#drake walker the college years

[brekitten]

Siren Hunters

For @meowmeowmeowmeow4x

Siren hunting is not a profession befitting of someone of Jack and Janet Drake's elite status. Those who have publicly expressed their desire to hunt creatures found only in fairytales have been ridiculed and belittled, mocked for their foolish passions and desires. And yet.

Jack and Janet have always been fascinated by those tales of sirens, and sailors being lured to their deaths by the song of a monstrous creature that disguised itself as a beautiful woman. But they could never pursue these interests for fear of being disgraced by their peers and family. That was, until they met Jack Fenton and Maddie Walker in college.

They became fast friends, with their shared interest in sirens and passion for uncovering the truth. After college, they went on numerous hunts (and as far as Gotham's citizens knew, they were going to archeological sites), and though not every hunt was successful, many were, and that only made them more determined.

All of this, however, only left poor Tim Drake home alone for months on end, with no clue as to what his parents were really doing on their "archeological digs" - because he was just as clueless as the rest of Gotham City. (The Drakes didn't want little Timmy to ruin their reputation by blabbing about how they hunted sirens, now did they?)

The only bright side to Tim's otherwise crappy and lonely life was Danny.

Danny was the Fenton's son, and he would babysit Tim whenever his parents went with Tim's on their hunts. He was six years older than Tim, and his self-proclaimed cousin - though Tim couldn't help but feel like Danny was more of a brother to him. Danny certainly cared more about him than his own parents did, never once denying him the love and affection he craved. Tim had a feeling that it was because Danny understood what it was like to have parents that completely forgot about your existence in favor of their jobs. But he never asked.

Danny wasn't there when it happened. Danny wasn't there when Tim drowned in Gotham Harbor, having slipped and fallen into the water while trying to photograph the Bats' fight on the docks.

Danny wasn't there when the Bats turned him to save his life.

Tim couldn't bring himself to be upset that he was a siren now. His new family was amazing, and gave him all of the love and attention he could ever want. For the first time in a long time, he was happy. Tim couldn't help but think that Danny would like to live with the Bats and get a nice family, too.

Then his parents - plus the Fentons and Danny, surprisingly, though Tim certainly wasn't complaining - came home for the summer.

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Chris Hemsworth as King Liam Rys

Disclaimers:

This character profile was created specifically to fit King Liam on Liam and Jade's Love Story universe. I unfortunately don't own the character, I don't assume to know everything about him and I have no intention to affirm this is exactly who he is and how other people should write him. I'm merely a hardcore enthusiast of this lovely character and I do my best to keep his essence while adding a few headcanons of my own;

Though I mostly write canon compliant fics in L&JLS, Lena isn't included in this character profile because I haven't played TRF and I personally don't know how relevant she would be for the series.

Name: Liam Rys

Nationality: Cordonian

Birthdate: January 10, 1990

Hometown: Cordonian capital

Current Residence: Cordonian capital / Duchy of Valtoria, Cordonia

Occupation: Politician, Head of State of Cordonia

Titles: His Royal Majesty of Cordonia, Colonel-in-Chief of Cordonian Army, Duke of Valtoria, Patron of the University of Cordonia, Patron of the National Museum of Cordonia, Patron of the National Library of Cordonia

Talents/Skills: Combat training, empathy, leadership, musicality, negotiation, perceptiviness, public speaking, self-defense, strategic thinking, survival skills, sword fighting, teaching, writing.

Parents: Constantine Rys and Eleanor Rys (both deceased)

Siblings: Leo Rys

Spouse: Jade Isabel Bourbon-Rys

Children: Elise Valentina Bourbon-Rys, Louis Philipe Bourbon-Rys, Sophie Eleanor Bourbon-Rys

Closest relatives: Regina Rys (stepmother), Ava Mei Tsui-Rys (niece), Emma Zhen Tsui-Rys (niece), Daphne Wang-Foredale (fourth cousin)

Background: Second son of King Constantine Rys and Queen Eleanor Rys, Liam is a kind-hearted, polite and sophisticated man with impressive diplomatic skills. Though he wasn't raised to be king, he was prepared from a very young age to serve the Cordonian Crown taking etiquette lessons, politics, philosophy, learning different languages (aside from English, he's fluent in Greek, Spanish, French and Italian) and even dancing and survival skills. While growing up, he was a free-spirited kid and had more opportunities to enjoy his childhood with his friends and the Walker family than his older brother.

After his mother's tragic passing, Liam became a reserved person, taking his role in the Royal family more seriously. With time, Liam grew apart from Drake (who left to the US to go to college) and joined the Royal Air Force to please his father. A few months after, the Royal family suffered an assassination attempt. Liam developed signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, avoiding social interactions, having trouble sleeping, being easily frightened/startled and showing some physical symptoms of panick (sweating, nausea, trembling). Leo asked Drake to return to the palace to help Liam, both encouraging the young prince to seek therapy.

As he got better, Liam enrolled in the University of Cordonia to study History and returned to the Royal Air Force. Liam had plans to follow an academic career when Leo abdicated the throne. After Liam got his major degree, he was formally introduced as the Crown Prince and officially prepared to rule the Kingdom. Though it was a drastic change of path in his life that required many sacrifices, Liam adjusted to the life of future monarch quite fast, undeniably enjoying the perks of using the many skills he had developed over the years to make a difference as a politician.

What's his family like?

Constantine wasn't a present parent, nor a father who easily showed affection towards his sons. Liam was mostly raised by his mother and a few nanies and tutors. Eleanor constantly talked about the importance of Constantine's role as king and father not just for their family but for the entire country, which is why Liam always looked up to his father.

Eleanor was a loving mother to him and his brother, but also disciplined them when necessary. She shared her love for reading, writing and History with Liam. Her passing had an enormous impact on Liam's life and personality. He still misses her dearly and visits her whenever he can. He always takes a bouquet of jasmines to her grave on Mother's day and on her birthday.

Being six years younger than Leo, the brothers always had divergences, often teasing each other, Leo and Liam played pranks that usually led to getting both of the. in trouble while growing up. Yet, Leo always knew Liam was a better fit for the Crown and has always been a protective of his baby brother, taking the blame for himself whenever Liam did something wrong, defending his brother from malicious comments and insults, helping him during his first months as Crown Prince and teaching him self-defense and mixed martial arts. Liam looks up to his brother and fully supports the lifepath and choices his older brother makes.

Regina entered the Royal family a few years after Eleanor's passing. Despite her usual commanding presence towards her stepsons, she cares for them deeply. Liam has great respect and fondness towards Regina.

Liam doesn't have a long list of relatives he's truly close to. The only exception are the Foredales, specially Lady Daphne.

Favourite childhood memory: Playing with Drake and Maxwell around the palace, trips to the Walkers ranch and summers at Applewood Manor.

Nicknames: He didn't use to have nicknames while growing up, but he loves all the petnames Jade has given him.

Astrology sign: Capricorn sun, Libra rising, Scorpio moon

Hobbies: reading, horse riding, sailing, playing guitar, singing, writing

Top 5 songs:

The Seasons, op. 37a: VI. June "Barcarolle" - Piotr Ilitch Tchaikovski

Requiem: Lacrimosa - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Bachianas Brasileiras n°1 - Heitor Villa Lobos

And I Love Her - Beatles

Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

Favorite books:

The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

Dubliners - James Joyce

Hamlet - William Shakespeare

Charneca em Flor - Florbela Espanca

Jane Eyre - Emily Brontë

Favorite movies:

Star Trek (1979)

Matrix (1999)

The Lord of Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2011) [he likes all the LOTR saga, but the first one is his favorite]

Black Swan (2010)

Lion (2016)

Favorite TV shows: Liam enjoys watching anything that gets his mind out of his life. He grew up watching The X-Files and Firefly with Drake and Maxwell. A friend introduced him to Death Note during his teenhood and it blew him away. Nowadays, he likes watching Stranger Things and Arcane by himself, but he often watches comedies like Friends and Parks and Recreation with Jade.

Biggest guilty pleasure: he's getting addicted to watching videos of people building things from scratch like furniture, houses or doing crafts. In any spare time he has, he will watch people building furniture out of bamboo, small cabins in the woods and intricate craftsmanship like jewelry design, intarsia and pastry sculpture.

Sweet or savoury? Sweet.

Favorite food: Baklava, chicken tagine, apple pie, any sort of pasta.

Favourite drinks: coffee (the stronger, the better), vanilla milkshake, wine, scotch.

Most treasured possessions:

A Lion Cross Royal Crown designed for his thirtieth birthday;

A small double bladed dagger that belonged to his ancestor Queen Kenna Rys;

Photo albums with many pictures of his family and friends

A Statue of Liberty keychain given by his wife on his coronation night;

Jade cufflinks given by his wife during the trip to China;

His wedding band;

His children's baby teeth (the kids find it gross, but Jade and him proudly keep them in the family safe).

Close Friends: Drake Walker, Maxwell Beaumont, Hana Lee, Bertrand Beaumont, Leo Rys

Goals for the future: Liam has many goals for Cordonia such as bringing back economic stability to the country, hosting big events that will increase tourism, supporting projects involving environmental sustainability, arts, culture and philanthropy, etc. But in his personal life, he simply wants to travel around the world with Jade, watch his children grow and spend as much time as he can with his loved ones.

Dog lover or cat lover?

Dog lover. He loves strolling with the family corgis. But he also likes Jade's cats and encourages his kids to have any domestic animals as long as they actually take care of them.

Early bird or night owl?

