#anyway fireworks tonight and i can see them from my backyard
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Fuck America but we need more collective festivals where everyone's outside together waiting for a show
#option 1) bring back the guillotine but it's only used for rich people#option 2) idk community building festivals that aren't built around buying things?#taffer chatter#the vibe tonight is really good. lots of positive energy#might just be the gunpowder#anyway fireworks tonight and i can see them from my backyard#they're maybe 200 feet away
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fireworks | ricciardo
summary: fourth of july firework madness
warnings: american dan
type: one shot | word count: 700 | ⧠FLUFF
â
as an honorary american no one was more excited than your boyfriend daniel to spend the holiday in texas with you. when he told you he was finding the first flight back from the united kingdom just so he could be with you it made you laugh because only someone like him would take a holiday like this so seriously, not even most die hard americans really celebrated the day other than to take the opportunity to get drunk or take a day off work. spotting him from a crowded texan airport was all too easy as he was already following the dress code of a big black cowboy hat and university of texas burnt orange hoodie that you can only assume he stole from your closet. from the minute he stepped foot in your eye line he couldnât stop spewing everything he was looking forward to doing tonight out of his mouth.
âso youâre gonna cook that amazing steak the way you do, and then we are going to play with sparklers, and then iâm going to set off these fireworksâ his eyes all but twinkled as he remembered the fireworks stopping in the middle of the parking lot to grab your shoulders as he looked down at you. âbabe you have to see these fireworks i bought.â
âyou will not set off fireworks you know the rulesâ
âbu-â
âno daniel me and michael agreed after last year that you cannot set them off anymoreâ
âyou think i canât drive with nine fingers?â
âget in the car danielâ
âeven my own girlfriend doesnât believe in me anymore first mclaren now you itâs low babyâ
the drive home was just the same as he continued to be dramatic about the rule you imposed even when you both knew that you would let him do it anyway because whatever made him happy ultimately made you happy too. making a b-line to the backyard he disappeared the moment you stopped the car leaving you to bring his suitcase into the house which you would definitely make him pay for later.
stopping in the kitchen after doing a once over of the house you grab everything needed to make him his dream american bbq dinner that he had been frothing over for days now. steak, corn, ribs, every texans dream reminding you of your own childhood growing up here doing things like this with your own family.
when dinner was done and cleared and the sun finally went down you eventually allowed your big child of a boyfriend to go get whatever he was planning. âdaniel joseph ricciardoâ
âfull government eh?â
âthat thing is fucking huge.â
âyou act like youâve never seen it before babyâ
the dirty joke did not go over your head as you rolled you eyes but still remained concerned at the brightly colored package in his hand labeled âTHE RED WHITE AND BLUE DEVILâ. this was the year. this year you were gonna have to explain to zak brown why you were sending daniel to the red bull ring with only one hand and missing fingers. somehow he reassured you enough or more like maybe he distracted you with enough kisses that you let him go running into the wide-open backyard looking like a kid in the candy store. when you couldnât see him anymore in the starry sky you listened and waited before an aussie countdown came out of nowhere.
10
9
8
âDANIEL COME ONâ
âyou canât rush beauty babyâ
3
2
1
next thing you knew a huge sizzle was heard from the field following a giggling ricciardo running towards you as a red spark zoomed in the sky. the pace of his body could not follow his feet as he all but tripped, slamming you both to the ground as squeals coming out of you both mixed with the sounds of explosions both of you relaxing/settling in amongst the grass as each explosion hit the skyline. feeling the gaze of those huge chocolate eyes attached to the man you were all but obsessed with you found yourself also turning your eyes to the even prettier sight of the man in front of you hoping to have moments like these forever.
âhappy fourth beautifulâ
âhappy fourth cowboyâ
â¤
happy 4th babies american or not we can all enjoy some daniel!!
#f1 imagine#f1 x reader#f1 drabble#f1 fanfic#formula one x reader#f1 one shot#f1 x oc#driver x reader#f1 x you#đ#daniel ricciardo imagine#daniel ricciardo x reader#ricciardo
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Uhmm Desi Reader x Tom where you know it's time of the festival and she is missing her family and is upset so Tom decides to surprise her by trying to make some Indian recipes with the help of his brother Sam.......
I loved your Tom x Indian Reader and there are not many fiction available for desi people
I would love if you write it
Please ....*insert puppy eyes*
I couldn't resist your puppy eyes lol so here is a headcanon for you. hope you like this.
Also Happy Diwali!!!đŻď¸đđ
Pairing : Tom Holland x desi! reader
After moving to London for your job this is the third time in a row youâre going to miss diwali back at home. Itâs festival season in India but obviously you wonât get holidays to go back home. So you have to be content with facetiming your family and watching the celebrations through your phone screen.
Even though you appeared happy, Tom knew you better. He could totally see how gloomy you were for not being able to meet your family and spend time with them. And at that very moment he decided to surprise you by throwing a small diwali party.
The next day he sends you shopping with his mother so that you donât suspect anything. In the meantime he calls your mother to ask her about all your favorite indian dishes. Making a list he sends it to Sam so that he and Harry can go to the store and buy all the required ingredients. The whole day they were busy preparing the dishes though it was mostly Sam who went about bossing them around in the kitchen being the chef in the house.
You were back by evening when Tom comes to your shared bedroom. âY/N tonight we are going to have dinner at my parents houseâ he says taking out his shirt and trousers which he mostly wears on dinner dates.
âOkâ you reply and got up to take out a dress.
âWhy donât you dress up in your traditional wear for tonight?â he suggests.
You knit your eyebrows looking at him skeptically âTraditional wear? What for?âÂ
âNothingâ he shrugs âitâs just I love to see you in themâÂ
âBut those are for special occasionsâ you say hesitantly.
âPlease darling, for me?â He gives you his irresistible puppy eyes.
You sigh âAll right. Sometimes you really act like a kidâ. You rummage through your closet and pull out your long anarkali suit which you pair it with matching earrings and bangles. You put on some light makeup and decide to let your hair down for tonight.
âWow you look gorgeousâ Tom says not able to turn his eyes from you as you walk down the stairs.
âYou donât look any less handsome eitherâ you snicker.
You went to his parents house but strangely you found no one in the living room. Tom gives you a smile and leads you to the backyard. As soon as you stepped out everyone shouted.
âSurprise!!â
Your eyes go wide in awe as you see the backyard decorated with fairy lights. Two fountain firecrackers were lit up as dazzling sparkles erupt from them.
âOh my god!â You gasped âwhatâs all this Tom?â
âWell itâs diwali isnât it? And you have always told me how much you enjoyed during this time so I thought to surprise you with a little partyâ
âYou really didnât need to do this for meâ
âHoney I love you and I also know how much this means to youâ he said cradling your face in his hands âI know this isnât quite like the celebrations you have back at your home but I hate see you upsetâ
âAww Tom this is perfect. I love itâ you kiss him softly âI already feel like Iâm homeâ
âWell this will be your home anyways after you two get marriedâ Nikki remarks making you both blush.
Together you light some sparklers as you look up in the sky at the colorful array of fireworks. After it was over you went inside to be surprised yet again. The dining table was laid with all your favorite dishes as well as sweets.
âDid you guys make all this?!â
âIt was all Sam we just helped,â Harry says, scratching the back of his neck shyly.
âThank you so much guys this is the best diwali I ever hadâ you say, happy tears forming at the corner of your eyes.
âAnything for you loveâ Tom says âNow câmon have a seatâ he pulls out a chair for you as you sit down. He serves you some pulao with curry on your plate as you gorged on the milk cakes and jalebis which taste heavenly. Everyone sits down on their respective seats enjoying a full course indian meal. Your heart swelled at it as you feel like the luckiest girl in the world for that moment.
#tom holland#tom holland x reader#tom holland x you#tom holland x y/n#desi!reader#tom holland headcanon
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baby itâs cold outside. katsuki bakugo x reader) christmas headcanonsđ
ŕł pairing: (katsuki bakugo x reader)
ŕł requested by @swankiifiiedâ:Â âhi! could i get some holiday fluff hcs w/ bakugo please?â (your wish is my command! :D hope you enjoy bub!)
ŕłÂ warnings: cursing (courtesy of Bakugo)
ŕł genre: fluff overload!!! âĄ
ŕłÂ  my ongoing bakugo x reader smau (please do give it a read if you have time!) my writing masterlist (if you want to see more from me! c:
)ŕłÂ i know iâm a day late for christmas and iâm really sorry aaa hope you guys still enjoy nonetheless ⥠tysm for 500 followers!!! it really means a lot to me and i can never thank any one enough for all the support and love.
ŕł song inspo: baby itâs cold outside (cover by Jamie and Gaho)
â§Â MATCHING CHRISTMAS SWEATERSSSS!!! You would be probing and forcing Bakugo to wear this cute couple sweater set you saw in the Mall for you guys to wear for Christmas Dinner with your family. However, Katsuki will 100% disagree with your idea before you can even finish your sentence.Â
  "No way in hell am I wearing some shitty and itchy fleece sweater with you."Â
âSUKI-KUN PLEASE I BEG YOUUU DO IT FOR THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.â
 You eventually got your way though. But, instead, you had to make a deal with your explosive boyfriend that he would be the one to choose the designs imprinted on your sweaters.
 Although it was a "risky deal" at least you still get to be cute and lovey dovey with him.Â
 He ended up choosing some rather unique designs. His sweater was colored black with white skulls in Santa hats printed and plastered in every part of the garment. It was very Bakugo and it looked really really hot good on him.Â
 Yours on the other hand, was the exact opposite of his (although the designs are a couple set) with it's lavender color, Rainbows and cute little white bunnies wearing Santa hats sprinkled everywhere... It was very girly and cutesy.Â
 He's teasing you relentlessly because of how childish your sweater looks, and you snap back at him by saying that he was the one who chose this in the first place and you tease him back by saying "As long as I get to match my outfit with you I wouldn't want it any other way."Â
 This catches him off guard as he blushes furiously from your quip.
 It also didnât help that Bakugo thought you looked really hot cute in your sweater too and how it complimented your figure. Making him even more tsundere than usual.Â
 As soon as he arrives at your Christmas eve dinner, your younger cousins/siblings quickly crowded around him. Showering him with compliments, asking him to showcase his quirk, asking him if he could play with them, what training to become a pro hero is like, and what is life like studying in UA.Â
You try to tell your cousins/siblings to pipe down and give your boyfriend some space but they continue to circle around Katsuki. Pretending not to hear you. Â
There was no way out of this and at the same time, Katsuki wanted to impress your family in his own little way so he pompously asks the children to follow him out to the backyard.Â
You follow suit to see the mayhem and to see a heartwarming scene unfold. Not until your cool wine aunt pulls you over to tell you that you scored a good one and he looks like a keeper. You couldnât help but smile as you quickly head out to the yard.Â
You continue to admire the scene of seeing Katsuki interact rather kindly and gently to your younger cousins/siblings. It was an unusual sight.Â
âKatsuki-nii-san!! Come back for New Yearâs and use your quirk to light up our fireworks and new year crackers pretty please!!!â
Especially coming from Katsuki Bakugo. As he was very quick-tempered.
Your cheeky little cousin brought out a mistletoe from her bag and waved it in front of you and Katsuki. She couldnât hold the mistletoe under the two of you because of how small she was, but she was still pushing the two of you to kiss at the presence of the small plant.Â
You and Katsuki catch each otherâs gaze, and stop to look at each other for a moment waiting for one another to make a move. He looks away, his mouth forming into a pout, trying his best to avoid eye contact with you so it doesnât look too obvious that he was blushing.
He certainly wasnât going to make the first move so you approach him dutifully at the behest of the peering eyes of your younger cousins/siblings and tiptoe to peck him on the cheek.Â
The kids all simultaneously squealed in excitement. They jump for joy and began to sing in unison a song they made up on the spot:Â
â(Y/N)-nee-san and Bakugo-nii-san under a mistletoe! K.I.S.S.I.N.G.!!!â
Once all the splendor had died down, and all your relatives went home, Katsuki had decided to stay for the night with the permission of your parents as you would be visiting the Bakugoâs in the morning too and the two of you could just go together.Â
Your family goes up to their respective rooms to rest, leaving you and Bakugo downstairs in the kitchen to clean up a few other things. This was the perfect moment for the two of you to finally have quality time with each other specially after an entire night of socializing.
âHey (Y/N)... Do you want some hot cocoa?â He says begrudgingly, scratching the back of his neck.
You were screaming internally. This is the first time heâs ever offered to cook/make something like this. (As the only time youâve seen him cook up to this point was the curry incident during forest training camp.)Â âYes please!!!â
You watch him make magic in your kitchen, as he carefully pours milk into both of your cups then proceeds to whisk cocoa powder and sugar, then finally, he heats both of the mugs up.Â
While he continues to create what looks like the tastiest hot chocolate you have ever seen, you suddenly remembered a joke that has been in your mind since the start of December.Â
âKatsuki-kun... I have a joke. A Christmas joke at that.â
âDonât even fucking try.â
âCome onnnnn just hear me outttt.â You look at him with your most cutest puppy eyes and signature smile.
âFine. Do your worst.â
âOkay so... what is the most attractive drink?â
âForget what I said. Donât you dare continue your shittyââ
âA hot chocolate.â
â(Y/N) that is the worst fucking joke Iâve ever heard in my entire life. If you think of one again, then your corny ass is never going to have a taste of this hot cocoa ever again.â He says seriously, piercing you with his death stare as he hands over the mug.Â
âAhahahah fine. This will be the last time. I promise.â You laugh sheepishly, taking a sip of the hot cocoa and immediately feel a rush of sweetness and exquisite taste from just one sip alone. âKatsuki-kun! This tastes amazing!! This is the best hot chocolate Iâve had in my entire life.â
âOf course itâs going to taste good. I made it.â He ruffles your hair, his lips curving into a smile because of your reaction to his cooking.Â
You grab his hand and take him to the living room. The fireplace still lit up, with a classic Christmas movie (Love Actually) playing on the TV, and a comfy and soft blanket sprawled upon the couch. Perfect for the two of you to wrap around yourselves and a perfect chance to cuddle with him.Â
You sit down on the couch, then Katsuki sitting down beside you shortly after as he swaddles the blanket around the two of you.Â
You scoot closer to him to the point that you could feel each otherâs body heat as the two of you began to snuggle.Â
It was rather an awkward position as Katsuki had no idea where to hold you and this was all pretty much still new for the both of you. You give him a comforting smile and a supportive nod.Â
You hear him grunt quietly as he props himself up from the couch. You adjust to his new position too and this time, you were lying on his chest. He wraps his arms around your shoulders, pulling you close. It was soft and warm. You could feel his strong trained muscles and a faint scent of his cologne.Â
âThank you for tonight. For getting along with my family and for spending time with me like this. I really appreciate it.â You snuggle even closer to him, whispering softly.Â
âYea yea.â He says in a slight tone of annoyance, trying to brush you off. âAnything for you. And besides, I enjoyed seeing your cousins/siblings stare in awe because of my quirk anyway.â He adds, this time in a sincere and affectionate tone as he plays with your hair again.
The two of you begin to drift off into sleep, the two of you bathed in each otherâs warmth in a cold Christmas night and life has never been better.Â
- Fin.
#katsuki bakugo x reader#katsuki bakugou#katsuki bakugo fluff#bakugo x reader#bakugou x reader#bakugo katsuki x reader#bakugou katsuki x reader#bakugo fluff#katsuki bakugo headcanons#mha x reader#bnha x reader#my hero academia#boku no hero academia#my hero academia x reader#boku no hero academia x reader#katsuki bakugou x reader#katsuki bakugo x y/n#mha headcanons#bnha headcanons#bakugou fluff#bakugou x y/n#bakugo
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Friends and Food
Summary:Â Â
Usagi invites Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki over to celebrate New Year's.
Notes:Â
This takes place before Usagi knows the Three Lights are the Starlights.
This was written for @docholligayâs same prompt party.Â
The prompt was Usagi Tsukino and "New Year's Fireworks".
Itâs also on ao3, if youâre interested.Â
âWhy did you drag me here?â Yaten, who was currently wrapped under five layers of blankets, bitterly muttered under her breath. âI could be home and sleeping right now, but instead, Iâm freezing my damn ass off.âÂ
âMaybe, if you stopped being a bitch for five seconds, you could actually have a good time.â Seiya snapped back. Currently, Seiya was sitting on one of those cheap folding chairs that were usually only used by parents at rec-league sporting games. A warm, big fire smoked in front of her - which was the only thing preventing Seiya from leaping out of her chair and tackling Yaten to the ground. Taking a deep breath, Seiya tried to remember she was here to relax. Even if Yaten kept acting like a huge ass, she should just brush it off and enjoy herself. She had to. For Usagi. âBunheadâs really excited to do this with us - so please, try to be less of a bitch. I know thatâs hard for you, but try.â
âWhatever.â Yaten grumbled, curling into her own shitty canvas folding chair.Â
A silence overtook the two as they patiently waited for Usagi and Taikiâs return. Bits of ember crackled in front of them, illuminating the otherwise dark night. Noises drifted in from outside the Tsukinoâs backyard. The Tsukinoâs neighbors were also outside, eagerly awaiting the - firewalks? Firewongs? Fire-somethings. Neither Seiya or Yaten could remember what word Usagi had been bambling to them about earlier. But whatever it was, it was certainly a big event. It seemed everyone in Tokyo was outside with their families, just waiting for them to start.Â
âItâs snack time!â Usagiâs loud voice broke the lull between the two, making them both look over their shoulder towards the girl. Usagi, outfitted in some cozy-looking bunny pajamas, bounced over to Seiya and Yaten. In her hands was a single, already-half-eaten chocolate bar. Behind her, Taiki had her arms full of various different treats: chocolates, chips, sodas, and more goodies than four people could possibly hope to eat in one night. âHelp yourself! But donât touch the peanut butter cups! Those are mine!â Usagi plopped into her own chair before taking another bite out of her chocolate bar. âOh!â She perked up in her chair, speaking while loudly chewing. âAnd donât touch the barbeque chips either! Those are also mine!âÂ
Taiki unburdened herself by carefully setting the large haul of junk food on the ground, out of the fireâs reach. With a sigh, she plopped into another chair, while simultaneously grabbing a bag of cookies for herself.
âThank you again for having us over tonight, Miss Tsukino.â As always, Taiki spoke like she was giving some lecture. So methodically and evenly. Like a teacher.Â
Usagi hummed and nodded absentmindedly. âYeah, sure! Itâs no problem! Fireworks are better with friends! And food!â
âAh, yes. Fireworks.â Taiki nodded while opening the bag of cookies. âI was hoping-.âÂ
âWait!â Usagi lunged forward, interrupting Taiki and ripping the cookies out of her hands. âThose are mine too! Sorry!â She certainly didnât sound sorry, though. The Starlights watched as Usagi then shoveled a few cookies into her mouth - which was already full of chocolate - without a care in the world. As if she hadnât just rudely yanked them out of Taikiâs hands.Â
âJeez, can we eat anything you brought out?â Yaten spat, giving Usagi one of her more menacing glances. It was wholly ineffective on Usagi, who just continued to stuff sweets down her throat.Â
âYeah,â Usagi simply responded. âYou can eat the stuff thatâs not mine.âÂ
âWell it seems like everything you brought out is for you.â Yaten retorted.
âThatâs not trueâŚâ Her sentence trailed off as she stared at the pile of snacks. Slowly, Usagi got off her chair and kneeled besides the pile. She stared at the pile with a level of concentration that looked downright disturbing on Usagi. Eventually, she set aside about five different bags of chips and candy - and a few sodas as well, because Usagi was a kind and generous host (according to herself, at least). âThatâs all for you.â Usagi gestured to the small pile before gesturing to the big pile. âAnd thatâs for me!â
Yaten looked ready to burst, so Seiya quickly cut in. She let out a hardy laugh as she reached out and stole a piece of candy from âUsagiâsâ pile. Usagi tried to stop Seiyaâs theft, but Seiya was far too quick for her. In mere moments, Seiya had half a candy bar down her throat.Â
âYâknow,â Seiya started conversationally between bites. âBeing stingy isnât good for you.âÂ
âBeing a thief isnât good for you either!â Usagi retorted, but didnât attempt to steal the candy back. Instead, she plopped back into her seat and angrily nibbled on the cookieâs she stole from Taiki. âImagine what the headlines will say when I tell the press about this! Popular Idol Steals From A Defenseless, Pretty, Cute, Amazing, and Beautiful Girl!â
Yaten snorted. âI doubt the headlines will look like that. More like, Little Brat Gets What She Deserves.â The shade of red in Usagiâs cheeks matched the fiery red of the flames in front of them. Yaten truly did have a talent for making people angry.
