#contemplating visiting and then just staying forever right now

[ivyues]

A Promise - Lee Know

With his enlistment approaching, Lee Know contemplates building a deeper commitment with you.

It had been snowing all day, the gentle flakes turning the streets into a quiet, glistening world of white. The snow was the reason you stayed at home today, crushing your plans, instead leaving you cozy and content indoors.

Here, the muffled sound of the snowstorm was replaced by the occasional soft clink of your mugs on the coffee table and the low hum of a playlist you'd chosen. The familiar weight of a shared blanket draped over your legs added to the sense of calm, grounding you in the moment.

Minho leaned back against the couch, his arm resting casually around your shoulders, while his other hand laid under the edge of the blanket, his fingers absently tracing gentle, aimless patterns against the fabric. The two of you had spent hours talking, covering everything from small, inconsequential topics – how his new choreography was coming along, the places you wanted to visit one day – to deeper subjects that made the minutes blur into hours.

Now, a lull settled between you, the kind of silence that felt natural, comforting rather than awkward. He turned his head slightly, his gaze meeting yours. There was something unspoken in his eyes, a softness and an intensity all at once, like he was searching for the right words.

He inhaled deeply before saying, "You know things are going to change soon, right? With… everything coming up for me." You nodded, understanding immediately what he meant. His military enlistment had been a quiet but persistent shadow over the horizon, something neither of you spoke about too often but both felt deeply.

"I’ve been trying to picture it," he continued, his voice tinged with a vulnerability he didn’t show often. "Being away for that long, and coming back to… well, I want to come back to you. To us. And I was wondering if… getting married is something you’d want—" He paused, his lips quirking into a soft smile. "As a promise."

The way he said it, so tentative yet hopeful, made your heart ache. He wasn’t rushing, wasn’t asking for a definitive answer. It felt more like he was letting you in on a dream he’d been holding close, a quiet hope he wanted to share with you.

What you didn't know about were all the times he’d found himself looking at jewelry, rings especially, without meaning to. He’d ignored it at first, dismissing it as idle curiosity or just passing ideas, but now he couldn’t help but wonder if it had been more. The thought of choosing something for you, something that could say all the things he couldn’t quite put into words, tugged at the edges of his mind

You looked at him with wide eyes, your hand reaching instinctively for his under the blanket. "I’ve been thinking about it too," you admitted. "Not marriage, exactly, but… how I’d handle you being away. I try to think of it like you’re just on tour for a long time," you said softly, the words coming carefully as you worked through your own emotions. "It’s not forever. And knowing you’re coming back to me, that we could build something—together—would maybe make it less scary."

His lips curved into a faint smile at that, the kind that made his eyes crinkle just slightly at the corners. He glanced at you with an expression that was equal parts affection and relief.

"I’d like that," he murmured. "But I don’t want to rush you, or make this feel like it’s happening just because of the timing. This year’s going to be so busy, and you deserve... more. You deserve me doing this the right way, not something rushed before I leave."

The sincerity in his voice made your chest tighten, and you laced your fingers through his, grounding yourself in the steady warmth of his hand. "You don’t have to do anything perfectly for me," you said, your voice steady despite the emotion welling up inside you. "Just... keep coming back. I’ll wait for you."

And as he sat there, his hand still in yours, a thought struck him – a quiet resolve he didn’t speak aloud. It wasn’t just about serving and fulfilling a duty; it was about the future waiting for him on the other side. Coming back to you, his fiancée by then – or maybe even his wife – was the image that kept him steady. It was the thought of building a life with you, one step at a time, that made the prospect of leaving more bearable.

masterlist

[scribblesofagoonerr]

𝑀𝑜𝓃𝓀𝑒𝓎 Our Girl: Growing Up | 𝐼𝒻 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓀𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒲𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒰𝓅𝑜𝓃, 𝒮𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒯𝓊𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝐹𝒶𝓁𝓁

summary: the new house move is overshadowed by monkey's first supervised visit with mark

our girl: growing up masterlist

“Looks like that was the last box in the van,” Jordan cheerfully announced, stepping into the house with a cardboard box in hand, “Now it’s the fun part of unpacking everything.”

Leah mock-wiped her brow with an exaggerated sigh, “Phew, thank God. That felt endless.”

Jacob snorted, smirking at her, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You barely carried half of them–Dad and I did all the hard work.”

“Shush, you,” Leah shot back with a playful grin, “I’ll have you know I’m carrying precious cargo.”

Jacob raised an eyebrow, “Oh yeah? And what’s that then?”

“Your future niece or nephew,” Leah smirked, motioning to her stomach.

Jacob blinked before letting out a low whistle, “Touché. I’ll let you off this time.”

“Le, I’m just sorting out everything in the kitchen,” Amanda called from inside the house, already beginning her work in the kitchen, “Is there anything you guys want in a specific place?”

“No, it should be fine wherever. We can always rearrange it if needs be,” Leah responded, shrugging her shoulders, taking the moment to glance around the spacious three-bedroomed house, her expression shifting to something more contemplative, “Well, I guess this is it–home sweet home.”

You stood beside her, silent, your eyes wide scanning the unfamiliar space.

Leah had never expected to move out so soon—sure there was countless talks of it with Jordan, but the plan had always been to stay in her family home until she was at least done with her accountancy degree, but life had a way of throwing unexpected changes her way.

The biggest one? You.

You needed a safe place to stay, and Leah’s childhood home simply wasn’t big enough. So here you were–standing in the hallway of what Leah called your new home.

And then there was the baby. Leah and Jordan were only ten weeks along, but their future had already shifted in ways they hadn’t fully processed yet. You weren’t sure what that meant for you. Did this change things? Did they still want you here? Did you even belong?

“We’ll make it perfect for our kids–Monkey and our little one, whatever gender they turn out to be,” Jordan swooped behind Leah, wrapping her free arm around her girlfriend’s waist.

“My money’s still on it being a boy,” Jacob teased.

Leah huffed, rolling her eyes, “You just want a nephew to support the same team that you do.”

“Of course I do!” Jacob puffed out his chest, “I can guide him down the right path. Ain’t that right, Dad?” He asked, turning round to look at the older man who had just walked into the room.

“Absolutely,” David agreed.

“As if,” Leah scoffed, waggling her fingers in mock threat, “There’s no way my future child will support anyone but Arsenal.”

Jordan laughed in agreement, moving to crouch down to unpack a box that she’d recently brought into the house, “She’s serious about that one. If you even brought a Spurs shirt into this house, she’d probably set it on fire.”

“Correct,” Leah said, nodding firmly.

Jacob scoffed, “You can’t just expect them to pick Arsenal. What if they want to support Spurs?”

Leah shuddered dramatically, “Over my dead body.”

“Jacob does have a point though,” Jordan began, grinning at her girlfriend, “A boy would be nice–one of each then, yeah?”

“Mhm, maybe,” Leah mused, “But a girl would be nice too, wouldn’t it? Only ten more weeks until we find out.”

“Ten weeks feels like forever,” Jordan sighed.

The conversation drifted around you, the room buzzing with movement–The banter continued about which team the new baby would support, while Amanda unpacked in the kitchen and Jordan sorted through things in the living room. You stood still in the hallway, watching it all but unsure where you fit into the chaos.

Your fingers twitched at your sides before, slowly, your thumb found its way into your mouth. It was instinct, comfort–something familiar when everything else felt too new, too uncertain.

Leah must have noticed because before long, she was crouching in front of you, “Hey, my girl,” She began in a gentle tone of voice, “This is your new home now. You have your own bedroom here, and we can make it however you like–it’s entirely yours.”

“Mine?” Your voice was barely a whisper.

Leah smiled, reaching out to tuck a lose strand of your hair behind your ear, “Yes, it’s yours–”

“Oi, Leah!” Jacob called, interrupting the moment the two of you had, “Where do you want this box labeled ‘kitchen’?”

“My guess would be in the kitchen there, J,” Leah laughed, her younger brothers’ question making her smile, but she barely paid him any mind with her attention still on you, “What do you think about it, my girl?”

You didn’t answer. You didn’t want to. Talking felt too big, too hard–you felt it was safer to remain quiet at this time. 

Leah reached out, rubbing slow, circles on your arm. Then, with a small smile, she gently tapped your hand, “Hey, let’s try to keep your thumb out of your mouth, yeah? We don’t want you getting poorly from the yucky germs, do we?”

You hesitated but, after a few seconds, pulled your thumb away, rubbing it against your sleeve instead. Leah nodded approvingly and stood up, holding her hand out, “Come on, let’s go see your room.”

“It… It’s mine?” You asked, confused.

“Yeah, it is,” Leah agreed, squeezing her hand reassuringly as you began to climb the stairs, walking into your new bedroom, “Do you like it? We can decorate it however you want.”

Your brows furrowed, “But… But I thought this was only temporary.”

“This is your home now, Monkey,” Leah reassured you, crouching to meet your eye level, “You’re here, and you don’t have to worry about going anywhere, alright?”

You hesitated, shifting your weight, “I… I guess so.”

“Plenty of room for all those Lego bricks you love to leave everywhere,” Leah added, nudging you lightly.

“How do you like it, little one?” Jordan poked her head around your bedroom door, “Think there’s enough space on the walls to put up all those Shrek posters–hey, we can even paint it green if you want, or yellow, like Spongebob?” She grinned playfully.

Leah laughed, squeezing your hand again, “This is your home now, Monkey. With us. We want you to feel safe here. To be happy.”

“H… Happy?” You echoed uncertainly.

“That’s right, my girl,” Leah’s voice was warm, “Your happiness is what matters most to us.”

Before you could respond, a loud crash from downstairs made you jump.

“Jacob!” Amanda’s voice rang out.

“That wasn’t me!” Jacob not-so-innocently replied.

Leah chuckled before turning back to you, “We should probably go and see what’s going on. Do you want to come with us, or do you want to explore your new room?”

You hesitated for a beat, then whispered, “I… I want to come.”

Leah didn’t waste time holding out her hand again, “Come on then, cheeky Monkey. Let’s go see what chaos awaits downstairs.”

As you walked together, you heard Jordan murmur behind you.

“Home sweet home, eh?”

Leah hummed in agreement, “Home sweet home. It’s going to be perfect–for us and our kid."

“Come on my girl, you need to eat more than that,” Leah noted the untouched plate of food that was set in front of you on the table, “I know you like it, and you even have baked beans instead of spaghetti hoops this time, so what’s the problem, hm?”

The following night in your new home should have been the start of a new and exciting new adventure, a new chapter with them–however, that was overshadowed by the planned court-ordered supervised visit with your dad that had been mentioned to you in passing conversation the next day.

That set your mood for the rest of the evening.

You hadn’t even bothered to lift your fork to take a bite of your food, “I… I don’t want to.”

“You’ve hardly touched it,” Jordan added.

You scrunched your face up in protest, “I don’t care! I don’t want it–I’m not eating it!”

“Well you can’t not eat anything, can you?” Leah remained calm and patient, fixing you with a knowing look, “If you don’t eat your dinner then you won’t get any pudding, and I know how much you like that, don’t you?”

“I don’t care!” You exclaimed, crossing your arms over your chest as you scowled at your dinner, “It’s dumb and stupid! I… I don’t want it!”

“Right, okay then…” Leah exhaled a sigh, rubbing her temples–she wasn’t angry at you, not really. But she hated seeing you like this, torn between giving in and holding her ground, “If you don’t want to eat your dinner then that’s fine, but you will not be eating anything else–no cake, no biscuits, no chocolate.”

“That’s not fair!” You growled aloud, getting angry at the idea of not being allowed any nice treats, “I… I want them!”

“Neither is wasting dinner that Jordan has cooked,” Leah wasn’t budging on her own decision, “You know the rules. If you’re not going to eat your dinner then you’re not getting any nice things.”

You continued to scowl at Leah, keeping your arms crossed over your chest, “Don’t wanna eat stupid dinner…”

“I know you don’t want to, Monkey,” Leah remained patient the entire time, “But you need to eat. It’s important.”

“No, don’t wanna,” Your hands clenched into fists under the table, nails digging into your palms as you glared at the plate. A lump formed in your throat, and you could feel the tightness in your chest that you didn’t know how to explain. Tears pricked at the corner of your eyes, but you were trying so hard to keep them back.

Leah furrowed her brow, sensing this was something bigger than you being stubborn and not wanting to eat your dinner, “What is this about, madam?”

“Nuffin’ I just am not hungry!” You exclaimed.

Leah didn’t automatically believe that. She knew it was something deeper than just not being hungry, “Monkey, come on. Talk to me, my girl. What’s going on inside that head of yours, hm?”

“I… I don’t want to,” Your voice faltered, afraid to admit what was the actual source of your upset.

“Don’t want to, what?” Leah repeated in a gentle tone of voice, “You can trust me, Monkey. If something is upsetting you then I would like to know, please.”

“I don’t want to go,” You mumbled so quietly that you were barely even heard, “I… I don’t want to see him.”

“Oh,” Leah’s realisation was immediate as she exhaled a sigh, “I know you don’t want to, but it’ll be okay. Hannah will be there with you the whole time, won’t she?” She reassured you the best that she could.

That did nothing to ease the sour mood you were in, “NO! I don’t want to go, Le!”

“I know you don’t, but it’s not our decision on this… I’m sorry, my girl,” Leah hated the idea of the courts being able to give your dad a second chance, but there wasn’t a lot that she could do about it to make them think differently–it wasn’t her decision.

You huffed, sitting slouched at the dinner table while continuing to glare at your untouched dinner like you had a personal vendetta against it, “I… I don’t want to go.”

“Hey, it’s only going to be for a couple of hours, and then you’ll be back here, won’t you?” Leah reminded you with a kind smile.

You still weren’t keen on the idea regardless, “I don’t want to go!”

Leah frowned, pursing her lips, “I’m sorry, Monkey, but it’s out of our hands.”

“NO!” You shot up from the table so fast that your chair scraped across the floor. Without another word, you bolted up the stairs, slamming your bedroom door so hard the walls rattled.

“Monkey–” Leah stood up, frustration written all over her face, ready to go after you.

“Hey, just let her calm down, Le,” Jordan interrupted, placing a steady hand on her girlfriend’s arm, “Let’s just give her a minute to calm down.”

“You’re right,” Leah relented, exhaling a sigh.

Jordan sympathsised with her girlfriend’s frustration, “It’s a lot for her to deal with, remember? We’ll talk to her when she’s ready.”

“How could the court even consider giving him a second chance?” Leah’s voice cracked slightly as she muttered the words, disbelief and anger mingling in her tone, “Those photos… the bruises… it’s not enough for them?”

Jordan moved closer to Leah, placing a gentle hand on her back, “I know, but it’s been agreed and there’s nothing we can do about it,” She explained, “Let’s just hope… Well for now, let’s just hope that it goes well tomorrow.”

“Thank God Hannah will be there to supervise it,” Leah murmured quietly.

“Come on, come sit down and finish eating,” Jordan gestured Leah to sit back down at the table and finish her own dinner, “It’s not good for you to be getting so worked up. You have the baby to think about, remember?”

“I know… I just…” Leah’s hands balled into fists as she leaned against the kitchen counter, “I feel so helpless, Jord. We can’t protect her from this… We can’t protect her from him.”

“Le,” Jordan began to speak before the sound of furniture crashing echoed through the house, followed by a drawer being yanked open and your muffled shout, “What on earth was that?”

Leah’s shoulders slumped in resignation, “That would be Monkey destroying everything in her room… again.”

“Wakey, wakey, Monkey,” Leah gently nudged you, her voice soft and warm. Your bedroom was still a mess from the meltdown last night–clothes scattered, stuffed animals thrown across the room, blankets half-hanging off the bed. But Leah didn’t say anything about it. She just carried on with the morning routine, the same one she’d followed every day this past month, like you hadn’t spent the night crying into her chest until you finally wore yourself out.

You’d wake up, and then you’d have breakfast while watching morning cartoons–Coco Pops and Spongebob, always the same. Your routine was solid, it was safe. Change was bad. You hated it when things changed.

Leah was always the one to wake you up. You’d learned that Jordan preferred her lie-ins–though Leah joked that wouldn’t be happening much longer when the new baby arrived.

You weren’t sure how to feel about that. Would you still get your morning cartoons? Would they steal all the cereal?

“I know you’re awake, madam. You can’t fool me,” A smile tugged at Leah’s lips as she reached out to tickle your foot, the one spot she knew would always make you giggle, “See? I knew it.”

“Not fair,” You muttered, scrunching your face up in protest.

“Did you sleep well, my girl?” Leah’s voice was soft, but of course she already knew the answer–it was a definite no. She’d woken up with you several times throughout the night, but then, Leah wasn’t sure there had been a single night in the last month that you had actually slept through the night.

“M’ still sleepy,” You mumbled, pulling the duvet over your head in an attempt to hide.

“I know. But come on, we’ve got a busy day ahead,” Leah’s tone stayed gentle, but there was an edge of something else in her voice–something that made you tense up, “Do you remember what’s happening today?”

Of course you remembered. You hadn’t stopped thinking about it since yesterday. Your heart started to race just at the thought of it.

You didn’t want to see your dad, let alone sit in the same room as him. The idea made your stomach churn.

Maybe if you just pretended to be asleep long enough, then you wouldn’t have to go?

“I don’t want to go, Le,” Your voice was small, almost a whisper.

“I know, Monkey, I know,” Leah’s hand brushed your hair back gently, as if she was trying to soothe the anxiety bubbling up inside you, “If it was up to me, I wouldn’t make you go either. But…”

“Then make it happen,” You whispered desperately.

Leah hesitated, her fingers pausing on your hair for a moment before she sighed, “It’s just not that simple, Monkey. This… This is out of my hands.”

You didn’t like that answer.

You curled in on yourself, gripping the duvet tighter. It wasn’t fair. Leah was the grown up–if she really wanted to, she could stop this, couldn’t she?

She could fix it.

“Come on,” Leah coaxed after a moment, “I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you? You didn’t eat dinner last night.”

“M’ not,” You protested against the idea.

Leah hummed like she didn’t quite believe you, “Well, if we go downstairs now, I’m pretty sure we’ll make it in time for another episode of Spongebob.”

You turned your face deeper into the pillow, “Don’t wanna watch it.”

“You don’t?” Leah sounded amused, “Now that is something new.”

“I just wanna go back to bed,” You huffed, your voice growing thick with frustration, “I don’t wanna go to the stupid visit!”

The words exploded out of you before you could stop them, your hands balling up into fists against the mattress.

