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hannibals-favourite-meal · 2 years

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Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

John Winchester x plus size reader

Christmas is just like any other day for John, but this year is different, his girlfriend has created a winter wonderland for him and his boys, but he won’t let her stay to celebrate

Warnings: john is a shitty ass parent and boyfriend, angst (honestly Lou can’t you write a fluffy fic for once), insecure!reader, alcohol, fluff

WC: 3.1k

Square Filled: Grumpy during the holidays @spnchristmasbingo

Minors DNI

SPN Christmas Bingo

The low budget motel room had been completely decked out in Christmas decorations. Tinsel over all the lamps and beds, a small tree on the coffee table decorated in cheap bobbles, poorly wrapped presents sitting around it, and fairy lights all around the room. There was even a piece of mistletoe hanging over the doorway to the tiny bathroom and three stockings tapped up under the tv.

Sam and Dean had gone feral when they walked in after school. Their little minds couldn’t comprehend all the lights and colours that you had hung up everywhere. They ran around, studying everything they could before their eyes landed on the arguably massive pile of presents. You had barely stopped the 8 and 4 year old in time before they ripped off the newspaper to get access to their goodies.

And now, after gorging themselves on eggnog and Christmas cookies, they were passed out in your arms, Dean on the left and Sam on the right, their little hands linked across your plump stomach, sleeping peacefully for the first time in a while. You had only been in the boys’ life for a few months, John was extremely protective of them, not letting you meet them until you had been dating for a couple years, but already you knew they were your boys and you would do anything for them. And apparently, that entailed spoiling the shit out of them every chance you could.

Sighing sadly, you looked up from where you had been watching them sleep, to the clock above the small kitchenette. It was well past midnight and yet, John still wasn’t home. You knew Christmas was a hard time for him though, so you just sucked it up and focused on the kids.

“Kitty?” It was the nickname the boys had given you because John insisted it was rude for them to call you by your first name. Glancing down, you were met with wide green eyes, still glazed over with sleep.

“What is it, Dean?” You whispered, mindful of the younger boy who was still dozing away, thumb tucked firmly between his lips. He sat up a bit so he could look you in the eye as a very serious expression came over his little face.

“Do you think dad is with Santa and that’s why he isn’t here?” Sometimes you forgot how truly young Dean was. He was forced to be so mature from such a young age, it was quite easy to not remember that he really was only eight. Cupping the back of his head, you gently guided him to lay down once more. He complied without a fight.

“Yeah that’s right. Your dad is helping Santa give out presents to all the little kids all over the world, but he’ll be back soon.”

“Do you promise?”

You couldn’t help but smile. “I pinky promise.” His little pinky curled around your own before his eyes shut and he fell asleep once more.

It was around four in the morning that you were able to slip from the bed. Carefully, you pulled your duffle bag from under the bed and grabbed the last few presents from it. Each was wrapped in colourful (and expensive) paper with bows and neat little tags. Some said ‘from Santa’ but the largest of the bunch you had labeled ‘from Dad’ with your best attempt at emulating your boyfriend’s handwriting.

The sky was turning a light grey with an impending snowstorm when you heard the impala turn into the motel’s parking lot. Quickly, you threw your clothes and toiletries in the now empty bag before pulling on your boots and coat. You finished zipping it up just as the man himself walked through the door.

He had obviously been drinking if the stench of whiskey and smoke was anything to go by. But mostly, he just seemed tired. He was beat down, still fading bruises from his last hunt littered his arms and one of his eyes. “Thank you for staying with the boys.” He said it like you were just some babysitter and not his partner of the last three years.

You nodded at him. “It was no problem, you know how much I adore them.”

“Yeah.” He sighed in a way you knew he meant that he was done talking about it. “John?” He glanced at you but you could tell he wasn’t really looking at you or else he would have seen the heartbreak clearly written across your face.

“Just- just enjoy today. They need it, you need it. Forget the world for once and just be with your boys.” And with that, you kissed his scruffy cheek and walked away, planning on driving to Bobby’s to pick up another hunt. “Merry Christmas John.”

He didn’t even try to stop you.

Bobby handed you a beer as he walked back into his living room. Gratefully, you took it and downed half the bottle in one swig. “Woah, slow down there. Someone might think you were turning into me.”

“Har har.” You replied sarcastically and took another pull. Your legs were curled up under you on his couch as your eyes fixed on the small fire he had built up in the fireplace. He raised an eyebrow at you, taking his place in the worn recliner beside you.

“Thought you were with the Winchesters for Christmas?”

“You know John, he doesn’t want anyone close to his boys, especially not me.” Your voice wavered with barely concealed tears. The ache in your chest had grown with each mile you drove away from them until you felt like someone had ripped out your heart by the time you had gotten to the scrap yard.

“I don’t get why that idjit pushes you away. You’re good for all those boys, not just him.” You shrugged, keeping your gaze fixed on the fire in some vain attempt to stop yourself from crying.

“I’m not his girlfriend, Bobby. I’m a distraction, a babysitter, a nurse sure, but never his girlfriend. I can’t live up to Mary and he knows it, the same as I do.” You shrugged and finished off the bottle. It had been like that since you started dating. John needed a partner, someone to watch his back and keep his bed warm and he never did anything to change that.

He kept you at arms length all the time and you just accepted it, knowing what he had gone through. But now, it was ripping you apart. You loved those two boys with your whole heart and seeing them but never able to be anything more than an occasional visitor in their lives hurt like a bitch.

“Maybe you should leave.” Bobby bluntly said. “Why stay with a man who can never see how truly incredible you are?” You couldn’t answer him.

The hunter sighed deeply. “Just think about it for a couple days. Figure out if he’s actually worth your heartbreak.” With a friendly squeeze to your shoulder, he left you alone with your thoughts.

——————

John hated Christmas for one simple reason: it had been Mary’s favourite holiday. She went all out, lights, decorations, the works. And it got even better when Dean was born.

After she died, he found it hard to tolerate the holiday. He knew the boys questioned why they couldn’t have a celebration like the other kids at school but it hurt his heart even just thinking about having a Christmas without her. He avoided the day as much as he could with hunts and booze, but otherwise treating it like any other day.

And now, walking into the hotel room they had been camped out in for the past few weeks, John wanted to cry. You put in so much work to make the place look nice, even if you weren’t sticking around (not that it was your choice). His frown deepened as he glanced at the presents by the tree.

Knowing you, you had bought the presents with the scant amount of money you earned from actual jobs instead of hustling or downright stealing. You were too kind for a business like this, too soft.

With a heavy heart, he collapsed on the ratty sofa after pulling a beer from the fridge. His brown eyes occasionally flicked over to his boys, unconsciously making sure they were still alive and well. They would be devastated when they woke up and you weren’t here but he could deal with that.

What he couldn’t deal with was how involved you were in their lives. You had consumed his heart, his soul, his mind and his body. He was terrified of how quickly he had fallen for you. It left him questioning his love for Mary and he hated you for that.

So, like the way he regarded Christmas, he treated you like he would any other woman he had taken to his bed. He knew it hurt you, he could see it in your eyes when he dismissed your feelings or when he shoved you away from the boys. But they were more important, they couldn’t lose another mother and he couldn’t lose another woman he loved.

“Daddy!” He was shaken from his thoughts by a small body landing firmly on his soft stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs. Sam’s skinny arms wrapped around his neck in a tight hug. John quickly recovered, hugging his youngest back.

“Hey there Sammy.” He chuckled, holding him as close as he could.

“It’s Christmas!”

“I know it is buddy, why don’t you wake up Dean and you can open your presents.”

“Ok!” As Sam scrambled away, John put his beer down on the ground beside him, purposely keeping it out of their potential eye line. It would do them no good to see him drinking this early in the day. He watched as Dean’s eyes shot open and sprung from the bed.

Soon enough, the kids were surrounded by ripped up paper and brand new toys and books. This is how it should be, John suddenly thought. He had gone four years without giving these boys the joy they deserved, no the joy they needed and he felt like the shittiest person ever.

“Daddy?” Sam was looking up at him with the biggest puppy dog eyes he had ever seen, clutching a gorgeous copy of the Wizard of Oz to his chest. “Where did kitty go?” Now that hurt even more. Dean’s gaze also settled on him and he could clearly see the questions in his green eyes.

“Well, kitty had to go see uncle Bobby for a while.” Both their faces fell.

“But why?”

“He needed her there.”

“But we need kitty here!” Sam insisted as he stomped his little feet as hard as he could. “It’s Christmas! She has to be here for Christmas!”

And then, he watched in slight horror as Dean stood up and hugged his little brother like a parent would hug a crying child. One hand on the back of his small head, the other arm across his shoulders and tugged him into his chest. “It’s ok Sammy, she’ll come back.”

“But what if she doesn’t? What if she doesn’t want us and then doesn’t come back!”

“She always comes back Sammy.”

“I want kitty right now!” And he descended into a truly heartbreaking fit of sobs. Moving quickly, John scooped him up and settled back down on the couch, doing his best to sooth his youngest. But Sam fought back, wiggling almost violently in his grasp. “I don’t want you! I want kitty!” With an all mighty jerk, he tumbled from John’s arms and made a mad dash to the bathroom.

The door slammed and locked shut before the hunter could react. “Sam!” He shouted after him, making a move to follow but a little hand on his forearm stopped him in his tracks.

Dean was crying too but they were silent tears, dripping quickly down his full cheeks. “Why does kitty always leave us?”

His knees creaked as he slowly dropped to his knees. Kneeling before his son, John looked him dead in the eyes. “Sometimes, it just has to be like that Dean. And we’ve got each other, that’s enough.”

“But we wouldn’t even have a Christmas without her.” Dean followed his brother into the small room, leaving John alone with his thoughts and a sinking feeling in his gut.

You would know what to do, you always seemed to have the answers when it came to the boys. The thought ripped through his chest like a bullet. In the seven months since you had known his sons, you had effortlessly become a better parent than he ever had been and yet, you never demanded recognition or love from any of them. You loved them because you could.

And they were right. It was Christmas, the first real Christmas that Sammy had ever had, a Christmas Dean could actually remember. But you weren’t here, because you knew John wouldn’t want you there.

Something came over the hunter then and suddenly he stood bolt upright. His mind was in a haze as he tore down the decorations littered about the room, stuffing them into spare trash bags. Presents were thrown into duffle bags, along with the boy’s clothes.

“Boys! We’re leaving!” The bathroom door opened a crack and both their little heads peaked out. John threw the last bag over his broad shoulder as he grabbed their winter boots from beside the front door. “Let’s go!”

They watched him curiously, confused as to why their father had pulled apart the room and was now in a rush to leave. “Where are we going?” Dean spoke up, slowly inching his way out of the bathroom.

John’s face remained stern but his brown eyes were sparkling with something the boys couldn’t quite figure out. “We’re going to save Christmas.”

——————

The fire had begun to burn out but you didn’t care to add any more wood. Your eyes were fixed on the dying flames as you absentmindedly sipped on the warm beer in your hands. Was being with John really worth it? Could you handle feeling like nothing but a burden or bed warmer any more?

You wanted to stay, you loved all three of the Winchesters so much. Yet, in the cold light of morning, after a night with John worshipping you and your body, when he would ignore your existence and dismiss you like just another one night stand, you felt lower than dirt.

You would give him Christmas, and then, you would be gone forever. The room glowed a dull orange with the sunset and your eyes drifted over to the window beside you. Snow was falling lazily from the sky, covering the junkyard in a layer of peaceful white.

“Kitty!” Your head snapped around and your breath caught in your throat as tears built up behind your eyes. Sam and Dean stood in the doorway, huge smiles on their faces, dressed up as little elves, complete with fake ears and hats with bells.

“Boys? What are you doing here?” Sam looked like he was about to sprint at you but a large hand suddenly appearing on his little shoulder stopped him. You laughed tearfully.

John stood behind his boys, dressed head to toe in a ridiculous red suit with matching hat. He was smiling brighter than you had ever seen him smile before. A full duffle bag was in his other hand, tinsel spilling from the open zipper.

“Now, what did we practice in the car?” He prompted, eyes falling to the children in front of him.

“Merry Christmas Kitty!” They shouted together before Dean took a step forward and held out a piece of paper.

“Santa says you’ve been very good this year so you get a very spectial present.”

“Special Dean.” John corrected.

“Special.” He nodded and then shuffled forward, holding the paper up even higher. Sam was visibly vibrating in his dad’s grip, eager to run at you. You slipped from the couch, landing painfully on your knees but you ignored the pain and instead took the paper from the 8 year old’s hands.

Dean smiled shyly as you turned it over. It was hard to make out at first like most drawings done by a child but as soon as the lines and colourful smudges became clear, the tears broke free.

There were four figures carefully doodled on top of various stickers, two of them significantly taller than the other two. One smaller figure had a book in their hands, obviously Sam. While the other was holding what appeared to be a pie or scrambled eggs, you couldn’t really tell. It was Dean.

The bigger people were holding hands with a sloppy heart over their heads. The slightly taller one had a beer beside his feet and a dark beard while the wider person had cat ears on their head. It was you and John.

Written at the top of the paper in very sloppy handwriting was: ‘We love you kitty!’

Suddenly, your arms were full as Sam and Dean launched themselves at you. You pulled them to your chest and cried, your heart feeling so full and yet so broken at the same time. How could you have even thought about leaving these perfect little boys?

Your chest shook with sobs as you held them as tight as you could. There was a thud and then another pair of arms wrapped around you. John’s chin rested on the top of your head, the boys nestled between you. “I love you, I’m sorry I never showed you the love you deserve.” His voice was thick with emotion.

“I love you too.” You murmured back, lifting your head to look him in the eyes. The edge of his lips turned up and he surged forward, capturing your own in a deep and passionate kiss that made you ache for more.

“Ewwwww.” Sam gagged, trying to pull away but you just laughed and yanked him closer. John laughed heartily.

“Get used to it Sammy, kitty is never leaving us again.” You glanced at him curiously but he just smiled mysteriously at you. “Kitty is staying for good.” He gently cupped your full cheek, his thumb tracing the peak.

“I am?” You questioned playfully.

“You are.” He answered definitively. “Because it’s Christmas and family is supposed to be together on Christmas.”

“Yeah!” Dean emphasised, excitedly wiggling against you. “And Santa needs Mrs. Claus! Everyone knows that!”

“Oh really?”

“Yes!” Sam spoke up this time. “And daddy is Santa so you have to be his wife!”

You grinned. “I guess I have to agree then.” The boys cheered and John tightened his grip, tugging you away from them so he could kiss you once more.

“Merry Christmas Mrs Claus.”

“Merry Christmas Santa.”

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wardenparker · 2 years

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Sassenach and the Spaniard - ch 9

Pero Tovar x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

Delirious with sickness and near to death, Pero Tovar finds himself on the doorstep of a village outsider who nurses him back to health just before the winter snows descend. With a black cat for company, a mask on her face, and a biting wit that intrigues him, Pero comes to find out that his new companion is more than what she seems. ✨ Inspired and influenced by Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. ✨ Reader is described as disabled and having hair long enough to cover part of her face.

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 13.4k Warnings: **Blanket warnings for this fic include cursing, food mentions, references to previous sexual assault (multiple characters).** Brief references to previous assault and infertility. This is a HAPPY chapter, guys! Teasing/dirty talk, oral sex (f receiving), biting, vaginal sex, unprotect sex, wedding night sex Summary: Arriving in Scotland is a relief for everyone, and the time for weddings is upon us! Notes: It’s the calm before the storm, friends! There’s just nothing about this chapter I don’t love. Apologies for any missed errors in this one, folks, I really started to go cross eyed after a while.

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8

The storm lasted an entire day before it eased, passing during the small hours of your second day in Claro and Harold's farmhouse. On the dawning of the third day your small family prepared to travel again - bundling in warm, dry layers and packing away the food that Claro has insisted will be good provision for your evening meal when you stop after a long day of riding. Two full nights of restful sleep have the four of you feeling refreshed and reinvigorated as you mount your horses again, and even Binx mews happily in her sling as you situate yourself on Caballo's back for the ride. It is just past first light and the morning dew has collected heavily on the world around you, but there is a bit of happiness to share before you are under way again. "We have something we wish to tell you," you begin, looking fondly between Briac and Arwena as he helps her get situated on her horse.

Briac smirks as he looks over at you and then back at his soulmate. “We promise we pretended to be asleep.” He teases making Arwena giggle. “You weren’t that loud.” This entire trip, but especially the last two days have been extremely good for him. He feels more confident, almost as if he were Pero’s equal. Really feeling as if their future was not bleak like he imagined when he first learned he was the beautiful young girl’s soulmate.

Burying your embarrassed face in Pero's chest, you can't help but groan in a way that is very far from a sound of pleasure. "I told you we should have gone to the barn," you grumble good naturedly, fully blaming your soulmate for being an impossibly talented lover.

“They were only waiting for us to sleep so they could do the same.” Pero predicts, in turn making Arwena fluster and look embarrassed.

"Well..." you huff, only marginally less embarrassed as Briac lifts himself into his own saddle and the three steeds are turned toward the road at a slow walk. "That was not what we wished to speak about. Obviously."

Briac chuckles, feeling as Pero apparently does, not embarrassed in the slightest for his want of his soulmate. For as crass as he had assumed the mercenary would be, he was surprisingly gentle in his treatment of you and his advice on love. ‘Unless the wench wants it rough’, Pero had advised with a roguish grin. “What is it that you wish to discuss?” He asks, his mount alongside Arwena’s. “Have you decided where you will go after we are wed?”

“Partly.” It was more like you had decided where you will not go, but that was a technicality. “But more importantly, we wished to ask if you would consent to share your wedding day with us. We have decided to wed after all.”

Arwena inhales sharply, tears springing to her eyes and her head bobbles automatically. “Yes! Yes! Oh you must!” She is practically shouting it at you even before she remembers that it is not her decision alone and turns to Briac. “I—”

The younger man laughs and reaches out to drag his soulmate to him for a quick, reassuring kiss before he looks at both of you. “As she said.” He agrees happily. “We would be honored to share it with you.”

“Pero knew you would not object, but I felt it only right to ask.” After all, while you’re sure there are bridezillas somewhere in the year 1006, Arwena is not one of them. And nor are you, ultimately. Having your soulmate - the man you love - as your husband is enough. What else matters beyond that? “We also thought…it might not be so necessary as we first thought for all of us to part ways.” Insisting that it was safer had really only been a cover for the fact that you intended to travel to the Stones. Now that was erased from your plans and you were free to think of another future. One that could be spent together, if it made everyone happy.

“Truly?” For the second time in as many minutes, Arwena is emotional again. This time Briac mirroring her hope and joy at the news. While you and Pero are older, wiser - it feels as though the four of you belong in the same family.

“Truly.” You nod and reach to squeeze her hand as you ride side by side. “This new life could be a fresh beginning for all of us together.”

“This is wonderful.” Arwena chokes up slightly and smiles at you and Pero. “I— I have come to see you both as the family I wish I had.”

“You need not wish any longer, sister.” The smile you offer her is as soft as the early morning sun, and Pero squeezes your waist in silent agreement. “We can choose to go where no one knows us, and be whatever we choose to each other.”

“I cannot wait to be married!” Arwena cries out happily, the world bright and sunny to her despite the bitter cold.

"It will not be long now." Road signs on your journey led you to believe that you were only another day or two from the border when you stopped, so hopefully getting there would be relatively smooth sailing. Once Arwena and Briac were married her father could cuss and scream and threaten all he wanted to - she would not be his legal possession any longer.

“It will be good to call you my wife in truth.” Pero hums in your ear. “Find a place where I can proudly bear the title of husband.” He wants to find a quiet little village where he can build a life with you, hopefully living out the rest of his days peacefully. Maybe even going East and seeing William again. He wonders if you would like that.

"We could go anywhere." Aside from the language barrier, there is no reason to limit where you settle down, now. Scotland had been the aim because of marriage laws and because of the Stones, but now that you had decided to stay? You could continue on to wherever you wanted and start completely fresh.

“Where would you want to go?” Pero asks you seriously. “You know more about my time than I do on the whole.” He had been thinking about it a lot, you hadn’t given him many historical references but it would be good to know where to avoid making a home.

"There won't be any big witch trials for a few hundred more years, but there will be small wars all over England and Alba for many decades to come." Trying to remember anything you can from high school history class has been a challenge and nothing has truly sprung into your mind besides knowing that the Norman Conquest of England will happen in sixty years' time. "We could go to Rome and simply blend into the crowd of immigrants from all over the Holy Roman Empire, or we could find a farm in the country for the four of us to work together. Or..." You twist slightly in your seat, catching his eye from the corner of yours. "Perhaps you would like to return home to Spain?"

Pero bites his lip, the idea of returning home one that makes his heart hammer in his chest. “We could.” He offers, slowly thinking the idea over. “If they want to come, we could see who lives on the land my parents raised me.”

