#and susan getting locked out her house naked

[riickgrimes]

desperate housewives is wild bc it's a very unserious comedy abt the housewives and all their relationship/family drama and then you get to mary alice's family and it turns into a fucking horror movie every time they cut to them its just like

[writinginthesecrettrees]

Shower thought:

The trope of “disaster mom with ridiculously mature teenage daughter” should die. Or at least be seriously rewritten.

The two examples I am thinking of are Lorelei from Gilmore Girls and Susan from Desperate Housewives. (Full disclaimer: I only watched a couple seasons of DH).

The grown woman who doesn’t have a partner and makes their daughter their emotional support - and the most mature member of their tiny two-person household! - is insulting to single mothers and damaging to young girls. Because a child - a CHILD - should never be their parent’s support. (Note: I am not discussing post-adulthood relationships with parents)

And the fact that I came up with TWO major shows depicting this dynamic in the course of my shower? Ugh.

Of course, there is the problem that in GG all the teens were written as if they were tiny 30 year old women. And in DH Susan and Julie were written for laughs… but I think there’s something here about how the grown-ass women were basically children until they hooked up with their love interest while the children were treated as the “stand-in adult partner.” I mean at least in GG, Lorelei is shown having & being competent at a good job. Susan - my two biggest memories of her are her getting locked out of her own house naked and her jamming her daughter’s school project down the garbage disposal to jam it.

I think it works better in Gilmore Girls because Rory is a complete character, not just the straight man for her mom’s comedy. Worth noting that GG was created by a woman while DH was made by a man…

Anyway. I don’t like major media (please understand: I’m talking about major mainstream media!!!) treating grown women like children and teen girls like grown women. It says something unpleasant about society.

[thisisgonnafuxkinkillme]

Save Me, Please!

A Yandere! All Might x F! Reader Fic~

Chapter 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  ...

𝔚𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰:

Stalking, gaslighting, phycological manipulation, anything that has to do with the yandere trope.

Weeks later, you completely forgot about the incident. Your life had returned to its normal, average, exceedingly mundane routine.

One night, you were curled up in your apartment when you heard a stray cat pathetically crying out for help. You’re an animal lover, and hearing that pitiful cry sent you into immediate action.

You rushed outside, still in your house clothes, looking for the animal. You didn’t think to bring your phone, a jacket, or anything else, but you just had to help this creature. 

The cat cried on, leading you towards it. You found yourself walking into a darkened, dingy alleyway.

The meowing stopped abruptly. 

“What d’ya think you’re doing here?” a gruff, disgusting voice whispered out. He seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

“I-I’m...the cat...” you mumbled. You instinctively covered yourself, not being naked but also not being entirely decent. You were hoping to be in and out, just grabbing the kitten and bringing it to safety.

“Oh. Don’t you know better than to be wandering around outside at night, lil lady?” the man smirked, revealing yellowed, worn teeth. At that moment, the light hit him just right to reveal who he was. He was one of the local creeps, the kind you’d see begging for cash and coins on the corner, wondering why everyone passes him by until you see him up close and smell the strong scent of alcohol and cigarettes coming from him.

You said nothing, still wondering where that cat went. 

“...especially out here all by yerself...” the man continued as he picked at his gums with his grime filled fingernails.

You made eye contact with him. 

“It’d be such a shame if something were to happen to ya, little lady...” he drabbled on. Your hand looked for your phone in your pocket as you backed up and away from the alley. 

“Now, where are ya going? I wasn’t gonna hurt ya none!” he teased, grabbing your wrist. You screamed, trying to yank away your hand.

“Ah, now ya can’t be doin’ none of that,” he grinned. Suddenly, he pointed his index and thumb at you, making a gun like motion. You froze, confused yet somehow understanding.

This was the fucker’s quirk. 

His fingers around your arm became barbed wire, digging and cutting and slicing into your flesh. When you looked up from your bloodied arm, you saw that his hand had morphed into an actual pistol, and it was now pointed directly at your skull.

Tears silently streamed down your face as you looked down, now unable to fight back. 

“Yes, I will be coming in tomorrow ... you won’t need to cancel the class. No, thank you.” you overheard someone on the phone. It was a male’s voice, and you prayed with all your heart that it was a hero out on patrol.

He passed the alley, not even taking a millisecond to glance in your direction. Your heart plummeted.

“...What...what do you want with me?” your voice shuddered. The man said nothing. You looked up at him. 

He was staring intently at something outside of the alley, but you were so fear stricken that you couldn’t bring yourself to look at what it could be. 

Without warning, you were thrown to the ground, and the man was running away. You sat up, clutching your injured arm, trying to get answers, but everything happened in a flash before your eyes. 

All you saw was blood. Lots of it. Too much.

You couldn’t worry about that now, though. You had to get away. 

You got up, scraping your soft, white palms, rushing out and away from that damned alley. At this point, you didn’t give a shit what happened. All you know is that you’re alive.

You scrambled up your stairs, slamming and locking your door. You pushed a chair in front of it, switched all your lights on, and slept with your biggest kitchen knife under your pillow.

The very next day, the news reporter plainly read off of her script, letting everyone know that a local homeless man was brutally murdered last night. 

“We don’t have many details surrounding the motive, but we have reason to believe that this was a spontaneous spur of the moment killing,” she stated. 

“Now, back to the weather today with Susan Straham!” a male voice boomed, panning over to a perky weather lady. You shut off the tv and rubbed your arm. The door was still locked and bolted shut, the chair still propped up. You shuddered at the memory. 

Despite your discomfort, the day still had to go on. You left for work, listening to music as you walked.

Up ahead, you spotted a familiar figure. All Might. 

He didn’t notice you at first, but when he did, he basically picked you up, hugging you.

“I told you I’d see you again!” he beamed. People stopped to stare.

You put your hands out in front of you to signal him to tone it down a notch or two. Or a hundred.

He didn’t get what you were hinting at, though, and gleefully continued to absolutely shower you in attention. 

Suddenly, he stopped speaking. You tugged down on your shirt sleeve, realizing he probably noticed your battle wounds from last night. 

His tone completely changed as he monotonly asked if you heard about last night’s murder.

He eyed you, now walking with you to work. 

You didn’t mention what happened. It’s not like it could have been connected or anything, right? ...Right?

Finally, you arrived at work. 

“I hate to say goodbye again,” he frowned. You shrugged.

“Well, it’s not like this is the last time you’ll ever see me, ya know,” you mumbled. 

“What makes you so sure of that?” he asked. Your blood ran cold for a split second.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you never know what can happen. Stay safe, okay? I...don’t know what I’ll do if I never see you again,” he frowned. You were blown away by his sudden change of tone and his seriousness and said nothing. 

You just waved, entering your workplace and taking the elevator up. All Might lingered there at the entrance for a few moments, watching you go higher and higher, until he left, too.

A couple days went by with nothing interesting happening. Your arm was healing up nicely, and you were starting to feel okay in your apartment again. 

Today, you went to your usual coffee shop, and the barista informed you that someone had already paid for your drink in advance. 

“How could they have? I’m the only one in here,” you asked. The barista shrugged, just repeating that you didn’t owe them anything. 

Maybe the barista was just trying to flirt. That’d make sense. 

Definitely. That has to be it.

It wasn’t until that weekend when you realized that you had been seeing All Might patrolling in your area a lot more than usual. No matter how many times he’d see you, though, he’d always have the same over-the-top reaction. It was definitely endearing, in a way, but the attention you got from others was embarrassing enough for you to shrug away from it.

You had to admit, though, feeling another human’s touch was something refreshing. For years, you’ve been locked up in your tiny one bedroom apartment by yourself, just wishing that you could find someone. 

You joined a dating app not too long ago, which has been pretty hit or miss.

Maybe you would meet someone soon. Hopefully, at least.

[livbygrace]

I’ve worked on this post for days and days. I’ve debated on how much to share and how to share it. This is something very personal, for me and my mom.

Though my mom is no longer here, I will always have the utmost respect for her. And I know that if she were here now, she would agree that it’s worth it to share this if it might save one life or change one mind. 💛

There's a copy-and-paste post making the rounds that claims to be both pro-choice and pro-life, and 13 scenarios are given that describe situations in which abortion should be justified.

The first type of scenarios reads like the beginning of my life story. They describe my mother’s situation perfectly—pregnancy as a result of abuse or assault. Here are the scenarios from the “pro-choice & pro-life” post:

“I'm pro-Susan who was sexually assaulted on her way home from work, only to come to the horrific realization that her assailant planted his seed in her when she got a positive pregnancy test result a month later.”

“I'm pro-little Cathy who had her innocence ripped away from her by someone she should have been able to trust and her 11-year-old body isn't mature enough to bear the consequence of that betrayal.”

“I'm pro-Jessica who is FINALLY getting the strength to get away from her physically abusive spouse only to find out that she is carrying the monster's child.”

The implications presented in these scenarios suggest that you can’t support women and young, innocent mothers at the same time as their pre-born babies, and that you also can't be anti-abuser and pro-baby at the same time.

But this is an obvious fallacy, and I am living proof.

Sexual assault is wrong, sickening, and horrific, and perpetrators should be punished to the full extent of the law, especially when the victim is a child. Yet, one crime committed does not justify another. Killing a baby doesn’t undo rape. Additionally, brutally ripping a baby from a poor girl’s body creates further violence and trauma.

The baby deserves life, not a death sentence for the crimes of his or her father. The father might be a monster, but that doesn’t deprive the baby of his or her right to life. If you choose not to love your child because of his or her genes, allow them to live and place them for adoption.

You probably don’t know this, but I am the product of r*pe.

My mother’s husband (my biological sperm donor) beat her, humiliated her, stalked her, pulled weapons on her, threatened to kill her, threatened to kill her family, and threatened to kill me when I was in my mother’s womb.

If he would’ve succeeded in killing my mom—and me while in her womb—he would’ve been charged with double homicide. Yet my mom could have had me killed via abortion. One means of killing is condemned and punished while the other is condoned and even supported. Something has gone very wrong.

My biological sperm donor hid in the crawlspace beneath my mom’s house for months, drug her around by her hair, locked her outside naked, threw her, threw things at her, hit her, r*ped her, accused her of *ncest, and tried to get her fired from her job, among many other horrors. Suffice it to say he was abusive, manipulative, cruel, ruthless, and evil.

He was that monster mentioned in the above scenarios.

See the picture I’ve attached of a smiling, happy little girl in a red t-shirt? That’s me.

I would've missed out on that joyous, wonderful childhood if my mom had chosen to see me as a product of abuse and aborted me.

By the way, does that innocent little girl look like a monster's seed?

I cannot thank God enough that my mother loved me and saw me as a gift from God, created for His purpose—to work good out of what was meant for evil.

My mother chose to let me live. She could have murdered me in her womb, but she saw me as an individual, separate from her abuser, and loved me dearly.

As she carried me, she thought of God’s plans for my life, not her abuser.

When she looked at me after delivering me, she saw a precious baby, not her abuser.

When I accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, she saw the beginning of His wonderful work in my life, not her abuser.

As I grew into a young woman, she saw me as me, not her abuser.

He had no part of me other than lending me a few genes.

My mom remarried when I was a child, and since then I've had a wonderful, true father who chose to adopt me when he married my mom.

HE is my dad, not my mom’s abuser.

I'm so grateful that my mom chose not to take my right to live away from me.

May we allow all children in the womb the same right to life.

The only pro- is to be pro-adoption.

See the other picture of 2 little girls snuggled up in their pj’s with their stuffed animal? That’s me and my lil sis.

If my mom would've ended my life in her womb, I would've missed out on that precious little sister!

The other photos are from Live Action and are collages of babies in the womb from 6-15 weeks. SIX WEEKS.

Take a moment to clear your mind of all presuppositions and look at those photos and tell me they are not living babies.

The site CreatedEqual.org will show you exactly what happens to cause these precious innocent lives to suffer the brutal pain of abortion. If you have not seen it, I beg you, don’t choose to remain ignorant of it.

It's not just adult women's lives that matter. Every woman's life matters, from the womb to the tomb.

There is NEVER a need for abortion. There is early delivery, there is adoption, and there is support available.

We must value every life.

We. Must. Let. Them. Live.

May we stop tearing our precious children limb from limb in their mothers’ wombs—what should be the safest place in the world.

Here are just a few resources for expectant/struggling mothers:

LetThemLive.org - Providing financial assistance, counseling, and help finding employment so expectant mothers feel able to choose life.

LoveLine.com - Providing tangible support for pregnant and single moms across the US, as well as helping single dads and married couples in crisis.

LiveInMyShoes.org - Offering shelter, food, and other support to homeless pregnant and parenting women. Based in Texas.

FriendsOfCrossroads.org - Gospel-centered clinic and counseling center for expectant mothers considering abortion. Based in Oklahoma.

ReverseAbortionPill.com - Helping mothers who are considering taking the abortion pill or those who have already taken one and regret it.

The pictures I’ve attached are one reason that people have been fighting for life for decades, because at the time that Roe v. Wade was decided, ultrasounds weren't yet available, and the technology to take such photos as these was yet unavailable.

People just DIDN'T KNOW. They believed the lie that fetuses are lifeless blobs, but now we can all see how mistaken we've been. When we know better, we should do better.

If you've fallen prey to the propaganda claiming that a fetus is nothing but a lifeless clump of cells, let today be the day that you do a 180 for life in the womb, and forgive yourself for having been unaware.

We must be willing to be brave, to take off our blinders and adapt to new truths.

We have no excuse now, so let’s begin to stand for life from this day onward. 💛

[thepremedthatwrites]

hi so i've written this one shot where y/n was dating edmund and he takes her home for a study session and throughout the whole thing she and peter kept flirting, anyways she ended up staying the night in peter's room to be precise (i made it fluff). could you maybe write an alternate smut ending because peter is a naughty boi, i wrote this as if peter was 21 and she was 18 along side edmund, is this idea well written because i can't describe stuff sjdjskd

Our Dirty Little Secret

I have never felt so dirty after writing something lmao but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy writing it.  I hope you like it! (also Edmund deserves the world so if you want to read some A+ Edmund imagines/smut I recommend checking out edmundpevensieisbaby on tumblr)

warning: smut below the cut

My fingers were interlocked with his as we walked down the street.  The unforgiving sun was beating down on us as we neared his house.  “This calculus exam is going to kill me,” I groaned.

“That’s why I’m here,” Edmund chuckled, squeezing my hand.  “I’ll teach you all that I know.”

“So we’re actually going to do work this time?” I questioned, raising an eyebrow and causing Edmund to laugh.

“I’ll try my hardest but that skirt you're wearing might make it hard for me to concentrate.”  I felt my face warm at his words.  The skirt I was wearing reached just the middle of my thigh, a bit shorter than I was used to but it was so hot out that I couldn’t help but wear as little clothing as possible.

“It is only Lucy at the house, right?  I don’t want to make a poor first impression with your other siblings.”  Ed and I had only been dating for a few months.  I didn’t want his family to already disapprove of me.

“Actually, Peter just got home from university.  He’s staying for the weekend.”

“You’re joking,” I groaned as we walked up to the front door.  The extra car in the driveway supported Edmund’s claim.  

“I’m home!” Edmund announced as we entered the house.  Lucy was sitting at the kitchen table, eating an apple while scrolling through her phone.  She glanced up, giving a smile and a wave before returning to her phone.  I heard the sound of footsteps approaching us from the hall to our right.  A tall man who seemed to be in his early twenties appeared.  I was taken aback by his attractiveness, his blond hair slightly messy as if he had just woken from a nap, his blue eyes still slightly clouded with sleep.  He ran his fingers through his hair as his eyes landed on me.

“You didn’t tell me you were bringing home a guest,” the man said.

“Well I didn’t know I had to tell you,” Ed replied, releasing my hand to wrap his arm around my waist.  “Pete, this is my girlfriend (y/n).  (Y/n), this is my older brother Peter.”

“Nice to meet you,” I smiled, extending my hand for him to shake.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” Peter said, shaking my hand as his eyes traced my figure, lingering on my skirt for a moment before flickering back to my (e/c) eyes.  “Ed didn’t tell me he had a girlfriend.”

“We really only just started dating,” I said quickly, feeling my heart race as Peter’s eyes focused on me.  

“If you excuse us, (y/n) and I will be in my room studying,” Ed said as he started to guide me towards his bedroom.

“Are you guys actually going to be studying this time?” Lucy asked from the kitchen table causing me to start blushing.  While I had thought we had been quiet, Lucy’s comment suggested otherwise.  

“Haha very funny,” Edmund said, sticking his tongue out at his little sister.  

“Wow, very mature Ed,” she replied with, rolling her eyes and causing me to chuckle.

“Come on, stop your bickering.  I need you to help me pass this calc exam,” I said, pulling him towards his bedroom door.  I could feel Peter’s eyes watching me as I walked into Ed’s room.  I turned back towards Peter, my eyes catching his causing him to turn away as I closed the door.  My heart was still racing as the door replaced my vision of Peter.  No, this was wrong.  I was with Ed, not Peter.  But there was something about Peter that seemed to draw me towards him.

“You okay (y/n)?” Edmund asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Yeah, of course,” I lied, making my way to my boyfriend.  “Now, please for the love of God explain what an integral is,” I said as I pulled out my notebook from my backpack.

Ed and I had been studying for about an hour.  “Does that make sense?” Ed asked as he finished his explanation.

“I think so,” I said, slowly nodding my head.