âAnyways.â Taiki pointedly interrupted before things got out of hand. âAs I was saying earlier, I was hoping you could tell us a bit more about these⌠fireworks, Miss Tsukino.â
âWait.â Any anger from before was completely gone as Usagi looked between the Starlights with wide eyes. âYou guys donât know what fireworks are?âÂ
âEr, no?â Seiya hesitantly replied. Nervous glances were exchanged between the Starlights, but Usagi didnât seem to notice them. âWe used to live in the....countryside, so - um, we donât know much about...fireworks. Or New Yearâs celebrations in general. So, um, yeah.â That had to be the worst lie Yaten or Taiki had ever heard, but Usagi seemed to buy it.Â
âI guess that makes sense.â Usagi hummed, tapping her finger against her chin. All of the Starlights let out a relieved sigh. âFireworks are kinda hard to explain. Like, theyâre really loud and can be scary - but at the same time, theyâre so pretty! Itâs like, like, seeing glowing flowers in the sky! They come in all different shapes and sizes! Youâll never see the same firework twice! Kinda like snowflakes.â Gesturing to the sky, Usagi finished her mini-speech. âThat was a bit confusing. But trust me, once you see them, youâll know what I mean!âÂ
âHuh, they sound really cool.â Seiya commented, leaning back in her chair and staring out at the sky. âCanât wait to see âem.â A silence - which really wasnât a silence, because they all were eating so loudly - overtook the fire as all four of them looked towards the sky. âSo where are the others, Bunhead? Iâm surprised your little posse isnât here.â âReiâs busy at the shrine. Shrineâs get really busy on New Yearâs.â Usagi licked some chocolate off of her fingers. âAmi is spending New Yearâs with her mom. And Mako likes to do a deep cleaning for New Yearâs - so sheâs at home doing that.â Pausing for a moment to think, Usagi licked the excess chocolate off her lips. âAs for Minako, I think she mentioned something about a party? I asked her about it and she told me it wasnât a party for kids, so I couldnât come. I bugged her about it all day at school but she still didnât tell me. Oh! And then Haruka and Michiru are doing something special - I think.â Usagiâs brows furrowed in concentration. âThey didnât actually tell me their plans, but when I asked them about it, Haruka just got all red! And all Michiru said was âwe have big plansâ, so it must be something fun!â
Seiya almost spit out the drink she had opened while Usagi was talking. âOh yeah, Iâm sure those two have some big-â Seiya emphasized this word with an obscene gesture â-plans, alright.â She doubled over, snickering to herself, shoulders shaking with laughter. Taiki and Usagi, who had missed the gesture, stared at her in confusion; while Yaten, who had seen the gesture, dramatically rolled her eyes.Â
âOh, grow up.â Yaten scoffed. âYou act like a damn twelve year old.â
âShut up! Nobody asked for your opinion, dumbass!âÂ
âWill you two both be quiet? Thatâs no way to speak in front of Miss Tsukino!âÂ
A loud noise - a bang - followed by an ear piercing whistle cut off the budding argument between the Starlights. All three of them jumped up from their chairs and quickly turned towards the noise, ready to fight. Still in her chair, Usagi let out an excited squeal and pointed to the sky, where a single, green flare soared.Â
âTheyâre starting!âÂ
Another loud bang occured when the green flare reached its peak and then burst. It lit up the sky, like a great, huge, verdant flower. Rooftops were illuminated, people from other yards oohed and ahhed, and the bright lush light slowly faded back into the black of night. The Starlights stood, frozen to the spot. They stared with wide eyes, expressions changing from one of panic to one of wonder. Soon, more flares were shooting up to the sky. Each of them banging loudly as they exploded in brilliant, dazzling colors.Â
It was absolutely memorizing.Â
Slowly, each Starlight sat back down, eyes still glued to the display in front of them. Usagi, oblivious to the Starlightâs absolute awe-struck astonishment, continued to grin and giggle in her seat, all while shoveling in more cookies. The fireworks show began in earnest after that. Firework after firework was fired, repeatedly lighting the sky in beautiful hues. The night sky went from a warm red to a deep blue and everything in between. It wasnât until the fireworks show finally stopped for the night, that the Starlights were able to break free from their trance.Â
âThat wasâŚâ Taiki, who was usually so good with words, sat there speechless. She stared at the now empty sky, her brain desperately trying to find some way to describe what she felt. â...amazing.â It was a wholly inadequate description. To Taiki, that firework show was beyond amazing, it was one of the best things she had ever seen before. But it was the only word that came to mind. âThey do this every year?âÂ
âYep! Every year!â Usagi cheerfully replied. âAnd they do a bunch throughout the year too! At festivals and stuff!â Reaching down into the pile, Usagi pulled out another candy bar for herself. âWe can go, if you want! Thereâs a festival with fireworks next month! You have to promise to buy me cotton candy, though.âÂ
âNo problemâŚâ If Seiya and Taiki werenât still so awe-struck, they wouldâve gotten shocked at what Yaten just said. âIâll buy you all the cotton candy you want if we can see these again.â
âReally? Great! Weâll definitely go together then!â Usagi seemed more than happy with the deal, grinning to herself in her chair.Â
Seiya was eventually able to pull her gaze away from the sky and to Usagi. âThanks for inviting us, Bunhead. I mean it. That was one of the best things Iâve ever seen.â Her voice was full of an honest, raw sincerity. A tone she usually only had when it came to senshi business, but the fireworks had cut right into Seiyaâs very soul. Each burst of light seemed to implant itself into her heart.Â
âIâm really glad you all liked it so much!â Usagi reassured Seiya, nodding her head along with her words. âThis was really fun. Seeing you guys get all excited about the fireworks made me love them even more. Hopefully the festivalâs fireworks will be just as good.â
âHopefully.â Seiya agreed.
âWell, now that the fireworks are done.â Standing up and clapping her hands together, Usagi drew the attention of the rest of the girls. âItâs time for the super, extra fun time to start!â All three of the Starlights were snapped out of their post-fireworks bliss as they realized the peaceful tranquility the fireworks had brought them was about to be ruined. The smile Usagi had on her face looked innocent, but there was some unlying current about it that made all their stomachs turn. It could only mean trouble.
âSuper extra fun time?â Seiya asked.Â
âYep! Now that the fireworks have happened, the next New Yearâs event is to watch the first sunrise together! So, in order to stay awake until then, weâll have to play lots of fun games!â
Taiki seemed taken aback, sputtering in her chair. âThe sun wonât rise for nearly six more hours!â
âThatâs why we play games!â Usagi chipperly reminded her.Â
âNo way! No way in hell!â Yaten did a complete one eighty. The serene calm she had been feeling after the fireworks was completely gone. âIâm not staying up for another six hours. Iâd rather die!â
âOh! Good idea, Yaten!â Usagi sat down, completely ignoring Yatenâs rage as she grabbed a bag of chips. Her barbeque chips. âThe first game weâll play will be Would You Rather!â From her seat, Yaten let out a distressed scream and buried her head under her multitudes of blankets. âTaiki, youâll go first!â A bewildered looking Taiki turned her head to Usgai. âWould you rather date Ami or Mako?â
Taikiâs face became a deep shade of red as her mouth became a thin white line. Seiya was barely holding it together in her chair, trying so hard not to burst out laughing in that very moment. Yaten was curled under her blankets, cursing Seiya for making her come tonight. Usagi - pointedly ignoring all of their reactions - eagerly awaited an answer, all while continuing to munch on her chips with a wide grin.Â
New Yearâs was always better with friends.Â
And food.Â
New Yearâs was always better with friends and food.Â
#fic#oof#i felt so nervous posting this#i really hope you liked it#sailor moon#usagi tsukino#seiya kou#taiki kou#yaten kou#sailor starlights#fanfiction#thanks for reading!#same prompt party
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âI want my best friend back.â - âKevin is over there.â âTell me what I can do to help.â - âSing me to sleep.â Any one of these for the otp drabble challenge! I love your writing and saw that you needed a prompt so here it is! â¤â¤
I decided to do both of them because I had time on my hands. I'll post the second one later tho! Thank you for the request btw! You're the best. đ
Waiting For You
Pairing: Aelin X Rowan
Genre: Fluff
Summary: When Aelin ditches her best friend Rowan at a party, he is upset with her but is that the only reason Rowan is mad at her or is there more?
Aelin Galathynius stumbled around in the Havilliard mansion, more than a little bit drunk. She had not planned on drinking so much tonight since she had work tomorrow and gods knew Aelin was going to be no use to anyone if she was hungover. She had planned to stick by her best friend Rowan's side, have a drink or two and call it a day.
Then the two of them had run into Dorian, an old flame from back in high school and Rowan had excused himself from the conversation, having never been a fan of the guy and Aelin had gotten busy catching up with Dorian to check in on the buzzard.
Aelin hadn't seen Dorian for years after the breakup and she had been more than a little surprised when Dorian had rang her up to invite her for a party he was throwing. She had known the two of them had a lot of mutual friends and if she wasn't already excited to go, Lysandra and Aedion would have convinced her anyway. It was Rowan who had needed real convincing.
So far, she hadn't found him anywhere.
She did however spot a dark-haired girl making her way towards Aelin. Lysandra grinned at her. "Looking for someone?"
"Have you seen Rowan?" Aelin asked.
Lysandra cocked her head, made a show of trying to remember where she had last seen the silver haired male. Then the confusion was replaced with a knowing grin. "I heard him complain about it being too crowded. If I were you, I'd check the backyard. It's the most secluded spot here."
Typical of Rowan to hide from people during a party.
Aelin murmured a thank you before making her way over towards the gardens. Like Lysandra had claimed, she found him sitting in the soft grass, overlooking the pond and the well-kept gardens. Dorian's father may be an asshole but she couldn't deny the man had impeccable taste.
"You know, parties are supposed to be for mingling, right?" she joked, sitting down beside him.
Rowan promptly ignored her.
Aelin huffed. She had never taken well to being ignored and her best friend knew that. She poked him in the stomach. "Are you mad at me for ditching you?"
The bastard remained silent.
Unfortunately for him, Aelin was the most stubborn person. She said, "So here's a joke: What do you call a man with a rubber-toe? Roberto!"
Rowan ducked his head to suppress a smile, the harsh features softening under the moonlight. Aelin took a minute to admire the way her best friend looked out here in the garden, sitting beneath the twinkling stars. She shut that train of thought out soon enough though, not wanting to ruin things between them.
"Get this: What do bees do when they need a ride? Wait at the buzz stop!" She chuckled at her own joke.
Rowan was shaking his head but his mouth curled upwards ever so slightly. Aelin felt terrible for ditching him. She had assumed Rowan had excused himself so he could catch up with Aedion or something. If she had known he would be so miserable, she won't have left her best friend's side for a minute, let alone an hour.
When Rowan still didn't crack, Aelin nudged him softly. "Come on, buzzard, shut me up or insult me! I want my best friend back."
"Dorian is over there," he said dryly, pointing towards the house.
A slow grin spread across Aelin's face as she realised why he might be so upset. It couldn't possibly be that Rowan was jealous, could it? Then again, they had always been close to each other. Maybe he was just upset she was talking to Dorian seeing as he had never liked him back in high school either.
Maybe it was the alcohol that made her so brave, maybe she would have done it even if she was sober but Aelin leaned towards him. "Rowan?"
Her eyes flitted towards his lips, hinting heavily enough that Rowan had plenty of time to back out. When he didn't move a muscle, Aelin crashed her lips onto his. For a moment, she was terrified that he would back out, would run away or something. Rowan only kissed her back, his hand sliding around her waist, supporting her as she leaned into him, one hand holding her up and the other running through his silver hair. She had never believed in fireworks but good gods, everything inside her came alive as she kissed Rowan.
She was kissing Rowanâher best friend, the guy she had liked since middle school. The idea was insane enough on its own.
"You were jealous?" Aelin breathed out grinning as she pulled back.
It was not a question but Rowan hummed in agreement, eyes still wide as if he couldn't believe this had just happened. She didn't blame him. Aelin could hardly believe it herself.
"You-You like me?" Aelin knew she was grinning like a fool but she didn't care.
Rowan nodded again, cheeks flushed. She frowned, "But I-I don't understand. How did-When did you-"
"Later," Rowan said finally. "Can we talk about this later? Because I have wanted to kiss you for so long and I don't think I can wait anymore."
Aelin had so many questions for him, so much to ask, so much to tell but as she looked over at him, at the glazed look in those familiar green eyes, the scent of pine and snow enveloping the two of them, she decided all of that would come later. Right now, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius was as happy as she'd ever been.
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Tags:
@thesirenwashere // @judexcardanxgreenbriar //@fangirltrash74 // @the-dark-swan // @julemmaes // @rowaelinforeverworld // @mymultiversee // @queen-of-glass // @strangely-constructed-soul // @mijaldraws // @http-itsrebecca
Let me know if you'd like to be added/removed from the taglist! Thank you for reading.
#rowaelin#rowaelin fanfiction#rowan x aelin#rowan whitethorn#aelin fireheart#aelin ashryver#queen aelin#aelin galythinius#aelin whitethorn#queen of shadows#heir of fire#rowan whitethorn galathynius#throne of glass fanfiction#throne of glass#aelin of the wildfire#tog fandom#aedion x lysandra#aedion ashryver#prince dorian#dorian havilliard#king of adarlan#empire of storms#kingdom of ash
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Inevitable, Ch 3
Yâall, same disclaimers. In addition to all the warnings weâll include some explicit drug use today, âk? Donât do drugs kids.
Monty held the letter, his hands trembling as he stood rooted in time. He was still licking his wounds from the traitorous blow Charlie had dealt him. They were brothers, Monty had taken the younger boy under his wing from day one and defended him, fought for him, fought beside him... and he had helped Clay Jensen send him to jail. Yes, some part of him was aware that he was booked initially for messing with Tyler, and the murder charges were tacked on after. But it seemed awfully convenient that Tyler chose the moment that Clay was the one facing jail time to report what he had done.
And, clearly, they had gotten to Charlie. And Charlie gave them the keys they needed to clear Clay's name and fucking sell him out for a crime he didn't commit.
So what could Charlie possibly want with him now. His fist crumpled the envelope.
"Wooooooo!" He bellowed, tapping the keg. "We are getting FUCKED UP TONIGHT!"
Charlie laughed, bringing two trays out of his pantry. His dad was out town for the weekend and although they had lost their game that night spectacularly they were going full steam ahead with Charlie's first party.
"I made brownies." He declared, delighted. Monty stared at him, slightly taken aback. One of the other guys snorted, shaking his head.
"Fuck you," Monty said, rounding on him and grabbing a brownie off of the tray, "Charlie boy made brownies and we're all fucking having one." He took a bite, his eyes crossing momentarily as he groaned. "That's delicious."
"Still talking with your mouth full?" Justin teased, shaking his head as he grabbed a brownie.
"Shut up, I'm enjoying my foodgasm." He grumbled through a full mouth pointedly.
"Fuck, these are actually really good. Good job Charlie." Justin said, passing one to Zack.
"Everyone have a fucking brownie. Charlie made brownies." Zach yelled. And, well, Zach was the captain.
It didn't take long before the cheerleaders, the other girlfriends, students from other schools and students from Liberty who definitely weren't invited trickled in. The party spilled through the house and into the front yard and the back yard like a fountain of youth. The music reverberated through the walls like a united heartbeat. Booze was strewn throughout the kitchen, any poison was yours to pick.
Monty found himself in the backyard, nonchalantly rubbing the leaves on the shrubs along the fence. He couldn't understand it...but they just felt so amazing.. Zach staggered up to him, leaning heavily on his shoulder as he stumbled with his crutches.
"Buddy," he slurred, "Look, I wouldn't generally be talking to you right now. But its my brotherly duty to inform you that somebody is attempting to beat your record at Edward 40hands."
Monty gasped incredulously, dropping the leaf and putting his hand to his mouth.
"Noooo way, that's FUCKING SACRILEGE!"
Zach nodded solemnly.
"It is absolutely." He agreed, running his hand over Monty's flannel. "Damn buddy, this is soft."
"Walmart man, walmart."
"Ew." Zach sneered, pushing off of him and staggering off in a zig-zag. "Time to defend your title."
Monty followed him, shuffling his feet along the dewy grass. It was like a gigantic shag carpet that covered like the entire earth. Mind blowing.
"This is some bull SHIT!" He declared, grabbing two bottles of the malted beer. Zach taped them to his hands and opened them. The other boy, who was from another school, laughed.
"I am going to beat you, de la Cruz."
"That's what your dad said last night after I fucked your mom." Monty countered, letting out a delighted giggle.
"What are you, 8?" Foley said, shaking his head. Monty just laughed harder, he never seemed to mind when he was the only one laughing at his jokes.
"3... 2....1!" Zach yelled. "CHUG!"
Monty snapped to attention and began to chug, feeling the weirdly soy sauce tasting beer froth heavily in his gut. He managed to finish one in 4 seconds. The other guy was hot on his tail with about a quarter left. He felt like a marionette on tangled strings that  toddler had decided to hold in the air and spin.
He staggered and belched, grateful he didn't vomit, yet. It was wet and close.
"Hoooooo!" He crowed, seeing the other guy finish his first one. He pounded his second one back, tilting his head back and staggering until he was standing on only one foot.
"Monty's gonna barf. He always does, eventually. Usually after breaking a bunch of shit and one or two faces." Justin warned Charlie. Charlie shrugged.
"That's fucking masterful." The taller boy said in awe. Monty finished the second one even faster. He pumped his fist in the air with the bottle still on it and yelled a battle cry into the night sky.
"I AM THE FUCKING CHAMPIOOOOOOOONNNNNNN!" He crowed, tripping over his own feet. He felt the air rush passed his face and he started to giggle once more. It tickled.
"Oops, careful." Charlie muttered in his ear, arms looped under Monty's left bicep while Zach held on to his right, laughing.
"The champion of knocking yourself out." He jested, cutting the tape off of his hands.
"Are you sober enough to be handling scissors right now, Zachy?"
"Absolutely not."
"Please don't do a Hannah on my wrists."
"That's not funny asshole."
"Its kind of funny."
"Fuck you Monty."
Monty laughed. "Is that all you fuckers have to say to me now? Fuck me?"
"Yes." Justin interjected, helping Zach and Charlie haul Monty to his feet. Monty held on to Justin for a moment to steady himself before he staggered into the house again, tripping over the lip of the patio door and almost taking out a weird, expensive looking bust statue of some old dude.
"Excuse me sir, I don't want to dance with you." He muttered, "I want 'nother brownie." He slurred.
Charlie gripped on to his arm once more, guiding him into the kitchen. "Ah, probaaaaably not a great idea." Charlie giggled.
"But they're deliiiiicious." Monty cooed, pulling his best puppydog face. He tried to imagine he was Justin. He wasn't sure it worked.
"Aww." Charlie muttered, an untraceable but vaguely familiar softness to his eyes and his hands as he held on to Monty, "The thing is, there's just so much MDMA in the brownies."
Monty snorted, shaking his head.
"What?"
"In the brownies. I drugged the brownies."
Monty stared at him, incredulous as he felt his skin quivering as though it was its own entity.
"And here I thought you were just this beautiful, innocent ray of sunshine waiting to be corrupted...and Jesus Christ I am so fucking high right now." He lamented as the reality of it all dawned on him.
"Oh ya. You should see your eyes. You've got like, no irises left. Its kind of scary. Like Dean Winchester in Supernatural season 10."
Monty blinked. "I didn't understand a word of that. But I am HIIIIIIGH." He started to jump around to the erratic cadence of his heartbeat. Charlie quickly joined in. It didn't take long for them to start a miniature mosh pit of football players jumping and slamming into each other in the kitchen.
The air was electric, it had a current, and Monty swore he could feel it caressing him. It took a little while before he noticed Justin wasn't joining in on the fun. He found his teammate sitting on the floor in the library.
The goddamned house had a fucking library.
He was caressing the carpet slowly, but his expression was unbelievably pouty.
"FOLEY!" Monty hollered, making the other boy jump within an inch of his life.
"Fucking hell Monty." He griped, "My heart is racing already as it is." Monty flopped down beside him.
"What's up."
"You're the last asshole here that I want to talk to."
Monty groaned and sighed.
"Don't be a downer. You can pretend not to hate me for one night. We were brothers once, we still are."
"No we aren't. Not anymore."
"What's the matter." Monty shoved his shoulder into Justin's gently, the connection sending fireworks radiating through his body.
"I'm thinking about Jess and how I fucked everything up." Justin said brokenly, "I love her, man, I really love her...and my heart is racing and I can't calm down."
"Woah woah. Take a breath." Monty said calmly. Justin looked at him with that broken, puppy dog eyed face.
"I can't."
"You can. Breathe with me." He took a deep breath, feeling himself melt into the carpet like butter, but sparkle...y... as he closed his eyes. He exhaled and glanced at Justin who seemed to be slowly calming down.
"My heart is still racing."
"That would be because Charlie drugged the brownies."
Justin did a double take. "He what?!"
"He put Molly in the brownies." Monty laughed, "And I thought I was corrupting him. I was so wrong. Holy shit. That boy has an angel's face but-"
Justin stared at him, unimpressed. "Right, that has nothing to do with your influence."
"When have I ever cooked for you? I'd have to do that in order to like, even ever secretly drug anybody which I have never done and oh my god this carpet feels so good."
He ran his fingers over it and stared at Justin imploringly.
"Its like, as good as sex." He insisted. Justin ran his fingers over it, laughing slowly until it turned into a giggle, which Monty returned.
"Nah man, you aren't having the right kind of sex if this is what sex feels like."
"I don't know about that." Monty quipped, his mind drifting to the only thing that was missing from this perfect night...
He didn't remember leaving Justin in the library but he found himself in the bathroom, running his fingers over the tile walls of the shower until he decided to clamor in. He tripped over the side of the marble tub and almost smacked his head off the wall but in some sort of feat of drunken prowess he managed to dance like a wet noodle in mid air and slid down the smooth surface without injury.
"Oohhhhhoooo..." He cooed, listening to his own voice echo back to him like a melody that conjoined perfectly, to his ears anyway, with the music pounding throughout the entire house. He was pretty certain he could hear some people hooking up in the next room. There was also a solid chance he found his way to the bathroom by literally feeling up the walls and railings of the house in an elaborate Indiana Jones fantasy.
He flipped the showerhead on and played with the water's temperature, feeling the droplets soak through the front of his shirt and running down the front of his pants. Only one thing was missing.
He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and feverishly clicked call, biting his lip.
"What the...Monty?" An incredibly groggy voice answered on the other end. Monty's face split into a wide grin and he slid up and down the tub like a slip and slide, using his legs to propel himself at the front of the tub and sloshing water out over the edges.
"You sound so sleepy." He giggled.
"Uh...Monty, its 3 in the morning."
"What is time, anyway." Monty countered ponderously, "It passes so meaninglessly."
He heard Winston laugh softly and he felt the fireworks inside of his body exploding and the fluttering of the tiny, papery butterflies making his heart stutter. Or, maybe, that was the drugs.
"How high are you right now?" Winston asked, sounding half exasperated half amused.
"Hello." Monty said theatrically, "It's me..."
"Beautiful, Adele... what are you doing, are you safe?"
"I'm in the tub. My clothes are so heavy and the water feels delicious. I think this could have been the best night of my life, I just realized that you are missing." He could feel Winston smiling through the phone, and he laid back into the water, resting his head on the cold marble of the tub as the shower rained down on his legs, filling the tub. He paddled his feet like a toddler, splashing up the tiles of the walls and over the edges of the tub. He didn't notice Justin enter the bathroom in a staggering heap, his abdomen dragging along the marble and wood double vanity for support.
