#and tomorrow we get to make brunch items

[daydreamdoodles]

consolably sad. Will just pray I sleep through the night instead

[babydollmarauders]

CLUMSY — JACK HUGHES

jack hughes x fem!reader

summary: quinn and luke realize how clumsy y/n is after noticing how often jack unconsciously keeps her from harm

notes: y/n is written sensitive and clumsy! also, i wrote this on saturday to have something to post this week while i’m unable to write <3

i’ve met my boyfriends family on numerous occasions since we started dating in october. mostly through quick trips such as Quinn coming into town for a game against the Devils and whatnot, but this is my first time spending an elongated amount of time with them and i have this irrational fear that they’ll dislike me.

Jack has assured me multiple times since we’ve arrived at the lake house for the summer that i have no reason to worry, but it’s been four days and i still feel like they’re forming their opinions on me. so, i’ve taken it upon myself to do whatever i can in order to get them to like me; including my current task of baking cookies.

“you know they already love you, right?” Jack asks, standing at the counter beside me, observing as i mix the dry ingredients into a bowl. “you don’t need to bake them cookies.”

“are you saying you don’t want my sea salt chocolate chip cookies?” i keep focused on the task at hand, my sight never leaving the measuring cup as i scoop the flour into the bowl.

“now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” a hearty chuckle escapes his lips as he maneuvers himself behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist as he clings himself to me, his cheek resting pressed against my shoulder blade. “i definitely want your cookies. i’m just saying that my brothers don’t need them.”

i giggle as his fingers tickle at the bits of my sides where my shirt has risen, arching my back to try and escape his hands. Jack groans as i break free from his grip, but i assume it’s mostly due to his brothers entering the kitchen.

“ooh, what are you making?” Luke wonders, coming to a stop on the opposite side of the counter.

“cookies!” i grin, finally looking up as i finish the dry ingredients.

“yum.” Quinn chimes in, sidling into the spot beside Luke. he peers into the bowl and his brows furrow slightly. “y/n, that’s just powder?”

i bark out a laugh at the clueless boy.

“Quinny, you have to mix the dry ingredients first. then the wet ingredients such as eggs, butter and vanilla. and then you mix them both together to form the dough.” i explain. i scan the countertop, making sure i have each item needed for the next step. “i need another bowl.”

i bend down, opening the lower cupboard and reaching for the metal mixing bowl inside.

“Trevor texted me this morning.” i hear Jack inform the boys.

“yeah? when’s he coming up?” Quinn asks.

“in two weeks. but Alex is getting here tomorrow.” Jack says. i shut the cupboard door, stretching my legs to rise back up from my position. my head bumps Jack’s hand, wrapped around the lip of the counter above where i was bent.

my left hand rubs the top of the back of my head super quick as i set the mixing bowl on the counter. i glance back up as Luke and Quinn share an amused look and my face scrunches in confusion.

what did i miss?

**

Jack’s left arm rests on my shoulders, my face half buried into his chest as he scrolls on his phone. Quinn and Luke sit in armchairs on opposite sides of the couch as Alex sits on the opposite side of Jack. a movie plays on the tv, but i’m momentarily distracted by Ellen walking past the back of the couch, calling out a goodnight.

“goodnight El!” i call back as she makes her way to the stairs, the boys all muttering their own goodnight’s.

“brunch tomorrow, while the boys golf?” she asks, confirming our plans. i nod and she grins, blowing a kiss towards the group of us as she finally walks up the stairs.

“you guys are going to brunch tomorrow? without us?!” Luke asks, his hand coming up to his chest in mock offense.

“you guys are going golfing tomorrow, without us! it’s only fair.” i laugh and Alex chuckles.

“y/n/n, you don’t even like golf. you said it’s boring and called it ‘watered down hockey’.” Alex points out as i burrow back into Jack’s side.

“shh, i’m watching the movie.” i shush him, making the boys laugh. Jack turns back to his phone and i watch through one peeked open eye as he double taps on his teammate’s most recent instagram post before typing out some nonsense comment that i’ll never understand.

pulling back, i lock my eyes on the remote on the coffee table. sliding forward some, i lean, stretching my fingertips out to try and grab it. finally getting ahold of it, i go to lean back, wobbling forward and accepting my fate. i brace myself to fall before feeling a hand grab onto the back of my shirt. yanking me back, Jack pulls me back into his side, his eyes still glued to his phone. i heave out a small relieved sigh as i press a kiss to his chest before turning the volume up on the tv.

i glance around the living room to the other boys, gauging how interested they are in the movie, but Luke and Quinn are exchanging a look. Luke biting back a smile as Quinn smirks.

what did i miss this time?

**

with the boys friends all finally arriving, the lake house has become much too crowded to hang out inside. so instead we’re all outside, gathered around a fire that was once blazing but now dwindling. my boyfriend jokes around with Cole and Trevor, Luke speaking with his University of Michigan teammates, Ethan and Dylan, and lastly Quinn sits sipping a beer as he chats with Alex and the Tkachuk’s.

making myself scarce in order to not cling to my boyfriends side as he tries to enjoy himself, i text with my own friends from back in New Jersey as i balance on the edge of the brick fire pit, circling it as i type.

“be careful, babe.” Jack warns me, and i grin and throw him a thumbs up. he barely gives me a second glance before Trevor takes up his attention, reciting a story of something that happened to he and his friend Jamie back in California.

i continue pacing around on the elevated bricks, typing a long winded message to Leah, explaining why she shouldn’t call her ex. as i pass by my boyfriend once more, i’m not paying as close attention as i probably should be, my foot getting a little too close to the inner edge as i start to slip.

a hand grips my elbow, pulling me back to a standing position before i can fall into the fire and i look over to see Jack, his attention still on Trevor and his hand wrapped around my arm as he nods his head at his friend while he continues ranting. i give a light pat to Jack’s shoulder to let him know i’m fine and he releases his grip.

slipping my phone into my pocket, i continue my journey around the fire pit again, this time with more of my focus going into keeping upright. passing Luke, i see him looking away from his friends, and i follow his line of sight to his brother, Quinn looking right back at him. both wear an entertained appearance and i look around to see if i can find what they’re smiling about but come up empty-handed.

why do i keep missing these things?

**

with today being one of the hottest days of the summer, we’re all crowded on the boat. most of the group lounges around conversing with one another, Luke currently taking his turn wakesurfing as music blares from Quinn’s bluetooth speaker.

i’m sat in Jack’s lap, rubbing my third layer of sunscreen on my legs and the tops of my feet.

“babe, i think you’ve got enough.” Jack laughs, his hands grip my waist to keep me from falling as i’m leaned forward.

“i just wanna make sure. the UV index is super high today and you know how easily i burn.” i tell him, sitting back upright as i flip the cap of the sunscreen closed once more.

“i know, sugar. but we’ve only been out here for two hours and that’s your third time applying it. i think you’re okay for a while.” he takes the lotion from my hands, handing the bottle over to Cole. “put that in the bag next to you, eh?”

Cole nods, placing the sunscreen into the waterproof zip up bag i brought on the boat.

“y/n/n! c’mere!” Luke shouts, making me untangle myself from Jack. i rise to my feet, shuffling over to the back of the boat and leaning over to get closer in order to hear him better.

“you gonna let her get that close to the edge, Rowdy?” Quinn questions, making the boys laugh.

“what?” Jack asks. “what do you mean?”

“she’s a bit clumsy, is she not? we’ve noticed you all summer, keeping her from hurting herself.” Quinn replies through chuckles. even Alex, who drives the boat barks out a laugh.

“wait, when did i do that?” Jack wonders.

“all the time! you weren’t even paying attention when you did it!” Luke shouts and i stick my tongue out at him before turning to observe the boys.

“there was the first time Luke and i noticed it, when you wrapped your hand over the counter to make sure she didn’t hit her head. and you were right to do so because she bumped it right on your hand.” Quinn explains.

“or when she was reaching off the couch to grab the remote and you caught her by her shirt to keep her from falling. and you didn’t even look up from your phone as you did it!” Luke says as he climbs back on the boat.

“or how about when she was balancing on the fire pit and you caught her by the arm to keep her from falling straight into the fire. while you kept all your attention on Trevor. didn’t even look, you just reached a hand out and grabbed her.” Quinn provides another example. “i can go on.”

“i didn’t even realize i was doing all that.” Jack shrugs, glancing towards me. “i guess it’s just unconscious reaction. i’ve gotten used to it by now.”

“i’m not clumsy.” i pout, crossing my arms over my chest.

“it’s okay, it’s not necessarily a bad thing!” Trevor attempts to comfort me. i give him a side-eye, making my way over to Jack. but before i can sit in his lap, i slip. Jack’s arms wrap around my waist to keep me from dropping to the floor, pulling me down onto his thighs instead.

“you are pretty clumsy, babe.” one of Jack’s arms stays planted across my waist, holding me to him as his index finger pushes my chin up so i’m looking up at him. “but, it’s adorable.”

i bury my face in his chest out of embarrassment. i didn’t think i was clumsy. i mean, i know i’ve always been a bit accident prone; broken glasses, falling a bit more than my friends. but i didn’t think i was clumsy.

“it’s nothing to be ashamed of, y/n.” Quinn tells me. Jack’s hand trails up and down my back as he whispers reassurances in my ear.

“yeah, we didn’t mean to embarrass you or anything.” Luke pipes up once more, his voice seeping with regret.

“that’s why you kept looking at each other all the time.” my words are muffled by Jack’s chest, but by the way that Jack coos as he places a kiss on the top of my head, i know they heard them. “you were laughing at me.”

“we weren’t. i swear we weren’t.” Quinn’s voice is closer now, and i feel another hand touch my back. “we were laughing with you. we just thought it was funny that Jack didn’t even notice when he was doing it.”

“honest?” i question.

“honest. i promise.” my head rises at Luke’s voice, closer now as well. his hand comes up to rest on my knee and i look over to see him squatted down beside Jack and i, Quinn sitting next to us.

“i didn’t realize i was clumsy.” i confess. “i just thought it was normal.”

“i gotta say, you’re definitely the first girlfriend i’ve ever had to pull away from falling into an actual fire.” Jack chuckles, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “but i wouldn’t want you any other way.”

“really?”

“really. i love you. clumsiness and all.” he tells me. his grip gets tighter around me and i crane my neck to crash my lips into his.

“ugh, gross!” Trevor exclaims. Jack pulls back, leaning his forehead against mine.

“shut up, Z.” he grins, pulling me into one more kiss. “now, you ready to learn how to wakesurf?”

“yeah, no. even before i knew i was considered clumsy, i knew i wasn’t going out there. i’ll fall straight on my face, Jacky. i mean seriously, i’m a clutz!”

[hunterthecharmer]

Unexpected - Part 6

Thank you for being patient with me on this :) please give me any feedback or ideas/suggestions!

Since the convention has come to an end with this chapter, we will be moving on to focus on GP x reader's relationship (I am so excited!) these will feel more like fics/one shots going forward since a lot of the context has been built.

Summary: You work for an events company and end up being assigned as a talent handler for a 2 week long convention. Your co-worker ends up assigned to Glen Powell, but you catch his eye. Can you remain professional and keep him from knowing you're actually a pretty big fan of his?

Need to catch up? Here is my Masterlist

“Can you believe it’s the last day? It’s been an incredible experience but I really miss my bed.” Savannah whines as she assists you in smoothing out the tablecloths. You and the rest of the staff were in the middle of setting up the large event space for the special brunch for the talent’s final day. The grounds had been freshly mowed the night before and the weather was crisp outside. 

The chefs had been working since 5am on the spread; homemade biscuits, jams, eggs of all kinds, bacon and other bacon substitutes, pancakes, belgian waffles…the list was a page and a half long. All of the guests were also attending a final acting class together, a group dinner with a special screening of some sort, with a campfire to end the day. The campfire was also for the staff as well, and there would be an open bar. 

“Do you think Glen will sit next to you tonight?” Savannah’s question brings a smile to your face. “I hope so. It’ll be my last chance to see him before the shuttles take them to the airport tomorrow.” 

You frown at the realization, you had no way to get in contact with Glen outside of here other than a direct message on instagram. He probably had a hundred messages a day, no doubt. You had his number for the brief time you were in charge of him, but that was on Savannah’s work phone, which had to be turned in by midnight tonight. Same with yours. Otherwise, you had no way to contact any of the guests after today, and the contract all of you signed before coming here was very clear on their ‘do not write down any of the talent’s personal information rule.

----

The brunch goes off without a hitch, the talent enjoying their lesson whole scarfing down the large layout of food. You and the rest of the handlers enjoyed your own breakfasts in one of the trailers, thankful that instead of your regular options of boiled eggs or yogurt parfaits it was catered from Starbucks.

The rest of the afternoon is packed with breaking down the other event spaces that aren't being used, folding up all the chairs and packing up the event signs you had brought. Lugging all the heavy items across the lawn all day had tired you out, so the second everything was packed up you took yourself directly back to your cabin to take a nap before the bonfire.

You all but slam the door behind you, slipping out of your Ugg boots while simultaneously shrugging off your Ignite crew neck and scarf. After slipping under the comforter, you plug your phone into the charger and set an alarm, giving yourself an hour to rest. You didn’t mind arriving at the event a little late if it meant you’d have some energy back.

….

Savannah’s POV

“She’s not answering my calls, are you sure she said she was coming tonight?” Dylan asks, shaking his head as he locks his phone after dialing a third time. 

“I swear she did! She’s been excited for the bonfire all day. We worked our butts off, maybe she took a nap? I know she disappeared earlier..” her voice trails off, wondering if you were okay. She stirs her drink, lowering her gaze to the flames in front of her. Glen’s eyes catch hers, the expression on his face unreadable.

 “Did you need me to grab you another smore?” Savannah asks, starting to stand from her chair. He chuckles, throwing his head back, “I’ve already had 3, are you trying to make my trainer hate me?”

She laughs along with him as she settles back into her seat. She notices his gaze sweeping around the lawn again, just as he had done too many times to count in the last hour.

Pulling her phone out of her jeans pocket she dials you again, muttering to herself that she hopes you pick up.

“Thank you.” is all you hear on the other end of the line, your friend’s voice extremely raspy. 

“Hurry up and get yourself down here! You’re missing the fire and it’s our last night.” She playfully yells into the phone before hanging up on you.

“She’ll be here soon.”

----

You rub the ball of your palm into your eyelid, squinting at the time. Apparently you had snoozed your alarm multiple times, missing the first hour or so of the event. 

You hurriedly throw the blankets off of you and flatten your hair in the mirror, deciding to throw it into a messy ponytail to conceal the frizz. Grabbing an oversized cardigan from your suitcase on the floor, you take your perfume lying in the compartment next to it and spritz some around your neck and down your arms to your wrists. 

You then step into your uggs for the second time that day and sprint out the door to your golf cart.

“She decided to grace us with her presence at last.” Dylan teases you, standing from his seat to give you a hug as you stroll up to him and Savannah. You take note of the others seated with them, Glen being one of them. You feel your heart flutter, hoping there was an empty chair available next to him.

“Sorry guys, I totally snoozed my alarm. I was exhausted after tearing everything down today! Sav, how are you still going?” you bend down in front of her to shake her shoulders and she giggles, but you can see how heavy her eyes are. 

“I definitely circled back to the Starbucks after everyone got their drinks and grabbed an extra iced coffee when no one was watching. I knew it’d be a long day.”

The group commends her, playfully clapping as she bows her head proudly. 

You turn around toward Glen and shoot him a shy smile over the fire, his green eyes shining at you. He hooks a finger and gestures for you to come over to him, so you do.

“Well hello.” He says lowly once you’re within earshot, his hands tapping his lap as you realize there isn’t an empty chair left for you. Your eyes widen and you step back from him slightly, nervously looking around at the group. Out of your peripheral you notice his expression falter slightly, but he recovers quickly. “Here, take my seat! I’ll go find another one.”

Glen jumps up, pointing at the chair before heading off towards other groups on the line.

You feel your heart sink as you sit down, eyes following after him. He didn’t really think you’d sit on his lap did he? You were technically still working, and all the staff was around. It was the last night though, so maybe it would have been fine. You were so embarrassed, you hoped it wouldn't come up again.

He returns quickly, wedging his chair between you and another guest. You feel your shoulders relax as he leans back in his seat, falling into conversation with the others. You can’t rip your gaze from his face, watching as the flames illuminate his features. You love the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles, his hand gestures as he talks bringing you in even more. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Savannah whispers into your ear, her sudden presence from behind startling you. She hands you a smore wrapped in a paper towel before rounding the group back to her seat.

You take a bite of the gooey treat, wiping the crumbs from the graham crackers off your lips. When you notice Glen’s eyes on you, you freeze. 

“Hi.” He silently mouths, lips turning up into a smile. You feel your expression soften at him as you mouth back to him, “Missed you.”

To this he feigns surprise, pointing to his chest before leaning toward you over the armchair.

“Ditto, pretty girl.”

Your heart melts as you lean toward him, chin propped on your hand as you both lock eyes. You felt like you were 17 again, giddily smiling at your school crush. “Did you enjoy your last day of the convention?”

Glen nods, flashing his journal at you from beneath his chair, thumbing quickly through the pages to show pages upon pages full of his handwriting. You hum proudly at him, impressed.

“Which film did they have you guys analyze at dinner?”

He fills you in on the event, what they watched and everyone’s feedback and interpretations. Apparently everyone passed the surprise quiz at the end, and he raved about the menu.

The two of you continue to talk for the next while, unaware that some of the members of your circle, including Dylan, had gotten up and moved around the lawn to switch places with other guests. The seat next to Glen was now occupied by a heavy set male, not anyone you recognized. You could smell the alcohol on him from where you sat, but you only noticed it - you were fully focused on the sandy blonde haired guy next to you. 

His southern accent rises above the multiple conversations happening around the fire in an aggravated tone. “Anyone else get cut off from the bartender tonight?”

Everyone’s attention falls on him, shaking their heads no. He huffs, “Just me, huh? I’ve only had three beers, I don’t get it. I’m fine! I’m just trying to enjoy the last night here for crying out loud. Hey, you work here right? Can’t you get me another?”

His eyes are now on you in anticipation. You peer past Glen to meet his bloodshot eyes, “Um, if he cut you off there’s nothing I can do. Sorry friend!’ You give him a sympathetic smile, glancing around for someone with a lanyard with his face on it. “What’s your name? Maybe your handler can talk to-”

“The name’s Johnny Curtis. And I’d really appreciate that, darlin’.” He drawls before downing the last of his drink from the can. 

“Be right back, gang!” you jump up from your chair and meander through the grass to the registration building. You flip through the binder behind the desk, finding the name and number of Johnny’s handler. She answers after a few rings, “Hi, this is Megan?”

“Hi! Don’t worry, I’m working this event too. I’m sitting with Johnny and it looks like the bartender cut him off, so he’s a little upset. Can you meet me at the bar?” She agrees and you head back outside.

The two of you try to reason with the bartender, but he won’t budge. “You ladies don’t understand, this guy was a little rowdy at the event a few nights ago. He’s getting real close to his limit, just take him a spiked seltzer. That’s the best I can do.” He throws his hands up before sliding a can across the tabletop to you. 

“I’m sorry, he wanted to chat with the other guests before leaving tomorrow, I didn’t think he’d try to cause a problem. He’s really sweet!” the other girl says, and you grab her arm in reassurance. “Don’t even worry about it, he’s fine. I’ll show you where we’re at!”

She follows close behind you through the lawn, Johnny’s face lighting up as soon as he sees her. “Thanks Meg! I knew you’d make it happen for me.” She grins, handing him the beverage. She chats quietly with him as you take your seat again, Glen’s warm hand squeezing yours as you do. “All good?” 

You nod at him, waving to Megan as she leaves the group.

“Now what in the world is this sorry excuse for alcohol? Did y’all really bring me back a girly drink?”

Johnny’s voice is a mix of irritability and playfulness as he runs a hand through his dark head of hair. Glen turns to face him this time, reading the label on the can. 

“Ah, Ranch Water. They are pretty good man! You oughta give it a try.” He offers, and Johnny gives him a look, eyebrow raised as he takes another long sip.

It’s silent for a moment around the fire before everyone returns to their sidebar conversations.

A few moments pass before Johnny spits his drink out near his feet, Savannah’s lip turning up in disgust. “I’m not finishing this.” he mumbles, before tossing the half full can into the flames.

Others in the circle gasp, “Dude, you aren’t supposed to do that. It’ll explode!”

In an instant, the can pops and tiny pieces of aluminum come flying out of the fire. 

A burning sensation causes a hand to fly up to your cheek, fingers landing on a hot scrap of aluminum near your cornea. You let out a shriek as pain begins to spread down to your under eye area, and you instinctively jump up out of your chair, almost tripping over your feet. 

Holding a hand over your right eye you make a beeline for the bathroom, a pair of silent footsteps following close behind you. 

Once you burst through the door, you lower your hand as you stare into the mirror. You let out a sigh of relief at your eye still being intact with no bleeding or anything. Your tear duct and cornea were extremely red and puffy, but that was about it. A dark greyish black sludge had dried onto your cheek.

Your eyes meet Savannah who is standing right next to you, her face ashen. “Are you alright? I’m gonna get him in so much trouble for that. He really could have injured you or someone else!”

You try to mask your disappointment that Glen hadn’t been the one to follow you as you take a paper towel from Savannah, drenching it in cold water before wiping at your cheek to remove the stinging mess from your face. “It could have been a lot worse.” your voice is small.

After a few moments, your face is clean again and the burning sensation has subsided even though the irritation to your cornea hasn’t. 

You turn around to face your friend, exhaling deeply. “Let’s get back out there, I want to say goodbye to everyone before turning in for the night.”

Savannah nods before pulling you in for a hug. She follows you out the door, but runs into you as you stop short - Glen is standing outside the building. 

“Are you okay?” His expression is pained as he reaches to hold your face, inspecting your eyes.

Savannah excuses herself to head back to the bonfire.

“I’m lucky it wasn’t worse.” you say, shoulders sagging a bit. You wrap an arm around his bicep, moving closer to him. He places his index finger and thumb above and below your right eye as he gives it a final look before peppering your face with kisses, careful to avoid the area. You scrunch your nose at the affection, giggling as you now grip both of his arms. He plants a final feather-like kiss to the spot just below the corner of your eye and it makes you swoon. He was being so gentle and sweet.

“All better.” You beam up at him before tugging him toward your golf cart. 

“For what it’s worth, I definitely told that guy off. What a jackass, throwing a half empty can of alcohol into the fire like that. He could’ve taken you or anyone else’s eye out!”

You laugh. “Yeah, what an idiot.”

Glen convinces you to let him drive you back to your cabin, insisting on walking back to his cabin afterward since you had to turn in the cart first thing the next morning. Always the gentleman!

As you take off, a twinge of sadness in your chest as you realize this is the last golf cart ride you’ll take together. You focus hard to take in every detail of his face, the scent of his cologne, the way his green eyes look at you. The sound of your laughs mixing together as he swerves all over the path without a care in the world. 