“Good.  I think we should take a break,” he said while bringing his hand towards my thigh.

“What exactly were you thinking we should do during this break?” I questioned, my voice low as I started to lean in towards him.

“I have a few ideas,” he growled, his hand roughly squeezing my thigh causing me to gasp.  “And a few of them include taking off that pretty little skirt of yours.”  He closed the gap between us that I had already been slowly closing.  The kiss was rough, taking the breath out of me as his hands wandered my body.  Somewhere during the kiss, I moved so that I was straddling him.  I held his face in my hands as I parted my lips, allowing him entrance.  His hands squeezed my ass causing me to let out a small moan.  The sound of someone clearing their throat caused us to pull away quickly.  I looked up to see Peter in the frame of the now opened door.

“Dinner’s ready,” Peter stated through clenched teeth.  He seemed stiffer than before as he looked at the scene in front of him.  I slowly climbed off of Ed, my face now a light pink from a mixture of the make-out session and being caught.  I adjusted my skirt which caught the attention of Peter whose eyes flickered to it.  “Will you be joining us for dinner (y/n)?”

“Oh yes,” I replied quickly, hoping the new conversation would help ease the tension in the room.  Ed got up, walking to my side.

“She’s actually staying the night since I live much closer to school.  That way she can get to school early to study before her exam.”  Peter shifted his weight between his feet as he listened to his brother, occasionally glancing at me.  

“Alright,” he said before turning around and heading back to the kitchen.

“He isn’t mad, is he?” I asked quietly.

“No,” Ed shook his head.  “At least I don’t think so.  I’m not sure what his problem is.  Maybe he’s just stressed.”  He gave a shrug before grabbing my hand and leading me to the kitchen.

“Oh look!  The two lovebirds finally decided to grace us with their presence,” Lucy said as we walked into the kitchen.  Edmund’s parents chuckled at their daughter’s comment.

“You’re just on a streak today of making fun of me,” Edmund said, shaking his head.

“Isn’t that every day?” Peter questioned causing all of us to laugh.  Edmund sat down next to Lucy while I sat across from him next to Peter.

“How’s studying going?” Edmund’s father asked.

“It’s going good.  Edmund’s amazing at teaching math,” I said.  

“Well, it’s easy when the student is so amazing.”  I smiled at Edmund’s words.  His parents smiled as well while Lucy made fake gagging sounds.  This caused her parents to turn to her and ask her about her day.  I half-listened while shoveling food into my mouth, starving after a day of school which included no breaks for lunch.

“Hungry?” Peter questioned, chuckling at his own joke.

“Only a bit,” I replied with, cracking a smile.  “I haven’t eaten all day plus it doesn’t hurt that the food is absolutely delicious.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You cooked this?”  My eyes widened in surprise.  At first glance, you wouldn’t think of Peter as a cook.

“My specialty,” he said, a grin on his face.  

“(Y/n),” Edmund’s mother said causing me to turn to her.  “We set up the couch for you to sleep on but if it’s too uncomfortable, I’m sure Susan wouldn’t mind you borrowing her bedroom for the night.”

“The couch is fine,” I replied as everyone had started to clean up.  

“Great!  Edmund, would you clean up your girlfriend’s plate while I show her to the bathroom.”  Edmund nodded, grabbing my plate and walking towards the sink where Lucy was waiting.  I got up from my seat.  As I started to turn to follow Edmund’s mom, I couldn’t help but realize that my ass was level with Peter’s face who was still sitting next to my seat.  I straightened my skirt, trying to pull it down a bit lower to cover as much as possible so Peter didn’t see too much.  I could feel his eyes watch me as I walked away from my seat and towards the hall where the bathroom was.

I laid on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.  It was almost midnight now but I could barely sleep.  All I could think about was Peter.  “Snap out of it,” I mumbled to myself as I turned to my side.  I was with Edmund, not Peter.  But why did Peter make my heart flutter and my stomach do somersaults?  “This isn’t working,” I said, sitting upright.  I ran a hand through my (h/c) locks.  Maybe spending some time with Edmund would help me get my mind off of Peter. 

I slowly got off of the couch, tiptoeing my way towards Edmund’s door.  I paused as I heard what sounded like panting coming from another door.  “(Y/n),” I heard a voice gasp through the wooden door.  I inhaled sharply as I realized it was Peter’s voice.  I slowly opened the door to see Peter laying in bed, his hands wrapped around a very erect cock.  

“Peter?” I questioned, causing him to freeze.  He rushed to cover himself as he started to mumble something.  I felt my heart race as I closed the door behind me, the knot in my stomach becoming more intense with every step I took towards him.  “It’s okay,” I said softly as I crawled into his bed.  Peter let out something between a sigh and a growl as I felt his hands wander my body.

“Fuck (y/n),” he muttered as I allowed my hands to wander his body.  He was completely naked which allowed me to trace over his defined abs and warm skin without any barriers.  “You know, you look a lot more mature than eighteen.”

“Really,” I chuckled as my hands wrapped around his cock causing him to inhale deeply.  “You know, I was actually on my way to see your brother.  I couldn’t get my mind off of you, wondering what it would feel like to have your huge cock stretching out my tight little pussy.  I thought maybe Ed could take my mind off of it,”  I leaned in so that my mouth was right by his ear.  “But maybe acting out my fantasies would be the best way to get over them.”  I gently bit down on his earlobe causing him to let out a low moan.  I had started to slowly move my hand up and down his cock, watching with interest at how Peter reacted to my actions.

He closed his eyes, letting his head fall back on his pillow as I quickened my pace.  He let out a low moan, bucking his hips.  After a few minutes, his hand grabbed my wrist, stopping my hand.  “If you want me to fuck you, you’ll have to stop jerking me off before I cum,” he said.  Although he didn’t say it in any particular way, his words turned me on even more as I rubbed my legs together, wanting any kind of friction.  Peter sensed this as he pinned me to the mattress, his face only inches from mine.

His lips crashed with mine, his tongue ripping open my mouth and exploring it while his hands worked on removing my clothes.  We separated for a moment to take off my shirt before our lips were back together.  I helped take off my shorts and underwear, our kiss being broken up into smaller kisses with gasps of air in between.  He pulled away leaving me both breathless and dizzy.  I watched as he lined himself with me before pushing in.  I let out a loud moan causing him to cover my mouth with his hand.  “We don’t want Edmund to walk in on us now do we,” he said, raising an eyebrow.  I shook my head no.  “That’s a good girl,” he said before slowly rolling his hips.  

My back arched in pleasure, my hands gripping the sheets as Peter quickened the pace.  The bedsprings groaned underneath us as Peter slammed into me over and over again.  He fell onto his forearms, panting into my ear as he quickened his pace even more.  I dug my heels into him, pushing him even deeper.  “You’re so fucking tight,” he said in a half moan.  His lips found my neck causing me to gasp.  Peter sucked and bit down along my neck causing my hands to rake down his bare back, the pleasure becoming too much.

“Peter,” I gasped as he bit down on my neck one last time, almost surely leaving a hickey.  If my mind hadn’t been clouded with lust, I would have chastised him for leaving a love mark on my body, something Edmund was sure to notice.  Instead, it caused me to let out a low moan as my orgasm rippled through me.  My eyes were forced closed as my head flew back my body pressed against Peter’s as I held onto him for dear life.  The pleasure became almost unbearable as Peter quickened the pace, his thrusts becoming more sloppy and desperate as he chased his own orgasm.  

He let out a moan as I felt his warm seed spill into me.  “(Y/n),” he moaned as he thrusted into me sporadically as his orgasm started to slow down.  He slowly got off of me, falling to my side before turning to face me.  He pulled me in for a kiss that was much more gentle than the ones we had shared during our moment of passion.  I rested my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as I was slowly lulled to sleep.  The one thing that I could think of as I was pulled into my dreams was that I had just fucked my boyfriend’s brother.

[papipopsicle]

HANDMADE HEAVEN PART ONE

Pairing: Steve Harrington X Hargrove!Reader

Summary: In which the new Queen of Hawkins High finds herself falling for the fallen king.

Song: Easier by 5 Seconds of Summer

Warnings: swearing, asshole parental figures

Words: 1.7K

MASTERLIST

feedback is always appreciated

The house itself was fine, not pretty and polished like the one she grew up in, but at the very least she was grateful not to be sleeping in another motel bed filled with broken springs and anonymous stains. Susan greeted her like a good little home maker, tightly waved hair bouncing against her shoulders as she walked down the steps of the porch.

"How was it, sweetie?" The ginger woman waited with pursed lips while her step daughter stood from the vehicle. She really hated that car, it stood out like a sore thumb next to her husband's silver SUV, especially when her brothers parked alongside the two.

"Not the worst." Y/N shrugged. She missed the silent solace already, "Has Max decided which room she wants?"

Susan nodded, leading the blonde into their new home, "She's at the back opposite your father and I. William hasn't arrived yet so you have the choice of the one next to hers or ours."

Without hesitation she chose the one next to Max's. Her father helped unload her heavier furniture from the U-Haul currently fixed to the back of her red muscle car. The room was in the shape on an 'L', mirroring her step sister's. Her small double bed only just managed to fit in the crook, creating a cosy space to drift away in.

Hours of rearranging the room passed before a navy blue Camaro could be heard pulling up onto the curb and a muggy sunset made itself present in her bedroom window. Emptying out her socks into the small drawer of her dresser, Y/N dropped the empty black bin liner behind her and rushed to greet her brother.

"Billy!" She squealed, attacking him with a hug. The two would roughhouse and swear at each other like drunken sailors, but their love for each other would always be the first thing anyone noticed about the twins. He picked her up with ease and spun her around, quickly dropping her to the floor again.

Y/N's twin would sometimes forget the rude masculine persona he put on and actually behaved like himself, but it never lasted long with their father close by.

"See that hunk of crap didn't kill you on the way here then?" Billy joked as they both carried a bed frame into his new room. His distaste for the nineteen-sixty-eight Mustang Cobra was evident whenever it came up in conversation, only due to it being left to her rather than him in their mother's will.

"Not just yet." His sister hummed and the two let out a huff as they dropped the mattress onto the wooden frame. They talked about the bullshit of finishing their senior year at a completely different school and what that we're going to dress up as for Halloween. It was their favourite holiday and this year she planned on being Tom Cruise from Risky Business. Nobody would understand it but it was better than Billy's 'slutty teen boy' costume he wore most days anyway.

"Y/N/N honey, could you come into the lounge!" Susan's sugary tone rang through the house. The twins shared a look that always subconsciously found their faces when she attempted to play doting step mother.

Fucking doormat of a woman.

"Coming." The blonde shut her brothers door on the way out and walking down the hallway into the small living area. By now any remnants of the sun had long hidden away from Hawkins and only warm ceiling lights lit up her face.

Susan appeared from the kitchen door with a tray full of oatmeal cookies, grin etched into her features like puppet strings pulling at her cheeks, "Try one, would you?" She gleamed, pushing the metal tray out for emphasis, "I'd ask your father but he'd just say they were nice, never wants to upset me. He's too good."

Not wanting to answer, Y/N took a small crumbly cookie and bit into it, eyes bugging out at the statement only able to nod in response.

The step mother watched in anticipation, hair bouncing at her shoulders as usual, "So, gorgeous? Be honest with me, how are they?"

"Really good," She didn't like the woman, but couldn't deny her ability to copy a recipe, "I think these may even top the peanut butter ones."

Susan's sterile smile managed to stretch further and Y/N was scared her lips may crack and bleed from the force, "Perfect! We're handing them out to our new neighbours tomorrow. Which reminds me, I need you to get some new trainers for Maxine tomorrow, nothing expensive though, they're just for gym class. She's a four now.

The blonde resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and instead nodded while an idea popped into her head, "I drove past a giant superstore on my way here, I'm sure they're still open I can just go now."

"Are you sure, honey?" Susan sounded concerned, but Neil didn't share the same feelings, "Curfew is eleven until you start school on Monday, same rules apply here."

"I know, Dad." She nodded curtly and turned on her heel, not wasting a moment grabbing her brothers old khaki bomber jacket and her car keys. The front door shut just as quickly as it opened, leaving the small U Haul sitting on the driveway next to Billy's Camaro.

It had been her brother's favourite jacket since he was sixteen, but he'd gained so much muscle his arms couldn't slip into it anymore. Although Y/N was tall for the average girl, the material still managed to shroud her frame.

Y/N felt amazed after managing to get to the store fairly easily, she picked up some plain black pumps and paid for them with cash, pocketing the receipt to make sure Neil would reimburse her. That took less than fifteen minutes. There were still over two hours until she needed to be back at the house and she needed to make the most of any freedom from her father.

She was her mother's daughter and the opposite of Susan Mayfield-Hargrove; if someone showed themselves as a thorn and not the rose they seemed to be, they were a thorn. She could accept it and move on, which is difficult when they own the house she calls home. Her step mother was a fixer, finding wilted petals and taping them up against the thorn to appear more sightly. If Neil was the thorn, Y/N the rose, then Susan was a daisy in a field where she didn’t belong.

The younger Hargrove twin decided to explore her new home, driving around cul-de-sacs and roads which mirrored one another. After a while of aimless driving, Y/N parked up at the side of a quiet road, seeming to back onto a rich neighbourhood. She locked the muscle car, Ellie, and began walking on the edge of the road.

"Stay put, El." She whispered to herself, echoing her mother's voice. Meredith Hargrove always swore her car changed parking spaces whenever they went somewhere together.

Y/N couldn't imagine having so much space, no family was big enough to make use of it all. Her feet brought her into the small forest area, passing a few more eccentric gardens before finding one which intrigued her. The lights were all off, moonlight bouncing off the unmoving water in the centre of the garden.

Swimming had always been something the Hargrove girl not only loved but turned to in uncertainty. Billy would surf alongside her a long time ago, but he hadn't for years now. Her eyes danced around each room, unable to see any kind of life within the mansion. Against Y/N’s better judgement, she left the tall trees and let her toes edge onto someone's private property.

It seems a shame not to.

Fallen leaves stopped crunching under her brown boots as they found concrete slabs. The family must have employed a cleaner and gardener as nothing seemed out of place or dirty. The water was clear and not a single leaf or bug lay on its surface. Crouching down, her fingers drifted along the water, creating a small ripple, confirming her suspicions of how cold it would be.

She didn't care, stripping down into her underwear in the cool autumnal winds, anyone would've thought she was a crazy person. Y/N ignored the small ladder next to her and gracefully dived into the pool, swimming down to the bottom until she needed to come back up for air. The blonde lay on her back, staring up at the stars wondering what her friends were doing on the other side of America. Probably at Sadie's getting high.

Y/N wasn't sure how much time had passed, her fingertips were now wrinkled but it didn't bother her. She was in her element, so much so she didn't register when the kitchen light turned on and alerted the homeowner of someone in their pool.

Steve's body was overcome with terror as he did a double, triple take out of the kitchen window at the figure in his garden. He only wanted some leftover lasagne. Grabbing his nail punctured bat, the home alone teenager unlocked the back door, and against his own better judgement, creeped towards the intruder.

As he came closer, he was thankful to find a girl than a demogorgan, a girl he certainly didn't recognise. Her blonde hair lay on top of the water like a halo as she floated in her own world.

"Hello?" He questioned, bat still firmly in hand, "Why the fuck are you naked in my pool?"

Y/N left her mini trance, flailing in the water as her eyes found a teenage boy wielding an odd weapon, only a scream leaving her lips in response.

part two?

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[goalieprotectionsquad]

so i’ve watched like three straight days of maine cabin masters and my idiot ass is thinking of the harringtons having a cute little cabin on a lake in maine where they went every summer as a family before his dad started making bank and didn’t have the time anymore.

it’s been seventeen years since steve’s been up there. he doesn’t live at home anymore. he has a job that doesn’t really make him happy, but doesn’t really make him miserable, either. he has plenty of savings from the government coverup but doesn’t have anywhere to go with it. nothing to spend it on. the kids get older. they leave for college. he’s in his mid-twenties and complacent and isn’t all that motivated to change anything.

he gets dinner with his parents when they’re in town in the spring. his mom is talking about a lodge they stayed in when they visited basque country over christmas and he suddenly remembers the cabin. he waits until his mom is done relaying unimportant details like the color of the drape tassels to ask his dad if they still have the cabin in maine, and it’s evident on his face that he’d forgotten about it, too. he looks sort of wistful for a moment but it passes quickly. yeah, they still own it. no, nobody’s been up there in a while. steve doesn’t really think before he’s saying, “can I take a trip up there?”

his parents stare at him for a second like they’re surprised he’s actually interested in doing something, which. not unfair. his dad can’t remember where he put the keys but gives steve the address and tells him to find a locksmith who can get him inside. (steve plans on elbowing through a window or something to save on time and the hassle).

he subleases his apartment and leaves. everyone he likes is either away at school or just. away. moving on with their lives. he doesn’t have anyone to say goodbye to beyond telling his boss he’s quitting.

it takes a while to get up there, but he does, eventually. the cabin is hard to find and it looks so bad on the outside that steve has to triple check the address on the adjacent cabins to make sure it’s the right place. he thinks it’s maybe not just him who hasn’t been here in almost twenty years.

he stays in a hotel and gets up early to meet the contractor. she looks like she’s holding in a laugh when she introduces herself as kali. “look,” she says. “I’m going to be straight with you. this place is literally falling apart.”

steve doesn’t know what to say so he says, “yeah.”

