ragnor wiggles his nose as if he smelled something bad, “some sort of television show was involved. But as I said, that is not my business. My task is to make it happen, in a favorable manner for all parties involved. And you will find it favorable, once you have read through them.” Ragnor taps lightly on the papers.

Jace takes the hint and starts to read through the proposal. Ragnor is right, as far as he understands the matter, the offer seems fair. More than fair, even. Which makes him not less weary.

“You might want to confer with your lawyer,” Ragnor says when he sees that Jace has finished reading the documents.

“I don’t have a lawyer,” Jace mutters, because honestly, does the rented one-bedroom apartment scream having his personal lawyer on speed dial to the man?

“Well then I recommend you consult the yellow pages to find one,” Ragnor advises while rising. “My client expects an answer within this week.”

“The yellow pages,” Jace echoes, suddenly sure that the document doesn’t only look like it’s typed on a typewriter, but actually is.

“Yes,” Ragnor confirms, scratching his nose and heading to the door. He turns at the last moment to look at Jace. “Or,” he says with a slight smile at his sudden idea, “you can use this google .”

Jace stares for a rather long time at the closed door of his apartment, suppressing the urge to pinch himself to verify that he’s not dreaming. But then he shakes himself out of his shock. After reading a second and third time through the offer and not detecting anything bad, Jace reaches for his cell and presses a button. He doesn’t know a lawyer, but at least he knows someone who does.

“Jace,” Magnus’ voice, as cheery as always, sounds through the speaker. “A good business lawyer? In fact I do. He has a little attitude, but he’s good at what he does. I’ll send you his details. His name is Raphael Santiago.”

Magnus grins when he ends the phone call, ignoring the glare Raphael who’s been listening in the whole time shoots him. “What?” Magnus asks innocently when the glare becomes a notch more intense. “You have a little attitude.”

Raphael chooses to ignore that. “Isn’t it a bit unethical to send me to verify the validity of an offer I wrote in the first place?” Raphael asks. “I don’t understand the hiding anyway.”

“It only would be unethical if the offer wasn’t a just one, and we both know it is fair. More than that. We give him the opportunity to start his business, and when it’s starting to take off and he makes real money, he has the option to buy us out at a fair price and be completely his own boss.”

“I know that. But why not make the offer under your name?”

“Because he’s stubborn as hell and probably wouldn’t accept it if he knew it’s from me. And besides, it’s not good to mix feelings with business.” Magnus doesn’t add how much it means to him that Jace never asks anything of him. No expensive gifts, no money, no covering any of his bills.

“It’s feelings now, huh?” Raphael says with a raised eyebrow, suppressing the eye roll at the last second. “What happened to only-casual sex you claimed the two of you were having?”

Magnus sighs. Feelings . He cannot deny there is one or the other. Or all of them. “Feelings. Not that you would understand. Or that it's any of your business. And I take it back. You don’t have a small attitude. You have a big one.”

Raphael just laughs at that, leaving Magnus wondering if he shouldn’t go looking for a different lawyer. Which he knows he will never do. Raphael is practically family. It’s probably why he’s so annoying at times.

several months later

Jace grins when he sees who’s approaching his food truck. He looks as glamorous as ever with tight leather pants, a shiny, silvery shirt that is unbuttoned to his chest to reveal several shiny necklaces and black kohl kajal underlining his eyes.

Instead of acknowledging him, Jace pretends not having seen him, and he continues serving the customers in front of him without batting an eye at Magnus.

“One French Gourmet Burger and the Truffled Parmesan Fries,” Magnus orders when it’s his turn, equally not acknowledging Jace’s presence. As if he had chosen this specific food truck out of pure coincidence. There are two who can play that game. And they both love to play and do it well.

“That makes fourteen dollars,” Jace smiles down at Magnus, a challenging gleam in his eyes.

“Oh come on, I’m sure you can do a special deal for me,” Magnus replies with a wink, the first time making eye contact.

“You’re right. It’s twenty for you.” Jace deadpans.

Magnus chuckles at that but reaches for his wallet and takes a fifty note out of it. “Here. The rest is for you. For the great service,” he adds with another wink.

Snobbish bastard. But Jace cannot hide the grin at their banter.

“Simon, can you handle the truck for a moment yourself?” Jace asks when the line of customers has been reduced to one. He hired Simon a few weeks back when he couldn’t handle everything on his own anymore. And though Simon does talk a lot, he’s also capable, and they became sort of friends in the short time Simon’s been working for him.

“Sure thing, Jace.” Simon beams at his boss.

Jace discards his apron and strolls over to Magnus who sits comfortably on a bench, finishing the rest of his burger.

Jace reaches for one of the last French fries and pops it into his mouth, grinning when he hears the little huff. “Overpricing the food and then stealing it?” Magnus chides but smiles back at him.

“Only from the beautiful customers,” Jace murmurs, sneaking another one. “But I can repay you with a kiss?”

“Mmhm, I think I can accept this method of payment. But only from the gorgeous cook.”

Jace leans in and places a square kiss on Magnus’ lips. “Good?”

“I think I need another one. Two fries, two kisses.”

“Seems only fair,” Jace concedes before kissing him again, more thoroughly this time.

“Happy with how it is going?” Magnus asks, meaning the food truck, but also the rest.

Jace gives him another kiss before he drops his head on Magnus’ shoulder. “Very,” he says. Meaning the food truck. But even more the rest.

#shrarepairexchange #shrarepair2022 #sh rare pair gift exchange #giftee: jesssssah

3 notes · View notes

kyber-crystal · 4 years ago

Text

Set Up

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Words: ~3.3k

Summary: In which the Avengers are relentless in their attempts to get you and Steve together. If this means going great lengths such as sending you off on a mission-disguised romantic getaway to make you realize your feelings for one another, they’ll seize the chance at the very moment it’s presented to them.

Warnings: None. Just tooth-rotting fluff bc I’ve really been needing it ahaha

A/N: Set in an AU 2017 timeline in which they reunite a year after the whole Accords situation so that everyone’s happy :)

"Rogers. Parasite. Stop watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine and get up, you need to get to the meeting room ASAP," Tony stated.

"Says the one who leeches off my granola bar supply," you grumbled as you shot him a death glare. "You've been doing this to me since I was a toddler. A helpless, two-year old against a 16 year-old demon always hungry for everyone's food but his own."

"Still holding the Full House cereal incident against me? Geez, woman, do you ever release your grudges against anyone," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Now come on, let's go."

Exchanging a confused look with Steve, you stood up and followed Tony down the hallway to the meeting room, where Fury was with the rest of the team, waiting.

"Captain Rogers, Agent Y/N," Fury nodded curtly. "I presume you know what's going on?"

"No, sir."

"I need you two to track down a group of mercenaries in downtown Tokyo. You'll be flown out commercially so you can maintain a low profile. The whole process should take no longer than ten days," he explained as Natasha handed him the printed out flight details. "Further information will be given to you upon arrival."

"If it's just the two of us, then why is everyone here?" you pointed out.

"Barton and Maximoff will be checking in with you regularly; and if backup is necessary, I will fly one of them out to meet you. If you don't have any more questions, this meeting is now dismissed. You'll be departing late tonight so if I were you, I'd get to packing right about now."

...

Soon enough you were all packed and ready to go. Because you were too lazy to reach back into your suitcase and grab a sweatshirt, you took Steve's Dodgers hoodie and slipped it on, along with a pair of your favorite sweatpants.

"See you in ten days, okay?" Natasha pulled you in for a tight hug. "Make sure to keep Rogers company, it's a long flight. This is also the perfect opportunity to grow closer...literally."

"Oh shut up, Nat," you scoffed. "We're not...you know."

"Sure you aren't."

"Tony, why don't you get some good rest for once," you turned to your brother, "alright?"

"As long as you admit you're in love with Capsicle," he whispered into your ear.

"I can't admit what's not true."

"Yeah yeah, I can't understand bullshit."

"Tony."

"Y/N," he mocked. "Anyway. Have a safe trip, don't die, yada yada yada."

"Yeah yeah, got it."

A few more rounds of goodbyes later, you and Steve were in the elevator with your luggage, heading down to where Phil was waiting to drive you to the airport.

Your flight was scheduled to take off at 1:45 in the morning, and it was close to 11 p.m when you arrived.

"Your tickets, please," the lady asked as you were about to board the plane. You took them out from your purse and handed them over to her. "Thank you."

"How long's the flight again?"

"Uh...about 14 hours. Pretty long," you replied, as you walked down the aisles, looking at the overhead letters for your seat. "24A, 24B...there we go. Wait, have you been to Japan before?"

"No, I haven't."

"You're gonna love it. They have the best, I tell you, best ramen, and curry, hands down. When Nat, Wanda, and I went on our girls' vacation last spring we wouldn't stop eating for two days straight. I know we're tracking down cold-blooded killers and all, but, it won't hurt to let loose a little, you know?"

"Yeah, definitely," Steve couldn't help but smile at how happy you looked while speaking. "You gotta be our tour guide. I'm trusting you'll lead us to the best ramen hotspots?"

"Oh yeah, I will."