Early bird. But he can't deny he loves late nights with his wife.

How does he relax after a bad day?

It depends gon how bad the day was. On a not so bad day, half an hour listening to music (he has a soothing playlist on Spotify) when he needs to slow down will do. He goes horse riding or walking when he needs to clear his head. But on really tough days, he'll go to the gym to practice any sort of martial arts. Muay Thai and Krav Maga are his favorites.

Personality: INFJ-T (Turbulent Advocate)

Idealistic and principled, people with the INFJ personality type (Advocates) aren’t content to coast through life – they want to stand up and make a difference. For these compassionate personalities, success doesn’t come from money or status but from seeking fulfillment, helping others, and being a force for good in the world.

Thoughtful and often selfless, INFJ personalities pour a great deal of energy and care into their relationships, but this doesn’t mean that they always feel appreciated in return. People with this personality type tend to slow down and really evaluate how what they do might impact others before they take action. Consequently, it can frustrate them when other people don’t recognize their good intentions. INFJs are very sensitive to criticism of any kind and can take things very personally. A few close relationships, provided that they’re genuine, can fill INFJs’ hearts to the brim.

One random headcanon: Liam joined the Cordonian Royal Air Force when he was nineteen. He was progressively rising on RAF ranks (he reached Flight Lieutenant rank) and was in his third year studying History when Leo abdicated the throne. He still pilots helicopters and small planes from time to time, but since he doesn't fly often, he has never piloted any aircraft with his children in it. He took Jade a few times when they were newlyweds (it involved a lot of begging and persuasion on her part), but there was always an aircraft pilot team on board just in case.

[karahalloway]

Thanksgiving - Part 3

Fandom: TRR - (Un)Common Attraction universe

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series: Thanksgiving

Synopsis: Harper and Drake fly to Bozeman, MT to spend their first Thanksgiving together with Harper’s family. 

Word count: 6,000 (As per usual, H&D have done their own thing...)

Warnings: E (swearing, aggro, unsportsmanlike conduct, injury, gettin' down and dirty in the shower)

A/N1: So, I know this is like... a year overdue, but last year I was not feeling inspired / was focused on other things, so here (at long last!) is the next part of this one-shot-turned-mini-series! Thanksgiving was only two weeks ago. As per usual with this project, things did not go according to plan, so rather than this part rounding out the series, there will be at least one more part (I have given up trying to predict how long this damn thing will be). But @nestledonthaveone should be happy, because this installment should hopefully make up for the disappointment she experienced at the end of Sleepless in New York 😁

A/N2: The backyard football game is a tiny bit inspired by this clip from Friends. Also, apologies in advance for any inaccuracies — American football is a seriously convoluted game (for me, anyway!) and I spent way too long trying to make sense of the rule book/quizzing my husband, but there may still be things in here that I missed the ball with pun intended.

A/N3: This fic is also my submission for @choicesholidays' 2023 Winter Holidays Prompt Event, and the prompt that this installment fits with is Week 5 : This is the best/worst/most embarrassing Christmas (or other winter holiday) ever! (The events cover all three bases because I'm extra 😆)

"So," I say as I step out into the backyard. "Who's ready to play ball?"

My comment halts whatever conversation my brothers and Drake are engaged in.

"Some of us have been ready for a while, Harp," Justin points out, turning towards me.

"Yeah," chimes in Tyler. "What the heck took you so long?"

Drake's jaw goes slack as he lays eyes on me.

"Sorry," I shrug apologetically, more at Drake than anyone else as his gaze roves over the track short and tank top combo I have on. "Mom reorganised my closet."

"You mean the two things you got left in there?" mocks Tyler. "Yeah. Must've been real hard to find!"

"I have more than two things in there, thank you very much!" I counter, giving him a shove.

"How?" asks Justin in bewilderment. "You took an entire suitcase-worth of stuff with you last time!"

"She stores the overflow in Narnia..." quips Tyler.

"At least I don't wear the same smelly shirt 24-7," I hit back.

"Hey, I—"

"Okay! We get it!" interjects Brody, throwing his hands up into the air. "You missed each other, geez!"

I roll my eyes.

Tyler scoffs derisively.

Drake's hot gaze continues to lick over me.

"But if you want to get some actual game time in," my eldest brother continues, "then your weird brother-sister bonding sesh's gonna have to be put on ice."

"Or, better yet," interjects Justin, "save the pent-up aggro for the field."

"No rivalry like sibling rivalry, right, T?" I grin, elbowing Tyler in the ribs.

"Ow!" he objects, rubbing his side. "That actually hurt!"

"Seriously?" I ask. "I barely touched you!"

"Okay, so Harp's on one team and T's on the other," declares Brody loudly. "That leaves—"

"Dibs on Spartacus!" cries Tyler.

Drake's eyes widen as my brother grabs him like an overeager three-year-old.

I quirk a brow. "Something happen in Texas that I don't know about?"

"Not that I know of..." Drake admits ruefully, his eyes lingering on me even as he gets pulled away.

"Hey!" Tyler objects as he drags Drake across the yard. "No fraternising with the enemy! We have one goal and one goal only! To crush the suckers!"

"So..." I say, turning back to Justin. "Guess you're on my team then!"

"Guess so," he confirms with a shrug. "Your fiancé any good?"

"Not sure," I admit. "I know he played a bit in college..."

Justin's brows shoot skywards. "He got picked? For a college team?"

"That's what he said," I shrug. "But I've never seen him play, so..."

Justin gulps audibly as he turns to Brody. "Any chance you wanna join our team?"

"Nope," comes the deadpan response. "You know T — this game's gonna be a shitshow. So, we need a ref."

"In other words, you hurt your back chopping wood again," I note wryly.

"And there's that..." admits Brody.

"Well, maybe if you exercised more..."

"Hey!" hollers Tyler from the opposite side of the yard. "You chatterboxes wanna play or—?"

Brody launches the football across the space. "Heads-up, T!"

Tyler doubles over with a wheeze as the expertly aimed projectile nails him in the gut. "Not... cool... bro..."

"Guess it's game on," I declare with a grin as I turn to make my way over to our end zone.

"You wanna catch, or make a run for it?" asks Justin as he falls in beside me.

"Catch," I tell him. "You know I got a mean throw."

"But can you out-throw your fiancé?" he asks meaningfully.

I glance over at Drake, who's still eyeing me like a ravenous wolf as he cracks the vertebrae in his neck. "Ehh..."

I probably should've stayed in my leggings...

"Okay, then!" declares Brody with a clap of his hands. "Backyard football, Gale House edition! You know the rules, but in case you don't, or you're Tyler, who ignores them anyway—"

"Hey!"

"—here they are again!" continues Brody, studiously ignoring his younger brother's outburst. "One blitz per down, no conversions, no two-on-one plays, no biting, no punching, no kicking, and definitely no running players into the rose bushes, or your ass is gettin' benched! Understood?"

"Yup!" we all chorus.

"T...?" asks Brody pointedly.

"I said 'yes', dammit!" Tyler erupts, hurling the ball into the grass in frustration.

"Not sure why you did that, dumbass," Brody declares flatly. "You're doing the kick-off."

Tyler stomps off to retrieve the football from one of Mom's planters with a grumble.

"Each team has four downs to complete two passes or score a touchdown," finishes Brody. "Any questions?"

We all shake our heads.

"Good!" proclaims Brody. "Let's bring da noise!"

"You ready?" Justin asks, shifting his weight forward.

"Born ready!" I assure him with a grin, flexing my hands.

A shrill whistle rends the air...

...and the game is on!

Tyler punts the football in a graceful arch over the length of the yard. Justin is off like a shot, as is Drake, both looking for position on the field.

The ball sails towards me, and I step forward to receive it. The stuffed leather makes contact with my chest, causing me to gasp from the impact. But I push past the discomfort, quickly bringing my hands around the ball to keep it under control.

Adjusting my feet, I bring the ball up and over my shoulder, looking for Justin...

...but my line of sight is blocked.

"Howdy, Gale," grins Drake from in front of me.

My eyes widen. "How the hell did you get here so fast?"

"Some of us had the foresight to do a warm-up," he replies, making a grab towards me.

I dodge out of the way. "You didn't know we were going to play football!"

Drake scoffs as he lunges for me again. "It's Thanksgiving, baby. You always play football."

I jump backwards again. "Yeah, but—"

I scream as Drake dispenses with the theatrics and snaps his hands around my waist to lift me into the air.

"Hey! Put me down, Walker!" I yell, flailing my legs in a vain attempt to dislodge myself from the captive position I suddenly find myself in... for the second time in just as many days!

"Shoulda been faster, girl," he smirks, slapping me roundly on the ass before he flicks me off his shoulder and back down in front of him after a couple of steps.

I blow the wayward hair out of my face as I glare up at him. "What the hell was—?"

A shrill whistle interrupts me. "Safety!"

I whirl on Brody in disbelief. "What?!"

"You got tackled in your own end zone, sis," my elder brother shrugs apathetically. "While holding the ball. Two points for the other team."

My gaze falls to the football still clutched in my hands. "I... But... He..."

"Whoo!" cries Tyler, bouncing in like a hyperactive kangaroo to high-five Drake. "That was next level, man! I knew you were gonna have tricks up your sleeve!"

"How the hell are you allowing that!" protests Justin, arriving as well. "That was clearly—!"

"—a legal, and perfectly legit play," Brody declares. "It didn't fall foul of any of the rules, so—"

"You can't tackle someone after they make a fair catch!" shouts Justin.

