#and they both came upstairs with me and we all napped together in a heap

[beaft]

the way he is fully twice her size never fails to crack me up. what're you so big for, dude?

[springtimebat]

Trouble with the In-Laws

The first thing Fricorith thought of when he finally came to was Dorothy. His Dorothy. She wasn’t stuck underground with him but he could feel her close by. Hesitantly, he reached his pulpy fingers up to the basement ceiling, hoping to find a sign from her. He could feel her; trying to sleep on the floor above. He could hear her crying and imagined her a sad heap, weary and cold without him. She missed him; she missed him so badly it hurt. 

“That’s the reason I’m down here to begin with,” Fricorith thought to himself, “That’s the reason I’m such a mess.” He gazed down at his bleeding hands and brought them up to stroke his face, which was beaten purple and blue. It no longer hurt to move, having numbed during his nap. His injuries were just a reminder of how he’d failed to protect what meant most to him. It was a reminder of his attacker, who had tried to murder him, in cold blood, in front of the woman he loved. Fricorith shook his head. That just wouldn’t do. 

There was a squeak of floorboards up above and Fricorith’s hand began to mellow in an unexplainable, sudden burst of heat. Dorothy was awake. She was reaching out to him, finally. Fricorith smiled as he caressed his love’s hand through wooden planks. Slowly, as to not break anything, He sat down on the concrete slabs again and waited for his attacker to return or for Dorothy to come and get him. Whoever showed up first.

An hour or so later, the latch on the basement door lifted and Fricorith gazed out into the dark. His attacker stood in the door-frame. His eyes were hooded and his face was an angry red. When he caught sight of Fricorith, his mouth twisted into a disgusted snarl. Fricorith looked him up and down and gave a delighted cackle. The man’s nose had been fractured. He was trying to hide it by staying in the shadows. 

“What did you do to my daughter?” The man growled, his voice venomous and loud in the small room, bouncing off walls. 

“I didn’t do anything Jacob,” Fricorith smiled as Jacob furrowed his brow, stifling another fit of laughter, “I told you that last night. Do you still think I’m lying?” 

Jacob gave a long sigh. Fricorith loved seeing him like this. So exhausted. Pathetic.

“You’ve bewitched her. She’s never acted like this before. How?” Jacob’s voice cracked and he began to sob softly. Fricorith’s smile turned into a smirk.

“Why don’t you leave us alone?”

Fricorith tutted, “I’m afraid you think too highly of me sir. Bewitching women? Making them act erratically? My what a life I’ve led!” He paused in case Jacob wanted to respond. He didn’t say a word, “You need to understand there’s nothing special about me. I’m just a wanderer. A random wanderer who enjoys walking about the woods. You blame my presence for droughts, crop failures, animals dying...for broken noses. I’m just a scapegoat you use to save face. You believe I’m all these wicked, evil things when really, I’m just a wanderer and you’re a farmer who can’t do his job.”

“Dorothy-”

“Dorothy was lonely. Desperately lonely. So was I. I started a conversation with her one day and she must have liked my company because she continued to see me.” 

“How did you-I was always close by!”

“We met in the woods mostly. Occasionally in the house when you were out playing farmer.” Fricorith gave a quiet chuckle, “Just like last night.”

Jacob gave another growl in the dark, “You’ve dishonoured her! I don’t know what I’ll do now! If finding a boy for her was hard before I don’t know what I can do for her now.”

“Oh don’t worry. I fully intend on marrying her. Just as soon as she’s met my parents.”

It was Jacob’s turn to chuckle, “Do you really think I’ll let you marry her?”

Fricorith glowered at him, his eyes bright, as if he’d suddenly awoken out of a trance.

“Well, like you said, you don’t know who'll have her after this,”

“Even if you’re not the demon ruining my land, you’re still a wanderer, just like you said. What life would you offer my daughter?”

“One with food.”

Jacob reached out and punched Fricorith squarely in the face and then kicked him in the stomach. Fricorith, his mouth raw and aching, gave a howl that quickly transformed into a delirious laughing fit. Jacob stepped back cautiously. 

“Your decisions don’t matter anymore,” Fricorith gasped, his voice hoarse, “What you want doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is what she wants,” he lifted his eyes to the basement ceiling. 

“She doesn’t know what she wants.”

“You underestimate her too much. Surely you’ve learned that by now,” 

Jacob tensed, pressing his palms to his nose. Fricorith looked him up and down once again and gave a tired sigh, rolling his eyes. 

“I’m bored of you now.”

Jacob opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. With a final growl, he marched upstairs. He locked the door behind him with a giant, angry thud.

Fricorith went back to watching the ceiling.

A few hours later, someone tip-toed down the steps and rapt shyly at the basement door. Fricorith tapped back. 

“I’m sorry,” Dorothy whispered

Fricorith smiled, “It’s alright. You don’t need to apologise.” 

“It didn’t hurt too much did it?”

“No I’m fine,” he rubbed his fresh black eye, “I should be alright in a few days time,”

“Good,” She paused for a few moments, then giggled, “Daddy’s furious,”

“Really? I couldn’t tell,” Fricorith chuckled. The two laughed together, both smiling in the shadows. Until Dorothy suddenly stopped and became eerily quiet.

“I miss you,”

“I miss you too,”

Dorothy sighed, “I’m almost ready to leave,”

“About time,”

“Hey!”

“I’m just teasing,” Fricorith put his hand to the wooden door. The oak splinters burned him. 

“You seem ready,”

“I’ll be back in an hour or two. Don’t go anywhere,”

“I won’t,”

Dorothy giddily ran back up the basement stairs. Fricorith kept his hand to the door, his eyes misty as he twirled the burning wood in his bony fingers.

Dorothy opened the basement door just before dawn broke. Fricorith was lying on the floor, his long hair greasy and his eyes greyed. When he saw Dorothy smiling at him from the doorway, he winked and lifted himself off of the ground. 

“Everything taken care of?”

“Yep,”

“Good. Let’s go.”

Both wandered out into the morning sun hand in hand, with matching grins. 

“What did you do to your father?”

“He ran off during the night. It’s disappointing really. I did get one of his ears before he went though,” Dorothy reached into her pocket and held up her father’s right ear, covered in dried blood.

“Good girl,” Fricorith patted her on the head.  

As the two walked out into the forest, leaving the abandoned farm behind them, Dorothy began to look more and more confused. She tapped Fricorith on the shoulder.

“You never did tell me where we were going,”

Fricorith grinned at her, his long fangs like knives.

“We’re going to meet my parents,”

“Oh! Where do they live?”

“Around,”

Dorothy raised an eyebrow at him. Then she giggled.

“I hope they’re not as difficult as mine!”

[fericita-s]

Vanished (part 3)

Part One Part Two

on AO3

Third installment of four, Rated M, an Agduna Frozen story, amnesia AU. This chapter owes a debt of gratitude to @the-spastic-fantastic​ who pointed out we hadn’t yet let Iduna notice Agnarr with his sleeves rolled up, requested drunk and depressed Agnarr (and added even more devastating details to that scene) and as always did a wonderful job beta-ing and working through this with me.

Part Three

The letter arrived to the Sommerhus before she and Elsa did, Agnarr’s mark in the wax that sealed it together.  Iduna thought he must have written while she was packing clothes and toys, directing which servants were to accompany them.   She had also scribbled off a hasty note to Thea and Linnea inviting them to come visit and putting a cheerful slant on her hurried departure. 

Please come see Elsa and me at the Sommerhus! Agnarr is staying in the palace, royal duties preclude his presence.

Elsa loved the journey north, looking out the window of the carriage and pointing at every new animal and person and house she could see.  “Baa! Sheep! Cow! Moo!” When they arrived at the house, Elsa had craned her neck around each corner as she toddled through, calling “Papa?” Iduna felt the prick of tears in her eyes, and swept them away quickly, before Elsa would see and turn the whole cottage cold with frost in sympathetic worry.

As the servants unloaded the carriage and trunks and the cook set up the pantry and a light meal for dinner, Iduna put Elsa in her crib for a nap and took the letter upstairs.  She settled into an unused bedroom. She couldn’t bring herself to use the room that she and Agnarr had occupied on previous trips.  For having hardly any memories, the ones she did have were certainly plaguing her now.

She expected a quickly jotted note, a “Please forgive me,” or a “Please come home,” or perhaps even a “I am your King, you must do as I command.  Come home now or I’ll take our daughter away from you.” It didn’t seem like him to do that, but then did she truly know him?  After keeping such a big lie, what else could he be hiding?

Instead, the note was two pages of cramped writing, Agnarr’s hand faint in some places and overly strong in others as if he was having trouble controlling his emotions as he wrote.  She put a hand to her cheek as she read, and this time, let her tears fall.

             My Dearest Iduna,

I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’ll ask for it just the same.  I will write down for you all that I know of you, some in this letter, and more to follow each day.   But if you find that your tastes have changed, know that my love has not. I loved you when we were fourteen.  I loved you still at twenty-four when we pledged ourselves to each other. And I love you now at twenty-six with a child of our own.  I will love you whether or not you remember anything and whether or not you are the same girl with whom I fell in love.  I will love you in this life, and every life, and hope that we can share this one again soon.

Your lips were cold the first time we kissed, almost frozen.  You took me to a spring of water, you told me it was the purest in the whole forest. The water was clear and cold and you said there was legend about it wielding the power of truth.  That those who drank of it would tell their secrets.  You drank first, cupping your hand into the water and bringing it to your mouth.  The water dribbled down your hand and from a corner of your mouth and I was mesmerized by the sight, wanting nothing more than to kiss the spot on your lips that was wet, to take your truth and make it my own.  I dipped my hands in the water and drank too, and said the first thing that came to mind, a truth so basic and fundamental but one I had not said out loud to you before. “I love you." You smiled and said “I love you too.”

I leaned in to kiss you, and the cold water made us both gasp and then laugh.  But soon we had made our own heat and the relief and joy I felt at saying those words and hearing you say them warmed me brighter than the summer sun at noon.  I wish I could tell you if you were nervous or excited or impatient for me to say those words but I don't know. As well as I knew you then, I won't guess at your inmost thoughts and I hope they come back to you someday. But I will tell you mine - and they are that I love you wholly and desperately, that I am so sorry for betraying your trust, that being your husband and the father to our daughter is worth more than this kingdom or any other.  I love you.  You don't ever have to forgive me but I hope you will believe that I love you.