After putting your things into the overhead bins, you settled into your seats. The armrest between you could be lifted convert the seats into a double bed, you quickly found out.

Shortly after taking off you felt yourself grow rather tired. Noticing your sleepiness, Steve raised the armrest and pressed the button to make the seats recline backwards, your head immediately falling against his broad chest. He smiled again, brushing stray hairs away from your forehead before pulling the blanket over your bodies and falling asleep as well.

Little did either one of you know, you were being sent off to Japan for a completely different reason that had absolutely nothing to deal with tracking down mercenaries.

...

The smell of food wakes you up several hours later. You stretched your arms up and ran a hand through your hair as you sat up, adjusting your neck pillow.

"Hey uh, how long were we out for?" you asked, voice still thick with sleep. Steve was already awake, in the middle of watching a movie on his TV.

"4 hours. You knocked out for 5. It's time for lunch...or dinner?"

You tapped your screen a few times to pull up the map of your flight's route. "Right now it's 7:30 p.m. in Tokyo. We're arriving at 4:45 in the morning, so I'd say dinner."

"You sleep okay?"

"Hm? Yeah," you yawned, rubbing your eyes and adjusting the sleeves of Steve's hoodie. "You make a good pillow."

"No problem," he chuckled. You then turned to the flight attendant, who handed you your meals.

"Fancy," you nodded in approval as you passed Steve's tray over to him. "First class sure has its perks...oh yes, miso soup."

You binged your way through several episodes of Pretty Little Liars, I Love Lucy, and Star Wars: A New Hope together. Afterwards, you purchased Wi-Fi so you could update the team on your status.

CHATROOM - AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Natasha: Morning, lovebirds. You guys in the air already?

You: Yeah, we're eating dinner right now. What time is it back home?

Tony: 6:45 a.m. Pulled an all-nighter binge-watching The Office.

Bucky: Totally worth losing an entire night's worth of good sleep.

Y/N: But I still don't get why we couldn't take the Quinjet?

Steve: ^

Rhodey: Do we tell them now, or wait until they land in Haneda?

Wanda: I'd say now.

Pietro: NO NO NO MAKE IT A SURPRISE

Steve: ...What's going on?

Tony: There's no mission.

Y/N: Wait, what? Then what are we going to Tokyo for?

Tony: I purchased a romantic ten-day vacation package so that you two will hopefully realize your feelings for each other along the way. Thank me later.

Y/N: SCREW YOU

Tony: Enjoy eating all the ramen you want!

Natasha: We're so good at matchmaking.

Thor: May I suggest a virtual high-five?

Peter: VIRTUAL HIGH-FIVE :))

Thor: :))

Y/N has left the chat.

Steve has left the chat.

Tony: They're gonna thank me when they see the penthouse I bought.

Tony has left the chat.

"Well, guess we're going on vacation. At least there's more opportunities to eating good food," Steve shrugged.

"Yup." You felt your heartbeat pick up speed at the thought of being alone with him, for ten days, in a country that was considered both futuristic and romantic at the same time. "Plenty of time to eat ramen and sushi."

Deep down, he was glad that there wasn't any mission. And so were you.

You took an hour-long catnap before waking up again and playing a few rounds of Uno with him, then stayed up for the rest of the flight. You both knew you'd regret doing so because of the 13-hour time difference between NYC and Tokyo, but you were too excited to care at that moment.

You were dazed and still slightly tired when you disembarked the aircraft, so you didn't have any energy to question how you and Steve ended up with your fingers intertwined. Besides, you liked the way it felt.

At close to 5 in the morning, Haneda International was relatively quiet and not too busy, so immigration didn't take long. You didn't have to worry about being bombarded by fans, aside from the occasional foreign fan recognizing you two and asking for a quick autograph or picture.

Since you wanted to explore the airport a bit before taking the train downtown, you looked around at the various shops.

Being a former spy alongside Natasha before joining the Avengers, you were fluent in multiple languages, including Japanese, Russian, French, Spanish, and German. And despite having developed the habit of always preparing for what was to come, you were completely shocked hearing a perfect Japanese sentence roll out of Steve's mouth as he spoke to the cashier.

You practically swooned at how smooth his voice sounded.

"Kore wa ikuradesu ka?" He gestured to one of the kokeshi dolls on display dressed in a sapphire colored kimono with cherry blossom embroidery. (How much is this?)

"3500 yen," the lady replied, "Hatsubai-chū, 3000. Kōnyū shimasu ka?" (On sale, 3000. Would you like to buy it?)

"Hai, kōnyū shimasu." (Yes, I'd like to buy it.)

"Kanojo no tame ni?" (For her?)

"Hai." (Yes.)

She nodded, and Steve handed over several folded bills from his wallet after she finished bagging the item.

"Arigato, gokigen'yō," he thanked her. (Thank you, have a nice day)

"Anata modesu," she smiled warmly. (You too)

"Holy crap, you didn't tell me you were fluent in Japanese, Rogers," you gaped as you walked out of the store together. "When did you have the time to learn it?"

"Back during the Pearl Harbor bombing, Buck and I were sent off with the 107th to Hawaii. Figured it'd be useful if we learned a few phrases."

"Few?" you raised an eyebrow at him. "What you just did back there, that was not just a few phrases! That was fluency!"

"What can I say, I pick up on language quickly," he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. He then handed you the bag with the doll inside. "Here, for you."

"You didn't have to—"

"Consider it my thank-you in advance for taking me to a good eatery," Steve explained.

After grabbing a quick breakfast of coffee and pastries, you took the elevator down to the train station.

You let out a sigh as you sat down, the cool air inside the train loosening the tension in your shoulders a bit. A short fifteen minutes later and you were back in one of your favorite cities in the world.

Steve took a picture of you as you were distracted from looking all around at the skyscrapers and people milling around, face lit up by all the bright and colorful signs, sending it to the chat.

Steve: Just arrived downtown. Got out of the airport half an hour ago.

Tony: Honeymooning Avengers, how cute

Sam: That's hot.

Steve: What time is it over there?

Wanda: We just finished eating lunch. You?

Steve: 7. Going to check into the penthouse. Talk to you guys later.

Wanda: Alright.

Sam: Have fun, lovebirdssssss

Steve has left the chat.

"So," he breathed out as he slipped his hand back into yours and you exited the station, "you ready to go check out where we're staying?"

"Yeah, definitely. You wanna take the subway again, or a taxi?"

"Subway. Actually..taxi. You sound nice when you speak in a foreign language."

"That's the only reason why you want to take a taxi?"

"Yeah, obviously," you scoffed. "I mean, why else?"

"Alright, if you insist," the super-soldier laughed.

A few minutes later, you'd called a taxi over and climbed into the backseat, strapping your seatbelts on.

"Ohayögozaimasu," (Good morning) the man greeted. "Ogenkidesuka?" (How are you) "Īdesu, anata wa?" Steve replied. (Good, and you?)

"Watashi mo jōzudesu. Doko ni ikitai?" (I am good, too. Where would you like to go?)

You looked at your phone, reading out the address of Tony's penthouse to the driver.

A few minutes passed in silence before he spoke up again. "Watashia wa anata-tachi o shitte imasu. Anata wa abenjãzudesu," the driver smiled, glancing at you two from the rearview mirror. (I know you two. You're the Avengers)

"Watashitachidesu," he returned his friendly grin. (We are!)

"Tōkyō ni kuru kikkake wa nanidesu ka?" (What made you come to Tokyo?)

"Chōdo kyūka no tame." (Just for vacation.)

"Nokori no taizai o o tanoshimi kudasai," he said as you were getting out of the car after paying. "Sayonara."

"Sayonara," you and Steve responded before closing the car door behind you.

"Wow," your jaw dropped as you took the elevator up, arriving at the top floor. "Tony actually bought...this...place?"

"Apparently," Steve shrugged, "we could come back and forth between here and the compound as often as we wanted."

The penthouse had a nice, dark aesthetic feel to it, with giant panoramic views of the entirety of Tokyo and modern furniture and spots of dimmed white lights in the ceiling to give off a relaxed vibe.

After unloading your things, you sat down at the giant couch together and decided to plan out the rest of your day.

"When CoCo Curry opens at 11, we can go eat there," you explained as you typed up the plan in a new note. "Tony also snagged us tickets to Tokyo Tower at 3 p.m, so we have a few hours to spare after lunch."

"We can explore the gardens," he suggested. "I know you love doing that. There's a botanical garden in Shinjuku we can go to."

"Oh, that one! I didn't have the chance to go last time, so that's perfect," you added 'Shinjuku Gardens' to your list.

Soon enough you had your entire day planned out, and were ready to head out once again.

CoCo Curry was a quaint, little restaurant that hit you with a wave of tantalizing scents as soon as you walked through the doors and sat down at the bar-style seating area where you could watch the chefs cook your food.

"Gonichiwa," you greeted the chef standing behind the counter.

"Gonichiwa," he smiled back. He asked for your orders, and since Steve wasn't sure what to get you had two orders of your favorite dish.

Besides another couple sitting a few seats away, the restaurant was empty so you got your food in under ten minutes. The steaming hot plates of curry rice were set in front of you, and you felt your mouth water as you inhaled the rich aroma.