"It wasn't a fair catch," interjects Tyler. "She didn't raise her arm!"

"And even if it had been, which, it wasn't," adds Brody, "that rule isn't part of the official Gale House rulebook anyway, so—"

"Oh, come on!" objects Justin, throwing his hands in the air. "That's a bullshit call and you—"

"Eugh, whatever!" I snap in exasperation, feeling like a complete idiot for allowing myself to get boxed in like that.

Drake reaches out towards me. "Chillax, Gale, it's just—"

"Shut up!" I cry, throwing the ball forcefully down onto Drake's feet as I push past him.

Drake somehow manages to not only dodge, but also catch the careening football on the rebound... like the annoying ninja that he is.

But, at least the rapid-fire multitasking prevents him from being able to stop me as I stomp down to the other end of the yard.

"You alright?" Justin asks as he catches up to me with a jog.

"Fine," I grit through clenched teeth. "Let's crush those suckers."

"Ah, Harper!" exclaims Mom fifteen minutes later as the back door slams shut behind me. "I just finished making lemonade! Do you—?"

I stomp past her without a word, dried grass, dead leaves, and flakes of mud falling from my clothes with every step.

"Don't think she's after lemonade..." observes Dad, eyeing my cruddy progress through the kitchen as he dries up a bowl.

"No!" confirms Nana with a snort. "She looks like she's after a shotgun!"

I scoff under my breath. "That's an understatement..."

"Oh, honey..." croons Mom sympathetically. "Those brothers of yours not playing nice again?"

I fling my bedraggled Sketchers down the hardwood floors before tramping up the stairs.

If it had only been my brothers...

The back door bangs open again.

"Oh, Drake!" I hear my mom cry as I reach the top of the landing. "Thank goodness! What the heck hap—?"

"Can't talk now, Mrs Gale!"

"Honey," huffs Mom exasperatedly. "I told you to call me—"

"For Christ's sake, Leigh! Can't you see the boy's got bigger fish to fry?" deplores Nana as I hear Drake take the stairs two at a time after me.

Ignoring the approaching footsteps, I turn to march down the hallway towards the bathroom.

"Gale!" Drake calls from behind me. "Will you just—?"

"Fuck off, Walker," I throw over my shoulder as I step into the bathroom.

"Christ, girl!" he exclaims. "I said I was—"

I slam the door in his face... and flip the lock for good measure.

Asshole.

I know in the back of my mind that I'm probably overreacting. That it had been more of a perfect storm of mishaps than anything else.

But I am filthy, my clothes are ripped, and I'll be picking bits of garden from my hair for the next week. Not to mention the fact that I'm somehow going to have to explain to Savannah why I can no longer be her maid of honour...

...because thanks to my head-first tumble into Mom's rose bushes, I am now in the unenviable position of looking like I just lost a fight with a rabid bobcat.

And there's no way I'll be able to salvage this disaster... Even with liberal applications of Vaseline. Because the beautiful, lavender, off-shoulder bridesmaid's dress that I helped Savannah pick out will leave my shoulders and arms completely bare, which means that my new litany of cuts and grazes will be on show for the entire kingdom to see.

And I don't want to ruin my soon-to-be sister-in-law's big day by drawing the focus away from her much-deserved happily-ever-after with gossipy speculations about why I ended up looking like a human scratch-post.

As I — for one — have had enough of being on the wrong side of not just one, but multiple media furores. And I don't want to subject Savannah to even a fraction of what I’ve had to endure.

Especially during her once-in-a-lifetime wedding to the father of her child, who also happens to be a duke.

I heave a beleaguered sigh. Why didn't I just stay in my plaid shirt and leggings...?

The lock clicks back behind me.

"Great..." I mutter under my breath as I hear the door handle slide down.

I should've known that a stupid knob-turn bolt wasn't going to keep Drake out for long. But he could've at least taken the hint and given me a moment to put myself back together... and pull the damn briars out of my arms.

"Harper..." he says softly, stepping into the small space. "You—?"

Something in his voice snags on my heartstrings, and I feel a tear slip down my face as the sting of the pain and discomfiture finally overwhelms my latent anger and annoyance. "No..."

"Merde..."

Before I have a chance to blink, I'm up against his chest, breathing in his spicy, sweat-streaked scent as he envelopes me in his arms.

"Baby, I am so s—"

"It's not your fault," I sniffle, burying my face in his shirt. "I tried to be clever and—"

"I should've caught you."

I snort, wiping the moisture from my face. "You can't save me from everything, Drake."

"Yes," he counters firmly, tightening his hold on me. "I can. And I should. Because I made you a promise, Harper. And I—"

"Ow!" I exclaim, flinching away from him as he accidentally pushes on a hidden thorn embedded in my side.

"Shit!" he hisses, releasing me immediately. "I'm sorry, mon coeur! I didn't—"

"I know," I assure him heavily, lifting the side of my tank top up to try and find the offending barb. "You couldn't have known that root was there."

"Yeah..." he murmurs, kneeling down in front of me. "But pulling your pants down probably didn't help..."

An unexpected gasp escapes me as he reaches up to coast the warmth of his palms over my stomach.

"You only did that because I flashed you first..." I tell him breathlessly as he gently turns me.

He meets my eyes with a lopsided smirk. "Well, I figured that since you were undressing anyway..."

I smack him on the shoulder. "It wasn't an invitat— Ow!"

"Baby," he declares, tossing the extricated thorn into the sink. "It's always an invitation. Especially when you wear a get-up like this."

"Yeah," I grumble. "In hindsight, it probably wasn't a good idea. Ow!"

"Sorry..." he says again, flinging the second point after the first. "But you got a few more of those sticking out of you."

I heave a resigned breath. "Of course I do..."

"I'll try to be gentle..." he murmurs, laying a soft kiss on the bare skin of my side. "I promise."

Despite the discomfort, his lips ignite a rush of warmth over my skin. "I know. And I'm sorry that I flipped out at you..."

"Hey," he interjects, running his fingertips gingerly over my back. "Given the circumstances, you cussing me out at the top of your lungs was probably warranted."

"Not sure the neighbours— Ow!" I hiss as he plucks yet another barb out of me.

"Sorry," he murmurs, tossing the last thorn away as he stands back up. "But at least that's all the big ones."

I throw my head up. "What do you mean... the big ones?"

He meets my eye with a level look. "I pulled out everything I could see. But chances are that you have a bunch of smaller thorns stuck in you as well. But I'll need a needle or something to get those out."

I shiver involuntarily. "Great. Even more sharp, pokey objects..."

"Better to get poked now than to end up with a staph infection later," he tells me, washing the barbs down the drain. "Though it'll help if you took a shower first."

I glance at him quizzically. "Won't that push the barbs in further?"

"No," he assures me as he bends down again to rummage around in my toiletry bag. "A warm shower will soften your skin up, and help move any embedded thorns back up to the surface, making them easier to extract."

"Guess that makes sense..." I concede.

Thanks to the high-risk nature of his job, Drake's medical knowledge has always been much more robust than mine.

"Plus," he continues, locating the pair of tweezers he had apparently been after, "we need to wash those wounds out before we dress them."

"Right..." I mutter, eyeing the shower warily.

This will not be fun...

"I know what you're thinking, mon coeur," he assures me, dropping a kiss on my temple. "But a shower's gonna hurt a helluva lot less than letting those cuts get infected."

"I know, I know..." I grumble, pulling my ruined tank top all the way off. "Just not how I had imagined spending Thanksgiving..."

"Trust me, I know," he sighs wearily, running his eyes over the peach-coloured lace of my bra. "This... mishap seriously FUBAR'd all the bedroom rodeo I had planned."

My jaw drops. "Bedroom rodeo?! You told me last night to rein it in because my bed squeaks so bad!"

"Yeah, but I was gonna tumble you in the hay when we got to Texas to make it up to you," he reminds me. "But I guess that ain't happening now."

"We have slightly bigger problems than sex being off the menu, bud," I tell him dryly, pushing my shorts down.

His gaze tracks the movement. "I fail to see how..."

I heave a low breath as I reach for the fastening of my bra. "Your sister's wedding is in three days, and there's no way this mess will be healed up in time!"

"So?"

"So, how am I supposed to wear my bridesmaid's dress?!" I shout at him.

He lifts his eyes out from the well of my cleavage to quirk a brow at me. "Normally?"

"Ha!" I bark out, throwing my bra at him. "Funny!"

He snaps a hand out to intercept the projectile before it can hit him in the face. With a low breath, he adds, "Just wear a shawl or something, if you're so worried about it. You'll want to cover up in church anyway."

"I—" I pause with my panties halfway down my hip. "Why didn't I think of that...?"

"Because you were too busy having an emotional meltdown?" he supplies wryly, tossing my bra to the side as he steps up to me.

"Shut up..." I demure with a roll of my eyes... even as I feel the tips of my nipples harden as they brush against the roughness of his shirt.

"Yes, ma’am," he accedes, lacing his fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck to pull me towards him.

Our lips meet, and I melt into him with a sigh, my arms wrapping around his neck, the earlier confrontation forgotten.

Because no matter how heated an argument may have been, or how badly I am hurting, Drake has always had the uncanny ability to pick me up and kiss me better.

It's honestly one of the big reasons why I love him — I've never met anyone who's as effortlessly clued into me as he is... intuitively knowing what I need, and not shying away from delivering it either.

God knows I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him!

His free hand coasts down my side to splay possessively over my half-clad backside, pressing me against the sudden hardness of his arousal.