Yours, Agnarr

Iduna folded the letter and got into the bed, letting herself cry for the girl she was and couldn’t remember, and over the husband who knew them both but had kept it from her.

***

Every day, letters came.  Some were as long as the first, some were short. They made her laugh and cry and rage. She might have ignored them altogether, but she was so eager to know about who she was and who they had been. And she hated that she was dependent on him for that.  That he could have told her this a year or two ago and chose not to.

***

My Dearest Iduna,

Your anger is justified, but please know nothing will ever change my love for you and our daughter.                                                                                                                   Yours, Agnarr

***

At the end of the first week, Agnarr arrived and delivered a stack of letters to her in person. She was holding Elsa who squealed and clapped her hands together at the sight of him, and she wiped the tiny icicles that grew from Elsa’s fingers.  Agnarr kissed Iduna on the cheek and whispered urgently in her ear. “Read them alone and burn them when you’re through.”

When she started to read, she knew why they couldn’t be kept.  He had written to her about the Northuldra – the rituals, the legends, the spirits, the names of her family members and what they were like. Songs that he remembered.  Foods she liked to eat. Speculation on how Elsa’s powers might be related to the enchantments of the forest, though it was a unique magic he didn’t think had been seen there before.  He had given her his study of the Northuldra people. 

Having it might get her killed, even as the queen. Lord Hannesel and others still fueled resentment against the Northuldra and there were rumors he was gathering support.  Agnarr had even told the maid who had heard Iduna sing the Northuldra lullaby a carefully concocted story of his remembrance of the tune from a trip there, explaining that he had taught his wife.

She put the stack into the fire but held the last one a bit longer, waiting until all the others were burned before parting with it.

My Dearest Iduna,

Your birthday is September 5th, a time when the leaves in your forest start to change and the colors are so bright it seems like the trees have dressed up to celebrate you. Your mother gave you a shawl at birth with the patterns of the spirits on it.  It wasn’t with us the day we escaped the mist.  

We wrapped it around our hands when we were handfasted.

I was so hopeful we would create peace between our people.  My father had been getting more aggressive and insistent in matchmaking for an alliance with a European nation, angry at my declaration that I would marry you. I thought if we had our own ceremony, just the two of us, and if we had the privilege of creating a new life, it would force him to accept us. We could also create a new and peaceful life for both of our nations.

You took me to a cave and we sat alone. How my hand trembled as you held It.  How comforting it felt to be wrapped up in your shawl, and how impossible it was to imagine my life without you.  It still is.                                                                               Yours, Agnarr

***

At the end of the second week, Thea and Linnea came to visit.  Linnea and Elsa played outside while Thea and Iduna took tea in a private area of the grounds. 

“I’m surprised the king’s not here.  Elias said council meetings were cancelled last week and this week too.  No one has seen him for some time. I half thought I would find him here when we arrived!”

Iduna shook her head.  “No.  He’s been to visit, but not to stay.” She looked at Thea, deciding if she could share the reason why. But if she told her, would she be in danger too? 

For the first time, she understood Agnarr’s decision to keep her identity hidden. But it didn’t give her any relief.

***

“Agnarr.  Ag! Wake up!” Elias entered the king’s bedchambers, waving off the guard and servants. He shut the door behind him and moved to open the tightly drawn curtains.  The sunlight streamed in on a sorry sight.

Agnarr was lying face down on the bed, clad only in trousers.  Elias looked to the heaps of clothing on the floor, the trays of untouched food, full glasses of water, and the two bottles of akvavit uncorked, empty, and lying on their sides.

He sat on the bed next to Agnarr and began slapping the soles of his feet.  “Sit up, Ag.  Get up!”

Agnarr groaned and rolled over, putting an arm over his eyes.  He made a move to sit up, but groaned again instead.

“Thea sent me here.  She visited Iduna this week and could tell something was wrong, though Iduna didn’t say what. She told me to come here and fix whatever it was so her friend won’t be so sad anymore.  So you see? You’re making a liar of me too.  Because I can guess what this is about.  And if I’m right, I won’t be able to tell my wife the truth.  So thanks for that.”

Agnarr remained silent, but managed to move into a sitting position.  He cradled his head in his hands and leaned his elbows on his knees.

Elias’s voice was sharp, his words meant to hurt. “Thea was always talking about how romantic it was, the two of you, and how amazing Iduna told her the…physical aspect of your relationship was.  How intuitive you were.”  He snorted and shook his head.  “And I'll never tell her it's because you've loved Iduna since you were fourteen and were handfasted at twenty-four, and married a whole year before this fiasco began to unfold.”

Agnarr blindly groped for one of the glasses of water, knocking one over but grabbing one next to it.  He drank slowly, eyes closed.

“Did she find out? She knows who she is and she knows you lied about it?”

Agnarr set the glass down and turned to face his friend.  Elias saw the red rimmed eyes, the unshaven cheeks, the sunken look of him.  “I've ruined it. I've ruined us.”  His voice was raw.  “And now she has no one and our child won't know me.  And why should she? A liar and a coward is all I am.  Better fatherless than to have me.”

Elias was silent a moment and then moved to put an arm around his friend.  “What will you do? Is it really beyond fixing?”

Agnarr took a short breath, his breath hitching and his voice held a strange timber as he replied.  “I don’t know.”

“Give her time, Ag.” Elias sighed.  “Keep apologizing and give her time.”

***

He kept writing and at the end of every week he came to the Sommerhus to hand-deliver letters about Northuldra customs and the details of her family in the Enchanted Forest.   Iduna would read them and then burn them as she looked out of the upstairs window as Agnarr and Elsa played outside. Father and daughter would walk through the fields or woods, stopping to inspect interesting insects and beautiful flowers and the feel of a small creek. Iduna could see them from her upstairs window.  She would pause in her reading to see Agnarr with his shirt sleeves rolled up, holding the flowers that Elsa picked or lifting her high onto his shoulders so she could get a better view of a woodpecker.  There were times she wanted to go and hold his hand, to run her fingers along the familiar curve of his forearms she so admired.  But after he read their daughter fairy tales and rocked her to sleep, he slept on the floor in her room on a pile of blankets and cushions.  And, after silently checking in on them, Iduna would retire to the room where she slept alone.

***

My Dearest Iduna,

             My greatest fear, other than harm coming to you or Elsa, is that Elsa’s magic was given to her because I lied to you.  Did the spirits see my actions and give us a child with magic so that I would tell you about your ties to a land so blessed with it? If so, they must want to punish me greatly for failing that twice.  And I want to punish myself.  But Elias, who has known all of this, says it is not helpful.  That I should be patient and contrite.  So I will be.  Because you deserve that and so much more.  Yours, Agnarr  

***

“Happy Birthday, Elsa!” Linnea jumped out of the sled as soon as it pulled up to the Sommerhus.  Elsa waved and Iduna shouted from the front steps.

“It’s so cold! Hurry inside!”

Captain Calder helped his wife down from the sled and then collected a pile of brightly wrapped presents from underneath their seats.  They hurried to the warmth of the house, shucking their coats and hats and mittens and knocking snow from their boots as they came through the door.

“Are Elias and Thea here yet? The roads are treacherous today.”

Iduna took the topmost packages and shook her head. “No, not yet.  But they might have waited on Agnarr to join them.  And I’m sure Elias will ask the driver to go slowly.  He has been so cautious since Thea began to show.”

Linnea took a present from her father’s arms and gave it to Elsa.  “Open this one now! I made it for you!”

Elsa took the package and hugged it to her chest. “Thank you!”

Iduna laughed.  “You’ll have to show her what to do.  She doesn’t know she has to open it.”

Linnea pulled at the ribbon and it fell to the floor, and then pulled at a corner of the wrapping until it ripped.  “Now your turn!”

Elsa looked doubtful about the wisdom of ripping the paper, but did as she was told and soon discovered a fabric doll, with a blue dress, yellow hair, and a small crown on its head.  Elsa hugged it to herself.  “Baby!”

Linnea smiled. “Yes, a babydoll! I made her look like you, only I had to guess at the hair color since you’re still mostly bald.  And I used one of my old dresses for her dress so she is a very fancy baby doll.  Shall we go show her your room?”

They ran upstairs, the other presents on the pile forgotten.  Iduna breathed a sigh of happiness, a tight feeling in her chest at Elsa’s delight, and bent down to pick up the strips of wrapping paper that had scattered on the floor, like bright and cheerful snowflakes.  “She loves it when Linnea comes.  I think she gets lonely here.”

Mrs. Calder tilted her head and looked at Iduna. “Agnarr hasn’t joined you here yet?”

Iduna looked down, looking to where Captain Calder had stacked the remaining presents. “No, it’s been too difficult for him to leave the castle.”  A blush was creeping up her neck and she pressed the wrapping and ribbon into a ball and worried it with her hands.

Mrs. Calder looked to her husband, who cleared his throat and changed the subject. “I’m fairly certain Agnarr was bald for the first two years of his life.  It’s quite common in children with light-colored hair.”

A gust of cold air swept in as Thea, Elias, and Agnarr came inside. “Did I just hear someone call me bald?”

Captain Calder laughed and clapped him on the back.  “Happy birthday to your little one!  Two years old!”

Hugs and greetings were passed around as everyone discussed the snow, the cold, and the delight of celebrating a birthday with the happy royal family. Agnarr and Iduna shared an awkward look, and Agnarr leaned over to kiss Iduna’s cheek in greeting. She stayed very still, hands grasping the ball of paper, unsure if she should respond or not, wishing her body wasn’t longing for more touch from Agnarr, the heat from his kiss making her feel as if the whole room had been warmed.

Thea groaned. “Having children is a blessing, but being pregnant is surely a curse of biblical proportions. Elias, help me take my coat off.”

Mrs. Calder and Elias both helped her, and then ushered her into a chair by the fire and Iduna excused herself to get her a glass of water. She listened to their voices as Captain Calder mused about the state of the roads, Elias wondered whether or not the driver needed help settling the horses in the barn, and Thea and Mrs. Calder decided if it was better to sit close to the fire and prevent a chill or further from it so as not to get overheated.  Iduna smiled, glad to hear the voices of friends, of her family.

“Iduna.”

She turned and saw Agnarr, his hands behind his back. She wished she hadn’t discarded the ball of paper.  Bunching it in her hands to conceal her emotions had felt satisfying in a way holding a glass of water did not. Her heart sped up and she wondered if he had a new letter for her. She wondered if he would kiss her, hug her, hold her, now that the Calders were here to see their interactions.

She wondered if she wanted that.