"Briac's Spanish is coming along quickly." The boy seemed to have a natural talent for language, with as fast as he was learning, and you smile at Pero as the horses start to pick up speed. "It might be a beautiful way to remember your parents, to see Briac and Wena's babes born in the same place you were." If you could give him children, the thought would be for your own babies, but as it stands you will be a doting aunt and uncle to whatever children the younger couple bears.

He senses where your thoughts take you and his arm around your waist beneath the sleeping cat tightens. “Do not blame yourself, Sassenach.” He murmurs softly, kissing your ear. “I would change nothing about you.”

You nod, not wanting to dwell on it, and put your hand over his to squeeze it tightly. "We will bring the idea up to them when we stop for the night. See how they would feel about returning to the continent and heading south."

“Warmer.” Pero huffs, feeling the wind buffet around their little group. “Want to live somewhere we can swim in the river naked and I can lay you out in the sunshine.”

"Valencia may be the right choice, then." The stories he's told you of growing up, of the small farm where his parents raised him near the coast where his father taught him to fish and swim, sound positively idyllic compared to the hell that is travelling on horseback through England in the dead of winter.

“Perhaps we can even visit where—where they are buried.” Pero has taken a very realistic outlook, but the idea of visiting his parents’ grave strikes a chord inside him. To show his mamá that he has found his soulmate.

"When spring comes, we can bring your mamá flowers." The idea of going home again has struck him deeply, and you are now convinced that it was the right suggestion to make. Even if you cannot convince the people living in his old family home to sell it to you, you will at least visit his parents' graves with regularity.

“If they would like to come with us.” Pero agrees, his own attachment to the other couple coming out. He worries about them, is the story he tells himself. Trying to believe they would be lost without the guidance you both can provide.

"I think they will." In fact, you know that if you suggested it right now, Arwena would have an entire daydream of what to grow on your shared farmland by the time you made camp tonight. "It will be something we talk about together." You smile gently. "As a family."

“Tonight when we are around a fire.” Pero has every intention of pushing the horses hard today after two full days of rest. “Where we don’t have to yell over the wind.”

“Aye.” Squeezing his hand once more, you reluctantly move your own again to cradle Binx’s sling against your chest so she does not bounce uncomfortably as you ride. With good rest and full bellies, you will be able to make it much further today than perhaps any day of travel beforehand, and the more distance put between the four of you and the coast, the better. Being so close to England’s northern border only makes you and Pero more eager to drive forward - and prospect of your own marriage and future together makes it all the sweeter.

******

It is later in the day than normal when Pero calls to stop for a meal. The road had been somewhat easy and he wanted to cover as much of it as he could before having to rest. "We will see if we can find some game." Pero grunts as he helps you down. "Take a piss and walk around. I know you are sore."

“I’ll start a cooking fire and see if I can find some clean snow to melt for tea.” Any opportunity for a kiss is a good one, and being that you consider yourselves betrothed now as well, you indulge a little before letting Pero go to hunt with Briac for some small animal to make your lunch. Claro and Harold had furnished you with bread and cheese and it would make for two hearty meals at least when combined with roast meat.

Your lips linger on his as he and the boy make their way through the snow silently. It will be a quick trip away from you. He will hunt longer when you make camp for the night, but this will be a hasty meal.

“Something changed,” Briac observes quietly, careful not to speak loudly and disturb any life nearby. “You never spoke of marriage before.”

“I did not think it was possible.” Pero admits, having kept the idea of you leaving firm in his mind. He hadn’t wanted to beg you to stay. Not when your future was better without him. “Now…it is.”

“Why would it not be possible?” Briac’s brow furrows tightly. “She was not…bound to someone else? Was she?” He can’t imagine that you would have begun such a passionate affair with Pero if you had been, but Briac has to admit to himself that there is much he does not know about you.

"No." He will not be able to explain why it wasn't possible, not without explaining where you are truly from and he will not do that without your permission. "There are...reasons why she felt like she could not wed me. I have convinced her that they are not an issue for me."

“I see.” He is clever enough to know when not to press for more details, and Pero is clearly reticent to speak about your circumstances. “Well…I am glad of it. And I know Wena is, too.”

Pero's lips curl briefly and he nods. "You and your girl will be expecting a babe soon, I imagine." He grunts, having pointedly ignored them every night when they think everyone is asleep. You are, but he just pretends to be resting.

“We pray for it.” The younger man isn’t shy about that, chest puffing proudly at the thought. “The first of many, by our hopes.”

“Never have more mouths than you can feed.” Pero cautions. “Brats are innocent and shouldn’t suffer because you enjoy fucking.”

“Aye.” Briac nods as solemnly as he ever does when Pero gives advice, taking it as gospel and filing it away in his mind to be followed in his own personal law. “And not so many as to leave Wena in pain.”

“As good as it feels to spill inside her, remember that she will go through things we cannot imagine.” Pero tells him. He’s not attended a birth, but he has heard the screams and it sounds as bad as the worst death on a battlefield.

“The magic Sassenach taught Wena to guard against a babe is strong, but we will be ready if the child is more hardheaded than the potion,” the younger man chuckles slightly. “It would just be proof that he is like his parents.”

Pero nods, flashing Briac a brief grin. "Sí." He hums, looking down and spotting the tracks of a rabbit. "And Sassenach and I will stand in as family when that time comes."

“The babes will need godparents.” Of course they had already discussed asking the older couple to stand in for such duties, but it had not been spoken of between the four of them yet. “We will be grateful to seen them well loved and cherished.”

“We will talk around the fire.” Pero promises, nodding towards the tracks. “Let us find our meal first.”

When they return, Arwena has found and cleared a few large stumps to sit on and you have a cauldron of mint and melted snow becoming tea to drink with your meal. “Any luck?” You ask, seeing Pero walk up to the small clearing before Briac.

Briac holds up a fair-sized rabbit, already dressed out. “This will go good with the tea.” He declares proudly.

Arwena squeals proudly, already on her feet again to wrap him in her arms and kiss him before taking the animal to butcher for the fire. “How marvelous,” she hums with a smile. “Cheese, bread, and rabbit.”

"Good meal." Pero notices that you have already made sure the horses are watered and given them a bit of the grain that you are carrying for them. He moves over to you and pulls out a small bit of the hide, some of the organs saved for Binx. "For her majesty."

"You spoil her." It's not even scolding, and you give him a kiss in thanks before laying the hide down on the damp ground beside you where Binx is sitting. There will be plenty of nuzzles and headbutts of gratitude from the cat to Pero later on, as she happily dives into her meal immediately.

Pero chuckles at the ferocity in which Binx is inhaling her food. "She is a good gato." He hums, wrapping his arms around you. "How are you feeling amor? Too cold?"

"I'm warm enough." You still keep close to his side though, enjoying the calm of having Arwena putting together the afternoon meal while you sit in Pero's arms. "And warmer now."

"Good." Pero presses his lips to your neck and sighs softly. It is nice to be off the horse for a bit.

"What did you wish to speak to us about?" Briac asks after a few moments of quiet. The crackling of the fire took over after the murmuring between couples subsided and now and the younger man is curious to know what you have been speaking about.

Pero looks over at you, getting a small nod before he turns towards the couple. "We are thinking of going to where I was raised after we marry." He tells them.

"To Spain?" Arwena's eyes widen, her head popping up immediately at that news. "Truly?"

Pero reaches for your hand and sends you a small smile. “Yes. And we were—would you like to come with us?” He asks. “You don’t have to, but you are welcome.”

Arwena is ready to agree immediately, eagerly near-bouncing in her seat, but looks to Briac first for his reaction. As much as she would love to see the beautiful shores and skies of Pero’s home, Briac still has parents and siblings in Brittany that he will be missing.

Briac hums and thinks, only taking a minute before he is nodding. “Yes. I believe that we will come with you.” He looks over at Arwena with a smile. “You are our family.”

“And you are ours.” You reach across to pat his knee in the most unintentionally mothering way possible and then move to start pouring tea into the cups you have all kept tied to your belts as you travel. “We have become very good at taking care of each other.”

“I will have to work on my Spanish more.” Arwena nearly bounces on her stump with giddiness and relief that she didn’t want to separate from you at all and now she doesn’t have to.

"It will be a chance for you to continue to learn." You hand Arwena her cup of tea and sit back again, giving Pero his own cup in turn. "I do not think you have ever had a chance to swim in anything larger than a pond before. The coast will be new for you as well."

“I am sure it will be very good.” Briac nods. “We still have much to learn from both of you.” His hand reaches for Arwena's again and he chuckles. "It seems as if we are bound for your home after our weddings."

"It will be our home," you promise him, and Pero grunts his agreement as he tugs you closer to his side. Whatever hands of fate brought the four of you together, it truly seems as if you are meant to stay this way.

******

"This is it?" Pero lifts a brow and wonders what exactly he was expecting but it wasn't this. He twists in his saddle and looks around, assessing and taking it in. "We are here? This is what we have killed ourselves to get to?" He might have driven them hard over the last two days, sacraficing sleep and rest to make it here.

"I know it doesn't look like much." The blanket of snow that covers the valley around you makes it look positively plain if not downright unwelcoming. Bare trees and a general lack of life in nearly every direction is discouraging, but what else could be expected for the middle of January? On Caballo's back, you twist to look around, finding Pero's eyes doing the same as you head in the direction of the small village of Gretna in the distance. "But this place will come to be known as a place of pilgrimage for lovers who would otherwise not be able to wed. This is Gretna Green, of course it is not as beautiful as it could be in the cold of winter. Just...trust me, amor. I know that this is the place we are supposed to be."

"There is a priest here? In the village?" He asks, skeptical about your knowledge but he is willing to trust you. You are far more knowledgeable than he is. Right now he is unsure that he will be able to find lodging for the four of you in the small village.

"Yes." There should be both a Christian church and a pagan community in this village if it was like the other Scottish villages you had lived in during your journey south, but Gretna has the advantage of being just over the English border...and having a more generally lax attitude toward the rules, if everything you have heard and remember reading is correct. "There will be lodging, because this is the first village after leaving England, and there will be a priest."

Pero nods, nudging the horse forward. "Let's go find this priest." He murmurs, holding tight to you and looking back at the road one last time. The feeling of someone chasing your group had never diminished and he feels like he needs to get your vows said quickly.

"A church or a tavern should be easy enough to spot." One or both of them will be along the main road, and hopefully the tavern will have rooms enough to give each couple their own bed behind a closed door tonight.

"A bed." He growls, his arm tightening around you. "A bed to consummate our vows. A bath to soak in after I fuck you full."

"You'll be letting me bathe before those are said, amor." You can't help but sigh in turn, though, knowing that with privacy and the security of having said your vows, you will not be getting much sleep tonight.

He scoffs and leans in, pressing his lips to your cheek. Your neck is covered in layers and he doesn’t want to make you cold. “I do not smell you.” He teases playfully.

You hum at him, laughing quietly as you shake your head. "I will not have you feasting on an unclean cunt, cariño. Just like you would not make me suck a filthy cock."

“Hmmmm, I get my cock sucked tonight?” He lifts a brow and the said appendage twitches happily in his breeches. “That does call for a bath. Those pretty lips around my shaft have been sorely missed. Just like my tongue is eager for your cunt.”

"I want to take the time to bring my husband as much pleasure as possible." All but purring to him as you ride, you toss Pero a playful wink and turn around again to watch the village get closer.

It is Arwena who spots the inn first, pointing it out in the heart of the village at you approach. The sign above the door is a griffin painted in silver and outlined in green, and some fifty yards to the right - across the square - sits a small church with a priest milling around outside. He is breaking icicles off of the eaves of the church and cleaning the windowsills, whistling to himself as he works and doing his best not to stare at the new arrivals to his village.

“Shall we go see about having our vows arranged?” Pero asks, although he is already guiding his horse in that direction. Briac and Arwena are close behind him. The feeling turns to one of anticipation when the priest has an excuse turns to them with cause to study them as Pero comes to a halt in front of his heavy robed body. Squeezing your waist, Pero dismounts and holds the reins, stepping up to him. “God give ye good morrow, Father.” He uses his most respectful voice and nods politely to the man of the cloth. “You are just the person we are seeking on our travels.”

“God give ye good morrow, my son.” The priest nods, making the sign of the cross to complete his greeting and looks on the group with curious eyes. “What service can the Church provide your party with this day?” There are many who see the way Father Malcolm comports himself and compare him more to a monk than to a priest, but the man has never minded that. It is simply that he is more humble - and perhaps more jolly - than another in the area. And surely that cannot be a fault.

“We are two pairs of soulmates who wish to wed, Father.” Pero can hear Briac dismounting his own horse and coming forward. “As God intended.”

The sound from the young priest’s throat is pleased, and he looks between the man in front of him to the rest of his traveling party once more. “I think you have traveled far to do so, and if it is your sincere wish then it shall be so.”

Pero nods, relived that the priest has agreed. “We wish to clean up from our travels, but we want to be bound in the eyes of God as quickly as we can.” If they could be wed within the hour, perhaps two, it would lift a giant weight off Pero’s shoulders.

The priest’s smile turns knowing, understanding that the demands of the flesh can be heavy when neglected. He is a man, after all, even as a man of God. “Can any of your party read and write, traveler?” He asks, knowing that the skills are not common amongst most of his parishioners. Even his own skill in writing is meager.

Pero nods, proud of the work that you have made him put in. Even while laying in bed. It was a wonderful motivator for you to reveal inch upon tantalizing inch of skin when he read the words you had written in the book for Arwena. “My soulmate is learned and she has taught very basic skills to us.” He motions to all three of them.

“There is typically a cost of a few coins paid to the church for a wedding, as I am sure you know.” He shrugs a little, as if he does not approve of such things. Like the reading of the bans - it is all well and good to announce one’s intentions before God but not all circumstances allow for the luxury of three weeks’ planning. “There are always roofs to be repaired and things of that nature, I fear. However, I would be happy to wave such a fee if your soulmate would consent to take down a letter from dictation? It must be sent to my bishop and I am afraid that my own abilities with a quill are meager.”

Instead of answering for you, Pero turns to you, wanting you to be the one who says yay or nay. “It would be her decision. Although we have funds to donate for a roof, or strong backs if you have need.” Now that a wedding is guaranteed, Pero does not mind staying for a week or so to rest before they continue on their journey. “Sassenach?”

The priest smothers a laugh at such a man calling someone else outlander, but as soon as the hooded figure sitting astride the war horse behind him comes to earth to step forward he swallows his mirth. The cloak pin she wears is one that was once his mother’s - long since gifted to the white witch that saved his life from a vicious ailment. Your name - your real name - falls from his tongue in wonder and he stares as you remove your hood.

“Am I known to you, Father?” Carefully stepping to Pero’s side, it takes you longer than a few moments to recognize the man that was no more than Briac’s age when you came through the Stones and were taken in by his clan nearly eight years ago. “Malcolm?”

Pero frowns fiercely for the few moments before you recognize the priest. His hand had automatically fallen to his sword even though the man was proclaimed to be a man of the cloth. He didn’t care about the church or his eternal soul in that moment, for it was a sin to hurt a priest, he cared about protecting you. When you gasp his name, he relaxes and looks at you in confusion. “You know this priest?”

“He was not a priest when I knew him last.” The feeling of pride in your chest is undeniable, seeing the healthy and hearty man standing in front of you, instead of the willowy wisp of a thing sick in his bed so long ago. “Malcolm’s clan were the ones who took me in when I first arrived here.” The look you give Pero is pointed - this priest knows the hidden parts of your story that even Arwena and Briac still do not. “He left home to follow God’s word some months before I left to begin traveling south.”

Pero nods, smiling at the obvious affection in your voice. “The world is smaller than we realize.” he hums to you.

“I prayed to God to deliver me from sickness and swore to Him my eternal soul if He would send an angel to save me. He sent me an angel with healing hands and I kept my promise.” He chuckles softly. “This is your soulmate?” The priest’s voice is full of obvious surprise, not because he is passing judgement but because he knows you are not of his world.

“Aye.” Slipping your hand into the crook of Pero’s arm, you beam an affectionate smile at the man who holds your heart before looking back at your other friends. “Our companions are soulmates as well. We have come very far to be married and hope to do so with haste.”

Pero’s eyes soften when you look at him before turning back to the priest. “The other couple can prove that they share marks if that is your concern.” He decides that he will be honest with a man who you trust. “We are being chased by the girl’s father. He wishes to force her to wed a man who is…ungodly.”

Father Malcolm’s eyes narrow and he nods. Ungodly men are many and their sins are more so, but he knows you to be kind and good so he will not question that part of the matter on the street. “Come inside,” he urges, motioning to the church behind him. “All of you. I will learn your stories and then take you to the tavern for rooms and a hot meal before you wed. If haste is your concern, it will be done before sundown.”

“Thank you, Father.” Pero is grateful for his understanding and motions Briac and Arwena closer. “We are very grateful for your understanding and haste. I will defend my soulmate and the boy’s with violence if necessary, but it is our hope that once wed, they will see that it is futile.”

“What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” Father Malcolm intones seriously. He helps tie the horses to the post along the southern side of the building before leading the four of you inside and shutting the door fast behind you. “You need not fear me, child.” He tells Arwena honestly, beckoning her forward. “I mean to be your friend if you will tell your honest story.”

Arwena wrings her hands together, nervous to trust him because she believes it was her own priest that had alerted her father to her soulmate status. She had confessed earlier in the day when he had found out. Her eyes flutter over to you questioningly and you nod encouragingly. “I—F—Father, I must confess, everyone here knows this story.” She murmurs sadly. “The man my father wishes me to wed forced himself on—on me.” Her fingers twist tightly around themselves to the point where they look as if they will break. Briac reaches over and gently pries them apart and laces his own fingers with hers in support. “It—it was not my— I did not— ask for it.” Her voice shakes and she is quickly wiping her eyes. “I cannot wed a – a monster who would do that. Not when my true soulmate, the man God intended me to give myself to, is a Godly man.”

"I see." Father Malcolm's head bows only once before he looks Arwena square in the eyes. "How old are you, child?"

“I— seventeen years, Father.” She raises her chin and squares her shoulders slightly. The fact that he is not condemning her like she had feared helps her face him bravely.

"Old enough to make this decision for yourself." Raised to be strong-willed and steadfast in conviction, the priest offers the girl in front of him a smile of reassurance before anything else. "If it is your wish, and your soulmate's wish, to be married this day, then let it be so. Should anyone come to question your union, they may answer to me." Many would say that a man may make choices for his daughter at any stage in her life, but thankfully Father Malcolm is not many men. "I will only ask that you bear to me some mark that will not impugn your modesty, that I may see with my own eyes that you are soulmates."

Wena nods, looking exponentially happier as looks over at Briac. “The shoulder.” She decides, figuring that would be one that would be the most modest to bear. “I— the man who— he—he cut me— while—” she breaks off her words and lets Briac help her out of the layers that she had been wearing on the road until just her dress and chemise remains. Turning around, she pulls the fabric off her shoulder to reveal the ugly scar that had been marked into her skin.

The young man’s shoulder bears the identical mark, and Father Malcolm nods again. A definitive expression sets itself in the priest’s countenance and he steps back from the couple politely. “I thank you,” he says after a pause. “Your blessed union will be a celebration of God’s love and your own.” Their clothing set easily back into place, Father Malcolm moves quickly to the door of the church and motions for the group of you to follow. “The inn across the square will have rooms for you. I will prepare for your nuptials while you refresh.”

"Father...." Pero squeezes your hand and follows him. "We thank you for your help. Sassenach said that we would be welcome here and it is satisfying to learn the truth of it."

“Gretna is a welcoming place.” Father Malcolm begins to usher the two couples across the square, right to the door of the Silver Griffin. “It was God’s Will that I be here to help you, it seems. I am only newly arrived myself.”

That is most fortunate and Pero raises his brow in surprise. "We will only require two rooms, Father." He tells him quietly, knowing that he and Briac will stay downstairs with the priest while you and Arwena clean up.

"Of course." He chuckles slightly, walking up through the crowded room with all its long banquet tables and benches for seating, studded with the occasional spare chair in odd places. There is a group of men in one corner playing a game of cups and dice and a trio of ladies in another bent over some shared sewing in the light of the windows. The priest approaches the group of women and murmurs something in her ear. She is a tall and sweet-faced women in her middle-forties whose most imposing quality is that she is so gentle in appearance that you would hate to be the one who upsets her just like you would hate to upset a favourite aunt. "Friends, you say?" She hums at the young priest. "Rooms for friends of Father Malcolm. Aye. We can manage that."

Pero lets go of you and nods towards Briac. "We will go get the bags." There isn't much they could in leu of fresh clothes, there were none, but you could at least bathe and feel better before your vows are exchanged.

"We would be grateful for two rooms, mistress." Armed with Pero's coin purse, you are prepared to make certain that everything is ready for the four of you to have a wonderful wedding night.

“Baths as well?” She asks, smirking slightly at how excited the younger couple looks as they reluctantly part.