Leah didn’t react right away. She didn’t scold you or tell you off. She just sighed, shifting so she was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I know you don’t want to do this, Monkey,” She said quietly, “And believe me, if I could change it, I would. But you know I can’t. It’s out of my control.  And I know you’re scared about this, but it’s going to be fine. Okay? You’re not going to go through this on your own.”

Her words sat heavy in the air between you.

You hated this. You hated everything about it.

“It’s not fair,” You muttered.

Leah nodded in understanding, “I know it’s not.”

She didn’t try to force you out of bed. She just stayed there, waiting, letting you feel what you needed to feel.

And then, after a while, she spoke again, but softer this time.

“Tell you what. How about we go downstairs, yeah? You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to. We can just sit together. We can watch Spongebob, or something else entirely different if you want. I just want you to be happy.”

You hesitated.

You didn’t want to go downstairs. You didn’t want to do anything. But… Leah was waiting. She wasn’t going to leave.

You peeked out from under the duvet, “Anything?”

Leah smiled, “Anything.”

You weren’t sure if that made you feel better or worse. But still, slowly, you pushed the duvet back.

Leah held out her hand, patient as ever.

After a moment, you took it.

But it was never going to be that easy.

If you’d have asked Leah and Jordan, then the entire morning leading up to the visit was a gruelling task–everything was a struggle, and you weren’t shy about making it clear that you didn’t want to go to the contact centre.

“Monkey, you have to get dressed,” Leah’s voice was tired and her patience fraying after hours of battling with you over even the smallest tasks.

“No I don’t!” You argued, shaking your head and refusing to follow instructions–in your head, if you didn’t get dressed then you wouldn’t have to go.

Simple. Or so you thought it would be.

“Yes you do,” Leah’s tone was firm, but she wasn’t without empathy. The frustration was growing on her side, but she tried to keep her voice steady, ”Come on, let’s get dressed, okay?”

“NO!” You kicked out, your fists clenching as you tried to make your point clear. It wasn’t just about the clothes. It was everything–the whole day that felt impossible.

“Well unless you want to go out wearing your pyjamas then you have to get changed,” Leah tried to reason with you, her voice quieter, like you were much younger than you were, seemingly the only approach that would have any hope of working, “Come on, let’s go and find something for you to wear.”

“I don’t wanna wear that!” You pushed the shirt she offered away, shaking your head furiously as the tears welled in your eyes.

“Okay,” Leah said gently, holding up another shirt, her hands already trembling a little from the pressure, “What about this one instead?”

“NO!” You were beyond reasoning now, your body tense with defiance, face scrunched up in frustration. The more she tried, the more you pushed back. The tension was growing, and Leah could feel it too.

“Hey, hey, less of the shouting please,” Leah sighed, massaging her temple as the beginnings of a headache crept in. She could already feel the strain of your resistance, “Right, how about… how about this one?” She asked, holding up yet another option.

You scrunched your face up in further protest, “No–I’m not going!” Your voice cracked, raw emotion slipping through despite your best attempts to stay in control.

“How’s it going in here?” Jordan gingerly popped her head around the door, more than aware of the answer–she’d heard the full high-pitched screaming from downstairs.

“Well every outfit so far is out of the question,” Leah muttered sarcastically, “How about your Arsenal top? You love that one, don’t you.”

You couldn’t wear that top–your dad was dead against your team. Arsenal– it wouldn’t go well if you wore it, “NO! I’m not wearin’ that–I’m not goin’ there. I’m not doing it!”

Leah’s heart hurt hearing the plea in your voice. This was the crux of it. You didn’t want to go to the contact centre–the one place where you were expected to interact with your dad, and the thought of that terrified you. The idea of being forced to see him–of being near him at all–filled you with dread.

Leah knew it. Jordan knew it. But the court had decided that your dad deserved a second chance, and that was something neither of them could change.

“We’ve been through this, Monkey,” Leah said, her voice softening with sympathy, “I know you don’t want to go, but it’s not my decision. The court decided it, so we have to… we just have to follow their rules, alright?”

“The court is dumb,” You muttered, the words bitter and resentful. The fear was still there, swirling just beneath the surface, but it was now tinged with anger, too.

“The court might be dumb,” Leah said with a small, tired smile, “But I am still going to need you to get dressed for me, please?”

“Nuh-uh. You’re a meanie making me go! I don’t want to go!” Your voice trembled, thick with the frustration and terror you were feeling. You weren’t just refusing to–you were desperately trying to convince Leah to take control, to make the decision that you so badly wanted her to make, “I don’t wanna–you can’t make me!”

“I’m sorry, I really wish that it was up to me to decide,” Leah said softly, her voice breaking just a little at the edges, “I love you so much, I’m sorry that you have to do this. It’s only for an hour and a half and then you’ll be back here, and you’ll be safe, yeah? It won’t be that long, my girl,” She told you, biting her bottom lip, knowing she had to remain calm and sensible in this current situation.

Leah absolutely hated this.

She hated seeing you like this–the raw fear that ran so deep.

But the rules were the rules, and they had to be followed.

“No,” You whined, stomping your foot in protest, “Tell them not to allow it, Le,” You pleaded again, your voice weak and full of exhaustion.

Leah’s heart cracked just a little more, “I wish I could, Monkey,” She said, her voice steady but soft, “But we have to follow the rules, even if it’s unfair.”

“I would rather go to school than this,” You blurted out, desperate for anything to change the situation, even if it meant facing a classroom full of uncomfortable lessons and unwanted classmates.

“Wow? School? That must say a lot then, huh,” Leah replied with a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her heart ached for you. She could see how desperate you were to avoid what was coming–she couldn’t blame you for not wanting to go.

“Why can’t I just stay here?” You turned to her, your big eyes pleading.

“You are staying here, we’re not going anywhere,” Leah said, her voice gentle now, trying to comfort you as best as she could, “But this… this visit needs to happen, okay? It’s not going to be like before, I’ll be right here waiting for you when you come back.”

You looked at her, your face scrunching with fear, and the tears started to fall freely now, “I… I don’t want to see him. And I… I don’t want to talk to him.”

“I know,” Leah whispered, her hand moving to your hair as she gently stroked it, trying to calm you down, “I know you’re scared. You don’t have to talk to him until you’re ready. But it’s really important that we follow the rules, Monkey.”

“Please… Please don’t make me go, Le,” Your hands were trembling now, and the tears blurred your vision as you struggled to catch your breath. You could feel the tightness in your chest again–the same tightness that you always felt when things felt out of control.

Leah didn’t push you to stop crying. Instead, she pulled you into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around you protectively, letting you feel the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. You clutched at her tightly, your hands still trembling in fear as you buried your face into her chest. 

Leah’s hug felt tight… and safe.

You didn’t want to let go.

“It’s going to be okay,” Leah whispered into your hair, gently rocked you back and forth, her voice soothing and steady, “I’m right here, I’m right here with you.”

The knock at the door broke the conversation, and you flinched in sheer panic.

That meant time was ticking, and you would have to face your dad soon.

“That’ll be Hannah at the door. I’ll go let her in,” Jordan straightened up, making her way out of your bedroom, “I’ll let her know that we’re having a bit of a wobble at the minute.”

Leah looked over from where she held you tight against her and nodded, “Thanks, Jord.”

You continued to tremble in fear. You didn’t want to go, but you had no say in the matter.

Leah continued to hold you tight in her arms, “Hey, hey, I’m here. Listen, I know you’re scared, my girl,” She cooed, “And I know it’s a scary thing to go through, but you’re not alone in this. You’ve got me, you’ve got Jordy, and there’s this new Bubba as well kicking away in my belly. We’re a family now, my girl, okay? And no one can take that away from us.”

“I don’t want to see him, Le. I… I don’t want to see him. He scares me, Le,” You admitted, your bottom lip wobbling as the fear continued to pool in.

Leah swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, using one hand to keep a protective hold on you and the other hand to run through her hair, “I know, my girl. I know you’re scared. It’s just an hour. It’s one hour and then it’ll be over and done with. I promise, it’s not going to be for long.”

“Hi, Hannah. Come in,” Jordan’s voice was tired as she answered the door, her concern evident as she stepped aside to let the social worker in, “Things are… a bit tough at the minute. Monkey’s not exactly coping well.”

“Hi, Jordan,” Hannah  offered a small, sympathetic smile as she stepped inside, “I can’t even imagine how she must be feeling, but we’ll go at her pace. No rush.”

“Thank you,” Jordan sighed, running a hand through her hair, “This morning has been rough. Leah’s upstairs trying to get her dressed, but she’s fighting it every step of the way.”

Hannah nodded, understanding, “I imagine this isn’t easy for her. How long has she been like this? It’s hard to stick to a routine when everything feels so uncertain.”

“Since last night, when we told her,” Jordan exhaled sharply, “She had a meltdown. Trashed her room again. She’s scared. And honestly? I don’t blame her. None of this is fair.”

Hannah’s lips pressed in a thin line as she nodded, “I agree. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t allow this. But the court believes in second chances, unfortunately.”

Jordan scoffed, shaking her head, “Yeah? Well, I think she deserves a second chance more than he does. We’ve worked so hard to build some kind of stability for her, and now… it feels like all of that progress is just unravelling.”

“I understand why you might feel like that,” Hannah placed a reassuring hand on Jordan’s arm, “But I promise, it’s obvious that she feels safe here with you both.”

Jordan swallowed, nodding, “I hope so. I just hate that she has to go through this. She was finally settling in–she had her routine, she had stability… and now this just throws everything off.”

“I know,” Hannah’s voice was soft, “Consistency is so important for her, and having this looming over her must make it even harder. Has she been sleeping any better?”

Jordan hesitated before shaking her head, “Not really. She’s been waking up a lot. Leah and I take turns getting up with her, but she’s so unsettled. Nightmares, accidents, the whole thing. I think she’s just terrified all of this is going to be taken away from her.”

“That’s completely understandable,” Hannah sighed, “She’s been through so much already. She’s probably scared this isn’t permanent. That any second, she’ll be back with Mark.”

Jordan rubbed at her face, then hesitated before murmuring, “We, um… we just actually found out we’re pregnant. It’s still early, but… we’re excited.”

Hannah’s face lit up, “Oh, that’s amazing news! Congratulations!”

Jordan smiles softly, “Thank you. We haven’t told many people yet. Monkey knows–we’re just not sure how she feels about it.”

“I think it might take her some time to process, but I think she’ll love being a big sister,” Hannah gave a thoughtful nod, “It’s clear she adores you both–I can see her being fiercely protective.”

“Yeah, I can picture that too,” Jordan chuckled, “I just want her to know that no matter what, she’s ours. That’s never going to change.”

Hannah’s expression was warm, “She knows, Jordan. Even when she’s scared, even when she’s struggling–she knows.”

“I really hope so,” Jordan exhaled a sigh, her shoulders dropping slightly.

Back upstairs, Leah finally managed to tug a jumper over your head, exhaling heavily as she braced herself for the next battle–brushing your hair, cleaning your teeth. Every little task felt like an uphill struggle.

She hated this. Hated seeing you this upset. None of this was fair.

“One task down, several more to go,” Leah muttered to herself, grabbing your hairbrush and a loose bobble, “Come here, Monkey–no, don’t start jumping on the bed. Sit down so I can do your hair.”

You ignored her, too busy bouncing on your bed with a renewed energy, “I don’t wanna sit down–I wanna watch Scooby Doo!”

Leah sighed, trying to wrangle you down, “I know, but we need to get ready first. When you come home, you can watch it. Okay?”

“No! I want to watch it now!” You kicked out defiantly.

“Monkey, not now,” Leah said firmly, running a hand through her hair, “We need to get ready for today.”

You shook your head in defiance, “No! I want to watch Scooby Doo!”

Leah inhaled deeply, keeping her patience, “Listen, my girl, I know you want to, but you can’t right now. You have to go out, remember? The contact centre, with Hannah like we talked about, remember?”

“Nuh uh, I don’t wanna go,” You mumbled in protest.

Leah’s heart clenched, “I know, my girl. But this isn’t our decision to make. When you come home, we can watch whatever you want. Scooby Doo, The Lion King–whatever you’d like, yeah?”

Your face scrunched up and your whole body tensed, “No! No, no, no! I’m not going!”

“Monkey, I… I know this is really hard,” Leah crouched in front of you, keeping her voice soft but steady, “I know you don’t want to go, but Hannah’s here now. We have to try, okay?”

“I… I’m scared,” Your bottom lip trembled.

Leah’s expression softened, “I know, my girl. I know that you’re scared but Hannah will be there with you the whole time. She won’t let anything bad happen.”

You hesitated to agree to the idea of this, “You… You promise?”

Leah swallowed past the lump in her throat, then held out her pinky, “When have I ever broken a promise, eh?”

After a moment, you hooked your pinky around hers, sniffling.

“I promise you, Monkey. I know you’re scared, but Hannah won’t let anything bad happen to you, will she?” Leah reminded you gently.

“N… No,” You replied, biting your bottom lip.

“Exactly,” Leah ruffled your hair, “So… can we finish getting ready?” She held up the hairbrush, “And when we get home, we’ll do something nice. A movie, hot chocolate, proper snuggles–how does that sound?”

You hesitated, eyes darting to the floor. Then, with a reluctant nod, you jumped off the bed, landing on the floor with a loud bang that made Leah wince.

“That’s my good girl,” Leah praised, pressing a light kiss to your temple before working quickly to brush through your tangled hair, knowing full well your patience wouldn’t last long.

“I’ll see you when you’re home, my girl,” Leah forced a smile as she crouched to your level, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, “Just an hour, okay? That’s all.”

“We love you,” Jordan added, her voice steady, reassuring.

You huffed in response, crossing your arms. It felt too much like before—like all those times you begged not to go. Like all those times you hadn’t been given a choice.

You didn’t like that.

Leah hated this. She hated watching you step through the door. Hated the way your little fingers gripped Hannah’s hand instead of hers. Even knowing you were coming back didn’t make it easier. It never did.

The door clicked shut.

“She hates me,” Leah murmured, staring at the space you’d just occupied, arms wrapping protectively around herself as if that might hold her together.

Jordan scoffed softly, stepping closer, “She’s a child, Le. it’s not possible for her to hate you.”

“Yeah, but it feels like I sent her away,” Leah’s voice cracked, her arms tightening as if she could still hold onto you.

Jordan’s hand rested against Leah’s back, grounding her, “The difference is, she’s coming back. In less than two hours–”

Leah didn’t waver from the front door, “Right now, an hour feels like forever.”

Jordan sighed, placing a steadying hand on Leah’s back, “I know. But stressing yourself out like this isn’t good for you in your condition. You need to take it easy–”

Leah shot her a look, “In my condition? Wow, Jord, flattery like that will get you nowhere.”

Jordan rolled her eyes but softened, “You know what I mean. I just… I don’t want you worrying yourself sick over this. Just… remember to breathe.”

“How am I supposed to breathe easy when I know she’s in a room with him?” Leah whispered, jaw clenched.

Jordan hesitated before replying, choosing her words carefully, “I know. It’s impossible to wrap my head around, too.”

Leah scoffed bitterly, “It shouldn’t even be allowed. He deserves to be locked up for what he’s put her through.”

“I know,” Jordan’s voice was quiet but firm, “I agree with you, and if I could, I would. You know that.”

Leah exhaled sharply, rubbing her face tiredly, “It’s just… I feel so powerless. We’ve built this for her, Jord. Safety. Stability. And now some judge gets to undo all of it with a flick of a pen? It’s not fair.”

“It’s not,” Jordan squeezed her shoulder, “But this is where she belongs, Le. No matter what happens in that room, she’s coming home to us. She’s not the same little girl he controlled before—she has us now.”

“But what if he confuses her?” Leah’s voice was barely above a whisper now, “ What if he says all the right things and makes her doubt everything?”

“That isn’t going to happen. Because she’s our girl,” Jordan turned Leah to face her fully, “She’s ours. We’re not going to lose her again. We’ll remind her that she’s loved and that he doesn’t get to hurt her anymore.”

Leah blinked rapidly, swallowing against the tightness in her throat, “I just want her to be happy and I hate the fact that she has to be put through this. It’s just not right, and I hate to think about how this is going to affect her when she comes back.”

“I know,” Jordan murmured, squeezing Leah’s hand, “But right now, we don’t have a choice. And that’s just the hardest part, isn’t it?”

Leah didn’t answer. She just looked at the door again, like she could will you back home.

Jordan rubbed her arm gently, “Come on, sit down for a bit. You need to rest.”

“No,” Leah shook her head in disagreement, “I can’t sit still. Not when she’s there… with him.”

“Standing there won’t make the time go quicker, Le,�� Jordan told her in a gentle tone of voice.

“I know,” Leah admitted, her voice dropping lower so it’s barely audible, “I just can’t stop thinking about her. She’s our girl. I’m worried about her. I’ll always be worried about her.”

“At least come and sit down on the sofa, Le. I’ll make us a drink and we can talk to pass the time, yeah?”

Leah hesitated but eventually nodded in agreement, “Alright, fine.”

You stared ahead at the building in front of you, sitting in the back seat of Hannah’s car. The sight of it made your stomach twist in knots. You could feel the weight around you, thick with dread.

“Do I… Do I have to go in there?” Your voice was small, fragile. You couldn’t hide how terrified you felt.

“I’m afraid so, Monkey. I���m sorry,” Hannah responded, her voice soft and apologetic. She glanced back at you, offering a sympathetic smile, “But I’ll be right there with you the whole time. We can take this slow, okay? You don’t have to say anything, not unless you want to.”

You squeezed your eyes shut for a moment. You didn’t want to be here–you didn’t want to face him. Mark. The man who made your skin crawl just thinking about him.

Your stomach churned painfully at the thought of seeing him, let alone sitting in a room with him.

The moment you stepped inside the contact centre, everything felt wrong. It was as though you were walking straight into a trap. Your hands tightened around Hannah’s, your feet feeling like they were stuck to the floor. You tried to push down the rising panic in your chest, but it didn’t work.

You spotted Mark before he even saw you. His posture was slouched, knees bouncing too fast. His clothes were wrinkled, and the air around him smelled stale–like the alcohol from the night before.

Surely, he hadn’t come here still smelling like that, had he?

Then he looked up, and his face lit up in a way that sent a chill down your spine. It wasn’t a warm, welcome smile–it was a predatory kind of grin.

“Kiddo! Kiddo, over here!” Mark waved, his voice too loud, too enthusiastic.