Monty couldn't stop talking, it bubbled out like word vomit...at least it wasn't actual vomit.
"And I just love you." Monty sighed, running his free hand over the tiles, his fingertips dancing alight with the sensation. It made the hair on his arms stand up. "I just love you." He repeated.
Justin's face exploded with shock and he leaped into the tub, displacing nearly half the volume of the water on to the floor. Monty shrieked shrilly and almost dropped his phone as Justin began to thrust and grind on him, hooting with laughter and glee.
"HAVE I DIED?! DID HELL FREEZE OVER?! MONTGOMERY DE LA CRUZ SAID I LOVE YOU! TO SOMEONE! ARE YOU FAKING THIS?! IS THERE ACTUALLY A REAL PERSON ON THE OTHER END OF THAT PHONE RIGHT NOW?! WHO IS SHE?!" He screamed as he continued to pound on to Monty's thighs, the tub surrendering virtually all its contents as the water from the showerhead sprayed them. The bathroom, rest in peace.
Monty pulled his phone away from Justin as he reached for it. "No no no no." He murmured, "This one isn't for you." He shushed, pressing his fingertips against Justin's lips, giggling softly. "It's for me, only me. You understand...don't you?" Justin blinked.
"I don't know how I do, but I do man...I do. Fuck." They stared at each other for a moment, both of their eyes an inky, dilated black without any irises in sight. They wore matching, loopy grins. Monty put the phone back to his ear, suddenly fearful that Winston had hung up on him.
"I'll let you get back to your party...have fun." Winston whispered quietly into the phone. "Be safe."
"I am always safe!" Monty declared incredulously. Justin and Winston unknowingly laughed in unison. Monty heard the phone go silent as Winston hung up and his face shattered, shooting Justin a wounded puppy face.
"Does she love you too?" Justin asked, resting his head on the marble beside Monty. They really didn't fit together inside the tub very well, squashed like sardines in a can.
"I don't know...." Monty murmured. Justin made a humming noise in his throat and let Monty contemplate. "I think so?" He settled on.
"Then we have to celebrate," Justin said solemnly, "For love."
Monty nodded, with equal sudden seriousness.
"For love." He declared.
They both scrambled out of the tub, the flooded bathroom spilling into the carpeted hallway as they tripped over one another and shoved each other. They drank, heavily, the liquor slowly draining from the bottles shot after messy, spilled shot. They danced, dripping with sweat and in Monty and Justin's cases they were actually just dripping wet and soggy. And friends again, if only for just this moment held in time.
Slowly as time passed, the house began to empty, leaving a path of destruction in the party's wake. For Monty, the world was spinning off of it's axis. Gravity was all too much and yet non-existent at the same time but the - literal - ecstasy was still making him feel all too on top of the world to listening to his intoxication and sit down. He used his arms to drag himself across the walls and fell against the sofa.
Charlie was sprawled, watching the ceiling spin above him.
"That's... was eh-pic." Monty groaned, his words coming out like mashed potatoes, Â flopping into the sofa and sprawling over Charlie. Charlie leaned into him and laughed, running his hands over the embroidered, antique upholstery.
"I am still so fucked up." Charlie lamented with a sigh. Monty murmured in agreement, his eyes fluttering as the world spun around him dangerously. He just needed to close his eyes for a little while, but the stimulants pounding through his veins wouldn't allow him to rest. He gave up and glanced at Charlie.
"You did...good job." He breathed, his body feeling hot and cold and entirely all wrong.
"Wait...why are you wet..?" Charlie laughed, realizing Monty was dripping all over him. Monty's brows drew together in confusion.
"Am I...?"
"You're soaked." Charlie said, running his hands over Monty's shoulders. Monty shivered, closing his eyes for a moment. The room was blurring around him and it was making him feel queasy.
"Monty...?"
"Mmm?"
Monty's eyes blinked open again, and then he felt the soft warmth of the other boy's lips pressed against his. His eye's widened comically and he laid there, frozen, with his heart hammering in his chest and a wave of panic crashed over him. He pushed away clumsily and fell off the couch in a heap. He staggered to his feet, running for the kitchen. He felt it bubbling up again, word vomit maybe? No.
Actual vomit.
He retched over the garbage can, losing about a liquor store's worth of stomach contents before the entire world tilted sharply to the left and his vision went black. He crumpled to an unceremonious heap on the floor.
Monty climbed on to his bunk and pried open the vent that was level with it. He learned within a few days of his transfer (and after a victory in the squabble for the top bunk because he wasn't a fucking bottom) that the bolts were loose and clearly past inmates had used this as a stash. He popped the letter and file inside, realizing he was still crushing the envelope in his fist and tossing it in the garbage can below and replacing the bolts for appearances and settled with his elbows bent and his hands behind his head. His vein in his neck continued with its steady, relentless, tick tick ticking. He'd decide what to do about Charlie after dinner, he reasoned.
And then there was the Winston of it all...
#13rw fanfiction#13rw#monty de la cruz#montgomery de la cruz#monty x winston#winston x monty#winston williams#wonty
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hereâs a hand my trusted friends
Ficmas Day 7
Pairing: platonic One Direction ot4
Rating: General Audiences
Key Tag(s): New Yearâs Eve, Hiatus
Word Count: 1909
Read on AO3
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Liam invites the boys to spend New Year's Eve with him in a cabin in Canada.
â
Liam arrives at the house before anyone else, key unfamiliar in his hand and nearly swallowed by his gloves. Â Itâs a cabin in Canada, somewhere rural enough that they can exist without being discovered and hounded, chosen specifically to give them a bit of peace tonight. The front yard is covered in a thick sheet of snow, smooth and undisturbed by footprints, and he grabs the railing by the stairs to ensure that he wonât slip on his way to the front door, kicking off as much snow as possible from his boots so he doesnât track it inside.
The house is a bit cold and drafty, so he goes around turning on the heat and double-checking that all four of the bedrooms are clean as promised and that the fridge and cupboards are stocked with the food he ordered. Â The entire place is furnished in the welcoming but impersonal way that every temporary lodging is, from hotel rooms to vacation mansions, and he almost mourns that they wonât be here long enough to put their mark on it. Â Getting a fire started in the fireplace warms the atmosphere a bit, and once the other boys get here there will be other things to focus on.
He hopes itâll be easy. Â The idea of seeing the boys again for the first time in a year hadnât made him nervous yesterday, but the closer he gets to everyoneâs arrival, the more anxiety gathers in his gut.
He misses them. Â He wants to spend time with them and give them each a hug and feel like theyâre brothers again. Â Theyâre not really getting the band back together, because itâs not time yet, but theyâre figuratively getting the band back together.
To go from seeing the boys almost constantly for five years to barely seeing them at all over the past year was an adjustment. Â You donât notice the changes when youâre with someone all the time. Â Heâs not ready to see how drastically different they all might have become when he wasnât looking. Â He doesnât want to look at them and not recognize every inch.
The doorbell launches him out of his thoughts and towards the door. Â He checks the peephole before opening, a habit heâs been in since fame began breeding unwelcome visitors, then wretches open the door to let Louis in from the cold.
âHey, Payno,â Louis says, and the sound of his voice, unfiltered by phone lines or video chats, is enough to make something out of place inside Liam realign again.
âLouis!â he greets, pulling him into a hug before taking his bag so he can shed his coat and hat.
âBloody cold out there, isnât it?â Louis says, tucking his arms around himself. Â âAnyone else here yet?â
âJust you,â Liam says. Â âMeans you get to pick your room first.â
Louis nods. Â Liam has missed the familiar way he presses his lips together in a smile when heâs pleased about something. Â It makes him feel warm to see that face now.
Niall arrives next, after Liam has given Louis a tour of the house and already been given shit for his food choices. Â Niall automatically brings a joy and brightness with him wherever he goes, even if his hair is no longer bleached blond and instead growing out in his natural brown. Â His laugh is the same, though, a welcome sound when he gets into it with Louis.
Harry is last, uncharacteristically late with an apologetic excuse about road conditions and a delayed flight. Â He collects hugs from all of them and gracefully accepts the last and least desirable room, saying that itâs charming. Â It doesnât really matter, because all of them will only be here for a night, anyway.
Liam had invited Zayn as well, but he said he wasnât ready yet. Â When Zayn left, he left, isolating himself until he felt like he could breathe again. Â Liam has been trying to convince him that seeing the boys again without the hustle and bustle and strict confines of the band wonât be suffocating, but itâs no use. Â Zayn isnât ready, but Liam will be here when he is. Â Hopefully the other boys will be, too.
They have a large and messy dinner, all four of them trying to contribute to the cooking in a way that creates more chaos than help. Â Harry spends a lot of time threatening to hit Louis with a spoon if he continues being a nuisance while Niall sneaks bites of ingredients behind his back, sharing a wink with Liam when caught. Â Itâs edible, at least, and they fall into a comfortable pattern of conversation. Â The cadence of their voices is familiar, one more thing that Liam knows he shouldnât have worried about being different since they were last together. Â If thereâs one thing heâll never forget, itâs the sound of each of their voices.
Washing up after takes no time at all with all four of them helping, the kitchen just as spotless as they found it by the time they move into the front room to sit by the fire. Â Niall tends to it, getting it roaring again while they sit in the dim light on lumpy furniture with various beverages of choice.
âAny New Year��s resolutions?â Liam asks.
âI donât know,â Niall says. Â âI havenât made resolutions in a long time.â
There should be more to add, but none of them do. Â Thinking back, Liam hasnât really made resolutions in a long time, either. Â Once they formed the band, everything was a whirlwind, and sometimes it felt like they had no agency or control, brought along for the ride only because they had their seatbelts on. Â They kept reaching for new heights, ones Liam would never have fathomed making goals for, and once you get that high it becomes difficult to find something else to reach for. Â When you overshoot the moon, where can you go before you forget what Earth looked like?
Last year, Liamâs resolution had been to survive.
âProbably spend more time with the family, like always,â Louis says eventually, when the silence has stretched like taffy and comes too close to snapping. Â âMaybe work on more creative projects again.â
Liam nods.
âI think,â Harry says slowly, âI want to come out. Â Well, no, thatâs not right. Â I want to feel like I donât have to hide.â
He looks around at all of them, and Liam hopes he can see the support there. Â Itâs always been difficult for Harry to feel like he had to stifle that part of him, but they always backed him one hundred percent. Â It was never the members of the band that were the issue.
âI hope you can do that,â Louis says, reaching over to squeeze Harryâs knee.
âYeah, you deserve it,â Liam agrees. Â Niall pats him on the back, prompting Harry to smile, a small thing that grows until it takes over his face.
âWhat about you, Liam?â Harry asks. Â âWhat are your resolutions?â
âDunno,â he says. Â âI just want to live better, I think. Â Thereâs always something that can be improved.â
Ensure that I see you guys again feels too personal. Â Itâs funny: once they stopped being forced to hang out with each other at every waking moment, all of them forgot how. Â If any of them had said no to spending New Yearâs Eve together, Liam isnât sure if he couldâve maintained hope in their friendship. Â He doesnât know when he would see any of them next if each of them hadnât sighed in relief at his phone call.
The band will not be getting back together this year. Â The eighteen month hiatus wonât stick to its timeline. Â None of them wanted to put the band on hold, but all of them needed it, and Liam knows that they havenât fully recovered yet. Â He doesnât know when they will.
Zayn still wonât see them in person two years later. Â They all move at their own pace, but itâs become clear that itâs a pace much slower than all of them anticipated.
When it nears midnight, Liam suggests that they bundle up and watch the fireworks from outside. Â Although the nearby town is small, Liam has been assured that their New Yearâs fireworks display is visible from the house, best seen in the backyard. Â Everyone gets on coats and boots with minimal complaining, staining the flat expanse of snow with their footprints. Â The back light is bright, illuminating up until the treeline of the small forest at the back of the property.
âWe should go exploring,â Harry says.
âYeah, if you want to get eaten by a bear,â Niall says, sounding scandalized. Â âDo you know how dangerous tramping around an unfamiliar forest at night is?â
âYou should be more worried about nearby dangers,â Louis says. Â Thatâs all the warning any of them get before Niall is hit in the face with a snowball. Â He rears back, sputtering.
âLouis!â Harry scolds, but heâs not the next target. Â Louis sets his sights on Liam, another snowball already being packed together in his hands.
âIf you do this, youâre declaring war,â Liam warns. Â âAnd Iâve got a good throwing arm.â
Itâs no use. Â Louis has the same look on his face that has meant trouble for the past six years, so Liam ducks for cover. Â What follows is a snowball fight the likes of which he hasnât seen since the early days of the band. Â Niall joins him in his crusade against Louis, and Harry flounders in an attempt to remain neutral until a stray snowball thrown by Liam hits him.
(His throwing arm may be powerful, but he never claimed it was especially accurate.)
Casualties are many on both sides. Â Niall complains about snow in his shoes. Â Louis is too fast to make an easy target, so Harry takes a lot of hits. Â Louisâs attacks become increasingly fiercer every time he takes damage. Â Liam runs around the yard and scoops up snow to fling around, feeling more like a kid than he has in a long time. Â Heâs only 23, but heâs been wrangling everyone around him and trying to be the mature one since the X-Factor house. Â It feels especially freeing to participate in something as juvenile as a snowball fight when he knows that there are no other responsibilities waiting for him.
The fight eventually ends when Harry manages to stuff snow down the back of Liamâs jacket. Â Heâs not proud of the way he shrieks, but he thinks itâs justified, even if the others laugh at him.
The first firework goes off a moment later, gold sparks lighting the sky.
âLads,â Niall says, pointing up as explosion after explosion paint the night in fleeting and colorful hues.
âHappy New Year!â Liam yells.
âHappy 2017!â
They whoop and laugh, Niall breaking into a rendition of âAuld Lang Syneâ that the rest of them mess up the words to. Â Harry links their arms together, reaching out to invite everyone into contact, and all of them stand on the lawn, eyes drawn upwards, singing out of tune about old friends.
Liam has been to some amazing parties over the years. Â None of them can compare to this moment and the easy knowledge that heâll have infinite more with these boys by his side in the future. Â Even when theyâre not in a band, there still is something drawing all of them together, and none of them will let that go.
#my writing#one direction#one direction fanfiction#one direction ot4#ficmas 2020#once I figured out this was a new year's eve fic it got significantly easier to write lol#and it's still before midnight for me!#still before midnight for the east coast too
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omg soulmate e telling the rest of his family he met the one. thereâs only one way you find out so they all know he had his first orgasm đłđ (he and yn have to get away from the awkwardness by doing it in a bathroom during the family get together probably)
Feel good kind of love (Soulmate AU) - Masterlist
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WARNING: smut, swearing
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She was nervous, Ethan could tell. Itâs been a month since he told her he loved her and three months since theyâve met and neither of them had actually met the parents. Usually, Ethan would give her an out and let the irrational fears she clearly harbors win just so he wouldnât cause her discomfort, but this time he refused to. Sheâs always been a little distant and hard to reach. He didnât want to push her, but damn it, if he doesnât he feared sheâd leave and heâd never see her again. Hell, he feared she might do the same anyway, but at least heâd know he tried.
The door opened and her hand squeezed his a little tighter, bringing a slight ache with it, but he smiled at his mother who was very excited to see her son but also very surprised he hadnât come alone. Sure, she expected Grayson and Bella to come as soulmates, but Ethan had always told her Y/N wasnât ready to meet anyone.
âAwee, my baby and his favorite girl!â Lisa embraced Ethan, his left arm lifting to wrap around his mother while the right hand remained firmly in Y/Nâs, giving her something to hold onto - someone to anchor herself to.
âEveryoneâs out in the yard already.â Lisa smiled, offering Y/N a short hug as well, wanting to respect the girlâs boundaries, perfectly satisfied by the polite smile she offered in return and a light tap on her back.
However, the rest of Ethanâs family and friends werenât as low-key. The moment they stepped out in the yard, Cameron had a banner up: HAPPY FOR THE HORNY COUPLE, everyone laughing as the air horns went off along a single firework that exploded above.
Mortified, Y/Nâs eyes widened and her cheeks darkened, running off inside the house and past a confused Lisa who came out to check whatâs the fuss.
âGreat going! You idiots!â Ethan groaned, running after her.
Ethan stormed through the house, searching the bathrooms on the first two floors, until finally reaching the third floor, where the bathroom door was closed.
Standing outside, his hand resting on the knob, he debated with himself. If he went in there, what would happen? Would she end things? Would she cry? Would she scream until he felt he wanted to die? Or maybe sheâd decide to fuck his brains out just for the heck of it? There was only one of those things he was interested in, and it sure as hell wasnât apologizing until she stopped ripping him a new one.
He thought about knocking but knew for a fact she wouldnât invite him in. Theyâve never fought. Theyâve never cried in front of each other, not even after an intense orgasm. Ethan was lost on what he could do, knowing she was a tough person to get through to, much harder to melt her heart than hisâŚand thatâs saying something!
He listened carefully, waiting for any noise or sign of movement from inside.
Nothing.
Finally, he turned the knob, surprised to find it unlocked. Heâd only been in this bathroom a few times since Lisa had remodeled it. It was a beautiful, modern room with a custom-built marble counter and a wide mirror covering one wall. Above the vanity was a small window that overlooked the backyard. She was sitting on the padded bench in front of the table, staring out at the sky. Â
âWhy are you here, Ethan?â she asked. She took the cap off her lipstick, which she carefully applied to her lips.
âI wanted to check on you. I care about you, remember?â He reached behind to turn the lock on the bathroom door, the audible click ringing in the silent room. Â She laughed, meeting his dark eyes in the mirror. She looked completely composed, but he could see the rise and fall of her chest; she was still very much worked up over the situation. Â
âI assure you, Iâm fine. No need to get all mushy and stuff.â She put the cap back on her lipstick and shoved it into her purse. She stood and started to move past Ethan to the door.
âI know you care and I know you love your family. So, Iâll try, okay? I should get back downstairs.â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Ethan put his hand on the door as he leaned closer to her face.
âI donât think so.â His lips lightly grazed under her ear, and she shuddered with the contact. âYou see, I can read you like a book and youâre not fine. Youâre my girl, I know you.â Â
She glared at him. âLet me go. I am not yours.â
âYou might think that,â Ethan whispered, his lips ghosting along the column of her neck. âBut your body,â he said, running her hands under her skirt and pressing his hand against the damp lace between her legs, âthinks otherwise.â
Her eyes closed and she let out a low moan as his fingers moved in slow circles against her clit. âScrew you.â Â
âGladly. Let me,â He said into her neck. She let out a shaky laugh, and he pushed her against the bathroom door. Grabbing each of her hands, he raised them above her head, keeping them captive in his own, bending to kiss her. He felt her struggle weakly in his grip, soliciting a slight shake of his head, tightening his hold as result. Â
âLet me make you feel good.â Ethan repeated, pressing his hardened cock against her.Â
âOh, God,â she said as her head tilted to the side, allowing him access to her neck. âWe canât do this here. Your family is here.â
Ethan ran his lips down and across her collarbone to her shoulder. Shifting both of her wrists into one hand, he reached down and slowly pulled one of the zippers holding her top together, kissing along the newly exposed skin. Moving to the other side he repeated the action and was rewarded when the bodice slipped down to reveal a red lace strapless bra.
âFuck.â Ethan cussed under his breath, wondering did this woman own anything that didnât make him nearly cum in his pants? He trailed his mouth down to her breasts while his free hand unfastened the clasp. There was no way heâd miss the sight of her bare breasts. It opened easily and the lace fell away, revealing the vision that filled every one of his filthiest fantasies. As he took one pink nipple into his mouth, she moaned and her knees buckled slightly.
âSee? Mine.â Ethan growled. Â Â Â
âShut up,â she said. âJust keep going.â
Ethan lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing their bodies together more firmly. He released her hands and she immediately brought them up to his hair and roughly pulled him closer. Fuck, Ethan loved it when she did that.
He pushed her against the door but then realized there were too many clothes in the way for he longed to feel the heat of her skin against his own, wanted to bury himself balls deep in her and keep her pinned to the wall until everyone had long since gone to bed. She seemed to know exactly whatâs on his mind as her fingers moved down his sides and began frantically tugging his shirt from his pants, lifting it up and over his head.Â
The sound of laughter outside floated up through the open window, and he felt her tense against him. A long moment passed before her eyes met his, and it was clear she was struggling with what to say. Â
âWe shouldnât do this,â she said finally, shaking her head. âTheyâll know.â She halfheartedly tried to push him away but he held his ground. Â
âDo you actually want me to stop?â He asked, feeling a wave of possessiveness boil up inside him.
âCause I donât give a fuck if they know.â She held his gaze but didnât answer. Ethan set her down and pulled her to the dressing table, stopping to stand just behind her. He pulled her bare back to his chest and brought his mouth to her ear.
âDo you not want to let go of those nerves?â Ethan asked, his hands sliding along her breasts. âJust enough not to kill my sister tonight?â He skimmed his hands down her abdomen, along her skirt and to her thighs. âI can make it happen.â His fingers floated up her thigh and underneath her panties. A low hiss escaped his mouth as he felt the wetness there and pushed inside. âYouâre already so wet for me.â Â
She groaned and pressed her hips back into him. âIâm always wet for you.â Â
âTell me what you want,â He whispered against her shoulder. Â
âI donât know.â She responded, her eyes fluttering open.
âI donât believe that one bit,â Ethan said, his fingers moving in and out of her.
âYou know what you want. I want to feel you inside me.â She didnât need to ask twice. I
Ethan quickly undid his pants and pushed them down his hips, grinding into her ass before he lifted her skirt and gripped her panties in his hands.
âRip them,â she whispered. Ethan chuckled lowly. He yanked hard and her flimsy panties tore easily. He tossed them to the floor, running his hands along her skin and sliding his fingers down her arms to her hands, where he pressed her palms flat on the table in front of them. And he stopped to look at the this devil of a woman disguised as an angel. She was a fucking gorgeous sight: bent at the waist, skirt pushed up over her hips, perfect ass on display.
They both moaned as he lined himself up and slid in deep. Bending over, he placed a kiss and whispered âShhhâ on her back.
