#ch. 24 All the Strawberries

[fbfh]

curiosity is a wonderful thing - ch 4

wc: 3.8k

genre: political thriller (ish), slow burn, best friends to lovers

pairing: audrey x ben, eventual ben x reader

warnings: political shiz, audrey sucks even more than the last chapter, reader has time blindness and implied social anxiety, classism (from audrey at the isle kids), tense social situations

summary: you manage to make it to the Isle kids welcome reception without being irrevercably late, but what's worse than you're time management skills is Audrey's attitude.

song recs: running out of time - paramore

a/n: fangz 2 cici for beta reading. I'm going to sleep for 24 hours straight. bro I am so tired. love you guys <333 (plus optional fit)

tags @yesv01 @magcon7280 @hopefullhearts @thatawkwardlittlefangirl  @sunshineangel-reads @strawberry-cake1 @dustyinkpages @kiara7777

"Shit, shit, shit!" 

You jolt up off the mushroom you've been sitting comfortably on, chugging the rest of your tea and shoving the cup back in your bag. 

“Goodbye,” you say quickly to the inchworms, “and break a leg for your choral concert!” 

You call back to them quickly before running into the trees and looking for a grassy clearing big enough to make a rabbit hole. You find exactly the spot you’re looking for, and quickly summon a rabbit hole to bring you back to Auradon. You watch the earth crumble and sink in front of you as the rabbit hole forms at your feet. As soon as it’s big enough, you jump in feet first, and the ground quickly closes around you. You fall for a few moments, plummeting much faster than before, spinning through the dark earthy air. After a few moments of tumbling through the darkness, there’s a rumbling as the earth opens up above you. You grab onto the ledge, and hoist yourself up, crawling onto your dorm room floor. You let yourself get your bearings for a moment, before remembering why you’re in such a rush.

“Shit, shit, shit…” You mutter again, brushing the dirt off your clothes as you hurry out of your dorm room. You scurry down several flights of stairs, twisting and turning through corridors to get to the reception for the Isle kids. You dust yourself off and straighten up all the little parts of your outfit, including the ribbon you always wear on your head in some way or another. It’s soft and worn, a gift from your mother dyed with Wonderland blackberries. It always carries the familiar scents of sweet summertime tea and fruit, and the reassuring embrace of your mother’s hugs. Lost in the thought, you find yourself tripping over your shoes and stumbling the last few steps to the great hall. You let out a loud noise of surprise before you manage to catch yourself.

“Oh- goodness!” You exclaim. You look around, hoping no one heard you, and you’re relieved to see that there’s no one else inside the great hall. Everyone is already outside for the reception, and the cheerful melodies of the school band must have covered up any noise you made. Wait, the band is already playing. 

“I must be later than I thought…” you mutter. You scurry down the cobblestone path, spotting Ben with Fairy Godmother and Audrey just past the statue of Ben’s father. You move quickly, managing to take your place among them, hoping to seamlessly blend in as if you’d been here the whole time. 

“Late again, Ms. Liddell?” Fairy Godmother asks quietly. Ben looks down in surprise, just noticing your arrival. You flash him a brief look of encouragement, one that says see? I told you I’d be here on time. More or less. Ben smiles, warm and sincere as he feels a renewed sense of reassurement and confidence that always seems to arrive along with you. After that moment of eye contact, you reply softly to Fairy Godmother. 

“No excuse, ma’am - I’m simply on Wonderland time.”

Which is, to say, no time at all, what with Wonderland being a timeless domain and such. The main difference between Wonderland and Neverland is that in Neverland, time stands still, but in Wonderland, it doesn’t exist at all. You’ve always had a hard time remembering that time is so important overland, hence the pocket watch. The feeling of Ben’s hand on your neck snaps you out of the thought, and you look over at him as he plucks a sparkling pink leaf off your collar, letting it fall to the ground as the limo pulls up.

“Thanks-” You barely have time to whisper before the car doors open, and two rowdy looking boys tumble out, fighting over a large piece of fabric. The band stops playing, shocked at the unusual display of behavior. Fairy Godmother approaches as the other two climb out of the car. The purple haired one - Mal, if you’re correct - nudges the boys and mutters something to them, causing them to straighten up. You wait next to Ben, with Audrey on his other side, as Fairy Godmother greets them and begins her introduction of herself, and Auradon Prep. Your eyes fall to the manicured hedges surrounding the brick path leading into the school. You let yourself watch the leaves rustle fluidly in the ambient breeze, thinking about the foliage in Wonderland. Given a choice, you prefer Wonderland plant life - it all feels much more dynamic and interesting. You think you could watch those little pink leaves shimmer and glisten all day long, if you had the time, of course. Although, you must admit to yourself how fond you've grown of these hedges too. They're uniform, but still individualistic when you look close enough. They’re quite stately. A real treat. 

"It is so good to finally meet you all."

You snap back to attention as Ben begins to speak, and introduces himself. Excitement starts to stir inside you as you and Ben both realize in that moment that it's finally happening. All your hard work is about to pay off. The only one who doesn't seem to realize the importance of this moment is Audrey. Ben barely has time to introduce himself before she cuts him off to interject. 

"Prince," she emphasizes, "Benjamin."

She squeezes his arm and looks up at him. 

"Soon to be king!"

You fight the urge to share a knowing look with Ben, all too well aware of how frequently Audrey seems to derail serious discussions and meetings for things that are barely relevant at best. Though his expression doesn't show it, Ben doesn't even need to look at your face to know the exact expression present on it. 

In front of you, the blue haired girl - the Evil Queen's daughter - steps forward and extends her hand to Ben with an excited look on her face. 

"You had me at prince," she says, clearly infatuated with Ben’s title. Her voice is breathy and flirtatious as she speaks, but something tells you that the stakes are higher for her than she's letting on. "My mom’s a queen, which makes me a princess…"

Before the sigh can leave her lips, Audrey interjects again. You watch her face subtly warp into one of the fakest smiles you've ever seen as she speaks with a performative, forced friendliness. 

"The Evil Queen has no royal status here." Her tone is somehow even more fake than her smile. "And neither do you!"

It's silent for a moment as Evie tries not to make her rejection known. Status seems to be important to her, and coming from a place like the Isle where one has so little, it seems cruel to you for Audrey to strip that away so carelessly. After another moment of painful, sad silence, Ben chuckles politely in an attempt to smooth things over. 

“...This is Audrey-”

“Princess Audrey.” She emphasizes. You wonder if she’s deliberately trying to make Ben’s job harder, or if she’s just that callous. Audrey grabs Ben’s hand in spite of the awkward distance between them - not far, but too far to hold hands comfortably. 

“His girlfriend.” She finishes, “Right Bennyboo?”

You don’t say anything, you don’t make a single noise at any of her comments. Somehow your silence is louder to Ben than anything else you could have said. You’ve never been a fan of Audrey’s nickname for him, something Ben has a slight suspicion about. You think his name suits him perfectly well. All of the cutesy modifiers seem to be because she likes saying them rather than for expressing her affection for him. A nickname, you think, should be like a kiss to the cheek. Soft and natural, pleasant every time it happens. But Bennyboo? It has never hit your ear right from the day she came up with it, and you find yourself cringing a little whenever its said in your vicinity. 

Ben leans over awkwardly, allowing Audrey to hold his hand for a moment. He knows it will make a worse scene if she doesn’t get her way, so he finds himself more prone to compromising with her in cases like this - which happens often. After that brief moment, he finds a graceful exit in removing his hand to bring you forward and introduce you. He rests the hand closest to you on your lower back, gesturing to you as you wave to them politely. You can take a little while to warm up to people, you’ve been that way since you were kids, for as long as Ben can remember. He rubs his thumb over the fabric of your shirt encouragingly. It’s familiar, a reminder that he’s there for you. 

The Isle kids’ eyes linger on you as Ben tells them your name, but Audrey’s eyes linger on Ben’s hand still placed comfortably on your back. After you finish greeting them, Fairy Godmother steps forward again.

“Alright!” She says, chipper attitude disguising the worry and stress beginning to fringe in around the edges of her mind. She gestures to you, Ben, and Audrey. 

“These three are going to show you around, and I’ll see you tomorrow in class.” She states in her usual soft, sweet tone before launching into one of her classic monologues, “The doors of wisdom are never closed!” 

The Isle kids look surprised at the way she speaks, gesturing dramatically. You and Ben share a look, knowing exactly what she’s about to say. 

“But, the library hours are from eight to eleven,” she adds, “and as you may have heard, I have a little thing about curfews.”

Ben catches a glimpse of you lip synching along with her, silently following along with a little thing about curfews at the same time as she says it. It catches him off guard, and he has to stop himself from laughing, which of course, leads to you suppressing a smile too. Audrey clutches her purse irritably as Ben tries to disguise his laugh as a cough. She takes note of the way you keep your eyes firmly fixed on the ground, the way you try to bite back a laugh and a smile of your own. You know if you look over at Ben then you’ll both devolve into inconsolable laughter, the kind only the closest of friends can bring about in each other. 

Fairy Godmother leaves, and Ben is able to collect himself, stepping forward toward the Isle kids to begin his speech. An uncharacteristically nervous flutter appears within him, making his stomach flip. He wishes he had had time to run it by you again, just one more time. But he got to run it by Audrey - sort of. Regardless, Audrey said it was good. She gave it her seal of approval, and as his girlfriend, Ben needs to trust her judgment, and trust that she has his best interest at heart. He lets out a little breath, preparing himself. 

This is it.

This is his chance to break the generational cycle that’s been created, to end the years of being stuck in an echochamber of war and unrest, to heal the trauma that the nation has collectively suffered - especially the innocent people stuck on the Isle. This is his very first chance to bridge the gap,to really connect with the Isle kids and let them know that they’re welcome with open arms, and they’re accepted unconditionally. It sounds improbable to say that seven teenagers can make history, but that’s truly what this is - history in the making. History that will benefit everyone in the nation years down the line. They’re building the future in this very moment. 

“It is so, so…” Ben begins, stepping forward, “so good to finally meet you-”

He’s cut off with a grunt as one of them punches him in the chest. Your eyes flare in concern for a moment, but Ben’s smile denotes it as a sign of camaraderie. Nonetheless, it catches you both by surprise. Ben recovers quickly and seamlessly, just like a politician, a future king, should. It’s one of his talents, and is something you’ve always admired about him. You walk next to him, and greet the first person in line - you’re almost sure he’s Jafar’s son - as Ben shakes the other girl’s hand. Your shoulder brushes against Ben’s, and he falters for a moment. He stares at Maleficent’s purple haired daughter blankly for a moment, all too aware of how close your arm is to his. He snaps out of it a moment later, and continues his speech.

“This is a momentous occasion,” he begins. You realize he’s going to do the full original speech, that he didn’t revise or edit it for this less formal occasion. He moves to shake hands with the next person. 

“And one that I hope will go down in history…” He trails off, feeling something sticky rub off on his hand. He looks down at the dark smudge, and brings his hand up to his nose, sniffing hesitantly. It smells sweet, and he’s a little relieved. 

“Is that chocolate?” He asks. 

His enhanced sense of smell inherited from his father confirms that it is, in fact, chocolate. Milk chocolate, with traces of peanut butter. Ben glances over at you for a brief moment as you flash him a knowing smile. Candy and sweets in the limo had been your idea, a welcoming gift to lift their spirits and ease their travels. Based on all the plastic wrappers and brightly colored sugar crystals here and there, it seems to have been a successful welcoming gesture. As you reach Cruella De Vil’s son, you pull a lacy handkerchief out of your tea pot bag, and hand it to him so he can wipe the rest of the chocolate off his hands and face. He thanks you quietly as Ben continues his speech.

“As the day our two peoples began to heal.” He states, as confident and well rehearsed as ever. Before he can continue, he gets cut off by Maleficent’s daughter.

“Or the day that you showed four peoples where the bathrooms are.” She says in an exaggerated, sarcastic tone of voice, eliciting a laugh from her peers. Just as you feared, this whole thing is way too formal for the occasion. Maleficent’s daughter seems to be the ringleader out of the four of them. 

Ben falters for a moment, realizing that he should have taken your advice and edited his speech before now. But when would he have found time to? He thinks back to his interaction with Audrey and realizes that she was more motivated to tell Ben all her gossip than she was to actually look over his speech with a critical eye. He remembers what you told him earlier, your concerns about it being too formal for the occasion. Once again, your judgment was spot on. You’ve never been one to say I told you so, but in this moment, he would let you if you wanted to. He's able to recover quickly.

"A little bit over the top?" He asks with a chuckle. She seems impressed that he wasn't outwardly hurt by her comments.

"A little more than a little bit." She retorts.

“Well, so much for my first impression.” Ben jokes back, eliciting something close to a chuckle out of her. You let out a small breath, relieved that he diffused the situation, and can now get their welcome and orientation back on track after breaking the ice like that. Being able to seem like a leader without coming across as intimidating or authoritarian is already a hard balance to strike, and it’s even more difficult when you need to seem personable and friendly without being unprofessional. Add in the unknowns of blazing a trail into all new territory like this, and what Ben is doing is truly impressive. Although you’re incredibly proud and impressed, you’re not at all surprised at Ben for being able to pull this off. If anyone could, you know it would be him. Moments like these really exemplify his passion for politics, for using his power the way it was intended - to improve the lives of everyone in Auradon. He's always been like this, you both have since you were knee high to a march hare. It's one of the reasons you have such a close bond. You've never minded too much that your peers are more inclined to the social aspect of your titles than the political end of things, you think it’s best not to venture into something as taxing as politics and government when you don't love it. On the hard days, that love, that drive to help is what gets you through. As if proving your point, Audrey’s overly chipper voice disrupts the atmosphere again. 

"Hey," she gestures to the purple haired girl, "you're Maleficent’s daughter, aren't you?"

You can sense Ben and yourself tense up, freezing imperceptibly. Nothing good can possibly come from this, and you both brace yourselves for the inevitable.

"Yeah, you know what?" She continues, "I totally do not blame you for your mother trying to kill my parents and stuff." 

Her tone is perfectly chipper, but paired with her underhanded words, the meaning behind them is crystal clear. Your stomach sinks, and you’re sure Ben must be stifling his panic better than you are, but the expression on Mal’s face says exactly what you and Ben - and presumably, the rest of the Isle kids - are thinking. You know Ben is going to have a lot to say to Audrey about this later. If she brushes off her petty at best behavior like she usually does, you’re not sure you’ll be able to restrain yourself from sharing some choice words of your own. The only thing stopping you is Ben. You know calling Audrey out would do more harm than good, and the best thing you can do for Ben is support him and help with any damage control he does later. 

Audrey has a habit of excusing behavior like this, especially if it’s hers, but she fails to see the fundamental difference between bitching about the other girls on the cheer squad and what she just did - there’s life beyond high school, but politics can have real, lasting consequences and effect innocent people’s lives for generations. This isn’t some junior counsel mock trial, you’re in the real world of royal government now. Every day that Ben’s coronation gets closer is another day you’re getting deeper and deeper into real politics with real people. 

“Oh, my mom’s Aurora.” She continues. You really, really wish she would stop talking. “Sleeping-”

“Beauty!” Mal quickly finishes for her. There’s a barely concealed, dangerous look on her face, and her eyes glow green like poison, flashing menacingly. “Yeah, I’ve heard the name…”

You can tangibly feel the years of resentment and hatred for her passed down to Mal from her mother, now directed right at Audrey. 

“You know,” Mal continues, “and I totally do not blame your grandparents… for inviting everyone in the whole world,” she takes a step closer to Audrey giving her a look that could kill, paired with a venomously fake smile that… could also kill. “To their stupid christening!”

You look between them, growing nervous. Audrey either doesn’t notice the venom in Mal’s words or simply doesn’t care, because she replies with a smile that’s approximately as real as her hair extensions. 

“Water under the bridge.” She says, deliberately scrunching her nose, trying to replicate the way that you do naturally - the little nose scrunch you’d never noticed until Ben pointed it out a few months ago, telling you how cute it is. 

“Totes!” Mal agrees sarcastically. They both let out an insincere laugh in unison. The tension between them jumps out astronomically with just those few words, and you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t getting a little overwhelming. Ben glances over at you, knowing you’ve never been good with tense atmospheres like this. His eyes immediately flick down to your hands, taking note of the way you fidget with the strap of your bag. He also notices the way you subconsciously shift your weight, unable to feel comfortable with so much animosity burning between Mal and Audrey. 

He needs to get the Isle kids away from Audrey before she says anything to make this already less than ideal situation worse, but more importantly, he needs to get things moving along for your sake. Without realizing it, his top priority is immediately you and your comfort. Once he gets them all settled into their dorms, he can pull you aside and check on you, make sure you’re okay. He has to get the Isle kids settled into their dorms, go over their arrival with Fairy Godmother and a few council members, then he has a late dinner with his parents… he’ll have to find time to finish the mountain of paperwork that’s in progress, too. 

Even though it’s a lot to get done, he finds himself looking forward to it - even the paperwork. Especially the paperwork. He’s always found it relaxing, mostly because he knows you’ll be in the room with him while he does, journaling and organizing your photographs. You’re always happy to keep him company and ensure he has a warm cup of tea in his hands. 

He would never tell anyone that he likes doing paperwork - except for you, of course. He knows that if he told Audrey or her friends or the guys on the tourney team, they’d never let him hear the end of it. It turns out that being in line for the throne doesn’t mean you’re immune to being called a dork. But you’re always happy to keep him company. He has a feeling you find spending time quietly working on your journal while he goes through different forms and reports just as relaxing as he does.

You let out a little breath and he looks back over at you, at the polite smile plastered on your face and unsettled look in your eyes. It snaps him back to the present, and he looks between Audrey and the Isle kids.

“Okay!” He says, clapping his hands casually, but just loud enough to get their attention. “How bout a tour?”

He looks over at you, silently signaling that he has your back. You nod, matching his energy, and smiling at him. 

“Yeah.” You say softly. 

“Yeah?” He repeats, looking at the Isle kids, who seem to agree. Anything to avoid another Mal and Audrey conflict sounds great right now. Ben glances at you again, and he can tell you’re already feeling better. Or at least a little better than you were a few moments ago. You share one more look for a split second, sharing a silent reassurance, an understanding, and you can tell you’re thinking the same thing. This is going to be… interesting. 

[singukieee]

'24 A R C H I V E

—of fics I've read or been reading. this archive is being constantly updated!

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♡ : works I'm following closely

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① : oneshots

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['21 ARCHIVE]

['22 ARCHIVE]

['23 ARCHIVE]

[sankta-starkova]

THE OUTSIDERS

011 | what does the future hold

previous chapter | next chapter | masterlist

Warnings: allusions to sex

Summary: the one where daisy returns to camp from college and is blinded by her love for him, even as the world ends

Wordcount: 2.7k

PERCY, ANNABETH AND GROVER HAD one day. There was only one more day until the summer Solstice and she was getting more and more stressed out by the second.

The whole camp was on edge. She had to stay strong for the younger kids, make sure that everyone knew that it was going to be okay.

She didn't know that. She didnt know if everything was going to be. All she knew was that she would be turning 19 today.

With all of the fighting and the constant arguments, she hadn't been able to relax since the quest was started. She didn't even have time to remember her own birthday.

Luke did.

He had dragged her away from a music lesson with some of the newer kids to come and sit on the Dock.

It was her favourite spot. Nobody ever came to this area and it was where they would hang out - before and after they started dating.

Now it not only acted as their conversation spot, but a make-out spot - and a little more than that.

They sat on the crumbling Dock, legs swinging off of the side. It was peaceful for a second and she didn't even need to worry about all the turmoil going on in the world.

It was quiet. They just sat there and talked for a little while, eating strawberries and having fun.

He told her that he had a present. He turned around and grabbed his bag, pulling a little box out of there and then handing her the box.

She looked a bit suspicious before opening it. She gasped a little when she pulled out a small circle with a hook at the top, like a charm.

The ancient Greek instantly translated in her mind. LC. It was his initials on the necklace.

"It's from that song of that mortal you like, Tara Swift?" He questioned.

She laughed. She never got to listem to much music at camp but back in college, her best friend Holly had gotten her addicted to it, "Taylor. Taylor Swift,"

"I know you wear your camp beads all year round and I thought it kind of matches my one an-" he started to ramble on.

She cut him off with a kiss. She pressed her forehead against his and just allowed herself to get sweeped up in the moment.

"I love you," she muttered, pressing another kiss to his lips.

She could stay there forever in his embrace, just kissing him, holding him.

Then the thunder burst out over the sky and she jumped back, heart speeding up at the sound. This was all getting so real.

"The summer Solstice is tomorrow," She said nervously, pulling away from him.

The moment was over. Now it was back to reality and to the fate of the world which rested in the hands of two twelve year olds and a 24 year old satyr.

Luke placed a hand on her shoulder, "They might be there already," he reassured.

"Does it look like they are?" She snapped at him, hand pointed up at the sky.

Their eyes both looked up at the dark clouds that were spreading over the camp. It was getting worse by the second and she knew that something bad was coming.

She was silent as she looked over at Luke. He seemed shocked at her angry reaction but not shocked at her anger towards the Gods.

"I'm sorry. It's just all I can think about. What if we go to war?" She looked at him again, tears pooling in the waterline.

He shook his head, watching as a tear slipped down her cheeks. He reached up, wiping that tear away with the pad of his thumb.

He let his hand rest there for a second and she leaned into his touch, "You got to stop worrying about that. It will all work out in the end,"

"What do you think about then? If it's not the end of the world?" She asked.

She needed a change of subject, she couldn't keep thinking about the imminent end of the world.

He was silent for a second, thinking about what he could do to cheer her up. He had this plan he had been working on with Chrion and this was the perfect time to tell her.

"Chiron said he could pay me to teach them swordfighting. He suggested I should move out though when I want to," he explained.

She looked up at him, moving away from her previous position so they could have a conversation.

"Move where?" She questioned.

"There's this little house on the edge of camp property that nobody's lived on for years and I want to fix it up. That's where my mum wanted to live," he said with a smile on his face.

She loved all parts of Luke but sometimes he struggled to get out his emotions and what he really wanted.

That wall seemed to be non existent as he told her about his plans for the future and she loved that side of him.

She reached down, placing a hand on top of his which was on her thigh, "Is that when she wanted to become the oracle?"

"Yeah," there was a sombre tone to his voice at the thought of his mother.

She knew he had always struggled with what his father had done to her. He blamed it all on the Gods, all the bad things that happened in the world.

There was hesitation in his voice, almost like he was scared to say the next sentence, "I thought we could live there. Together," he suggested.

Silence fell over the two of them and all they could hear was the waves of the lake lapping at their feet.

She looked at him with wide eyes and Luke was starting to regret everything. Maybe he shouldn't have brought it up, maybe it was too much too soon. Maybe she hated the idea of living with him..

He started to backtrack in panic, "We don't have to. It's a fourty minute train journey from NYU so you can move in when I'm finished. It'll take me a while to renovate an-"

She cut him off, her hands going to each side of his face as she kissed him passionately.

He instantly kissed her back instantly. A weight was lifted off of his chest, one that he had been carrying around for months. She would go with him wherever.