As soon as the cart is in park you muster up the last of your bravery where he is concerned and wrap your arms around his neck to press a kiss to his cheek. He smiles as he turns his head and kisses you softly. He runs a hand through your hair while the other rests on your collarbone. 

You lose yourself in the kiss, his lips tasting like a mixture of chocolate and alcohol. You hear multiple carts fly past but you can’t bring yourself to care - you had done your job these last two weeks and had a can explode on you tonight. Plus, this was your last moment with Glen freaking Powell. No way were you about to pull away from him right now. 

He finally pulls away, both of you breathless. “By the way,” he looks out at the others walking to their cabins in the dark, making sure you both aren’t being watched, “are you going to add me back or not?” 

Your eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Add you back? What are you talking about?”

He grabs his phone out of his back pocket and holds it in front of your face. 

“Check it.” He grins. 

You slide your phone out of your pocket and unlock it, opening up Instagram to find a follow request from the man sitting next to you.

You tilt your head to the side, deciding to tease him. “Hmm I don’t know, do I really want to allow you access to my amazing photos?” You wink at him before pressing the blue confirm button.

“You were already following me, sorry it took me this long to add you back.” He jokes, but your breath hitches. Oh no - hopefully he doesn’t think much of it.

You let out a nervous laugh and slide off the cart, grabbing the key. 

“Can I borrow that for a sec?” He asks, pointing to your iPhone. “Sure?”

You hand it over to him, watching as he types his number into your phone.

He places it into your palm as he meets your gaze, searching your face as he steps closer to you. “Well…”

“Well..” you copy him, not wanting to say goodbye. He leans forward to press his forehead to yours, swallowing hard.

“Guess I’ll see ya around?” His tone is hopeful.

You frown slightly, “Will you?”

He hangs his head with a soft laugh. “Probably not. That’s why I gave you my number - you know, so I can?”

Lifting his chin with your finger, you smile at him. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Glen Powell. I hope you get home safely tomorrow!”

He kisses your nose before slowly backing away from you down the path. “The pleasure was all mine!” He shouts, arms outstretched on either side of him. You giggle, waving to him as you watch him disappear down the path to his cabin. You shake your head in disbelief as you walk up the stairs to your front door and begin your nighttime routine. The last interaction with Glen replays like a movie in your mind as you brush your teeth, slip into your pajamas and lay your head on the pillow. You can’t wipe the smile off your face as you lie restless in the dark, setting your alarm for the next morning to take Dylan to the shuttles.

These last two weeks have been unexpected in more ways than one, but ending them with Glen Powell’s number in your phone? Now that is a plot twist you would never have seen coming.

[fuck-customers]

fuck two of my coworkers, ok. gonna be a long one.

so i’m kind of a floater between stations in the kitchen, originally hired on for pantry (cold apps, salads, and desserts) with occasional training on expo and line. since our old dishwasher got himself fired, i’ve mostly been doing that for the last couple months. for the last two weeks we’ve been having issues with the garbage disposal sink getting backed up and not draining, fucking up one of the pipes in the wall to make it overflow—this has made doing dishes in a timely fashion with one person on that station vastly more difficult.

as a result of the above, the chef (C) tells me last night to come in an hour earlier than my original schedule “so you don’t get fucked on the dishes during brunch rush.” unbeknownst to me, he also tells the main pantry worker (J1) that she needs to ask me for help to make sure she has all her prep done before brunch.

i don’t find out about that until i’ve already been working for upwards of half an hour on making sure all the stations have the dishes they’re supposed to and any leftover from last night have been put away. this includes multiple trips to and from pantry to cart stacks of plates, during any of which J1 could have asked me to help when i get my hands free. instead, it’s the SOUS CHEF (S) who stops me on my way to prep for a weekly cleaning task to tell me to ask J1 if she needs help.

i’m just like, yeah ok sure, and i go to ask her. she’s like “🫤 weren’t you supposed to be over here helping me anyway” and i’m like “…i don’t know, C told me to come in for dishes, i’m just going off of what he said.” and ask her what she needs help with. she puts me on a non-crucial task that ends up fucking us over because we’re completely out of one of our more popular menu items for pantry, and she and the other floater/currently mostly pantry guy (J2) haven’t been getting their prep done right/at all. meaning i have to drop everything while the brunch rush is starting to get everything prepped before i can even make the item for it to be served. (put a pin in this. 📌)

brunch ends, we each get our 15, i come back from break and ask C where he wants me, “so i’m back on the same page as the rest of the kitchen.” he tells me to continue helping at pantry, making filling for deviled eggs. i don’t know the new recipe and he hasn’t written it down yet, so he tells me to plate desserts instead. J1 comes back from break right then and starts plating desserts. J1 does know the new filling recipe. i just kind of sigh and go back to C and ask him to just show me how to make the new filling. C, instead, walks back to pantry with me, and tells J1 to swap roles with me, telling her to make the filling while i plate cakes. she doesn’t fucking hear him because she’s got headphones on and loud, to the point that i have to get her attention three times before she even looks up.

i say, “C wants us to switch.” she straight up rolls her eyes at me and starts moving her dessert setup. we have one working outlet that we can plug the food processor into in the pantry area, where the fuck does she think i’m going? i clarify “no, C wants you to get started on the filling, and let me finish the cakes” and she goes “oh” before moving to start the filling. the food processor turns out to not be working, so she asks me to relay that to C, and i do, and when i come back she’s fucking plating cakes again. i remind her that C told me to do that and she just goes “🙄 i got this, go do one of your other tasks” so i just get fed up with her and her shit and spend the next two hours getting some hardcore catharsis in by sweeping, deck scrubbing, and mopping the dry storage area. the rest of the night with her goes pretty smooth because i’m mostly able to ignore her while i prep for tomorrow. she’s been kind of a cunt since a friend of hers, A, got fired/walked out/i’m fuzzy on the details anyway, so like. oh well. seethe and mald but stop making your problems mine, yk? let me do my fucking job.

📌 circling back now to that pin. the popular food item in question requires sliced cured meat. there was some cut, but only enough for about 3 of them before being left with unservable scraps that C doesn’t want on the plate. so i take a fresh meat log to the slicer, only to find it in an absolute STATE. it looks like it hasn’t been cleaned all fucking month. there’s old yellowing grease all over it and bits of dried meat scraps/flakes caked everywhere on and around it that have gone past dried and starting to turn rancid—like, this shit was turning green.

i am, of course, disgusted and appalled, because making and prepping for this particular menu item was easily 85% of my job when i was focused on pantry, and the worst i ever let the slicer get was getting too busy to remember to clean it before the end of one shift and doing it first thing when i came in for the next. the worst you’d find then was some dried meat flakes that had turned a slightly darker pink. so of course i immediately set to cleaning the slicer before even thinking about putting anything intended for human consumption near it.

C comes back to see what’s taking so long bc i usually have a full log sliced by that point. i’m still in the process of cleaning the slicer, so i point out what mess is left (i had about a third of it done by now; it was Bad) and he goes “oh, that might have been J2” and tells me to hurry and slice just enough for a few more orders, and i can finish slicing after they’re arranged for service.

i come back to pantry, where J1 is now running window to expo and J2 is arranging the non-meat parts of the item. i say aloud for both of them, “hey, just so you know, we need to wipe down and sanitize the slicer after we’re done using it.” J2 straight up says “well, it wasn’t cleaned the last time i had to use it,” which just hits me with such an intense wave of anger that i go nonverbal for a minute while i focus on plating. like. so you agree, you admit it, you didn’t fucking clean it after you were done. J2 has been risking unleashing food poisoning on our entire clientele for god knows how long.

later, after dinner service, i’m helping the temp on dishes—i’m hand-washing mostly pans and other things that won’t fit in the machine in the three-tier manual sink, while the temp is running the machine, and J2 has been putting the trays of dishes away as they come out. as i’m filling the manual sinks i turn to J2 and say, “if you wanna just focus on putting things away, i can knock out the washing here,” and he agrees.

and then he proceeds to completely fucking ignore the rapidly filling sanitizer sink in favor of continuing to put away the machine dishes. even when i move things onto the counter between the sanitizer soak and the “out” side of the machine, taking up almost all of the available space to give myself room to keep cycling through the dishes, he continues ignoring it, simply lifting the dish machine trays over and past the growing pile of waiting manual dishes.

i step away for a bit to cool off, catch my breath, take something for the migraine that has been steadily building since ~11:30am (it is now almost 9pm) from having to deal with J1 and J2 all fucking day. i have been asked to help with trash as part of close. J2 has the gall to ask me “how much longer do you think you’ll be?” at a fucking guess i’m going to be a lot goddamn longer than i would be if you were actually HELPING ME, dickhead.

J2 ended up clocking out after the temps helped him with trash without putting a single manual dish away, leaving me with three full sinks and an overloaded counter. i didn’t get home until after midnight (partly because my ride was helping with after-dinner bar service) and i have to go back and do it all the fuck again at 11a again tomorrow.

i swear, if J2 gets fired and is never allowed to work in foodservice again after tonight’s bullshit, especially the state i found the deli slicer in, i’m converting back to christianity, because i’m taking it as proof that there is a merciful and loving god.

Posted by admin Rodney.

[look-at-the-soul]

The Photoshoot-Part 49

Cillian Murphy series 2014, 2015

Thank you, Flor @justrainandcoffee for making this moodboard!My heart just can’t take how beautiful it is!

Cillian is away, busy with Peaky Blinders matters.

Word count: 3,204

“So Cillian's flight is tomorrow right?” Isla asked her daughter as they reached the steps of her house.

“Yeah, we can drive him in the morning and then go and have brunch.” Yael proposed.

“I’d love to!” As they stopped so Scout could smell a bush, Isla noticed something else. “What’s the matter?”

Yael took a deep breath as she started to play with the leash in her hand.

“It’s everything with the adoption process, there are days where I try to be strong and positive and days where I don’t think I can’t do this.”

Isla wrapped her arms around her daughter instinctively, trying to comfort her.

“Baby, hang in there, don’t loose hope. I’m sure you’ll get good news soon.”

As they started moving, Yael looked up, trying to find some answers. “I swear I don’t want to sound like pessimist, but what if we don’t? What if this never moves forward?”

“Have you talked to Cillian about this?”

But her daughter shook her head.

“My sweet girl, I know this is hard… but I also know you’re the strongest woman I know. When you were a little girl you went through every surgery, every physical therapy you took and you were so brave.”

Tears blurred Yael’s eyes as she felt her mum’s hands caressed her arms. Back then you were my rock, you showed me I could be strong just like you. Now, Cillian is your rock, don’t leave him out.”

“You’ve been my rock too, I love you.” Yael expressed full of gratitude, wrapping her arms around her mother. “I’ll talk to him, or trust the process more likely.” She chuckled nervously.

“I’m sure you’ll be able to finish the process, it’s just a matter of time.”

“That’s the scariest part actually, but I know you’re right.”

Yael tried to leave her worries in each one of the steps of her home. Trying to focus on the blessings she already had.

Scout practically threw himself once he spotted Cillian, over excited to see him again.

“How was your walk?” He walked forwards to greet his wife with a quick peck on the lips.

“Great! We had a gorgeous sunset and Scout got to chase the birds.” Isla explained her son in law.

Cillian turned to look at his wife, to confirm his mother in law’s statement.

“It was breathtaking, take a look.” Yael supported her Mum’s words by showing her husband the pictures she took.

“Wowzers.” It looked like the scene belonged to a painting. “I was talking to my brother and was thinking of doing some improvised dinner? What do you think? Shall we go somewhere or…”

Yael took a long swing of water, but with her free hand, she made a sign that was okay with his plan.

“I think it’d be better if we make something and have dinner here, you need to get up early for your flight.”

“Yeah? Grand!”

“Why don’t you call Orla? Perhaps she’s free as well.” Yael proposed, loving the excitement in his eyes.

“Well and what are we having for dinner?” Isla asked, ready to help.

“We ate hamburgers this week.” Yael bit her lip.

Then, she saw the look in her husband’s eyes.

“What are you thinking of?” She wriggled her eyebrows at him, waiting for an answer.

“Mexican. I really want tacos.”

Just the mere thought had the three of them drooling.

Yael took her purse and walked off into her husbands arms. “We’ll go quickly to the store to get everything.”

“Don’t forget the chips for the guacamole.” Cillian made sure Isla was out of sight to pat playfully his wife’s bum.

“We’ll be right back. If you need anything else call me.”

Whislt a short trip to the grocery store to get everything for dinner, Yael made sure to add a couple of protein bars for Cillian and several snacks to have at home for her and her Mother.

As they were strolling the hallways of the store to go to the checkout, Yael stopped on her tracks when she noticed an elderly woman trying to reach an item on one of the top shelves, before she could react, a young boy approached and with all the familiarity of the world, encouraged her to step back, a tender smile on his face.

The cashier smiled at Yael and her mother as they were ready to the check out.

“That’s her grandson.” The cashier explained, as if she could read their minds. “She lost her husband a couple of months ago and they used to come together every week to get their groceries. Now her grandson moved in with her and they get just as what’s on the list that the grandpa wrote down.”

Yael gave her Mum a long look. She felt her heart swelling.

“That’s adorable.” Isla agreed touched by the boy’s gesture.

“I know right? Good people still exist.” The cashier added finishing with their items.

“I think it speaks volumes about him, huh?” Yael threw the pair another look as the grandma and grandson walked past them.

“He’s so young and yet he made the choice to go back in town to take care of her.”

Swiping her credit card to pay, Yael thought of her own grandmother and all the moments they shared together at the cottage in the Lake District. “Bless him. Thank you.”

“Have a nice day.” Added Isla taking some of the bags.

“I obviously don’t know that boy’s parent but you’ve t agree with me, this isn’t only because of him, I think he probably saw that kind of selflessness in his parents.”

“Yes and no.” Isla differed, catching Yael’s attention. “Sometimes unfortunately the example is so wrong that you’ve no other option but do the completely opposite. Sometimes people show you just what you don’t want to be.”

Just like her own father, Yael thought.

On their way back, they talked about not knowing what that woman might been through, but either way it was admirable. A few blocks away from her house, Yael got a phone call and asked her Mum to put her phone on speaker.

“Yael Lieberman?” The voice called. She went by Murphy now, but some people still called her that.

“How can I help you?”

“Vogue UK, I’m Naomi Wilson PR.” Yael’s heart started beating faster. “We’d like to know if you could take the photos for the December cover.”

“Yes, of course.”

She was informed they weren’t allowed to reveal the name of the celebrity yet, but they’d arrange all the expenses on her behalf for the travel.

“Honey congratulations!”

Cillian and Scout joined them in the garage as they were hugging. “Why are we so happy?” He immediately thought they got news from the adoption process.

And Yael shared the details of the last call she got from the magazine.

About an hour later, Pad arrived with his wife Elise, and their son, Connor.

“You’re with the beard again?” Cillian teased his brother.

“Lost a bet, that’s why.” His brother replied. “Ugh diaper.”

Elise waved at them and went into another room to change it, but first she let them know Pad was a disaster with the nappy and she preferred to do it her way.

“You brought the avocados right?” Cillian asked his brother in a low voice, Yael was very specific about that ingredient.

“I hope four is enough.”

“The more avocado, the better!” Yael shouted from the pantry, joining them a moment later with a couple of colorful bowls. “That smells nice.”

Cillian took over with the beef once more, while Isla got the sodas from the refrigerator. “Look at you! Stop growing.” She got a cooing sound from Pad’s son.

“He’s heavier now, wants to climb everywhere.”

“And eat everything.” Then looking at Scout he warned; “watch out buddy, he’s gonna grab your tail and bite it like there’s no tomorrow.”

Luckily, Scout stormed off the kitchen when he heard the doorbell.

“Oh you’re glowing!” Yael greeted Orla with a hug. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She blushed giving her sister in law another hug.

Then Yael turned to to her niece. “I got some chips for you, they’re in the pantry.”

“Thanks auntie!”

As the Murphy siblings gathered around the kitchen, Cillian rushed to their reading room to take a phone call, there had been an issue with his check-in so he’d have to stop by the counter earlier.

“It’s good to see you Isla.” Orla chatted. “Hey, maybe we can call Mum and go for lunch one of these days.”

“That’d be nice.” Yael agreed taking a bite of the beef, she chopped peppers and onion in case anyone wanted to add to their tacos.

“There’s a new place downtown and it’s ugh amazing.” Elise joined the conversation.

Yael looked at Paiddy’s wife, surprisingly they moved in sync. As the girls shared more details for their plans, Cillian’s brother shared a few comments with him about something related to dinner.

“Sienna why don’t you give your aunt the present you got for her?” Orla encouraged her daughter.

The child’s face lit up and she rushed to retrieve her mother’s purse.

“We went shopping the other day, and as I was looking for a decorative bowl, Sienna found something.” She explained with a wink.

As Paidy’s son tried to reach the food in the bowl, Yael grabbed him playfully, spinning him around but being extra careful to not make a blunt movement.

“What are you trying to get? Hmm? You want tacos too?” Yael changed the child to her opposite hip and started playing with Connor and Sienna. “Okay little Miss, what did you get for me?”

Wrapped in a paper bag, she offered it to her and the kid smiled proudly as she waited excitedly for her aunt to see. Yael played along, making big gestures of surprise and suspense.

Both of them giggling happily as their aunt held out a jumbo mug with the word auntie written al around in capital letters, and it was enough to melt Yael’s heart. “Oh Sienna! This is so sweet… I love you, you know that right?”

Leaving the mug carefully on the counter, Yael wrapped her free arm around her niece just as Cillian was coming back from his call. Finding Yael holding Connor and giving Sienna instructions to help with the tacos. And the scene was enough to ignite something within his heart, something bigger than he had ever experienced.

For an instant, he couldn’t help but think how wonderful his wife would be as a Mum, and he wished from the deepest part of his heart that they would be able to finish the adoption process.

****

Cillian took his wallet and phone from the table, he had been for hours at the wardrobe fitting. Endless shirts, ties, handcuffs, peak caps and suits, all made for him with the best fabric around, the quality of not only the materials, but each piece as well was beyond this world.

“Can I help you with anything else?” Someone offered.

He politely declined the offer, feeling his shoulders tense, hands inside the pockets of his jeans. Staring back at himself in the mirror, he released the tension of his jaw and relaxed his posture automatically after noticing he had been standing as Tommy Shelby.

“Cillian.” Steven’s voice caught his attention. “Are you done here?”

“Yeah.” Cillian nodded, not being able to avoid one more look at his reflection. There was no coming back now, the transformation was taking place on the outside with the wardrobe and now the haircut -not so bold this time at least-, but it was happening on the inside as well.

The thoughts, the looks, the posture. Tommy Shelby was taking over little by little, word by word from the script that he couldn’t help it but take a step back to allow this enigmatic character re-emerge.

“You’re so quiet. Everything alright?” Steven asked as they took the elevator towards the production offices.

“Yeah, just… thinking.” He trialed off.

It was as if he was hosting a battle between who he really was and Thomas Shelby. It might sound crazy, but that’s the way he felt.

“So I got to write around the ideas you gave me, I actually love it… would you like to add anything else?”

“No, just the Institution part we talked about.” Cillian explained. “I don’t know how further you wanna go with that, I just want to ask you to involve this part of the charity…” he made a pause and looked towards the window. “There’s a side of Tommy that he genuinely cares you know? Despite the heartbreak, the pain. It’s right there deep inside.”

Steven nodded profusely. Catching what Cillian meant and he already had intertwined a couple of ideas based on that.

“To me your point of view is needed because of this exactly.” Steve pointed at him from the other side of the desk. “You know Tommy better than anyone else.”

“Better than you even?” Cillian cocked an eyebrow.

“That’s what I’m talking about.” Steven praised, he was not surprised at all by the quick change between Cillian and Tommy, he knew what he was doing. “What do you think about the intimate scenes?”

“We’ll you can’t have this type of man without sex, right?” Cillian toyed with a string on his jeans.

He wanted to run his hand through his hair but it was gone now. “Do what you’ve to do.” They e already discussed how openly some of them would be.

“You got serious with the training this season.”

Cillian laughed awkwardly. He was used to his wife’s teasing him for getting beefy for the role but someone else noticing it and pointing it out made him want to hide somewhere.

“Do you realize you’re pushing not only Tommy but me to the limit with all of this?”

Tommy would go through an intense internal turmoil after some events. And the whole bunch would put him under such pressure that he was afraid to explode any minute. The character itself was a challenge, a completely different mindset, the total opposite of how he’d react.

Steven leaned back on his chair and with a smile of satisfaction he replied; “yes, but you can do that and even more.”

And now it was time for Cillian to chuckle.

But deep down, he felt genuinely proud to know Steve trusted him so openly.

“I got a couple of books about the Russians, it’s interesting how no one suspected a thing back then.” He wanted to be well documented about the facts that happened in real life. To him a script was much more than just lines to memorize, he needed to feel a conection, understand the characters motives. And getting around to understand the reason why it was part of the series, could help him to bring more realism into his character.

And now it would be slightly different as a producer of the series. He had a major power decision, he’d have a more active role in making choices.

“I’ve a couple of songs I’d like you to hear.” Cillian stated and Steven knew that this meeting would be longer than he expected.

*

“Hey babe, sorry I didn’t hear my phone.” Cillian apologized as his wife answered.

“It’s fine, I thought you were busy.” Even though he couldn’t see her, he knew she was smiling. “How did it go?”

“Grand, grand,” he tried to move a few steps away from the noise on the street. “Tomorrow I’m going to check a few locations with Steve.”

“Oh that’s nice, send me photos if you can.”

“Will do. I called you this morning.”

“I slept in, we did actually.” Yael chuckled. “Scout and I cuddled because you weren’t around to wake us up.”

“Ah, now I won’t let you sleep.”

Yael laughed. “No, I mean you start the shower and then downstairs to make breakfast, well you know.”

“I get it, I’ll tiptoe next time.” Cillian offered. “To let the princess sleep.”

Enjoying the teasing, Yael thanked him for being so thoughtful.

“Ya, how’s everything over there?” He shifted his weight from one foot to another.

“I took Mum to an exhibition downtown and it was incredible, spent most of the day window shopping and now I’m organizing some photos to deliver them tomorrow.”

“You’re not going to see that fan of yours, right?” He teased. Started calling the weirdo her fan.

“Goodness no, I delivered those via mailing.” She chuckled and the sound of her laugh made his body tingle. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” He laughed and smiled like a silly young boy in love. “Miss you bossing around.”

“I’m not bossy.” Yael defended.

“Before I left the hotel this morning, I kept thinking phone, wallet, key.” He mimicked her voice. He tried in an lousy attempt to remind himself of what she’d say before he walked out the room.

“But that’s not being bossy, you sometimes forget something.”

“Of course you’re not, I’m only messing.”

“I really want to see you already, the house is not the same without you… last night I slept with my Mum in the guest bedroom and Scout joined us.”

“Soon babe, I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I’ll cook you a huge steak.”

“Oof that sounds tempting.” Cillian eyed Steven from the corner of his eye. “I gotta go, I’m having dinner with Steven and then he’ll drive me to the hotel.”

“Say hello from me, love you!” Yael requested before he replied he loved her back and hang up.

