#anyway thank you sunnie for your comments this is the most focus ive been on this fic in months

[xawkward-ariesx]

I'm rereading a fic of mine to contextualise a comment I got it and my god I meant to write 'tooth and nail' but the dw brain rot is so deep that I unironically put 'tooth and claw' kill me

[minseologs]

domino effect

ft. 0NAlR, spoiledsins, jinteopark

Hongseong, days after the crime

She lifts up her hands to see it bandaged, eyeing her once more with confusion on her face. Minseo was visibly confused, and was unsure of what to say. Her surroundings felt familiar and she was in Hoengseong. A faint buzzing sound was across the room, a humidifier that triggered her senses just a little.  The younger one didn’t seem to budge though, monitoring a clip attached to her hand in order to record her health. There seemed to be items there that didn’t belong, like an IV drip on her other hand. 

Great.

“You didn’t have to drag your wif-”

“And you didn’t have to pass out in the middle of our kitchen,” Matteo mentions, standing by and placing a file on her lap. Minseo looked okay, in all honesty. “You know you’ve much rather have Hyejung around.”

“Your injuries are non-life threatening but I have to make sure you’re not internally bleeding.” Her eyes gaze hard at the other. Hyejung holds her hand gently, and Minseo was uncomfortable. “You’re going to get an earful once you recover. From me.” A threat. 

“I’ve forgotten how much I hated the two of you around me.” She mentions with sarcasm, her hands feel the side of her face as a butterfly strip had held a cut on her temple. Her eyes train on Hyejung’s growing stomach. “I also regret hiring the two of you.”

“Feeling’s mutual.” The two retort in unison, but they all knew it was a light joke.

Matteo had briefed Minseo of the changes, right then and there. Her mind still hasn’t processed what had happened while she looked at the will her father had left-- forged with a signature she knew wasn’t his. It included most of what will happen to the family’s business and it’s properties, but she truly only cared what the status of her father would have to the public...

Minseo’s eyes shift to Hyejung who had prepared her a small tray of medicine. 

“Thank you,” she speaks suddenly. The two didn’t say anything back and let it happen. So, she stays quiet, too.

~

It was late in the afternoon that Minseo decided for a walk. She felt a bit of joy seeing her plants doing well when she was away. The small green house where she felt a bit of peace seeing the work she had done. 

“I told you to stay indoors.” Matteo coos, following her around the plants. “Don’t put so much pressure on your foot.”

“My plants did well while I’m away, don’t you think?” she comments, finding it rather strange that the plants appeared to have been able to lived for a few weeks on their own. Matteo didn’t say much about it, though it looked as if he knew something she did not. 

“You’ll return to Bucheon once you look less beat up, until then, Hyejung and I are on vacation.” He speaks after the silence. “If anything changes, I’ll do my best to send people for you but... looks like you have your own troupe here too..? Anyway, I’ve sent the news. Business world is hawking your company right now but I would advice to deal with it later. I’ve also ended your ties with your therapist here and you will see one in the city with your own accord. The farm is still under secrecy as you wished.” He eyes Minseo once more, “With that being said, you’re to stay here and stay out of anyone’s sight. I don’t want any more problems.”

“It’s not like I could do much...”

“You can,” His footsteps mimics hers off the distance. Soft gravel heard crushed beneath their feet. “Everyone is out to get you. And the least you could do for me is keep your head up. I hope you don’t get this the wrong way, but I have a family now and my priority is for them. Masking the murder of your father is already hard enough; I want you to focus on healing, mentally and emotionally if you’re not willing to do it physically.” 

There was silence. She didn’t know why his words suddenly pierced her so much. Minseo looks up to the sky, it was cold yet sunny all at once. Her eyes land back to Matteo who greets her with a bow, lower than what he usually did. 

~ 

There were loud clanks in the kitchen, Minseo already getting annoyed with Hyejung’s dinner preparations. She lets it slide but the tipping point of her patience reached it’s peak. The nerves flare annoyance but she was unsure if right now is the right time to contradict her words earlier.

“You might as well poison my dinner--”

“You bet I will.” she huffs, slamming a spoon down. There was tension in the room and the two can feel it, maybe more for Hyejung. “Why are you doing this?!” 

Doing what, exactly? The witty remark in the older one’s thoughts were suppressed seeing her tears. She was confused why she cried, so she only quietly places a chair out for her to sit down at. Hyejung didn’t take it as to see how stressed she was with the situation. 

“I just... I just want you to know, you’re not alone,” Oh great. The speech. “Why can’t you just come to us? We could’ve helped.” 

“Too many people are getting hurt,” Her voice was low, taking a deep breath and sighs it all out. “How can I ask? I don’t want you hurt, especially you.”

Hyejung quietly bleats her emotions, coming up to her. They shared an awkward silence before Minseo’s arms carefully wrap around her waist from where she sat. Her head gently on Hyejung’s stomach, hearing a heart beat. It was welcoming, it was soft and gentle. The younger’s arms wrap gently on her head, small droplets falling between strands of hair.

“I’m sorry,” her voice soft as she accepts. It must’ve been traumatic for her to see Minseo in a state that reminded Hyejung of her own past. “I let grieve and bitterness drive my actions, I didn’t think of anything else.”  A tear follows, but her face was emotionless. “I told myself that there is nothing to live for after Jinwoo’s death but... time and time again, the world shows me someone like you. I was wrong, I really was.” She breaks contact and looks at Hyejung, and truly, she was apologizing with all her heart. Just her heart. “Will you forgive me?”

Her head nods once, the two continuing to share an intimate moment of their friendship. “Promise me,” she asks “Promise me you’ll be careful.” 

“I promise.” 

~

The water had soaked her feet, sand felt surrounding her skin. Minseo looks out into the sea with no particular thought. It was dark, only the stars kept her company as the moon lit up its path. She received a phone call from someone that she thought she wouldn’t see for a long while, but regardless, it was probably something of importance.