Ethan was at his wits end with her, desperate for the L word to pass her lips, but they never did. And he couldnât help but think if she felt that way for someone else. Someone who isnât him.
The image was enough to make him push into her more forcefully. Her strangled sounds made him smile, and he rewarded her with an increase in tempo. A twisted part of him felt a sense of vindication seeing her so muted by what he did to her. She was gasping, fingers searching for something to hold on to, and his cock so hard inside her, harder every time she tried to make a sound but couldnât. Â
Speaking softly against her ear, he asked if she wanted to be fucked. He asked her if she loved pissing him off to the point of taking her so roughly she would bruise. Â
She stuttered out a yes, and when he moved faster and harder, she begged for more. The bottles and jars on the table were rattling and tipping over with the force of their movements, but Ethan couldnât care less.
Gripping her hair, he pulled her up so her back was against his chest. âDo you think anyone can make you feel this way?â He continued to thrust in and out of her, forcing her to look out the window. He knew he was slipping as his walls were falling around him and the thin line between demanding and caring had started to blur, but he didnât care.
Ethan needed her to think of him, remembering the way he fucked her and force her to come to the conclusion she canât be without him any less than he can be without her.
His free hand ran up her sides to her breast, cupping it and twisting her nipples. Â
âNo,â she moaned. âNo one, but you.â Sliding his hand down her side he placed it behind her knee and hitched it up to the table, opening her up wider and allowing his thrusts to deepen. Â
âDo you feel how perfectly you fit around me?â He groaned into her neck. âYou feel so fucking good. When you go downstairs, I want you to remember this. Remember what I do to you. How you unravel.â The sensation was becoming too overwhelming and Ethan knew he was getting close. He was beyond desperate. He craved her like a drug, and this feeling consumed his every waking thought. Taking her hand in his, he laced their fingers and moved them down her body to her clit, both hands stroking and teasing.
She groaned as he felt himself glide in and out of her. âDo you feel that?â He whispered into her ear, spreading their fingers so they slipped on either side of his. She turned her head and whimpered into the skin of his neck.
It wasnât enough and it wasnât a proclamation of love he seeked, and he needed to keep her quiet. Removing his hand from her hair, he gently covered her mouth and placed a kiss against her flushed cheek. She let out a muffled cry, the possible sound of his name, as her body tensed and then tightened all around his. Â
After her eyes closed and her lips relaxed into a satisfied sigh, Ethan started taking what he needed: faster now, watching in the mirror so he could see how his thrusts made her breasts move.
Ethanâs orgasm began to rip through him. Her hand fell from his hair to cover his mouth now and he closed his eyes and let the wave overtake him. His final thrusts were deep and hard as he spilled into her. Â
He opened his eyes, kissing her palm before removing it from his mouth and laying his damp forehead against her shoulder. She leaned back into him as they stood there quietly for a few moments. Â
Slowly, she began to pull away, and Ethan frowned at the loss of contact. He watched as she straightened her skirt, retrieved her bra, and attempted to retie the straps of her top. As he reached down to pull up his pants, he grabbed the torn lace of her underwear, shoving it into his pocket. She was still struggling with her dress when he walked over, brushing her hands away and retying the straps without meeting her gaze. Â
The room was suddenly too small and they glanced at each other once in an uncomfortable silence. He reached for the knob, wanting to say something, anything.
âTell me you love me.â Ethan managed to say, turning back to face her with his eyes full of hope.
âI canât.â She crossed her arms over her stomach, shaking his being entirely.
âWhy the fuck not? Why am I not good enough to love, huh?â Ethan didnât raise his voice, simply demanded an answer because his own frustration had built up and the sex wasnât a complete release anymore. Not with that hanging over his head.
âI canât because thereâs something much more important to say.â She sighed, rubbing her forehead as her eyes looked up to the ceiling, a little bit of desperation passing through her as well. Her hand rested on her stomach still, her deep inhale reaching his ears.
And then she looked back at him, a little lost and very much terrified, her guard down for the first time in forever.
âIâm pregnant.â Â
Tags: @xalayx @dolandolll @godlydolans @dolanstwintuesday @ethanhes @peacedolantwins @loserdolan
#ethan dolan#ethan dolan x reader#ethan dolan smut#dolan twins#ethan dolan series#ethan dolan imagine#ethan dolan fanfic#ethan dolan fluff#ethan dolan fanfiction#ethan dolan fic#ethan dolan au#ethan dolan soulmate au
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For the @madatobigiftexchange. Even though my giftee dropped out ages ago I had already finished this lol so I might as well share it.Â
Pairing: MadaraTobirama Word count: 1568 Rated: T+ Summary: Explosions, experiments, and exasperation. Just a regular afternoon for them.
Follow the link or read it under the cut!
KO-FI and commission info in the header!
Once More With Feeling
When the desk rattled underneath him and the very walls of his home office shook Madara could only think that at least he hadnât been doing anything terribly important because that had either been an earthquake or an explosion and either way he probably wasnât going to be doing anymore paperwork for at least a few hours. He felt almost preternaturally calm as he set his brush down and stood up, absently righting a framed photo as he passed it on his way down the hall. Panicking wouldnât help anyone no matter what madness lay outside waiting for him. Rather than head out the front door towards the village center his first instinct was to head out the back exit where he knew his husband had been locked away in the laboratory at the back of their property for several hours.
Or at least there used to be a laboratory at the back of their property. Madara's left eye twitched as he took in the source of the ground-shaking explosion that had rocked through his afternoon plans. Where once there had been a mokuton-reinforced building with double thick walls and shatter resistant glass in the windows there now stood a smoking crater filled with shattered wood and debris of various unknown origins. Surrounding the wreckage there rose a twenty foot barrier Mito herself had lain around the perimeter of so many dangerous experiments for an occasion just such as this one.
And in the center of that barrier stood Tobirama, perfectly alive despite the blackened state of his face and the small flame burning just over his left ear. Considering the decimated state of his lab he must have had enough time to throw up some sort of protection against the blast else he would have been scattered across the lawn in just as many pieces but judging from the remains of his shirt it must not have done quite as much protecting as he had hoped.
Madara told himself to breathe deeply as he approached the scene of the crime and stopped just at the edge of the barrier, folding his arms across his chest. He waited patiently for the shock to pass and when Tobirama finally turned to look at him he had less than zero sympathy for the guilty expression on that beloved face.
âHad a small oopsie, did we?â he growled. Tobirama offered a smile.
âJust a small hiccup. I almost had it, though. One more trial and I think Iâll be able toââ
âReally? Are you sure? Just one more trial. Or perhaps I should say just one more explosion in my backyard. I was working, you public menace!â Madara took a moment to snap his head to one side and glare down the neighbors staring over their back fence. He kept his eyes narrowed in that direction until all the faces disappeared again, presumably to spread the word that everything was fine. This time.
Tobirama rolled his eyes and shook a layer of soot off both hands so he could make the signs to dispel Mitoâs protective barrier. Without it the smoke billowed outwards in massive puffs like a dragon belching smoke rings. Some of it swirled in admittedly beautiful patterns as Tobirama moved through it, picking his way along the wreckage until he was standing on untouched grass and looking back over the mess heâd made with a critical eye. Madara sighed despondently. He didnât even need to ask to know exactly what thoughts were running through his husbandâs mind.
âDo you think Anija has time to raise another building tonight?â Tobirama asked. âBecause I really was very close to a solution. If I could just get things set up again I know exactly what to change in the new design. Fireworks sealed in to a diversionary exploding tag, just think of the lives it could save! Itâll work. It has to work!â
âWhy did I marry you?â Madara threw up his hands and turned away.
âHey!â
âYouâre a heart-attack waiting to happen! One of these days Iâm going to come home and youâre going to have jutsuâd your own head off. And then Iâll have to feed you through your neck or something because kami knows you, of all people, would find a way to live without your head. How else are you going to keep bothering me?â
It was possible he might be getting a tad over-dramatic again but Madara consoled himself that he was nowhere near Hashirama levels of drama which meant he was still well within the boundaries of a reasonable reaction. Surely there was no one alive who wouldnât be at least somewhat upset by the idea of their spouse blowing themselves up for the fourth time in a twelve month period. There was really only so much one heart could take. What on earth had possessed him to fall in love with such a madman?
Other than the fine ass and the incredible sex and that damnably attractive genius brain.
He made it halfway back across the lawn before something very small yet very noticeable bounced off the back of his head and he stopped in his tracks, deadly frown already in place by the time he turned around to see Tobirama oh so innocently turned away from him, still looking at the wreckage of his lab.
âDid you just throw a rock at me?â he asked quietly. Tobirama didnât even deign to turn around.
âThat would be childish.â
âYes, because youâre never childish,â Madara snarled, sarcasm heavy in every syllable.
Finally Tobirama turned around to scoff lightly. âNever. But if I happen to have your attention would you possibly consider helpinââ
âNo I would not consider helping you recreate the seals before Hashirama has a chance to raise the building again.â He lifted both eyebrows with no surprise when Tobirama immediately began to pout, clearly somehow under the misguided impression that he should be allowed to seek out more dangerous activities just after having stood in the very epicenter of an explosion.
âAre you or are you not, as my husband, supposed to support me in my passions?â
âI think Iâm more partial to the duty of keeping you alive,â Madara drawled.
âHow boring.â
When he scowled Tobirama simply rolled his eyes and leaned in to kiss him, always an effective distraction from whatever had irritated him. Madara did his best to hold on to his very understandable grumpiness but it only took two more soft pecks for his expression to soften as he shuffled a little closer for a better kiss. Hands slowly buried themselves in his hair, pulling lightly on his scalp, and Madara groaned in to the sensation. Both of them had been so busy lately. With Tobirama locked away in his lab for hours at a time and Madara constantly bringing papers home from the office they hadnât had a proper amount of time for this sort of thing in at least a few weeks.
A low whine escaped in protest of Tobirama pulling away, soothed momentarily when he was granted one more swift kiss. His husband was smiling when Madara opened his eyes and the sight of him was so welcome, so distracting, that he made the fatal mistake of not paying much attention to the words coming out of that pretty mouth.
âOne small little experiment canât be too bad can it?â he asked in a low rumble. âWhat harm could it really do to just help me draw a few symbols on paper? Theyâre only symbols.â
âMm only symbols.â Entirely distracted, Madara repeated the end of the last sentence in an agreeable manner without giving much thought to what he was saying, anything to bring those lips back to his own. He didnât even notice when a dangerous smirk spread out across Tobiramaâs face in response.
âYou wouldnât mind, would you? All of my paper just went up in smoke but I did need a test subject anyway.â
âWhy did you stop kissing me?â Madara whined.
He admired the smile Tobirama gifted him in response, stupidly not reading in to the intent behind such a vicious expression. All that mattered to him was that his husband was kind enough to bend down and kiss him again in that way that promised all sorts of filthy things to come. He asked no questions as he was led back across the grass and in to their home. He thought no more of the smoking crater in their backyard. He didnât even notice anything amiss when Tobirama snagged a bottle of ink from a side table in the kitchen as they made their way through, much too interested in what the other hand was doing underneath his shirt.
It wasnât until perhaps ten minutes later that the village was rocked with a secondary explosion, this one in the familiar form of Madara's voice screaming at the top of his lungs.
âFUCKING SEALS! I AM NOT A GOD DAMNED LAB RAT, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? WHAT DO THESE EVEN DO? I SWEAR TO FUCK YOU MANIAC-â
Down the street with both hands over his ears, Izuna sighed and glared mournfully down at the tea that would surely go cold long before his brotherâs voice gave out. What on earth kept those two idiots together was beyond him. How, by the grace of all the mercies that be, was this his life?
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*Me, casually moves out of the bathroom so I can walk a bit while I brush my teeth. Walks into kitchen and out of the corner of my eye, I see something violently flaying itâs disgusting tiny legs in the air on its backside. Spot on the kitchen floor in the corner of the cabinets, an massive cockroach lays in its back, almost dead but still alive. I move close to it. Itâs legs flat violently again.*
Me, on the outside: â..â
Me, on the inside: *Inhales*
âAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-â
THIS IS THE WORST POSSIBLE THING ON THE ENTIRE FUCKING EARTH
I HATE cockroaches. They are worse than any fucking other insects, worse than ants, spiders (yes you heard me), maybe even termites. HELL. I MIGHT EVEN TAKE RATS OVER COCKROACHES. Itâs already bad enough I have to live in a house where these bugs crawl out every night and exist their disgusting fucking selves. This is literally like probably one of the biggest reasons I fucking hate living in this house and actually want to move out. BUT THIS??? A GIANT FUCKING COCKROACH THATS BIGGER THAN THE SIZE OF MY FUCKING T H U M B IN THE HOUSE?? NO NO NO NO I AM NOT DEALING WITH THAT
if you want more story on this itâs been happening over the course of the past few weeks. From how I saw it happening and was extremely worried about:
So quick tip of the layout of the house. It goes from Kitchen, to the garage, then to the outside backyard. So while checking in my dogs, which actually forced me to go through my garage, I see these bigger than usual bugs scatter across the garage floor. No big deal I thought. Just maybe a big beetle, my dumbass brain thought. Nah nah. Next few days later as I continue letting the dogs in and out of the house every night to calm themselves and be safe from the noise of fireworks, I see more of them but this time dead on the garage floor. I think, ân-no big deal, theyâre dead probably isnât that much more anyway.. they canât spread..â
Fucking doomed my ass with that. Right before July 4th before you know, the dog incident, my auntie said itâs probably a good idea to leave the garage door open so the dogs could go to the bathroom in the backyard through the garage instead of having to wake up late at night and open the garage door everytime then let them back into the house and repeat. I thought âokay yeah makes sense but what about the fucking giant cockroaches dead on the garage floor right now???â I didnât ask obviously, since the safety of my dogs was more important than me worrying over some stupid bugs. Also thought Iâd just get the answer âtheyâre dead. There probably isnât anymore, and if we do see them weâll kill them.â So during that whole night when we let that happen, I wasnât able to sleep because of the constant sounds of my dogsâ nails clicking on the floor since they were restless and moved all night, along with the fact that I knew the garage was just, there, opened. Opened for the giant cockroaches to let in. Because you guys have to know that the cockroaches that are in my house are small. Like nail size, thumb tact varying sizes but small none the least.
At least I thought, no big deal. Because for the days after that I saw no signs of any living giant garage cockroaches in the house. So I thought.. I guess most of them are dead. UNTIL FUCKING TONIGHT WHEN I SAW THE ALMOST DEAD BUT STILL FUCKING ALIVE COCKROACH ON THE DAMN GROUND. I wanted to fucking vomit trying to kill it. So yeah. Save for every other time my dad or auntie had to open the garage door and leave it open either for other things to do like work, gardening, transporting items, whatever, that one night was probably enough for those stupid few giant cockroaches to crawl in for hours in the dark just because I had to for the safety of my dogs. But at what cost? One of my biggest fears, giant fucking cockroaches. I hate you life.
And I will lose my fucking mind if they make their way into my fucking room. Iâm already fucking paranoid, I lost sleep over this back in my trip to China when I was 8 and giant cockroaches were everywhere in my relativeâs household. Iâm paranoid now and I cannot sleep soundly knowing any moment a giant cockroach could crawl on my bed and eat my face. Just thinking about it actually is making me sick and want to throw up.. This just makes me want to fucking die. AND ITS WORSE BECAUSE I CANT FUCKING LEAVE THIS HOUSE FOR MONTHS UNTIL NEXT SUMMER.
I fucking hate cockroaches so much. I donât care, I want all of the pest ones to fucking DIE of extinction.
So yeah thatâs the story of my theory of how the fuckers got in. And how I definitely will cry myself to sleep thinking about the house being overtaken by these giant cockroaches now instead of the disgusting but harmless small cockroaches.
#rant.exe#so yeah thats the story#i hope you enjoyed my misery#fuck cockroaches#cockroaches are awful and anyone who likes them more than spiders how are you sane#spiders eat bitches like those and keep the house clean#i want fucking death
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Kisses ; Stanley Uris x Reader (Fluff)
Anonymous ; hi! you should do a Stanley x Reader about being stanleys first kiss and first make out something like that, we know stanley is a soft baby but he also can be W I L D
Hey everyone ; itâs ya girl uh⌠writers block. Sorry I havenât posted recently, Iâve been trying to write âBeing a Harringtonâ part 2 but I havenât been able to have the time to just sit down and watch Netflix as the reference. But I promise Iâll try to work on it tonight since I have a long weekend ! Anyway, I really appreciate the one (rip my life) request Iâve gotten ! I know Iâm new to the community and requests will take time but I really appreciate everything youâve all done for me <3 I wasnât sure if the anon wanted a headcanon of this ( if thatâs what you meant please give me an ask again and Iâll do a headcanon version ! ) so have this really bad fanfic !
âSoooo, lovergirl. You and Stan kissed yet..?â
âRichie !â
A soft sigh left your lips as Eddie nudged Richie harshly before Mike rolled his eyes as the four of you sat in your freshly mowed backyard, staring at the clouds and waiting for your boyfriend, Bill and Ben to arrive. The seven of you were all going to hang out today due to it being a day off from school.
âIâll be honest, we havenât really kissed yet.â
âMy innocent baby girl!â
You stifled a giggle at Richies preppy motherly voice as he protectively held you tightly to his body, hushing you like a mother would do to a babbling baby. Laughing, you slapped his hands away once you heard the doorbell ring loudly.
âHello? (Y/n)?â
Jumping to your feet, you rushed into your house to get to the front door to let the guests in; behind you, you heard Richie do a bad impression of yourself âkissingâ Stanley as Eddie and Mike collectively groaned with each other.
âHey guys !â
Smiling, you opened the door to reveal Stanley, Ben and Bill all holding shopping bags filled with different snacks, plastic cups and multiple different bottles of soda. You grabbed all the bags off of Ben and Bill and pointed to your backyard where the other boys were, this left you with Stanley.
âIâm glad you guys got everything !â
âI made sure they grabbed the soda that you liked.â
âAwhh Staaaan~â
Smiling, you put the bags on the counter and hugged Stanley tightly; he gave you a bright smile and kissed your forehead softly before you started preparing everything to bring out to the guys.
âHelp me with the food?â
âOf course babe.â
The two of you proceed to pull out multiple bowls and plates to stack all of the food onto before taking it out to the boys outside who were preoccupied talking to each other whilst staring at the clouds above them. Meanwhile, you and Stanley continued to talk to each other about date ideas.
âIâd love to go on a date to the roller skating rink, I havenât gone there in a whileâŚâ
âThat sounds like a great idea (Y/â)â
âHURRY UP IM HUNGRY !â
âRICHIE CALM YOUR ASS DOWN !â
Stifling back a giggle, you proceeded to grab the different bowls and plates that were filled with food before Stanley grabbed all the different sofa bottles and cups that they would all need. However, before Stanley could get out of your sight you smiled and reached up to kiss him.
It was also a medore moment when the two main characters of a love story would kiss and it would feel like fireworks had just been set off, but it really did feel like that to you. As you pulled away with pink cheeks, Stanley stood there almost shocked yet proud and happy at the same time.
âGod youâre a good kisserâŚ.â
âHehe, I know !â
âWhat!? You and Stan still havenât made out properly yet?â
A loud groan left your lips as you slumped your head down on the cafeteria table, maybe yelling Richie Tozier that you and your boyfriend of 5 months havenât properly made out was a horrible idea to begin with. Next to you, Eddie slapped Richies arm harshly before letting out a sigh.
âHer and Stan are just taking things slow Richie, itâs not like they need to make out or anything.â
âBut theyâre sixteen Eddie ! Sixteen !â
âIsnât having our first kiss good enough?â
âUnless you wanna end up like Eddies mom then go for it.â
Grumbling, Eddie slapped Richies arm once again for this time being an asshole about his mother; as the bell rang loudly, the three of you stood up and made your way to your lockers for your next class. On the way there however, Stanley and Bill had walked past you as they came out of the science room after helping a teacher the whole lunch period.
âHey Staââ
You were cut off by him almost smashing his lips onto your own as he had one hand around your waist, loud whistles erupted from Richie before Stanley stopped kissing you and gave you a smile you adored the most.
âIâll see you after schoolâ
âY-yeah, see youâŚ.â
Turning around, Eddie was proudly clapping his hands whilst Richie had his back against a locker; fanning his face before speaking to you in once again, his proud motherly voice. As he held his arms out to hug you, you saw Eddie facepalming and signaling for you to run away.
âOh my baby girl come to Mommy !â
âRichie noââ
#it#it 2017#stanley uris x reader#stan uris#stanley uris#stan uris x reader#richie tozier#bill denbrough#mike hanlon#eddie kaspbrak#ben hanscom
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I almost thought I wouldnât have anything finished to post tonight because I was Exhausted, but I got my second wind and wrote this whole thing, so hereâs hoping it isnât a disaster.Â
Also, Iâm beginning to think this fic is going to be known as the fic of long chapters, so Iâm sorry about that too.
Anyway, hereâs Chapter Four.
(Ao3)
-
âHey, we almost werenât sure that this was the right place!â Daisy called across the backyard of Mack and Elenaâs newly rented home, a cute little cottage that Jemma found absolutely adorable.
The sound of Mackâs familiar chuckle reached them before he did, crossing the yard as he was to give each of them one of his famous bear hugs in greeting. âI know; I still canât believe how quickly we found this place.â Lowering his voice and arching an eyebrow, he added, âYo-Yoâs still convinced that thereâs something wrong with it that we just havenât found yet.â
Smiling at Mackâs fond teasing of his girlfriend, Jemma told him, âRemind me to get your realtorâs name â Iâm going to need to start looking for a new flat for Fitz and I sooner rather than later.â
âIâll make sure you get it before you leave tonight,â he promised, leading them both back over to the grill that heâd been manning. âHope you guys are hungry; weâve got more than enough food to go around.â
âYouâre telling me,â Daisy replied, arching an eyebrow as she eyed the stack of uncooked burgers and hot dogs on the tray beside the grill. âJeez, you guys are really taking this Fourth of July barbeque to the extreme, arenât you? Itâs not even really the fourth!â
Pointing his spatula mock-threateningly at Daisy, Mack told her, âHey, this is the birth of our nation weâre talking about.â
âAnd, itâs a certain someone elseâs birthday tomorrow,â Daisy hinted not-so-subtly.