"What happened to sex... being off the table?" I breathe, my head tipping back as his lips trail down my jaw.

"You're not exactly making it... easy for me, girl..." he murmurs, nipping my ear accusatorially even as he hooks a thumb into the waistline of my panties.

"You're not exactly... trying very hard, bud," I counter dizzily, my hands tangling into his hair as he slips the peach lace all the way off.

"Trust me..." he growls, molten mocha gaze meeting mine as he slides his palm up the back of my thigh, making me arch into him. "If I weren't trying so goddamn hard, you'd be bent over the fucking vanity already."

"Mmm..." I purr, darting my tongue out over his bottom lip. "Sounds like a challenge..."

He exhales sharply. "Christ, girl... Don't make me—"

A loud rap rattles the door. "You two alright in there?"

I jump away from Drake like I've been burnt. "Yeah, Mom! We're fine! Just... Just getting cleaned up!"

"You sure?" she asks. "The boys told me you fell into the rose bushes, so I just—"

"No need!" I shout quickly, seeing the door handle dip down. "I'm... I'm just going to have a quick shower and—"

But the door — that Drake never re-locked — is already in the process of creaking open.

I glance desperately around the bathroom, looking for something to cover myself up with...

...but Drake is one step ahead of me.

"Actually, we could do with a sewing kit, if you got one," he calls, adjusting himself as he steps up towards the intrusion.

"A sewing kit?" queries Mom in puzzlement as she pushes the door back. "Did you lose a button on your shirt?"

"No," corrects Drake, grabbing the edge of the door to prevent it from swinging fully ajar. "Just need something sharp to pick the rest of the barbs outta Harper."

"Oh, that sounds painful!" comes the exclaimed response as Drake plants himself strategically in the doorway to block my naked form from Mom's line of sight. "Are you sure she doesn't—?"

"A nurse would do exactly the same at the ER, 'cept it wouldn't be free," he assures Mom while herding her back out into the hallway and pulling the door 'round behind him. But not before he catches my eye to mouth, "You owe me."

A haphazard snort escapes me as the latch clicks shut in their wake.

No rest for the wicked 'round here!

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised... When you have eight people in a house, you're bound to get walked in on, one way or another. Especially since my family is nosier than a crate puppies at the best of times.

Knowing that Drake probably isn't going to be let to return anytime soon — Mom had sounded way too intrigued by this sewing kit business — I flick the shower head on.

I don’t really want to wash my hair again, given that I already did so this morning, but one glance in the mirror quickly disabuses me of that notion...

Grabbing my shampoo and conditioner back out of my toiletry bag with a resigned sigh, I step under the hot spray for the second time today.

I flinch as the sting of the water hits the broken skin on my arms and shoulders, but I know that Drake is right, and it's important that I wash the dirt and debris out so I don't end up at the ER later requesting a course of antibiotics.

So, gritting my teeth, I force myself to stand firm, ensuring that every inch of me gets a good soaking.

Once I'm thoroughly drenched, I proceed to shampoo the mud and foliage out of my hair, having to battle a bit with a few tangled locks as I spread the conditioner through.

Having finally sorted my hair out, I'm reaching down to grab my shower gel when I feel a rush of cold air over my skin.

"Missed a spot..." murmurs Drake, sliding his palms down the line of my hip as he steps into the shower behind me.

"I only just... finished sorting my hair out," I tell him, my voice catching slightly as the feel of his hands on me instantly reignites the fire he kindled earlier.

"Sounds like you need all hands on deck, then," he drawls, his stubble brushing the shell of my ear as he reaches 'round me to take the bottle from my hand. "Your dad said the turkey'll be done in under an hour."

"You sure turkey's the only thing you're after, cowboy?" I smirk, feeling the tip of his arousal poke me eagerly as he doles out a generous amount of soap into his hand.

"I did work up an appetite..." he affirms, dropping the bottle back down so he can work the lemon-and-lime scented gel into a lather.

"Well, like you said, that's going to have to wait because—"

I gasp as his sud-laden hands come down to cover my breasts with a decisive finality.

"I think we can find a workaround..." he tells me, working the soap over my nipples with his thumbs.

My head tips back onto his shoulder. "Drake..."

"I got you, baby," he assures me, dropping a kiss on my temple as he coasts one hand down my body while keeping the other one cupped around my breast. "You just relax."

I try desperately to maintain my coherence as he proceeds to lather me up. "But—"

"They won't hear if you're quiet," he reminds me, trailing his tongue up my neck as he slips his fingers between my legs.

I grab onto his wrist with a guttural moan as he dives deep into the slickness of my folds, my half-hearted protest forgotten.

Because let's face it — as much as I might try to fight temptation, I always end up losing the battle. As I'm a complete and utter sucker for him, and I've never been able to resist the magic of his touch.

"Plus," he adds, laying tingling kisses along my collarbone while sliding two fingers along the edges of my heated centre. "It feels like you need it."

I blabber something incoherent as he dips a finger into me before pulling back out to continue his lazy explorations.

"Mmm..." he breathes, sinking his teeth gently against the tender skin of my throat. "Feels like you definitely need it..."

I grab onto his hair in desperation. "Drake!"

Letting go of my breast, he snaps a hold around my jaw to crash the sound of his name against his lips as he sheathes his fingers fully inside of me.

I whimper against his mouth, feeling my legs start to shake as he pulls out once more to work my clit with a relentless mix of heart-stopping exigency and almost brutal precision while the warm water continues to rain down onto us.

"That's it, girl," he growls against my mouth, nipping my bottom lip in encouragement. "Just a little more..."

I jolt against him, the tension inside of me ratcheting inexorably higher as he thrusts forcefully back inside me with the addition of a third finger...

...only to withdraw again just as I start to crest.

A pitiful whine escapes me as I arch against his hand, shamelessly seeking the release he keeps dangling in front of me like an unattainable carrot.

"I told you that you owe me, girl," he reminds me thickly, dropping his other hand back down to my breast as he reverts to a slow, teasing glide over my heated nub. "And I ain't done with you yet."

My vision starts to swim as I gasp for air. "Drake... Please! I—"

"I think we can take you higher."

I start to shudder in his arms as he slows his motions down to a crawl, keeping me perched on the edge while stoking me ever upwards with unhurried, feather-light strokes.

"Christ, you must be tight..." he groans against my ear, his erection straining against me from behind as he presses the tip of his finger against my drenched core.

My vision starts to swim as I claw at his hand. "D-Dra—!"

With one swift motion, he rams his fingers into me, throwing his other hand up against my mouth to catch the scream of delirium that erupts from my throat.

Stars burst in front of my eyes as I finally — finally! — explode like an overwrought time-bomb that's run out of fuse.

"That's it, baby," he huffs, thrusting his fingers in and out of me at a rapid pace. "Fall to fuckin' pieces for me."

I lose all sense of time and space as he continues to stroke me through the heady high of my long-awaited climax, the steam from the shower rising up around our entwined bodies.

After several rapturous moments, the last, delicious wave ripples gloriously over me, and my legs finally give out as I fall back down to Earth.

"Drake..." I moan groggily, keeling over to thud against the cool tiles in front of me.

"Wiped your vocabulary, Gale?" he smirks, reaching gently across my waist to pull me back against him.

"Mmm..." I purr, tipping against the solid warmth of his body as I continue to luxuriate in the after-effects of his unexpected — but nevertheless satisfying — ministrations.

His chest rumbles with a chuckle as he drops a kiss into my wet hair. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"So much for taking a time-out, though..." I say dryly, wrapping my arms around him.

"I wasn't gonna leave you hanging, mon coeur," he says, leaning his head against mine. "But we do need to make a move. Your family's waiting for us downstairs."

"They can wait five more minutes," I assure him pertly, sliding my hand 'round his hips.

He catches my wrist. "Harper, you don't need—"

"But I want to."

He swallows hard as I drop to my knees in front of him. "Gale, we gotta—"

"I know," I tell him sweetly, grabbing the base of his shaft with my free hand. "But we can't leave you hanging either, cowboy."

His head falls back with a hiss as I lean forward to trace the underside of his length with my tongue. "Christ, girl. You're gonna be the death of me."

"Mmm, I can tell," I assure him, rounding my tongue in a circle over his velvety tip.

His hand releases my wrist to tangle into my hair with a wry scoff. "Just don't think this'll get you out of surgery."

"Better move fast then, Walker," I say, meeting his eye sultrily as I take him into my mouth.

His body jolts as my lips envelope him. "Jesus, fuck!"

"Keep it down, bud," I tell him with a sly smirk, grazing my teeth across his throbbing skin. "My family's downstairs..."

Expletives spew out from under his breath as I wrap my lips fully around him again. "You should fuckin'... talk... girl. It's a full-time job... tryna keep you quiet."

"Hey," I hit back slyly, flicking my tongue over his tip once more. "You only got yourself to blame, bud."

"You... complainin'?" he huffs, his free hand shooting out to brace himself against the slick tiles.

"What do you think?" I purr, licking my lips as I bend towards him again.

Tightening my hold around his base, I take him slowly back into my mouth, keeping my eyes locked with his the entire time.

A hard growl rattles his throat as the warmth of my tongue wraps around him, but his espresso gaze never wavers from mine.

Sinking my teeth gently against the base of his head, I proceed to swirl my tongue in a figure of eight over the tip of his straining manhood.

I see his expression tighten. "Harper..."

Encouraged by his tacit approval, I take him deeper into my mouth to lavish attention around his full circumference.