“Minseo, it’s me...”

part 2

[ladylillianrose]

The Best Laid Plans a Max Richman/Zoey Clarke Fanfiction

Summary: 5 times Max tries to propose to Zoey and one successful proposal

A/N: So this idea popped into my head the other day, and since I had trouble sleeping last night....tada!! I hope you all enjoy this fluff!

AO3

I.

Max had it all planned out, a nice early dinner, a romantic walk along the beach to watch the sunset, and then he would ask her to marry him.

He had continuously checked the weather report, making sure that everything would be perfect. Sunny and 73 degrees, can't get much better than that. 

Max had the ring in his pocket, it had been hidden away in his drawer for the past three years. Once he realized that he was no other woman for him than Zoey, he'd asked his mom for his grandmother's ring. It had been waiting there for the perfect moment, and today it was finally here.

Max had been nervous all day at work, unable to focus on any task at hand. What if she said no? She wouldn't...would she? No, he was certain that she would say yes.

He got home before she did, thankful to have a moment to calm himself down.

He opened the ring box and looked at it, imagining it on Zoey's finger. He smiled, a sense of calm washing over him.

"Babe? Are you in here?" he heard Zoey call out.

Shit! He quickly placed the box in his pocket, before heading out to greet her.

"Hello, love," Max smiled, pulling her in for a kiss.

"Mmm, hello to you too," Zoey grinned. She tried to deepen the kiss but Max reluctantly moved away.

"Come on, we've got to get ready."

"Wouldn't you rather stay in tonight? I can make it worth your while," she teasingly ran her fingers along his buttons. 

Max counted to ten silently, attempting to steady himself. "You can make it worth my while, after dinner," he said, grabbing her hands before they slipped any lower.

Zoey pouted, "Fine….I guess I'll go get ready." She threw an extra sway in her hips as she walked into the bedroom to get ready.

Max breathed a sigh of relief and checked the weather again. Still sunny and warm, so far so good.

Dinner went by in a blur, Max was so nervous he couldn't even tell you what they ate. He spent most of the dinner checking his pocket obsessively to make sure the ring was still there.

As they left the restaurant, Max suggested they take a walk along the beach, hoping she wasn't becoming suspicious of his plan.

Zoey smiled, as she leaned on his shoulder, "That sounds lovely."

They made their way down to the beach, stopping to leave their shoes on a nearby rock.

As they walked hand in hand Zoey told him about the latest hijinks at work.

"Can you believe that Tobin actually got his ferret certified as an emotional support animal? She looks adorable in her little vest, riding around on his shoulder. Good thing Joan is too busy running the company to notice!" Zoey laughed.

Max chuckled, shaking his head as he listened to her. He missed working at SPRQ Point, sometimes. But he found his true calling in helping out schools and libraries with their STEAM programs for kids. He was a natural teacher, his job allowed his creativity to flow and the children all adored him.

A cool wind picked up as the sun disappeared behind a cloud. Max glanced up and frowned, those were some very dark clouds overhead. Then he felt the first drops of rain beginning. 

"Maybe we should head back," Zoey suggested.

"It's only a few drops. It's not that bad," Max replied, determined to not let a few raindrops spoil his proposal.

As if the heavens had decided to mock him, the rain began pouring down suddenly.  

Max rolled his eyes at the sky and grabbed Zoey's hand. They raced back to where their shoes were and jumped into Max's car.

"Well, so much for romantic walks in the rain," Zoey quipped.

"Yeah, I don't think they mean this kind of rain," Max dryly replied.

Zoey leaned over to kiss him. "Well, it was still a lovely time. We'll go walk along the beach another day."

Max sighed and nodded as he started the car. He could feel the ring burning a hole in his pocket, he needed to come up with a new plan, and soon.

II.

After the rain fiasco, Max determined that keeping the proposal inside was a much safer option. He decided to surprise Zoey with a trip to the California Academy of Sciences. She loved going there when she was younger and had talked about going back when they had the time.

"Oh Max, let's go to the Planetarium next!" She said excitedly holding the map. He nodded and grinned at her eagerness, and they grabbed a spot line to wait for the next show to begin. Max glanced at his watch, 15 minutes till the show started, plenty of time.

He took a deep breath, "Zoey, there's something I've been…"

"Oh my gosh, Max look!" Zoey pointed at something in front of them.

Max turned to see a couple standing in front of the Planetarium, the man was down on one knee and holding out a box to the woman. A small crowd had gathered to watch the events unfold.

"Yes! A thousand times yes!" They heard the woman shriek in excitement.

Everyone burst into applause, except Max who stood there looking gobsmacked. "You have got to be kidding me," he mumbled, annoyed.

"That was so sweet," Zoey smiled at him.

"Yeah, really romantic," Max tried to keep his voice light.

"It was. So, what did you want to ask me?" Zoey said looking at him.

"Oh umm...I was thinking I might want to grow a beard and was wondering what your opinion was," he replied.

"You wanted to ask me if you should grow a beard or not?" Zoey looked at him puzzled. Max nodded, hoping she bought the lie.

"I mean, I hadn't really thought about it before, but yeah why not. I think it could be a good look."

"You do?" He asked in surprise. 

"Oh yes, not like a full mountain man of course. But a little scruff could be very sexy," she smirked, running her hand along his smooth face. 

"Well, then I'm glad I asked that important question," Max replied.

Zoey looked at him oddly and shrugged her shoulders, reading the program about what they would be seeing.

Max rolled his eyes at himself.  Really a beard? That was the "important question?" There wasn't anything better you could have made up? Stupid couple ruining his plan, stealing his proposal idea. 

The happy couple walked by them, "Congratulations!" Zoey called out.

"Wasn't it just so romantic?" The woman sighed, smiling at her fiance. 

"It certainly was. Wasn't it, babe?" Zoey smiled at him.

"Oh yes, very romantic,” Max smiled tightly at them.