"Aye. Please." You can't help but smile a little more broadly, tucking the thing up in the corner of your mouth like a pleasing secret even though it is no secret at all. "Baths and rooms, and meals if they can be supplied. We have come a long way to be married here and wish to celebrate."

“Ye traveled to Gretna to be wed?” She asks, slightly surprised. “A good friend of Father Malcom then.” She motions for you to follow her to the stairs and calls out for bathing tubs to be brought to the rooms. A wedding. It has been some time since a wedding had occurred in the village. “We will make it a blessed occasion.”

"It is a beautiful little place," you tell her honestly. If you weren't already talking about Spain, you must just suggest staying here in Gretna. But you can't resist punctuating the thought with a private joke all for yourself. "I think in the future people may flock here for just such a purpose."

“I will be doubtful. The Sassenach do not much like our ways.” She chuckles slightly and shows you down the hall to two doors across from each other at the end. “Our best rooms.” She offers with a smile.

"Thank you, mistress." From Pero's purse, two silver pieces make their way from your hand to hers and you smile again. "We may be here some days and will be glad to pay the full amount in advance when we decide how long we will linger."

She shakes her head and smiles at you. “A friend of the Father’s does nay need to pay in advance.” She murmur. “Go in and rest. Your baths before your vows will be sent up shortly.”

With more thanks given, the innkeeper disappears toward the stairs and you reach to hug Arwena before she can disappear behind the opposite door. She is grinning from ear to ear with shining eyes and restless energy, and you cannot help but laugh. "I am glad that you are so excited to finally be his wife."

“You too.” She giggles quietly and tosses her head knowingly. “You cannot wait to marry your Spaniard.”

"I cannot deny it." You cannot and will not, especially not to her. Not to one of the only two people in the world who stood by you and watched you fall in love with Pero.

“I wish-“ Arwena shakes her head after opening her mouth too quickly. “It is foolish, but I wish I had time to finish the dresses I was making at home.” She had secretly been sewing dresses to take with her when she left come spring. Including new dresses for her wedding to Briac for you and her.

“That is not so foolish a wish.” Opening your arms, you give Arwena the space to hug you as earnestly as she wishes in that moment before you sigh slightly. “Where I am from, brides wear great white gowns to their weddings made of every kind of luxurious fabric you can possibly imagine. As a little girl I had dreamt of wearing my mother’s gown when I wed my soulmate. But it does not sadden me to be without it now.” You pull back from hugging her and send her a wink. “Briac and Pero would likely tear off whatever beautiful dresses we wore anyway.”

“Tonight will be very special.” Arwena grins as she wrinkles her nose. “We will no longer be sinning in the eyes of the church.”

“Any babe that comes now will be a welcome one, I think.” You hug her tightly once more before shooing her toward her own door. “A mother or sister might give advice to you tonight, sweet girl. But you need none. Love Briac well and embrace this new chapter of your life.”

“I am happy I am sharing it with you.” Tears spring up in her eyes and she blinks them away with a grin. “We are about to married women!”

“And happily so.” There is time for one more squeezing hug between you before two young women appear in the hall with the large bath tubs that have been ordered. In a matter of perhaps an hour, your vows will be said and everyone will be safer. And you will finally be able to relax in Pero’s arms.

Arwena paces in the nicely appointed room until the door opens and the round wooden tub is carried in. She’s nervous and excited, all of it twisting together in a small knot in her stomach. All of this is right, but she can’t help but feel as though there is something looming on the horizon. Not sure what it might be has her worried.

******

Father Malcolm, the sweet man that he is, has decorated the small parish church in dozens of candles in the time between parting with your group and your return to the church an hour later. The ceremony will be brief and there will be no witnesses to speak of beyond the five of you, but he has put out what decoration he can to make the event memorable. He had even brought Pero and Briac down to the village blacksmith to see about rings in the brief time you and Arwena were bathing. All was as it should be, despite the palpable tension in the air that seemed to be coloring the two couples’ excitement.

Pero shuffles nervously as he stands in the church, confession had been lengthy and he wasn't quite sure that God wouldn't still strike him down for setting foot in his space. Briac hums beside him, his own nerves setting him on edge and both men listen for your approach with eager ears.

Your clothes aren’t exactly clean after weeks of travel, but the clothes that had been packed in Arwena’s mare’s saddlebags are a bit tidier. Her blue-gray tunic is soft and light, letting her give off the impression that she is about to take flight at any time. The crisp air blows around you both, and the long sleeves of her dress mix with yours as you hold hands walking across the square the church. Her blue against your deep green is water lapping at the shore, and you fiddle with your hair just one more time before stepping up to the church door. Arwena had insisted that braiding it would be beautiful, and the loose plaits you both wear are studded with dried rose buds from your case of herbs. It’s all you can do not to look back - terrified in the bottom of your gut that her father might suddenly appear over the horizon at any second. Inside. You remind yourself, pulling in the heavy iron latch and letting Arwena duck inside first. Inside we are safe.

The heavy wood door closes and Pero sighs, his eyes fixed on you as both you and Wena walk towards the men. There is something about the fact that he is going to marry you that has him emotional. Looking at you to memorize every moment from now until you are wed in the eyes of God. He thinks you've never looked more beautiful.

In that moment it doesn’t matter that you’re not wearing white, or that the wedding match isn’t playing, or that it’s Scotland in 1006. The absolute only thing that matters is that Pero is standing at the top of the beautifully candle-lit aisle and he is there to marry you. He even shaved for the occasion, freshly clean face flushed with either nerves or excitement. Or maybe, like you, both.

The ring that is in his hand nearly cuts into the skin he is gripping it so tightly. “Mi amor.” He breathes when you are close, reaching out with his other hand lightening fast and dragging you the last few steps to him for a desperate kiss.

Father Malcolm chuckles softly, clearing his throat to bring the Spaniard’s attention back to the actual wedding ceremony. “There will be time for that, my friend,” he tells Pero with an indulgent smile. “After God’s law is followed.”

Pero flushes slightly, shuffling as he left you go so you can stand beside him instead of plastered against him. “Forgive me, Father.” Briac chuckle at his friend’s eagerness and receives a half hearted glare in return.

“It is not a sin to be in love, my son.” The young father smiles and beckons the two couples forward to kneel at the altar in front of the church. To the left of your grooms, you and Arwena are bright spots of color in the flickering candlelight. “Now,” he clears his throat, standing before the altar. “Who gives these women to be wed today?”

“We give each other, Father.” Arwena speaks up, her voice clear and bright as she looks up at the priest. “We are chosen sisters, united by our faith and spirit.”

"And each of you consents freely to these marriages with your soulmate, with no unspoken burdens left to confess?" The priest asks, looking between the four of you. One by one you all agree, having made your confessions and come here freely - after a great deal of effort. "Very well, then," he smiles one more time. "Gentleman, have you acquired rings for your brides?"

Pero nods, holding open his hand to reveal the plain gold band he had purchased for you. Briac does the same with Arwena’s ring. “You deserve a ring, hermosa.” Pero murmurs softly.

"Te amo." The quiet whisper is just for him, though the appreciative tears rising behind your eyes are obvious to anyone. He could have tied a string around your finger and you would have showed it off like the most precious diamond in the world. “Let us begin.” As it turns out, a medieval wedding ceremony is not so different from all those weddings your cousins had when you were little, or even the unconventional ones your friends had been having since college. The familiar vows to have and hold are sworn by all of you - for better or worse, in sickness and in health, til death do you part - and the largest difference is that Pero and Briac touch the wedding rings to your and Arwena's pointer fingers, then middle fingers, then ring fingers before slipping them on those fourth digits to remain for good.

There is a small smile on Pero’s lips, unable to believe that he is kneeling before a priest and saying his vows to marry you. “Hasta la eternidad.” Until eternity. He whispers to you, his thumb brushing over the band on your finger.

"Para siempre." Forever. You don't resist the urge to bend and press a kiss to his fingers as they caress the ring and your skin, only momentarily lamenting the fact that men in this time do not wear wedding rings. If you could give him something other than your marks to wear to signify that he holds your heart, you would give that gift again and again for the rest of your lives.

“Te amo.” He whispers softly, eyes flicking down to your lips and he wants to kiss you but the father has not blessed you yet.

"Te amo." In fact you're probably vibrating with it, and the amused priest finally bestows the kiss of peace on each groom to then grace their brides with.

The slightly sour look Pero has from being laughed at by a priest disappears the second he pulls you close. Briac has already dove into his kiss with Arwena, the younger couple gasping but Pero takes the time to brush your scar with his hand and tug you close to press his forehead against yours. “Esposa.” He breathes before he takes your lips in the tenderest kiss he can manage.

The warmth that floods your system is half arousal and half complete bliss. "Mi esposo." The words you genuinely never thought that you would say, breathed after your first kiss as man and wife. There is something utterly enchanting about this moment that you have never anticipated before, and for the first time in weeks you feel as though everything in the world is right.

Arwena giggles and cries as she kisses Briac, the boy himself shedding tears of joy and relief. Now that they are wed in the eyes of God and the Church, there was nothing that her father could do. Their names were now recorded with the Church and the priest, he could not do anything but try to kill Briac and Pero had taught him how to defend himself well.

Two couples, now wed and bound, rise from their knees to sign the church register that Father Malcolm had prepared. Two couples with tears of pure joy in their eyes bid the same father good day with repeated thanks, and when they exit the church they find nothing but welcoming sunshine and the well wishes of a few passing villagers. You will go and settle your grateful debt with Malcolm tomorrow. Until then the only thought in your mind is Pero.

“The room, Sassenach.” Pero and Briac had cleaned up outside the rooms while you and Arwena had gotten ready, but he wants to lock himself in the room with his wife and make love to her. “Our meals will be brought to the door?” He asks. “Because I am not letting my wife out of my bed for the night once we climb into it.”

“The innkeeper said she would deliver trays to us tonight.” You grin at the eagerness in his tone, knowing you are every bit as ready to have him behind a closed and locked door as he is to have you. “I asked if she would simply leave them in the hall and gave her enough extra that both rooms could have a bottle of mead delivered as well.” It is a celebration, after all, and it’s not like champagne will be invented for almost seven hundred years.

“Good.” He has no doubt the patrons of the inn, mainly the ones drinking and socializing in the small space downstairs will hear you tonight. He doesn’t care. You are his wife, you bear his name - under the laws of man and God, you are his. It’s something that has his entire body primed with desire, surprising even him. He had never expected to be a greedy man when it came to marriage, he never expected to marry, but he is gluttonous with the need to make his talent for satisfying you known.

Briac and Arwena - teary and giggly and proud - are first through the doors of the inn with you and Pero following closely behind. There are more patrons now, all of them seemingly having heard of the weddings happening under Father Malcolm’s authority, and the cacophony of fist pounding tables and boots stamping the floor when the four of you walk in is just as sweet as the applause of any family. They may not be sitting outside your rooms to get an exact transcript, but these are the witnesses to the final act of your marriage - those who will vouch for overhearing the consummation - and they are as necessary a part of the legal contract in this time as the priest you just left. Without consummation, the marriage contract is not binding.

Pero grins at the way that Arwena seemingly melts under the realization that these people will be straining their ears for any sounds of pleasure. Sure that there will be ribald jokes and gentle ribbing. “We will make sure we take the attention off you.” He leans in to whisper in her ear.

“We’ll send up yet supper when it sounds like ye have worked a good appetite.” A man behind the counter chortles, which earns his a good-hearted glare from the innkeeper even though she smiles a second later. “No one will disturb ye,” she promises, waving toward the stairs as if to gentle shoo the four of you away from prying eyes.

The entire room is silent as the four of you start up the creaking stairs. Pero is probably the one most used to it, to being judged and weighed when he comes across a new village. His hand is on your waist as you proceed him and he turns to give the group a good-natured scowl.

That only earns a wave of good-natured chuckling from the assembled revelers, and they go back to their conversations and cups easily enough after you disappear upstairs.

At the top of the stairway, Pero lets you guide him towards the room that will be yours for at least the next few days. “Come wife.” He growls playfully. “I am needing you in my bed.”

“I think you like that word,” you tease, tugging him close to your side as Arwena and Briac sprint ahead to disappear behind the slamming door of their room with giddy anticipation.

“I do.” Pero admits, leaning in to tuck his head against your neck. “More than I ever thought possible. It is…kismet.”

“Come, amor.” Pressing a kiss to the line of his jaw, you push open the door to your room and nudge him inside. “We have much to celebrate.”

Once the door is open and he sees the bed that is already made with fresh sheets, Pero pushes into the room with you and kicks the door shut. Fumbling behind his back with the bar so he can keep his lips locked onto yours once he has found them.

It’s a testament to how little clothing Pero actually wore on a daily basis in the cottage that you’re having trouble getting him out of his clothes now - blindly pulling at laces and ties ties to strip away his layers piece by piece. The fire is roaring and a pitcher of water sits on a far table for refreshment, but everything is ignored in favor of getting your husband naked as quickly as possible. Your husband. The thought only makes you that much more insistent.

Chuckling, Pero covers your hands with his. “Let me strip for you.” He hums. “Show you what you have taken as your husband.” He wants you to watched to see the way your expression turns to one of lust when he strips bare. Never having someone a eager to lay with him as you are, it’s thrilling.

It’s not that Pero was touch starved before you, but in a sense he had been affection starved. He and William showed their brotherhood with with trademark teasing and roughhousing of men at arms. But you? You have never been shy about your desire for him since the day you confessed your mutual attraction and requited love. You have pleaded and begged for him, worshipped every inch of skin in his body and voiced the pleasure he has given you countless times. And somehow it only seems to make him want you more - not taking for granted the way you desire and love him, but appreciating it all the more. Now, at his request, you reluctantly take your hands away and move to the bed. Sitting in middle of the soft, downy mattress, you obediently sit on your hands so you can’t reach for him in impatience. “It has been whole weeks since I have seen my husband’s glory,” you tease, chewing on your bottom lip in obvious anticipation. “I think I have forgotten the exact planes of his body and need to be reminded.”

He feels powerful, like a king when you look at him like that. When your body squirms in anticipation since you know how he feels. His mouth salivates at the prospect of tasting you again, making you cry his name for the inn to hear. “Be patient.” He grumbles at you, even as his lips give away his delight at your impatience. “You will have me. My cock stretching out that cunt like it deserves to be. My hands stroking your skin.”

“How am I supposed to be patient with that promise to look forward to?” You complain with a playful pout. He looks so proud to see how much you want him that you would never deny him the pleasure of watching you squirm.

He chuckles, the sound low and deep and dragging the ground. “Show me your tits, wife.” He orders with a smirk on his face. “It has been weeks since I’ve seen those beautiful, tasty nipples.”

“I don’t know how you’ve survived without them,” you tease him, returning his smirk even as you unknot the belt over your waist. The deep evergreen coloured tunic you wore for a wedding dress lifts away to reveal your stays and chemise underneath, both of which you unlace as fast as your eager fingers will allow - leaving you only in your stockings once your slippers have been kicked away. But Pero very often prefers you in just your stockings, so you leave them in place for him to enjoy.

He growls, cock twitching behind the leather of his breeches as he drinks in the sight of your tits. His own tunic is slow to slide over his head before he reaches down and cups his cock. “You want this, esposa?” He grunts. “You want to see the last cock you will have?”

“You say that like you are testing me.” It’s still a tease, even more so because you’re about ready to crawl off the bed to get to him. “That is my favourite cock in eternity, and from me that is literal.”

He looks at you from deep under the lids of his eyes, a smirk hovering on his face and looking every inch in the predator he could be. “Good.” He rasps, thick fingers unraveling the laces to tease you with the thatch of dark hair that grows above his length.

You all but lick your lips, undisguised desire taking over. Medieval wedding night striptease definitely wasn’t ever on your checklist of moments in life, but since you’re here you’re not about to waste a single second of enjoyment.

Pero watches as you spread your legs unconsciously. Loving how it’s not even a planned action. He smirks as he teases down the pants, drawing out the anticipation and basking in your attention.

"Mi amor..." You would call him cruel except he's enjoying teasing you so much, and you shift forward on the bed again so you're basically on the edge of the mattress. The whine in your voice and pout on your lips is exactly what he loves in a reaction and you'll give it to him every single time. "Let me see all of you. Please?"

When you beg, there is nothing on this earth that Pero would deny you. His breeches pushed down, he reveals the thick length of his cock, already ready to sink into the warm walls of his wife. “Is this what you wanted?” He huffs playfully, kicking his breeches off and standing proud for your perusal.

“Fuck” If he had shared your bath you would be on your knees in front of him in a heartbeat, ready to have your lips wrapped around that cock for the first time in weeks. Instead you shift forward again, crawling the final two inches off the mattress like a magnet is pulling you to his side. “Tan guapo. Tan fucking guapo.” So handsome. It’s a goddamn understatement, but since there is no good Medieval equivalent for ‘sexy’ you’ll make do with the words that you have.

His hand strikes out, whip fast as it grabs your arm and drags you back onto the mattress as he propels himself forward. Teasing is over, now he wants to make you cry out. “Hermosa.”

The speed of his movements knock you clear off your feet, bare ass landing on top of the blankets and furs laid over the mattress as he leans over you. If you ever teetered on the edge of forgetting he is a warrior, these are the times that make you remember. The times that he is the hunter and you are the hunted, and nothing in the world can keep him from being the victorious conqueror. “Esposo.” It comes out of you in a whisper - a sort of wonderment - and your lips curl up in a genuine smile.

Pero groans, deep in his chest. As if that is the secret to the wonders do the world and you have found it. Something he never thought he would have, would deserve, is right here in his grasp. His fingers fan out over your cheek and jaw. “Te amo.” He manages to choke out a split second before crushing his lips to yours as if he needed to kiss you to keep living. In that moment it was quite possible that it was true.

He crawls over you, dragging you backward until you’re sprawled out on the furs beneath him. Your grasping fingers knead his flesh, constantly trying to coax him closer and your legs open immediately, welcoming him to lay between them and take everything you have to offer.

“Fuck, you look so good.” Pero groans, ducking his head down and biting on your shoulder. “All mine.”

"Yes." Your thumb on his chin brings his eyes back up to yours, a stillness in the moment of almost desperate wanting. "Since the day you came into my life. And now forever."

“Hold on to the bed, amor.” Pero presses his lips to yours roughly before he starts a frantic journey south, his mouth paving the way with hot open mouthed kisses and little love bites. “Hold onto the fucking bed while I eat your cunt.”

The appetite he has for pussy eating makes you the luckiest damn woman in the world, and you reach up to grasp the headboard of the sturdy wooden bed with two eager hands. Any usual inclination you would normally have to run your fingers through his hair and tug is stifled by his instruction, because you've learned over time that there are sometimes when being a little submissive in bed yields amazing results. Yielding to Pero's appetite is one of them.

The scent of you is heavy in his nose, filling his senses and all he can think about is you. That first touch, first lick isn’t gentle. It’s not tentative. He opens his mouth and immediately gorges himself on the cunt that is attached to his wife with a pleased groan.

Your own sound is more like an ecstatic gasp when he attempts to swallow you whole - cunt first. Pero’s tongue is talented for more than just trading barbs and you will let every prying pair of ears downstairs know it. It’s been weeks since you felt him lick through your folds like a man starved and you’re going to enjoy every second of it.

Instead of grabbing your hips like he normally does, he grabs your tits. Groaning into you while he huffs and snarls into your cunt at the taste and your reaction. Dark eyes fixed on your face and he smirks while sucking on your clit when your back arches.

When he is determined like this it always feels possible that you might just float away without warning. There is no part of you that he does not taste or touch, though his hands always return to your tits to pinch and roll your sensitive nipples between his calloused fingers and make you keen.

Every moan and sigh makes Pero work harder. Ignoring the ache in his jaw from not being used this way for weeks. He pushes deeper into your folds, his tongue curling up inside you.

He can tell you're working up to your peak, the pitch of your moans getting higher and your breathing shallower as your tits heave in his hands. The way your thighs start to shake at his ears makes him chuckle in that dark, wicked pleased way that he has and your back arches again, grinding your pussy down on his gorgeous smart-ass mouth for all your worth.

He loves when you seek out pleasure from him. You had introduced him to face sitting as you called it, and he loves when you do it. Not because you suck on his cock, but because he loves how you writhe on his lap. He pinches your nipples and twists, eager to feel you soak his face when you cum.

His tongue curls inside you, tugging at that last divine thread holding you together and flicking it apart with practiced ease to topple you off the edge of pleasure. You wouldn't exactly call it screaming when your orgasm starts to roll through you, but the people waiting downstairs now unmistakably know your husband's name.

Pride fills his chest as he drags you through the pleasure. Keeping his tongue flicking and curling around your clit while your legs squeeze his head and shake around him. Feeling your heartbeat through your cunt and tasting your release on his tongue.

"Fuck--" You groan out the curse, a deep and indulgent giggle rolling up from deep in your throat as you pull at Pero's shoulders to get him to crawl up your body.

Giving into your whines and pulling is no great feat, already needing to be inside you. He wants to feel you shudder around his cock. “Feel good, amor?” He asks, the thick line of him resting against your wet cunt.

