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happy74827 · 8 months

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Cool Rider

[Steve Rogers x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: When another date ends in disaster, and Steve shows up in an attempt to “cheer” you up, you’re instantly against everything. But it’s Steve, and you should know by now that he never takes no for an answer.

WC: 3859

Category: Fluff

A lot of people liked my other Steve fic, so I felt inclined to make another. This time with a lot more fluff (you’re welcome @summerrivera777777).

『••✎••』

Needless to say, you were shocked when you heard the roar of a motorcycle.

You didn’t do well with dates. In your 24 years of life, you had a total of one boyfriend, and he was the absolute worst. So, in the last six months, you have been avoiding all social activities like the plague and focusing solely on yourself and your future.

That meant that you had become very comfortable being a hermit and avoiding any and all contact with other human beings. You were happy that way.

So why was a man who looked like an absolute God sitting on a motorcycle at the front door of your house?

Well, because you broke that rule a week ago.

In all fairness, the man was cute. A nerdy, awkward kind of cute. And he was a gentleman. And you were lonely.

So, when he asked you for your number, you were too lonely to turn him down. You hadn’t expected him to call, and you certainly didn’t expect him to ask you out on a date. But you also didn't think you would have the willpower to say no.

So you accepted, and it turned out to be the biggest regret of your life. The “nerd” was actually a complete dick, and after 30 minutes, you just wanted to go home. But you couldn’t because he refused to pay for the meal, so you were stuck there with him.

The worst part of the night was when he got into his car and tried to follow you home. He kept insisting that he just wanted to be a good guy and make sure that you got home safely, but you were sure that he just wanted to see where you lived and probably get in a few gropes along the way.

Luckily, you were able to lose him about three blocks from your house. It was a good thing, too, because your phone had died a couple of blocks ago, and you were afraid that if you got caught by him, you wouldn't have a way to call for help.

The next day, you made an executive decision to stay the hell away from men, with the exception of a few nice, safe friends. That was how you ended up here, seven days later, hiding in your room and ignoring your doorbell.

The bell kept ringing, and you knew that whoever was out there wasn't going to go away anytime soon. Groaning, you threw your covers off of your body and stomped towards the front door.

You threw open the door, ready to rip someone a new one, when your angry speech caught in your throat.

Steve Rogers was standing on your front porch.

He was a friend from work, to simplify a very long story. You met him two years ago when you started at SHIELD. You were a tech genius, and you worked closely with the Avengers to keep their equipment running.

Steve was always sweet and funny. You had a lot in common and were very close. After a while, you started hanging out with him and his friends, Natasha, Sam, and Bucky. It was great.

As exceptions to men go, he was definitely a big one. He was a walking god, with the physique and the looks to prove it. And here he was, on your front porch, holding keys that belonged to the motorcycle parked out front.

You looked at the motorcycle, then back to Steve, before your face went blank.

"No."

"What?"

"No."

Steve cocked an eyebrow. A smile tugged at his lips as if he were amused. "No?"

"Nope. Whatever you're trying to sell, I'm not buying."

"Why would I be trying to sell you something? I’m not even selling anything."

"It’s an expression, Steve, Jesus." You said, throwing your hands up in exasperation. Steve might’ve been your best friend, but the guy was such a 90-year-old sometimes. "If you think that I'm going to get on that thing with you, you're wrong. It's death on two wheels."

His eyes widened in surprise, a laugh bubbling in his throat. He looked over his shoulder at the bike, then back to you.

"That's... a little dramatic, don't you think?"

"I'm serious, Steve. It's not happening. I don't trust that thing, and I'm not going to die in some freak accident."

He crossed his arms over his chest, the sleeves of his leather jacket tightening over his biceps. His smile didn't fade as he spoke, which only annoyed you more.

"It's not going to kill you. I’m quite insulted that you would think that I would put you in danger."

"You're an Avenger. You put me in danger just by existing."

His lips twitched, and you had the feeling that he was holding back a comment.

"Look," he said, leaning against the door frame. "You haven't come out with us in weeks, and I'm worried. It's not healthy to lock yourself in your house all the time. With the job we have, there's never a guarantee of tomorrow, and if I were you, I'd want to spend every day living it to the fullest."

His words caught you off guard. He was right. It had been almost two months since you had gone out with the group. You just couldn't find the motivation. You were content being at home, alone. You had gotten a little lax in your friendships, only going to work and coming straight home. And now, with the… issues… with your date, you just didn't have the heart to try again.

You could feel your resolve starting to crumble, but you tried to stay strong.

"That's a low blow, Rogers." You grumbled, crossing your arms over your chest. "But my answer is still no."

"You think that was a low blow?” He scoffed as he pushed himself away from the door and took a step forward.

He was so much taller than you, and his presence was overwhelming. With the added tightness of his clothing and the confidence in his eyes, it tricked your eyes into seeing him as bigger than he really was. He was big, of course, but right now, it felt like he was towering over you.

Your heart began to race, a flush spreading over your cheeks.

"You clearly never played football because if you did, you'd know that this was a real low blow."

Without warning, he grabbed you by the waist and threw you over his shoulder.

"Hey!" You squealed, slapping your hand against his lower back. He was wearing a black shirt and jeans, and you could see the muscles ripple in his back with every step that he took. "Put me down!"

"You're going to have fun today."

"Steve! Put me down right now! I swear to God if you don't-"

"You'll what?" He laughed, the deep rumble making your stomach flutter. "Punish me?"

You huffed as you pounded on his back with your fist. You weren't mad at him, really; you just didn't know how to respond.

Steve practically dragged you outside. You were sure that you looked ridiculous, but you were thankful that you lived far enough away from your neighbors for no one to witness this. When he finally set you down next to the motorcycle, you gave him a glare.

"You're an ass, Steve Rogers."

He gave you a smirk as he swung his leg over the bike, his leather jacket tightening around his arm as his muscles flexed. Personally, you hated leather, but the way it fit him...

"Steve, I’m not wearing the right clothes."

He was quiet as his eyes swept over you. You were wearing shorts and a tank top since it was the middle of summer and you were hot, but he was looking at you like you were covered head to toe in leather.

"We can go buy something and change in the bathroom or something."

He seemed to think for a moment before he gave a single nod.

"Sure."

He started the bike and motioned for you to get on behind him. Goddamn it, Steve.

Sighing, you swung your leg over the bike and wrapped your arms around his torso. It was an incredibly intimate position, with your body pressed up against his and your faces mere inches apart. For a moment, you didn’t even realize when he swung a helmet down in front of your face.

"Put this on, Scaredy-Cat."

"Shut up, I'm not scared. Just... concerned."

He raised an eyebrow at you, his smirk still ever-present. You rolled your eyes before slipping the helmet onto your head.

The engine rumbled beneath you, and Steve revved the engine a couple of times, laughing when you squeaked in surprise and gripped him tighter. You could feel the laughter in his chest, his muscles moving under your fingers.

"Hold on tight, princess. Wouldn't want you falling off."

"You're a dick."

"Language."

"I will push you off this bike."

Steve didn't say anything; he just pulled the kickstand up and eased the bike into drive.

You squealed when the bike began to move, tightening your hold on Steve and burying your face in his back. He didn’t seem to mind; he just chuckled and sped up a bit.

You tried not to scream as he maneuvered the bike through traffic, weaving in and out of cars. It was a terrifying experience, especially since you had the distinct impression that Steve was taking advantage of the situation and driving recklessly.

You felt the wind on your legs and the constant hair strands whipping into your face, but you refused to look up. The speed, the closeness of the cars, and the fact that there was nothing keeping you on the bike except for Steve made it impossible to even think about moving.

When Steve finally stopped the bike, you had your eyes closed tight, and your body pressed completely up against him. Your arms were wrapped around him so tightly he was surprised you could breathe.

He took a moment to enjoy the feeling before gently prying your hands off of him and stepping off the bike. He turned and reached out a hand for you, waiting patiently for you to move. When you didn’t, he moved back towards the bike and took the helmet off your head.

You were breathing hard, trying desperately not to show how scared you were.

"It wasn’t that bad."

You shot him a glare, which made him grin.

"Just... shut up."

He laughed and helped you off the bike, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you close. He was a gentleman, of course, and you couldn’t complain about the feeling of his hard body pressed up against yours, but the sudden closeness was a bit overwhelming.

"Ugh, I think I have whiplash."

"Liar," said Steve with another laugh, be dramatic. You liked it, admit it."

"Whatever, why are you even kidnapping me, anyways?"

"I told you. It's not healthy to sit in a dark room, alone, all day, every day."

"First, rude.” You said, giving him a nudge in the side. He let out a small sound, which made your eyes widen in surprise.

"Did that hurt you, oh Captain, my Captain?"

"It didn't hurt," he grumbled, rolling his eyes. "And second?"

"What?"

"First, rude," he mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "Second?"

"Oh! Yeah, why are we actually doing this?"

That’s when Steve paused. Your heart instantly dropped at his hesitation. Steve only hesitated for two reasons. The first reason would be if he were completely at a loss for words, and clearly, by his recent attitude, that wasn’t the case. So that left the second reason: because he knew something that he either didn’t want to tell you or something he wasn’t supposed to know.

With recent events, it wasn’t difficult to guess what was happening.

"Natasha told you, didn't she."

You were already pulling away from him, ready to go back home and hide in your bed for the rest of eternity, when he caught your wrist.

“Hey,” His voice was softer, and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “It doesn't matter. What matters is that you have a good time today, alright? So, forget about what happened, forget about what Natasha said, and just focus on having a good day. Okay?"

“I don’t want a pity date, Steve. It’s nice that you care and everything, but-”

"I'm not pity dating you." His voice was firm, and his face was hard, the complete opposite of the way it was just moments before.

"Then what do you call this? My actual date sucked, and I've been cooped up in my house, so you thought, 'Hey, why not take her out and show her a good time?'"

Steve let out a sigh and shook his head, his fingers loosening around your wrist. "No, no. That's not... I'm sorry."

The change in him was drastic. He seemed to shrink in on himself, and his head drooped like a kicked puppy.

"Steve,"

He lifted his head and looked at you, his baby-blue eyes filled with guilt.

"You have no idea how badly I want to punch that guy for treating you like that.” He spoke softly as if the words were only meant for him to hear. But, as the saying goes, the walls have ears, and the parking lot was pretty damn quiet. “But that's not what this is. You're my friend, and I hate to see you sad. I'm not here just because of a stupid date. I'm here because I care about you."

There was a pause, a heavy silence hanging between the two of you. He was looking at you expectantly, a pleading look in his eyes.

"I'm not going to make you talk about it if you don't want to."

"Okay,"

"And I'm not going to bring it up again unless you do.”

"Okay."

"And, I'm not going to ask you for anything in return, maybe a little more conversation, a smile, maybe a laugh, but other than that..."

A smile slowly crept onto your face. He had the uncanny ability to make everyone else smile, regardless of their mood, and he was the only one who could do it. It’s not that his jokes were particularly funny because they weren't, but it was the way he said them.

He was an awkward, nervous mess most of the time, but when he was confident when he was in his element, there was no stopping him.

"You sure you want to waste all your energy on me, old man?"

His lips twitched at the nickname, his eyes brightening. "For you, doll? Anything."

And there it was. That goddamn smile that made your heart skip a beat and butterflies erupt in your stomach. He was just too sweet, and it was completely unfair.

"Come on," he said, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and tugging you close. "Let's get you something nice."

You smiled as you walked next to him. As much as you hated the motorcycle ride, it was nice to spend some time with Steve. He parked outside a Target, and the two of you walked in, immediately making your way to the women's section.

You took charge almost immediately, going to the racks and picking out different things. Steve followed behind you, carrying your armfuls of clothes as you added more. You went through rack after rack, throwing the things that caught your eye into his arms.

After about the tenth outfit, you turned around and saw him standing there, his arms filled with clothing and a smile on his face. You ignored it or tried to, as you turned back around and went to another rack.

When you finally finished, you had an armful of outfits, and Steve was practically weighed down. He didn't seem to mind, though, and you had the feeling that he had enjoyed his role as a pack mule. When the shopping was done, you ran to the bathrooms and changed into the outfit while Steve waited outside.

A pullover hoodie and a pair of jeans, the closest thing that Target had to leather. Not exactly what you wanted, but it would work. When you stepped out of the stall, you found Steve sitting in one of the chairs, flipping through a magazine. Such a 90-year-old, again.

He looked up when he heard the door open, his eyes sweeping over your form.

"Where to now? The ditch?"

Steve rolled his eyes, a smile spreading across his lips. "You’re an avid book reader, right? What's the biggest bookstore in the area?"

"Are we going to Barnes and Noble or something?"

"If that's what's closest."

You paused, watching his expression. There was no sign of teasing, no hint that this was a joke.

"…Really? Barnes and Noble?"

"Is that an issue?"

The disbelief must have been written on your face because Steve gave a loud laugh, throwing his head back.

"Oh, come on. I can be spontaneous!"

"Sure," you mumbled, trying not to show how happy his statement had made you. He remembered a stupid fact about you that you had told him months ago. And he had stored it, not forgotten it.

You felt like you were in the twilight zone, but you weren't complaining.

Steve bought the outfit and threw the tags away, and the two of you got back on the motorcycle. It was easier, this time, with the knowledge that he had cared enough to listen to your ramblings. Maybe he cared enough to calm it.

You had your face buried in his back, not out of fear this time, but out of comfort. You couldn’t see him smile as he sped up, but you could feel it.

At Barnes and Noble, he sat and watched as you wandered the store, a smile on his face. He didn’t say anything, didn't pressure you into talking, didn’t even try to join in; he just sat and listened as you read him the summaries of the books. You didn’t even mean to; it just kind of happened.

One moment, you were looking through the books; the next, you were reading the synopsis out loud to Steve. He didn’t say anything, didn't make any indication that he was listening, but you could tell by the way his head would turn towards you when you spoke. And once again, Steve was your personal pack mule, carrying the books that you were interested in.

By the end of the night, he had an armful of books, a satisfied smile on his face, and you were laughing. You couldn’t remember the last time you had laughed this much, the last time you had felt so happy.

When you got home, the sky was dark, and the moon was high. Steve followed you inside and set the books down on the coffee table. He had refused to let you carry them, insisting that they would get ruined in your hands. You didn't bother fighting him on it and allowed him to carry them.

"Do you want a drink or anything? Something to eat?" It was obvious you were slightly nervous now, but Steve didn’t seem the notice… or even care at this point.

"No, thank you. I should probably be getting back."

"Oh." You paused, not really wanting him to leave, but you couldn’t ask him to stay. You were friends, that was it, and nothing more. "Okay, yeah."

"Well," he started, his fingers flexing by his side. "I'll see you soon, then?"

"Yeah," you said, giving him a smile. "See you soon, Steve."

He looked like he was going to say something else before he gave you a soft smile and walked out.

Once he was gone, you shut the door and let out a sigh. Today was perfect, and you hated yourself for it. You hated yourself for enjoying yourself, hated that you were able to push away all thoughts of him. It was like the universe was taunting you, dangling the perfect guy in front of your face, and you couldn’t have him.

"Why him, huh?"

"I can still hear you." Steve's voice echoed through the house despite his absence in it, and you internally groaned as you got up to stare out the window. Damn, his super hearing.

You pulled the blinds aside and watched as Steve got on his bike, his helmet still in his hands.

"Steve."

He paused, turning his head towards the house. He couldn’t hear what you were saying now that he was by his bike, not with the closed windows, but he could see the silhouette of your body against the curtains. You lifted it up in an instant, an invitation.

"Steve.” You repeated, and this time he heard it. Loud and clear.

"Yeah?"

"Did you really mean it? That this wasn’t a pity date?"

Steve paused for a moment, his lips slightly parted. After a moment, he rested his helmet on the handlebars and made his way back to you. He stopped inches from you, slightly bending down through the window.

A smile and a simple glimpse at your lips was his only answer. He looked back in your eyes, his expression soft, waiting. He was leaving it up to you, not wanting to push, not wanting to scare. He wanted it, but he wasn’t going to force it.

It was all the incentive that you needed.

You reached through the window and grabbed his jacket, pulling him forward and crashing your lips together. It was desperate and slightly awkward since you were halfway through the window, but neither of you seemed to care.

Steve reached forward and grabbed the side of the window, pushing it open even further and lifting you through. You let out a surprised squeak, which quickly turned into a moan as he pressed you up against the house.

His lips were warm and softer than you expected. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

After a few moments, Steve pulled away, his forehead resting on yours and a smile on his face.

"Okay, this wasn't a pity date."

Steve let out a laugh, the breath puffing against your face.

"Good. Glad we established that."

"What was this, then? I've been told that Captain America wasn’t one to put out on the first date."

"Oh, yeah. Definitely not. I'm a gentleman."

"Then what's this, Steve? What was today?"

His arm tightened around you, and he pressed his lips against your forehead, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Like I said, I can be spontaneous."

"Spontaneous," you mumbled, letting out a laugh.

"And," he continued, pressing a kiss to the tip of your nose. "It seems good girls like a little bad every now and then. You especially, given your choice of dates."

"So, is that what this is? Captain America showing me a good time?"

"No. This is Steve Rogers showing his girl a good time."

"Your girl, huh?"

"Yeah," he murmured, his lips inches from yours. "My girl."

And when his lips met yours again, all you could think about was the leather jacket, the motorcycle, and the promise of more.

And a whole lot more bad.

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kiwi-on-ice · 2 months

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Fluffy ashe head-cannons👁️👁️(fem reader por favor)

First date headcannons with Ashe, Kiriko, Sombra and Mercy with fem!reader

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: Just fluff really, Sombra's is a little suggestive but nothing overt. prefer boys? check here.

Notes: was originally just going to just do Ashe first date headcannons but it got me thinking about some of the other girls.

Ashe:

She's most likely the one who's asked you out. After realising that you care about her more than just physically, she'd want to prove to you how dedicated she can be. While she's very emotionally closed off, she really wants to push herself to treat you how she knows a pretty girl like you should be treated.

Don't be surprised if you find sent to your door a surprisingly large stack of cash with a note attached telling you to buy yourself something nice to wear for the date.

She's been around wealth all her life, with most of the romance she'd been told about being flashy spending. So she'll take you to a fancy high end restaurant for dinner.

She'd be a 'gentleman', pulling your chair out for you, holding doors for you, leading you with a hand on the small of your back gently.

Flirting with you comes quite easily to her, but it hides something deeper. How she's caught off guard by how much her chest feels fuzzy when you laugh at something she says, or how she almost feels lightheaded when you brush against her as you two walk. Despite how confident she appears, she's worrying about coming off as too forward physically with something as simple as holding your hand.