“we can do a walkthrough,” she continues, “but I guarantee that this is going to make your budget look like pocket change.”

steve doesn’t really want to say it’s his dad’s money, so he shrugs and says, “let’s do it,” and watches her pick the lock.

the foundation is rotted out. the floor is rotted out. the porch is rotted out. she points at things and says any variety of that has to go or we’d start by taking that out or when was the last time you were up here again? they need to hire a plumber and a landscaper and an electrician and probably an exterminator, too, and kali doesn’t say anything when she watches him write a check for half the amount she quotes. she gives him a calculating look with kohl-rimmed eyes and says, “all right. we’ll be here tomorrow morning.”

steve shows up at seven because he doesn’t have anything better to do and there’s already a truck parked outside. a tall guy with a beanie shoved low over his forehead is tearing the porch off the front of the house and steve goes over to him and tries not to get hit with any falling debris.

“hi,” he says and has to stand there a minute before the guy looks at him. “I’m steve. is kali around?”

she’s inside the cabin and is leaning over the sink when steve walks in. she yells no. no. no. out the open window to her right as the water continues to run and then yes that’s it we got it as it cuts off abruptly. she looks unsurprised when she turns around and sees him standing in the doorway.

“hi,” he says again. “I’m here to help.”

“you’re paying us to do this for you, you know,” she says, but something in her face makes steve feel like she gets it.

a guy with his hair pulled into a tight bun at the nape of his neck hoists himself through the front door from where the porch used to be. “hey,” he says, all silk, when he sees steve.

“billy, this is steve harrington. the homeowner.” she stresses the word enough that steve literally cannot not notice the emphasis. billy rolls his eyes and shakes steve’s hand. it’s rough with calluses and steve would be stupid not to think about what that would feel like on his skin.

“billy hargrove,” he says. “head carpenter.”

“steve’s here to help with demo,” kali says. 

“well,” billy says. he gives steve one of the most obvious once-overs he’s ever seen. “welcome aboard. you’re gonna help me knock down these interior walls, pretty boy. heads up, though. you might break a nail.”

billy shows him how to use a stud finder and how to cut into the walls to make sure there aren’t any loose wires running through it and then he fucking kicks the wall in and gives steve a wild grin as the drywall dust settles into his blond hair.

steve comes back every day to see billy. he doesn’t even bother lying to himself. billy is funny and sharp and always seems to have a comeback for anything anyone ever says. he shows steve how to build things. stands at his shoulder and watches him use the staple gun on the trim. brings him lunch when he goes out to get food for the rest of the crew.

he tells steve that his mom sent him to live with a friend who had moved from san diego to bangor a few years before. his parents split and she didn’t want him living with his dad. he says susan is a little ditzy but she means well, and she didn’t give up on him during his rougher years in high school even though he isn’t even her kid. he calls her daughter my sister and gets a pinched expression on his face when he talks about how she’s been going through her teenage angst since she was eight and how they’re still figuring out how to not always be at each other’s throats.

it takes a month for them to take out the rotted lumber and to fix the foundation and floor and porch and roof. billy shows steve the crumbly mess in the insulation that means he has an ant infestation. steve helps make the framing for the bathroom and bedroom walls and helps lay the stones for the walkway down to the lake. he spends all day at the work site, then he goes back to the hotel, has dinner, crashes. rinse and repeat. he spends the days the crew isn’t working exploring sort of idly and missing the smell of sawdust. 

when kali declares the place habitable, he buys a mattress and drops it onto the floor of the master bedroom, which is still missing its walls. he checks out of the hotel and buys some groceries and spends his evenings down at the lake, his own private little waterfront. he tries reading but the only salvageable book in the cabin is walden and he can’t make it past the first page.

he hears axel and mick talking about a meteor shower one night. once the crew is gone and the sky is turning purple-navy, he goes down to the lake and lays back to look at the stars. they’re brighter out here, brighter than hawkins, somehow, and the sky feels endless.

he turns to look over his shoulder when he hears footsteps crunching through the undergrowth in his direction. “just me,” billy calls through the dark. he drops down heavily next to steve and passes over a beer and a hamburger wrapped in greasy foil. casual, like they do this all the time. his hair is down and curly and he’s wearing a red shirt unbuttoned to his navel, where it’s tucked into his jeans. he’s wearing cologne, too, and billy smiles when he sees it get steve’s attention.

they talk and they sit in comfortable silence and then they talk again. billy seems to be getting closer and closer until their shoulders and thighs are pressed together and their elbows are knocking. when billy turns to look at him, their noses almost brush, and steve knows billy doesn’t miss the way his eyes drop to his mouth.

“have you swam in the lake yet?” he asks instead and gives steve a wicked smile when he shakes his head, and then he’s up and stripping down and is in the water, wet hair slicked back over his head, before steve’s brain has even puttered beyond looking at billy’s mouth. “come on it, pretty boy! water’s fine.”

he unabashedly watches steve undress and reaches for him immediately once he’s in the water. no preamble. just. puts a hand on his hip. when steve doesn’t move back, he slips an arm around steve’s waist, and then the other. their knees bump under the water and billy noses at steve’s cheek. kisses him on the chin and the corner of his mouth before he kisses his bottom lip. they kiss and kiss, the water not even up to their collarbones, and steve has never been so aware of the night noises around them. cicadas in the trees. a loon some ways away. something shrieks in the distance and it startles steve enough that he stumbles in billy’s grip, and billy tightens his hold and tilts his chin closer again and whispers, “it’s just a fisher cat,” into the crease of his lips.

they start heading back to the cabin before billy makes them double back for the food wrappers and beer bottles and steve grabs their clothes so he has something to do with his hands. he’s never run naked through the trees before but there’s something freeing about it. for some reason, the trees out here don’t look as threatening as the ones in hawkins. maybe they’re older, wiser. maybe they’ve seen more and know how to protect him and billy from whatever else is out there.

steve clears away the painting tarp over the bed and barely has it on the ground before billy is crowding against him, skin dry but hair dripping at the ends over his freckled shoulders. they lose track of time in a cabin they rebuilt together.

billy’s hand on his chest is what wakes him up. the sun is filtering in through the windows and billy is trying to press a mug of coffee into his hands. steve doesn’t own mugs or coffee or a coffee maker out here. steve sits up and leans against the wall, right where they’ve sketched out the custom headboard billy’s going to help him carve, and lets the blanket pool around him in a way that has billy’s gaze dropping, the apples of his cheeks going a little pink. he looks good in the morning sun, in the little bits of dust floating through the air. 

“where’d you find the coffee maker?” steve asks. “and the change of clothes?”

billy gives him a big shark smile but sounds a little sheepish when he says, “I was hedging my bets on needing morning provisions.”

steve makes them eggs and bacon and toast and they sit out on the new front porch to eat and wait for the rest of the team to show up. billy keeps leaning in to kiss his ear, the hinge of his jaw, the side of his neck. just pecks. they still set steve on fire.

billy stays that night, and the next, and the next, and the next. they go swimming for real, eventually, and play cards, and fall asleep outside in the grass with their fingers twisted together. out in the open as much as in their own little world.

kali knows something is going on between them, even if steve doesn’t know if billy told her or she figured it out herself. when it’s just the three of them in a room, billy likes to pitch his voice down, low enough to be husky, but loud enough to be overheard, and gives steve directions more gutturally than usual. pull out a little, he’ll say, all breathless, when they’re fitting the doorframes. now push it back in. harder. mm, yeah, steve. right there. steve doesn’t know if it’s meant to be embarrassing or not but he laughs himself red in the face anyway.

they finish the cabin over the next six weeks. if steve hadn’t been there every day for almost three months, he might have thought he’d gotten the address wrong. it looks like a house, first of all. the outside is a soft brown to blend into the trees. there’s a little living room with a couch and a little table with two artfully mismatched chairs in the kitchen. there’s a huge window in the master bedroom overlooking the lake. steve has never really felt drawn to the water as a non-great-lakes-midwestern kid, but every time he looks out over the lake, he wonders if he even wants to go back to hawkins.

it feels weird giving kali the second half of the payment, knowing he won’t see her again. he hugs her and she pats him awkwardly on the elbows until he lets go. one by one, the rest of the team leaves, and it’s not until steve’s standing alone in the fading sunlight that he realizes that billy’s gone, too.

it’s the first time billy’s just left without saying anything about where he was going and when he was coming back. that deep, dark part of steve says they were just fooling around during the job, but he drinks a beer and talks himself out of panicking. he makes himself a sandwich. lays in the bed. showers. doesn’t really know what to do with himself now that the job is done and billy is gone.

he’s laying on the couch and staring up at the ceiling when the sound of a key scraping in the lock has him on his feet on instinct to do -- something, he didn’t really think that far ahead -- but then the door wedges open and billy’s head appears around it.

“sorry,” he says when he sees steve still gaping. “didn’t mean to scare you. we just -- kali forgot to give you back your spare.”

steve watches him reach out and hang the key ring around the hook next to the door. it overlaps steve’s set.

“oh,” steve says. “thanks.”

billy gives him a little smile and looks like he’s going to leave, but then they’re both saying wait in the same moment and billy’s smile reappears around the door, wide but shy.

“stay,” steve says.

billy slides the rest of the way past the door. he has a small duffle thrown over the shoulder steve couldn’t see behind the door and he’s holding a bottle of cheap grocery store champagne.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” billy says. now that steve’s shown his hand, it’s  like billy’s found his footing again. he drops his bag and goes over to the cabinet to pull out two mugs, sets them on the counter. he wraps an arm around steve where’s he’s drifted over without really meaning to. billy kisses the corner of his mouth and presses the bottle into his hands. the foil is already peeled off the cork. “I heard you’re celebrating a housewarming. you wanna do the honors?”

[staarkindustries]

Locked

Locked in a room with Johnny Storm. Everyone's dream, right?

Warning: angst if you squint, fluff, swearing, Johnny being Johnny

Words: 912

(Gif not mine)

Locked in a room with Johnny Storm. Everyone's dream, right? No.

"Certainly not my fault!" "And whose Storm? Mine?!" "My sister and Reed are in Berlin, Ben is pissed at me. How do we get out?" "If I knew I would have been out long ago! I wish I'd never met you." I snorted leaning against the wall, with my hands on my face. "That fucking day I could have stayed home instead of following you and that gang of jerks into space. I could have painted or read but not. Why not follow Reed Richards in a fucking space mission?" I saw the strange look Johnny gave me, but after a second it disappeared. "I assure you that as soon as we get out of here you will never see me again. This way we will both be happy." "Perfect." "Perfect... I can try to overheat the door and melt it." "I don't want to melt too." "You won't, protect yourself with water." I created a shield around me with water and looked at Johnny. "You will remain naked: you are not wearing a suit." "I don't think I need to be completely on fire and, if it were, have a good view." He made fire going out of his hands and put them on the door.

"Storm, I think it's impossible." "Wait a second!" "We will end up running out of oxygen, idiot!" "One second ..." "Johnny!" I screamed and he left the door. "I could have done it." "What? Kill us both? You were close! My God Storm why don't you ever do what you are told?!" "Were you afraid, princess?" "Fuck you."

"Two out... Three left..." I looked out the window, where a missile fired by Victor exploded next to Johnny. I looked down and felt my eyes pinch. Damn Storm, what have you done to me? Victor came towards me, took me by the chin and glanced at me. "Too bad, I'm sorry to ruin such a pretty face."

Johnny's POV

After tricking Victor's missile I flew to the town square and noticed Reed, Susan and Ben. Where is Y/N? I thought, going next to the Thing. Reed and Susan looked at me in regret, as if they knew something that should hurt me. When I understood it was too late. Y/N was there, in front of us, stuck in a strange Victor's machine. The first thing I did was a step forward, but Ben stopped me. "Johnny, Supernova." "I thought we agree Supernova was bad!" "Johnny!" "Okay." I began to circle around Victor, going faster and faster. "Can't you do better?" "Chemistry 101: What happens if molten metal cools? Ben!" In the meantime, I run towards Y/N. "Hey, hey it's all over." "Y-you are... Alive..." "I'm not that easy to kill." "I saw the missile explode... You..." "Shh, save your breath, princess." "I hate that nickname." I released her from the different threads and held her in my arms, where she fainted. "Shit ... Reed?" "Let's go to my house. Quickly."

4 days went by and still Y/N has not woken up. "Come on Y/N, you are strong... You have to wake up." Someone knocked on the door. "Johnny? I have to do some tests, you should..." "I'll stay here." "But your sister needs to talk to you..." "I said: I'll stay here." After Reed's various analyzes I was left alone with Y/N again. "You are stronger than Victor, okay? You have to wake up. Wake up princess, I'm not going to stop fighting with you for an idiot, okay? I love fighting with you. You're the only one who stands up to me, so make sure you wake up." Nothing, Y/N was motionless on that damn bed. "Johnny, you should take a shower and shave... You look like a homeless man." "Susan, if she doesn't wake up I..." I didn't finish the sentence. "Then make sure that when she wakes up, because I know she will, you are at least presentable." I nodded, so Susan walked out. "Don't wake up while I'm not there, I want to see you." I brushed my lips with hers and I went out too.

A week. Nothing. Still lying on that fucking bed. I rested my elbows on the mattress, took Y/N's hand between mine and brought it to my mouth. "Y/N... Please, please." Susan walked in and fortunately I had time to put her hand back on the mattress so she didn't notice. "Okay, now the two of us are gonna have a talk." "What is it? I washed myself today, and I also shaved." "That's not the point. You're not like that... You're a playboy, the one who always has a different girlfriend and..." "Well that's not the case anymore!" I yelled. "She is important to me, okay?" "Mh ... Storm, why do you always have to scream?" My gaze immediately returned to Y/N who now had her eyes open, Susan, without saying a word, went out, leaving us alone.

"Hey... Sorry." "Don't worry." She smiled and took my hand, still on the bed. "I thought you would never wake up again." "Well, we're even." I smiled. "Yes, we are even." "Johnny?" "Yes?" "Stay with me?" "As long as you want." I lied down next to her who, unexpectedly, hugged me. "Do you tell everyone?" "Only to those who I really care about." "So how many girls did you say it to?" "Only to you." "Good."

"Johnny." "Mh?" "You're on fire." "Oops... Sorry." "Idiot."

[tabloidtoc]

Star, January 11

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover Story: Hollywood’s Best and Worst Bosses 

Page 1: Shia LaBeouf currently accused of relentless abuse and sexual battery by his ex FKA Twigs was snapped making out with Margaret Qualley after she arrived at LAX for a solid 10 minutes and holding up traffic -- the PDA session was the first time Shia and Margaret who is the daughter of Andie MacDowell were spotted out in public together but the two got well-acquainted a few months ago rolling around naked for a NSFW music video for a song by the actress’ sister Rainey Qualley a.k.a. Rainsford -- Shia went out of his way to charm Margaret as soon as they met and he wooed her with compliments and gifts and flowers and texts and spur-of-the-moment dates where he’d just show up at her house but her friends are concerned because Twigs’ lawsuit against Shia alleges multiple incidents of abuse including choking her in her sleep and knowingly giving her a sexually transmitted disease -- Shia said many of those allegations are not true and he is in a 12-step program and therapy for PTSD and alcoholism

Page 2: Contents, Prince William and Duchess Kate with kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for a Christmas card 

Page 3: Candice Swanepoel in a bathing suit in Miami, Jennifer Garner stepped out to run errands in a mask and an expressive sweater in L.A., Ryan Reynolds cuddled up with a puppy to encourage his Instagram followers to donate to the SickKids Foundation 

Page 4: Friends of Johnny Depp are keeping their distance as he gears up for another ugly defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard -- after losing the case against a U.K. newspaper that called him a wife beater and a scathing feature in The Hollywood Reporter that dubbed the star radioactive and his career all but dead, former pals want nothing to do with him -- the likes of Jude Law, Leonardo DiCaprio and Channing Tatum have been backpeddling on Johnny and it’s making him furious but to be fair Johnny had already alienated Leo and Channing by calling them Pumpkin Head and Potato Head and accusing them of having affairs with Amber -- Jude’s indifference cuts the deepest because for a time he and Johnny were brothers-in-arms as they filmed the second Fantastic Beasts movie and from Johnny’s perspective Jude hasn’t lifted a finger to defend him 

Page 5: Mossimo Giannulli’s son is speaking out claiming the fashion designer is being treated harshly at California’s Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc and Gianni Giannulli took to social media to complain that because of the pandemic his dad has been locked in solitary confinement for one full month and is only let out every three days for a few moments to shower and Gianni, Mossimo’s son from an earlier relationship, is irate that his father is being mistreated and he feels sorry for his dad and doesn’t want to see him languishing in prison however his half sisters Bela and Olivia Jade don’t seem too bothered by it

* At age 74 Susan Sarandon has had it with men -- she said she hasn’t really had a large dating career and in fact hasn’t had a guy in five years and it’s not that she can’t get a man, it’s just that the men she attracts are losers or sub-par in some way -- she is happy hanging out in her NYC apartment but still friends can’t help trying to fix her up because she’s attractive and in phenomenal shape but the problem is she scares guys away; she’s a force they can’t handle 

* Two years after sharing her shock diagnosis with multiple sclerosis Selma Blair is struggling with pain and fear -- she was recently spotted getting emotional outside a West Hollywood cannabis shop and she has turned to medical marijuana to soothe symptoms of the chronic immune-system disorder which can include fatigue, spasticity, walking issues, numbness, weakness, vision issues and pain -- on some days she can’t even get out of bed but she’s trying to stay strong for her son Arthur and smile more for him but it’s been hard 

Page 6: Julianne Hough appears to be sweetness and light but she’s a heartbreaker according to her ex Chuck Wicks who split from Julianne in 2009 -- in a revealing podcast Chuck blasted Julianne saying they were both loving life then out of nowhere you find out that they are not the person you thought they were and you break up -- Chuck admitted that he and Julianne agreed to say their split was amicable but it wasn’t fine and it wasn’t his fault

* After holing up at his Oklahoma spread Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are having a blast decorating their 13,000-square-foot $13.2 million new home in the Encino area of California’s San Fernando Valley -- the home sits on 1.6 ultra-private acres behind double gates and extensive walls and features a pool and fabulous views -- inside the engaged pair give each other space: Gwen wants a dance studio and Blake gets his own man-cave with a big screen and high-tech surround sound 

* Star Spots the Stars -- Nicky Hilton, Katharine McPhee Foster, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt making dairy-free and plant-based holiday appetizers, Jenna Dewan, Natalia Dyer

Page 8: Big Losers -- these stars shed pounds and got healthy in 2020 -- Jessica Simpson, Rebel Wilson, Kelly Osbourne 

Page 10: Star Shots -- Gwen Stefani on the way to the recording studio in Santa Monica, Jerry O’Connell started his morning off with a fresh mimosa and a kiss from one of his dogs, Jodie Turner-Smith is the first Black actress to play Henry VIII’s ill-fated queen Anne Boleyn in a major U.K. TV series in Emley, UK 

Page 11: Nick Cannon pitched in to help distribute 2000 free meal boxes to the Hollywood Food Coalition

Page 12: Demi Moore in a yellow bow for a selfie thanking readers for checking out her memoir, Paris Hilton kicked back for a Coach campaign reintroducing the early-2000s ubiquitous Swinger bag

Page 13: Derek Hough and his dogs Romie and Luna, Irina Shayk striking a pose 

Page 14: Sofia Vergara during a photoshoot, Real Housewives of New York City alum Kristen Taekman is taking advantage of the California winter weather in a bikini in Malibu, Wells Adams takes out the trash in L.A. 