Your body stiffened at the word–it felt cruel, like he didn’t care about how that word twisted your insides. You wanted to shrink into the floor and disappear.

“I don’t want to be here,” You mumbled, your feet still rooted to the floor, your body frozen in place.

Hannah’s hand gently pressed on your shoulder, a soft comfort against the rising fear inside of you, “I know, sweetheart. Let’s just take it one step at a time, okay? We don’t have to rush.”

But Mark’s voice sliced through the air again, you felt like you were trapped in a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from.

“Hey, kiddo,” He greeted again, his tone flat and too casual.

Hannah took a step forward, standing firm between you and Mark, “We’re not rushing this today, Mark. This is just a stepping stone, and we’re doing this at her pace. She’ll talk when she’s ready.”

Mark didn’t seem to care much about that. His eyes gleamed with an eager sort of energy like he was too excited about something he didn’t fully understand, “I brought you something, kiddo. I hope you like it.”

He dug into his khaki green jacket, pulling out a stuffed animal–a Chelsea bear.

Your heart sank. Chelsea? You didn’t care about Chelsea. You didn’t even want it. He knew you were an Arsenal fan–you played for the team. Arsenal is in your blood. It’s your home. He knew that, right? Why would he give you a Chelsea bear? Your stomach flipped in disgust. It wasn’t just the team–it was the fact that he thought this would make everything better.

He held out the bear to you, but you didn’t move. Your breath caught in your throat as panic surged through you, hot and suffocating.

“I–no–” You tried to speak, but the words were stuck in your throat. Your body started to tremble, your hands shaking as your mind screamed at you to run.

Hannah immediately noticed, stepping between you and Mark, her voice gentle but firm, “Mark, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” She glanced down at you, noticing the distress in your face, “We’re not doing this today.”

Mark shrugged, like he didn’t understand the gravity of the situation, “Right, course, but the thought counts, I guess,” He tossed the bear on the small table in front, too careless, too unconcerned.

It was too much. The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in on you. Your vision blurred, and tears welled up, hot and fast. Your body betrayed you in the worst possible way, and the burning shame flooded your chest as warmth spread through your clothes. You couldn’t stop it. You couldn’t control it. All you could do was crumble in place, the weight of it overwhelming.

Hannah was at your side in an instant, her hand warm and reassuring on your back, “Oh, sweetie, it’s okay,” She whispered, her voice gentle, but it couldn’t undo the flood of panic that had taken hold of you.

“I… I’m sorry,” You choked out, the words barely escaping your lips through the tears.

Then, Mark’s voice cut through the moment like a knife.

“Seriously, kid, are you a fucking retard or something?” He sneered, his tone laced with disgust, “What the fuck is wrong with you? Can’t even control yourself like a normal kid.”

The words hit you like a punch to the gut, and you flinched, your face burning in humiliation. Your tears came faster, the shame washed over you in waves. It felt like everything was falling apart.

Hannah stood frozen beside you, her mouth slightly open, but no words came out. Shock flickered across her face–disbelief, anger, something else–but she was too stunned to react in the moment. For a second, it seemed like it might say something, but instead, she just reached for your hand and pulled you toward the door, her grip firm yet careful.

As she reached for the handle, her gaze landed on the Chelsea bear sitting on the table. Without thinking, she scooped it up and tucked it under her arm as if it was something you’d want. 

But you didn’t. Not now. Not when it felt tainted.

The woman didn’t say anything as she led you outside, didn’t even look back at Mark, but Hannah made a mental note of it to add to the report later down the line when she came to write it–his words were there, haunting her. She would make sure to note the vile comment he made, making it known to the court that this man was not capable of ever being given custody of his daughter again.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” You mumbled again, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” Hannah said softly, guiding you toward the car, “It’s going to be okay. Let’s get you home so you can clean up, alright?”

Hannah’s hand stayed firmly on your back, as if she could shield you from everything with just that touch. But as you climbed into the back seat, the dampness clinging to your clothes was unbearable, but there was nothing you could do--you had no spare clothes, no way to escape the lingering humiliation.

All you could do was sit there, staring out of the window, as the weight of it all pressed down on you.

The car ride back to Leah and Jordan’s house was silent. Not the peaceful kind of silence, but the thick, suffocating kind that pressed against your ribs, making it hard to breathe.

Hannah kept glancing at you in the rearview mirror, her face etched with worry, but she didn’t push. She didn’t ask you to talk. She just drove, her hands gripping the steering wheel a little too tight.

You stared out the window, numb. Mark’s words echoed in your head, rattling around like they were trying to carve themselves into your bones.

“Seriously, kid, are you a fucking retard or something?”

Your throat felt tight. Your chest ached.

By the time Hannah had pulled into the driveway, you couldn’t get out of the car fast enough.

“Hi, my girl. How was it…” Leah’s words were cut off as you bolted past her and up the stairs.

You didn’t stop running until you were in your bedroom, the door slamming shut behind you.

Your skin burned with humiliation. The damp fabric of your clothes clung to you like a second skin, suffocating, a disgusting reminder of what had happened. You yanked at them, stripping them off as fast as you could, your fingers trembling with rage and shame.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Mark’s words cut through you, sharper than any knife.

You dug your nails into your arms, pressing hard and trying to ground yourself–an attempt to drown out his voice. But it wouldn’t stop. It wouldn’t stop.

Stop, stop, stop.

You squeezed your eyes shut, but it didn’t help. His voice–mocking, cruel–kept coming back, over and over, like a relentless wave.

“Are you a fucking retard?”

Meanwhile, in the living room, Leah and Jordan stood frozen, exchanging worried glances as the sound of your bedroom slamming echoed through the house.

Hannah exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of her neck, “Yeah… so that went about as well as you’d expected.”

Jordan folded her arms, “That bad?”

Hannah hesitated, then nodded, “She… had an accident,” She kept her voice gentle, careful, but it didn’t stop the way Leah’s brows furrowed with concern, “And Mark… he–” She sighed, shaking her head, “Well, his words weren’t exactly pleasant.”

Leah’s jaw tightened, “What did he say?”

Hannah hesitated again, but there was no way to sugarcoat it, “He called for a ‘fucking retard’ for it.”

Silence.

Jordan inhaled sharply, her grip tightening on the back of the sofa tightening until her knuckles turned white.

Leah’s entire body stiffened, something dangerous flickering behind her eyes, “He did what!?”

Hannah held up a hand, a silent plea for them to stay calm, “She’s going to be spiralling. It’s going to be tense for a bit, and I think it’d be smart to be prepared for any future visits–”

Leah’s temper snapped, cutting Hannah off, “You mean he’s getting to see her again?! After he called her such vulgar things!” Her words were sharp, loaded with unstrained anger.

“It’s not up to me to decide that, Leah,” Hannah’s shoulders tightened, her gaze dropping for a moment before meeting Leah’s, “I’ll note it in my report, but ultimately…” Her voice trailed off, the weight of the situation settling in.

“It’s the court that makes that decision,” Jordan finished her thought, her tone grim.

Leah pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling a slow breath, “I’m going to go and talk to her,” She muttered, already turning toward the hallway.

Jordan didn’t stop her. She knew better than to get in Leah’s way when it came to you. Instead, she turned back to Hannah, voice low and controlled, “What else happened?”

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it, Jordan. He was… He was horrible to her,” Hannah admitted.

Jordan exhaled sharply, running a hand down her face as she tried to steady her anger bubbling under her skin, “That fucking bastard,” She muttered, pacing the living room.

Hannah nodded grimly, “Yeah, it was bad, Jordan,” She hesitated, her voice softening, “She was doing okay at first. I mean, she was nervous, but she was handling it. And then Mark just–” She let out a frustrated breath, “The second the accident happened, he flipped. You could see it in her face, the way she just… shut down.”

“I swear to God,” Jordan clenched her jaw, eyes dark with fury, “If the courts ever make her go back there, I’ll–”

“I know,” Hannah’s voice was gentle, but firm, “But right now, she’s here. She’s safe. And she needs you both to remember that.”

Jordan swallowed hard, forcing herself to take a deep breath, “She’s gonna spiral,” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

Hannah nodded, “She already is.”

Jordan rubbed at her temple, “We should’ve known something like this would happen. We should’ve–”

“Stop,” Hannah placed a hand on Jordan’s arm, “You couldn’t have stopped this. You couldn’t have prevented it. All you do now is be there to help her through it.”

“Yeah,” Jordan exhaled through her nose, shoulders slumped slightly, “Yeah, you’re right,” She murmured.

“I usually am,” Hannah smirked, then sobered, “You should pack that bag for the next visit, just in case. Even if it doesn’t happen again. It’ll be good to have it to stop her going through that embarrassment again.”

Jordan sighed, nodding, “I’ll make sure it’s taken care of and ready for next time.”

Leah was furious. How could she not be? Hearing the venom in Mark’s words, knowing how deeply they cut–you–it made her blood boil. The fact he still had any access to you at all was unfathomable. She hated it. 

Every. Single. Bit of it.

Her footsteps were quiet as she ascended the stairs, but the weight of what had just happened pressed down on her like a heavy fog. The air felt thick, charged with emotions too overwhelming to name.

You were so fragile, and Mark’s words had carved through you like a blade. Leah knew that, knew the way you carried wounds that no one could see.

At the top of the stairs, Leah hesitated. A muffled scraping noise reached her ears, followed by the sound of something heavy shifting across the floor.

Her stomach dropped.

What is she doing?

Leah moved quickly, her grip tightening on the railing as she reached your door. Then came another sound–wood dragging, a soft grunt of frustration.

“Monkey?” Leah called out, worriedly as she felt her heart tighten.

Leah pushed open the door, just enough to see you struggling, your small frame straining as you tried to shift the chest of drawers across the floor. Your breathing was shallow, your movements frantic, desperate.

Leah’s pulse kicked up. Instinct took over as she stepped inside, “Hey, hey, what’re you doing?” She asked frantically, “You’re going to hurt yourself, Monkey!”

Your head snapped up, eyes wide and panicked. For a split second, you froze–a deer caught in headlights–before quickly looking away, biting your lip. You didn’t speak. Didn’t move.

“You’re gonna hurt yourself, my girl,” Leah repeated her words, softening her tone, “Come on, let’s go sit down on the bed and talk, yeah?”

You didn’t listen. You clenched your fists and pushed harder, your whole body shaking with effort.

Leah’s heart clenched. She knew you were spiralling. She had seen it before, the way you tried to make yourself small, tried to block out the world. But barricading yourself in your room–was this the only way you thought you could stay safe?

Then, in one final shove, the chest of drawers teetered precariously. The furniture wobbled, tilting at a dangerous angle. Leah’s heart lurched.

“Monkey, no!” Leah lunged forward, her reflexes kicking in and she reached and caught it before it could fall on top of you. Her hands gripped the edge, holding it steady, and for a brief moment, everything felt like it was frozen in place.

You stared up at her, your breathing coming in shallow gasps, eyes wide with something Leah couldn’t quite name–fear, shock, something deeper.

Then, like a switch had flipped, you whimpered and scrambled backwards, retreating into the farthest corner of the room.

You curled into yourself, knees drawn to your chest, hands shaking as they flew over your head, “I… I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Leah’s heart clenched.

“Hey,” She crouched down in front of you, slow and careful. She knew better than to move quickly, knew that right now, any wrong step could send you further into yourself, “It’s okay. You’re alright. Lucky I came in here just in time, eh?” She asked in a gentle tone of voice.

But the moment that Leah lowered herself, you let out an ear-piercing scream, raw and filled with something that Leah could only describe as terror.

Leah winced at the sheer volume, barely processing the frantic footsteps pounding up the stairs before Jordan’s panicked voice rang out, “Le?! What’s going on?!”

“Easy, Jord,” Leah called back, keeping her focus on you.

Jordan appeared in the doorway, her face tight with concern, “Are you alright?”

Leah didn’t move, she didn’t break her gaze from you, “I’m fine. Monkey is… she just needs a minute. It’s fine, Jord. Just go back downstairs. I can handle it.”

Jordan hesitated, “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive,” Leah’s voice was steady, controlled, “Why don’t you start on dinner? We’ll be down soon.”

Jordan still didn’t look convinced, but after a long pause, she relented, “Okay. Just.. call me if you need anything.”

“I will,” Leah murmured in agreement, turning to face her girlfriend, “Pop the nuggets and smiley faces in and we will be down in a bit, yeah?”

Once Jordan disappeared, Leah turned back to you–still curled up in the corner, still trembling.

Leah exhaled slowly, making herself as non-threatening as possible, “It’s okay, my girl. I know you’re scared. You’re safe here. I promise.”

She didn’t reach for you. She just stayed there, patient and waiting.

Because she wasn’t going anywhere.

And neither were you.

Leah lowered herself onto the floor, careful and deliberate, but not too close. Just near enough that you could feel her presence without it overwhelming you. She sat cross-legged, hands resting loosely on her knees, making no move to touch you or close the space between you.

You stayed where you were–huddled in the farthest corner, knees drawn to your chest, eyes flitting between her and the door like a trapped animal searching for an escape.

Leah didn’t push. She didn’t call your name again or try to coax you out of your fear. She just sat. Quiet. Waiting.

Minutes passed, stretching endlessly, the only sounds in the room were your shaky breaths and the faint creak of the house settling.

Your fingers twitched against the fabric of your sleeves, fists clenching and unclenching. The panic hadn’t fully faded, but the longer Leah stayed–unmoving, unwavering, safe–the more the sharp edges of it dulled.

Your breathing was still too quick, too shallow, but your muscles ached from holding yourself so tight. The weight of the exhaustion pressed down on you, creeping in slowly, making it harder and harder to stay curled up so small.

You shifted–just barely. Your toes inched forward, the tiniest movement but Leah noticed. She didn’t react. Didn’t even glance up. She just kept sitting there, steady as ever, as if she had all the time in the world.

A few more seconds passed. Then another tiny shift.

Another.

And another.

You weren’t even aware of how it happened, how little by little, you edged forward, drawn in by the quiet safety of her presence.

Then, finally–hesitantly–you reached out. Your fingers ghosted over the fabric of Leah’s hoodie, barely touching, like you were testing if she was really there.

Leah still didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

She just let you come to her.

Your breathing hitched as you closed the last bit of space between you, uncertainty flickering in your eyes. But when Leah still didn’t do anything, when she just stayed solid and quiet and safe, you finally let go.

Wordlessly, you climbed into her lap.

Your body was stiff at first, curled in tight like you were bracing for something, but Leah just adjusted slightly to give you all the space you needed to settle.

And then–without a word–she wrapped her arms around you.

Soft. Steady. Warm.

She didn’t say anything. Didn’t shush you or tell you it was okay. She just held you in her arms.

Leah’s hands moved in slow, absentminded strokes over your back, grounding you with nothing more than the steady rhythm of her touch.

You let out a tiny, shaky breath against her shoulder, your body slowly unwinding from its tightly coiled state.

Leah still didn’t speak. Didn’t ask for the words you couldn’t give. She just sat there, holding you, until the fear wasn’t quite so sharp.

Until the tension melted away, leaving only the quiet, unspoken comfort of her arms around you.

And for the first time since the call with Mark, you felt safe.

© scribblesofagoonerr

[undeniablereckoningart]

a scene forever in my brain

it's nearing night, the royal ball is currently happening, as it does every few months

Tratzi has left minutes ago, it's all uncomfortable, he's stressed, the alcohol hasn't helped it, he needs a smoke

he's in his room, sitting infront of his balcony door, staring out. it hates the fancy ass clothes it's ancestors make her wear. it just feels wrong

he hears footsteps, quickly turning around to see who's daring to step into his room- if it's that stupid purple asshole, he swears to-

he's met with a blank stare, a hint of worry in their eyes. it's that one mutant. you've seen them a few times, your ancestors are all buddy buddy with the psychopath that owns them or whatever.

you just glare back, your eyes narrowing. the mutant remains undeterred, moving further into the room.

they tell her they saw him leave, it rolls it's eyes, returning his gaze to the view, bringing his cigarette to his lips

the mutant moves further, eventually sitting in the door of the balcony as well. they stay quiet, sitting there with him.

for a while, it irks him. they shouldn't be here, he wants to be alone, and for a while he contemplates yelling at them. but his anger fades quickly as they sit in silence, only the muffled music of the ball quietly playing in the distance.

the mutant eventually mutters something, something he doesn't really catch. he doesn't bother asking for repetition, only glancing towards them.

once the ball is almost over, they leave. a strange troll.

it's been, what? almost a sweep since the first time the mutant has visited him.

they now do so whenever they notice he has left, when their owner isn't watching.

they began talking, slowly and surely, the two would exchange more and more words. watching the sun settle as stars appeared in the sky

today, he can't bring himself to utter a single word. he feels horrified, he feels anxious, all his insides feel like they're being squeezed. he tries to not show it, he doesn't want to talk about it, but the mutant easily notices when tears start running down his face

they inch closer, and closer, eventually sitting right next to him.

they wrap an arm around his shoulders as he hides his face within his hands, shame burning through him as he sobs.

he doesn't want to talk about it, but they don't ask, and the shame he feels last only a minute

he's fine, he's safe with them.

[anime-protag-wannabe]

In The Stars

I'm screamin' at a God I don't know if I believe in 'Cause I don't know what else I can do

I'm still holdin' on to everything that's dead and gone I don't wanna say goodbye, 'cause this one means forever And now you're in the stars and six-feet's never felt so far Here I am alone between the heavens and the embers

Oh, it hurts so hard For a million different reasons You took the best of my heart And left the rest in pieces

It’s a warm afternoon in mid- May. Summer proper was right around the corner, and Hoshi was taking advantage of the last remnants of the passing Winter while he could; before the sun was scorching hot and demons began appearing in swarms, like ants crawling out of the wood works.

It happened every year, and they had yet to find a logical reason behind it. The days were longer, with sunlight stretching until the late hours of the evening. It didn’t make sense for the activity of demons to increase.

Stifling a yawn, Hoshi adjusts his relaxed position, turning his head in Akihiro’s lap so he can follow the younger Pillar’s gaze up towards the sky.

There was a generous field of clouds spread out across the blue expanse of space, idly drifting by like a boat being rocked by the sea. Hoshi wasn’t quite sure what exactly Akihiro was looking at… or for, but the blonde was seemingly enraptured.

“What’re you doing?” He asks, closing his eyes briefly as a gentle breeze blows past them, rustling the grass and ruffling the coloured ends of Akihiro’s hair, the sunlight reflecting off the strands and making them look akin to bursting sparks.