“I didn’t write a letter this time; with the Calders here, I…”

She nodded in understanding, trying to keep any look of disappointment from her face. Today was for Elsa, not her.  “Of course.”

“But also, with the Calders here I thought we could, if you want to of course, and only if you feel comfortable, we could tell them about your origins.  Elias knows already and I know you think of them as family.  We can trust them. And I don’t think it would endanger them, with Lord Hannesel off the council and public opinion slowly changing.”

“If we can trust them, why didn’t you tell them three years ago?”

A faint redness appeared on Agnarr’s neck and he nodded quickly to her, almost a bow.  “I should have.  I should have told you too. Every day I think about how I could have gone about this all differently.  What I could have done better.  What I could have done right.”

Iduna handed him the glass of water. “Bring this to Linnea? I’ll get the glogg ready for everyone else. I gave the staff the week off since the weather looked to be so bad.  I knew they’d want to be home with their families.”

Agnarr took the offered glass.  “Think about it? You don’t need to give me an answer, now or…you know, ever.  But think about it.”

Their fingers touched as the glass passed between them and Iduna felt a shiver run through her.  She turned quickly so he wouldn’t see the confusion on her face.

Wasn’t she still mad at him for lying to her?

“Yes, I’ll think about it.”

She heard his footsteps and the conversation in the other room growing in volume as his voice was added to it.  She knew she had a lot to think about.  What was easy to ignore while playing with a toddler all day was harder to ignore now. As she poured raisins and almonds to the glogg on the stovetop, the feeling of safety Agnarr’s touch gave had stayed with her.  She did feel safe with him.  He had done all he could to keep her safe, both during the battle and every day after.  He had done all he could to make life safe for Northuldra in Arendelle, whether or not the mist ever opened.  He was a good man, a just king, and a devoted father.  And she could forgive his mistake.

Through his letters she had fallen in love with him in new ways.  Learning all she had lost was a heartbreak, but what she didn’t have to lose was him.

She didn’t have to be without family, either.  The Calders loved her, and would keep loving her even if they knew her past the way Agnarr did.  She could trust them and not shut them out in fear.

***

After a cold walk with Elsa pushing her new baby doll sleigh around the yard, eating cake, and Agnarr playing his violin while Elsa spun and danced in delight, it was time for her to go to bed.  Iduna picked her up and carried her to each guest for a goodnight kiss and then she and Agnarr took her upstairs.

Iduna laid her in her crib and watched as Elsa’s chubby arm slung around the baby doll’s neck, pulling it closer and breathing deeply. Agnarr reached into his violin case and took out a red and purple shawl, soft and trimmed with fringe.  He covered Elsa with it and ran his hand up and down Elsa’s side, humming the tune he had been playing on the violin a few moments before.  She smiled and closed her eyes.  Agnarr straightened.

“That’s my present to her.  And you too, really.  I had a weaver make a shawl like the one your mother gave you when you were born.  I know it’s not the same, but you can tell her about your family and maybe this will help.”

Iduna reached over and ran her hands along it, feeling Elsa’s sleeping body and wishing she could remember being wrapped up in her mother’s shawl, safe and protected, loved and cherished.

“Thank you.”  She looked at him and hoped he could see in the low light that she truly was thankful.  That it was a thoughtful gift that she would treasure and one that proved again how much he valued that part of who she was. She hoped he could tell she wanted to say more but didn’t want to wake their daughter or break this spell of calm and quiet, of understanding and maybe even forgiveness that felt like a shawl around her shoulders.  “And I thought about it.  I think we should tell the Calders. This weekend while they are staying here.  But maybe not tonight.  I’m tired.”

Agnarr nodded.  “Would you like to go to bed now? I can give them your excuses and show them to their rooms if you’re too tired.  I’ll go sleep with the drivers in the guesthouse.”

Iduna stepped towards him and reached for his hand, the same sensation of safety and calm reigning over her as it had earlier in the day, as it did every time they touched. “No.  You can show them their rooms but then come to our bed.” She turned and left the room, heat building in her cheeks and in her stomach and she wasn’t brave enough to look in his eyes and see what he thought about that.

***

“They’re all settled.  And I looked in on Elsa just now - she’s asleep.” He shut the door gently behind him and looked around the room, still not quite sure if Iduna had meant for him to share their bed.  Was it merely for appearances? So they had one less thing to explain to the Calders tomorrow?   He looked around the room, searching for something to say.  Something to break the awkward silence.  “The room is so clean and orderly.  It doesn’t even look like anyone has been staying here.”

Iduna was sitting on the bed, changed into her nightclothes.  “I haven’t been.  I stayed in the room next to Elsa’s.  I didn’t want to stay where we once had.”

“Oh.” He winced, sorry again for how he had hurt her, once more wishing he had made a different choice.

She looked at him and then spoke quickly. “No, I don’t mean that I was angry with you.  I missed you.” She paused and took a breath.  “Well, I was also angry with you. But I didn’t want to be in our bed without you.” She put her hand down next to her on the bed.  “Will you come sit?  I think better when I’m touching you.”

He laughed a little as he came to her and sat down, their thighs touching and her head even with his shoulder.  “I have a hard time thinking when you’re touching me.  Except about how much I want to be touching you.”  She leaned into him, her head on his shoulder.

“When I touch you, it’s almost like remembering.  I know I’m meant to be with you.  That it’s right.”  Agnarr turned his head so he could kiss her on the top of her head.  He brought his hand up and ran it through her long hair.  It was unwound from the neat crown braids she usually wore as queen and reminded him of the way it had been in the forest.

“Your hair was like this when I first met you. Down and a little wild.  Wavy and dark and beautiful.  I was staring so much at how it moved in the wind that I fell into the river because I wasn’t looking at how close I was to the bank.”

Iduna laughed. “You didn’t write about that in any letters!”

He brought his hand to her shoulder, running it up and down her arm.  “Some things were too embarrassing to commit to paper.”

Iduna reached to his face and cupped her hand around his cheek.  She ran her thumb over his mustache, back and forth and back and forth, like she was soothing his worry. “Thank you for giving me all of those memories.  And for all of the ones here in Arendelle that I can recall – being your queen, being the mother of our daughter, knowing the Calders.  That’s all thanks to you.”

His hand stilled. “Iduna, I’m so sorry.  Truly.”

She stood and nudged his knees apart to stand between them and then brought both hands up to this face. “I forgive you.  And I love you.”

He gripped her under the thighs and lifted her up so she was seated on his lap, chests pressed against each other and her legs around him. He buried his face into her chest but she could still hear his whisper. “I certainly don’t deserve it.  But I love you too. I wish I had the words to tell you how much.”

She leaned to his ear, kissing it on the lobe and shivering at the feel of his hands on her back, the movement of his hips into hers. “It’s not your words I want right now.”

***

The Calders didn’t seem surprised or upset to hear that Iduna was Northuldra. Captain Calder even suggested that they tell the council.  “They, like everyone else in the kingdom, love the queen.  And they will see it as a chance to strengthen the statement of peace: naming the queen as Northuldra and your marriage as an alliance that respects and honors their people.”

Mrs. Calder hugged Iduna tightly. “Our love for you has not changed.  Perhaps richer now for the truth of things, but not changed.”

“It makes sense.” Linnea spoke as she reached to pick Elsa up out of Iduna’s lap. “Is that why Elsa can make ice?”

The adults in the room all stared at her. Her mother spoke first.  “She can…do what?”

Agnarr cleared his throat.  “Yes, it seems she can make ice.  And snow as well.  But it’s not a known gift among the Northuldra and we don’t know what it means.  We don’t know if the power will strengthen or fade as time goes on and she grows up.”

Thea reached to take Elsa from Linnea.  “Show us, Elsa, dear.  Show us the snow.”

And Elsa did.

[sleepyfan-blog]

*Screams* Hewwos, um maybe, a bit out there but a version of sci from dreamswap that has helped the meme squad a fair amount of times- the last bad things happens bingo card

prompt : Bounty On Their Head

Fandom: Dreamswap by @onebizarrekai

Characters and pairing: DS Science!Sans, DS Nightmare, DS Cross, DS Error

Warnings: cursing

Word count: 1,962

Summary: Sci’s been here for just over a month and commits treason. Still, it’s for a good cause?

Sci had been working working as an intern for one of Justice Reign’s main laboratories for a little over a month, having just finished the rather extensive orientation and training program, though he was incredibly honored to have won a spot in such a well-respected organization. It was even a paid internship. He had room and board for free for himself and for his younger brother, Papyrus who was able to play with the children who were taken care of at the orphanage, and learned from the teachers that came to instruct the children. While Sci was a little… Unsure as to how he felt about the no-mercy policy when it came to dealing with criminals, he knew better than to speak up.

His supervisor shoved a pair of bulky and terrifying power-restraining cuffs and ordered him to “Take these down to the dungeon - someone dangerous has just shown up and they need these. Now. Here’s a note to give the guards so they know that you’ve got clearance to be where you’re going to deliver the cuffs. Make it fast.”

“Y-Yes sir!” Sci responded, nodding and walking as quickly as he could after he teleported to the uppermost level of the dungeon - showing the note to the guards when prompted to do so, not wanting to get into trouble.

It took a surprisingly short amount of time, and he was pushed unceremoniously into the cell, where there was a heap of purple and black clothing. Sci blinked and made his way cautiously further into the cell, poking the being with one of his feet and jumping back a little when it groaned and shifted. He took in a deep, steadying breath before carefully lifting the other up with his magic - the skeleton in his grasp having the strangest soul that he’d ever scene - it was the shape and size of an apple - and was a violet hue. Sci also read the other’s Stats - not that he meant to.

{Nightmare - Guardian of Negativity: 430/50000 HP, 500 ATK, 700 DEF. LV 3. Tired and determined. Your friend and former neighbor.} Sci sets the other down on the cot and moves over to the still unconscious skeleton, his hands shaking a little at the implications that information had just given him, pausing for a moment as he realizes that this is the latest version of the power-restricting cuffs that he helped to work on. He closes them with a click, deliberately ignoring the fact that one of the runes that would keep the other’s magic from being used is carved too deeply to be effective - and another is carved just incorrectly enough to mask the other’s magical presence instead of suppress it.

“Uhm…” He calls out uncertainly as he sees a hint of violet in the other’s eye sockets “Guard person? This prisoner is injured. Shouldn’t… Shouldn’t they be tended to?”