Patting his shoulder, Steven asked; “How’s the Mrs?”

“Good, her Mum is visiting so she’s busy.”

“Happy to hear that, she’s lovely.”

With a nod, Cillian followed him inside the restaurant, pulling his beanie a little to cover his head fully.

“Never been here before.”

Steven stood up to greet someone while Cillian looked at the menu.

“The owner it’s a friend of mine since high school.” The producer explained.

“Woah that’s a long road, but it’s nice you stayed in touch.”

“He’s a good pal, had a tough road but he always kept a good spirit.”

After ordering for their meals, Cillian exchanged a bit of information of his screen off time with Steven, they talked about timeframe but were careful to not talk about very specific parts of the upcoming season in case anyone could listen.

“May I ask how’s the adoption process going?”

With a sigh, Cillian leaned back. “Slow but it keeps moving, my mother in law has an interview tomorrow and my parents already did theirs.”

“Are they taking the news well?” He questioned.

“Better than I expected, you know there’s still this stigma around adoption,” Cillian shook his head, “I firmly believe these kids deserve a loving and safe environment. The struggle it’s been hard because there’s all this burocratice around that makes people feel disappointed.”

Steven shared his own point of view about it, not so different of his own thoughts.

“If I can do anything to help, don’t hesitate.”

“Thanks man, I appreciate the offer. We just have to wait and hope for the best.”

Next part

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this series, remember your comments it’s what keeps this alive!

And I’m working on the Tommy Shelby playlist of all the songs that’s been mentioned in the story 🥰✨

Tag list: @lyarr24 @garrison-girl-08 @lespendy @onlydeadcells @fastfan @winchestergirl22 @stevie75 @prettylittlehoneyeyesxoxo @esposadomd @strayrockette @forbidden-forest-witch @elenavampire21 @forgottenpeakywriter @blondie-22 @thenattitude @moral-terpitude @babaohhhriley @queenshelby @ange-thoughts @shaddixlife @sloanexx @cilliansangel (cant tag) @rangerelik @already-broken144 @alessioayla @paprikabadger @dolllol2405 @conversationpits @itsilvermorny @lafell @imichelle-l-rigby @yrli8 @cutecurly-hair @cillspropertea @hyperfixationsonshuffle @sydneyyyya (can’t tag) @abbymcguire @shelundeadxxxx @elk96 @pono-pura-vida @lovemissyhoneybee @slimeantha (can’t tag) @kmc1989 @ironpen

[karahalloway]

(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 18 - Diplomatica

Fandom: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale’s problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: Harper, Olivia and the Beaumonts arrive in Rome... but not everyone is happy to see them

Word Count: 5,300

Rating/Warnings: None (for once 🤣)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: Lots of Italian and random cultural/historical tidbits in this... but, then again, we are in Italy, so the foreign language aspect will be a bit of a running theme through the next few chapters (sorry...not sorry - I actually learnt some Italian in the process!)

A/N2: @aussiegurl1234, before you ask, yes, I HC that Vito bears a striking resemblance to Michele Morrone 😆

Chapter 18 - Diplomatica

"How is it hotter here than in Cordonia?" I gasp as I step out onto the jet's airstairs.

"Italy is a peninsula," Olivia says from behind me, slotting on a pair of Versace cat-eye shades. "It is more exposed to the anti-cyclones that blow up from the Sahara."

My mouth drops as I make my way down onto the steaming tarmac. "This heatwave... is coming from Africa?"

No wonder it feels like the inside of a furnace!

"It certainly isn't coming from the Arctic!" bemoans Bertrand as he shields his face from the intensity of the rays with an upraised hand. "Though what a welcome change that would be!"

"Brr...!" objects Maxwell with a shiver. "No thank you! I've had my yearly fill of sub-zero temps at Olivia's!"

"You're welcome," comes the snippy response as the Duchess of Lythikos strides past us.

"That said, turning the mercury down a few notches wouldn't hurt..." I remark, squinting accusatorily up at the beating sun.

"The summer heatwaves have been growing longer and more intense over recent years," Olivia advises from up front, "leading to consequent effects on food and water security, power generation, infrastructure, not to mention the added burden on the healthcare system across Europe. It is one of the items on the agenda for Christian's roundtable with the Italian Prime Minister tomorrow."

I frown as I arrive at the passenger-side door of the first in a trio of waiting Porsche Macan GTS's. "I thought this was supposed to be an engagement tour..."

"It is," she confirms as a black-suited Italian sporting close-cropped hair and aviators opens the door for her. "But any foreign visit involving a high-ranking head of state is — by its nature — a diplomatic event as well."

"I guess that makes sense," I concede, sliding into the relative reprieve offered by the SUV's A/C system. "Though you said Christian is meeting with the Prime Minister tomorrow... I thought that was supposed to be today. Did something change?"

"No," derides Bertrand as he settles in next to me. "Today, the King is partaking in a meet-and-greet with the Italian President, followed by a private audience with the Pope while the future Queen is fitted for her wedding trousseau, capped off by dinner and a performance of Tosca at the Teatro dell'Opera in the evening. While tomorrow we have been invited to brunch at the Cordonian Consulate, after which the King has a round-table discussion with the Prime Minister, and day will be closed out by a state gala."

"Oh," I mutter sheepishly. "So, the Prime Minister isn't the same as the President...?"

"The Prime Minister is the head of government, while the President is the head of state," the elder Beaumont instructs as Maxwell squishes himself into the backseat on the other side of me. "The roles are quite distinct."

"Of course they are..." I huff under my breath.

Seems like in addition to Olivia's list of influential Cordonian nobles, I will also need to memorise a textbook on European constitutional history...

Though, now I am doubly glad of the business-like, but nevertheless stylish pale pink, high-necked pencil dress that Bertrand foisted on me this morning — it definitely would not have been great to show up underdressed to such a high-level meeting!

"But we must hurry!" the elder Beaumont proclaims. "We are due at the Presidential Palace in just under an hour, and we still need to fight our way through the notoriously infernal Roman traffic!"

"Not to worry," Olivia assures us with a sly smirk from the front passenger seat. "Vito here knows all the shortcuts."

"That sounds ominous..." I mutter, reaching for the seatbelt on instinct.

"I prefer 'expeditious'," she counters, turning to Vito, who has now taken up position behind the wheel. "Andiamo."

"Certamente, Duchessa," he nods, throwing the car forward with a violent depression of the gas pedal.

The sudden acceleration yanks an inadvertent gasp from my lips as I'm thrown back in my seat... just like on that afternoon in Ramsford when Drake pulled the same stunt on the Beaumonts' driveway.

I feel my throat tighten as I glance inadvertently out the window. God, I hope he's okay...

I know in the back of my mind that I'm probably making myself anxious for no reason. Drake is an adult, perfectly capable of taking care of himself... including in close-quarters situations. He's demonstrated that to me plenty of times.

Yet, I still can't help but worry about him. Especially when he's off in a foreign country (all by himself for all I know...), having left with basically no good-bye, and with definitely no assurance of when he expects to get back.

And while I know that he is doing this for me — so we can collar Tariq and extract whatever information he has in relation to the plot to influence the outcome of the social season... and to answer for what he did to me in Applewood — the wait is killing me. I have no idea where he is, what he is doing, and whether he even has his phone turned on, given the high-stakes nature of his self-appointed task.

Which is why I have held off trying to reach out to him (...even though the baser, needier part of me is itching to do exactly that), as I don't want to be the one to interrupt a crucial moment by setting his phone off with an ill-timed call or text, especially considering the three-hour time difference...

I heave a breath.

I just have to trust him. Like he asked me to at every turn of this increasingly bumpy road that we've been travelling since I left New York. And hope that we are finally on our way out of the woods.

Exiting the boundaries of the airport, Vito navigates the Porsche onto a highway where we are able to pick up some speed. Olivia uses the opportunity to open up her phone, throwing some questions in Italian to her associate every so often as we cruise along. Bertrand is similarly occupied, while Maxwell has slipped on some Bose headphones and is bobbing away to the beat.

Which leaves me to stare somewhat aimlessly out the window, watching the scenery roll by in a bid to keep myself distracted.

But the reprieve ends up being somewhat of a welcome one. The various warehouses and road-side auto lots surrounding the airport quickly give way to a tree-lined thoroughfare, and I find myself basking in the calming effects of the greenery, not having expected to encounter such a bucolic sight on the road to a major urban centre.

Eventually, though, the vegetation gives way to the crumbling walls of some kind of expansive estate that we end up following for a good few miles until the asphalt road changes over to cobblestones and we pass in front the gates of a red-bricked stone fortress that looks like it's been plucked straight from the set of Game of Thrones.

"Wow..." I can't help but breathe as I take in the sight of the towering structure simmering under the light of the mid-morning sun.

"Le mura aureliane," advises Vito from up front, catching my awed expression through the rear-view mirror. "Costruita dall'imperatore Aureliano per difendere Roma dai barbari."

I nod distractedly, craning my neck as we turn a corner to follow the path of the ancient structure that is somehow still standing despite the clear ravages of time and weather.

Nothing lasts like this anymore...

Making another turn, we pass beneath an arched portion of the wall, and the road before us opens up into a leafy boulevard that takes us into the city proper. And from there, it's one jaw-dropping piece of architecture after another jostling for space between more modern buildings and seemingly never-ending rows of trees.

"I didn't expect Rome to be so green..." I admit to no one in particular as I eye up the unusual-looking shrubs.

"You can thank the Ancient Romans," supplies Bertrand without glancing up from his phone. "They planted the now-iconic stone pines in scores along the major roadways in part to serve as ornamentation, and in part to provide a steady supply of pine nuts, which are an essential ingredient in many dishes, including pesto and various pies and tarts."

"It certainly was worth the effort," I agree, watching the evergreens drift past on either side of us.

Though, as Bertrand predicted, the closer we get to the centre of the ancient capital, the increasingly chaotic the traffic becomes, with cars, buses and mopeds all vying for space on the roads, requiring Vito to make recourse to his own horn as well as various offensive gestures in order to narrowly avoid a slew of accidents... and I suddenly have a slightly better appreciation for why Drake drives the way he does. Because based on my experiences first in France and now in Italy, it appears that on the Mediterranean, might equals right when it comes to priority on the road, and unless you're forceful, you ain't getting nowhere.

Managing to finally extricate ourselves from the constraints of a complicated intersection, we end up on a quieter road running parallel to a long patch of bunkered-looking grass on our left.

"What's that?" I ask, tapping Vito on his shoulder.

"Il Circo Massimo," he advises.

My eyes widen. "That's the Circus Maximus?"

"Sì," he nods. "L'antico stadio romano costruito per le corse dei carri."

"Unbelievable..." I murmur, slumping back into my seat in awe.

There is nothing comparable back home — even the oldest still-extant pre-Columbian structures date to only the first millennia A.D. Whereas here we are, casually cruising past a seminal piece of history that is still embedded into the fabric of the city nearly three thousand years after its construction. And we haven't even seen the Colosseum, or the Forum yet!

Rome really is the Eternal City...

Leaving the green fields of the Circus behind us, we enter a more urban-looking environment as we start to climb a hill. The white- and sand-coloured buildings cluster closer together, and the general architecture becomes more uniformly Baroque, until we arrive in a large plaza dominated by a massive, Neo-Classical structure that towers over everything else.

"Il Vittoriano," Vito offers without prompting.

"Is that where we're having brunch with the President?" I ask, slack-mouthed as I stare up at the imposing building.

It certainly looks impressive enough to house the head of a country!

"Of course not!" admonishes Bertrand. "The Vittoriano is a symbolic collection of monuments built to commemorate the rule of King Victor Emmanuel II and the unification of Italy. The President resides at the Quirinal Palace, which is located on a wholly different Roman hill!"

"Oh," I mutter sheepishly.

"Like she is going to know the difference," scoffs Oliva from the front. "They don't even teach The Art of War in her schools... How can you expect her to know anything about Italian history?"

"Italian history is foundational history!" insists Bertrand. "The Romans were instrumental in shaping not just the course of European, but Northern African and Middle Eastern events for millennia! How can they neglect to teach American children about this?"

"Because the focus is on US history," I tell them wearily as Vito navigates us to the other side of the square.

"Surely that is an afternoon's worth of lessons at most?" the elder Beaumont queries sceptically. "Your country was only founded in the conventional sense of the word in the mid-1600s..."

"Most Americans haven't been to Europe," I remind him, watching the rows of buildings flick past on either side of us as we begin the ascent up another hill. "They don't necessarily have a basis of comparison."

"Sounds like your curriculum is somewhat lacking in scope, then..." he surmises with pursed lips.

"Yeah, well..." I retort dryly, "I don't write the textbooks. Though, speaking of education, is there any chance for some sightseeing? It would be a shame to spend two days here and not actually see anything..."

"While I wholeheartedly approve of the sentiment," Bertrand replies, "I am afraid that you will have to make do with the cultural experiences offered by the various host venues on the official itinerary. Which — I admit — are no Pantheon, or Sistine Chapel, but are impressive and important cultural artefacts, nevertheless. The Quirinal Palace, for instance, so named for the Quirinal Hill on which it sits, is actually the sixth largest palace in the world and has served as the primary residence of such notable figures as—"

I let out a low exhale as Bertrand launches into a full-blown historical recital. And while the details are definitely interesting, I didn't come all this way to listen to a one-man rendition of a Roman guidebook.

Which makes me all the more determined to find some kind of opportunity to slip away from the official tour — even if it's just for an hour to toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain — so that I can experience something of the magic that this breathtaking city has to offer.

When, I have no idea, given the busyness of our schedule, but I managed to orchestrate an escape plan to see the capital back in Cordonia, so I'm confident I'll be able to pull something similar... albeit without Drake's help this time. But despite the set-backs, I'm not about to miss out on this kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience...

With my intention firmly set, the car rounds an uphill corner, and we are suddenly on the edge of yet another expansive plaza secured by a rim of strategically placed concrete planters and a pair of police cars.

Vito pulls to a stop and slides the window down to exchange a few quick words with the officer who has come to greet us.

"Passports," instructs Olivia, reaching into her purse.

Opening up the white, Medusa emblazoned Versace clutch sitting on my lap — which I am sure cost more than what I would've ever made in a month working as a waitress back home, but which Bertrand had insisted on as a 'necessary' Italian-themed accessory — I pull out my shiny, new Cordonian passport and pass it to the front.

Maxwell and Bertrand do the same, and there is a couple of minutes of tense silence while the stern-looking officer inspects each document to verify our identities, while another policeman does a circuit 'round the car with a convex safety mirror.

Finally, the policeman hands the passports back with a curt nod, and waves us through.

"Were they not expecting us?" I query as I slot my credentials away again.

"They were," Olivia advises. "But we are arriving separately from the royal delegation, so the State Police are obligated to run a security check."

"Why?"

The Duchess of Lythikos scoffs back at me. "To ensure that we are not terrorists trying to kill the President with a car bomb... Or did that part go over your head?"

"No..." I hit back sarcastically. "I meant why are we arriving separately?"

She looks back at me with an arched brow. "Would you have preferred to deal with the press?"

"I... No," I admit.

She turns back to the front with a smirk. "Didn't think so."

Vito pulls the car to a stop in front of a small courtyard decked out with a red carpet and intertwined streamers made out in the colours of Cordonia's and Italy's flags. Allard and Schweitzer — who had been travelling in the car behind us — appear to open the doors for us.

Bertrand scoots out of the backseat first, before turning back to offer me his hand.

"Thanks," I say with a sincere smile, grasping his fingers to help pull myself up.

"Always my pleasure," he replies with a genuine smile.

Smoothing my skirt, I gaze up at the somewhat understated-looking entranceway, suddenly nervous about the prospect of acting as a newly-minted ambassador of Cordonia. I mean... three months ago, I was bussing tables at a dive bar for less than minimum wage, and now here I am, decked out in clothes that cost more than the rent I was paying for a fifth-storey walk-up, about to have an official meeting with a foreign country's head of state.

To say that I feel like a fraud is a massive understatement.

"What are you waiting for?" asks Olivia, breezing past me with all the confidence of a woman who's done this a hundred times before... probably because she has. "For the grass to grow?"

"I—"

"I heard the President loves chocolate bomboloni," offers Maxwell enthusiastically, linking his arm through mine to tug me down the length of the red carpet.

"What's...that?" I ask, forcing myself to swallow down the sudden dryness in my throat.

Maxwell's face collapses into an aghast look of shock. "Only the best pastry-based dessert! Second only to cronuts, of course!"

"That's definitely a high bar to hit," I admit.

"Think mini doughnuts with gooey chocolate filling, dusted with powdered sugar," he explains. "They literally melt in your mouth!"

"Except we are not here to indulge infantile cravings for sugary treats," reprimands Bertrand as we pass through the arched doorway. "We are here to partake in important discussions relating to matters of state, and t—"

"Pfft," scoffs Olivia. "Speak for yourself, Beaumont. These meetings are dull as shite. I'm here for the sweets."

I can't help but snort at the unexpected riposte... as well as the resultant sight of Bertrand's jaw hitting the parquet flooring. And I unexpectedly find myself feeling better about the whole experience. Because despite whatever nerves I may be feeling, the fact that Olivia and the Beaumonts are with me means that I am not alone in this.

Passing into the coolness of the building, we are greeted by a middle-aged woman who proceeds to lead us through a veritable rabbit warren of ante-rooms and corridors before we finally arrive in an expansive room dominated by a pair of jaw-dropping crystal chandeliers suspended from a vaulted, hand-painted ceiling.

"La Salle Bronzino," informs our guide, indicating that we should step through.

"Wow..." I breathe, trying to take in the opulence with as much composure as I can.

A slew of camera shutters click to life upon our arrival.

Jerking my gaze down from the delicate, celestial fresco above me, I spot the handful of photographers aiming their lenses at me.

I stifle a groan as I plaster a demure smile onto my face. "I thought you said there wouldn't be any reporters."

"This is an official state visit," Bertrand hisses out of the corner of his mouth. "Of course, there will be reporters!

"Just not as many as there would have been outside earlier," Olivia assures me.

My shoulders slump in acquiescence. "Take the wins you can get, I guess..."

"Ah, you made it!" exclaims Christian, striding up to us with a jovial grin. "Traffic wasn't too terrible, I hope?"

"Nothing Vito couldn't handle," Olivia assures him, dipping into a chaste curtesy as the photographers snap eagerly away.

Christian turns to me with a good-natured chuckle. "And Lady Harper... First impressions haven't put you off, have they?"

"No," I assure him, bobbing down politely as well, knowing that everyone in the room now has their eyes on us. "The exact opposite, actually."

"Excellent," he beams, holding my gaze for a second longer than he did with Olivia. "I have to admit that I have a bit of a soft spot for Rome, myself."

"It really is a—"

"Darling," interjects Madeleine with a steely smile, appearing at her fiancé's shoulder. "You really should focus your attentions on the President. He has been gracious enough to open up his home for us, after all..."

Christian's nostrils flare with the briefest flash of irritation as he pulls back slightly. "Quite. Let us go make the necessary introductions."

Madeleine bristles. "That is not what I—"

Deftly ignoring her, Christian extends his arm decisively towards an elderly man wearing a sombre suit and gold-rimmed glasses. "Shall we?"

"I guess so?" I concede, already feeling myself being steered past the silently fuming countess.

"Now remember," Bertrand mutters next to me as Christian leads us down the length of the room. "In the context of a formal conversation, it is always lei — never tu — when addressing your counterpart, so for the love of all that is holy, please do not—"

"Singor Presidente," proclaims Christian as he pulls to a stop. "Permettetemi di presentarvi altri membri della nostra delegazione."

The President raises his head dutifully. "Certamente."

"Questo è Singor Bertrand Beaumont, duca di Ramsford, e suo fratello, Maxwell."

The Beaumonts bow their heads dutifully.

"Beaumont..." the President frowns. "Sai, mi suona familiare. Sei parente di Signor Bartholemy, per caso?"

"Sì," Bertrand confirms. "Egli è nostro padre."

The President is nodding in recollection. "Sì... sì... Ha accompagnato il re precedente in molte occasioni. Sei molto simile a lui."

"Sì, la somiglianza di famiglia è forte," Bertrand acknowledges.

"E questa è Singorina Olivia Nevrakis, duchessa di Lythikos, un mio carissimo amico, e fedele sostenitrice del famiglia Rys."

Olivia holds out her hand. "E' un piacere conoscerla, Signore Presidente."

The President drops a chaste kiss on the back of her hand. "Il piacere è tutto mio."

"E finalmente," concludes Christian, "questa è Singorina Harper, la nuova duchessa di Valtoria."

The President's brows arc inquisitively. "Singorina Harper... You are... American? No?"

"Sì," I affirm as I offer my hand out. "Ma ho praticato mio Italiano..."

The President's mouth cracks into a genuine smile. "And you are doing very well, Singorina! Tell me, have you visited la città eterna before?"

"No, this is my first time," I admit, also switching to English, now that the formalities are over and done with. "But even the ride from the airport was utterly magical! It's like stepping into history!"

"Sì," the President affirms with a grin. "Us Romans are unspeakably lucky to be able to call such a beautiful city our home. It is a place of many treasures."

"What is your favourite part of the city?" I ask.

The President blinks in surprise at the unexpected intimacy of the request. "That is a difficult question... But if I am forced to choose... it would have to be this little forno next to la Fontana di Trevi which makes a very unique — and very delicious — pistachio croissant. It is not for every person, but if you have a spirit of adventure, then I suggest you try it."

"Thank you," I say with a sincere smile, filing the suggestion away. "I definitely will!"

"I cannot say that I have had the pleasure of sampling this treat, either," Christian admits, with a knowing glance down at me. "But Lady Harper has excellent taste in pastries — she was actually kind enough to introduce us to an American delicacy called a cronut. It was a big hit all around."

"A cronut?" queries the President. "I cannot say I am familiar..."

"Don't worry," Maxwell assures him with a conspiratorial grin. "We'll bring you one. If you'll trade us some bomboloni in exchange?"

Bertrand's already sunburnt face reddens further. "Maxwell! You cannot entreat the President t—"

"You like bomboloni, also?" interjects the President with keen interest.

"Of course!" Maxwell affirms enthusiastically. "Anyone who doesn't like them clearly has something wrong with them!"

"Sounds like you have excellent taste in pastries as well, Signore Maxwell!" chuckles the President.

The conversation continues to revolve around our shared food interests for a few more minutes, until an aide clears his throat from behind the President.

"Accettare le mie scuse," he apologises. "But I am being advised that it is time for the photographs and the speeches."

"Of course," nods Christian graciously, indicating that the President should lead the way to the front of the room where a small podium has been set up.

As the two men peel away from the group, I cast my eyes 'round the space and spot Hana standing by one of the large windows. Giving her a wave, I use the brief break in the proceedings to make my way over to her.

"So, what's the view like from this side of the room?" I ask by way of greeting.

"Quieter than your side," she admits wryly. "You certainly seemed to be having an engaging conversation with the President!"

"We discovered a shared love for sugary treats," I admit. "You should've joined us — you could've bragged about that baking championship that you won."

"It's alright," she demurs with a blush. "It's actually been nice to take a moment to step away from the crowd."