"Ooo, come on, the shows starting, " Zoey looped her arm through his and bid the couple farewell.

As Zoey enjoyed the show, Max began formulating a new plan, this one would leave nothing to chance.

III.

"No, I don't want to do the ring in her drink or food. I'll just give you guys the signal and then the violinist can come to the table and I'll propose then. It needs to be at the beginning of the meal….yes I know most couples wait until the end, but I'm not taking a chance with this. Yes, okay, thank you." Max hung up the phone, relieved that all the details were fixed with the restaurant. He and Zoey would go out to dinner, order their food and then Max would propose with the restaurant's violinist played nearby. It was the perfect plan.

Later That Evening

*sirens*

"How crazy is this?" Zoey said, huddled next to Max as they stood outside the restaurant.

"It's crazy alright," Max shook his head in disbelief.

"It's lucky no one was hurt in the fire," She replied. 

"Except the violinist's violin and the waiter's pride," Max reminded her.

"Well honestly, the violinist shouldn't have placed himself there. Maybe then the waiter wouldn't have tripped over him knocking over all those candles. I wonder why he was standing so close to the table near us," Zoey rambled. 

"Who knows, maybe someone had asked him to play nearby, " Max shrugged.

"Hmm, maybe. Well, I'm starving since we didn't get to eat. I think I saw a taco truck down the way," Zoey smiled at Max.

"Sure, tacos sound good."

"Come on, last one there is buying!" Zoey teased racing ahead of him.

Max chuckled, as he chased after her. He needed to stop trying to plan the perfect proposal. He would just carry the ring with him and ask her when the moment was right.

IV.

The park was crowded, though it always seemed to be that way for the summer concerts. Max and Zoey had forgotten about them when they had made plans to take a walk in the park.

At least the paths were clear, everyone was crowding over at the lawn to find a seat before the show started. 

They strolled hand in hand along the pond, quietly enjoying the way the water reflected the sun.

Zoey sighed and smiled as she looked at Max. "It's so peaceful here," she said. "As though we were the only two people here."

Max grinned, this was it, this was the moment. Palming the ring box, he knelt on one knee behind her.

"Zoey…"

"YO, ZO-DOG!" They heard a voice yell.

Zoey turned and saw Tobin walking towards them. Was that Abigail with him?

"Hey!" Zoey grinned and waved at the couple as they approached. 

Abigail smiled at Zoey as she leaned in for a hug.

"Hey bro, trouble with your shoe?" Tobin asked, looking down at Max who was still kneeling on the ground.

"Ummm yeah, just needed to tie it. All good now " Max replied. He slipped the box back in his pocket, before standing up.

"What are you guys doing here? I didn't even know you were seeing each other," Zoey commented.

"Oh yeah, we just started hanging out, outside of work and we just clicked. We're keeping it on the DL for now, but of course, you guys know all about that," Tobin tossed them a knowing wink.

"What? No, we weren't a thing when we worked together," Zoey sputtered as she blushed. 

"Sure, whatever. Anyway, we were coming to check out the concert, but it's some lame dad rock cover band so we decided to ditch. Figured we could go grab some burgers instead," Tobin replied.

"Ooo, burgers sound good right about now. You mind if we tag along?" Zoey asked. She turned and silently asked Max if that was okay with him and he nodded.

Abigail grinned and signed, 'Of course not. The more the merrier!' She looped her arm through Zoey's and they started to make their way out of the park.

"You okay, bro? You seem a little tense," Tobin looked at over at Max.

"Nope, fine. Everything is just fine," Max ground out.

"Well, come on then!" Tobin ran excitedly ahead to catch up with the girls.

Max shook his head, he was beginning to feel like the universe had it out for him. He sighed and went to catch up with the group. Maybe a public proposal wasn't the way to go, too many things could go wrong or interfere. A more private proposal, just the two of them at home, that was the ticket.

V.

It was movie night, they had maintained the tradition even after they started dating. Though once they became a couple there were a few times they had to rewatch the movies because they got too distracted during them.

It was Max's turn to pick and he had decided on,  Big Trouble In Little China . He got everything set up, making sure the popcorn and wine were ready, so they could start as soon as Zoey got home. She'd been working long hours this week, she deserved to have a night where she could just kick back and relax.

Zoey came wearily trudging through the door and dropped her purse, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Welcome home, love," Max greeted her with a kiss.

"Mmmmm," she replied.

"Go put on your comfy clothes and then come sit on the couch. I've got everything ready, so you can take it easy," he told her.

"You're the best boyfriend ever," she smiled at him. Slowly she stumbled to their bedroom to change. 

Max put away her purse and keys and poured her a glass of wine.

She emerged in her PJs and Max led her over to the couch. She snuggled up next to him and took a sip of her wine.

Max hit play and they started the movie.

Zoey was enjoying the film, it was ridiculous and totally 80's, but it was the kind of fun she needed after the week she had.

She glanced over at Max and grinned, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"What was that for?" He smiled at her.

"Because I can," she replied, reaching for more popcorn only to find an empty bowl. 

"I'll go make more," Max said standing up.

"You don't have to," Zoey protested.

"I want to," Max replied, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Just relax, I'll be right back."

Max threw a bag of popcorn into the microwave, as he watched Zoey from the corner of his eye. She was leaning on her hand against the armrest, totally absorbed in the film.

He smiled, this was everything he wanted in life, right here at home. It dawned on him that this was the perfect opportunity. He raced into the bedroom and retrieved the ring from his drawer. 

He walked back out just as the microwave dinged. He poured the popcorn into the bowl and made his way back to the sofa.

He set the popcorn on the table and knelt on the floor next to Zoey's side of the sofa. 

"Zoey, there's something I wanted to ask you," he started.

Zoey let out a small snore, causing Max to look up in surprise. She had fallen asleep…. Max shook his head and chuckled to himself. Poor Zoey, she was more tired than she had let on.