"That's all I've ever wanted. Yes," she smiled at him before pressing another chaste kiss to his lips, "But I agree. I should finish school first,"

Luke had never felt so free. To know that they had the same ideas for the future made everything worth it. This plan was going to work out, they would stay together.

"It's big, three bedroom, I don't have to renovate them all yet, but if we want a family then it would be fine," he explained.

She blinked a couple of times, almost in shock. She didn't know that he had been thinking this far into the future, to kids, a family.

"If you don't want kids then you can say," Luke started to panic again, heart speeding up, "And if this is too much and I'm crazy then say,"

"Two kids," she stated and he physixally relaxed, "A boy and a girl, in that order"

"You've thought about it too?" He asked, the widest grin on his face.

"Just a little bit," she said almost teasingly. She had thought about it a lot, "One day we'll have it all Luke. The wedding, the house, the kids. We'll stay here forever,"

His stomach sank a little bit at the idea. If his plan didn't work out than it could be a long time before any of that would happen. It may never happen.

"What if the world changes before that? What if this war between the Gods gets worse?" He asked, a hand coming up to caress her cheek.

"We have each other. This war won't tear us apart. Plus, if Percy finishes this mission there won't be a war," she stated.

"The world still might not be the same afterwards. Are you prepared for that?" He asked, smile dropping from his face. He was serious now.

"Why so ominous Luke? Is there something you're not telling me?" She suggested, her smile faltering a little bit.

There was a beat of silence and then she shook her head, a smile on her face.  She trusted him with her life, he wouldn't hurt her on purpose.

"I dont know why I'd even suggest that," she said, looking into his eyes, "I know you wouldn't lie to me,"

"You love me right?" Luke asked, breaking the silence.

"Of course," she responded. It was an easy question.

"And I love you. I wouldn't lie about something unless it's to protect you, never. You're it for me," he promised.

Daisy felt a weight get lifted off of her chest. He wasn't going to hurt her, there was nothing wrong between them.

He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips. It started off slow but then he pulled her into his lap.

When they broke apart from their kiss, he could see the faint blush on her cheeks. He fell more and more in love with her every minute.

"This house. This family. We will have it all and there will be nothing that will stop me from getting it," he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, hand resting on her cheek, "I'd start a war for you baby,"

She laughed at the idea. She didn't need any of that. Daisy pressed a soft kiss to his lips, pulling away but leaving her hand on the nape of his neck, playing with the little hairs there.

"I don't want a war. I just want you," she promised, "I'm scared of losing you,"

"Is that what that nightmare was about?" He asked. They still hadnt talked about it and it had happened three days ago, "Was it him? The man?"

She nodded, almost scared to say it out loud, like something would punish her for it, "Yes Luke. But it was mostly about our quest. I don't know why it came back," she stated.

There was silence. She could tell something was wrong but assumed that it had something to do with the traumatic memories of the quest.

"Yeah, neither do I," he said, lying through his teeth.

There was silence. She lay her head against his chest and he kept his arms wrapped around her, holding him tight against her.

"Lets just enjoy this moment, before it all falls apart," he muttered into her hair

As she looked up at him, she knew that this was her soulmate.

The world was falling apart around them. There was going to be some sort of war and it wasn't looking good, the kids only had one more day. 

It didn't matter as long as she and Luke had one another. They could brave any storm together and they both knew that.

He tightened his arms around her, holding her close as the two enjoyed the silence. Soon, there wouldn't be any more peace and in all honesty, Luke was starting to doubt everything.

AFTER A WHILE, THEY MADE THEIR way back to camp. She looked over at Luke, smiling at his kiss bitten lips as she remembered what they had gotten up to in the seclusion of the woods.

He was having the same thoughts, glad she enjoyed her second birthday gift and it was clear from the slightly glossy look of her eyes - and the hickeys that were blooming under her shirt.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard her name get called and April started running up.

Daisy picked the girl up with ease, feeling the little kid tighten her arms around her. Luke smiled at her, a hand brushing over April's hair. She was unclaimed and he always made sure the unclaimed kids were doing alright, especially if they were 6 like April.

"Why is the thunder so loud?" She asked, nuzzling her head into Daisy's shoulder.

She looked over her head to look at Luke. They shared a look and then looked around camp.

All of the younger campers seemed nervous and as she sat down on the bench, a couple of the other ones sat down around them.

They ranged from 8 to about 13, all of them scared and worried about what was going to be happening to them.

"Well, the lightning says something to the thunder and the thunder says something back," she said, sitting April down on her lap. Luke sat down on the bench next to her.

"It doesn't sound nice," she said.

"Don't worry about it sweetheart," She promised before looking out at some of the other children, "none of you should be worried, Percy, Annabeth and Grover will make this all go away,"

She believed in, in her heart that they would solve it. She had all her faith in them, she just knew that maybe something might happen.

"Why don't we do something fun?" Luke suggested and some of the kids nodded enthusiastically.

"Volleyball!" One called out and then all the suggestions came flooding in, "Read us some stories," "Sword Fighting,"

Luke held his hand up, chuckling, "hands up if you want to do Volleyball," he asked.

The majority of them put their hands up and Luke stood up, telling them to get ready for the greatest volleyball tournament. Then the rain started.

Most of these kids had never experienced rain at camp. It was a rare occurrence and Daisy could only think of one other time it had happened.

"Come on then, story time it is. Everyone scramble into the Hermes cabin," she said, standing up with April still on her hip.

The kids covered their heads with their hands, running into the nearest cabin.

Luke and Daisy stood there for a second. He looked at her, noticing the worried crease between her eyebrows.

This was bad news.

"We'll be fine," he leaned over and kissed his girlfriend. When he pulled away, he saw a sad little April and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Lets go entertain them,"

Daisy watched as he ran off and she stood there for a second under the shelter, looking at the little girl.

"I don't like the rain," she said and Daisy sat her down on the bench.

She shrugged her own jacket off and wrapped it around the girl, pulling it over her head, "There. Now the rain won't get you," she said as she picked the girl up again.

She nuzzled into her shoulder again, "I love you Daisy,"

Her heart melted as she looked at the little girl who had never had anyone to love her.

"I love you more April," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked over at Luke as he stood in the doorway, ushering the other kids over, "We're going to look after you here. You'll never have to worry about anything ever again,"

She pressed her finger against the girls nose and she giggled. She laughed even more as Daisy ran across the grass, reaching the inside.

She put her down and April instantly rushed over to her bed.

"What story can you read us?" Nathan, a 10 year old son of Aphrodite asked.

She hummed, sitting down in the one chair in the room. Luke sat down on the floor next to her, looking up at her.

"How about the tale of Eros and Psyche?" She suggested before she began to explain the tale.

Luke looked up at her, love in his eyes. He loved to see her interacting with the kids, being so caring. It made him smile as he pictured their future.

He could imagine her now. A little boy who had his dark curly hair and her smile. In her arms would be a little girl who would look up at him with his eyes.

There was a pit in his stomach as he wondered if it would never happen and he would ever get to have a future with her.

For now, he just ignored that sinking feeling. This would all work out and he would be able to sit in that little cabin with her one day, a ring on both of their fingers.

He got lost in her story, him and all of the kids listening to her as the thunder rumbled behind him. It was all going to work out as planned.

Taglist:

@b3bybunny @inejghafawifesblog

[kayssweetdreams]

Maestro Hiccups 3: Chaos Incarnate Ch 24

You look towards the door that lead outside. If you could pry it open, all the soup would come rushing out, and you could get to Leo and Haoyu. You scan the room looking for anything that could be of use, when you spot some cooking utensils as big as you nearby.

"Yuri? Could you grab some of those? I have an idea!" You ask, pointing towards them. "Sure! C'mon Wormy!" She says, rushing towards the larger than life utensils. Yuri grabs a very large fork, while Wormsworth manages to get a huge knife, and a gigantic spoon. The two of them rush back to you, with your large utensils in hand. "Good! Now Follow me!" You say, leading them over to the door.

You take a leap of faith, jumping over other things that were poking above the boiling bisque, before reaching solid ground. AND The door. You then stick your fork in, and begin prying at the shut door. Emma and Yuri join you as you attempt to catch a grip on the large door. The three of you use as much combined strength as you could to at least crack the door open, when you notice a small sliver of light coming from the door. You smile "It's working! Keep going!" You yell out.

The three of you continue to strain, before you feel the door finally open, allowing the boiling soup to flood out into the endless cloudy sky that existed in Haoyu's world. You watched as the soup level got lower and lower, finally enabling Haoyu and Leo to jump down in front of you. "Whoo...Thanks, I was sweating like crazy from up there." Leo said, ringing out his clothes. "Hey! On the bright side, the bass is off, and now we can go look for the others" Emma said.

"Yeah. But let's get back to Balan real quick. We gotta make sure that his hiccups haven't done TOO much damage...and we need something to keep poor Y/N's eyes from acting up." Haoyu says, gazing at your rose colored eyes. "He's right. Considering how the hiccups make things much...harder as time goes by, you're gonna need something to keep you from losing your mind." Leo states. You rub at your pink eyes, he absolutely DID have a point. You couldn't keep walking around, bumping into stuff that wasn't there.

"Well then, Let's go! Next stop! The theater!" Haoyu says, directing you towards the exit. A door with a top hat meets your vision as you all walk through it...and fall to your inevitable demise...

The End.

Gotcha didn't I?

When you finally stop falling, you find yourself in something wet, but also sweet. Getting up, you see that you have fallen into a very big strawberry pie. Shaking away the filling, you see Balan looking rather concerned, but he seemed to talking to someone you haven't seen before. He was tall and thin LIKE Balan, but the different was that he was more dark, and possessed multi-colored tentacles on his back.

The pie you find yourself in immediately turned into a diamond encrusted bathtub, prompting you to let out a surprised squeal, catching both of their attention. Balan immediately rushed to your side "Dear Y/N! You're back and you've found Leo! That makes two down, and 5 more to to!" He says bombastically. However, just as the words left his mouth, a loud "HIC!" was heard. However, this didn't come from Balan, but rather the tentacled man behind him.

All of a sudden, various bats came flying down and trying to take a bite from you. But due to your rosy eyes, you saw various butterflies gently fluttering down to you. "Ooh! Pretty butterflies!" You coo, holding out a hand for them. You hear another voice yell out in fear "What in Wonderworld are you doing?! Don't you know that trouble might be brewing?!" You heard the voice say, as well as something wrapping around your wrist to drag them away from the 'butterflies'

You tug at your wrists, only to realize it must have come from the other person talking. "Whoops! I forgot to mention, this is my counterpart Lance, it slipped my mind from the tension." You hear Balan's voice say. "OH! So you're Lance! I guess that hiccup came from you then...but if Balan's hiccups make reality go insane, what do your hiccups do?" You ask. "Lance's hiccups are different than mine, but the effect is still less than fine. For Lance's hiccups you see, make one's worst fears a reality." Balan explained.

You visibly pale at his statement. ONE case of magic hiccups were bad enough, but two at the same time? This was gonna be tough... You notice that Haoyu begins running over to you "Actually, about that Balan...your hiccups DID end up effecting Y/N..." He said, gesturing your pink eyes. Balan leans in close, a worried expression on his face "Oh dear, forgive me...I didn't think that they'd mess with your ability to see." Balan says "Um...it's OK Balan, but do you think that you have anything that might help with Y/N's senses?" Leo asks.

"I may have something, but it's only a prototype, but if it works, it'll be worth the hype." Balan says. He retreats into the maestros quarters, before coming back with what appeared to be an odd looking pair of glasses, and a special kind of sleeves. "These are creations of my own design, they tell you what is dangerous, and what is fine. If you keep on the glasses, you'll see what is real, and having on the sleeves, you'll know what you can feel." He says. "There, however are some kinks that haven't been worked out yet, though if you give them a test, I'll know about the rest!"

You look down at the sleeves and glasses. On the one hand, These could help you see reality for what it was, and you could finally know what you're looking at and touching when you went to find the others. However, Balan DID say there were some kinks to work out still...what exactly ARE those kinks? Could they make your odd senses of feeling and sight permanent? What if they fused to your body and never came off? The risks and the reward are equally matched

[sondrox]

Through Rocks and Snow Ch. 24 - Moon Berry

FFN: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14146784/24/Through-Rocks-and-Snow

AO3:Through Rocks and Snow - Chapter 24

24. Moon Berry

Prompt: Faulty

Old habits die hard.

So far away as to before Madeline first climbed Celeste Mountain, she still distracted herself from her problems with more problems, those problems being of her own making was nothing but a bonus.

And trying to solve those problems while at the same time having no foreseeable solution at hand? Cherry on top of the cake.

It was like an addiction to her, truly.

And what’s the worst possible solution to get rid of an addiction?

Replace it with another addiction, of course!

Or in this case, another problem.

Madeline’s inability to grieve properly Granny’s death led her to recede to an even worst position she had started with in the beginning of her journey.

It is ironic how inside one’s mind is the best place to lost it, as Madeline did in her dream.

A lowkey part of herself wished she could say only a dream could make her see following a bird through actual freaking space as a logical thing to do.

That was not the case.

Was her volition to chase after a bird out of a hopeful wish—nonsensical but hopeful nonetheless— to see Granny again, or it was because problems were all Madeline knew.

Problems are like the past, everyone can visit them all the time, but you’re the only one there.

She reached the moment where she was on the verge of completing this one journey, hopefully find Granny and go back to her life. That moment where the end is visible and everything comes down to doing just one more thing, one final step.

All so she could go back to her life, a life that was empty of problems, and therefore, empty of direction. Ironically, a life out of life.

Among all the rush, an outsider would think choices were made in a split second. Choices like taking a step back. They were not.

Problems being all Madeline knew, it was a language she was fluent in. A world she knew how to live in, comfortably in even so.

A step back turned into another, another step back turned into a jump, a jump into a sprint, and a sprint into a dash.

Dashing away not from her problems, but into more of them. Just in the utmost particular way she had learnt in those past years.

If only she had a resemblance to the mountain, a souvenir of some sort…

Thit was her dream, a mindly mindless one, but hers; she could have anything she wanted.

Or, almost anything for that matter. Hah.

The sweet smell of strawberries mixed with stardust filled Madeline’s eyes. She could smell the supernovas and taste the grey of the rocks. She could hear the stars moving light years away from her in all directions.

And so she was.

A dream highlighted and enhanced a person’s psyche. This whole…seeing what otherwise you would not see, maybe it made all this trouble worth it.

Aaaaand…there it is again.

Even among dreams, reality leaks in.

And how does reality leaks into a dream?

By telling you, this is, in fact a dream.

And dreams are meant to finish when you wake up, and you go back to reality, and your problems are not as lifeful as you would want to imagine in a dream, they are bland, they are boring, they are monotonous, they are wearing…they are soul-eating.

And then, the new problems you face your old problems with are this lot of wonderful, awing scenarios and places and worlds and feelings only for so long.

How much was enough? What did draw the line? How one beat the game one created?

Because winning definitely was not the solution.

Madeline dived deeper and higher into space, the sweet and cosmic tastes continued to ravish her senses, until her eyes laid upon a strawberry unlike any other she had seen before.

A strawberry green as grass with blue leaves over it. A ring of stars surrounded it like if the strawberry was a planet. Full of life, full of potential.

And Madeline was a blackhole.

[sunspray-peak]

Ch. 11: The Flower Festival Pt. 1

WEDNESDAY - SPRING 24

Achilles had always been an early riser. Today, he had spent his sunrise hanging the last of the new shelves up in the greenhouse, when he once again acutely felt that invisible something watching him. 

“Hello?” He stepped off his footstool and exited the greenhouse. Robin had done a bang up job, it was spacious and the new, unmarred glass glimmered in the early sun. “Listen, I’m moving in a few days, if you want an autograph, just ask.” He turned back around from locking the door and jumped. 

There, waiting for him just outside, was a junimo. 

Or at least, that’s what he assumed it was. He wasn’t sure what the hell else it could be, he had never seen anything like it—Jas’ picture books hadn’t been consistent in their depictions, and he hadn’t found any record of them in the museum library either (though that wasn’t saying much, the library had about two books). 

But it was, without a doubt, the creature that had been stalking him over the past season. 

Round, the size of a basketball, but slightly more squat on the bottom, almost like a gumdrop. A small antenna poked out from the top like a single, thick strand of hair. Or perhaps like an apple stem—this particular junimo was as green as a Granny Smith. 

“Is it you who’s been watching me?” Achilles asked, not hesitating to get closer. He kneeled from about a foot away, reaching his hand out as if it were a cat. “Pspspspsps. Can you understand me?” 

The junimo seemed to shake its head, except that it was pretty much all head, so it may have just been swaying from side to side. It puttered forward, black eyes gazing rather sorrowfully at Achilles. 

“Perhaps not,” Achilles murmured, for he still felt as if something—something unseen—was watching them both. “Unless there are more of you out there lurking?” 

The junimo gave a bounce and then scurried away. 

“Come back—” He started to give chase, but then thought better of it. Leave spirits be, that’s what every student in Monstera was taught. But whether that was for the spirit’s benefit or humanity’s own, Achilles wasn’t sure. And he wasn’t quite in the mood today to take any chances. 

Well, he was done with the greenhouse now. He was, in fact, pretty much done with everything. He and Shane had finished painting the house days ago, and Robin had been quick with the renovations and had complimented their hard work. (“Looks better than it ever did when your grandpa lived here!”). 

The inside of the farm house was minimally staged. He had purchased new furniture, of course, but Achilles had never been one to keep much “stuff” (he saw most things as clutter), and he figured any prospective buyers wouldn’t be purchasing Strawberry Farms for the farmhouse anyway. No, it’d be for the land. 

Which reminded him… He still needed to paint that damn Strawberry Farms sign he had been procrastinating on. But hey… what was the rush, really? He still had four days before the realtor came, he needed to save something for tomorrow, right? 

All in all, he thought, as he returned the tools to a small storage shed he had repainted, there was nothing left to keep his hands busy. But he knew from previous experience the condition in which idleness left him, so he focused his mind on the latest task at hand: the Flower Festival. It was supposedly one of the bigger festivals in Stardew, and he had reasoned to himself that it’d be a great opportunity to get a better feel for the wider community—research for that elusive personal touch. He had already made a list in his notebook of Stardew Valley quirks to better enhance the inevitable advertisements.

Very BRLO of you… still can’t ever escape, can you?

He had overheard Penny discussing her dress with Maru the other day in Pierre’s. How excited they were! It must’ve been a Valley thing; he had actually never heard of the holiday in Hyacinthia, although there hadn’t been too many flowers there to celebrate anyway. 

After showering and changing into a favorite button down (tiny blue flowers embroidered across; it seemed appropriate, and he wanted to look good), he headed south to Cindersap Forest, restless and eager to get a feel for the festival before the crowds came. Maybe he’d ask Lewis to tell him a bit more about the history of the event. Something, anything. He’d take any excuse to do whatever now. 

“Look at you here!” Speak of the devil. Mayor Lewis sauntered towards him upon sight, arm raised in ready-to-clap position. There was that familiar thunk on his back; Achilles returned the gesture. “Well, well, well. Had to beg on my knees to get you to stop by the Egg Festival and now you’re here an hour early, you rascally boy!” 

Ew. 

“I thought perhaps I could assist with the set up or… something.” Eh. Actually, on second thought, he didn’t need a history lesson from this guy. 

Regardless, a quick glance indicated there didn’t seem to be too much left to set up. The forest floor was somehow bedecked with even more flowers than usual—magic, perhaps. Pastel garlands snaked the trees and roped around the temporary fence that had been erected around what Lewis told him would be the dance floor. The wild daffodils and dandelions had been allowed to grown unencumbered out here in Cindersap, but oak barrels containing blue jazz and tulips of every shade had been scattered along the clearing.

As was the case with the Egg Festival, long tables had been set up, this time clothed in blush with blue and cream floral embroidery. Gus was busy arranging little vases of matching flowers, for it was too early for any dishes to be brought out. 

Baby shower chic, Achilles thought to himself. At least there’s food.

The instruments for a string quartet were resting on chairs over on a small raised platform. 

“I think we’ve got everything pretty much handled,” Lewis said, rubbing his palms together. “Why don’t you head back and get ready?” 

“Hmm? Oh. I am ready.” 

Lewis eyed him up and down. “You’re not planning on wearing that are you?” 

Excuse me? 

“Oh. Well. Actually, I was.” 

“Oh. Oh, no. No, no… Absolutely not.” 

All right, when did you become the Mayor of fashion you old fart—

“Is there… something wrong with the way I’m dressed?” Achilles lingered a bit on the “I’m” as he returned Lewis’ treatment, eyeing the man’s suspenders and hideous, bright green dress shirt and clashing yellow paisley tie. 

“I’m gonna change, I’m gonna change,” Lewis grumbled. He glanced around and, spotting Haley who had been putting the finishing touches on an incredibly ornate flower arch, pointed his finger and said, “Haley, help this man with his clothing, please.” 

Haley tossed her golden hair over her shoulder and shot the mayor a dirty look, but strutted over (although only after taking her sweet time rearranging a stray fern). Lewis patted her shoulder. “This is how you should be dressing.” 

Despite the (maternal) family business, Achilles had never quite wrapped his head around the fashion world. He could tell his business casual from his black tie, his Art Deco from Art Nouveau, but everything beyond what would be taught in an intro level class, he just simply never had the eye for. Achilles himself had never had a “style” (unless one counted button downs with eclectic yet minimal patterns and prints). He had always just bought whatever he thought looked good. 

In looking at Haley, who was dressed in a flowing, corseted blush gown with periwinkle puffed sleeves and lace triim lined with embroidered blue and pink flowers, a slightly more in-tune person may have called the attire cottage core, or at the very least, rural. 

Achilles on the other hand, simply saw a nice dress. Maybe a little old fashioned. Beautiful, yes—though he believed Haley could likely elevate even the drabbest articles of clothing—but it didn’t help Achilles quite figure out what exactly was wrong with his own outfit. 

And thus, he couldn’t help but respond with some cheek.

“I’m not wearing a dress, Lewis.” 

The mayor scowled. “Just like your grandpa; watch the sass, young man, I’m simply trying to save your reputation. Not to mention our community’s reputation, because what are we all?”

He paused, hand cupped to his ear as he waited for a response neither Haley nor Achilles were ever going to give. 

Lewis scowled again. “Because we are all representatives of our community, come on now. Haley, just help Achilles out, will ya? You girls know clothes.” 

Haley sighed, but took Achilles arm in her own. “It’s really just Emily who ‘knows clothes,’ Lewis. But sure. I’ll help. Look at me, helping our community…” 

Lewis shot her a thumbs up. 

She led Achilles back onto the farm.  

“It’ll be faster than cutting through Pelican Town,” she explained with yet another patronizing little sigh. 

“Look, I can change, just tell me what I need to do to escape Lewis’ wrath.” Achilles attempted to maneuver his arm out of Haley’s, hands already reaching for his house keys, but she roped him back with a firm grip, the dangling bracelets on her wrist whipping his forearms as she wrenched him right off his own porch.

“I don’t think you of all people will have the sort of clothes Lewis is looking for.” 

“The hell does ‘me of all people’ mean?” Just back to back insults, put that on the real estate listing… community my ass… Nevertheless, he allowed himself to be dragged off the property. Shopping with Haley was sure to be an interesting enough distraction. A convenient task for his dwindling To-Do list.  