"Oh?" I ask, laying a concerned hand on her arm. "Is something wrong?"

She heaves a breath, as if debating whether to tell me. Finally, she says, "I have been fending off suitors."

My brow shoots skywards. "How many proposals have you had?"

"Since I arrived...? Probably twelve..."

My eyes bulge. "Twelve! That's like two a day!"

"Yes," she concedes with a weary exhale. "Lady Madeleine has been extremely gracious in personally introducing me to numerous eligible bachelors—"

"—but none of them are Maxwell," I surmise.

Her eyes flick up to mine before dropping back down sorrowfully. "No. But for the sake of my parents, I must entertain every available option in an honest manner."

"That definitely sounds exhausting..." I concede. "But hopefully now that we're out of the country, you can catch a bit of a break."

"I am not so sure..." she admits. "I have been advised that a number of well-connected Italians will be in attendance at the opera tonight..."

"Pfft...!" I scoff. "Just take the night off... Pretend to be sick... Run off with Maxwell to get some gelato... Actually enjoy being in Italy!"

Hana blushes. "I—"

The chime of a bell rings out across the room, interrupting our conversation.

Looking up, I see that all heads have turned dutifully towards the twin forms standing on the dais as they prepare to address the congregation.

"Vostra Altezza Reale, colleghi delegati, Signore e Signori," greets the President, "È un onore, per me, ospitare la delegazione reale di Cordonia, nostro vicino e stretto alleato per centinaia di anni. È passato troppo tempo da—"

As the speech winds on, I find myself tuning out, given that I am only able to understand every third or fourth word. But, not wanting to come across as rude by continuing my catch-up with Hana, I instead try to occupy myself by examining the two large tapestries suspended on the walls.

A round of applause draws me out of my reverie, and I join in on auto-pilot as the President hands off to Christian. Several more minutes of lilting Italian fills the room, during which time I move my attentions to the Roman-looking busts, wondering which emperors they depict.

Finally, the speeches come to a close, and I heave a sigh of relief.

"Did you understand any of that?" I ask Hana as the President presents Christian with some kind of medal, and the two men pose for photos.

"Of course," she nods. "My parents—"

"—have been giving you Italian lessons since before you could talk?" I finish dryly.

Hana's cheeks dimple. "Not quite that young, but yes. I am what they consider 'proficient'."

"Meaning, you speak it better than I speak English," I joke.

She snorts in response. "I wouldn't say that..."

"But it's true," I say with a smirk, happy to see that Hana's time back at court has not completely crushed her sense of humour.

"Ah, I've missed talking to you, Harper," she says with genuine feeling. "The last few days have felt so busy that I feel like we haven't spoken in months!"

"Yeah, tell me about it..." I agree with a huff. "In the space of a week, I've become a Cordonian citizen, been granted a duchy, gone from number five to number one on Madeleine's shit list, and—"

Hana's eyes widen. "It's not that bad, surely...!"

"It's probably worse," I admit. "And being on the front page of the Cordonian Sun — again — is probably not helping matters either..."

"Yes, I saw that article..." she commiserates with feeling. "I'm sorry that the press are treating you in that manner again."

"Hey, it's not your fault," I assure her. "But the press aren't all bad — I managed to convince Ana de Luca to help us track down the photographer who took those pictures of me and Tariq, and she actually came through yesterday."

"That's great!" she enthuses. "I have to admit that I have not had much success on my side... Madeleine does not permit her ladies-in-waiting to handle any of her private correspondence, including her mobile phones and laptop. And she has only talked to us about the upcoming events on the tour..."

"Well, it was a bit of a long-shot, anyway," I concede with a shrug. "But who knows? We might get—"

"Pardon," interrupts Kiara with a pointed cough. "But the Queen requests your presence."

I roll my eyes with a scoff. "She's not married to Christian yet..."

"But she will be soon," she reminds me pointedly. "So, it is actuellement in your interest to remain on her good side, given that you are now a duchess."

I feel the corner of my mouth scrunch into a mou of dissent, but I force myself not to pick apart the many things that are wrong with her statement. "Fine. Where is Her Majesty?"

"Bidding adieu to the President," she advises. "She has asked that in the meantime I gather the ladies who are to accompany her to the wedding boutique."

"Does she really need an entourage to go shopping?" I ask as we start making our way back to the double doors at the far end of the room.

"It is tradition for the suitors who were not picked at the end of the social season to assist the queen-to-be in the preparations for the wedding, including selecting her bridal gown and trousseau."

"Wonder how many times that's gone wrong before..." I mutter under my breath.

"It is a ritual de beaucoup d'importance," Kiara insists seriously. "The former suitors — and their families — demonstrate their public support for the union via the personal assistance they provide the bride and groom in the lead-up to the big day, as well as in the act of taking on key roles during the ceremony itself."

"Let me guess..." I grumble. "We're all going to be maids of honour, too..."

"In Cordonia, the correct term is 'witness'," she corrects. "They are the ones chosen by the couple to countersign the marriage certificate. Mais oui — it is likely that one or two of us will be called upon in such a manner."

"Great..." I sigh, arriving at the entranceway where Penelope and Olivia are already waiting. "All the things we get to look forward to..."

"Oh, Lady Harper!" squeals Penelope in excitement. "I love your dress! How do you always manage to find such super chic pieces?"

"Uhh..." I say, genuinely taken aback by her enthusiasm. "Bertrand picked this, actually..."

Olivia snorts derisively. "You mean Lord Tweedle-Dee? Please... That man has worse fashion sense than Jared Leto."

"Actually, he—"

"If you lot are quite finished with your asinine chit-chit," snaps Madeline as she strides imperiously past us, "you can pick up your feet. We are already running late for my appointment... Which took months to schedule, so don't you dare make me miss it!"

I meet Hana's gaze with a fish-eyed look. "Ever heard the term 'bridezilla' before?"

"No," she admits with a frown. "But it sounds scary..."

"Oh, trust me!" I assure her as we bring up the rear. "It is! Especially since it sounds like Madeleine is planning to take the concept to a whole 'nother level..."

The story continues in Chapter 19: Field Day

A/N: Translations for the Italian below:

At the airport: Andiamo - Let's go

Certamente, Duchessa - Certainly, Duchess

En route Lemura aureliane. Costruitadall'imperatore Aureliano per difendere Roma dai barbari. - The Aurelian Wall. It was constructed by the Emperor Aurelian to defend Rome against barbarians.

Il Circo Massimo - The Circus Maximus

Sì. L'antico stadio romano costruito per le corsedei carri. - Yes. The ancient Roman stadium constructed for chariot racing.

Il Vittoriano - This is a colloquial nickname for the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II

At the Presidential Palace Singor Presidente. Permettetemi di presentarvi altri membri della nostra delegazione. - Mr President. Allow me to introduce some additional members of our delegation.

Certamente - Certainly

Questo è Singor Bertrand Beaumont, duca di Ramsford, e suo fratello, Maxwell. - This is Lord Bertrand Beaumont, Duke of Ramsford, and his brother, Maxwell.

Beaumont... Sai, mi suona familiare. Sei parente di Signor Bartholemy, per caso? - Beaumont... You know, that sounds familiar. Are you related to Lord Bartholemy, by chance?

Sì. Egli è nostro padre. - Yes. He is our father.

Sì...sì... Ha accompagnato il re precedente in molte occasioni. Sei molto simile a lui. - Yes... Yes... He accompanied the former king on many occasions. You look a lot like him.

Sì, la somiglianza di famiglia è forte. - Yes, there is a notable family resemblance.

E questaè Singorina Olivia Nevrakis, duchessa di Lythikos,un mio carissimo amico, e fedele sostenitrice del famiglia Rys. - And this is Lady Olivia Nevrakis, Duchess of Lythikos, a dear friend of mine, and loyal supporter of the Rys family.

E' un piacere conoscerla, Signore Presidente. - My sincere pleasure, Mr President.

Il piacere è tutto mio. - The pleasure is all mine.

E finalmente, questa è Singorina Harper, la nuova duchessa di Valtoria. - And finally, this is Lady Harper, the new Duchess of Valtoria.

Sì. Ma hopraticato mio Italiano.* - Yes. But I am practising my Italian. *Italian speakers will note that there is a grammatical mistake here (the correct phrasing is 'Ho praticato il mio italiano'). However, the mistake is deliberate because Harper learnt Italian literally an hour ago, so she's not going to be perfect at it!

La città eterna - the Eternal City (nickname for Rome)

Accettare le mie scuse - [Please] Accept my apologies.

Vostra Altezza Reale, colleghi delegati, Signore e Signori. È un onore, per me, ospitare la delegazionereale di Cordonia, nostro vicino e stretto alleato per centinaia di anni. Èpassato troppo tempo da— Your Royal Highness, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen. It is my honour to host the royal delegation of Cordonia, our neighbour and ally for many centuries. It has been far too long since—

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Till Death Do Us Part Chapter 3: Talk To Me

A/N: Yeah I actually finished the next chapter already. Hadn't been this eager to write in awhile. So enjoy the next chapter, everyone! If you like listen while you read along, this is what I was listening to while I wrote!

Weeks turned into months since Shadow and Amy had spoken, they would occasionally see one another in the city; or at the school when Amy dropped off the children. Throughout the awkward silence Amy couldn't get her mind off of him. How was he doing? Was he mad at her? Random thoughts popped in her head concerning the dark hedgehog. She also wondered how his Chao was doing, Echo certainly was a cute companion. It seemed like they were the perfect match for one another. At least Shadow wasn't completely alone; not that he minded. 

Honestly, she missed him. Every once in a while, she lay in bed staring at the last conversation via text message, and she'd start typing but froze in mid-typing.  Instead, Amy would end up shutting her phone off to get some much deserved rest. Anytime her phone would sound off the day after that, she hoped it was actually him. Amy stood at the kitchen sink daydreaming while her dishes were soaking. She jumped back into reality when Lily came rushing downstairs, "mom! We gotta get to the game!" Oh yeah, Lily started playing soccer a couple weeks ago. She was pretty good for being unfamiliar with the sport. Her friends played alongside her, and she  adored it. Amy probably loved watching her as much as Lily enjoyed playing. She also had a great coach on the field, it was her uncle Knuckles. He also would coach football in the fall, if he was needed. Deep down Knuckles preferred teaching football when given the chance, but the previous coach for soccer had to move all of a sudden, and the school was in dire need so Knuckles was hired on the spot. 

The game ended around 9pm that evening, the home team taking another win for the season. In reward, Knuckles took the players out to celebrate to get pizza and some ice cream. About 11pm that night, they said their goodbyes and departed back to their homes. Amy was relieved that tomorrow was the start of the weekend, so her and the kids could sleep in. 

The following morning, Amy woke up around 10am that morning to find her children curled beside her. When did they join her last night? She couldn't remember, nor did she mind whatsoever. She held them close and tight against her; soaking up every moment with them. Eventually by noon, the three of them got out of bed and had a late brunch at Vanilla's Cafe. She never made the family pay their bill whenever they ever ate there. Vanilla claimed it was because Amy works there, but the pink hedgehog knew otherwise. Amy was tickled to see Cream coming from the back of the cafe to greet them. Amy and Cream hadn't been able to catch up with her clothing line going so flawlessly. Her nearby boutique was booming with business. So much so, that Cream had to close to restock the shop. This was why Cream was relieved she finally hired some help there. She couldn't have done this alone, that was for sure. 

Vanilla closes earlier on every other Saturdays to make sure they have enough inventory, and to go through their finances they've collected. After a busy lunch hour, the older rabbit turned the Open sign to closed. Other employees were working in the back to fulfil some online orders, and then boxed the contents up, and bagged each of them before heading out to the destination that was sent to them the day before. Vanilla asked Lily and Mach if they could assist her with some other duties around the cafe, they were more than happy to help so they jumped at the opportunity. Amy and Cream cleaned off their table, and made their way behind the counter to clean up and do a count of items they were needing for the upcoming order. "I saw you and Shadow together." Cream suddenly broke the silence. Amy almost dropped the container of cream cheese that she pulled from the huge fridge. "It was a long time ago, but... are you and him a thing?" Cream's eyes widened, when she met Amy's jade eyes. 

The pink hedgehog felt her cheeks growing hot, but Amy shook her head, "No. We're not anything, Cream.  I felt... lonely.. so he walked me home after work." She jotted down something on the notepad in her hand. Cream nodded, Amy breathed out in relief when her friend didn't continue to ask more questions. Cream knew her very well, if Amy wanted to talk more about whether anything was going on, even if just a hint; Amy would definitely tell her. Cream quickly changed the subject, talking about her upcoming clothing projects, but mentioned she was gonna focus on selling out what she designed already. Especially since her next project was focused on fall attire. Amy was so proud of her, the younger rabbit lost count of how many times Amy had told her that. Of course she didn't mind the compliments, and the encouragements without her she wouldn't even be a clothing designer. Once they gathered their list and sat together checking things off. This helped Vanilla tremendously. Once the children sat with them, they all enjoyed a hot cup of tea, and chatted for hours.

-

Weeks flew by, filled with soccer games, meetings with teachers, pizza nights, and movie nights to name a few. Near the end of August the family took a trip to the mountains, all of them were there for week out of school, and work. Knuckles, Rouge and their family, Tails, Cream and her mom as well. The cabin was full of laughter, and chaos. It was like the good days... when Sonic was with them. While the children played amongst each other, Mach and Knuckles' son occasionally getting into trouble for roughhousing, eventually pairing off to join Knuckles and Tails at the pool table. Amy was standing outside on the balcony admiring the stunning view of the mountains before her. "Hey sugar." Rouge greeted, slipping outside of the sliding door of the cabin. She gave Amy an warm arm hug. "You're missing him right now, aren't you?" Amy almost wondered if she was actually talking about Shadow. She quickly pushed that thought out of her head. 

"Everyday.." She leaned into her shoulder. "Earlier this year I wouldn't even come along with you guys." Amy gave her a pained smile, and Rouge returned it.

"You're making progress, girlie." The girls distanced themselves. "Sonic would have been proud of you, Amy. He would want you to live your life, even if he couldn't... enjoy it with you." Amy's ears pinned back in sadness, and her eyes stung with fresh tears. The two embraced in a teary hug. Pushing such emotions behind them, they joined the others inside the coziness of the cabin, they gathered together to play some tabletop games, video games, dancing games like they use to do as kids, the room filling with laughter once more. When the children went to bed, the adults decided to play a game with alcohol shots. They wouldn't drink enough to get wasted, but just for the hell of it. Amy on the other hand after 6 shots she felt funny, thankfully they ended the game shortly after and started to get ready to head to bed. Some of them taking turns having a quick shower or a bubble bath before going to sleep.

Now alone in the dark bedroom, Amy glanced at her phone her finger hovered over Shadow's contact number. Just text him. It won't hurt. Invite him for coffee on Monday. Amy sat at the edge of her bed, her fingers tapping away. She simply sent him a "Hello", and then shamefully laid her phone down on the nightstand, tucked herself under the comforter. She was out like a light within 20 minutes.

-

Around 9 the following morning, she peeled her eyes open, and her ears twitched in annoyance to the sound of her alarm going off. She reached for her phone to turn the racket off, she rubbed at her eyes,  trying to focus on the notifications that displayed on her phone. One of them was by Shadow. Her face turned hot all of a sudden. She scrolled to open his text message.

Morning. His message read, it showed that he read her message around 1 that morning, and he didn't respond until about 7 that morning. Perhaps he was doubting talking to her, too? She was relieved he even texted at all. 

She bit her bottom lip, and started texting back. "Are you gonna be free on Monday? Would you like to have coffee at my house?" Amy inserted a emoji of a coffee inside the text. She almost wanted to admit that she missed him, but that would be pushing it. To her surprise, he was already typing back. While she waited for his response,  Amy quickly got off the bed, and started to find something to wear for the day ahead. She overheard commotion from her friends, Cream and Vanilla was probably prepping breakfast for everyone. Her phone made a noise, and vibrated to indicate she received a text.

...Sure. He responded back. All that wait for him to reply with one word? Damn, Shadow. She texted him the time to come by on Monday, and then rushed out the door to meet her friends for breakfast. Her mind felt fuzzy. What was she doing? She didn't want to hurt her daughter's feelings, or give her the wrong idea when she told her months ago that Shadow wasn't going to be around more often. It was just catching up over a cup of coffee. That's all. She told herself over and over in her head. While she was fighting with these thoughts, unaware to her friends, they talked amongst themselves, and devoured the delicious breakfast prepared for them. Amy stayed pretty quiet at the table. Only making small talk every once and awhile. Once everyone was finished up, Amy, and Lily helped with the dishes, and Mach stubbornly helped sweep any messes on the floor around the dinning area. The big group of friends gathered some of their belongings and headed out into the shopping area downtown. It was a nice change compared to the shops back at home. Amy found a new handbag, while the kids found some candy, and Mach found a toy or two that he wanted. They stopped for a snack after noon that day, before hitting some more stores. They found a familiar mountain overlook where they recaptured some pictures that they once took here years ago.  When they returned with handfuls of bags, they all slouched on the couch to catch a movie. While the movie played, Rouge, Amy, and Cream, started packing up their things. They will be heading back home early in the morning. Once everything was packed up, and the children's belongings were packed away, they relaxed in the hot tub together. Catching up some gossip here and there. It felt like things were back to normal once more, Amy gave a sigh of relief as Rouge and Cream talked amongst themselves. 

They returned home bright and early that Sunday morning, Amy went through the children's belongings and started a load of laundry, while they snoozed on the couch together. Amy had to stop by the store so she could get some groceries and some other random needs. Lily and Mach tagged along, picking out things they wanted for the school week ahead of them. Mach got bored so he ended up riding in the cart and begged his mom to let him play on her phone, which she didn't allow. They left the store, stopped for a quick bite to eat and headed back home for a lazy evening. Mach had to catch up on some last minute homework that he had forgotten to bring during his vacation, while Lily drew on her sketchpad. The nightly routine went smoothly from there, and they wished eachother a good night. While they were in a deep slumber, Amy was wide awake for several hours... thinking about Shadow visiting in the morning. He would be coming by after the kids were already in school. She texted him one last time that evening, but he didn't respond back until midnight saying he was busy at the moment. Amy respected that, and rested her head while her mind continued to race.

Monday came and Mach put up a fight about getting up and going to school, Amy was concerned she was gonna have to literally drag him out of bed, and out the door. It was a frantic start of the week. Lily already went ahead with her friends at the school, Amy watching closely before turning to go back home because Mach forgot his lunchbox, once home he quickly retrieved it from the kitchen and walked back to the school with his mom. His teacher and Amy spoke a few words, and Amy kneeled to his level telling him to respect his teacher and follow her instructions. He wanted to roll his eyes, but thought against it, so he just nodded before joining his classmates. Waving bye, Amy departed the school. She made a quick errand before returning home, it was just after 9:30am by now and Shadow was waiting outside her house. Startling her slightly. "You really shouldn't leave your front door open, Amy." He warned. Amy slapped her forehead, walked passed him going inside her house. 

"It's been a crazy morning, ok? I wasn't that far." He grunted in response, as he inched further into the house. "Mach forgot to do his homework, so we were up late, and then he left his lunchbox this morning." She laughed, "don't you just love Mondays?" Shadow raised a brow, not sure if that was a hypothetical question or not. "Sorry, I know I was running behind. I didn't realize I ran out of coffee and some creamer."  Amy knew she had forgotten something at the store on Sunday. Mom brain. She unpacked everything, and tossed the plastic in the recycling bin. While Shadow sat down at the bar, she sat down a thing of cookies she made earlier that morning. He watched her prepare some coffee. She felt his gaze on her back, and shivered. "Any creamer for you?" 

"Just black coffee."

"Boring." She said with a grin, as she poured out the freshly made pot of coffee into a mug for him, he got up to retrieve it from her. Their eyes briefly met, before she turned to make a cup of joe for herself. 

"How was vacation? I thought I was the one known for silent treatments." He muttered the end of that sentence, as if he didn't mean to say that outside of his thoughts. Amy shot him a look, she reached for the handle of her mug not noticing how hot it had gotten. 

"I had fun- OUCH!" Amy's squealed, she let go of the cup and it shattered to the floor, spilling the contents all over her shoes, and her floor. Shadow quickly responded, and put his cup back on the table. Amy glanced at her hand, thankfully it didn't look too bad. Her gloves probably protected her from too much damage to her skin. She bent down, "can you grab that broom...?" Before she got it out of her mouth, he was gone to retrieve the broom, she picked up a bigger piece of the shattered cup. She dropped it on the floor and backed up. Taking note that this was indeed Sonic's cup. She didn't realize she grabbed that cup for herself, she just now noticed that the mug on the counter was still there. It read "wifey" on it. While Shadow was trying to get the pieces up with a broom, she started bawling. 

Shadow stood tall when he noticed she had been crying. What just happened? Did she get burned? He wondered. "Let's get your boots off..." He said, trying to soak up the liquid with a towel. He encouraged her to let him help her with her wet boots, but Amy jerked away. 

"I am so damn clumsy!" She screamed out a curse, beating herself up for this little incident. She stubbornly wiped at her tears, and walked over to the remains of the cup that Shadow had scooped up in a dustpan for her. She picked up the piece that had part of the "h" engraved on it. She slammed her fist on the counter, and cried harder, her body shaking with grief. Hands touched her by the shoulder, as she was brought away from the counter. 

"It's just a cup." Shadow whispered. His left hand ran down her arm. "We can get it fixed. Or a new one.." 

Amy abruptly turned to around fully to face the male hedgehog, "no! It wouldn't be the same!" She pushed him away. "It's gone. Just like him..." Normally, Amy would wonder why grief would hit her like this. She was doing great! Or at least she thought so. "I wish it was me who died, Shadow..."  She slumped against the counter. Her face red from all the crying, and her eyes bloodshot. "Why couldn't it have been me?" She brushed her bangs away from her eyes, staring at the floor.

Shadow didn't have an answer for that. He always wondered why Maria had to die, instead of him. But, that was a question that would never get answered. "Maria always said when someone died... they were sleeping. Perhaps.. Sonic needed to rest." Shadow words were barely audible. "Perhaps, it wasn't your time because... you have more to do here." Shadow looked away when her teary gaze met his, he rubbed at the back of his head. He hated confrontation such as this. Battles he could do any time of the day, and brush it off but having a deep conversation like this was a different ballgame. 

Amy sniffled, "Sonic sure did carry a lot on his shoulders." The pink hedgehog exhaled. Maybe Shadow was right? It was easier to think about death after what he said. "Lily and Mach would have been without a mother. I couldn't even imagine..." Amy's heartbeat seemed to have returned to a normal pace, and she started to relax. Shadow offered to fix her a cup while Amy went to remove her shoes, and let them dry outside. She turned down the offer; for she couldn't stomach drinking coffee right now. For the rest of the evening, Amy and Shadow sat in silence scanning through the channels provided on the television. When they saw something that caught their attention, halfway through the film Amy fell asleep on the couch. Shadow quietly got up, and made his way to the exit. Double checking to make sure her front door was locked before leaving. 