Page 16: Carrie Underwood showed off her comfy at-home style, Vanessa Hudgens and her favorite condiment, Katherine Schwarzenegger celebrates her dog’s birthday 

Page 17: Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval picked up a holiday-themed centerpiece ahead of Christmas in L.A., Katie Holmes slung a guitar over her shoulder in NYC, Dame Joan Collins dropped by The Jonathan Ross Show in London 

Page 18: Normal or Not? Hailey Baldwin shares a glimpse into her beauty routine -- normal, Tiger Woods’ son Charlie showed off his skills ahead of the PNC Championship -- normal 

Page 19: Pete Wentz playing tennis in L.A. -- normal, Pete Davidson hurt himself a few times while making a scarf -- not normal 

Page 20: Fashion -- stars charm in romantic ruffles -- Keke Palmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lupita Nyong’o 

Page 21: Kirsten Dunst, Halsey 

Page 24: Ariana Grande announced her engagement to realtor Dalton Gomez with some celebratory shots and she’s telling everyone how she never thought it was possible to be this happy -- the couple began dating in early 2020 when Dalton helped Ariana find a home in L.A. and things hit the fast track amid the health pandemic which saw the two enjoying quality time together in lockdown and realizing they were a perfect fit because they never fight and are totally in sync about how they look at life -- Ariana went straight into wedding mode already deciding on an intimate outdoor setting in mid-2021

Page 25: Jon Hamm stepped out in L.A. recently with girlfriend Anna Osceola and she was showing off a noticeably rounder midsection and there’s a good chance the two are pregnant because they’ve been actively trying to get into the family way -- though Jon admitted in 2016 that having children isn’t necessarily an imperative Jon may have changed his tune after his year-long relationship with Anna and hitting the big 5-0 in March has him reassessing his life and now having a child has become important to him 

* Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher will be camping in style now that they’ve purchased a $140K Mercedes Benz Sprinter and they’re preparing to embark on an adventure  -- with sleeping accommodations for four and a kitchen the spacious luxury vehicle is perfect for the couple and their two kids -- other stars can spend their vacations in five-star resorts but Mila and Ashton prefer to keep things alfresco and it’s a tradition they’ve kept all these years; this is their idea of a perfectly fun vacation

Page 26: Cover Story -- Hollywood’s Best and Worst Bosses -- who’s great to work for and who makes employees’ lives a misery -- Jennifer Hudson -- best

Page 27: Jennifer Lopez -- worst, Rihanna -- best, Kenny Chesney -- best, Mariah Carey -- worst, Gwyneth Paltrow -- worst 

Page 28: Keanu Reeves -- best, Sandra Bullock -- best, Emma Watson -- worst 

Page 29: George Clooney -- best, Ellen DeGeneres -- worst, Guess the Bad Boss 

Page 30: Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell: Man on a Mission -- amid all the tension on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 Tom has been pursuing his costar Hayley to be his next girlfriend and it seems to be working -- Tom has become very active with the U.K. Scientology Branch and is very taken with English women like Hayley and he’d like to make the U.K. his home base -- handcuffed to each other for several scenes in M:I7 Hayley and Tom were also spotted holding hands when the cameras weren’t rolling 

Page 32: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s very L.A. Christmas -- the prince spends the holidays 5000 miles away from the royal family but Meghan’s mom Doria Ragland was on hand for the festivities -- the couple were intending to call Queen Elizabeth on Christmas morning otherwise they were happy to celebrate a low-key holiday 

Page 38: Entertainment 

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas suited up to hit the slopes stopping by a local store to pick up goodies before changing into warmer gear in Mammoth Lakes in California -- the couple are familiar faces in the ski town and looking forward they will be able to plan even more snowy getaways now that they’ve listed their NYC apartment for $5.9 million and moved full-time to Encino 

[stanbillyhargrove]

Ghosts chp 24

A/N: blood, mentions of abuse and death

Neil's POV

August

I carried my son to bed, Olivia behind me with our daughter cradled in her arms. Spent my time tucking blankets under my sons little legs before kissing his curls and switching places with Olivia to do the same for our daughter.

"Daddy," our little girl whispered, "did you check for him?"

I smiled and ducked down to look under their beds. Nothing.

"No twisted man," I soothed, "you're safe."

She looked up at me, green eyes shining, "but what if he comes while I'm sleeping?"

"Well, then I'll protect you, okay?" I smoothed my hand down her face, "I'll always protect you."

"But what if I dream that you send us away, out into the dark and he takes the one I love and my heart breaks right in half and I can't feel anything happy?" Our girl asked, wide eyed.

A memory flashed, of a girl opening her mouth to scream and choking on black rivers of blood. A single black bruise in the middle of her chest, a tombstone surrounded by bright flowers.

I pressed a hand to my head, wincing.

"And what if I dream he hates me?" I looked over at my boy, blue eyes shimmering, "and he start to hit mommy?"

Another, of a boy clinging to his mother while she cried. Of purple finger prints on her skin.

I looked over and noticed Olivia had gone still, completely frozen and vacant like a statue. She crackled, like static and then vanished. When I turned back to the kids they had grown up. My girl was sitting against the headboard, ghostly pale and shaking. One of her eyes had turned the same blue as mine. She lifted her hand from her stomach and revealed a growing patch of blood.

"What if I dream you tried to kill me, daddy? You were bad and you hurt me?" She asked, her voice shuddering, "how will you protect me?"

I watched as a knife drove itself into her tender flesh once, twice before she fell to the ground. Watched blood pooling around her.

My mouth had gone dry, my jaw worked but no sound came out.

My boy had deep purple bruises on his chin and around his eye and blood seeping from a split lip.

"What if I dream that mom kills herself because of you? And you hate me even more and start to hit me? And you take everything from me until I want to kill myself too? How will you protect me then?"

My Olivia, hitting the ground, blood flowing from the back of her head. A blood splatter on the sharp edge of the counter. Her eyes growing cold as she spent more time in bed. Her blood on my gun, on the walls, on my hands.

My boy, growing up bloodied and battered, going from a crying boy to an angry teen. No emotions and a heart of steel to protect himself.

Susan, my second chance at life, broken down by my hand. Her scared face as she handed me the keys that sealed our fate. Her scream cutting off as we hurtled into a tree.

"Stop," I croaked, feeling tears prick and sweat bead.

I grabbed my head in both hands, clutching hard as I tried to regain control.

"What if we dream that you were the monster?" They asked in unison.

"Neil? What...is this?"

I whirled to look behind me at the door to their room where Katrina now stood. She looked confused and scared, staring at her mirror image in the bed. I shot up off the ground and grabbed her arm, panting as I tried to pull her away.

She stood her ground, not budging from the door and murmured, "is that...me?"

I turned back to look in the room, at the kids staring blankly at us, "Olivia...she always wanted a daughter. I never gave her one..."

"You...why...why do you this to yourself?"

"It's the only way I can still dream," I sighed.

Kattina glanced over at me, an eyebrow cocked, "why is it so important for you to dream?"

"Because, in here I can be happy."

"This doesn't seem happy," she motioned at the kids.

I looked at them, at my son's blank, bruised face, my daughter's blood stained hands.

"This...has never happened before," I murmured, "we should go."

Her face softened a little as she took in my disheveled appearance. She hummed gently and turned to leave the room with me.

--

Getting out of that damn basement was easy. Wait for the little brown haired girl to open the door, knock her out, lock the door behind me and run. Easy.

Finding my way back to that secluded cabin was a bit more difficult, but Katrina's pretty face got us close enough to walk the rest of the way.

Lucky for me, the only person around was the grounds keeper. A man a bit older than I, and a decent bit larger than Katrina's frame. I had to be careful, had to press myself against the back of the house and wait to hear his whistling grow closer.

WHACK.

He choked on a noise, dead before he hit the ground. The way the axe was lodged in his head looked like something from a cheesy horror movie, not my preferred method, but it was what I found. I pulled the axe free, searched his pockets to find a wallet and a pack of cigarettes. Set them to the side and got to work hacking him into smaller pieces. Felt warm blood splattering my face. Tasted copper on my tongue and let a smile creep.

I thought I felt Katrina watching when I threw the pieces into the wood stove attached to the cabin but she faded back into her mind quickly.

Threw the last bloody limb into the fire and wiped a stained hand across my face before lighting a cigarette and inhaling with a deep sigh.

--

I was running my hand through Olivia's golden locks as she lied on my chest. Relaxed in a plush white bed, naked limbs tangled together.

"Mmm feels good," she murmured.

I looked down, a smile on my face faltering when I saw black hair instead of blonde. Katrina shifted to look up at me, her bare skin pressing against mine.

"Hello, pet," I sighed, "why are you here?"

"I was lonely...and I had something to ask you."

I hummed, pulling myself to sit up against the headboard, "go ahead."

I grabbed a cigarette off the table beside me and lit it, inhaling deeply.

"Are you actually able to smoke?" Katrina eyed the cigarette curiously.

I waved my hand, "just habit. Was that really your question?"

She shook her head.

"We're not in Salem anymore, are we?"

"No, we're not."

"And you killed that man, didn't you? That wasn't just me dreaming?"

I sucked on the cigarette, letting smoke billow past my lips when I muttered, "yes, I killed him. I imagine you think I'm a monster too?"

"No," she murmured, sitting up next to me, "I don't think you're a monster. I used to, but now I think you're just sad and lonely. Broken."

I turned my eyes away from her, my jaw clenching tight.

"Why did you kill him?"

"You've already asked more than one question," I grumbled.

"Did you hurt Riley?"

That was her name, the one I knocked out to make my escape. She'd have a lump on her head from the lamp I hit her with but I was careful, controlled.

I looked back at the worried expression on her face and softened a little, "no, not seriously anyway. She'll be sore for a few days."

She was quiet for a moment, settling back against my shoulder before murmuring, "if I show you something, would you kill someone for me?"

"Why?"

Her jaw clenched when she looked up at me, her eyes dark with anger, "he deserves it."

@alias-b @charmed-asylum @champagnesugamama

[pl-panda]

Vegas Vacation - chapter 1

Disclaimer: See Master Post

---------

While in darkness, some look for the light. Others, light up a match. There are also those who learn to adapt and push through.

-------

Vegas Magic - chapter 1

Hang-black-over

-----------

*pain*

Harry felt a headache at least the size of Fluffy. He tried to open his eyes, was momentarily blinded by the light. He tried to lift his hand to look for glasses, but something weighed him down. Something warm and soft... Something that started to move!

His head instantly snapped in that direction only to see a mess of black hair. From under that mess, he could see a girl staring at him with a smile on her face. She had soft blue eyes, a heart-shaped face, and a slight tan. For a moment his eyes wandered a bit lower and he blushed Gryffindor red. She was naked. It took him a moment to notice he was naked too. Seeing his reaction she giggled. A melodic sound hitting his ears was enough to finally break him from the daze.

Absentmindedly, he tried to pull the cover up to regain at least minimum modesty and maybe stop the blush. This earned another giggle from her. When he finally managed to at least partially cover himself, she pouted.

"Why the sudden modesty, mister?"

"Um… eh… I… did we…?" He managed to ask, which earned more giggle from her. She sure was in a really good mood.

"I think that is quite obvious."

He tried for a few moments to remember who she was, but his mind came empty. "I… I'm sorry… I… I kinda don't remember your name." He managed to finally squeeze the thing out.

"Why I am offended, mister." She gave him a smile that could only be described as sultry. "I thought the night we just had would be rather memorable. I will definitely remember it for the rest of my life. As for my name… I think since yesterday it's Zatanna Potter."

Harry was too surprised to answer. He could only gape at the girl next to him. She decided to add fuel to fire and raised her hand, showing him a small golden ring on her finger. Harry managed to grab his glasses from the night table and put them on before taking a close look It was a beautiful wedding ring that could double as a family signet. Harry's seen a similar ring on Narcissa Malfoy's hand. Just to check, he raised his own hand and saw an almost identical ring. His was a bit bigger and bulkier though. He also noticed that there was an identical coat of arms engraved on both.

Harry let out an audible groan. There is a dark lord after his head and the first thing he does is get married.

"Am I that undesirable?" She teased him while slowly trailing fingers along his arm.

"No… No! You are breathtaking! Beautiful!" He quickly reassured her.

"Good answer." She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips before standing up. Now Harry could admire her in all her glory. He noticed that she must have been about his age. Her… assets were well developed. She could probably rival Susan Bones and Daphne Greengrass in his year. "I am going to get a quick shower. I guess we should sit up and talk after that…" He trailed after her long legs as she made way to the bathroom. He would bet his wand she was intentionally swaying her hips just to tease him.

As soon as the doors closed, he let out another groan. Resigned, he got up and started to gather his and her clothes and sort it into separate piles. He froze for a moment when he picked a pair of lacy thongs and a matching bra, but he quickly got back to work. He just hoped that it could be fixed. Maybe they could just cancel the whole thing?

"One thing for sure. I am not drinking again…" He said to himself before sitting back on the bed. Harry tried to remember how exactly he got there, slowly retracing his steps in memory.

He could remember being at the Dursleys' after the Tournament. He could remember Prophet informing about Bellatrix LeStrange escaping. They blamed it on Sirius. He then remembered a missive from Goblins, informing him that Sirius Black was dead. Harry was devastated by this. Sirius was one of the few links he had to his parents. He promised that once he was cleared he would be able to live with him. For a moment, Harry hoped for a family. And then Sirius was gone. Just before Harry's fifteen birthday

Then there was the last will. In his infinite wisdom Sirius made a stipulation to his will that for anyone to access anything of his or the whole Black Family, Harry was to take vacations. Remus was to be his chaperone while they were to leave to 'Black property somewhere in America'. Dumbledore was really against the idea, but Sirius' old house that he let Dumbledore use was locked tight until the stipulations of the will were met. As such the wisened Headmaster had no option but to allow Harry the trip. He and Remus were taking a portkey from Gringotts, making any tracking impossible. While it was clear that Dumbledore was against the idea, he could not stop them in any way. Also, while the headmaster was unable to follow them in any way, so were the Death Eaters.

They arrived in Magical Las Vegas, which was in normal Las Vegas. The two made their way to Black Casino, which was the 'Black property in America'. Harry hoped to enjoy the luxurious hotel, but a waitress that strangely reminded him of someone he saw somewhere handed him a drink when Remus was distracted. He hesitantly downed it, enjoying the burning sensation. From there, it was hazy. He could remember flashed. They didn't stay at Black Casino. Remus took him to a magic show. Apparently, it was similar in fashion to a talent show for Magicals. This was supposed to be a world-famous Giovani Zatarra.

The show was taking place in another Casino. Harry could remember that he lost Remus in the crowd. He ended up at one table where a man that also looked a bit familiar gave him a bunch of tokens.

He played, won, played again, won even more.

Through the mist, he recalled taking his win and going to look for Remus. The rest of it was a total blur. He could remember meeting Zatanna. More games, cards, machines, roulette, etc. Then he had a brief flash of… Elvis? Then there were a bit more games and finally, Zatanna dragging him to a hotel room. At each stage, he got more and more drinks. The drilling headache still served as a reminder of the amount of alcohol he consumed

The doors to the bathroom opened and Zatanna walked out, wrapped in a towel. Once again, Harry stared at her for a moment with open mouth before quickly averting his gaze. She grinned and slowly walked to him.