If you hold hers first, she'll feel the tension leave her shoulders.

Don't bother asking to split the bill, she won't let you. She's paying.

She'll take you home, giving you a kiss on the cheek at the door. She's happy to leave it there, but her self restraint disappears if you ask if she wants to come inside.

Pulling your chair out, she gives you a smile as you sit down before walking around and taking a seat herself. Her red eyes look you up and down appreciatively, the smooth rhythm of the piano player in the room setting quite the romantic atmosphere.

"Well well, don't you look like the belle of the ball, huh?" she says smoothly, reveling in your slightly flustered reaction as you glance down to look at the menu.

"Anythin' you want sugar, it's all on me." she affirms, and smirks a little when you try and protest. "I insist."

Kiriko:

Get ready for a FUN date

She's pretty confident, so don't be surprised if she's the one who asked you out with a charming smile.

Wants a date with activities, so she'll invite you to an arcade with a bowling alley. Pretty cheesy, sure, but she's excited so that's what matters.

She's absolutely gonna beat your ass at bowling, it isn't even fair. She's also quite competitive, so she'll definitely playfully tease you about losing. Sticking her tongue out at you, whooping and cheering etc.

The arcade though...that's a different story. She's surprisingly not the best at video games, which means you have the opportunity to one up her. Still, she's just as giggly even when she's losing.

She'll ask you loads of questions, wanting to find out as much about you as possible, especially in the downtime between games.

Her way of flirting while on the date is to make up silly games for you two to play. Winner of the next arcade machine has to give the other a kiss on the cheek. Suddenly, her performance gets suspiciously worse.

Afterwards, she doesn't really want the night to end. She might offer the idea of going for drinks, or perhaps going back to her place. She makes it clear she doesn't expect anything, she'll even sleep on the sofa if you want to turn the night into a sleepover!

Strike!

Comes the loud speaker as Kiriko scores another perfect ten in bowling. She jumps up and down and laughs, before turning to you with a wink.

"Think you can still beat me?" she teases, causing you to scoff playfully.

"You bet."

"Try it babe." she challenges, getting closer to you. She leans in, and your breath catches, before she reaches behind you and grabs a bowling ball. Handing it to you with a smirk, she can't wait to keep winning against you (and make you blush more in the process).

Sombra:

Olivia is pretty laid back, so she'll ask you out quite casually; she might even do it over text, with a few winky face emojis.

Most likely to suggest getting drinks, going to some sort of themed bar. If you don't drink, she'll make sure to look into bars that have good mocktail options for you.

Will offer to pick you up and take you, and when you go outside she'll be waiting on her motorcycle with a grin.

Was it all an excuse so she can feel your hands around her waist clinging on to her as she speeds through the city? Maybe.

While there, she's on full analyze mode. She tests your reactions to things she says/does/calls you, collecting all the data on what you seem to like and not like. But she's so smooth and easy going, you won't even realise what she's doing.

She'll ask you lots of questions about yourself, smiling and seeming interested as you speak. The truth is, she knows pretty much everything about you from hacking your various devices, but she still loves hearing it all from your lips.

Like Ashe, she'll insist on paying for your drinks. It's not like she can't afford it after all.

She's pretty touchy, but not in a pervy way. When she compliments you, she'll play with a strand of your hair or trace small circles on the back of your hand.

She'll also hack your music apps and see the type of music you like, so she can hack the speaker in the bar and occasionally play a song she knows you like.

Afterwards, she'll smoothly suggest going back to hers. She won't be offended if you say no, but she can't deny the rush it gives her if you say yes.

"That's fascinating conejita." Sombra says, having listened to you speak about your friends and family. Barely repressing a smirk, she watches your facial expression as you react to her nickname. So you like her calling you things in Spanish...that information is useful.

"So what else, any pets?" she asks, and as you speak she gently brushes her foot against your ankle. You stumble over your words a little as she smiles innocently. Oh she's going to have fun with you...

Mercy:

She's quite a traditional woman, so most likely she'll take you for dinner.

It might be late though, having to stay after hours at work causing her to push back the date and time. She feels awful, no matter how much you reassure her that you understand.

When she arrives at your home, she'll have a bouquet of red roses in her hands as an apology.

She's sweet the whole time, preferring to ask you questions rather than the other way round. She'd rather not talk about work, wanting to switch off and relax.

Definitely the type to order a nice bottle of wine for you both.

Also definitely the type to suggest you both share a dessert, she thinks it's very cute and intimate. Might even playfully offer a spoonful for you to bite.

Will gently hold your hand across the table, but apart from that she isn't particularly touchy that early on.

Absolutely will offer to pay, but also won't mind if you insist on splitting the bill.

Afterwards, she'll take you home but most likely won't come inside. But she will give you a kiss on the cheek that you swear you can feel linger for hours.

As the plates are taken away, Angela smiles softly before glancing at the dessert menu.

"Do you have a sweet tooth darling?" she asks, as you both look at the selection of delicacies. Her eyes trace over the choices, before another smile tugs at her features.

"How about we share one?" she offers, and the image that pops in your head of her feeding you dessert makes your head nod before your brain could even hope to catch up.

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bleach-your-panties · 9 months

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late night meet-up/booty call - shoto todoroki❤️

❤️ requested by @rheawolf! happy birthday once again to our icy-hottie!🧊🔥

❤️part of relationship drabble collection - valentine event🩵. minors&blank dni, simple as that.

❤️fem reader. cw:oral (f!receiving), implied sex

❤️wc: 1.5k

You had been knowing Shoto for a little over a year now.

Being from a small country town in one of America's smallest states, you were jumping for joy when you got the chance to go to university in Japan.

You were studying (favorite subject) and to add to the support you received from your family back home, you got a job as a waitress at a small cafe.

Your family wasn't poor by any means, but you weren't rich; you insisted to them that you get a job so you could buy the things that you need and, every now and then, indulge yourself with things that you want.

The job at the cafe was going well, classes were good, and you had even made friends with some of the other girls that went to your school: Momo, Ochako, Mina, Tsuyu, and Toru.

A few months into your first year of school, you started going out with a guy from one of your classes. He was nice, handsome, and not to mention, a gentleman. He took you out on dates and even bought you small gifts.

Then, one day at work, maybe thirty minutes after you'd clocked in and had begun your daily duties, your young, dating life would be changed forever.

-------

Flashback, 1 Year Ago

------------------------------

In walked the Shoto Todoroki.

Some may ask who he is, and what's so special about him.

Well, in addition to being the youngest son of the very wealthy and influential Todoroki family, he's the star snowboarder and the captain of your school's competitive team.

He walked in casually, a particularly cool aura around him. Of course, he caught the eyes of the majority of the female patrons in the cafe. Even some male patrons turned around to size him up.

You had your back to the door as you wiped down the counter and cleaned cups, so you were startled when you heard his deep voice calling out to you from behind.

"Excuse me, miss. I'd like to order an iced espresso with extra milk and a shot of hazelnut syrup, please." He asked politely, pulling out his leather wallet to pay.

You jumped a bit in surprise; you hadn't heard anyone come up. Usually customers ring your bell when they need service, but he didn't.

"I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't know that anyone was…at.. the… counter…" Your sentence trailed off as you looked up and realized who you were about to serve espresso to.

Freezing on the spot, you could feel your mouth slowly opening into an 'o' shape.

The funny thing is, though, that Shoto was just as surprised as you were, but for completely different reasons.

His heterochromatic eyes examined your body intently, before finally landing on your face, trailing over and analyzing every single feature.

"O-of course! It'll be right out!" You stuttered a bit, but you quickly regained your bearings and gave him a sweet smile.

Shoto's heart almost stopped.

You were a cute girl and you seemed very humble, much different than the ones that he usually dated. They always wanted something out of him: dick primarily, followed up by money.

“Here you go, sir! I hope you have a wonderful start to your morning!”

Bright eyes beamed right at Shoto as you set his coffee down on the counter with a couple napkins and one of those small straws.

“Thank you…” He opened his wallet again to leave you a tip, grabbed his coffee, and silently walked off.

You were still a bit shocked that you had just served coffee to Shoto Todoroki, but you’d be even more so when you looked down at the receipt copy and saw a message scrawled across it in the most elegant handwriting.

‘Are you single?’

—-

Present Day

---------------

After that first meeting at the coffee shop, Shoto was immediately smitten with you.

He began coming into the shop every morning before his classes to order the same coffee. Half of the time he didn’t even drink it, opting to give it away to one of his classmates, Izuku or Tenya. He just wanted to see you.

His pursuit of you was relentless: he started walking you to your classes, carrying your books, and even driving you to work after class (via his personal chauffeur.)

All of this attention you were getting from the university’s heartthrob did not mull over well with your current suitor. He was very vocal about it, but you just brushed him off with annoyed looks.

When it got to the point of you being fed up with his complaining, you broke up with him. Right in front of Shoto and the entire snowboarding team.

‘Damn, that’s cold.’ One of his friends, who happened to be on the team, had said while they just watched your retreating back disappear into a crowd of students. Shoto had a small smirk on his face watching the entire transaction go down.

—-

Messages(34):

8:45 pm (Sho🏂): when you get off, i’m sending my driver to get you

8:50pm (Sho🏂): i need to see you

His iPhone almost slipped from his sweaty hands in anticipation when he felt the rectangular device vibrate in his hand:

9:10 pm (Y/N): k, i’m locking up now

While you were closing the cafe’s front door, a bright beam of headlights lit up your form. An all-black luxury SUV was parked right at the entrance and a man dressed in a black tuxedo and hat opened the door for you.

—-

“Have a good evening, madam.” The man bowed to you and you gave him a small smile and nod of recognition.

Your heeled boots made little clopping noises as you walked up the steps to

the beautiful, three-story, modern-Japanese style penthouse.

Upon ringing the doorbell, you hear a chorus of barking - Shoto’s huskies.

“Down.” You heard him say. Nails scratched against the floor as they whimpered and scampered off the door then swung open revealing Shoto in just a white tee and gray joggers.

As soon as you stepped through the door, he grabbed you by the shoulders and slammed you up against the wall.

Cold lips at your shoulder trailed up to your neck while he pushed your legs apart with his knee.

“W-wait, Sho-! What about your family?”

“Not home.” He murmurs and licks up your throat. You can feel his hard-on through his pants.

With one hand pressed against the wall beside your head, his taller stature hovering over you and covering you with warmth, the other snakes to your waist to pull at your belt.

—-

“A-ahh-, Sho…”

Your fingers gripped his two-toned hair as he nuzzled his face into your pussy.

Shoto fucked you from the time you stepped in the door all the way into the wee hours of the morning.

To finish you off and make sure he sent you back to campus shaking with only thoughts of him permeating your brain, he opted to bury himself between your thighs for another hour after fucking you in every position he could think of.

Pale sunlight filtered in through his thin curtains, covering his sleeping form and making him look angelic. Soft breaths and sounds escaped his cute little puckered lips.

It was easy to slip out of bed and pad quietly to the kitchen to begin cooking. The same routine that you had been accustomed to for a year now.

“I don’t deserve you..” Shoto whispered and kissed your naked shoulder upon making his entrance into the kitchen.

His arms wrapped around your waist as he hugged you from behind.

Breakfast sizzled on the stove - an entire spread of eggs, bacon, pancakes, onigiri, and fried pork.

You turned your head and pressed a chaste kiss against his temple, the same small smile on your lips as the one you’d first given him at the cafe; though, this one held undertones of sadness.

While Shoto ate, you cleaned up in his en-suite bathroom and gathered your belongings.

“So…I’ll text you..” He trailed off but you immediately caught the implication.

“I’ll see you around campus, Sho.”

And you left.

—-

“I know you didn’t cook all of this..” Fuyumi set her keys in the dish and eyed her baby brother sitting at the counter munching on an onigiri.

“Hmph..” Shoto averted his dual-colored eyes and stared at some random, expensive painting plastered up on the wall.

The same wall that he’d pressed you against about twelve hours beforehand.

His phone buzzed on the counter: ‘11:00 am: study session with iida, midoriya, bakugou in 50 mins’

“I’m going to get dressed for class.” He grabbed the device and left his empty plate on the counter just as Natsuo and Fuyumi settled down to partake in this free buffet that had seemingly been prepared for them to enjoy.

The door to his room shut quietly, he leaned against it, and raked a hand through his hair.

He already couldn’t wait to see you again.

—-

I need you to take my mind off being in my prime, some company

0:00●—-------------4:12

🔀 ⏮️ ▶️ ⏭️ 🔁

company - drake ft. travis scott

©bleach-your-panties 2024. do NOT steal, repost, copy, alter, or upload any of my works onto other sites.

#shoto todoroki #shoto todoroki x reader #shoto x reader #shoto x reader smut #shoto smut #💋💋.relationship drabbles.#💗💗🍡°mha drabbles #💗💗🍡°mha masterlist #byp 🌹2024 events #byp🌹#dividers by cafekitsune

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blackbat05 · 9 months

Text

Shining Bright

Fred Weasley x Reader

Plot: After hours gives you and Fred the opportunity for heart to heart conversations.

Genre: PG-13 (Fluff/Comfort)

A/N: Hello everyone! Happy 2024! Can't think of much to say but recent works have been influenced by personal experiences. This is a way for me to process and escape reality even if it's for a few seconds. But I definitely do hope and believe things will be better. Cheers and I wish you a good year!

"Thank you! See you again!" You thank the last satisfied customer that walks out of your bookstore. It was time to pack up for the day. As you shelve new arrivals, the bell at the front rings. A smile is automatically etched on your face as it could only mean...

"Fred!"

"Hello love," Fred Weasley kisses you on the cheek as he takes some books from the box to join you in shelving. "Thought I could drop by to help you and maybe we could head down to a nice Fish and Chip place just outside Diagon Alley. Dad took all of us for Christmas dinner and even Ron loved it."

You laugh at Ron finally finding the appeal in Muggle cuisine. "Sure. I just need to shelve this whole box and I'm done for the day."

Fred could have just whipped out his wand to make the whole process faster. He really wanted to spend more time with you. But he also knew how much your ritual at the end of each work day meant to you. So like the gentleman he was, he starts off with the top shelve.

For a while, the two of you worked in silence. Honestly, it was a much needed reprieve.

"Are you sure that George doesn't need help?"

"Nah," Fred waves away your concerns. "You're more important."

"What a sap." You tease.

"And you love it."

With Fred's help, you manage to shelve the books in no time and the lights to your bookstore go off. Night comes and the street lights give a pleasant warm glow to the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley. Families and couples take the streets, eager to spend their weekends away from responsibilities. Fred holds your hand and directs it to his pocket.

A light drizzle comes, bringing more magic to the already magical street. You catch Fred's eyes and no one can see, but he holds you tighter.

"Thanks." You mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed that this came out of nowhere. Perhaps it was the weather that was making you sentimental.

"What for?" Fred cocks his head curiously.

"Supporting me," you say, "I was at my lowest point with everyone doubting my decision of leaving the Ministry. Even my own family. They thought that the problem lied with me. That I was weak minded and I should have put in more effort to prove myself." You exhale shakily. Yeah, it was definitely the rain.

A frown appears on Fred's face and in the artificial lights, his freckles are more pronounced. The both of you stop and you realize that you are under a street lamp. He turns to you with a serious expression.

"This is how I see you." He points up to the lights and back to you. "You shine so bright even when you're going through difficult times."

You lower your head, overwhelmed by the unwavering support that Fred gave you throughout your struggles. It wasn't easy. Having to tell your family that you decided to give up your stable and cushy career at the Ministry to open up a bookstore. It was your passion, your dream. Ever since you were young, books had gotten you through the most tough times.

"So, don't ever doubt yourself. You're doing amazing." Fred encourages you. You smile weakly and he knows it's one of those days where you need a cheerleader. He wraps himself around your waist and lifts you up, voice projecting across the whole street.

"MY GIRLFRIEND IS THE GREATEST HUMAN BEING AND I'M BLESSED TO BE HERS!"

"Fred! What are you- put me down!" You were more amused than anything else and it seemed to have done the trick as you had burst into laughter, positively red in the face.

"Not until you admit that you are the greatest human being." Fred insists.

"What? I'm- Fred don't be ridiculous."

"Nope. HEY EVERYONE-"

"Okay! Okay! I'm the greatest human being on this planet!" You yell, attracting a couple of stares from shoppers. Fred finally puts you down and once you make contact with flat ground again, you grab his wrist and before the both of you know it, the two of you are running through what has now become a sudden downpour.

As you run through Diagon Alley, laughing with your childhood sweetheart and biggest supporter, you can't help but to think that this was definitely the right decision.

One door closes, another door opens. Sometimes, everything happens for a reason. It sounds illogical but it definitely helped you to embrace all sorts of crazy.

At least, you had a handsome (and equally crazy) ginger to support you through everything.

#fred weasley x reader #fred weasley #weasley fanfiction #weasley twins

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writingwhimsey · 6 months

Note

Hi. For your prompt list may I request Clavis and "Oh no, there is only one bed, what will we do now?" I would prefer straight smut please. Thank you.

Thank you for the request! And I knew as soon as I saw this one that I HAD to do it. I mean...that line is oh so Clavis! Anyway, here we are my first smut fic for Clavis!

Smut Is In The Air Event

Suitor: ikepri Clavis

Prompt: "Oh no, there is only one bed, what will we do now?"

NSFW 18+ content below

One Dark and Stormy Night

Clavis had traveled from the palace to visit the estate of a noble in the countryside. He had dragged Emma along with him, insisting that she needed to go to fulfill her duties as Belle. The visit with the noble had lasted later than expected and not long into their journey home, the weather had taken a turn for the worse.

The carriage could go no further for the night. Thankfully they had at least made it into a small town and were close to an inn. The pair made a mad dash inside through a torrential downpour and were greeted by a kindly old innkeeper, who greeted them with a smile.

“Oh you poor dears!” She exclaimed.

“It is a bit of a downpour out there.” Emma said. “We are just lucky we were able to make it to your inn.”

“And you’re in luck that I happen to have a room available.” She said, smiling as she turned around to grab a key. “Come this way.”

“A room?” Emma asked, catching onto the innkeeper’s words.

“Yes, dear. I have one last room available. I hope that won’t be a problem?” The old woman replied.

Clavis was then beaming at the old woman as he wrapped an arm around Emma’s shoulders. “Of course it won’t be a problem. Will it, dearest?” He was then looking at Emma, mischief dancing in his eyes.