"This is so good," Steve spoke in between bites. "I'm literally in love."

"Told you I knew my stuff."

You eventually finished eating, and after getting into a small argument with Steve over who would pay (He ended up winning). "It's payback for ordering me good eats," he explained.

"You said that when you bought me the kokeshi doll," you pointed out.

"Still."

This time you decided to go by foot instead of taking the taxi, as the gardens were only a half-hour or so walk from where you were.

"Right in the middle of cherry blossom season," you sighed as the sweet smell of cherries drifted through the air. "Perfect timing."

You walked around the entire place, stopping every so often to admire the various colorful plants or look up at the pastel pink cherry blossom trees, gravel crunching underfoot with each step you took.

The mid-April breeze lightly fanned your hair around your shoulders. Birds chirped out a delightful melody, flying around the cornflower-blue sky. It wasn't too hot or too cold, and that was one of the many things you loved about visiting Asia during the springtime; the weather was bearable, compared to New York City's below-freezing temperatures in winter. You vividly remembered visiting the botanical gardens in upstate New York on a school trip once, and from then on you'd grown attached.

In the centre of the garden was a large lake with flowering lily pads and on the other side of the bank stood a quaint little temple, with a wooden bridge across the middle so visitors could cross over and look at the koi below.

"It's beautiful here," Steve commented as you made your way down the sidewalk, "I wish they had places like this back home."

"Yeah it is, isn't it," you breathed out, unable to tear your eyes away from the lovely sights. "I could do this all day."

"Hey, that's my line," he joked. You chuckled quietly, slipping your hand into his. He laced your fingers together in response, and you felt the butterflies flutter around in your stomach again the longer he held on, and those butterflies turned into hummingbirds as you looked up to meet his piercing gaze.

You're not sure how long you stay like that, gazing into each others' eyes, but it's only when a little girl stops and asks to take a picture that you pull away.

"Captain America and Agent Y/N!" Judging by her looks, she seemed like she came from the US as well. "Can I get a picture with you guys?"

"Of course, sweetie," you smiled. You brushed off the weird feeling you got when your skin made contact with Steve's, and gestured for her to come closer.

Steve scooped the girl up into his arms as she held your hand, and the mother snapped a few quick pictures before he let her back down.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed before skipping away.

At 2:20 you decided to leave and head out to the Tokyo Tower early so you would be avoiding any possible long lines. You were up at the observation deck within twenty minutes.

"This is just....wow," you breathed out, in awe of the breathtaking view you got as you stared out the panoramic windows, the reflective walls casting thin rays of light onto your faces.

If you thought the view from your penthouse was nice, this was a hundred times better. You had almost nothing preventing you from being able to see the entire city in all directions. The sun was hanging high in the sky, the skyscrapers piercing the horizon like pins and needles.

Steve couldn't help but let his gaze linger on you, the way your face brightened up at the sight of Tokyo's stunning view, the way you laughed and smiled more than you ever did back home. It was a rare sight, and he wished he could see you in this state more often. Oh, the things he'd do to keep hearing your musical laugh and million-dollar smile.

...

The next day was jam-packed with activities. You took a two hour train ride down south to Osaka, exploring the cup noodles museum, shopping downtown in Dotonbori, and stuffing yourself with delicious pastries along the way. Before you headed back, you decided to stock up on groceries at the local market.

You fell asleep almost as soon as your head hit the pillow that night, waking up to somehow finding yourself in Steve’s arms. You both woke up at the same time, confused as to how you had gotten yourselves into this position, but were too embarrassed and tired to ask.

This time, you decided to stay within Tokyo, immersing yourselves in going to as many districts as you could and doing as much as possible.

After a long day exploring the city, you were rather exhausted. With a cup of freshly brewed matcha in hand, you stayed quiet for a while as you soaked in the scenery, watching the city come alive late at night.

When Steve woke up from his nap a few hours later, he found you standing by the window. Smiling to himself, he got up, approaching you and wrapping his arms around your waist from behind, resting his chin atop your head.

"Hi," you greeted, setting your mug down on the coffee table besides you.

"Hey," he murmured into your ear. You closed your eyes and hummed quietly in response, letting your bodies rock back and forth to the rhythm of your steady heartbeats together.

"Watashi wa, anata o aishiteimasu," (I love you.)

A small smile tugged at the corners of your lips. "Watashi mo anata o aishitemasu, Cap." (I love you too, Cap.)

You stepped away so you could turn around to face him, and he pulled you back towards him and pressed his lips to yours.

He couldn't help but smile into the kiss, pulling you closer against him.

#avengers imagines #steve rogers x reader #avengers x reader #captain america imagine #captain america x reader #avengers fanfiction #steve rogers one shot #captain america one shot #captain america fanfiction #steve rogers fanfiction

239 notes · View notes

suitofvibraniumarmor · 4 years ago

Text

If You Just Realize

Part One: Blindsided

Summary: Sebastian’s close friend stands by his side as he and his family say a sad goodbye and face new obstacles in the days and weeks to come. Pairing: Sebastian Stan x Reader Word Count: 1900 Warnings: Death, angst, sadness. Lots of creative licensing, I’m sure. Square Filled: This entire series will fill my realized feelings square for @marvelfluffbingo. A/N: I’ve much enjoyed writing this series, and I hope all of you enjoy reading it! The tag list is open; requests to be added can be done so here. There are bits and pieces of Romanian throughout the series, mostly from Google Translate and the few things I’ve picked up as I learn the language. Happy Reading!

Dismal notes sounded together in morbid harmony throughout the church as funeral attendees greeted each other in the lobby. The people filed together toward the sanctuary, offering condolences to the family as they passed. Sebastian did his best to be cordial, but between his grief and looking out for the one other person he needed to be there, he feared he wasn’t doing so well interacting with the guests.

“Calma, Sebastian,” his mother soothed, rubbing a hand over his back before she went to accept the outstretched hand of another guest. “Y/N will be here. She said she will be here, she will be here.”

Sebastian nodded and gave the next person in line a tight, sad smile. He knew that Y/N would be there; she always was when he asked for her support. The unexpected circumstances of his life, however, made him anxious for her presence.

In the last few days, Sebastian had thought often of a song released sometime around his senior year of high school. The real troubles in life, the spoken-word song warned, are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at four P.M. on some idle Tuesday. The hour was earlier than four in the afternoon, but it was a Tuesday when he received the call telling him that his sister Irina had been involved in a fatal car accident on her way to work that morning. The doctors had been optimistic taking her into surgery, but her injuries were more extensive than the hospital staff had been able to read on x-rays and CT scans. While on the operating table, Irina’s heart stopped. The surgeon had been unable to restart the organ.

A pleasantly feminine, floral scent invaded his nostrils as soft fingers intertwined with his, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked to his side to see Y/N Y/L/N next to him. Her eyes met his, and she squeezed his hand.

“I’m so sorry I’m late, Seb. LaGuardia was a disaster.”

He leaned to kiss her cheek. “Don’t apologize. Thank you for coming. I’m not sure I could have done this without you.”

“Even if you could, I wouldn’t have let you,” she returned.

Finally, the last of the guests had filed into the sanctuary, and the family could take their places at the front. Sebastian’s mother stepped out of line to hug Y/N and thank her also for being there. Y/N replied in Romanian, something she had learned after becoming friends with Sebastian all those years ago. She wasn’t fluent, but she could comfortably hold a conversation.

“Trebuia să fiu aici.” She had to be there, not from a sense of obligation, but because she wanted to support Sebastian and his family in whatever way she could.

When they were all seated, Sebastian between his mother and Y/N, and his stepfather on the other side of his mother, the priest began the service. Sebastian hadn’t let go of Y/N’s hand since she had intertwined their fingers when she arrived. Occasionally, he would squeeze her hand, and she squeezed back every time. If he needed the reminder that she was there, then she would give it.

After the eulogy and the singing and the praying had all wrapped up, Sebastian stepped out of the pew with the other pallbearers to carry his sister’s casket to the church parking lot where the hearse was waiting to take her to the cemetery. He clenched his jaw in an effort to hold back the tears glazing over his eyes.

Y/N walked behind his mother and stepfather in the processional out of the sanctuary but hung back with the crowd when the walked to the car at the front of the line of cars. Georgeta turned and motioned for her to join.

“We know what you mean to my Sebastian,” the older woman assured. “Irina would want you with us as much as possible today.”

Y/N gave her a tight smile and followed the family into the black limousine. Sebastian joined them a couple of minutes later, sliding onto the seat beside her. He took her hand again.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he told her quietly as the driver pulled out of the church lot.

She nodded once. “Your mother said Irina would want it this way. I was going to ride with someone else, or take a cab.”

“No, you should be here with us. Mom’s right, Irina would want it this way. But I mean here. For the whole thing.”

She squeezed his hand and held his gaze. “Seb. There’s no way I wasn’t going to be here. I’m around as long as you need me to be, okay?”