“… What did they pull you out a blind AU last week? You really have no idea who that is, do you?” The guard called out derisively, rolling their eyes - all ten of them. It was really impressive and a little intimidating “Nah, we won’t bother the medics for the likes of him. But if you have a bit of healing magic, then heal him if you like.”

Sci nodded, his hands lighting up green, and he knew that the other was awake as Nightmare as the check had told him the other’s name was, jolted softly as his magic soothed the other’s injuries. He didn’t have enough magic to bring the other back up to full HP, but it was well over half. He did recognize the other as Shade - one of his neighbors. The other tended to be reclusive and disliked going outside without his datemates with him. Sci had helped them out as best as they could - and he’d noticed that all three of them had been wary of Justice Reigns.

At the time he’d thought nothing of it. He had his reservations about such a powerful organization interfering with his timeline - despite the fact that their aid had helped everyone quite a bit. Lord Dream himself had broken the barrier that had sealed them all underground and had led the peace talks with the humans above. But Sci had been… Worried about what the cost of all of that would be… And he’d figured he didn’t have much of a choice when a JR representative had shown up at his door, asking if he would be interested in working in their science division.

He’d been having a bit of a get-together with Shade, Criss and Merrow, and as soon as he’d seen who was at the door, he’d sent Paps to tell them before going upstairs to be quiet, wandering slowly to the front door in order to give them time to hide. He’d also figured out when the JR patrols would go through Snowdin and shared the information with the three of them.

Now though… There was a choice before him. Should he help Shade - or rather Nightmare - who had been a good if awkward friend… Or should he stay quiet and live in comfort and security with his baby brother (while hating himself for condemning a friend to a not so pleasant fate)? He glanced around and shifted ever so slightly to the right so that the camera wouldn’t see his hands moving {Third rune on the inside of the right cuff will give if you push it, then they will come off completely. These cuffs are mostly defective. Stay safe, Shade.} He also pulled out the half-dozen spider-donuts that he’d been planning to surprise Paps with and quickly shoved them into Night-Shade’s mouth, boosting the other’s HP even further.

Night’s eye lights widen in shock and gratitude and he nods, signing a silent {Thank you. Stay safe.}

Sci nodded imperceptibly, smiling a little at the other before turning to the front of the cell and calling out “Okay, I’m ready to come out of the cell now.”

The guard person nodded, unlocking the cell and opening just wide enough for Sci to get out before slamming it shut and locking it securely “You newbies are always so soft on the criminal scum. You’ll soon learn that they deserve nothing more than what Lord Von Licht and the courts decide they get.”

“I… Uh-uhm, okay…” Sci responded, uncomfortable and worried.

They managed to make it about half-way through the dungeon when Criss and Merrow showed up in a flash of destructive magic, the distinctive staticky sound of Merrow’s portals warning Sci several seconds before they actually arrived, subtle though it was. He stared at the both of them before he decided that there was no job cushy and secure enough to make him abandon his friends.

Sci swiftly turned around and murmured “I’m sorry, you seemed… Like a decent person.” To the guard who’d been escorting him, summoning a bone attack and smacking the other hard enough on the head with it to knock the other out cold for several seconds. Sci quickly tied the other up using the cuffs that they had on their waist and threw the key ring at Criss, who stared at him in confusion, just barely able to catch it out of reflex “Hey guys… So it turns out I’m not JR material after all. Shade is three levels straight below us, that is if he hasn’t-”

Shade came barrelling towards them, sprinting at full speed, a dozen guards cursing and charing right behind him, the broken cuffs dangling from his wrists - precisely where Sci had told him to snap them. Sci yelped and called out loudly “N-No!” raising a thick wall of blue bones that was several feet thick and misjudging the distance so that they sprung up between Shade and the guards - giving them plenty of time to escape. He winked at a still stunned and confused Criss and Merrow before calling out “P-please l-let me go!” Making it sound as if they’d forced him to do that “Please… M-my little b-brother is e-elsewhere in the ca-castle… P-Please let me go…”

“I… What? I-I’m not-” Criss started, the confusion audible in his voice.

Shade interrupted him with a smack to the head, signing faster than Sci could read. He said “You should be useful enough as a hostage if my companion can’t get us a portal out of here before reinforcements arrive.” Shade grabbed him and held him close, muttering under his breath “Teleport to your brother and run out to the forest. We’ll meet you there and get you both out of here.” Sci nodded minutely in response.

Criss went “Oooh.” Softly and nodded before scowling at him “Yeah… You… Hostage-y person.”

Shade sighed and face palmed “Shut up, Cross…”

Merrow reopened the portal and Shade shoved him aside roughly, smirking “Thanks for the help. See you later, maybe.”

Sci was already teleporting over to where his brother was - taking a mid-afternoon nap in their small apartment in the living quarters section of JR’s castle. He shoved Papyrus’ most beloved treasures into his inventory as fast as he could. While he could hope that no one thought that he’d deliberately helped - he could sense guards running to his location - and he wasn’t going to put his brother in further danger, wrapping his baby brother up in his favorite blanket and teleporting away just as Von Licht himself burst into the room, claymore in hand, frowning dangerously.

Sci stumbled a little as he nearly ran into a tree, the teleportation much rougher than he was expecting it to be - but Criss grabbed him by a shoulder and flung the both of them through a portal, rushing after him a second later, the portal snapping shut as he found himself in a very strange place. “Where… Where are we?”

‘Welcome to the omega timeline. Home to the lost, outcast and innocent who are hunted.” Shade responded with a wry sigh “Since you helped to save my ass… I suppose I should properly introduce myself - good work fucking up those cuffs, by the way that was brilliant. I’m Nightmare - number one on JR’s hitlist for the crime of existing. Number two - Error and Number three Cross. They’re high up on the list too because they’re my friends and they can’t catch us if we’re together.”

“Come on, let’s watch some TV and eat. I’ve got some brownies on the counter.” Cross responded “We’ve got a spare room you can put the squirt.”

“I… Thank you for not leaving me behind.” Sci responded gratefully “Even though it put you in danger.”

“Of course we’d come after you too. You helped us dodge JR’s patrols at least a dozen times. Nightmare actually got captured on purpose because we were worried that Lord Von Fuu…” Cross’s eye lights flickered to the sleeping child “Fuuunky face might have grabbed you ‘cause he realized you were helping us.”

Unfortunately their episode of Undernovella was interrupted by a breaking bulletin - there was a new wanted criminal… His face was up. His crimes were aiding and abetting the escape of other prisoners… And kidnapping a child.

“Woo! Look at you, that’s an impressive amount of G for just that. You must have quite a noodle in your head if he wants you back. Were you working on anything sensitive?” Cross grinned, even as Error and Nightmare rolled their eye lights.

“I… J-Just the newest magical restraining cuffs and something about a kind of car?” Sci shrugged, frowning a little.

“Huh. Welp, welcome to being a villain. We’ll give you a jacket and lessons in Evil Laughter after this.” Nightmare responded with a small grin, patting one of the other’s shoulders. They returned to watching Undernovella, Papyrus safely asleep upstairs.

[justanoutlawfic]

The Guardians: Unexpected

Summary: Regina and Robin had a terrible blind date 6 years ago, swearing that nothing more would ever come from it. After their best friends die in a car accident, though, they are named guardians of their godson. Now these two have to figure out some way to get along.

Also on AO3

There are some words you never expect to hear in life and you don’t really know that you weren’t expecting them, until they happen.

 Regina had been babysitting her godson when she received those such words. Henry had gone down easily, just as he always seemed to for her. She was eating the Chinese takeout she ordered, going through Emma and Neal’s DVR selections when her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number and nearly didn’t pick up, but something in her told her to.

 “Ms. Mills, this is Dr. Whale calling from Storybrooke General. You were the next of kin listed for Emma Swan-Cassidy.”

 That got her attention almost immediately. Emma’s parents had died when she was young and she had spent most of her life in the foster care system. Until she met Regina and Neal in high school, she had been all alone. After seeing Lilo and Stitch, they had dubbed themselves “Ohana”.  They were family, none of them were going to be left behind. Even after Emma and Neal began dating, Regina never felt like less of their friend.

 “Is she alright?” Regina asked.

“I’m afraid she was in a car accident with her husband. Things are pretty critical right now.”

 Regina knew better than to wake a sleeping baby, but she practically flew up the stairs and grabbed Henry before rushing out to the car. She bounced him lightly as she tried to figure out the car seat one handed. Eventually, it snapped into place and she settled him in, double checking the chest strap.

 “It’s gonna be okay,” Regina promised. “We’re just going to check on Mommy and Daddy.”

 Regina was torn between speeding and also knowing that Emma would kill her if she got into an accident with her kid. She was the town sheriff after all, car safety was in her blood. So how had she ended up in an accident? Regina tried not to picture the hunk of yellow metal that was their precious Volkswagen bug crushed to a heap. Whale had said that they were critical, but that things were looking up. There was hope.

 Once she reached the hospital, Regina powered through the double doors, Henry still in her arms. He had lulled himself back to sleep, thank goodness. Regina came to a halt at the desk, not noticing that someone else had ran up at the same time.

 “I got a call about Emma Swan-Cassidy,” she said at the same time the person next to her said “I’m here for Neal Cassidy.”

 She looked over and realized that it was Robin Locksley. She stiffened a bit, adjusting the 10-month-old in her arms. Regina hadn’t seen Robin since the Christening, as it should’ve been. The two had a disastrous first date before Henry was born. Robin had attended community college with Neal and the two became best buds. For some reason, Emma and Neal assumed they’d be a perfect match, but they had absolutely zero in common. The entire night they argued over every little thing. Regina had made Emma vow to never have her be in the same room as him. She wouldn’t have been surprised if Robin had done the same with Neal.

 So, naturally, Emma and Neal had made them maid of honor and best man, respectively at their wedding. Then they had both been named Henry’s godparents. Even so, Regina had sucked it up. Seeing him a couple of times a year at events for Henry would be fine for her. In that moment, none of that really mattered anyway. Emma was hurt and Regina had to focus on her.

 “What are you doing here?” Robin asked.

“I’m Emma’s next of kin. What about you?”

“They couldn’t reach Neal’s dad, I was the next on the list.”

“Oh.”

“Why do you have Henry?”

“I was babysitting when I got the call.”

“So, you brought him to the hospital…”

“What would you have like to me do? Hm?” Regina arched an eyebrow, doing her best to keep her voice calm. “Leave him by himself?”

The nurse interrupted their conversation. “The doctor will be out in a minute to speak with you both.”