Emma’s cheeks reddened. She was ready to push Clavis away, but then she saw the look of concern on the innkeeper’s face. While she didn’t particularly like the idea of having to share a room with Rhodlite’s Clown Prince…she really didn’t have any other options…and nor did she want the old woman thinking that Clavis was a scoundrel trying to hurt Emma in any way.

She may not always enjoy Clavis’s antics…but she knew he wouldn’t actually do anything to harm her. She also knew if he tried something and she said no, he would accept that no.

“Not a problem.” Emma admitted.

Clavis grinned and the old lady smiled as she led them down the hall and up a flight of stairs. They soon arrived at the room, the old woman telling them where they could locate towels and extra blankets and such.

Once she left, the pair were walking into the room, looking around. Emma felt her eyes widen. “Oh…come on…”

“Oh no, there is only one bed! What will we do now?” Clavis asked, in that exaggerated tone of his.

“Sleep.” Emma answered, looking up at him with a stern expression. She then went over to the closet and pulled out the extra pillows and blankets the innkeeper had told them about. She made a little nest of blankets on the floor. “As the gentleman, you can take the floor while I take the bed.”

Clavis chuckled. “Oh come now, where’s your sense of adventure my dear little bunny?”

Emma glared. “I’m going to go dry off and change into some dry clothes. I suggest you do the same.” She then headed for the small bathroom off of their suite and dried herself with some towels and changed into the spare clothes that were left, a thin white night shirt. Unfortunately for her, the night shirt only came to about her midthigh.

“Ugh…why?” Emma grumbled to herself. It’s not like she had much of a choice. She took a deep calming breath before exiting the room. Clavis was already changed and to Emma’s surprise was making himself comfortable on the floor bed she had just made for him.

Clavis looked up at her when he heard the door open. And despite being a gentleman, he felt himself sucking in a breath as some very ungentleman-like thoughts filled his mind at the sight of Emma’s bare legs.

“Clavis? Are you alright over there?” Emma asked, pulling down on the hem of the nightshirt she wore…the very thin nightshirt. Her cheeks were reddening in a manner Clavis found rather adorable.

“I’m just fine little bunny.” Clavis replied. “Though I am starting to think you should allow me to join you in the bed.”

“What?! No, that…that won’t be necessary!” Emma replied. She was then diving into the bed and pulling the covers up over herself, all the way to her chin. “That was NOT very gentlemanly of you to suggest.” She huffed at him.

Clavis chuckled as he rose from his nest of blankets on the floor. “Oh, but it is, my dear little bunny. The only reason I suggested it was for your comfort and safety.”

Emma raised an eyebrow at Clavis. “That seems like it would be for quite the opposite.”

“My dear little bunny, I noticed how thin and short that nightshirt is and these blankets aren’t much better.” Clavis said as he slowly began to slide himself into the bed, slipping ever so slyly under the covers next to Emma. “It’s a chilly rainy night. I wouldn’t want you catching your death of cold. And having my warm body next to yours will only help keep you warm through the long cold night.”

Emma couldn’t help but to notice…the bed did already feel warmer with Clavis next to her. He was right that it was chilly… “Alright…but if you try ANYTHING, I am kicking you back on the floor.”

“You have my word as a gentleman and a prince.” Clavis replied, reaching for Emma’s hand and placing a kiss on the back, his golden gaze on her.

Emma wasn’t sure why, but she felt herself warming even more from the gaze Clavis gave her. Her heart began to beat faster…and his lips seemed to linger on the back of her hand, the gentle kiss lasting longer than any other hand kiss she had ever received. “Clavis…”

Clavis pulled his lips from her hand, a sultry smile on his face. “Yes, Emma…”

Emma bit her lower lip before speaking again. “I…maybe…I wouldn’t kick you out…”

Clavis grinned. “Is that an invitation?” He asked, lifting a hand to gently stroke her cheek. “There are other ways to share body heat after all…”

“Oh…dammit.” Emma muttered, deciding to throw caution to the wind. She surprised herself and Clavis both by grabbing onto the front of his shirt and pulling him into a kiss.

Clavis froze only a moment before wrapping his arms around Emma and moving his lips with hers. He experimented a moment, sliding his tongue out to trace along the line of her lips. She parted them on a sigh and he slid his tongue inside.

Emma responded, meeting his tongue with hers. She felt Clavis’s hand move down her back, sliding over her ass, and, before resting on her thigh and pulling it up and hooking over his hip as he rolled them over so that he was now on top of her.

After a small eternity, Clavis broke the kiss and pulled back to look at Emma, naked desire in his eyes. Emma felt breathless from the kiss and from the look in those golden eyes. “Clavis…” She breathed, her voice thick with her own desire. She had tried to keep a distance between herself and Clavis…but it never seemed to work and now…now she wanted to be as close to him as you could be to another person.

“Emma…” Clavis said, his voice husky. He’d never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Emma right now. His desire for her was even stronger than his desire to beat his brother. He moved completely on instinct, following the will of his desires, caressing her beautiful legs with his hands before positioning his head between her thighs.

Clavis kissed up her inner thigh, first one side and then the other. Lips, teeth, and tongue lavished her skin in unbridled affection, causing Emma’s pulse to quicked and her skin to flush. Her thighs trembled as he inched ever closer to her core, which seemed to ache for attention, but she wasn’t brave enough to ask.

Clavis’s eyes met hers as he placed yet another kiss on her thigh. He could see what she wanted in her eyes and he smiled before moving to her core. He placed an experimental kiss on her lower lips, which made her jump ever so slightly and a small exclamation leave her parted lips…which was how Clavis knew he could continue.

He licked a stripe up her slit before setting his tongue to work on that little pleasure pearl between her legs. Shockwaves of electric pleasure rocked through Emma’s body as Clavis devoured her. Her hips began to buck of their own accord, grinding against his face.

“Cl-Clavis! Oh…yes!” She moaned as pleasure wracked her body.

Spurred on by her moans, Clavis relished the taste of Emma and continued to lap at her. He moved his hands to grip her thighs as they rested on his shoulders, holding them in place. He continued his ministrations until he felt Emma’s thighs tighten around his head and she was letting out the longest and loudest moan yet, his name the only word leaving her mouth, as her release rocked through her.

“Clavis!”

Clavis continued, drawing her release out before slowly pulling away, giving her core one last kiss before he began to kiss back up the front of her body, feeling her warmth even through the thin fabric of the nightshirt. He came back up to hovering over her, a smile on his face as he looked down at her. “I hope you are ready for more.”

“I…yes…” Emma replied, still breathless and panting from her release.

Clavis grinned at her before stealing her lips in a passionate kiss. The pair were then tearing at each other’s clothes until there were no barriers between them. Pressed tightly together, Clavis slid his length inside Emma, bringing the pair as physically close as any two people could be.

The night continued, Clavis bringing Emma to heights of pleasure she’d never known were possible. He enjoyed the countless cries he earned from her lips each time he filled her. He’d never heard anything more beautiful. “You are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on.” Clavis whispered into Emma’s ear as he plunged his cock into her once again. “I don’t want this night to end.”

“Ah…I…I don’t want it to end…either…Clavis.” Emma replied, wrapping her arms around him.

“Then let us share this endless night.” He said before kissing her even as his hips began to thrust, building up their pleasure and indulging in each other all night long.

#whimsey answers #smut is in the air #ikepri clavis #clavis lelouch #ikemen prince clavis #ikemen prince #ikepri #cybird ikemen #cybird otome #fanfic #ikemen series #otome boys #fanfiction #cybird

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mayhemchicken-varneyposting · 4 days

Text

Varney the Vampire, Chapter 23: That Satisfaction Due From One Gentleman To Another

[Previous chapter] [Next chapter]

Charles sits his uncle down and tells him his secret plan: he intends to duel Varney. The admiral thinks this is a fantastic plan, to the point of wanting to also duel Varney, but Charles asks him not to, and to instead look after Flora financially if anything should happen to him. The admiral agrees; he also agrees to be Charles' second in the duel, and Charles writes out a formal challenge for him to deliver to Varney. The admiral leaves, along with Jack Pringle, on his errand.

While he is gone, Charles works himself up thinking about dueling Varney, including making plans for how to keep him from coming back in case he really is a vampire. He reflects that, based on the appearance of the portrait, Varney must be around 150 years old, and marvels at the thought of what he must have witnessed in that time. Finally, he resolves that his duel with Varney must surely be life or death - either Varney dies, or he does.

Admiral Bell meets with Varney and delivers the challenge. Varney casually insinuates that he will kill Charles if they duel. The Admiral now reveals his own secret plan, which is to offer to duel Varney in his nephew's stead. Varney points out that this is highly unusual, but agrees. He continues to talk as though the death of his opponent is a foregone conclusion, and insists on using swords, which the admiral is peeved by. Varney winds the admiral up a bunch with his usual brand of mannerly insults before sending him on his way.

Oh baby, the DUELS are here. Let's fucking go.

Charles' written challenge to Varney is the most hilariously roundabout way of saying "I want to fight you" I think I've ever read.

"To SIR FRANCIS VARNEY. "Sir,—The expressions made use of towards me by you, as well as general circumstances, which I need not further allude to here, induce me to demand of you that satisfaction due from one gentleman to another. My uncle, Admiral Bell, is the bearer of this note, and will arrange preliminaries with any friend you may choose to appoint to act in your behalf. I am, sir, yours, &c. "CHARLES HOLLAND."

This is so vague. The first sentence of this could just as easily be asking Varney out. (Imagine.)

The admiral is acting slightly suspicious as he accepts the letter; secretly, he's plotting to challenge Varney in Charles' stead. Once he's gone, Charles is left to stew in the pre-duel anticipation, which I imagine is about the same feeling I get when I have to make a phone call.

Rymer seems, at times, almost resentful of the fact that there's a vampire in his vampire story about vampires. It's the way he talks about the characters like they're being silly for believing in vampires, in his story he's written about a world which contains real vampires.

It was strange to imagine that such was the force of many concurrent circumstances, that a young man like Charles Holland, of first-rate abilities and education, should find it necessary to give in so far to a belief which was repugnant to all his best feelings and habits of thought, as to be reasoning with himself upon the best means of preventing the resuscitation of the corpse of a vampyre.

Yeah of course he should find it necessary to believe in vampires in your fucking vampire novel, Rymer, what do you WANT from him.

I'm convinced, by now, that the author has no conception of how long a hundred years is. First there was all that business about rates of decay, in which he was convinced that a coffin sealed in a stone vault for a hundred years would decay away to nothing, and now, well...

"That portrait," he thought, "on the panel, is the portrait of a man in the prime of life. If it be the portrait of Sir Francis Varney, by the date which the family ascribe to it he must be nearly one hundred and fifty years of age now." This was a supposition which carried the imagination to a vast amount of strange conjectures. "What changes he must have witnessed about him in that time," thought Charles. "How he must have seen kingdoms totter and fall, and how many changes of habits, of manners, and of customs must he have become a spectator of."

150 years is only about two lifetimes, it's not like he witnessed the collapse of the Roman Empire. What kingdoms are you talking about? (This gets even sillier if we assume the story is set in the late 18th/early 19th century, as is insinuated at one point, because in that case Charles himself would have been alive for multiple revolutions.)

It would be aside from the object of these pages, which is to record facts as they occurred,

Oh, is it now, Rymer? Is it really? What important facts were being recorded when you went on a tangent about construction projects in Kent? Or when you paused the narrative to soapbox about religion for multiple paragraphs? Or the entirety of chapter 19?

The admiral knew well he could trust Jack with any secret, for long habits of discipline and deference to the orders of superiors takes off the propensity to blabbing which, among civilians who are not accustomed to discipline, is so very prevalent.

This is just...patently not true about Jack. Also further revealing of Rymer's shitty beliefs, which we've seen earlier in the form of the Bannerworth's servants gossiping about the vampire attack to the entire surrounding countryside. This "poor people be gossiping" idea keeps getting worse throughout the story, too.

"Confound the fellow!" muttered the old admiral, "he is well lodged at all events. I should say he was not one of those sort of vampyres who have nowhere to go to but their own coffins when the evening comes."

An interesting statement coming from the guy who keeps getting vampires mixed up with mermaids. Many of the vampire superstitions raised in the story are not true within its worldbuilding, but I like to imagine there are indeed vampires of the coffin-dwelling sort in the Varneyverse, and Varney simply isn't one of them. (Or he is, and that's why he can never get a peaceful night's sleep.)

Now we reach a real treat: Admiral Bell and Varney interacting. You will recall that Varney loves winding people up until they snap, and that Admiral Bell is already perpetually wound up. A conversation between them, therefore, ought to be incredibly entertaining, and it does not disappoint.

"Why, he is a young man just, as you say, entering into life, and I cannot help thinking it would be a pity to cut him off like a flower in the bud, so very soon." "Oh, you make quite sure, then, of settling him, do you?" "My dear sir, only consider; he might be very troublesome, indeed; you know young men are hot-headed and troublesome. Even if I were only to maim him, he might be a continual and never-ceasing annoyance to me. I think I should be absolutely, in a manner of speaking, compelled to cut him off." "The devil you do!" "As you say, sir."

(First speaker Varney, second Admiral Bell)

Varney remains pleasant and good-natured throughout the conversation, which only serves to wind up the admiral all the more. He's also being an annoying little shit, of course, which doesn't help. Behind it all, however, is a fairly serious threat. Varney isn't simply confident in his ability to kill any challenger, he takes it as an obvious fact.

"Ay, with swords; but I must have everything properly arranged, so that no blame can rest on me, you know. As you will be killed, you are safe from all consequences, but I shall be in a very different position; so, if you please, I must have this meeting got up in such a manner as shall enable me to prove, to whoever may question me on the subject, that you had fair play."

Speaking of swords, we get more witty vampire insinuations from Varney.

"I cling to the customs and the fashions of my youth," said Varney. "I have been, years ago, accustomed always to wear a sword, and to be without one now vexes me." "Pray, how many years ago?" "I am older than I look, but that is not the question."

I never get tired of him doing this.

And now...okay, I know the purpose of this series is to keep people from having to read Varney the Vampire, and pasting in huge chunks of text is antithetical to that purpose, but goddammit I just enjoy this next part too much. I'll break it up with commentary so it's not such a huge wall of text.

"Is that all?" "Not quite. I will have a surgeon on the ground, in case, when I pink you, there should be a chance of saving your life. It always looks humane." "When you pink me?" "Precisely."

I love the line "It always looks humane." It really highlights his skewed priorities, and the way he treats the death of his opponent as a foregone conclusion not even worth fretting over.

"Upon my word, you take these affairs easy. I suppose you have had a few of them?" "Oh, a good number. People like yourself worry me into them, I don't like the trouble, I assure you; it is no amusement to me. I would rather, by a great deal, make some concession than fight, because I will fight with swords, and the result is then so certain that there is no danger in the matter to me." "Hark you, Sir Francis Varney. You are either a very clever actor, or a man, as you say, of such skill with your sword, that you can make sure of the result of a duel. You know, therefore, that it is not fair play on your part to fight a duel with that weapon." "Oh, I beg your pardon there. I never challenge anybody, and when foolish people will call me out, contrary to my inclination, I think I am bound to take what care of myself I can."

He may sound flippant here, but Varney really is mostly averse to violence, finding duels annoying and tedious and preferring to run from a conflict whenever possible. I won't say this is a consistent character trait of his, because there are a number of later chapters which blatantly contradict this characterization, but it does come up fairly often, and several times is milked for angst. That's right, Varney is the original tragic tortured unwilling monster vampire, and every adaptor who's ever done that with Dracula owes me 20 bucks.

"D—n me, there's some reason in that, too," said the admiral; "but why do you insult people?" "People insult me first." "Oh, nonsense!" "How should you like to be called a vampyre, and stared at as if you were some hideous natural phenomenon?" "Well, but—" "I say, Admiral Bell, how should you like it? I am a harmless country gentleman, and because, in the heated imaginations of some member of a crack-brained family, some housebreaker has been converted into a vampyre, I am to be pitched upon as the man, and insulted and persecuted accordingly."

"People insult me first," he says, grinning while showing all of his big sharp vampire teeth and constantly making little verbal jabs at literally everyone he talks to.

Varney voice how dare you call me out for being rude when I'm literally neurodivergent and a vampire

"But you forget the proofs." "What proofs?" "The portrait, for one." "What! Because there is an accidental likeness between me and an old picture, am I to be set down as a vampyre? Why, when I was in Austria last, I saw an old portrait of a celebrated court fool, and you so strongly resemble it, that I was quite struck when I first saw you with the likeness; but I was not so unpolite as to tell you that I considered you were the court fool turned vampyre." "D—n your assurance!" "And d—n yours, if you come to that."

Damn, roast him Varney.

After Admiral Bell leaves, so frothing mad that he kicks Varney's servant on the way out the door (uncalled for), he starts to worry about what he's going to tell Charles, now that he's arranged the particulars for his own duel instead of for Charles' like he was supposed to. Yeah, dude, maybe you should have thought about that beforehand.

Next: Varney asks Charles out arranges a not-at-all-suspicious meeting

#varney the vampire #varney summary #charles holland #admiral bell #sir francis varney #this is a rymer hate blog #varney/charles #well varney are you going to give charles satisfaction with your sw[i am shot dead]

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norel-ravenclaw · 1 year

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Belle Accidentally Makes A Harem~

Fandom: Ikemen Prince (otome game)

Featured characters: Original 10

Genre: Poly Romance? Semi crack

Rating: 14+ suggestive references

Word count: 2100

Description: Belle (gender neutral) accidentally falls in love with all of the princes - and they each fall for Belle.

They really didn't mean to.

One day they were working in a bookshop, and the next, an attractive asshole had a sword to their throat. Then they were kidnapped by another shady, attractive man. This belle may have trembled a bit, but not really out of fear. And then... well, one thing led to another.

First, it was Rio Ortiz.

You know the story - a kind rescue, teaching a lost soul to love life and to love people. This stranger with their books and kind words, sweet smiles, earnest efforts.

How could he not come to love such a transparent and golden heart? The first person to not want anything from him.

He wouldn't give them up for the world.

Next, it was Prince Leon.

After the incident at the festival, and then the unexpected trauma of being dragged into the dangerous and stressful world of grueling lessons and politics, the fourth Prince insisted on taking Belle out to help them relax. To make them smile again. And oh, did it work. Belle danced and drank and sang, and then ranted a bit. And damn if it wasn't the most adorable and... surprisingly wise bit of rambling he'd ever heard. Huh, Belle had more to them than he ever would have guessed at a glance.