He swallowed down the lump in his throat and kissed her forehead. Besides his mother and his sister, no woman was close to him like Y/N. They had become friends when they both had bit parts in the same movie, extremely early on in their careers. The friendship had clicked so easy, they kept in touch and grew closer as the years went on. The media had speculated for years that they were more than friends, but romance had never been a part of their relationship.

After the burial, the day was only partially over. Sebastian was ready to go home and rest, but there was a whole wake to get through yet. He hoped the gathering would pass quickly and maybe he wouldn’t be required to interact with too many people.

Guests were busy eating the well-catered food, which gave him the opportunity to visit more with his mother and stepfather. Y/N had gone to the bathroom to freshen up, giving his mother the opportunity to bring up an issue that she hadn’t wanted to stress her son over until they got through the burial.

“Irina and I talked once about what to do if something like this happened,” Georgeta began. “It was not long after the baby was born. She was supposed to get it in writing, make it all legal. But she was going to school, raising her daughter. She didn’t get it done. And now …”

Sebastian licked his lips and picked up his water glass. “Now it’s too late.”

Georgeta nodded. “She wanted you to take Milena.”

Some mechanism in the swallowing process malfunctioned when his mother made the announcement. He coughed and attempted to clear his throat without causing too much of a scene. He had all but recovered when Y/N returned to the table.

“Everything all right?” she asked, patting him a couple of times on the back. Nobody said anything. She raised her brow, waiting for Sebastian to come clean.

Before he could answer, the sound of little feet running in their direction put a halt to the conversation. A little girl in a black dress with curly pigtails was rushing towards them, her arms outstretched.

“Uncle Seb!”

“Milena!” Sebastian exclaimed, stepping out of his chair and swooping the toddler up into his arms. Her chubby little hands squeezed his face so that his lips puckered like a fish. Sebastian laughed and switched his hold to balance her on his hip. “I’m so glad you’re here, munchkin. I missed you.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder and whispered, “Miss you.”

Georgeta and Anthony greeted the little girl, but she refused to be held by anyone except Sebastian. Once her grandmother and grandfather were distracted in conversation by the woman who had brought Milena to the reception, the girl pointed to Y/N.

“Uncle Seb, who that is?”

Sebastian smiled and sat with Milena so that she could be closer to eye level with Y/N. “This is my very good friend, Y/N. You met her before, but you were a tiny baby, so you probably don’t remember.”

Y/N smiled kindly at the little girl. “Hello, Milena. Your Uncle Seb told me you were pretty. I like your dress — you look just like a princess.”

That was all it took to win the little girl over. She settled comfortably on Seb’s lap while they adults spoke, smiling often at Y/N and asking a couple questions here and there. Y/N was making faces in an effort to make Milena laugh, and distract her from the somewhat heated conversation that seemed to be erupting between the woman who had brought Milena, Sebastian, and his parents. When the voices really got loud, Y/N reached out to take Milena.

“Are you hungry, princess? We can see what snacks are left at the food table.”

Milena went willingly, walking hand in hand with Y/N, who winked at Sebastian over her shoulder as they walked away. He gave her a grateful smile and turned back to his parents and Milena’s paternal grandmother, Alice.

“I know that Connor didn’t want to part of Milena’s life,” Alice was saying, “but that doesn’t mean Tim and I don’t want to be. My son’s choices are his own. I think we should explore the option of joint custody.”

Anthony sighed. “We don’t want to keep Milena from you, certainly, but Irina’s wishes were for her to be with her uncle. My daughter was very clear on the matter. Since Connor signed his rights away when the baby was born, I think it best that we honor what her mother wanted for her.”

“I can give her a very good life,” Sebastian interjected, “and you can see her whenever you like. I live right here in the city.”

Alice pursed her lips. “And when you’re working? I know you can afford to give her a good life, but there’s more to raising a child than the financial component.”

Sebastian bit his tongue. He had a lot to say, but none of it was kind or productive. None of it was going to help his case. He leaned back in his chair, letting his parents take over from there. As he glanced around the room, he saw Y/N and Milena standing by the food table. Both of them were smiling, and Milena was pointing to all the different things she wanted to try. Y/N held the plate with two hands as she crouched down so that Milena could pick up a grape in one hand and a cube of cheese in the other. Milena took a bite of the cheese then grinned up at Y/N, wrinkling her little nose.

The scene comforted him in a way he didn’t think was possible up to that moment. As he continued to watch his best friend and his niece interact, the seed of an idea was planted in Sebastian’s mind. He immediately told himself he was being ridiculous, but the thought tugged at his heartstrings and pulled on one end of his mouth, almost evoking a smile.

Y/N locked eyes with him as she followed Milena back to the table, a silent warning that any arguments needed to come to a stop. As the conversation between Alice and his parents didn’t seem to be slowing down, Sebastian pushed out of his chair and approached them.

“How about I take my two favorite girls to the park across the street? I know a little girl who loves to swing,” Sebastian smiled.

Milena clapped her sticky hands and reached for Sebastian to pick her up. He obliged, and once she had set Milena’s plate of snacks on the table, Y/N followed them out to the park.

AllOfTheThings: @captain-s-rogers @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @hurricanerin @horsesandbandsforlife @im-not-an-armrest-im-short @captain-rogers-beard @shynara51 @sea040561 @pinknerdpanda @xtina2191 @jackryanplz @beakami @heartsaved @fullprunerebelstatesman @blackwidowismyhomegirl @averyrogers83 @jennmurawski13

IYJR: @elsatxx @tanelle83 @amanda-teaches @etherealwaifgoddess @kmuir1 @ntlmundy @jayankles @rebekahdawkins @denise1605 @rhadigen

#marvelfluffbingo2020 #sebastian stan #fanfiction #reader insert #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian x reader #fluff #angst #drama #tw: death #queue and i remember budapest very differently

114 notes · View notes

romeoalvara · 3 years ago

Text

Is that ROMEO ALVARA? Wow, they do look a lot like CHA EUNWOO. I hear HE is a TWENTY ONE year old SOPHOMORE who are studying BUSINESS AND MARKETING at Luxor University. Word is they are a REGULAR student who is FOR The Unhinged. You should watch out because they can be COMPETITIVE and VINDICTIVE, but on the bright side they can also be ENIGMATIC and HARD WORKING. Ultimately, you’ll get to see it all for yourself. [LIZ, 29, EST, SHE/HER]

links.

character inspiration.

jughead jones from riverdale 🤢, joe goldberg from you, finn nelson from my mad fat diary, tyler locke from locke and key, josh wheeler from daybreak, james ‘jd’ dean from heathers, paxton hall-yoshida from never have i ever, roman godfrey from hemlock grove, mike chang from glee

stats.

birth name: seong jae

adoptive name: romeo alvara

nicknames: ro, rome, romy

age: twenty one

birth date: march 30

orientation: heterosexual

height: 6′0

hometown: seoul, south korea / portland, oregon

ethnicity: south korean

nationality: american

spoken languages: korean ( native, fluent ), english ( fluent )

education: college sophomore

siblings: theodore ‘theo’ alvara

relationship status: single

children: none

pets: none

tattoos: none

piercings: left lobe x2, left upper cartilage

vices: alcohol, food, violence

history.

romeo alvara was born as seong jae ( surname, given name ) to a young mother who could not afford to have children and an unknown father, the woman’s only choice was to give her baby boy up for adoption. he was officially adopted by an american family when he was two years old, after having been in the process of adoption approval for the past year, and brought to america not knowing a word of english.

his adoptive parents tried for years and years to have a child of their own, they saw multiple doctors who told them a pregnancy was unlikely but they could still try. they were completely unsuccessful in the long run so it seemed that adoption was their only option. they’d tried in the united states to find a younger child that they just clicked with but were also unsuccessful, they were either too rowdy or misbehaved too much for their liking. so they turned to toddlers and babies, a social worker had suggested they could adopt from out of the country and that was ultimately the route they took. upon first meeting romeo, the two instantly fell in love with him and knew he was their son. the next year was full of paperwork and multiple trips back and forth between oregon and south korea until everything was finalized and they were able to take their baby home.

upon his adoption finalization, he was renamed, given the name romeo. he’d already begun learning korean so his new parents had begun teaching him english as well as hiring someone who knew korean to also teach him his native tongue so he could still maintain a sense of his native culture. for the next year, the three of them spent their time learning and getting to know each other. it was nice to have a family, romeo was quick to start calling his new parents mom and dad. he liked that it was just the three of them. but then a miracle happened, his mom had gotten pregnant. nine months later, she popped out a beautiful baby bay named theodore.

even though he was just three, nearly four, years old when his younger brother was born, his entire life seemed to be upheaved. all of the attention that was once on him was now on his brother and romeo did not like that one bit. instead of playing with him at the park like his parents would do pretty regularly, they’d be seated nearby with the baby giving him tummy time all while romeo was left to his own vices. television time was no longer his once theo grasped the idea of paying attention. instead of watching his big kid shows, his parents put on baby shows like sesame street and barney to keep baby theodore occupied. romeo wasn’t allowed to get a new toy when they went shopping but theo got to keep anything his little hands could hold. it didn’t take long for romeo to grow to resent his brother and it only seemed to get worse as time went on.