“God yes.” He always feels good no matter what part of him is on or inside you, and you cant your hips upward to slick the underside of his cock with your wetness as you keep your legs spread wide. “My husband is exceptionally talented.”

“El hechizo de tu bruja.” Your witch’s spell. Pero chuckles, leaning forward and his teeth bite your chin and he rocks his hips forward to rub against your folds.

"If anyone is under a spell, it's me." And you don't mind admitting to that either. That the way you love each other is more powerful than anything else you have ever felt.

“Then we will be bewitched together.” Pero angles his hips and he catches at your entrance. Sliding inside you with the ease of practice and the sense of coming home.

The feeling of it is so natural that you barely even notice shedding a very real tear as you put your arms around him. Having Pero close to you - so close that you have literally become one - is a kind of comfort and peace that you never thought possible. The magic of soulmates, you think, right before he steals all other thoughts from your mind as he starts to move inside you.

It is hard to keep from speeding up, from making this rough and hard and making you scream, but he keeps his hips slow. Steadily rocking into you as if he has all the time in the world. In a sense, he does. You are staying with him, making your home here, with him and he can’t kiss you enough while steadily burying himself inside you.

This evening is so different from your usual time spent in bed together. There is no frantic chase and playful banter or teasing. The roll of his hips is steady and true, bringing him back to you over and over again - home again on even thrust and breathing you in with every shared gasp. It's hypnotic. A true bewitchment in any sense of the term as the rest of the world dissolves around you to be forgotten in favour of each other. Every droplet of sweat an offering on the altar of your bodies and every pronouncement of your names or curse of pleasure a new enchantment that ties you together just that much tighter.

Pero gasps, eyes closed and his jaw tight when your nails dig into his back. Not harshly, you wouldn’t draw blood, but it seems to scorch his nerves. “Te amo, te amo.” He grunts, dragging his cock through the tight clutch of your body.

It becomes a symphony: words of love and promises made by firelight mixing with endless sounds of pleasure. There is no difference between your voice and his as you both rise higher into the night, exultations only pausing when the pleasure is so great that it steals your breath altogether.

There’s no better place to be than right here. Pero has never been in a more perfect spot that right here between his wife’s thighs. Every look on your face, every whispered word of love is etched onto his heart and without a doubt, you have changed everything for him. “I love you.”

“I love you.” You have never felt it more intensely than you do in this moment. The past is your present and now your future, and Pero’s strong arms wrapped tightly around you while he buries himself in your grasping body over and over again. Nothing in the world has ever been so right.

His lips are near your ear, breathing where you can hear it. He feels how his groans affect you. “Break for me, esposa. I want to f-feel you.”

It’s almost more of a prayer, begging you to join him at his peak as you can feel his thrusts start to grow erratic, and you hitch your legs up a little higher on his waist to deepen the angle of his cock as it enters your slick walls. Like this you can practically feel him in your belly and you cry out a little louder, nails burying themselves in his back all over again. The small difference is enough to have your pussy fluttering, the vibrating feeling of orgasm right behind it.

Pleasure is something that Pero has become well acquainted with since discovering you as his soulmate and the two of you exploring sexually. But this, this is like the black powder explosion that knocked him off his feet and made the world spin. Disorienting him to everything but the gasp of your walls around him and the flash of light that seems to fill him as he growls out your name and gives you everything he has in him.

Pero’s speed picks up, rhythm left behind in favor of chasing the tingling dramatic of orgasm. You plummet over the precipice first, the head of his cock dragging back against your g-spot so perfectly that your vision whites out when you cry your husband’s name one more time and tense completely underneath him.

He’s sure everyone on the planet can hear both of you. Not that he gives a damn, he only cares about the way you cry his name, taking his seed as he gives it to you and moaning at the feel of filling you. It’s heady, breathtaking and wholly consuming as he strains above you, your arms locked around him until you both come down together.

“I love you so much.” Whispered into a kiss, it occurs to you that the words just truly aren’t enough - but they’re the biggest words you have.

“Hasta la eternidad.” Until eternity. Pero promises, kissing your lips again and again until he feels like he had caught his breath.

“Para siempre.” Forever. It seems a little too much like a dream, this hazy feeling of bliss you’re living in, but you kiss him again before shifting slightly in the sturdy bed. “Lay down, amor,” You murmur against his lips. “Lay with your wife.”

It’s not a hard request, one that he willingly fulfills. Kissing your forehead, he lays beside you and pulls you close. “You are warm.” He chuckles, “I will keep you warm like this anytime you wish.”

“I’m sure it will be a great hardship,” you tease, laughing with him. The flush you feel makes you hum and you tuck into his side easily. “Fucking your wife will be a terrible chore.”

“Someone must do it.” He intones solemnly, as of it is a hassle. “A woman as beautiful as my soulmate must be taken care of properly.” His fingers trail up your arm and the teasing gives way to a serious thought. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, amor.” He promises. “Even if it means I must rip my own heart from my chest.”

“Let us hope it never comes to that,” you intone seriously, looking up at him from your place against his chest. “But I would do the same for you.”

“I know you would.” That’s the part that terrifies him. He knows you would protect him if you had to. His arm curls around you tightly. “Sleep.” He huffs, smirking at you. “I will wake you in an hour to do this again.”

You just giggle softly, pressing a kiss over his heart before you lay your head down again and sigh. The utter contentment of the moment is nearly overwhelming and you adore it. “By then our super tray should have arrived. We will need the energy tonight, I think.”

******

The shuffling outside the door wakes Pero an hour later. Dinner arriving. He smirks at the way you are draped across him, obviously still asleep and deeply at that. Binx lifts her head from the corner she is curled in and yawns, stretching her front paws before she settles back down as if to say it was his responsibility to worry about what was beyond the door. It takes a few moments, but he manages to extract himself from under you silently and shuffle into his breeches to open the door and retrieve the heavily ladened tray. The room is gloriously warm, the chimney from the kitchen below keeping the room nice and toasty.

“Amor?” Stretching to find no warm body beneath you, you frown and crack your eye open. The sun has since set on the day but Binx is resting comfortably, and you twist under the furs on the bed to find Pero coming towards you with a tray - hot, roasted meat, fresh crusty bread, stewed vegetables with gravy, a chunk of creamy white cheese, and a bowl of dried berries that look like a purplish cousin of blueberries. Two goblets and a bottle of mead complete the meal, and he sets it on the table by the bed while you sit up. “Our wedding feast?” You guess, not bothering to cover yourself. Why should you?

“It looks to be a tasty one.” There is nothing wrong with leering at your nude body as you slowly amble out of the bed. It is a sight Pero has been greeted with many time in your little cottage and now here in the inn where you are spending the first night as husband and wife. He thinks that makes it even more special.

"You can have me after we eat," you hum, grinning at the way he is drinking in every inch of you with hungry eyes. "But I know we will be up every hour or two during the night to fuck as many times as we can, so we must have food."

He chuckles, knowing that you are well aware of his intent. “I swear I have never thought with my cock as much as I have since arriving at your door.” He muses, sending you a small wink as you sit your bare ass on the wooden chair.

"I will take that as a compliment." Sending the wink right back to him, you pick up a few of the little dried berries from the bowl on the tray and pop them in your mouth, humming at the sweetness. They're almost exactly like dried blueberries and you had never realized that you missed blueberries until now.

His soft cock twitches at the lusty moan that pours out of your mouth. Your eyes roll back and he watches you hold onto the table while you do some sort of body shake. “Is it good, bruja?” He asks, amused at your reaction.

"I used to eat something like these...before." He knows what you mean, but usually you call it 'back home'. That has to change, obviously. Since your home is with him. "I have not had anything like them in years."

“Then have them all.” Pero pushes the bowl towards you. “We will get some more of them before we leave. Take them on our trek home.”

“My husband spoils me.” You grin and blow him a kiss before picking up a few more of the sweet berries and humming at the taste. “Eat, amor. You cannot survive on my cunt alone.”

“I would die a happy man trying.” He tosses you a dirty grin before he sits down across from you and opens the mead. Pouring it generously into the cups and handing you one. “We did it. We are married and there is nothing that bastard can do to you or to the girl.”

“I was thinking,” you tear the small loaf of bread open and hand him a chunk before taking one for yourself. “We should hire a ship to take us to Valencia instead of riding. It may be a little harder on our stomachs but we will avoid having to double-back through France and perhaps run into her father on the road.”

“Let us run into the bastard.” Pero’s expression is one of anticipation. “Now that the girl is safe, let the bastard squeal at the end of my sword.”

“A ship passing would also be faster,” you point out, although you’re smirking slightly at Pero’s glee. “Arwena’s safety is assured, but that doesn’t mean we parade her around like a symbol of victory.”

“You are right.” Pero nods, biting into a bit of the bread and chewing as he thinks. “We can see if we can stay.” He eyes you to see your reaction. “See if we can trade some labor for lodging, spend the rest of the winter here and travel come spring.”

"You like Gretna that much?" It surprises you, but the idea is a sound one. Travel in spring is safer and faster than travel in winter, not to mention you are going to have to start watching your coin purse soon. It would not make you sad to spend the rest of the winter here - not with Malcolm nearby and the prospect of many more warm nights in Pero's arms on the horizon.

He shrugs slightly as if it is of no consequence to him. “I have spent winters in far worse places.” He admits, picking up a chunk of the cheese and taking a healthy bite. “You have your priest so you will not be feared of being a witch.” Having a priest in your corner is the best kind of protection against claims like that. “And I do not care where I spend the winter as long as I am with you.”

"I love you, too." Pausing with your goblet of mead in one hand, you reach across the small table and squeeze his hand gently but end up smirking. "I would not mind staying. We will see what Arwena and Briac think when they eventually emerge from their room in a few days time. Mi casa eres contigo." My home is with you.

“Sí.” He nods in complete agreement and watches as you finish the dried berries. “Plus you can eat all the berries you wish.”

______

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#Pedro Pascal #Pedro Pascal character fanfiction #Pedro Pascal fanfic #Pero Tovar #Pero Tovar x reader #Pero Tovar x you #Pero Tovar x female reader #The Great Wall #soulmate au #time travel au #disabled reader

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ikoarts · 8 months

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December 2023 Art

final post for 2023 art! and... i guess probably the last one of these masterposts? it'll be nice to start fresh and post as i usually would, so, thank u if u have been sticking around and liking + reblogging and all that, i appreciate it! bit dramatic its like im moving to another country or something... but rly like it hasn't gone unnoticed, ty for sticking around :)

vvv dates + info under the cut vvv

1 - 02/12/2023 : liked the idea of Heidi with a buzzcut, i think it really suits her, a radical change from her usual hairstyle, but a cool one... i love having futch OCs

2 - 04/12/2023 : chike chike chike.. frogot why i drew him think i was thinking of him doing cat things and it was gonna be a lot more than 2 drawings but i gived up x ,, but this is the most up 2 date drawing of his current design aside from like. the one colour wheel wip. so ur getting crumbs for him im sorry chike fans (1 person)

3-6 - 05/12/2023 : firstly, saw sum official art of Peach on twitter and wanted to redraw it, i loveee her eyes.. slay.. secondly, DIESEL REDESIGN YAY1!! it is now up to date. yippie. i decided he should be fat, very big brain of me.. i didnt Hate his old design but it was kinda giving kokichi danganronpa and like thats not him LOL.. but anyway i luv this drawing

thirdly, a Robin, was testing out the redesign a lil, think i was listening to his playlist again hence the comeback kid lyrics.. aaand fourthly (is that a word) another Diesel, a bit of a model series expression redraw, u kno the one where hes like >:D i enjoyed drawing his coat.. oo duende..

7 - 08/12/2023 : okay guys lets take a silly one now!!! erm anyway. was thinking about nina and the neurons, as you do, thought it would be funny to draw nina activating her neurons, like that 1 pic of the guy levitating pizza.... she served so hard with her claires accessories rave ball earrings and fluffy bobbles tho lets be real.. was very disappointed to learn shes not a real scientist

8 - 12/12/2023 : twas in the middle of finalising a design for my human Sonny, so heres some lil phone doodles where i was figuring out his hair and hat, i ended up going with the right hand side, thought it would be worth posting them

9 - 16/12/2023 : first sort of draft of his design being put to use, not my faaave drawing but it was nice to finally get him drawn, it was an absolute ballache trying to get his design perfect, the art block was Strong that week.. anyway, i did end up changing some things, just tweaks mostly, and i scrapped the hoodie, i wanted him to have a bigass varsity jacket collar to hide behind, so i opted for him wearing a plain t-shirt underneath instead, eventually

10 - 20/12/2023 : Buttercup and his scary ass big blue freak eyes, based on a tweet i saw, the OP went private eye fink but the og tweet said like "i don't have rizz, i have unsettlingly large blue eyes that are haunted by visions", and thats just Buttercup.. so heres him, having a jolly good stare

11 - 22/12/2023 : that chooshada drawing again, just recoloured with NER apple green livery :) i think she looks super cute with it, it's not entirely accurate in terms of lining coz i was referencing pics of her basis which are like 10p black and white taken on a potato kinda deal

12 - 28/12/2023 : silly little throwaway idea of a toni hair revamp, im not sure i would redesign it but, the idea is there... so who knows x

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canidfeline · 5 months

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PART ZERO

zero because this is literally before they've been born s and a number means scientist(then corresponding number) -

The Facility, somewhere in Canada.

Two scientists sit in a room with 12 vats of imitated amniotic fluid. All with embryos inside.

- S1: ''Vitals on X-24?'' S2: ''Good, better than the others. I think the healing factor, whether it be from Wolverine or Deadpool helps.'' S1: ''Good, good. Director's gonna be happy.'' S2: ''Hopefully, she's been really, like, angry during all this. Considering the amount of funding that probably goes into this kind of thing, it's fair.'' S1: ''Especially since the board was already a bit iffy because of X-23 escaping.'' S2: ''Why did they call him X-24 anyways? He's more than just Wolverine.'' S1: ''I dunno. Probably because he's more Wolverine than the others.'' S2: ''Huh. The kid's gonna have to be, like, unbelievably deformed, right? 3 separate strands of DNA are making him into an actual person.'' S1: ''I think the healing factor's probably gonna pick and choose a few people to avoid that kinda thing. If that's how they work.'' S2: ''Mmm. How are the others of this bunch? The shapeshifter, Sabretooth and whatever the other one was.'' S1: ''They're... okay. As good as clones we were only able to shape from blood and spit from fights can be. Other than the trifecta over there, the Sabretooth one is doing the best. Probably because of the healing factor. That, uh, Cyclops and Quicksilver looks a bit weird but, to be fair, he is an embryo. Vitals are okay, though. The morph one seems okay.''

S2: ''Cool, good.'' -

X-24 bobbled around in his vat, his bony claws visible through his barely formed skin.

ST-101 bobbled around in his, his mutation taking more time to develop as he grew. CQ-02 floated in his, his vat coated in ruby quartz on both sides to prevent his eyebeams from destroying the room.

M-12 bobbled in hers, her body already morphing into different forms every few seconds, usually though her body is just a grey-ish embryo.

The director walked into the room, her eyes narrowed and her expression hard to read.

The scientists cleared their throats, both trying to assume a more professional and 'alert' way of sitting.

She walked up to X-24's vat, holding a hand up to it.

D: ''How is he?''

S1: ''We were just talking about it, he's doing the best out of the three. Is he, uh, the favourite out of the 12 in here?'' D: ''Obviously. If he survives, he'll be a breakthrough. A clone of 3 mutants, a trifecta of some of the most powerful of the race. The others in this room are mere tests. If they work, we'll use them as weapons. Condition them into hitmen or assassins for some extra income.''

S2: ''...okey dokey. Are we gonna, like, name them when they grow up or are the codenames their actual names?''

D: ''No, idiot, we won't name them. They're weapons, not pets.''

S2: ''Copy that.''

The director dropped her hand from X-24's vat, walking out of the room.

D: ''Page me if anything happens.''

S1: ''Yes, miss.'' -

The director left, the two scientists looking at each other and sighed, both sinking into the seats at their desks.

S1: ''8 more months of this...''

S2: ''We better get a raise.''

0 notes

hanjinstant · 3 years

Text

your first kiss with bts (maknae line)

genre: maknae line x reader (gender unspecified), fluff, sfw

warnings: none :)

taehyung you'd been dating for about two weeks now, taking things prettyyy slowly as both of you were fairly inexperienced in the realm of relationships. it was a gorgeous sunny day and you were on a scenic drive along the coastline, your favourite miles davis tunes playing on the car speaker, the windows down and the wind blowing in your hair. you remember feeling so content, almost as if you were in a movie. to be fair, you kind of were; the sun beating down on your face, accompanying the prevalent twinkle in your eyes. your hair was flowing gracefully around your face and, not forgetting the man sitting next to you was the most beautiful creature in the entire world. you were so content in the moment that you hardly noticed taehyung pulling over and completely stopping the car. you glance your eyes over to the view out of front windshield and almost choke on oxygen when you realised your boyfriend had parked right. on a. sheer. drop. but you didn't have time to worry because you felt a soft hand stroke the side of cheek and your eyes meet up with teahyung's. and he kissed you.

jimin you and jimin were on a walk around a park (haha) near your house; you'd pretty much just met through some mutual friends at a party a weekend ago. neither of you were drinking, so you sat together on your friend's sofa making fun of all the other partygoers that were drunk as anything. you connected over a love of animals and shared experiences. fast forward to a bright but cold spring day, both of you wrapped up in many layers (spring usually still means cold weather, unfortunately). jimin thought you looked really cute in your blue bobble hat, but didn't feel brave enough to tell you. within about twenty minutes you came across a tiny pomerian puppy. your eyes light up and you ran up to it to ask its owner if you can stroke it. to your surprise, the little snowball of fur jumped straight into your arms and began to give you sloppy licks on the face. it would be disgusting if you weren't so endeared. you feel jimin coming up behind you "hey hey hey, i want a kiss too"

jungkook as soon as you'd met jungkook you just knew he'd be a perfect movie night guest. you two hit it off after only 30 minutes of meeting in the vegetable aisle of your local supermarket. you'd exchanged numbers and been texting for hours on end almost every single day. so when your best friend cancelled your plans to go to the cinema, you knew exactly the solution. invite jungkook over. he agreed straightaway and let you choose the film too. you decided to put on ocean's 8. you were both on the same sofa, and with your head resting on his chest, you could feel the vibrations of his happy laughter. you fell a little bit more in love with him then. after sharing some popcorn and finishing the film, you were really tired and your eyes were heavy. you could almost fall asleep there and then. with your eyes half shut, you felt the gentle touch of his lips on the top of your head, and he whispered "goodnight my love".

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feelingofcontent · 3 years

Text

DNP Rewatch: Dan and Phil AND DOGS!

Date video was published: 11/02/2017 (X)

DNP Main Channel Rewatch: 363

How was the the dog calendar four years ago?! I’ve seen this video so many times; it’s definitely a comfort video for me.

In early October, Phil talked in a live show about them getting ready to shoot the calendar. And then Dan accidentally spoiled that it was dogs before they announced it officially (and shared some of the calendar photos), whoops.

0:00 - already adorable. also, I just realized the jumper in this shot (that they used for the calendar cover photo) is the same one they end up sticking black felt to for the photo with the dalmatian

0:03 - Phil wearing a dog-themed jumper of course

0:13 - all of their calendars were hilarious

0:24 - I love that this was a Martyn idea

0:53 - that is quite the combination of inspiration

1:22 - that is early for them, lol

1:44 - “what pokes out of that hole” ...great start there, Phil

1:47 - Phil tongue-thing! I love that they just went with it for the joke

2:15 - talking during the makeup application is not very helpful for the poor person trying to do it for them

2:23 - that’s slightly creepy

2:28 - Dan really does look good in color

2:37 - oh my god that dog is cute. Phil just recently shared another photo of him with this one too 🥺

2:47 - I love this look at their process (also that it’s literally just powerpoint slides 😂)

3:10 - I don’t think Phil was prepare for filming at this moment

3:27 - I don’t know about the color of those shirts

3:34 - also disturbing

3:45 - will never be over the soft voice Dan uses with small animals and babies 😭

3:48 - Phil seems much more nervous holding the dog than Dan

3:51 - “I can’t function on any level right now” me watching this video

3:53 - I love that they hauled that houseplant from their house to the studio for this, lol

3:57 - those shorts must be a bit too tight 👀

4:01 - Phil shared a couple outtakes with this puppy during the stereo era (1, 2)

3:05 - this Dan pose is adorable

4:09 - those puppies do not want to be in that basket, lol

4:13 - Dan’s favorite! and the one he shared on Instagram, of course

4:23 - that is a happy doggo

4:30 - “shower us with cherry blossoms” sometimes I hate it here (affectionate)

4:41 - Phil does love a theme

4:51 - love them referring to themselves as “D&P” in the planning

4:56 - “dog also wears sunglasses” I love it 😂

4:58 - please pause and read their concept slides; I’m dying 😂😂😂

5:15 - I would be scared I would sit on the dog accidentally

5:21 - incredibly soft Dan voice again 🥺

5:38 - “giving people pick up lines” sure...and of course the addition of the ‘sexy’ music

5:46 - they’re so happy and soft about this

5:53 - “it’s ‘cause you’re so warm” help 😭

6:07 - a whole crowd trying to keep the dogs’ attention

6:11 - danger and an unnecessary “wooo!” from Dan there

6:31 - they said later (in a live show, I think?) that all of these dogs just belonged to Martyn’s friends

6:44 - Phil looks a bit tired at this point

6:52 - bouncing jokes off of each other to refine them as usual

7:03 - too many puns

7:13 - king of comedy Phil there

7:25 - they used these jumpers for the Halloween baking video

7:41 - more fantastic concept text

8:08 - wonder if this inspired the idea for the UK vs JAPAN School Lunches! video

8:18 - the ass shot is already something, but Da deciding to zoom in just really adds another level 👀 christ.