And so by the end of the night, both a little bit tipsy, (pretending maybe to be a bit more drunk than they really were...) they shared a quick kiss before going to bed. A harmless thing; just a little kiss after a great date...

Until there was another. And then another. More blushes, more laughter, more teasing. More wise words and accepting expressions of support. Honesty, openness, hope for the future and love for the people. Ideas bled into what neither could deny they wanted to be plans. Until Leon could imagine no more perfect person by their side, holding his hand, his heart, his future, his hope. Him.

Next, it was Prince Clavis.

He attempted to kidnap Belle for a tour of the palace, and of course an introduction to the Leluchian Trap Series (tm). But, much to the lavender menace's shock and delight, Belle pickpocketed a vial from (one of his many) belts/pockets(?). A bit of sleight of hand and it was gone, with the promise that it would be returned the next morning on the condition that the Prince of Chaos would allow the poor little Belle to properly adapt to this extreme situation (take pity on their anxiety, you brute). And, being a gentleman, he couldn't refuse such an earnest plea.

But it wasn't until a couple weeks had passed that the panther was well and truly caught in their trap. This Belle proved to have a delightfully manic mind that produced the most amusing things. They shocked the whole palace with their easy avoidance of every trap. (Even shocking Chevalier, who watched as they purposely tripped a wire and caught the falling vial in their jacket before it could shatter and release its contents.)

They were a delight when drunk... until they weren't. Too honest. Cutting too deeply. Clavis had never felt so vulnerable, so enraged, so exposed. Every nerve alight with pain when exposed to the air - to the eyes of the perceptive Belle. Who then promptly began sobbing. Every instinct fought inside him as he knew they needed to get back to the palace safely, and... what's this? "I love you Clavis, stop treating yourself and everyone else so badly. Stop hurting yourself by pushing everyone away and hurting them too." His hand caressed their head as they sniffed and sniffed. Until he was sniffing too. Yep, time for a sleeping potion. He slung them over his shoulder and made his way back to the palace, cursing their honesty and feeling his heart tear at the thought of never having another fun conversation with them...

No, he couldn't let them go now. If Belle loved him, he would be sure to let them love him as much as their heart could stand...

Next, it was Prince Jin.

Clavis had said something about Belle defining being a lady/gentleman/gentleperson much the same way he defined being a gentleman. Jin soon found out what his brother had meant by that. Belle was not shy about what they wanted, about their sensuality. Their confidence and easy nature made them more and more attractive to him. Watching them eat, dance, laugh... Belle made him happy. He wanted to drink less because talking to them first thing before their lessons with Sariel had become his favourite part of the morning.

So when Belle bumped into him early one evening, their cheeks flushed, their fists clenched tight... He was ready and willing to help them... relive their tension~ (He was so willing, he helped relieve them of their voice come morning. Whoops.) They were so adorable, so sexy, so honest about their desires, Jin was tempted to break his rule of only once.

With every day that passed, that temptation grew and grew. As did his affection. Until he couldn't stand it anymore. Maybe just one more night would let him be done with this...

Next, it was Lord Sariel.

Everyone was singing Belle's praises. Even the ministers wouldn't shut up about them. How hard working, how kind, how thoughtful, fashionable, creative, sweet, fun, strong, admirable, wise.

His student was always earnest in their studies. Always fighting their fatigue to listen to his lectures. Diligently taking and organizing notes, pushing to read every book. All of this led him to favour his good little student.

But adding how adorable they were when he teased them, their fierce blush when they dared to teased him back~ He wanted to tease them more and more. Every time they looked tired, overwhelmed, depressed, discouraged, his desire to sweep them into his arms and turn their sighs and tiny groans of frustration into... something else. And so, bold Belle that they were, he decided to try with them.

Next thing he knew, he had a new submissive under his control. So obedient, so fearful and lusty and adorable... He broke every rule and took them to his bed. None of the ministers would dare steal so much of his pet's time now. His precious student that he was ever so proud of~ (Doing so good to keep reading while he... ahem.)

Next, was Prince Luke.

Belle had approached him early on, in the gardens, looking so overwhelmed. He pushed gently to know what they wanted, and finally they admitted that they selfishly wanted him to come to lessons with them... so they wouldn't have to do it all alone. Fail alone... They looked so small and helpless in that moment, the big bear agreed to hang out with them now and then.

Soon now and then became all the time. They seemed so happy when he got along with his brothers, when he helped them with their assignments and organizing notes. They were so happy to try honey recipes with him and sneak off to the gardens and abandoned guest rooms for naps and cuddles.

Soon cuddle sessions began in the evenings too, then... then a bath together. Then... He found himself wanting to protect them, their smile. They were so hopeful for the future, so full of good ideas and passion.

Maybe, just maybe, there was another way... A way that would let him stay with them and protect them forever.

Next, it was Prince Chevalier.

He was stunned into silence the first time Belle approached him. Demanding an audience. Demanding to know if he intended to honour the Belle system or seize the throne anyway. They didn't flinch meeting his eye. They... raised a brow when his sword again touched their throat? They... promised to be efficient in handling the questioning process, pointing out that only he himself could answer most of the necessary questions. ...And so he allowed them.

Each time they came with questions - in depth, well thought out - topics of humanity and morality arose. And Belle, looking far too young to have such certain opinions, stated philosophy like fact. Goodness - happiness - is the meaning of life. Therefore, the one rule of humanity is to never unnecessarily take away from the happiness and well-being of others. Love is the choices and sacrifices made for one's happiness and wellbeing.

...

Just like that, a single sentence, and a room full of books on the subject suddenly became unnecessary. Gathered so long to the point of distraction, and this stranger, this peasant off the street - they touched his neglected soul. And his mind? "Well of course it makes sense that you're like this. You seem to be lacking oxytocin, which causes... and... subsequently... Just like me."

...Oh. So that's why this Belle is so analytical. That's why they lack fear. That's why we get along. That's why... He's looking for them constantly, he's awaiting their next audience, he's wondering what they thought of the book he lent them. ...He's falling. Hard. Someone so practical and earnest, so honest and deeply compassionate, so strong and resilient, splendiferously passionate. Everything he isn't, everything he needs, everything he never knew he wanted. ...How foolish.

Next, was Prince Licht.

They had instantly recognized the shadows in each other's eyes. When you seem them every day, it becomes easier to spot in others. Belle turned up the sunshine, and Licht tried to avoid them. He didn't want to hurt them...

And Belle was desperate not to hurt him. But finally, they dared to offer - they understood the nature of such darkness. They could listen, or just keep silent company, or even tell them about the mind and trauma and what might help. So desperate to make it better somehow. And... it worked. Just a little bit. But when you're at the bottom of the abyss, a little bit closer to the light is never just a little thing.

And soon, everyone noticed his comments weren't quite as dire, his expression would soften more. Yves cried when he smiled and laughed at one of Belle's jokes. So did Nokto, behind closed doors. Miracle worker, angel - fallen or not.

Licht would join them in the gardens, for tea, for dancing practice, for a night in town, for a midnight mental health comfort session after nightmares. Once, he found them curled up in the garden with Luke, looking so small and distressed, he joined them, holding Belle close until the tears stopped.

He couldn't ever let them go now.

Next, was Prince Yves.

The capricious cat took a while to come around to the whole idea. A commoner? Sent to judge him? This was a nightmare. Everyone hated the half-blood prince from Obsidian.

But oh how quickly they turned his days into a dream.

They baked with him in the kitchen, helped him sew new clothes, took tea together nearly every day.

They were able to reach Licht, his beloved little brother. And that, more than anything, allowed him to open his heart to them. This commoner saw him, in spite of it all - his heritage, his tsundere nature, his position, his money. He was seen, and he was appreciated, trusted, liked.

He was terrified by how hard he fell for them.

Finally, was Prince Nokto.

Nokto had to be certain this meddlesome person wouldn't hurt his twin. But his investigation led to frustration. ...You know the kind. But more than that, frustration with himself.

This aggravating person saw through every wall, called him out on his maladaptive habits. It was infuriating. But more than that it was just depressing as hell. And yet, they stayed. After calling him out, they stayed and listened. Unlike all the others who came and went in his life, Belle didn't want anything from him. At least, not money or power or sex. They just... wanted him to be okay.

And it was that, finally, that got him to let down a portion of a wall to let them in. They were good for Licht, and they made Clavis more bearable, and even king highness. So, he let them approach more.

By the time he realized that now he was the one approaching Belle, it was too late.

And so, the one called Belle had accidentally won the hearts of the most powerful men in the country.

None of the men would relinquish their treasure... yet seeing the joy Belle had with the others... unexpected and unconventional thoughts crept in.

Until... someone made the suggestion - what if we share?

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aurumacadicus · 7 months

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We're not foolin', the next month of book club starts on April 1st! If you're interested in book club, feel free to send me a message or ask and I'll send you the Discord link. All the book summaries are under the cut. Happy voting!

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Aver has no idea why – or even who Tobias Hawthorne even is.

To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch – and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey

Two young people must hide their true feelings for each other while figuring out who means them harm in this cheeky Regency romance from the author of Love, Lies, and Spies and Duels & Deception.

Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father’s approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. When her interest is piqued, however, it is for the wrong brother.

Charming Ben Steeple has a secret: despite being an architectural apprentice, he has no drawing aptitude. When Imogene offers to teach him, Ben is soon smitten by the young lady he considers his brother’s intended.

But hiding their true feelings becomes the least of their problems when, after a series of “accidents,” it becomes apparent that someone means Ben harm. And as their affection for each other grows—despite their efforts to remain just friends—so does the danger… The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Mors vincit omnia. Death conquers all.

London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen-year-old Silas Bell would rather hip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife. According to Mother, he’ll be married by the end of the year. It doesn’t matter that he’s needed a decade of tutors to hide his autism; that he practices surgery on slaughtered pigs; that he is a boy, not the girl the world insists on seeing.

After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness—a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness—and shipped away to Braxton’s Sanitorium and Finishing School. The facility is cold, the instructors merciless, and the students either bloom into eligible wives or disappear. So when the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its rotten guts to the world—as long as the school doesn’t break him first.

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

It’s one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It’s quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine’s, young ladies learn to finish…everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year’s education.

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

October “Toby” Daye, a changeling who is half human and half fae, has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the Faerie world, retreating to a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world has other ideas…

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errand and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening’s killer.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins; a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, they world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions of the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zeven’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

It’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s reign. His descendant, Arthur, a future Lord and general gadabout, has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the quick-witted, short-tempered princess of England, since birth. The only thing they can agree on is that they despise each other.

They’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run-up to their nuptials, and within 24 hours, Gwen has discovered Arthur kissing a boy, and Arthur has gone digging for Gwen’s childhood diary and found confessions about her crush on the kingdom’s only lady knight, Bridget Leclair.

Realizing they might make better allies than enemies, Gwen and Art make a reluctant pact to cover for each other, and as things heat up at the annual royal tournament, Gwen is swept off her feet by her knight, and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen’s royal brother. Lex Croucher’s Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is chock full of sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans destined to make readers fall in love.

#polls #book club

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foundtherightwords · 5 months

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The Hollow Heart - Chapter 2

Pairing: Hellcheer, Gothic AU

Summary: To escape her mother's control and the stifling society of Gilded Age New York, heiress Christabel Cunningham impulsively marries Henry Creel, a charming and seductive stranger, and accompanies him to his remote mansion on the West Coast. There, as Henry grows cold and cruel, Christabel must uncover her husband's sinister secret before it's too late. But can she trust Kas, her husband's enigmatic assistant, who seems to be her only ally in this strange place, or is Kas's loyalty to his master stronger than his attraction to Christabel?

Chapter warnings: animal death

Chapter word count: 4.9k

Chapter 1

Chapter 2 - Her Own Betrothed Knight

Christabel did have to endure a lecture about the danger of wandering off on her own, but thankfully, Mrs. Cunningham was so upset by Christabel's injury that the lecture didn't last very long. Never mind that the ankle wasn't badly sprained. It wasn't even swollen. Her mother still insisted that she stayed off it until the All Hallows' Eve ball. Christabel suspected that her mother did it not out of concern for her wellbeing, but because it made Jason more attentive toward her than ever—he even intended to cancel the picnic the next day because Christabel would not be able to join them. Christabel, already uncomfortable with him after her rejection, did not relish the idea of being stuck at the house with Jason hovering over her and being chaperoned by her mother. So she convinced him to continue with his party, while she curled up on a window seat with a book.

"Don't fret, darling," Mrs. Cunningham said, coming behind Christabel with one hand on her shoulder and the other smoothing her hair back, though she knew Christabel hated being stood over like that. "Trampling through the woods in the sun and the wind would only dry out your skin and your hair and get you nowhere at all. Better save yourself for the ball. I just had your costume taken in a little, you're going to look lovely in it—"

Christabel didn't reply. She wondered how her mother would've reacted if Christabel told her that all her scheming was for naught, that Jason had already proposed and been rejected. She wouldn't want to go to the picnic anyway—except it would be a chance for her to slip into the woods, in the hope of running into a certain someone again...

At that moment, as though summoned by her thought, there was a faint ring of the bell at the front door. She heard the soft voice of a maid answering it, and another, deeper, male's voice. Her heart started beating faster. She recognized that voice.

A maid came into the room presently. "There's a gentleman here to see you, miss," she said, bobbing a quick curtsey.

"What gentleman?" Mrs. Cunningham's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"He said his name is Henry Creel, ma'am."

"He is the one that brought me home yesterday, Mother," Christabel reminded her. She hadn't told her mother much about Mr. Creel, only saying that he was a guest from a neighboring cottage, but her mother, with her usual penchant for gossip, had discovered his identity anyway.

"Ah yes, a guest of that crackpot Brenner, is he? Some upstart from out West, Mrs. Carver told me. Have a care, Christabel. Now that he's found a way in, he's going to hang on to you like a dog to a bone until—"

"Yes, Mother, I shall bear that in mind," Christabel cut her off before she said something even more vulgar in front of the maid. For someone so concerned with decorum, Mrs. Cunningham could be shockingly nonchalant when it came to talking in front of the servants. It was as though she didn't consider them human beings with their own thoughts and feelings. Christabel nodded to the maid. "Please show him into the morning room, Mary. Thank you."

Creel was standing by the fireplace, one hand resting on the mantelpiece, looking down at the hearthrug, lost in thoughts. When Christabel came in, he lifted his eyes but didn't move from his position right away, and she was struck by a sense of déjà-vu. She had seen that pose somewhere—a painting, or a sculpture, with a person's face half-hidden by his arm, showing only his eyes. Was it a portrait of Lord Byron? No. But it was something romantic like that. Never mind. It would come to her eventually.

The sense of déjà-vu vanished as soon as Creel moved toward her with his arms outstretched. "Miss Cunningham," he said, clasping her hand in both of his. "I've come to inquire after you. How is your ankle?"

"Thank you, it's improved a great deal. But really, you needn't have bothered—"

He leaned toward her, smiling conspiratorially. "I did say you can count on seeing me again, didn't I?"

Christabel blushed. She seemed to be doing so a lot around Creel. "Yes, but I didn't expect it would be so soon." A discreet cough behind her reminded her of her mother's presence, and she reluctantly made the introduction. As Creel bowed over Mrs. Cunningham's hand, Christabel could see that her mother was not impervious to his physical charms, for all her attempts to remain aloof. Mrs. Cunningham was briefly interested to learn that Creel's family came from the nearby village of Ringwood, but when he said it was over two hundred years ago and that his father made his fortune out West, her interest quickly waned and her manners turned frosty. Her mother had always been a snob about family name and lineage, and Christabel doubted she would ever approve of Creel, not even if his forefathers had been on the Mayflower.

"And have you made any further discovery about your family's history?" Christabel asked, to fill in the awkward silence.

"Not yet, but Dr. Brenner have told me about the ruins of a settlement not far from Tuxedo Lake," Creel said. "If this nice weather continues, I intend to investigate it more closely. Perhaps you would care to join—"

Mrs. Cunningham made a disapproving noise in her throat, and Christabel gave Creel an apologetic look. He did not seem to notice anything amiss. He gently led Christabel to a chair by the window, keeping up a stream of easy chatter with both her and her mother, talking about San Francisco, about New York and how he wished he could visit it more often—polite, impersonal talk that meant nothing at all, but from the way those blue eyes fixed on her, she could tell there were things he'd like to say to her but was prevented by her mother's presence.

After fifteen minutes, the minimum amount one could entertain a guest without appearing rude, Mrs. Cunningham stood up, signifying the visit was over, and claiming Christabel needed her rest. Creel stood up as well, with regret plainly written over his handsome face. He thanked them for a lovely chat, wished Christabel a speedy recovery, and moved toward the front door.

"I hope we'll have the pleasure of seeing you again, Mr. Creel," Mrs. Cunningham said, in a voice that meant quite the opposite.

"Thank you, ma'am, so do I," he said.

"Will we, though?" Christabel asked, lowering her voice so her mother wouldn't hear.

"You can count upon it," he whispered, extending a hand to her.

They shook hands. The book Christabel had been reading, which she forgot she was still holding, slipped out of her hand and clattered to the ground. Before she could reach for it, Creel had bent down, picked it up, and pressed it into her hand. When she frowned at the feel of the book in her hand, he gave her a discreet wink, bowed to her mother, who was still hovering behind, then turned and left.

Only when she was back in the privacy of her room that Christabel felt safe enough to look at what she was holding—not one, but two books. Creel had slipped her another while picking up her first one. It was Tales, by Edgar Allan Poe. Christabel felt a surge of excitement mixed with gratitude for Creel's discretion and consideration. Her mother would never approve of such morbid reading material.

There was a name written on the flyleaf—"M. Brenner". Christabel grinned to herself. Creel must have scoured his host's bookshelf for this one. As she turned the pages, a note fluttered out. With quickening pulse, she picked it up. In a slanting, elegant hand, it said, "I believe a lady named after a Coleridge heroine would appreciate the romantic and macabre genius of Mr. Poe." And, a little lower, "If you wish to escape the castle, I shall be waiting. Same time, same place tomorrow. H."

***

The difficult part had been to convince her mother that her ankle would improve with some light exercise. When her mother suggested she took a turn around the Carvers' garden, Christabel had exploded—the reaction may have been exaggerated to frighten her mother, who hated public displays of emotions of any kind, but the frustration was very real. "Am I a dog, to be held on a leash?" she'd said. "Why don't I start wearing a veil in public too, while you're at it?"