romeo felt like he was always competing with his brother for their parents’ attention. any of the major accomplishments that romeo had made never seemed to compare to the minor accomplishments theo had made. because of his hatred for his little brother, romeo absolutely hates talking about theo. they barely talk, not unless it’s about their parents or holiday visits. he changes the subject whenever someone brings his family up, even if it’s just about his parents. sometimes he feels like his parents would have given him up if they could when he was a kid which is an awful thing to think but with how his childhood had gone, romeo can’t help have such thoughts.

things to know.

okay so he’s not violent but he will threaten to punch your or kick the shit out of you if you annoy him which is honestly totally crazy because he just looks like this cute, soft, cuddly boy who wouldn’t hurt a fly and honestly, that’s basically true. he’s all bark and no bite. violence as his vice is him taking out his anger with punching bags. the only time romeo is a dick is when jealousy is involved, he just+ gets super competitive.

he’s got a thing for small girls because they make him feel taller and more... masculine. mans got some big hands, he loves holding hands, too.

romeo is almost always eating, he absolutely loves food and will say yes to getting food even if it means that he’s paying whenever somebody asks. the best way to his heart is giving him food, props if it was something you made yourself.

he loves attention but not when it’s in front of huge crowds, he gets kind of shy if tons of people are around. but when it’s a one-on-one situation, he eats the attention up.

class schedule ( no order ) - business and marketing

data management

economics

psychology

business

graphic design

extra curriculars

tennis

#luxintro #i might add more to this later... i just ran out of ideas aaaand i can't think straight rn

4 notes · View notes

ncturbiatch · 4 years ago

Text

my oikawa headcanon (that no one asked for):

a bi king who slightly prefers men

i don’t really think he got a preference for looks

but i do believe he’s kinda more attracted to ppl with dominant personality

but that doesn’t mean he won’t like a shy person!!!

if he likes you, you probably won’t realise it right away cause he’s just flirty

but after he finally gets his shit together he confesses to you

it depends on you if the confession is gonna be extravagant or lowkey

he doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable

jealous type

that kind of jealous who will go up to the person who’s flirting w you and show your relationship into their face

loves attention but he also loves giving attention!!!!

when mad he’s getting really petty

probably will cry out of frustration, but never in front of the people who made him mad

he’ll storm off to find a cozy corner and just... ya know... 👊👁💧👄💧👁

yeah i also think he’s kinda physically aggressive when mad (like the slappy slappy w tobio) but wouldn’t ACTUALLY hit anyone

he’d just hit things, but not living things and never hard enough for them to break.

like whining toddler

however if he’s in a fight with his s/o, he will hold his anger back because the last thing he wants is to scare them

he may seem like a social butterfly but he does have social anxiety. like when he feels cornered even the slightest, yeah he does not like that and will get an anxiety attack

he also got several issues about people leaving him or trying his best not being enough etc.

he likes kpop

he also speaks fluent english bc he wanted to be more universal on social media

have GOD LIKE SINGING VOICE

AND WILL GIVE SERENADE TO YOU

CAUSE HE’S CHEESY LIKE THAT

he’ll pout a lot

he needs lots of reassuring words, even tho he’s well aware of his good qualities, his insecurities tend to overshadow them

he just needs his demons to be chased away for him sometimes

wont open up quickly

you’ll have to be together for a long time without big arguments

i think if there’s a bigger argument in the begging of the relationship he’ll give up on it

not because he doesn’t want to be with you

but because he’s logical and tactical

he’ll think that it’s to be doomed from that point because if y’all argue like that in the awkward phase then what’ll happen when y’all are getting comfortable?!??!!

but if he sees that you are actually trying then he will let go of those worries

after y’all are in a relationship for a longer time he’ll get more emotional than logical when it comes to you

it’s hard for him to let go of the people he cares for

so if y’all are breaking up, he’ll be a mess

very very VERY good at hiding his pain

if you’re his s/o or friend or whatever you also have to remind him to take a break sometimes, or about his knee

he believes that his knee needs to be “trained more” to be better (read: overused)

he’s dumb and careless when it comes to his physical health but an overdramatic ass when it comes to yours or other’s who he loves

sorry but even if you’re his s/o you’ll have to share the first place of his priorities with volleyball

totally would want a big ass wedding

also kids

like between 2 and 5

your family is his lil volleyball team

will get the children to play sports

he’d love it to be volleyball so he could spend even more time with them

but honestly he just wants his kids to be passionate about something because he knows how good it feels

after he gets children his family becomes the number one priority and volleyball is getting on the second place

he’ll keep track of EVERY date that needs to be remembered (birthdays, anniversaries, if you get them then periods too!)

king of taking care for you if you’re on your period

or just having a rough day tbh

nsfw:

he’s very flirty oh my god

he’ll be all cocky and shit but the moment you flirt back slightly more suggestively he’ll be putty

a switch who likes to act dominant but when things getting really heated loves to be dominated

i don’t think he enjoys degradation all that much. he’ll do it but i think he likes praises more.

got a pretty dick

like those things are not nice, but his is somehow!!! just!!! pretty?!!!?!

not that wide but it’s pretty long

like a solid 6-8 inches

knows how to use it :)

might be kinda quick, but he can go multiple rounds

like his stamina is god tire

new round new position

he’s a pleaser

lovely boyfriend don’t break his heart

#oikawa tōru #oikawa x reader #oikawa x y/n #oikawa x you #oikawa hc #oikawa headcanons #haikyuu!!#hq #oikawa toru

56 notes · View notes

crystalwillow · 4 years ago

Text

Paint By Numbers, Part Two

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Hayley McAllister (F!MC)

Word Count: 6.3K

A/N: I have included Japanese (from google translate) in this fiction, but I have put the English underneath in brackets () so that everyone can still read. I hope you all enjoy Part Two of Paint By Numbers.

Tagging: @mrs-ramsey @caseyvalentineramsey @brycelahelalover @deansmyapplepie @eleanorbloom

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

It had been a few weeks since their last date and Ethan had been looking for a reason to take Hayley on another one, and they were in the perfect place for him to give her an early birthday present he was sure she would love. They had been in Japan for four days now, mainly just been settling into their hotel and spending time with Hayley’s Godfather, Takeshi. As Hayley was getting ready, Ethan sat on the bed in their hotel room looking over the menu to see what they could get for breakfast.

“Hayley?!” Ethan called out.

“Yeah?!” she shouted from the bathroom as she dried her hair. She looked in the mirror at Ethan as he entered the bathroom and gave her a soft smile.

“What do you want for breakfast?” he asked as he leant on the door frame.

“Um..” Hayley said thoughtfully, continuing to dry her hair. A few minutes passed in silence as Hayley thought before she finally turned the hair dryer off, placing it back on the side. “Can we go out for breakfast today?” she asked as she turned around to face Ethan who now stood up straight from the door frame and opened his arms to pull her into his embrace. She smiled as she rested her head on his chest and he kissed the crown of Hayley’s head gently, almost as if he was to add any more pressure she would break.

“Of course. Did you have a particular place in mind?” he asked with a smile. She smiled back at him as they looked at each other in the mirror lovingly. “Your beauty never ceases to blow me away.” Ethan continued, gently stroking her hair.

Hayley smiled back, a small yawn escaping her. “I thought we could go to the market and see what we could find.”

“Are you sure? You seem like you’re still a little tired.”

“I am. But I want to experience as much as possible with you whilst we’re here.”

“And I’d rather do that with a fully rested Hayley. We aren’t in Boston right now, we don’t have medical responsibilities.”

“I thought you had an important conference call tomorrow afternoon before dinner?”

“Well.... other than that.”

They shared a chuckle before reluctantly pulling away from each other to finish getting ready and head out into the streets of Japan. As they left the lobby of the hotel they held hands tightly and smiled at each other, taking in the sights as they walked past them. When they reached the market, Hayley perked up and let go of Ethan’s hand, skipping ahead to look at all the produce.

“We should cook for my family tonight.” she beamed at Ethan as he caught up and stood behind her.

“Yeah? What are we cooking?”

“Udon?”

“Yeah. I’m cool with that. What about some beef too?”

“What kind of beef?”

“Hmm. What if we made a bunch of snack foods?”

“mmm. maybe.”

“Nigiri sushi?”

“Is that what you want?”

Ethan smiled guiltily as Hayley turned to look at him. She giggled quietly and pecked his cheek before turning back to the vegetable stall they were standing at. They spent another hour wondering around the market before making their way to Takeshi’s to make them lunch and hang out for the day.

As they arrived, Takeshi was outside cleaning the hallway as he spoke to himself in Japanese.

“Fūrigan! Nani no yaku ni mo tatanai gesshi dōbutsu! Hahaoya ga manā o oshieta koto wa arimasen ka? Firushī-”

(Hooligans! Good-for-nothing rodents! Did their mother's never teach them manners?! Filthy-)

Ethan looked on with wide eyes at the empty packets of various kind and half eaten fruit that was all over the floor before turning to look at Hayley.

“Goddofāzā! Nē! Kono konran o nokoshite kudasai, īsan to watashi wa sore o katadzukemasu.-Chū ni haitte yasunde mimasen ka?” Hayley interjected as she approached Takeshi and gently placed her hands on his arms as she looked at him with a kind smile.