Zatanna took a seat next to him. "So…" She started solemnly.

"Um…" He really had no idea what to say

"What is the last thing you remember?" She asked suddenly after a brief, but uncomfortable silence.

"Well… I was separated from my chaperone. I ended up at some table where a guy handed me a lot of tokens and I won quite a bit. Then I packed and left looking for Remus… I walked into some empty corridor and after that, I can't really remember much. Everything is hazy.

"I actually think this is where we met…" She mused for a moment. "My dad was giving a show. I actually had a bit of a fight with him just before he left." Seeing Harry's raised eyebrow, she frowned. "He keeps treating me like a baby. No helping at the shows, no Justice League stuff, if it was up to him, I wouldn't be allowed to date anyone until sixty." She quickly blushed, remembering last night. "That was actually why we argued. He overheard me talking to a friend about a cute guy I've met recently. I was so angry. He showed no respect for my privacy and to boot that up scolded me."

"He sounds… strict…" Harry was unsure of what to say.

"I mean I love him, but he just… Anyway, that evening I was angry. I walked out of the room, hoping to maybe at least watch the show from backstage, but then I stumbled upon you. I… I kinda decided to spite my father and invited you for a date. You agreed and we played several games. You were so sweet and cute." She smiled at him. "Not to mention hot."

Harry focused on what she was telling and remembered meeting a girl in that corridor. They spoke for a moment before she asked him if he wanted to join her in an outing. They returned to main hall and Harry kept on winning. At some point, they decided to switch casinos. The next one was very interesting too.

"How is it that nobody batted an eye at our age?" He asked suddenly.

"I mean… it's Magical Los Angeles. As long as you have money, they don't ask questions…"

"Yeah. That's about right." He grumbled. "It's probably the only reason why Malfoy still walks around to torment me…" She placed a hand on his shoulder. Harry looked at his wife and nodded. "Sorry. It's been… a hard year for me."

"I remember… mostly. I am pretty sure you omitted some details, but I won't dig…"

"Okay. We cleared some casinos. But how did we end up married?"

"I… I received a text from my father. He was furious that I went behind his back. I wanted to spite him, so I… kissed you. Hard." She blushed, albeit not as hard as Harry earlier. Or now for that matter. "I tried to push further, but you were a perfect gentleman." She smiled at him. "You said that you wanted to wait until marriage. It was so sweet. I kissed you again as a reward." Seeing his look, she smiled sheepishly. "I was not exactly sober either…"

Harry quickly raised his hands in a surrender gesture. "I am not saying anything."

They both laughed weakly at that. "Anyway, you had this goofy grin on your face after that. The Casino we were at… Black Casino I think… Had a chappel in it. You actually proposed to me and we got married on the same evening. Then… let's just say I am a very pleased wife." She gave him a sultry smile like before. Harry squeaked when she moved to sit on his lap.

"Um…" then a dreadful thought entered his mind. "Oh, Merlin! Remus! He is going to kill me!"

"You mean the werewolf?" She asked surprised. Harry skipped over the fact she knew his secret "He was at our wedding. With another woman at that. I'm not sure if he was there for us or waiting in line…"

Harry was about to answer when he heard a knock at the doors. He got up and was about to move to open when Zatanna caught his hand.

"wait a moment." She nodded at him and Harry realized he was completely naked. "Let me… Sserd pu um dnabsuh!" In a puff of smoke, Harry was now wearing a two-piece suit and white shirt underneath. For a moment he wanted to ask her about that, but the knocking got more irritated and he actually worried who might that be.

"Maybe… Dress up while I check whose that?"

She nodded and Harry walked to the next room. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. It was an exclusive suite of the kind he saw on movies when he sneaked a look at the Dursley's. He focused on the doors. He had his wand in one hand when he opened the doors. Outside he was greeted by a very much alive Sirius Black, his godfather!

[hunnywrites]

We Fell In Love In October: Part Two

Summary: Billy and Teddi celebrate Halloween in 1986.

A/N: One chapter left! I’m officially dedicating this series to the guy in front of me in line at Horror Nights the other night that had a mullet, was chewing on a toothpick and telling his girlfriend how weird she was for being so scared to go into the haunted houses. Being stuck behind those two through the Us house was something special. He scared her more than any of the actors. So this is for you, real life Billy Hargrove. Even if you were wearing crocs. 

It was late when Billy and Teddi left the movies the next night. They’d had a bit of a lazy day so far. They woke up around noon and made pancakes for breakfast (technically Billy did. He actually knew how to cook while Teddi was still learning not to burn everything). Teddi talked him into driving back into town for more hot apple cider and getting some candy for trick or treaters from Melvald’s before the movie It was still a weird feeling to step into the little convenience store and not see Joyce Byers. Teddi tried not to think about it. 

It had been an entire year now since the Byers’ and El had moved out of Hawkins. While most things had gone back to normal (or as normal as things could be in Hawkins), thinking about all of the people who weren’t around anymore made Teddi’s heart ache. She missed El, Will and Joyce. Even Johnathan. 

Now Billy had his arm thrown around Teddi’s shoulders as they made their way through the main lobby. The teens working there were closing the snack bar down for the night. “I think that’s probably the worst movie you’ve ever made me watch, Larsson. And you’ve shown me some shit storms.” Billy tossed his now empty bucket of popcorn away before opening the door for Teddi. 

It had been a really bad movie. So bad Teddi was a little surprised it had even made it to theaters and not gone straight to video. “...At least you got to see the girls topless a few times.” she offered with a small, sheepish smile as the pair made their way to the Camaro. Teddi pulled Billy’s denim jacket tighter around herself to try and keep warm. 

Billy shot her a look. “Those definitely didn’t look like any sorority chicks I’ve ever seen.” he muttered, sliding into the driver’s seat. 

Teddi rolled her eyes and smiled at him. Leave it to Billy to complain about seeing naked chicks. “The sorority chicks you’ve seen are porn stars playing dress up in Hustler.” she argued. He didn’t say anything. 

“...Whatever. I’m picking the movie next time.” he muttered. That meant they’d be seeing some mindless action movies with lots of explosions. Teddi held in a groan at the idea. The last one hadn’t been so bad, but that was only because Kurt Russell had been in it. 

TeddI threw her legs over Billy’s lap and let out a loud sigh. “If you insist...wait a second, where are we going?” she asked. Billy was driving in the opposite direction of their little house. Everything in town was closed for the night. And Billy hadn’t mentioned anything about having any other plans after the movies. 

Billy’s hand was resting on Teddi’s leg, his thumb absently rubbing at her ankle. “I just wanted to check something out.” he said cooly. There was a mischievous smirk twitching at his lips that made Teddi’s stomach do a flip. Nothing good ever happened when he got that look. But Teddi would play along for now. At least until she saw how stupid whatever he had planned was. 

Eventually Teddi started to realize that they were headed back to their old neighborhood. Billy turned onto Cherry Road, and Teddi’s face screwed up into a confused frown. She pulled her legs from Billy’s lap, leaning forward as if somehow that would help her figure out what he had planned. He drove past the house he’d lived in with Neil and Susan. Neil’s car was in the driveway and the lights inside were off. Teddi couldn’t stop squirming in her seat. Billy didn’t even glance in the house’s direction as he passed. 

Teddi let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in when the house was no longer in sight. “What’s wrong?” Billy asked. Teddi could hear hear teasing grin. “Don’t wanna visit the in laws?” 

She let out a laugh. “Oh fuck off. That’s not funny,” she playfully shoved him. Billy laughed. “And they’re not my in laws.” she said, holding up her hand and moving her bare ring finger. At some point they’d jokingly started referring to Neil and Susan as Teddi’s in laws. Mostly because Neil hated Teddi and Billy seemed to find it funny. 

Billy reached over and took her hand in his. He playfully bit the knuckle of her ring finger before pressing a kiss to it. They didn’t ever talk about getting married. It was too soon for either of them. While they didn’t see themselves ending up with anyone else, Billy would only be twenty next month and Teddi was still a teenager. They had all the time in the world for things like that. 

“Will you please tell me where we’re going?” Teddi asked, beginning to get restless. 

“Will you please be patient?” he teased. Teddi let out a loud huff and crossed her arms, sinking down in her seat. There was no breaking Billy when he had a surprise planned. In all reality she hadn’t had to wait that long. Another ten minutes and Billy pulled up into the driveway of a house that looked like it hadn’t been touched in decades. He didn’t give any clue as to why they were there. He only looked over at Teddi, that mischievous smirk back, and shut the Camaro off.  

“Uh...you do know we have our own house to fool around in, right?” she asked, attempting to joke to cover up how confused she was. 

Billy rolled his eyes. “That’s not what this is. Although if you wanna I’m not gonna complain,” he smirked. “I heard about this place from the guys at work. They said this family lived here, back in the 50’s. All of this weird shit started happening after they moved in, I guess. But one night, the oldest brother wakes up, picks up a gun and takes his whole family out. He says the devil made him do it. It’s supposed to be haunted now.” he explained, his voice low. 

Teddi looked at Billy and the up to the large, two story house before them. “Wow...that’s scary,” she said blankly. Billy frowned. “That’s also totally just the Amityville Horror.” 

“Wait, what? The hell is that?” he asked with an annoyed expression.

“It’s a total classic! Have you never seen it?” she didn’t know why she asked. Of course he hadn’t. “It’s based off a true story. The house was like two towns over from where I grew up, but I was always too scared to go see it.” she said with a small laugh.

“...Shit,” Billy muttered. “I was kinda hoping it was true,” Teddi raised an eyebrow. Billy rolled his eyes. “Not that they died, but that it was haunted.”

“Are you forgetting what happened the last time you went into an abandoned building?” another question she didn’t need to ask. Neither of them would ever forget what happened to Billy in that steel mill.

Billy gripped the steering wheel and let out an annoyed scoff. “C’mon, Ted. I’ve done all of your Halloween shit. Let’s just check it out. What’s the worst thing that can happen?” Teddi could think of an endless list of horrible things that might happen. But he was right. He’d been a good sport. And it wasn’t like the place was actually haunted. She could give it a go. 

“Fine, let’s go ghost hunting, Venkman.” she teased as she slid out of the Camaro.

“Who the hell is Venkman?”

“It’s from Ghostbusters, you nerd.”

“Oh I’m the nerd?” Billy asked with a laugh. The pair walked cautiously through the overgrown front lawn and up to the front door. The red paint was cracked and peeling. The tiny windows were so grimy they couldn’t peek through them to see inside. Billy was a little reluctant to touch the rusted over knob. He turned it slowly. It was locked. “Shit. Looks like we’re finding another way in then.” he took a step back from the porch and surveyed the outside of the house for a moment.

Teddi shifted uncomfortably on the porch. The wood was starting to rot. Each plank of wood creaked loudly with every step to the point where Teddi was a little worried she might fall through. “You mean breaking and entering?” she asked. 

“It’s abandoned. Me and my friends used to hang out in abandoned spots all the time back in California.” Billy waved her worries away and headed around to the side of the house. Teddi followed behind him. 

“...Didn’t you guys get arrested like four times for trespassing?” 

Billy ignored the question. He shoved one of the windows open, turning back to Teddi with a proud look as he wiped his hands on the back of his pants. “See? It’s unlocked. So technically we’re just entering.” he offered.

“I don’t know why I keep letting you talk me into this kinda shit. It’s probably not even haunted.” Teddi muttered. Billy leaned down, linking his fingers together to give her a boost inside. They’d done this so many times over the years it was almost like a muscle memory. 

Billy smirked. “Come on, Weird Girl. I’ve talked you into stuff that’s way more fun than this.” Teddi let out a squeak as his hand met her ass harshly as she crawled through the window. She could feel her cheeks burning. 

“You could have killed me,” she said dramatically after she landed inside with a thud. “I could’ve broken my neck or something.” the rest of her teasing lecture was cut off as she turned to take the house in. She regretted coming in. It was still fully furnished. Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs, so much to the point where Teddi had a hard time imagining what anything had looked like when the house had people living in it. It was like whoever had lived there had just run off. Bolted in the middle of the night and never returned. She felt a little chill up her spine. 

She jumped a little when Billy pulled himself inside, his boots landing loudly on the wooden floors. “What’s the matter, Ted?” he asked with a smile. “Scared?” he reached around her, fingers tickling her side.

Teddi slapped his hand away. “No. You just startled me is all…” it wasn’t really much of a shock to Billy that Teddi believed in ghosts or that she was easily spooked by them. 

Billy grinned over at his girlfriend, his arms snaking around her waist and pulling him to her. “Come on, Ted. You said it yourself that it’s probably not haunted.” he buried his face in her neck, his breath tickling Teddi’s neck. 

“That was before I got the total Neibolt street vibes from this place. I can’t believe we haven’t gotten eaten by a killer clown yet,” she muttered. Billy let out a chuckle, pulling away from her and linking their fingers together as he pulled her towards the stairs. “Did someone actually die here?” she asked, unable to keep herself from constantly looking over both shoulders. 

He only shrugged. “How should I know? I bought that Amityville shit. Kinda creepy that everything’s still here though, huh?” that was an understatement. Teddi was scared that they’d stumble across some gruesome, decades old crime scene that hadn’t been cleaned up. Her other hand reached up to grab Billy’s arm as they ascended the stairs. 

There were some framed family photos on the walls upstairs. There were a few knick knacks, photos and a vase that was full of decaying flowers that filled Teddi’s nose with a sweet but sort of musty smell as they passed by. There were cigarette butts and beer cans littering the hallway. They looked relatively new, she realized with a wave of dread. Was someone inside with them right now? Watching them walk the halls? 

“If someone ends up murdering us I’m going to fucking kill you.” Teddi muttered. Billy only laughed. She wasn’t kidding. 

He pulled away from her and headed into one of the rooms. “Look, babe. It’s not that bad. No blood splatters, no headless bodies, just...a lot of fucking dust.” Teddi hated how amusing he found all of this. She felt like she was in a crypt. But Teddi followed after him anyways. It was better to be with Billy and his fucked up sense of humor than out in the hall alone.

“If I say I have asthma, can we go home?” she asked, wriggling her nose at all of the dust and god only knew what else was floating around. 

“Oh, you have asthma now?” he asked with a grin. 

“..Ye- did you hear that?” there was definitely something downstairs. There was a loud thump, like something had fallen over. And Billy had heard it too. His head snapped back towards the doorway and his expression had gone all serious. It did absolutely nothing to calm her nerves. 

Billy stepped out in front of Teddi, holding his arm out to shield as if he was expecting something to charge at the both of them. “...I’m gonna go check it out. You stay here.” it wasn’t a suggestion. And Teddi didn’t really want to argue, but she also didn’t want to let him go downstairs where some headless ghost was going to kill him.

So she counted to sixty in her head before she followed after him. The house had gone completely silent. She couldn’t hear the heavy footsteps of Billy’s boots on the rotting floorboards. Only her own. Teddi swallowed thickly as she slowly moved through the house looking for her boyfriend. “...Billy?” she called cautiously before stepping into the kitchen. No answer.

The window above the sink was broken. Maybe that had been the noise she had heard? Maybe some kids were breaking in, hoping to see ghosts like Billy? But she was alone. No sign of Billy or any teens. She immediately started to fear for the worst. “Billy this isn’t funny, okay? If you’re hiding can you just come out? Take me home? ..I’ll do one of your gross sex things!” still no answer. Teddi let out a huff. 

Teddi walked out of the kitchen and into what she assumed must have been a sitting room. There was a fireplace big enough for her to stand in, and an old, dusty piano sitting in front of it. Teddi nervously fiddled with two of the piano’s keys, the sharp, out of tune notes sending a chill up her spine. 

There was another thud. And a sound like something was being dragged. Teddi gulped. She shifted from foot to foot. This was definitely a predicament. If she went looking for whatever was making the sound she’d be killed like all of those idiot girls in horror movies. You never went after strange noises and you never asked who was there. But that dragging sound...what if something had gotten Billy? 

Teddi’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, her shoulders straight and her head held high. Fuck horror movie rules, she decided. She headed back to the living room where she and Billy had broken in earlier. She was sure that’s where she’d heard the thud coming from. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement behind the couch. Something else moved quickly past the doorway. Already she was outnumbered. 

“Bil-” whatever was behind the couch had sprung up, yelling loudly at Teddi. She screamed, instinctively throwing a punch out in front of her. 

“Christ, Teddi!” it was Steve Harrington. He was wearing some stupid skeleton mask. Steve groaned loudly, slowly peeling the mask off and grabbing his nose. It was bleeding.

“Steve? What the hell are you doing here?” she spat. Suddenly there was laughter behind her. Teddi whipped around, glaring at Billy and Robin who were both laughing so hard it looked like they could barely keep themselves upright. 

Steve plopped down onto the couch and tilted his head back to try and stop the bleeding. “You said we were gonna scare her,” he whined. “You didn’t say anything about my nose being broken!”

Robin rolled her eyes, making her way over to her best friend and slapping his hands away from his face. She looked at him for a moment before shaking her head. “It’s not broken, drama queen. She just got you good. Nice shot, Teddi. I’m glad I didn’t lose rock, paper, scissors.” she clapped Teddi on the shoulder before sitting next to Steve.

“Is someone gonna tell me what the fuck is going on?” Teddi asked, glaring over at Billy. He was still laughing a little bit. 