It had worked. Her mother had agreed to let her take a walk around the lake but insisted that she took one of the Carvers' maids with her. After that, it had been the simple matter of bribing the girl with a few coins so she could slip away undetected.

As she walked, Christabel wondered what had prompted her to have a clandestine rendezvous with a man she'd met only the day before. He was attractive, to be sure, and very kind and gentlemanly, in a quiet, mild-mannered way that felt more natural and genuine than the excessive gallantry of her other suitors. But it was more than that. He came from another world. She knew little of the West, but a place where men could make their fortunes and become respectable regardless of their origins was bound to be different from the rigid, suffocating world she was living in. When he scooped her up into his arms, his movement so decisive and casual, she'd imagined she had been touched by that other world, and she longed to feel that touch again.

Creel was sitting under the oak when she arrived, cutting a dashing figure with his bare head and his body in recline. Again, Christabel felt that sense of déjà-vu. She must remember which painting it was that reminded her of him.

He looked up from the notebook in which he was writing or sketching and smiled at her. A flock of butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

"I was getting quite impatient," he said.

"I had to distract my mother."

"I didn't get you into trouble, did I?" Creel peered at her with concern. "I would've come to the house, but I have a feeling that she won't appreciate my visit."

Christabel sighed. "My apologies, Mr. Creel. My mother can be—"

He made a dismissive gesture with his pencil. "Never mind that. I'm glad you came."

She sat down on a clump of grass opposite him. The sunlight scattered through the leaves, throwing speckles of gold over his face, so one of his eyes shone while the other remained in shadow. The gleam in that eye threw the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy, and she had to look down to hide her fluster.

"How did you know I wished to escape?" she asked, fingering a fold in her dress.

He smiled, as though it was the most obvious answer in the world. "How could you not?" he said. "Five minutes with that crowd and I would have run for the hills."

"Is the San Francisco society not like that?"

"I daresay it is, but I don't know for certain. I don't spend much time in society, to be honest. I'm too busy with my studies."

So perhaps it was not his world that was different, it was Creel himself. "What do you study?" Christabel asked.

"A little bit of everything. History. Science. Literature. Speaking of which, how do you like Mr. Poe?"

"Very much. I finished the book in one sitting." She neglected to say that she'd had to read it under the covers, for fear of being found out by her mother. She didn't want Creel to think she was still a schoolgirl. "Did Dr. Brenner mind losing it?"

An enigmatic smile appeared on Creel's lips. "What Brenner doesn't know can't hurt him."

"Of course, he's rather obsessed with death, isn't he? Mr. Poe I mean, not Dr. Brenner."

"Aren't we all?"

"Not just death in general either, but premature death and false death, specifically," Christabel said. The fates of Madeline Usher and Fortunato were still haunting her.

"Because those are the most horrible." Mr. Creel's eyes turned dark. "When you die before your time, or when others think you're dead and you're powerless to tell them. Can you imagine?"

Perhaps this was not the most romantic subject of conversation, but nobody had spoken to her with so much openness and honesty. Usually, when she tried to discuss books and music with another man, she could only nod and go along with whatever opinion he had, or she would be labeled a bluestocking and a bore and catch the eyes of no other man. At least that was what her mother had told her.

"Have you investigated the ruins that Dr. Brenner told you about?" she said after a moment, for Creel's eyes were still dark, and she wished to dispel that look.

"I have, but they're not the right one. Far too recent."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not." Creel turned his eyes upon her, the one eye that shone in the sun now sparkled with quite a different light. "In fact, I hope my search takes a long time."

"Why?"

"So I can keep seeing you."

Christabel turned crimson. Later, as they said goodbye, she didn't ask if she would see him again. She knew that she would.

***

They did see each other again, almost every day after that. They talked a great deal, or rather, Creel talked and Christabel listened. He told her about his house overlooking the San Francisco Bay and about his travels—he had traveled widely; it seemed there were few places left in America that he hadn't set foot on, and in Europe as well. "My dream, though, is to travel to the Far East," he said. "Japan and China. Especially China. There's a lot of Chinese people in San Francisco, you know, and their culture fascinates me. It's one of the oldest civilizations in the world. I think it would be something to see it with my own eyes."

"I always wish I could travel," Christabel replied, wishing she could say something more interesting or share some travel anecdotes of her own. Her stories of Newport and the Catskills must sound awfully provincial to him.

He also told her about his studies—his current interest was medicine from plants and animals. All the while, Christabel could only listen in fascination and admiration, wondering how he managed to do so much and learn so much and go to so many places at such a young age. And her yearning for that world he'd opened to her, a world of newness, excitement, and sophistication, grew and grew, only she no longer wished to be simply touched by that world. Now she wished to be a part of it, with him.

Then something happened that derailed their time together.

It was three days before the ball. There was no entertainment planned for that day, and Mrs. Carver wanted everybody out of the house so they could start decorating and preparing for the ball. Jason and the others were talking about going down to the lake for some boating and fishing, when Mr. Carver received a telephone call in his study. The Carvers had just had their telephone installed, and its shrill, unaccustomed ringing echoed in the hall ominously. A moment later, Mr. Carver emerged, looking strangely pale and shaken. Mrs. Carver fluttered into the study with a frightened look. The guests mingling outside heard some murmurings, and then Mrs. Carver's voice raised in irritation, saying, "Nonsense! It has nothing to do with us. Besides, we have been preparing for days." She came out of the study, looking quite put out, and could be heard muttering under her breath, "The old crackpot! Even in death he was a nuisance!" as she fluttered to the back to go through the menu with the French chef once more.

Finally, Jason managed to learn the truth from his father—Dr. Brenner had been found dead in his house the previous night.

He had been found in his library by his servant, with an unmarked bottle next to him. There was to be an inquest, though in all likelihood, it would be a formality only—the body showed every symptom of poison, the library was locked from the inside, and everyone knew Brenner's penchant for the occult. No doubt it was the result of some foolish experiment. Mr. Carver had considered canceling the ball out of respect, but fortunately, Mrs. Carver had convinced—or perhaps bullied—him to carry on as planned.

This didn't stop the guests from feeling excited about the prospect of a murderer in their midst and exchanging theories on how Brenner had really died.

"What about that mysterious guest of his, the one who brought you back that day, Christabel?" one of the girls said. "Might he have something to do with this?"

"I don't know," replied Christabel, though she was worrying about the same thing. She couldn't believe Creel had anything to do with Dr. Brenner's death, but she was worried that this death and the inquest may keep him from seeing her. And with her mother getting into one of her fits and forbidding Christabel from even setting foot outdoors—as though a murderer was lying in wait and ready to pounce on her—she didn't know if she could go to the woods again. She hadn't realized how much she had been looking forward to their daily meeting until it stopped.

That evening, she was wandering around the garden, feeling listless and despondent, when she heard a whisper nearby, "Miss Cunningham?"

Christabel bit back a startled cry. A shadow detached itself from the privet hedge and came to stand in front of her. It was a young man, as dark as Creel was fair. His skin was pale, and his eyes and hair appeared black in the moonlight. "Sorry, miss," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Mr. Creel's servant."

He was holding himself awkwardly, as though trying to make himself smaller, less noticeable. Somehow, this awkwardness made Christabel's initial fear vanish. "Is Mr. Creel all right?" she asked.

"Yes. He couldn't come himself because he's being questioned by the police." The young man pulled a note from his pocket and handed it to her. "He asked me to bring you a message."

Christabel went over to a gas lamp and opened the note. Her eyes fell on Creel's familiar slanting hand: "Meet me by the oak tomorrow, 10 AM. H." Emotions flooded her heart, mostly joy and relief.

She looked up to see the young man still standing there, as if waiting for something. "Thank you," she said. "Please tell him I'll be there."

He nodded but made no move to leave. Christabel remembered and searched her pockets for a coin for his tip, but came up empty. "I'm sorry, I don't have any money on me—"

"I don't want your money!" For a moment, his diffidence was gone, replaced by a brief look of rage. That, too, disappeared in a flash, though the man's hands remained balled into fists. "Begging your pardon, miss," he said, controlling his voice with difficulty. "But... if I were you, I wouldn't go."

With those enigmatic words, he vanished into the dark, leaving Christabel alone with the note.

***

The next morning, she managed to escape her mother and slip away. She went to the old oak tree and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Creel's familiar figure leaning against it. He still smiled at her, though his eyes were grim, and when she offered him her hand in greeting, he took it in a tight grip.

"What's happened?" she asked. "Is there going to be an inquest for Dr. Brenner's death? Will you have to make a statement?"

He shook his head. "The police seemed pretty confident that the poison was self-administered. They are going to rule it a suicide, or perhaps an accident." Christabel breathed more easily, but Creel's eyes remained dark. "I blame myself," he muttered.

"Surely you have nothing to do with it? You said so yourself, he took the poison of his own volition."

"I knew that Brenner was interested in alchemy and the elixir of life and things like that," Creel said. "But I didn't realize he would be so foolish as to attempt to brew one himself and drink it without testing it first. I should have warned him."

"No." Christabel laid a hand on his arm. "It was not your fault. You couldn't possibly know that."

He looked down at her hand, then up at her face, and something in his eyes set her pulse pounding.

"I'm returning to San Francisco soon," he said.

Her heart went cold. "Because of Dr. Brenner's death?"

"No. Because I've found what I was looking for."

"Your village?"

"Better. The remains of my family's cottage. Would you like to see?"

She nodded, and, still holding her hand, he led her through the trees, to the north end of the lake. Christabel followed him, trying to feel happy for him, but she couldn't stop the disappointment from rising within her, disappointment at the thought that he would go away, back to that free and easy world, while she would be stuck here, perhaps for the rest of her life.

They stopped at a clearing surrounded by elms and oaks, all glorious in their autumnal coats. There was something like a boulder or a cairn in the middle of the clearing, covered so completely with ivy that Christabel almost missed it. Creel knelt to spread the ivy apart, and Christabel saw that it was actually the remains of a stone fireplace.

"Look," he pointed to a smooth, flat stone at the back, where a large "C" had been carved.

"C for Creel?" Christabel asked, astonished.

"Yes."

"How long ago did your ancestors live here?"

"About two hundred years."

The thought of all that history now gone and buried in the ground under her feet made Christabel forget her heartache for a moment. "And did they move away, or—"

"No." Creel's face was somber. "The mother and the daughter died in mysterious circumstances, and the father was accused of killing them by witchcraft. He was hanged. Only the son survived."

Christabel's body grew cold with horror. Sometimes, caught in all the comfort and ease of modern life, she forgot how violent the history of their country was. She couldn't think of anything to say other than "Oh." Just then, the morning sun shone into the clearing, and her eyes caught something sparkling amongst the stones. "What's that?"

Creel dug into the daub, which had all but crumbled to dust, and pulled out something not bigger than the palm of her hand, covered in dirt. Red glints showed through here and there in the sunlight.

"My word!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"

Pulling out his handkerchief, he wiped the dirt off of his discovery. It was a piece of stained glass, in the shape of a rose. "Do you know what you've found?" he said, awe in his voice. "It's our family crest. My ancestors brought it over from England and put it on the cottage's front door. I have something similar at my house in San Francisco. It's extraordinary that it was still here and intact after all this time." He beamed up at her. "I knew you would be valuable to me in some ways. I knew it the first moment I saw you."

The look in his eyes sent her heart into a somersault. Somehow she managed to open her mouth, and was about to say something back, something silly and girlish and inadequate, when she was interrupted by a scream that rent the air.

For a heart-stopping moment, she thought it was a woman or a child in distress, but when the scream continued, it became clear that it was an animal. Creel slipped the bit of stained glass into his pocket, jumped to his feet, and ran toward the elms. They soon discovered the source of the scream—a hare, caught in a steel trap. Blood pooled around the places where the cruel sharp teeth cut into its hind leg, but it was still alive, its eyes fixed on them with an imploring, almost human look.

"Oh please, please help him!" cried Christabel.

Creel stood looking down at the hare. "There's no helping it," he said. "But I can put it out of its misery."

"No!"

"Its leg is broken, Miss Cunningham." His voice was harsh. "Even if I free it, it would be lame and soon fall prey to a fox or an eagle. This is kinder." He took off his gloves. "Look away."

Christabel told herself she should just leave, she who always took care to never be present at the kill on a hunt, but some terrible force had gotten a hold of her, rooting her to the spot, making it impossible for her to tear her eyes away from the hare, from its chest still moving rapidly, from the twitching whiskers and the pink ears with red veins that stood out against the sunlight. Only when Creel snarled, "Look away, Miss Cunningham!" that she remembered herself and raised a trembling hand to cover her eyes.

There was a squeak, then silence. She lowered her hand. Creel was covering up the little body with dry leaves. "This trap was no doubt set by a poacher," he said, pulling his gloves on. "We should let someone know."

Somehow, the casual way with which he pulled on his gloves horrified her more than anything else. It finally shocked her out of her daze, and she turned and ran out of the clearing, chest heaving with sobs.

She didn't realize Creel had chased after her until she felt his strong grip on her shoulders, turning her around, and she found herself in his arms, hot tears staining his waistcoat, while he said, "Stop it, Miss Cunningham. I can't stand tears. If you don't stop crying, I'm going to have to do something quite drastic to stop you." Then his embrace turned into a caress, as his hands ran from her shoulders to her waist, and he pulled her to him and clasped his mouth to hers.

She was rooted to the spot again, not by some unknown force this time, but by the power of his arms and his body and most of all his mouth, a force that robbed her of her breath and her thoughts and her senses, leaving her with no choice but to submit to it.

A moment later, or a lifetime later, she felt the pressure of his mouth lift, but his arms remained around her. "I can't imagine leaving this place without you," he whispered in her ear. "Will you come with me, Christabel?" His kiss had left her so breathless that she couldn't answer right away. "Say yes," he said, a note of urgency in his voice. "Say yes now, or—"

"Yes," she said weakly, almost before she could think. It was as though he had put the word in her mouth and it had come out by itself, with no control from her. She opened her eyes and saw that the sun had gone behind the clouds, leaving the clearing gray and dreary. She couldn't help remembering, too, that they were standing on the ruins of a family home destroyed by tragedy, and that an animal lay dead at their feet. It was certainly not her ideal place for a proposal. But she didn't care. All she cared was that she was going to be free.

***

They agreed that Christabel would inform Mrs. Cunningham of their engagement the next morning, and if her mother approved, Christabel would send Henry a message and they would ask for her blessing together, after the ball. And if she didn't... well, they would deal with that together as well.

As she went to bed that night, Christabel wondered if she'd been too hasty. But, she reasoned with herself, others had gotten married after just one encounter, one look across a ballroom. And when she thought about how Henry made her feel—she thought of him as "Henry" now, with a certain relish—and the promise of freedom he brought, all her doubts were silenced.

There was one thing she couldn't get out of her head, though—it was the image of Henry standing over the hare, calmly putting his gloves back on. It disturbed her, though she did not know why. He'd been right, of course. It had been an act of mercy. Yet he had stood over that poor suffering hare not like an angel of mercy, but more like an avenging angel.

And with the thought of angels, it came to her in a flash, what she had been trying to remember since his first visit to the Carver mansion—what Henry's pose by the fireplace had reminded her of. It was The Fallen Angel, the painting by Alexandre Cabanel, whose reproduction she had seen in a book. Yes, he had looked exactly like it, with his tousled hair and that strange, intense look in his eyes, half of pain, half of rage. Exactly like Lucifer, after his fall from Heaven.

Chapter 3

A/N: Originally, Eddie/Kas wasn't supposed to show up until Chapter 3, but I got impatient so I had to give him an early appearance here :))

This is "The Fallen Angel" by Alexandre Cabanel, in case you're wondering.

#hellcheer #hellcheer fic #hellcheer au #eddissy #eddie x chrissy #eddie munson #chrissy cunningham #henry creel #joseph quinn #joseph quinn fic #kas!eddie #vampire!eddie munson

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0nlythrowharrybeaux · 2 years

Text

The Assistant - Christmas Special**

Sorry it's late, it's been a busy holiday and I appreciate you rpatience. It's mostly fluff and Y/N meeting Harry's family, there's a smutty part in there as well.

WC: 13.4K

Warnings: Unprotected Sex

Series Masterlist

Y/N could not believe that she was in London. Flying had been a new and extremely petrifying experience, she had no idea how Harry did this as often as he did, but nevertheless, she was grateful that he had experience with it and was able to talk her down from her nervous breakdowns. Their first order of business was buying her a coat, being from California Y/N hadn’t even had the need of a formal coat, sweaters she had plenty of, but England was far colder and she had borrowed one of Harry’s, but he insisted on her having one of her own. Their car was waiting for them outside of the shop as he had her choose one that she liked. She was trying to be quick about it because she didn’t want to keep the driver waiting too long.

“Baby-“

“What about this one?” Harry asked, showing her a black fur coat and she shook her head.

“I can’t think of what they killed to put that on there.” She confessed and he smiled and nodded.

“Very true.”

“I was wondering if I should be getting any gifts for your family?”

“If you really want to you can, it’s not at all expected.” He said as he continued looking along with her, “What about this one?”

“You’ve seen the kind of klutz I am, lets stick to a darker color, yeah?” She asked with a grin and he chuckled.

“Oh right…” he mumbled and she giggled.

“Ooh, look at this one! I can attach a hood if I want!” She said showing him a nice black one with large gold buttons.

“I think that one’s nice.” He smiled.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, s’perfect.” He assured and soon they were paying and Harry was helping her get it on before they headed back out to the car and off they went.

“Well what could I get for your family? At least something for your parents, sister, and brother in law.” She said and he suggested they go to a Christmas market, sometimes there were a lot of artisans who would come and put out their work. She had brought them some things from California, but nothing remarkable or special in any way, just some mugs because Harry said his mum and sister liked them. They drove a bit out of the main parts of the city to more residential looking areas and soon they were turning on their street. Harry had the biggest smile on his face as he looked out the window.

“You see that little playground there? I lived there every summer.” He said to her as she peaked out, “Remember we had a birthday for a friend of mine there one time and I got on the merry go round too soon after and ended up getting sick all over myself and two other kids.” He chuckled and she shook her head.

“Oh gross…”

“Yeah, it was very traumatic. For the other two kids as well.” He said and she giggled, “Oh there it is!” He said pointing to two-level home about the same size as her own house. It was all white though and had a dark blue door. Right outside there was a small, light yellow car outside on the driveway, “Oh mum’s home.” He said quietly and she started to feel the nerves bubbling up in her system.

“I’m gonna be sick, Harry.”