(Godfather! Hey! Leave this mess, Ethan and I will clear it up. Why don't you go inside and rest?)

Takeshi looked back at Hayley thankfully and gave her a hug and single nod before turning to Ethan who waved.

“Uh.. Hello.” He smiled

“Hello. Let me take those bags inside for you.” Takeshi offered.

“Oh. No, that’s okay. Thank you. I’ve got them” Ethan smiled back and followed Takeshi inside before coming back out to find Hayley picking up the mess.

“You know.. It still amazes me that you’re pretty fluent in Japanese. How come you didn’t tell me?”

Hayley smiled at him. “There was really no need. I mean... you speak English so...”

Ethan let out a hearty chuckled that rumbled slightly in the back of his throat as he held out his hand. “Let me hold open that bag. We’ll get it done quicker if we-”

“Divide the problem. I know.” She laughed, finishing his sentence.

It didn’t take them long before Ethan was tying the bag and tossing it into the outside trash bin, then heading inside with Hayley to wash his hands so they could prepare the food.

Later in the day, Hayley’s father and step-mum arrived at Takeshi’s just as dinner was in the final stretch of being prepared. Hayley welcomed them inside and lead them to the sitting room where she offered them and Takeshi a glass of wine whilst Ethan stayed in the kitchen and watched over the food.

“So dad, Annie. How has your day been today?”

“It’s been good. We went into town and browsed the market.” Hayley’s father, Alex, replied.

“We managed to find you a couple of presents for your birthday and Christmas.” Annie added cheerily.

“Are you excited for your birthday this year-” Takeshi spoke but was interrupted by a shout from the kitchen

“UH HAYLEY!” Ethan shouted, Hayley’s eyes widened in horror and she ran to the kitchen where Ethan stood watching the pan that had caught fire.

“Oh my goodness!” Hayley exclaimed as she covered the pan with its lid before she grabbed the salt and started throwing it over the fire. “Well don’t just stand there babe! Wet a large cloth!” she shrilled at Ethan, who immediately obeyed her order.

“Hayley? Is everything-” Takeshi’s voice entered the kitchen as the flames luckily died out as the towel was smothered over the flames

“Everything is under control.” Hayley answered, assurance firm in her tone.

Takeshi gave Ethan an unamused look before turning his gaze back to Hayley and nodding stiffly and heading back into the living area. Ethan hug his head as he let out a heavy sigh, clearly ashamed with how he just handled himself and the situation. Hayley turned to him with fire in her eyes, but they softened a little when she saw the expression in his face and noted his body language.

Despite the small delay in their schedule, Hayley, Ethan, Annie, Alex were all seated at the dining table, with Takeshi sitting at the head of it as always. They held hands as they shared a prayer before digging into the vast array of food Hayley and Ethan had spent the majority of their day preparing. The atmosphere between Ethan and Takeshi felt a little tense due to the earlier mishap and in turn was offsetting the whole mood of the table. Although she tried her best to smoothing things out it only ended with Ethan and Takeshi getting into an intense heated argument before Ethan stormed out, Hayley of course excusing herself and running after him. By the time she had caught up however, he was already at the end of her Godfather’s road thanks to his long legs which carried him in large strides and when he was mad he always walked fast which resulted in Hayley running to keep up with him.

“Ethan babe, wait!” she shouted, lunging herself forwards and grabbing his wrist which forced him to stop.

“I’m not going back in there.” Ethan snapped, crossing his arms like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

“Would you listen to yourself for Christ’s sake! You’re a grown man and you’re acting like a 3 year old who has to share their toys. AGAIN!” Hayley screamed at him. He looked back at her with that dumbfounded look he always wore when she dared to yell at him like this. But tonight Hayley wasn’t in the mood for that. “You know what? I’m not doing this again. Not right now. If I can’t enjoy a nice meal with my family and boyfriend present, I’ll enjoy it alone. Go back to the hotel Ethan. And don’t wait up for me tonight. I’ll be checking in somewhere else.” She spat in disgust, Ethan watching her go as she turned on her heel and stomped back towards Takeshi’s house. Once she was out of sight, he sighed as his shoulders sagged low and hung his head in shame as he reluctantly slinked back towards the hotel that he was staying at.

Staying true to her word, Hayley didn’t return to the hotel room that night. It was the worst night’s sleep Ethan had endured for a while. It was cold, lonely and insufferable as the hours ticked by. Ethan stayed up until the early hours of the morning, reading one of Hayley’s books. He caught himself and what he was doing when he reached chapter six of the book, snorting at himself drivingly. What was he doing reading a romance novel? At 2 am no less. Rubbing his tired eyes he closed the book and slid down the bed, under the covers and hugging the book to his chest as his eyes slowly closed as sleep overtook him. The next day after Hayley had spent half of her morning back at Takeshi’s house, smoothing things out with him, she made her way back to the hotel and knocked on the door of the room she was staying in with Ethan. After about five minutes of him not answering she made her way to the front desk, asking for someone to come and open the door for her so that she could get inside. When it was opened the thanked the member of staff and stepped inside as they headed off back down the hall to work and slammed the door a little louder than was needed, but in the bed Ethan didn’t flinch or move a single muscle. Nor did he make any kind of sound to signify that he was in the room. Hayley then started worrying as she walked to the bedroom, but her scowl was back on her face when she saw him lying there fast asleep.

“ETHAN!” she shouted, but still he didn’t moved or make a sound.

She sat on the bed next to him and checked his pulse, which was fine. She then listened to his airways as best she could but those too, were fine. So she resorted to the last thing she could think of doing that was within reason. She stood next to his side of the bed and put all her strength into violently shaking him.

“Ethan Ramsey wake up!” she shouted

Finally, she elicited a grumble in response.

“You have that meeting today and you’re still in bed. Get UP!”

He let out a longer groan and a lowly mumble of “I don’t wanna.”

Hayley let out a frustrated growl before slapping his arm and storming out of the room and sitting on the couch in the living area of the room and turning the TV on. Fifteen minutes later Ethan sauntered in and plopped down in the space next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. Though she was now super pissed off with him and pulled away which earned a look of hurt and confusion from Ethan.

“You should shower and get ready for your conference call.” she said coldly.

A little baffled but mostly hurt, Ethan rose to his feet with a sigh and made his way to the bathroom and took a shower before getting ready and sitting at his laptop waiting for his conference call as he listened to Hayley laughing at the TV. The conference call went smoothly and by the time dinner had rolled around, Hayley had already made her way downstairs to the restaurant, he changed his suit quickly and made his way down to meet her. The first half of the meal was carrying a similar tenseness to the night prior as they ate their starters and then tucked into their steaks. Sighing, Ethan swallowed his bite and looked at Hayley.

“Babe. Why are you still ignoring me? Was what I done last night really that bad?” he asked, confusion in every crease on his face as well as in his gaze as he looked at her.

“You almost set his kitchen on fire Ethan.” She answered bluntly.

“I tried to apologize.” He countered

“That’s not the point. He now thinks I’m dating an incompetent man, regardless of your position as a doctor.” Hayley finished the last sip of wine in her glass before continuing to eat her steak. The tension between them dissipated after that brief conversation and the rest of dinner passed in silence that had a sadness in it.

Ethan paid the bill after they finished their dessert and they headed back to the room in a distanced silence and Ethan watched as Hayley went to the bedroom and shut the door. Sighing he made his way to the couch and spent about two hours watching shows he couldn’t fully understand before making his way to bed, only to find Hayley curled up on her side of the bed on top of the covers and still in her dress. Pain etched on her face, and his heart broke into a thousand piece as a tortured high-pitched sound of pain escaped her lips. He carefully slipped her out of her dress and into one of his t-shirts before sitting at his laptop and finding local things to do that could cheer her up and earn her full forgiveness. He felt like he had been searching for hours when he finally stumbled upon the perfect thing.

The following week Ethan, Hayley, Alex and Annie visited Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, the shrine of a thousand doors and rode on a bullet train through the mountains. Then finally the day of Ethan’s surprise for a Hayley came around. He was up with the sunrise and got ready for the day ahead, waking Hayley up 4 hours after he got up with breakfast before making sure he has their keycard in his wallet as Hayley grabbed a shower and got ready. About an hour later they were at their destination with Hayley blindfolded as Ethan lead her through the gates.

“Okay babe?” Ethan asked

“IIIIII... am fine. But where are we?” she asked.

“That would ruin the surprise.” Ethan replied.

Hayley pouted as her grip on his hands tightened until they came to a stop.

“Okay... I’m going to remove the blindfold now. Just, don’t scream when you see where we are.” He explained. Hayley frowned at the odd request, yet smiled as she noted the hopeful excitement in his tone as he spoke to her. She blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the light around them then gasped with a sharp inhale as she looked around at the foxes surrounding them.

“What? ... Why? ... Where? ... How? ... Wh- what?” she asked with a stutter as she took it all in.

“I ummm... know foxes aren’t always going to be there to help me fix everything. But this felt like something you couldn’t miss and.... there’s something else. You can... cuddle them.”