 Regina swiftly walked away, cuddling Henry closer to her. She couldn’t help but notice Robin hovering and she wanted to snap again, but another part of her couldn’t blame him. In her arms was the one thing that Emma and Neal loved more than anything in the world. As much as Robina and Regina disagreed on everything, at least they shared love for that little boy.

 “Do you know details about the accident?” She asked, her voice growing soft.

Robin shook his head. “Probably as much as you.”

“God, I just don’t get it. Emma was the master at car safety. Sure, that bug was a piece of junk, but she was always lecturing me about safe driving.”

“I guarantee you, it wasn’t on either of them.”

A tired looking doctor with blonde hair approached the two of them. “Are you here for Mr. and Mrs. Cassidy?”

Regina nodded. “Yes. What happened?”

“Going off the police report, someone ran a red light and collided with them. It was a hit and run, they’re still unsure of who did it but they’re on the lookout.”

Regina wrapped Henry’s blanket further around him out of protection, as though the person who hurt his parents would suddenly come out and hurt him. “Oh my God.”

“But…Emma and Neal?” Robin saying their names came out more of a question than anything. “Are they okay?”

Dr. Whale frowned. “I’m sorry to report that Mr. Cassidy died on impact. We did all we could with Mrs. Swan-Cassidy but she had lost too much blood. We had to pronounce her dead not long after arrival.”

 Regina would’ve dropped Henry, had Robin not rushed to her side. Their first and only date hadn’t ended in so much as a kiss, but suddenly his arms were around her and he was holding her up right. Henry was awake and crying again, but Regina didn’t even notice. She held tightly to him with one arm, her other hand clutching to Robin’s shirt as she sobbed. It wasn’t until she felt her hair growing wet that she realized he was crying too.

The next few hours passed in a blur for Robin. He remembered driving Regina back to Emma and Neal’s, watching her tuck Henry back into bed. A part of him could recall dialing Logan Gold’s number so he could be made aware of his son’s passing. He assured him that Henry would be alright until his arrival to Storybrooke. Regina had arranged with CPS to let Henry stay with her, as she was what was most familiar.

 He didn’t sleep. He sat next to Regina on the couch, both of them crying but not touching one another. Robin had only ever seen Regina cry once before and those were tears of joy the day Henry had been born. He had also never seen her so relaxed, normally she wore pantsuits or dresses. To babysit, she had been in comfy jeans and a Ramones t-shirt. Those were the things he’d remember. They didn’t say a word until the sun started to rise over the house and Henry’s cries could be heard from upstairs.

 “I’ll get him,” Robin said groggily.

“I’ll start on breakfast.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Maybe not, but he needs to eat.” Regina pushed herself up and rubbed at her swollen eyes. “I’m also going to call Kathryn Gilda. She was a friend of Emma’s dad, their lawyer.”

“I didn’t even know they had a lawyer.”

“Only got one after Henry.”

 Regina walked into the kitchen and Robin headed up the stairs. The home was cozy, inviting. Neal and Emma had always fantasized about living by the beach, and they were only a 5 minute walk. They talked about how they’d take Henry there and push him on the swings, they couldn’t wait to teach him how to swim. Their dream had always been to buy a vacation home in Florida, Tallahassee to specific, but it wasn’t about to come to fruition.

 Robin went into the nursery and found Henry trying to pull himself up on the bars. He lifted him out, taking in the room. It was car themed, license plates from every state that Neal had traveled to-almost had all 50, only Hawaii and Texas remained. The sheets were yellow, the walls a light grey. That had been Emma’s doing, the color scheme picked out long before they found out they were having a boy.

 Looking down at Henry, he could instantly see the bits of Emma and Neal in there. He had green eyes like his mom. He didn’t have much hair yet, but wisps of brown like his dad were evident. He even had Neal’s smile, minus the teeth. God, how had he never noticed just how much this little boy resembled his parents?

 “Hey bub,” he whispered. “I know all of this is confusing, but we’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

 Robin got Henry ready, changing his diaper and putting him in what appeared to be the easiest thing to change him in and out of. He wondered if Mr. Gold would bring him to visit. Losing Neal would be hard enough, but Henry being all the way out in Scotland would be a lot harder.

 Despite him and Regina not getting along, they managed to get through the morning okay. Neither said what was on their mind, they just went through the motions. Regina didn’t eat and neither did he, but Henry did a good job of getting down his oatmeal. They half-heartedly played with him, trying to keep their spirits up for his sake. By the time they put him down for his morning nap, Kathryn had arrived.

 “So, I spoke with Logan Gold again this morning,” Robin said. “He’s asked us to put together the funeral arrangements, but he’ll be here in time for that.”

“I’m assuming it’d be okay if I looked after Henry in the meantime?” Regina asked.

Kathryn tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“I figured that Mr. Gold would be taking Henry with him back to Scotland.”

Kathryn’s mouth opened, then closed again. Finally after a few moments, she found her words. “Did Emma and Neal discuss with you the plans they had for Henry in the event of their death?”

Regina looked over at Robin, who shook his head. She glanced back at Kathryn. “No.”

“Well, they named both of you.”

“Both of us?” Regina asked right away.

“Yes.”

 Robin and Regina looked between one another, shocked. Neal had never brought this up, ever. Neither had Emma for that matter. There had been a few times where they started talking about death, but Robin always shrugged that off. Death made him uncomfortable, as it did most people. He had lost both of his parents by the time he was 18. That didn’t mean that they couldn’t have just come out and said it, though.

 He barely knew Regina. They had been one date, one. Outside that, all of their conversations had revolved around Neal, Emma and Henry. They spoke politely, just barely, at gatherings for their friends. They posed for pictures, but that was it. If he had been told that Emma and Neal had left Henry to just him, he would find a way to handle it. He loved the kid. But raising a baby with Regina? How did they expect him to do that? She hated his guts.

 “I’m sure this isn’t how you two pictured starting a family,” Kathryn continued when neither of them spoke.

“There has to have been a misunderstanding,” Regina said. “We’re not married.”

“They tried setting us up once,” Robin clarified. “But it didn’t take. We barely even know each other…”

Kathryn held up a hand as if to tell him to shut up. “I understand all of this. When they told me that you two weren’t so much as dating, I tried to advise them to go with someone else but they insisted.”

“I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t Neal want his son to go with Logan?”

“Neal’s father is disabled. He’s not incapable of caring for Henry. As I recall, he said he’d hire a nanny and send him to the best schools.” She folded her hands. “But it’s not what they wanted. Neal wanted his son to have hands on parents, ones that were there for him. While Mr. Gold is now married and is very happy with his new wife, Neal and Emma just didn’t feel they’d raise him the way they wanted.”

“Are Belle and Mr. Gold aware of this?” Regina asked.

“They are. I advised them to talk this over with family, so there would be no issue with the will being contested. They told me that Mr. and Mrs. Gold understood.”

 Robin had a hard time believing that Logan Gold would take such a thing well, but also didn’t doubt that Neal would lie about him being okay with it. Belle had seemed to soften his best friend’s father, the last Robin had seen. Maybe he was willing to do what was best for Henry.

 Was that really Robin and Regina raising him, though? And if Neal could discuss this with his father, why not the two of them?

“You two could say no,” Kathryn continued. “While Neal and Emma did not want Henry moving to Scotland, they didn’t forbid it either. The two of you were their first choice. This is a big responsibility and I’m sure you’re aware of that. You two would have to live here, under one roof, raising this child together. It’s not impossible, but it’s not for everyone.”

“What if…only one of us wanted to do it?” Regina spoke up. “Would that…be okay?”

Robin shot her a look. “Why do you assume only you would want to do it?”

“Well, I didn’t see you volunteering.”

“It’s a lot to take in at once. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

“Well, I’m not backing down from Henry just because you want him too.”

“I didn’t ask you too.”

“So, you want us both to do this?”

“You’re not exactly my top pick to raise a kid with, but I’m saying we can work it out. For Henry’s sake.”

 Regina stared at him for a moment, before looking back at Kathryn.

 “We’d both have to live here together?” She asked.

“For now. The life insurance policies would cover the mortgage, but outside that they didn’t have a lot of savings. I don’t think that Emma and Neal expected you to live here, together, full time, but just enough to adapt Henry to the situation. He’s young, but not young enough that he wasn’t aware who his parents are. In time, if you two so desired, you could start splitting custody and move out. If you really have his best interest at heart, this would be my suggestion.”

 Robin and Regina were silent for a bit longer. It was clear that if they had a choice, neither would wish to be put in such a situation. Yet, there they were. Neal and Emma had left Henry to them. They would have to figure it out…together.

 “How soon could we file for guardianship?” Regina asked, softly.

“The sooner the better. I can get you both as his temporary guardians as soon as tomorrow, in six months-time, if all goes well, you’ll be able to adopt.”

 Just like that, Robin Locksley had become a father. When he pictured this moment, he saw himself married, getting a newborn. He saw himself in love.

 He definitely didn’t see himself going into it with a woman that hated every fiber of his being.

[morbidly-queerious]

So how was your weekend?

Oh boy

Wow

How was my weekend, huh?

Well, I have been ordered under no uncertain terms to give a completely honest and comprehensive answer to this question, so look out for some serious nsfw…..

So I currently have two partners in residence at the moment, as my Mistress arrived on Friday night. They banned me from cumming since Monday, and from touching myself since Wednesday night, because it would make me all hot and bothered and desperate. Then they handled me nice and rough the whole drive home, giving me kisses and teasing me about how worked up I was. It barely took ten minutes to get home but I felt like my brain was gonna leak out my pussy.

When we got home, I got Mistress settled in and a snack, but they decided they prefered to move on to the next activity which was shower blowjobs and jacking off onto my face, telling me l looked pretty on my knees, and then letting me rinse off after they’d rubbed it in a little.

The next morning, we slept in, and Master got home from work and hung out with us. We chatted and had a lovely morning over Chinese food, before Master decided it would be funny to demonstrate to Mistress the kinds of noises I make when they hit me with the flogger.

This is the part where the world goes fuzzy.

I think I remember Mistress forcing my legs apart so Master could hit me easier. I think I remember Master explaining various techniques to Mistress and both of them giggling over my responses. I think I remember having clamps pinched onto my nipples and tugged until I screamed. I think I remember wanting to cry when the clamps were taken off and trying to curl into myself only for Mistress to slap my thighs and tell me to take it. I think I remember snatching the flogger out of Master’s hands thinking “this will be a cute funny joke” and only realizing as both of them stood up what a mistake I had made before I turned and fled up the stairs. I think I remember Master and Mistress pinning me to the bed with one of them on either side of me as I looked back and forth in terror and they whispered to me about what they could do to me and how silly it had been to think that I could play them against each other, how silly it was for me to think at all. I think I remember them hurting my nipples over and over again while I screamed and shook and begged to be allowed to cum.