He set the box down and scooped her into his arms.

"I was watching that," she sleepily protested, snuggling against him.

"With your eyes closed?" Max teasingly asked.

"Hear better that way," came the mumbled reply.

"Mmhmm, and the snores?"

"I don't snore!"

"No, you're right, my mistake. Must have been someone else snoring."

"Hmph," Zoey responded.

Max gently placed her in their bed and tucked her in. "I love you, Zoey."

"I love you too, Max," she sleepily replied.

Max smiled and headed out to put away everything. He picked up the ring box and sighed, someday he'd get the chance to ask her, and it would be absolutely perfect. 

+ 1

Zoey jiggled her leg nervously under the table where they sat.

"Zoey, are you okay? You look pale..er than usual," Max asked her.

"No, I'm fine. I'm actually really happy*," Zoey replied grinning at him.

"Oooookay," Max said looking at her oddly.

Mo had invited them to hear him perform at a local bar's open mic night, so they went to support him.

"When do you think Mo is on?" Max asked.

"Mmm, I don't know. Oh, look here he comes," Zoey pointed to the stage.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Mo, but I am not the one who will be dazzling you tonight with my voice."

Max looked at Zoey confused, and she shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Instead, my good friend, Zoey Clarke, has a very special performance for you all," Mo grinned and gestured for Zoey to come up.

Max stared at her as she stood up and tossed a wink at him as she made her way to the stage. Mo handed her the microphone, "Thank you Mo. Hello everyone, I'm Zoey Clarke, and Max, this one's for you."

Zoey blew Max a kiss and began to sing.

I had no choice but to hear you

You stated your case time and again

I thought about it

You treat me like I'm a princess

I'm not used to liking that

You ask how my day was

You've already won me over in spite of me

And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet

And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are

I couldn't help it

It's all your fault

Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole

You're so much braver than I gave you credit for

That's not lip service

You've already won me over in spite of me

And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet

And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are

I couldn't help it

It's all your fault

You are the bearer of unconditional things

You held your breath and the door for me

Thanks for your patience

Max watched, stunned as Zoey sang to him. She began to make her way off the stage still singing, as she walked towards him.

You're the best listener that I've ever met

You're my best friend

Best friend with benefits

What took me so long

I've never felt this healthy before

I've never wanted something rational

I am aware now

I am aware now

You've already won me over in spite of me

And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet

And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are

I couldn't help it

It's all your fault

The music stopped as Zoey stood in front of him smiling. She slowly lowered herself to one knee. "Max Richman, you are the love of my life, my best friend, and I can't imagine spending another moment without you by my side. Will you marry me?" 

Max slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box. "That was supposed to be my line," he grinned. "Yes, Zoey Clarke, I'll marry you!"

Max pulled her up, slipping the ring on her finger before capturing her lips with his.

Around them, everyone in the bar cheered and congratulated them.

They pulled apart flushing and breathless. 

"I guess the universe was trying to tell me something after all," Max grinned. 

Zoey looked at him confused.

"I'll tell you later."

"I'm just glad everything went smoothly. You have no idea how worried I was that something would go wrong or ruin it!" Zoey told him.

"No, you're right, I haven't a clue how that feels," he laughed and pulled her into another kiss. 

A/N: Song is "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette (Listen to it here https://youtu.be/4iuO49jbovg)

*Episode 1x07

[studiobeebo]

Summer Daze (Kirishima Eijirou x Fem! Reader)

OKAY i want to start off by saying im really, really sorry this took so long. my motivation has been horrible and i just really didn’t want to make something that was lackluster so i decided to wait until i was more motivated instead

BUT ANYWAYS, this is the scenario for the 1,000 followers giveaway first place winner @ri-leuters following the prompt:

okay so pronouns would be she/her and i'd love this done with our local ball of sunshine kirishima! so i guess they could go out together into a sunflower field or just a normal flower field for a date and just have an all around good time together! also this would be great with lots of kisses and cuddles bc i live for that shit. also last minute request (but you could totally let this slide if you want) but ive always found this endearing; so when they kiss could kirishima pull back for a sec and just freak out over how s/o has tasty lips (prolly bc of her lip balm) and then they just talk about it for a sec and then he starts kissing her more bc "i want to taste!" djkdjdwk forgive me

BUT YE!!! SORRY AGAIN IT TOOK SO LONG AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY RI!!

Summer had to be one of Kirishima’s favorite seasons, if not his absolute favorite. While most people could find reasons to hate that time of the year, be it the sometimes sweltering heat or influx of annoying gnats and mosquitos, he always found a way to look past all the negatives of summer. He lived for the nights where he could sit outside with friends and roast marshmallows or go to the beach to go swimming, and with all the different activities he loved to do during the summer, he was absolutely ecstatic that this year, he got to do all those things with you.

When he first realized he had hopelessly fallen for your passionate, bubbly charm and amazingly adorable looks, he knew it would take time to convince himself to finally confess. To him, you were just so perfect and he couldn’t bare to mess up his chances with a girl like you, so he bided his time and got to know you as much as he could, of course throwing in some awkward flirty comments or attempts to impress you along the way. It was in the spring that he decided to set a deadline for himself, saying that he absolutely wanted to ask you out before the end of the school year, and after spending a good week daydreaming about going on fun summer walks through the park or getting ice cream together, he finally gave in and confessed that he had a crush on you before asking if you would go out to the movies with him. You were absolutely over the moon, having had quite the crush on him as well, and from there your ��blooming relationship was almost cinematic considering how well it was going.