Mack let out a loud laugh at that, wrapping his free arm around Daisyâs shoulders in a half-hug. ââCourse it is! There may even be a present somewhere around here for you.â
âOh?â
As Daisy began to press for more details, Jemma, whose stomach was turning a bit worryingly at the smell of the meat grilling, took a step toward the back door of the house and told them, âIâm sorry, I canât ââ
But, before she could finish, Daisy cut her off to say, âOh shit, yeah, you okay? Do I need to find you the nearest bucket?â
âI think I should be fine if I just put some distance between myself and the burgers,â Jemma answered, offering Mack an apologetic smile.
Mackâs brow furrowed in concern, and he offered, âYo-Yo and Bobbi are inside if you want to head in.â
Already backing up, Jemma called, âThank you,â before sliding open the glass back door and stepping inside. She could feel her stomach begin to settle once sheâd closed it behind her, and she breathed a soft sigh of relief. She had about two weeks now left of her first trimester, and she was so looking forward to the morning sickness easing â sheâd had a rough time of it for the past month, and sheâd be glad when it was all over.
Both Bobbi and Elena glanced up at her entrance into the little kitchen, where they were gathering drinks and opening containers of various picnic salads, no doubt to bring outside to join the rest of the food, and they both greeted her warmly.
âNeed any help?â she offered, stepping closer, and ready to offer aid in any way that she could.
Elena waved away her offer, though, assuring her, âWeâve got this.â
Nodding in understanding, Jemma glanced around and told her, âThis place is so wonderful, Iâm happy for you both, truly.â
She smiled warmly in response. âThank you, Jemma.â Then, out of the blue, she went on, âDaisy told me that she canât go with you to see your doctor next week. Iâm free, if you would like me to go instead.â
Startled, Jemma glanced away from a framed photo of Mack and Elena that sheâd been studying on the counter and toward Elena herself, who was focused on stirring a bowl of pasta salad. Before she could even begin to form a reply, though, Bobbi put in, âYeah, and I can take off work whenever you need me to, if youâve got an appointment and want some company.â
Glancing between them with an arched eyebrow, Jemma smiled wryly and asked rhetorically, âWhy does this feel like something you two cooked up with Daisy?â
The two exchanged a glance before Elena admitted and a guilty little shrug, âDaisy may have mentioned something about it to us.â
âBut we were on board one hundred percent from the beginning,â Bobbi was quick to add. âWe just donât want you to go through this alone, hon.â
Though she appreciated the sentiment, Jemma made it a point to remind them, âIâm not alone. But, thank you both. And I would love to have you come with me, Elena. Thank you.â
Elena smiled and nodded in response, but then Bobbi asked with a smirk twitching at the corners of her lips, âJemma, what are you doing?â
It was only then that Jemma became conscious of the fact that sheâd been tidying up the messy kitchen, putting dishes in the sink (pre-rinsing them, of course), folding napkins, and separating the pile of silverware into sets of forks, knives, and spoons.
Flushing in embarrassment, she quickly took a step back and held up her hands before hooking them around her neck. âOh, Iâm sorry. Iâve been doing this everywhere, even at work!â Grimacing a bit, she admitted, âItâs the reason that my co-workers came to the eventual conclusion that I was pregnant; I was even more tidy than usual.â Shaking her head, she could still feel the heat burning across her cheeks. âEveryone, including DaisyâŚtheyâve all been insisting that Iâm nesting, but itâs far too early for that! But, either way, Iâm sorry, IâŚâ
Elena held up a hand to cut off her apology, chuckling as she shook her head, âDonât apologize â youâre not doing me any harm.â
Picking up the napkins and silverware that sheâd sorted, Jemma followed the other two outside into the backyard then, explaining to them, âDaisy was happy about it in the beginning too, but now sheâll put something down on the coffee table for a minute, and itâs disappeared back into its rightful place by the time sheâs returned to pick it up. I canât tell you how many times Iâve heard the phrase, âthereâs such a thing as too clean, Jemmaâ lately.â
Bobbi let out an amused snort at that, placing her armload of drinks down on one side of the folding table set up off to the side of the yard. âHonestly, if youâre that bad, Iâm terrified of when the actual nesting starts.â
Jemma nodded in agreement, making a bit of a face as she set the pile of napkins and silverware down as well. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Hunter striding up to them and grabbing a plate from the end of the table, and she turned fully to face him when he greeted, âOh, hey Simmons.â
âHello Hunter,â she replied, offering him a smile.
When he didnât reply, and only squinted at her oddly, her smile fell and she asked a bit self-consciously, âWhat?â
Blinking a couple of times, he answered quickly, âOh, no, you justâŚdonât really look pregnant, yeah? Arenât you supposed to beâŚâ Trailing off, he held out his hands in front of him, mining cupping a large stomach instead to complete his train of thought.
Before Jemma could even begin to try and form a reply to that, she heard Bobbi give a low groan, grabbing Hunterâs arm in order to drag him away. Though, they werenât quite of earshot when she snapped at him, âGod, you are such an idiot sometimes, Hunter.â
And, Hunterâs reply of, âWhat?! I didnât even bring up the fact that her baby daddyâs AWOL!â, was just as clear. Jemma mightâve been offended by the conversation as a whole â if she hadnât known that that was just Hunter being Hunter, which she was more than used to by now, so it all really just rolled right off her back.
A few of Mack and Elenaâs other friends joined them not too long after, as well as Mackâs brother and some of Elenaâs cousins, and the little backyard was filled with laughter and several different conversations, as well as music playing from a set of speakers on the back porch, up until the sky grew dark and the fireworks were due to start any minute.
Jemma was curled up in a lawn chair with Daisy in her own beside her, and as the first brightly colored firework filled the sky above, Daisy reached over to elbow her in the side, waiting until she had her attention before saying, âHey, maybe next year you and Fitz could throw the Fourth of July barbeque â Iâm sure everyoneâs gonna want to see your new little baby all dressed up in red, white, and blue.â
Not even bothering to remind Daisy that both she and Fitz werenât even American, Jemma simply replied, âYes, maybe,â instead caught up in how nice it would be to have Fitz around all the time, with the option of throwing parties together or just having friends over to their flat for a little get-together. She was quite sure, after all, that he was going to get along just fine with friends once they all got to know each other.
As she turned her gaze skyward once more, Jemma couldnât help but picture Fitz up there somewhere, among the stars, and though she missed him just as desperately as she always did these days, a little smile curved her lips then as she pressed one hand against her stomach.
This time next year, heâd be back by her side and theyâd have a baby; that was what was important.
-
A handful of days later found Jemma rushing haphazardly around her flat, trying to get ready in a hurry so as not to be late for her doctorâs appointment. She had been on time, even having the time to make a couple of slices of toast for herself and Daisy before she went off to work, but then sheâd run down to grab their mail and had gotten a whiff of the eggs that their neighbor was cooking on her way back up to their floor.
Unfortunately, it was one of the times that the nausea didnât pass, and sheâd wasted a good fifteen minutes bent over the toilet, losing said toast, then waiting impatiently for her stomach to settle back down before she could get back to getting ready for the day.
Now, she was tugging a t-shirt on over her head, her jeans were still unbuttoned and riding low on her waist, and her hair was in the same messy ponytail that sheâd thrown it in earlier that morning.
When a sudden knock on the door had her pausing, Jemma glanced at the time, and figuring that it could only be Elena, she hurried over to open it, already apologizing in advance, âIâm ââ
But, the rest of the sentence never left her lips, because she then registered that it was not Elena that was standing on the other side of her door, and but was in fact Nora Fitz instead.
Jemma stared a bit blankly at Fitzâs mother for a long moment, her mouth hanging open, but when Nora chuckled and greeted, âHello, dear,â she snapped out of it and hastily yanked her t-shirt down the rest of the way and buttoned up her jeans.
âMrs. Fitz! I â what a surprise! Fitz never said anything about you coming to visit!â Jemma replied, utterly flustered as she stepped back to allow her inside, accepting a brief embrace from the older woman with a small, surprised smile.
âHe didnât know,â Nora admitted, âbut I apologize; perhaps I shouldâve given you some sort of warning.â Narrowing her eyes sternly, she added, âAnd Iâve been telling you for years, Jemma Anne â itâs Nora. Or, Mum now, if youâd like.â She smiled warmly at that, even as she offered Jemma a little teasing wink, and it only served to prove that Fitz was absolutely right about her being okay with their relationship, which she couldnât help but be relieved about.
âNora, right, sorry,â Jemma corrected, offering her a weak smile in return.
Noraâs brow furrowed, and she asked in concern, âAm I interrupting anything? If so, I can stop back in later â itâs my own fault for not calling first.â
âOh, no! No, youâre not interrupting,â she assured her hastily. Even if she had been, though, she certainly wouldâve have turned her away â Fitzâs mother mightâve still lived in the States, but her home was still a bit of a drive from Jemmaâs flat. âI was just getting ready to go to an OB appointment, and Iâm running a bit behind.â
Nora arched an eyebrow at that, teasing, âNow, that doesnât sound like the Jemma Simmons that I knew when she was just a girl.â
Laughing at that, Jemma told her, âBelieve me, it still isnât â but I can hardly help it when the neighborâs making eggs and my stomach doesnât quite agree with the smell of them.â
Humming in sympathy, Nora confessed, âOh, I had the worst morning sickness when I was pregnant with Leo.â
Pausing in tugging her shoes on, Jemma glanced up at her and said with a bit of fear coloring her tone, âPlease tell me that it didnât go past the first trimester â Iâve been so looking forward to this chapter of the pregnancy wrapping up as soon as possible.â
âOh no, no dear, after the first few months, it was suddenly like itâd never happened,â Nora assured her with a wave of her hand. âEverything was roses from then on â well, in terms of nausea anyway. Did Leo ever tell you just how much he enjoyed kicking his poor mum at all hours of the night, playing football with my organs and jumping on my bladder like they were toys?â
With a laugh, Jemma shook her head, telling her, âNo, he definitely left that bit out.â
âYes, well, Iâm not surprised.â Nora rolled her eyes fondly, giving a little shake of her head at her sonâs antics.
Jemma grabbed her purse off of the back of the couch then, but paused as something occurred to her. âWould you like to come to my appointment with me? My friend Elena is taking me, but youâre more than welcome to join us.â
Nora lit up almost immediately at the prospect, but she still replied carefully, âOh, well, if youâre sure; I wouldnât want to intrude.â
âYou wouldnât be,â Jemma insisted, âyou no doubt came all this way to see your grandchild, so you might as well.â
Even as she smiled elatedly, Nora corrected, âI came all this way to see my grandchild and my future daughter-in-law.â Then, reaching out to give Jemmaâs shoulder a gentle squeeze, she added softly, âThank you, dear.â
-
After Jemmaâs appointment, she and Elena had taken Nora out for lunch, and once theyâd dropped Elena off and returned to the flat, the two of them spent some time catching up, talking about her plans for the baby, and, of course, Fitz. Jemma found out about how his mother was obviously proud of him for being an astronaut, but also was a bit bothered by the fact that his career choice had him in space for months, and Jemma told her a bit more about their whirlwind romance and proposal than Fitz had in their brief conversation the previous month.
And, when Daisy got home from work, despite never having met Fitz or his mother before, she jumped right into the conversation, explaining that she had to know more about this guy if she was going to let him marry her best friend.
Nora had tried to insist that she should head home after dinner, but both Jemma and Daisy convinced her to stay, so that she wouldnât have to drive in the dark, and so that she could spend a bit more time with Jemma the following day (and, little did Daisy know, Jemma had invited her to the surprise birthday party they were planning for Daisy tomorrow afternoon â or, well, maybe she did, since Jemma was a horrible liar, but she hoped at least). Daisy even offered up her bed, insisting that it was better that she crash on the couch than the pregnant woman.
But, before they went to bed and while Daisy was in the bathroom brushing her teeth, Jemma pulled Nora aside, finally asking something that had been weighing on her mind all day, âYouâŚyou havenât mentioned anything about the pregnancy to my parents, have you?â
Nora was clearly a bit taken aback by the question, but assured her regardless, âNo, I havenât. Do they notâŚâ
âNo, they donât know yet,â she finished, grimacing a bit and crossing her arms over her chest.
Nodding in understanding, Nora admitted, âWell, itâs a good thing that I know; Iâd actually been thinking about ringing your mum to talk about our mutual grandbaby sometime soon.â
Jemma, of course, wasnât surprised that her mother and Fitzâs were still in contact â theyâd gotten quite close when she and Fitz were friends growing up, and her mother had mentioned Nora every so often during their chats over the years. Though, she did also know that their friendship had fallen a bit by the wayside when Jemma and Fitz had stopped talking and her parents had later moved back to England, not talking as often as they used to.
âWell, Iâll let Mum know to give you a call when I do tell them about the baby,â Jemma told her. She hesitated, then confessed a bit unsurely, âI justâŚhavenât worked up to it, and well, Iâve been so busy with work and appointments andâŚand morning sickness, which really means being sick at any time of the day and night, so ââ
âI understand, dear,â Nora cut in to tell her gently, âtake your time, no oneâs rushing you. Itâs a lot for anyone to tell their parents about â lord knows I was shocked when Leo told me the news.â
Releasing a relieved breath, Jemma offered her a grateful smile, murmuring, âThank you.â It made her feel worlds better to have her hesitancy about telling her parents validated, especially by someone that she trusted the opinion of as much as she did Nora Fitz.
It wasnât that she was afraid to tell them, or worried about their reactions, or anything of the sort. She couldnât quite put her finger on what was holding her back from making the call and simply giving them the news, but she did know that she was going to have to do it soon; the longer she waited, the more she imagined that her parents would be upset about not being told sooner.
âOf course,â Nora replied warmly, giving Jemmaâs arm a little squeeze. When the bathroom door opened and Daisy stepped out, Nora took her place, closing the door behind her.
As she approached her, Jemma handed Daisy the spare blanket and pillow that sheâd found in her closet, and as Daisy took them, she asked, âSo, thatâs the infamous Mama Fitz, huh?â
With a little laugh, Jemma replied, âYes, thatâs her.â
Daisy nodded, setting the armload of bedding down on the couch and said plainly, âWell, I like her. If her sonâs anything like her, then we shouldnât have any problems.â
âHeâs just as wonderful,â Jemma assured her, feeling her heart filling with warmth in her chest at just the thought of Fitz, and how kind and gentle and loving he was.
âYeah, well, Iâll believe it when I see it,â Daisy teased, throwing a smirk at Jemma over her shoulder as she spread out the blanket and fluffed her pillow.
Jemma gave her a teasing little shove as she brushed past her, saying pointedly, âGoodnight, Daisy,â to which she received a laughing reply of her own goodnight. She passed Nora on her way to her bedroom, and wished her goodnight as well, and once she was settled in her bed, she pulled her laptop onto her lap and opened it up.
Fitzâs schedule hadnât allowed for them to talk that day, unfortunately, but she could send him emails whenever she wanted to, which he checked for every morning and night religiously, so she opened a new email and began typing.
Hi Fitz,
Since I know itâs what you want to hear first: everything went just fine at my appointment today. The babyâs healthy and growing at the average rate, and their heartbeat sounded absolutely perfect â I canât wait for you to hear it, itâs incredible Fitz, truly.
Oh, and youâll never believe who I received a surprise visit from today. Go ahead, guess, youâll never get it.
âŚ
It was your mother.
Yes, your mother. No, I wasnât expecting it either. But Fitz, it really was so delightful to see her again â to be honest, Iâm not sure who I missed more, you or her. Itâs really a toss-up. We spent the day together, and sheâs staying the night so we can have some more time tomorrow before she heads home. Oh, and Iâll have you know that sheâs already started in on a baby blanket and a pair of booties. Donât roll your eyes; I think itâs sweet!
Iâm still free to chat tomorrow night if you are. I know Iâm looking forward to talking to you, to seeing you â and, Iâll tell you all about Daisyâs birthday party. I even invited your mum! She and Daisy actually took to each other pretty quickly, so perhaps Daisy wonât give you as hard a time when you finally meet her in person.
But, thatâs probably just wishful thinking.
Hopefully, Iâll see you tomorrow, and I love you, Fitz. Have a good day!
Jemma
After sheâd sent the email, Jemma closed her laptop and set it on bedside table, curling up under her covers to try and get some sleep before tomorrow, which would no doubt be yet another eventful day.
She briefly ran back over the day in her mind, a little smile tugging at her lips, and she found herself truly happy that Nora had come to visit. It was true that she had missed the woman that had been like a second mother to her growing up, and to know that she was back in her life, now in a much more permanent fashion, was comforting in a way that she hadnât imagined it would be.
But, it was then that she realized that there had been another, surprise advantage to her visit â having her there was the closest that Jemma had felt to Fitz since heâd left for the space station. To hear her stories, to hear the love and affection in her voice when she talked about him, and to be around the only other person in the world that loved him as much as she didâŚit had honestly done her a world of good.
And with that feeling warming her from the inside out, Jemma fell asleep with the smile still firmly on her face.
#shayna writes#fsfic#fitzsimmons#these stars will guide us home#astronaut au#chapter four#yikes this is almost 4000 words#i can't believe i wrote this whole thing#when i was practically falling asleep a few hours ago#that means it's either really good#or really bad#also i'm rambling in the tags again#shayna is a human disaster#that is all
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fireworks
Forever out of practise, and this is silly, but I love Bonfire Night and these two so this happened. Forgive me.Â
âItâs busy out tonight,â Ginny says, arriving back at Grimmauld Places after a dayâs training.
âWell, yeah,â Harry replies, coming over to kiss her cheek. âItâs Bonfire Night.â
âOh, Iâd forgotten about that,â she says, returning his kiss, then going to hang her cloak up on the wall. âThat was fun, last year.â Theyâd gate-crashed a party in Holyhead, a school or some kidsâ group that had hastily thrown together a bonfire and some fireworks as a fundraiser. Harry had thought that Ginny might get boredâmuggle fireworks were clearly nowhere near as impressive as the ones sheâd grown up with, and nothing will ever compete with Fred and Georgeâs display in fifth yearâbut sheâd been enchanted by it all. It was nothing like youâd get in the wizarding world, but maybe that was the point. And Harry, who had few pleasant experiences of the muggle world, had been enchanted by her, and so, between them, theyâd managed a pretty special night.
âShall we do it again?â she asks, hands hovering over the cloak sheâs just hung up.
âWhat, go to Holyhead?â he asks. âOr somewhere else?â
âWhere else is there?â asks Ginny.
âOh, everywhere,â he says. âEverywhere has Bonfire Night parties. Ron said he and Hermione are going to one down by her parentsâ house. The Scouts have organised it, itâs in the field behind the car park of the pub just down from where they live. Ronâs donated one of Hermioneâs woolly bladder hats for the Guy.â
âSounds glamorous,â she says.
âWell,â Harry shrugs, âthereâll be things like that up and down the country. Backyard parties. Schools and what have you getting some fireworks in for the littles. But if you want glamour, thereâs always bigger and better ones in the cities. Iâm sure if we walk over to Hyde Park, weâll find something. Some of those are almost as good as your brotherâs ones.â
âIâm not fussed,â says Ginny. âI just feel like seeing some fireworks, donât you? Itâs been ages since weâve been out, just us two. Letâs go somewhere. Have fun. Eat a toffee apple and play with the sparklers.â
âWhere do you want to go?â
She walks over to him, wraps her arms around his waist. âNot fussed,â she repeats. âWherever you fancy. Whatever you fancy,â she adds lightly. âWhoever you fancy.â
He raises an eyebrow, about to make some silly remark in reply, when heâs struck by a sudden thought, and pulls back from her. âMeet me in the garden in five minutes.â
âWhat for?â she asks, but heâs shaking his head, already halfway to the back door. âDo you have a plan, Mr Potter?â
âYou better believe I do,â he says, stepping out into the cold, dark night.Â
âGarden. Five minutes.â She salutes, laughing, and he pops his head back inside the house. âOh, and wrap up warm. Really warm. Like, twelve old Christmas jumpers warm. I know youâve got them, and trust me, youâll need them.â
âIf you promise a girl fireworks, you should really be more focussed on taking clothes off, rather than putting more on,â she says.
His head, which had vanished, reappears around the door. âI can give you fireworks whatever youâre wearing,â he says, voice low and husky. She shivers, which has nothing to do with the cold air coming in from the open door. âFive minutes!â he reminds her, grinning, and she dashes off upstairs.
Three and a half minutes later���patience has never been her strong suitâsheâs wrapped up in the warmest clothes she owns, including last yearâs hand-knitted Christmas jumper (which her mother had made Holyhead Harpiesâ green, with a big red Quaffle on the front. Ron and George had delightedly told her that it looked more like a giant boil than a Quaffle, which had led to her exacting her revenge through what had been referred to ever since as the Great Christmas Pudding Incident. But itâs still a warm jumper, and thatâs what Harry had demanded). She dashes over to the back bedroom, and leans out of the window that overlooks the garden.
âGardenâ is perhaps a little optimistic: none of the Blacks had had a great interest in gardening, and for all the years Grimmauld Place had been abandoned, the scrub of land behind the kitchen had just become more and more overgrown. Since Harry has been living there, theyâve made an effort to clear it, but itâs still just really a small patch of grassânow covered with slippery fallen leaves and a rickety old shed at the end, filled with spiders so large they make her understand Ronâs fear.
She largely avoids the place, particularly once autumn sets in, but sheâs sure that the last time she was in it, there wasnât an enormous motorbike and sidecar revving away there.
âYou like it?â Harry calls up, seeing her hanging out of the window.