His fingers twist more firmly into my hair as I hear his breath start to quicken.

Glancing back up, I see him watching me with hooded eyes, jaw slack with ardour.

Keeping my gaze locked with his, I pull him in as far as he will go.

His eyes shudder closed as a sharp breath explodes out of him. "Shit, that's hot."

Settling my tongue on the underside of his shaft, I slowly pull back, upping the pressure with each inch I reverse.

Reaching his head again, I feel the salty taste of his barely contained excitement drip out onto my tongue. Keeping my lips locked around him, I lick the moisture up before taking him deep again.

His hips jerk towards me as I suck down on his full length. "Fuck, baby. Just like that."

Heeding his demand, I repeat the full cycle, feeling him expand even further into my mouth as I slowly up the speed and pressure after each round.

Hearing him start to pant above me, I slow things back down, licking him up and down lazily in between a few languorous pumps of my fist.

"You're a fuckin' tease, girl..." he pants hoarsely, chest heaving from the stimulation.

"I learnt from the best," I tell him with a smirk as I reach up to rake my nails down the quivering ridges of his abs.

His scoff turns into a groan as I take him back into my mouth to pick up the hard and fast rhythm I'd set earlier.

His other hand flies into my hair. "Putain de merde!"

Slapping a hand onto his ass, I sink my nails into his taunt backside as I urge him on with my mouth and tongue.

"Christ, girl... You're gonna make me cum so hard," he grits, fingers digging into my scalp as I feel him harden almost painfully between my lips.

Knowing that he's close, I bear down on him relentlessly, pushing him towards the precipice of oblivion until I feel the last of his self-control snap as he tumbles down the well of pure, basic instinct.

Yanking my head forward, he thrusts into my mouth with an animalistic grunt, nearly making me choke on the fullness of his length. Breathing through the discomfort, I let him hijack the pace, continuing to tease his now rock-hard head as he chases his inevitable climax.

"Oh, baby, don't stop..." he pleads through increasingly erratic gyrations. "Don't fuckin'—"

I suck down on him hard...

...and he explodes into my mouth with a jagged moan.

His dick bucks wildly as his hot seed spills down my throat, causing his knees buckle in front of me. Tightening my grip on his ass, I keep him pinned between my lips as I work him through his convulsions, his face tilted skywards while his body jerks above me to the sound of the ragged growls being clawed from his throat, his fingers threaded through my hair.

It’s not until the last of the aftershocks fade away, and I draw my tongue over his now somewhat softened shaft that I finally release him.

"Christ, girl..." he pants, trying to catch his breath. "The hell did that come from?"

I shrug up at him. "We were pressed for time, so..."

He bites out a bewildered scoff as he stumbles backwards against the wall. "I can't feel my fuckin' legs..."

"So... Good, then?" I ask, pushing myself back up with a cheeky grin as I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

He pulls me to him with a laugh. "More like next fucking level!"

"Now you know how I feel," I tell him, dropping a kiss on his cheek.

"Mmm..." he murmurs, sliding a palm down the curve of my ass. "Gotta work harder then."

I smack his chest in exasperation. "Not everything is a damn competition!"

"Says the girl who hates to lose," he counters, cinnamon-laces irises dancing roguishly.

"Yeah, well..." I huff wryly, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. "You bring out the worst in me, Walker."

"Good," he approves, dropping a kiss on my nose. "I love raising hell with you."

"I love you, too," I breathe, pushing myself up onto my toes.

Tightening his hold on my backside, he dips his head down to capture my lips with a heartfelt kiss.

I lean into him with a sigh, glad that we were able to carve out a small moment for just the two of us... even if the method of arrival had been somewhat less than orthodox.

Which reminds me...

"Guess we should finish what we came in here to do..." I say, pulling away from him begrudgingly. "Before someone else bursts in on us."

"If you mean sex, then—"

I smack him on the arm. "Is that really all you think about?!"

"I mean..." he drawls unabashedly, running the spark of his gaze over me. "I got you naked in my arms, after giving me one of the best blowjobs I've ever had, so..."

"Never mind..." I sigh with a roll of my eyes, even as I feel my mouth pull into a smile.

He’s incorrigible, but I love him for it.

"But you're right," he concedes. "The water's gettin' cold and we need to finish pulling those barbs out of you before we go down for dinner."

"Alright, Dr. McDreamy," I say with a final peck on his lips. "Let's wrap this up so we can go eat some turkey."

Thanksgiving contiunes in Part 4!

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Thanksgiving Only

@burnsoslow

[angelasscribbles]

In Your Room Chapter 11: Oh Mother

Series: In Your Room

Fandom: TRR                    

Pairings: Leo x Drake

Rating: PG

Warnings for this chapter: A couple of F-bombs, that's it

Song Inspiration for the series: In Your Room by The Bangles

Word Count: 1,163

My other stuff: Master List.

The woman’s voice trembled as she asked tentatively, “You remember me?”

“Yes…” her image was etched into his memory. Her face had a few more lines in it now, but it was still the face from his earliest memories, as well as the face in the well worn photo of her he carried in his wallet. But it wasn’t just her appearance. The lilt in her voice and the faint scent of jasmine that wafted to him on the breeze pulled him back through the years to the palace nursery, bedtime stories and hugs that could make the worst booboos better and the scariest dreams fade into oblivion. Until one day she had just been gone and nothing had been truly okay since. Not until Drake’s love had started to heal him.

His heart began to race, and the roar of his own blood was deafening in his ears. “What are you doing here?” he choked out.

“I…I just wanted to see you…” tears welled up in the woman’s eyes, “I didn’t mean to disrupt your wedding! I’m so sorry!”

“This is your mother?” Bianca’s mouth fell open.

“Yeah,” Leo nodded, his mouth dry. So many emotions fell through him in that moment. Joy, loss, pain, anger, sadness, curiosity, wonder, amazement. He asked the one question that he’d wanted to ask for over twenty years, “Where have you been?”

“I…” she sniffed as she glanced at the people surrounding them, “Can we go somewhere more private?”

“Come on, let’s all go into the house,” Bianca directed as she patted Leo gently on the shoulder.

Leo responded to her touch, and her directions, turning and making his way into the house without question. Bianca whipped her phone out and sent a text to her son. On the way into the house, she sent a server to bring iced tea to the living room.

By the time the tea made it to them, so had Drake. He rounded the corner in a panic, “What’s wrong?”

Bianca intercepted him, “Drake, this is Leo’s mother.”

“What?” He froze in place, gaping at the scene in front of him.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Leo laughed, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Drake Walker at a loss for words before.”

“Sorry!” Drake shook himself out of it and hurried to take a seat next to his almost husband. He took Leo’s hand in his own. His copper eyes traced Leo’s face with concern, “Are you okay?”

“Mm, hm,” Leo nodded as he wiped a tear from his cheek, “Just in shock a little I guess.” Turning to the woman seated across from him, he said, “I never thought I’d see you again. I’d given up hope.”

Helena dropped her head into her hands and started to cry.

Bianca moved to the couch next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” Helena lifted her head to give Bianca a grateful look, “I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry! Today isn’t about me!”

“No, it’s not,” Drake affirmed, “So why did you pick today, of all days, to show up?”

“I just wanted to see my baby boy get married. I wanted to make sure he…” she hiccupped a little through her sobs, “…was happy…”

“I am happy,” Leo assured her, “but I would have been a lot happier a long time ago if I’d had a mother.”

“I know…I’m sorry….your father…he wouldn’t…he said I couldn’t…he…”

The anger whooshed out of him as Leo stared at her, horrified, “Constantine wouldn’t let you see me, would he?”

She shook her head no.

“That fucker! I knew it!” Leo was on his feet, pacing.

“Yeah…but…” Drake looked back and forth between them, “Leos been an adult for a while now. Why didn’t reach out sooner?”

“I tired! When he was at college a few times, but the guards wouldn’t let me through! I sent letters but I…I’m guessing you never got them?”

“All my mail was screened…”

“And your personal number was unpublished.” Drake finished for him.

“I was in the crowd in Paris when you gave that speech about climate change,” she smiled proudly through her tears, “You were so passionate about it!”

“You were there?” Leo felt tears pool in his own eyes again, but for an entirely different reason.

She had followed his career. She had tried to contact him. She had never forgotten him nor abandoned him willingly. And he should have known. He should have looked for her. It was just one more thing his father had taken from him.

As if reading his mind, Drake’s voice cut through his self-recrimination, “You didn’t know, Leo.”

“Of course, I was there!” Helena nodded, “I wanted to be there for so much more, Leo! I never wanted to leave you behind! I made a mistake! I didn’t realize that when I decided to leave Constantine that he would keep you from me! I really thought we would split custody and-“

Leo was suddenly across the room and in her arms. Bianca moved off the couch to give them room as they clung to each other and cried together.

Bianca pulled Drake to the side, “I’ll go let the guests know the wedding will start late. I think they need a minute.”

“Yeah, thanks, mom,” Drake brushed a kiss on her cheek before turning his attention back to Leo, “I’m staying in case he needs me.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, son.”

Leo and his mother spent the next twenty minutes trying to catch up on all the missing years.

“Hey, babe,” Drake finally interjected, “Should we reschedule the wedding?”

“What?” Leo looked up, startled, “Why?”

“Um…” Drake’s eyes traced from Leo to Helena and back again, “So you can deal with this.”

“I didn’t mean to derail your wedding!” she protested, “I just wanted to be here!”