On top of how amazing things were going between the two of you, Kirishima was lucky to have asked you out before his ‘deadline’ so when the weather began to get warm the two of you were already comfortable enough with one another for him to start checking off his list of fun summer dates and the first thing he had been wanting to do was to go hiking with you. The trail he had looked up was actually pretty short, only about a mile, but it let off into an incredible field of wildflowers that were supposedly in full bloom at this time of the year. He wanted to keep that part a secret so it would be a nice surprise for you, but he was just so excited that he couldn’t help but blab about it the whole week before the two of you had decided to go. Despite your slight fears that it would be too grossly hot on the weekend to even enjoy the date your boyfriend had so happily set up, his excitement about it was infectious so you couldn’t help but be excited as well. Plus, when the weekend finally came around it was fun to pack up a little picnic for the two of you and it was awfully cute how concerned he was, double and then triple checking that your shoes were comfortable and that you brought enough water.

Once the two of you arrived to the base of the hill that the path led up to on that saturday morning, you were extremely grateful that the weather was just perfect since you’d be walking uphill for most of the way. The first part of your little hike wasn’t too bad, but you slowly began to get a bit worn out the further you walked and you were a bit jealous at how Kirishima was still perfectly fine while you felt like you could take a nap right there in the middle of the path to give your tired muscles a break. Once he noticed you were falling a bit behind, however, Kirishima was nice enough to slow down and walk by your side until you reached the top of the hill and thankfully, the view was absolutely worth the trouble of getting there.

It looked as if the field of bright green grass and variety of colorful flowers swaying in the comforting breeze spanned out for miles and you must have stood there with a bright, open mouthed smile on your face for a good five minutes just looking out over the expanse of beautiful greenery. You continued to gush about how incredible it was as you pulled out your phone to take a few pictures, hoping to save this memory for years to come, but once you were done the two of you finally decided to walk further into the sunny field to find a nice spot to relax.

It took a few minutes to get everything set up, but it was perfectly picturesque once you had laid out the blanket for both of you to rest on before pulling out all the different snacks and drinks you had brought along with you. The two of you sat happily chatting about whatever came to mind while munching on a variety of fruit and other treats and you must have thanked him a million times for bringing you here to which he just smiled and told you it was no big deal.

“No but seriously! It’s absolutely perfect, I thought it might be too warm but the sun feels amazing since it’s so breezy up here!” You cheered, stretching your arms up above your head before falling backwards to lay your head down onto his lap.

“Yeah it is pretty nice, I’m surprised you’re not cold for once.” He teased, picking at a few of the flowers that were spread out around your makeshift ‘bed’.

“Hey I’m not always cold, I just like wearing your sweaters, that’s all.” You quipped, reaching up to pinch his cheek only for him to wince a bit before sending a pout your way as he continued to work on tugging flowers from the ground.

“What are you doing, anyways?” You asked upon noticing he was fiddling around with the flowers he had collected, sitting up from your lying position on his lap to get a better look.

“Nothing..” He mumbled out, though his concentration was very clearly on his task at hand rather than on you. After a moment he blinked, seeming to have realized that he sort of just brushed you off a bit before tearing his eyes from his little project only to give you a soft smile. “I mean it’s something, but you have to give me a second...and don’t look!”

Your brows furrowed in confusion but you just laughed and shook your head, putting your hands over your eyes to show that you’d keep your eyes on your own business. After a moment you decided to drop your hands to focus on your phone instead, trying not to laugh at the way Kirishima flinched and covered up what was in his hands upon seeing your hands drop before relaxing once he realized you weren’t really watching him.

The two of you sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, you scrolling through some of your notifications and taking a few more pictures to post to your social media and him working on whatever it was he was doing, but eventually the silence between the two of you was broken as he let out an excited “Alright!” before turning back over to you.

“I saw one of these on Mina’s blog, but she didn’t really post instructions so..” He trailed off, holding out what you were guessing was meant to be a flower crown of sorts.

It was more of an..oval shape and the flowers seemed to be forcefully tied together in a misshapen manner. However, while he may have thought it wasn’t as ‘instagram worthy’ as Mina’s flower crowns (Which, you were pretty sure she bought anyways), you thought it was absolutely perfect.

“I think you don’t even need instructions, this look like a pro made it!” You exclaimed, loving the way his face lit up like a puppy being praised for being a good dog. Unfortunately, however, when you went to grab it to wear it, as you figured was his intention for you to do once he gave it to you, the little masterpiece fell to pieces right before you had the chance to lay it atop your head. You scrambled to try to save at least some of it, but your efforts went to waste and you were left with a little pile of flowers sitting in your lap as you looked up slowly with a sheepish smile worn on your face, praying you hadn’t upset him.

“Whoops..Sorry Eiji, I guess my hands are a lot stronger than I thought.” You chuckled before continuing. “But It was so pretty! I feel bad wrecking it like that, I should have taken a picture..”

“Hey that’s alright!” He spoke, sounding a lot happier than you thought he would be considering you just accidentally broke such a cute gift from him before he stood up and grabbed a few of the flowers from the pile that used to be the flower crown he had made for you. After picking up as many as he could, he walked behind you before crouching down and beginning to place a few different flowers throughout your hair. “See? Well, I guess you can’t see, but your hair still looks pretty now! I mean it always looks pretty, but you know what I mean.” He chuckled, moving back to be in front of you and crouching down to the same position to add some more flowers to the front of your hair.

After a moment he appeared..mostly happy with his work, but he was looking at you like an artist looking at one of their paintings that looked pretty good but just needed one last thing to bring it all together. You smiled and chuckled a bit when his face lit up with that ‘Oh, I got it!’ look before he reached over past your shared blanket and grabbed one more flower before moving to push some of your hair behind your ear and then tucking the flower there as well.

“There, that’s good, right?” He asked, adjusting the flower bit, but letting his hand stay near your jaw as his thumb gently ran over your cheek.

“It’s perfect.” You hummed, not even needing to look as you words were more generally aimed at this whole day in general as you leaned in to press your lips against his own. Even though the sun’s rays were plenty warm enough, there was still nothing that could compare to the warmth that bloomed in your chest every time you felt his hand gently cup your jaw and the gentle yet passionate way his lips would mesh with your own.