“Cloud watching, obviously,” Akihiro replies, tilting his head to follow a particularly large and fluffy cloud as it floats past. “That one looks a lot like a sheep, doesn’t it?”

“Mm,” Hoshi hums, cracking one eye open and lazily scanning the sky, searching for the cloud in question. “Maybe if I squint.”

Akihiro laughs good naturedly—a bit of a quirk he’d picked up from Kyojuro—and glances down at the Ice Pillar, eyes glinting with mirth. “Aw, c’mon Hoshi-kun, you sound like Giyuu-san when you talk like that.”

Hoshi doesn’t dignify that comment with a response. He merely shrugs and closes his eyes again.

“Are you gonna take a nap?” Akihiro asks.

“Yeah,” Hoshi replies. “It’s rare that we get a day off like this, and my last mission was pretty tiring. Might as well take advantage of the opportunity to get some rest.”

Akihiro makes a contemplative sound. “I suppose you’re right. Do you want me to get up?”

“I thought you were cloud watching?”

“And there’s a perfectly good patch of grass over there, under that tree if you’re trying to sleep.” Akihiro retorts.

“Don’t feel like moving.” Hoshi says. “Besides, I’m comfortable staying right where I am.”

That makes Akihiro smile. “Alright, alright. Snooze away. I’ll wake you when it’s time for dinner.”

“Thanks,” Hoshi mumbles, quickly drifting off into unconsciousness.

An hour later, both Gyomei and Kyojuro run into each other at the Ishikawa estate.

“Oh, Himejima-san! Fancy seeing you here!” Kyojuro comments energetically, smiling up at the Rock Pillar.

“Rengoku-san…” Gyomei replies, rolling his string of prayer beads between his palms. “Did you just get back from a mission?”

“That’s right!” Kyojuro nods. “I was told that Akihiro-kun was here, and I figured I’d stop by to pay him a visit.”

“What a coincidence,” Gyomei says. “I’m also here to see Hoshi-kun… though… I usually send word of my arrival, so he knows to expect me. Normally he’s here to greet me at the entrance… I wonder where he could be.”

“Well, the two of them can’t be far!” Kyojuro says, pushing open the wooden gates to the Ishikawa residence. “I’m sure Ranmaru-san can tell us where to find his brother!”

“Hoshi?” Ranmaru says, quizzically. “I haven’t seen him, but Akihiro-kun came by this morning, so they’re probably in the gardens, in the east sector of the grounds.”

“Thank you very much for letting us know Ranmaru-san!” Kyojuro says, immediately dropping his head in a low bow. “Himejma-san and I will go look for Hoshi-kun and Akihiro-kun now!”

“Sure,” Ranmaru says, still not quite used to Kyojuro’s perpetually energetic demeanour. “When you find them, could you let them know that dinner will be ready in about an hour or so?”

“Yes, of course,” Gyomei nods. “Thank you.”

It doesn’t take long for the two men to locate their fellow Pillars, but when they do, what they find has them stifling a laugh.

Both Hoshi and Akihiro are sprawled out in the grass, fast asleep. Akihiro had somehow fallen asleep sitting up, with his chin against his chest and Hoshi’s head cradled in his lap. Hoshi had somehow managed to rotate in his sleep so that he’s curled up around Akihiro like a housecat, snoring quietly and drooling a little onto Akihiro’s haori.

It’s an incredibly endearing sight, and Kyojuro feels a pang of remorse that Gyomei can’t see it.

“They’re asleep.” Gyomei says quietly, somehow looking directly at the spot where Hoshi and Akihiro are dozing. He must be able to hear them breathing.

“Yes,” Kyojuro confirms. “It would appear they’ve been like this for some time now.” He moves to try and wake them but stops when Gyomei rests a hand on his shoulder.

“Let them rest a while longer,” he says. “They’ve both been working so hard lately, it wouldn’t be kind to wake them so suddenly.”

“Hmm…” Kyojuro hums. “Alright. I suppose we could wait a short time.” With a curt nod to confirm the decision, he strides over to a nearby tree, plopping himself down at its base and leaning against the weathered trunk. He looks towards Gyomei and pats the ground beside him. “Come and join me, Himejima-san, it’s cooler in the shade.”

“Very well.” Gyomei acquiesces, joining Kyojuro underneath the large tree.

By the time Hoshi wakes up, it’s nearly sunset. The sky has begun to turn a deep orange colour as the golden globe of the sun shimmers just above the horizon. He blinks blearily, wiping the sleep from his eyes as he slowly sits up and looks around.

When he turns, he’s surprised to find both Gyomei and Kyojuro asleep underneath the oak tree. Kyojuro is leaning against the larger man’s shoulder and Gyomei is using the top of Kyojuro’s head as an impromptu pillow.

Stifling a quiet chuckle, he gently nudges Akihiro awake, directing the Pillar’s attention to the two men before them.

“Eh, is that Kyojuro? And Himejima-san,” Akihiro starts, just as surprised as Hoshi was to find the Flame Pillar sound asleep. “When… how did they get here?”

“They must have gotten back a while ago,” Hoshi whispers, keeping his voice low so as not to wake either man. “Look, it’s almost dusk.” He points towards the sky. He can’t believe they slept for so long and he wonders why neither Gyomei or Kyojuro woke either of them up.

“They look so peaceful,” Akihiro says fondly. “But we should probably wake them, huh? Otherwise, they might miss out on dinner.”

Before either of them can decide who was going to be the one to do the waking, Hoshi catches the faint sound of approaching footsteps before a familiar voice calls out to him from across the open field.

“Hoshi! Akihiro-san! There you are!” Ranmaru exclaims. “Father sent me to come and get you. The food is ready now.” He glances over to where both Gyomei and Kyojuro have begun to stir. “I assume they’re both going to be joining us as well?” Hoshi nods. “Right then. I’ll make sure to set up places for them as well. Now hurry back, okay? It’s best to eat while the food is still hot.”

“We’ll be right there, aniki,” Hoshi reassures him. “You go on ahead without us.”

“Yomoya, yomoya,” Kyojuro says, brushing dirt off his clothes as he stands up. “Looks like I fell asleep… How embarrassing…”

“Welcome back, Kyojuro!” Akihiro greets, taking Kyojuro’s offered hand as he rises to his feet.

“I presume your mission went well?” Gyomei rumbles, making Hoshi turn towards him.

“It did.”

“And you are unharmed?”

Hoshi nods. “I am.”

Gyomei smiles. “Good. I am glad to hear it.”

“We should get going, eh?” Akihiro cuts in. “Food’s waiting. We can catch up over dinner.”

Hoshi grins. “Last one to the mansion does the dishes?”

Akihiro laughs. “You’re on.”

Oh, if only they could wind back time and return to that moment. It seems like it happened ages ago, though Akihiro knows it can’t have been more than six months since then.

If only things were like they were back then. If only Hoshi was just sleeping. His peaceful expression is a convincing enough façade that if he tries hard enough, Akihiro could believe that the Ice Pillar was merely taking a nap, dozing with his head in Akihiro’s lap like he used to.

But Akihiro knows better to believe in such a hopeful fantasy when he can see the dark red blotches staining Hoshi’s beautiful haori and he can smell the sharp tang of iron in the air, his senses overpowered by the heavy scent of blood.

In a daze, he walks over to where Hoshi is laying motionless on the ground, less than a foot away from Gyomei who’s limp like a ragdoll, propped up against the debris of a fallen wall. Neither of them are breathing. The small gathering of Kakushi huddled around Gyomei’s lifeless body tells Akihiro everything he needs to know about the Rock Pillar’s condition.

There’s a part of him, a foolish, hopeful part of him that desperately wants to believe that Hoshi is just unconscious. That with the right treatment and the proper drugs, he’ll be just fine. That everything will return to the way it was before this nightmare.

“Hoshi-kun…” Akihiro breathes, voice barely above a whisper and hoarse with exhaustion. He collapses onto his knees next to the older Pillar and his hands shake as they reach for him. He’s cold and heavy, and it takes quite a bit of effort for Akihiro to pull his friend into his arms.

He’s tired.

Everything hurts.

He just wants it to be over.

“Hoshi-kun…” He tries again, and the complete lack of response confirms what he would give anything to prove otherwise.

The Ice Pillar is gone. Dead. Just like the rest of them. Felled by a monster that should never have existed in the first place.

The realization that Hoshi is truly gone slams into Akihiro like a freight train. It knocks the air from his lungs and pulls a ragged sob from his throat as he cries, covering Hoshi’s body with his own as he cradles the Pillar’s head against his chest.

Hoshi is dead. They’re all dead. Kyojuro, Gyomei, Mitsuri, Muichiro, Obanai, Shinobu…

It’s not fair. It’s not fair!

He should have lived.

Give him back.

Give them all back.

Kibutsuji Muzan…!

“How dare you,” Akihiro grits out, tears streaming down his cheeks as he pulls Hoshi closer, like he’s afraid the Ice Pillar might disappear if he doesn’t hold him tight enough. “How dare you take them from me, Kibutsuji Muzan! I hope you’re rotting in hell for what you’ve done. I’ll never forgive you. I’ll never forget. And if you’re somehow reborn again, I’ll find you and send you to hell a second time myself!”

Despite their victory, Akkihiro can’t find any joy to celebrate, nor any relief in the respite.

They did it. They won.

But at what cost?

Akihiro will never hear his friend laugh again. Ranmaru-san will never share a meal with his brother again. Mitsuhide-sama will never see his son grow up.

After everything they’ve been through together, for things to end up like this feels like some kind of cruel punishment. But Akihiro doesn’t have time to mourn what is and what will never be. Because from somewhere not too far away, Giyuu is yelling, desperately trying to rally what forces remain and Akihiro lets Hoshi go. Because he’s still a Pillar. Because even in death, Muzan, the progenitor of all demons, is still causing others misery.

It takes a moment for his senses to return to him, but when they do, Akihiro is already preparing to unleash a breathing form on a newly-transformed Tanjiro.

“Wait for me, Hoshi,” he says. “I’ll find you again in another lifetime, I promise.”

[jmagnabo92]

Sailing to Freedom - Ch 13 - The Campaign Distractions

@aroyallybigbangrwrb

Ellen's campaign continues to suffer in the polls, meanwhile Alex and Henry consider what their Liam and Pez plan might do the campaign.

AO3

***

October 4th, 2020

Another day, another set of headlines, and another sink in the polls. 

Ellen can’t believe that all of her hard work to be president and to become president for a second term – the first woman to do it – is about to go up in smoke just because her son fell in love with a prince. 

Why couldn’t he have just stayed in his room?  Why couldn’t he have kept it a secret?  Why couldn’t he have just stayed with Nora or something until she was no longer president?

It’s not like he needs to be in a hurry to find love.

He’s young.  He’s got plenty of time to cool his jets and find his way in the world.  He’s too young to know this is actually forever and he’s risking everything she worked for on a whim. 

On something that might not even last.

It’s not as if she didn’t understand.  Her love for Oscar had been much of the same way, but it ended in a bitter divorce.  Of course that led to Leo, who adores her and supports her, but that was the problem.  Alex and the prince remind her way too much of her and Oscar and she did not want to risk her presidency over a relationship that wouldn’t last. 

“Madam President?” Zahra asks as she knocks and enters Ellen’s office. 

“Yes, Zahra?”

“The PR team wants to know if you want to make an address about the situation with your dumbass kid.”

Normally, Ellen would bristle at Zahra’s comment, ready to defend her son because despite everything, only she’s allowed to complain about him, but that’s not in cards today.

She glances at the calendar.  “With any luck, he should be making landfall sometime today or early tomorrow.  Perhaps it would be better to wait to address it when he can support me?”

Zahra usually doesn’t let her emotions or thoughts show on her face, but the wince at Ellen’s words was plainly obvious.

“What?”

“May I speak candidly?”

“Always.”

Zahra swallows hard.  “I don’t think Alex is going to support you.”

“Why not?  He’s always backed my play.”

“Because I’ve spoken with the Prince’s Equerry, and he’s made it plainly clear that Alex and the Prince are going to ride this out until they get the support they want or until it blows over.  They didn’t make this trip on a complete whim.  When Alex flew there to fight for them, I tried to get the Equerry to send him away without letting him talk to the prince and it didn’t work – the prince interrupted and obviously we know what happened from there.  After that, Alex had joked about just hiding until this relationship was no longer an issue, but the prince has been considering this for a while.  According to the Equerry, the Prince believed that if he could end things with Alex, no matter how it was, that he could be the prince that he was expected to be, but since being with Alex, he’s contemplated doing just this so that he could finally be free.”

Ellen frowns.  Why does Zahra have a direct connection to the Prince’s Equerry to the point of trying to get the Equerry to go against his job and not inform the Prince of Alex’s visit?  Although, if that had worked… she wouldn’t say that she didn’t approve… it doesn’t matter, she’s got bigger concerns.  “So, the Prince – this was really his idea?”

“In a way, yes.  Alex had joked about it, but it’s the prince that had been thinking about it for months,” Zahra explains.  “And I – well, it doesn’t make much sense given the way that he’s fighting us right now and seeing everything that’s happened since the Leak… even before the Leak… I still think it’s the right thing to deny this, and hopefully get the public to think it’s been faked, especially for something that probably won’t last, but Alex isn’t going to see it that way.”

Ellen glances down at the papers on her desk.  A collection of the last week or so’s papers all of which get increasingly worse on her, not that Richards is looking much better, but the fact that Alex’s love life is on blast, which he did not want, is partially on her for denying things and making the public look closer at the issues. 

“So, what do you suggest?”

“Address the public’s concerns on Alex vs June and their relationship with the prince.  Make it clear that if Alex had been interested in the prince and you’d known about it that you would’ve supported him.  Remind them that the emails are a hoax and continue the lies.”

Ellen nods.  She knows she can’t go back on it now.  She’ll have to stick to the story. 

“Set it up.”

***

October 5th, 2020

It’s raining, again.  The storm means that their set landfall date is postponed because the rain and wind affected the boat’s ability to continue on course. 

Alex isn’t terribly sure that he minds.

On one hand, he wants to know if Liam and Pez’ efforts have worked.  On the other hand, he’s convinced that having yet another storm plaguing them is a bad sign.  It’s like the universe is screaming something is wrong and they’ll hit land again and be blown up or something. 

Either way, they’re safe as long as they’re out at sea. 

His mind his whirling around and around, and he wishes that he could shut it down, but instead, he’s sitting by the window of their room while Henry’s writing away on his computer wishing he could go for a run. 

Alternatively, he wouldn’t mind having some fun with Henry.  Henry’s got a way of making it so that his mind goes blank and he loves it.

He glances over at Henry, who seems to be engrossed in his writing.  Alex doesn’t want to ruin that, but he definitely does want something to take his mind off things. 

Alex hums as he glances at the bed.  He hasn’t had to jerk off since he’s been on the boat with Henry.  They’ve been taking very good care of each other, so he doesn’t know if Henry would mind if he took care of himself for once. 

And it’s not as if he would be embarrassed if Henry saw him taking care of himself, right?  So, even though he’s in the room, he could do it and it wouldn’t be a problem.

Decided, Alex moves back from the window to the bed and gets comfortable.  His shirt is already off, so he pulls down his pants and tosses them aside, laughing slightly since he’s not wearing boxers, which both amuses and appalls Henry, and grabs the lube. 

Alex loves that Henry has so much lube on the boat.  He must’ve been very convinced of how lucky he was going to get on this boat (to be honest, Alex figures that with the way they’re always teasing and flirting it makes total sense).  Getting lucky was a total given.

Getting enough lube to coat himself, he closes the lid and closes his eyes, and he starts move his hand up and down.  He tries to imagine that it’s Henry’s hand (although his mouth would be better) and imagines the fun they had that morning before breakfast. 

Henry teasing him endlessly as he whispers in his ear about the naughty things that he loves doing to him.  The way that he wants to bring Alex to the edge again and again until he can’t take it anymore. 

The way he loves that Alex is completely boneless afterward, no words or energy just a pleased and satisfied grin.  Henry adores the fact that he can make Alex so pleased that he can’t even form words (and Alex loves it, too).

Alex accidentally lets out a moan of, “Henry”, which at first, he thinks Henry hasn’t noticed when he doesn’t immediately respond, but after a few minutes, he feels a shuffle on the bed and Henry has moved Alex’s hands to above his head, and breathes, inches from his face, “What do you think you’re doing?”

His eyes snap open and he flushes. 

“Uhhhh, I think that I am… jerking off to thoughts of you,” he whispers, almost embarrassed now that he thinks about it. 

Would Henry find that weird?

Henry searches his eyes for a moment before asking, “instead of with me?”

“You were busy,” Alex says, softly.  “Didn’t want to interrupt your writing time.”

“Then, why are you wanking and moaning my name while I’m in the room with you?”

Henry’s eyes are dancing with amusement and the fact that he’s fully dressed and on top of a naked Alex, makes Alex squirm.  Alex is unbelievably hard and wanting, and now that he’s got Henry’s attention, he wants nothing more than Henry’s playful teasing.

“Well, love?  What’s going through that mind of yours?”

“I – just – I really wanted to be distracted by something and well… it’s pretty obvious by what.”

Henry hums as he kisses and licks at Alex’s neck.  “Tell me more.  What were you fantasizing about specifically?”

Alex swallows hard.  He can tell by the way that Henry’s looking at him that if he admits to wanting to be teased that Henry would follow through and that could be exactly what he needs. 

“Well?”

“Well, I – I was thinking about the teasing and edging earlier.  I – I want to stop thinking about anything and everything and just… you have a way of making that happen.”

“I know,” Henry grins as he pulls back to look in his eyes.  “That first night together – you couldn’t even manage words after I blew you.  It’s a good thing I let you blow me first or I might not have gotten anything.”

Alex laughs.  “I always repay the favor, but yeah… I was glad I went first; all my research had not prepared me for a blow job like that and I would’ve been self-conscious if you’d gone first.”

“It was brilliant, if enthusiastic for a first time,” Henry teases.  “I would’ve been happy no matter what though.”

“Been ‘fantasizing about it for ages’,” Alex teases.  Then he shifts to rub his dick against Henry’s pants covered dick.  He wants more than verbal teasing.

Henry lifts himself away and says, “Well, if you wanna forget and be teased, what about using some toys?”