“Don’t look at me,” Steve said, his voice thick as he pinched his nose shut. “This was all his idea.” he jabbed his thumb in Billy’s direction. She didn’t really need Steve to tell her that. Of course it had been Billy’s idea. 

Billy wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, Ted. It’s just a little Halloween fun.” he said with a smirk. If looks could kill, Billy would have been dead. 

“I think you’re sleeping on the couch tonight, Goldielocks.” Robin said with a snort. 

Teddi shrugged Billy’s arm off. “Was any of this true? The whole house being haunted thing? Grisly murders? Ghost hunting?”

Steve had finally managed to get his nose to stop bleeding. “What? No. The family that lived here stopped paying their taxes and ditched the place. Kids come here to smoke weed and hook up. I’ve been coming here for like...ever and I’ve never seen a ghost.” 

“If he had he was probably too stoned to realize.” Robin said as the two broke out into quiet giggles. 

Teddi turned to look at Billy and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “So you lied, drove me all the way out here, and had Steve scare me? For a joke?”

Billy shifted uncomfortably. “...I mean, when you put it like that I sound like a dick.”

“You are.” Steve and Robin both said. 

“Oh, you have no idea what’s coming for you, Hargrove,” Teddi said, jabbing him in the chest. “I’m gonna get you back. And you’re not gonna know when. It can be tomorrow or five years from now-”

“Come on, Teddi, it was a joke.” Billy urged. 

Robin groaned. “Let it go already. You totally deserve whatever’s coming. Can we go now?” 

“Yeah. Billy promised us beer and horror movies, remember? You were all come on, dude, it’ll be fun! We’ll scare her and then we can hang out!” Steve said, mocking Billy’s voice. 

Billy held up his hands. “Yeah, yeah. I remember. Just get outta here, alright? We’ll meet you there,” the message was heard loud and clear. Robin and Steve shared a look, pushing themselves up off of the couch and passing by Teddi and Billy. Robin patted Teddi on the shoulder as she went. “Teddi…” Billy started once they were alone. 

Teddi fixed a stern look his way. “I was worried. I was down here thinking of all of the horrible things that might have happened to you. I thought something had like eaten you or something!” 

Billy approached her slowly, gently taking her wrists into his hands and pulling her to him. She didn’t fight it, but she didn’t lean into him like he had been hoping. “It was a joke,” he repeated. “C’mon Doll, don’t be pissed at me.” Billy only broke out Doll when he was really in trouble (which Teddi had to admit really wasn’t very often).

Teddi wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling up at him. “It’s fine. I was just pulling your leg.” 

Billy let out a sigh of relief. “So are we even?”

“Are you kidding? Fuck no,” Billy groaned. “You know, I don’t know what I’m more offended by. You planning all of this, or the fact that you didn’t ask me to scare Steve instead.” 

Billy scratched the back of his neck. “...I guess I thought you’d think it was funny.” he admitted. 

“I mean...it was, I guess. But if you do it again I’m dumping your ass.” 

He let out a small chuckle and nodded. “Deal...and we can still scare the shit out of Harrington tonight if you want. He’s on our turf.”

Teddi let out a snort. “I’ll think about it. Let’s go, West Side Story. I wanna get out of this dump.” she took Billy by the hand and pulled him towards the front door. 

“Hey, wait. Were you serious about the sex stuff earlier?”

“In your dreams, Hargrove.”  

[smkkbert]

I see the light

Summary: After being grounded for dyeing her hair pink, Felicity cannot to go the the fair and see the fireworks at the annual fair in Starling City. For Sara Diggle it’s a clear case! Magic hair that got her locked up and doesn’t allow her to see the lights? - That’s the story of Rapunzel, and someone has to free her from the witch’s tower.

Rating: General Audience

A second Olicity Disney AU with little Sara Diggle as a matchmaker. I hope there will be more in the future. Also check out True Love’s Kiss.

The moment the doors of the bus opened in front of her and she caught sight of her best friend, Felicity rolled her eyes. Why did life always have to seem like a photoshoot for him?

All Oliver did was leaning against the streetlight at the bus stop, carrying his backpack casually over one shoulder and looking at his phone. Everyone else would just look bored and plain doing so. Oliver looked like he had just arisen from the cover of a fashion magazine, and it seemed like Felicity wasn’t the only one thinking that way because several girls turned their heads to look at him when they walked past him.

There were always girl turning their head to look at him, no matter what he did. Felicity had noticed that during the long time she had been friends with Oliver now, and it was annoying. Of course she got that he was handsome and everything, but couldn’t these girls just even walk by without staring at him like he was Ryan Gosling or Ryan Reynolds, whoever was the more handsome one?

Taking in a deep breath, Felicity moved her fingers through her hair almost a little bit nervously before she dismounted the bus. From the corner of her eyes, she could see several faces turning in her direction. The way they looked at her made her smile because it was exactly the reaction Felicity had hoped for. Only Oliver, whose reaction she was looking forward to the most, was still looking at his phone.

“Hey, can I crib your English homework?” he asked, still not looking up. “I didn’t have time to finish it yesterday. I just need the end for my essay.”

“Sure,” Felicity replied. “Always.”

“Thanks. You’re the best friend I could possibly have.”

Felicity nodded, waiting for him to finally look at her, but he was still busy texting. She counted to five in her head which she felt was a fair time to give him before she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“You on the other hand are a crappy friend, my friend.”

“Hey, I just need to- Whoa.”

Starting to excuse his inattentive behavior, Oliver had looked at her briefly. His eyes had already turned back to the display of his phone when the sight he had been met with seemed to have caught up with him. He looked at her with wide eyes, pushing his phone into the pocket of his pants and tugging at some of her curly strands of hair.

“Your hair is pink.”

“My hair is pink,” Felicity replied with a chuckle. “On a scale from one to ten, how crazy and yet cool is this? What do you say?”

“A definite ten.” Oliver’s smile widened. “It’s really cool.”

“Thank you.”

Felicity smiled proudly. She had always dreamed of coloring her hair in a crazy color, crazier than going from her natural brown hair to first black and then to blonde. During her visit at the hairdresser’s yesterday, she had finally decided to finally do it. Her hair had been long enough, so if the pink ends looked terrible, she could have just cut them off. She was more than happy with the result though.

“I still can’t believe it.” Oliver chuckled, combing his fingers through her hair and shaking his head. “The craziest thing you've ever done was adding a braided strand to your ponytail and now this. Why did you do this? How did you get the idea?”

“I figured that sometimes it’s good trying something new.” Felicity shrugged her shoulders before she nodded towards the school building. “Let’s go to class, so you can still crib my homework.”

Side by side, they walked through the hallway to their classroom. From the corner of her eyes, Felicity could see that Oliver was still staring at her, and she played with a strand of her hair almost nervously. She wasn’t used to Oliver staring at her like that.

“What did your mother say about your hair?” Oliver asked eventually. “She loved that you dyed it blonde because it makes you look more like her. And pink?”

“She hates it.”

Felicity sighed. Before they had moved to Starling, her mother had had quite the exaggerated style. Her private fashion choices had been inspired by what she had worn during her working hours in a Las Vegas Casino. Since they had moved to Starling and her mother had accepted a job in a café, her taste in fashion had changed though. She looked a lot more like other mothers did now. Usually, Felicity was relieved about that, but not this time around.

“In that case your mother is crazier than I thought she is.”

“Right?” Felicity rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I am pretty sure she tried to convince me to dye my hair red when I was ten, but dying the ends of my hair pink now that I am seventeen is completely exaggerated and just too much.”

They stepped into their classroom and went to their tables. While she was getting everything that she needed for the English class from her backpack, she pressed her lips together. She loved her new hair and she could deal with her mother’s anger, but unfortunately there were other consequences that came quite unhandy right now.

Felicity gave Oliver her English homework. He took it with a smile. When he noticed the hesitant expression on her face, he frowned. With a wordless nod, he asked her to tell him what was going on.

“So remember the fair that’s in Starling?”

Oliver shot her an incredulous look, and Felicity scratched her forehead in response, releasing a slightly nervous chuckle. Of course Oliver remembered the fair. There was always a fair in Starling, every first weekend in May. Since he had been living in Starling for quite some time longer than she had, of course he remembered.

“We are still going there today, right?”

“That’s the thing,” Felicity said and sighed. “My mom grounded me.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. “She what?”

“Yup.”

“You have never been grounded before. In your entire life you have never been grounded, even when the police showed up at your doorstep for hacking some store’s served to find out when the newest version of the game you wanted to have was going to be released.”

“Nope.” Felicity puckered her lips. “It’s still a sore spot that I didn’t manage to hack it without being caught by the way. I mean I was only eight years old, but it is still a sore spot. I should have known better.”

“The fair is in the city only for the weekend,” ignoring her little rant of anger on herself. “That’s just not fair.”

“I know.”

Oliver looked at her for a moment longer, completely speechless, before he said, “Come on, it’s just pink hair.”

Felicity nodded. “Yes, but she grounded me for a week. I am only allowed to go to school. After the last class, I have to take the bus home and stay in the house until the next morning when I have to take the bus back to school which is ironic because, when I was a child, she always tried to force me out of the house when I did something wrong. She wanted me to socialize more instead of staying at home and work at my computers.”

“Maybe I can charm her.”

“I doubt it.” Felicity sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “You can still go to the fair. Just ask Tommy, Iris or McKenna to go with you or ask Helena Bertinelli. I know she is crazy to go with you.”

“I don’t want to go with Helena. I want to go with you.”

“Right,” Felicity replied with a chuckle, “because it’s easier to watch the cheerleaders’ performance with me next to you without getting caught looking at their naked legs for too long. Who’s your favorite cheerleader of the week? Is it one of the Lance Sisters because I could swear that I heard them talking about you when I was in the ladies’ room earlier this week? Or is it Isabel Rochev? Just please promise me it’s not Susan Williams. That girl is terrible. Isabel Rochev would already be hard to accept, but Susan William is just so… stupid.”

Oliver didn’t answer. He just smiled sadly, lowering his eyes. He looked disappointed that they wouldn’t go to the fair together. They had agreed on spending this evening together weeks ago after Oliver had finally convinced her to go. He had actually reminded her about it regularly since they had agreed on it.

Before Felicity could say anything more, their teacher, Dr. Stein, came in. She sat down on the chair next to Oliver, pushing her material for class into place on her table. She always had a neat order for her stuff.

“I can’t believe you will miss this,” Oliver whispered. “You are an excellent student and have barely ever done anything wrong. Why can’t she just overlook this, especially because it’s just pink hair. It will outgrow anyway.”

Felicity shrugged her shoulders. “No offense, but I wasn’t too fond of the idea about going to the fair with all these people anyway. I only wanted to go for the fireworks.”

* * * * *

“Uncle Oliver?”

“Hm?”

“Will you take a ride on the Ferris wheel with me?”

Oliver turned his head to look at Sara. The six years old daughter of his mother’s bodyguard was sitting on the couch next to him and coloring a drawing of a prince and a princess. She only looked up occasionally to follow the Disney movie they were watching.

“I don’t think I will go to the fair,” he told her. “Sorry.”

“But you promised me you’d go today.”

“Yeah.”

Oliver knew he wasn’t the best company for Sara today. He hadn’t been good company for anyone since his conversation with Felicity earlier this morning. This would have been the first time he went to the fair with Felicity. It would be the first time she was going. Last year, Felicity had been busy with some school project and hadn’t gone. The year before, she had been new to Starling, and they hadn’t been so close yet. He had looked forward to going with her today.

His disappointment sat so deep that he had meant to spend the rest of his day alone and brood over his anger that he wasn’t able to go with her.

When Sara had walked into his room, asking if he wanted to watch a movie, he hadn’t been able to turn her down though. Since she had been born and whenever John had brought her with him to work, he had played with Sara or kept her busy otherwise. Lately, watching Disney movies had been their favorite activity. Sara was very much into fairy tales and princesses right now, so she wanted to watch all the Disney adaptations of the famous fairy tales her parents read her as a goodnight story.

“Why don’t you go, Uncle Ollie?” she asked him. “You always went to the fair.”

“Because the person I wanted to go with can’t go.”

Sara frowned and put her pen down. She leaned back on the couch and glanced at the TV briefly before she looked at him more thoroughly. Oliver perked up his eyebrows, knowing Sara would interrogate him now. She was her father’s daughter with all her heart after all.

“Why can’t she go?”

Oliver puckered his lips. He glanced at the TV briefly like Sara had done before too. Today, Sara had insisted on watching Lady and the Tramp though they had watched it a thousand times before already. That and 101 Dalmatians were her favorite movies right now though they were neither real fairytales nor included a princess. Oliver was pretty sure it was because she still tried to convince her parents to get her a dog.

Anyway, following the movie for fifteen seconds, Oliver wondered how he was going to tell Sara what had happened with his plans to take Felicity to the fair this weekend. Sometimes, he treated her like an adult friend only to be remembered that she was actually just a tiny kid. He quickly got an idea how to tell her though though. If there was a way Sara would understand this, it was if he created a fairytale around the events.

“The person I wanted to go with,” he said and felt a loving smile spread on his lips even before he said it, “is a princess.”

Sara gasped for breath. “A real princess?”

“Absolutely.” Oliver nodded and he didn’t even feel like he way lying because Felicity was like a princess. She had all the important attributes. “She is beautiful and it’s not just because of the beautiful dresses she wears. She is also smart and incredibly strong. Oh, and she has magic hair.”

“Really?”

Again, Oliver nodded. Just thinking back to her pink hair made his smile widen. He had barely believed his eyes when he had seen it this morning. It was wild and prominent, but it had looked so great on her, and it really did hold some magic. Just thinking about it, it seemed to enchant him.

The Felicity Smoak he had known tried to be as plain as personal when it came to the way she looked. He knew it was her way of isolating herself of the person she had used to be in Vegas. He had once found a photo of her and knew that she had been a Goth back in Vegas. Now, with her blonde hair that was usually tied to a low ponytail, she looked a lot more mainstream like she didn’t want anyone to notice her.

Of course, Oliver noticed her nonetheless.

“Yeah,” Oliver told Sara. “Unfortunately, her magic hair got her in trouble with her mother. She is mad at her for having this hair. The princess is not quite sure why her mother is angry with her, but she tried to find out. Anyway, the mother locked her into a tower. She has to stay there for as long as her mother says.”

“And she can’t go to the fair?”

“Exactly,” Oliver replied, nodding his head. “She can’t go anywhere though she really wanted to see the lights tonight. They are only there once a year, so she has to wait another year if she misses them tonight.”

“The lights?”

Oliver nodded. “The lights at the fair.”

Sara looked at him with her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted. She almost looked like she had had a stroke. Chuckling, Oliver tickled the back of her neck to make sure she was still here with him. Sara giggled, hunching her shoulders and slapping his fingers away to make him stop.

“She’s Rapunzel.”

Oliver looked from Sara to the TV and back at Sara. “What?”

“She’s Rapunzel,” Sara just repeated like it was all the knowledge he needed. Only when Oliver’s frown deepened, she sighed with annoyance and explained, “She’s Rapunzel, the princess in Tangled. We watched it last week.”

Oliver nodded slightly. He remembered the movie, and he remembered that name. Admittedly, he had been texting with Felicity most of the time though. Hence, he didn’t remember much of the movie.

“Rapunzel had magic hair too,” Sara told him. “The witch needed her magic hair though. She wanted to stay young forever. So she locked the princess into a tower and forbid her to see the lights. All Rapunzel wanted was to see those lights though.”

The movie was starting to ring a bell to Oliver.

“That was the movie with the funny horse, right?”

“Maximus.”

“Right.” Oliver nodded. “Maximus.”

The only reason he remembered the horse was because Felicity had told him that the horse was funny. She had texted him to pay close attention to the scene at the morning of Rapunzel’s birthday because the horse behaved like a dog. She had been right about it, and it had really been funny.

“What happened to the princess?” Oliver asked. “I don’t remember.”

“She got to see the lights.” Sara smiled happily. “Flynn Rider broke her out of the tower and took her to see the lights. It was her dream come true.”

Oliver pursed his lips, thinking about it thoroughly. He was pretty sure that Donna would go to the fair tonight too. Felicity had mentioned that she would meet some friends to spend the evening with. Even if Donna was there, maybe he could break Felicity out of her home to show her the fireworks without her mother noticing.

“Oliver, are you going to save your Rapunzel?”

Oliver nodded slowly. “I think I might.”

“Cool.” Sara grinned. “You know, Flynn Rider got married to Rapunzel later.”

Oliver snorted. “Felicity’s just a friend, Sara.”

“Sure.” Sara rolled her eyes. “And Flynn Rider just wanted that tiara back.”

Oliver had no idea what Sara was talking about, but he guessed it was better to just ignore this. He had other things than a six-year-old’s romantic fantasies to think about anyway.

Even if he broke Felicity out of her home, where would they watch the fireworks? He couldn’t just take her to the fair, especially when Donna was there. He needed a better plan, and he would make a better plan.

Felicity would see the lights no matter what.

* * * * *

Felicity had just made herself comfortable in bed and had already reached out her hand to switch off the light on her nightstand when a quiet sound made her frown. Her hand faltered in the middle of the air before she pulled it back and looked around with a frown. She couldn’t possibly make out where the nose had come from though.

Only when the noise sounded through the quiet dark of her bedroom again, she realized that it was coming from the window. For a second, she considered just lying back down, assuming it might be a bird or something. When the noise was there again, her nosiness took over though. She switched on her light, grabbed her glasses and kicked back her blanket. She went to the window.