I know that I had a bachelorette party that evening with some professional friends, and by the time I needed to get up and ready for it, I was shaking, fully sub dropped, and my panties were completely ruined. I know they told me that I had better go to my party and do a good job pretending to be anything other than the useless fucktoy I am, or I’d have to be punished, really punished, not just play punished. I know that they told me that when I got home, if I’d been good, they would reward me, and that they’d plan for my return together the entire time I was gone.

I know I spent that party in a haze, terrified that every waitress, guest, and other customer could smell my dripping pussy, barely able to hold a conversation because I was half mad with need for them. I remember driving my coworker back home to her place and flying in the door a full hour and a half later than I’d promised to return, petrified that this would mean punishment and suffering (a fate which Mistress had previously informed me would mean denying me that which I was so desperate for - punishment would mean being tied down, ignored, and forced to watch them jack off, not even getting to feel them come on my face, as only good sluts deserve cum or to be touched) and I couldn’t stand the thought of that.

But when I got back, Master and Mistress were drinking beer together on the couch and having a great time playing video games and chatting. I settled in and felt both relieved and terrified. They were so calm and I was so wet and I felt like if I didn’t get something soon I was going to fall to the floor wailing and sobbing for them. Maybe that was the point.

Fuzzy again. I think I remember Master putting their fingers in the tear in the thigh of my leggings and just tearing. I think I remember having my shirt pulled off, the nipple clamps reapplyed, and my thighs spread open again by Mistress. I remember being surrounded by them on all sides, cornered on the couch with no where to go. I remember Master coming at me with scissors and cutting off my panties before shoving them in my mouth and using my ruined leggings to secure the gag, and Mistress tying something over my eyes so that I couldn’t see. Master whispered in my ear to remind me how to safeword out if I needed to. After that, though, I remember nothing but pain and screaming, and begging over and over again, words they couldn’t hear or understand and clearly didn’t care about. Eventually the clamps came off again and it felt like my nipples had been twisted so hard they bled. I found face buried in the couch cushions, my skin burning, my body hovering between orgasm and just indescribable pain.

All told, I thought this part lasted about 30-40 minutes. I remember sudden gentleness as I was lifted from the couch and told we were going upstairs. Someone tied the leggings around my neck like a leash and yanked them tight so that the pressure on my throat made me drip. I crawled up the stairs while Mistress teased me that I better go quicker, and Master joked that it was like herding cattle. In the bedroom, I was yanked up towards the bed and as soon as I had crawled up, Mistress was in front of me and Master was behind me, and Mistress held me down to lick them, refusing to let me up for a moment’s breath, while Master shoved into me from behind and fucked me hard, shoving me forward into Mistress’s hips. I remember not being able to help it anymore. I don’t know if I got permission, but I came, shaking and screaming, and blissfully filled and used. I came over and over again. Master and Mistress pulled me flush to them and both came as well. I collapsed in a heap, dripping cum and completely unable to speak except for the words that come as natural to me as breathing “thank you master, thank you mistress”. Master and Mistress threw spare change onto my collapsed body, and told me I’d done well. We fell asleep there, me snuggled up in between my two owners and passed out on top of the wet patches I had left all over the sheets. My throat was raw from screaming and my nipples were so sensitive from the clamps that barely a breath across them made me yelp and consider begging to cum.

It wasn’t until the next day that Master and Mistress informed me that we’d played for almost two hours downstairs that night, and another long while upstairs. I’d gotten home around 9:30 but by the time we fell asleep together it was past midnight.

It was around this same conversation that Mistress informed me I had been careless with them during our scene and hadn’t watched my teeth. They said I’d be getting extra practice this week until they could use my mouth as vigorously as they wanted without feeling even a hint of teeth from me. Sure enough, later that day I got exactly that, kneeling in front of Mistress on the floor and doing my best to remember that my comfort, my breath, my pleasure, none of it mattered except as it made Mistress amused and pleased. They told me I’d done better, but that we’d try it a few more times until they were sure I’d always remember not to let my pleasure at getting fucked make me careless in my licking.

Sometime on Sunday, Master called me back up to the bedroom too, telling me to make myself useful, since a warm fuck toy felt so much better to masturbate with than their hand. They licked me for a while and I could feel them smiling when I started begging to cum, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to help myself under their tongue and knowing that it would make a fine excuse to beat me later if they wanted, since they couldn’t give me permission with their mouth busy on my clit. Once I’d humiliated myself by cumming three times, they fucked me so hard that I was starting to dangle off the bed, and I felt like my hips would bruise.

Today, I spent the day out running errands with Mistress, and then when we got home, Master was irritable because they’d woken up really early and found me gone and not available to use. Mistress and I made dinner, and we all lounged on the couch together for a while. After finishing our tea, Master told me to follow them upstairs while Mistress had a nap downstairs, and Master pinned my legs down so that I couldn’t even move my hips, not to get closer, not to escape, not to fuck back on their tongue, and licked me again, even longer than the last time, even harder and more cruelly than last time. I came again, without being given permission again. I can only imagine when those orgasms are going to come back to haunt me. And this time, Master shoved me partly off the bed on purpose and wrapped their hands around my neck as they fucked me. And while they did tell me to cum more than once, it was clear that they weren’t worried about whether I did or didn’t. They knew that I was so wet and helpless under their touch that I would cum from anything, even just a word from them. The point of this fucking was to fill me up, to use me, to show how frustrating it had been to be home alone, horny and wanting, and without their fuck toy to relieve that. Afterwards, they sent me back down to Mistress with cum leaking down my thighs and told me they’d see me before they left for work.

Mistress let me snuggle them close and let me whisper the things I was feeling, the need I had to be filled and fucked and to be less than human, less than sentient, less than a toy, to my owners right now. They guided my hand down and let me stroke them gently through their clothes, telling me how nice it was to hear me being reminded of my place and being treated like the needy whore I am. I begged them to fuck my ass next, to let me feel them split me open and fill me up, and they said they hadn’t decided yet if they would use my ass or my pussy, but that it was time for something other than my mouth. I realized that whichever one I got, I would cum for them, moaning and shaking like a slut, just like I had for Master not ten minutes earlier. Mistress pulled my hand away from them finally and told me it was still naptime. I sat on the couch and stroked myself for a while, not even for any real pleasurable prupose, but because it seemed like where my attention should be focused when my Master and Mistress had no use for my holes and no chores had been assigned me.

It’s late now, long past time for me to be sleeping, but I can’t stop thinking about how my thighs feel, damp and sticky. Or how my nipples are still sore and vulnerable form all the time in the clamps, and yet I would do almost anything for Mistress to look deep in my eyes and whisper gently to me to take what I’m given and thank them for it as they pinch the clamps down tightly onto my nipples again and leave them there this time. Or how my handcuffs have been lying menacingly on the couch for the last several days as the rope sits coiled on the bookshelf. Or how I would probably scream loudly enough for the neighbors to hear if Mistress fucked my ass while my pussy was full of my glass dildo. Or how one of these days Mistress will probably fuck my pussy and I probably won’t be able to stop myself from cumming over and over on their cock. Or how Master’s tongue invariably makes me squirt and soak the bed. Or how it feels to hear Master moan softly to themselves when they fill my pussy. Or the mindless, violent, screaming orgasms I had when my Master and Mistress took me together. Or best of all, the way it feels to be trapped between them, never sure where to look or who to beg for relief, terrified of the suffering they dream up together for me, and filled with such joy and love that I had these two beautiful, affectionate, indulgent people surrounding me and making it clear that there was nowhere I could go where they wouldn’t love me.

The part that scares me?

There’s still the whole rest of this week left for them to do these kinds of things to me.

[hellotweetygirl]

[FIC] Become Starlight

Title: Become Starlight

Author: @hellotweetygirl

Words: 3,402

Genre/Paring: Jongho, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff

A/N: So this is my first Jongho! I was eager to write this after the terribly emotional goodbye that Jonghyun said to his beloved Blue Night this week. It was so hard to watch him cry- but I think we all cheered when Choi Tenderheart came to the rescue! I went to nap thinking of this post I’d fired off and woke up with this fic in my head :) Getting to post this on Jonghyun’s birthday is also a treat! Please enjoy! 

 “My tears become starlight, and shine brightly over there,

Maybe you’ll see from somewhere, so every night I become the starlight and shine.”

-“Wish Upon a Star”

 ~~

Minho dragged Jonghyun to his front door and propped him against the door jamb with a sigh. They were both drunk. Minho however, had drunk socially and casually at the after party having nothing to prove to anyone there and having simply wanted to enjoy himself on Jonghyun’s big night. Somehow he had managed to stay pleasantly tipsy, and despite the number of shots that Jonghyun had pushed his way, stuck to his limit.  

Jonghyun however did not.

Minho didn’t know how someone who had sworn off drinking could get themselves so thoroughly smashed in such a short time. Perhaps it was the late hour, or perhaps it was the wake of the emotional high after leaving the radio studio. Maybe it was the fact that the drinks disappeared at a faster rate than the food in front of Jonghyun. Whatever it was, when the full-on weeping began and Jonghyun had, for the third time that evening, made for the microphone to begin a passionate ballad on the karaoke machine Minho knew it was time to spare his hyung the next day embarrassment and make a speedy exit from the celebration venue.

Now, managing to drag him home, Minho had to figure out what to do with him.

Gently, he smacked Jonghyun’s cheek and got him to open his eyes.

“Hyung, you gotta open the door okay? Just put your code in and we can get you inside.”

Jonghyun’s eyes slowly focused in and recognition dawned on him of who was speaking to him. He smiled brilliantly and Minho couldn’t help but smile back shaking his head fondly at the other boy. Minho thanked the stars that Jonghyun was an adorable drunk and not a disorderly one. Sluggishly, Jonghyun rolled to the other side of the door and mashed down a sequence of numbers before the soft beep of success was heard.

Minho grabbed him around the waist from behind with one arm and shoved open the door with the other. He pushed Jonghyun into the foyer and helped him to toe off his wingtips before Minho wrapped his arm around him again and frog-marched him down the hallway and into the main living area.  