After a moment, your lips parted from his own and you were a bit surprised to see a look of happy confusion on his face as you pulled away from him a bit.

“..What?”

“You..Kind of taste like one of these flowers smells.”

“...What??” You chuckled out yet again, shaking your head in equal confusion.

“And a lemon! Like a flowery lemon!”

His additional description clicked in your head as you were suddenly reminded of the new lip balm you had bought a few days prior as you laughed out an answer, hardly able to contain yourself considering the adorable look on his face as you stuttered through your words.

“I-It’s my new lip balm! It’s lemon-lavender! Like it?”

“Yeah!” He beamed, “Can I taste again? It’s really sweet..” He continued, but you could tell by the light blush that fanned over his cheeks that the term of ‘tasting’ you was something he didn’t really mean to say aloud, but you didn’t mind either way. You had plenty of kisses to spare for him all the time, and after the amazing day he went through the trouble of planning out, he definitely deserved it.

“Of course.” You giggled, leaning in to peck his lips once more in a more sweet, appreciative way as a sort of thank you. “You can taste as much as you want.”

[stubblesandwich]

Return To Me - Chapter Two

A/N: Thank you everyone who left kudos and/or comments on the previous chapter! The positive feedback is why there is now a second chapter, because I'm an insecure little flower to will wilt without lovely comments like the ones you fine people left me.

Thanks also for your patience in waiting for chapter two. It’s short and not very sweet. I've affectionately been referring to it as an "angst carnival", which I think is pretty accurate. But, it will all be better by the end. All my gratitude goeth to the incomparable Laura aka @welllpthisishappening for basically holding my hand through this whole chapter and lending a second eye to this. I hope you enjoyed it! Or maybe you hated it, in a sort of good way. Come tell me!

Summary: Emma Swan is dying. Her last remaining hope is a heart-transplant, and those aren't easy to come by. But, as luck would have it, fate finds her worthy, and on a stormy autumn night, Emma is given a second chance at life.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Boston hospital, Killian Jones has been devastated by the sudden loss of his wife.

Inspired by the 2000 film of the same title with Minnie Driver and David Duchovny. Find on A03 here.

---------------- Chapter Two: Fly Me to the Moon

David, completely unfazed by her belligerent grogginess, chuckled and said, “Come on, we gotta get going.”

Gingerly, he helped her sit up and get out of bed. “Mary Margaret can help you get dressed if you need it,” he went on. “But they want us down there fairly soon. I'm guessing they need to prep you.”

Emma moved stiffly, half on autopilot, half in a daze. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, pounding against her rib cage, and she could hear her own pulse thrumming heavily in her ears. The exertion of standing left her wheezing.

David disappeared, and his wife took his place. Emma didn't actually need help getting dressed, but Mary Margaret hovered in the doorway anyway, clearly too excited to be doing anything else.

Often, Emma wondered if these people she had chosen as her family actually required sleep, or if they ran on consistent optimism and cheer like Buddy the elf.

The entire drive back to the hospital, Mary Margaret was chattering, hardly pausing to breathe. Emma barely registered what she was saying.

Over the past few months, her heart had been slowing, gradually growing more useless by the day. As it beat in her chest then, just as unsteadily as the rattle in David's truck that would sound whenever they hit a dip in the road, a terrifying thought overtook her.

This was the last night she was going to have this heart. A doctor was going to open her sternum, remove the organ that was barely keeping her alive, and replace it with someone else's.

A stranger's heart.

The thought made her want to sing out in joy and scream in terror at the same time.

Admittedly, Emma had thought about the initial phone call portion of receiving a new heart more than the surgery itself. In her daydreams, she thought about what it would be like to receive that fateful call, to be told there was a heart waiting for her. In the end, she hadn't even been the one to answer the phone. She had left her cell on the kitchen counter, and David, her night-owl brother, was fortunately still awake to answer it when it rang.

Now, she had no idea what to expect. She pictured the hospital lobby frantic and busy, with nurses and physicians' assistants darting to and fro, charts in hand, streams of papers flying behind them in a frantic trail. Basically, she pictured it matching what she felt on the inside: pure pandemonium.

In reality, it was the same calm lobby they had left only a few hours ago. The same receptionist greeted them with a sunny smile, and the same light by the restrooms was still flickering, about to go out. By now, they knew their way to the cardiac wing—up the elevator to the fourth floor, take a left and follow the long hall. With the amount of times the three of them had collectively been to this wing of the hospital before, they could likely find their way there in their sleep.

In the elevator, Mary Margaret reached down and took Emma's hand in hers, lacing their fingers together as she gave it a gentle squeeze. David took her other hand. Neither of them said anything.

They didn't have to.

+++

The surgery itself only took about four hours.

During that time, David Nolan sat in the waiting room, letting his attention bounce between a television on the wall that seemed to show only the same few news stories and a commercial for Viagra every few minutes, and the array of home and garden magazines sitting on and end table nearest to his chair.

Mary Margaret had gone home hours ago, despite her insistence to be there when Emma awoke. “You're tired,” David told her, as he leaned in to kiss her forehead sweetly. “It's been a long day and an even longer week.” Mary Margaret had wrapped her arms around his middle and sank against him, staring wearily off into the distance. “What if something happens to her, David?” She asked. Her voice was barely higher than a whisper, but David had heard her. He always did.

He kissed the top of her head. “Nothing will. But if something does, there's no better place for her to be than a hospital.”

Mary Margaret huffed in begrudging agreement. “Okay,” she whispered after a long moment, “But I don't have to like it.”

“Neither do I.”

He drove her home. With a warm cup of tea placed by her bedside and a kiss to her lips, he bid her goodnight, only permitted to leave after promising no fewer than three times he would call if something changed with Emma.

Hours later, Mary Margaret awoke to a Snapchat of the two people she cared about most in the world. David was smiling her favorite smile—big and genuine and proud, with tears shining in his bright eyes—and Emma, with a breathing tube taped to her nose and an IV in her hand, was giving a thumb's up.