The press had reported his engagement to another man three months ago, but the man had been unidentified and Leo’s location unknown. Drake’s name had been leaked two weeks ago. She’d hired a private detective who had delivered the address of the ranch and the date of the wedding yesterday.

She hadn’t known if he’d want to see her. She thought she could slip in and watch from the back. She hadn’t counted on security at the gate.

“You’re fine,” Leo grinned at her, “I’m glad you’re here. It makes this day even more perfect!” His father was never keeping them apart again. “Please stay after so we can talk some more?”

“I’d like nothing more!” she agreed.

Leo stood and pulled Drake into his body with a smirk, “You’re not getting out of this that easy, Walker! We’re getting hitched!”

Surprised laughter bubbled out of Drake, “Hitched? Did you just say hitched?”

“Yeah…I’m a real Texan now, boy! Yee Haw! Let’s go get hitched!”

Drake swatted Leo on the backside as he followed him out of the room, “Try and fucking stop me!”

[bebepac]

Six Sentence Sunday 03.26.23

Ooooh. Boy..  Here we go.  Some of you all may remember this chick.  Well she’s back messing with stuff again.  I apologize in advance for some of the snippets you’re going to see today.  

Things I’ve written lately: 

The Cordonian Arrangement: Shattered Heart

The Cordonian Arrangement: Memories of You

The Vampires Live On: Part 3

Original Post: 03/26/23 at 8:01PM EST

The Book: TRR  Chapter 8: Garden Party Photo Op Series:  The Life Of Riley: Book 2 Pairings: Liam x Riley Status: Still in the writing process.  

Special Request  fic :)   and has a companion chapter to Heroes and Villians

She smiled when she woke up yet again, amongst the soft plush covers and mattress that felt like she was sleeping on clouds.   Opening her eyes, she glanced around the ornately decorated room. Waking up there every morning  always felt like she was in a dream.  She jumped up ,from her bed running  over to the balcony, throwing open the doors, as if she expected the gardens below not to be visible.  But it was, every single morning.  She had been in Cordonia a little more than three weeks; the ending of the first week at the palace where she was participating in Prince Liam’s social season.  She was living her own Cinderella story thanks to Prince Liam Rys, who after spending the night with her in New York, asked her to come visit him in Cordonia for a week, and then asked her to stay..

She was not the only one living their own Cinderella story that had Liam to thank.  A young Nicolas Karahalios had everything he owned packed in a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and was standing at the palace gates waiting for entry.

“Full name, and state your business at the palace.”  

“Karahalios, Nicolas A. I’m training for the Kingsguard.”  

The sentry took out a clip board and scrolled through the names.  Nico sighed in relief when the guard picked up a pen and checked his name off the list.

“Right on time,  head through those double doors there to take your photo for your level two identification, and from there, you’ll go to uniforms for your cadet attire.”

“Thank you.”  

“Good luck, kid.”  The guard nodded to him, opening the gate.  

“Thank you, Sir!”  

Nico slid the strap of his bag up higher on his shoulder and stood in amazement as the palace gates opened for him. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Nico was officially on palace soil for the first time.  

“Come in Maxwell!”  Riley said when she heard his knock.  

Maxwell smiled as he walked through the door.

“You know, we have to stop meeting this way.”  

Maxwell laughed  but the door remained open for Bertrand to walk through.   Riley tried to hide her annoyance.

“Yes Bertrand, what did I do wrong now?”  

He looked her over.  

“Nothing that I can tell as of yet, but you did just wake up, which already means you have a late start.”  

“Still getting used to the time difference.”  

“That didn’t matter last night when you were at the dive bar drinking with Drake Walker acting like you’re still a college student.”  

“You’re acting like your brother Maxwell wasn’t there too.”

“Little Blossom! Way to throw me under the bus!”

“I feel like I’m the only one taking this whole arrangement seriously, keeping you two in check is like herding cats.”  

“Meow.”  

Maxwell chuckled.  

“Do not encourage her Maxwell.”  

The Book:  TRR Part 4: The Vampires Live On Series:  The Vampires Live On Pairings:  Liam x Riley (in this decade)  Gabriel x Alice in the past. Status: Still in the writing process.

Gabriel consoled me as I cried.  

“Are you happy we made it here?”

“Very happy. I promise these are happy tears.   I felt like I was robbed of the opportunity to give her a proper goodbye.”

Gabriel looked visibly hurt by my words. I grabbed his arm to reassure him.  

“It was not your fault, you did what you had to do to keep me safe, to keep us safe.  I understand why you did it.  Though, it still does not sway how I felt and have felt all of these years.  The world should be more evolved, and it’s not. And because it wasn’t, I couldn’t even say a proper farewell to my sister, when I really needed to do it.”  

“The world never changes. Yes, there is a lot more technology now that has made life remarkably easier, but the core of people… never change.  I have walked this earth for long enough to realize that.”

“The things you’ve seen I can’t even imagine, especially in the earlier years.”

“Yes, it was quite a different time. I must leave for a little bit, but I will return shortly, then we will go out for dinner.”  

From the time Gabriel left to the time he returned all I had thought about was Clara and the picture of the two of us.

“I have a present for you.”  

He held out a small wrapped box for me to take.  

“What is this?”  

“Something you really wanted, and deserved to have.”  

“This is so sweet.”  

When I tore open the box, inside, was the framed picture of me and Clara.

“Gabriel….”  

“You deserve more than just to see Clara in only your dreams. This picture should lie with her family and now it does,  and if you look closely, you can see Maxwell in it as well, and he’s looking at Clara, smiling.”  

“He loved her so much.”

“He did. And you can see it as clear as day here.”

The Book: TRF Part 8:  Where Do We Go From Here? The Series:  The Cordonian Arrangement Pairings  Former Riley x Nico (Riley X M!OC)  Liam x Riley? Status:  Still in the writing process.

It was barely dawn and the sun was only creeping slightly through the windows. When she moved, his embrace tightened, pulling her back close to him, leaning in, to kiss her neck. Still waking from her slumber, it felt like a typical morning  that she had lived every day when waking in his arms was commonplace. Riley moaned softly as he continued to gently nibble her neck, pressing her body into his.

“Let’s stay in bed.  Don’t go…." she mumbled in her sleep. “Stay with me.”  

“Always.”  

His voice made her immediately  leave that place of pre woke slumber to soberingly wide awake, quickly pulling away from him.

“Liam….”  

Fully awake, all the memories of the last few months, and from last night flooded back to her in a wave.

Observing the shock and almost disappointment in her eyes, shielding her bare body from him with the sheet, Liam knew.  

“That wasn’t intended for me, was it?”

She didn’t want to lie to him, and she couldn’t look him in the face either.

“No… I’m…. sorry….” She headed towards the door still draped in the sheet from the bed.

“Riley, we need to talk about this.  There’s a reason you came to me last night. It felt right for us to be together that way.”  

“For a brief second, this morning I forgot the horror that has been these last 3 months that has been my life.  Last night, I was lonely… I wanted to feel…. Connected to someone again. I didn’t  mean to give you the wrong idea.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No… I don’t regret it… but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a mistake.  It was a mistake Liam.  We have way too much history for me to think that you would simply be okay with this.”

“We made love last night Riley.”

“We… didn’t.  It was just sex.  I’m still in love with my husband.” Glancing down at her ring on her finger that she was still wearing.

“Your husband is dead.”  

Riley gasped in shock.  Liam immediately wanted to take the words back.  

“Who are you?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like it came out Riley. Forgive me, I didn’t mean it Riley. I promise you I didn’t.”

“Get out of my house.”

“Riley…. We’re supposed to take Angelo to the zoo today.”  

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!!!!”

[moondal514]

aftg :) 📓

hi rory!

I can’t remember if I’ve talked about this wip on here yet or not but last year I made this plot outline for an au based on the book The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Catherine Webb. It’s pretty long (which is why I haven’t written it lol).

Trigger warning for excessive reincarnation/time loop-style major character death (Andrew dies a lot, often very young) and for mentions of child abuse and csa, per Andrew’s canonical trauma

So Andrew, Neil, and a few other characters are what are called “Ouroborans,” someone who is reborn into their same life over and over again. Per the rules of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August universe, Ouroborans lived as normal babies until their 4th birthday. Then they get regain what memories of their previous turns at life they remember. Andrew is a special sort of Ouroboran because he remembers everything about every turn of his life he has ever taken thanks to his eidetic memory.

My idea for the fic is that it would be mostly from Andrew’s pov with occasional interludes from Neil.

Andrew’s 1st turn at his life is actually pretty good. He’s adopted at 4 by a pleasant but unremarkable conservative couple. The couple adopted him because they were infertile but thought that having a child was the sort of thing they’re supposed to do cuz blah blah heteronormativity or whatever. They’re not really all that interested in Andrew besides just being able to say that he’s their child and Andrew isn’t really interested in them. And so, he lives a pretty normal, albeit closeted, boring life. Unfortunately he dies young in an accident in college.

In his next life, he gets his memories back at 4 and subsequently becomes way too weird of a child for said conservative couple to adopt. He’s sent right back into the system and so begins his shitty foster care experience. From there Andrew reincarnates often because he usually dies very young from abuse, neglect, and/or straight up accidents. The oldest he lives is usually ~13 years (he doesn’t make it past living a few months with the Spears if he makes it that far) and he is never able to replicate that first life because he becomes a very strange (read: traumatized) child once he gets his memories back and it’s too off-putting for most families to want to adopt him.