“Your button downs and that color blocked windbreaker you’re always wearing—”

“—my mother made that for me, you know, and I can’t help that you have very windy Springs out here—”

“Believe it or not, Achilles.” They had reached the bus stop, and here, Haley paused and turned, grasping Achilles’ shoulders. She was remarkably tall, he was only now realizing, just like her sister, perhaps only an inch shorter than him, and her grip was iron. “Your mom’s luxury fashion brand just isn’t going to cut it here. You’re in farm country now. ”

She released him, only to once again seize him by the arm and lead him down a tiny side road he had never noticed before. “And besides, what can I say. I love a project—”

“A project—”

“And I’m feeling an urge to go shopping.” 

Achilles glanced down the path—they were heading north, not east. “We aren’t taking the bus…?” 

Haley spared him a glance, her cold blue eyes burrowing deep into his own brown ones, before tossing her head back and laughing. “You’re hilarious.” 

*****

Who knew Pelican Townsfolk had cars? It felt… wrong—too shiny, too loud, too mechanical for the Valley. And yet, the parking lot tucked behind the railroad and above the only major highway was larger than he would have ever expected, though the vast majority of the spaces were empty. 

“Helps in the summer when tourists and all those other people come for the beach. And festival days—ugh, thank Yoba Marnie convinced Lewis to give us reserved spaces, or it’d be a pain in the ass to park when we get back…”

Haley led him to a sapphire convertible, the only car that was backed into a space. She unlocked the doors and slid smoothly in as Achilles followed on the passenger side. Leather seats. Not bad. 

“I wish Emily could’ve come, she’s better than me at this.” Haley glanced in the rearview mirror and briefly fixed her hair before starting the ignition. “But she’s got to help Gus with the catering. But don’t worry, we’ll have you ready for the Flower Festival in no time.” She shifted the car into drive, and rolled out of the gravel lot. 

“What even is the Flower Festival? What are we celebrating?” 

“Flowers, of course.” Haley glanced towards the right lane, catching Achilles’ scoff before merging onto the highway. “Yoba, I don’t know, Achilles, it’s just a fun festival we have every year with dancing and food. Don’t be so damn serious.” 

Don’t be so serious. Well who was taking this damn thing serious enough that he was being forced to buy a whole new outfit? But his retort was pummeled back down his throat by the wind as the convertible—rooftop now down—roared down the road. Way too fast for his liking, he had a tendency to get motion sickness, but there were barely any other cars. In fact, they made it to Zuzu in half the time it would have taken the bus. 

Haley nodded towards a boutique to their right. The large sheets of glass that made up the storefront revealed a rather minimal selection hanging off too-neat clothing racks inside. 

“Realignment—size inclusive, high quality, and sustainable, so you know it’s a family favorite.” She pulled up to a red sedan then rapidly rotated the wheel to back in against the curb. “I took the photos in the window, actually.” 

“Oh, very nice.” Achilles’ eyes lingered on the triptych covering the right-most pane of glass - a series of black and white portraits, slightly blurred, the models looking just off camera. Hauntingly mysterious, yet intriguingly approachable. 

Very effective advertising. 

“Alex said you were a great photographer, he suggested maybe I hire you to come out and shoot the farm for the listing.” 

Haley threw her head into the headrest and laughed as she removed the key from the ignition. “That’s very sweet of Alex, but,” she nodded once again at the store front. “No. I do people. Portraits, mostly.” 

With the car parked, Achilles hopped out and nearly had one foot in the door of the store before noticing Haley still sitting primly in the driver’s seat. She watched him expectantly. 

Grumbling silently to himself, he circled the convertible and opened her door. “All the guys do this for you?” 

“All the guys and all the girls, don’t be sexist.” She took the hand he had half-mockingly offered and stepped gingerly out, raising her skirts so that the pale pink cloth avoided the street. 

“Alex do this for you?” Achilles couldn’t help but add to his query as they entered the boutique. Over the past season, he had struggled to parse out the relationship between Alex and Haley—clearly they were very close, always linking arms… but also clearly (as he kept forcing himself to remember) it didn’t matter. He’d be gone soon. 

“Well, he’s a guy, isn’t he?” She gave a tight-lipped smile, but her eyes twinkled, just like her sister’s had, rather knowingly. 

The boutique seemed to be mostly women’s apparel; but after a whispered conversation with one of the sales associates (Realignment felt like a place one should whisper—with no music playing, the bright white lights and walls seemed to ask for sterility in sight and sound), the two were led to the second floor. 

“Would you like us to go ahead and start a room for you?” The sales associate offered to take the pants Achilles had just taken down from the rack.

“Yes, that’d be great, thank you.” 

“And your name?” 

“Achilles, it’s spelled like “Ah-kill-eeze.”

“Love it. Great, we’ll just get that started for you. Would you like us to also go ahead put some suggestions we think might be a great fit for the Flower Festival?”

“You know what, that’d actually be amazing, thank you.” 

“Of course.” 

 Whereas Haley circled the selections from afar like a hawk, not striking until she was 100% confident in the selection, Achilles, still not entirely sure what he was looking for, merely grabbed things off the racks without a second thought or even a first glance at either price or size tags. 

But after sorting through the vast assortment of clothes that had piled up, the two were able to put together a suitable outfit for the Flower Festival. 

“Ooo, boy, that looks so good on you!” A sales associated whistled as he did a final walk around for Haley. Achilles mostly brushed it off—that’s how they get you to spend money, mmhm—but still couldn’t help but blush. 

“Should I get a cowboy hat, too?” Catching Haley’s eye in the back of the full-length mirror, he pretended to tip an invisible cap before taking another minute to look at himself. It was all quite brown. Very brown, really, especially for someone used to usually wearing color. 

Tan high waisted pants. A brown belt. A dark brown, loose-fit, long sleeved button down of whose likeness he probably already owned. Haley had approved the brown oxfords he had already been wearing. His hair was mostly a dark brown, his eyes an even darker shade of brown. Fifty shades of brown. 

“It’s cottage core, not cowboy core.” Haley walked over and adjusted his already perfectly-adjusted collar. “You know, I think it looks good.” She patted his chest and smiled at him through the mirror. “We did good.” 

“I’m about to churn some butter.” 

Haley rolled her eyes and stalked off, block heels clattering on the wooden floors. “I can tell you think it looks good, too, Achilles, don’t try to play me.” 

Achilles laughed quietly to himself, turning again for the mirror. Yeah, he did look good. Would Alex think he looked good, too?

Stop that, it doesn’t matter.

*****

Ready this time, Achilles walked to the other side of the car to open the door for Haley, only to find her once again throwing her head back and laughing as she slid into the leather seat. 

“Honestly, Achilles, I just wanted to see if you’d do it. I don’t actually have people open my door for me. Can you imagine?” 

Achilles crossed his arms firmly from the sidewalk. 

“Now get in, it’s already noon, we’re running late.” 

“Only if you open my door for me.” 

With another roll of her eyes, Haley leaned over from the driver’s seat and unceremoniously yanked open the door handle “There, you pompous little porcupine of a man. Now let’s go.” 

[slayagami]

1. probably for some cake..

2. Open Arms- Journey, Californication- RHCP, Yellow Ledbetter- Pearl Jam, Livin’ on a Prayer- Bon Jovi

3. maybe a model

4. tbh im not sure

5. the earn with my dog’s ashes :)

6. Ollie, Steve, Rosie, E-Lizard-Beth (Lizzie), Walter, Copper, Duke, Coal, Baloo, Socks, Apollo

7. just grandma and grandpa

8. Dancing

9. being able to feel emotions + love again!

10. kinder-1st grade, i shared a room with my parents and my ‘room’ was their closet. 2nd-11th grade, it was SMALL and dirty. mainly hello kitty. 12th grade to recent, its a pretty big bedroom with a vanity and walk in closet, mainly kpop posters and my manga all around.

11. normally dont dream, but if its a scary dream then im always being chased down so they can k word me LOL.

12. anytime with my ex-bf, he was great.

13. my eyes!

14. french toast, stir fry, chicken casserole.. anything my parents make

15. bully 😭 im so mean

16. Low-SZA, Impurities-Le Sserafim, Fairy of Shampoo-TXT, POPPY-STAYC, Ditto-New Jeans

17. i like my name, its spelled a unique way. my nicknames are ‘kie’, ‘kyle’ or ‘kiwi’ (only by 2)

18. PINK! two stories, a pool, high ceilings, beautiful countertops and two car garage

19. first crush: warren (1st grade) first friend: alicia (1st grade)

20. im not sure..

21. doja cat + the weeknd songs.. and TXT songs

22. bts ly:tear

23. im not sure LOL idkkk

24. santa? i never believed in him tho

25. hello kitty and anime

26. yes, plenty. both friend and relationships

27. “Assignments, ch.presentations, 2 questions CH. 6 DUE: 10.31”

28. …a cat

29. oliver and company, strawberry shortcake

30. its a popular city, a military city.

31. “you say we’ll make up, why’d you say that? why’d you break up?” (pink pantheress-all my friends know)

32. 777 by cuco remind me of my junior-senior year with my friend group and all the fun memories we had

33. the machine that spills oil and continuously pushes it back to itself makes me emotional ):

34. cool air, warm sun, no clouds

35. my brother holding me when i was a baby

36. harold and the purple crayon!

37. yes! i performed it in elementary school with little moves, i dont really remember which one tho

38. when my dog passed away in august

39. i wanna learn to dance more and how to get better at it

40. sam and colby scary videos

41. a veterinarian

42. to be honest im not sure. im always introverted, maybe in 6th grade

43. she understands me so well, and never judges no matter how delusional i get

44. MY BESTIE

45. my dad giving me a hug :)

46. eating chick fil a

47. going to bed!

48. more freedom, less friends.

sentimental ask game <3

What’s the last recipe you tried?

What music did you grow up on? Describe your parent’s music taste using four songs.

What’s your dream job, if money or convenience wasn’t a factor?

What’s something a friend recommended to you recently?

Most precious item you own.

What are the names of all your pets throughout the years?

What do you call your grandparents?

What’s a hobby you want to pick up?

What’s something that moved you recently or made you feel hopeful?

What did your childhood bedroom look like?

Are there any recurring themes in your dreams?

Any good memories from this time of year?

What do you like about yourself?

What’s your favorite food from what you grew up eating at home?

How do you show affection?

What have you been listening to? Name one song from each of your 5 recently played albums.

Do you like the name your parents gave you? Are you named after anyone? Do you have any nicknames?

What does your dream home look like?

What’s the name of your first crush or first friend?

A piece of media you’re still thinking about long after first consuming it. What about it stuck with you?

What songs were you obsessed with last year?

What was the first album you purchased?

What are some of your favorite pieces of media in your native language?

Is there any sort of folklore or mythological creature you were told about as a kid?

What were you obsessed with when you were younger?

Have you had relationships/friendships you thought would last forever but didn’t?

Quote something from your notes app.

As a kid, what did you play pretend as?

What are your comfort movies/shows?

Tell me about the place where you grew up. Is it known for anything? Do you like it there?

A lyric that feels like it was written specifically for you/about you.

Is there a scent, color, song, etc. that takes you back to a specific year?

An artwork that makes you feel things.

What’s your favorite kind of weather?

Describe an old photograph of yourself/your parents/family that you love.

What were your favorite books as a kid?

Have you ever memorized a poem?

When was the last time you cried?

Are you staying curious? What’s something you’ve learned recently? What do you want to learn more about?

YouTube videos you genuinely enjoy watching.

What was your dream job as a kid?

What was the first time you remember feeling seen (by another person, a story, a fictional character, etc.)?

What do you love about your best friend?

Who or what are you missing right now?

Tell me about a time someone was gentle with you.

A simple pleasure from this week.

What are you looking forward to right now?

What’s different now from last year?

[becuzpurple]

Chapter 24:  All the Strawberries, Pt.  4 - Maybe It’s You

This is a reposting of Ch 24, now split into 5 parts.

Here be part 4!

(part 3)

Friday 12 February

The next morning I did wake up sore in all of the predictable places.  It was nothing terrible, but it was definitely noticeable.  A long, hot shower helped a bit, but I thought maybe a day off from any shenanigans might not be a bad idea, much to my and Ed’s disappointment.

Luckily, there are other things to do in and around Valle de Guadalupe.  The region is renowned for its vineyards, and there is a plethora of wine tours and tastings to choose from.  There are horseback riding stables, museums, picturesque hiking trails, and artists’ communities.  I made the decision for both of us that horseback riding would NOT be an option, though, because ouch! We decided that we wanted to learn about and sample more of the local wine, and we also wanted to do some hiking and enjoy the scenery, and whatever else this beautiful, secluded stretch of Baja California had to offer.

We were out the door by 10:30 am, loading our backpacks into the Jeep we’d rented back in San Diego.  Our hosts had told us about a nearby campground called El Salto, where there is a scenic waterfall trail.  We were told it’s suitable for any age or skill level, and there is an idyllic picnic area at the end of the 1.5 mile trail.  So, we dressed accordingly, packed sandwiches, water, grapes, cheese, some wine, and a large blanket for a picnic lunch, along with everything we’d need for safety/first aid, just in case the need arose, and we headed out.

The entrance to El Salto Campground is around a hairpin turn along a canyon road just off the highway, but it’s marked with a very large sign.  We made the turn, and in a very short time found ourselves passing through the nearly empty campsites along not much more than a 2-lane dirt path.  It led us through the back of the campground, and we finally spotted a marked trailhead leading to the El Salto waterfall.  We parked  and began our little trek over the dirt trail.

Our hosts were correct - it is a simple trail, with very a gradual decline in elevation.  There are no crumbling rocks or slippery stones.  Our visibility was 100%, and the temperature was perfect - we were fine in our hoodies.  There is one main path with a few forks from start to finish, but there are clear sign pointing the way to the waterfall at each branch.

What should have been a 20-30 minute hike took us almost 50 minutes, though, because I kept stopping to take pictures.  It’s a hobby that I fall into and out of a few times a year - photography.  I sometimes go to the forest preserves near our house and take pictures there...I used to go at least a few times a year, during different seasons.  I love capturing the lushness of summer, the vivid colors of fall, the starkness of winter, spring rebirth… But I sort of fell away from it in the last few years.  Being there on that trail and seeing the unique, arid, desert landscape reminded me of the beauty in nature that I used to seek out so often, and the bug hit me again.

Ed didn’t seem to mind my constant stops at all.  In fact, he was really curious about the things I chose to photograph, and wondered out loud more than once how I knew what to capture.

“What do you look for?  How do you know it will make a good photograph?”

“Umm, I don’t really look for anything in particular - just whatever strikes my fancy, I guess.  It might be the shape of a leaf, or how the sunlight peeks through tree branches, or something that seems slightly out-of-place, like a paved path through the woods, or a brightly painted tree stump.  Or something that’s pretty.”

“I didn’t know you like photography.”

“Yeah…it’s just a casual hobby, I guess.  I haven’t done it in a while.  I’ve never taken any classes, or bought any actual equipment.  I just use my phone, and then I, um, have a few different editing apps for fixing them up afterwards.  It’s nothing fancy.”

Just then I stopped again, spying some interesting junipers against the canyon wall.  I walked around them a few times, trying to find a good shot.

“Nah, not going to work,” I mumbled to myself.

We continued along the trail at a leisurely pace, and soon could hear the muted clamor of water hitting rocks.  As we got closer, the echo of the falls grew louder.  Finally, we saw it.  The falls were separated from us by a very wide ravine, and were falling from a pretty impressive height - at least 100 feet.  We were atop a very large ledge - about 15 feet wide and the same depth.  A low, wooden fence kept hikers from getting too close to the ledge, but didn’t interfere with the gorgeous view.  There were wildflowers sprouting all over along the cracks and fissures of the ground beneath our feet, and too many pine trees to count stretched up from the various ledges near the bottom of the canyon.  The waterfall emptied into what looked more like a collecting pool than a stream.  I couldn’t see where it led.

We stopped in our tracks when the falls came into view, and just stood still, silently admiring the sight for a few minutes.  Eventually, Ed took my hand and led me a little closer, where we slipped off our packs and laid out our blanket and our picnic lunch.  I put out the food while Ed opened and poured the wine.  He used the lids of the Tupperware™ containers as small trays to set our plastic wine glasses on so they wouldn’t topple over.

I took a sip, smiled at Ed, and then looked up at our breathtaking view for a moment before I spoke, still smiling.  “I love this.  All of it - the hike, the picnic, the view...the company…”

He gave me a small grin and a nod, and held up his wine in a toast.  

I raised mine up to his.  “This...is perfect,” he said with a small sigh and a relaxed smile.

We bumped our plastic glasses together.

“Slainte!”

“Salud!”

It wasn’t a large meal, but once finished we were both pleasantly full, and feeling lazy - which was fine, since we weren’t in a hurry to do anything or go anywhere.  Using our backpacks as pillows (with our jackets strategically placed inside as cushions), we laid back on our blanket in the grass and drank in the loveliness of it all.  We didn’t speak much - just a few occasional observations here and there.  It was a comfortable kind of quiet.  Relaxed.  Tranquil.  

Ed kept his eyes closed for a good, long time.  I wondered if he might have fallen asleep.  He looked rested and content.  

I decided that I wanted to take a few more pictures of the area, so I quietly sat up and grabbed my phone, intending to sneak off while he snoozed.

“Where you off to?”

I looked over, and he was still laying down, but was peering at me through curious eyes.

“Oh, I thought you were asleep.  I was just going to take some more pictures.  I won’t go far.”

“OK.  Have fun.” He grinned and puckered his lips for a quick kiss, which I happily delivered before wandering off in search of a different kind of pretty.

There were a lot of different paths and trails around the falls, allowing me to take some really nice shots from various vantage points.  There wasn’t really a lot of wildlife that I could see, unfortunately.  There were birds, but I’m bad at being quiet enough so as to not frighten them away.  So, I focused on the falls, the canyon, and the plant life.  

I didn’t want to go too far or be away too long, so after about 30 minutes I made my way back to our picnic spot.  I could see right away that Ed wasn’t on our blanket. After quickly scanning the immediate area I spotted him close to the ravine, watching the waterfall.  He was absolutely still.  The only sound was the crashing of the water on the rocks below.  I pulled my phone out of my pocket and took a series of stills of him in profile, admiring the stunning view. He had no idea I was there.

I pocketed my phone and just watched him for a few seconds before seeking his attention.

“Hey!” I called out, approaching him at his vantage point.

He turned toward my voice and smiled, waving me over.  When I arrived next to him I wrapped an arm around his waist as he draped his over my shoulders.  We stood appreciating the view silently for a minute or so before either of us spoke.

“Did you get anything good?”

“Yeah, I think so.  I won’t know for sure until I can transfer them to my laptop.  I can see them much better there.  But I think so.”

“Do you ever do anything with the photos you take?  Like sell or display them?”

“Oh, no, I’ve never even tried to sell any of them.  But I do have some framed and up in the house.  I’ll show you next time you’re over.”

“Cool.  I’m curious about your arty side.” He gave me a thoughtful look, and then smiled.  “Should we head back do you think?”

I checked the time on my phone - almost 1:30.  “Yeahhhh...our wine-tasting is at 3.”

“Oh, yeah!  Don’t wanna miss that...it might put us in bed passed out by 8 o’clock tonight, though…”  

“Well worth the risk, I think,” I added.

“Indeed.”  His eyes were twinkling as he took my hand.  “C’mon, let’s go, love.”

--

It turned out that we did imbibe quite a bit during our wine tasting and vineyard tour that afternoon, and not even a decent dinner in the vineyard cafe afterward was entirely successful in properly soaking it all up.  We were tipsy and giggly throughout dinner, and for a while afterwards, as well.

Back at our rooms we foolishly thought we’d be able to watch a movie - because that’s happened before, right?  Ha.  Luckily, both of us had already seen Talladega Nights:  The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - a selection that could only have been influenced by our excessive alcohol consumption.  We passed out napped for a few hours together on the sofa, instead.  It’s what we do.

I woke to find my face squashed into the back of the sofa with Ed’s arm around me, and his hand under my shirt, cupping my boob.  We were sort of in a spooning position, but I was half on my stomach and he was completely on top of one of my legs, softly snoring into the back of my neck.  To say it was uncomfortable would be an understatement.  

I tried to move, but was trapped between him and the back of the sofa and couldn’t get any leverage at all.

“Hey, hon?”

No response from Sleeping Beauty.

“Ed?”

Just soft snores.

I took a breath and took stock of the situation.  I was mostly laying on my side, on top of one of my arms, and couldn’t move it.  The other one was bent and held in place by Ed’s arm that was wrapped around me.  But that hand could move a little bit, so I used it to tap on the top of his hand...which was covering my boob.  

He definitely did notice me awkwardly patting his hand.  I know this because once I stopped, he began fondling me through my bra.

“Umm, heyyy…”

He stopped as soon as he heard my voice.  Then I heard and felt a muffled laugh at the back of my neck.  And then the boob-fondling started up again.

“Hey...umm, can you move?  You’re on-”

“Mm-mmm.  Busy.”

“Haha, funny.  But really.  You’re on top of me.  I can’t move.”

Instead of answering, he slid his fingers underneath my bra cup and started rubbing circles over my nipple.  So then he was simultaneously turning me on and being extremely annoying.  

“Hon, c’mon.  I’m not...opposed to this, but you’re on top of my leg and I’m squished in the sofa.  Will you please get off me?”

“I dunno.  What’s in it for me?”

“Umm...I won’t kill you??!!”

“Nah.  You can’t kill me, anyway.  You can’t even move.  And I’m finding this enjoyable.”  He punctuated his little announcement by squeezing my nipple between his thumb and forefinger and then carefully pulling it taut, straight out, before letting it go.  Then, with his thumb, he began flicking it left and right, and damn it, it felt really good.

Fuck.

The bastard was right, of course.  But I had a plan.

Sighing only slightly exaggeratedly, I answered, “Yeah.  I guess you’re right.  Too bad, though, ‘cause I can’t go down on you if I’m trapped like this.”

His hand went completely still (although it did remain in place on my boob). “What was that?”

“You know, it’s fine.  You’re enjoying yourself, and I’m not that uncomfortable. Carry on.”

I could feel his warm breath on the back of my neck again as he laughed. “You’re so mean...ya say you’ll suck my cock, and then take it back?  SO mean…”

“Oh, you want me to do it?  That’s cool, too.  But, I can’t like this…”

I didn’t even get all of my words out, and I was suddenly being rolled onto my back.  Ed then sat himself up at the edge of the sofa, smiling as if he just won some sort of prize.

I sat up next to him, nodding my head, grinning back at him.  “OK.”  

Without breaking eye contact, I arranged myself in his lap, astride his hips.  He took my face in both hands and pulled me down to him for a kiss.  He caught my lower lip and lightly swept the tip of his tongue across it.  I promptly parted my lips, welcoming him in.

Our tongues stroked and tasted and teased, and our lips nipped and skimmed and smiled.  We sometimes pulled away to breathe and smile some more, and then came back to do it again.  And again.

I touched my forehead to his during one of these small pauses.  My hands had been resting on his shoulders while we kissed, but I couldn’t keep them still anymore.  I ran my fingers over the front of his shirt, down his chest, lightly scratching him through the fabric of his shirt.