--

Later that evening, Amy decided to pick up a shift at the cafe to ease her mind and help her friends. Cream actually ended up getting sick after they returned from their vacation, so Vanilla needed help with closing up the cafe. A few costumers lingered while reading a book, and sipping slowly on their coffee. Amy of course didn't rush them. They'll be closing at 9pm tonight, so they had an hour at least. The bell at the door rung when a familiar face walked inside. Amy doubled back when she witnessed Shadow walking in the cafe. He glanced at the menu, while she quickly put the mop away, so she could greet him behind the counter. "Hey you." Shadow scoffed at her greeting. "What would you like today?" Her costumer voice taking over.

"I... didn't plan on buying anything." Amy rolled her eyes and started wrapping a couple pieces of fudge up for him. Encouraging him to try it, at least. His brows furrowed, but he presented his payment anyway, but she waved it off, then returned to her cleaning. Before unwrapping the treat,  Shadow dropped some cash into the tipping jar. He took a bite of the chocolate fudge, as if he was a picky child trying something new. Amy looked over to see him walking over. Her eyes went to a box in his hand, how had she not noticed that before. She wiped some sweat off of her brow, and pushed the mop aside. 

"What ya' got?" She motioned towards the box under his arm, from behind Shadow she witnessed the couple get up to leave. They waved bye, and thanked her. She took a sip of water, waiting for Shadow to respond. Before he did, he ate the remainder of his fudge.  

"It's for you." Amy blinked in surprise. Without her trying to turn this gift down, he handed it to her. Amy glanced around the cafe, not like she should be worried because the cafe should be closing soon and the other employee with her is working on a 5 layer cake. She opened the flap of the box to reveal something wrapped securely in bubble wrap. While she took the item out of the box, Shadow inhaled the peanut butter fudge that he had. It appeared to be a mug. It was a black mug with letters engraved on it that read "A-hole." Amy blinked at the other hedgehog in confusion. "You can keep it at your place, if I visit for coffee."

Her lips spread out into a warm smile as she admired it, "ok. Thanks I guess?" Amy shouldn't be expecting anything romantic, at least. It wasn't like there was anything romantic going on, anyway. She wrapped it up and put it away. "It's nice and all, but it shouldn't say that..." She knew he was trying to be humorous because on her contact list he is listed under "Asshole", her eyes softened and she inched closer to him, their bodies touching when she him into a hug. "you're not an asshole, Shadow. At least not to me, anyway." She could feel his heart beating faster almost so fast she thought it would pound out of his chest. Amy felt warm against him, her cheeks growing hotter the longer she held him in an embrace.  When their eyes met again, she could have sworn she saw redness building on his cheeks. Amy pinched his cheeks, "so...take it back." Someone behind them in the cafe had coughed, making the hedgehogs part from eachother. Ciara looked to Amy in surprise. 

"Oh! I'm sorry... whose this fella, Amy?"

Amy laughed nervously, and distanced herself further from the male hedgehog. "Oh, just a good friend. That's all." Her burning cheeks said differently, a friend wouldn't make you feel this way, right? "Shadow, this is my coworker Ciara." Shadow acknowledged with just a nod in her direction. Ciara nodded back in acknowledgement, her smile turning into a playful grin. Shadow whispered that'll he'll be leaving now, and within seconds Shadow was gone. 

Ciara grinned back at the blushing Amy, "I didn't know you were dating now." She walked behind the counter to remove the remaining treats from the display. Some of which will be taken home with them, or given away.

"We're not dating." Amy sighed. She felt defeated. 

"Really?" Ciara looked at her, conflicted. She wasn't convinced whatsoever. But, this wasn't her business. "If you say so, Amy. " Ciara smiled back at her. "Is there anymore cleaning that needs to be done?" She looked around the room. 

Amy swallowed the lump in her throat, "this table should be the last one." Her coworker nodded. 

"Amy, if he makes you happy. Go for it." Ciara stopped infront of the booth that Amy was cleaning.

The pink hedgehog slumped into the booth, "I can't. There's no one that can replace-"

"Who would be replacing him? Honey..." Ciara sat with her. "No one will ever replace your dear husband. I'm sure if you go further with this Shadow character, he would know that."

Amy gave her a faint smile, then looked down to her feet. "Lily saw him, and I can't do that to her. I can't just bring a strange guy into our lives like that." Amy glanced out the window, watching the rain patter against the window. "It feels way too soon."

"I'm sure she can get use to him, and start to love him for who he is. She doesn't have to see him as a replacement for her dad. But, if she sees that HE makes you happy, I'm sure she would learn to accept him, so will Mach as well." Ciara hugged her close, Amy gave a deep sigh. "If you feel like its too soon, take your time. Don't be trying to make little brothers and sisters for Lily and Mach, now." Her pink friend gave her a look, and Ciara laughed. 

"Chaos..." Amy hid her face, and quickly got up from the booth. "He... does make me happy, Ciara. He has brought me out of my emotional funk." Once the table was cleaned off, Amy walked over to collect the tip on the counter, noticing the cash that Shadow left. She smiled. "But, he's not exactly a very open kind of guy, though. He's so hard to read. Much harder to understand than Sonic was." She locked up the cash register, and disposed of any receipts from the day. 

Ciara switched off some lights in the cafe, then walked back over towards Amy. "What guy is, though? If it doesn't work for you, then it's not meant to be.  I wouldn't hide him from your children though, if things get serious. That'll hurt even worse, and hurt their trust for not only you but your new fella." Once the lights were completely turned off inside, Ciara opened the door to move the sign and placed it indoors. Amy followed her with a set of keys, and exited with Ciara. A few blocks down they made their way to an old couple that owned a store that sold all sorts of fruits, veggies, and various home grown items. After each shift if they had anything from the cafe, they always brought them free treats. Everytime they wanted to pay for it, but their money was turned away. They made some small talk, before leaving. They visited a couple more stores down the street, gave some out to the staff at the hospital, until they were empty handed. They paused at the bus stop. "I'll see you in a couple of days, ok?" Ciara hugged Amy. "Don't forget what I said, ok? You deserve happiness, Amy. If this Shadow guy provides that happiness ... don't miss this opportunity."

[chicagosfinest2021]

Doing another one of these because I don't feel like waiting for my followers to ask me nuthin LOL

0:Height Useless 5'3''

1:Virgin? No but I wish I was sometimes (even though virginity is a man-made social construct that has no bearing in reality)

2:Shoe size 9

3:Do you smoke? Just on the dance floor

4:Do you drink? Socially

5:Do you take drugs? Just my anti-baby pills!!

6:Age you get mistaken for mid 20's usually

7:Have tattoos? On this chocolate brown skin?? Nah baby

8:Want any tattoos? I'm good

9:Got any piercings? Just my ears right now

10:Want any piercings? If I can shrink my fupa down a bit I might get my navel done

11:Best friend? My sister

12:Relationship status Perpetually single at heart/by choice

13:Biggest turn ons Emotional maturity and introspection

14:Biggest turn offs Emotionally stunted people

15:Favorite movie Toss up between Queen, Bend It Like Beckham and Wakanda Forever

16:I’ll love you if You feed me food

17:Someone you miss My grandma </3

18:Most traumatic experience Being SA'ed by different men

19:A fact about your personality I'm just a straight up catch

20:What I hate most about myself I procrastinate too much, I also can't lose this belly meat for sh*t

21:What I love most about myself I'm smart, pretty, cultured, funny, and have an overall dope vibe

22:What I want to be when I get older The rich auntie with no kids that's always traveling and spoils her niblings with money and gifts

23:My relationship with my sibling(s) Me and my middle sister are basically twins and are super close, I have a half sister whom I love but she's not into the lovey-dovey stuff. She also didn't grow up with us so we're all still getting to know each other, but we're cool for the most part.

24:My relationship with my parent(s) They're not perfect but I'm both a mommy's girl and a daddy's girl

25:My idea of a perfect date It's been so long since I've been on a real date I can't even picture what a perfect date would look like to me at this point. I guess any situation where I'm not silently wishing I had stayed at home would be a step up to me.

26:My biggest pet peeves People who insist on bringing their kids everywhere and expect the general public to help them babysit. Also when I try to pay at the pump and they tell me I have to go pay inside. I'll just get back in my car and leave.

27:A description of the girl/boy I like This guy I'm currently in a situationship right now (not proud of it). He's Latino, we've known each other since we were 13, he's funny, very eloquent when he speaks, is a really good kisser, is kind of a fuckboi and is probably aware of it. . .

28:A description of the person I dislike the most Homophobic/transphobic people in general

29:A reason I’ve lied to a friend So she would stop asking me invasive questions

30:What I hate the most about work/school I actually really like my job, my pay is nice but it could always be better tho, nah mean?

31:What your last text message says My phone is charging right now but I was texting someone about details for brunch tomorrow

32:What words upset me the most "Item is no longer in stock"

33:What words make me feel the best about myself "You just have such a deep and passionate soul"

34:What I find attractive in women Everything, women as a rule are sexy AF

35:What I find attractive in men Security in who they are and what they're about so they don't constantly feel the need to dominate or be "submitted to".

36:Where I would like to live Ireland or England

37:One of my insecurities My big boobs, I feel like people oversexualize me because that's all they see

38:My childhood career choice I wanted to play piano but then I wanted to be a writer

39:My favorite ice cream flavor I want it to be rum raisin

40:Who wish I could be I don't want to be anyone but me honestly

41:Where I want to be right now Underneath my situationship pinned to the bed

42:The last thing I ate This casserole I made that was bangin

43:Sexiest person that comes to my mind immediately Alex Livinalli

44:A random fact about anything Queen Nefertiti was the stepmother of King Tut

[barbaramillicentgordonroberts]

:

: (7th ever partner for the movie) : https://drafthouse.com/event/brunch-screenings-elemental-brunch (if anyone knows what these menu items look like, that would be fine besides from how to make them, how they sound like, how they feel like, how they smell like, and how they taste like) : https://drafthouse.com/show/open-caption-elemental : https://drafthouse.com/show/3d-elemental : https://drafthouse.com/show/elemental : (the keeping away from matches is surely a safety precaution like it always is) :

: (8th ever partner for the movie) Can anyone please be able to catch all of the parts that mention the movie in tomorrow's episode of this season's finale of American Idol to be able to get all of the sneak peaks of the movie during this season's finale of American Idol based on how it just says from 👆 way before it is too late that we miss it from when it is the very start of introducting the movie, etc. of this segment of the said episode of the show of that season to the very end of when it the segment is over for good way before it comes back to the normal part of the show of when it cuts to another commercial that is not Pixar's Elemental at all, etc. for tomorrow night, Sunday, May/21st/2023 (Today was great, but I wonder what else for all of the stuff that they have for us tomorrow, May/21st/2023 besides the sneak peek from the movie in tomorrow's of this season's finale of American Idol at the following time 👇) all starting at 8 : 00 P. M. Eastern Time/5 : 00 P. M. Pacific Time? (I wonder what all of the audience, all of the contestants, and all of the judges will all be able to think of this when they all see the sneak peek of the movie with us at home, or wherever we are watching it from, as for the characters from the movie, they might be feeling different feels like nervous, and all, but I am sure that they will be able to be just fine, I mean they got each other to support as friends, and they are each trying to make an effort in this dimension of ours besides from the movie having us to be able to be in thiers for what they can to be able to strut their stuff as their unique individual talent, and all as seen from 👆 for rehearsal practice today just like how they will be able to do it for real for tomorrow at those times that I just mentioned in here, I mean it might have been the same as for when it was for Canada's Got Talent, but it might be able to work out fine at the end like how they are going to be able to do this for tomorrow's season finale of American Idol) As for the movie experience in New York from yesterday's posts, continue to check it out this multi-city mall tour today this weekend before it heads to Chicago! :

:

[egcdeath]

hook, line, and sinker

summary: steve was never meant to be anything more to you than a check, a basic mission. but somewhere along the way, things had veered from that.

pairing: steve rogers x spy!reader

word count: 1.9k

warnings: angst, bad decisions, betrayal, unhappy ending

author's note: it has been a minute since i've posted a fic! i hope you enjoy :)

you can find my masterlist and taglist here

Despite the different rooms you found yourself in, the harsh morning sun was always the first thing you saw in the morning. Its bright rays would peek through the room’s shades and land right onto your face, intruding on some of the more vulnerable moments of your life.

When you finally angled your face away from the beaming star, your tired eyes fell upon the man next to you. The man you should’ve never taken things this far with. A man on the run, who you were sent after.

You sighed softly as you became a bit more conscious, and a now slightly more awake Steve threw a large arm around you, pulling you impossibly closer to him.

“Don’t get up yet,” he mumbled softly against your ear. You nodded and relaxed further into the slightly stiff motel mattress, mentally snapshotting and framing this moment in time. Yet another to add in the five month scrapbook of your time with Steve. Time that you recognized was quickly running out.

You allowed yourself to close your eyes once more, to listen to Steve’s soft breaths as he inhaled the scent of you. It made your heart hurt knowing that within the next week you would no longer get to be in those arms. Knowing that you would have to wake up alone in a new apartment in a new country and wait for a new mission while the news on the television droned on about the nomadic Captain America being flushed out of hiding. That Steve was no more to you than a mission. That it was your fault that you had fallen so hard and so fast.

So you treasured it while you had it. Hummed contently as Steve massaged your side before peppering little kisses against your neck. Tried to absorb the stubborn tear that threatened to fall down your face at any moment.

“We have to leave today,” he whispered against your ear, sending goosebumps up your arm. “Natasha wants to meet you.”

Your eyes shot open and your brows momentarily furrowed, something you quickly attempted to play off with a wide smile. There was no way that she wouldn’t recognize who you were— despite being declared ‘dead’ years ago, you were one of the more esteemed spies in your community. What that also meant is that you had even less time with Steve than you’d expected.

“When are we leaving? Am I gonna have to get used to another time zone?”

“Probably a few. Nat’s already with Sam, but we heard there’s something weird going on in Scotland with Wanda and Vision.”

“Should I really be getting involved with this then? It sounds like some pretty intense Avenger business if the parts of the team you still communicate with are getting together. I can just stay here ‘till you guys are ready to come back.”

Steve gave you an ‘are you serious?’ look before breaking into soft laughter, “are you serious?” You nodded wordlessly in response. “Oh, you’re serious. I promise that you’ll be fine.”

“Well, things better not get weird,” you giggled right along with him, reaching out and grabbing Steve’s face so that you could look into his eyes. You took another mental picture of him. You just hoped it wouldn’t have to be the last.

——

After you prepared yourself for the long car ride ahead of you, you slipped your second burner phone out of the hidden pocket of your suitcase, you were met with several missed messages by the man who sent you on the mission in the first place.

What is the wait?

I was referred to you for a reason

Have you even found him yet?

I’m not paying for you to sit around and go to brunch all day.

Do I need to send more money for a plane ticket or something??

No, I’ve got it. He’ll be in custody by tonight.

He better be. Or else you won’t be around to see tomorrow.

You swallowed thickly. You wouldn’t be dealing with this in the first place if you weren’t so irresponsible. And if word got out that you were falling in love with your targets, your reputation would be in shambles. You should’ve known from the start that this could never end well.

Steve stepped back into the bedroom area, a goofy smile on his face at the sight of you sprawled out on your back on top of the dingy motel bed. “You ready?” he asked, sounding chipper. You assumed he was ecstatic that you were finally going to be able to meet his friends, which made your heart hurt even more.

For a moment you considered the possibility of not going through with it. Of going along with Steve, work, prestige, and that hefty bounty be damned. You would still be living life on the run, but you’d have Steve, and everyone else on his side on your side too. You’d have some semblance of a family, and maybe someday you’d have a real family and someone to grow old with.

You chastised yourself for getting soft before sitting up, “I’m ready.”

——

You weren’t ready.

You knew you had to move quickly, the sun was going down, and you’d made a promise that needed to be fulfilled, or god knew what would happen to you.

You reached for the volume dial on the radio portion of the car, and turned down the song that Steve was currently humming along to.

“We should probably get off on the next exit that has a gas station,” you prompted, “the tank’s getting pretty low.”

Steve’s eyes flicked down to the dashboard and he nodded in agreement, “you’re right. Good catch.”

Steve pulled the car off and drove you to the nearest gas station, humming pleasantly along to the music once again. Your stomach was twisting and untwisting knots with every foot you got closer to the station, knowing exactly what you would have to do once you arrived.

Somehow, this was the most nerve wracking moment of your career. Not infiltrating secret government operations, not pulling the trigger on a mark, not even seeing the message from Tony Stark asking for you to find a way to bring Steve in.

You hurried into the main building of the station, making up an excuse on the spot to go inside. You made your way into a bathroom stall, and slipped the phone you hid away earlier out of the extra pocket in your pants.

Your hands shook as you dialed the first two numbers. You took one last deep breath as your finger hovered over the final number. You had one last chance to change your mind, to go back out to the car like nothing had happened because nothing had happened. You would drive a little longer before staying in another shitty hotel, and think about how you made the right decision as you curled up next to Steve’s warm body.

But you couldn’t. You were given this mission, and you needed to complete it.

You pressed the last nine, immediately connecting with an emergency service operator. You gave them the tip that you had seen Steve Rogers pumping gas into a black Honda Civic, and provided them with your location. With every word, your voice trembled a little more. You were grateful for your proximity to a toilet, as the lump inside of your throat threatened to force the contents of your stomach up with every passing moment.

You hung up the phone and looked at yourself in the mirror for a moment. You could barely recognize yourself now, and you weren’t sure if that was from the flagrant betrayal of your partner, or the undermining of your own personal rules for the past five months of your life.

After reflecting on what you’d done for a few minutes, you made your way back to the car. You sat down in the passenger seat, lip trembling as you thought about Steve, and the fact that you’d laid a trap for someone you had such strong feelings for.

Steve sat down just a few minutes later, a smile on his face, and snacks from the gas station in his arms. As he passed you a water bottle, he couldn’t help but notice the tears slipping down your face.

“Hey, what‘s wrong? Are you alright?” he asked, dropping the rest of the items on his lap and leaning over the middle console to console you.

You began to full-on sob now, each tremble of your body filled with regret. “I’m sorry, Steve. I am so sorry,” you repeated.

“No, no, you’re okay. What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning as he wiped your tears away with his thumb.

“I- I had no other choice,” you wailed, “I’m sorry.”

His brows creased and he pulled away from you, betrayal evident in his features, “oh.”

You swallowed hard and shook your head.

“So this was the plan all along?” he questioned. Your lack of response seemed to answer the question for him. “Was any of this real?”

“All of it was, Steve,” you all but whimpered out.

He sighed deeply and leaned his head against the headrest, eyes squeezed shut. He seemed to be searching for the words, but couldn’t quite put together what he truly wanted to say. It was silent in the car for a moment, aside from your quiet sniffles.

“I loved you,” he finally said, hurt evident in his delivery. The admission shook you to your core. You almost couldn’t believe that the first time you were hearing it was after you had put him into such a terrible situation. After you turned in someone that you cared about for your own gain.

“I know,” you looked away from Steve in shame, the look of hurt on his face now permanently imprinted in your mind.

The sound of sirens began to fill the air. Not too long after, you noticed the unmissable blue and red of emergency vehicles approaching your own. It was time.

You unlocked your door and exited without another word. You refused to look back to the car, keeping your head down and your eyes squeezed shut, knowing that if you had to see Steve being taken away, you might never get over the permanent sick feeling you were currently in the midst of.

You walked right inside of the building, stopping in front of an aisle of chargers and finally looking back at the mess that you had made.

“What’s going on out there?” the clerk asked from behind the counter, peeking out the large glass windows.

“I don’t know,” you feigned ignorance and casually shrugged, ignoring the fact that the sight of about a dozen police and SWAT vehicles was tearing you up inside. What were they going to do to him?

You turned away from the scene once again, pretending to browse through the low quality electronics next to you. You heard some yelling, a bit of a struggle, then it was all over.

The coast was clear. Your mission was over.

You left the store without purchasing anything. You moved sluggishly as you got back inside of the now abandoned vehicle.

You started the car once again. This time without the radio playing overplayed pop songs, and without Steve happily humming along. You stared blankly ahead of you, feeling numb above anything else. Steve's words resonated in your mind, bouncing around in your head as you attempted to make sense of what you just did.

Guilt was beginning to creep up on you in a way that you’d never experienced before. You immediately felt haunted by the ghosts of your memories with Steve. Of every entry in your mental scrapbook, of the final image of the hurt on Steve’s face as he confessed his true feelings for you. Of all, you were left with one terrifying thought.

You loved him too.

[kokokabana]

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞

✧ Jonathan Hayes and Albert Bishop ✧ soldier ✧ interest: adrenaline, parties, fitness, fashion, sex, drinks, dancing, travel, sports, movies, brunch, podcasts

Touch-deprived and overly confident military men, who know they are the shit, haven’t given up the search for true love yet.

« 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

✧-✧-✧

How to read this guide

The choices are portrayed like this: A | B. The one in bold or with an exclamation mark gets you (the most) affection.

Sometimes both choices work! They get you a different dialogue from your match, but you or they give the same amount of emoji reactions, balancing everything out.

Make sure to equip the interest that is about to be unlocked when you fill up that relationship bar! That gives you 15 additional gems. Don’t accept the gems and close the app if you haven’t already.

Message me or comment below if you found something else!

✧-✧-✧

Chat History

#1 Texting

✧ Do you believe in fate? | Maybe we crossed paths and don’t remember 🤔

✧ At the risk of sounding like a complete train wreck, yours is the only profile I even bothered swiping… → ❤️! |😮

✧ Because so far you haven’t ask me for a shirtless picture of me holding a gun in a very particular way. → 😳|😉!

✧ Guilty! | Not really…

✧-✧-✧

#2 Texting

✧ 1st CG for 180 💎

✧ Everything I say sounds sexy 🔥 (gem choice for 120 💎) | It’s just a fact, Jonathan. → not worth it, only for boost, boring additional dialogue

✧ Sounds dangerous 😳 | SO. FREAKING. COOL! 😎

✧ Making plain words sound hot. → 🔥! | 😜

✧ They met at some protest to save the whales back in the day. → 🥹! | 🤭

✧ After that selfie, I know you’re all ALPHA baby! | Values are just as sexy as self-confidence on you.

✧-✧-✧

#3 Texting

✧ Mmmmm … Burrito … right up my alley … | Not exactly my idea of a good time…but OK

✧ 2nd GC for 300 💎

✧ Oh Jeez… Are those 12-packs..?!? | Your friend’s even hotter than you!

✧ Well… I could always hypnotize you. → 💋! | 👏

✧-✧-✧

#4 Texting

✧ Sounds like a fun night! | Uggg, jealous

✧ I hope you’re not just saying that because you’re drunk 😏 (Gem choice for 120 💎) | I don’t kiss and tell 💋 → only boost

✧ OMG! I gotta get to where you are ASAP → 👏! | 😂

✧ I’m no good without sleep. | I’m actually a night owl…

✧ Best kind of foreplay, no? | All part of my plan of attack!

✧ If it makes you feel any better, I’ll be taking one too… | LOL! So I’ve got you on the ropes huh!?