“I get to cuddle foxes?!” she asks in a quiet shrieky tone, tears of happiness glistening her eyes as she looked up at Ethan who was beaming back down at her.

“You sure do.” He said with a slight tilt of his head, still beaming at her. She jumped into his arms and hugged him tight, burying her face in his chest.

“Thank you.” She said, although her voice was muffled by the fabric of his clothes.

“You’re welcome. Happy early Birthday, Hayley.” Ethan said as he rubbed her back soothingly before she lowered herself back to the ground.

“Early birthday?” she quizzed.

“Yeah... I’ve got you gifts at home in Boston but... this felt like a special moment we could share that I couldn’t pass up and, well... It seems like a pretty great gift for you.” He explained.

Hayley giggled and shook her head lightly. “You will always include the details huh?” she questioned.

“I thought that was imperative to your knowledge of me by now Hayley McAllister.” Ethan quipped.

“It is. Maybe I just like to imperatively point out the obvious, Ethan Ramsey.” Hayley quipped back quickly, making him shake his head in bemusement as they held hands and followed a tour guide around the Zao Fox Village. After following the tour guide around an absorbing a lot of information, it was finally time for Hayley and Ethan to cuddle the foxes. Hayley was immediately in her zone and crouch down to cuddle with the adorable creatures as they surrounded her, whilst Ethan approached the tour guide.

“Excuse me. Um.. yes. Hello. Could you take a few pictures for us? But could you mainly focus on my girlfriend? I’m making an album for her final birthday present to give her and I know she’d love pictures to commemorate her time here.” He asked as he held out his phone.

“Oh! Of course!” the tour guide smiled, and Ethan smiled a thanks at him as he took the phone.

“Ethan, come and cuddle this one. She’s so soft.” Hayley cooed.

Ethan joined her and crouched down, cuddling the foxes too and Hayley watched as his facial features completely relaxed. She was in complete awe of the moment as she watched Ethan seemingly come into an element of his own, and a tear slipped down her cheek as a sudden pang of guilt entered her chest. He hadn’t looked this relaxed in a few days and it was all her fault for being so stubborn and holding a grudge against him that was petty, all to prove to him yet again she will never be taken for a fool. He looked up at her smiling, but it vanished when he saw the single tear sliding down her cheek.

“Hayley.... what’s wrong?” He asked. A deep concern etched on his face.

Hayley sniffled and chuckled a little, taking a deep breath before speaking her next words with a smile. “Nothing. I’m fine. These are... happy tears.” She wiped them from her face as Ethan’s smiled returned to his face.

“I knew you’d like this surprise. But my intention with it wasn’t to make you cry.” He half-joked with a small chuckle.

Hayley chuckled with them and they shared a kiss before cuddling with the foxes again and with permission, taking a couple of selfies to post on Pictagram later that evening.

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

After their visit to the Zao Fox Village, Hayley decided it was only right for Ethan and Takeshi to settle things between themselves over the kitchen incident. Afterall, it was only an accident and in reality a stupid grudge for two fully grown men to be holding against each other. So, they took a taxi over to Takeshi’s, Hayley was given a warm welcome upon arrival whereas Ethan was given a cold and distant “hello.”

Inside the house, Ethan and Takeshi argued for close to 3 hours with Hayley playing mediator and finally shouting for them to be quiet, explaining they were giving her a headache by going round in circles. Eventually the two men apologized to each other. Ethan for almost setting Takeshi’s house on fire, and Takeshi for holding the grudge longer than necessary in the first place. When they left the house and started walk back towards the hotel, everything felt a lot lighter and like it was back to normal. They were almost back at the hotel when Hayley tugged on Ethan’s hand, pulling him towards some arcades.

“Hayley. Why are you bringing us here? You know I hate loudness and crowds.”

“I do. But I also was to play some games and.. you need to win me one of those!” Hayley exclaimed with a pout as she pointed to a machine with cute plush dolphins inside it. Ethan looked between the machine and the cute face outing up at him before letting out a tired sigh, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance.

“Fine. But after this, we go back to the hotel. Yes?”

“Okay!” Hayley exclaimed and danced of father into the arcade and got some money in a little pot then started playing on some machines. Five machines and many loses later, Hayley had enough left for 3 machines. She was wondering around looking for one to play one and caught sight of Ethan across the room still trying to win her a dolphin, a smile came onto her features as she noted the concentration and determination in his eyes, was reflected in his facial features. When she turned around she gasped as she spotted the perfect machine to play on. She rushed over to the machine, which was full of plush elephants, as she looked at them she decided. She would win one for Ethan. Losing on this machine simply wasn’t an option. She inserted the money which was enough for 3 machines all into the one she was standing at and settled as she set her focus on winning an elephant.

After an agonizing 20 minutes, Hayley was down to her final go. This was it. She had to win an elephant. She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and repeated to herself 3 times “I’ve won the elephant. Thank you for letting me win the elephant.” then turned to the machine, her game face now in full action as she moved the claw towards an elephant. She held her breath as the claw descended towards the plush toy and closed it’s shiny metal talons around it. Time seemed to slow as Hayley watched the claw lift the elephant higher and higher, then towards the win zone of the machine until finally, she registered the machine going off loudly as she had won the elephant.

“ohmygod...” she muttered under her breath. “...I done it. ... I DONE IT!” she shrieked as she took the toy out through the flappy door at the bottom of the machine. As she looked up after turning around she saw Ethan making his way over to her, wearing a smile of his own and his hands behind his back.

“Hey!” she greeted with a smile and bright eyes.

“Hey. Good job babe.” he smiled back as he nudged his head towards the plush elephant in her arms.

“Thanks. I-it’s ... for you.” Hayley blushed, holding it towards him.

“For me?” Ethan queried.

Hayley nodded enthusiastically with widened eyes.

“Thank you.” he murmured with a smile.

Hayley’s smile faded as she realized the irony of the situation. “I thought it was perfect for you.”

Ethan chuckled as he took it, looking it over. “An elephant? But why?”

“Because an elephant is the most observant animal in the world. Their brains are bigger than the brains of any other land animal, and the cortex has as many neurons as a human brain.” Hayley told him with a smug smile.

“Okay. Well, I’m not really sure where to put this.” he admitted.

“I mean, in your hand is pretty perfect.” Hayley noted, smiling at him as he looked at her with a rare soft and tired smile of adoration.

Ethan chuckled slightly and pulled her closer for a hug. “You’re the best girlfriend I’ve had.” He muttered into her hair, planting a kiss on the crown of her head. “Oh!” he exclaimed suddenly, pulling back from her. “I won it by the way.” He smiled, bringing his other hand from behind his back to present a baby blue dolphin.

“Ahhh!” Hayley exclaimed happily as she took it, cuddling it to her chest. “Thank you babe!” she continued snuggling into Ethan’s chest happily.

“You’re welcome. Can we go back to the hotel now?” he yawned as he rubbed Hayley’s back.

“Yeah. We can.” she nodded as they let go of each other, facing each other with a smile before heading back to the hotel hand in hand.

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

Before they knew it, their return day had arrived, and they were doing last minute checks to make sure they had packed everything they brought with the plus anything extra they brought and were taking home.

“I’m kind of sad we’re going home today.” Hayley said as she checked the drawers in the bedroom.

“You are?” Ethan asked, his hand instinctively touching the side of her face and pulling her towards him. “Do you want to stop on the way to the airport and get a cup of your favourite tea?”

“No. It’ll be okay. I’ve just had so much fun here. I don’t want to leave.”

“I know how you feel. The thought of going back to Edenbrook now scares my brain too.” He kissed the top of her head with a chuckle.

“Scary is one way of describing it.” Hayley joked, closing the final drawer.

“Everything taken out from those?”

“Yep.”

“Good. The wardrobe and bookshelf in the living area are empty of our things too.”

“Awesome. I’ll check the bathroom and then we should be clear to checkout if we have everything.” Hayley sighed with a sad smile.

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

16 hours later, Ethan and Hayley were back in Boston sitting in the comfort of Ethan’s bed as they snuggled together and just enjoyed each other’s company as they let their phones charge on the bedside table. They were drifting off when suddenly Hayley’s phone came to life with her ringtone, scaring them both awake and sending their heart rates soaring.

“Jesus. I am so sorry Ethan.” She yawned, scrambling from the bed to retrieve her phone. “Oh. It’s Sienna, I better speak to her quickly.” Hayley smiled apologetically as she excused herself from the room and headed to the kitchen.

Ethan sighed and looked around his now lonely room when he spotted the luggage in the corner when they had left it upon arriving home, spotting their plush toys sitting atop their suitcases next to each other. With a long sigh he pulled his tired body from the comfort of his sheets and slinked over to pick up his elephant plush Hayley had won him before getting back into bed with it.

“This is ridiculous.” He muttered to himself as he got comfortable and cuddled the stuffed toy.

About an hour later Hayley came back from her call with Sienna, which turned out to be Sienna, Elijah and Aurora. “Hey, sor-” she started to apologize but stopped herself when she saw Ethan fast asleep cuddling the plush elephant close to his chest and his hair slightly tousled from where he had moved around a little bit. Tip-toeing back to the bedside table, Hayley placed her phone back on charge and the turned to the luggage, grabbing her dolphin before snuggling in bed next the Ethan.