“Mmm…” he sighed.

I climbed off of him and lowered myself to the floor, kneeling between his legs.  He was already looking at me with such focused anticipation.  I leaned in and skimmed my fingers under his shirt, ready to lift it up so I could give some love and attention to his abs and his belly before I traveled lower.  

“Hey,” I began, looking up at him just before I brought my lips near his belly button.  “Just going to focus on you tonight.  I still need to give my, uh, parts...a rest.  ‘K?”

“Yeah?  You don’t mind?”

“No, I love this.” I grinned as I brought my mouth to his belly.  “Definitely don’t mind.”

I kissed him all over his abs and his stomach, making sure to brush my lips and trace my tongue all over him, slowly making my way down to his waist.  I didn’t stop when I undid his belt, or when I unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans.  I just moved my mouth lower as more of him became exposed.

He lifted up his bottom, and we both together pulled down his jeans and underwear.  My eyes shifted back-and-forth between his face and the emerging proof of his arousal.  His eyes were glued to my face - my mouth.  He watched steadily as my mouth and tongue traced a gentle path down the slope of his belly, leaving soft kisses under his belly button, over the planes of his hip and then to the crease between his thigh and groin.  As I got closer to my intended target, it was all I could look at.  

I brushed my fingers over his cock as I continued working my mouth downward.  He was already so hard, it almost made my mouth water as my fingers stroked his length.  I could hear him breathing - I loved the way it caught with my every movement.

I started spreading more kisses - full, wet kisses - all around the base.  I looked up at him as I slowly inched my mouth up his shaft, rolling my tongue around all sides.  He stared back at me, completely engrossed in my actions.

My hands rested on his thighs, tracing tiny, light waves over his fair skin, as I placed a tender, wet kiss on the tip of his cock.  I slowly took a little bit at a time in my mouth, moving downwards over every ridge and vein. I intentionally made every touch, every kiss and lick, wet and messy - sloppy - almost as though I wanted to devour him.  My mouth slid up and down him, slippery with saliva as I licked and sucked and kissed his hard, yet velvety-smooth shaft. I caught his gaze, and it was such a turn-on seeing the heat in his eyes as he stared back, riveted at what my mouth was doing.

I worked my mouth back to the tip of his cock, placing a hand at the base and moving it in sync with the bobbing of my head so that his entire length was covered, wet, and being squeezed or engulfed by me.  I swirled my tongue around him, kissed him, and I sucked on him, all while keeping everything wet and sloppy and noisy, and he was moaning softly and was gently rocking his hips up as I slid my lips and my hand down and up, again and again.

I wanted more of him.  I anchored both hands at his thighs, and I slid my lips along his shaft, going deeper each time.  Once he nudged the back of my throat, I gradually increased my pace, fully taking him in.

He let out a low moan, closed his eyes and leaned his head back.  I saw his hands tense and then he laid them down flat on the seat cushion, fingers spread out wide.

“Mmmmmm…” I hummed, watching him.  

God, I love this…

Sucking and kissing all over his dick and seeing how he reacted to it was making me more than a little bit turned on.  I could feel wetness pooling in my panties as I took him down my throat over and over.

“God...feel so good on me...yeah…” His voice was quiet, yet sounded strained, like it took effort to speak.

He put one hand on my head, soon followed by the other, and after a brief pause, began applying very light pressure, seeking more.  It was so hot I couldn’t help moaning over him, and setting a new, messy, hasty pace.

His stomach tensed and his hips trembled as I continued going deep.  

In a last effort to take him in even further, I grabbed his ass and pulled him all the way into my face.  He groaned - perhaps in surprise just as much as in pleasure.

He was down my throat and I held him to my face even though my eyes were watering and I had to put effort into breathing.  I gagged, but still worked my lips to suck him, still fluttered my tongue over him, and I kept moaning, making him feel even more quivers and shakes.

“Gonna come…”  His breath caught as I began to slowly pull my lips up over him.  He exhaled loudly.  His eyes were closed tight.

I brought a hand down to cup his balls, lightly massaging them.  I reached one finger back to stroke his perineum, and then without even giving it any forethought, I reached back a little bit further and lightly traced the line between both cheeks.

“Oh, fuck…!”  If a whisper can be emphatic, his was.

His whole body tensed, his hips began to stutter, and he groaned - really, really loudly.  I quickly slid my mouth up to cover just his head.  And I pulled in and swallowed every bit of the slightly salty, tangy fluid as it hit my tongue.

Once he was done I still kept him in my mouth for a minute.  I just like having him there, and I know he loves the soft, warm feel of my wet mouth around him.  After a minute I looked up at him.  He was slumped back against the sofa, completely relaxed.  We exchanged soft looks as I slowly pulled my mouth off of him.  I left a gentle kiss on the tip of his mostly-soft penis before sitting up straight.  I licked my lips and smiled at him a little shyly.

I helped him pull his pants up, then he helped me back onto the sofa.  

“I promise I won’t crush you this time,” he joked.

He was so mellow, affectionate, sleepy, adorable.  He wrapped his arms securely around me, kissed my temple, and traced a line of soft kisses to my mouth.  I turned a little bit to face him squarely, and we kissed.  It was slow and attentive, full of love and affirmation rather than passion and intensity.  He pulled away first, just far enough to take in my face.  I'm sure I looked a mess.

“You OK?” he asked.

I nodded.  “Yeah.  You?”

He smiled and huffed out a small laugh through his nose.  “Um, yeah.  I’m awesome right now.”

“That’s good.”

“You like doing that.”  He phrased it as a statement, but I heard the question behind it.

I nodded.  “Yeah...well, with you.”  I’m not sure what made me add that last bit of information.  

His brows furrowed a bit at that little confession.  “What about before me?”

“Hmmm.  Not as much,” I shrugged.  “I don’t know why it’s different now.”  I  gave a half smile.  “Maybe it’s you.”

I thought he might reply with something funny or self-congratulatory, but instead he gave me a thoughtful look followed by another very sweet kiss.

We were leaned into each other so naturally and intimately, and it felt right.  Perfect.  Complete.  For the second time since we arrived in Mexico I considered the idea that maybe we were headed toward something more permanent.  

Holy shit.

--

(part 5)

[reddeadreference]

Navigation (/Progress)

Blog Progress as of 9-21-24:

(Map will be removed once blog is 100% complete. Note: Complete could mean either posted or in the queue. Progress bars to be added.)

(This post was made with the old editor so I’m most likely going to remake it once everything is done.)

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                    -------

This pinned post is the same as the navigational buttons on the desktop and mobile browser version of the blog - this post is so people on the app can navigate as well.

(Still a big WIP so some links might be missing or pages blank)

(I’m in the process of making this post only mobile links for the app since there is no reason for page links to be here but for now they’re here.)

The links below take you to pages on the blog.

Chapter 1          |         Chapter 2

Chapter 3          |         Chapter 4 

Chapter 5   [WIP]        |         Chapter 6   [WIP]  

Epilogue 1       [WIP]   |         Epilogue 2     [WIP]

Arthur’s Journal         |         John’s Journal

Locations By State     |         Store Catalogue/Prices

1899         |        Stranger Missions     |     Newspapers

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Have a request/suggestion?

If there’s somewhere or someone you need photos of just send me an ask and if it’s not already on the blog I’ll get to it asap ^_^

If you have a suggestion for a main link above or another location/topic, please just send in an ask.

If you, for instance, know of a post you really think would benefit Red Dead writers/artists just send in a submission/ask and a link for it will be added where applicable. OR if you need photos of a certain location I would be happy to make a new post for it.

Think a post/location should have more photos...

/more details/it’s own post? Send me an ask. (It can be anon if you want ^_^) Sometimes I rush through certain parts, I’m posting to this blog as I replay, sometimes I forget to get details.)

I want this blog to have as many photo and detail resources as possible to help people who want to write/draw for Red Dead.

-----

Please also note I am only one person so it'll probably take a while for the blog to be 100% complete but I'm doing as much as I can as quick as I can. ^_^

-----

Navigation for Mobile App below

If you’re using the app none of the links above in this pinned Navigation post will work. When you click any of them it just takes you to the top of the blog. This is because all of those links go to pages on the blog.

So for those of you not on desktop (and/or not using tumblr on a mobile browser) the links below will take you to the post-equivalent of each blog index page. Everything will be separated and look the same as it is on the blog pages just in post form for your convenience.

(There is more listed here than there are of the posts above because some pages are not visible yet on the blog without a link to them.)

-This section going to take longer to fill out because I’ll need to make each post and finish each page first. Thank you for your understanding and patience.-

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Chapters

(includes missions and camp location details)

Ch 1: Colter               |    Ch 2: Horseshoe Overlook

Ch 3: Clemen’s Point |    Ch 4: Saint Denis

Ch 5: Guarma            |    Ch 6: Beaver’s Hollow

Ep Part 1                    |    Ep Part 2

|

Journal

Arthur’s Story:

Chap 1     |     Chap 2     |     Chap 3     |     Chap 4     |     Chap 5     |     Chap 6

John’s Story:

Epilogue Part 1     |     Epilogue Part 2

Other:

Points of Interest       |      Animals       |      Plants

|

Locations

Valentine   |   Strawberry   |   Rhodes   |  

Emerald Ranch   |   Saint Denis   

 Annesburg   |   Van Horn   |   Lagras

Lakay   |   Butcher Creek   |   Wapiti Reservation

[Place Holder]   |  [Place Holder]   |   [Place Holder]

|

Other

Shopping Catalogue     |     Newspapers     |     Strangers       |      

1899 Stuff

[every-marveler-ever]

Flufftober Masterpost

FLUFFTOBER 2022 MASTERLIST | @flufftober

So normally I wouldn't put this out till the end of the event but others seem to be putting theirs out now and then updating it throughout and I thought 'well hey, I could do that!' Happy October! I have loved writing these fics these months, and I'll continue updating them week by week.

The end of the month has come and I can not believe I am saying that I have completed this challenge. I wrote a fanfic for every day of October, and I'm actually thinking about doing it again for November. Thank you for your support and for following me along on this journey.

Total word count: 15862

01/10 - (Wearing Eachothers Clothes): Laundry Day | steve rogers/tony stark

02/10 - (“You’ve told your parents?”): Planning For Dinner Before Breakfast | tony stark/james 'bucky' barnes, peter parker/harley kenner

03/10 - (Thick As Thieves): Brothers | steve rogers/tony stark

04/10- (Supporting Silly Quirks/Hobbies): Pinterest Scrolling | tony stark/sam wilson

05/10 - (“oh no, you’re a morning person!”): Stealing Strawberries | peter parker/harley kenner

06/10 - (Candles, Lanterns, Fairy Lights): Date Nights | tony stark/stephen strange

07/10 - (Movie Marathon): Sleepy Movie Nights | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

08/10 - (Shooting Stars): Shine Brighter | steve rogers/james 'bucky' barnes

09/10 - (Game Day (Sports)): Game Day Experience | steve rogers/james 'bucky' barnes

10/10 - (Love Languages): Sharing | sam wilson/steve rogers

11/10 - (Poetry, Art, Music, Craft): Blueberry Mornings | peter parker/steve rogers/tony stark

12/10 - (“You kept this?”): Attic-ness | tony stark/pepper potts

13/10 - (Secret Family Recipe): “Are you cooking?” | stephen strange/tony stark

14/10 - (Truth or Dare/20 Questions): "At 18?" | peter parker/michelle jones

15/10 - (Accidents Don't Just Happen Accidently): Tony Stark Deserves A Cake

16/10 - ("I hate you" - "I love you too!"): In The Middle Of The Field [Game Day Experience, Part 2] | steve rogers/sam wilson

17/10 - (Animal Shelter): The Story of Figaro and Captain | steve rogers/sam wilson

18/10 - (Soulmate AU): How Do You Meet A Soulmate | tony stark/stephen strange

19/10 - (Hot Chocolate): Bundle of Quiet | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

20/10 - (Betime Stories): Mr. Magical | tony stark/stephen strange

21/10 - (Kiss For Goodluck): First Game Expirence [Game Day Experience, Part 3] | steve rogers/sam wilson

22/10 - ("Have you heard?"): Smooth(ie) Moves | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

23/10 - (POV Outside): Background Character | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

24/10 - (All The Hugs): Under Pressure | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

25/20 - (First Dance): Dancing Away | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

26/10 - (Blankets): Ch 1. Campfire Stories of Sam and Bucky | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

27/10 - (Reunion): Stark Gala Reunion | sam wilson/tony stark

28/10 - (Picnic): Ch 2. The Reason Bucky Likes Pumpkin Patches | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

29/10 - (Leaves): Hues of Leaves | harley keener/peter parker

30/10 - (Dear Diary): Ch 3. Writing Doesn’t Make Much Sense To Sam | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

31/10 - (A Sweet Treat): Ch 4. Elsa Makes Bucky Fabulous And Sam Laugh | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

full masterlist :: every-marveler-ever

Thank you so much to @flufftober for hosting and inspiring my want to write more often (maybe not once a day anymore, but much more often). I can't wait to see what next year may bring.

[emandmhandicrafts]

I have gathered the yarn I am going to use. For the strawberry seeds I will just use some of my white scrap yarn

My version of the Strawberry Granny Square

(this is not the same pattern as what was used originally, this is only my rendition inspired from what I can see in the picture.)

Ss = Slip stitch

Ch = Chain

Sc = Single crochet

Dc = Double crochet

Tc = Triple crochet

Tools:

5.00 mm Hook

Worsted weight yarn in Red, Pink, Green, and a small amount of White

Yarn or tapestry needle

Scissors

For the bag, make 13.

Round 1: With Red, make a magic ring, Ch 2, Dc 12. Tighten the magic ring by pulling on the tail. Ss to the top of the first Dc (12)

Round 2: Ch 2, Dc increase in every stitch. Ss to the top of the first Dc (24)

Round 3: Ch 2, Dc 5. All in the next stitch, Dc 2, Tc 1, Dc 2. This is the bottom point of the strawberry. The stem will be sewn to the opposite corner. *Dc 5. All in the next stitch, Dc 5.* Repeat from * two more times. Ss to the top of the first Dc. Ss to the top of the first Dc (40)

Round 4: Change to Pink. Crochet into the back loops and loops behind the back loops. Ch 2, Dc 7. *All in the next stitch, Dc 2, Ch 2, Dc 2. Dc 9. * Repeat from * two more times. Dc 2, Ss to the top of both normal loops in the first Dc (60)

Round 5: Ch 2, Dc 9. *All in the Ch 2 hole, Dc 2, Ch 2, Dc 2. Dc 13. * Repeat from * two more times. Dc 4, Ss to the top of the first Dc (76) Tie off.

Stem and leafs

With Green make a magic ring and Ch 10.

This is the top right leaf. In the back loops of the Ch's, Sc in the second Ch, Sc 3, Ss in the next stitch. This next part is the stem. Ch 5, turn, in the back loops of the Ch's, Sc in the second Ch, Sc 3, without skipping any Ch's, Ss in the stitch directly below where you're working.

Continue down the remaining Ch's, Sc 4 including the magic ring as a Ch.

Ss into the same stitch as the last Sc. Tighten the magic ring slightly by pulling on the yarn tail. Not too tightly because you will be using this space to sew on to your granny square. Turn your work upside down, Ss 2 into the bottom of the Chs.

*Ch 5, in the back loops of the Chs, Sc in the second Ch, Sc 3. Without skipping any Ch's, Sc in the stitch directly below where you're working.*

Repeat from * three more times. Ss in the next stitch. Cut off the yarn with a 26 inch tail. Sew on the square.

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I posted on this blog. I am on a road trip right now! On long drives I like to crochet and watch YouTube videos. Especially crochet videos. It's crochetception! Anyway, I came across this great video by Kamryn Cain:

In this video she goes on Pinterest and makes the first crochet item that comes up in her feed. Her work is so cute and this is such a fun concept, that I decided to give it a try!

I probably won't be able to start on any projects until I get home where all my yarn is, but I can plan them out!

Our car tire has blown out, so I have some time right now haha

[blackswan18]

Too Good To Be True - Ch. 24 | kth(m)

Summary: Kim Taehyung is a world famous idol in the hit K-pop group, BTS, and you are his personal stylist. Per your contract with Big Hit, he is absolutely, 100% off-limits, and yet, you are completely and hopelessly in love with him. You’ve spent years trying to shove your feelings down, but it’s getting harder and harder to ignore and hide them, especially considering the way Tae always treats you. He’s affectionate and protective and sometimes outright flirtatious, but that’s how he is with everyone, right? Confused, frustrated, and lovesick, you find yourself wondering if it might finally be worth risking your career and your heart to find out.

pairing: Taehyung x reader

genre: Idol! au, fluff, angst, eventual smut, friends to lovers, slow burn

rating: 18+

word count: 3.6k

warnings: cursing, alcohol consumption

⇤ previous || next ⇥ || masterlist

Chapter 24: Love Drunk - Part 1

It was 7:45 PM the following evening and you were giddy. There was really no other way to describe the fluttery feeling in your chest or the slight dizziness you felt every time you thought about the fact that, in just a few minutes, Tae would be arriving for your movie dinner date. It honestly just felt so surreal, the idea of him coming to see you not because you were his stylist, not because you were friends, but because he wanted to legitimately be with you.

It had been an extremely busy day taking care of all the last minute preparations before the shoot began tomorrow, but honestly that was probably a good thing. It kept your mind occupied and kept you from overthinking things and letting yourself get too nervous. You hadn’t been able to text with Tae much since he was also busy with rehearsal all day, but in a way that was good too since it was helping build up the excitement and anticipation.

After finally getting back to the hotel with the rest of the staff around 5:00 PM, you then popped out again real quick to visit the local liquor store. You weren’t a big drinker, and neither was Tae, but you thought it might be nice to have a small drink with dinner. Thankfully, the store had the only drink you could possibly imagine having to commemorate this special occasion with him: strawberry champagne.

You got back to the hotel for good around 6:00 PM with plenty of time to get ready. You wanted to look nice, but not too fancy since you were literally only hanging out in your hotel room. After trying on an absurd amount of clothes that you had specifically packed for this very occasion, you ultimately decided to go with jeans and a loose, open-neck long sleeve shirt that was just barely off the shoulder.

You had actually worn it to work once, but you realized halfway through the day that you could clearly see down your shirt when you leaned over. Tae hadn’t said anything when you did his makeup that morning, and you hadn’t specifically caught him looking, but he had seemed extremely flustered the entire time you were working on him; he was literally a blushing, stuttering mess. Later on, once you realized what was happening with your shirt, you couldn’t help but wonder if he had noticed and if that’s why he was so flustered. Smiling to yourself at the memory, you thought perhaps you might ask him about it tonight.

It was now a little after 8:00 and you were patiently, but excitedly waiting for him. The last text you got from him was around 4:00 PM when he told you he was supposed to be back at the hotel by 7:00 PM so you sent him a couple quick texts to follow-up.

[8:05 PM] Text me whenever you’re on your way so I can go make sure the coast is clear.

[8:10 PM] I’m room #218 in case you forgot.

Another 10 minutes went by without a reply, but you didn't think much of it. He had jokingly mentioned earlier that it was stressful that he had to style himself to come see his stylist. You thought maybe he was just taking a long time to get ready and decided to tease him a bit.

[8:20 PM] I hope you’re not actually stressing over your hair right now. I’m sure it will be perfect and you will look very handsome, just like always.

After a half hour of waiting, though, you still had not heard from him. All of your recent texts were unread, so you figured maybe rehearsal had run late and he wasn’t back yet or he was scrambling to get ready and therefore hadn’t checked his phone, but you began to feel anxious nonetheless.

Had you not recently been stood up, the idea that Tae might not actually be coming wouldn’t have even crossed your mind, but it did. Obviously he couldn’t just ghost you like Minho did, you would literally have to see him in about 12 hours once the shoot started, but you couldn’t stop an awful, intrusive thought from filling up your mind: that he was purposefully ignoring your texts so he could pretend like he forgot.

[8:41 PM] Tae?

[8:45 PM] Do you still want to come over?

[8:50 PM] If you’re too tired after rehearsing all day it’s OK. I understand.

You were trying so desperately to keep it together, to not let yourself jump to conclusions, but at 9:05 PM you saw Jimin post a photo from his hotel room to Weverse with the following caption:

“Happy to be resting after a long day of rehearsal. Can’t wait for you all to see this MV!”

And that’s when you lost it.

By 9:10 PM you had cracked open the bottle of champagne.

By 9:20 PM you had downed your first glass.

By 9:30 PM you had finished half the bottle.

By 9:45 PM the bottle was empty.

By 10:00 PM you were officially drunk and heartbroken. You had long ago changed out of your date attire and were now in your pajamas, a simple loose tank top and a pair of shorts. You had cried your way through the first few glasses of champagne and were now in a state of utter despair.

Waiting for Tae had been like waiting alone at that restaurant bar, only worse. Infinitely fucking worse. Minho was a stranger, someone who honestly didn’t matter in the slightest at the end of the day, but this was Tae. This was the love of your life who, up until about an hour ago, you thought might actually, finally reciprocate your feelings.

You were laying on the bed staring blankly up at the ceiling, trying to stop the room from spinning while you contemplated how you were going to move forward with your life after this, when your phone finally buzzed for the first time all night.

[Taehyung 10:05 PM] Fuck, I’m SO sorry. They made me stay late at rehearsals because I was so distracted all day and kept messing up the choreography. Son Sung Deuk literally reamed me out in front of everyone. It was so embarrassing. I left my phone in the van and they wouldn’t let me leave to go get it so I could text you. Y/N, I’m so sorry.

And just like that your drunk mind was racing. That was a perfectly logical explanation for Tae’s silence over the last two hours. It was not uncommon for one of the guys to be held back individually if they were having an off day. Him being distracted today was totally believable; you certainly had been. In fact, Mrs. Choi had yelled at you numerous times for that very reason.

Fuck, what have I done?

[Taehyung 10:10 PM] Are you still awake right now?

[10:11 PM] No.

Smooth, Y/N, very smooth.

[Taehyung 10:12 PM] Either you’re trying to be funny...or you’re mad.

[Taehyung 10:16 PM] OK, you’re mad. And you have every right to be. Again, I’m so sorry 🥺

[Taehyung 10:19 PM] I just got back to the hotel. Can I come see you?

[10:23 PM] I don’t think that’s a good idea.

It took you so many tries to write that one short sentence without any typos. The absolute last thing you wanted was for him to realize you were drunk right now.

[Taehyung 10:24 PM] Please?

[Taehyung 10:24 PM] Just for a few minutes?

[Taehyung 10:25 PM] I just want to apologize in person.

[10:31 PM] Tae, I’m not in a good place right now.

FYI, that’s code for I’M WASTED.

[Taehyung 10:32 PM] Then I definitely want to see you.

[Taehyung 10:33 PM] Please let me explain and make you feel better.

[Taehyung 10:40 PM] Y/N?

Ten minutes later you were still trying to figure out how to respond to him when you heard a knock on your door.

FUCK

This was not good. You were not in any state to be talking to him right now. The fact that you had freaked out and gotten absolutely wasted after not hearing from him was so fucking embarrassing. You wanted him to just leave so you could sleep this off and pretend like it never happened, but he knocked again, this time the more urgently. Suddenly, it dawned on you that the longer he stood out there the more likely it was that someone would see him coming to your room late at night which would be even worse than him seeing you drunk.