“You’ll be fine. She loves you already, imagine when she meets you.” He said and she sighed. The gentleman started driving up into the car park and shut it off and she looked outside.

“There are so many windows.” She smiled.

“I know, s’very neat.” He said and she nodded. Soon they were getting out of the car and despite his protests, she was helping with her bags and tipping their driver while Harry went to ring the bell.

“Thank you so much.” She said to the older man.

“Enjoy your trip, miss.” he smiled politely before driving off. She was walking over when the front door opened and she was faced with the prettiest mother she had ever seen in her life. Her smile was bright, much like Harry’s and her eyes big and bright, they made her look so kind and friendly, she likely was, much like her son.

“My handsome boy! Look at you!” She cooed and opened up her arms as she hugged him tight, “I’ve missed you so much.” She said more quietly as they embraced each other for a few moments. Y/N could just feel the love and affection between them as they met again after so much time apart. Finally they pulled back a bit and she smiled up at him, “Your hair’s getting long.” She said spoke with a reminiscent tone, “Looks like when you were about 9 or 10.” She pointed out and Harry smiled.

“Yeah, it’s kind of in now, growing it out.” He explained and she hummed, “And well, what you’ve been waiting for now for months.” He breathed out a chuckle and moved off to the side to reveal Y/N, “This is my girlfriend, Y/N. Y/N this is my mother, Anne.” He introduced them and Anne was smiling so brightly and Y/N came up to the door and extended her hand.

“Hello Anne, it’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

“Oh darling, come in for a hug!” She said and Y/N giggled as they hugged, “I’ve been hearing loads and loads about you since you started working together.” She said and Harry went all pink in the face as his mum outed his fondness over Y/N.

“Oh really?” She giggled and Harry rolled his eyes.

“Mum, just stop.” He mumbled and Anne chuckled.

“Come on in, the tea’s just about ready.” She said and helped them bring their luggage into the warmth of the house, “Now, we haven’t got tons of space, Gem’s old room is sort of a storage space right now,” she explained, “So I was thinking that if you wanted to sleep in the same room you could take the master suite and I can sleep in your old room, H.” She said.

“Oh no, no need to uproot yourself.” Y/N cut in, “I don’t mind the sofa or wherever else if we can’t fit on the bed.”

“Baby, we fit. If we fit in your bed we fit that bed.” He assured and she smiled and nodded.

“Perfect! Go on and get settled in, I’ll get the tea ready.” Anne insisted and Harry led Y/N up the narrow staircase to the second level of the home. There were some family photos lining the wall and she took her time in looking them over. Harry felt really happy at having her in the space where he grew up. He too was nervous about having her over to meet his family, he knew that they would love her, but it was just one of those things that let them know that he was serious about her. He’d damn well flown her over from across the world to have them meet her!

“Look at you!” She cooed at a particular photo of him in a little baker-boy cap, “You look the same as when you were a kid.” She turned to him with a grin and he scoffed.

“I do not.” He mumbled.

“You do too! Those pretty, big eyes, that flirty little grin…” she giggled at him and he grinned timidly and she laughed softly, “Literally, that’s the one.” She pointed out.

“You’re more embarrassing than my mum.” He mumbled and she rolled her eyes.

“Oh please, you love the attention.” She said as she squeezed past him to get to the landing.

“Can’t deny that.” he grinned as he followed her up and led the way to his old bedroom and opened up the door, “This is it.” He announced as he let her walk in first and she smiled as she looked around. There wasn’t much in there, the small bed was up against the wall. The mattress was encased in a wooden bed frame and the mattress was covered in a plain light green comforter and two pillows at the head of the bed. Folded up on the foot of the bed was a thick knitted blanket, it was a mix of yellow, orange, and brown tones from what she could tell. There was a window looking out to the neighbor’s yard on the wall opposite the door and there were dark green floor length drapes pulled back to let the light of day in. The carpet was a light blue, almost grey color and the walls were white and bare. There was a little bookshelf that was full and a record player on the dresser he had in there. Overall the room was quite simple and understated, but it was comfortable and homey.

“I like it.”

“S’nothing compared to what I have in America, but I like it too. Miss the simplicity of this sometimes.” He said as he followed her in and set his suitcase down and she did the same and came up to him with a fond smile.

“Harry, thank you for bringing me here.” She said and he smiled at her. “I must admit I’m still a little nervous, but I am really excited to meet all of your family if they’re anything like your mom.” She said and he smiled.

“Oh, they definitely are. Brits have this reputation of being cold and rigid, but I’ve never really had that with my mum’s family. My dad’s side lives up to that stereotype a little bit more, but they’re quite warm when they get comfortable or drunk.” He said and she giggled. “S’why I liked your grandparents, they really remind me of my family.” He said and she smiled, “Oh, I wanted to ask, is there any like special tradition or food or something we should do to make you miss home a little less?” He asked and she hummed.

“What do you usually do?”

“Well we mostly do everything on Christmas Day. We have breakfast and go to the local church service in the morning and then open presents while we have tea and then an early dinner. We all set up for dinner together.” He said and she smiled.

“Well my family does something similar except we open gifts on Christmas Eve, which is not all that important to me.” She assured, “But ummm…we do always have hot cocoa together on Christmas Eve while we do the presents and then pancakes on Christmas Day, I think that’s something I’d definitely miss. Mainly the hot cocoa, my grandma makes the best hot cocoa.” She smiled and he nodded.

“Well we can go find the ingredients and try it, yeah?”

“OK.” She smiled and he grabbed her face and tilted it up towards his.

“Gonna kiss you now, OK?”

“OK.” She hummed and he attached their lips delicately.

“I love you and I’m so happy you’re here.” He hummed.

“Tea’s ready!” They heard Anne call out from downstairs.

“C’mon.” She said pulling him along and he didn’t budge and pulled her back and kissed her again, this one with more depth and she smiled into it as he tried to sneak some tongue in, “Not now, baby.”

“Later then?”

“Perhaps.” She said and he huffed but let her pull him along anyway. Soon they were all sitting around the living room, Harry was right next to her and Anne was pouring their tea from the seat beside them.

It was amusing for Anne to see this because Harry was a huge mama’s boy. Even when he had girlfriends over for dinner or a party at the house before, he always planted himself beside her. He would obviously be attentive of his partner, but from across the table; almost like he was afraid of fully relying on that other person. Being on the more cautious and timid side, he had been hurt before by other women who found him physically attractive but hadn’t really taken the time to understand that he was slow and cautious when it came to romance and that wasn’t always what they wanted. But with Y/N he seemed to have finally let go of that fear of relying on his partner, maybe it helped that he had been away from home when he met Y/N, whatever it was, Anne was just happy to see very clearly that he was in love and had put his whole heart in it this time. A parents never wants their child to experience things that makes them fear the world, but unfortunately they do sometimes, but seeing him outgrown of his fear of just falling for someone, it made her feel extremely proud of him.

“How’d you take your tea, dear?” Anne asked Y/N.

“Usually just plain.” She confessed, “But I hear tea here is something else.” She said and Anne smiled.

“I must admit that I think I make quite the brew.” Anne smiled, “If you’re open to it I can have you try it how I like it.” She looked up to her and Y/N nodded.

“Yes, that sounds lovely. Thank you.” She assured and Anne got to adding a little splash of creme and a cube of sugar to it.

“Please add more sugar if you prefer it, I don’t fancy a sweet tea.” She said and Y/N nodded as she took the tea cup and had a careful sip.

“Oh no, this is perfect. I don’t prefer sweet all that much either.”

“Oh really? Should see how much coca-cola she drinks when we go out.” Harry teased.

“OK, fountain drinks are different. We both take our coffee black, don’t we?” She asked and he hummed.

“Still prefer coffee, do you?” Anne asked Harry and he chuckled as she poured some creme into the next teacup and dropped in three cubes of sugar.

“It just tastes better.” He said and she shook her head.

“Here you are, love.” She said as she handed over his teacup, “Milk and sugar for you.” She teased and Y/N giggled.

“Oh hush…” he mumbled and Anne grinned as she prepared her cup exactly like Y/N’s. Conversation was quite easy with Anne, she was curious about their work and about their dynamic there and outside of work. She wanted to know about Y/N’s family and her hobbies. Y/N also asked questions about Anne’s life and hobbies and Harry was very pleased that they were getting along well. He knew they would, they were both very pleasant people, but there’s always a slight chance of things not going how he expected. But this was going really well, right now they were talking about gardening and how Y/N would always help her grandmother prune their plants in their garden outback. Anne had a beautiful garden, he loved the spring because everything was bright and blooming, she also had a little strawberry patch and a cherry tree that faithfully gave in abundance every year. Those were a lot of the memories Harry had of his summers.

“Oh, that’s so neat! I can imagine all of the delicious things you can make out of those.” Y/N said and this got his mother going on her summer jams and pies. Everything was going swimmingly and Harry just hoped that at the end of this vacation they could all without a shadow of doubt envision her as his life partner, the way he did. He loved her ambition and strength, her hardships had made her into a compassionate and kind soul, she was smart and beautiful and so open to learning about anything and everything and he reckoned that having a wife like that would make like together an absolute adventure and he wanted that with her, so fucking much.

“So any plans before dinner?” Anne asked Harry and he nodded.

“Wanted to take her to a Christmas Market, they don’t have those in America.” He said and Y/N nodded.

“Well the one in Richmond continues to be my favorite one, but there are decent ones that are a bit closer.” Anne said.

“Well I don’t mind if we go for a little ride.” Y/N smiled at Harry and he nodded.

“Lovely, we can go to the one in Richmond then.” Harry decided.

“Would you like to come with us, Anne?” Y/N asked Anne and she glanced to Harry quickly who just smiled and nodded once.

“Are you sure?” She asked turning back to Y/N, “I wouldn’t want to impose on your time together.” She explained with a polite smile.

“Oh, not at all, he’s here to spend time with you, so please join us if you’re up for it.” Y/N insisted and this made Anne smile.

“Alright then, thank you for the invitation. I’m just going to freshen up a bit.” She said and they both nodded and Anne hurried off to her bedroom. Harry chuckled once she was out of the room at his mother’s eagerness.

“Your mom is the cutest!” Y/N turned to Harry with the biggest smile and endeared look in her eyes.

“She is pretty wonderful.” He nodded along, “And thank you for including her in our plans today. That’s really considerate of you.”

“Oh of course, baby. I know you miss her and we’re here to spend time with them. S’precious time and I don’t want to leave and have you feeling like you didn’t do enough with your family.” She said with a little smile and then kissed the tip of his nose and he grinned.

“I love you.”

“I love you most.” She whispered back.

***********

Harry was crammed in the backseat but he was enjoying hearing his mum and Y/N chatting and laughing. Anne wanted to drive to show Y/N some sights on the way to Richmond, Y/N’s face was basically pressed to the window the whole time, ooh-ing and ah-ing at the hidden wonders Anne would point out to her. Finally, they were in the vicinity of the Christmas Market and Anne found a place to park and they started weaving down a few streets before getting there and Y/N quite literally gasped.

“This is so pretty!” She cooed, she was walking on Harry’s righthand side, their fingers were intertwined and on his left side Anne and Harry’s arms were linked as they all walked through the market looking at different vendors and stopping every now and again to get a closer look. “I have to get one of these for my grandparents!” Y/N exclaimed upon seeing some handmade and customizable Christmas ornaments. The one she was interested in was in the shape of a castle guard. They waited around while the older gentleman who carved these out painted a little note on the back.

“Thank you very much.” Y/N smiled at the man after paying and he nodded with a friendly smile and she turned over to Harry who waved at the man before they headed off to meet Anne in the line for the mulled wine, “Are you sure I shouldn’t get your mom something?”

She asked and he shook his head.

“No, she’s fine. She’s got lots of stuff.” He assured her and she sighed, “Besides, I’m upgrading her television for Christmas, she’s been having issues with it lately.” He explained and she rolled her eyes.

“Well that’s from you!”

“I’ll say it’s from us.” He smiled at her and she sighed.

“What about jewelry or brooches?” She said as they passed a little antiques booth.

“She does like earrings a lot and watches.” He hummed as he glanced over to the table that had her attention.

“We can circle back.” She said and he nodded as they continued a few feet towards the mulled wine line and it was certainly worth the wait. The sun was setting and it was getting much colder than Y/N was used to. She was shivering and was hugged into Harry’s side.

“Should we eat out or cook something up at home?” Harry asked.

“Whatever you want, sweetheart.” Anne said and they ended up going a little French restaurant that Harry had been to before. Y/N had a bit of a sweet tooth and unbeknownst to her Anne did as well and they found themselves ordering the same dessert and laughing about it afterwards. “Well, I’ve had a marvelous day. Thank you for inviting me along.” Anne smiled.

“Of course, mum. We’re just happy to be here.” Harry assured her and Y/N nodded along.

“Is this your fist Christmas away from home?” Anne asked Y/N and she nodded.

“Yes, I’ve been in LA for my whole life.” She confirmed.

“Your parents must feel strange without you there. I know I did the first time Harry didn’t come home.” She explained, Y/N was just about to nod because truly her grandparents felt like her parents to her and Anne didn’t know about her biological parents, but Harry being the protector he is jumped in first.

“Mum, let’s not talk about her parents.” He said gently and Anne frowned.

“Oh, I’m so sorry if I overstepped or-”

“No, no, no don’t worry about it!” Y/N assured, reaching her hand out to Anne’s and then she glanced to Harry with a small smile, “I appreciate you trying to spare my feelings, but it’s OK.” She assured him and he nodded, “I’ve lived with my grandparents my whole life.” She then explained to Anne who nodded with a sympathetic look in her eyes, “We can talk about it when we get back if you’d like, I don’t really mind it, it’s just a bit of a morbid topic for dinner.” She said with a smile and Harry chuckled and Anne glanced at him, as if telling him to have some respect.

“I just wanted to know about your upbringing is all, we don’t have to go into the details if you don’t want.” Anne assured and Y/N shrugged.

“I’m an open book and my sleeping is messed up I’m quite sure of it, so we can chat about that as much as you can bear.” She assured.

And so they did, they got home and showered and got dressed in their sleeping clothes, but they reconvened in the living room to chat. Harry went up to bed as soon as Anne hurried off to grab the small album she had with the collection of photos of them. It was probably around 1am when he heard Y/N sneaking into the room and this roused Harry from his sleep and he groaned.

“What time is it?” He grumbled.

“7 past 1.” She whispered as she lifted the covers, everything was extra warm fro his body heat and she easily settled in and he hugged around her waist, pulling her close, “I really like your mom, she’s the best.” She whispered and he smiled.

“She really is.” He agreed.

“I see where you get a lot of yourself from, it’s sweet.”

“You’re sweet.” He mumbled before pressing a kiss to her shoulder and she smiled, “I love you.” He hummed.

“Love you.”

************

The next day was the 24th, this was certainly a day they would be spending alone. Harry’s parents were divorced and his dad had married someone who was a bit younger, his assistant actually. They had 2 younger children together and so Harry wanted to spend time with them, but also not overshadow their own holiday traditions with his stepmother’s side of the family, so they’d be having lunch with them. They lived on the more fancy side of town, or posh, as Harry stated and it was true, the houses were bigger and more impressive. When they finally arrived Harry made sure to grab the gifts he had gotten for the children and they were heading up to the door. An older woman opened the door and he smiled at her.

“Oh, young Harry look at you!” The lady said and hugged him tight.

“Hello Rose!” He greeted back happily, “This is my girlfriend, Y/N.” He introduced her, “Rose is the kids’ nanny.”

“It’s lovely to meet you.” Y/N smiled as the woman went in for a hug.

“American?” Rose smiled at him and he shrugged with a little grin, “I like it. Now, these are all the hugs you’re getting, poppet. The bosses are handshake types.” She tipped and Y/N recalled something that Harry had said about that the day before.

“Thank you for the tip, Rose. And these are for the kids.” She said and Rose grabbed them.

“I’ll put them under the tree. Enjoy yourselves!” She excused herself with a smile and Harry continued through the house, it was far larger and more extravagant than his mom’s house but she could tell that he still felt like himself here, especially when he pointed out photo of him and his sister on a frame with the other kids and presumably his father and his new wife.

“Oh Harry, good to see you!” A tall and lean brunette woman was coming down the corridor with a bright smile. She did look older than they were, but younger than his mom, and she was dressed in the prettiest red dress Y/N had seen in a while, “I’m sorry I didn’t get the door, was grabbing something out of the oven right as you arrived.” She excused herself and when she reached them she extended a hand and Harry took it and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

“Don’t worry about it. S’good to see you Esther.” He greeted her kindly before pulling back, “Esther, this is Y/N, my girlfriend.” He said and moved aside to allow Y/N to shake her hand and they both leaned in to kiss on the cheek.

“It’s lovely to meet you.” Esther smiled pleasantly, “We’re going to be in the dining room, can I offer you anything to drink? I’ve got wine and beer and water?” She asked with a chuckle.

“A water is fine, thank you.” Y/N assured.

“Make it two please.” Harry cut in.

“Perfect! I’ll go grab your dad and the kids.” Esther said and hurried off as she and Harry found a seat beside each other on the table.

“So quick run down.” He said with a smile and she nodded attentively, “Mum and dad split up when I was very young, it was one of those, the love ran out type of situation. He didn’t get with Esther until I was maybe 11 or 12?” He said and Y/N nodded, “Esther is the sweetest lady, she just brought out a side to my dad that I’d never seen, even with the children, he’s a little sweeter and affectionate, it’s really neat to see.” Y/N smiled, “We do get along well, he does butt heads a lot with my sister though, she’s obviously not here,” he said to the empty seat across the table, “But they always set up a place for her and her husband in case.” He said and she pouted slightly, “I know. The kids are called Desmond, he’s 13, that’s also my dad’s name-”

“Wait, you didn’t get to be the junior?” She asked and he grinned.

“It technically would’ve been the third.” He informed, “And no, my mum was so passionately opposed to naming me Desmond Styles the III, something which I am more grateful for now as an adult. You should ask her the story of the scene she made at the hospital, she loves the tell it and has run out of people to tell it to.” He said and she laughed quietly along with him, “And the girl’s name is Theresa, she’s 8.” He said, “She loves to talk about her horses, she will not shut up about it- well, maybe she’s grown out of that, last I saw her was last year.” He explained.

“OK, Desmond and Theresa.” She said and he nodded, “And what do I call your dad? Mr. Desmond?” She asked and he giggled.

“Just whatever he tells you, depends on what kind of impression he wants to give you.” He said and she nodded.