She frowned when she saw Oliver standing in the garden, throwing little rocks at the window. When he saw her, he waved at her. Felicity opened the window and was already about to ask what was going on, but he was quicker.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel let your hair down.”

Felicity chuckled. “What?”

Oliver grinned. “I told Sara that your magic hair caused the witch to lock you away in the tower, and you couldn’t go to see the lights. She said you might need a prince to save you.”

“Oh, really?” Felicity asked. She cocked her head, but she couldn’t prevent a smile to spread on her lips. “I need saving?”

“Well, I told her the princess is incredibly strong and-”

When the neighbors dog started barking at the other side of the fence, Oliver stopped. He shot a brief look back over his shoulder before he looked back at Felicity.

“I come upstairs.”

“I’ll let you in through the terrace door. Just give me-”

“Doors are for the loser of the princes, the ones that don’t really have to do anything to get the princess,” Oliver told her. “I climb this thing.”

Felicity watched Oliver climbing the trellis that let up the wall to her room. Her smile was so wide that her face almost hurt from it. She knew that Oliver, at least as long as he wasn’t on his phone, was probably the best friend she could have. He didn’t belittle her for being a nerd with the tendency to behave awkwardly in social settings. He never teased her with her past in Las Vegas, neither the Goth style nor her mother’s job as a barely dressed cocktail waitress. He just accepted her for who he was. Still, this felt like a lot.

When Oliver reached her windowsill, she stepped aside to let him in. Oliver climbed into her room easily. The moment he stood upright, he looked her up and down. Felicity followed his gaze and felt a blush spreading on her cheeks when she remembered that she didn’t wear a bra under her thin top.

She cleared her throat and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Oliver looked away quickly, lowering his eyes for a moment and scratching the back of his head.

“Now what are you doing here?” Felicity asked. “I thought you wanted to go to the fair with Tommy or Helena or someone else.”

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t want to go without you.”

Felicity smiled and lowered her eyes for a moment. Why did he have to be so sweet? Best friends, especially male best friends, were probably not supposed to be that sweet, right?

“I am still grounded.”

“Yeah, but your mother isn’t home,” Oliver replied, “so why don’t we just escape the tower and enjoy a little time outside?”

“But I am grounded.”

“Shocking,” Oliver whispered and chuckled. “Come on, Felicity, you have never been grounded before. Let’s savor the joy of crossing a boundary and go out to see the light. Let’s be as crazy as you were when you dyed your hair pink which is still so cool by the way.”

Felicity bit down on her tongue, trying to suppress her smile. She knew that Oliver, who loved to break every rule his parents or school or anyone imposed on him, must think that she was quite boring when it came to rules. She had always used to follow rules, most of them at least, because her mother had never really imposed any on her and she had always liked school. The only rules she had broken were the laws about hacking, but that was a completely different story.

Anyway, Oliver had never tried to pull her onto the dark side. He had teased her that she seemed to withstand the bad influence he was said to have on people, especially girls, around him. He had never really tried to make her do anything she felt uncomfortable with though.

To Felicity’s surprise, she didn’t feel uncomfortable with his suggestions now either.

“And where are we going?”

Oliver smiled widely, knowing he had won. “I am here with my motorcycle.”

“Oh, the motorcycle?” Felicity asked teasingly. “What about a carriage or a horse?”

Oliver chuckled. “Carriages and horses are out, Princess. Sorry.”

Felicity smiled. She wasn’t exactly one of those girls who was into horses anyway. She remembered that in elementary school, more than half of girls in her class had loved riding. She hadn’t seen anything remotely interesting in that.

“While I cannot offer a carriage or a horse, I can offer a magic key though,” Oliver told her. “I borrowed my father’s badge that will open us every door at Queen Consolidated, so-”

“I can sneak into the laboratory and check what they are working on without being told not to touch anything because it can break.”

Felicity had already reached out her hand to snatch the badge from Oliver’s fingers, but he held it out of her reach quickly. When Felicity frowned, he chuckled.

“Yeah, no,” he said. “What we are going to do is sitting down on the roof of the building and watch the fireworks. I am not saving the princess, so she can dedicate herself to this hellish stuff of the modern world. It’s soulless and will lead her on the way of sins. I am saving her to see the lights.”

“For the records, computers are not hellish and they do have souls,” Felicity told him, “and even if they were, it would be much more romantic if you took me to see the computers given how much I love them. I mean not that this is supposed to be romantic. It’s not. I just… you know… it would be… I mean if this was a fairy tale and... I will get dressed.”

She felt like her face was on fire with the warmth spreading on her skin along with a deep blush.

“O-okay.” Oliver nodded, but he just continued looking at her. Only when Felicity pressed her lips together and rolled them into her mouth, he added, “I will wait outside.”

“Or you just wait downstairs,” Felicity suggested, “because there is no way I am going to climb out of the window and down that thing.”

“That’s not true to the fairytale though.”

“Neither is the motorcycle.”

Oliver chuckled. “Okay. I will wait downstairs then.”

Felicity nodded, and so did Oliver. They looked at each other for a moment before he went past her and left the room. Felicity took in a deep breath and released the air through her lips slowly. With a brief look at the door, sucked her bottom lip between her front teeth, but it couldn’t stop a wide smile to spread on her lips.

Humming happily, she turned to her wardrobe. What did today’s princess wear for a night getaway with a prince?

* * * * *

From the roof of the Queen Consolidated Tower, everything looked incredibly small and everything was quiet which was even more important. Life was way too loud most of the times. Oliver had always enjoyed if everything around him was loud and busy. Quiet had scared him or at least felt terribly awkward.

With Felicity, it was different. He could just sit here with her in the quiet on the roof of his father’s company, leaning back against the chimney and waiting for the fireworks, and it felt completely comfortable. He wouldn’t even want the silence to be broken if it wasn’t for how much he loved to talk to her.

“I cannot believe I am on the rooftop of this building when there are impressive innovations only a couple of floors under me.”

Oliver chuckled. “You and your computers.”

“Hey, at least I have something I love,” Felicity replied and nudged his shoulder. “I don’t think you can say the same thing about yourself.”

Turning his head slowly, he looked at Felicity. Not the first time tonight, he noticed how beautiful she was. The moonlight made her blue eyes almost shine in the dark, and it made her alabaster skin look even paler. Her blonde hair with the pink ends made her look like…

Oliver wasn’t sure what it made her look like to be honest. He just knew that she looked as beautiful as ever, and not for the first time since he knew her, he felt drawn to her lips. He felt his lips prickling with the feeling of nosiness what her lips felt like against his and longing to find out.

Before Oliver could say anything, the firework started. He heard the banging sound when the first firecrackers exploded, and he could see the light in Felicity’s eyes. Her smile widened, amazement filling her eyes. Here they were, just watching a firework, and yet the expression on Felicity’s face was as joyful as if she was seeing a unicorn.

Oliver felt his heart skip a beat. It wasn’t the first time it happened. For the past few months, he had felt his heart skip a beat or two whenever he had thought that Felicity looked particularly breathtaking or was even just there more often than he was ready to admit. Something had happened in the last months that had changed things for him. It had changed the way he looked at her.

When Felicity had moved to Starling City a couple of years ago, they had instantly become friends. Oliver couldn’t even say why that had happened because they were as different as two people from different planets. Still, they had found each other and become friends. They had mostly hung out with Tommy, Iris and McKenna.

At some point during the last months, Oliver had felt annoyed whenever someone else was around them. He had enjoyed his time alone with Felicity much more. They were still spending a lot of time together with the others, but he and Felicity were also spending a lot more time together alone now. It was his favorite time every day.

While he might have been blind to what all of this meant at first, he knew quite well what this meant now. Right now, he knew exactly what he was feeling for her. After all these months, he finally understood it.

He knew what he felt for her, but there was nothing he could do about it. If he told her what he was feeling and she didn’t feel the same for him, their friendship would be over. He couldn’t be friends with her as long as she knew that he was in love with her, and he actually doubted that Felicity would even still want to be friends with him. She would probably feel awkward around him, and he couldn’t hold it against her.

Right now, in the dark of the night and with only the firework there with him, he felt like it was now or never though. If he didn’t manage to tell her what he felt for her now, he would never do it.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

With perked up eyebrows, Felicity looked at him. “What? Are you finally going to tell me which of the cheerleaders you have a thing for?”

Oliver frowned slightly despite the smile on his lips. “I am not into anyone of the cheerleaders?”

“Oh, really?” Felicity asked, perking up her eyebrows even more. “Then why did you want to see their performance at the fair? I thought that was the reason you wanted to go.”

“Yeah, I know you believe that.”

Felicity cocked her head slightly. “But?”

“But the truth is that I wanted to go to the fair because I wanted to spend time with you.”

The words were out there, not as explicit as he probably should have worded them, but they were there. If the way Felicity looked at him, not understanding what was going on right now, was any indication, she knew there was a deeper meaning to them though. She took in a breath to say something, but just closed her mouth again for any sound came out.

“We always spend time together.”

She said it with a chuckle like she tried to push past the moment of tension there had been between them. Oliver noticed that she was looking at him thoroughly though. She tried to ready his reaction, wanting to know if he would backtrack or go on to the offensive.

Not breaking eye contact, Oliver took Felicity’s hand and laced his fingers through hers. He could see Felicity swallowing once before her breath got caught in her throat. With held breath she waited for him to say or do anything.

Oliver knew he had to say something now before the chance was over. It took him a moment more before he could finally find the right words though.

“All those days I was chasing down a daydream. All those years it seems I was living in a blur. All that time, I was never truly seeing things the way they were. Now you’re shining here in the starlight and suddenly I know. I mean it’s crystal clear that I’m where I am meant to be.”

Felicity looked at him without seeing a word. There was a small furrow between her eyebrows, the same furrow he had seen dozens of times before when Felicity had tried to solve a problem at her computers. It showed that she still hadn’t completely put the pieces together. She still tried to understand.

Oliver waited for the furrow to disappear and for a real reaction to cross her face. Instead, the furrow only deepened.

“Did you just quote a Disney song to me?”

“Yes?”

Felicity’s frown deepened even more. Her hand was still in his, but Oliver could almost feel it pulling away. He quickly squeezed her fingers.

“I never admitted my love to anyone before, okay?” he asked. “I never felt for anyone what I am feeling for you. I didn’t know how to say it and after all this talk about Tangled, that was the first I could think about and, to my defense, it’s a great movie with great songs. I think there are worse ways to confess your love than through Disney.”

Felicity nodded slowly, still staring at him without saying anything. Oliver had no idea what was going through her head. It could be literally anything.

The longer the silence took, the more convinced he became that this wasn’t good. He lowered his eyes, feeling his stomach sink. He guessed he had put himself and his feelings out there, and all it was going to achieve was the loss of his best friend.

“What are we going to do now?”

Felicity’s question made his heart only clench in his chest even more painfully. He had no idea what they were going to do now. Was he just going to take her home and they would avoid each other at school for the rest of the year until everything had calmed down? Or were they-

“I mean does my mother has to stab you, so that I can try heal your wound and give you the chance to cut off my hair or can we just skip that and go right over to the part where the princess kisses her prince?”

Oliver lifted his gaze, looking at Felicity with surprise. For a second, he tried to find any hint that she was just teasing him. She was just biting down on her bottom lip nervously, waiting for his answer. A thousand butterflies were fluttering around in his stomach at her words and at the way she looked at him.

“I’d be in for the kissing part,” he said. He tried to sound casual, but his breaking voice betrayed him. “I mean if you want to.”

“Yeah.” Felicity nodded slowly. “Okay.”

For a long moment, they just looked at each other. Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. They just looked each other in the eyes like they couldn’t believe this was really happening. At least for Oliver, it was true. He couldn’t believe this was happening. It felt unreal. It was too good to be true.

Letting his tongue wet the seam between his lips, he straightened up slightly and turned more around to Felicity. His fingers were trembling when he rested his hands against her cheeks, cupping them gently. Her skin felt soft against his calloused fingertips, so soft that he was almost scared that just touching her would leave scratches. He looked at her for a moment, taking in her face.

Then he closes the distance and his world feels like it is standing still.

Felicity’s lips feel even softer against his than her cheek feel against his fingertips. The kiss is perfectly chaste, that the touch of their lips. There are no teeth and no tongue involved, and yet Oliver can feel everything inside of him tingle. He could hear Felicity taking in a deep breath.

Soon, much sooner than he actually wanted, Oliver pulled away. He stayed close at first, so close that he could feel her lips brushing against his whenever they took in a breath at the same time. He brushed his lips against hers once more before he pulled away completely.

He watched Felicity as her eyes was still close. Even before she opened her eyes, he could already see the smile spreading on her lips. It sparked in her eyes when she finally opened them and looked at him.

“I have wanted to do that for months,” she whispered. “And my imagination wasn’t even close to this.”

“I imagined this for too long already too,” Oliver replied, “so I guess we should go back to kissing.”

“Absolutely.”

They both moved at the same time. They both leaned in, kissing the other with passion. Their lips opened to one another. Their tongues stroked together gently. The kiss was much more hearted than the first, but it was still slow and tender. It was just as perfect at the first one.

Oliver pulled Felicity closer. He pulled both of her legs onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her chest tightly, so Felicity was snuggled up to his side. He could feel her heartbeat against his ribs and the fact that her heart raced just as quickly as his made him smile into the kiss.

He would have to thank Sara for reminding him of Tangled. From now on, it would be his favorite movie.

* * * * *

A long sigh escaped Felicity’s lips the moment the motorcycle came to a stop and she lifted her head off Oliver’s shoulder. The light shining through the kitchen window and the car in the driveway told her that her mother was back home and she couldn’t just steal herself back into her room. She guessed her grounding would be prolonged after all.

Felicity got off the motorcycle carefully and took off the helmet. She handed it to Oliver when he had descended from the motorcycle and taken off his helmet too. Resting her helmet on the handlebar, he put his own helmet on the floor, so he had both hands free to tug her close against him.

Chuckling, Felicity leaned against his chest and angled her head back to look at him. A wide smile seemed to be plastered on Oliver’s face, and she was sure that it wasn’t any different for her. The happiness she felt in every cell of her body made her lose her feeling for her body. She had no idea if she was really smiling, but she was pretty sure that she did.

“So it’s been a while since I last watched that movie,” Felicity said, puckering her lips, “How exactly do they escape from the witch at the end?”

“She trips over Rapunzel's hair, falls out of the tower and bursts into dust.”

When Felicity screwed up her nose, Oliver chuckled. He tightened his arms around her and kissed the tip of her nose. Felicity laughed as it tickled her a little and nuzzled Oliver’s chest for a moment.

“I think chances are low that this will happen to my mother,” Felicity said with a sigh. “I guess I will have to live with the prolonged grounding.”

Oliver sighed, swaying her from side to side a little like they were dancing to a slow song only he could hear. He puckered her lips and nodded to himself before he looked back at her and smiled again.

“We will see each other at school then,” Oliver said with a sigh, “and I am going to text and call you the entire time between our last class one day and our first one the next day.”

Felicity smiled. “You are going to be one of those boyfriends?”

“Who wants to spend every minute of every day together?” Oliver asked and grinned. “Absolutely.”

Smiling, he leaned down and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Felicity sighed against his lips, feeling her body starting to tingle. Whenever Oliver had kissed her today, her body had tingled today. It almost felt the same like right before waking up like her body wanted to wake her up and tell her it was just a dream. She didn’t wake up though because this wasn’t a dream.

When their lips parted, Felicity sighed.

“I guess I will go back to my tower and comb my magic hair,” she said and moved her fingers through some strands of her hair. “We don’t want the magic to get lost.”

“No, we don’t.” Oliver tugged at a strand of her hair. “Whether your hair is pink or blonde doesn’t really matter to me anyway though. It stays just as magical as it is.”

Oliver leaned in and kissed her once more. Their lips brushed together gently. When Felicity pulled back slightly, knowing it would only get harder the longer they stood there, Oliver chased her lips and kissed her once more.

“I really gotta go now.”

She whispered the words against his lips. Then she kissed him once more before she finally pulled away. At the disappointed look on her face, Felicity chuckled.

“See you Monday in school.”

Oliver groaned, and Felicity was so tempted to just stay here with him. She knew it would only get her grounded for longer and hence separate them for longer. Squeezing his hand, she took a step back, still looking at him and still holding his hand.

Just when she took another step back, the step that would cause their fingers to lose contact, Oliver tugged at her hand. Chuckling, Felicity bumped back against his chest. His lips captured hers once more.

“Now, here we are again,” she said with a chuckle, “and we have to say goodbye again.”

“Not goodbye,” Oliver said, shaking his head with a smile. “Just goodnight.”

Angling his head forward, he rested his forehead against hers. His lips were only a breath away, but he didn’t close the distance. Felicity did instead, knowing he just wanted to give her an out in case she really just wanted to go inside. She couldn’t resist to steal one more kiss from Oliver before they would have to spend the rest of their weekend separated.

When their lips parted this time, Felicity was the one to peck his lips once more. Then she pulled back, taking two quick steps to be out of Oliver’s reach. She cocked her head and, looking at Oliver, she sucked in a deep breath. She could stare at him all night long, but she knew it would only make it harder to part. The later she went inside, the harder her punishment would be at the end.