✧-✧-✧

#5 Texting

✧ Is he OK? | With a friend like you, I bet he’s fine

✧ Sorry, not sorry LOL! | Oh no! It’s my fault!

✧ Thank God I’m not alone in this!!! → 💏! | 👍

✧ OK! | Finally!

✧ Nothing, but if you really want me, you’ve gotta wait (gem choice for 120 💎) | Not saying 😘 -> not sure if you have to buy this in order to get the free clothing items

✧ Yeah. But you’re too difficult to resist → 😏! | 😐

✧ free clothing item 🎁 (the dress... holy shit)

✧-✧-✧

#6 First Date

✧ I’d love to. (gem scene for 150 💎) | Tempting… but no, thanks. -> make-out session, very nicely described but gets PG-6 for the actual thing. Hmm… I would have rather watched a YouTube playthrough of it

✧-✧-✧

#7 Texting & Second Date

✧ 😳 | I’m the lucky one 😉 → only when you paid for the gem scene during the date

✧ Phew, you scared me a bit! | I’m not exactly convinced…

✧ OK! Let’s spend the rest of the day together! (Gem choice for 150 💎) | I can’t. Tomorrow, you’ll be gone. → imo not worth it. Sweet but too short wtf bro and nothing explicit like that’s why I paid for I don’t even know if they fucked or just had a make out session ugh

✧-✧-✧

#8 Texting

✧ But I’ll be leaving a little piece with you as well. → ❤️! | 🥹

✧ There’s a rumor our departure MIGHT get pushed a few days… -> 🫢 | 🎉!

✧-✧-✧

#9 Texting

✧ Very little… | Absolutely nothing

✧ Yeah, you could say that! 💦 | Wouldn’t you like to know! 😏

✧ 3rd GC for 300 💎

✧ Hell yeah, but there are things I just can’t do to a photo. 🌶 | It’ll keep my company during lonely nights 😏

✧ Believe me – I WANT TO BE. → 💏! | 😫

✧ Not sure I can at this point | No way! I’m busy doing something else… → Why are you doing this to me? 😫 → 😈! | 😐

OR

✧ Not sure I can at this point | No way! I’m busy doing something else… → Just pretend my arms are around you. → 😊! | 👎

✧-✧-✧

#10 Texting

✧ Duh…of course | Lol, buzzkill rules

✧ If we don’t get orders to ship out by tomorrow night, our mission is cancelled. → 😮 | 😄!

✧ I think I like where you’re going with this… (gem scene for 120 💎) | BEHAVE!

→ Touching you would completely set me off right now! → 😍! | 🙄 (two screens of graphic sexting, nice)

✧ I’m gonna send a cold shower if I’m gonna get ANY sleep tonight. → 💦! | 😐

✧ I’ll make it worth your while! | We can't have you going to military prison!

✧-✧-✧

#11 Texting

✧ You’re gonna be fine! | I’ll give you a hand!

✧ And you drive me crazy → 💋! | 😐

✧ Maybe I should enroll in architecture as well... (gem choice for 120 💎) | I think I just made myself jealous 🫢 → Everyone will be SUPER jealous 😉 → 🔥! | 😂 → 2.5 screens of fluff

OR

✧ Maybe I should enroll in architecture as well... (gem choice for 120 💎) | I think I just made myself jealous 🫢 → I’ll give you anything you want → 😈! | X

✧-✧-✧

#12 Texting

✧ I missed you 🥺 | It felt like you were gone so long 😣

✧ But I can make up for lost time 😏 → 😳 | 😜!

✧ Missing you terribly… | Responding to other Lovelink matches…

✧ What if I was next to you right no? What should I do, MC? → 😏! | 😳

✧ What do you want to do? I’m open to suggestions 🔥 (gem choice for 150 💎) | Maybe we can save it for later? → pick “Give me details 😈” for a little over 3 screens of sexting or else it’s 1 screen of fluff

✧ Now that you’re back, I’m not letting you go!! | I’m not sure…what if you have to go somewhere else

✧-✧-✧

#13 Texting

✧ Every minute I can’t talk to you I’m thinking of you ❤ → 🥺! | 😐

✧ Good thing there’s no cap on my fondness for you 💋 | There might be a limit to that 😐

✧ Staying in the military | If you’re where you want to be right now

✧ Maybe you have other dreams for the future! | Are you gonna regret spending so long in the service?

✧ I don’t know about you, but I’m all on ❤️ → 😮 | 😍!

✧ I’m talking completely naked 💦 | Maybe if you were in a maid outfit 😏

✧ That camo isn’t surviving the night 🔥 (gem choice for 150 💎) | If only 😣

✧-✧-✧

#14 Texting

✧ Was it a sexy dream? 🌶 | Was it one of those dreams that totally doesn’t make sense?

✧ And I was holding you close in my arms, drinking in the fact that we could be together → 😍! | 🥺

✧ I’d want to see where it would go 💦 | Being cuddled up with you is all I want right now!

✧ And what I want is you → 🫢 | 💋!

✧ I want that too!! 😍 (gem choice for 150 💎) | I’m not there yet 😬

✧-✧-✧

#15 Texting

✧ I still really want to see you though 🥹 | Is it really worth it?

✧ 😏 You just want to see my body → 😏! | 🫢

✧ I might have trouble staying quiet 💦 | Someone might hear us talking 🫢

✧ I gotta say MC, all this secrecy is getting me… in a good way → 🔥 | 💦!

✧ 4th CG for 300 💎

✧ And where would we be doing that? 😈 | Honestly I would love just to cuddle with you right now 😫

✧-✧-✧

#16 Texting

✧ I’m glad I didn’t keep you up! | I was hoping my fantasies would keep you up 😈

✧ That’s amazing!!! | Are you sure?

✧ clothing item 🎁 (navel piercing for 70 💎)

✧ And I don’t think your clearance is gonna come through before we have to leave → 😭! | 😮

✧ Your dedication is still hot as hell 😜 | You at least know how much I admire you, right?

✧ What I wouldn’t give to sneak into you barracks… | Imagine sneaking off base to stargaze 😍

✧ I hate not knowing if you’re safe or not! | This is so frustrating 😐

✧ No matter what, I’m coming back to you → 🤔 | 🥺!

✧ You better come back to me! (gem choice for 150 💎) | You can’t promise that

✧ …I love you (gem choice for 150 💎) | …I care so much about you (if you didn’t choose the first gem choice. it’s free if you did) → 😮 | 😍!

✧-✧-✧

#17 Texting & Third Date

✧ Yes! I’m so glad to hear from you 😭 | Maybe just a little 😘

✧ I told you I’d come back to you safe 💋 → 😍! | 🥹

✧ We can finally video call, if you wanted to → 🫢 | 🎉!

✧ I would rather do anything else 🙄 | OF COURSE | WANT TO??

✧ Let’s do it. (gem choice for 180 💎) | I’m not sure... | Why would you even ask me that? → cyber sex scene holy shit yes. you get more dialogue if you tell him to he should tell you what to do

#18 Texting

✧ I would call if I could! -> 😫! | 🥹

✧ I almost miss you more! | This feels easier -> gets you 💋

✧ If I could have you on a video call every second of the day I would -> 🫢 | 🥹!

✧ I’d make it worth your while 🔥 | Who knows what we could do? 😉

✧ It’s not his fault! (gem choice for 180 💎) | I might deserve some of the blame... | I can’t do this.

✧-✧-✧

#19 Texting

Nothing.

✧-✧-✧

#20 Texting

-> If you chose to say nothing in the previous part, you’ll get this choice

✧ Ugh I should have said something! | XXX -> gets you 😐 (oops)

✧-✧-✧

#21 Texting

✧ I feel like this is all my fault 😭 | Maybe you shouldn’t have called me...

✧ Why would you say that? 😭 | If that makes the most sense…

-> And right now us staying in contact is a threat -> 😭 | 😱!

✧ It’s been hard enough trying to keep us together | I can’t believe I’m a threat

✧ I don’t want to give up you! -> ☹️ | 🥹!

✧ I’m sorry, I do (gem choice for 150 💎) | Ido, but…

-> gets you many screens of fluff

✧-✧-✧

#22 Texting

✧ Yeah l’m in a tight spot, but that’s not an excuse to fight with you -> 😘 | 🥹!

✧ Being able to touch you irl 😏 | Like our romantic date! 🥹

✧ I’m loving this side of you!

✧ Are you really ok? | There’s something you're not telling me

✧ Going dark includes texting sweetheart -> 😭 | 😱!

✧ Makes me wonder if anyone else was caught breaking the rules 🤔 | I mean that would be shitty

✧ 🥹 You’re amazing | I’ve heard that before 😫

✧ Of course I see a future with you! (gem choice for 150 💎) | I don’t feel like I can answer that 🫢

✧-✧-✧

#23 Texting & Possible Date

✧ I’m glad you did! | I can’t believe it...

✧ Do we know how long this’ll last? | Why are they doing this??

✧ Screw these rules, let me call you -> 😍! | 😮

✧ Yes! Call me! (gem choice for 180 💎) | That’s not a good idea 😫

✧ You better 😏 | Just coming home safe is worth it to me 🥹

✧ I’m holding you to that 😍 | Hopefully it won’t be for nothing ☹️

✧ I’m leaving it with you -> 💋! | 🥹

✧-✧-✧

#24 Texting

✧ Ooh, back AND starting off with roleplay? 😈 | Tell me you don’t have amnesia 😫 | Uh... yeah, aren’t you Jonathan?

✧ Jonathan/Albert was injured on our last op -> ☹️ | 😱!

✧ Tell me everything you know!! | I can’t hear any more 🫢

✧ Wait, tell me EVERYTHING he’s been saying!! (gem choice for 210 💎) | I’ll let him tell me about that himself 😉 | Can you tell me... broad strokes about what he’s been saying? (gem choice for 180 💎)

✧-✧-✧

#25 Texting

✧ It’s Jonathan/Albert! -> 😍! | 🤔

✧ How bad were you injured?? 😱 | Do you know if you’re getting sent home? | How’re you feeling?

✧ How could I not worry? 😫 | If you say so… 😐

✧ 5th CG for 330 💎

✧ Hmm, lemme think about it 😜 | Never! ❤️ | No, but maybe he could join us sometime 😈

✧-✧-✧

#26 Texting

✧ This is still Jonathan, right? | Uhh good, you? | Better now that you’ve messaged 😏

✧ i loveuuuuuu MC -> 😐 | ❤️!

✧ Give me coordinates, I’ll airdrop in!! | I wish I could! 😭 | Get better first, ok?

✧ Then let’s do it!! (gem choice for 210 💎) | Actually, I think you should rest now | Let’s just keep texting- I don’t want you caught with your phone! (gem choice for 180 💎) |

✧-✧-✧

#27 Texting

to be played...

[mxvladdy]

Lost Affections: Part 3

Ayyyyoooo. Here is the last part to @marymaryroo's request!

On to the next one :)

Magic is a beautiful and powerful thing. It permeates the Devildom like an eternal fog. For the residents, it is as common as breathing. From the strongest of their kind down to the lowest inhabitants, it is integral to their culture and daily life. Mistakes and accidents happen daily with young and old alike learning or experimenting. Magical rebounds and mishaps mean very little to them, especially the brothers. From the Celestial Realms down, they have seen it all.

Sometimes they forget that to you, magic can be a volatile and dangerous.

Beelzebub

Beel would never call himself accident-prone. He didn’t trip and stumble like Belphie when sleep deprived. He most certainly wasn’t as bad as Mammon when he was without his glasses or contacts. No, he would never say he was that bad. While not clumsy he knew he could be careless, especially when food was in the picture. He didn’t think twice about eating random things. It did hurt anyone, not physically. Sure, Luke and Satan got a little put out when he swiped something, but it didn’t hurt them.

He just forgets sometimes that you are different. You and he go together so well he forgets that you aren’t a demon. You don’t have the steel stomach or fast recovery time that he has. You make up for it. When you go out to eat you always research the place ahead of time. Does the place have non-enchanted food? Human grade options? If not, you make sure that Beel has his fill before taking him somewhere more appropriate for your stomach. Neither of you thinks about residual contaminants.

His life with you unravels with kisses. It is a slow, inconspicuous death. It builds over time with each brush of his lips to yours. Neither of you notices the taste of magic clinging to his mouth or tongue, neither of you thinks of the implications of all the weird potions and food he samples.

It starts small, you forget simple things about him. When his club activities ended, or what his favorite post-game drink was. He brushes it off, it’s trivial really. You are busy and these things can happen to the best of them. He keeps brushing off the nagging worry until he can’t.

It comes to a head one night at the door to your room. “Beel?” You yawn, pulling your robes closer around you. “What’s up?” You glance down at the box of snacks and pillows in his hands. “Did I miss something?”

“It’s date night.”

Your brows shoot up, facing heating. “What.” You sputter. Beel frowns, placing the box at his feet. With slow movements, he places his hand on your forehead. You were a little warm.

“Mmmmm.” His hearts flutter with nerves. Was his little human sick? He ignores the way you stiffen when he touches you. “Do you need a doctor?” He asks bending down to look you in the eye. He catches a whiff of something when you exhale. It is faint but clings to your breath, it’s sickly sweet and sharp to his nostrils. “You need a doctor.”

Without a second thought, he grabs your arm and drags you out of your room. His food forgotten in the hallway with your protests buzzing in his ears. “Beel...Beel!” You stumble after him. He ignores you each step he takes determined and picks up speed. Before you know it you are sitting next to Gluttony in Purgatory waiting for Solomon, beyond confused and anxious.

You fidget on the couch, peeking glances at the troubled look on the red-heads face. This wasn’t like him. He was a man of few words, sure, but this was new. Beel left you to your devices mostly, a few polite conversations here and there, but you two never hung out a lot. You zone out when he starts talking to Solomon. You were still half asleep from Beel waking you up. You had been sleeping so soundly beforehand. “Are you alright?” You jerk awake unaware that you started dozing again. Solomon crouches in front of you.

“I think so?” You had no idea what this was about. “I’m just tired.” The mage says nothing to you, instead turning to glance at Beel. He jerks his head to the door, a clear signal for the old demon to wait outside.

With one last pitiful glance, Beelzebub leaves the two humans to converse. “Now then.” Solomon rounds his piercing eyes back to you. “Tell me how's your stay in the Devildom?”

You tell him confused but willing to play along with his odd request, the sooner you wrap this up the sooner you can go back to bed. An odd feeling of missing something begins to grow as you tell him. Soon you began to fumble, the harder you try to recount something the harder it was to collect. You still were convinced anything was seriously wrong but the growing look of concern on Solomon’s face was making you think otherwise. “So,” You finish rubbing your knees with sweaty palms. “I’m I dying or something?”

He laughs dismissing the notion with a wave of a well-manicured hand. “No, no your soul is still firmly in place.” He rubs his chin. “But you have lost your memory, only when it comes to Beelzebub though. It is very peculiar. Have you ingested anything weird of late? Done any experiments with Satan?” You shake your head. To the best of your knowledge, you have been really careful with your food intake while down here. Devildom foods were delicious but had potential side effects for you and Solomon.

Solomon nods. He figured that. “Could I draw some blood? It sounds to me like you might have trace contamination of some kind. Diavolo and I discussed that this might happen but I wish to double-check.” Well, that’s worrisome, you nod and begin to roll up your sleeve. Solomon bustles collecting a few vials and a mouth swab for extra measure.

“Thank you.” He smiles looking at the samples with scientific glee. “I will let you know what I find. Until then, I guess just go about your regular day. Unless you feel ill, in that case, come to me immediately.” With that, he leaves you depositing you back with Beel.

The walk back to the House was more subdued, both of you were confused as to what to do next. “So,” You flounder. “We were-are an item?”

He shrugs looking down at you. “Yes. We’d hang out in your room on Saturdays, and get brunch on Sundays... do you still want to?”

You shrug feeling awkward. You felt nothing but platonic friendship to the large demon, though Solomon did fill you in on what you apparently have forgotten. “If you want to? I’m up now, and too nervous to sleep.” Beel grunts clenching his fists at his side.

“No,” He shakes his head. “You should rest, even if you can’t sleep. This is overwhelming. I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow?” You feel bad. He sounds so hopeful when he asks, like a good night’s sleep was all you needed to fix whatever this was.

You reach for his big hand and squeeze it. “Sure, Beelzebub. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He lets you go watching you head back into the house. Running on instinct he turns and heads into the dense forest surrounding the house. He needed to hunt for a bit.

That’s how his twin finds him, gorging himself on the fauna of the forest. Belphie’s socked feet pad loudly over the dried grass and scattered bones of the once lush lowlands. “You know Lucifer is going to be pissed. It takes forever for the wildlife to come back after one of your benders.” He tosses his oversized pillow onto the dead grass and lays down. Belphie doses for a moment, the sound of his brother’s many mouths and whistling of wings a white noise to him. Up until an obnoxious locus landed on his nose.

“Beel.” He flicks the bug off his face, shooting the swarm coating his brother’s skin a sour look. “What’s going on?”

Forgot. Me. One of his mouths rattles out, flecks of meat and vegetation falling from between crooked and jagged teeth. Another opens near his rib cage to speak. They. Don’t. Love. Me.

“I’ll kill them.” Already Belphie is back on his feet. He feels for his brother and his plight, but the thought that you betrayed him after you promised to never hurt Beel took precedence. The storm of bugs goes quiet, all the millions of eyes now turn to him. They jerk and twitch in unison before converging back on the mass of leathery gaunt skin of his brother. His human form takes shape slowly, shiny wings and many mandibled skulls melding together to create his flesh.

Beel grabs Belphie’s shoulders. His claws dig into the soft fabric of his nightshirt. “It’s not their fault.”

“Then who?” Beel chuckles weakly at his brother’s blood lust. He couldn’t deny that he felt it too, but he had no idea where to channel this anger.

So he ate. It calmed him a little. If he could get into the village and eat there...no. The last time he siphoned the emotions from the populous at large Lucifer got mad. The whole of the Devildom had to shut down for a good week to recover. He rubs his stomach a feeling of agitation growing in the pits of them. “Don’t know. Solomon is taking a look at it.” Belphie snorts a sneer growing on his lips. “He is helping, Belphie.”

“Sure-right. That boy meddles in all shorts of shit he shouldn’t. Careful he doesn’t try to bargain with your skin for this.” He eyes where your mark rests on his brother. It would be a perfect lure to entrap his twin in a pact.

Hmm.

No, none of this would do. Belphegor would rather die than let some human-like Solomon meddle anymore in his family’s affairs, and as far as he was concerned the moment you started seeing Beel you were as another sibling. “Come on. Let’s get you back to the house. I’ll bring dinner up to our room.”

After settling Beel under the covers of his massive bed Belphie went on the hunt for more food in the kitchen. He stops by your bedroom door picking up the box of goodies still left in front of it. He piles more things into the box when he reaches the kitchen. Swiping up snacks at random Belphie piles the box sky high. His hand stops over a few of your favorite human snacks. Should he? Honestly, it was a blind shot in the dark if it would comfort his brother or not. After a bit more debate Belphie puts the chocolates back, a different idea already turning in his head.

Back in their shared room, he listens to his brother run down the last week between huge bits of sweets. As he recounts every little thing that has gone down they both began to notice just how strange you have been. Both twins sit in the aftermath of Beel’s words, a wasteland of wrapper and silence stretching between them. “Think it will come back?” The twins lock eyes, Beel’s large and unsure but simmering with foolish hope.

“Possibly.” Belphie grits out, breaking their eye contact. He could never lie to his brother, at least not to his face. “Get some rest. I’m sure someone will have a plan in motion by tomorrow.” He’ll set his plans in motion tonight.

Lying in wait some hours later Belphie listens through the walls of the massive house for your quick little human heartbeat in your bedroom. He matches his shallow breaths with yours feeling yourself slip into slumber and his realm. Once you are completely under he drifts off himself.

He enters your dreams and scowls unused to stumbling inside of a dreamscape. Your dreams are muddled and clotted with stick webs of confusion and hazy memories. Odd bits and pieces of images drip around the edges of your mind. This place was a disgusting mess. With a deep sigh, Belphie begins trudging through the quagmire.

He peers around making note of the black holes in your mind like canvas ripped from their frames. Rotten magic assaults him from all sides. Stopping in front of a particularly deep gash in your mind he rolls up his oversized sleeves finding what he was looking for. He knew this memory was in it, just on the outskirts of the scene playing out. He could knit this rip back together easily, after that it should give him some clarity on the others he couldn’t place.

This was going to take a lot of energy. No one would notice if he stole some energy to get things started. Belphie smiles to himself already tapping into Lucifer's dreamscape, taking a bit more than he needed. You deserve only the best after all.

__________________

“Morning everyone.” You chirp plopping down in your chair. The brothers reply with groggy acknowledgments, completely unlike themselves. You look around at the bunch. “Are you all ok?” The group grunts collectively yawning or rubbing their weary eyes.

“Tough night.” Lucifer looks up from his newspaper. He was half-dead in his chair, a cup of coffee shaking in his hands. Asmo sits beside him looking on the verge of tears as he gently pokes his swollen cheeks and eyelids. The only two that seem to even be remotely coherent were the twins. The youngest of the two sleeping oblivious to the turmoil of his siblings while his brother stares at your every move. “Good morning Beel.” You nod feeling awkward in this shared space.

“Morning.” He smiles at you, a few crumbs clinging to the corner of his mouth. Something ticks in the back of your mind at his look. A foggy image comes to mind. It feels like a dream, but so real at the same time. It makes you nauseous, a weird sense of dejavu fighting its way to the forefront. “You ok?” He puts a hand on your shoulder.

You blink noticing the room at large turning their gaze to you. You nod, reaching across from him for some leftover food. The moment a bowl of cereal was in your hands Asmo swept you up in a conversation about his “fading” looks. You don’t think of Beel and your predicament for the rest of the day, not until Solomon invites you over to his hall for tea.

“You were poisoned.” He states simply over his sorry excuse of scones. You pause in the middle of trying to break a piece off on the table.

“I’m sorry?”

“Nothing to apologize for, unless you did it intentionally.” He laughs. “It appears to be through slow ingestion over a long period of time. The levels in your blood are staggering but not lethal. It looks like the magic took root in the temporal lobe-much like a tumor, really quite fascinating- and has been eating away at the memories of the person, or in this case, a demon that poisoned you.” Beel had been poisoning you? Solomon waves his hand at your look of concern. “I am quite positive that it was not intentional. Mind you he does find the most wondrous things to shovel down his gullet. The fact that it mixed perfectly into a potion instead of a lethal toxic is sheer dumb luck on your end.” You breathe a sigh of relief finally tossing the baked good away as a bad job. Well that's...something. At least you’d be alive to stumble around your apparent “forgotten boyfriend”.

“Any chance of fixing this?”

Solomon shrugs. “Possibly? I need more time to figure out exactly what components are involved in your test results. Then making a tonic to undo all the magic is another thing entirely.”He discusses a few other options with you for a few hours, going over in great detail the ins and outs of potion-making. Soon the windows of the sunroom grew dark, the glow of the lamps outside growing brighter so you could see the pathway back to the house.