Alex hums.  Henry had shown him some of the toys he’d brought with him.  The padded cuffs had already been used, and he had shown Alex the vibrator on himself.  Alex had watched, thrilled with the seeming effects of it for Henry, but he’d never had anything in his hole, not even fingers, so, at his request, Henry had been slowly using his fingers more and more and Alex thinks he’s ready for the toy now.

“You wanna tie me up and stick the vibrator in my ass?” Alex questions definitely interested.  “Are you planning on torturing me with kisses or are you going to leave me to my own devices, and you go back to writing until I beg you to join me?”

Henry lifts an eyebrow at him.  “Which would you prefer?  I’d be okay with either.”

Alex bites his lip thoughtfully.  If he’s honest, he wants a little of both.  There’s something delightful about Henry working at his desk while Alex is on the bed withering and moaning with want that only Henry can fix when he feels like it. 

“Both?  The second option until I need your kisses and attention?”

Henry grins.  “As you wish.”

***

“We need to know who these numberonefirstprinceshipper and theprinceandthefirstsonshipper posters are,” Zahra says, as soon as June enters and sits in her normal briefing chair beside Nora. 

Her mother is looking at her expectantly.  When they hadn’t heard anything from Alex all day with his phone still going to voicemail, she clearly decided that she needed to attempt to address some of the problem with their narrative, which is Liam and Pez following through with their directions from Alex and Henry and essentially ruining their attempts to continue denying the emails. 

“I’m not sure why you think I would know,” June offers.  She hadn’t been doing anything with their blog posts besides sharing them on her Instagram, determined that she would at least get the posts out there.  She and Bea both had a following that could help get the blogs noticed.

She hadn’t heard anything yet about her sharing the posts and was hoping things were too chaotic for anyone to notice. 

“Because you’ve been sharing them, and you wouldn’t share them if you didn’t know who was making them and their accuracy.”

Guess not. 

“Maybe I happen to like the theories,” June says.  “They do seem very Alex and Henry, but that doesn’t mean I know who’s writing them.”

“June,” Ellen says, sternly.  “If you think I don’t know you better than that you’re sadly mistaken.”

“You can forgive me for thinking otherwise since you clearly don’t know Alex as well as you think.  After all, you thought he was willingly spending time with his sworn enemy without being told to and were entirely surprised that they’ve been sort-of dating since the New Year.”

The glare on Ellen’s face is telling.  She knows she’s wrong about how well she knows Alex and how she could’ve possibly missed that he was involved with Henry based off of thinking he’d willingly spend time with someone he ‘hated’ on his own.

“Your mother has had a lot going on, she doesn’t have time to worry about the passing interests of your brother…”

“Until you make those interests a problem that they shouldn’t have been,” June says.  “You were perfectly fine using his ‘friendship’, which you thought was fake, until you realized it was more.  I mean, hell, mom, he literally says that he couldn’t believe that he’d been so worried about the Monarchy when you turned out to be the problem.  Locking him up, lying about him, making him leave.  All because he fell in love with a man?”

“It’s an ethical conflict for my son to be involved with a prince of England.”

“But it wasn’t an ethical conflict for me to be involved with him?” June questions.  “How does that work?”

Zahra huffs.  “This isn’t why we called you both here.  We need to know so we can shut the blogs down.  It’s giving out conflicting messages and –”

“They’re conflicting because the blogs are telling the truth and you’re lying uselessly.”

“It doesn’t matter because we don’t know,” Nora lies, plainly.  “Alex and Henry mentioned that they had reached out to others that don’t live in close proximity to the White House or the Palace, so that they wouldn’t be shut down.  They wanted the truth out there, and they knew that they could go to others for support.”

“There aren’t a lot of people that Alex would trust with that kind of plan,” Ellen states.  “And it’s messing with the campaign, it’s a needless distraction, so I need you to tell me who it is, so that we can deal with it.”

“No,” June states.  “We already told that we don’t know and if we did, we still wouldn’t tell you.”

Zahra huffs, but Ellen changes tactics.  “Fine, then I need you to go back out there and re-affirm the narrative that you’re dating the prince while Nora’s dating Alex.”

“No,” June states.  “It was a mistake letting you do that and I’m already in the doghouse with Alex as it is, I’m not letting you ruin our relationship like you ruined yours.”

“Nothing’s ruined.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” June says, getting up.  “Now if that’s all, I’m busy working on my real job, which is not being a prop for your re-election.”

She doesn’t wait as she leaves the room.  She can’t believe the audacity of their mother.  She’ll never understand why being president is more important than their family. 

And she can only hope that this hasn’t torn them about forever.

***

October 6th, 2020

Alex grins as he brings Henry a drink after dinner.  They’d both decided to stop for the day when the weather cleared, partially because while the teasing and fun yesterday had worked to clear Alex’s mind, he could admit that his worries over the rain impacting their trip being some sort of sign made him want to prolong reaching shore. 

He wanted another distraction, one that didn’t make his ass sore, not that he was complaining, it was a pleasant soreness.  Just taking in the sun and enjoying time with Henry is exactly what he needs… even if he knows that they may need to talk about what’s going on out in the world.

Hence the drinks. 

He hands Henry his drink and climbs in the hot tub.  “Looking a little pink there, baby.”

Henry laughs.  “Yes, well, you’re quite distracting and haven’t been as diligent on the sunscreen today.”

“I’ll rub aloe all over you later,” Alex promises as he grabs the sunscreen.  “Want me to rub some sunscreen on you now?”

“I already did it, but I know how much you love it, so go ahead.”

Alex grins as he applies the sunscreen to the areas not in the water, smiling as he does so. 

It takes a couple of minutes before Henry speaks, “I’m going to miss this.”

“I’m never going to stop wanting to touch you, Henry,” Alex assures him.  “So, there will be nothing to miss.”

Henry laughs.  “I meant, if we’re right about the misgivings we have about the situation… I’m going to miss having you with me like this.”

Alex hums.  “The campaign will be over in a month.  Regardless of the outcome, I’m not going to stop wanting to be with you or stop loving you.”

“I know that deep down, but I’ve been thinking about your mother’s platform and what the democratic party has always been about and the fact that defending the rights of LGBTQ+ people has been a part of that and how what she did to you comes across…”

Alex hums.  He’d said it himself… it seems like his mom’s either one of those ‘it’s okay as long as it’s not my kid’ or worse pretending that she’s accepting for votes.  He knows that she’s accepting.  She had barely blinked when he told her was bi and seemed happy for him.

But her actions towards him: firing him, hiding him away in his room, lying about June/Henry and Alex/Nora… they aren’t a good look, and would definitely come across as pretending to be accepting.

“…as homophobic,” Henry finishes.  “I know your mother isn’t, but it’s entirely possible that her… voters will assume the worst.  If they do, then…”

“…she’ll probably lose,” Alex finishes.

The thought had crossed his mind.  Ever since the fight with his mother, he believed that it was entirely possible that she would continue down the path of denial and people would believe the worst in her.  If Richards turned the narrative that way while his mom continues her denial, it’s definitely going to cost her voters.

“And that might… affect things … between us…”

Alex moves Henry so he’s facing him, helped by being done with the sunscreen on his back and shoulders.  “Are you worried that the election is going to somehow affect my feelings for you?”

Henry’s looking down at Alex’s hands running across his chest.  “Well, I can’t say that it hasn’t crossed my mind that losing would potentially ruin your relationship with your mum and if that happened, you might resent me.”

“And break up with you?” Alex asks, scoffing.  “If she loses and our relationship is ruined, I’m not going to blame you, you have been the one person that has actually seen me this year.  You’ve been my saving grace and even if it costs me my relationship with my mother, I wouldn’t dump you because then it would’ve all been for nothing.  At least if I lose her over her job, I’ll still have you.”

Henry hums, sounding unconvinced. 

“Besides, I have a feeling this whole mess will get resolved with my mom realizing her mistakes with the situation and it’ll be fine.”

“I love your optimism.”

Alex grins.  “As long as I’m with you, I just want to believe it’ll all work out.”

Henry lifts his drink, “Well, here’s hoping.”

“Here’s hoping.”

[strawberry-lemonade-kisses]

Note - This is NOT Muichiro X reader, Muichiro sees the reader as a mother figure. Part of the Himejima found family AU

Late nights are when you found the most peace, living with three people who were still regaining their strength from a battle that left them permanently scarred and changed forever had you working around the clock, taking care of everyone but yourself. So when the sun went down and your family went to bed with it you stayed up, taking a few hours to yourself. Tonight was the last night you would have to yourself for a week. The remaining 3 hashira had decided to bring themselves and their family to your home for a week, having a family vacation in your home. It was special tonight, an extra night of pampering before endless work hosting guests and taking care of your family. After an extended amount of time relaxing in the hot springs a little ways away from your estate, you decided to relax in the back gardens. It was a clear night the stars were so bright, adding an ample amount of light to the garden you worked tirelessly on before the fight. Frogs croaked an old tune, one that had consistently lured you into the most peaceful sleep, but tonight it was a song that kept you awake, humming along to the tune. “Mom?” A smaller voice cut through the song, interrupting the melody and throwing you off track. “what are you doing?” Muichiro stepped out of the house, his kimono dragging behind him.

“I’m watching the stars sweetheart, come lay down” You scooted over on the quilt you were resting on. Allowing Muichiro to lay beside you. “what are you doing awake? You are always asleep by now. Are you in pain? Do you want me to make you something to eat? Tea?” You were getting up from the ground when Muichiro made a noise of disapproval, asking you to sit back down. “I just couldn’t sleep, no big deal. I’ve been thinking a lot” he lay on his back, looking at the stars. “Did I ever tell you about my brother? He reminds me of Sanemi sometimes. He was angry and rough on the outside, but he had good reason to be the way he was. He was trying to protect me, wanted to keep me safe. When we lost our parents he was angry at the world for betraying us as it had, but we still had each other.” You smiled at the boy. “You’ve had a very hard life, Mui. Your family did their best for you and each other. The world is a cruel place to the best of us. But you are here now, you’ve made it. Your family's sacrifices weren't for nothing.” The younger boy turned to you. “I’ve been thinking a lot. About what to do now. My father was a woodcutter but I couldn’t do that now, what can I do?” “Mui you can do anything you want now. Get proper sleep, and eat full meals. You don’t have to fight anymore, you can rest now. Be a regular 14-year-old boy. What do you want to do? Not what you think you should do. What do you want?” He sat quietly, contemplating what he truly wanted. He gave up after a few seconds shrugging. “well you got time to figure it out, for now just relax. Everyone is visiting tomorrow including Tanjiro and them for a party and then the Uzui’s, Sanemi, and Giyuu are staying for the rest of the week so just try to enjoy yourself. Also, I was told Kotetsu is coming in a few weeks once things settle down with the moves and everything. Now that they are out of work they’ve been moving out of the mountains and towards Tokyo I guess. It'll be interesting to hear about that. Maybe then they can finally work on Hotaru’s social skills. Find him a nice wife to ease him out” Muichiro giggled at the thought. He had carefully retold the story of Hotaru’s blind date failure. From what he had been told it was going well until the woman had spoken about the fact that swords and swordsmen were unneeded in today's society. Which Hotaru took very personally and subsequently ended the date right there. It was understandable but he threw a fit for days following the date and had worried the village chief.

“Yeah, hopefully, they all can live peacefully now” You nodded, settling further into the quilt as your eyes perused the endless stars in the sky. “Hey Mom” you hummed, turning towards him. “do you think it’s going to be okay now? That everyone will know it's safe?” “Well, I’m not sure. I figure it’ll take some time before everyone knows they don’t have to worry anymore about the demons. Eventually, I think there will be a time when people completely forget demons were a thing and it’s all thanks to you guys. You did this. I’m very proud of you, all of you. I’m so grateful I got all of you back home, I feel spoiled like a light was shined on upon me for being able to wake up with all of you in the house, alive and well.” Muichiro looked away, a watery chuckle coming from him. “Thanks, Mom” He shook his head, moving to get up “I’m going to actually sleep now. Goodnight Mom” he paused after a few steps towards the house, turning around to where you sat watching him leave. “I love you, thank you for everything” With a soft smile the boy turned back towards the house, disappearing into the darkness of the hallways.

[scottsgayroommate]

A Hand To Hold Forever

Summary:

Wallace and Todd have been dating for two weeks now. While on a date in the park Wallace realised they have yet to hold hands; He is going to change that today.

Pairing: Wallace Wells x Todd Ingram

Genre: Fluff

wc: 570

a/n: I have an AO3 account now where I will also be posting my fics- “ScottsGayRoomate”

Wallace and Todd had been dating for two weeks. It's not really that long, if you think about it.

People usually date for months or even years before really getting close and moving on to the next stage.

Even if they were not super close Wallace felt proud of himself and he wanted to share that with Todd any way he could.

As a result, they ended up going on a date- a simple trip to the park to walk and laugh together.

The first half of the trip had gone really well. They visited the rose gardens and shared some ice cream.

After finishing the ice cream, while walking on one of the smaller trails, a thought occurred to Wallace.

He had noticed a couple not far from them holding hands, and almost instantly his hands flickered to Todd’s hand.

What would it feel like in his...? Would it be soft? Rough? Probably rough right? Would he hold Wallace’s hand lightly or squeeze it? Would his hand be hot or cold?

Suddenly, Wallace wanted to find out. He really, really wanted to. He was no longer focused on his surroundings and instead directed his gaze directly to Todd’s hand.

Todd wasn't looking his way, and Wallace slowly reached over.

Just as their fingers were about to touch, he caught his breath and pulled his hand back just as Todd turned, pointing towards a squirrel travelling up a tree.

Wallace awkwardly chuckled, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

What if Todd freaked out when Wallace tried to hold his hand?

What if he became uncomfortable, or got disgusted, or just pulled his hand away ignoring it and dismissing Wallace altogether?

Would he cancel the date and go home early? That would... really hurt.

Two weeks. Wallace repeated those two words a few times in his head, first slowly, then faster.

Was two weeks too soon for hand holding? Or maybe it was too soon for Todd?

Which would be worse? Wallace continued to smile and agree and joke and pout for the next hour, trying to act normal. It was not important, he should just forget about it, right? Easier said than done.

After nearly 20 minutes of contemplation Wallace decided to just suck it up and hold his hand.

Even if it didn't work out and something bad happened, he would just forget about it eventually, right?

It is not like it would stay on his mind forever, slowly eating away at his thoughts, making him worry and freak out over every future thing he ever did with Todd.... riiiight?

Wallace waited until Todd was not looking, he reached - and chickened out again. He just... could not do it.

It freaked him out just too much, he wanted to, he wanted to have the experience, but it was so hard to make the first move!

He tried to continue acting normal, to not let his worry show.

They still had another hour before they would go home so it would be best to just try and enjoy it.

Half an hour later as they re-entered the rose gardens when suddenly Todd reached out and held his hand.

Wallace was in shock as his worries instantly began to melt away.

He looked up to meet Todd’s soft gaze as he smiled supportingly. This instantly snapped Wallace out of his daze.

Flustered, he slowly squeezed Todd’s hand.

It was... warm

[justafoxhound]

Falloutober 2023: 13. Civilization

Follow on from 10. Terminal. Word count ~3000. Thanks @falloutober for the prompts!

Burke’s fingers itched.

He busied them with a captured pawn from his side of the chess board, twirling it back and forth as he tried to contemplate his next move. But he could barely hear himself think for the detonator sat only feet away, practically humming with the energy it was poised to release. He had waited several hours before leaving Megaton to ensure his chosen mark got to work, and several more since arriving himself at Tenpenny Tower. It was hopeful to think someone fresh out of a vault would make such good time on the journey, and yet it wasn’t rocket science was it? You could see the tower from the edge of that pit on a clear day.

He glanced north over the edge of the balcony, at the grey mass on the horizon. The rotting hulk that broke up an otherwise blank slate. To think he had spent so long waiting amongst that pile of rust and its wretched inhabitants. Time he would never get back! And to what end? To what end indeed! Oh, it only pained him to know that they wouldn’t know their fate. To show the self proclaimed Sheriff how this had happened right under his nose... But little joy that would be, that fool was too easy. The bar keeper, now there was an interesting fellow. Burke could have worked with someone as unscrupulous as that. Unfortunately he was wed to the pit. Just like everyone else in that place, he had no vision. Caps was all he could see. He had his methods of making them but what use was that if you were required to live forever in a place like Megaton? Worse, he perpetuated such an offensive attempt at society by contributing business, services, and reasons to visit or stay, however sordid they may be. Yes, it would have been satisfying to let Moriarty know his petty empire was ended by the customer who suddenly left town, who could have offered him so much more if he had been smarter.

“I say, Mr. Burke! Make a move already. I haven’t got all millennium.” Tenpenny rapped on the table with his walking stick, jarring Burke back to the present moment.

“Hm? Oh, of course.” Without flourish he shifted a piece across the board.

“Ha! You’ve really stepped in it now, my boy. Not smart, not smart at all.”

A speck of irritation flared through Burke’s jaw. He was sure he could beat the old man any day of the week, but today there were bigger things on his mind. “Oh, I’ve lost interest, sir. What say we detonate the bomb now?”

Tenpenny frowned. “No, no, nonsense! You’re just a sore loser, Burke. Always were. You keep playing now, and don’t go easy on me. I may be getting old but I’m not stupid. Stay focussed!”

Burke checked his watch. “I’ve given her ample time to get here. To be honest, I think her hired help will have taken her money and left her in a ditch. We’ll be waiting forever. In any case, I don’t want the Sheriff or those religious nutjobs tampering with the device while we sit around wondering. We won’t get another shot like this.”

Tenpenny groaned. “Ugh, you really are quite a bore sometimes, you know? Alright, since you can’t concentrate on our game anyway. Er, fetch me my sunglasses would you. It’s going to be quite the show, isn’t it!”

Burke hopped from his seat and did as asked, anticipation coiled in every one of his muscles. “The show of a lifetime, sir.”

“Quite! And you’re sure it isn’t going to damage this tower, at all?

“Certain,” Burke called back as he approached the metal case containing the detonator. “The experts calculated with the size of that bomb, the blast won’t reach halfway to here. She’ll remaining standing, as she did through the war!”

“Quite so! Alright-- oh, what do you want?”

Burke turned, followed Tenpenny’s gaze to the door, where stood a security guard- Chief Gustavo’s runner, to be precise.

“Sir,” the young man nodded to Tenpenny. “Mr. Burke, sir, there’s a girl at the gate. Says she has business with you.”

Burke rolled his fingers in the air to hurry the boy along. “Name, man, does she have a name?”

“Talia, sir.”