FUCK FUCK

You jumped up out of bed, tripping over a shoe in the process and stumbling into the wall on the way to the door. You peeked through the peephole and, sure enough, there was Tae standing outside your door looking incredibly frazzled. You undid the chain lock and the deadbolt and then opened the door, hiding behind it as you did so in order to avoid actually seeing him as long as possible. He came in and you closed the door behind him, but before he could say anything you immediately walked past him and flopped down on the bed, facing away from him.

Seeing that you were clearly very upset, he came over and laid down on the bed beside you. He gave you space, but did bring his hand up to rest on your arm.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry,” he said, softly. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“I believe you, Tae,” you assured him after a few seconds, trying to sound normal and casual. “Really, I do. It’s not a big deal.”

This was Tae, though, your best friend who read you like a book. Immediately, he realized that something more was wrong.

“Hey,” he said, now sounding extremely worried. “Can you look at me?”

Slowly, you turned to face him. He looked stressed and exhausted and his hair was all over the place, a clear sign that he had been running his hands through it. At first his gaze was on you, his eyes going wide when he noticed your red, puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks, but then he was looking at something behind you. Suddenly, he reached over you and picked up the now empty champagne bottle.

“Did you drink all of this?” he asked, his voice filled with surprise and concern.

You didn't respond. You merely nodded your head up and down.

“Because of me?” he then all but whispered, looking absolutely devastated.

You briefly considered lying and making up some sort of excuse, but ultimately thought better of it. He deserved to know the truth.

“I thought you didn't want to see me,” you admitted, your voice trembling. “I thought you were purposefully not reading my texts so you could pretend like you forgot we were supposed to see each other tonight.”

Saying those words out loud made it seem all the more ridiculous that you had actually let yourself believe that’s what had happened. The look on his face when you said them confirmed this; he looked so taken aback, so genuinely hurt that you had actually thought this.

“Y/N, do you really think I would do that to you?” he asked quietly, looking you in the eyes as he spoke, his own filled with such obvious pain it made your heart hurt.

A flood of guilt instantly washed over you. He had never given you any reason to believe he would treat you like that, but you had so easily let yourself assume the worst of him all because of something someone else had done to you.

“No. It’s just...,” you started, turning back away from him and curling yourself up into a ball. “That’s what happened last time and I just got scared.”

“Last time?” he questioned slowly. “What do you mean by ‘last time’?”

Still so embarrassed for him to know the truth about what happened that night, you didn’t say anything. You just kept staring out the window.

“Y/N?” he asked again after a minute as he gently rubbed your arm.

Again you didn’t respond at first, but you soon realized he wasn’t going to just let it go. He was probably going to find out eventually, so you might as well just say it.

“The night of our big fight,” you finally whispered.

Tae’s hand came to an abrupt halt on your arm.

“Are you saying…?” he started tensely. “Did he…?”

“He didn’t even bother to make up an excuse,” you said sadly. “Just no-showed and then ghosted me.”

Though you tried desperately to hold them back, tears began trickling down your cheeks as you spoke. With a sniffle, you quickly began wiping them away with the backs of your hands as you kept your gaze fixed on the far wall.

Tae said absolutely nothing in response to your admission. He just laid there, staring straight ahead, his grip on your arm having tightened considerably. With every passing second, your embarrassment grew and eventually, once you could no longer stand his silence, you turned towards him. The look on his face nearly stopped your heart. It was a mixture of total shock and seething anger; you had honestly never seen him look so upset before. When he looked over at you, though, his hard expression immediately softened.

“Come here,” he said gently, pulling you into his chest and wrapping his arms around you.

The moment you were settled in his embrace the floodgates opened. You cried into his shirt a mixture of tears, some of sadness over what Minho had done, but mostly of relief that Tae had not done the same.

“I’m so sorry he did that to you, Y/N,” he said in a soft, comforting voice as he rubbed your back soothingly.

“I can see why what happened tonight made you so upset,” he went on, sounding so incredibly guilty. “I’m so sorry I made you worry like that.”

“I would never do that to you, though,” he then said, hugging you closer to him. “I would never hurt you like that.”

“I know, Tae,” you said with a hiccup, your tears finally slowly down. “I’m so sorry I doubted you.”

“It’s OK,” he assured you as he brushed some of your hair away from your face. “It was all just a big misunderstanding.”

“But we’re finally together and that’s all that matters,” he then said before pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

Realizing he was absolutely right, you just snuggled deeper into his chest, curling your whole body into him. You were finally together. Not just after waiting a couple hours, but after waiting a couple years. You could honestly just feel Tae having this same realization, his hold on you tightening as he angled his body towards yours to get just a bit closer. The two of you laid there like that in each other’s arms for a long time cherishing the moment which honestly was probably the happiest of your life.

Sometime later, after cuddling like that for who knows how long, you broke the silence with a question that had been on the tip of your tongue all night.

“Was the Itaewon Class photoshoot a date?” you questioned hesitantly.

“Yes, it was most definitely a date,” he replied instantly, his face breaking out into a big smile. “Took you long enough to figure that out.”

Even though you had essentially already come to that conclusion yourself, and he had said and done many things since then to indicate that conclusion was right, it felt so good to hear him officially say it.

“Ok, just checking,” you said as a big, cheesy smile broke out across your face as well.

“It was definitely the best date I’ve ever been on,” you then said before jokingly adding. “And not just because you actually showed up.”

“I’m still so fucking angry about that,” he said back, legitimately tensing up as he spoke.

“Don’t be,” you assured him. “It’s really not important anymore.”

“Honestly, the worst part about it was that I did my hair and my makeup and got all dressed up for nothing,” you then said with a small laugh.

“It wasn’t for nothing,” he said after a moment. “I got to see how beautiful you looked.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” you said with a bashful smile.

“No I’m really not,” he said seriously.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how you looked in that dress,” he then admitted, his voice dropping ever so slightly as he spoke.

“You remember what it looked like?” you asked shyly as you mindlessly traced the pattern on his shirt with your finger.

He took a deep breath before answering you.

“It was emerald green, like the color of my mic, and covered in floral lace,” he started slowly. “It had a fitted, V-neck bodice held up by thin straps and a flowy, high-low skirt that billowed out so prettily whenever you moved.”

Your mouth dropped open: he had just described your dress perfectly. It was literally like he was reading the item description from the website you bought it at. The fact that he had remembered all of that was absolutely mind blowing.

“You looked stunning in it,” he went on as he gently stroked your arm. “So incredibly beautiful.”

He hesitated slightly before continuing, as if debating how much more of this memory he should reveal.

“I wanted to kiss you the moment I saw you standing there,” he said dreamily. “I should have. I should have kissed you and made you mine right then and there.”

“But, I didn’t,” he continued, a mixture of anguish and bitterness now in his voice. “I let you leave and then sat at home all night wondering if he was kissing you, wondering if he was making you laugh or holding your hand or touching that pretty lace.”

“That was honestly one of the worst nights of my life,” he then said quietly. “And I had no one to blame but myself.”

He was silent for a few moments, letting the weight of his statement wash over you, before he spoke again.

“I’m so angry that he hurt you, Y/N, but I’m selfishly so relieved that he didn’t get to kiss you or touch you or even see how beautiful you looked,” he finally whispered.

You were absolutely melting in his arms right now, the admission of his desire and jealousy almost too much to handle.

“You could kiss me now,” you said tentatively as you leaned back to look at him.

He looked at you, his gaze unabashedly lingering on your lips, and for a moment you were sure he was going to do it, but then he didn’t.

“You don’t want to anymore?” you said in the smallest voice imaginable, recoiling from him ever so slightly.

“I do,” he replied instantly, almost desperately, as he pulled you back into him. “I want to kiss you more than I’ve ever wanted anything before in my entire life.”

“But, I want our first kiss to be special,” he then said tenderly as he brought a hand up to cup your cheek. “I don’t want it to happen when you’ve been drinking.”

Your heart overflowed with adoration at his words; he was absolutely right. Even though you could definitely give your consent, anything you did right now would undoubtedly be marred by the fact that you’d downed an entire bottle of champagne a few hours ago. After all this time, all this waiting, you didn’t want your first kiss to be forever tainted because of that.

“You’re right,” you agreed with a sigh.

“I’m sorry I ruined everything,” you then added quietly.

“Y/N,” he gently scolded. “You did not ruin anything.”

He was being so kind and understanding right now, but you still couldn’t help but feel unbelievably embarrassed and also incredibly frustrated. If you hadn’t been such an insecure idiot earlier this night would have turned out so much differently; you could have his perfect lips on yours right now.

“But I did,” you said defeatedly.

“Tae, you really should get going,” you then added. “The shoot starts tomorrow and it’s already so late.”

“You should be sleeping right now, not dealing with me being drunk,” you went on.

“I’m not leaving now,” he said with complete seriousness, giving you a surprised look. “I’m going to stay and take care of you.”

“You don’t have to do that, though,” you replied guiltily.

“But, I want to,” he said earnestly, his eyes filled with nothing but sincerity.

“Besides, even if I went back to my room now I’d still be up all night worrying about you,” he continued.

Overcome with emotion at just how sweet and caring and wonderful he was, you sat up slightly, leaned down, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. As you pulled back to look at him, you saw him wearing the most adorable expression you’ve ever seen on his beautiful face.

“That’s the first time you’ve ever kissed me,” he said shyly, his cheeks turning pink as he spoke.

You realized he was right. He’d given you several kisses before, on your fingers, your hand, your temple, the top of your head just now, but you had never given him any.

“And it won’t be the last,” you said with a grin as you leaned back down and kissed his other cheek, already making good on that promise.

⇤ previous || next ⇥ || masterlist

Tag List: 

@mooseknucklesbussy @hordanhearsawhooo @iridescenthobi @silvyaaa @yoonglespringles10 @serendipitysev @t0rus-milk-bread @cuteipat @aomi-nabi @yessii-i @just-jeon @allizarae @somewhereofftheglobe

[sweetmemories2606]

Gruvia Day 2020: Perfect Beginning

Morning, everyone!

Let us all celebrate the glory of today. A day which does not happen often, but is so special and beautiful.

I'm talking about Gruvia Day, of course. It is time to shower our ship with love and perhaps a little angst too.

Here's the info about the story: 

Title: Perfect Beginning 

Summary: Gray and Juvia's first date went perfectly, reminding her of a time when she had thought that a romance like this only existed in books. Finding herself happier than she had been in a long time, she wondered if perhaps their story could have a happy ending after all. 

Word Count: 2K

Genre: Fluff and (minor) Angst

Warnings: This one-shot is set on Ch 4 of Answers, thus I'd advise you to read at least the 1st chapter because there are MAJOR SPOILERS for the story.

Happy reading!

                                    __________________

                                    Perfect Beginning

                                        July 5th, X791

"This place is beautiful" Juvia looked around the field of sunflowers with a serene smile. They were just outside of Crocus, though this place was so quiet it felt like the city was far away.

“I’m glad you like it.” Gray watched her with a soft smile while he set the flowery blanket on the grass then put the basket filled with sweets which Mira had prepared on top of it.

After they had decided to get together the day before, he had asked her on a date to which she had enthusiastically agreed. Panicking because he had no idea what to do, Gray had come to Erza and Mirajane for help in the planning. 

Listening to their ideas, he hadn't been so sure until Alzack and Bisca, who had been listening to them, suggested that Gray take Juvia on a picnic. The couple noted how this is what they had done for their first date. Judging by how they were now happily married with a daughter, Gray sensed it was a good idea.

"So, who gave you the idea for a picnic?" Juvia asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. 

He raised a brow. "You don't believe I came up with this myself?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "Nope. I know you're not much of a romantic." 

He feigned disbelief and hurt. "Hey, I can be very romantic." Standing up and closing the distance between them, he snaked his arms around her waist. 

"Oh, yeah?" Juvia asked while her arms encircled his neck. They leaned in for a passionate kiss, then another. 

Everything felt so perfect, like a fairy tale. Juvia remembered a time when she had wondered if a romance like this existed outside of books.  

                                 __________________

                                    Many years ago….

"What are still you doing up, child?" Irene came into her room for the daily check up. Instead of being asleep like she was supposed to, Juvia had been reading a book. Immersed in the experience, she hadn't heard the older woman until now. 

"Sorry, Irene," The young girl whispered, putting the book on her bedside table. "I'll go to sleep now."

The Scarlet Queen glanced at the object, focusing on the title, before frowning. "Beauty and the Beast again? Aren't you tired of reading this one?"

Juvia shrugged. "It's my favourite." 

Curious, the older woman sat on the red chair beside the bed. "Why is that?" 

"Well…." The young girl was thoughtful for a moment. "Belle loves reading, just like me." 

"That is true," Irene smiled softly. "But what else?"

"I like that Beast lets her go even though he knows that she could break the curse." Juvia noted once a similar smile adorned her face. "It's like my mamma used to say, true love means putting someone else first."

The former suddenly seemed nostalgic and melancholic. "She was right." 

"Are you okay?" The latter was concerned.

"I'm alright," Reassured the older woman, but her sniffle betrayed this statement. 

Silence fell upon them as Irene was lost in thought and Juvia watched her curiously. Once she felt enough time had passed, the young girl posed a rather complicated but not surprising question. "Irene…do you believe that true love exists?"

It took the Scarlet Queen a while to respond. "I do."

Thoughtful again, Juvia followed up with "Then how do I find it?"

Irene shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know, child." Setting the book back on the bedside table, she stood and approached the bed. 

Glancing at the now frowning child, she offered a reassuring smile. "But I'm sure you will find it someday." 

Juvia's frown gave way to a hopeful look. "You are?" 

"I am," Irene nodded before leaning down to press a gentle kiss atop the girl's forehead. Then the older woman urged her to lie down against the pillow and placed the blanket over her. 

Once the child was comfortably settled, Irene stepped back and glanced at her softly. "Your parents..." Juvia's sleepy eyes immediately became alert. "What they had was true love, so I'm sure that you can have it too." 

                                   __________________

Thinking about her parents, Juvia pulled away from the kiss. Noticing her sadness, Gray immediately became concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," She reassured, but the tears that began falling suggested otherwise. He wiped them away gently, keeping one arm around her, holding her close.

Grateful for his support, she tried to compose herself in order not to ruin their date. This wasn't the time to think about her parents or how much she missed them. This was a day for her and Gray to enjoy themselves and explore the new direction which their relationship was taking.

Taking deep breaths, Juvia soon managed to stop crying and offered an apology. "I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologise," He assured while wiping away the last remaining tears. "I understand." 

"Thank you," Able to smile again, she briefly glanced at the picnic basket then back at him. "Now, how about we really begin our date?"

Gray watched her for a moment. "Are you sure? Because if you want to talk about..."

Juvia shook her head. "Not now." Noticing his uncertain expression, she put on a brighter smile. "Right now..." She took his hand. "...I would like to enjoy the wonderful picnic that my boyfriend so kindly prepared."

He nodded. "Okay, then." After squeezing her hand, he led her to sit down on the blanket before grabbing the picnic basket. "You know, it feels weird to hear you call me your boyfriend." 

"Yeah, it does." Juvia agreed. Despite having fantasised for so long that they would get together, the term 'boyfriend' felt out of place.

There was a moment of silence while he took out the strawberry cake and cut up two large pieces. Accepting the plate he had offered, she added. "I won't do it again." 

Unexpectedly, Gray smiled. "Nah, it's okay. I guess I just need more time to get used to it, that's all." 

"That makes sense." Juvia nodded before diving into the cake. While enjoying the sweet, her mind replayed the wonderful moments that they had shared in the last 24 hours, specially their first kiss. 

                                   __________________

            ��                        One day before

"What's wrong, darling?" Juvia watched as Gray nervously ran his hands through his hair.

He had asked her to come with him outside the infirmary so that they could talk, yet he had said nothing.

"I need… I need to tell you something." He finally looked her in the eyes.

"What is it?" Heart hammering inside her chest; she hoped this was the long awaited moment of his confession.

"Well, I…You see..." Gray stumbled with his words.

"Perhaps we can talk later?" Juvia suggested, gently.

"No." He firmly denied. "I have to do this now."

She waited again. Nothing. "Maybe you could show me what you mean?"

During the time she had known him, it had become clear that he was more a man of action than words.

His eyes widened before nervousness morphed into determination. He moved quickly but cautiously. An arm wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer while watching her reaction.

Juvia smiled, arms instinctively encircling his neck. Then, his free hand reached for her cheek and softly stroked it for a moment.

Gray started leaning in. "Juvia, can I…."

She didn't let him finish. "Yes."

Their first kiss was passionate and even though it didn't happen the way Juvia had been dreaming of, she loved it nonetheless.

(Scene taken from Answers, Chapter 1)

                                   __________________

"What are you thinking about?" Gray asked after a few minutes, setting his empty plate aside. 

"I was just remembering when you kissed me the first time." Juvia chose to be honest. 

"Oh." A slight blush coloured his cheeks. "That was rather...embarrassing."

"It was very sweet," She softly remarked. 

"Thanks." Still blushing, Gray searched into the picnic basket for two caramade franks. 

Her eyes widened. "Where did you get those?"

"Gajeel found a store 2 days ago, so he told me about it last night," He explained while offering one to her. 

Accepting it, Juvia was genuinely surprised. "Gajeel...helped you with this?"

Gray chuckled at her reaction. "Yeah. He really cares about you, so I guess that's why he helped me make this date as perfect as possible." 

Taking a bite of the caramade frank, she reminded herself to thank Gajeel later for truly being her best friend. "That's good. I was hoping you two could get along." 

The ice mage smiled. "I know this is important to you, so I'll try." 

She returned it. "Thank you." 

                                   __________________

The rest of their date went smoothly and both had an enjoyable time. They got to know each other better, learning the most basic and trivial details such as their favourite colours. 

"I do love blue." She expectedly answered, making him laugh. "I figured." 

"What about yours?" Juvia questioned a moment later. 

Having finished eating,Gray moved closer to sit by her side. "Well, actually mine is silver."

"Really?" She stared at him in surprise. "May I ask why?"

Gray's expression turned melancholic once he answered. "It was my father's name."

This led into a conversation which they hadn't been eager for, but it was important nonetheless. He shared details about his parents, Ur and Deliora. 

Juvia was aware of most of his backstory, but there was new information such as the scarf which Ur had put around him and Lyon; it was the reason why he always wore one in the winter despite not feeling cold. The water mage also learned about his favourite childhood toy, a polar bear which had been gifted on his 1st birthday; as far as he remembered.

Gray even told her about the year before he joined Fairy Tail and the adventures he had. For once in his life, he opened up about everything, no reservations nor secrets. He trusted her fully. 

Alternatively, Juvia had to hide many details when they shifted the conversation to her childhood and family life. Trained to know how to lie and manipulate, she made her stories about growing up in an orphanage without anyone to call a friend sound sincere. 

It weighed on her conscience to be lying to him after he had been so honest, but there was no alternative. The truth needed to stay hidden, for both of their sakes. 

                                   __________________

Concealing her guilt was hard, but luckily Gray mistook this for sadness and held her in a tight embrace. His attempt to comfort her soon led to a make-out session and she found herself lying beneath him on of the flowery blanket. 

It was the perfect distraction from the complications of her life, so it's not like she was complaining. In fact, she was hoping their moment wouldn't have to end, but unfortunately their need for air eventually surpassed their desire for closeness. 

Gray got off from her and moved to lay by her side. Sweaty and breathless, they glanced at each other with mirroring smiles. "Wow. That was..."

 "I know." Juvia brought a hand to his cheek, stroking it gently. "Thank you."

"Of course." He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it, recalling that Lyon did that all the time and most women seemed to find it charming. 

Juvia smiled even brighter at this. "I really didn't expect you to be so..." 

He raised a brow in expectation. "What?"

She leaned in for a soft kiss. "Romantic."

Gray smirked. "I told you. I can be very romantic if I want to." 

"So you've never wanted to before?" She inquired, recalling their friends telling her how he was the least romantic person they knew. 

He fixed her with an adoring look. "I hadn't found someone worth being romantic for." 

It was the sweetest declaration, so she couldn't help it but to enthusiastically kiss him, to which he eagerly returned.

Even though he hadn't said those three words yet, Juvia knew that he was in love as much as she was. This made her heart swell with joy and reminded her of the first time she had watched two people fall in love.

                                   __________________

                                    Many years ago...

Juvia sat beside a great oak tree in the gardens, watching the couple embrace. Ajeel Rahmal, a young prince who had recently joined the Spriggan 12, held his now girlfriend, Nadia, tightly. Both seemed immensely glad and relieved after having confessed their feeling. It was the most heartwarming sight. 

"They look so happy," Juvia observed, smiling softly. 

"They do." Turning to her right, she found that Irene had returned from her brief chat with the emperor. The older woman seemed happy too once her eyes found the couple. 

Noticing them kiss, Juvia couldn't help but wonder. "Irene, do you think they will get married?"

Irene stared at her in surprise before raising a brow. "What makes you think that?" 

"Well, according to the books I've read, when two people love each other they get married," The young girl  innocently replied.

"Oh, yes." Irene nodded. "They always end like that, don't they?" She seemed lost in thought for a moment before sighing. "It's a shame that real life doesn't work that way." 

"What do you mean?" Juvia was confused, but also curious. 

The older woman was clearly trying to hide her bitterness, but it still showed. "Just that there isn't always a happy ending."

"I know," The young girl frowned. "My parents...They didn't get one." 

For some reason, Irene looked guilty for a moment. However, her expression soon returned to sorrowful. "They didn't." 

With the mood now heavy and gloomy, they fell silent. Their attention returned to the couple and both felt envious at their happiness. Then, once the silence was becoming unbearable, Irene offered the young girl an assuring smile. "But that doesn't mean that you can't have one." 

"So you think I can be happy..." Juvia glanced at the couple just as they laughed at something Ajeel had said. "...like them?"

"I'm sure you can." Irene knelt down to her level, placing both hands on the young girl's shoulder. "You're beautiful, kind and brave." She brushed back a strand of blue hair. "Just like your mother." 

"Thank you." Juvia blushed at the compliments. 

"I wouldn't be surprised if, someday, you found someone who will love you as much as your father loved her." Irene told her, genuinely. 

"And then we'll get married?" The young girl asked, hopeful. 

The older woman chuckled, then nodded. "Yes. Maybe you'll get a happy ending just like in your books."

[lemonlushff-iy]

We’re gonna go to a lake for a few days. For NUMEROUS reasons, but he said we could try making these, which will make a guest appearance in OLR CH 24!!

https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/campfire-banana-boats/

Don’t worry - we won’t be around anyone so we will be isolating still. Except when we need gas. 

“You’re gonna run me ragged, ain’t ya Higurashi?”

“Yes - but you love it,” she winked, leading him over to the fruit. If she had thought that he was impossible before, it was nothing compared to when she was trying to pick out fruit. 

“But we can make sangria!” She whined, dropping a few peaches into the cart despite his sputtering. 

“Why do we need to make sangria! We can just have whisky!”

“Again?”

“Hey! What’s wrong with whisky?” he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest as she darted across the way to grab some strawberries and raspberries.