Soon enough they were all piling into the dining room and Y/N was introducing herself to everyone with a bright smile. Harry’s father, Des, appeared to be in a very silly mood today - apparently he had been playing with the kids and not in his study as Esther had assumed. The dynamic was nice, they were definitely a bit more reserved than Anne had been with her, their questions were strictly about work and how everything had been going, they wanted to know about Los Angeles and how Y/N liked her job. Obviously a bit about her and Harry’s dating history, but nothing too in depth. Harry was right, Theresa had outgrown her horse obsession, but she was talking Y/N’s ear off about ballet though and from what she gathered from the conversation with her and Esther, she was quite good.

“I got to be Clara in our Nutcracker production.” She boasted with a big smile.

“Oh my, the lead!? Your parents must be so proud.” Y/N smiled at her and the child nodded along, “Can I tell you a secret?” She asked Theresa nodded, “The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies is my favorite scene from the Nutcracker.”

“I can do the dance for you if you’d like?” She questioned and Y/N glanced over to Esther who smiled and her and nodded.

“After we eat, alright?” Esther said and Theresa nodded in agreement.

Things were going really well and Y/N was happy to see that there was ample love for Harry on both sides of his family. Eventually, they were all sat in the living room, furniture pushed aside as Harry dropped the needle on the record player to play the soundtrack of the dance Theresa was about to do for them. She found it interesting that little Desmond wanted to sit beside Harry, so she moved out of the way to allow the child to plant himself beside Harry. Obviously, Theresa executed the dance perfectly and they all clapped for her as she curtsied a few times for them.

“Did you like it?” She asked Y/N who was beaming.

“I loved it! You were absolutely brilliant.” She assured Theresa who hurried off to go change after. Apparently Desmond was planted next to Harry because growing up he was teaching him a bit of guitar up until he moved to America and he wanted to show off his progress.

“Yeah, go on. I’m alright here.” Y/N assured Harry, Desmond appeared to be the more timid of the two children. And so they went off to Desmond’s room and Y/N sighed happily and looked to Esther and Des.

“You have a beautiful family.” She smiled.

“Oh, thank you darling.”

“Of course.” She responded.

“Do you have any siblings?” Desmond asked and she shook her head.

“No, it’s just me.” She explained and there was a silence for a moment.

“Just ask what you want to ask.” Esther said to Des quietly and he huffed and then looked to Y/N with slight concern.

“I ummm…we’re just a bit wary because the last serious relationship Harry was in…I mean, he was gutted when it ended.” Des said carefully.

“Yes, he’s told me about that.” Y/N said and he sighed.

“Obviously, as a father it’s hard to watch your child in pain and know there’s nothing you can do about it but let it pass.” He said and she nodded, “I mean, he left us all behind over that and I just…I just want to make sure that he doesn’t get hurt like that again. He seems to be very invested in you, I’ve never seen him this way before.” He tried to explain his reservations and Y/N nodded, “I’m just worried that if things work out and you two…” he trailed off and then looked into her eyes, “What if we lose him again?” He asked more quietly and Y/N frowned.

“I completely understand your concerns. I can say with confidence that whatever I thought love was before letting him into my life in this way, it wasn’t even close to what I feel now.” She smiled at the pair before her, “Sometimes things just work and it felt like that with Harry and I. There’s nothing I would ever do to hurt him. And I know that trust takes time to build and I’m willing to be patient and let you all trust me with his heart in your time.” She smiled, “And well, in terms of losing him, I don’t think you ever will. He loves you all too much and I don’t mean to stand in the way of that. I know being so far away can complicate things, but he’s so determined to make our worlds meet and I’m more than willing to let it happen. I know that right now he’s got a fairly big job in California, but that can always change and if it does…” she smiled and shrugged, “I’d follow if he asked me to.” She confessed and even that confession left her a little baffled because she had thought of it before but was never able to fully commit to the idea and now that she saw him with his family in his element she was more than willing to do that for his sake or their sake, he just seemed so happy here. Des and Esther were smiling upon hearing this.

“I just don’t want to miss out on his life.” He said and Y/N nodded.

“I understand.” She said and just then Harry returned with a bright smile raving about how great Desmond was doing now and then they got to chatting about that. Eventually it was time to go and they’d be heading to another Christmas market where Y/N could get something for Anne. Harry’s dad and Esther actually hugged her goodbye, which caught her by surprise but in her mind it was a victory and she smiled in the car as she looked out the window.

“What did you say to them to make them hug you without any prompting?” He chuckled as he squeezed her hand a bit and she grinned over at him.

“That is private.” She responded smugly and he chuckled and shook his head.

This Christmas market was nice, but it was not as nice as the one Anne had taken them to the night before. But they were still able to find a nice watch for her that Harry knew Anne would love. They were just waiting for the Christmas wrapping to get done when a voice grabbed his attention.

“Harry Styles? Is that you?” They both turned at the sound of the voice and Y/N’s eyes went a bit wide all on their own upon seeing the blonde, modelesque siren approaching Harry with a big smile. He seemed a bit stiff though.

“Th-that’s my ex. The one I told you about” Harry mumbled to Y/N and she bit her lip as she approached. Also the one that his dad had just spoken to her about, the one who hurt him so bad he literally left the country to be able to move on, “Yes, it’s me. Hello Gwen.” He said and she stopped before them then literally glanced down to Y/N, “This is Y/N, my girlfriend.” He said and her eyebrows raised in amusement upon looking into Y/N’s eyes.

“Hmmm, lovely.” She said then looked back to Harry, “It’s been years! How’ve you been? I heard you moved to America.” She asked.

“I did and it’s been going really well.” He said glancing to Y/N and Gwen nodded with an ingenue smile as she spared another glance at Y/N. Obviously, Harry didn’t see this, but he could feel her air of superiority and he wanted to say something, but he also didn’t want to be petty or impolite and embarrass Y/N.

“And your name is?” She asked looking at Y/N again, even if Harry had just said her name.

“Y/N. And yours?” She asked, playing back just as petty.

“He just said it.” She offered a stiff smile.

“Didn’t catch it, sorry.” Y/N said.

“I’m Gwen, I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about me.” She said a little lowly and glanced to Harry for a moment before back to Y/N who’s brows were creased in a confused expression. All this lady wanted was to assert dominance and Y/N was not about to give her what she wanted, she just wanted to mess with Harry again.

“Ummm…no actually, sorry. We’ve never talked about a Gwen, have we?” She asked looking up to Harry with a grin and he smirked down at her and shook his head.

“No actually. Don’t think we have.” He confirmed and Y/N glanced back to Gwen with a shrug.

“Well we used to be together. I’m his ex-girlfriend.” She clued in with a fake smile still on her lips and Y/N’s eyebrows raised.

“Oh, I see. Maybe it just wasn’t worth mentioning.” She said nonchalantly and Gwen looked to Harry like she wanted to explode, “Well it was lovely to meet you. It’s sweet of you to want to say hello.” Y/N said to her again and Harry was just standing beside her suppressing his smile with his lips rolled together as he slightly shook from the laugh he wanted to let out but couldn’t.

“Harry, would you like to catch up for a moment?” Gwen asked through clenched teeth and Harry chuckled.

“No, it’s quite alright. It was nice of you to come say hello, though. Thanks for taking the time to do that.” He said and she gave him a fake smile yet again.

“You know what? Fuck you, Harry.” Gwen said through her stiff smile.

“And there it is…” Y/N said softly fore Gwen turned around, “Good riddance!” She called after Gwen who spared a final glare back at them before she continued stalking off. When she looked up to Harry he was red in the face and trembling as he laughed silently and then it all came out of him, spooking a few people beside him, “Sorry, sorry.” She said as she hugged him as he laughed.

“That was brilliant.” He chuckled as he glanced down to her and she grinned with pride.

“It’s best not to give those kinds of people attention.” Y/N hummed.

“I liked seeing you so protective, it’s kind of made me hot for you.” He said lowly and she grinned.

“Yeah?”

“Mhmmm.” He hummed as he grabbed her face and kissed her deeply, “I think we should get home.” He said with a wink and she giggled.

“As much as I’d love that, we’re at your mom’s place and I’m sure she’d hear all of it.” Y/N said and Harry pecked her lips once more.

“Not if we go slow and granted you can stay quiet for me it should be just fine.” He reasoned and she smirked at him.

“OK fine, if anything even goes remotely wrong-”

“I’ll stop.” He said with a nod and she sighed.

“OK. Thank you.” She said as the lady came over with the gift wrapped watch she had purchased Anne and they were heading off.

“Knew we should’ve stayed in a hotel…” he mumbled and she rolled her eyes.

**********

Dinner had been hearty vegetable soup that Anne had prepared and it definitely hit the spot as Y/N was shivering all evening. They did end up making the hot cocoa and if anything that made her sleepy. They were going to go to the first church service, which was 8:30 so they needed a good night’s rest and after showering Y/N was bundled up in Harry’s tiny bed as she waited for him to come back. She wasn’t sure about their night of lovemaking anymore now that they had an early start but Harry had yet to very from this idea. It was about 9:30pm when he strolled on into the bedroom with his towel around his hips and she giggled.

“You’re gonna get pneumonia, it’s freezing!” She said and he shook his head.

“You’ll warm me up plenty.” He hummed quietly as he started untucking the edges of the towel and she covered her eyes, “Baby, stop it.” He said and she giggled and refused to look. He came and sat on the bed and huffed, “Baby, please I’m so hard for you.” He groaned lowly and that made her peak and he grinned smugly as she peered up at his eyes after checking out the bulge beneath the towel he had around his hips, “See?”

“I can see.” She hummed, “Want my mouth?” She asked him and he leaned further in to kiss her delicately.

“Mm-mmm,” he denied, “I want your tight and wet little pussy.” He whispered against her lips and she bit her lip to suppress the soft whimper that threatened to leave her mouth as he climbed over her and kissed her deeply. Her fingers weaved into his damp hair and tugged lightly making him moan quietly against her lips. One of his hands slithered beneath her shirt and upon their skin touching she gasped.

“You’re so cold!” She squeaked out.

“Sorry, baby.” He apologized with a smirk and proceeded to grab a hold of her breast, Harry hummed against her lips at her already hardened nipple, “No fun.” He grumbled as he gently pinched at it which made her whine out a whimper. “Should’ve gotten a hotel…” he said again and she giggled before she took a sharp breath as he sucked on her bottom lip, “Love to hear all of your pretty sounds, baby. Don’t know if it’ll be the same without ‘em.” He frowned teasingly and she released a breath of exasperation.

“Baby, please.” She whispered and he grinned.

“Ready for me?”

“M’always ready for you.” She whispered and he smiled against her lips and then suddenly it faded as he pulled back form her mouth just a bit, “What is it?”

“I forgot to- fuck, I didn’t pack condoms.” He whispered and she frowned.

“Oh…”

“I know…I can always pull out before I finish, ughh, just don’t want to make a mess. Maybe we just shouldn’t.” He said with a frown and she bit her lip in contemplation. She was extraordinarily needy for him now and she didn’t want to have to repress her desires, but they also needed to be cautious to not jump the gun in this sense.

“Ugh,” she groaned, “I think you’re right, we shouldn’t tonight. We can go pick up condoms tomorrow.”

“On Christmas? Where?” He chuckled and she shrugged and he sighed, “Oh well, it’ll have to wait.” He mumbled and wrapped the towel around himself again as he stood from the bed and got into his pjs. After a few moments he was turning out the light and slipping into the small bedside Y/N, scooting in until his front was flush to her back and he hugged her tight, exhaling tiredly before he place a kiss to her shoulder. “Thank you for everything today, you were amazing.” He said softly and she smiled, “Were amazing with my dad and Esther, and the kids, and with Gwen. That was a very gratifying experience.” He chuckled and she did as well.

“I’m glad it went well, I was quite nervous about your dad and his family.” She admitted.

“They warmed up to you quite quickly. Even told me you’re a keeper.” Harry said and she bit her lip in excitement and turned around to face him. “S’why I wanted to bring you here, just wanted to see what that would look like… what it would be like if we…” he trailed off, “We love each other, don’t we? Until the end of our lives.” He said and she smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

“We do.” She confirmed.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” he said and she suddenly felt completely overwhelmed with excitement at would would likely come next, “I’ve been thinking about the future. About my future and your future.” He said softly.

“OK, what thoughts have you had about my future?” She asked with a grin and he hummed.

“Like…do you want to stay at Capitol? Or are you still interested in pursuing journalism?” He asked and she moved a bit closer, her leg settled in between his legs and he draped his arm over her hip.

“I’ve always been interested in music and getting this inside look has been a dream come true. You know, I can’t stop thinking about something.”

“What’s that?” He asked.

“About our first date, when you took us to Sunset Sound.” She said and he hummed, “About Dorene and Toots and just how it’s sweet how they do that together.”

“It is sweet.” He responded, “I’ve thought about that, opening up a recording studio. Jimi Hendrix is working on his own studio in New York, he told me in confidence so don’t tell anyone.” He said and she whispered an OK, “Know a few other artists interested in the idea of artist owned studios…” he said.

“Would you be interested in investing in something like that?”

“I am. You know about my views in regards to supporting the artist above all else.” He said and she hummed, “Who better to construct a place of creation and innovation than the artist themselves?” He said and she smiled.

“Yeah, that’s true. I like the idea of being around all of that energy, you taking me to Sunset Sound truly was the best first date ever, getting to be in there watching all of the creativity unfold was otherworldly. I can’t imagine how much fun Toots and Dorene have with all of that around, doing it together.” She said and he hummed.

“Yeah, that’s like a dream.” He whispered with a smile. They had talked about their future and marriage before, but not in such an intimate and serious context, “W-what if we did that together?” He asked quietly and she bit her lip with excited nerves at what he was implying, “Got married and managed a little studio of our own? We could make music and make love.” He proposed with a smile and he grinned.

“You really want to marry me?”She asked and he smiled.

“Yes! We’ve talked about this.” He chuckled, “And honestly, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since we first discussed it.” He confessed and she leaned in and kissed him and he reciprocated. Their lips moved together slowly and passionately as they moved closer together.

“Seriously?” She mumbled against his mouth and he nodded.

“Yes, baby. Want everything with you.” He responded and she moaned and straddled his lap, grinding down against him before smearing their lips together in a passionate and desperate kiss. She could feel him growing harder beneath her and it was making her resolve to wait a bit longer crumble.

“I want everything with you too.” She assured and this made his heart beat erratically in his chest as his hands slid down her body.

“Yeah? Want to be my wife? Want to build our life together?” He asked and she nodded and hummed in confirmation, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, baby. So much.” She panted against his lips, “Mmm, fuck the condom, I want you so bad, baby.” Y/N moaned softly and he kissed her hard and they parted with a soft wet sound.

“Are you sure?” He asked her and she nodded.

“Yes, I’m sure.” She whispered, “I need you inside me.” She admitted her desperation and he kissed her once more before asking her to kneel up so that he get himself out and she proceeded to slip out of her bottom altogether and she soon settled back over his lap, moaning at the feeling of his hot and heavy cock right up against her wet cunt. Harry’s fingers were digging deep into her ass, guiding her movements as she got him more wet with her arousal, groaning as quietly as possible when she’d whimper as his tip kissed her clit rhythmically. Y/N was covered in goosebumps at the feelings coursing through her and the anticipation of his just getting to feel him bare for one more time. “Ready?” She asked Harry quietly.

“Yes, ready.” He confirmed and she knelt up and Harry held his cock up for her, she easily positioned him at her entrance and bit her lip as she started to sink down on his head. She gasped as his head pushed into her and opened her up. Harry was clutching to her tighter than ever, it hurt a little. His jaw was dropped as a long and low grunt poured from his mouth at the feeling of her tight and wet walls accommodating him inside of her. She whined softly when she finally got him all the way in and he moaned and buried his face in her neck as he hugged her tight.

“Fuck, feels so good. Y’feel so good.” He whispered before he started sponging kisses against her neck. She moaned quietly as she started to grind against him and he thrusted up against her.

“Oh my god!” She gasped quietly, “You feel incredible like this.” She confessed, holding him closer to her chest as they both moved together to reach their highs, “You’re so deep.” She gasped as he thrust up against her again and he hummed.

“Feels so good right up here.” He said as he thrust up and held himself there and pressed his hand down into her lower stomach, making her jaw drop open and her brows to crease down, “That’s it isn’t it?” He asked as he started to pulse his hips up, the tip of his cock continuously rubbed into that spot inside of her and she nodded, “Fuck, feels really good for me too, baby.” He assured.

Their bodies moved together slowly but passionately, they were both very preoccupied with going slow enough that they didn’t make too many obvious sounds and at the same time their slow tempo was stretching out their pleasure. They were both desperate to reach their ends as their sweaty bodies moved in tandem. Harry ended up pulling off his shirt and he opened hers up to be able to suck and lick at her breasts as she continued riding on his cock. Her legs were tired and shaking though and she just sunk down on him hard, causing the old bed frame to groan as she gasped at the depth he had reached inside of her.

“Want to switch?” He asked and she nodded tiredly. They switched positions and he was very quick to sink back into her and start thrusting inside, the bed frame was inevitably squeaking a bit now, but he was so close that he felt like he could be quick enough that this wouldn’t be too much of an issue. He knelt instead of laying over her and rubbed at her clit as he continued fucking her until his abs were clenching tight and her back was arching up, both of their breaths were bated as they started to become overcome with their pleasure. Y/N’s legs were trembling as her core tingled deliciously and that feeling deep in the pit of her stomach was starting to spread. Her walls were starting to throb around Harry’s cock. “Don’t come yet. Wanna finish with you.” He panted and she whined softly, “M’close, so close, baby.” He assured and she moaned as he picked up the pace, the sound of the bed and their aroused bodies meeting was getting louder and more obvious, “Fuck!” He gasped as he too started to feel that tingling deep inside starting to spread and he repositioned so that he could kiss her. The minimal space between them was so hot and charged.

“I love you.” She whispered and he groaned.

“Fuck, I love you so much, Y/N.” He responded.

“Oh fuck! Oh fuck! I’m coming!” She whimpered and he kissed her to muffle her moans as she started to come undone around him. He was about to burst, but if he pulled out now he would fuck up her orgasm, but the spasming of her walls and the new slickness around his prick was doing him in too quickly, he kind of froze as she thrust herself against his cock and he gasped at her desperation, “D-do you want to come inside of me?” She asked breathlessly and he moaned and kissed her hard with a pained expression on his face.

“Of course. Always.” He responded breathlessly and she moaned.

“Please, do it. Want to feel all of it.” She panted and he moaned and kissed her hard again, he was hanging on by a thread.