What timing! “Good! Send her up, I’m expecting her.”

“Yes sir. Er- there’s also a man, looks like a merc. Doesn’t look like our sort, sir, but she’s very insistent he comes in too.”

“Oh, of course… Yes, yes, let him in. Keep an eye on him, but he’s nothing we can’t handle.” He sent the runner away and paced the balcony.

“What’s this, Burke?” Tenpenny yelled, turning his head to hear better.

“Oh, nothing to worry about, sir. Now-- oh, I suppose I should collect them and then we can prep the system. Yes.” He pulled himself away from the case containing the key to Megaton’s end, the link to his device which he could assume was now within the casing of the unexploded bomb that rested in the very centre of town. He kept his eyes on it until it disappeared from view as he slipped indoors.

The moment was nigh! He waited in front of the elevators, watching the floor indicator climb to penthouse level, rubbing his hands in excitement. The doors parted, revealing inside the girl from the vault with whom he had spoken in Megaton. The outsider who had crossed his path at just the right time for both of them. Someone with no ties to the town, someone with perspective; From their conversation, he’d surmised that her vault was in its dying days, at least as a society in the form Vault-Tec had imagined. But it had been built by pre-war civilisation, filled its rooms with people from those streets, and that knowledge, those ideals had survived to migrate back out into the surface world. Who more fitting to fulfil this task for Tenpenny and he, than someone who could understand their vision for the future of civilisation?

Beside the girl stood quite a contrasting figure. Wasteland through and through, a rough and capable brute named Jericho whom Burke had seen around Megaton, but who mostly seemed to be mothballing himself in the dank saloon for some unspoken reason. Burke had fully expected him to pose more of a danger to Talia than anything en route to the tower, but apparently here he stood corrected. If it had sped up her arrival then it didn’t matter to him.

“Talia, you made it,” he said without a hint of the surprise he felt, extending a hand. “And so soon.”

Her hand was clammy. “Well, you know, nothing like the great outdoors to make you want to get back indoors real quick, nowadays.”

He smiled at her joke and brusquely addressed Jericho. “I believe we may have met in town.”

“Yeah, think so. Wanted to see if you was for real.” The man only nodded in greeting, which was fine by Burke given he did not seem to have been acquainted with a bar of soap recently, or perhaps ever.

“But of course. A pleasant journey, I trust?” Burke asked generally.

“Oh, just swell,” Talia answered gruffly. “And your people-- real friendly welcome, huh? But, er... I’m sure you aren’t really interested in small talk, are you?”

Burke hummed in appreciation. “The more I talk to you, the more I like you. So tell me- is it done?”

She nodded.

Burke almost leapt into the air such was the release of tension at the news. “Excellent! Then let’s get to business. Come! This way.” He beckoned the pair to follow him out to the balcony.

Talia elaborated as she scurried to keep up. “I did exactly what you said, so if nothing happens it’s down to the parts- and that could be either bit. Trust me, it’s hard to get new things to work with old things, and the age difference in this case is even bigger. And this is custom work, never done before, so. Just so you know. If nothing happens that it could be down to loads of reasons. Because it was simple to install like you said, and I’ve worked on trickier things before. You know, if you ignore the, uh, atomic bomb.”

Burke paused at the door. “You sound very defensive. The pulse charge is rigged, no?”

“Yes, it’s rigged,” his charge assured. “I did all the switches like you said, and it’s connected.”

“Good. That’s all I need to know.” He opened the door and ushered them through. “You had me worried for a second there, Talia.”

“No, no need to worry,” she reiterated quite cheerily.

“He don’t really mean that he is worried, princess,” Jericho muttered over her shoulder, quite wickedly.

“I know, can you just go back to worrying about your money, please?” she hissed back.

Burke closed the door behind him and joined them outside. “People, please, relax. Enjoy yourselves. You are about to witness something incredible: The atom bomb. Power. Raw energy. Perhaps we’ll even understand what it is that turns those Children of Atom into believers. But most importantly, that mass you see jutting up from an otherwise unblemished horizon, ragged and coarse just like the people who founded it and dared to call it civilisation- bah! The gall! Well, for the good of the future of mankind, you are about to see it obliterated.”

He passed around his guests to the detonator case, opened it with care, and began setting the switches to prime it for action.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” drawled Jericho behind him.

Burke smirked to himself. If this knuckle dragger wanted to doubt him, all the more fun when he was proven wrong. These people could never stretch their imagination to bigger things. “Do either of you play chess?”

“The fuck is chess?”

“That’s the one with the horses, right?”

Burke sighed while flipping a few more switches. “Chess is a game as old as civilisation itself. And yet in two generations this ‘town’ had lost all knowledge of it.”

“You’re nukin’ this town over some fuckin’ game?” Jericho interjected.

Burke pinched the bridge of his nose. He thought he’d earned a break from the rabble for a while. “A myriad of reasons, Mr…?”

“Jericho.”

“Well. Jericho, you can count yourself the luckiest person in Megaton today.”

“Right. I still say I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Oh, you’ll see it. Almost ready.”

Burke finished the prep and gestured for the girl to come closer. “Talia, since we are here because of your work, perhaps you should kick this off.” He urged her another step closer with a hand on her shoulder and rather redundantly pointed out the big red button. “When you have finished savouring the moment, just push the button- and then mind your eyes.”

Talia tried to back away. “Oh, no, this is your thing. You should be the one to hit the switch. I mean look at it, it’s practically got your name written all over it. Don’t let me take that moment.”

Burke wafted the idea away. “Nonsense. You rigged the thing, you should have the honours. It’s really very simple.” He steered her back toward the console with firmer hands than before. “It’s perfectly safe for us at our location. Look, there’s no way to mess it up. What are you afraid of?”

She looked round at him, almost a perfect poker face, eyes flitting between Jericho, the ground, the horizon, something in the back of her mind. “Spiders,” she said, turning her face to one side and slamming her hand upon the button.

Burke froze, staring at her white knuckles atop the switch. She gave him no warning! He jerked his gaze up to the north, eager not to miss a moment. His heart leapt to his mouth as silent seconds went by- nothing!

But then- everything. An intense light enveloped the world, emanating from a single point on the horizon and expanding out, only happening in an instant. Instinctively he scrunched his eyes shut and shielded his face with an arm, but it was of little use. Bony shadows danced in the light that still seared his vision behind closed eyelids.

The flash faded just as quickly, though his vision took much longer to settle down. He braced himself for the next stages. There would be a shockwave, a heatwave, noise and wind. He faced it all, soaking up every sensation. It was stranger, more intense than he could have imagined. The immensity of it, even all these miles away and it sounded like the fabric of reality was under strain from the forces involved.

All through this the fireball churned and roiled its way upward, rising on a tower of smoke that billowed out the higher it grew, until finally amid the ensuing silence the infamous mushroom cloud seemed to hang over them even from where they stood .

“My God… What beauty… What purifying light...” It had been brighter than bright. The whole process left no uncertainty. Megaton was annihilated. Such awesome, absolute firepower, it was almost as if unleashing a sentient force. “That, my friend, is beautiful,” he pondered to his right.

When he received no response he turned. Talia was heaving herself up from the ground, bewilderment striking her somewhat doe-eyed. Jericho was looking equally dumbfounded just behind her.

“Holy shit,” she breathed when she’d got her balance.

“Ho-ly shit. He really did it!” exclaimed Jericho.

“Bravo Mr. Burke! What a grand display of fireworks!” Tenpenny cheered from his seat behind them all.

Burke took a deep breath and another lingering look at the result of his efforts of the past months. A beautiful way to wipe the slate clean if there ever was one. Behind him, the avatars of the old and new world stood bonded by the dust and dirt that covered them both, by the shock that had them looking back and forth for some assurance.

“So?” he asked them. He didn’t need to add anything more.

“I, uh, I didn’t really think he was gonna do it,” Jericho reflected.

Talia shot him a concerned look. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna be mad about losing Megaton now? I told you what was up.”

“My friends,” Burke interrupted. “We have not ‘lost’ anything. The Capital Wasteland is a better place now. This is one part of a new future. This very tower is a symbol of the progress we aim to make here. We will rebuild the world the way it was meant to be, not filled with knuckle-draggers like Megaton. You’ve both been a part of that today. You should be proud.”

“Well said, Mr Burke!” Tenpenny called. “I almost wish we had a few more nukes to detonate. You don’t see that very often. It really was quite a show, well done.”

“Thank you, sir. I had help, of course. Speaking of which, I should conclude business with our guests here.”

“Ah, quite right! And, send out some more scotch while you’re at it, would you.”

“Of course. If you’ll come this way...” Burke ushered Talia and Jericho back indoors to arrange her remaining payment.

Tenpenny’s voiced followed as far as the door. “Oh, damn! The bloody shockwave blew the chessboard over. I was winning that game!”

~

Burke closed the door behind Jericho as he left the empty suite, pockets jingling with Talia’s caps. “I’ve never seen someone spend their pay quite so quickly, you know.”

Talia shrugged. “He gets me here, he gets the caps. That was the deal. May as well get it over with.”

“Not the most astute deal,” Burke commented. He noticed she was breathing easier now the unofficial mercenary was somewhere else.

“He’ll probably spend it all here anyway. Then get bored and move on, with any luck.”

“Yes, but you could have spent it all here.”

The girl rolled her eyes a little and began to saunter around the vacant penthouse apartment. “Jeez, you sound just like my old teacher. Look, I had a problem and I solved it. I’m not interested in looking back at problems that don’t exist anymore. My new problem is that I’m broke. I’m hoping you’ve got a few more jobs since we last spoke about work, ‘cause I’m available. Maybe some maintenance around this place? Trust me, a place this big and old needs constant work. The vault did.”

Burke considered her optimism for a moment, then smiled and opened his arms. “Well, then, I suppose it all worked out perfectly.”

Perfect indeed. It wasn’t ideal that Jericho had his money, but she was likely correct that it would all make its way back into the tower coffers. Then if he didn’t move on of his own accord there were ways to remove him from their midst. No matter right now. She had done the job, was already asking for more, and she’d proven herself to be resourceful and forward thinking. Burke could certainly use someone like that. All the better then that Tenpenny wanted to do something with this vacant suite.

“Oh my god!” Talia screamed from somewhere unseen, before poking her head out of the bathroom door. “You have hot running water here?!”

Burke nodded and allowed her to freshen up, waiting by the door until she re-emerged. When she did, her face was freshly washed clean of the blood, dirt and grime collected during her journey to him. “That’s your hot running water, if you’ll accept the deed to this suite. As reward for a job very well done.”

She gawped at him. “Deed? You’re kidding? I… I can live here?”

Burke made a face to say that was correct. “Mr. Tenpenny requested himself that I offer it to you. No one else has done him such a service. So, what do you say?”

She gawped at him a few moments longer, and he thought he saw a slight glistening of moisture in her eyes before she broke the silence. “Is a deathclaw as terrifying as it sounds? Yes, of course I’d like to live here… Wow, fuck… Thank you.”

Burke took her hand and shook on the deal, patting her warmly on the shoulder. “It’s my pleasure. Welcome to civilisation.”

[gnattyplayssims]

1948 Pt1 - A New Home

Hezekiah sat contemplating his move while Stefan watched him anxiously. "Stop stalling and go already."

"Patience son, one can't rush a good strategy. Ah here we are."

"Awe man...I wasn't paying attention."

"See! You can't rush the game or you'll make mistakes."

The phone rang and Kye wheeled to the living room to answer. His heart leapt when a familiar woman's voice spoke. "It's all settled, Kye. We just need you here to close the deal."

"Great and you managed to get the price lowered to what we agreed upon?"

"18k just as you said."

"Lizzie I need to tell you something."

"If it's about Ivy...I already know about the drugs. I'm working on it."

"Uh...no...it's not about that. Our trip to Copperdale next week...Anabelle doesn't know yet but...it's gonna be permenant."

"Oh. You're leaving?"

"Hey you'll be fine. Kailee and Knox are just across the river and I'll be just a phone call away."

"I know... you can't stay forever I just never put much thought into how soon it might be."

"I know it's been hard these last few years, but I'm really proud of you Lizzie."

"Proud of me? Why?"

"You tackled a devistating event and made it something beautiful. Transforming Kailee's old apartment into a homeless shelter, teaching teens life skills that will help them get jobs or raise families. I know you can do anything."

"I'm gonna miss you, Kye."

In Copperdale, the family enjoyed a leisurely day at the carnaval and checking out the sights until they were exhausted. "I'm ready to go to the rental now."

Kye took Sofia's hand, "One last stop...Stefan would you cover your mother's eyes for me."

"Kye, what are you up to?"

Stefan kept her eyes covered as they made their way up the path, Anabelle was starting to get annoyed.

"Just a little further."

"Ok, ok"

"Alright you can let her look now."

For a moment she couldn't comprehend what she was looking at, then a smile came over her face. "Kye."

For a moment the four of them just stood there looking at it. "Is this ours? Is this really our home? But how? I could save another decade and still not be able to afford something this big."

"Look mom, dad already put in some of your plants under the window."

"I see them."

She fell into his arms overcome by emotion. "I don't know how you did it but I love it."

"Well I do have a confession...two actually. I did use the money you were saving to buy this but the rest...well I never told you but as it turns out a handicap pension is pretty hefty."

Kye brushed the tears from her face. "Alright enough of that, you 3 go stand in front of the door so I can get pictures."

"Come here you two." Anabelle pulled them close despite their complaints. Sofia felt awkward when Stefan threw his arm around her neck but smiled anyway.

"Don't think you're gonna get away with no pictures, mister. Get over here and get some pictures with your kids."

Hezekiah chuckled as Anabelle took the camera from him. She'd always wanted a wall filled with photos of a family she'd created and now she could do just that.

A few weeks later the Greenburg's came to visit from Evergreen Harbor. It was a long trip but thankfully travel had become better between the worlds and it was easier for them to come for a shorter amount of time. The family was excited to catch up and show them around the house.

"I could always tell this is what you wanted deep down."

"You always were there to keep me on the right track. I'm glad things worked out that way."

"Well they didn't just work out. Joining The Movement was just an excuse to make sure you weren't alone. You needed the push."

"Is everything alright Kailee, you look a bit pale." "It was just a long trip."

"Uh huh, not an easy one on the stomach I imagine."

"Ok you got me, we're expecting"

"Oh that's so exciting! I know how hard you've been trying."

"It's been a long road, but we're ready now."

After a long evening of catching up and playing card games, Sofia finally had some time to cuddle up with a book. The banter of the family had been exhausting. Even Stefan had joined in while she always struggled to interact. But she was determined to make this family work.

That evening Anabelle woke from a bad dream her eyes scrambling for something familiar but not recognizing her surroundings. She rolled over and saw Kye and everything came into focus. This was their new house. She was in bed...with her husband everything was fine.

She stroked his collarbone gently as if assuring herself he was real and he stirred a bit. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." S

he kissed him on the cheek and he turned toward her, "Everything alright?"

"Yes, it was just a bad dream. I'm fine now."

"Do you want to talk about it." "It was nothing, really, just fear playing with my head. I dreamt I lost you...and the kids. I was in a forest all alone and the people I love most were gone."

"It was just a dream. You know I'm not going anywhere."

"I know. Just a silly fear."

"I love you, you know. So much! I could never let you go. If anything happened to this family, I would fight like hell to bring us back together again."

"You wouldn't get very far." He gasped in fake offense, "Don't be mean."

"Shut up and kiss me."

"Whatever you want."’

The next morning the Greenburg's headed back to Evergreen. "Thanks so much for having us. We'll send you a letter when the baby arrives and be sure to call once in awhile if you don't have time to write." The two families said their goodbyes and life as a family of four began.

1948 Pt2 - The Butterfly Ring

[tinkerbcll]

"we're not just friends. you know that." 👀

even with peter’s return to neverland, tink’s heart still felt heavy and ached enough that she believed something could be wrong with her. a checkup with one of the nursing-talent fairies told her she was completely fine. but tinkerbell felt anything but fine. it’s been a couple of weeks now since peter had called for her, but she was still keeping her distance from him. it took an enormous amount of willpower to do so when everything inside of her was screaming to be close to him. she wasn’t staying inside hangman’s tree with him, but she hasn’t return to pixie hollow since his return either. instead she stayed in a hollow of a tree outside, close enough where she could keep an eye on peter and make sure nothing happened to him. her reluctance to stay by his side was fear of him abandoning her again. tink knew she wouldn’t be able to handle it and it very well may kill her if he were to decide to leave neverland for good.

it’s been a few days since she’s seen him face to face, so she went inside their hideout to see if he needed anything. she contemplated remaining in her tiny fairy form, it felt safer for her heart that way and made her feel like there was still a barrier between them. but she decided it was time to stop being cowardly, she couldn’t avoid him forever. so she shifted into a human size, she doesn’t even remember the last time peter has seen her like this. it was still strange seeing peter how he is now, even with the visits she paid him on the neverland. but time was drastically different between the two realms and nearly impossible to keep track of. one night he was the boy who didn’t want to grow up, then suddenly when she came to him again he was exactly who he said he didn’t want to be. she was so angry with him, choosing to return to a family that didn’t even love him for who he was instead of staying here with her.

even though she was furious she kept visiting him, getting to know the new older peter and falling so deeply in love with him. she was only hurting herself further, yet she didn’t stop checking in on him. now standing before him her heart beats wildly against her chest and wonders if he could hear it. that thought as well as the tension between them had her avoiding getting closer to him. instead she walked around examining things and went right to where she stored all her belongings. when peter left she kept them all here, not bringing a single thing back to pixie hollow because everything here reminds her of peter and holds a memory. it would have been too painful, but she really missed all her little jewels and trinkets here.

she kept her voice steady and casual even though she was anything but. “you’re still my best friend, so it’s my job to make sure you’re still breathing in here. i’m glad to see the animals here didn’t make this place their new home after it’s been vacant for so long.”

“we’re not just friends. you know that.”

tink’s head whipped towards him, her eyes wide, “well i knew that you silly ass! i just didn’t think you did!” peter had shattered any willpower she had left with his statement. she practically stomped over to him, having to tilt her head to look at him. “peter, i need you to tell me exactly what you mean by that.” it had been so obvious how much tink cares for him, but he had always been so reluctant about relationships and love. and tink always liked that because it meant no one would take him from her. but if his feelings for her are similar to how she feels about him, then that changes everything. tink also knew how peter was and how manipulative he could be, she needed to make sure he wasn’t trying to soften her up into forgiving him so easily.