Mary Margaret promptly burst into tears.

+++

At 8:15AM, the heart in Emma's chest began to beat again.

She awoke in a sterile room. The first thing she became aware of, apart from the sheer, blinding whiteness of the room itself, was her breathing. Or rather, the fact that she could breathe at all. Her chest, freed from the ever-constant, crushing weight that had pinioned it down for the past year, rose and fell rhythmically.

She felt light, untethered. Something wonderful bloomed in her chest, spilling its warmth throughout the rest of her body. A slow, languid smile spread over her face until she was grinning up at the ceiling like an idiot.

"Emma?"

She knew that voice. It took her a few moments, her brain sluggishly trying to piece things together through the haze of painkilling drugs she was on.

"Emma? Can you hear me?"

David.

David was here. Of course he was. His face came into view, and she smiled as she realized that he was dressed from head to toe in sterilized hospital scrubs, to include a mask and a little blue cap that was perched atop his head. He squinted at her for a second, until his concern gave way to joy. The corners of his eyes crinkled, and although she couldn't see his mouth behind the face mask he wore, she knew he was smiling.

He said her name again, then something else.

She couldn't hear him above the pounding of her heart, beating in her ears like a gorilla rattling the bars of an iron cage.

David's face disappeared from view, and a nurse replaced him.

It was then Emma realized for the first time that there was a breathing tube in her mouth.

Panic seized her. She started choking, the muscles of her throat tightening around it until it made her gag. The nurse spoke in soothing tones, trying to calm her.

You're okay, she heard, over and over until she actually started to believe the words were true.

The breathing tube would remain where it was until her body stabilized and her lungs remembered how to operate again on their own. It seemed simple enough, but few things in life are as uncomfortable as a breathing tube when one is conscious. Eventually, the nurses replaced it with an oxygen mask, and Emma felt like she could fly.

She couldn't even begin to count the amount of tubes that were coming out of her body, when she was lucid enough to notice. Over the next few days, they would dwindle, as IVs were swapped with real food when she could stomach it and intravenous painkillers were traded for more pills to restart her now irrelevant collection of prescription bottles in her cupboard at home.

She felt like Frankenstein's monster, but she was alive—wondrously and gloriously so. While Emma Swan had had anything but a normal or pain-free childhood, she felt like a kid again. She wanted to skip through a field, race through the woods, jump in a puddle and laugh until her sides ached. Having a working heart was, she now knew, not an over-rated thing or a promise made that would only prolong the inevitable for her. It was, plainly and simply, a miracle.

Of course, much of her unimpeded joy could have been from the morphine. But if it was, she didn't care.

+++

He awoke sharply, yanked from unconscious with a violent pull that had every last one of his nerves in its fist, crushing them.

“Jones?” came a voice.

There was so much light in the room.

“Killian,” the voice tried again. “Hey, it's me. It's... it's Robin.”

Robin, he thought. The light bulb went off in his head, and he finally placed where he knew that voice from. A weight shifted on his chest, his breathing calming just a fraction as some of the anxiousness subsided.

He felt the gentle pressure of a hand on his shoulder and turned his neck just slightly, letting his eyes focus on it as his pupils adjusted to the light.

Pain, stiff and tense, shot through his neck and the muscles of his shoulders as he moved. He groaned quietly.

“Shhh—easy, mate,” came Robin's voice again. “Just take it easy.”

A lost you're okay hung in the air between them, unvoiced.

Gradually, Robin's hand came into focus. The colors of the room unblurred, weaving together until they formed an image that actually registered in his brain. Slowly, his eyes moved, from the hand on his shoulder and up its arm, until he found his friend's face.

Robin was watching him intently. His eyes were rimmed red, shoulders sagged forward in a slump. He looked terrible.

Speech proved difficult. Killian's tongue was suddenly too thick, too dry in his mouth. He cleared his throat, and the muscles of it tensed, feeling raw and ragged.

“Where...?” he finally managed. The word rasped out, just barely audible.

Robin's mouth twitched sympathetically. He paused a moment before letting out a shaky, measured breath. “You're in the hospital, mate.”

Killian stared blankly, Robin's words slowly piecing together in his mind. “Hospital,” he finally said, uncomprehending. “No, I...” he paused and cleared his throat again, wishing desperately for a glass of water to manifest itself. “Fundraiser,” he finished weakly.

Robin ducked his head for a moment. He took his hand from Killian's shoulder and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “Killian,” he started, and the rest of his sentence hung there, heavily occupying the space between them until Killian thought he was going to go mad.

“There—was an accident,” Robin went on, fumbling just slightly with his words. He had averted his eyes, suddenly addressing the wall behind Killian's bed.

“No,” Killian said, interjecting sharply. “That's not poss—no. Milah—she was driving us. She—” he stopped, cut himself off mid-sentence as his hoarse voice faded into a cracked whisper. “Milah,” he said suddenly, jerking himself up into a half-sitting position. “Where is she? Where's Milah?”

Robin looked up at him sharply, but didn't say anything. Something about his silence was infuriating, lighting a spark that had Killian's temper ignited instantly.

“Robin,” he ground out, “Where is my wife?” His voice gave out again, cutting off in a painful rasp. She was driving, he wanted to say, give voice to what little memory he had of their night. It was raining. She hadn't been drinking—he had been—so she drove them home from the fundraiser.

Something in Robin's expression broke, shattered into a million pieces behind his eyes, and Killian watched as a tear slipped down his friend's cheek. He wanted to punch it off his face. “Let me get a nurse,” Robin said, starting to rise from his chair, and he leaned toward the call button near Killian's arm.

Killian gave a frustrated growl as he reached to grab Robin's wrist to stop him.

Sharp, agonizing pain raced up his arm, and the muscles in his forearm spasmed wildly. He cried out, gritting his teeth against the pain. Robin looked horrified.

Killian's gaze shot down to his arm.