“Goodnight, Ethan.” She whispered as she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

Ethan smiled softly in his sleep as he scooted closer to Hayley and she smiled back, wrapping her arms around him protectively before closing her eyes and going to sleep.

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

Two days later after they were fully recovered from their jet lag, Hayley and Ethan returned to work looking as refreshed as the felt as they walked briskly down the halls of Edenbrook side by side towards the diagnostics office. Although when they arrived home they were dreading going back to work, they couldn’t help the matching smiles they were wearing due to feeling glad to be back. Ethan had already planned to do his dirty laundry that evening, but Hayley had agreed to meet up with her roommates at Donahue’s that night after their shifts to tell them all about her holiday to Japan with Ethan, Alex, Annie and Takeshi.

The day kept both Ethan and Hayley busy to the point where they hardly had a second to stop and only saw each other briefly for a new case that came through to the diagnostics team around mid-afternoon, when they shared a walk to the elevators.

“How are you?” Ethan asked her as they walked at a brisk pace.

“Good. Super busy.” Hayley answered as she jammed the down button on the wall.

“Are you coming back to mine after Donahue’s?”

“Oh. I was... I mean, I can. If you want me to.”

The truth was, Hayley had gotten so used to being around Ethan all the time, the thought of now leaving his side and having her double bed all to herself again felt like an impending loneliness she didn’t want to face.

“No. It’s up to you, Hayley. If you want to go home with your friends then feel free to do so.” Ethan said just as the elevator dinged.

Hayley put her hand in her coat pocket and pressed a key into Ethan’s hand. “It’s my locker key. Go into my bag and take out my apartment keys and wait for me at mine in my room. I’ll try and keep them out until at least midnight so you have a chance to do your laundry and pack an overnight bag.” Hayley spat out as the elevator emptied.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes. 100% sure.” She confirmed with a kiss and then stepped into the elevator.

“Why are you kiss me as if I’m leaving your side? I’m getting in too. Doofus.” He chuckled.

The day continued to pass in a busy hustle and bustle as doctors and nurses alike tended to their patients. Later that night just as discussed and planned, Ethan went back to his apartment to do his laundry and pack an overnight bag, whilst Hayley went to Donahue’s with her roommates plus Bryce, and kept them there for as long as possible.

“...So how long was the grudge held between Ramsey and your Godfather?” Bryce enquired.

“Longer than is acceptable by anyone’s standards?” Hayley replied before downing the last of her drink.

“But how long?” Jackie echoed

“Over a week.” Hayley answered bluntly.

“Fell free to tell me to shut up, but it seems pretty stupid to hold a grudge for that long over a fire that didn’t spread.” Aurora commented.

Hayley shrugged and stood up from her seat. “My round. Same again?” she asked and the whole table nodded and with a smile and nod back Hayley turned on her heel and headed over to the bar. “Hey Reggie. Same again please!” she exclaimed politely with a smile just as he phone started vibrating in her pocket.

Ethan ❤

FaceTime

Hayley chuckled to herself as she took a seat on a stool at the bar as she waited for her drinks and answered the call.

“I thought you hated face calls?” she quizzed straight away

Ethan scoffed mockingly. “Hello to you too babe.” He snarked with a slight smirk and Hayley laughed.

“What is it?” she asked as Reggie placed the tray of drinks in front of her.

“Which rooms is yours again? I don’t want to open the wrong door.”

“Oh my God.” She gawffed, “THAT’S why you’re facetiming me?”

Ethan stuttered as a blush visibly creeped up his neck and spread onto his face . “Uhhhhhh...”

“2 door on the right. The one right next door to the bathroom.” Hayley told him as she placed the money in Reggie’s hand and waited for the change.

Ethan walked in and turned the light on, closing the door behind him. “So.. how Donahue’s tonight?”

“The same as always. I’ve missed this place to be honest.”

“We’ll have to go together tomorrow night.” Ethan said as he dumped his bag on the floor next to Hayley’s drawers and mad himself comfy on her bed.

“Thanks Reg.” Hayley smiled as she took her changed from him and pocketed it before picking her phone back up. “What was that babe?” she asked

“I said. We’ll have to go there tomorrow night. Together.”

“Yeah. Of course.” She smiled at him but noted the sleepiness in his sapphire orbs. “Well I should go. You know how rowdy this lot can get, and, you should get ready for bed. We’ll be leaving here soon.”

Ethan sighed with a little pout.

“Ethan. You’re a grown man, we’re having one more round after this and then we’re leaving. Stop pouting at me.”

“I buy you a family trip and you’re still mean to me.” he joked behind a yawn.

Hayley chuckled and turned towards her tabled as she head someone shouting her name. “COMING!” she shouted back then turned back to her phone screen. “Look. I have to go, but I’ll be home soon okay?”

“Fineee.” Ethan huffed like a little child. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I love you!” Hayley chimed

“I love you too” Ethan responded, and they waved goodbye and them hung up.

Hayley returned to the table and placed everyone’s respective drinks in front of them, then took her seat.

“So. Hayley. Dr. McAllister.” Elijah stated, taking a sip of his beer. “What else did you do on your delightfully long break?”

Hayley spent the next 45 minutes talking about what she, Ethan and her family done whilst in Japan.

“And what was your favourite thing?” Sienna asked as Hayley took a sip of her drink.

“I’ll have to give you my top 3. Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, the shrine of a thousand doors. That was an amazing experience. Then we went into the heart of Kyoto and visited a bamboo forest. But Ethan is behind the thing I think I enjoyed the most. I got to cuddle with foxes at the Zao Fox Village and they were so ridiculously adorable. They even made Ethan smile after frowning for so long because of the whole feud, grudge thing.” Hayley answered.

“Wait. Dr. Ramsey smiled at foxes?” Bryce asked, stunned.

“Well yeah. He’s human not a robot Bryce.” Hayley snapped.

Bryce held his hands up and widened his eyes in surrender before finishing his drink.

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

Soon, the gang had finished their drinks and were back out walking the cold streets of Boston.

“Hayley?” Jackie asked.

“Yeah?”

“Just out of curiosity. What was your favourite thing at Fushimi Inari?”

“Hmmm...” Hayley pondered. “... Probably just getting to experience it with my family and Ethan. But you guys will see more in our little travel vlog we’re putting together. We got blessings from the high priest there to film a little bit of footage for it.”

“You got Ramsey to be in vlogs?!” Elijah exclaimed

“Elijah come on. This is Hayley we’re talking about. The woman can get anyone to do anything.” Aurora pointed out as they rounded the corner onto their street.

“That’s true. Very strong and resilient is our Hayley. Not to be taken for a fool either.” Elijah said back.

“You’ve got that right!” Hayley exclaimed and they all laughed as they headed inside, waving goodbye to Bryce who carried on towards his complex not too far away.

Inside the apartment, the roommates all gathered in the living area with glasses of water.

“Alright guys, tomorrow’s a big day with the Governor coming back to the hospital. Let’s down these and them head to bed. We’ll need all the rest we can get.” Hayley slurred slightly.

Every cheersed their water before downing it then saying goodnight and heading to bed. When Hayley entered her room, Ethan looked at her tiredly out of one eye from her bed.

“You’re home.” He whispered huskily with a tired smile.

“Yeah.” Hayley smiled. “How did your laundry night go?” she continued in a hushed tone as she changed into her pyjamas

“Good. I just need to fold it all when I get home tomorrow.” He replied, watching her intently.

“I’ll come and help you.” Hayley stated as she slid into bed next to Ethan. Cuddling into his warm chest.

“Thank you.” replied Ethan

“No problem.” Hayley yawned. “Hey. Ethan?” she asked.

“mmm?” he hummed

“I’ve been thinking. And we’re sort of doing our own paint by numbers with our relationship.”

“How so?” he quizzed, eyes closed yet ears alert and listening intently.

“Well. Our relationship is the blank canvas. And each activity, event or tragedy we’ve been through, are going through currently, or are going to go through together in the future. Is the colour we’re adding to paint our own beautiful picture of what we perceive love to be.”

A silence stretch between them and for a moment Hayley thought Ethan had fallen asleep when he suddenly spoke. “Then I want our love to make a picture that’s as beautiful as you.”

“Could it be an elephant and fox standing on a shoreline, looking out at a dolphin?” Hayley asked.

“It can be whatever you want it to be babe.” Ethan responded.

Hayley smiled into his chest and snuggled closer as Ethan pulled the covers around the securely.

“Goodnight babe.” Hayley whispered.

“Goodnight beautiful.” Ethan yawned back, wrapping his arms protectively around Hayley as they finally settled for the night.

#choices stories you play #playchoices #pixelberry studios #ethan ramsey #ethan jonah ramsey #dr ramsey x f!mc #dr ramsey #pb oph f!mc #oph f!mc #open heart fanfiction #ethan ramsey fanfiction #choices fanfiction #dr ethan ramsey #dr hayley mcallister #dr mcallister #dr ramsey x dr mcallister

15 notes · View notes