“Baby, are you sure?”

“Yes, please give it to me.” She whispered and he nodded and found it in him to deliver a couple more deep thrusts before he was stilling so deep inside that she gasped and he buried his face into her neck. She felt his body shake as he started to spill his cum into her. His breaths were hard and hot against her skin with the occasional grunt vibrating his chest as he unloaded deep inside of her. She could feel the warmth of his cum filling her up and it just felt so right. And as soon as the most intense part of it was over their lips met in a desperate kiss again, their session extending until he ad softened up and slipped out of her entrance. After laying there, basking in the moment for a while Harry hurried to the bathroom to clean himself up and bring something to clean her up as well, which was sweet of him.

“Are you OK?” Harry asked as he settled back beside her in the tiny bed.

“Yeah.” She smiled.

“Sure there’s no regrets?”

“None. I promise.” She whispered and he smiled and kissed her shoulder as their fingers intertwined, “We should be good though, m’not ovulating or anything like that right now.” She said and he hummed.

“OK. I mean, I wouldn’t mind if…well, if you had my babies.” He said quietly, “Would that be…would you be OK with that? Would you want to have kids?” He asked, “With me?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say this is the ideal time.” She giggled and he did as well, “But it’s a relief to hear you say that if anything happens. But ummm, if we do get married-”

“You mean when we get married.” He interrupted and she grinned.

“Oh sorry, when we get married I would love to have your babies.” She responded and he was just as excited at the possibility of it as if it were a current reality, “Well, actually depends. How many we talking about here?” She asked and he hummed pensively.

“Just like…five or so.” He joked and she gasped.

“That better be a joke! What on earth would anyone do with five kids?!”

“We can start a band.” He said and she laughed quietly and shook her head.

“My poor body would be wrecked…” she said, “You’d have to push me around in a wheelchair, I’d refuse to do anything ever again.” She giggled and he sniggered at her dramatics.

“I’m kidding, baby. I think one’s enough. If we feel she’ll get lonely then we can make her a sister.” He said quietly and she bit her lip.

“So you’d want girls?” She asked and he nodded.

“If they’re gonna be anything like you, absolutely.” He stated confidently and she felt her heart just soar inside of her.

“I love you so much.” She whispered.

“I love you so much too, baby.” He said before he kissed her head and pulled her a bit closer. The warmth between them soon made them doze off.

*********

It was finally Christmas Day, Harry and Y/N woke up early and actually got breakfast ready for Anne. She was excited because they would be meeting Harry’s sister, brother in law, and grandparents at the Christmas service before they all headed over to Harry’s grandparents’ house for the rest of the Christmas festivities. On their way there Anne was very sweet, giving her pointers on the service and also a bit on her parents and Harry was right, they were so alike to her own grandparents. She giggled along to stories Anne was sharing as Harry drove them all to the church. The building was large and it was quite beautiful. There was a large nativity scene set up outside on the lawn that she admired as they walked past it and inside. There were some ushers at the door and one of them greeted Anne very enthusiastically and Harry as well.

“The guy at the door, he’s a postman and he’s been sweet on my mum for years.” He said and she grinned, “I think she fancies him too but she’s a little shy.” He explained and Y/N cooed. “I never asked if your family’s religious. My grandparents are very religious, my mum was more into the tradition of it all, but we weren’t here like every week. Sometimes my grandparents would bring my sister and I along though and we’re here every Christmas, s’why most of them know us.” He explained more quietly as they made their way inside the main hall.

“Ehhh, it’s kind of similar for us. My grandfather is a “catholic”,” she said with air quotes and in a more hushed tone as they were in a protestant church, “I say it like that because he was raised in it but he never really did anything with it.” She explained and he nodded in understanding as they slid into an aisle and sat. “After my mom died my grandma started to go to church for like comfort or support, I’m not sure, but we went every week up until I was around 8 or 9. When some of the women in the congregation found out that my mother had me young and out of wedlock well they started treating us differently and we stopped going.” She explained and Harry rolled his eyes.

“I’m sorry, people are so disappointing.” He said and she nodded, “Our old neighbor was a very strict catholic and apparently she would give my mum a lot of unsolicited advice about things when her and my dad were getting divorced.” He explained, “We were meant to stay at that house, the one my parents had bought when they married, but one day my sister came in from playing and told my mum that if she loved us she should not go through with a divorce because God wouldn’t like it.” He explained with a chuckle and Y/N giggled as well, “She was like 10 years old, my mum knew the neighbor had been feeding her that kind of stuff and that’s why we ended up moving to the place we’re at now. That woman was relentless.” He said and Y/N shook her head.

“People need to bud out of things that are not their business.” She said and he nodded in agreement.

“I like this church though, they’re all very nice here.” He said and she nodded as she looked around, the ambiance was very warm and loving, like it ought to be, she supposed. Most people were smiling as they greeted each other and chatted quietly as they waited for the service to start, but it still filled the room with a hum of scattered conversations over the organist playing lowly from the stage. Suddenly Harry stood and she turned to see an older couple sliding into the pew with Anne trailing behind them.

“Gran!” He greeted lowly but with excitement and Y/N stood as well as Harry hugged the older woman so tight as Harry spoke lowly to her before pulling back and he leaned down as she kissed his cheek, “And this is my girlfriend, Y/N.” He said and she smiled as Harry slipped by his grandma to greet his grandfather in the same manner.

“Hello, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you.” Y/N smiled brightly as the woman came up and extended her arms to her and she fit herself in her embrace for a hug.

“You as well, Annie’s been telling us so much about you!” She said with a bright smile, it warmed Y/N from the inside out, “My name’s Myrna, by the way, darling.” She said with a squeeze to Y/N’s hands. Then it was on to his grandfather, who hugged her as well and introduced himself as Edward, he was so sweet, like his wife in his greeting. Soon enough they had scooted down and Harry sat between Y/N and his grandmother and Anne beside Y/N. The Christmas pageant soon started, it was mostly starring youth and children from the church as the main roles in the nativity. Harry’s sister and her husband came about 15 minutes late but they had huge smiles on their face when they leaned forward and greeted her and Harry with discreet waves before settling in. The pageant was lovely and the music was captivating, their choir was very good. And after about a little over an hour they were being let out and they all reconvened by Anne’s little yellow car. Harry greeted his sister with a big hug and he lifted her off the ground and spun her around haphazardly. Anne took that moment to introduce her and Gemma’s husband. He was a little bit shy but still made some small talk with her as Harry and Gemma caught up a bit as they waited for their grandparents to eventually head out.

“Gems, this is Y/N, my girlfrie-”

“Oh my god, hi!” She cut off Harry excitedly and hugged her right away, “It’s so great to meet you!” She hummed and pulled back with such a big and bright smile, “Been dying to meet you.” She giggled and Y/N did as well.

“Likewise!” Y/N chuckled as Gemma started complimenting her Christmas fancy dress and Y/N was blushing as she was inundated with compliments. Gemma insisted that Harry ride with Mike, her husband, and she, Anne, and Y/N could drive in Anne’s car to catch up and get to know each other a little more. Harry looked a little worried at this and Y/N bit her lip to suppress her smile.

“It’s alright, you go ahead. I’ll be good with them.” She said quietly as Harry looked at her with a look that said ‘you don’t have to if you don’t want to’, “It’s not like they’re gonna kidnap me and toss me into the Thames.” She said and he chuckled.

“Yeah baby, I know.” He assured, “But my sister can be a bit much.” He said and Y/N scoffed.

“Have you met Lisa?” She asked with a laugh and he grinned, “I’ll be fine.”

“You will be, I’m just scared about what she might say about me!” He said, “She’s probably going to embarrass me.” He warned and Y/N giggled.

“Baby, I love you and if you really think about it, would you rather her say embarrassing things about you with everyone around or just with me and your mom?” She asked and he giggled.

“Yeah, I supposed you’re right.” He mumbled and leaned down to kiss her cheek, “We’ll see you over there.”

“See you there.” She assured and soon Gemma had looped her arms with Y/N’s and her mom’s as she assured Harry that Y/N was in good hands and soon they were all heading off.

Harry wasn’t wrong about his sister chatting excessively about Harry. But Y/N got to ask about how Harry was before and Anna had some amusing stories to share about him as well. If Gemma was going to far Anne would tut out her disapproval and Gemma would roll her eyes and move on to something else. But in this twenty minute car ride (Harry’s grandparents drove slowly) Y/N had learned that Harry had always been a bit shy, he was meek and studious, not at all a risk taker. And then he hit puberty and well, look at him now… girls started noticing him and he grew quite popular among the ladies.

“There was a point in time where about 10 different girls wanted to marry him.” She said and Anne rolled her eyes, “It’s the truth. He kind of broke out of his shell for a while and then he met that awful woman…”

“Gwen?” Y/N asked and Gemma turned around with wide eyes.

“Yes! You know about Gwen?” She asked and Y/N nodded, “God, she wrecked his heart. I thought he would never recover.” She admitted and Anne sighed and nodded along in concurrence, “Suddenly he was all shy again and quiet…it was awful. I hope she’s living bitterly…” Gemma said.

“Gem.” Anne scolded.

“What? I’m not going to pretend I wish her well! Cheating on him like that with one of his mates… if only she could see him now.” She sighed.

“She has.” Y/N said and Gemma raised her eyebrows, “We ummm, we saw her at one the Christmas market yesterday. She did try and pull him away and she was so condescending-”

“That sounds exactly like her.” Gemma said, “God, I hope he put her in his place.”

“Well, I took it upon myself to shoo her away, she was not happy.” Y/N said and Gemma grinned with satisfaction and Anne was smiling too, but more discreetly, “I don’t know, but I just didn’t like how on edge he suddenly got. The wound clearly runs deep.” She explained and Gemma nodded.

“Yes, I’m sure it does, but now he has you! And I know we only met about 15 minutes ago but you’re his best girlfriend yet!” Gemma agreed with a big smile and that made Y/N’s heart flutter.

“Well, he’s the best boyfriend I’ve ever had so we’re even.” She assured with a soft and content smile.

Y/N and Gemma were laughing about something as she helped her out of the backseat and continued walking towards her grandparents’ house when suddenly Harry came up to her and grabbed her face and kissed her quickly.

“I’ve got a present for you but you can’t look yet so we’re going to stand out here for a second while it gets set up.” He said and then he grinned to Gemma who smirked along with her brother, “Can you go help?”

“Yeah.” She said and rushed down the sidewalk and towards her grandparents house. She knocked and called out an “it’s Gemma” before she was let in quickly. Y/N giggled as she shivered and he hugged her tight.

“How was the ride?”

“Really good, I like your sister a lot, she’s very fun. Also your mom told me you used to eat dog kibble at your cousin’s house when you were a child.” She laughed quietly and Harry rolled his eyes.

“I was five and Gemma told me they were magical treats that turned me into a dog! Did they tell you that?” He asked defensively but still smiling bright and she nodded and laughed harder as she leaned up and kissed him.

“It’s OK, baby. It was just funny to hear that.” She giggled and he shook his head, “I really like your family. They’re so wonderful and welcoming-”

“Told you they’re like your grandparents.” He said and she nodded in agreement.

“They really are.” She agreed, “Thank you for bringing me here, it’s been so perfect.” She hummed with gratitude and he grabbed her face and kissed her sweetly.

“I’m really pleased that you’re having a good time with us.” Harry smiled, “OK, I think we can head inside now.” He said and grabbed her hand to start guiding her down the sidewalk and over to his grandparents’ house. It was a smaller single floor home, but it was adorable and there were what she assumed to be rose bushes all along the front of the house, she could imagine how gorgeous they looked when they bloomed. As soon as they got up front Harry reached for the door and pulled it open and she giggled as she saw the narrow walkway of the entrance blocked off by mismatching pieces of gift wrapping paper, “Sorry, there weren’t enough of the same kinds of paper.” He chuckled and she giggled.

“It’s OK, but what in the world?” She questioned and he grinned as he cocked his head over towards the center of the paper wall and she saw a little tear where the two different papers joined. She looked at him skeptically before walking over and tentatively poking her finger through it and she heard everyone else laughing on the other side.

Don’t worry, it doesn’t bite.” He assured and she pulled back and then gently created a little tab to pull and she started to break it in confusion until she was able to peak through and all she did was shout in excitement when she saw her grandparent’s bright and smiling faces.

“Oh my god! You’re here!” She shrieked in excitement and felt her eyes welling up as she hugged them both and they hugged her back with laughter as everyone else started to cheer, “Oh my god!” She said pulling back and looking them over just to make sure they were actually there. She then turned to Harry with a loving pout on her lips and hugged him tight, “Thank you, baby.” She said quietly as he dipped down to kiss her and they all cooed and awed at them.

“Merry Christmas, baby. It just wouldn’t be the same without them.” He said softly and she nodded as he wiped one of her tears carefully. After that everything was in full swing. Harry and her grandmother hurried to make some tea before they all opened up their gifts, everyone was pleased with what they received, Anne loved her watch and Y/N ended up gifting Gemma a pair of earrings Harry told her she would like. After that it was just some chat as they prepared everything for dinner together. Y/N was impressed to discover that her grandparents had arrived the day before her and Harry. She had stayed over at his the night prior their flight so she wouldn’t have even known they had gone. They had been staying with his grandparents and the reason why they hadn’t met up with Gemma until today was because she was touring them around London these last few days. They finally got to meet Harry’s mom the day before, while they were at his dad’s house. Y/N’s grandfather was recounting all of the details to her along with Michal and Edward as they set the table and her grandmother, Myrna, Anne, Gemma and Harry were just finishing everything up in the kitchen. Soon enough they were sitting down and she was leaning against Harry’s shoulder as his grandfather placed down little wrapped up tubes before everyone.

“These are Christmas crackers,” he explained as he rounded the table, “They’re just filled with the paper crowns, little messages of good fortune or kindness, traditionally those were for the love birds,” he said smiling to Y/N and Harry, “and well there’s little treats and miscellaneous trinkets.” He explained, “It’s a Christmas tradition, typically it’s a competition, but this year we’re all getting one just so everyone gets the experience.” He explained to Y/N’s grandparents and to her.

“There better be chocolate in mine.” She said quietly to Harry and he chuckled lowly as he squeezed her left hand in his.

“I wouldn’t know, we buy them pre-made so don’t get fussy if you don’t get chocolates.” He whispered with a grin and she giggled. Gemma then explained how they went about opening these and so they all got into position so that they could each pull an end, everyone went twice since each of them was to receive a little gift this year.

“You look in here for the gift.” He said holding up the bigger end of the crack and she hummed as she looked inside of hers and then stuck her fingers in to pull out the contents of her cracker. She smiled as she pulled out a little red folded up paper.

“Oh that’s the crown, so be careful when you open it up.” He warned and she nodded, and then there was another little rolled up paper, and then a little compact mirror and she smiled as she looked it over and then moved on to the note and she started to unroll the little paper with excitement and as she read it over her smile faded: “Will you marry me?” It read and she glanced up to see Harry grinning wide at her as he scooted his chair back and kneeled before her. Gemma, Cristina, and Myrna all gasped and cooed.

“Oh my god…” she whispered quietly as her eyes started to well up and her hand came up to her mouth in shock that this was happening right now. He chuckled and reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a dark green velvet ring box.

“I love you so much and I know that we’ve been together like five months but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life. I feel like I’ve been waiting my entire life for you.” He said to Y/N as he looked deep into her eyes, “I love who you are and who I’ve become with you. You’ve made me so happy and I can’t picture my life without you. Just like I told you the other night, I want everything that life has to offer with you, the good and even the bad if that comes. I know that as long as we’re together everything will be just fine. So Y/N,” he asked as he flicked open the ring box and she didn’t even glance down to it, she just stayed focused on his eyes with a big smile and tearful eyes, “will you marry me?” He asked her softly and she bit her lip and nodded.

“Yes. Of course, I’ll marry you.” She whispered and he smiled as everyone started to cheer as he put the ring on the table and pressed himself up a bit as she grabbed his face and kissed him deeply, “I love you so much.” She whispered against his mouth before they pulled apart and she scooted out of her chair to kneel with him where she hugged him tight and he held her close for a few moments as he also started to sniffle before ehe grabbed her face and kissed her slowly once more.

“I love you.” He said quietly as he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, their eyes flickering between each others for a few seconds before they both grinned as he helped her stand and everyone cheered again as he hugged her tight and swirled her around, “Oh, I forgot about this.” He said with a giggle as he reached for the ring on the table and she gasped as she saw it, it was an oval cut diamond with three smaller rocks on each side, it was absolutely gorgeous. He took it out and slid the ring down her left forefinger and then kissed the top of her hand as she smiled timidly at him, “Like it?” He asked softly and she nodded as she sniffled and looked down at the ring on her hand with him.

“It’s beautiful, I love it.” She assured him before tiptoeing to kiss him again. Then they heard the pop of a cork as Michal opened up the champagne and started to serve everyone for a quick toast. Harry thanked his mother, grandfather, and David for their discretion with this plan and proceeded to say some lovely things about Y/N and their future together and then Y/N spoke up.

“I would also like to say a few words.” she said and Harry nodded, “I just wanted to thank you, baby for bringing me here. I know I’ve said it a million times already, but everything has been absolutely amazing. Thank you for getting my grandparents here as well, it means so much for you to include them,” she said and he smiled at her, “And well to the rest of you, your kindness and hospitality has been so overwhelmingly wonderful. You’re such a beautiful family and I’m so lucky to be a part of this and I can’t wait to get to know each of you better.” She smiled, “Here I was thinking that the highlight of my trip would be if I randomly ran into one of the Beatles!” She joked and everyone laughed, “and well spending time with all of you has that beat by a long shot.” She assured as they all smiled, “and well there’s… this.” She said glancing down at the new ring on her finger, “I know for sure that the rest of my life is going to be really great with you in it, Harry.” She smiled and he beamed.

“Bottoms up!” Gemma cheered and everyone took their drink of champagne and Harry was quick to put down their glasses and pull her away into the living room for a little moment of privacy. He just smiled and hugged her into his body and she relaxed into his embrace and they both sighed happily as they just held each other for a moment.

“You’re my whole life and I promise I will do anything and everything to make sure that you know how much you mean to me every single day.” He said softly and she smiled up at him.

“I will too, this was absolutely perfect, baby. Thank you for letting me in, for choosing me, for loving me. I’m literally the luckiest person on the planet. I mean it when I say I’m going to love you forever.” She smiled at him and he grinned.

“I feel the same way.” He hummed, “Even after forever.” He whispered as he hugged her close again.

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