“Nothing is wrong with it...but...sangria is more…Hmm…” She pondered, watching him as he eyed a bunch of bananas. “It’s more fun.”

“Whisky ain’t fun?” he replied, raising his brow as he picked up the bananas. 

“Not as fun as sangria…” she insisted. “You want bananas? I thought you didn’t like their texture.”

“It’s not that I don’t like their texture,” he smirked. “It’s that I don’t like them...raw.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to figure out what the hell that was supposed to mean. 

“Wait--”

“--Hear me out--”

“--We do not need to make those!”

“--We’re already basically getting everything for ‘em anyways! Sides - I thought you wanted me to eat healthier!”

“Excuse me for not wanting you to keel over and die at 25!”

“Aw Kags...I didn’t know you cared that much ‘bout me!” he teased, but it didn’t hit her right. “‘Sides - I bet it’s been years since ya had them.”

Because the last time she had them...Her dad was making them. On the last camping trip they ever took together.  

She was having flashbacks to their childhood. To when they used to do this together. Both of their families gathering for the weekend to just escape the world for a minute. Her dad would take them and split the bananas in half and sandwich chunks of graham crackers and chocolate and marshmallows between them before cooking them. 

They were so good too. 

The chocolate would get all warm and oozy and the bananas and marshmallows would get all delicious and gooey...They were some of her fondest memories, frankly. She could almost hear her father’s laugh as he wrapped them in tinfoil, telling them to give him a few minutes before they could eat them. He had to keep her prying hands away from all the chocolate and sneaking a few marshmallows...And then once they were cooked they-- 

“Kagome?” he pressed softly, putting the bananas back, drawing her attention back to him. “Hey, we don’t have ta get them,” he reassured her, and she shook her head.

“No! Grab them. I always loved his banana boats. You’re right. We can make them with everything in the cart already.”

“Are you sure,” he pressed, picking them up again. “‘Cause we don’t hafta.”

“Do it,” she nodded, swallowing thickly. She didn’t want to think about the past right now. She wanted to think about the sun on her skin...the fresh air in her lungs...the crystal clear lake…

[saiilorstars]

Falling in Temptation

Previous chapters • Sequel to Stars Dance •  Fairy Tale Memoirs (Companion story)

Ch. 24: With Love, Z

Fandom: Doctor Who // Pairing: 11th Doctor x OFC

Chapter summary: The Doctor takes Avalon to see an old friend down the 1920s French Riviera. At the end of the night, they finally say a couple things that they've been struggling to keep hidden.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother @anotherunreadblog @maaaaarveeeeel​ @stareyedplanet @perfectlystiles

[If you’d like to be added to this specific OC’s stories/edits, send me a message!]

An angry Avalon stormed down the corridors with an equally angry Amy following her. It seemed like no matter how quick she walked, Amy was just as quick. She hated this unintended synchronicity.

"You are just wrong, Amy!"

Amy huffed. "Am not!"

"Are too! They gave me the dress! It's mine and I'm not giving it back!"

"But where the hell are you even going to wear a Louis Vuitton gown!? Leadworth!?"

Avalon audibly growled that even before she made it to the console, both the Doctor and Rory heard it. They also heard Amy's shout afterwards. The two men shared a dreadful look. It wasn't odd that Avalon and Amy disagreed on something to the point of arguing loudly. They were very similar in personality traits which often made them butt heads.

"Any idea what they're arguing about?" The Doctor quietly asked Rory.

"Nope." Rory's gaze lowered to the glass floor. "Is it too late to hide?"

"AMY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Avalon stormed into the room with a look of death on her face.

"That would be a yes," the Doctor mumbled to Rory before dashing to meet Avalon. He put on his best smile for her, extra cheery for good measure. "My Ava! You are looking lovely today!"

"WE'RE NOT FINISHED!" Amy came in shortly after, startling everyone in the room.

Avalon whirled around. "Yes we are! It's my dress and I'm keeping it!" She then turned right back to the Doctor, suddenly wearing a pout. "Fairy Tale Man, she wants me to give back the gown that Louis Vuitton gave me! Tell her I don't have to!"

"Uh, she does, because it's not right," Amy came up beside them, arms folded, "It's a priceless gown that Avalon practically stole. The only reason Louis Vuitton even let you have the it is because you already had it in your arms. He was being polite. Rory, tell her she has to give it back!"

Rory's eyes widened. "Uh, well…"

Avalon turned back to Amy, glowering at her grandmother. "Don't bring Rory into this!"

Amy did the same. "You just brought the Doctor into it!"

Said man was quietly retreating from them, moving back until he was standing next to Rory. Their heads turned from one angry ginger to the other, trying to follow their argument while simultaneously attempting to cut in and stop them. It sounded ridiculous, really, and after a few minutes they stopped trying to interrupt them. Maybe if they got it out of their systems, it would all end nicely...they foolishly hoped.

"I'm right!" Amy snapped, but Avalon scoffed.

"You wish, Pond! I'm right!"

"Rory, tell her I'm right!"

"Doctor, tell her I'm right!"

And suddenly, both gingers were looking at the Doctor and Rory, waiting for them to agree with each of them. It left a very terse air in the room.

Rory, on his part, swallowed hard with fear. "Seriously, is it too late to hide?"

The Doctor's eyes did flicker to the console for a moment as he truly considered the idea. "There's always a black hole we could jump into."

"You want to jump into a black hole?"

The Doctor was halfway nodding his head when Avalon growled at the two. "You two are cowards!"

Giving up their delirious plan of escape, they went to gather up their angry Ponds and separated them.

"Instead of arguing, why don't we go somewhere?" The Doctor asked them, bringing back his cheery smile that Rory quickly adopted as well. "I've been meaning to take Ava somewhere important, just been waiting for her to get a little bit better."

The curiosity got the better of Avalon as the Doctor suspected it would. "Where would that be?" She asked him with glimmering eyes. "Another fashion designer? I could definitely do with meeting, say, Coco Chanel?"

"No more fashion designers," Any sternly said, making Avalon look back at her and stick her tongue out. "Avalon!"

"No, no, well, there might be since we don't know exactly who's-"

"Doctor," Rory purposely cleared his throat, making a motion for him to skip over that part before it caused another argument.

"Right, it's a surprise! So," he turned to face Avalon, "Go find a dress for the 1920s! We're going to the French Riviera!" He laughed at how wide Avalon's eyes got in just a few seconds.

"Seriously!? The 1920s!? French Riviera!?" She repeated everything she heard just to make sure that it was all correct. She squealed when he nodded his head. "Oh my God! The 1920s! I love it! Amy! We need dresses!"

"What-" Amy barely had time to say when Avalon reached for her wrist and yanked her towards the corridor.

All arguments forgotten for sure.

"Nice save," Rory said to the Doctor when they were alone.

"Mhm, I've got a whole list of places I have in case I ever get into trouble with Avalon. You should probably make your own for Amy."

"But is taking Avalon to the 1920s a good idea? She's doing a lot better with her health and the 1920s aren't exactly that clean…"

"She will be just fine," the Doctor assured him. "Just, um...no alcohol. Bit early for that to re-enter her system."

"Have you met Avalon!?"

The Doctor nodded his head but there was no way he was taking the 1920s away from Avalon. Her grandfather was more than welcomed to try. He would not be the fool.

~0~

Somewhere along the dressing up process, Avalon lost Amy. That was just fine with both of them. They were no longer arguing but Amy couldn't see why Avalon put so much effort into the dressing up part. Usually all gowns for them were so uncomfortable, but Avalon was Avalon. She went above and beyond to get herself ready. She was finished before Amy and before returning to the console room, Avalon stopped by her bedroom first. She grabbed her journal - she was more inspired to write ever since she read her work to the children at Leadworth - and grabbed a cute cream-colored purse to stuff it into. She was coming out of her room when the Doctor called for her name.

"There you are!" He should've known that she would come back to her bedroom first. He was aware of her writing habits coming back to her and he couldn't be more happy for her. She wasn't letting anyone see what she was writing but she did promise him that when she thought her work was good enough, he'd be the first to see it.

"Doctor…" Avalon was breathless at the sight of him, much like he was with her. For the first time ever, he had changed for the era they would be visiting. He wore a white button-down shirt tucked under dark brown pants. She could see red suspenders matching his red bowtie. But what really drove things for Avalon was the fact he'd chosen a very familiar coat to go with his outfit. "That's the coat I told you about a while ago...the one you wore in Berlin." He'd chosen to abandon his tweed jacket for the day in favor of the thicker dark brown coat he'd found for Berlin (or rather the coat Lena forced on him because he'd been avoiding a proper change while searching for Avalon and Melody).

The Doctor grinned with the effects his wardrobe change caused. He was hoping for something like that. "Since we're going to the 1920s, I thought I'd go for a little change."

"I love it," Avalon stepped closer to him, her hands going back and forth as if unable to decide what to do with him first.

"And I love your dress! Look at you!" the Doctor looked her over, losing breath like Avalon had earlier. Visiting the 1920s was such a good plan!

Avalon's hair was left down with only a white headband with matching white feathers to keep it out of her face. Her lips were painted a rose-gold shade, matching the dress she'd chosen for the day. It was a pastel pink, beaded flapper dress that was a the bit on the daring side with its fitted form and low cut neckline. There were shiny pearl beads near the hemline above the layer of white tassels. The same pearl beads, with a touch of smaller golden beads, made up the straps and…

"Check it out!" Avalon smirked and turned her back to him, revealing the dress's very low backside was made up of plunging pearl straps instead of fabric. It was a shock as it was...the most the Doctor had ever seen of Avalon's body and it was...doing things to him. Avalon turned back to the Doctor, her smirk widening to the edges of her face. "I picked good, huh?"

"Yes…" The fact he was momentarily speechless spoke volumes of what he thought. She was always stunning but to see her show off like that was just further confirmation. "You look amazing, Ava," he gingerly touched her hips.

Avalon was past the careful touching. She had decided what she wanted to do first. "I'm hot, you're hot, that equals…"

She pushed him against the wall and kissed him. She slipped her hands under his coat to grab onto his suspenders. Though initially surprised, the Doctor caught onto the game fast. He moved his hands to her back, absolutely loving the feel of her warm skin under his fingers. He could really just stay there with Avalon for hours (and hours) touching her and kissing her, especially when she seemed to love letting those hands of hers wander over his body.

Avalon pulled away from his lips but that was the only thing she did. Her body was still pressed against his. "Seems like we're both out of words." She smirked at him then added, "And out of lip gloss, it seems."

"Faint taste of strawberry again," the Doctor proudly said. He long ago perfected that talent of recognizing her series of lip glosses and lipsticks. "That's my favorite."

Avalon laughed. "Right. I'll need to re-apply again." And it just so happened that her Rose-Love lip gloss was one of the things in her purse.

"If you don't get off me I wouldn't even bother doing that." He was sure that she was purposely pressing even more against him.

"Ooh, someone's bold today," Avalon bit her lower lip and finally stepped away from him. "But I really do want to see what's in the French Riviera so I'm going to press pause on this."

"Pause?" The Doctor caught on, another smile coming to his face. He liked that idea very much.

"Let's go," Avalon linked her arms with his. If they stayed where they were, she would lose the little control she was clinging to.

~ 0 ~

It was a pretty warm night in the French Riviera, perfect for the dress Avalon chose. She still couldn't believe the reactions it got from the Doctor then Amy and Rory a short moment afterwards. Sometimes, things were just too easy. Now the group walked along a path leading up a hillside, none of them knowing where they were going except for the Doctor. He kept telling them to trust him, that he had the perfect spot for them and that they really needed to issue some patience. They almost laughed in his face when he started going on about patience.

"You all need to be kinder," the Doctor muttered to them as they came up to a beautiful two story building on the hillside above the sea. Lights were flashing as people kept arriving. One could easily tell there was a party going on.

"I don't know where we are but I know that I'm going to love it," Avalon's smirk promised fun times.

"It's the Villa Saint-Louis," the Doctor told her, and Amy and Rory, but he seemed to hold onto her arm that curled around his in a tighter manner. "And before I start with anything else, Avalon, it's imperious that you listen to this. You're cannot drink tonight."

Her smirk fell to the ground in that one moment. She uncurled her arm despite his grip on it and turned to him. "What the hell do you mean? I've not touched a single drop of alcohol in, what, half a year?"

"Yes but we can't risk you intoxicating yourself right now, especially in a place where emergency medical attention can't be delivered as quickly as we're used to. And I need certain tools!"

Avalon folded her arms, huffing like a child. "You don't just bring me to the 1920s, in the French Riviera, and then tell me not to drink outside the door of a party!" She gestured towards the building.

"Avalon, you're overreacting," Rory said. "The Doctor's right. You've been making very good progress and you're not going to ruin it because you want one glass of vodka."

Avalon groaned. "I thought we were done with this!"

"Done with what?" Amy curiously asked.

"This!" Avalon's wild gestures now went to them. "You've been looking after me nonstop for months now! I thought it was finally going away because we started travelling again but...no, you all still see me as the fragile doll you rescued from Berlin. Well, it's not Berlin and I am okay! So just stop with all these rules! You know I hate them!"

"Ava, the last thing I want is to upset you, I just want to be cautious." As the Doctor said those words, Avalon groaned all over again.

"You are so lucky we are in public or I would kill you on the spot!"

"Avalon, quit being a baby and just stay away from alcohol!" Amy hissed at her granddaughter. "It's either this or we go home. You should be thankful that the Doctor thought of this place for you."

Avalon had her arms folded in her angry stance but her eyes flickered to the Doctor every few seconds. He was encouragingly smiling at her in his usual goofy manner that despite her irritation with him, her heart warmed. "Fine," she huffed. "I really hate you and your stupid rules."

"And I…" the Doctor trailed off, knowing he wouldn't be able to finish that sentence with the words he wanted to, so he settled for the next truth, "I think you are positively beautiful tonight." He got her to smile at him and that was a huge win. "C'mon, there someone inside I think you're going to want to see." He unfolded her arms and took her hand, bringing it up to his lips for a kiss. "Shall we?"

Avalon sighed. "Yes. Sorry," she said very quietly.

"I know," the Doctor chuckled. He led the group up the front steps, warning them all to be cautious because "There's important people here" and the last thing they needed was for history to be changed. It just made the group wonder where exactly he had brought them to.

Inside was a lovely living room, spacious too, full of fancy-dressed guests. They could feel the warm air breeze in through the open terrace at the end of the room. Avalon immediately eyed the lovely piano sitting in the corner of the room, near the terrace. No one could recognize anyone they were supposed to be excited over meeting, at least not until the Doctor started pointing out some specific people.

"You're telling me that's the Pablo Picasso," Rory had to rub his eyes when the Doctor pointed them to a man standing to their left with a beautiful woman at his side, a ballerina named Olga Khokhlova.

"His wife," the Doctor said then added, "Well, his first one anyways. Wonderful ballerina dancer."

"Are they all painters?" Amy asked, now really taking a scan of the room in hopes of recognizing one of the big names from history.

"Nah, we've got Jean Cocteau over there," the Doctor nodded to the man across from them mingling with other guests. "He's an artist but he's also a poet and novelist. Go on then!" He motioned Amy and Rory to go talk to people.

"What are we supposed to say to them?" Rory stayed right where he was.

"I don't know, invent something," the Doctor still tossed him his psychic paper in case they stuttered too much. "You can be anyone you want with or without the psychic paper. Just please don't leave the Villa. I really don't feel like going searching for you."

"What are you going to do?" Amy arched an eyebrow at him. "Not going to sneak off, are you?"

"No, Avalon's got someone to see here," the Doctor squeezed Avalon's hand in his.

Hearing that again made Avalon look at him. "You keep saying that but I don't recognize anyone here."

"You'll see," he smirked far too mischievously for her liking. He sent her grandparents off to explore then took Avalon in the opposite direction.

"Doctor, what are you up to?" She asked him while continuing to study the guests. She had already crossed gazes with a few of them, mostly the men, and she assumed it was more of her dress they were looking at instead of her.

"Something to help cheer you up," he stopped walking suddenly to turn to her. "I know you're still a little sad about the Sapling…" True to his words, Avalon's gaze lowered. "I just want to help you out. I hate when you don't smile."

Avalon smiled without even intending to. "I would've been fine with a movie night in the TARDIS."

"I know, but I think seeing an old friend might help you out a little bit more, especially now that you're starting to write again."

"Alright Fairy Tale Man, tell me what you're doing," Avalon laughed lightly. Instead of answering her straightaway, the Doctor turned her around so she could see more guests. "What am I supposed to be lookin…" She trailed off when she spotted a familiar blonde amongst the guests. It was cut in a short bob but Avalon picked her out straightaway. "No way," she breathed in.

"Go on Ava, say hello," the Doctor nudged her only a bit because from there, Avalon knew exactly what she needed to do.

She maneuvered through the guests until she came up to the blonde-bobbed woman and tapped her shoulder. "Hello?"

The woman turned around to see the giddy Avalon standing in front of her. Her eyes widened. "Oh my...Avalon?"

"Hi!" Avalon waved a hand, unable to help her short bursts of laughter. She was more than delighted to get to see her old friend Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald again after the whole fiasco in Montgomery

"How...when...how are you here?" Zelda had her own moments of laughter to match Avalon's.

"Are you upset that I'm here?"

"God no! Come here!" Zelda took Avalon into a hug that Avalon immediately responded to. The Doctor was right, it was really good to see Zelda again. "Oh, it's been so long!"

"Exactly how long has it been since you last saw me?" Avalon curiously wondered. The Fitzgeralds had lived in the French Riviera for a long time and then kept coming back every so often, making it harder to pinpoint which year it was.

"Why, 4 years," Zelda pulled away and happened to look at Avalon's dress. "That is a gorgeous dress! Very daring. I love it!"

"You're looking fantastic yourself!" Avalon said, pointing then to Zelda's hair. "And you cut your hair!" It was so funny that the first time she met Zelda, she was older but now Zelda was older.

"You haven't aged a bit!" Zelda took Avalon's hands and spread her arms to the sides. "Well…" She stopped for a moment to meet Avalon's gaze, "There's something different in your eyes."

Avalon swallowed hard. Of course Zelda would notice the eyes. She was brilliant like that. "Oh, you know, just things that happen in life."

"Mm," Zelda seemed to take that to heart, like she was living it herself and if Avalon was right about her history, Zelda was. The French Riviera for the Fitzgeralds was such a turbulent era for them as people and a couple.

"Avalon," the Doctor came up behind Avalon with a rather smug smile.

She flipped her head back at him and rolled her eyes. "You utter sneak!" He specifically wanted her to meet Zelda again and she couldn't be happier for it.

"Told you," he said, dropping a kiss to her temple. "Lovely to meet you again Mrs. Fitzgerald," he held a hand out for Zelda.

"Zelda, please," the woman said, almost sounding like a plea instead of a request. She looked at the pair with a knowing smile. "How have you two been? Last time I saw you, things seemed a little rocky."

"Things got rockier...and then they got pretty good," Avalon shrugged, preferring to skip over the details of that 'rockier' period. "Really good."

"I can see," Zelda hummed with a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Why don't you and Zelda catch up while I go see where our friends have gotten into?" The Doctor was already searching for Amy and Rory despite having seen them only five minutes ago. He could never be too careful with them.

"Mhm," Avalon practically waved him off. He rolled his eyes and kissed her cheek before taking off.

"I so knew that would end up in marriage," Zelda set her hands on her hips, shooting Avalon a smug look. "Didn't I tell you? I told you!"

Avalon rolled her eyes. One of the last things Zelda told her the first time they met was that she saw something between her and the Doctor. At that time, Avalon would try her best to dissuade any ideas like those. "Yeah, but we're not really marr-"

"I do like being right," Zelda sighed dramatically. "And he did look like he cared for you, I hope you're very happy."

Avalon pursed her lips together and glanced to find the Doctor pulling Amy away from a woman. Whether she wanted to or not, her lips formed a smile. "Yeah, we are." So she let one person believe the whole marriage thing, that wouldn't be bad. She'd just tell the Doctor that she couldn't convince Zelda otherwise.

Soon, Avalon and Zelda found a spot in the living room for them, ironically struggling in the beginning even though it was Zelda's own home.

"I quite liked Paris a bit more but this is also nice," Zelda said when Avalon remarked about the lovely villa she was now residing in. "Scott says he's going to finish his novel but...we'll see." There was wavering hope in her husband's work, one that Avalon wouldn't even try to change. She read all about these troublesome years and how Scott Fitzgerald made himself and his wife miserable by drinking instead of finishing his novels. "But I'd rather not talk about my husband right now. What has Avalon Reynolds been up to in these past years?"

"Umm…" Avalon would've preferred to skip over that as well but doing that would be saying that everything after visiting Montgomery had been bad and that just wasn't true. "I have been traveling with the Doctor and Amy, you remember her right?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes, same ginger hair as yours. Sure you're not related?" She'd also made the mistake of presuming that the last time.

Avalon laughed. "No way. But she did get married to my best friend. I'll introduce you to him. Rory's a sweetheart. Um, I...I sort of…" She debated whether or not to talk about the Sapling, but if she did she would have to figure out how to explain it in a way that wouldn't freak Zelda out.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Zelda asked when she noticed the grimness setting on Avalon's face. She sighed and nodded, but it was a weak smile. "Oh, it seems like I haven't been the only one in her own rocky ship. Is it trouble with your husband?"

"No, no," Avalon said but stopped, making a face, "I mean, the only problem we have right now is he's being so overprotective. Can't drink a drop of alcohol, mind you."

"Oh don't tell me you're pregnant too!"

"What!?" Avalon's face went red fast, her arms wrapping around her stomach. "N-n-n-n-n-no! Not at all! No!"

Zelda laughed, or howled, at the sight of such a stuttering Avalon. "Sugar, you are making it far too easy here!"

"I am not pregnant," Avalon shuddered at the idea. "I just...I sort of had an adopted child for a while and...well, he's left. Making his own way now."

"Oh, that's a wonderful thing you did," Zelda smiled in admiration. "I've heard people do that but none of the people I've met even think about adoption. Sad really."

"He was a very good boy," Avalon sighed. "And I just really miss him. I know I wasn't the best of Mothers - I don't know how to be a Mother - but I did come to love him. Now that he's gone I'm a little bit lost." Among other things. It wasn't just the Sapling's departure that left her feeling lost. Too many things had happened in a short amount of time and it was all sort of spinning in her head.

"Is that the only thing?" Zelda was clever to ask.

Avalon dropped her arms to her side, thinking by now the pregnancy thing was over. She spared a small smile at Zelda. "You really do see everything."

"I don't know about everything but I certainly know when someone's struggling. You, my friend, are struggling. What else is bothering you?"

"I...well, if we're being honest, I got into deep trouble and...and that sort of left me sick, near death…" Avalon purposely paused to see how Zelda would take the news because if it was bad then she would stop right there and change topics. However, Zelda only seemed to wait for her to continue, giving no indication that she was freaking out even on the inside. "I lost something that usually helps me stay very healthy. I was very weak for a long time. The Doctor had to take care of me, a lot...and my best friend Rory, he's a nurse. He's had me on all these restrictive diets. Beyond the biological parts, it just leaves a mark in you, you know? Makes you feel lost."