âIs that Siriusâs old bike?â she asks. Harry nods. âI thought that was in bits in the bottom of Dadâs shed?â
âAh. Well. About that,â he says, scratching his head slowly, and in that moment, he sounds so like her father, caught doing something he shouldnât by her mother, that she laughs, her breath fogging in front of her. âWeâve been...fixing it up a bit.â
âJust a bit,â she agrees. The last time sheâd seen it had quite literally been in bits; sheâd thought that after it had crashed, on the night Harry was taken from his aunt and uncleâs by the Order, that had been the last of it. âHow did it get here?â
âHagrid took the parts back to your Dad a few years ago,â he says. âHe kept them, happened to mention it to me. By rights, itâs mineâSirius left me everything. But I had no idea what to do with it. So your Dad suggested we fix it up together, so...we did. We started whilst you were at school, and now itâs just whenever you were training, and I had a free weekend. I pop over, we do a bit of fettling. We test-flew it over here a few months back.â
âBit of fettling,â she echos. âGod, Potter, youâre such a nerd.â
âYou love it, though,â he calls. âAnyway. Want a ride?â He steps forward as he says it, and suddenly heâs a lot more illuminated by the moon than he was a second ago, so she can see that heâs wearing an old leather jacket. She vaguely recognises it as Siriusâs, too, but from her memories, Sirius did not look like that in it. He did not look like that at all. She realises that sheâs biting her lip unconsciously, leaning further forwards out of the windowâany further and sheâll practically fall outâand sees Harry smirk. âWant a ride?â he repeats.
She shouldâve bought him a leather jacket years ago.
âGive me a sec,â she calls down. Harry looks fineâbut she wonât be beaten. Two can play at this game.
In their room, she pulls off the jumper and rummages into the depths of her wardrobe. Harry isnât the only one with a hand-me-down jacket. Her hands close around the soft leather and she pulls it out carefully, staring at it for a long moment before she puts it on. Itâs worn with ageâa vintage find, it had been explained to her, years agoâand covered in band patches, some she loves and some sheâs never even heard of.
And, very faintly, a smell of perfume. She never found out the particular scent Tonks wore, but itâs there, impregnated into the leather, and for a moment she just inhales.
Andromeda had presented her with her daughterâs jacket just before she left for Hogwarts for the final time. Ginny had been reluctant to accept it, at first, but Andromeda had insisted. âIt needs to be lived in,â sheâd said, and in the end, Ginny had accepted it. She loved it, and took it out to look at every so often. Sometimes, sheâd even contemplated wearing itâshe had an amazing dragonhide miniskirt she was sure it would look great withâbut she hadnât yet dared to do so. It felt like a step too far, in a way she couldnât explain.
But now, she slips it on, staring at herself in the mirror as she does so. Sheâs not sure what she expectsâfireworks?âbut, after a moment, she finally gets what Andromeda had meant. The jacket does need to be lived in, and it fits her like a glove. Thereâs a part of her that instantly decides she wonât wear anything else, ever again. She pulls her hair into a ponytail, teasing some strands out around her face and replaces her trainers with a pair of combat boots, just to get the full effect. Her cheeks are naturally flushed from the cold a moment ago, and she grins at herself in the mirror.
âHarry Potter,â she says, âeat your heart out.â
âHeâll certainly something, dear,â the mirror replies, and Ginny cackles, running for the stairs.
âThat took you a while,â Harry calls, hearing her open the back door. âI was beginning to think that I should...not complain,â he finishes, changing tack as he turns around. He looks her slowly up and down. âNice jacket.â
âThanks,â she grins. âNice jacket.â
âThanks,â he says, grinning back. âSo. Sidecar or pillion?â
She snorts. âPillion, obviously.â She helps him to unhook the sidecar from the bike, already itching to climb aboard. What she really wants to do is drive the thing, but she gets that this is Harryâsâan all-too-rare connection to his godfather. Thereâll be time enough in the future for her to have her turn, but tonight sheâll follow his lead. He climbs aboard, then gets straight back off again.
âI forgot,â he says, raising his wand. âSafety first,â he says gallantly, handing her one of two helmets that have just zoomed over from the shed.
âAre we riding to the display in Hyde Park?â she asks.
He shakes his head. âNah, weâre flying. But just in case, you know? I wouldnât want the Harpiesâ star chaser to miss a match thanks to concussion.â
âWeâre playing Chuddley next week. I could probably play blindfold, with a concussion, and my hands tied behind my back and weâd still win,â she says mildly, but puts it on anyway. âSo, where are we going?â
Harry grins. âEverywhere.â
âEverywhere?â
âYes,â he says. âWhy pick one show, when you can fly around them all. Iâve always wondered what fireworks would look like from above. Why not find out? Letâs just go, and see how many different displays we can see.â
Ginny grins. âThat, Mr Potter, is a very good plan,â she says, delighted. âWait. Wonât the muggles see us?â
Harry shakes his head. âInvisibility booster,â he says, pointing to a button on the front.
âIs that legal?â
âEh,â he says, wiggling his hand. âI mean. Iâm an Auror. Your Dadâs Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Department. Iâm sure itâs fine. I can always claim Iâve apprehended you committing some crime, and Iâm flying you and the evidence back to the Ministry.â
âOh, theyâll buy that, Iâm sure,â she says, rolling her eyes.
âIf I tie you up really tightly, Iâm sure they will,â he shrugs.
âIs that a promise?â she asks, and he pulls a face.
âLetâs just get going,â he says, helping her climb aboard.
He pulls on his helmet and slides in in front of her, so she wraps her arms around him tightly, pressing her body against his back. âReady?â he calls, over the noise of the engine.
âAlways,â she shouts back, and Harry reverses slightly, hitting the invisibility booster as he does so. They back up as far as they can in the small space, and he revs the engine twice. Then, in less than a moment, theyâre off, straight up in the air from the back garden of Grimmauld Place. They rise higher and higher, Ginny squeezing him tightly, then they shoot off across London.
âLook!â she cries, pointing to her left where, already, she can see a firework display a few miles off. Greens, pinks, yellows and reds flash through the sky for a second, and she thinks of all the people down on the ground, oohing and ahhing together. The view is different from up here, and the noise from the engine cancels out any bangs from the fireworks themselves. Itâs strange and new and wonderful and she loves it already.
âAhead,â Harry shouts, nodding his head towards another display even further off, just tiny flashes of light in the far distance. She presses herself closer, placing her head on his shoulder, and they drive forwards, together, into the darkness.
#i still can't think of a) good titles or b) good endings but it was quite fun to just write something pointless sooooooo here we go i guess#weirdly nervous about sharing this but i'm gonna i've got to get back to it#hinny#hpfic#my writing
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Some you give away (Francisco Geraldes OS)
This is for the lovely anon who requested a Francisco Geraldes OS. Iâm sorry it took so long. Please share your thoughts. xo
Camila pulled up her Volkswagen beetle in front of the stadium just in the moment when Francisco and couple of his teammates were getting out. She rolled down the window and waived at him. âCisco, over here.â As if anyone was unable to spot the yellow car.
He grinned and waived back, and his friends must've made some joke because they all laughed. Francisco showed one of them but laughed anyway, and as they got within earshot Camila realized they were making fun of him.
âCisco go, don't let your girlfriend wait for you,â one of them said, imitating a female voice- her voice.. Everyone laughed and Francisco blushed.
God, like they're twelve, Camila thought rolling her eyes.
She recognized the head clown of the group- it was Nuno Santos. Ever since Francisco introduced her to his teammates, Nuno wouldn't miss a single opportunity to hit on her. It didn't take her long to figure out that he is not just the biggest clown but also the biggest flirt on the team.
âEverything alright with you, Santos?â she asked raising an eyebrow at him.
âOh sweetie, everything is perfect, but there is just one thing missing-â he took a dramatic pause as he leaned against the rolled down window of her car. As if she didn't already  know what he was going to say.
You, sweet cheeks.
â-you, sweet cheeks.â he smirked. She laughed.
By this time, Francisco has already gotten into the passenger seat.
Camila fluttered her lashes before winking at him. âNever in your wildest dreams, Nuno boy!â
She laughed while hitting the gas pedal with her foot, which made Nuno lose his balance and almost fall over.
Camila stuck her hand outside the window and waived at the group. âBye boys!â she yelled. As they drove off, in the rearview mirror, she could see the rest of the guys laughing at Nuno.
She focused her attention on Francisco, looking at him with the corner of her eye. Only now did she notice he was holding a burger in his hand.
âWhat?â he asked, his mouth half full with food.
âWhat did I tell you about eating in Lemon?â Yep, she refered to her car as âlemonâ. Which wasn't far from the truth, really.
âYou eat in my car all the time!â Francisco protested. âNeed I remind you of the instance when you ate not one, but two-ice cream corns in my car simultaneously? The seat is still sticky from the melted ice cream.â
âWell it's not my fault you let me eat there,â she shrugged her shoulders innocently. âI, however, have a different policy, so put that away,â she demanded.
Instead, Francisco showed the remains of the burger in his mouth, making a face at her. Thankfully there hasn't been much of it left.
âMom is making a dinner party tonight since it's her birthday. She told me to invite you.â Francisco said once he was finally able to speak again.
âOh, I'd love to come. What should I bring?â
âYou don't have to bring anything,â he shrugged. Then he wiggled his eyebrows at her and said in a deep voice imitating Nuno Santos from earlier, âJust your gorgeous selfâ.
They both laughed hysterically.
âYour mom likes flowers, right?â Camila asked as she pulled up in front of his building to drop him off. âI'll bring at least flowersâ she said.
---
The party was bigger than Camila thought it would be. Few friends and family members that Francisco mentioned turned out to be more than two dozen people. On top of that, everyone looked so fancy and Camila thanked heavens that she had put in an effort to dress up a little bit. Even Francisco looked very nice in the white shirt and burgundy pants that he was wearing.
The dining table was set up in the backyard, with lanterns fixed above it to provide a bit more light. As they were eating, a soft music was playing in the background, and the overall atmosphere was very pleasant with everyone chit- chatting and laughing.
Just before desert, Francisco's father disappeared somewhere and then a few moments after, beautiful fireworks lit up the sky above them. Everyone was in awe, and then Francisco's father showed up from the house, carrying a beautiful two-tiered cake.
His wife stood up and gave him a kiss while everyone clapped and cheered. Camila was truly touched at how Francisco's parents were in love even after all this time. Francisco's dad then raised a glass of champagne to make a toast to his wife. He talked about how much he loved her and how lucky he is to spend every day for the past 25 years waking up next to the love of his life. He talked directly to the young people present at the dinner, when he said that he wishes to everyone to find the love of their lives like he has found his own.
As he said this, Camilaâs eyes found Franciscoâs which seemed to have already been fixed on her. They looked at each other for a moment, and Camila thought with bitter-sweet feeling that she has already found hers. The taste of guilt and sadness made her avert her eyes and clap along with the others to Francisoâs father. Her eyes were glazed with tears and it turned out that she wasnât the only one touched with his speech, as she spotted few more women wiping away the tears.
When dinner was finished, Franciscoâs father invited everyone to join him and his wife on the âdance floorâ. Immediately Francisco found himself in front of Camila. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, asking her for a dance, like in the old times. Giggling, she bowed, and he took her in his arms and together they started swinging to the music. Francisco was never much of a talker and Camila seemed to not be in the mood to talk either, so they just danced quietly. He held one of her hands in his, while the other one rested on the small of her back. Camila wrapped her free hand around his torso and soon she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and just moving her body slowly to the rhythm. As she did this, Francisco pulled her closer to his body, so that her chest was pressed onto his, their hearts beating in sync. Francisco moved his head to the side and buried his face in her hair, kissing it slowly. Camila didnât say anything, she just hugged him tighter.
âI love you,â he whispered.
âI love you too,â Camila responded, but she didnât understand. She loved him like a friend and he was in love with her.
When the song ended someone suggested that they all switch partners and somehow-whether it was fate or she was avoiding him- Francisco didnât get to dance with Camila again that night.
Soon, the unexpected rain forced them back into the house. Some people decided to call it a night and head home, while some went back in the house and continued hanging out inside.
With the corner of his eye, as he indulged in the conversation with his uncle about how Rio Ave was preparing for the upcoming season, Francisco noticed that Camila has excused herself and went on the balcony. He waited a few beats and then excused himself from the conversation and went after her.
He found her leaned on the balcony railing. With her elbows supporting her chin, and her eyes fixed on the dark sky, she seemed to be in some deep thought. Francisco didnât say anything but leaned on the railing as well, mimicking her posture, a few feet away from her. They stayed like that in silence until he turn his head to the right to look at her.
âHave you been avoiding me?â he asked straight forward. Camila seemed surprised, so he went further on to explain. âI barely even saw you, let alone talked to you tonight- minus that dance.â
âCisco, there were a lot of guests here tonight. Itâs more important that you entertain them; you can always talk to me.â
They stood there in silence once again, both looking at the sky. Francisco was working up the courage to say something, while Camila seemed as she wanted to simply be left alone.
âWe should get back insideâ. âI canât go on like this anymore.â They spoke at the same time, facing each other.
Camila looked at him with surprise, âWhat are you talking about?â
âThisâŚus,â Francisco said, moving closer to her.
âWhat about us?â
âCamilaâŚdonât, donât act as if you donât know.â Francisco shook his head. âRejection is fine, just donât pretend you donât know how I feel about you.â
And she did know. They were friends for a little more than a year. They were introduced by some mutual friends and then they just started hanging out alone, until Francisco became her biggest confidant. They were a perfect match: he was a quiet and reasonable person, while she was the most strong-headed, outgoing and free-spirited one. She was the wind in his sail, while he was her anchor, the one who made sure she didnât go over her limits.
The bond and affection that developed between them was evident to everyone around them. Wherever they went, theyâd get questions on how long theyâve been dating or when will they finally hook up, or just how they shouldnât waist their lives when they are clearly perfect for one another.
It was evident to them as well. They felt affection for one another that, as much as they tried, they couldnât pin on friendship, and they exchanged touches that were anything but friendly. Like when he would graze her neck with his lips after hugging her tightly and burying his head in her neck. Or when she would graze his lips with hers after she tried to kiss his cheek but he jokingly turned his head to the side. Or when they shared her bead when he would come to sleep over. Or when her fingers would randomly interlock with his whenever he took her by the hand.
He even kissed her once.
It was after one of his games, and he was so happy he scored a goal and she was so proud, and as he ran to her after the game, she hugged him tightly and squealed in happiness and when she pulled back he kissed her. Camila made him promise he would never do that again, and even though they continued to be âjust friendsâ the kiss was still there, hanging above their heads, reminding them that neither of their intentions were innocent.
So yes, she did know how he felt about her just as well as he knew that she had a boyfriend. Camila never hid that fact from him; she told him that as soon as they started hanging out. She was dating Raphael Guerreiro for two years now. They were in a long distance relationship after Raphael moved to Dortmund to play for Borussia. Francisco met him a few times and no matter how much he wanted to hate him, he couldnât because Rapha was a great guy. Francisco was sure that had they met under different circumstances they wouldâve been great friends. But that was impossible since Francisco wanted his girlfriend and Raphael was two thousand miles away not having the last clue of what was going on.
âAnd you know that I canât,â Camila breathed in exasperation.
âI know.â Francisco admitted, his voice almost a whisper.
They never really talked about Raphael. It was because what they were doing seemed a lot less wrong if they didnât acknowledge his existence and the fact that he was an actual breathing person who would be destroyed by what the two of them were doing. Yet, like some invisible barrier, Raphael was always there.
âBut Camila I love you.â He exclaimed. âI am in love with you and I have been from the moment I laid my eyes on you. I love everything about you. Even the things I donât like I love, because theyâre yours. You are my best friend, you really are, and I donât ever want to lose my friend, but I love you and I canât keep going on like this.â
âI love you,â he repeated more softly, âand you can say whatever you want, you can hide behind Raphaelâs name but you and I both know how you feel about me,â he spoke, his words not so much the words of a brave man but of a desperate one. âI know you love me too.â
He was standing so close to her, he could feel her trembling body against his and could see the tears welling up in her eyes.
âI do,â she admitted breathlessly and Francisco didnât need anything more than that. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, putting all the frustration, anger, desperation, all the feelings that have accumulated over the past year, into this kiss.
With every cell in her brain she knew she should push him away but no matter how wrong all of this was, it felt so right. It felt like she should be exactly here, in his arms, kissing him and just ignore the world. But that was easier said than done.
Gathering up every atom of her strength she broke the kiss.
âFrancisco, you donât understand. I do love you, but I love Raphael too. I canât do this to him. He doesnât deserve this,â she said wiping away the tears that she only just now realized were falling.
âSo you love me. Just not enough.â He said, his voice broken.
âIâm so sorry Francisco,â Camila whispered before she left.
Francisco didnât know how long he was standing on that balcony staring into the dark. Then he felt something warm cover his shoulders. It was his motherâs older sister. She brought him a blanket so that he wouldnât freeze. Apparently, she has heard a big part of his and Camilaâs conversation.
âDonât worry, my dear,â she said softly, stroking his back. âPeople who are meant to be always find their way to one another. No matter the obstacles. And you two, my darling, are meant to be,â she said with a reassuring smile as if she knew something that Francisco didnât.
---
It was well past midnight when Camila came home. She took off her clothes and make up and got into bed. She quickly typed a number that she by now knew by heart. He picked up after the second ring.
âBaby,â Raphael whispered in his sleepy horase voice, âis everything okay?â
âEverything is fine,â Camila answered, trying her best to sound normal. âI love you so much.â
âI love you too, princess,â he said softly.
âI booked a ticket for Dortmund. Iâll be there tomorrow baby.â
âWhat? Are you serious?â Raphael asked, now wide awake.
âI am. Weâll figure everything out once I get there. I just canât stand to be apart from you anymore.â
âYou do realize that once you land, Iâm never letting you leave my side ever again?â he only half joked.
âI wouldnât have it any other way.â Camila whispered.
#francisco geraldes#francisco geraldes one shot#francisco geraldes imagine#nuno santos#raphael guerreiro#rio ave#football one shot#football imagine#football fanfiction#football fanfic
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My Journey To You Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
SUMMARY: Cooper and LaTonya have a small wedding reception; Sam and Mercedes share an intimate night; and Sam has a surprise for Mercedes
RATING: Mature
WARNING: Cursing, sexual situations
THE SOUND OF FIREFLIES
After they finished dinner, the waiters served the wedding cake: it was a three-layered white cake with lemon filling and butter cream frosting. Purple and blue violets sculpted from pulled sugar, and iridescent sugar sprinkles decorated the cake. Cooper and LaTonya cut the first piece together, feeding each other a bite, getting frosting on their chins as they kissed one another. LaTonya never thought she could be so happy as she sat on Cooper's lap, eating cake and laughing and talking with the others at the table. It was a small gathering, but the intimacy was joyous, with Cooper's possessive arms around her, rubbing her belly, kissing her neck, loving every part of her.
The twins looked adorable. Rosy wore a lacy peach taffeta dress with a full skirt and shiny black patent leather shoes and white tights; her blonde hair was in Shirley Temple curls and pulled up in a high pony tail with a peach satin ribbon tied around it; and Jake wore a tuxedo, his black hair was freshly cut, he kicked off his dress shoes and he now only wore black socks on his plump little feet; they sat in high chairs; cake crumbs, lemon-filling and frosting covered their chubby hands and cheeks, and stained the white terry cloth bibs they wore emblazoned with the gold hotel logo; they laughed and giggled together as they ate the cake.
Blaine and Kurt's three year old daughter Carrie sat beside them in her blue satin dress, singing about cowboys as she ate her cake, her fathers whispered to her to quiet down, patting her brown, curly haired head, but smiling at her enthusiasm. Abby, Sam, and Mercedes chatted with Paul Dill while keeping an eye on the twins. LaTonya was glad that he could make it; she was always fond of Paul, and she knew that he was truly Cooper's friend, despite their differences, a familial love was shared between them.
She looked into Cooper's eyes: one light blue, the other a darker blue, mix-matched and beautiful. She kissed his cheek.
"I want our baby to have your eyes."
"Why?"
"I like them."
"I much prefer yours."
She looped her arms around his neck.
"And I prefer yours."
He smiled and kissed her.
"We'll just have to wait and see."
After everyone finished their cake, the waiters served sparkling white grape juice in tall, slender, gold rimmed crystal champagne flutes to the adults and Abby, and sippy cups filled with apple juice to the younger children. Then Cooper made an announcement.
"Everyone, after you've finished your drinks. Please follow me outside."
LaTonya took a sip of her juice.
"Why?"
"You'll see."
She wondered what he was up to, but asked no questions and finished her drink. When they were done, Cooper led them outside to the courtyard, which had been transformed, into a midsummer night's dream wonderland. White fairy lights were strung on the flower bushes, trees, and trellis and candles were everywhere: surrounding the pond and lined up along the walkway. A small chamber music band was set up on the lawn playing a Celtic melody. A round white table was also set up with refreshments: fruit salad cups, mini white cupcakes, bottled water and juice.
"I couldn't get fireworks, but this was the next best thing," he said leading her to the portable round outdoor dance floor surrounded by four tall wooden white poles with fairy lights wrapped around each pole, and each string of lights was crisscrossed overhead like a canopy; the courtyard was showered with twinkling stars and firelight.
"May I have this dance?" he said.
LaTonya nodded as tears trickled down her cheeks, and Cooper held her close as the band began to play My Moon and Stars.
"I know how much you love to dance," he whispered in her ear, "Are you happy?"
LaTonya kissed him.
"You always amaze me. Thank you."
Sam and Mercedes and Kurt and Blaine danced too, whispering and kissing one another as they moved to the ethereal music. Paul Dill and Abby entertained the children and danced and played Ring Around the Rosy with them, which excited Rosy because the nursery rhyme had her name in it, making her extra giddy with laughter, as they fell to the ground, the candle and fairy light illuminating their faces. LaTonya closed her eyes, resting her head on Cooper's shoulder, inhaling his spicy, herbal scent, and held him close to her heart, this was what magic felt like.
She floated.
With the stars above.
And the spirit of her joy.
Pure love surrounded them.
The evening breeze blew across their skin, lilacs and honeysuckle perfumed the air with their delicate fragrance, and then the fireflies came, adding to all of the enchanted light encircling them, their tiny green and yellow lights flicking on and off, amusing the children as they ran around the courtyard trying to capture the luminescent bugs in their eager hands.
LaTonya remembered when she was a little girl, and her mother was alive, that she said if you listened close enough, you could hear the firefly's lights turn on and off, and LaTonya would sit in their backyard gazebo, listening really hard, trying to hear that tiny click. She never could, much to her dismay, but she kept trying anyway, and her mother would hold her hand and listen too. Even if she never heard it, it was nice to believe that it happened, that something so small and wonderful could occur.