[pacinosgf]

❝ we were in austria, which is a very depressing country, with all due respect, though i think barbara would have really enjoyed the place if she wasn’t catatonic during our stay there. when she got a bit better, i made her take walks with me all through vienna so she could tire herself out before getting back to the hotel. one day she asked if we could rent bikes for our walks. and then another day she left the room, alone and in her own will, for the first time, without saying anything. i was sleeping and when i woke up, she wasn’t there. i was still hiding any sharp objects from her at that point, mind you. i was almost calling the police, but she came back with a huge map of the countryside, telling me that we should visit it. i thought, well, this has changed her forever. but maybe we can learn how to live after this. ❞

❝ we spent a few months in greece, but ultimately settled down in italy. i didn’t want to come home. coming home meant facing everything again, finding a new way to live. i got an abortion in another country so i could deal with it privately, but somehow it got leaked to the american press. i didn’t want to mope anymore, either. i felt sick of myself. i got tired of jim being all careful around me. i didn’t want to be this fragile little thing for the rest of my life, though i learned to let myself be taken care of after that. i learned how to slow down. i can’t always do and be everything for everyone.

i bought a leather bound notebook so i could write in a brand new diary. many of my first entries were just describing my day. we went to the beach. we ate ice cream. saw a woman dressed like brooke in the street. i cut my hair. in venice, we stayed at the house of a family for a while and i sang for them so i could thank their hospitality. i did my best to have myself back, little by little. now that i’m telling it after so much time it seems it wasn’t that big of a deal, but i know it was. i spent months out of myself. you can recover from that, but there will always be a little part of you that wants to give in to that dark place, those dark thoughts. when i got back home from brooke’s funeral, i found myself lying on the cold floor at this old age of mine, same thoughts as i had back then. see what i mean?

then, after two years, we got back home. i had missed my house, missed my huge garden, missed my instruments. i cried out of relief when i found out i could still play. i found myself trying to get used to this new reality, producing and only producing, but still coming up with random lyrics. still coming up with bass lines. i still loved the music. that part of me hadn’t gone anywhere, but now i had to learn again how to deal with it.

i listened to brooke’s album, of course. someone sent it to us and it was right there, waiting for me when i got home. seeing the words brooke wellington’s first solo album hurt like hell. but it was good. she had always wanted to rely into this heavy rock sound. i felt happy for her. she didn’t seem to be alright, but that’s how brooke is. i didn’t have a say in it anymore. i wanted to kill myself when i heard my bones and dope, but it wasn’t my business.

i lived. i worked. i took care of myself. didn’t get out of the house much. all that fire i had to do things had been lost. i felt a bit of it again when i was organizing contemplations and ramblings, and then i was reminded people would see it and try to find hidden meanings in my lyrics, i was reminded brooke would know that i had been fucking miserable. but it was good to write again. our solo work was so different. most of my songs were ballads, i’ve always loved a folk sound. my voice sounded so much older for some reason, when only two years earlier i thought of it to sound so ingenue. my plan was to release the album as an exorcism, you know? this is the last you will see of me, take good care.

and it worked. people didn’t care much about contemplations, which i still love and feel proud of, but i did. i kept writing and singing many songs, but i kept them all to myself. the spell they had put on me was over. i can’t say much about it, but when we had the reunion, though i felt immensely good for being on stage, i felt immensely good for being able to get back home. salting the wound for one night had been enough.

i had a few girlfriends here and there, but i knew i couldn’t love again. not how i loved brooke. i had more faith than ever in my love for jim after all the drama, but i couldn’t be the same anymore. i felt terrible about him. had damned him to this life. i told him, in the sweetest way i could, baby, if you ever want to, you know, actually have a family, go for it. i won’t blame you. i hoped he did it. i wanted to see him far away, happy with his family, and then brooke far away, not so happy with dash, and be sure that i was the problem of all of us. i would never give jim the divorce, but i could do that for him. we discussed the women he was seeing, i thought it was no big deal.

and then jim did the most stupid thing in the world, because he can think properly when he wants to. i thought he’d find a model, you know? an actress. maybe a normal girl who wanted a good life. he looked nice, and i knew he was loyal like a dog. i remember thinking they’re going to take my husband away from me.

but he went back to venus. i hadn’t gone back there since my failed visit, but he had. he spent months there, talking about how he is so miserable and his wife hates him and he just wanted a bit of love to whoever would listen. and of course, some slut listened to him, because there will always be a woman who will see a failed man, ignore the reasons that he might have been failed for, and think i can be good to him. i had grown up with her, though we weren’t exactly friends. jim stayed at her house, played house with that woman just like he did with me, would occasionally visit me so i would mind my business. he got her pregnant.

i punched him right in the eye when he told me who he got pregnant, how he wanted to be there for her, and that we needed to divorce. he wanted his part of our money so he could raise the child. mind you, jim wouldn’t raise no fucking child. that’s a man who was raised to drink while his children cried. that’s a man who got used to the good tour life, where he could have a different woman every hour and he’d leave soon, no need to think if she had gotten pregnant or what. he humiliated me in front of everyone that once knew me, people who already didn’t like me, by doing that.

i went to venus to see the bitch. didn’t beat her up because she was pregnant, but beat up everyone who tried to take me out of there. called her a whore, a homewrecker, a gold digger, screamed to the point my throat closed down. if she thought she would get that money so easily, she’d have to go to court or kill me.

she went to court, against jim. that was an easy fix, he had to pay for child support anyway. and then jim went to court against me, asking for a divorce and separation of property. can you believe? i made him what he is, and that’s how he thanked me.

it took us years. the little girl was born, i visited her every two months so i could take some things, you know? i loved babies. i love the idea of raising something of my own. i hoped jim would have some with a nice woman, so i could be around and pamper them like they were mine. i got cute dresses and toys for her, but then she would get out of my arms and i’d go back to screaming at her father and her mother, those fucking idiots.

the girl was three or four when jim realized he couldn’t be a father. big fucking surprise. if he was meant to be a father, god would have made me pregnant in a better moment that the one he did, you know? not to to fucking punish me. we didn’t divorce, but we got to a deal about our shared property. he came back home, spent months apologizing. i didn’t mind much. i hired a nanny i could trust and would send the woman to venus so she could come back with the girl every three months. i made him call the baby, sent pictures, would play for her. when she got older, this phase every girl goes through, she didn’t want anything to do with us anymore. couldn’t blame her, but we had nice times together. after the teenage turmoil was over, she slowly came back again. mostly talks to me. i adore her. it’s just a shame her parents are such idiots.

we had some nice, tranquil, boring years after that. jim had girlfriends, another child. this one turned 18 a few years ago. isn’t it weird how men can always have children, don’t matter the age? at least he didn’t have as many as dash.

i had girlfriends too. nowadays i date this beautiful tall woman, she is british, all grace and poise, named adeline. blonde, obviously, that’s my type. she has showed up before, she is the only helping me making those collages since brooke died, so i won’t forget history. i will die soon, so i won’t take much more of her life. she is sweet, but can be very feisty. she was born after the reunion happened, so it’s funny to me to tell her how things were, remember things in the process and see how shocked she is by everything. she’s such a sweetheart. adeline gave me some good last years.

that’s where we end. it was a pleasure to mayhem with you. hopefully, for the last time. ❞

@gllianowens

[painduringsex]

Making Love Having First Time Sex

The Initial Time In spite of the fact that having intercourse is one of the most regular of human impulses, we find it hard to discuss transparently and truly, we get humiliated at the simple notice of the word sex and in spite of the fact that we need to know more, we stay quiet about it because of a paranoid fear of culpable or humiliating others.

ALSO VISIT:-Solution To Dream Sex

For the greater part of us whenever we first really find out a little about sex is in secondary school, either in Science class or in a sexual mindfulness class.

These classes show us as teens the progressions to our bodies during pubescence and the fundamental mechanics of what to do during sex, they additionally show us, how to forestall pregnancy and physically related infection using contraception and diagram the different techniques for contraception.

It is everything these classes don't say to us that interest us most, questions that will stay unanswered until we really experience sex with an accomplice by and by.

After the classes the liars begin to creep from all over, with a wide range of cases about their sexual ability, I've laid down with xxx and it was fabulous we did various stuff and the other, blah, blah, blah.

These are individuals who make us self-conscious with ourselves and our bodies since we really accept their cases, they are having intercourse 1,000 times each week and I couldn't get a young lady to check me out. Individuals enlighten these fanciful stories concerning a pretend sexual coexistence, that cause us to have a deficient and shaky outlook on ourselves.

What's going on with me? For what reason mightn't I at any point get a young lady? What does he have that I haven't?

Do I smell? Am I monstrous? Am I excessively fat? Am I excessively tall? Am I excessively short?

The more cases they cause the more you to accept and the a greater amount of their cases that you hear the more your fearlessness wanes.

Truly the closest these folks have at any point got to a bare lady is through one of their fathers magazines concealed under his bed or in a film, the narratives they tell presumably likewise come from a similar magazine or film.

90% of the not very many secondary school understudies who have really had intercourse with an accomplice won't discuss it with anybody however the accomplice they imparted the second to. Sex is a private and individual experience between the two individuals included and discussing the involvement in others is a major no.

first-time-sex The Initial Time Losing your virginity is much of the time a major let down and it can leave you considering what was going on with all the quarrel, you move past energized and all of a sudden, it is over similarly as it was going to start.

You and your accomplice are both anxious and somewhat terrified, you are scared that you will hurt her and she is terrified of something similar, contemplations race through your head at 1,000 miles an hour and afterward acknowledgment sets in I will make it happen; finally I will engage in sexual relations, right now you lose all control of your mind and you rush everything and the second you lost your virginity is over in a flash.

The initial time is intended to be exceptional however it is frequently ruined, in light of the fact that we are by all accounts in an extraordinary rush we get so energized that we are really going to engage in sexual relations that we overdo it with it.

Make it that extraordinary second you envisioned about To cause the initial time as unique as you to have for practically forever needed it or imagined it to be, you want to gain proficiency with a little poise, begin with delicate kissing and stroking, take as much time as is needed, sex isn't just about intercourse, investigate your accomplices body with your fingers and lips find out where your accomplice likes to be contacted or kissed, take as much time as necessary be delicate and be in no rush, you will both know when it is the ideal opportunity for intercourse to start.

Again I can't pressure sufficient attempt to be loose and take as much time as is needed, hold back your energy and you will have an extraordinary memory of your most memorable time that will last you until the end of your life.

Sex is generally a growth opportunity as well as a pleasurable one the more you find out about your accomplices different preferences previously, during and after sex the better your sexual coexistence will turn into.

Masturbation Masturbation is a characteristic method of self-pleasuring, it shows you where you like being contacted and how much strain you ought to apply for most extreme delight, it likewise shows you how to control discharge, which is a major upside and assists with expanding the joy of a sound sexual relationship.

Safe sex I'm an extraordinary devotee to safe sex, if it's not too much trouble, kindly, if it's not too much trouble, utilize a condom not exclusively will it forestall any little shocks 9 months after the fact, a condom will likewise shield you from physically communicated illnesses and Helps.

Significant Since a young lady likes you doesn't imply that she needs to hop into bed with you in the event that she expresses no whenever, the time has come to stop what you are doing.

On the off chance that she isn't prepared at this point, don't be irate with her and extend her some regard and understanding, don't attempt to pressure her in to it when she is prepared she will tell you.

Remarks Beauty on August 09, 2016:

I genuinely heard ur exhorts and thank you kindly yet iam truly confounded about engaging in sexual relations with him while he will get hitched to another person

LaZeric Freeman from Hammond on April 10, 2014:

Fascinating center point. Gratitude for imparting your insight. Sex is a particularly supernatural, mysterious thing, regardless of how you view it. I suppose that is the reason the youthful grown-ups in my fiction are continuously being overwhelmed with it.

Stand by… on November 15, 2011:

I'm 14 years of age and I found your center very helpful…thanks jimmy. I had moved toward engaging in sexual relations with this genuine pleasant person I know yet presently I relize I shouldn't and that I ought to wait…and that I was thoroughly crazy to try and figure I ought to. it simply isn't worth it…so thanks jimmy. u just gave me that little push to saying…no. :D

magnificent center point.

I feel that this is truly utilize full data for us youngsters. Well im in the eighth grade nd well wat folks for the most part ponder is engaging in sexual relations mind each young lady they see. Nd well we can truly utilize this tips cuz well I realize discussing sex is a major no except for well our folks have the problem for not conversing with us about it.Nd well jimmy extraordinary center.

[cherryria]

Of fears and friendships (Ominis Gaunt x Original Female Character)

The much needed conversation after the “Crucio Accident”. English is not my first language therefore I apologise in advance for any mistakes. Marion sat on a cold floor of the Undercroft, leaning against the wall and trying in vain to stop her tired body from shaking like a falling leaf. It was an awfully long day and surely a strange adventure she would not desire to relive again, as the severe pain from the Cruciatus Curse still lingered in her bruised limbs.

The Hufflepuff could not quite comprehend why she was not spending this much needed alone-time in a safety that the Room of Requirement eagerly provided, yet she once again found herself in a familiarity of the Undercroft. Which, to be honest, did not seem that welcoming now. As if it was forever intertwined in her soul with the image of Sebastian that right now could bring only worries and fear to her mind.

Marion attempted to clear her head of all thoughts, rather concentrating on the warm and tingling sensation of ancient magic flowing through her veins. It seemed to numb the physical pain a little bit but unfortunately could not calm the aching of her heart. It simply could not push away the image of hurt on Sebastian’s face when she declined his help, leaning on a rather worried Ominis instead. It was all too much for her little Hufflepuff heart, too suffocating and incomprehensible, and frightening.

As the tears started to cloud her gaze, Marion suddenly heard the footsteps coming down the stairs and reluctantly turned her head to the old staircase. To her utter surprise the girl witnessed Ominis carefully making his way in her direction.

“I can tell that you are here”, he delicately stated, stopping not far from her tired figure, “Your breathing is way too loud”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Ominis”, the Hufflepuff tried to make her voice sound as cheerful as possible, “I did not expect you to visit the Undercroft tonight”, she paused, unsure what to say next, “If you want to be alone, I can go…”

“Actually, I was hoping to find you, that is why I came here after convincing Sebastian to finally have some sleep”, the softness in Gaunt’s voice made Marion smile a bit, “I wanted to make sure that you were in an acceptable condition”.

“I am fine, thank you, Ominis”, she could not tell a greater lie, moreover, the Hufflepuff perfectly understood that the boy would not believe her, but she simply could not find the words to explain every thought and emotion that was running through her mind.

“I may be blind, Marion, but I am not in any way, as you may suspect, stupid”, he chuckled.

The girl took a moment to examine her friend’s tired features, his melancholic gaze, and then she remembered…

“I am truly sorry about your aunt”, she whispered softly, fighting the urge to either hold out her hand to a grief-stricken Ominis or start sobbing from the realization of how awful and lost he might have felt right now.

“I simply cannot believe my ears”, Gaunt sounded almost indifferent, although his voice could not fool her, “You have been struck with a Crucio and somehow still possess the ability to trouble yourself with my feelings”, he smiled sorrowfully, “Oh, what a true Hufflepuff you are!”

“Do not worry about me, Ominis, I can handle my pain”, Marion made a weak attempt to stand, but her body immediately betrayed her, forcing to once more press her back against the wall and painfully exhale.

Her friend stayed silent for a moment, contemplating something, then still without a word sat down beside her, leaving the Undercroft silent for a few moments.

“In fact, I wanted to thank you for protecting me”, the Slytherin boy said, making Marion glance at him with utter confusion, “I understand that it was you who convinced Sebastian not to pressure me any further about casting the Cruciatus Curse”

Marion’s lips formed a shy smile.

“He was just acting irrational and, I dare to say, quite ignorant about the situation. I am sure in his heart he understands how unpleasant that topic must have been for you”

“I am afraid Sebastian thinks that casting Crucio is of the same moral difficulty as opening the locked doors with Alohomora”, pensively admitted Ominis, “His mind is now clouded with finding the way to Anne’s cure, even if it means leaving everything else in ruins”.

“I have heard the rumors of you Slytherins being very determined in achieving your goals”, Marion looked at her friend with a sorrowful expression she was glad he could not see. She knew how deeply the boy despised anyone’s attempts to pity him.

“As you could have witnessed today, my aunt was not an exception to this rule…”

“Ominis…”, she whispered in horror, but he brushed her off.

“I realized a long time ago that something had happened to her”, the boy admitted with a slight tremble in his voice, “Aunt Noctua would not have left me otherwise, as she indeed understood how painful and lonely it was to be different in our family”, it seemed that he was trying to collect his emotions, “To be honest, I have always wondered how her son can be so contrasting to her, so cruelly and maniacally endorsing the family traditions…”

“She has a son?”, Marion repeated weakly, “He might miss her a lot”

“Oh, Marvolo is more than happy with spending time with his father and the pure-blood maniacs I am proud to call my parents”, the venom in Ominis’s voice startled the girl, bringing the desire to soothe her friend’s pain, to make him see he was not alone…

“Ominis, I…”

“Do you think we are going to lose him?”, suddenly asked the Slytherin boy, turning his head to the direction of her quiet voice. He did not have the need to continue his explanation, as Marion immediately understood the root of his worries,  “To be honest, I can barely recognize him lately”

“Sebastian is one of the brightest wizards I have ever met, and I want to believe his mind will not betray him”, it was truly her heart’s desire – to continue believing in Sebastian’s sanity.

“He needs to understand, Marion, that it is Anne’s life, and only she has the right to decide what to do with it”, Ominis sighed and tiredly closed his eyes, “She is my dear friend, I care about her deeply, as she is to me the sister I have never had. Yes, I must admit, Marion, I am very afraid of losing Anne but I realize that we must listen to her desires and not to our troubled minds…”

The Undercroft went silent, the air thickened with sorrow and grief. Marion knew how little Ominis tolerated the unwelcomed touching, and still the Hufflepuff could not stop herself from gently covering his hand with hers.

“You will not lose Sebastian, I promise”, she said, her voice barely a whisper, “We will accompany him on his journey, and we will not let him slip into madness”.

The boy froze, feeling the sudden warmth of Marion’s hand, but did not move away from it. Ominis seemed to have realized the uneasy tone of their conversation, since he awkwardly cleared his throat and turned his silver gaze to her.