8:27 - bread-face Dan smile

8:39 - jesus christ 😳 and Dan’s tongue-thing on top of it

8:57 - more joint joke creation

9:33 - that is a look

9:53 - I love that they have bobble hats that I’m pretty sure are ones Phil's aunt makes

10:07 - Phil looking very fond

10:20 - Dan implying that this is the concept that could just be from their everyday life

10:23 - quiff Phil! just a few months away from that for real at this point

10:52 - they both look like they’re wearing extra comfy clothes after the end of the shoot

11:03 - lol at merch-promoing Dan

11:13 - “best time of our life” 🥺 it’s much more rare for Phil to let an “our life” slip than Dan

I love every moment of this video. There really are so many fantastic videos at the end of 2017.

#dan and phil #dnp #dnpRewatch #amazingphil #daniel howell #phil lester #danisnotonfire #amazingphil videos #Dan and Phil AND DOGS!

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blessyourhondahurley · 3 years

Text

How to Place a Hold

Flufftober prompt: Secret crush Suptober prompt: Library Hours Random word: storage

(Read on AO3)

A freezing blast of wind bit at Dean's ears and nose as he scuttled through three lanes of stopped traffic. He ducked his head down and pulled his shoulders up as far as they would go, hunching himself protectively over the two paper cups in his hands. The lattes had been steaming hot when he'd walked out of the coffee shop, but by the time he'd crossed the sidewalk and stepped off the curb they'd already become noticeably cooler.

Good thing this place is right across the street, he thought, or these would be coffee ice cream by the time I got in there.

He hooked an elbow into the ornate handle of the massive front door and muscled it open, careful not to jostle the cups. Before he entered, he flicked an eye to the illuminated OPEN sign in the adjacent window, as if it wasn't obvious that the door was unlocked, as if he didn't have the library hours burned into his memory like grill marks on a steak.

Calm down, Dean, breathe, you're allowed to be here. He'll be happy to see you. You've got coffee.

He stood for a moment in the vestibule, taking deep breaths of lovely, warm, book-scented air until his heart stopped punching the inside of his ribs. Then, moving with the utmost care to avoid even a drop of coffee falling to the spotless marble floor, he passed the stairs to the children's section and approached the main reference desk.

He'd never been in the library this early before; that sign in the window had flickered on only a handful of minutes ago. (He'd sat and waited and watched it happen from the window of the coffee shop.) It felt like he was the only one in the whole building, which was admittedly kind of neat in a “Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” kind of way. But there was a reason he was holding two cups in his hand, and he was disappointed and a little worried when that reason was not sitting expectantly behind the reference desk the way Dean had been anticipating, the way he'd planned.

Is he not... Does he not work today? Did I do this for nothing?

The anxiety that he'd only just managed to push down bubbled back up inside him. He felt his legs twitch with the urge to turn and run out of the building and pretend this little visit had never happened.

No. He's gotta be here. He always works Thursdays. He probably went to the back for a minute. Don't be a goddamn coward, Dean. You've been nursing this secret crush for way too long.

He placed the cups side by side on the wide ledge of the reference desk, and he was about to give the call bell a gentle tap when he heard faint music off to the left. He took a few steps in that direction, taking care to never set a foot across the invisible line that separated the customer part of the library from the employees-only zone behind the desk.

On the far side of the reference librarian's stronghold was a door that had always been closed whenever Dean had visited before. The sign on it marked it as a restricted storage area. This morning the door hung open, and as Dean got closer he could see partway back into the room behind it, which was filled (unsurprisingly) with rows and rows of shelves. The music was louder now, and Dean recognized the song with a shocked laugh.

Who the heck is bumping Lil Nas X in the public library at 8 in the morning? And the uncensored version at that??

Just as he was as close to the room as he could get while still on his side of the line, someone came bustling out. The man's head was turned away as he struggled to pull the door shut with his arms full of books, and his hips were moving fluidly to the beat. Dean would recognize those hips anywhere, but he'd sure never seen them move like that.

“Cas?” Dean said incredulously. This was a side of the shy librarian that he had never suspected.

Cas gave a short bark of surprise as he whipped around. He bobbled the books, almost dropping them three times before he got them safely to the desk. Once his hands were free he pulled his phone from his shirt pocket and stopped the music. A vivid blush raced up his collar, across his cheeks, and out to his ears. It made the electric blue of his eyes seem even more unearthly than usual.

He cleared his throat once, then again. “Good morning, Dean,” he offered. “I apologize for my unprofessional behavior. Usually on Thursdays no one comes in until close to 10. What brings you here so early?”

Now it was Dean's turn to blush. “I, uh... Came to see you, actually. I brought coffee.” He grabbed the cups, handed one of them over. Cas accepted it with a grin. “It's the honey latte from across the street. I remember you said it was good.”

“Thank you, Dean. That's so kind.” The librarian took a sip, and the sound he made when the sweet coffee hit his tongue made Dean flush all over again. He tipped the cup back further, draining it in a series of swallows.

Dean watched his throat work and tried not to pass out from lust. For a distraction he tried a little taste of his own coffee, then took another larger drink. “Wow, you were right, these are delicious. I wasn't sure I'd like the combination of honey and coffee, but I'm sold.”

Cas put his nearly-empty cup down on his desk and regarded Dean thoughtfully. “Did I tell you about the honey lattes? I don't remember....”

“Sure did,” Dean replied. “It was right after they opened.”

“Really? But that was months ago. You remembered that?”

“Well, yeah, Cas. I remember everything you tell me. Like, a couple weeks ago you told me about a new Italian place that was opening up down the block...”

The librarian raised an eyebrow, engaged but unsure where Dean was going with the conversation. “Mm-hmm?” he hummed.

“Well, it's open now, and I heard it's good, and I was wondering if... You wanted to get dinner there... With me... Tonight?”

“Like, um, as a date?”

“Yeah, Cas, as a date. I wanna take you out,” Dean answered with a soft smile. Then he faltered, second-guessing himself. “I mean, it can be as friends if you'd rather–”

“No!” Cas cut him off. “I mean yes. I'd like it to be a date.”

“Awesome. I can just pick you up after work and we can go straight over, if that's good for you?”

“Sure. But...” He gave Dean a look – coy, but laced with heat. “Do you want to hang out for a while now? Like I said, nobody comes in until later on Thursdays. We could watch Netflix on my laptop. Or listen to music?”