So as they glided across the dance floor, swaying to the sweet music, she tried once again, listening beneath the din, chatter and laughter, and she thought she heard it for a brief moment, the tiniest of clicks.
Cooper kissed her cheek.
"I hear it," he said.
She gazed at him, shocked at first, but knowing that he knew her heart, and filed away every memory she ever shared because he loved her, she smiled, kissing him.
"I do too."
NORTH STAR
Later that evening, Cooper danced with Abby while the band played Green Sleeves; he was no Fred Astaire, but he realized that he liked to dance, despite his lack of talent and grace. Abby looked lovely and he told her so.
"Thank you," she said, smiling up at him. "I'm happy you're married."
"I am too," he said, twirling her, "You now call Sam, Papa. I knew that would happen."
"How?"
"The same way you knew that I wasn't in London."
"You're back for good now, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"I've been star gazing. When you were gone, I picked out a star for you."
Cooper was touched.
"Thank you."
"I wanted it to guide you."
"Like a north star?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"If I ever needed guidance it was then."
"I know."
They stopped dancing for a moment and looked at each other. He could hear Paul Dill laughing and talking with Mercedes and Sam saying what a beautiful night it was; and the mournful cello playing. She smiled at him.
"I thought this was a Christmas song."
"It's actually an English folk song about unrequited love."
"Does that mean a broken heart?"
"In a manner of speaking."
"I don't want one."
"Nobody does."
"My friend Melanie says that if you draw a heart around your name and the boy you date that it causes a curse that will break you up."
"Imaginative and superstitious."
"Is it true?"
"Only if you make it true."
They danced until the song ended, and then Abby led him off the dance floor, pulling him toward the other end of the courtyard. She took them to where the magnolia trees stood and pointed to the starry sky.
"Can you tell which one I picked for you?"
Cooper gazed up at the sky, the stars were twinkling and sparkling, millions of them dotted the black sky; they were celestial jewels that he foolishly ignored but tonight⌠they called out to him. Then he knew.
"You chose all of them for me."
"That's right."
He held her hand.
"Miss AbbyâŚ" he couldn't complete his thought, a tear slipped down his cheek.
"I sent you the stars and you came back."
"A different one each night until they were all chosen."
"You understand."
"Yes I do. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
He hugged her and kissed the top of her head.
"You're remarkable."
"I am?"
"Yes⌠and one more thing."
"What?"
"Don't worry so much about that boy you have a crush on. There will be others. Know your worth."
It was her turn to be amazed and a rosy blush formed on her cheeks.
"But I never said anything about â"
"You didn't have to."
Abby laughed and hugged him.
"I'm so glad you're back."
"I am too, Miss Abby, I am too."
I PUT A SPELL ON YOU
Sam unzipped Mercedes' dress. It was around midnight and they were in their fancy hotel suite with the kids in the next room tucked into bed and fast asleep. This particular suite was good for families because it had two bedrooms, a dining room with a picture-postcard view of the Nashville skyline, and a small den with a couch, coffee table, and TV, and two bathrooms. Everything was golden and regal from the gold silk sheets and plush carpet to the gold French tapestry wallpaper with the intricate rose design. When the housekeeping crew finished cleaning your room, they would leave a sprig of lavender with a gold ribbon tied around it on each pillow of every bed, scenting the room with its relaxing fragrance.
It had been a long day, but a wonderful one, and now Sam wanted to make love to Mercedes. Something about all those magical lights and enchanting music, and her sexy, full-figured body poured into that silky peach dress, outlining her abundant curves, made him lustful.
Many times that night as they danced beneath the canopy of fairy lights, he wanted to slip away behind the lilac bushes, and take her beneath the night sky. Of course he couldn't do that, not at a wedding reception, he did have some self-control, but his wife had him harder than granite and she was unaware of it.
When he watched her dancing with Paul Dill and then Cooper, it was all he could do to keep his needs at bay. She was just so beautiful. The way she swayed and moved to the music, throwing her head back, and laughing in their arms, their hands resting on her wide hips, her generous bosom, bouncing just a little despite the heavy-duty support bra she wore underneath, but you had to be paying close attention to see that tiny jounce of her breasts and Sam was paying more than attention, he was memorizing her every move; if that wasn't his wife, people would think he was a stalker.
Well, she was his wife, and now he could love her through the night. After he removed her dress, stockings and underwear and she stood there nude before him, the warm, buttery lamplight, shining on her sable skin, he pulled her toward him, pressing her against the hardness trapped inside his pants.
Mercedes loved this. When he held her naked body against his clothed one, teasing her. He hugged her, his hands running up and down her ample backside, squeezing and slapping it. Her big, heavy breasts pressed against his crisp white dress shirt, her nipples hardening in the cold air-conditioned air.
"Lie on the bed and spread your legs," he said.
She did as he asked, lying back, and opening her large, curvy legs, displaying her thick thighs and strong calves, revealing how wet she was, bright pink and glistening. He undressed and got between those, wonderful, sweet thighs, pushing them even further apart and burrowing his tongue inside, tasting her, and she whimpered, quietly crying out at how good it was.
He wanted her to come until her body was blissed out and lifeless, so he didn't let up as he licked and sucked, his tongue never ceasing for a moment. Her cries became louder and a dirty thought came to his mind, he would love to have this on video, watching her ride the endless wave of orgasms he was giving her; he could only imagine how she looked as his head was buried between her warm, jiggling thighs, her body shaking and her hands caressing her heaving breasts and tweaking her thick nipples and her moans growing louder and louderâŚ
"Sam!" she shuddered and shook, he felt the vibrations of her thighs trembling around him as she flooded his tongue. That's what he wanted, those euphoric, uncontrollable cries. When he was finished, he pulled away, and lay on top of her, kissing her, as she calmed down.
"Wow," she said.
He held her for a while longer, waiting for the final ripples to pass through her body.
"Baby?" he said, kissing her damp forehead.
She nodded and opened her legs again, needing him as much as he needed her. He positioned himself between her legs again, and slowly entered her, and she was as tight as ever, squeezing him just right. He loved how her breasts and belly and thighs jiggled with each thrust of his hips, loved how she reached for him, pulling him close, kissing him and losing control beneath him, writhing about, grasping his back, winding her legs around his waist, wanting more and more from him, and he gave all that he had, filling her up, with deep, hard, stroking, and then he got an idea. He stopped moving for a moment.
"Legs on shoulders," he said.
"Ok," she said, breathing hard, as he kneeled between her thighs and helped her place her legs on his shoulders, and then he continued thrusting his hips, going deep inside of her, and hitting her G-spots while he rubbed her clitoris, increasing her pleasure.
"That's it," he said, as she was beginning to come undone, "Go on."
Tears sprang from her eyes and she yelled out, the orgasm running through her; and he was coming soon too, shaking and quivering with her; filling her with endless amounts of come. He felt weak and he lowered her legs from his shoulders and lay next to her, pulling her into his arms, feeling the carnal high running through his body splitting him apart. He kissed her, wrapping his arms around her; she breathed deep, calming down.
They fell asleep and an hour later they awoke, drank some water, and wanted each other again, and Mercedes slid onto his lap and rode him, grinding her broad hips, staring into his eyes as he fondled her bouncing breasts and slapped her jiggling butt cheeks; she tweaked his erect nipples, running her small hands over his muscular chest, and he came hard. When they took another breather, drinking bottled water and cuddling under the covers, Sam had a new position he wanted to try.
"Are you up for another round?"
Mercedes took a drink of water.
"What's gotten into you? You're ravenous. Not that I'm complaining."
"I don't know⌠well, can I tell you something?"
"What is it?"
"Please don't think I'm a pervert."
"Now, I'm intrigued."
"Ok, it's like this. When I saw you dancing with the other men in that fancy dress, and you're glowing, and your body is magnificent, and they're twirling you around the dance floor⌠it turned me on."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I know you weren't doing anything sexual with them, but seeing you in their arms, made me want you more."
"You're usually jealous. I'm surprised."
"This was different. Nobody was flirting. I don't know. And don't think I want to see you with anybody else; I just appreciated how beautiful and desirable you are. You put some kind of spell on me. I was hard all evening."
She kissed him.
"I love you."
"So you don't think I'm a pervert?"
"No."
"Good. I was worried."
She laughed, laying her head on his chest.
"I think it's sweet. So what position do you have in mind?"
"It's called the back bend."
"Sam, I'm not an acrobat."
"Don't worry. It's not complicated."
"If you say so."
"Trust me."
"Ok."
She finished drinking her bottled water and he took the empty bottle from her and tossed it into the shiny gold wastebasket with clawed feet that was next to the nightstand.
"Are you well hydrated?"
"Yes," she said rolling her eyes, smiling at him.
"Just checking. Don't want you to get dehydrated."
"Hmm," she said.
"Now, I need you to lie on the bed, put your legs over the edge and keep scooting forward until your butt is off the end of the bed."
Mercedes followed his instructions.
"What next?"
Sam kneeled on the floor in front of her and got between her legs, and eased himself inside her. Mercedes moaned.
"Good?" Sam asked.
She nodded.
"Ok, now push up on your tiptoes and arch your back," he said, grabbing her behind.
She struggled for a second but did as he asked. When she got into position, Sam began thrusting his hips, his hands firmly holding her butt cheeks in place, and Mercedes moaned again.
"You like that?"
"Oh GodâŚ"
Sam chuckled, as he continued thrusting.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Ah⌠you're⌠you're hitting right on myâŚ."
"I know, baby, just enjoy it."
"SamâŚ"
"Keep pushing on your tiptoes, yeah, just like that, that's right."
She moaned and bit her lip, grabbing the sheets, pushing up on her tiptoes; he told her to do this to give her even more gratification and it was working; she was sinking further and further into bliss and so was he. He began moving faster, loving how hot and tight she was around him, and he felt himself getting closer, slamming into her, Mercedes arched her back and began crying out; he was hitting her most erogenous spots at this angle; leaving her breathless and limp; he kept going, not easing up, chasing his pinnacle as well as hers; then he couldn't hold back and he came so hard, it felt like he exploded, with Mercedes coming soon afterward, he kept stroking her through her orgasm, until she was so sensitive that she couldn't take anymore and she closed her eyes, shaking on the bed, and he pulled out and held her.
"OhâŚ" she said, whispering into his neck as he held her, "I can't..."
"Shhh, let it run through you."
After a while, she finally calmed down. He opened a bottle of water and gave it to her.
"Drink."
She drank some water and lay her head on his shoulder.
"Damn," she said.
Sam laughed, hugging and kissing her.
"That about sums it up."
"That was freakin' amazing."
"Yeah."
"You got moves Mr. Hummel."
"I can't take all the credit, Mrs. Hummel, you got moves too, and the sexiest body, not to mention all those wiggles, jiggles, and dirty little moans, hell, I could come just from hearing you come."
"I'm going to have to wear fancy dresses more often while dancing with platonic friends to chamber music."
He laughed and kissed her again.
"That's very specific and not a bad idea."
They drank more water and took a shower, and it was there that Mercedes sank to her knees, and took him in her mouth as the hot shower spray rained down on them, steam filling the bathroom and Sam gripping the stainless steel safety bar and gazing down at his gorgeous wife, sucking him whole between her full lips, her pretty, brown doe eyes looking up at him. When he came, filling her mouth, she drank him in, and then he could no longer stand and slid down to the floor, taking her in his arms.
"Schätzchen."
"Was I good?"
He ran his hand through her wet, kinky curls and kissed her.
"Better than good. Fantastic."
"Thank you."
"No, thank you. You did that out of nowhere."
"Not really. I know your tastes."
"How so?"
"You like it when I do that in the shower."
He thought for a moment and she was right.
"Yeah, I guess it's the steam. I don't know. Let me wash your hair."
He washed and conditioned her hair, and then he ended up pressing her against the marble shower wall and taking her from behind, pulling on her thick mane of hair, his fingers digging into her kinks and curls. She screamed as he thrust in and out of her, coming hard once again, her dainty brown hands sliding down the shower wall, trying to hold onto to something, anything to ground her from the floating she experienced with each orgasm, and Sam held onto her, trembling as well, keeping her with him, never letting go.
Afterwards, they washed up, and the water was just turning lukewarm, and then got out and dried off with huge, soft bath towels, that felt luxurious against their skin. Sam sat her on the closed toilet, combed out her wet hair, applied a coconut leave-in conditioner, and braided it into a single French braid. They rubbed the hotel lotion on to each other's bodies as their eyelids grew heavy. Sam, being the gentleman that he was, picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, where he put on her long, pink cotton nightgown, slipping it over her shoulders, and then he slid on his boxers and faded blue Avatar t-shirt. By the time they got back in bed it was almost 3:00 in the morning, but as they snuggled up together, smelling like the hotel's lavender French milled soap, creamy lemon lotion, and mint mouthwash, Sam felt nothing but contentment and love.
SURPRISE AND GOOD-BYE
"Ma!"
Mercedes felt little, sticky hands on her face. She kept her eyes closed.
"Wake up." It was Rosy, poking her finger in Mercedes ear.
"Wake up," Jake said squeezing her nose.
Mercedes pretended to be asleep, keeping her eyes closed as the twins poked and prodded her with their curious fingers; they smelled like maple syrup and bacon.
"Up, Ma, up," Rosy said, her fingers running across her mother's cheeks.
Then Mercedes opened her eyes:
"Boo!"
Jake and Rosy laughed and yelled as she hugged and kissed them. They were in their pajamas. Sam wasn't in bed.
"Where's Papa?"
They pointed to the dining room, and she got out of bed with the twins toddling ahead of her and found Abby and Sam eating a room-service breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs. Everything was spread out on the table. The gold drapes were open and bright sunshine poured in from the tall windows.
"You're up," Sam said, smiling at her, "Grab a chair, we ordered breakfast."
"What time is it?"
"Almost noon."
She sat down next to him, kissing his cheek.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You were sleeping so peacefully. I hated to wake you. Rosy and Jake got to you before I could stop them."
"We got hash browns too," Abby said, lifting the silver lid that covered a platter of crispy hash browns.
Mercedes began making a plate.
"I'm starving."
"These pancakes are good, though not as good mine," Sam said, pouring syrup over his stack of golden cakes with a pool of melted butter in the center.
"Papa's are fluffier," Abby said, agreeing with him, but these aren't bad. The bacon is just right."
Mercedes took two pancakes from the platter in the center of the table, and dished some hash browns onto her plate. The twins wanted to sit on her lap, and they kept trying to climb up on her, pulling on her nightgown.
"Let your mother eat," Sam said to them, he turned to Mercedes, "I fed them already. They were really hungry. Rosy finished her pancake and half of Jake's. He was more partial to the hash browns."
Abby got up from the table, taking her plate with her, "Come on Jake and Rosy, you can sit with me in the den and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse."
This cheered them and they quickly followed Abby into the den, big smiles on their faces, clapping their hands and chanting Mickey.
When they were gone, Sam leaned over, kissing Mercedes.
"Thank you for last night. It was amazing."
"No, thank you for last night."
They kissed again and began eating in a peaceful silence, well as peaceful as it could be with their three kids in the next room singing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme at the top of their lungs. But it was sweet and cozy, sitting in the sunny room, eating breakfast with Sam, and Mercedes enjoyed herself. A knock came on the door. Sam wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.
"I'll get it," he said.
"Could it be Kurt?" Mercedes asked as the knocking continued.
"Maybe. Be right back."
"Ok."
Mercedes heard Sam open the door, but couldn't hear what he or the other person was saying; they were practically whispering. Then she heard footsteps. As she turned around to see who it was, she was shocked to see Tina standing in the doorway, the light reflecting off of her blue-tinted John Lennon sun glasses, a white gauze scarf was tied around her neck, and her hair was in a ponytail.
"Tina, what are you doing here?" Mercedes asked, jumping up from the table and giving her friend a hug.
"I came to surprise you. It was Sam's idea."
She looked at Sam who stood there grinning at them.
"Sam?"
"The kids and I are heading back to Kentucky this afternoon. But you and Tina are staying in this room, it's already paid for, compliments of Cooper and LaTonya for another week."
"But I â "
"Think of it as a girls only vacation. We've been through so much these past few months, and I thought that it would be nice if you had some time with just you and your best friend."
Mercedes let got of Tina and hugged Sam.
"Sweetie, thank you so much, but I don't have enough clothes for a week."
"Give me a second, I'll be right back." He left the room and moments later handed her a white envelope, with a little red bow stuck in the middle of it.
"What is this?"
"Open it."
Mercedes opened the envelope and inside were three Visa gift cards with amounts of 500 dollars each.
"This is wonderful," she said hugging him, "But it's too much, we have to watch our pennies because â "
"No, Mercedes, you're worth every dime and then some. And business is great, and I love and appreciate you. I want you to have a good time this week. And Cooper and LaTonya will cover the meals at the hotel too."
Mercedes hugged and kissed her husband.
"I love you so much. Thank you."
"You're welcome and I love you too."
"I have one question."
"Ok."
"Who will help you with the kids? You and Finn have those two big projects going on. And Hiram and Sean are dealing with some work stuff."
"Aunt Josephine and Stacy are coming."
"That's great. I just hate that I'll miss seeing them."
"Don't worry. They're staying two weeks so you'll get to see them when you come back."
"Sam, you..."
"Yes?"
"Thank you so much for all of this," she said kissing him.
"I'm going to miss you, but I know you need this," he said.
"I know I need a massage, manicure, and pedicure," Tina said sitting down to the table, "Mind if I have some breakfast too?"
"Help yourself," Mercedes said, "There's plenty."
Tina got a clean plate from the stack at the end of the table and began filling it while Sam and Mercedes hugged and kissed each other near the window.
"I would tell you two to get a room, but you're already in one." She said, biting into a piece of bacon, "hmmm this is apple wood smoked, very good."
Mercedes glanced over at Tina, her arms around Sam's waist.
"Are we that bad?"
Tina shrugged, pouring syrup on her pancakes.
"You have to ask?"
Just then the kids came into the dining room from the den. Rosy and Jake were singing Old MacDonald with a strong emphasis on the E-I-E-I-O, and shortening words as it suited them, but stopped when they saw Tina, staring at her with wide eyes, while Abby immediately hugged her.
"Hi Aunt Tina."
"Hello, Abby, you're getting so tall," Tina said kissing her cheek.
"My baby is going to be taller than me," Mercedes said sitting down again with Sam beside her.
Rosy and Jake were less enthused by Tina's appearance, and watched her with caution, they took refuge beside Sam, and clung to his legs.
"Pa?" Rosy said.
"Yes?"
She pointed to Tina.
"It's ok, Rosy, that's your Aunt Tina."
Rosy wasn't convinced and only stared at her, despite Tina smiling at her.
"You've grown a lot, Rosy," She said.
Jake hid his face against Sam's leg and wouldn't look at her. Sam took pity on them and picked them up, letting them sit on his lap. Holding them he said:
"Hey, my babies are all shy now?"
"They're like that with strangers at first," Mercedes said to Tina, "Next thing you know you can't get rid of them."
"Oh, I understand," Tina said, "They're so cute."
"Thank you."
"How was the wedding?"
"Beautiful. I'm really happy for them," Mercedes said, "And you know LaTonya is pregnant."
"That's great," Tina said, "They're good people."
"The best," Mercedes said.
Abby decided to get Jake and Rosy dressed; Mercedes knew it was so her father could eat; and she loved the thoughtful gesture.
"Time to get dressed," she said to the twins, gently pulling them off of Sam's lap, and they eagerly grabbed her hands as they went into the next room.
"Mercedes, I have plans for us," Tina said, taking a bite of her pancakes.
"Such as?"
"Shopping, concerts, museums, spa treatments and best of all, lots and lots of booze."
Mercedes laughed and hugged her friend.
"Girl, I'm so happy you're here."
"Same here. It's been too long."
After everyone ate breakfast, Tina went downstairs to the lobby to get the hotel spa price list since the website was down, and Mercedes helped Sam and the kids get their stuff packed, and get ready for the long drive home. Soon their hotel suite was a flurry of open suitcases, clothes and toiletries thrown about, with Rosy and Jake lying underneath the layers of clothes on the bed, giggling and hiding.
"Where are Rosy and Jake?" Sam asked playing along with the game as he dropped two folded t-shirts into his suitcase, "I don't know where my babies are."
Abby played too.
"I don't know Papa. Maybe they're in the courtyard. Let me look out the window," she said and peeked out for a moment, "Nope they're not there."
The twins giggled even more, and they moved about, a flash of Rosy's blonde hair and Jake's black hair could be seen underneath the colorful clothes.
"Or maybe they're in the bathtub," Mercedes said as she zipped up their bright red and blue Mickey Mouse suitcases, full of their books and toys, and walked into the bathroom, coming back out she said, "No, not there either. We'll just have to keep looking."
"Maybe they're on the moon," Sam said, sitting on the bed, "Yes, that's it, they probably took a rocket to the moon."
The twins howled with laughter when Sam said that, twisting about, the clothes shuffling on top of them.
"Did you hear that Abby?"
"Hear what?"
"I think I heard them."
"Really?"
"Yeah, listen."
Everyone grew quiet and then Sam pounced on them, pulling away the clothes, and the twins squealed, laughing as Sam scooped them up in his arms.
"Gotcha!"
Mercedes watched as Sam, Abby and the twins rolled around on the bed, laughing and playing, and though she was looking forward to her surprise vacation with Tina, she knew she would miss her family while she was away. They finally finished packing and the hard part was saying good-bye once they exited the hotel, loaded everything into the trunk, and the twins were strapped in their car seats. Abby knew their mother was staying in Nashville because Sam had told her of his plan, so it was easier for her to hug and kiss Mercedes good-bye, but as for Rosy and Jake, that was another story.
"Ma," Rosy said pointing to the empty front seat, "Get in."
"I'm staying here with Aunt Tina for a while, but I will call you everyday."
And then the tears came. Lots and lots of tears.
"No," Jake wailed, "Get in cah."
Abby got in the front seat while Mercedes leaned over and kissed and hugged the twins.
"You two be good for your father, ok? I love you. I'll be back before you know it."