This changes when Andrew meets Renee, also an Ouroboran. He learns there’s a whole community of people like him (though he learns that he’s weird for being able to perfectly remember all of his lives, as most Ouroborans only remember basic details about their past lives, but that doesn't surprise him because he already knew that his memory is weird). Of course Andrew’s a cynical little fuck and at first thinks Renee is a quack, so she flat-out stabs him like a badass and gives him a time and place to meet up with her his next life, which he does. Andrew doesn’t really care for any of the others in the Ouroboran community but he likes Renee because he thinks she’s cool. Unfortunately he falls out of contact with her when she gets adopted by Stephanie Walker.

Renee’s presence in Andrew’s life keeps him alive through that time period of his first few months living with the Spears, so for the first time, he lives long enough to learn about Aaron’s existence (which happens similarly to canon). What happens next is a montage of Andrew’s next few lives where he keeps dying in the process of trying to find ways to keep Aaron away from the Spear house. Eventually Andrew decides that the best way he can keep Aaron safe is remove himself from the equation, so he puts himself into juvie. There he meets Betsy, working as a therapist for juvie kids, and learns that she too is an Ouroboran. He strikes up a friendship with her and gets some real therapy for the 1st time in his many lives.

From there, things proceed as canon (except Andrew doesn’t tell Luther about Drake cuz in this au he ain’t telling anyone shit about his abuse) until Tilda’s car accident. Andrew dies in the car with her.

In Andrew’s next life after that, he goes looking for Betsy as soon as he can and basically her influence via phone keeps him alive long enough for things to mostly proceed as canon (with a couple exceptions: Andrew does his best to manipulate events, with Betsy's help, so that Aaron is out of Tilda's care as soon as possible and with the Hemmicks. Andrew also manages to not get arrested for defending Nicky) until PSU. During Andrew’s 1st year, Riko flat-out kills Andrew to get Kevin.

So for a while Andrew’s lives proceed mostly in this same fashion. PSU is the point at which Andrew’s lives get stuck at. If he lived long enough to make it to college, he can’t stop himself from making a deal with Kevin and every time he manages to get himself killed by Riko.

And then: enter Neil.

I’m stopping there because this outline is very long lol

Send me a “📓” emoji and I’ll tell you about a fic wip

[txemrn]

The Royal Romance

This blog and stories are intended for mature readers only. By continuing to read, you agree that you are 18 years of age or older.

✨- recent release

💜- writer favorites

🍋- NSFW/Suggestive Material

🧩 - Crossover

Series

*series being updated regularly will be in purple

Boughs & Mockingbirds   (Masterlist; hiatus) 🍋 King Liam Rys painfully recounts the final week leading up to the birth of the royal heir during Riley’s hospital stay-- in ICU

Deja Vu (Masterlist; in progress) ✨ After an unforgettable night with a stranger, Princess Eleanor finds herself caught in a secret love triangle between a noble and a commoner.

HOLLER (indefinite hiatus)

The Missionary's Daughter (hiatus) Rejected by the woman of his dreams, Drake Walker hits an all-time low, turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with the sins of his past. But then he meets Margot Hughes, the daughter of the minister of a local mission--and she is vastly different from the other girls Drake is used to meeting. Painfully optimistic. Overly-friendly. Self-lessly generous. She just might be his salvation, but what will it cost her?

Pour Two Glasses (Masterlist, in progress) 🍋✨ In the midst of a violent political war, Queen Riley Rys’s life is dismantled overnight, forcing her to flee Cordonia to live in hiding as a commoner with a loyal, best friend

Stay (Masterlist, in progress) 🍋 With her family facing deportation back to Auvernal, fun-spirited Reid Ambrose quits college to support her family. But as fate would have it, she accepts a temporary job as a caregiver for the royal family, an experience that will challenge her, break her, and devastate her world in the most exciting of ways.

One-Shots

A Ballroom Blitz (for MMM Luck of the Draw event)

The MissioInary’s Daughter (hiatus)

More Than Flashing Lights & Sound

Riley’s Baby(a Creepy Campfire Tale) 🍋

Royal Roulette for WackyDrabbles/ChoicesFlashFics

A Bushel and a Peck (follow-up to Wounded) ✨️

Faded 🍋

Keep Your Head Up

The Mirror (Breathe No More)

The Wedding (Watercolor Ponies)

A Day in Bed (When I Look at You) 🍋

What About Us?

When I’m With You… (Thinking of You)

Wounded

~🖤~

[loubrairyofthedead]

INTRODUCTION + BOUNDARIES

Hello!! You can call us Lou or Walker, We are a polyfragmented, medically recognised DID system, Ethnically we are Korean, Japanese, Irish and Polynesian! We do not currently live in any of those places, my timezone and location is none of your business !! We are bodily a minor (17 to be exact) And we are very very happy in a committed and serious relationship with our soon to be husbands!! (Also a system!).

Some of our interests include : History (Mainly things like Chernobyl, The french revolution etc), Physical Geography (Climates, Weather, Natural disasters). We got early admission to College/University in July of last year, we have been studying Criminal Psychology and forensics since then! We also really enjoy journaling/writing things down, and listening to unhealthy amounts of music. We swim regularly and its one of my favourite things to do.

MEET OUR SYSTEM !!

Host : Oliver : They/He : ☁️ sign off. Co Host : Hoku : He/They : 🔭 sign off. Co Host : Wylie : He/They : 🗞️ sign off. Co Host : Cassius : They/It : 🧟 sign off. Gatekeeper : Penny : She/They : 🖥️ sign off.

BOUNDARIES !!

DNI : Anybody who identifies as or supports those who identify as anything other than Traumagenic as a system, Bigots, Racists, Ableists, TERS, Homophobes, Transphobes, Holocaust deniers, Radqueers, TransIDs, People who believe you can't be trans without dysphoria, People who use and abuse the term 'trauma scum' (making fun of people with trauma isnt cute babe !!), People who demonise people with Cluster Bs, Additionally, those who believe in 'Narc Abuse' (please shut the fuck up), IRLs and DAs (If you're experiencing a delusion you wouldn't know it was a delusion, therefore if you identify using IRL or DA, you aren't experiencing a delusion you're just a fucking freak, stop using the word delusion like its a conjunctive or adjective). People who support the following people: ANY of the dream team, Wilbur soot, Johnny Depp, Tom Felton/JKR, Donald trump, Drake, Vivsiepop, Kanye West. Anyone under 17 (You shouldn't be on this app, honey) THIS WILL BE EDITED

ON THIN ICE : DSMP Enjoyers, Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss enjoyers, Countryhumans + Hetalia enjoyers, ANYONE who is extremely loud about their religion and religious beliefs, COUNTRY MUSIC ENJOYERS (/j)

INT! : Other traumagenic systems, other anti-endos, people who enjoy The Walking Dead, NBC Hannibal, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, American Horror Story or The Umbrella Academy, Alex G listeners, Other PF systems !! 17+ Systems !!

Extra info about us

We have Autism, We also have NPD and BPD (Both diagnosed). We are only recently medically recognised with DID and want to attend fusion therapy once we learn more about it (If you have any thoughts/resources please send them to us via dms as long as you are not in our DNI!). We love our fiancé to death and yeah ^-^

[dankusner]

COWBOYS MOCK DRAFT Simulating the right fit Plenty of new faces enter to replace all the talent lost to free agency It’s draft season and time for our traditional NFL draft seven-round simulation, making every pick for the Cowboys. This year, we used Pro Football Network’s draft simulator and there were some trades and interesting decisions in our mock. We used PFN’s draft board and picked players atop their ranking when it came time to select for the Cowboys. Let’s go: First round The pick: Graham Barton, C, Duke The Cowboys have the 24th pick of the first round and were offered a trade by the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona wanted to move up from No. 27 to No. 24 and also offered a 2025 second-round pick. So we took it. The Cardinals used it to pick cornerback Nate Wiggins from Clemson. So when the Cowboys came to bat we selected Barton. We bypassed Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II — we believe in Mazi Smith — Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell and Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton. Barton played tackle in college but he projects as a center/guard. Does Barton solve the center position? Yes, he does. But does that mean Tyler Smith moves to left tackle for the 2024 season with this selection? Second round The pick: Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M We were offered trades by Denver and Cleveland to move down in this round. We rejected both. Cooperwas on our draft card when we picked with No. 56. We bypassed Florida State running back Trey Benson, who was available along with defensive tackles Ruke Orhorhoro (Clemson) and Leonard Taylor III (Miami). It’s hard to pass up Benson and his 906 rushing yards. We felt adding a linebacker was more important. Third round The pick: Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina No trade offers this time. When Dallas was up at No. 87, Walker was our selection. He is a man with speed. He ran a 4.36 40 at the combine and had a 40 1/2 inch vertical jump. His 2022 season (921 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns) was much better than last year (699 receiving yards and seven touchdowns) but we believe in the Tar Heel. We bypassed Georgia safety Javon Bullard, Mississippi corner Kris Abrams-Draine and Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. Fourth round The pick: None The Cowboys don’t have a pick in this round but we tried to get back into it. We offered Baltimore our fifth-round pick in 2024 and 2025 to move to No. 113 and were laughed at. So we offered Carolina a fifth and seventh (No. 244) for their pick (No. 141) and that also was rejected. Fifth round The pick: Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville No more trades for us and at No. 174 Guerendo was our selection. He didn’t play much at Wisconsin and had a Lisfranc injury in 2021 but returned to play the next two seasons. We had a chance to draft defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe (Alabama), guard Javion Cohen (Miami) and safety Evan Williams (Oregon). If you’re worried about Guerendo, he ran a 4.33 40, produced a 41 1/2 vertical and a 10-9 broad jump at the combine. Health doesn’t seem to be an issue with him. Sixth round The pick: Jowan Briggs, DT, Cincinnati At No. 216 we had some good options but took Cincinnati defensive tackle Jowan Briggs. We thought about Notre Dame safety Thomas Harper and tight end AJ Banner from Michigan. We also had NC State guard Dylan McMahon available. Briggs just seemed right. You want to talk about a man with power, he bench-pressed 225 pounds 39 times at the Big 12 pro day. Seventh round The picks: Drake Nugent, C, Michigan and Josh DeBerry, CB, Texas A&M Again no desire to trade with anyone here so at No. 233 we snagged Nugent. You can’t go wrong with a guy named Drake, right? Nugent is a little short (6-1, 298 pounds) but his dad played for two NFL teams, so you’ve got to like that. The other seventh-round pick was DeBerry, who picked off two passes in 10 games for the Aggies. Among the players we bypassed for Nugent and DeBerry were tight end McCallan Castles (Tennessee), receiver Ryan Flournoy (Southeast Missouri State), Georgia running back Daijun Edwards and UConn linebacker Jackson Mitchell.