"I am so sorry that happened to you," Zelda reached over for one of Avalon's hand, giving it a friendly squeeze. "If you need anything from me, please let me know."

"I just really need my friend Zelda," Avalon didn't hesitate to say. The two shared a chuckle together.

"Well your friend Zelda could be a little bit of a better friend. I didn't even know you were coming. Though I'd never see you again."

"Part of the Doctor helping me out is taking me to these nice places, get myself back out there little by little. That included you. He, uh, he sort of found out you live here now."

"Like a detective he is," Zelda said. "I am so happy he found us, though. Truth be told, I'm a little lonely here. We've only just come up to live here so I'm still figuring myself out here."

"You'll find something to do, I'm sure," Avalon happened to see Picasso crossing the living room and remembered the painting interest Zelda would pick up soon. "Have you spoken to Pablo Picasso yet?"

"I have, actually," Zelda said with a nod of her head. "He has a dazzling mind when it comes to art. I've been eyeing the terrace as a new painting room for me."

"You should do it," Avalon said immediately, making the woman smile. "I think you would be wonderful at it."

Zelda appreciated the support. It was one of the things she always remembered from Avalon. Avalon's incredible support for her work that she hadn't even thought of doing properly. It still warmed her heart to know that Avalon trusted her enough to place her faith in stories that she hadn't even seen. A short moment later, Zelda had gotten herself a glass of wine. She had just handed Avalon a glass of ginger-ale when the Doctor, Amy and Rory found them in their little corner.

"Avalon, you can't drink!" Rory exclaimed, frantically taking the glass from Avalon.

"Rory, the fact you don't know that's ginger-ale embarrasses me," Avalon flatly said. "Me, a professional drinker, hasn't taught you what proper wine looks like?" She gestured to the glass in Zelda's hand. The blonde giggled as she raised her glass.

"Oh," Rory slowly handed the glass back to Avalon. "Sorry."

"Well, that's my best friend Rory," Avalon introduced him to Zelda, figuring she'd seen enough to know what he was like in general. "And you remember my friend Amy."

"Nice to see you again," Amy waved a hand. "I love this place by the way. Thinking of moving here." She flashed a smile at Rory, making the man groan.

"No, no we're not."

Amy still smirked like it was actually happening.

"I am truly thankful that you brought Avalon back to see me, Doctor," Zelda saluted her glass to him. "I could use a good friend for a while."

"Don't get used to her though, I have to take her back home soon," he warned as he came to sit on the armrest of Avalon's seat. "She's on a bit of schedule, you know."

"Oh, I know," Zelda laughed as she watched Avalon's face fall flat again. She really did not like that routine. "Keep doing it, though. Somebody's got to take care of her or who knows what trouble she might get into."

Avalon snorted. "You're one to talk!"

"I am, aren't I?" Zelda smirked before laughing with her.

"You're terrible!"

"Zelda, dear," a slightly older blonde man walked up to the group, holding his own glass but Avalon knew that wasn't wine. It was whiskey. "Who are your friends?"

"Old friends, actually," Zelda rose from her seat to introduce them. "Scott, this is Avalon Reynolds. I met her a bit before I met you back in Montgomery. Avalon, this is my husband, Scott Fitzgerald."

Avalon got up with a polite smile. She had mixed feelings about this man and she had to do her best to keep them hidden. "Hello."

"A Brit in Montgomery?" Scott eyed her curiously. "That's definitely unheard of."

"I was being punished," Avalon threw a look at the Doctor, letting him know that she still remembered that very clearly.

"Taj Mahal," he whispered in her ear so that she knew he remembered why he had 'punished' her in the first place.

She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The Taj Mahal was still standing so there was no reason why he should be upset about it. "These are my friends, I sort of brought them along for the ride. Amy and Rory and that's the Doctor."

Scott greeted each of them, subtly commenting on their surprise appearance. Zelda blatantly rolled her eyes beside him. "Avalon wanted to surprise me," she said, quieting his questions about Rory's profession. He had already assumed the Doctor was exactly what he was called. "She stopped by the Villa, isn't that wonderful?"

"Of course," he nodded.

"And she's a talented woman too. Don't think I forgot you write too," she winked at Avalon.

"She also sings," the Doctor added, loving the reddened tinge on Avalon's face. He dropped a kiss to her hair and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Really?" Zelda's eyes widened. "You sing?"

"N-not really…" Avalon tried to say before Amy cut in.

"Yeah she does! And she's pretty damn good at it!"

"Maybe you could sing a little bit here," Zelda suddenly said, glancing at Scott. "Wouldn't that be nice for the guests? You got a singer for entertainment."

"That would be really good," he agreed slowly. As a newcomer to the French Riviera, it was important to place himself as a top tier writer. "Very good, actually. I'll get thing settled for you."

"No, wait!" Avalon's call made no difference as the man was already gone. Suddenly, she whacked the Doctor, Amy and Zelda. Rory, for good measure, stepped away before he became the next victim.

"Ow!" The three culprits rubbed their injured spots.

"How are you so strong?" Zelda shot a look at Avalon.

"I don't know how to sing in front of people!" She hissed at all of them.

"Sure you do," the Doctor said, though as soon as he did she threw a glare at him. "You have a beautiful voice."

"First you don't let me drink and now you want me to sing in front of people I don't know? In front of important people?"

"You don't have to," Rory said as a means of comfort but she snorted.

"Get real, I have to now that these idiots brought it up."

"I resent that," Zelda pointed at Avalon. "And I haven't heard your voice but I do trust what the Doctor says. Just sing a little bit, please? This party is as boring as it can get. You are bound to turn things around."

"I just don't think I'm that good," Avalon sighed.

"Ava," the Doctor tugged her away from the group for a moment. "You sang with Mary Costa and for your favorite movie. What's so different about it now?"

"That it's in front of people who don't sing," Avalon looked around the room nervously. "You said it yourself. There's writers, artists, dancers...musicians. There's other musicians here. What if I don't sound as good as them?"

"You'll sound much better than them," the Doctor said with the utmost certainty. "Because you are Ava Williams! Remember that?"

Avalon playfully rolled her eyes. "Of course I do." How could she forget the alias she gave herself when she couldn't remember Rory at all.

"So go out there and share that beautiful voice of yours. Just do me a favor and remember me when everyone starts to talk to you, alright?" The Doctor cupped her face as she laughed. "I mean it. You're stunning in that dress. Eyes wander and lips are tempting."

"And yet the only temptation I have right now is to snog you up against that terrace over there," Avalon flashed a smirk at him.

The Doctor spared a glance at the terrace and immediately thought up that scenario. It ended very nicely and a few loose beads on the ground. Soon, there was a bright blush on his face. "You are absolutely paying for that," he warned now that he couldn't get the image out of his head.

Avalon snickered at him. "Okay, now I can sing." She gave him a kiss on the lips, purposely kissing him a second time just on his lower lip for extra flair.

"Oh, I hate you," the Doctor huffed as he watched her leave.

"No you don't!"

No, he really didn't.

~ 0 ~

As it turned out, one of Zelda's talents included playing the piano. It was a wonder for Avalon because it was actually something she didn't know about the woman. At least she would feel a little less lonely now that Zelda would be playing the tune.

"Evening," Avalon cleared her throat once Scott got the guests' attention. He had introduced her as an 'aspiring singer', something that Avalon wouldn't really fight him on. She didn't know what she wanted to do but singing wasn't something she was against. Now here she was, standing in the middle of the living room, all eyes on her...the eyes of very important people to history.

Avalon controlled her breathing and waited for Zelda to begin playing. She did want to make a good impression on everyone, she was just so nervous. She met her friends' gazes, all of them wearing encouraging faces. Rory was even secretly holding his phone out, no doubt to record the event. Lena would have a hoot! The Doctor was smiling at her so softly, it made Avalon's heart skip even quicker than when she was just nervous. She couldn't read his mind like he could read others but she could see, she could literally see that he really did care for her.

And all you do is snap about him trying to protect you. She felt guilty remembering the bits of disagreements they had earlier. She would have to make that up to him. When she heard the soft tune, she gathered up all her courage and opened her mouth. She would make a damn good show, at least for her Fairy Tale Man.

'Why do I do, just as you say,

Why must I just, give you your way,

Why do I sigh, why don't I try to forget,

It must have been,

That something lovers call fate,

Kept me saying, "I have to wait",

I saw them all,

Just couldn't fall 'til we met',

She sure captivated everyone's attention...and she liked it. No one was moving, not even a step to the side. They were all watching her...

'It had to be you, it had to be you.

I wandered around and finally found the somebody who

Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,

And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.'

Some others I've seen,

Might never be mean

Might never be cross,

Or try to be boss

But they wouldn't do

For nobody else, gave me a thrill

With all your faults, I

Love you still

It had to be you, wonderful you

It had to be you

Avalon finished with her eyes locked on the Doctor. Somewhere along the way she'd forgotten there were other people. She only thought of him and how she thoroughly needed to apologize...and maybe spend some time with him.

As it turned out, everyone loved the new aspiring singer. They all clapped for her, making her go as pink as her dress. Avalon found herself the center of attention, only being pulled around by Zelda who loved watching the young woman react to it all. Eventually, Avalon warmed up to the night and played along with Zelda. In no time, they were laughing away with the other guests.

"She does look happier," Amy remarked to the Doctor and Rory. They were watching Avalon like hawks in case any alcohol made it into her hands or - because both Amy and the Doctor remembered how Avalon got when she and Zelda were together - things went too far.

"I live for these moments," the Doctor admitted quietly. He was watching Avalon with the fondest of smiles. She should always be smiling and laughing, having fun. He was guilty for taking that away from her. "Kovarian has taken too much from you Ponds. I refuse to let her suck Avalon's life away too."

"You don't have to keep proving that to us," Rory said, getting the feeling it was a huge factor for what the Doctor decided to do for Avalon. "River is...fine, she's good where she is. Because she has us and Avalon."

"Yeah, but things would be so different if Avalon could've had River with her too. So I'm doing my best to give her bits and pieces of what I can to keep her happy."

"And you're doing just fine," Amy said, motioning to Avalon who had entered into a laughing fit with Zelda again. "Those two have so much power together. It scares me." She made the Doctor and Rory laugh but she was actually very serious.

~ 0 ~

As the night turned old, many guests started to disappear. Amongst the disappeared was Scott Fitzgerald himself, making the group wonder at what point did the author slip out of his own party.

"Oh, he does that," Zelda shrugged carelessly. "I go days without seeing him sometimes." She was picking up a few glasses left by the kitchen. The Villa was mostly clean thanks to the combined efforts of the travelers' and Zelda herself. It made Avalon wonder exactly who did the cleaning when it was just Zelda.

"Where does he go?" Amy curiously asked.

Zelda shrugged again, planting her hands on the kitchen table. "I have no clue. But it's got to be somewhere with a decent stock of whiskey and whatever alcohol they can find."

"And you stay here by yourself?" Rory looked out to the open terrace. The sea was calming but he didn't quite like it at night.

Zelda smiled at him. "I do just fine, thank you."

"Still," Avalon said, making her own face.

"I do have my daughter but we're still fixing things so she won't be here until next week. But what about you four, do you have a place to stay?"

"Uh, well...we were just gonna head back…" the Doctor began to say, jerking a thumb over his shoulder, "...to, er, our hotel…"

"Nonsense, you should stay here," Zelda moved out of the kitchen, stopping beside Avalon with an absolute grin on her face. "It would be so wonderful! I have spare rooms and, well...maybe I am a little lonely."

"I don't know…" Avalon wouldn't outright say it was a fantastic idea. She didn't know if the Doctor planned on letting them stay overnight. For all she knew, he might want her back in the TARDIS to run new tests on her.

Luckily for her, the Doctor knew her very well. One look at her and he knew exactly what she wanted. "I suppose one night wouldn't hurt."

Avalon's face lit up. "Yeah!" It was fairly similar the way Zelda's face lit up, like they were one of a kind together. "Oh, that'd be so much fun!"

"Well that's just perfect!" Zelda clapped her hands together. "Let me show you your rooms in case you want to turn in early."

"I sure won't," Avalon laughed behind her. "We've got loads to talk about!"

"But no leaving the villa," the Doctor warned her. "I don't want you overexerting yourself."

Avalon came by to his side while Zelda went to show Amy and Rory their room. 'Thanks for this, Fairy Tale Man. I really appreciate it. I know I'm not always very kind...I have a very big mouth."

"I think you have a wonderful mouth," the Doctor said, bringing his fingers to her chin. He tilted her head up. "I certainly lo…" He really needed to control his words before they slipped out. Avalon was waiting for him to finish that sentence so he scrambled to fix it. "I think you have an adorable mouth."

She laughed. "Well thank you. And I want you to know that I'm sorry for snapping so much before. I know you're only watching out for my health."

"And I know that you're not used to it. Plus, it has been a long time since...Berlin. It's hard but I really only want to make sure you're as healthy as you can be now that...that you lost your immunity abilities."

Avalon leaned up to kiss him. "Something I will never regret, alright? In case that's still lurking in your head. Never have I regretted it. If roles were reversed, I know you would've done the same for me, so...let's move on from that."

The Doctor could only nod. He was fairly sure that he would never forgive himself for making her give up such a huge part of her, a part that was responsible for keeping her safe and healthy. It was why he would always be extra protective of her. He stole something, it was only fair that he kept her safe in return.

~ 0 ~

"I love this view," Avalon said as soon as she and Zelda had made themselves comfortable on the terrace. Even though it was far later in the night, the air was still warm enough so that they didn't even have to get blankets or change altogether. The sea was calm with only a few gentle waves crashing every now and then. It truly was the perfect place to live in…

"It's nice for a while," Zelda said, shrugging lightly. She was nursing another glass of wine.

Avalon glanced at her sadly. "You don't like being here, do you?"

"I do," Zelda clarified first. She leaned forwards on her chair, eyes cast out into the dark sky. "But truth be told...I'm a little bored up here. Scott's either out with friends or trying to work on his new novel. My daughter is usually with her Nanny. I, uh...I spend a lot of time on my own or...at the beach."

"Ah, right," Avalon followed her gaze to the ocean. She suspected she knew what things Zelda had gotten up to as of late. She read about that as well.

"Can I tell you something?" There was a hint of fear in Zelda's tone that Avalon picked up on. She was still staring at the ocean, now on purpose to avoid Avalon. "I know we've met just once but I really did consider you a friend. No other friend has ever showed that much support like you did."

"Of course you can tell me something," Avalon offered Zelda a kind smile. "You can tell me anything. You and I...we really are very similar."

"Not that similar, sugar. You love your husband, I'm not sure I still love mine."

There were oh so many wrong things in that sentence that Avalon had trouble deciding which one to go with first. "I don't really...um, you think I lo...love the Doctor?" She swallowed hard as she felt the flames over her cheeks. Zelda Fitzgerald had to be a psychic, that was the only explanation for how she knew these things that Avalon wouldn't say out loud.

Zelda tore her gaze away from the ocean to smile just as kindly as Avalon had. "I can see it in your eyes. They're a bit sad and troubled but I can see it. I saw a glimpse of it the last time I saw you in Montgomery. Does he treat you nice?"

Avalon gave a nod of her head. She would let those comments slip by before anyone heard them. She wasn't brave enough to come clean to the Doctor just yet. "He does. He, um, probably over-does it sometimes."

"Well, as a wife, it's supposed to be that way. You're supposed to let yourself be pampered and petted in return for your loyalty."

Avalon laughed at that. "As in never argue with him even when he's wrong? Please. He's wrong half the time and I, as Avalon Reynolds, have to tell him he's wrong."

Zelda's smile only saddened. "Does he get mad if you do?"

"More like annoyed but it's fun. We go back and forth until one of us wins. But it's never toxic, you know? It's all good-natured because...because we're the same type of people." Avalon looked at Zelda again and saw how her words affected the poor woman. She was having doubts.

"We started out so nicely," Zelda began after a moment. "It was all so nice and easy in Montgomery. Scott was full of dreams and I...I liked the sound of his perfect world. I still do but...I feel like I'm sort of floating now. Scott and I get into so many arguments. He doesn't listen to me. When we argue, it's not good-natured. Makes me wonder what happened. You should've seen us in New York, Avalon. We took that city by the horns. It was ours."

Avalon wanted to point out that that period seemed more like an extended honeymoon but that would be senseless, not to mention there was no point. Zelda was troubled enough. "What's happened?" She settled for that instead. She knew that there were very few people in Zelda's life who would listen to her without judgement. She would be honored if Zelda considered her to share with.

"There's a man I met. Edoard. He's a year younger and...he's...he promises me stability. He doesn't go around wanting to know what other people have in their lives, not like Scott. And he's kind. He...he kisses me. Scott hasn't done that anymore. Barely gives me a hand to hold."

The affair. Avalon remembered that bit in the biographies. "May I ask if you are in love with this man?"

Zelda's shoulders shrugged with an expression that screamed indecisiveness. "I'm lonely. And he offers passion."

"Can I give my two cents?"

"Please."

"Passion isn't love, it's just...passion. I've never had that. I mean, I've dated but it was more casual. Now with the Doctor, it's fun but I know that it's serious. It's not just fun kisses and fooling around. I know, I'm sure, that he cares for me. Is that what Eduard offers you?"

Zelda once again shrugged. "I don't think so. It's just nice being with him, you know?"

And yet the truth Avalon knew, and she suspected that Zelda was beginning to know, was that she would always love Scott. However much they argued, whatever they threw at each other, they loved each other. If only they were a little kinder to each other.

Zelda shook her head and drowned the rest of her wine. "I'm sorry. I'm just pouring out all my feelings here. That's not what you came to the French Riviera for."

"I came to see you," Avalon smiled. "You're my friend."

Zelda met her smile with her own. "You're my friend too. You're an odd friend…"

Avalon laughed. "Oh, thanks!"

Zelda's lips stretched into an even wider smile. "No, no, you know what I mean. You're...there was always something strange about you. I remember you back in Montgomery. You seemed so lost, like you were mourning. That's what I saw in your eyes last time. That and so much conflict. Now I see it's not just that but...a long story. There's a long story in your eyes."

Avalon tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm not your local normal girl."

"You're not," Zelda agreed with a hum. "I think the story of Avalon Reynolds is a long, interesting one that I would love a peek of."

"Oh, it's pretty impossible. Call me the impossible girl," Avalon chuckled.

"I, uh...I have actually…" Zelda suddenly looked nervous all over again but Avalon was pretty sure it no longer dealt with her husband. "Give me a second." She got up from her chair and went back into the house, returning a few minutes later with a leather green book in hand. A journal.

Avalon barely held herself together at the sight of the journal. "Are you...are you writing again? Have you published Our Own Movie Queen?" It was only after she asked the last question that she realized it was a huge No-No.

Fortunately for her, Zelda nodded her head. She just assumed that Avalon had gotten word of her latest short story. "A few weeks back. Have you read it?"

"Aha! I love it!" Avalon grinned. "I loved the ending. Gracie sort of got some revenge and I am always impartial to women who have been wronged by men. Personally one of your best."

Zelda chuckled. "Well I thank you."

"And just so you know...I know that it was your story, not a collaborative effort between you and Scott."

Zelda smiled despite her obvious confusion. "How would you know-"

"Your words are not like Scott's," Avalon gently cut her off. "I would know your words anywhere."

"How?" Zelda asked. It wasn't that she didn't believe it but it still didn't answer how Avalon would know that if she never saw her work. Is the same question she asked herself back when they met in Montgomery. Avalon seemed to know a lot more about her than anyone else at that moment. There were things that she had never told anyone and yet Avalon knew them so perfectly. Truth be told, Avalon made no sense and yet she still inspired trust, which was why Zelda brought her journal out. No one, not even Scott, had seen the insides of it.

Avalon's shoulders shrugged before she could come up with a reasonable answer. "I just...I know. I really do and I know it doesn't make sense but just trust me, okay? I love your work even though you haven't published it. I know you're writing but you hate that whatever you present has to have your husband's name next to yours or that it just has to be his and only his name. I know it, and I'm so sorry."

There was no way she could know all that. Zelda had dozens of more questions but she decided to save that for tomorrow. Right now, she wanted to do something else. "I'm in the middle of writing something new. Care to lend me some of your critiques?"

Avalon's eyes dazzled when Zelda opened up her journal. That journal would be lost to history, thanks to the fire that would one day consume it, and now Zelda was actually showing it to her. "Oh my God…" She whispered when Zelda deposited the journal on her lap to scoot her chair closer to hers.

"Well go on, look through it," Zelda laughed after watching Avalon stare at the green cover of the journal for a few minutes.

"You want me to open it?" Avalon was flabbergasted, only making Zelda laugh even more.

"Yes!" And because Zelda was so impatient, she had to open the journal herself. She took Avalon through the pages she specifically wanted her to see.

Avalon had never felt so frozen in her life. Her eyes, though, were taking everything in. Every last detail Avalon took in with a rush. She recognized some drafts that would later become a published short stories throughout history and there were others that would never make it. Those were the ones that would be lost either because of Zelda's self doubt or because of the fire that would end her life.

"What do you think, then?" Zelda asked with her tongue between her teeth, absolutely nervous to hear Avalon's opinions.

"These are fantastic," Avalon laughed. "I-I would love to see these be published one day."

"Really? All of them?"

"Yes! I like this one," Avalon flipped through the pages to go back to a certain draft that would fortunately make it to the public in a few years. The Original Follies Girl is what Zelda would eventually settle on for the title. "I know the ending isn't all that nice but the first part makes you want to be that girl. Somebody who everyone wants to be friends with, a somebody who's admired by people."

Zelda's lips thinned into a smile. "I think that will be you someday, Avalon. Course I think it'll be because of your work, not because of your looks, though that might also be a factor."

Avalon playfully rolled her eyes. "Right."

"I mean it. I know that your work is going to be amazing whenever you decide to publish it. And just like you once told me, I in you you. I believe that anything you write is going to be a hit."

Avalon looked at the journal in front of her, truly touched that she was able to see such a magnificent journal. "You really think so?"

"I know so, honey!"

There was a brief moment of indecision for Avalon but holding Zelda's journal made it fade into the deepest part of her mind. "Hold on." Like Zelda had done before, Avalon left the terrace to grab her purse from the couch. She returned holding her journal against her chest. "I, um, I've never really shown this to anyone before. There's so much stuff in here." It's an endless journal, after all. The Doctor made it so. "You'll think it's crazy."

Zelda laughed with a shake of her head. "If you think it's crazy, then it means you've created fantasy. Can I have a peek?"

Avalon bit her lip as she sat down again. Before the voices started layering the self-doubt in her head, Avalon held her journal out to Zelda. "You're the first person to see it," she said as she intently watched Zelda flip through the pages. If there was anything outstanding in it, Avalon was sure she could play it off as a fantasy story, just like Zelda said. But there were true drafts she'd began that would mean a lot if Zelda took a read.

Short minutes felt like hours as Avalon waited for Zelda's verdict. Eventually, Zelda looked up with a wide grin. "You have an incredible mind. Such impossible things you write about. Metal men? Wedding crashers? A child made out of a tree!? Avalon...your mind is a cavern of stories!"

"You don't think it's weird?" Avalon studied the woman for any indication that she did think it weird and was just lying.