“I am so dreadfully sorry you had to listen to my whinings”, he noted, “It looks like this late hour went to my head”

“Well, I must say it is better with you here”, Marion confessed, “I do not feel so strikingly lonely”

“Don’t be a stranger, Hufflepuff”, Ominis chuckled softly and squeezed her hand a little, “I am afraid you will never feel lonely due to the astonishing company of ours”.

[o3o-aya]

Kokushibou slowly falling in love with human s/o so he does everything in his power for them to look his way and in the end s/o eventually falls in love with kokushibou and live happily ever after

hiiii Nannaaaa!!! :D

When he first saw you, you were turning the lantern on outside after the sun set.

He didn’t think much of it... You were just a normal human that he couldn’t care less about dealing with.

But everywhere he went he swore he saw your face everywhere.

He didn’t know why some normal human he saw one night was plaguing his thoughts.

He had to see you again...

So he went back and there you were...

You were obviously with your mother, and you were struggling to carry what was in your hands...

You needed help..

He hid four of his eyes before quickly taking it from your hands.

“Please... Allow me...” He said softly.

You paused as you looked at him.

Something was.. Odd about him...

“Oh what a nice young man! Don’t you think so [Name]?” Your mother asked as she looked over at you.

You blinked before you smiled softly. “Thank you..” You said softly as you bowed your head.

Kokushibo took in your features... You looked better up close...

Everything about you was absolutely perfect...

Your [hair type] hair...

Your [eye color] eyes that seem to hold the stars in them...

And he couldn’t stay away...

~~~~~~~

He kept coming over, he was debating if he should eat you... Or take you all for himself...

But you looked so happy here....

He couldn’t bare thinking about the sad face you would make when he took you away.

So he let you be...

But he studied the ways of romancing someone in this world.

He needed you .

Perhaps one day he could turn you into a demon, so that the two of you may be together for eternity.

He gave you flowers, candy, clothes, jewelry, anything he could think of!

But you couldn’t get his hints...

No matter how hard he tried...

And it was annoying.

~~~~~~~

“You should start thinking of marriage.” Your father told you.

“Marriage? How come?” You asked as you tilted your head.

“Well my dear... You’re already twenty...Oh! What about that nice man that visits you!” Your mother said as she clapped her hands.

“Man!? What man?” Your father quickly asked.

“Oh! He’s such a handsome young man, he drops off so many gifts, oh! Even the outfit they have on right now!” Your mother said happily as your father contemplated. 

“Hm...” Your father said as you rolled your eyes and walked away.

~~~~~~~

You wondered when he was showing up.. You wanted to see him... 

Why...?

You thought he was nice before... Why did you just want him to show up?

You shook it off before you smiled softly at the memory of him giving you a flower.

He did it so stoically as well.

You couldn’t help but laugh, yet you blushed.

He was so nice to you....

Why did you feel fuzzy all over?

~~~~~~~

Kokushibo sighed softly as he began to hide his four eyes.

It was starting to began annoying...

He didn’t want to have to hide this forever...

He’d woo you first, then he’d tell you!

That sounded like a plan...

He didn’t want to keep this hidden for long. He looked up as he arrived at your house before he turned his head towards where you were.

Ah... There you were, your meeting place!

He walked over to you before his eyes widened as you hugged him.

You were adorable...

He smiled a bit as he watched you ramble on.

Speaking about your day, what trouble your younger siblings did...

Everything about you was just so perfect...

He placed his hand on your head which stopped your speaking.

“I have... A confession...” Kokushibo said softly.

You tilted your head as you hummed. “Yeah?” You asked.

He stared at you before he cupped your face and kissed you softly.

Your eyes widened a bit before you slowly kissed back.

Huh... Now you knew why you were so excited to see him...

You loved him.

~~~~~~~

Tags: @strangerdangerduh @paradox-the-unimpressed-nun @giornosrightboob @awalkingshame

[potionpeddlerpatchy]

Patchy my love! I am in need of one of your potions for Katsuki Bakugou if you please.

Oh darling Meg, I do hope you did not travel far! I know visiting me is quite the chore all on its own - and I certainly appreciate you taking the do all of this for me.

Please stay awhile, I would love to hear all about what is new and happening with you. And, do not fret, afterwards I can help you deal with your little problem. Now, what kind of tea would you like?

Infatuation had nothing to do with.

At least not at first; that was what you kept telling yourself ever single time your mind started to wander, startled to slip into thinking about the village baker.

It was purely because he was the best around, the best you have ever found; is what you would argue with yourself as you would buy yet another loaf of bread from him; needing it to get through the week. It was purely because you wanted to know the shop was doing well, is what you would reason as you walked along the cobblestone path every morning to purposefully pass his shop. It was because you had a long day and needed some respite, is what your rationale would be whenever you would indulge in some of the rolls and stew he had available for your aching body was too tired to make your own dinner.

It had nothing to do with attraction. Just simply you being provided a service you needed and that was all.

But soon even you couldn’t deny how ridiculous it all was. How many coins you were spending simply due to an infatuation you had over the baker. Though gruff and almost unapproachable, could tell Bakugou had a passion for what he did; never turned a customer away over anything trivial - if they needed bread, he would provide them with it.

And he was handsome, one of the most beautiful men you had ever laid eyes on. And perhaps maybe, possibly, that was the reason you kept coming back over and over again; for you just wanted another peak at him. Wanted another chance to see his smirk, or to hear him thank you for your purchase, or slyly watch him as he kneaded dough

Whatever the case may be, you knew you couldn’t do it forever. Not only was it behaviour that skirted the line of appropriate, you knew one day he would catch on and confront you of it.  And rather waiting for that inevitability to come beating you down, you would rather beat it, and him, to the punch. 

You asked around, to trusted shopkeeps, to see if they had any advice or knew of someone, to help you with your slight predicament and they all pointed you in the direction of a small, almost rundown, little cabin that sat just outside of town; surrounded by overgrown bush.

Though the exterior seemed to waver your confidence, you knew that to judge sole on appearance would be a mistake; and with your resolved renewed you marched over to the little shop ready for a cure to your ‘ailment’

You didn’t even need to knock, the door opening on it’s own when you approached, as if already waiting for you; yet no one was inside. Instead you were greeted with a note, on a large table that sat right in front of you; attached was a vial, of intricate and beautiful design, that contained a dark liquid

Dear Traveler,

I do apologize for not being there to provide you with the proper aide you desire in your time of need; for other matters required my presence promptly - and I could not find it in my heart to say no.

Attached to my note it a potion you can use to help with your predicament; I suggest you mix it into whatever tea, or bake into whatever dessert, you wish to give to the man of your desires. 

You should not worry of any horrid effects befalling onto him or you.

The Peddler.

You read the note again, and then a third time, all while thumbing the vial you were presented; contemplating her words and the subsequent actions that would unfold should you decide to use her potion.

It was a long trek back to your home, followed by a sleepless night, as your mind raced with all the possibilities that could unfold. Fighting between your moralities about whether or not you should trick him into ingesting a potion you yourself have no clue about; the note claims no horrible thing would befall either of you, but what effects did it have?

Though you were only human, and temptation was a mistress that could persuade even the strongest of minds; including your own. And so, you spent the next day within your kitchen, carefully crafting small heart shaped chocolates you would present to him; the best use of the potion that you could come up with - for he only ate one he would not be as effected as if he drank it all within a tea.

You wrapped each one carefully, placing them in a beautifully crafted box, one you meticulously decorated in the colours that adorned his shop, and tied it all together with a bow. The perfect little present, on you, hoped Bakugou would accept.

With unsure steps you made your way down that same cobble stone path, almost as if you had never walked it before, as you slowly made your way to that familiar bakery. The door was open when you arrived, a kind patron holding it open for you with a smile, leaving you no choice to back down and turn away as you took a deep breathe and stepped forward into the shop.

You were the only one there, you could thank the gods for that, as you heard his gruff voice asking you want you wanted; watching dumbfoundedly for a moment as he started to prepare and gather for you the items you normally got.

“A-actually, I didn’t want anything.” You stumbled out, voice a little rushed as you approached the receiving counter “I wanted to give you this instead.”

You carefully placed you present upon the counter, sliding it towards him every so slightly, before taking a step back; hands fidgeting as you waited for him to take it; legs twitching as your tired desperately not to run away.

You could tell he wanted to ask you what it was, the expression on his face clear he was confused by your action, but nonetheless he carefully opened you present; not wanting to tear or break it. Those little gestures made your heart flutter in hope as you anxiously waited for his reaction. His quiet ‘oh’ made you anxiety grow as he started down at your gift; not sure whether or not he liked it

“Can I have one?” He finally mumbled out after the a few agonizing moments of silence; fingers reaching out for a small pink heart that sat in the middle of the box.

“Y-yes of course!” You chimed, a smile small gracing your face “They are yours after all, I just hope you like them.”

You waited with baited breathe as he slowly brought the chocolate to his lips, watching as he chewed on it with a furrowed brows as he assessed your creation; licking his lips once he had finished.

And for a moment you didn’t know what to expect. You weren’t sure if the potion would work, and if so how, or if he would just shrug his shoulders and send you on your merry way. Whatever it was, you were not expecting the small smile to stretch across his face.

“These are really good, thank you” His smile widened at your surprise stare as he popped another chocolate into his mouth. “Uh, wait here, I have something for you too.”

You merely nodded, still stunned in place at the fact he finally smiled at you; and so brightly too. Your own incredulous smile graced your lips as you breathed out an airy laugh, waiting for his return.

“Here.” He mumbled handing you a small booklet for you to take, as blush dusted his face and eyes adverted yours.

“Is this….” You began, eying the contents of the paper, noting it was an invitation to a grand celebration within a weeks time “Are you asking me to go with you to this?”

“Yeah…” he shrugged, doing his best to not seem nervous “Been wanting to for a while now. You don’t have to though, I know these things are lame and whatever, but if you do wan-!”

“I’d love to!’ You interrupted, a giant smile plastered on your face, one he mirrored, as you held the invitation to your chest

��Then it’s a date.”

I should probably let you know now, I think I might have gotten my vials switched up and accidentally gave you merely a small sample of vanilla extract.

Though, lucky for you, things seemed to work out fine ;)

[sharkjana]

Hiii! I was wondering if you could do fluff 44 with a naruto character? Like naruto or kiba. Thanks

🌸 "Can you stay? I don't want to be alone..."🌸

A/N: Your wish is my command! This is actually the first time I'm going to write Fluff. I hope you like it! :> Although I'm not that confidant in my Fluff skills...

Warnings: ...maybe angsty at first? This is my first time trying out Fluff, I am so sorry if I didn't do it right. T.T

Worrying your lower lip between your teeth, you tried to will the harsh beating of your heart back into a more regulated pace. Your fingers tightly clenched into trembling fists as you tried to muster up the strength to enter the hospital room in front of you. You gulped.

It wasn't supposed to be this hard to visit one of your teammates after coming home from a mission and yet here you stood, not knowing what to do with yourself as you turned into a nervous, scared puddle.

(You didn't know what to expect. You just heard that his team was back and got immediately rushed to the hospital.)

And now here you were. Not knowing what to do. Should you enter? Should you stay outside? Why were you even nervous in the first place?

(And although your heart knew the reason, you ignored it. It was forbidden to feel certain emotions towards your ANBU captain, after all.)

(Wow. Look at you. 👀)

"Fuck off..." you hissed at yourself, willing your rigid legs to move. For your fingers to clasp around the metal bar and to push the door open. No one would judge you for paying your dear captain a visit, right? It's not like you-

"Huh? (Y/N)-san?"

You froze the moment the soft and meek voice of none other then Hinata Hyuuga reached your ears, immediately, you straightened yourself and bowed. "H- Hyuuga-sama!"

You cursed at the sudden heat that rose up your face.

The Hyuuga eyed you for a moment, cocking her head to the side as her kind, pale eyes ran up and down your form in a contemplative manner. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on a mission right now? Kiba-kun-"

You blinked up into her awaiting gaze. "Uh, yeah. But-" you cleared your throat and schooled your features into a more natural expression. "I finished up a little early, Hyuuga-sama."

Hinata hummed in response, her lips twitching into a kind and soft smile. "I see, so I guess you're here for...?"

You nodded. "Yes. I heard that Inuzuka-taichou came back and-" you averted your gaze. "I just wanted to see how he's doing."

You didn't see the teasing glint in Hinata's eyes. "Is that so?"

You nodded. "Hai."

"Well then!" Exclaimed the Hyuuga matriarch, far to energetic in your opinion. "Don't let me stop you from checking up on your dear Captain!" She threw you one last, suggestive smirk before moving out of the way and down the white halls of Konoha's hospital.

You waited until her footsteps receded into nothing before taking a deep breath and pushing the door open.

(Finally.)

Only then did you notice the animated voices that greeted you upon entry, and you faltered in your steps as your eyes roamed over the many faces inside the room. You hoped that no one had noticed, but all eyes had turned towards you the moment you swung the door open.

Inwardly, you sighed. A small, selfish part of you hoped to be alone with him.

"A- Ano..." Your hand went up into a wave. " I hope I'm not intruding? I just wanted to see how Taichou's doing..."

Shino, another one of your Captains long-time friends, spoke up after a moment, clearing his throat. "It's fine, (Y/N)-San. You can come in if you want."

You hummed, inclining your head. "Thank you, Aburame-sama."

"What's this? I didn't know you had such devoted students Kiba-kun! May the youth be with you forever, my dear friend!"

You threw him a dry look, which went ignored.

"Wait! You're that girl that Ki-" came the eccentric voice of none other than the Uzumaki himself as he was unceremoniously interrupted by none other than one of his own, old teammates.

"Shut up you idiot! How many times do I need to tell you that this is a hospital! Don't be so loud!" Sakura Haruno turned towards you after a moment, sighing in defeat and throwing you a small, apologetic smile.

"How troublesome..." Muttered another as he let himself lean against the windowsill.

The Uzumaki and the Head-Medic were still bickering around when Lee began to enthusiastically cry about how youthfulness ran through everyone's veins now-a-days. Shino decided to stay silent. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

But you couldn't care any less about them as your searching orbs roamed through the room until, finally, landing on the one they had wanted to see all day long. And as they did, you couldn't help but frown.

Something was wrong. Something definitely didn't feel right. At first glance, there didn't seem anything wrong with him other then ruffled clothes and some small band-aid's here and there.

(You knew better. There was a reason why you felt the way you did towards him, after all.)

(Although no one seemed to suspect anything at all.)

You ignored the others in an attempt to analyse what seemed to be so wrong and out of place about your beloved Captain.

(He noticed your inquisitive glance immediately, but did nothing to stop it. Although he didn't look like it, he felt like shit.)

It was only after one of your Captain's friends off-handedly mentioned a certain, missing canine and Kiba's slumped shoulders and dejected expression, that you had gotten your anwser.

Akamaru wasn't here.

And if he wasn't, something must have happened. He was the only animal that was allowed inside the hospital wing, after all.

As if reading your thoughts, it was Shikamaru that had decided to tell you what had happened, seeing as this would also be of interest to you and for the rest of your team. "Akamaru got hurt." were his only words, and yet they held so much more meaning...

At least to you.

(And Kiba.)

You moved forwards, hurried and rushed, for a split second forgetting about all the other individuals inside the room, but you caught yourself.

(Sadly, it didn't go unnoticed by one special Nara.)

"Oh..." was your meek reply, unsure of how to continue.

You knew how your Captain must be feeling right now. Akamaru was Kiba's best friend. His life-long companion and his all-or-nothing. You were sure that without Akamaru, there was no Kiba and vice versa.

Not knowing how his other half was doing must be driving him crazy, you thought bitterly. Scared and vulnerable. Was he hurt? Is he going to survive? Is it bad?

The utter helplessness your dear Captain must be feeling right now...

It was visible in the way his broken gaze turned glassy and hazy with stressed and unshed tears. His mind probably wandering back to the moment it had happened. Cursing himself. Blaming himself.

"How about we give the both of them some privacy, hm?" suggested Shikamaru to the others, his knowing eyes jumping between yourself and the Inuzuka heir. "I heard there's this new BBQ place just around the corner..."

He was the first to step towards the door, passing you without any indication of whatsoever, knowing that the others would automatically follow. And they did. Naruto, Lee and Shino were already talking about what that new BBQ place had to offer. Sakura rolled her eyes, bid Kiba a good bye and a, "I'll be back later, okay?", before following short.

And after a moment, it was only you and him. Finally.

"Taichou..." you gulped as you waited another few moments, making sure the air was clear before making your way over towards his side. Kiba on the other hand didn't react to your voice and only stared at the white fabric of his duvet.

"Kiba..." you tried again, this time using his first name out front. "Please, talk to me-"

"It's my fault." His voice was as cold and steely as a newly sharpened Kunai, cutting right through you. "I wasn't looking and before I knew it, they-" he chocked back what would have been a desperate sob. "They had him and-" vigorously shaking his head as if to rid himself of this memory, you watched his fists clenching the white fabric tightly between his fingers. "I couldn't- I couldn't do anything!"

"Oh, Kiba..." you mumbled, ignoring the sudden sting of your eyes as you moved towards him and pulled him into your awaiting arms. As if possessed, his arms wound themselves automatically around you, desperately trying to hold on to something that wasn't the sight of his best friend being impaled by many sharp and lethal weapons.

And as he cried and sobbed and wailed and trembled, you couldn't help but pull him into you further. Your scents moving and mixing with each other. Your heartbeats trying to catch up to each other. Comforting. Giving him a shoulder to cry on. Being there for him.

"It's okay..." you mumbled into his soft locks. "He's home now and he's gonna get better. I promise..." Your hand showing him that he was safe in your arms by stroking through his wild mane.

(Like he always would be. You would make sure of it!)

And although your legs began to ache, your arms began to feel heavy and your back felt uncomfortable in the position you were currently resting in, you couldn't help but to ignore it. Even if it would take you a lifetime to make him feel any better, you would sit right through it.

(For him. Only for him.)

You don't know how many minutes have passed, to you it felt like hours, but soon, his sobbs got softer, his trembling slower and his breathing and heartbeat finally turned intune with your own.

The both of you stayed like this. No one dared to say or do anything. And as his sadness and anguish finally turned into nothing more but whispered sniffles, you could finally relax.

As you tried to move, though, the arms that held you, viciously tightened. You frowned. "Kiba?"

"Please..." he nuzzled deeper into the crook of your neck, right where it met your shoulder, inhaling a deep, shaky breath that shook his whole body.

"Can you stay? I don't want to be alone right now."

And you did.

(Like you always would.)