“You wanna have a little dance party with me?” Dean asked with a smirk. He gestured to the phone in Cas's pocket. “Got any classic rock on that thing?”

~~~~~~~

The library did stay empty most of the morning, as it usually did on Thursdays. Old Mrs. Elkerson from down the street walked in around 10:15 to return some overdue cookbooks and found the reference librarian being dipped by that handsome Mr. Winchester. Led Zeppelin was playing from a tinny little speaker she couldn't see, and the pair of them looked thoroughly kissed and more than a little disheveled. She didn't make a fuss about it, though, just dropped her books in the slot and gave them both a wink. She was young once, too.

#destiel #destiel fanfic #destiel au #destiel fluff #flufftober2021 #suptober21 #day 20

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mizunetzu · 4 years

Note

iida 😍😍😍 that’s it that’s the request

LMAO WELL HAVE I GOT THE 3 PART 7K FIC FOR YOU-

Stay tuned y’all, I’m posting all parts + true ending all at once HAHA

——————

Iida x reader - Iida Tenya’s Imaginary Boyfriend (pt.1)

⚠️Warnings - um...idk but, a teeny weeny bit of ooc Iida bc haha

Pronouns - male, he/him

Part two can be found here!

The true ending can be found here! (Pt.3)

——————

Tapping your fingers on a surface repeatedly is a past time that Iida found rather irritable. Along with chewing or clicking on pens, bobbling your knee, fumbling with your hands, things like that.

Though, Iida couldn’t help himself from tugging and tapping on the light red watch strapped firmly to his wrist, checking it habitually.

Uraraka eyed Iida as he tiredly rubbed at the bridge of his nose, staring down the black clock hands as they moved too slowly for his liking. “8 more hours till I can see (L/n)-kun again...” he mumbled ever so quietly, pulling his grey sleeve back down.

He drummed his fingers on the side of his desk once more. Uraraka pursed her lips.

————

“Ne, Iida-kun, you look sort of...restless, these days. Did something happen?”

Iida looked up from his lunch. He hadn’t realized he was picking at his rice until Midoryia set a hand on his shoulder. He untensed and grasped his chopsticks correctly. “I assure you everything’s..alrig-“

“Who is ‘(L/n)-kun’, Iida?”

Uraraka butt in, both hands clenched and resting on the table. Iida stood silent for a tad too long.

“W-well I heard you mumble something about ‘8 more hours till I can see ‘(L/n)-kun’ again’ in class today a-and I was just wondering-“

“It’s no one you know.” Iidas voice was uncharacteristically dismissive and unstable. Two words that never would be used to describe Iida Tenya.

Iida abruptly rose from his seat. “I apologize. I need to do something.”

He briskly walked towards the exit of the cafeteria. Midoryia watched as he discreetly fumbled with the straps of a light red watch barely hidden by his blazer sleeve. He turned back to the table, to Uraraka and Todoroki.

“What do you think happened to Iida-kun? He barely seems like himself...”

“It’s been like that for about a month now, has it not?” Todoroki tapped on his chin with the butt of his chopsticks. Uraraka sighed.

“think it has something to do with this ‘(L/n)’ person?”

Todoroki shrugged. Midoryia sighed, bringing a forkful of rice into his mouth before stopping. “Actually, I think I remember Iida asking me about someone like, a month ago.”

“Was it ‘(L/n)-kun’?” Todoroki and Uraraka questioned, almost in unison. Midoryia let his fork drop back into his bowl. “I...I’m not sure. I think he was asking me about a name like...Ryota? No...Tadashi? No no, that wasn’t it...”

Midoryia rubbed at his chin, before a name popped into his mouth. “Oh! I remember! He asked me...”

———

“...Midoryia-kun, have you seen (L/n)-kun this morning? I haven’t seen him and he has my Quirk-Law textbook.”

Midoryia looked at Iida like he grew a second head. “...gomen, who?

It was Iida’s turn to look confused. He stopped eating his breakfast and faced Midoryia fully. “...(L/n)-kun. (L/n) (Y/n)?”

“Theres no one here named that, Iida-kun...” Midoryia awkwardly gulped down his water, filling his mouth to prevent him from accidentally saying something harsh. He wasn’t sure if he was in the wrong, or Iida was just plain on delusional.

Iida pursed his lips and turned to Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Todoroki. Perhaps Midoryia was just feeling a bit amnesic. Plus, (Y/n) was real close with Uraraka, even if it was slightly to close for his liking. So, she was bound to be able to answer Iidas inklings, right?

“Uraraka-kun, surely you’ve seen (L/n)-kun this morning, am I wrong? A-and what about you, Tsuy-I mean Tsu-chan. Todoroki-kun.”

All three of them gave him the same look of disarray Midoryia had gave him. Tsuyu shook her head while Todoroki grunted out a “no.” Uraraka pitifully set a hand on Iidas shoulder.

“Iida, are you feeling alright? There’s no one here named ‘(L/n)’...”

“Sure there is!” Iida was starting to get a little frazzled. Is this some kind of sick joke? If it was, he’d be willing to laugh it off right now. Surely any second, (L/n) would come running down, claiming he overslept and scarf down his breakfast. Where was he? He was waiting.

One by one, everyone surrounding Iida started to oogle at him, watching as their level headed class rep unraveled at the seams. “W-why must you all look at me like I’m crazy! Have you all forgotten about your own classmate?!”

Iida cursed himself for raising his voice. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding while Yaoyorozu silently counted all the people eating breakfast.

“...19...20. Yeah, no, everyone’s here. All 20. We have not forgotten anyone, Iida-san.”

Iida grit his teeth, a wave of worry piercing down his spine. “20? You can’t have counted 20 in this class if you have not counted (L/n)-kun!”

Everyone copied the look of confusion Iidas friends made. He broke into a cold sweat, grasping at the corners of the table. “(L/n)! (H/c) hair? (E/c) eyes? Accidentally stepped on Bakugou-kuns toe and had to be sent to the nurses office last week?”

People murmured and shook their heads amongst themselves. Some with genuine confusion and others with plain worry. Iida’s lost it, is what their probably thinking.

Iida stammered. “H-how can-“

“Iida-chan, don’t you think we would’ve known if we forgot someone? And don’t you think it’s weird we all collectively forgot this person you’re talking about? Sorry to say, Iida-chan, but this (L/n) person most likely isn’t real. Or we just don’t know him, kero.”

Iida opened his mouth to say something. Tsuyu looked at him with her blank stare, before subtly gesturing to everyone else with her head. He looked around the table.

Everyone either nodded tentatively or downcast their eyes as to mask their pitiful agreement. Everyone seemed to silently agree with her. Iida was stunned into submission.

He scrambled out of his seat. His voice cracked in disbelief. This was a joke. It had to be. “I-I’m going to go wake him up. He’s...he’s probably still sleeping. That’s all. You all are just being delusional.”

He walked as calmly as he could away from the common room, but once he turned the corner, he started sprinting. He hiked up the fabric of his pants over his calves as he ran, running up the stairs next to the elevator. The elevator would’ve took too long.

Running up to the fourth floor, he skidded to a halt in-front of (Y/n’s) dorm. Iida’s hand went up to grasp the doorknob, before hesitating and letting it rest flaccidly on the handle.

“(L/n)-kun?” Nothing was heard or called from inside the room. He really is a heavy sleeper. Iida swallowed the growing lump in his throat. Why was he so nervous?

Outside (Y/n’s) room, he knocked gently on the frame of the door. His voice wavered. “(L/n)!”

There’s no response.

“(Y/n)-kun!”

Nothing.

He really didn’t want to enter his room like this. It was a breach of privacy. What if he was just changing? No, if he were changing he could’ve surely heard him knock and call out his name. He has to be asleep.

He really left him no choice. Iida gently opened the door.

“...(y/-“

White.

He was face to face with an white, blank, empty room. The supplementary provided curtains were drawn closed and there was dust gathering around the bare floorboards. There was no trace of the dimly lit room, with papers strewn across the wooden desk and a bed that was never folded or made. There was no trace of the oddly sweet smell that came from his room, that never really bothered anyone, but no one ever knew was caused it.

There was no trace of (L/n) (Y/n).

Iida felt his knees buckle from underneath him. His legs promptly folded together, his engines digging into the skin of thighs. His jaw went slack. He heard footsteps echoing closer, eventually dying out with the assumption that that someone was behind him. He felt uneasy. He felt like throwing up.

“Iida...?” Uraraka’s voice was soft, like treading on thin ice. He heard Yaoyorozu hum softly, worry lacing her vocal cords. He panned his head slowly towards them, not wanting to look at the blank room once filled with life anymore.

“He’s...gone.”

“‘He’ was never here, Iida-San” Yaoyorozu crouched down, tucking her elbows in. “Do you need to talk to a professional...?”

“No! I need to speak with (L/...” Iida’s voice trailed off. There was no point in fighting a losing battle. He knew Uraraka and Yaoyorozu wouldn’t believe him. No one seemed to.

“...most likely...”

———

Uraraka’s eyes widened. “I...I remember that!”

Midoryia shoveled some food into his mouth. “Yeah, he seemed really out of it since then. He didn’t even notice when Kaminari-kun cheated on last weeks quiz.”

“Don’t you think it’s odd he still hasn’t gotten over this person even after a month? Iida isn’t the type to dwell on things. Whoever this (L/n) person is, he’s obviously important to him in some way.” Todoroki slurped up more of his soba. Midoryia and Uraraka silently agreed.

“Well-Deku said it himself-this person isn’t real!” Uraraka knitted her eyebrows together, slumping back in her chair. “And even if we tried asking Iida, he’ll probably blow us off again...”

“Still...he got me curious...I wonder what ‘(L/n)-kun’ looks like...”

Midoryia’s ears perked up. He shuffled around in his pockets, fishing out his phone and booting up a search engine. Typing vigorously, Todoroki and Uraraka leaned over the table and across his shoulder to see what he was typing. His screen turned pink, displaying a website.

“M-My mom was talking about this place a few days ago...I-we could get some information out of Iida-if he lets us take him-and know what (L/n)-kun looks like-!”

The bell rang, cutting Midoryia off promptly. He saved the address down in his notes, sending the web address to his two friends and pocketing his phone once more. Todoroki set his tray on top of the trash can, dusting off his blazer.

“It’s decided. We’ll go after afternoon classes. I’ll go get a permission slip from Mr Aizawa to leave campus. I trust you two can convince Iida to come along?”

Midoryia and Uraraka nodded. It was a plan.

———

The four stood in front of a small corner shop, it’s sign looking like it was made of cheap plastic, with the words “Art through words” written in dark pink cursive.

It was very off putting, but it had been gaining popularity through social media and other networking apps. Apparently it’s very popular with people who lost a loved one or police looking for a sketch of a villain.

“I...still don’t see why you two requested my presence he-“

“We just wanna know something.” Was all Uraraka said. Midoryia and Todoroki had a firm grip on each of Iidas shoulder blades, shoving him in through the narrow door while Uraraka strut in happily.

The doorbell gave a small jingle. A pale, soft-eyed woman looked up from her desk, her reddish-pink lips quirking up into a soft smile. Her wavy blond hair flowed as she stood up from her chair, leaning over the receptionist desk and resting her elbows on the surface.

“I take it you must be ‘Izuku’. Thank you for calling earlier.”

Midoryia hummed. The lady smiled warmly, leaving her desk to lead them to a door. “Well, follow me, kids. Sorry, my receptionist is on break-I don’t want you to think I’m some sort of scam arti-“

“No no, we’ve seen you around on videotube...and your quirk is amazing...”

“I’m sorry, may I ask who and what we are doing here?”

Everyone turned to Iida. The woman smiled gently, taking a seat behind a sketchbook propped up by an easel. The 4 took a seat across from her, sinking down into a pink couch. “I apologize. Let me give you my formal greeting.”

“My name is Kaitekina Byouga. I can illustrate anything someone describes with complete accuracy, as long as you aren’t lying about your description.” Iida pursed his lips.

“My business usually caters towards people who lose loved ones, so it’s strange to see such...young teenagers in my studio,”

Iida stiffened. He finally caught on. ‘Lost loved one’. It was obvious. He supressed a pointed glare at his friends, choosing to adjust his glasses instead.

“Alright,” Kaitekina flipped open her sketchbook, setting it back down on the easel. “Who’s going to describe something to me?”

Everyone gestured at Iida.

——————

Hahaha suffer

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wiypt-writes · 4 years

Text

Riding High

Ch25: Keep it Simple

Chapter Summary: The events of Boston behind them, Frank, Fliss and Mary look forward to Christmas…and Frank has a big surprise planned.

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words. Smut…NSFW and NO UNDER 18s!!!

Chapter Pairings: Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

A/N: So here it is, the last in the series Riding High. Thank you to everyone who has helped and re-blogged and commended in any way. Do not fear, Frank and Fliss will be back in the next instalment of their adventure Riding On

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Fliss Gallagher and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Riding High Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 24

If you should ever leave me, thought life would still go on, believe me, the world could show nothing to me, so what good would living do me? God only knows what I’d be without you…

"Mary can you just hold on a second, please!" Frank sighed, grabbing the back of her coat to stop her shooting off into the crowd that streamed down the busy Manhattan sidewalk. "But Frank!" she turned and looked at him, her woollen hat jammed down over her ears "I just wanna see the stall!" "Yeah but you can't just run off!" He grumbled and beside him Fliss gave a chuckle. He turned to look at her "who gets so excited about damned wooden tree ornaments?" "Oh hush!" Fliss leaned up to give him a pack, her cold nose brushing his. In retaliation he pulled the front of her baby blue sparkly bobble hat down over her eye and she shoved him in the chest, laughing. "Fuck you!" "Chance would be a fine thing" he grumbled, taking Fliss’ hand as they headed after Mary. "Awww is that why you're grumpy?" Fliss grinned as they walked "Coz you haven't had any in nearly 3 days?" Frank pouted "No." "Liar..." "Ok, look...Frankie has needs..." he whined "I completely over looked the fact hanging out with an 8 year old in the room would be a cock block." "Always the shower..." Fliss teased and Frank snorted. "Yeah, right. Can you imagine? I give it 3 minutes before she came looking for us." "We go home tomorrow. I'll make it up to you then." Fliss grinned and he sighed. "What?" She laughed. "It’s just...you look so hot in all this winter clothing." Frank grinned. And he meant it. Seeing her wrapped up in a coat, hat and scarf had made her look all cute and cozy...and it had done inappropriate things to him for some odd reason. "Hmmm, you know most men get more turned on the less clothing their girls wear." She teased and he grinned. "Yeah, well, I'm not most men" She gave him a smile which he returned with a soft kiss as they stopped by the stall where Mary instantly dived into looking at the array of ornaments. After a few moments of looking she handed Frank one in the shape of a reindeer stag, and a doe for him and Fliss before selecting a robin for herself. "I think they're so pretty." She looked at the bird in her hand "I saw one at Evelyn's over thanks giving." "Ever heard the saying robins appear when loved ones are near?" Fliss asked. Mary shook her head. "No" "Well, I don't know about here but certainly in England we say it because there is an old belief by some people that a robin is a message from heaven, that a loved one is watching over you." "Do you believe that?" Mary looked at Fliss. Fliss hesitated "Well when my Dad's dad died I was 20 and I remember getting up the morning after he died and there was a robin on the fence of the back garden. Bill told me it was my granddad Alex come to check I was ok." "Do you think it was? Really I mean?" "I dunno sweetheart." Fliss sighed "I'd like it to be true..." "Then you should believe it was." Mary said, looking at her "Because isn't that what faith is? Believing something you want to be true?" Fliss looked at Frank who smiled and gave a small shake of his head. She turned back to Mary, smiling softly as she dropped a hand to the back of her head. This kid was unbelievably wise, but with such an innocence behind it all. "Yeah, I suppose it is." Fliss nodded. "Do you think the robin I saw could have been my mom?" She asked, her eyes wide. Frank at that point stepped in, carefully picking an answer that was ambiguous so as not to say yes, but also not dampening her spirits. "If your mom could I'm sure she would come and see you, make sure you're ok." Mary gave a nod, before she turned back to the stall, her attention back on the ornaments. "We need a dog for Thor, and a cat for Fred oh...and a pony for Monty." "What about Cap and Heidi?" Fliss asked, moving to inspect the selection of decorations. "Oh, yeah!" "This is gonna bankrupt me." Frank grumbled, his hands on Fliss' hips, chin resting on her shoulder as he observed the two of them. "Scrooge" Fliss shot back with a smile "Do you think Verity and Bill will like this one?" Mary held up a snowman. "Absolutely" Fliss nodded. "And can I get one for Evelyn?" She asked, selecting a snowflake. Despite the fact that they were now well into the fifty buck range for fucking tree decorations, Frank couldn't help but want to smile at Marys face. She was so thoughtful, the purity behind it all was, as usual, humbling. So he nodded "Sure she will appreciate it." He smiled. He moved to lift her up so she could hand the ones they had picked over to the guy behind the counter who asked Mary what names she wanted on each one. As she told him, he allowed her to sit up on the edge of the little surface, held in place by Frank to watch as he burnt the names into each ornament before he bagged them up and she took them with a thanks. "Our first family tree stuff!" Mary grinned and Fliss smiled, bending down to give her a hug. They set back off towards the hotel, stopping by a burger joint for dinner before they dumped their bags and returned back out for their final evening in the City. Frank had loved every second of their trip, and so had Mary and Fliss. Seeing Mary's reaction to snow and the Christmas lights had been amazing, along with all the bands on street corners, people walking around dressed up. It was magical and he wasn't afraid to let his inner child come out to play either, as Fliss had just found out. "Whose idea was this again?" He asked as Mary was bouncing up and down in the queue. "Yours!" Fliss scoffed as he took Mary's hand in his right "I seem to recall the very visible horror on your face yesterday when I told you I'd never done it before..." "That’s because it's an abomination that someone who's 34 has never been ice skating." "I was a professional athlete." She shrugged "I was banned from doing anything deemed dangerous " Frank looked at her "What do they consider more dangerous than flying a half tonne animal almost 2 meters into the air?" "Bungee jumping, sky diving, jet skiing, water skiing, ice skating.." Fliss shrugged "just to name 5" Frank shook his head as the queue shuffled forward a little. It wasn't too long now, luckily they had timed it right by arriving 20 minutes or so before the next lot of General Admission to the famous Rockefeller rink opened so there weren't too many people ahead. After another 10 minutes they got to the front and Frank nudged Fliss out of the way as she tried to pay. She scowled at him and he simply rolled his eyes and handed his card over. It wasn't cheap but then, he was in New York. What was? Together they headed onto the ice. Frank, having done it a few times as a kid found his legs fairly quickly and didn't stop himself laughing as Mary's completely went from under her and she landed with a thump on her ass. "Here..." he chuckled, offering her his hand. He pulled her up and moved her in front of him. "Give me your hands..." Mary extended her arms to the side and he took her mitten clad hands in his, holding her in front of him. Fliss was moving tentatively behind him, using the sides for support a little. "Ok slide your right foot forward, like on your roller skates..." Frank said. Mary did as she was told "now left...right...left...right..." He continued his chanting and glanced over his shoulder to see Fliss was concentrating on her feet, her tongue poking out slightly. "You good?" "Yup." She said, raising her hand to give him a thumbs up before she skidded slightly and went down in a tangle of limbs. Letting out a laugh he gently pivoted Mary so she could hold onto the side and offered Fliss his hand. Pulling her up into his arms he held her steady for a moment whilst her laughing subsided. He watched her for a second, her face creasing up into those adorable dimples, eyes crinkled so much they were almost shut and her shoulders shook with the force of her giggles. "I fuckin' love you..." he grinned and she smiled at him. "Back at ya sailor" After another few laps Mary and Fliss had managed to get the hand of it which meant Frank could leave them a little bit as he went off for what he called a proper skate. The girls watched calling him a show off as he crossed his feet and turned, skating backwards a little. Both of them debated sabotaging him and tripping him up but they decided not to, instead they simply pretended they didn't know him, resulting in him grabbing Fliss from behind just beneath the large tree, and spinning her round to face him. "Can I help you?" She teased and he gave a snort. "Yeah, you can... Mary?" He called to her where she was trying to perfect a turn and failing as she almost stumbled again. She looked up and headed over. "Can you take our photo?" "Only if you're gonna kiss..." she replied, making smooching noises. "Well we can’t disappoint her..." Frank shrugged and Fliss grinned, her smile turning into a shriek as Frank quickly grabbed her hips before he took one hand, keeping the other round her back and dipped her so she was bending backwards, planting a sloppy kiss on her lips. She laughed against his mouth as he gave her a wink, before kissing her a little deeper and then setting her upright, his eyes boring into hers which were shining in the Christmas lights surrounding the rink. "Oh that was great!" Mary howled and he turned to face her as she handed his phone back. Frank checked the photo and had to smile, it was a dammed good shot. He showed it to Fliss and she beamed. "A framer?" She asked. "A framer." He agreed. It took them ages to get Mary to finally leave the rink. Even a bribe of hot chocolate, marshmallows and cookies wasn't doing it. Eventually Frank put his foot down and told her it was time to go as it was almost 9pm and they still had that tree to go see before they headed to Central Park for one last walk in the lights. After handing their skates back and retrieving their belongings from the lockers they followed the path to the tree. As they round the corner Mary gasped. "It's huge!" She turned to look at Frank and Fliss, her eyes wide "Oh my God!" Frank smiled kissed Fliss' cheek as Mary walked slightly ahead of them down the walkway that was flanked with smaller trees and the famous lit up trumpeting angels . As they caught her up he slipped his spare hand in his pocket, his fingers curling round the small, leather box inside. The damned thing had been burning a hole in his pocket since he had bought it in Boston just after Thanksgiving. Fliss, Verity and Bill had all stayed for a very pleasant week rounded off with a damned good proper Thanksgiving dinner and the three of them had flown home on the Friday, as Fliss was starting to stress about her business. He and Mary followed on the Sunday after she had been given the all clear to fly after a week’s check up at the Hospital. On his spare afternoon, he'd taken a trip into the city with one goal, and it had been surprisingly easy. The first jeweller he has walked into had a perfect ring, and despite the fact he had visited several others none of them caught his eye like that. So he had gone back and asked the assistant for a closer look. It wasn't a huge rock, white gold and emerald cut with in a pave setting, but everything about it had screamed Fliss. It was delicate and feminine but with a wonderful sparkle just like her. He knew that sounded so lame when he had told the assistant but she has just smiled and told him that if he had that much conviction, it must be right. He had been lost when she asked him what size, but in a sudden inspiration he had remembered the Pandora ring he had bought her when he had gotten his first new pay check as supervisor. He mentioned this to the assistant who beamed and said she could easily size it from that by using a simple conversion chart and told him to come back the following day. His sudden good spirit had fallen as he explained he couldn't do and asked her to see if here was anything she could do, even contemplating taking it and having it sizes back in Florida. But, after the shitty run of events over the last week, his luck was in after she returned 5 minutes later with a slip of paper, informing him it would be ready by the end of the day. When he had told Mary he was going to ask Fliss to marry him, she'd been so excited. She'd asked when, where and when he said he didn’t know she'd given him the most exasperated look on the planet. The only one of his friend who he had confided in, Greg, hadn’t been much help either, simply telling him to do it in a way that meant something to them both. Simply put he just hadn't a fucking clue. He had agonized over how to pop the question. On the boat? Or maybe a sunset on their favourite spot at St Pete's beach? Did he wait for New York? As such, Frank had taken to carrying the ring around with him, waiting for that moment when it felt right. So far it hadn't happened at home and as it stood New York wasn’t faring any better. He had thought about it at the top of the Empire state, but it had been too busy. Then there was a moment in Central Park after they had been snowman building that might have worked...until Fliss had nailed him in the face with a snowball. So they'd had a snowball fight instead. Then when walking over Brooklyn Bridge, the skyline behind them… then when they walked back to the Hotel after seeing the Lion King on Broadway, going the long way round to see the display in Macy's window all lit up...and then that moment before when Mary had taken a picture of them kissing under the tree on the ice rink... but none of it felt right. It didn't feel like the moment for them. But now something stirred in his gut. This could be it. It wasn't too busy, the place was gorgeous, right in front of the tree Fliss had been so desperate to see... Ok Adler, you can do this. Taking a deep breath he pulled the box from his pocket when he heard Mary give a squeal. "Oh...wow! Frankie look..." Fliss' voice was a whisper and she nudged him, pointing to the base of the tree. He followed her gaze to see a blonde haired man down on one knee, presenting a ring to a dark haired woman who had her hands clasped over her mouth. Frank slipped the box back into his pocket and stared at the man as he placed the ring onto his now fiancés finger and did his best to look like he cared when Fliss let out a soft "Awwww" The man looked around excitedly, his eyes falling on the three of them before he asked Frank if he or Fliss would mind taking a photo for them. "Course not buddy, congratulations." Frank smiled. Fucking prick... ***** "It was AMAZING!" Mary gushed to Verity as they walked to the car, Fliss' parents having come to pick them up from the airport. "we saw so much stuff but nowhere near all of it but Frank said we could go back next year in the summer maybe and do a bit more." "Looks like someone else had a good time too." Bill smiled, nodding to Fliss who let out a loud yawn. Frank chuckled "She was up all night, I told her not to have more food so close to bed time." "I wanted a hot dog and a pretzel." Fliss mumbled, "Besides, it's nothing to do with the food...we did a lot of walking." Bill gave a snort "You ride horses for a living, you should be fit enough to walk round New York" "I probably skated about 4 miles too..." Fliss said looking at Mary "Someone wouldn't come off the ice rink" "You been sleeping ok otherwise?" Verity looked at her "I'm fine mum." She smiled "No anxiety?" 'V, she said she's fine so leave it" Bill said gently and Fliss shot a grateful look at her dad. She knew her mum was only concerned but she was fed up of assuring people she was fine. After the attack from John she had suffered a bout of delayed shock which had manifested in a few panic attacks, nightmares, and restlessness at night and on one occasion nausea. Luckily Frank had been brilliant at keeping calm when she had an episode, helping her work through it and the last incident she had suffered had been over a week ago. Once they were all in the car, Frank took the passenger seat after Verity offered it to him, Mary continued to chat all the drive home about New York, Fliss and Frank butting in here and there. They arrived home little after 30 minutes later and Fliss headed up the steps with Mary, Thor almost sending the pair of them flying when they opened the door. "Oh puppy I missed you!" Fliss smiled as she gave him plenty of attention and he kept licking her face, whining and emitting quiet little barks. "Did you miss me? Did you?" "Yerress" Frank did his best Scooby Doo impression as he walked past and Fliss let out a laugh, as she stood up and headed into the living room behind Mary, bumping into the girl as she stopped dead, giving a squeal as she saw the Christmas Tree in the corner. "Mum, Dad?" Fliss called, smiling "I take it you did this?" Frank appeared behind them both, smiling as Fliss and Mary exchanged a glance before they all turned to Bill and Verity who were stood in the doorway. "Well we know how much you like to get your tree up as early as you can and, well we were picking one up for ourselves so we got you one. You don’t mind do you?" Verity, looked at Fliss then Frank. "No, of course not!" Fliss grinned. "Saved me a job." Frank nodded "Thanks guys." "Can we decorate it tonight?" Mary asked "Pleeeeeeeaaaasssseee Frank!" Frank glanced at his watch before giving a sigh, he knew she wouldn't go to bed if he said no anyway so what was the point? Plus she was at the University tomorrow which didn’t start until 10 so... "Ok, but if you so much as grumble tomorrow morning when I get you up you'll be in deep trouble." He looked at her sternly as she stooped to pick Fred up. "Cross my heart, hope to die, we all know Fred's got one eye..." she chanted off, nodding. "We brought your box of decorations from the annex." Verity smiled at Fliss, nodding to the box on the floor. "We thought you could pick what you want to keep now you're combining."