But this was little consolation to them and they continued to cry as Sam and Mercedes said a final good-bye to each other in the parking lot. Mercedes wiped away her tears as she hugged Sam.
"Do you think they'll be ok?"
"They'll be fine. Once we get on the road, and start singing songs and playing I Spy, they won't be so upset," Sam said, stroking her back, "Now, I'm feeling sad, cause I won't be waking up to you next to me."
"Me too."
"But I want you to have a good time. Focus on reconnecting with Tina and pampering yourself, you deserve it."
"I love you so much," Mercedes said, giving him one more kiss, "Please drive safe and call me the second you get home."
"I will. I promise," he said, kissing her.
He hugged her tight, whispered that he loved her, got in the car and drove away with Rosy and Jake bawling in the back seat, and Abby waving good-bye.
FOOTLOOSE AND FANCY FREE
When she got back to the hotel room, she saw that housekeeping had cleaned it, leaving behind their signature lavender sprigs, and Tina was sitting in the dining room sipping on a cup of coffee, texting on her phone. She looked up and smiled when she saw Mercedes.
"So how painful was the good-bye?"
Mercedes sat down next to her, wiping her tears with her shirtsleeve, and it didn't help that it was Sam's plaid shirt she was wearing. Tina put her arm around her.
"It's hard at first. But we are going to have a good time. Trust me."
Mercedes leaned against her.
"I know we will, but the twins were crying and Abby looked sad, and tried not to show it and⌠I don't know. This is my first time away from them for a long period of time."
"Mercedes, my dear friend and sister, here is a harsh reality."
"What's that?"
"Kids cry, get sad, and get over it."
Mercedes laughed.
"Point taken."
"You don't think Alexander and Charlotte weren't crying like I was going away for a lifetime instead of a week?"
"Did you cry too?"
"Hell, yeah, I cried, but then I thought of a Long Island Iced Tea, making it rain, and acting like I'm ten years younger than I am and I stopped crying real quick."
"Oh, Tina."
"Just telling the truth."
"Anyway, how are your kids?"
"Alexander's vision is coming back into this left eye. They don't know if it will be fully recovered, but the doctors are seeing progress; his crack head parents used to shake him and â " Tina paused, anger settling on her face, "I'm glad he's our son now. They relinquished all parental rights."
Mercedes squeezed her hand.
"And Charlotte?"
"Her last surgery was successful; the worst is behind us. She's getting into stuff, running around. I've got the best kids in the world."
"I know and they have the best parents."
Tina gave a sad smile.
"Thanks, you know what I hate?"
"What?"
"When people say how lucky Alexander and Charlotte are because they had disabilities and nobody wanted them and we adopted them, but I say I'm lucky to have them. They're just wonderful, you know?"
Mercedes hugged her.
"I know."
"And Mike?"
"He's good. He told me to tell you hello and not to let me corrupt you."
Mercedes chuckled, shaking her head.
"That sounds like Mike."
"Now, as much as I love talking about my family, this vacation is supposed to be about us. I love the idea of waking up in the morning and not seeing sippy cups filled with unsweetened apple juice, and dry Cheerios in Ziploc bags, or listening to the Moana soundtrack in the car or have Mike asking me where his clean boxers are."
"What would you like to wake up to?"
"Hot coffee, warm croissants with butter and strawberry jam, the New York Times, and any music from the 90s except Nickelback."
"I'm sure that can be arranged. What do you want to do now?"
"Well, I saw that the Belcourt is showing Carmen Jones. Want to go? It starts in an hour."
"I love that movie. Aunt Josephine used to watch it all the time when I was a kid."
"I love it too."
"Let me get freshened up and we can go."
"Ok."
When they left their hotel room and went out to the parking lot, Mercedes said:
"Now, I know I'm on vacation."
"How?"
"You're driving your baby."
Tina's baby was a 1985 cardinal red Chevrolet Camaro Iroc-z. She loved that car. If anything ever happened to it, Mercedes knew that Tina would have to take off for bereavement and give it a proper burial.
"My baby is right, and you know I only take her out for special occasions, and I consider this special," Tina said as she unlocked the door.
The interior of the car was bright red, and the seats had red velour upholstery with a Camaro spectrum fabric design, that had the name Camaro written in gray letters running across it horizontally. Tina said that this was a Lear Siegler Conteur interior design that was available in Camaros for a few years in the mid-80s; Mercedes knew nothing about cars, but it sounded fascinating. A pair of shiny gold dice with diamond rhinestones, and a faded dark forest green pine tree car freshener hung from the mirror. Once they were buckled in, Tina started the car and turned on the cassette player, pressing play, and the first few notes of How Will I Know drifted through the car.
"I can't believe you could even find a cassette," Mercedes said.
"There are a lot of retro millennial geeks online. You can find anything."
Mercedes tapped the car freshener.
"Why do you keep this? The scent is gone."
"Ambience."
"Whatever, girl," Mercedes said, laughing as she put on her sunglasses. She felt carefree as they drove to the movies, wit the windows down and the afternoon breeze blowing in their hair, as they bopped their heads to the music, singing along, and everything was good like when you get off work early and get a pedicure kind of good.
The Belcourt Theatre showed art-house and vintage films and was located in the Hillsboro Village district; it was a non-profit film center and had been around since 1925. It was newly renovated and had a beautiful spacious lobby that smelled like fresh popcorn and beer and was surrounded by large windows that allowed for lots of natural light, adding to a cheerful, bright atmosphere. Brilliant sunlight shined on the waxed gray floors. The Belcourt's owners also restored the original designs of the theaters as they looked in 1925: with deep red acoustic curtains covering the walls, red velvet seats; red, gold, and black carpet with circular scroll designs and red track lighting, running down the floor of the aisles; and an ornate gold frame surrounded the big movie screen. Mercedes thought about Sam and how much he would've loved this theater because he treasured historic buildings and their restoration.
They bought a tub of popcorn and two large cokes and settled into their seats that were right in the center of the theater. No one else was there so they could sing along to all of the songs without disturbing anyone. Mercedes really got into Dat's Love.
You go for me and I'm taboo
But if you're hard to get, I'll go for you
And if I do, then you are through
Oh, my baby, that's the end of you
âŚ. So take your cue
Oh, Don't say I didn't tell you true
âŚ. I told you truly, if I love you,
Dat's the end of you!
Then she got up from her seat and began to dance as Dorothy Dandridge sang on the screen, switching her hips as she seduced Harry Belafonte, looking like a sultry vixen in her tight red skirt and low cut black blouse, a red flower in her shiny black hair. At the end of the song, Tina clapped and Mercedes bowed and sat back down.
"You sounded awesome," Tina said, squeezing her arm.
"Thank you. That was fun."
They sang together through the rest of the movie, and when it was over they laughed and talked until the lights came on and the ushers came in to clean up before the next showing. As they left the theater, Tina suggested that they go shopping. So they hopped in her car and headed for the mall.
"I'm buying a sexy red dress," Mercedes said, touching up her lip-gloss, as she stared into her compact mirror.
"For Sam?"
"For me."
"Now you're talking."
"And we're going out tonight."
"Alright, Mrs. Hummel."
"And just so you know, I'm proud to be Sam's wife and mother of his children, but for now, I'm Mercedes."
"I heard that!" Tina said.
They went to the mall and browsed around all of the clothing and accessory stores. Mercedes saw some sexy lingerie from a store called Vixen that she pondered buying: a halter fishnet chemise with tiny rhinestone accents around the collar, that left all on her assets on display; and a black faux leather and Victorian lace corset with a thong. Even though the lingerie was a gift to herself, she knew Sam would really love the corset with it's lace up ties: he got immense erotic pleasure from undressing her, unzipping, unbuttoning, unhooking, untying... he said it was because he knew his treasure was beneath her clothes. Mercedes felt a jolt between her thighs when she thought about him as she looked at the corset, running her hands over the leather and lace.
"I know what you're thinking," Tina said.
"You do?"
"And I hope you brought your vibrator."
"Tina!"
"Just kidding. Buy the damn thing already."
"What about you?"
"The stuff here is nice but not my taste."
Mercedes bought both pieces of lingerie and then they went to Pink Queen and she found the red dress that she wanted: it was a long, sleeveless lace and silk spandex dress with a ruffle going down the front and stopping at the knees; and it had a slit up the front to showcase her legs. When she tried it on, it revealed all of her gorgeous curves and made her breasts and behind look magnificent, sexy and alluring, she stood in the dressing room and stared at herself in the mirror. She was smoking hot in that dress. Tina knocked on her door.
"So how is it?"
Mercedes opened the door.
"Well?"
"Damn."
"You like it?"
"You want to stay faithful to Sam?"
"What?"
"Because if you do, I suggest you not buy that dress. Every red-blooded man in America will be trying to get in your panties tonight."
"You're exaggerating and I'm buying the dress and yes I'll be faithful to Sam."
"Ok, Mercedes," Tina said, gazing at her, "You really are beautiful in red."
"Thank you."
Tina bought a little black York dress with sheer black lace shoulders and short skirt that showed off her pretty legs. Once the ladies made their purchases, it was getting late and they were hungry. They ate grilled chicken sandwiches in the food court, and people watched, until they were ready to go back to the hotel and get ready for their evening out.
RED VIXEN
Both Tina and Mercedes loved old traditional jazz, so they chose to go to a jazz club called Sebastian's about two blocks from the hotel. Since they wanted to drink, they decided to take an Uber. Mercedes straightened her hair: she blow-dried, flat-ironed and curled it. When she was finished, it was in cascading curls that hung down her back. Mercedes admired Tina's make-up and the tousled up-do she did with her long, dark hair. Tina watched her as She made up her face and sprayed some Ocean Dream perfume behind her ears and on her wrists. After they were done with their prepping and primping, both women looked like they were ready for anything, displaying a bold, confident beauty that was demonstrated in the way they walked in their high heels, gently swaying their hips, and how they smiled, coyly, eyes slightly downcast, but not really shy... just teasing, like their dresses that hugged their bodies, and one could imagine what was underneath, and it was enough for you to take pause, smell their perfume, look in their eyes, and picture the bare skin beneath the lace and silk, finding their secrets if they chose to reveal them.
When their Uber driver, who was named Steve, pulled up to the hotel in his white Toyota Camry and they got in, he turned around and looked at them:
"My, my ladies, you look fine as hell tonight."
He was a young guy. Probably in college. He had big blue eyes and a muscular physique. A cobra tattoo was on his arm.
"You're not bad yourself," Mercedes said, smiling at him.
He blushed.
"Why, uh, thank you."
"You're welcome," she said and flipped her hair over her shoulder, shifting a bit in her seat, and she saw him staring at her in the mirror.
"Are you a model?"
"No, she's a singer," Tina said.
"Really?"
"I sing a little."
He pulled away from the hotel, grinning like it was Christmas morning.
"Can you sing something now?"
"Like what?"
"The Star Spangled Banner."
"Patriotic choice."
"My brother is in the Marines."
"Oh, ok."
Mercedes began singing the Star Spangled Banner.
Oh say can you see by the dawn's early lightâŚ
When she was finished, the car was quiet. Steve stopped at a red light and turned around, looking into her eyes.
"That was incredible."
She knew he meant what he said, that it wasn't empty words or insincere flattery, her singing touched him, but she also knew that he found her attractive and while she loved Sam and her family and would never do anything to jeopardize that, she also liked that this young, handsome college guy, desired her. Maybe it was because she was just Mercedes, not tied to anything or anyone. She had no beginning or end, no last name, only one name that could mean anything. It was a warm summer night in Nashville and she and her friend were going to a jazz club dressed to the nines with a fine ass Uber driver taking them; his adoration was intoxicating. When he dropped them off in front of Sebastian's, he called out to Mercedes as she was entering the club:
"I normally don't do this and I'm probably crazy but⌠could I have your number?"
He looked so scared and nervous, stumbling over his words that Mercedes took pity on him:
"As flattering as that is, I'm going to have to pass. I'm married, she said, holding up her hand, to show her ring, But you really seem like a nice guy. Good luck to you."
He gave her that Christmas morning grin again.
"Thanks for letting me down easy⌠I'm sorry I didn't know âI just â your husband is a very lucky man."
"Thank you. Good night."
When he drove off, Tina said to her:
"I told you that dress was trouble."
Mercedes winked at her and smiled.
"Let the fun begin."
Tina looped her arm through Mercedes'
"I guess he liked hot women."
"I suppose he did. You know, you're not exactly innocent in this," Mercedes said.
Tina batted her fake eyelashes.
"I'm not?"
"You told him I was a singer."
"You do sing."
"But not professionally. I haven't done that in years."
"Yes, but Mr. Buff College Guy didn't know that. I guess I was having fun too."
"His name was Steve."
"I hate that you remember his name."
"I won't always remember it, but I'll remember the moment that I realized I still got it."
They both laughed and entered the club.
OOO
The club was an intimate venue with a small stage and round black wooden tables decorated with small lit white votive candles, sitting inside square glass candle holders; it had exposed brick walls and old saxophones and trumpets set upon blue painted shelves with autographed framed pictures of Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. Everyone was dressed up. The wait staff wore white shirts, black pants and black bowties. After they ordered their drinks and appetizers, a few men came over and chatted with them, they were older, retirement age with receding hairlines and pot bellies, while they talked to them, Tina looked in her purse, took out a pack of cigarettes, and the shorter one, Marvin was his name, quickly lit it for her.
Mercedes didn't even know that Tina smoked. And she was equally surprised that she was allowed to in the club. But nobody asked her to put it out, so she puffed away, talking to the men and laughing at their jokes. Even after they showed them their rings and proclaimed they were married, the men didn't care. Then a few other younger men came over, and the older ones drifted away. The young bloods were in town for a convention, their names were Tucker and Carlton; they wore dark suits, had tanned skin and white teeth. They told Mercedes she looked like Venus in her dress, said her chocolate curves drove them crazy, and they asked Tina if she had seen Memoirs of a Geisha because she was as hot as that Asian actress who was in it. She blew smoke in their face and told them to fuck off with their racist bullshit. They apologized, but not before gazing at Mercedes, giving lingering looks, and leaving them alone once again. Tina finished her cigarette, grinding it out on her appetizer plate that had a few chicken bones left on it.
"I didn't know you smoked."
"Yeah. Ugly habit. Mike hates it. I've pretty much quit, but the urge sneaks up on me soâŚ"
"That's why I've never seen you do it?"
"Yeah. It's funny how Mike hates cigarettes but loves weed. I had to break him of that after we got married."
"You learn something new everyday."
The band that was performing was covering the Miles Davis album Kind of Blue. They were doing it justice and Mercedes enjoyed the music. She drank a few Moscow Mules and Screwdrivers, sipped on a drink that Tina ordered called a Red Headed slut and felt all warm and cozy and free, suddenly everything was wonderful, the blue lights of the club, the strange men saying she was a goddess in red, who were they anyway? These male suitors, giving her all this praise, it didn't matter, she smiled, swayed her head to the music, watched Tina light cigarette and after cigarette, plumes of gray smoke floating from her mouth, drifting into the air with the music and laughter. She drank a shot of vodka and swore she could speak Russian. Suddenly she had to go to the bathroom and on her way there, she bumped into someone, almost falling in her heels, he grabbed her arm before her ample bottom hit the hardwood floor, and when she looked into the stranger's eyes, she blinked, thinking she was dreaming but she wasn't:
"Puck?"
"Mama?"
He hugged her. It felt strange and familiar. They were transported back to high school when he would find dark corners for them to make-out between classes; and then they were in college and he told her commitment was too hard over the phone during finals week as it rained outside her dorm room; she could smell the incense her roommate burned for good vibes, hear the rain beat against her window; and then he was there when Shane wasn't, they drank together at McGinty's, took walks in the park among the bare oak trees and cold winter sun, and he made her see her worth again⌠Puck. He smelled like whiskey and cologne. His cheek was rough with stubble; his arms were as strong as she remembered; and he held her so tight, feeling her.
"Mama," he said again, "Pretty Mama, it's been a long time since I've seen you."
Before Shane, before Sam, there was Puck. And now he had his arms around her. She pulled away from him to look at him in the dim light.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here for an insurance convention. My job sent me. I'm in New York now."
"Do you work with some guys named Tucker and Carlton?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"They were hitting on me and my friend."
"Can't say I blame them," he said, looking at her from head to toe, "You look hella fine in that dress. Damn, who let you out of the house like that?"
"I let myself out."
"So your husband doesn't mind?"
"He isn't here."
"Oh," Puck said, raising his eyebrows, grinning, "I see."
"It's not like that, Puck."
"Whatever you say," he said, holding her hand, "You look absolutely gorgeous."
"Thank you."
"So why are you here?"
"A little vacation with my friend."
He guided her near the bar and they sat on the stools.
"So how's life treating you?"
"Fine. I've got three kids now."
"Three, huh?" he said, staring at her.
"Yes, I had twins about a year ago."
"You've got something on your face."
She frowned.
"Where?"
Puck pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and signaled for the bartender.
"Could I have a glass of water please?" he asked.
The bartender brought back a glass of water and set it before him. Puck dipped the handkerchief in the water and then dabbed the wet cloth on her cheek.
"I think its barbecue sauce. Did you have ribs?"
"Maybe."
Puck smiled and continued to wipe her cheek. Mercedes squirmed on the stool.
"Are you ok?"
"I have to go to the bathroom."
"Here let me help you."
"You can't come to the bathroom."
"No, I mean help you from the stool."
"Oh, thank you."
He helped her off of the stool and she teetered a bit; he kept his hand on her arm, leading her down the hall to the bathroom.
"You need support," he said, before she could protest, "I'll wait out here for you."
Mercedes nodded and went into the bathroom. Thankful that it was empty and clean. She went into the first stall and relieved herself and then she felts sick and got on her knees and threw up in the toilet; all of the booze and chicken wings and god knows what else came rushing out. When she was done, she flushed the toilet, went to the sink and washed her hands, splashing cold water on her face; she no longer cared about her impeccable make-up; suddenly she wanted to go home, a few tears ran down her cheeks, what the hell was wrong with her? She wiped her face with a few paper towels, smoothed down her hair; and rinsed her mouth out with water, to get the taste of vomit out. Finally, she was ready to go back out, but less drunk and more sober. Puck was by the door. He smiled when he saw her.
"You good?"
"I'm going home now. It was nice seeing you," she said squeezing his hand before walking away, with slow, steady steps, she felt dizzy.
"Wait."
She stopped and turned around.
"Yes?"
"Can we talk for a few minutes? I promise I won't take long."
Mercedes saw the pleading look in his eyes and wanted to say no, but a bigger part of her was curious so she said:
"Ok."
He took her by the arm and they walked back to the bar and sat down again.
"I love you," he said.
"Boy, you just dove right in."
"No sense in beating around the bush."
"I'm married with three kids and very happy."
"I know. I just wanted you to know that's all⌠have you ever wondered what maybe could've happened if we hadn't broke up?"
She shook her head.
"No, I don't bank my life on maybes. I concentrate on what is. I'm glad things happened the way they did. I've been loved by two incredible men since you, and I wouldn't trade that for the world."
"You mean you never thought â "
She placed her hand over his.
"No, I never thought of what if when it came to us. We had a good relationship and it ran its course. You broke my heart and it hurt and I healed and you were there when I needed you most in my life especially with what was happening with Shane. I love you, Puck, I used to think that I didn't but now that I see you I realize that I do, but not in the way that you think; it's love for a time past, love for a boy that climbed through my window and brought me wildflowers and sang me songs; love for your generosity when times were tough. But make no mistake, I don't love you like a possibility or a what if, and I know we can't be friends, but I love what we had and who you were to me. That's all I can offer. The man I love is at home in Kentucky with our children, and he's probably loading the dishwasher and wondering how to fix Abby's hair in the morning, or he could be singing the twins a lullaby, and oh, do I love him. It's so deep, so very deep and that's who my heart belongs to, and that's not going to change. I couldn't ask for a better man."
Puck sighed, leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"Your husband is the luckiest son of bitch in the world," he said smiling at her sadly, "Every woman I've been with has never compared to you. I fucked up in college. I regret that."
"We aren't in college anymore. Stop comparing me with other women. Start loving people for who they are not for who you want them to me."
"When did this conversation turn into a goddamned Lifetime movie?"
Mercedes laughed, slowly easing herself off of the stool, with Puck's hand guiding her.
"When you said you loved me."
"Ah, right there," he said, holding his chest, "You're killing me Mama."
"You'll live."
"What other choice do I have?"
She hugged him.
"It was great seeing you. Take care of yourself."
"I will and you do the same."
"Good-bye, Puck."
"Good-bye, Mercedes."
When he said her name, there was a finality to it, he didn't call her Mama or Mercy, or something cute like he used to. He called her Mercedes, relinquishing all imaginary claim he had to what if and maybe. Mercedes watched him sitting at the bar, drinking Jack Daniels, staring at his phone. She blew him a kiss and went back to join Tina at their table.
"Where have you been?" Tina asked, finishing her White Russian, she was smiling and her cheeks were flushed red. Totally drunk.
"Come on, you've corrupted me enough, time to go home. I'll get us an Uber."
Tina laughed, rising from the table and clutching Mercedes' arm.
"You know what the best thing about tonight is?" Tina said, her words running together.
"What's that?"
"You."
Mercedes hugged her drunken best friend, feeling some kind of way, sad, happy, nostalgic, loving, just all these emotions ran through her.
"Thank you," she said.
She requested an Uber and it came about 5 minutes later. Their driver was a middle-aged black woman named Candy with finger waves and acrylic nails. She gave them the once over and said:
"You two look a sight."
Mercedes was too tired to be offended.
"Nice night, isn't it?"
Candy shrugged.
"If you say so."
She turned on the radio and an old R&B song came on. It was Betcha By Golly Wow. She thought of Sam dancing with her late at night, holding her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. Tina fell asleep on her arm. Mercedes got out her phone and texted her husband:
"I'm the luckiest woman in the world. I love you."
She hit send.
She looked out the window at the forlorn streets; humming the soul tune, feeling Tina breathing against her, smelling liquor and perfume and cigarette smoke, reflecting on how her life turned out.
She wouldn't change a thing.
END NOTES
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