Zelda shook her head. "Of course not! No one else has thought of these things! And creatures that make you forget them when you look away from them? You wrote some deep things for that. The trauma, near depression...God help that poor character of yours." Zelda realized Avalon was crying before Avalon herself. She curiously watched the girl, trying to work something out before Avalon would notice it.

"All just stories," Avalon said once she checked back into reality. She rubbed her eyes and yawned for good measure, hoping she could pass her little moment off as a sign of sleep.

"Ava," the Doctor cautiously poked his head into the terrace, smiling when he found the two women. "I don't mean to interrupt but I really think you should get some rest."

"And yet you just interrupted," Avalon playfully rolled her eyes. She wasn't quite sleepy but it was futile to argue with him. Minimum he wanted her to at least try to sleep.

"Oh let him be," Zelda looked back at the Doctor with a smile. "Taking care of her must be a hassle, huh?"

"You wouldn't believe it," the Doctor relished in Zelda's support. He leaned against the doorframe, dramatically sighing. "All I want is for my Ava to take it easy and it's like she hears 'you're never going out again'."

Avalon glared at him. "Funny, all I'm hearing right now is 'you're going to die'."

"Avalon," Zelda chuckled and handed her journal back. The Doctor was quite surprised to see that in Zelda's hands. "If you were sick and your husband wants to take care of you, let him. Sometimes it's nice to be pampered."

Avalon awkwardly coughed and avoided the Doctor's shocked face at all costs. Yeah, that one came back to bite her for not saying the truth. She got up from her chair, her journal to her chest. "I think maybe it is time to sleep."

"Well, I showed the Doctor your bedroom earlier. I even left some clothes you might want for sleep. That dress, while stunning, is not very comfortable for sleeping." Zelda watched Avalon carefully make her way around the chairs. She was immediately enveloped in the Doctor's arms. He tenderly kissed the side of her head and murmured something in her ear. It had to be something either sweet or annoying because Avalon rolled her eyes at him.

Eventually, Avalon shooed him into the house and awkwardly smiled. "He's...I apologize for his dramatics."

Zelda laughed and rose from her chair. "I think he's funny. Definitely a sweet fella who wants to take care of you."

"I was sick a while back, but I'm really better now," Avalon assured her before she started taking a leaf out of the Doctor's book.

"Still, one more night can't hurt you. If he wants to, oh I don't know, tuck you into bed, let him." She folded her arms and smirked. "Could be ground zero for some yummy times."

Avalon's face went stark red while Zelda snickered. "I think...I am going to sleep," Avalon declared.

"Mhm."

"I really hate you," Avalon shook her head.

"Oh don't be shy, sugar! It's alright!"

Avalon shook her head again and her hand. She did not want to hear anymore of this. "Goodnight Zelda. I'll see you in the morning." She hurried back inside the house and was so relieved to see the Doctor waiting for her by the hallway, nowhere near the terrace. That meant she only had to explain for the husband part and not...not the second part.

"I am so sorry," she started when she pulled him into the hallway.

"For what?" he cluelessly asked her.

"Zelda just assumed that we were married and I was going to correct her, I swear I was, but she just kept talking and talking so...I sort of let it be."

The Doctor stopped walking and forced her to do the same. "Why would I be mad at that? It's not the first time someone presumes I'm married. I don't know what it is, it just always happens."

Avalon keenly studied him. "You're...you're serious? You're not upset?"

"No! So someone thinks you're my...my wife." A smile started spreading across his face. Something about that made him feel all warm inside. "That is not the end of the world."

Avalon blushed under his gaze. "Really?" She whispered. From her end, she couldn't see any problem with someone thinking she was his wife either...she just wasn't brave enough to admit it.

"Have you seen yourself, Ava? Anyone would be lucky enough to be your husband." The Doctor took her by the waist and lowered his head down for a short kiss. "I think a handful of the men at the party wished that after you sang so beautifully."

Avalon waved that off. "How unlucky for them that I was only singing to you." She went on her tippy-toes to kiss him again.

"C'mon, you really should try to rest."

Avalon dramatically groaned as he led her to their designated bedroom. "But I'm really not tired."

"You always say that and yet there's a handful of times where you end up falling asleep," the Doctor stopped by a door and grabbed the knob. "After a day like today, I'm pretty sure it's going to be one of those times."

"But I don't feel tired," Avalon insisted and slipped in-between him and the door. "I would much rather do something else." Her fingers danced along his chest as she suggestively smiled up at him.

"Don't be confused, I do love all the kissy moments but I can't let my Ava go without sleep," the Doctor tapped her nose but before he could draw his hand away, she grabbed it and settled it on her hip again. "Avalon…"

"How about this, I'm going to kiss you and if you don't kiss back then I will try to sleep," she promised with her typical sly smile. She knew exactly what she was doing, always did, and it was a shame that she always won. Her hands crawled up to his neck, loosely joining behind, and in two seconds she had planted her lips against his.

The Doctor could smell her rich lavender scent, just further adding to the unfair fight. He learned long ago that it was useless trying to fight her off because every time she kissed him, he wanted to kiss her back. Today's moment had her wearing a dress that made her simply exquisite. His hands had already found her exposed back - at what point that happened, he had no idea. He only knew that he couldn't move his hands off that part.

Avalon unwinded one arm to find the doorknob behind her because she wanted no interruptions and Amy and Rory were very good at that. She had no trouble finding it, despite being very occupied, and pushed it open. The Doctor had to hold her tighter due to the sudden loss of their support but Avalon managed to walk them inside, leaving him to shut the door behind. They fervently kissed each other while they crossed the room. The Doctor was aware that the longer they spent kissing the harder it was to want to let Avalon go. She fit so nicely between his arms and no matter where his hands roamed (or lips) on her body, it felt right. It felt like he needed to touch her, feel her warm, smooth skin and keep her sweet lips plump with all his kisses.

That's because you love her. Youloveheryouloveheryouloveheryouloveher-

Avalon's legs had hit the edge of the bed, knocking them both into reality. For Avalon, it was a mere nuisance that she would gladly ignore and go back to the happy kissing but for the Doctor it was a reminder. He needed self control, for his part and hers. She was still recuperating after all.

"No, don't," Avalon pouted when he untangled her arms from him. "I thought we were having fun." She looked past him to see her purse on the ground. No idea when I did that, she realized with a smirk.

"I was, am," the Doctor clarified quickly before she got any ideas. "But you need your rest and this...this is not resting."

"So?" Avalon sighed. "Fairy Tale Man, I have to ask if this and sorry for being daring because I know that you blush but...do you want me?"

"What!?"

"You heard me."

"Ava…" the Doctor cleared his throat, his face warm as ever and he was sure that it was red too.

"I have to ask because each time you just kind...recoil from me," Avalon bit her lower lip like it was gum all of a sudden. "It's never really happened to me before." She waited for an answer but all the Doctor did was stare at her with a smile working its way across his face. "Are you going to answer or did I just humiliate myself into the next century?"

"You asked a fair question but I'm just not sure how to answer it without...making you blush." He smirked when he saw just that happening. "What kind of question is that?" He reached to touch her cheek, tracing a pattern over it. "You're intelligent, passionate, stunning...an absolute princess. Who wouldn't want you?"

"I don't care about anyone else, only you," Avalon said quietly.

"Yes, absolutely yes." The Doctor was able to pull her back to him. He kept an arm around her waist while he nuzzled the side of her face. "You have no idea how much self control I've been exercising lately. You drive me crazy."

Avalon's lips twitched into a smile, soon into a smirk. "So what are you waiting for?"

The Doctor chuckled lightly, though his hearts did skip a beat at her light request. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. "Not the moment, certainly not the place." Avalon's eyebrows knitted together, puzzled until it shifted into annoyance. The Doctor sensed where her thoughts were going and turned her around so that her back was to his chest. There he lightly swayed them and pressed a kiss to Avalon's neck. "See, when I finally get to kiss and touch you the way I want to...we're going to need a room with thicker walls…"

Avalon blushed but her smirk widened. "Ah, so you're confident."

"Very."

"If you start saying from your experiences, I'll kill you."

"I won't if you won't. You seem to know your way around things as well."

"Well…"

"What I just say?"

Avalon laughed. "I love…" She caught herself at the nick of time. Oh my God. She turned around wearing a usual smile. "Thanks for explaining that." She fixed his skewed hair and took in a breath. "I look forward to that moment."

"As do I," the Doctor promised. "Get some rest please. Try."

"I can't do that unless my Fairy Tale Man is lying right next to me." She shrugged and backtracked from him. Zelda had left folded clothing on the foot of the bed so she swiped it off and pointed at the Doctor. "I won't try unless you're here."

"Where else would I be?"

Avalon triumphantly grinned. In a few minutes, she had forgone her beaded dress and put on a simple silk chiffon nightgown. She wasn't that surprised it hung a bit below her knees. For a time that thought it daring, Zelda was no stranger to the different fashions. Avalon wasn't interested in the shorter styles. Her mind was stuck on the accidental near slip up from earlier. Even though it was a slip up, after everything she heard, would it really be that bad if she finally told the Doctor? Her heart pounded at the idea of telling him but there was also an excitement she couldn't deny. Maybe it was time.

With those jumbled thoughts she climbed into bed and patted the spot next to her for the Doctor to join her. She giggled when he tickled her side and brought her closer to him. Even if she wasn't tired, she could lay there with him all night (or at least what was left of the night).

"I did have fun today. Thanks for bringing me here," she said after spending some nice quiet time. "It was good to see Zelda again."

"We can come back anytime you want," the Doctor said, knowing Avalon would love the idea.

"I'd like that," she nodded, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "She showed me her journal...and I showed her mine. I've never done that. Are you mad I never showed it to you?"

"Of course not. One day I'll get to see it," he said, tucking a few strands of her curls between them.

"I just want to make sure it's perfect before you see it," she said, biting her lip. "Zelda kinda gave me pointers on a few drafts. But I also let her see the, um, things I wrote about our travels. She thought it was fake of course. Was that bad?"

"Nah, you'd be surprised how many people in the past know about me and my, uh, unique nature, and they deal with it rather well. We've become good friends."

"I know it's silly but I really do consider Zelda a friend. She's my special friend cos, you know, she's like my writing idol. Thanks for giving me that opportunity. I never thought in my life that I would get to meet her."

"You don't have to thank me, Ava. You know I'd do anything for you." He gave her a sweet kiss on her lips.

She rested her hand over his cheek when he kept his head hovering over hers. He kept saying that, didn't he? He made her feel so special all the time. Even when they bickered she got a thrill that absolutely no one gave her...and she had done a lot of bickering with other people. Everything he did, even if he was making her try to sleep when she didn't want to, had her feeling special.

"I love you," she whispered and suddenly her eyes couldn't meet his anymore.

Initially, the Doctor couldn't really decide if he had heard her right. His hearts had started hammering the moment he thought he heard her say those words. That sure made it easier to decide. Avalon didn't repeat it, she stayed quiet and kept herself busy by playing with the buttons of his shirt.

She was waiting.

And she was incredibly nervous.

"Ava…" the Doctor gently pulled her fingers off him and kept her hand within his.

She looked at him very briefly before finding the ceiling very interesting, but the Doctor was quicker in that moment. He'd seen the nervousness in her eyes, how anxious she was to hear his response. He almost laughed. If only she knew.

"I love you," he finally told her. He laughed at how quickly her eyes snapped back to him.

"Yeah?" She still whispered but even then her voice sounded like it'd lost air. She had lost air. "You do?"

"You have no idea the time I've spent swallowing these words down. I thought I'd freak you out if I told you."

"What? Why on Earth would you think that?"

"Because we've only been dating for a few months? Pretty sure saying 'I love you' months into a relationship is a huge no-no."

"And when exactly have we ever been the normal type of relationship?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to argue...then shut it. That was right. Very right. Nothing about them was normal. "I do love you."

"I love you," Avalon tested the way she would say those words from now on. She loved the way the words sounded each time she repeated them, and she repeated them several times. The Doctor eventually laughed at her but she whacked him until he apologized and said it back to her as many times as she had to 'make her feel better'.

And as it turned out, it became one of those nights where she was a little bit tired. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was still sleeping a little more than usual due to the medication she was still on and because of her recuperating health overall. She fell asleep somewhere in the middle of their bickering, missing when the Doctor declared a triumphant 'I win' at her sleeping form.

~ 0 ~

"So sorry I can't offer you a decent breakfast," Zelda offered yet another apology to the group after setting out the little bits of biscuits and fruit she had left in the fridge. "Each party wipes us out, believe it or not. They do eat while drinking."

"It's really fine," Amy tried to stop the woman from going crazy in the kitchen but Zelda kept searching through cabinets while they watched from the table. "We're not that big on breakfast anyways."

"Nonsense, I know Avalon's on a specific diet for her health."

"Yeah, but I'm fine," went the woman in question. "Really Zelda, come sit down. We'll be leaving soon and I'd rather talk instead of watching you search for an apple."

Zelda smiled at the group, though rather nervously if Avalon had to describe it. She pressed her dress down as she returned to the table. "Avalon, can I show you something? Before you go?"

"Of course," Avalon was quick to get up from her chair. She wasn't hungry anyways.

Zelda led her back to the living room where she picked up her green journal from the coffee table. "I, um, I sort of started something last night...after we talked. I hope you don't mind but it's about you, sugar."

"Me?" Avalon blinked, pointing at herself as if there was someone else in the room and Zelda had just spoken to the wrong person.

"Yes, I think it's fitting that whatever I publish next should be about you. An impossible girl, right?" Avalon looked at the journal and Zelda until the latter pushed the journal into her hands. "Read it, please?"

Avalon silently looked at the draft. There were still notes on the margins but she saw the title clear as day. 'The Impossible Girl'. A smile came to her face as she read through the lines. Despite understanding very little of the future, Zelda had managed to capture the essence of the adventures Avalon had gone through. She twisted it into her own world, making it so that Avalon still retained her beautiful human nature. Zelda made her the girl everyone wanted to be but absolutely no one could be.

"I...I love this!" Avalon exclaimed with the happiest of smiles on her face.

Zelda beamed. "Really? Oh, that means a lot!"

Avalon laughed. The irony of things. Her favorite author was telling her that her opinion meant a lot. "Zelda, thank you for writing this. I...I can't believe you managed to make this fantasy into, well, a good story."

"Oh," Zelda gently took the journal from Avalon with an odd expression on her face. "I could only do so much to make it good, nothing to what you must have truly experienced in these moments."

The laugh and smile faded from Avalon's face. "What...what do you mean?"

"I don't understand how it's possible but...I'm fairly certain all those things you wrote in your journal are true."

"What…?" Avalon nervously laughed. "Why-why would you think that?"

"Because no one cries as sad and scared as you did last night," Zelda touched Avalon's arm with a soft smile. "And I am so sorry for all the horrors you had to go through."

"Zelda, I don't know what you're thinking but it's not...it's not true. I mean, really, creatures that make you forget?" And yet as Avalon made the best argument she could come up with, tears were pooling in her eyes. It was the same sad, scared tears Zelda saw last night.

Zelda reached over to wipe a few tears off Avalon's face. "Oh sugar, no more tears. I think you've cried enough." Avalon tried her best not to cry but she was already sniffling. Zelda pulled her into a big hug. "You've gone through so much and yet you decided to come back and visit someone as insignificant as me."

"No, never," Avalon sniffed and hugged her tighter. "You're my friend. You're my friend who I wish lived near me."

"Where are you from? Really?"

Avalon hesitated to answer her, but the Doctor's words flew into her mind. 'Nah, you'd be surprised how many people in the past know about me and my, uh, unique nature, and they deal with it rather well. We've become good friends.' Could it be that Zelda would be one of those people for her? Something in her heart told her that she was right.

"2011," Avalon said and immediately felt Zelda stiffened. Before she could pull away, Avalon gripped the author into the hug. "I'm from a small town called Leadworth in England. I grew up learning about people in history and I always loved learning about Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald. She was my idol and I-I always wished I could meet her to tell her how much her work meant to me because I was always an outcast at home. We're very similar despite the hug gap between our lives. Being your friend has been a dream come true."

Now it was Zelda who had tears in her eyes. Avalon loosened her grip and allowed her to part. "It's impossible but it's the only way things make sense. You...you really learned about me?"

"You are not insignificant," Avalon took her hands and smiled. "You are an icon. I once dressed up as you for Halloween."

"What?" laughed Zelda.

Avalon's smile widened. "I did. You have always been my inspiration to write and the day I do write something it'll be in your name. So please, please, don't let anyone tell you that your work doesn't matter, that you don't matter."

"Avalon Reynolds believes in me," Zelda chuckled, remembering Avalon's very similar words she said in Montgomery. Avalon firmly nodded her head. "Well, you go back home then and think of me each time you want to scrap up whatever you drafted because I want you to pick it up and rewrite it. I believe that one day you will write an amazing book, a book so fantastic that you'll have everyone reading it. Zelda Sayre believes in you, Avalon, and she also believes that you are strong enough to keep going. Don't let those, um, Silence things and that woman win. You show 'em who's boss."

Avalon chuckled with fresh new tears in her eyes. "Oh, come here!" She encased Zelda in another hug.

Later on, when the group left the villa, Avalon excitedly babbled on about what transpired with Zelda. Amy and Rory were shocked and soon worried that Avalon had made a huge mistake revealing she was from the future but the Doctor seemed fine with it...almost like he expected it. When the Doctor had Avalon in the medbay later on, Avalon still went on about Zelda and lingered on the short story Zelda wrote about her.

"She called it 'The Impossible Girl'. It was so good and not because it was about me. The way she wrote it...Doctor, don't tell me I have to make her get rid of it," Avalon gave him her best pout in hopes that this time they could let history be changed just a tiny bit.

She was incredibly lucky.

"Ava, do you remember that I told you that you had no idea how much of an impact you had on people?"

Avalon distinctly remembered that as part of his sweet words he said to her the first time they visited Leadworth after Berlin. "Yeah…"

"And then I suggested we go visit Zelda again?"

"Yes," Avalon's eyes immediately narrowed on him. "What have you been up to, Fairy Tale Man?"

It was the Doctor's proud moment to show her the short story Zelda Fitzgerald published in 1924 - with her husband's name on the same byline - under the title 'The Impossible Girl'.

Avalon read the entire story and cried tears of joy. At the very end of the story was a small little letter.

'Everyone believes the impossible is just that but sometimes, if you are truly lucky, you get to see it in person...or you get to meet the impossible girl.'

With Love, Z.

[lynnsfics]

Coffee Stained Confusion Ch 5

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~ ~ ~

“What do you mean ‘she’s in it’?” Bucky questioned. 

“I mean, she’s in the photo. I don’t know how to make that any more clear to you,” Sam sighed from the other side of the phone. “And, assuming that she’s been with you this whole time then someone is definitely using this to draw her out. Get back here immediately, or she may be the next target.” 

You felt your heart seize up as he said the word “target”, and your knees gave way beneath you. The fall was thankfully broken by your mattress, but the wind was still knocked out of you. This couldn’t be happening. Not even 24 hours earlier you were in class watching shows in class, and now your whole life was being upended.

You squeezed your eyes shut, hoping to open them and realize this was all one awful nightmare. All your life you wanted to be the main character in some adventure story, but now it was actually happening and you would give anything for it to stop. 

“Hey, doll, it’s alright, deep breaths,” Bucky sat on the bed next you, “Shh, it’s alright. I know you’re going through a lot right now, but could you tell me why someone might have chosen to take that photo over everything else?”

“Well, it was taken about a week or so before they-” you reconsidered what you were about to say and quickly changed your mind “-before the fire. But I don’t know why someone would choose to take it, unless they knew how much it meant to me.” 

“So the killer might be someone close to you?” he asked, his brow slightly furrowed.

“Maybe. Or they may have taken it since it was the only physical photo of me here. I’m sorry I can’t help that much.”

“It’s alright,” Bucky said softly, “you’ve been through Hell today. Besides, you did give us a lead. That’s a lot more than Sam and I accomplished together the whole time we’ve been on this case. Now, how about we head back to the apartment, we’ll stay there for the night and then we’ll figure out what to do from there.” 

~~~

The apartment was dark when you arrived. Sam was already asleep and you were about to doze off standing up. You and Bucky spent the drive back in relative silence. He tried to make conversation at first but you kept falling asleep mid-sentence so he decided it was better to just let you rest. 

Like he promised before, you slept in the other bed and he took the couch in the living room. You protested a bit, but quickly gave in. As soon as you laid your head down on the pillow you fell into a deep, relatively dreamless sleep. 

Daylight shone into the room as someone opened the curtains, startling you out of your slumber. “Ok sleepyhead, up and at ‘em,” Sam laughed. 

“Well,” you replied groggily, “you’re certainly in a better mood today.”

“That’s the benefit of getting some actual sleep. Bucky made breakfast, so you better hurry up while there’s still some left,” Sam chuckled, “Luckily for him cooking is one of his redeeming qualities.” He turned and left, leaving you bleary-eyed and trying to process the conversation. 

Once you were fully awake and functioning you made your way over to the kitchen.

“Well,” Bucky said, “looked who finally decided to join us.” He handed you a plate of pancakes with strawberries to the side. “So, how are you feeling?”

“A bit better.  Taking my medication helped me a lot. It’s just been a lot to think about.”

“Yeah, it always is. Sam and I were talking about it, and since it isn’t safe for you to go back to your dorm, and this place will probably be compromised soon, the best place for you to go right now is the compound.”

“The,” you took a deep breath, wondering if you misheard him, “the compound? Like as in the compound?”

“Unless there’s a secret one that Sam isn’t telling me about, then yes, the compound. I’d like to tell you that it’s completely voluntary, but since your life will be in severe danger anywhere else, you don’t really have a choice in the matter. Sorry about that, doll.”  

“My main goal right now is to find out who took my parents picture, so if that means going to the compound, then I’ll go.”

“Oh, speaking of the photo,” Sam walked over to you, “I called in a few favors and managed to get it out of evidence.” He handed you the picture and you felt one piece of your life click back into place. 

“Thank you, Sam. That means a lot to me.” You smiled and placed the image on the counter next to you. As you started to eat your breakfast you began to examine the photograph. Your fork clattered to the plate as you saw something that you’d never noticed before.

“What’s wrong?” Bucky came over and stood next to you. 

You took in a shaky breath. Your eyes started to well up with tears as pieces of the puzzle started to click together. It all made sense now. You pointed to where you were sitting in the picture. “Look, there on my right hand. Are you seeing this too?” 

Bucky squinted at the photo, and then sucked in a breath when he realized what you were referring to. “Sam, come here, I think you need to see this.”   

“I never knew what started the fire,” you began, “Just that I started it somehow. It really was my fault.” Your eyes drifted to the picture again, and you wondered how you never noticed the flame erupting from your fingertips before. Your skin started to feel warm and the world seemed to be closing in around you. 

“I have to leave. Right now.” You stepped back and bumped into the couch before making a break for the door. Bucky blocked your path before you could make it out. “Please, I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you too. Just let me go.” As the final words left your mouth, the world around you erupted into fire.

~ ~ ~

Well, seems like things are finally heating up, aren't they? Sorry, too soon? Anyways, thank you all so much for the love you gave on the last chapter, your support means a lot to me! Like always, likes and reblogs are appreciated! Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list! Love you all <3