His hand was gone.

He stared at the blunted end of his wrist, panting wildly. His left hand was gone; in its place were gauze and bandages, wound around so many times that the end of his arm looked like a thick knob of white cloth.

Robin fumbled a bit with the call button at Killian's side, and it gave a loud click! when he finally managed to press it down.

“I don't need a bloody nurse,” Killian snapped, as he finally tore his gaze away from his arm. “Where the hell is my wife, Locks? Where's Milah?”

Robin offered a weak, “Take it easy, mate,” and simply stood there, frozen, hovering next to his friend's bedside.

“Don't tell me to take it easy,” Killian spat, his tone murderous. He started to swing his legs out to the side of the bed, trying in vain to sit up the rest of the way. His ribs screamed in protest, driving the breath from him, and he gasped against the pain.

“Killian,” Robin said, all the command of his collective military days resurfacing to weave through his tone, as he put both hands on his friend's shoulders and pushed him back down onto his bed. “She's gone.”

Killian jerked his head to look at him. “What did you just say?”

Tears sprang back into Robin's eyes. “Milah's gone,” he repeated.

“Like hell she is,” Killian snarled, starting to rise again. Robin held him down, keeping a firm grip on his shoulders, and Killian felt his outrage growing to a crescendo. “Get off me, Locksley,” he bit out. His voice was hoarse with disuse, gravel against his throat.  

Killian jerked his hand forward, and one of his IVs slipped out, dangling uselessly at his side.

This seemed to be the last straw for Robin Locksley.

“She's dead, mate,” he said finally. Killian sat back, breathing heavily. “Milah is dead.”

Killian cursed at him viciously. Robin didn't so much as blink in response. The moment Killian said it, he regretted it, and his eyes flit up to the ceiling, its lights blurring together again in his vision as a sheen of tears arose.

Robin finally relaxed his grip on Killian's shoulders. “I am so sorry,” he whispered. “I didn't want to be the one to tell y--”

“She was just driving us home,” Killian whispered, his voice breaking around the last few words. Tears slipped out from his eyes, dampening the hair just above his ears as he continued to stare at the ceiling lights.

“That was over six hours ago,” Robin said quietly.

Killian looked at him, stunned.

Robin's features, suddenly, became horribly distorted by his tears. A lump arose and lodged itself painfully in his already ragged throat, cutting off his words at the source.

As if he had words to follow news that his wife had been dead for several hours.

Pain bloomed in his chest, and Killian tossed his head back against the head of his bed, gasping against it.

It wasn't true.

It couldn't be true.

He gasped again, suddenly not able to get enough air into his lungs.

The door to his room swung open and a nurse entered,

Robin stepped back, inching toward the window, likely wishing for all the world he could just leap out of it. The nurse addressed him, and she and Robin spoke for a few seconds, but their words were lost on Killian. He couldn't understand them above the roaring in his ears.

Abruptly, the nurse was standing next to him, hovering at his shoulder. She offered him a warm, albeit brief smile and spoke something to him in a soothing tone. Out of his line of sight, she fiddled with his IV for a moment, before she reappeared, smiling again, and placed a hand on his bicep reassuringly.

Whatever she did had a quick effect. Within a minute, his thrashing heart slowed to a rhythmic lull. Warmth overtook him like a tide, and the lids of his eyes were suddenly too heavy to hold open any longer. The sedation carried him off like a gentle wave, bringing him out to sea, and he let himself be drowned in it.

+++

The room was light when he awoke.

It was quiet, almost eerily so, and he had the sense he wasn't supposed to be awake.

Robin and the nurse were gone, had been for some time. It was likely Killian wasn't expected to be conscious again for hours, after what his nurse had filtered into his IV.

Yet, he was.

Daylight had begun to filter in through his room's only window. It danced across the end of his bed, splashing its golden light across his blanketed legs between stripes of shadow cast by the long, vertical blinds. They swayed just slightly as the air conditioning kicked on from a near by vent.

A few murmurs of distant conversation drifted his way from the hall outside the room's door, but apart from that, the hospital was serenely silent.

A clock was ticking.

Lazily, his eyes tried to find it. It was a simple, white-faced clock on the wall opposite his bed. The numbers were over-sized and easy for patients of all ages to read.

8:15, it read. Morning, he assumed, by the light filtering into the room.

He stared at it, watching the sweep hand tick away seconds as it made its way across the clock's face.

An odd thrumming overtook his ears. It was unsteady at first, somewhat erratic. The noise was familiar, but it took him a moment to place the usually unmistakable sound: a beating heart.

It was not his own heart beat; the pulsing in his ears didn't quite match the rhythm in his own chest, which had slowed considerably after he'd been sedated. No, this was a different beating altogether.

He wouldn't give it much thought, later. He didn't know enough about anatomy to question whether someone's pulse could sound differently in their ears than the rate at which their actual heart was pumping. But as 8:15 gave way to the next minute, and the one after that, the sound of the beating heart in his ears began to even out, until it became a steady, normal rhythm to match his own.

Something about it calmed Killian, reassured him in some way. His lids grew heavy again, and the face of the clock blurred, its numbers twisting together in his vision as he began to drift away into a deep, tranquil sleep.

-------- gonna tag a few folks who I think might care this is up: @bleebug @spartanguard @sunbeamsandmoonrays @caprelloidea @kmomof4 @queen-mabs-revenge @ahsagitarius @galadriel26 @t-tamm-

@lavendersoapsuds @its-imperator-furiosa @midnightswans @cigarettes-and-scotch-whisky @withheartfulloflove @captainswan-middlemist @sarahreadsff @princesseslikepirates @winterbaby89 @pirateherokillian @wordslovedreams

@hannah-mic @thecraftyartist @blackwidownat2814 @once-uponacaptain @kylalovesbabeme @swiftmicheles @emmaswanstlk @captainswanslay

@the-tones-of-wallflowers @kday426 @krystalsficpage