“I better head back.” You stretch looking out into the pitch outside. Hmmm, if you remember correctly Levi should be off of work by now. He said to call when he was done to come to pick you up. As if on cue a sharp knock on the door disrupts you. Instead of a shock of blue hair, you are greeted with orange. “Oh-hey Beel.”

“Hey.” The corner of his mouth twitches in a facsimile of a friendly smile. “Ready to go?” He picks up your forgotten school bag and takes your sweater from the coat rack. With a well-practiced motion, he slings the bag over his shoulder and holds your sweater open for you. He obviously did this a lot before…

You stare back wide-eyed at Solomon who only smirks, nodding at you to hurry up.

Out the door and into the chilly night you sneak a peek at Beelzebub walking quietly beside you. He catches your look and raises a brow. “Sorry.” You feel your cheeks heat a little under his thoughtful gaze.

“About?”

“All of this.” You wave at yourself. “Please don’t feel obligated to hang out with me. Until we can get this settled. I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”

Beel grunts, stopping in his tracks by a low garden wall. “I was hurt-am still hurting.” He admits. “But this isn’t your fault, so what good does it do to blame you for it? Even if you don’t remember me as your partner, you still remember me as a friend...right?” A warm smile spreads across his face when you nod. “Then I’m ok with this. I haven’t lost you completely and even if you don’t ever feel the same way about me anymore, I think I will be ok.”

“I- thank you Beel. That means a lot.”

“Of course.” He hums. “Let’s head back. I think Asmo left some food out.”

You dream of Beel again, a weird amalgamation of scenes all tossed together in a great pile with you in the middle of it. You could do nothing but watch like a film as they rush by you in a blur. Some scenes didn’t line up right, bouncing around like a scratched vinyl, but it still made sense in a way only a dream could. You play out each dream like an actor, the script coming to you naturally with each little venette. You sit outside his locker room, a basket of food and drink in your lap, your heart fluttering in your chest. You and Beel were watching his brothers on the beach, his broad hands rubbing sunscreen into your skin. Beel walking you back to your room after a long night in the library holding your hand in his strong, sure grip. Saturday afternoons spent hopping from one cafe to the next sampling the sweets and drinks to both of your heart's content.

It grips your heart but slips away with the rise of the young morning moon.

When morning comes the night is nothing more than a few smudges in your mindscape. Yet, a light, sweet feeling stays with you. You found yourself smiling more around the redhead and gravitating to him during the day. He accepts you back with a friendly hug and a friendly ear.

He treats you no differently than you remember. It’s nice. Even if a part of your yearns to see how he treated you when you were more than friends.

You begin to get excited for when your head hits your pillow. The dreams become clearer and clearer each night. Some new pieces show up and fall into place as the weeks progress. You start seeing bits of your dreams in the day too. After-images of you hand in hand with him walking down the other side of the street. The taste of something sweet on your tongue or a familiar scent in your nose.

After one particularly vivid dream, you wake determined not to let the contents of this dream slip through your fingers. This time you dreamt of the kitchen, dirty bowls, and units scattered about the cluttered counters. You had been baking something, and failing miserably.

Sneaking down to the kitchens you pull out all the things you could remember. For some reason, this dream lit a fire in you, like it was the last piece of the puzzle to getting it all back. You don’t think, instead, you just let your body take control. You baked a cake.

Well, it was supposed to be a cake. The center was too spongy and collapsed inward while the sides were dark and cracked. The icing was badly blended and melting from the still-warm pastry. It was almost exactly like the one from your dream.

You stare at it waiting for some great revelation, but nothing comes. Great. Now what?

“I smell food.”

“Gods!” You jerk smacking your knee on your bar stool. Beel’s deep voice scaring you half to death. “Should put a bell on you.” You grin. Beel peeks his head through the door brows furrowed.

“This is familiar.” He walks in pulling up another chair to sit next to you.

“Ye?” You look back at him.

“Yes. This was our first kiss.” You drop your icing spoon. “You wanted to surprise me before a big game.” He put a finger through the thick black and purple icing and pops it in his mouth. “Ah- You forgot the bane extract...I had thought that perhaps you remembered.” The hope in his voice stung your chest.

Oh. You look down at the mess you made, whatever feelings of satisfaction are lost. “I thought I was forgetting something, but my dreams are all blurry.”

“Dreams?” Beel pauses reaching for a slice. “You dreamt of this?”

“Yes. Been dreaming about you a lot of late.” You flush. “Little things that are starting to build a bigger picture. I just had this dream of a cake and the urge to make one...so- here we are.” You wave your hand out over the messy kitchen. Sighing plopping your chin down on your palm. “Guess I can sleep on it a bit more huh?” You shoot him a quick wink and sad smile.

“Or just ask Belphie.” He shrugs, taking another large slice of the disaster. “Sounds like he’s been meddling.” That realization hits you like a ton of bricks. Damn, you could have slapped yourself. “I’m sure he meant well, but he shouldn’t force you if you don’t want to. I could tell him to stop.”

What! No! You shake your head. “No. I-I don’t mind it. Solomon has yet to figure anything out, and whatever your brother is doing seems to be helping a little.” Beelzebub said nothing to that and just continued to eat while you started the dishes.

“Do you want to end tonight like we did before?” He asks sometime later, half of the dishes now drip drying in the rack. His long arms box you in on either side holding on to the lip of the sink. His head dips low, his chin resting on the top of your head. Deep down you knew that you could leave at any time. His grip was loose and easily breakable, considerate as ever to your comforts.

You turn to face him, a soft look crosses his face. “And how did it end?” He grins moving closer. You would have to thank Belphie for his interference. Just, perhaps later. You doubted he would want to be in your dreams tonight.

[atths--twice]

Conversations on Christmas

A late night phone call from Scully is exactly what Mulder needs as he has arrived at his mother's house early Christmas morning.

December 25, 1996 12:30 a.m. Greenwich, Connecticut

Mulder sighed as he set his overnight bag in the guest room at his mother’s house. He had left his place at a purposely late hour, knowing she would be in bed and asleep when he arrived. Together all day, once Christmas officially began, would be enough for him, as much as he hated feeling that way.

He unpacked his bag, putting his clothes into the empty dresser, took off his shoes and went to the bathroom with his toiletries bag. A quick shower and he was back, dressing in his pajamas and going downstairs in search of a drink and something to eat.

Turning on the living room light, he heard a muffled ringing sound and paused near the coat rack. Fumbling through his coat pockets, he took his phone out, hoping the sound had not woken his mother. Looking up the stairs, he answered it, walking quickly and quietly toward the kitchen.

“Mulder,” he whispered, walking into the laundry room, turning on the light, and shutting the door.

“Hey, it’s me,” Scully replied. “Why are you whispering?”

“It’s nearly one in the morning, Scully,” he said quietly, sitting on the washing machine and smiling.

“Are you saying I woke you? You, Mulder?”

“No, not me. I didn’t want to wake my mother, if possible.”

“Your mother?”

“Yeah, I decided to come up to Greenwich for the day… or for Christmas, I mean.”

“Oh… I think that’s wonderful,” she said softly and he nodded.

“Yeah, well...”

“She knew you were coming, right? You aren’t planning to surprise her? With her stroke, Mulder-”

“No,” he chuckled. “I’m not planning on jumping out and shouting surprise. She knew I was coming.”

“That’s good.”

He smiled again and then he frowned.

“You’re calling awfully late. Especially since you should be celebrating with your family.” She hummed and he raised his eyebrows. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah… just… I’m fine.”

“Mmhmm,” he hummed and he heard her sigh.

“I’ve just been thinking,” she said softly and he waited for her to continue, but she only sighed. “What are you and your mother doing tomorrow?”

“Uh… I think brunch or lunch. There’s a restaurant she likes and she made a reservation, but I don’t remember what time we’re going. There’s a play she’s been wanting to see that she mentioned when I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago. I got tickets and we’re going to a matinee and then we’re having dinner.”

“Wow, that’s the whole day.”

“I know.”

“What’s brought that on?”

He sighed and looked around the room, taking in the items within it: the laundry soap his mother used, the way she organized her cleaning supplies, a plaque on the wall that read Laundry Company ~ Wash, Dry, and Fold. He shook his head, not knowing the woman who hung up that plaque.

“Her stroke, my father, Roche, confusion about the past… I don’t know,” he whispered and he heard her breathing softly. “I feel I don’t make enough of an effort to see her, and when I do, it’s stressful and difficult.”

“You had a difficult childhood, it’s understandable,” she said quietly and he dropped his head back, lightly hitting the cabinet above the washer and dryer.

They were quiet for a bit and he thought perhaps she had gone to sleep. But then she sighed heavily and he heard rustling sounds.

“Your brothers there?” he asked and he could now hear her chewing.

“Tomorrow morning. Tonight we had dinner with some of my mom's friends and people from church. A lot of older people who can’t hold their liquor very well, progressively getting louder as it became later.”

He chuckled as he sat up and slipped off the washing machine. Opening the door, listening but hearing nothing, he stepped out and walked to the refrigerator, opening it to see what he could grab to eat.

“You laugh,” she said, sighing as she chewed again. “But you’ve probably never heard a large group of old drunk men loudly singing Sweet Caroline.”

“Sweet Caroline?” he asked, taking out the mayonnaise and mustard, setting them on the counter. “Not Christmas carols?” Turkey, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and bread were added to the counter.

“Well, I think they had to get warmed up because then it was many, many, carols. Have you ever had Jingle Bells shouted at you, as you’re apparently the only sober one in the bunch?”

“Well, you’ve not spent any holidays with the Gunmen, especially Frohike. Although with him, it’s more a problem with becoming handsy.”

She snorted, laughing softly as he smiled and opened the bag of bread and placed it onto the plate he had taken out of the cupboard, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder.

“I’ll have to remember and turn down any offer you extend to spend holidays around them.”

“Probably for the best. But you know, it’s actually Byers you would need to keep your eye on.” Her laughter rang in his ear as he put mayonnaise and mustard on the bread and spread it with a knife, adding the turkey, tomatoes and lettuce.

“Byers? The straight-laced man whom I’m certain wears a suit to bed? That’s the one I would need to watch?”

She chuckled again and he nodded, taking a bite of his sandwich as he stood at the counter. Swallowing and realizing she could not see him, he cleared his throat.

“Yeah. You know the ones who always stay buttoned up, those are the ones who go buck wild when given the chance.”

“I can’t see Byers going ‘buck wild,’ Mulder. What would that entail? A different type of knot in his tie? A brightly colored dress shirt?”

“Pinks, stripes, and paisleys,” he said, taking a bite and hearing her laugh softly before taking a drink of something.

“Maybe it would be worth it then, just to see what he gets up to.”

“Handsy Frohike, Scully,” he reminded her and she laughed again.

“Yeah, perhaps not. Unless he’s only handsy with you, which in that case, I would enjoy coming along to watch that happen.”

He choked on his sandwich, coughing as she laughed. Taking a glass down from the cabinet, he poured some water from the pitcher in the refrigerator. Large gulps of it helped to clear his throat and he drew in a deep breath.

“Mmm,” she breathed. “It’s late and they will all be here early. I’m sure you’re tired too after your drive. Or did you fly?”

“No, I drove out. The roads were fairly empty, everyone with sense was inside and out of the cold.”

“Hmm,” she hummed and then he heard her yawn. “I’m gonna head to bed. My nephew will be here soon, all excited and ready to rip open gifts. Best get some sleep.”

He looked around at the lack of Christmas decorations, his mother not anticipating any small overly excited children, their eyes excitedly taking in all the beauty of Christmas.

“Yeah, I’m beat too. Goodnight, Scully. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to you too, Mulder. Enjoy the play and the time with your mother.”

“I’ll do my very best.”

“Okay. Goodnight, Mulder.”

“Night.”

The line clicked off and he smiled as he moved the phone, pressing the end button and setting it onto the counter. He finished his sandwich and his water, placed his plate and glass into the sink, and put everything back into the refrigerator.

Turning off all the lights, he double checked that the front door was locked and went back upstairs.

He brushed his teeth, used the toilet, washed his hands and went to the bedroom. He took out his phone charger and plugged it and his phone in, pulled the blankets back and lay down.

Shaking his head and rubbing a hand across his mouth, he exhaled. Rolling over, he closed his eyes, exhaustion now hitting him in full force. Taking a deep breath, he fell into a peaceful sleep, the late night conversation with Scully calming him and easing his worries, even from hundreds of miles away.

He dreamed of Byers singing Christmas carols loudly, Frohike winking as he pinched Langly’s ass, Scully laughing and telling him it was the best Christmas party she had ever been to, as mistletoe suddenly grew above them and he felt the soft touch of her lips on his own.

[george-mackay-macfine]

Let's Play a game - CH.3

Chapter three of let's play a game, as usual pick your own Jude. I know I have!

Tag list: @neocil @cjand10

If you want to join the LPAG tag list, let me know.

If Jude Hastings thinks he can show up at my family brunch and act like he wasn’t committing an act of war, he sure had another thing coming.

I was going to be the best’ girlfriend’ this man had ever seen. I was going to be such a convincing girlfriend that his parents would be begging him to propose to me by the time I break his heart. I was going to be that girl that all his friends, colleagues and all his family compare his next girlfriend to.

I was going to be the girl who destroyed Jude Hastings for other women.

“Hi.” I smiled at the female officer who sat at the front desk. She looked borderline depressed with her piles of paperwork around her. “I’m here to see Jude Hastings.”

“Name.” She drawled out.

“Darcy Edwards.” I plastered the fakest smile on my face as she picked up her desk phone.

“What is your reasoning to see Officer Hastings?”

“I’m his girlfriend,” I held up the picnic basket by my side as the woman eyes widened. “And I brought him dinner.” I put the basket on the bench and riffled through finding the container of cupcakes I’d baked - Oh yeah, I’d also baked dessert - “Cupcake?” I offered the now open container of sugary sweets to the woman who looked at them like they’d offended her entire family. “There is chocolate and vanilla.” She didn’t speak, just kept looking at me.

“Hastings… There’s a woman here to see you.” She looked me up and down. “Claims she’s your girlfriend.”

“Darcy.” I prompted right as she put the phone down.

“He’ll be out in a few minutes if you sit down.” She mumbled before looking back down at her open file.

I guess that’s a no to the cupcake, then.

I pulled the container back, shoving the lid back on and storing it back inside the basket before walking over to the waiting chairs. I put the basket on one and began to fiddle with my dress.

A long summer maxi dress with sandals was the best accompaniment to this whole dinner scheme of mine. Not only was it workplace appropriate, but it gave off this virginesque vibe which would only help me win over his colleagues.

Hastings would have no clue what was hitting him.

“Darcy?” I turned at the familiar voice. Standing holding the door open was Jason Sato. Hastings partner and one of the many people I’d gone to high school with who didn’t seem to want to leave this damn town. “I didn’t actually believe him when he told me you were here to see him.” He began to laugh.

“What do you mean?” I picked the basket up and walked towards him. “Is Jude coming?” I held the basket up slightly. “I made him dinner.”

“Is it poisoned?”

“What?” I faked as gasp - poisoning it would have been too obvious. “Why would it be poisoned.”

“Because the last time you made food for him, you put laxatives in it.” Oh yeah.

“That was high school, Jason.” I gave a giggle. Sweet and innocent. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to poison my boyfriend; he’s too cute for that.”

“It was only two years ago,”

“Was it?” I tapped the side of my head gently. “Bad memory.”

“So you and Jude finally put it all behind you, huh.”

“Sure did.” I smiled as Jude appeared behind him. “Hi Bunny.” I beamed at him. Relishing in the way, his smile dropped at the use of his new nickname.

“Bunny?” Jason tried to hold in a laugh as I nodded idiotically. “Wow.”

“What you got in there?” Hastings pointed to the basket.

“I made your favourite.” I lifted the basket some more. “Egg salad sandwiches and cupcakes.”

“Egg sandwiches are your favourite food?” Jason raised an eyebrow at Hastings. Absolutely not. He hated egg salad sandwiches.

“Picnic food it is.” Hastings amended.

“Did you want to join us for dinner?” I stepped towards Hastings, who wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me back against him. “I made plenty for everyone.” Jason looked between Hastings and me. “You don’t mind, do you, Bunny?” I looked up at Hastings with a wide smile, the smile only becoming broader as I heard Jason let out a snort of laughter.

“Of course not,” Hastings grimaced, leaning down kissing my cheek.

“I am only saying yes because I want to see more of this.” Hastings grabbed my hand and led me through the police officers towards their break room. I made sure to smile and wave at everyone who looked at us, cementing myself as the polite and sweet girlfriend I was.

“How has your day been?” I asked Hastings as I began to grab all the items out of the picnic table, laying them out in front of the two seated men. “Catch any bad guys today?”

“Not yet.” Hastings grabbed a can of root beer I put down in front of him. “How has your day been, babe?”

“Babe?” I pushed my bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout. “You never call me babe.”

“What does he call you then?” Jason asked mid-bite.

“He usually calls me wifey.”

“You what?” Jason spun to look at Hastings while I struggled to keep the shit-eating grin off my face.

“What can I say? When I see something, I want I go for it.” He picked up one of the sandwiches. When he sat back down correctly, he looked at me again, maintaining eye contact as he began to smile. “But, baby. If you’re happy to let people know I intend to make you my wife, then I’m happy to call you that in public. I just thought you didn’t want people to know.”

A challenge.

“Of course Bunny.” I walked around the table and sat down in his lap. “You know I want nothing more than to win this big heart in here.” I tapped his chest. “If you want everyone to know you intend to marry me, then I’m okay with it if you tell them.” Do it, Darcy. Win this one. “It’d make me happy, actually.” I kissed his lips, fighting off the bile that rose with the action.

“Sato.” A voice bellowed from beyond the break room, giving me a reason to break the bile raising kiss. “Call for you at your desk, line three.” Jason stood up slowly, looking at us as if we were some mutation.

“Right, coming.” He called back to the voice. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” I smiled, watching Jason walk out, the door shutting behind him.

“Is this your feeble attempt at a surprise attack,” Hastings whispered in my ear, his chin resting on my shoulder.

“You mean like yours from this morning?”

“I didn’t think we were playing dirty, Edwards.”

“We weren’t, then you crashed family Sunday brunch.”

“You needed your wallet,”

“Then you shouldn’t have lifted it from my purse.” I turned to look at him. “You started this. I’m finishing it.”

“Oh no, this is just the beginning… Wifey.” A twisted smirk covered his lips. “You know that comment I made about no more pranks.”

“Of course,” I remembered everything he said that morning.

“I take that part back.” He nodded towards my outfit. “After this little prank, I think everything is fair game.”

“Prank?” I shook my head. “This is no prank. I wanted to make my big strong man some dinner.” I poked his cheek as I spoke.

“You know I hate eggs.”

“No, I knew eggs give you insane gas,”

“Tamato, tomato.”

“Whoopsies.”

“I’m not eating them.” He looked at the sandwich.

“What’d I miss.” Jason sauntered back in.

“Nothing.” I turned back to him. “Jude was just going to try the sandwiches and tell me what he thought.” I spun around to face Hastings. “Isn’t that right, Bunny.”

“Darcy…”

“It took me a long time to make it all, the sandwiches and the cupcakes.”

“It’s lovely of you, Darcy.”

“Thank you, Julian. If only my boyfriend felt the same way.”

“Try one, man. They’re good.” Julian slid a sandwich over to him. Julian and I both watched as Hastings disgruntledly unwrapped the foil that wrapped the sandwich. Taking half of it, he brought it to his lips.

“Take a big bite! Make sure you get all the flavours.” I clapped my hands together. Honestly, I have never wanted anything more than for this sandwich to react badly with Hastings’s gut. The idea of people thinking he shit himself is nearly funnier than it would be if he actually shit himself.

“Of course.” He muttered, bringing the sandwich to his mouth. To my surprise, he took a massive bite out of it, more than I’d expected him t take. As he chewed, Jason and I watched on. “Wow,” He reached for the root beer, taking a long gulp. “Nice.”

“Try a cupcake now.” I grabbed one of the cupcakes and scooped the icing off with my finger. I was bringing it to my lips before Hastings redirected my finger to his lips. I felt his tongue work around my fingertip, sucking off all the sugary sweet vanilla icing.

“Okay, you two might just be enough to gross me out.” Jason broke us from our moment.

“That was my icing.” I sighed, pulling my finger back. I subtly wiped it on Hastings shirt, thankful that Jason couldn’t see.

“Delicious.” He laughed. “You should try one.” He looked over at Jason.

“Give me your finger, Darcy.” He winked at me.

“Sorry mate, But you’ll need to find your own girl.” His hands wrapped tighter around my waist.

“I should get going.” I unwrapped Hastings arms from around my waist. “I’ve got class tomorrow.”

“I finish in an hour. Why don’t you go to my place.”

“I don’t have clothes, Bunny.” I loved seeing a part of his soul die when I used that nickname, thank you, google.

“Well, go home, and I’ll swing by and get you on the way home.”

“He wants to romance you, Darcy, by the sounds of it.” Jason cackled, unwrapping a cupcake.

“Is that true?”

“Of course it is.” His hand ran down my back, stopping at the swell of my hip. “Romance is my middle name.”

“Now I’m sure your mother told me your middle name was Fredrick.”

“Oft.” Julian hissed. “That’s a sexy name right there.”

“Isn’t it just,” I giggled, throwing my hair over my shoulder. I knew by the look on Hastings’s face he wished I were dead right now, and I knew he could tell by the look on my face that I was loving this more than anything.

Payback is a bitch.

“I better go.” I picked up my purse and walked to the door. “Can you bring those back to me whenever?”

“I’ll bring them by tonight when I come to get you.” Jude stood and walked behind me. “I’ll be back.” He called over his shoulder. “Let’s go.” He swatted my ass, causing me to flinch forward. “Didn’t mind it the other night.” He winked.

“You bloody bastard.” I muttered under my breath as he scooted past me. “I’ll kill you.” I growled as he grabbed my hand, pulling me through the station. “When you get home, I thought we could take a bath together.” I began to rattle. “And maybe I can give you another facial, and we can watch the notebook.” I thundered as we passed by a group of highly masculine-looking officers. “Like we did last week, you seemed to like it. I’ll even use the pink face cream.”

“Jesus.” Hastings hissed, shaking his head. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“You don’t have to.” I passed him pushing open the same door I’d entered only minutes ago.

“I’m walking you to your car,” He confirmed, holding the door open so I could move through the threshold. “C’mon.” His hand grabbed mine, pulling me along behind him. We passed by the silent woman on the front desk and out into the warming summer air. “You are -“

“Incredible?”

“No.”

“Amazing… Phenomenal… Astounding… bewildering… bewitching…”

“Insane… mad… cretinous.”

“Oh a big boy word.” We’d reached my car by now, but Hastings still wasn’t letting go of my hand. “Can I have my hand back now?”

“I don’t know.” He leant back against the car, pulling me into his chest. “I rather like the way it feels in mine.” His other wrapped around my waist, holding my body tightly to his.

“I think we need to clear some things up.” I tried to pull my hand back from him. “This whole facade thing doesn’t have to happen all the time… only when we’re around people.”