With a little noise of frustration falling from her lips, Felicity turned around and walked away. She forced herself to look at the front door of her home instead of looking back at Oliver. She knew she would only run back to him and kiss him once more because after months of imaging how it felt to kiss him, she couldn’t get enough of actually kissing him.

Only when she had pushed the key into the keyhole of the door, she looked back at him once more. He was still standing at his motorcycle, looking at her with a dorky smile on his face. Felicity felt her lips tingling with the need to kiss him again. She knew she couldn’t though, so she just waved at him and entered her home.

A heavy smile escaped her lips when she closed the door behind her and leaned back against it.

She couldn’t believe what had happened tonight. It felt incredibly unreal. Maybe it was because she had dreamed of it for so long or maybe it was because she had told herself that it would never happen for so long. Either way, she was sure that she would need a few days or maybe weeks to realize that this was indeed all real.

Felicity walked past the open kitchen door, almost hoping that the conversation with her mother could wait for another day. Her wishes were not fulfilled though, and she couldn’t even hold it against fate. She had already gotten so much tonight.

“Where have you been?”

Biting down on her bottom lip, Felicity turned to her mother. She sat at the kitchen table, a glass or red wine in front of her.

“I have seen the firework with Oliver.”

“Despite being grounded?”

Felicity nodded slowly. “Yes.”

Donna perked up her eyebrows, waiting for Felicity to expand on this. She actually considered to tell her mother because she knew how much she liked Oliver. Felicity decided against it though. For just a few hours, she wanted to keep this just for her.

“Your punishment will be two weeks then.”

Again, Felicity just nodded. “Okay.”

She bit down on her bottom lip to contain her smile. While being grounded surely wasn’t fun just thinking of how she had spent this night definitely was. She gestured towards the stairs. When her mother nodded, Felicity turned around and walked to the stairs. She had already put her foot on the bottommost step when her mother held her back.

“Felicity?”

Felicity stopped, turning around to her mother. “Yes?”

“What you did tonight, was it worth it?” she asked. “Was it worth to get another week?”

Felicity didn’t hesitate because there was no doubt about the right answer.

“Absolutely,” she replied, “Now I gotta go upstairs.”

To comb her magic hair, Felicity added to herself. Given the way this day had gone, she guessed her hair really was magical.

Closing the door to her room behind her and seeing Oliver’s name blinking on the display of her screen with a receiving call, she also guessed that Tangled would forever be her favorite movie now.

She had left the tower. She had seen the lights. She had gotten the prince.

Today had been the perfect fairytale.

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[chpinthestacks]

In the Stacks with Kathryn Savage: Shape-Shifting

I was in Iceland less than a day when I was told by an Icelander that if I went for a hike alone in the hills above Laugarvatn, I might see people who weren’t really there. The landscape conspired with perception, revealed visions. It was the quality of the light and lack of trees. What I wanted to see I’d see, the woman who ran the residency told me.  

The first week, I saw a child dancing but it was really a towel blowing on a laundry line.

The second week, I saw rocks jumping sideways through hills but the rocks were sheep. 

It was always daylight in Iceland in July, the sky perpetually soft-lit, and the light foreshortened the landscape. Eventually, I began to distrust my vision and felt a need to clarify what I’d just seen, look again.

Baltic-region mythology depicts stories about shape-shifters, the deception of sight. Icelandic hidden people—the unwashed children of Eve who she hid from God and who are invisible to humans—live in the hills of Iceland unless they choose to be seen. 

The Icelandic folk story “The Sealskin” is about a man who steals a sealskin, and who, upon returning to the site of his theft for more sealskin, finds, instead, a naked woman. She is weeping and he takes her to his house to console and clothe her. Years after his theft of her identity—the sealskin—after his abduction, after they marry and have children, he goes fishing one day and she finds her sealskin in a locked chest in their house. She puts it on and dives back into the sea, never to return.  

Pagan Scandinavian mythology is unabashedly brutal. There are child-stealers, jealous dead lovers, and in the story of “My Jawbones!” to stop the haunting of her hearth, a woman must bury the jawbones of a child she finds in her house.

In one Icelandic myth, a stranger comes to town and encounters bad weather, so he spends the night in the home of an older woman and her two young beautiful daughters. He asks the mother if he can take one of her daughters to bed and she agrees. In bed, he tries to have sex with the woman, but when he touches her, his hands move through her body. “I am a spirit with no body,” the woman explains. “You cannot get pleasure from me.” 

These misogynistic myths of the young woman, someone who is little more than a beautiful body, often alone, primed to be taken, have hung around. Some of the more violent Baltic region mythologies are about women alone in the woods and the bad things that happen to them because they are alone.

The first funeral I went to was my second cousin’s. She was murdered by a stranger after he abducted her. She was rollerblading home alone one dusk on Kittson County Road 1, a northern Minnesota county road flanked by golden grain.

Lidia Yuknavitch’s essay “Woven” discusses Laumes, Lithuanian water spirits who can take the form of animals and beautiful water-women. She writes: “Laumes were both benevolent and dangerous. They could tickle men to death and then eat their bodies. They could protect women and children or punish them brutally.” 

In the same essay, Yuknavitch writes about violence against women and the difficulty of depicting such violence. “In America, it’s tricky to describe violence without it turning into entertainment.”

As a child, I was told my mother’s father was French. More accurately, he was a Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Turkish Jew raised in Nice, France, and later, Brooklyn. 

His mother went to Nice seeking refuge from Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe. There, she lived with her two sisters in a small flat where they worked as hat models in the city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. 

I inherited my grandfather’s photos after he passed. Beautiful women in hats. Other details about the sisters’ lives remain hazy. When I write about them I come up with more questions than answers, so this past feels closer to mythology to me, to a set of exaggerated familial beliefs, some, perhaps, fictitious. This was Europe, late 1930s, and they were Jews who escaped to America. In Nice, some versions of the story go, they changed their names and assumed Christian identities. In Nice, they lived as themselves and as false selves. They shape-shifted.  

Intermediate spirits in Icelandic folktales, those who can shape-shift, are depicted, often, as beautiful women. The moral point of the shape-shift narrative is connected to punishment, to reveal dubious or desperate transformation and its consequence. It’s a relational trope reliant on a quality of before and after. Like a good secret, shape-shifting acquires its gravity by what it conceals and promises to expose later. Across cultures and mythologies, some shape-shifters are more deceptive or punitive, many are humiliated for their transgressions, some symbolize inner conflict, such as the werewolf who changes to reveal his true self. In some shape-shifting narratives, once a character takes on a new form, it becomes impossible to change back.

In a 2008 Grand Forks Herald article about my second cousin’s murder, a friend of hers describes how no women or children went biking or skating alone after her murder on the rural straightaway. It would be a betrayal to her memory, her friend said, to do these things alone now.  

In Nice, when Nazi’s found out that my great-grandmother’s sister had been assuming a Christian name, they murdered her children in front of her but let her live. The memory of that sight would be her punishment.

John Berger defines sight as the thing that comes before words. To Berger, the relationship between sight and knowledge is never settled and always relational, mediated by perspective, by sight relative to position. In Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag, on the photography of atrocities, writes that “Photographs objectify: they turn an event or person into something that can be possessed.” Certainly narrative does this work of possession too and I feel the edges of shape-shifting as I write this: anything I say about grief or loss is my singular possession, incomplete and mediated, reflecting my flawed sight. What are the details I’ve included, the details I’ve left out? For you, reader, I objectify my experiences and lay claim to those of my family. I mold, omit, and transgress the past.

But the violence is real, the vulnerability that hangs around the edges of sight. Yesterday, I learned from a neighborhood community message board that a white man driving a gold car tried to abduct a child my son’s age two blocks from our home. When I walk the dog tonight, I stare down every honey-hued sedan, try to see inside every car, to every man I don’t trust, but I can’t. Dusk has turned the windshields to mirrored glass.  

In her essay “The Precarious” from her recent collection, The Reckonings, Lacy M. Johnson writes, “both autopsy and atrocity require a witness—someone who survives, who sees for herself, with her own eyes. But the violence changes the person who looks.”

One day I went for a hike alone in the hills above Laugarvatn. The hills were steep and mossy and rocky. All the people I saw were tourists like me in bunchy jackets and hiking boots. I was grieving and lonely and wanted something revealed to me. I knew this was ridiculous, but I wanted it anyway. Some unnamable more, some sight or being to lure me away from pain. In some shape-shifting stories, the mother appears and beckons the child home. Sometimes, this isn’t the mother, but a dubious figure able to assume the mother’s form. Instead, in the hills above Laugarvatn, behind mossy lava rocks, there were clumps of used toilet paper. A woman’s torn ticket stub from her flight to Iceland from Tel Aviv.

On a gray day at The Skagaströnd Museum of Prophecies, I gave every Króna in my wallet to a fortuneteller to look at my hands and face so she could see into the privacy of my nature, my past, reveal truths I couldn’t yet see.

Notes: Works used to research this post include John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, Susan Sontag’s Regarding the Pain of Others, Lydia Yuknavitch’s essay “Woven” originally published in Guernica, and Lacy M. Johnson’s The Reckonings. The folktales and quoted excerpts come from Jacqueline Simpson’s Icelandic Folktales and Legends and Silja Aðalsteinsdóttir’s The Trolls in the Knolls. The Sontag quote can be found on page 81 in Regarding the Pain of Others and the Lacy M. Johnson quote can be found on page 28 in The Reckonings.

[thenyouturnedbitch]

The Light in the Piazza (Billy Hargrove X Shy!Reader)

A/N: I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG TO GET OUT! BUT SUMMER BREAK IS IN LIKE 6 DAYS FOR ME SO I’LL BE ABLE TO WRITE MORE.

Warnings: None

Wordcount; 1.7k

Pairings: Billy Hargrove x reader, Max Mayfield x reader (platonic)

"Ms. (l/n), can I talk to you before you leave?" Your English teacher Mrs. Najdawi asked.

"Yes, Of course. What do you need?" You say as you stop on your way to the door and head back to her desk with your books tightly clenched to your chest.

"There is a new student in the middle school, she just moved from California. The English teacher says she is struggling a little in her class and she wanted a high school student to help her. I thought you would be perfect for the job."

"Of course, I would be glad to help her." You say with a huge smile as your heart stops hammering in your chest.

"I'll give you her address. You will meet every day after school at her house to assist her." Mrs. Najdawi says as she neatly writes out the student's address and name on a piece of paper.

You knock on the door of the house for the third time clutching the piece of paper in your hand, rechecking the address on the paper to the one on the house. You felt your heart beating erratically in your chest as your fist knocks against the wooden door one more time.

You turn around to leave as a tall man with dark hair and a mustache opens the door, "We're not interested in anything that you're selling. Just fucking leave us alone." the man says loudly.

"No... I'm not here to sell anything I'm (y/n) (l/n), I'm here to help," You look down at your paper "Maxine Mayfield with English. Her teacher sent me, I'm supposed to be here every day to help her."

"Maxine prefers to be called Max." A young red-haired girl says as she popped out from behind the man in front of you.

"Oh, sorry I was just reading what I had on the paper." you apologized to her.

Mr. Mayfield looks you over and gives you a cold smile "I'm Neil Hargrove," he says "My wife and I were just about to leave when you arrived. My delinquent of a son still isn't home to watch Maxine."

"I would be glad to watch Max, while you two are out, Mr. Hargrove."

"We won't pay you." He says matter-of-factly

"No payment is necessary, I'll be here tutoring her anyway so I don't mind having to watch her extra."

"Okay, we're a little tight on money since we just moved to Hawkins."

"Of course, I understand."You say smiling at Mr. Hargrove.

He lets you in and Max leads you to the living room where she has her homework set up. A few hours after Mr. Hargrove leaves with his wife you and Max start getting to know each other instead of doing homework.

"You know how to skateboard?" You ask her in awe.

"Yeah, my stepbrother taught me how back in California. I could teach you if you want." She offers

"Really, I would love to learn how."

"What do you like to do for fun?" Max asks.

"I mostly keep to myself and read, I'm not a very interesting person."

"Come on, (y/n) there has to be something."

"I mean... I sing... a little and never in front of anyone. Unless your reflection counts."

"Let me hear," Max begs, looking at you with big pouty eyes

"One verse then we're getting back to work."

"Yes!" She says pumping her fist in the air.

You get yourself mentally prepared and make some changes to the song in your head before you start.

"These are very popular, in California." you say picking up Max's skateboard "It’s the land of naked marble boys. Something we don’t see a lot in Hawkins Indiana, That’s the land of corduroys."

You stop singing as you hear the front door slam shut and you jump up from your spot on the floor. You look up and see a beautiful boy with golden locks and brilliant blue eyes. Quickly you recognize him as the new boy who got into three fights in his first week in Hawkins.

"Who's this chick?" He asks motioning at you.

"She's my tutor for school, Billy" Max replies.

Billy looks you up and down before scoffing and walking down the hall and slamming what you assumed was his room door.

"I'm sorry, (Y/n) he's not been very happy since we found out that we were moving to Hawkins."

"I can understand, Hawkins isn't as thrilling as California. Let's get to work."

After a few months of working with Max, you and her older brother, Billy became used to each others presence in the house. Max was in the bathroom and you were cooking dinner for the three of you since Mr. Hargrove and Susan left to go shopping once again. Since you were in the kitchen by yourself you started singing softly to yourself about your feelings for Billy.

"Lips meet teeth and tongue, my heart skips eight beats at once." You sing as you dance around the stove making dinner.

"I didn't know you could sing," Billy says leaning against the wall leading into the kitchen.

You jump back at the sound of his voice and almost hit your hand on the burner before Billy grabbed it so you didn't. "Oh, I really don't it was just kinda, I had it stuck in my head."

"You sound really good." You become hyper-aware of the fact that he still is holding your hand. You pull your hand away quickly and turn back to the pots on the stove. "I'm serious you know, (y/n), you should do the talent show."

"I don't do good with being in the public's attention." You keep your head down as you focus on dinner.

"Come on you would be amazing."

"I'm not doing it, Billy, I just can't."

"If you do it, I'll... take you out to dinner."

"That doesn't seem like a fair trade exactly."

"Yes it is, you're always here helping Max with her work you could use a break and just enjoy yourself."

"A date doesn't seem like a break and I don't think that I would enjoy myself all that much." You look at Billy out of the corner of your eye and see his face drop. You turn your head and start to explain yourself "No, I didn't mean.."

"Forget it, (y/n) it doesn't matter." With that, he walks into his room and slams the door. You rest your head on the cabinet in front of you and release a big sigh.

The next few weeks were an actual hell for you, every interaction that you had with Billy was brief and uncomfortable. A quick glance in the hallways at school and an incoherent sound when he walks through the door at his own house.

"Are you and my brother going through something?" Max asks.

"It's complicated, I said something about not enjoying a date and that for some reason set him off."

"Is that what I heard him rehearsing the other day."

"What?"

"Yeah, I overheard him practicing asking someone to dinner or something."

"Do you think that was for me? Did I mess things up? I really don't know how to talk to people."

"Just talk to him."

"I don't know how," You rest your head on your hand "I've never been good at communicating with people."

You and Max work for a few more hours before you jump up with an idea "That's it!"

"What?"

"I have an idea how to make it up to Billy just make sure that he is at the school's auditorium next week at 6."

You spend all week practicing the song that you were going to sing to make up for being insensitive towards Billy.  It was a nerve-racking week because you've never sung in front of more than one or two people at a time so singing in front of the entire Hawkins population.

Standing in the wings of the school's auditorium you started to have second thoughts about performing. You were trying to calm yourself down when a stagehand came up behind you "You're on next" and walked away. 'Oh fuck, why did I think this was a good idea?' You hear your name get announced and feel someone push a microphone in your hand and you towards the stage.

You walk slowly to the center of the stage and close your eyes and take a calming breath. When you open your eyes you scan the crowd for Billy and when you see him standing in the back with his arms crossed you nodded letting them know you were ready to start.

You hear the opening notes of the piano start on the song and the song starts "All it'd take is one flight, We'd be in the same time zone, Looking through your timeline. Seeing all the rainbows, I, I got an idea And I know that it sounds crazy. I just wanna see ya, Oh, I gotta ask Do you got plans tonight? I'm a couple hundred miles from Japan, and I, I was thinking I could fly to your hotel tonight 'Cause I-I-I can't get you off my mind, Can't get you off my mind, Can't get you off my mind (oh). I could feel the tension, we could cut it with a knife, I know it's more than just a friendship I can hear you think I'm right, yeah. Do I gotta convince you? That you shouldn't fall asleep. It'll only be a couple hours and I'm about to leave" You get really into performing the song and start having fun on stage.

After the 'awards' portion of the show, you head to the auditorium to find Billy. You spot his signature hair and jacket and walk up to him, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh shut up, (l/n)" Billy says before he pulls you close to him and kisses you deeply. You hold yourself up by wrapping your arms around his neck and kiss him back.

"What was that?" You say after Billy pulls away.

"Something I've wanted to do for a while and I should have done it sooner. What made you do the talent show?"

"I thought about the offer you made me originally and I would like to raise the stakes of the offer."

"How so?"

"Instead of you taking me to dinner. I'll take you to my favorite picnic spot tomorrow and it'll be a date."

Billy slips his hands around your waist and pulls you close to a sort of hug "That sounds amazing."

"We'll make a day of it so you don't have to deal with Neil for a few hours. How does that sound?"

"Anywhere I am with you sounds like heaven."

Forever Tags: @strangerstuffandthingsimagines , @maceyismissing , @writing-hargrove