In retrospect, Minho should have expected that there would be a ‘part two’ of the goodbye celebrations waiting for Jonghyun at home. Banners and flowers decorated the space and made for a festive welcome. A welcome gone wholly unappreciated by the sleepy drunk in his arms.

Seeing Mrs. Kim’s look of concern as she rose from the settee was enough to make him wish he’d poured Jjong into a cab a lot earlier that night…well, morning.

The petite woman hurried over to him and reached out for her son, ready to do her best to care for him. Minho put a finger to his lips and gently steered him out of her grasp.

“It’s okay Mrs. Kim, I’ll get him upstairs and take care of him.”

“No, no, no,” she fussed, “You don’t need to Minho-yah, I can take care of him well enough.”

Minho argued softly with the woman for a minute, sleepy drunk or no there was no way he was letting Jonghyun’s mother bear the burden of worry and care for her son in this state. She would just have to allow him his way.  Turning on his megawatt smile he insistently pushed past her and moved Jonghyun to the head of the stairs. When Minho heard the tisking and longsuffering muttering behind him he knew it was accompanied by a smile and proceeded without guilt.  

“Come on hyung, up we go.” Minho’s hand slid into place at the small of Jonghyun’s waist, gently propelling him forward and together they made the short climb to the second floor and Jonghyun’s room. Pushing through the familiar door he was hit by the powerful scent of burning wood and deep exotic fragrances. He inhaled deeply and found calm washing over him and swirling around him. It was so peaceful to be in Jonghyun’s room. He loved the old leather furniture and the warm blankets. He loved the slick polished floors and the modern artwork. It all blended together into a style that was uniquely Jonghyun’s. For as depressing as the blackness on the walls and windows had the potential to be, Minho always found that being in Jonghyun’s room felt like a securely knit cocoon and it gave him security and peace to be here.

Minho rolled Jonghyun onto the bed and left him there, butt perched on the edge of the bed, feet on the floor, body crumpled over in an untidy heap. Rummaging around on the headboard he came up with a packet of matches and struck one up and began lighting the candles that lined the wide wooden top. The matches burned quickly and he found himself shaking out the flames as they licked at his fingertips, striking again, and repeating the lighting process until around the bed was bathed in a soft glow.

Minho shut the door behind him blocking out the harsh light of the hallway and effectively pulling the cocoon fully closed.

Minho turned and leaned against the door appraising and admiring the man slumped over on his side at the edge of the bed. Jonghyun had been so handsome tonight in his navy suit. Minho had been watching the radio broadcast on his phone from the beginning sitting in the downstairs lobby while he waited to come on the air. Jonghyun was so pleased with himself and how sharp he looked, the fans all admired him and cooed and giggled their approval- and they weren’t wrong. He looked amazing and obviously felt good and Minho had been pleased to see it.

Now the suit was a little the worse for wear and so was the man in it.

Minho was pretty sure that drool was escaping the other man’s open mouth and he knew for sure that his cheeks were encrusted in the salty brine of a flood of tears. He stepped over to Jonghyun and sat him up, briefly caressing his cheek.

“Come on Jjong, we gotta get you out of all this and make you comfy.”

The words awakened the older boy a bit and he again focused in on Minho with a growing smile.

“That’s good. Good. I like comfy.” Jonghyun’s hazy smile as he spoke to Minho could hardly be called a real smile resembling more of a Muppet’s thin dopey purse of the lips. Jonghyun raised his hand to Minho who was stooped in front of him and ran his hands down Minho’s sweatshirt protected chest. “I like comfy things, did you know that before?” Jonghyun’s question was so childlike in tone that he almost booped Jjong on the nose. Almost. But he held himself back. No need to open himself to the potential of teasing…or otherwise…the next day.

Minho’s fingers moved deftly over the large buttons of Jonghuyn’s jacket and popped them open as the other boy continued to babble away. Minho grasped the ends of Jonghyun’s sleeves and tugged upward as he stood giving the older boy the appearance of being a puppet in the hands of his puppeteer. Eventually, Jonghyun’s arms slid from the sleeves and flopped to his sides on the bed. Jonghyun giggled.

“Plop, plop!”

Minho shook his head and pushed Jonghyun flat on his back. With a soft bounce, he hit the mattress and wiggled into the comfort of the puffy duvet.  Minho leaned a knee into the edge of the mattress and leaned over Jonghyun unlooping his belt, tugging and clanking the buckle as he went, and popping the button that gleamed like a silver coin underneath.

“I’m seriously glad,” he groused, “That this is the last time I am going to have to drag your drunk self home Jonghyun. You are the most unhelpful drunk.”

With a swift tug around the hips, Jonghyun’s slacks hit his knees and began the journey downward. Minho smacked the bare thigh.

“Kick them off.”

Jonghyun obeyed and the blue serge dropped to the floor in a puddle.

Pants removed Minho sat the pliant boy up again and continued removing Jonghyun’s smartly checkered tie. The fabric was warm from having been held closely to Jonghyun’s body and it warmed more against his hand as he yanked it from beneath the collar. One by one he loosened the tiny buttons at Jonghyun’s neck and down his chest until Minho deemed he had enough room to breathe freely.

Minho got up and disappeared through an adjacent door and a light flickered on. Water ran briefly and Minho reappeared again before a minute had passed. The washcloth in his hands was wrung out but not to the point of being bone dry. It retained much of the scalding heat of the tap water in its fluffy luxurious threads and Jonghyun moaned as Minho cupped one cheek with his hand and ran the cloth alongside the other. The cloth ran along the back of his neck and ventured along the top of his shoulder before coming down and running into the deep dip of his clavicles and across the spot he was so proud of in the center of his chest.

As Minho switched hands and worked his way across the other half of Jonghyun’s exposed body he roused and began to take deep breaths filling his lungs with fresh air and slowly expelling it in long sighs.

“That feels nice.”

“I thought you’d appreciate that,” Minho said with a grin, “You can thank me in the morning.”

Minho moved to his hands and ran the fading warmth over the backs and palms of Jonghyun’s right hand before moving to the left. As he worked at the smudge marks he rolled the clenched fist over and tapped it, signaling for the other to open up but the fist only clenched tighter. Minho looked up a question on his features.

“Hyung, what do you have?  Open up.”

Jonghyun signaled the negative with the shake of his head and refused to listen. This left Minho with the only thing he could do- pry the object out of his hand. With difficulty, the fingers peeled back one by one revealing crinkled loops of navy ribbon around a small tan reed.

Jonghyun looked down at it forlornly and tears began to form in his eyes.

“I’m leaving them. I’m leaving them Minho.”

Before Minho could process what was happening he had his arms full of a crying Jonghyun as he flopped face first into Minho’s shoulder.

Minho sighed. Maybe he should have let Mrs. Kim take care of Jonghyun.

“Hey now, hey,” he crooned, rising with Jonghyun and awkwardly tossing the cloth onto the side table, “Don’t cry Jjong. Shhhhh. Don’t cry.” Minho pulled back the covers on the bed with one awkward hand as the other steadied the now weeping boy in his arms. “We’re going to get you into bed and let you sleep all this off okay?”

Jonghyun took a long drag of snot as he hiccupped through the tears. He buried his nose into Minho’s neck and clung to his hoodie with both hands wrapped into the jersey knit.

“I thought it was going to last forever,” he sniffled in gulps between words. “Now I’m leaving them and nothing is going to be the same! I don’t want to go Minhooo I don’t want to,” the small boy sobbed.

So this is what this was all about.

Right about now Minho wished he was still carrying around that silly box of tissues, he could use one- or forty- to dry up the fount Jonghyun had again become. He patted the others back and slowly shifted him down into the waiting bed and lifted his feet in behind him.

“We can talk about this tomorrow hyung when you’re feeling better.” Minho moved to lift the covers and tuck Jonghyun but was stopped with a fresh wail.

“You’re going to leave me too?”

Minho stopped and looked down at the boy curled on his side and thought how very small he looked. He knelt beside the bed and rested his elbows on the edge as he spoke softly to Jonghyun.

“You’re tired. You’re drunk. Don’t you think that you’ll feel better later after you’ve slept off all the alcohol? Then I’ll take all the time you want to talk about this.” He stroked the flop of bangs of out of his eyes and tried to sweep it to the side.

“No. I’m not going to feel better later,” he insisted stubbornly, “I want you to stay with me now. Please,” he pleaded in the barest whisper. For such a large personality in public, Jonghyun could, on occasion, be the smallest little smol in private. He looked incredibly insecure and weary, his tear stained cheeks drawn and his eyes red ringed from both the drink and the continuing tears. Minho couldn’t bring himself to deny him the request.  

“Okay. You win.” He tapped the elder on the nose.

Standing, he shucked off his tight jeans and puffy outer jacket leaving him in his oversized hoodie and his clothes in a pile on top of Jonghyun’s on the floor. Climbing in next to Jonghyun was not uncomfortable by any means but it had been such a long time since the two had shared the same space that Minho was tentative as he inched into the place beside his friend.

Jonghyun had other ideas.

He flopped onto the tall boy with abandon and wrapped his arms around Minho’s broad chest.

Laying on his back Minho raised his eyes to the heavens and asked for patience.

Maneuvering around the pillows and bodies he shifted the both of them to a comfortable position. Supported by a horde of pillows at his back he cradled Jonghyun in his side and drew the covers up over them.

Jonghyun, who appeared more awake now, threw a leg over him preventing him from any possible escape.

At first Minho just simply held the other boy and kept him close. His hoodie earned an ever dampening wet patch on his chest as Jonghyun’s tears soaked through but he didn’t mind as long as he was helping the other to feel safe and cared for.

Eventually, Jonghyun began to quiet his tears and opened up, speaking in low scratchy tones that he had to lean in closer to hear.

“They were so close, all the listeners, and at first, that scared me, but then it didn’t. I wanted them close. They understood me. They are people. And I am too, I am a person! And I could be just a person with them. Sharing the same things, the same happiness’s, and struggles, and….” He trailed off not quite connecting his train of through to its next destination and Minho rubbed his arm reassuring him he could continue.

“They shared themselves with me Minho. At first I didn’t know what to do with that. So long I’ve tried to share myself with others but they never saw who I was really. No one understood. I didn’t want them to feel that way. I wanted them to know that they had been heard so I wrote for them. Something beautiful came out of that, I can’t even tell y-” he choked on a sob and Minho stroked his back in comforting circles.

Leave it to Jonghyun to try and be eloquent even in his tearful drunkenness.

“I want to go back. Please let me go back.” The sobs wracked his body until he could do nothing but heave in air and choke it back out again.