“No, sweetheart.” He nuzzled his nose into the underside of my jaw, breathing deep. “I’m going to make you fall madly in love with me.”

“Whose says I’m gonna let you?”

“Whose says your gonna stop me?” His lips crawled up my jaw before moving across the skin of my cheek towards my lips. He flipped us over, so I was trapped up against the car “Darcy,” When did his voice become so husky, and why is it sending a shiver up my spin. “Whose going to stop me?” Why did the idea of his lips on mine seem so appealing? Why did I feel like I was starving? And without the feeling of his lips against mine, I was going to die. “I don’t think you’re going to stop me, Darcy.”

He was right. I wasn’t going to stop him.

Without a second thought, I pulled his head, so our lips met. His hand let go of mine and ran up, grabbing onto my face, keeping me locked to him. My tongue traced his bottom lip. I wanted more. His lips left mine again, kissing all over the skin on my face.

“Baby.” I grabbed onto his face this time and reattached our lips. My hands wandered the expanse of his body, feeling all the muscles I was reluctant to remind myself about. “Darcy, we need to stop.” I shook my head against his lips, my own going to his neck. His hands left my body completely resting against the car on either side of my head as I kissed his neck. “Believe me, I don’t want to stop this either, but if we don’t - We’re going to end up naked on the street, and I don’t think that’s appropriate for an officer of the law.”

Dammit, he was right.

“Your right.” I pulled away from him, my chest heaving. “I should save shows like that for when people are around.” He let out a chuckle.

“What games do you have planned in that twisted head of yours.” His fingertips tapped my temple gently.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” I pushed his body away from mine, moving so I could open my drivers’ door.

“Well, was your show in there, was that how it was supposed to happen?”

“Let’s just say, it’s not exactly how I planned it - I expected more people wanting cupcakes, I mean they’re cupcakes c’mon - but it’s turning out better than I thought.” I stopped as I was about to step into the car. “You’re going to fall in love with me, Jude Hastings, and then I’m going to break your heart into a million little bits.” Disturbingly he smiled. Not the reaction you really wanted from a man when you tell him you’re not only going to break his heart but also shatter it into a million parts.

“I’m sure you will, Darcy.” He stepped back away from the door. “But I suppose the real question is, will I break yours first.”

“Don’t count on it.” I slipped into the car.

“I’ll see you soon.” He called out as I turned on the ignition. I rolled my window down and stuck my head out.

“You won’t see me if I don’t answer the door.”

“You will.” He winked before turning and walking back down the path we’d walked together moments ago.

As I took off, my mind was consumed by one thing.

Jude Hastings.

Thoughts of him clouded my senses as I drove, and the feeling of his hands on my hips as he pulled me closer to him left chills on my legs.

He was good, but I was going to be better.

[ewritesthangs]

3 weeks. Being engaged to your best friend is bliss. Today, you guys had your engagement photoshoot. It was going to be fall/Halloween/masquerade themed. Corpse, was going to wear a mask, to conceal his identity still. Only a few pictures were going to have him without one and those were for you guys only. You prepare for your photoshoot. Hair, makeup, the works. Corpse wanted you to feel as beautiful as you are to him. Corpse watches you as you do your own makeup. Deep red lips. Smokey eye. Natural base. You look up, mid smoking the eye, to see your fiance. He was watching you intently from the doorway, a look of pure love plastered upon his face. 

"I love you, fiance.” You say with a large grin. 

“I love you more.” He blows you a kiss before hopping into the shower. You continue on with your makeup, finishing up when Corpse comes out of the shower. A towel hanging upon his hips. You turn, a lipstick bullet in hand, mouth ajar from applying your lipstick. 

“Hello handsome. You going my way?” 

“Always.” He smirks before going to the closet and putting on a SUIT. 

Dayum. He cleans up good. You think to yourself. You pull on your dress. “Babe? Can you zip me up?” Corpse nods and walks over to you. He slowly zips you up, kissing the exposed skin of your neck. You sigh contently, the feel of his lips bringing a certain peace over you. “Thank you Cor.” 

“You’re more than welcome, my love. You look breathtakingly beautiful.” You blush and bite your lip. Corpse turns your head with his finger under your chin and he presses a sweet kiss upon your deep red lips.  His lips didn’t turn red, for you had some great lipstick that was transfer proof. 

“We’re gonna be late!” You gasp out and grab his hand. 

“Baby we have 45 minutes.” 

“I like to be early.” 

“Yeah yeah yeah okay babe.” He shakes his head with a snicker. You guys head out, singing loudly in the car. You were the driver, so you kept your eyes on the road, hand intertwined with Corpses. Corpse put his mask on already, but let you take a photo with him before he did. For your own personal collection. You guys arrived at your destination, a cute little pumpkin farm. Your photographer was already there. You smirk at your fiance. 

“See? Early bird gets the worm.” 

“Yeah yeah yeah shut up.” His raspy voice said to you. 

“Only one way to shut-” He kisses you, holding your chin with his pointer finger and thumb. “Hmmmmmmm.” You hum in response, content with getting kisses. At any point, especially to shut you up. 

“Let’s get your smart ass over there. Before we have a makeout session in the car.” He smirks and winks. You can barely tell he winked, but his eye closed so you figured he did. You put your mask on and get out of the vehicle. He follows you, hand in hand. He was starting to shake a bit. You stop and take his other hand in your free one. 

“Baby, nobody is here besides me and Kimmy. She knows your situation. She understands. It’s okay my love. I am right here. I love you.” You take your right hand and rub his cheek, in an attempt to comfort him. He leans into your touch, his nervousness subsiding. 

“Thank you baby girl.” You just press a kiss to his supple lips. 

“Hey guys!” Kimmy says, as she walks up to you guys. “Again for the tenth time, congratulations.” She smiles and hugs you both. “Ready to show off each other?” 

“Hell. Yes.” Corpse says with a new found confidence. You guys begin. Doing a few of the more common photos with and without masks. You guys use the chalkboard to put ‘Save The Date 10/30/21’ on it. You guys were out of focus, the chalkboard in the foreground. Corpse looks at you lovingly, no mask on. You do the same, so the ambiance is felt within the picture. You guys finish up your photoshoot. The last photo of you guys kissing, the photo was up close to show off the ring. Your hand was upon Corpse’s cheek. That was going to be your favorite, you just knew it. 

“I will edit these when I get home. They look so good!” 

“Thank you so much Kimmy!” You hug her again before leaving with Corpse. 

_______

A few hours later you get a sneak peak at your photos. Your favorite one being the one that Kim messaged you. You guys still had yet to announce your engagement. 

“Hey babe? Can we announce the engagement with this photo?” You show him and his face lights up. 

“Yes!” You post the photo. Captioned: ‘Save the date, 10/31/20'

Corpse posts his own post, of your hands together and your ring on display. Captioned: ‘She said yes!’

“To the rest of our lives, my love.” He holds up his drink of water and so did you. You guys clink glasses. To the rest of your lives, together. 

________

The next day arrives, it is one of the days you'd always been looking forward to. Wedding dress shopping. With your mom and best friend. You were having a girls day while Corpse was getting the perfect suit. Your day starts out with brunch, for you and corpse overslept. 

"My baby is getting married!" 

"We always knew she would be getting married before me." Y/BFF/N said. 

"Thats true. Since Cor and I got together. You guys said we'd go far." You point out to your mother. 

"Yeah yeah but I wanted to at least have another year or so to plan!" 

"Well Cor wanted to get married on Halloween. And I wanted a Saturday so we said why not this year." You shrug and order your favorite brunch item. 

"Its gonna be magical." 

"Do you still want that garden venue I sent you? You have to let them know by tomorrow if you're gonna reserve it." Your mother expresses. 

"I know. I have to talk again with Corpse. He has been avoiding it." You sigh, exacerbated. 

"Okay babes. Just please do it. That place is perfect." 

"Yes momma." 

"I can't wait to see you in dresses!" Your best friends face lights up at the thought. 

"I'm so excited to go choose." 

"I'm gonna cry i know it." Your mom chuckles and fans herself. "Already choking up now." 

"Aw, mom." You hug her from the side and kiss her cheek. "I'll always be your little girl." 

"Lets not cry!" Your best friend exclaims. 

"Yes! Let's eat and then go shopping." You guys enjoy your meals and talk about life and wedding planning. 

"I want a red velvet cake. Or carrot cake. But corpse is hesitant about the red velvet cause it could stain." 

"Such a drama king." 

"Oh you have no idea." 

"Flowers?" 

"Roses. All red and white. For love and wedding." 

"Perfect!" 

"Okay so you have the cake tasting tomorrow?" 

"Yes mom." 

"Sweet!" 

"So thats most of the planning right?" 

"Yes. Hhe has the honeymoon taken care of i guess." You shrug, unsure if he did or not. 

"He probably does." Your best friend encouraged, hopeful. 

"Are we ready to go shopping?" 

"As ill ever be." 

You guys go to a little boutique, one you've been eyeing for the duration of you being with Corpse. You looked around and picked out a few dresses to try on. They had your size, so you guys wanted to try them on as soon as possible. The first one was a flow dress. A little extravagant for you. You walked out and your best friend made a face. 

"Not you. Its too out there." 

"Yeah I like it but its not you baby." Your mom chimes in. You nod and go back in. Trying on a mermaid dress with lace on it. It was beautiful. You walk out and your mom is the first to say anything. 

"Ooh thats a contender. I love that one." 

"More your style babe." Your best friend smiles and makes you twirl in it. 

"I love this one and the next one." You beams, so excited to be here trying on dresses. You go back and try on the third of five dresses you picked out. You walk out and it was everyone was silent, even the owner. 

"Thats the one." Your mom whispers out, tears in her eyes. You turn and see yourself in the mirror. You choke up yourself, seeing the beauty that is you. 

"Its perfect. Beyond perfect for you." The owner chimes in and you nod. 

"I call it! I want this dress." You say, causing everyone to chuckle.  

"Consider it bought baby girl." 

"Mom i could have-"

"No, I want to pay for it." Your mom insists. You just nod, defeated and go back and change into your clothes. Youbring the dress out and hand it to the owner. She puts it in a bag and says sold to 'Y/N Y/L/N future H/L/N.' (his last name) 

"Certain ring to it. Y/N H/L/N." You smile at the thought. Once paid for, you guys part ways. You head home, after getting bubble tea for you and Corpse. Once home, you walk into his recording room, knowing he was setting up. 

"Babe, I got you some bubble tea. We also need to talk about the venue." 

"Later babe. Thank you." 

"No, bow i need to call tomorrow to reserve it if with gonna reserve it." 

"Babe im gonna be going live soon."

"They can wait. This can't! Corpse please." 

"Really babe? They made it so we can get married and you're saying that?" 

"You sure you want to get married? You've been avoiding this subject." 

"Of course I do!" 

"Then act like it!" 

"I'm scared okay!?" 

"You're what?" 

"Scared. What if you get there and say no? What if something goes horribly wrong?" 

"Corpse. Babe, have faith. I will not, in any universe, say no. I love you more than anything in this world. If something goes wrong we have backup plans." He gets up and takes you into his embrace. He holds tightly, but not too tightly. 

"I love you so damn much. Reserve it. Its beyond perfect for us." 

You look up to him and peck his lips. "Thank you." 

"I uh booked our flight today for our honeymoon." 

"Its all getting real." 

"It sure is. Holy shit."

Tag List: @liljennyx3

[blackmissfrizzle]

Surprise

Characters: Miguel Galindo x black!reader

Summary: Miguel gives his wife a day of surprise. Based on this video and tweet.

Warnings: Smut

A/N: Sorry if the smut sucks, I rushed through it lol.

Miguel leaned against the entryway of the bathroom, watching you carefully apply your mascara. His eyes roamed down to the swell of your breasts. You hadn’t put on your blouse yet because of you not wanting to get makeup on it.

“You’re staring,” you called out your husband when you finally became aware of his heated gaze. “What? Is it a crime to look at my wife?”

“Noooo, but it is a bad idea when both you and I have work to go to.” You took a break from doing your makeup and that’s when you realized that Miguel wasn’t dressed in his usual garb. He had on a simple black tee and jeans, an understated look but he still oozed power. “Why aren’t you dressed?”

Miguel ignored your question and leaned his hip against the counter. “Let’s go shopping, mi amor.”

“Shopping? We can’t go shopping. We both have to work.” What the hell was Miguel thinking? You two did not have the time for that. “What if I told you I cancelled all my meetings today and told your boss you couldn’t come in today?”

That sounded too good to be true. “You’re lying,” you accused in disbelief.  “Nope, we’re gonna go to Home Goods. Then we’re gonna go to Target. Sounds good so far?” The mention of Target made you stop what you’re doing and turn to your husband.

“Then we’re gonna get pedicures after.”

“What?” You gasped in shock. It’s been forever since you and Miguel got pedicures together. “Yeah, let’s go get pedicures. Yeah?” After that you closed your mascara, Miguel had your full attention now. “Oh! Mascara shut.” Miguel joked. “And then we’ll go to brunch. You want brunch?”

“Mimosas?” You whispered, already dreaming of the citrusy bubbles on your tongue. “Mmhmm. Order from the whole menu. Chocolate chip pancakes with a river of syrup. Bacon, hash browns.”

“Chicken tendies?” Miguel laughed at your name for chicken strips, you refused to call them by their proper name. “Yes, and chicken tendies.” As Miguel continued to name various foods, your breath got heavier in anticipation.

“And then?” You asked. “Whatever you want to do. Wanna go to Chick-Fil-A? Cookies and cream milkshake?”

“COOKIES AND CREAM MILKSHAKE!?”

“Yeah!” Miguel couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He loved how excited you were and that he was the one making it happen. “So, you wanna go?” It really wasn’t a question, but he just knew your answer would radiate with enthusiasm. “For real? Miguel, you’re not playing?”

Miguel grabbed you by the hips and pulled you towards him. “No, I’m not.” You squealed and jumped in his arms before running to change. “But there is one condition.” He stopped you in your tracks. “What?”

“You have to wear this.” Miguel pulled out a maxi sundress of your favorite color. This man certainly had style. Running you snatched the dress out his hands and began changing. You were too enamored with the dress that you barely heard Miguel tell you to meet him in the driveway when you were done.

As soon as he saw you, Miguel thought a day in the house didn’t sound bad at all, but he had to shove those thoughts away. He had plans for his queen.

“Where’s Nestor?” You looked around for him, Marcus, and some of the others, but none were to be found. “Gave them the day off. It’ll just be you and me.”

It wasn’t Christmas. Both of yours and Miguel’s birthdays had already passed. Your anniversary wasn’t until a couple of more months. “What are you up to?” You eyed Miguel suspiciously. “Nothing. Now get in the car.”

Multiple times during the car ride Miguel thought of pulling over. In the corner of his eye, he would catch you rubbing your thighs together to alleviate some pressure. He listened to how you thought it was so sexy to see a man maneuver a car, but he didn’t think you would get this turned on. Now he would have to make more of an effort to drive around.

His day with you was a blast. At Home Goods he watched your head switch from Pinterest to the different aisles, trying to find the perfect items to complete your diy projects. Target was a bit more dangerous. You went down every aisle and almost bought out the whole store. “We don’t even need this!” Miguel would say whenever you would add whatever unnecessary item to the cart. It didn’t matter though, he still let you get it.

The nail salon was a ball. The nail technicians thought it was so cute that you and Miguel were getting pedicures together. Along with the pedicure you got a manicure. Miguel even picked the shape and color.  “I can’t wait to see those wrapped around my dick,” he whispered, enjoying you squirm as the nail tech painted your nails.

Brunch a whole new you came out. This specific restaurant was your favorite because they played the music you loved and had bottomless mimosas. Those two were a bad combination for Miguel’s hard dick, because those lustful glances from you were no accident. And the moans you made when you ate those damn chicken tendies mixed with a little bit of syrup had him sitting uncomfortably for the longest. But then every so often, in between bites you would look to Miguel, smile brightly, and tell him thank you. And just like that he was gushing all over you, ready to give you the moon and the stars.

Miguel opted to get the milkshakes at the drive-thru, but you didn’t mind, you had other plans in mind. However, Miguel surprised you when he went in the other direction of home. “Babe, where are we going?” Miguel grabbed your hand and rested his lips on it. “To your last surprise.” He said, not offering any more information.

About 45 minutes outside of town, an oddly familiar lake house came into view. “Miguel, what is this?” Your husband parked the car and ran to let you out. “This is your house by the lake, not too far from the city because you’ be damned if some Jason Vorhees comes out to kill you and you couldn’t get immediate help. There’s the front porch where you can sit and drink your morning coffee while you watch the sunrise. In the back, you have the deck complete with picnic tables and a master grill, where you can use and abuse your brother’s grilling skills while everyone else is talking, playing games, and dancing. Back here you can have your glass of wine and watch the sunset.” He wrapped his arms around you and jutted his chin to the second story of the home. “In the master bedroom is a window seat where you can get scared from the new horror book you’re reading while drinking your second cup of coffee. And most importantly there’s the dock by the lake, so you can go fishing because you refuse to get on a boat and become a Lake Placid victim.”

Verbatim. Word for word, Miguel described the perfect dream lake house you told him about years ago. It was dream that your dad had at first. He wanted to give his family a getaway spot that was yours to call your own. As your father daughter bonding time, you would search for the perfect candidate but could never find one. Then unfortunately, he passed before he could make that dream come true. In the little spare time you had, you resumed your search in honor of your father, but it was nothing but dead ends.

Tears were running down your face. You couldn’t stop them if you wanted to. “Mi amor, you don’t like it?” Miguel’s concern was growing. He couldn’t decipher if those were happy tears or sad tears. “No, Miguel I love it! I just don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

Miguel pulled you into a tighter hug. “Oh honey, I’m the one who doesn’t know how I managed to get and keep you.” He grabbed ahold of your chin, tilting it up so you couldn’t avoid his eyes. “I haven’t been the best husband.”

“Miguel no.” How in the world could he think that? He pressed a finger against your lips. “Shh, let me finish. You barely see me anymore. We literally only say good morning and good night to each other. I’ve been too busy with the rebels and Potter. Plus, there’s the original work I already have. You taken over the development project when you have your own work to do. And you take time out of your day to take my mother to and from her appointments.” You tried to interrupt him, to tell him that it was no big deal, but he stopped you. “Ahh, I’m not finished. You do all this, go through all this trouble and not once have I heard you complain. This isn’t even half of what you deserve. So, no more talk about how you don’t deserve any of this. Entiendes?”

It was a troubling time. Half of the time you didn’t know where you found the energy to get out of bed, but you did. You had to. This was how you keep your family together. “Si.” You brought Miguel’s face closer to yours. There was the faint taste of mimosas still on his tongue. Reluctantly, Miguel pulled away, holding onto your bottom lip til the last possible second. “There are other husbandly duties that I have been neglecting.”

“Is there now?” A crooked smile graced your face. “Mmhmm,” Miguel scooped you up bridal style. “Yeah. I think we should christen the house.” He whispered conspiratorially like you weren’t alone. “I say hell yeah!”

Miguel ran into the house, running up the stairs, leaving a trail of your giggles. Tomorrow you would get the chance to explore more.

Once in the room, Miguel dropped you on the bed, causing you to bounce a little. He shed yours and his clothes in a hurry. To his surprise you weren’t any underwear. “Someone was eager, huh?”

“I had plans to screw you in the back of the car after mimosas.” Miguel took off your bra and tugged a nipple into his mouth. “Good girl.”

While Miguel’s attention was on your nipples yours were on getting his boxers off.  His dick sprang free and you wrapped your hand around it. Miguel relished in the feeling of your soft hand around him while he left kisses from your shoulder to your ear. “What are you doing?” He groaned into your ear, slipping in between the two of you, grabbing your wrist to stop your movement. “I thought you wanted to see my nails around your dick?” You whimpered, squirming against him.

“I do, but right now is about you. Do me a favor and suck on my fingers and get them nice and wet for me.” He tapped your fingers against your lips, and you slipped them in, mimicking the motions you wanted to desperately do to his dick. Satisfied with how wet they were, Miguel stuck his fingers in your welcoming hole. “Its so wet and warm, preciosa. I think I can fit another finger in there, don’t you?”

“Mmhmm, daddy.” Miguel added a third finger, bringing a delicious sting. “God, you’re so tight. I bet you taste even better.” Taking his fingers out despite your reluctance, he sucked on them, making you jealous that it wasn’t your mouth on them.

“Tell me what you want, baby. You want me eat that fat ass pussy or you want this cock?”

“Gimme your cock please.” It was no competition. You needed to feel complete and only Miguel’s dick could do that.

He scooted back some to line himself up. You caught a glimpse of his dick and badly wanted to suck it. It should be a crime that all that dick belongs to you.

Miguel slid his cock along your slit, gathering up some wetness. “Baby stop teasing please!” You whined, scratching against his forearms.

He lifted up your left leg to his hip and slid in, giving you those deep lovemaking strokes. “You take me so well, mi amor. Can you handle more?”

“Yes Miguel. Please give me more!” His slow strokes would leave you right on the verge of coming, but never actually getting you there and at this moment you needed to cum more than anything. “More, daddy! Please!” Tears were prickling your eyes.

With his free hand, Miguel swiped away your tears and began to pound into you. “Pretty girl,” he smoothed back some of your hair, his soft words contrasting his rough fucking. “You look like an angel taking my cock so well. You’re gonna be a good girl and cum over daddy’s cock, hmm?”

You nodded your head when you failed to form any words. “Nah, baby girl I need words. Tell me what you want.”

“I WANT TO CUM ALL OVER YOUR COCK!” Miguel was hitting your spot repeatedly. “Okay, pretty baby, then do it,” he whispered, rubbing your clit.

Your body exploded with your orgasm. You were a quivering mess, but Miguel wasn’t through with you, he kept fucking you.

“Where do you want it?” Miguel asked through clenched teeth. “In my mouth, daddy. I wanna taste you.”

Miguel jumped off of you. “On your knees, baby.” Eagerly you got on the ground with your tongue out, enjoying Miguel stroke his glistening cock. “Oh fuck!” He cried out, throwing his head back in ecstasy as his cum filled your mouth.

When he finished, you jumped at the opportunity to clean his cock. “Shitttt! Just like that baby.”

He pulled your head back and laughed at your amused smile. “With skills like that, I’ll give you anything. What else do you want?” He carried you to the bathroom, filling the tub for a nice bath.

“Just you.” You sighed, leaning back on his chest.

“I can definitely do that and more.” Miguel promised to you and himself.

If you like what you read here’s my taglist and masterlist.

Tags: @starrynite7114​ @lilsmilez​ @blessedboo​ @marvelmaree​ @sambucky8​ @ljstraightnochaser​ @my-rosegold-soul​ @angrythingstarlight​ @richonne4life​ @brattyfics​ @lovebennycolon​ @thesandbeneathmytoes​ @woahitslucyylu​ @sadeyesgf​ @strawberrywritings​ @angelreyesgirl​ @tomhardydallasstarsgirl​ @spookys-girl​ @imanerdychubbyqueen​ @brownsugarcoffy​ @ifoundmyhappythought​ @thickemadame​