“Speaking of decorations…” Frank said, looking at Mary.

“Oh…yeah…hang on…” She said, running to the sofa where she had dumped her little pink rucksack. She fished out the paper bag they had gotten from the stall and found the Snowman they had bought. With a smile she handed it to Verity who looked down at it, her face curling into a smile as her eyes started to prick with tears.

“Fliss said you wouldn’t mind the names Mary wanted on them.” Frank said, watching carefully.

“Of course we don’t mind!” Bill smiled, picking Mary up to give her a hug “We are Nanny V and Poppa B ain’t that right kiddo?” “Yep!” she grinned, hugging him.

“We’ll save it to hang tomorrow when you come over after school.” Verity said as Bill set Mary on the floor and she hugged her tightly.

After a little more chat Verity and Bill left and Frank instructed Mary to change into her Pyjamas before they did the tree. Deciding that was a good idea, Fliss did the same and before long they were all in the living room. Fliss and Mary going through the boxes of decorations, Frank wrestling with the tangle of fairy lights. How they managed to get so fucking knotted up after simply being in a box for 12 months was beyond him.

He had just about managed it when Thor came over to inspect what he was doing, and dropped straight onto his back on top of the string.

“Thor…get out of it…” he grumbled, pushing the dog who simply rolled over, taking half the lights with him, tangling them round his legs and his tails. “Jesus Christ…stand still…for fucks sake…”

Thinking this was a huge game, Thor started to bounce around, barking, and Frank shook his head. “Fliss, sort this mutt out….” Fliss gave a laugh and dropped off the sofa, calling Thor to her. He sat down, allowing Frank to remove the lights before he stood up, shaking them out. Together the 3 of them wound them round the tree before they made a start on the decorations.

“Frank got me this for my first Christmas.” Mary said, hanging a red bauble which had her name on it. “The glitter has all fallen off it now.”

“We can add more if you want.” Fliss looked at her and Mary shrugged.

“I kinda like it.” It didn’t take them long, and their wooden trinkets from New York were the last ones they hung, Mary ensuring they took pride of place. Frank then lifted her up so she could place the star at the top before they stood back.

“Ready for the big turn on?” Frank asked, grinning. Mary and Fliss cheered and began a countdown from 5. When they hit 1 Frank hit the switch and the lights on the tree came to life. He stepped back, looking up at it, his arm curling round Fliss’ shoulder, his other dropping to Mary as she grinned.

“Best Tree ever.” she smiled.

“Yeah, and now it’s time for the best bed ever…” he looked at her.

“Seriously?” Mary complained

“No moaning, remember?” Frank instructed her. “That was in the morning.”

“Well I just extended it to now as well.” he said, shrugging “Because I can, so get…” “Fine, fine, I’m going…” she grumbled. “Night Fliss.” “Night sweetie.” Fliss dropped a kiss to her head before Mary shot a filthy look at Frank who met her with a passive one of his own.

“I’ll be in in a second.” Frank shot after her, watching as she headed down to the hallway. He turned back to Fliss who was watching the tree, a smile on her face.

“Not exactly up to Macey’s standards…” Frank chuckled and she shook her head.

“I love it.” “It looks like an Elf threw up on it.”

“All trees should be like that.” Fliss shrugged, before she gave his cheek a peck. “Now, you go sort Mary and I’ll get us both a beer.” “Actually…” he said, looping his arms round her waist. “I believe there was something else you promised me tonight…” “Oh, yes, of course, Frankie has needs…” she replied with an almost uncanny impersonation, which made him snort. “Does that mean no beer?”

“No beer.” “You want me to wait in bed.” “Yes I do.” he nodded “Go, I’ll let Thor out and lock up.”

Grinning she accepted his kiss and smiled as she turned around, casting him a quite frankly sinful look over her shoulder which almost had him hard right there and then. Not wanting to wait a moment longer he sorted the dog, locked the door, poked his head into Mary’s room to wish her goodnight, and headed into their bedroom. Fliss was hanging her jeans in the closet after having simply discarded them on the bed earlier, and wasting no time Frank pulled off his T-shirt, tossing it to the side before he stepped up behind her, spinning her round to face him. He pressed his lips to hers, deepening the kiss as he slid his hands down to cup her ass and she smirked into the kiss.

“I like your ass.” he muttered. “I like yours too” she said back, “And your arms”

He laughed and pulled back to look down at her as her fingers trailed up his biceps. “My arms?”

“Yeah, your big, strong arms, and your big, broad shoulders and your stupid, handsome face…” she muttered, pulling him back down to her. In between the dizzying kisses Frank steered her towards the bed, and as her legs collided with the edge he stopped to gently trail kisses across her bare collar bone. His lips found her jaw and then, with a wicked quirk of his eyebrow he reached down for her thighs, and grabbing them he pulled them forwards, causing her to fall backwards as he pitched them both onto the bed. As she laughed he chuckled slightly before he kissed her again, and then it was a scramble to get out of his clothes as fast as he could before he fell back on top of his girl, his hands pulling up her camisole top, lips kissing at the spot just below her ear before he slid down her shorts, his mouth gently kissing a trail up from her belly through the middle of her breasts, up her neck and finally back to her mouth.

Fliss was utterly lost now, in the usual whirl of love, and lust and passion and kissed him back, hard as his hand gently dropped between her legs and he felt her slick against the tips of his fingers as he gently coaxed at her clit, continuing until she was nothing short of a writhing mess clawing at his back, aching for him. They locked eyes as he took her left hand in his, and slowly worked into her, both moaning simultaneously at the sensation, Fliss’s eyes rolling back at the exquisite stretch inside. Frank began to move his hips slowly, deeply, his thrusts weren’t measured in the slightest despite the fact he was absolutely aching for her. He wanted to take it slow, end what had been an amazing trip in the same mood it had started in, absolute pure love.

His mouth moved back to Fliss’s neck, nipping gently at her skin and she let out low moan as he picked up the pace ever so slightly, his spare hand kept hold of her hip, keeping her as close to him as she could possibly be.

“Fuck, Frank, right there…” she groaned as he hit her spot and he smirked slightly, he loved the way she got like this with him, ever so demanding at times, such a far cry from the timid woman he had fallen for the previous year.

“Yeah?” he panted as she gave a soft cry, her body tensing underneath him “Good.” “So good…” she moaned, arching her back. His mouth found hers again and his hand slid from her hip to gently tease her nipple and she rolled her hips to grind up against him, changing the angle slightly causing him to go deeper.

“Lissy…” he panted as he drove into her deeply, slowly, and then again and again, his pace increasing ever so slightly. Every single sense Frank possessed was on fire and he broke the long, lazy kiss that they were sharing to stifle a moan against her cheek when he felt her clench around him, a tell-tale sign she was nearing her release. The sheets rustled underneath and around them both as his hips pushed up against hers, and Frank saw Fliss’ head tip back, her throat bared to him in utter bliss as she came hard, her moans soft and breathy into his ear. Frank picked up his pace slightly, chasing his own end as he pushed her through hers, and when he felt that snake in his belly beginning to unravel, he gave a low grunt which morphed into a gasp as he clung to Fliss, spilling himself into her, his hips slowing to a stop as he collapsed forward. Fliss gave a soft chuckle as her hands gently slid up his back and into his hair, as she moved and pressed a soft kiss to his head.

“I know I keep saying it but I really do fuckin’ love you Cowgirl.” he said, voice muffled as his face pressed into her neck.

Fliss gave a chuckle “I’ll never tire of hearing it Sailor. “

He moved to look at her, flashing her a grin before he caught her mouth in a sweet kiss. **** "You still not managed it?" Greg asked as they stood at the bar, waiting for their drinks. Frank sighed and glanced at Fliss who was sat with Bonnie in the booth, the pair of them sniggering at something. "Do you see a ring on her finger?" He looked at Greg. "No" "Well there's your answer." "What's the hold up, man?" Greg frowned. "Nothing has felt right." Frank sighed "she won’t want a huge fuss in front of people so that basically ruled out all of New York...bar one moment when I thought it was time, in front of the tree at Rockefeller...and then some douchebag went and beat me to it, proposing to his girl whilst we watched..." "You're over thinking it." Greg said, looking at Frank "Take a step back. When are the pair of you at your best? The time you enjoy most, I mean" "Honestly?" Frank shrugged "at night when Mary's gone to bed and we finally sit down and just watch TV or joke around." "Well there you go." Greg shrugged "What, at home?" Frank frowned "Why not?" Greg looked at him "the point isn't to be showy or flashy but to show her you wanna spend the rest of your life with her." Frank pondered this for a moment. Greg has a point. They were at their happiest doing the simple things, spending quiet time together, being fucking normal. Fliss loved it when they curled up and Frank would simply cuddle her close and kiss her head, easy signs of affection that she had craved all through her wreck of a marriage. And Frank loved it too, because it made him feel grounded, time for him to simply be Frank in his own right, the very thing he used to use his Friday night drinking sessions for. Now he could feel it every night, thanks to Lissy…

And then, suddenly an idea came to him, out of nowhere.

Oh, it was perfect! "Greg..." he smiled, slapping the man on the back "you are a genius." "Glad I could be of service." Greg smirked "This means I get best man duty, right?"

Frank smirked at him, shrugging, not giving anything away. His eyes flicked back to Fliss who had now stood up, Simon having returned to the table sliding in next to Bonnie. Frank’s eyes travelled up her bare legs, from her high-heels up to the short little pink playsuit she was wearing, which was printed with black palm trees and other patterns, the small straps settling on her tanned shoulders, the front showing him just enough cleavage. She was wearing a black butterfly necklace that she had bought in New York and her hair was loose, falling over her shoulders in soft curls. Her brown eyes locked onto his and he smiled as he remembered the last Circle Of Truth Christmas outing the previous year, when he had told her he loved her for the first time. And here they were, now 5 days away from their second Christmas together.

“Hey beautiful” he smiled as she reached his side. His arm curled round her and he pressed a kiss to her cheek “You ok?” “Yeah, just thirsty.” she smiled. “Can I get a water as well as my gin please?”

“Sure…” he turned to look at the bar tender who was pulling their drinks together. Once he had attracted his attention and added a bottle of water to the order he turned back to her as Greg spoke up.

“Frank said you enjoyed New York.” “Oh, it was fantastic.” she smiled “Every bit as magical as I thought it was going to be.”

“Good, I’m glad you all had a good time.” Greg smiled “You deserved it after everything that went down.” “Yeah well, he’s banged up now. His brother is going to go down for Endangerment or whatever it is you call it, its’ done, it’s over.” Fliss smiled, “We got the rest of our lives ahead of us now.” “Well, if that doesn’t call for shots then I don’t know what does…” Greg smirked as the bar tender placed their drinks in front of them.

“No, Greg…” Fliss started to protest but Greg cut her off.

“Yes Greg!” he smirked, turning to the bar tender, “Can I get a bottle of Tequila pal and 8 glasses.” Fliss groaned “I’m teaching at 9 am!”

“Dumbass…” Greg looked at her and Frank gave a snort.

“I told you to switch them out…”

“I can’t!” she pouted “I already did for Boston and New York…” “Well…” Greg smirked as the bar tender set the bottle and glasses down in front of him “Looks like you’re doing it with a hangover honey.” “Fuck my life…” **** Fuck my life indeed. Fliss spent the following morning throwing up, groaning once more that she was never drinking tequila EVER again. Frank reminded her of how many times she had said that over the time he had known her and she’d simply let out a huge fake sob and thrown herself face down on the bed again declaring that she didn’t want to adult anymore as it sucked.

The days before Christmas passed in the usual chaos. Presents were wrapped and stashed under the tree, more drinks were had with Friends. Evelyn visited for a few days, which had actually almost pleased Frank a little. She wasn’t staying for Christmas, her arrangements having already been made, but she had hinted that maybe next year she could, to which Frank and Fliss had both agreed. She had been taken with Mary’s gift to her and had laughed out loud when Bill and Verity had presented her with a case of Malbec, the same Malbec she’d smashed a bottle of over John’s head. Her gifts to them both had been a substantial chunk of money, in the thousands, and when Frank had protested at the amount on the cheque she had waved it off as 8 years of owed presents. Mary’s was wrapped so it was placed under the tree for Christmas morning. Evelyn headed back to Boston on the morning of Christmas Eve, Frank and Mary driving her to the airport instead of her driver, where they had both bid her a Happy Christmas and waved her goodbye as she headed off to spend it with her friends in Newton.

After the final preparations were made Frank, Fliss and Mary collapsed onto the sofa for a Marathon of Christmas Films. Mary was, as usual, excited and the copious amounts of chocolate and candy she was shovelling down weren’t helping either, but what the hell, it was Christmas after all.

"You ok?" Frank glanced at Fliss as she sat on the other side of the couch. Love Actually was playing, the final film of the evening before Mary went to bed. Fliss, however didn't look like she was paying attention. "Huh?" She looked at him, blinking. "I said are you ok? You look like you were miles away"

“Yeah, sorry, I was errr…just running through things in my head, making sure nothing was forgotten.” Frank smiled. They were hosting Verity and Bill tomorrow as Steven and his family were at his wife’s parents for this year, flying out instead of the 28th to spend New Year’s with them all. Fliss had asked Frank if they could host, as she’d never had the chance to do that before and of course he had agreed, not least because of the excited look on her face when she had asked.

“The table is set, food and everything is ready to go…” he chuckled, looking at her “Just relax…”

He reached round Mary, his hand gently rubbing at Fliss’ back and she smiled at him, turning her attention to the TV.

20 minutes or so later the film finished and Mary jumped up, grabbing Frank’s hand to make him dance to God Only Knows as the final closing scenes played out. He smiled and picked her up, resting her on his hip as he twirled her round to the song, the pair of them laughing before he eventually dropped her down and told her it was bed time. She scooted off, Fred trotting behind her, his tail swishing as she skipped and Frank headed in about 5 minutes later to tuck her in, before he came back to the living room.

“She wants you to go and say goodnight.” he smiled,

Fliss nodded and stood up.

“You sure you’re ok?” Frank asked.

“Yeah, honestly, I’m just tired.” she assured him. Giving him a kiss she headed up the hall and Frank watched her go before he smiled to himself, and set about quickly putting the last touches to his plan.

She came back about 10 minutes later and he smiled at her as she walked into the room.

“OK, now she’s out of the way…I got something for you...” Frank smiled.

Fliss looked at him before she shook her head, chuckling a little “I got something for you too…Frank, I have-” “Me first.” Frank cut her off.

She looked at him for a second, his bright blue eyes were shining as he grinned at her and she rolled her eyes.

“Fine…” she smiled, “Ok, you first.” He grinned and then folded his arms “You gotta find it.” “What?”

“It’s hidden, on the tree, and you gotta find it.” Her face lit up as she gave a laugh “You are such a dork!” “Yeah, I know…” Narrowing her eyes playfully she moved to the tree, glancing at it. “Ok so it’s not very big then, seeing as I can’t see it straight away.” Frank shrugged as she continued her search.

“I haven’t put it high up, seeing as you’re a short ass…” “I’m perfectly average for a woman thank you.” “Trust me baby girl, nothing about you is average.” he winked and she let out a snort.

“Charmer.” she grinned, turning back to the tree.

“Ok, you’re miles off…” he said, and she moved to her right “Gettin’ warmer…warmer…ok, yep, nearly there…” Fliss continued to search, and then something caught her eye. There was something shiny handing from the nose of her Doe ornament. She stepped forward slightly, and when she realised what it was her right hand flew to her mouth. Frank’s breath caught in his throat as she spun to face him, her eyes wide.

"You, me and Mary have been hanging out together since August last year now...” he said, clearing his throat slightly “How do you feel about hanging with us forever?" He watched, holding his breath as Fliss' chest heaved with emotion as she looked at him, those brown eyes he could happily stare at all day were full of tears, the hand which had flown to her mouth in surprise was now shaking as it slid to the spot beneath her throat, that dip in her neck that he could nuzzle at forever. "I'll hang with you for as long as you'll have me..." she whispered, taking a deep breath. "Is that a yes?" Frank inhaled sharply and a watery laugh burst through her tears. "Yes. Yes, a thousand times yes!" Frank's face split into a huge grin "shit..." he sputtered before she threw herself into his arms and he lifted her up easily, her legs wrapping around his waist as he held her close, kissing her neck. She pulled back and placed a kiss to his lips, long and short pecks being shared as she laughed and he laughed, the pair of them simply lost in the moment until eventually he set her down and with a shaking hand he reached out to retrieve the ring from where it was hanging. Taking her left hand in his, with a deep breath he slipped the diamond onto her finger.

Fliss looked at it, admiring the way the delicate band sat underneath her knuckle, the beautiful diamond twinkling in the lights of the tree.

"Oh Frankie...it’s gorgeous..." she whispered, before she looked at him, taking his face in both his hands and pulling him down for a deep kiss. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." He smiled, kissing her again before he pulled away, his hands linking behind her back.

"I err, got us some champagne." He smiled, "I know it was presumptive of me but figured we could have it tomorrow if you turned me down." Fliss looked up at him, blinking before she took a deep breath “First I need to get you…just wait here…” He released her from his hold and she turned and headed out of the room, Frank watched her go, blinking for a moment before he shrugged and headed to the fridge, the smile still plastered on his face. She said yes!

Not that he had doubted she would, not really, but there had always been that little bit of fright she may have done. But that was all gone now. As he popped the cork on the bottle he found himself thinking about how he would be doing that soon enough on his wedding day. He poured 2 glassed and headed into the living room with them wondering if maybe a late Autumn wedding next year would be nice, October perhaps when it started to cool off slightly. They could do the beach wedding she always wanted, hire a marquee... Lost in his thoughts completely he jumped a little when Fliss spoke his name and turned to look at her as she stood in front of him, the back of his thighs brushing against the sofa slightly. He noticed her hand was in her pocket, clutching something. Playfully he nodded towards it “I assume that’s not a spanner." He chuckled, referencing the joke they often shared and Fliss shook her head, biting her lip. "No it’s a bit bigger than that" With a shaky hand she pulled out a small, white stick of plastic and held it towards him. It took Frank a moment to understand what it was and as soon as he did his eyes widened and he looked at her, then it, then back again.

"You're...we're...no!." he stuttered, reaching out to take it from her. "I found out this morning." Fliss whispered, watching his reaction carefully "I suspected last week but thought it might all be down to stress and stuff but..." "How, I mean..." "I should have started a new pill packet when we went to Boston but I forgot to take it with me. I thought I'd be ok if I started as soon as I got back but..." "There's a baby in there?" Frank cut her off as he stumbled over his words, nodding to her stomach "Yeah" Fliss nodded. "You put it there." Frank's legs grew shaky and he dropped onto the sofa, staring down at the test in his hands.

2 blue lines. 2 blue lines that had just changed his world forever. "I'm sorry, I know this is sudden and I should have been more careful..." Fliss took a tentative step towards him and he reached out, his hands on either side of her hips, gently pulling her t-shirt up. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to her belly, his forehead resting just above her navel. "I'm gonna be a dad." he pulled back, his eyes watering. "Frankie, you already are." Fliss said, her own tears once more springing forth. "I know you hate it when I say that about Mary but it's true." He looked at her, a dazed smile split his face into two as he pulled her onto his lap, where she straddled him, and he kissed her, hard, leaving her slightly breathless before he rest his forehead against hers. "Fuck, Lissy." he whispered, his eyes closed "You're cooking a little person..." She spluttered a laugh, nodding, her forehead brushing his as she did. "Was it made in Boston...is that the right word?" He pulled back to look at her and she laughed, brushing her hand through his fluffy hair as his gently reached out to rest against her stomach. "Yeah and most likely." "It's a little Boston Bean" he grinned and she laughed again, pressing her lips to his. "You're ok with it then? I know it's probably not what you would have planned but..." "Ok? Of course I'm ok!" He smiled "I love you and the thought of us making a little person that's half me, half you...fuck, it's amazing." She smiled and nodded, her voice a whisper "I know..."

"There is one problem." Franks said, his arms wrapping tightly around her. "What?" "You just ruined Christmas forever...because nothing is ever gonna live up to this ever again."

****** Fliss, Frank and Mary’s adventure continues in RIDING ON

#riding high #frank adler #frank adler x ofc #frank adler x original female character #gifted #gifted fan fic #chris evans #chris evans characters

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read-ahead · 4 years

Text

Coffee// Spencer Reid One Shot

Spencer Reid x Reader

Word Count: ~1k?

Requested? Yes! By @waddiwasi44 “Can I get a one shot about a early 20s computer science girl joining the team as a second Garcia, and Reid cant help but fall for her? You know, pretty and full of life, but a nerd that likes robotics and star trek tng etc”

A/N: I understand that this took months to get back to, and I can’t promise that I’m trying or that I will in the future. The whole JJ and Reid thing threw me off and I stopped watching even though I wasn’t caught up. I still like the show and writing. This is probably the pique quality of things I write, and especially in quarantine I SHOULD get back to it, but this was nearly completed and I felt bad for the asker and that’s primarily why this is happening. I implore y’all to continue to send asks, but I can’t say that I’m back.

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“Garcia, we’ll introduce her to the rest of the team tomorrow, it’s been a long case. You think you can get Y/L/N set up?”

“Oh, gosh, of course! When is she-”

Penelope was cut off by the soft ding of the elevator, the new arrival stepping out.

“Oh my god! You are gorgeous and I love your cardigan.”

The girl laughed, “Penelope Garcia I assume,” She shifted the boxes in her arms, leaving her hand open for a hand shake, “Y/N Y/L/N”

“You assume correct, lovely person, follow me!” The blonde turned on her heels.

Hotch nodded kindly as Y/N followed Garcia down the hall.

The door creaked open as Penelope presented the room, one half full of glowing bobbles and gadgets, the other half empty and ready to be decorated.

“So, as you can tell, I cleared this part of the room so that you can make it your own.” Garcia turned quickly to her, “Not that you need to, it’s just, it gets dark, I find that the toys help.”

“Thanks, Penelope.”

“Of course, of course.” She smiled, obviously giddy, “You can set up tonight, or tomorrow, it’s late you don’t have to stay here. The rest of the team will meet you tomorrow.”

“I think I’ll stay here for a bit.”

“Well you have fun, girlfriend!” She smiled, making her way out of the room.

“Garcia,” Y/N turned to the blonde, “Thanks so much.”

“Anytime.”

The door creaked closed once more, leaving the new girl to unpack her things. A small lamp in the corner glowed throughout the room. Y/N sunk into the cheap arm chair at the empty desk. She reached into the box, pulling out a light-up initial, a couple polaroids from old friends, and a yet-to-be-filled candy bowl. It wasn’t much, but she was way more interested in setting up her computer. She browsed through the system, learning the ins and outs, the back doors, changing her screensaver. Minutes flew by, and turned into hours, and soon enough Y/N was slumped over the table, asleep.

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Light filtered into the FBI Headquarters Building as the sun rose. Hotch settled at his desk and waited for his team to arrive, sifting through case files. Morgan arrived next, then Emily, then JJ, then Garcia, who got busy talking with the team. Finally Rossi and Spencer walked through the elevator, seven coffees in hand. Spencer had everyone’s order, but since they hadn’t met he had to grab all the sugar, creamer, and flavor shots he could bring for the new addition. But she was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, Garcia?” Reid finally spoke after setting all the drinks down.