“You can’t do that Jjongie, you know that,” Minho comforted with steady voice and hands that moved gently up and down the stricken boy’s sides and back. His hands were steady and sure, repeating a pattern of infinite shapes. He scrunched up the cuff of his sleeve and gently wiped at Jonghyun’s tears and dripping nose. He grimaced in disgust realizing what he’d just done and sighed, resigned to being Jonghyun’s own personal human tissue.  

For the hundredth time Minho wished things were different for Jonghyun. He had been surprised to hear that Jonghyun would be giving up Blue Night knowing how the other loved it so, but also unsurprised in knowing what a burden it was to his health. Minho had grieved too as a listener of the show. He never thought that someone he knew so well already could offer him something new but Minho found himself tuning into the show not just to support his friend as he had in the beginning, but as a curious listener who hung on every word that came over the airwaves, hearing fresh thoughts and the warmth of a genuine heart.

As time had gone on Minho had seen how his friend’s insomnia battled against the great love he had for his work. It was heartbreaking to watch. He hated seeing Jonghyun hurt and had finally gone to him and pleaded for him to watch over his health and allow Minho to watch over his beloved little home in the place between today and tomorrow.

The other had refused of course, knowing Minho’s schedule was no less demanding than his own, but Minho knew that it had been seen as a gesture of love.

Now though, as his friend had done what he must so he could grow strong again and heal, he held him wishing he could have done more to stop this from hurting so much.

“You did everything you could,” he whispered. “Blue Night will be looked after until you are in the right place to take it over again. Right now is time to take care of you Jjong.”

A few quiet minutes passed where quiet reigned. The candlelight was the only thing in the room that appeared to be alive as the flames bobbed and danced and through their light as far as they could which really wasn’t terribly far in the oversized room.

“Open your eyes,” Minho commanded. He disentangled himself from the other’s arms and rolled to his back again, nudging the boy beside him to do the same. Jonghyun made a pillow of his bicep and together they peered into the near blackness of Jonghyun’s room. Minho pointed to the ceiling at the other end of the large room, beyond the reach of the soft candle glow.

“I know it’s dark right now and that you don’t see- but there is starlight out there- and it’s for you.” Minho turned his face to the other boy and whispered right in his ear. “Make your wish Jong. Make it and dare to believe it’s going to come true.” Jonghyun turned and their eyes met. He was searching through his hurt and the pain in his eyes pulled deeply at Minho’s heart.

Minho blinked the moment away and turned again to the darkness.

“You’ve given hope to so many people don’t give out on yourself now. I know now is not the day you are going to feel good about this. It’s probably going to take many days- but soon you will see not the darkness but the stars.”

Minho shuffled onto his side again and cupped Jonghyun’s cheek running his thumb across it and dragging the trace moisture there across his cheekbones. Slowly he leaned across and placed a tender kiss on Jonghyun’s forehead.  

Jonghyun considered him for a long moment.

“It’s not okay. But it might be.”

“Yeah, it will be. Trust me.”

Jonghyun leaned into him then and pressed his lips softly to Minho’s. He pulled back after a brief second and Minho watched him chew his lip.

“Thank you Minho.”

Minho pulled Jonghyun back into the circle of his arms and quickly they became tangled together, resting in each other as sleep pulled at them both.

As sleep made his mind drowsy Minho tucked away the promise he had made Jonghyun. He felt how deeply Jonghyun was relying on his words to be true and he would not let him down. Maybe he couldn’t look after Blue Night, but he could certainly do what he seemed to do best and look after Jonghyun. He would make sure that the wishes he made came true and the starlight inside him stayed burning brightly.

Someday, Jonghyun would ascend to the nighttime skies again.  

Minho couldn’t wait.

[wellnessroutines]

How To Buy A Mattress: 7 Things To Consider

Few points make me as happy as an excellent night of rest. I was one of couple of babies that dropped for naps and also going to bed without a fuss, and while I set up even more of a battle during my very early childhood for anxiety of missing out on out on something, my aunt nicknamed me the 'Straight Champion' when I was a teenager because I quite hardly ever got up prior to noon on weekends.

Of course, time has a means of changing people, and my life as a work-at-home mom does not actually provide itself to a sleep-filled presence. I have been known to survive on much less compared to 5 hrs of rest a night when life obtains hectic, and although coffee as well as chocolate assists me deal in the temporary, I have discovered consistently that I am a worthless human being when I do not make sleep a priority.

I come to be short-tempered and anxious, I'm much less effective, and also basic activities start to really feel overwhelming.

The great information is that I have whole lots of terrific natural rest ideas up my sleeve to assist ensure I do not invest my evenings thrashing on the evenings I'm not working day and night at this workdesk, however if I have actually found out anything regarding sleep in my grown-up years, it's the value of purchasing the ideal mattress.

It made use of to be that I might rest anywhere - on a 100-year-old bed, an over-stuff sofa, and even the floor - but currently that I'm approaching my 40s, I find my body and mind just absolutely really feel rested after sleeping on the best mattress.

And because my partner deals with back troubles, bed mattress are one item he agrees to spend lavishly on, and also he's quite certain when it concerns bed mattress shopping.

The great news is that I've gotten bunches of excellent mattress-buying tips in the 9 years we've been together, and also considering that I recognize there are heaps of individuals out there who are on the marketplace for a brand-new cushion in an effort to assist find their way back to a great evening of rest, today I'm teaming up with Yogabed ™ to share 7 points to look for when you acquire a mattress.

Because everybody is entitled to an excellent night of sleep!

1. SUPPORT

While convenience is a vital factor to consider when it involves getting a bed mattress, I would certainly say that assistance is more vital when picking a new bed. You desire to discover a cushion that disperses your weight properly. Why? Since if your cushion is simply absorbing your weight instead compared to distributing it, your muscles will have to compensate to maintain proper back placement, which could cause back pain.

2. COMFORT

Comfort is the second thing we consider when getting a cushion. The even more padding the much better, in our viewpoint. Obviously, a cushion with an innovative split system will undoubtedly cost more than the one you rested on in your university dormitory, yet because the standard (suitable) mattress lasts 8-10 years, as well as rest plays such an essential duty in our general health, it's a beneficial investment.

3. TEMPERATURE

When my husband and I wased initially wedded as well as began the procedure of amalgamating our belongings, we determined to ditch my extremely old bed in favor of his high-grade memory foam cushion. Memory foam was a very brand-new point back then, and also while it was one of the most comfortable thing I had actually ever before slept on up till that factor in my life, it was likewise the best. I could not inform you the number of nights I got up saturated in sweat when we were sleeping in that bed, and also I was so delighted when we traded it in for something better. I now make it an indicate research every bed mattress we buy to ensure we are investing in something with an integrated air conditioning system that will not keep me up all night!

4. MOTION TRANSFER ISOLATION

Unlike my spouse, that hardly ever moves in the evening, I am a pretty active sleeper. My husband spokens I in some cases appear like a competitive gymnast in my rest, that makes motion transfer isolation a vital consideration whenever we're acquiring a cushion. We wish to see to it we're spending in something that will absorb each of our activities as though we're not disturbing the other individual's sleep.

5. SIZE

The very first time my partner and I acquired a bed mattress together, we chose to go the added mile and upgrade to a king-sized bed. Numerous factors when right into this decision - the amount I relocate about in my sleep, the truth that my body is like a furnace in between the hrs of 10 pm as well as 6 am, and also my vision of having family members flick evenings in bed once we became parents - as well as we've never looked back. Having our very own individual area at night makes such a distinction in ensuring we both feel relaxed in the morning, and we always choose for a king-sized bed when making hotel bookings ... also if it means paying a little additional for our room!

6. EASE OF TRANSPORT

Buying a mattress was never ever an issue when we were apartment residents, but we recently bought an old Victorian house with practically no swing space in the staircase connecting the first and also 2nd floorings, as well as we were compelled to acquire a new bed. As it turns out, locating a king-sized bed mattress that we might experience upstairs was no very easy task, and also numerous stores notified us we would certainly have to wait over 6 weeks for distribution, so you much better believe this will certainly allow consideration for us the following time we acquire a mattress!

7. PRICE

I've already touched on price, yet since it's such an important part of the decision-making process when it involves purchasing a new cushion, it's worth discussing once again. Keep in mind that an excellent mattress has an ordinary life-span of 8 to Ten Years, and because sleep plays such a vital duty in our total wellness - both physically and mentally - it's one of the few household products I feel you should really splurge on. Keeping that spokened, you should find something that fits within your budget plan, as well as I talk from experience when I spoken that there are STACKS of options that will certainly not require you to refinance the home mortgage on your home for an excellent night of sleep.

Now, I recognize just what you're thinking ...

Is there a cushion out there that offers all of these things?

The answer is yes!

I recently had the benefit of evaluating out a Yogabed ™ cushion, and every thing I have actually outlined in this blog post was covered, all at an affordable rate. Each Yogabed ™ mattress is consisted of the Yoga exercise Convenience System ™, which is an advance split system especially made to ideally sustain the body by distributing weight equally and also reducing stress points that cause thrashing. It features 2 cost-free Yogabed ™ Pillows, has a Zip-n-Wash detachable cover showcasing THERMOCOOL ™ high performance textile, supplies totally free distribution, and with a 101-night no-risk test as well as a 10-year service warranty, you really cannot go wrong.

And did I discuss it came packaged in this box, and also that we had sufficient swing room to get it up into our master bedroom?!

I confess I was a bit worried when I initially saw the box - I had not been sure the bed would be up to par with just what we're made use of to if it could fold up right into something so small - yet after reducing open the box and eliminating the air-tight plastic covering, we were left with a deluxe foam mattress that is perfect comfortable.

In fact, my hubby had to sleep in our old condominium the other evening in preparation for the moving companies bringing over all our possessions the list below early morning, when we crawled into bed the adhering to night, he informed me our Yogabed ™ is even more comfortable compared to the mattress we've been sleeping on for the last 6+ years.

And if that isn't really a true proof to just how comfy the Yogabed ™ is, I don't know exactly what is!

Did I tell you Yogabed ™ is supplying a Memorial Day sale from Tuesday, May 24th, 2016 to Tuesday, May 31st, 2016? You can check out their web site to discover out how you could enjoy this $125-off sale.

And if you missed the Memorial Day sale, do not worry! Simply check out the Yogabed ™ internet site when you prepare as well as use promo code 'Meraki75′ throughout the check out procedure and also enjoy $75 off!

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