“Mhmm?”

“Do you still have those organic sugars in your office?” He realized that the coffee shop didn’t carry any.

“Oh yeah, yeah, it’s next to the thing. The- uh, jelly- the blue jellyfish.” She thought, waving her hands a little as she did.

“Alright, got it.” Spencer said.

He walked down the hall, opening the door and moving towards the ‘blue jellyfish’ totally oblivious to the desk with a sleeping girl at it across the room. He grabbed five sugars, turning around and stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him sat the figure of a girl, one he quickly assumed had to be the very girl he was trying to make coffee for. His eyes darted around the room, trying to piece together exactly why she was here. The boxes, the almost empty cup of cold coffee, she slept at her desk last night.

He took a shaky breath stepping towards her, and quickly turning the other way and walking out. Spencer nearly ran down the hall, technically a very fast speed-walk, but nonetheless. He dropped the sugars next to the small mountain of creamers, and pivoted towards Garcia, pale.

“What? Oh my god was I hacked?” She reached out to him.

“No- Uh, girl. She- slept- um-.”

“You mean Y/N?” Garcia asked.

“Uh, yes.”

“oh, OH.” Garcia took down the hall, leaving the rest of the team to examine the blushing mess that was Spencer Reid.

Penelope gently shook the new techie. “Y/N? Y/N!”

She jolted awake, her face immediately turning the color of a tomato. “I- I am so sorry.”

“Oh no sweetie it’s fine, you’re fine.” Penelope laughed.

Y/N shuffled up from her seat, smoothing out her clothes and pushing hair from her face.

“What time is it?”

Garcia looked down at her bright purple watch, “About 8:30 am.”

“Wow I really crashed huh.” Y/N laughed

“Yeah but you woke up just in time, we’ve got a case!” Garcia went for a high five, thought better of it, and gently patted Y/N on the head.

She promptly strolled out of the room, the new girl following her. They walked into the bullpen to find Spencer Reid at a desk with his head in his hands and JJ clearly teasing him. He looked up at the sound of Penelope’s heels clicking on the floor.

He stood and made his way over to the new hire, his face still red, “Hello, I’m Spencer Reid.” He held his hand out, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Uh, hi, Y/N Y/L/N.” She smiled taking his hand, she had no idea of the interaction he had with her earlier.

For some reason Spencer seemed startled by the reciprocation. “Right yes, nice to meet….” he trailed off as JJ nudged him slightly with her elbow.

“You already said that Spence.”

Y/N laughed slightly at the interaction, causing Reid to redden further. “It’s fine.” she turned to Garcia, “So we have a case?” she asked, trying to pull attention away from the boy genius.

“Yes!” Penelope responded giving case files to the others and starting the briefing.

It was typical, simple and straightforward, but Spencer couldn’t focus for the life of him. Seeing how basic the case was, they were “wheels up in ten” just a few minutes later. Y/N stood up, going to make her way back to her joint office.

“Uh.. Y/N!” Spencer panicked slightly as the girl turned back to him. “I… I like your pin.” he smiled pointing out the Starfleet Insignia on her cardigan.

“Thanks.” she smiled gently, turning back to the hall. Spencer watched her walk away, silently kicking himself. But he knew this wasn’t his last chance, and he knew where to find her.

#dr spencer reid #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #criminal minds fanfic #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #Criminal Minds #doctor spencer reid #cm fanfic

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what-is-your-plan-today · 4 years

Text

Riding High Ch 25: Keep It Simple

Chapter Summary: The events of Boston behind them, Frank, Fliss and Mary look forward to Christmas…and Frank has a big surprise planned.

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words. Smut…NSFW and NO UNDER 18s!!!

Chapter Pairings: Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

And yes, I know it ain’t Christmas but…well, in my mind it should be Christmas every day!

Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter Song: God Only Knows by the Beach Boys

If you should ever leave me, thought life would still go on, believe me, the world could show nothing to me, so what good would living do me? God only knows what I’d be without you…

"Mary can you just hold on a second, please!" Frank sighed, grabbing the back of her coat to stop her shooting off into the crowd that streamed down the busy Manhattan sidewalk. "But Frank!" she turned and looked at him, her woollen hat jammed down over her ears "I just wanna see the stall!" "Yeah but you can't just run off!" He grumbled and besides him Fliss gave a chuckle. He turned to look at her "who gets so excited about damned wooden tree ornaments?" "Oh hush!" Fliss leaned up to give him a pack, her cold nose brushing his. In retaliation he pulled the front of her baby blue sparkly bobble hat down over her eye and she shoved him in the chest, laughing. "Fuck you!" "Chance would be a fine thing" he grumbled, taking Fliss’ hand as they headed after Mary. "Awww is that why you're grumpy?" Fliss grinned as they walked "Coz you haven't had any in nearly 3 days?" Frank pouted "No." "Liar..." "Ok, look...Frankie has needs..." he whined "I completely over looked the fact hanging out with an 8 year old in the room would be a cock block." "Always the shower..." Fliss teased and Frank snorted. "Yeah, right. Can you imagine? I give it 3 minutes before she came looking for us." "We go home tomorrow. I'll make it up to you then." Fliss grinned and he sighed. "What?" She laughed. "It’s just...you look so hot in all this winter clothing." Frank grinned. And he meant it. Seeing her wrapped up in a coat, hat and scarf had made her look all cute and cozy...and it had done inappropriate things to him for some odd reason. "Hmmm, you know most men get more turned on the less clothing their girls wear." She teased and he grinned. "Yeah, well, I'm not most men" She gave him a smile which he returned with a soft kiss as they stopped by the stall where Mary instantly dived into looking at the array of ornaments. After a few moments of looking she handed Frank one in the shape of a reindeer stag, and a doe for him and Fliss before selecting a robin for herself. "I think they're so pretty." She looked at the bird in her hand "I saw one at Evelyn's over thanks giving." "Ever heard the saying robins appear when loved ones are near?" Fliss asked. Mary shook her head. "No" "Well, I don't know about here but certainly in England we say it because there is an old belief by some people that a robin is a message from heaven, that a loved one is watching over you." "Do you believe that?" Mary looked at Fliss. Fliss hesitated "Well when my mum's dad died I was 20 and I remember getting up the morning after he died and there was a robin on the fence of the back garden. Bill told me it was my granddad Alex come to check I was ok." "Do you think it was? Really I mean?" "I dunno sweetheart." Fliss sighed "I'd like it to be true..." "Then you should believe it was." Mary said, looking at her "Because isn't that what faith is? Believing something you want to be true?" Fliss looked at Frank who smiled and gave a small shake of his head. She turned back to Mary, smiling softly as she dropped a hand to the back of her head. This kid was unbelievably wise, but with such an innocence behind it all. "Yeah, I suppose it is." Fliss nodded. "Do you think the robin I saw could have been my mom?" She asked, her eyes wide. Frank at that point stepped in, carefully picking an answer that was ambiguous so as not to say yes, but also not dampening her spirits. "If your mom could I'm sure she would come and see you, make sure you're ok." Mary gave a nod, before she turned back to the stall, her attention back on the ornaments. "We need a dog for Thor, and a cat for Fred oh...and a pony for Monty." "What about Cap and Heidi?" Fliss asked, moving to inspect the selection of decorations. "Oh, yeah!" "This is gonna bankrupt me." Frank grumbled, his hands on Fliss' hips, chin resting on her shoulder as he observed the two of them. "Scrooge" Fliss shot back with a smile "Do you think Verity and Bill will like this one?" Mary held up a snowman. "Absolutely" Fliss nodded. "And can I get one for Evelyn?" She asked, selecting a snowflake. Despite the fact that they were now well into the fifty buck range for fucking tree decorations, Frank couldn't help but want to smile at Marys face. She was so thoughtful, the purity behind it all was as usual humbling. So he nodded "Sure she will appreciate it." He smiled. He moved to lift her up so she could hand the ones they had picked over to the guy behind the counter who asked Mary what names she wanted on each one. As she told him, he allowed her to sit up on the edge of the little surface, held in place by Frank to watch as he burnt the names into each ornament before he bagged them up and she took them with a thanks. "Our first family tree stuff!" Mary grinned and Fliss smiled, bending down to give her a hug. They set back off towards the hotel, stopping by a burger joint for dinner before they dumped their bags and returned back out for their final evening in the City. Frank had loved every second of their trip, and so had Mary and Fliss. Seeing Mary's reaction to snow and the Christmas lights had been amazing, along with all the bands on street corners, people walking around dressed up. It was magical and he wasn't afraid to let his inner child come out to play either, as Fliss had just found out. "Whose idea was this again?" He asked as Mary was bouncing up and down in the queue. "Yours!" Fliss scoffed as he took Mary's hand in his right "I seem to recall the very visible horror on your face yesterday when I told you I'd never done it before..." "That’s because it's an abomination that someone who's 34 has never been ice skating." "I was a professional athlete." She shrugged "I was banned from doing anything deemed dangerous " Frank looked at her "What do they consider more dangerous than flying a half tonne animal almost 2 meters into the air?" "Bungee jumping, sky diving, jet skiing, water skiing, ice skating.." Fliss shrugged "just to name 5" Frank shook his head as the queue shuffled forward a little. It wasn't too long now, luckily they had timed it right by arriving 20 minutes or so before the next lot of General Admission to the famous Rockefeller rink opened so there weren't too many people ahead. After another 10 minutes they got to the front and Frank nudged Fliss out of the way as she tried to pay. She scowled at him and he simply rolled his eyes and handed his card over. It wasn't cheap but then, he was in New York. What was? Together they headed onto the ice. Frank, having done it a few times as a kid found his legs fairly quickly and didn't stop himself laughing as Mary's completely went from under her and she landed with a thump on her ass. "Here..." he chuckled, offering her his hand. He pulled her up and moved her in front of him. "Give me your hands..." Mary extended her arms to the side and he took her mitten clad hands in his, holding her in front of him. Fliss was moving tentatively behind him, using the sides for support a little. "Ok slide your right foot forward, like on your roller skates..." Frank said. Mary did as she was told "now left...right...left...right..." He continued his chanting and glanced over his shoulder to see Fliss was concentrating on her feet, her tongue poking out slightly. "You good?" "Yup." She said, raising her hand to give him a thumbs up before she skidded slightly and went down in a tangle of limbs. Letting out a laugh he gently pivoted Mary so she could hold onto the side and offered Fliss his hand. Pulling her up into his arms he held her steady for a moment whilst her laughing subsided. He watched her for a second, her face creasing up into those adorable dimples, eyes crinkled so much they were almost shut and her shoulders shook with the force of her giggles. "I fuckin' love you..." he grinned and she smiled at him. "Back at ya sailor" After another few laps Mary and Fliss had managed to get the hand of it which meant Frank could leave them a little bit as he went off for what he called a proper skate. The girls watched calling him a show off as he crossed his feet and turned, skating backwards a little. Both of them debated sabotaging him and tripping him up but they decided not to, instead they simply pretended they didn't know him, resulting in him grabbing Fliss from behind just beneath the large tree, and spinning her round to face him. "Can I help you?" She teased and he gave a snort. "Yeah, you can... Mary?" He called to her where she was trying to perfect a turn and failing as she almost stumbled again. She looked up and headed over. "Can you take our photo?" "Only if you're gonna kiss..." she replied, making smooching noises. "Well we can’t disappoint her..." Frank shrugged and Fliss grinned, her smile turning into a shriek as Frank quickly grabbed her hips before he took one hand, keeping the other round her back and dipped her so she was bending backwards, planting a sloppy kiss on her lips. She laughed against his mouth as he gave her a wink, before kissing her a little deeper and then setting her upright, his eyes boring into hers which were shining in the Christmas lights surrounding the rink. "Oh that was great!" Mary howled and he turned to face her as she handed his phone back. Frank checked the photo and had to smile, it was a dammed good shot. He showed it to Fliss and she beamed. "A framer?" She asked. "A framer." He agreed. It took them ages to get Mary to finally leave the rink. Even a bribe of hot chocolate, marshmallows and cookies wasn't doing it. Eventually Frank put his foot down and told her it was time to go as it was almost 9pm and they still had that tree to go see before they headed to Central Park for one last walk in the lights. After handing their skates back and retrieving their belongings from the lockers they followed the path to the tree. As they round the corner Mary gasped. "It's huge!" She turned to look at Frank and Fliss, her eyes wide "Oh my God!" Frank smiled kissed Fliss' cheek as Mary walked slightly ahead of them down the walkway that was flanked with smaller trees and the famous lit up trumpeting angels . As they caught her up he slipped his spare hand in his pocket, his fingers curling round the small, leather box inside. The damned thing had been burning a hole in his pocket since he had bought it in Boston just after Thanksgiving. Fliss, Verity and Bill had all stayed for a very pleasant week rounded off with a damned good proper Thanksgiving dinner and the three of them had flown home on the Friday, as Fliss was starting to stress about her business. He and Mary followed on the Sunday after she had been given the all clear to fly after a week’s check up at the Hospital. On his spare afternoon, he'd taken a trip into the city with one goal, and it had been surprisingly easy. The first jeweller he has walked into had a perfect ring, and despite the fact he had visited several others none of them caught his eye like that. So he had gone back and asked the assistant for a closer look. It wasn't a huge rock, white gold and emerald cut with in a pave setting, but everything about it had screamed Fliss. It was delicate and feminine but with a wonderful sparkle just like her. He knew that sounded so lame when he had told the assistant but she has just smiled and told him that if he had that much conviction, it must be right. He had been lost when she asked him what size, but in a sudden inspiration he had remembered the Pandora ring he had bought her when he had gotten his first new pay check as supervisor. He mentioned this to the assistant who beamed and said she could easily size it from that by using a simple conversion chart and told him to come back the following day. His sudden good spirit had fallen as he explained he couldn't do and asked her to see if here was anything she could do, even contemplating taking it and having it sizes back in Florida. But, after the shitty run of events over the last week, his luck was in after she returned 5 minutes later with a slip of paper, informing him it would be ready by the end of the day. When he had told Mary he was going to ask Fliss to marry him, she'd been so excited. She'd asked when, where and when he said he didn’t know she'd given him the most exasperated look on the planet. The only one of his friend who he had confided in, Greg, hadn’t been much help either, simply telling him to do it in a way that meant something to them both. Simply put he just hadn't a fucking clue. He had agonized over how to pop the question. On the boat? Or maybe a sunset on their favourite spot at St Pete's beach? Did he wait for New York? As such, Frank had taken to carrying the ring around with him, waiting for that moment when it felt right. So far it hadn't happened at home and as it stood New York wasn’t faring any better. He had thought about it at the top of the Empire state, but it had been too busy. Then there was a moment in Central Park after they had been snowman building that might have worked...until Fliss had nailed him in the face with a snowball. So they'd had a snowball fight instead. Then when walking over Brooklyn Bridge, the skyline behind them… then when they walked back to the Hotel after seeing the Lion King on Broadway, going the long way round to see the display in Macy's window all lit up...and then that moment before when Mary had taken a picture of them kissing under the tree on the ice rink... but none of it felt right. It didn't feel like the moment for them. But now something stirred in his gut. This could be it. It wasn't too busy, the place was gorgeous, right in front of the tree Fliss had been so desperate to see... Ok Adler, you can do this. Taking a deep breath he pulled the box from his pocket when he heard Mary give a squeal. "Oh...wow! Frankie look..." Fliss' voice was a whisper and she nudged him, pointing to the base of the tree. He followed her gaze to see a blonde haired man down on one knee, presenting a ring to a dark haired woman who had her hands clasped over her mouth. Frank slipped the box back into his pocket and stared at the man as he placed the ring onto his now fiancés finger and did his best to look like he cared when Fliss let out a soft "Awwww" The man looked around excitedly, his eyes falling on the three of them before he asked Frank if he or Fliss would mind taking a photo for them. "Course not buddy, congratulations." Frank smiled. Fucking prick... ***** "It was AMAZING!" Mary gushed to Verity as they walked to the car, Fliss' parents having come to pick them up from the airport. "we saw so much stuff but nowhere near all of it but Frank said we could go back next year in the summer maybe and do a bit more." "Looks like someone else had a good time too." Bill smiled, nodding to Fliss who let out a loud yawn. Frank chuckled "She was up all night, I told her not to have more food so close to bed time." "I wanted a hot dog and a pretzel." Fliss mumbled, "Besides, it's nothing to do with the food...we did a lot of walking." Bill gave a snort "You ride horses for a living, you should be fit enough to walk round New York" "I probably skated about 4 miles too..." Fliss said looking at Mary "Someone wouldn't come off the ice rink" "You been sleeping ok otherwise?" Verity looked at her "I'm fine mum." She smiled "No anxiety?" 'V, she said she's fine so leave it" Bill said gently and Fliss shot a grateful look at her dad. She knew her mum was only concerned but she was fed up of assuring people she was fine. After the attack from John she had suffered a bout of delayed shock which had manifested in a few panic attacks, nightmares, and restlessness at night and on one occasion nausea. Luckily Frank had been brilliant at keeping calm when she had an episode, helping her work through it and the last incident she had suffered had been over a week ago. Once they were all in the car, Frank took the passenger seat after Verity offered it to him, Mary continued to chat all the drive home about New York, Fliss and Frank butting in here and there. They arrived home little after 30 minutes later and Fliss headed up the steps with Mary, Thor almost sending the pair of them flying when they opened the door. "Oh puppy I missed you!" Fliss smiled as she gave him plenty of attention and he kept licking her face, whining and emitting quiet little barks. "Did you miss me? Did you?" "Yerress" Frank did his best Scooby Doo impression as he walked past and Fliss let out a laugh, as she stood up and headed into the living room behind Mary, bumping into the girl as she stopped dead, giving a squeal as she saw the Christmas Tree in the corner. "Mum, Dad?" Fliss called, smiling "I take it you did this?" Frank appeared behind them both, smiling as Fliss and Mary exchanged a glance before they all turned to Bill and Verity who were stood in the doorway. "Well we know how much you like to get your tree up as early as you can and, well we were picking one up for ourselves so we got you one. You don’t mind do you?" Verity, looked at Fliss then Frank. "No, of course not!" Fliss grinned. "Saved me a job." Frank nodded "Thanks guys." "Can we decorate it tonight?" Mary asked "Pleeeeeeeaaaasssseee Frank!" Frank glanced at his watch before giving a sigh, he knew she wouldn't go to bed if he said no anyway so what was the point? Plus she was at the University tomorrow which didn’t start until 10 so... "Ok, but if you so much as grumble tomorrow morning when I get you up you'll be in deep trouble." He looked at her sternly as she stooped to pick Fred up. "Cross my heart, hope to die, we all know Fred's got one eye..." she chanted off, nodding. "We brought your box of decorations from the annex." Verity smiled at Fliss, nodding to the box on the floor. "We thought you could pick what you want to keep now you're combining."

“Speaking of decorations…” Frank said, looking at Mary.

“Fliss said you wouldn’t mind the names Mary wanted on them.” Frank said, watching carefully.

“Of course we don’t mind!” Bill smiled, picking Mary up to give her a hug “We are Nanny V and Poppa B ain’t that right kiddo?” “Yep!” she grinned, hugging him.

“We’ll save it to hang tomorrow when you come over after school.” Verity said as Bill set Mary on the floor and she hugged her tightly.

He had just about managed it when Thor came over to inspect what he was doing, and dropped straight onto his back on top of the string.

“Frank got me this for my first Christmas.” Mary said, hanging a red bauble which had her name on it. “The glitter has all fallen off it now.”

“We can add more if you want.” Fliss looked at her and Mary shrugged.

“Best Tree ever.” she smiled.

“Yeah, and now it’s time for the best bed ever…” he looked at her.

“Seriously?” Mary complained

“No moaning, remember?” Frank instructed her. “That was in the morning.”

“I’ll be in in a second.” Frank shot after her, watching as she headed down to the hallway. He turned back to Fliss who was watching the tree, a smile on her face.

“Not exactly up to Macey’s standards…” Frank chuckled and she shook her head.

“I love it.” “It looks like an Elf threw up on it.”

“No beer.” “You want me to wait in bed.” “Yes I do.” he nodded “Go, I’ll let Thor out and lock up.”

“I like your ass.” he muttered. “I like yours too” she said back, “And your arms”

He laughed and pulled back to look down at her as her fingers trailed up his biceps. “My arms?”

“I know I keep saying it but I really do fuckin’ love you Cowgirl.” he said, voice muffled as his face pressed into her neck.

Fliss gave a chuckle “I’ll never tire of hearing it Sailor. “

And then, suddenly an idea came to him, out of nowhere.

Oh, it was perfect! "Greg..." he smiled, slapping the man on the back "you are a genius." "Glad I could be of service." Greg smirked "This means I get best man duty, right?"

“Frank said you enjoyed New York.” “Oh, it was fantastic.” she smiled “Every bit as magical as I thought it was going to be.”

“No, Greg…” Fliss started to protest but Greg cut her off.

“Yes Greg!” he smirked, turning to the bar tender, “Can I get a bottle of Tequila pal and 8 glasses.” Fliss groaned “I’m teaching at 9 am!”

“Dumbass…” Greg looked at her and Frank gave a snort.

“I told you to switch them out…”

“The table is set, food and everything is ready to go…” he chuckled, looking at her “Just relax…”

He reached round Mary, his hand gently rubbing at Fliss’ back and she smiled at him, turning her attention to the TV.

“She wants you to go and say goodnight.” he smiled,

Fliss nodded and stood up.

“You sure you’re ok?” Frank asked.

She came back about 10 minutes later and he smiled at her as she walked into the room.

“OK, now she’s out of the way…I got something for you...” Frank smiled.

Fliss looked at him before she shook her head, chuckling a little “I got something for you too…Frank, I have-” “Me first.” Frank cut her off.

She looked at him for a second, his bright blue eyes were shining as he grinned at her and she rolled her eyes.

“Fine…” she smiled, “Ok, you first.” He grinned and then folded his arms “You gotta find it.” “What?”

“Charmer.” she grinned, turning back to the tree.

Fliss looked at it, admiring the way the delicate band sat underneath her knuckle, the beautiful diamond twinkling in the lights of the tree.

"Oh Frankie...it’s gorgeous..." she whispered, before she looked at him, taking his face in both his hands and pulling him down for a deep kiss. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." He smiled, kissing her again before he pulled away, his hands linking behind her back.

Not that he had doubted she would, not really, but there had always been that little bit of fright she may have done. But that was all gone now. As he popped the cork on the bottle he found himself thinking about how he would be doing that soon enough on his wedding day. He poured 2 glassed and headed into the living room with them wondering if maybe a late Autumn wedding next year would be nice, October perhaps when it started to cool off slightly. They could do the beach wedding she always wanted, hire a marquee... Lost in his thoughts completely he jumped a little when Fliss spoke his name and turned to look at her as she stood in front of him, the back of his thighs brushing against the sofa slightly. He noticed her hand was in her pocket, clutching something. Playfully he nodded towards it “I assume that’s not a spanner." He chuckled, referencing the joke they often shared and Fliss shook her head, biting her lip. "No...it’s...a bit bigger than that" With a shaky hand she pulled out a small, white stick of plastic and held it towards him. It took Frank a moment to understand what it was and as soon as he did his eyes widened and he looked at her, then it, then back again.

"You're...we're...no...that's..." he stuttered, reaching out to take it from her. "I found out this morning." Fliss whispered, watching hair reaction carefully "I suspected last week but thought it might all be down to stress and stuff but..." "How, I mean..." "I should have started a new pill packet when we went to Boston but I forgot to take it with me. I thought I'd be ok if I started as soon as I got back but..." "There's a baby in there?" Frank cut her off as he stumbled over his words, nodding to her stomach "Yeah" Fliss nodded. "You put it there." Frank's legs grew shaky and he dropped onto the sofa, staring down at the test in his hands.

2 blue lines.

2 blue lines that had just changed his world forever. "I'm sorry, I know this is sudden and I should have been more careful..." Fliss took a tentative step towards him and he reached out, his hands on either side of her hips, gently pulling her t-shirt up. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to her belly, his forehead resting just above her navel. "I'm gonna be a dad..." he said, pulling back, his eyes watering. "Frankie, you already are..." Fliss said, her own tears once more springing forth. "I know you hate it when I say that about Mary but it's true." He looked at her, a dazed smile split his face into two as he pulled her onto his lap, where she straddled him, and he kissed her, hard, leaving her slightly breathless before he rest his forehead against hers. "Fuck, Lissy..." he whispered, his eyes closed "You're cooking a little person..." She spluttered a laugh, nodding, her forehead brushing his as she did. "Was it made in Boston...is that the right word?" He pulled back to look at her and she laughed, brushing her hand through his fluffy hair as his gently reached out to rest against her stomach. "Yeah and most likely." "It's a little Boston Bean" he grinned and she laughed again, pressing her lips to his. "You're ok with it then? I know it's probably not what you would have planned but..." "Ok? Of course I'm ok!" He smiled "I love you and the thought of us making a little person that's half me, half you...fuck, it's amazing." She smiled and nodded, her voice a whisper "I know..."

"There is one problem." Franks said, his arms wrapping tightly around her. "What?" "You just ruined Christmas forever...because nothing is ever gonna live up to this ever again."

#riding high #frank adler #frank adler x ofc #gifted #gifted fan fic

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