[memo-irvine-fall-2023]

Trina Thi Dang

Looking for a BIG!

Year: 2nd

Major: Public Health Sciences

Favorite Color: purple

Favorite Snacks: anything sour like sour patch kids! i like any asian drink like mogumogu, aloe vera, and famine.

Favorite Video Game Franchises: League of Legends, Pokemon, Kirby

About: i am from santa ana orange county. my favorite hobbies include dancing, listening to rnb, playing many instruments, and eating! my favorite TV shows are usually any kdramas and anime. i love RNB music anything ranging from summer walker, drake, and jhene aiko, but i also listen to kpop, jpop, and indie music (heize, zico, colde, niki, omar apollo, grentperez etc) . i love eating hotpot and i LOVE CHEESE i also like asian foods. i used to competitively ice skate but other than that i love the beach! my favorite activity is probably watching the stars and the waves at the beach.

What are you looking for in your future Big/Little?: a friend! i want someone that can guide me through the ups and downs of college and be there for me when i need. i am always down to hang out and be there for my big as well.

[zaffrenotes]

Sojourn Series Masterlist

TRR AU SERIES: OPEN + IN PROGRESS; last updated December 2020

This AU series takes place between Book 2 and Book 3 of The Royal Romance, where MC (Katrina Bailey) accepts Liam’s proposal on the condition that she gets to complete law school in New York City before they marry. Drake is convinced to finish his degree at the same time and operate as an extension of the Kings Guard to protect Katrina for the duration of her studies. The stories that follow are from Katrina and Drake’s POV as they study, work, befriend some interesting co-eds, and make unforgettable memories in the City that Never Sleeps.

Series Rating/Warning: 18+ -- adult language but mostly fluff; N*FW / lemon / spicy scenes occur and will be tagged.

🍐 = PRETEND THIS IS A LIME more than kissing, less than lemon territory | 🍋= erotica/30 diamond scene 

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

MAIN MASTERLIST

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

Trick or Treat .:. 🍐/ NS*W .:. POV Katrina

The Dancing Queen .:. POV Katrina

The Bee Charmer .:. POV Drake

The One Where Drake Takes a Bath .:. POV Drake

The Fair Wanderer .:. 🍐/ NS*W .:. POV Drake

Ain’t No Sunshine .:. POV Drake

The Double Date .:. POV Katrina

The One With the Freudian Slip .:. POV Drake

Thanksgiving Melee .:. Part 1 🍋/ NS*W | Part 2 🍋/ NS*W | Part 3

Stand to the Right.:. POV Katrina

High Holiday Spirits .:. POV Katrina, POV Drake

The One With the Fake Marriage .:. POV Drake, POV Katrina

Them .:. POV Drake, POV Alyssa

Her Song .:. POV Drake

Bottle You Up .:. POV Drake

The Unbirthday .:. Part 1 | Part 2 🍋/ NS*W .:. POV Katrina

Can’t Help Falling in Love .:. POV Katrina

Fireworks .:. POV Katrina

Waterloo .:. POV Drake

Holiday High-jinks .:. Part 1 | Part 2

TBD

TBD

ASKS + DRABBLES + ONE SHOTS

Man Flu .:. 🍐.:. POV Katrina

Hypothetical Fight .:. POV Drake

MC Asks Re: COVID-19 .:. POV Katrina

[angelasscribbles]

Irreparable Choices

Series: American Girl

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Drake x Riley

Rating: MA

Warnings for this chapter: Mature themes, unplanned/unwanted pregnancy. Abortion discussed

Word Count: 2,710

A/N: This is a follow-up to Home for Christmas, which makes it technically a two-shot, not a one-shot. Full disclosure, I have another chapter written which makes it a three-shot well on its way to being another series. What the fuck is wrong with me, I don't need another series.

While the first one explored Riley and Liam's relationship and the ending of it, this one explores Riley and Drake's. This is complete AU, they are normal people living in north Texas. They grew up together and are now trying to navigate adult life and college, but having a hard time severing those ties.

Special shout out to @karahalloway for prereading this and encouraging me to actually post it.

My other stuff: Master List.

Drake Walker was living his dream.

He had left the bowling alley and gone to work for North Texas Auto Repair after finishing his first year of automotive technology classes at the local community college.

He had just started the last semester of his degree program and already had a solid offer of full-time employment from the owner of the auto shop. The guy had given him the part-time job as an apprentice mechanic as a favor to his father, but the offer of a full-time position as a certified automotive technician had been extended because he was good with cars, reliable, and worked his ass off.

Drake had a plan and so far things were right on track.

The only thing missing was her.

“Hey, kid! Walker!”

Drake looked up from under the hood of a 1972 Dodge Charger at the sound of his name.

His boss gestured toward the bay doors of the auto shop, “You have a visitor.”

Drake’s eyes followed the gesture and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly wiped his hands clean and hurried over to her, “Riley? What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you.” She chewed her lip nervously.

“Okay, yeah,” he knew something was wrong because it was the middle of January and she was supposed to be at school in California.

“Hey, Bas!” He called across the bay to his boss, “Mind if I take off early tonight?”

“Sure, kid, just don’t make a habit of it.” Bastien didn’t actually mind. It was only thirty minutes early and Drake had never called in sick, asked for a day off or so much as been late in the nine months he’d worked there.

“I won’t!” Drake called over his shoulder as he ushed Riley from the open-air bay into the heated office, “What are you doing here? What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, “I need to talk to you in private!”

Drake glanced at the woman behind the counter, “Meg, would it be all right if we used the break room for a little bit?”

“Sure, no one else is going to need it again today. It’s almost closing time.”

“Thank you, you’re the best!” He told her as he pulled Riley down a hallway and through the breakroom door.

He closed the door behind them then turned to Riley in concern, “Okay, what is it? What’s wrong? Spill!”

Riley paced across the room, twisting her hair around a finger as her mind whirled with all the different variations she’d rehearsed inside her head over the last few days. Finally, she simply blurted out, “I’m pregnant!”

He froze as he struggled to process her words, “Are you sure?”

Frustration pinged through her, “I didn’t just drive for two days across four states on a fucking whim, Drake! I’ve taken six tests! I’m sure!”

“I thought you were on the pill!”

“I was! It obviously failed!”

He slid a hand down his face, “Shit…”

“Yeah, shit!” She agreed.

“Don’t take this the wrong way but…is it mine?”

“Yes, Drake, it’s yours! Again, why the fuck else do you think I drove across four states to get to you?”

“Moral support,” he replied instantly, “which I would give either way.”

“I know it’s yours because I had my period right before I came home for Christmas and I haven’t been with anyone else since and-“

He held his hands up in front of him, “Hey, hey, hey! I believe you! You don’t have to convince me!”

“Are you sure? Because-“

“I’m sure!” he asserted, his voice going softer, “I know you wouldn’t lie to me about something like that.”

“Okay, good,” her anger quelled but she was still in panic mode, “because my whole fucking life is falling apart right now and I don’t know what to do!”

“Okay, okay, it’s going to be okay!” He started pacing as he ran a hand through his hair, his mind spinning looking for solutions.

“How? How the fuck is this going to be okay?” her voice trembled.

He stopped pacing and turned to face her, “I can increase my hours here, or get a second job, I could easily go back to the bowling alley! You could move back home and have the baby!”

“Where are we going to live? Your parent’s garage?” she scoffed.

He held a finger up, “First of all, it’s not a garage anymore, it was converted into a second master suite and it has its own entrance so that is a valid option,” he held up another finger, “Second, I’m only living there while I’m in school so I don’t have to work full time, but I could!”

“Working full time would interfere with your schoolwork, I can’t ask you-“

“You’re not asking, I’m telling you that I only live at home to save money, but-“

“Right, because we’re both broke ass college students, what’s your point?”

“My point is, I can take care of you, Riley!” So many different emotions flooded into his chest that he could barely breathe. But nothing in him wanted to run away from this. From her.

“I’m not asking you to take care of me, Drake and I can’t just drop out of school!”

“Why not?”

“Why not?” she glared at him, “Because if I miss a semester, I’ll lose my scholarship, and if I lose my scholarship I lose my only chance to go to college and get a degree, that’s why not!”

“You don’t need it!” his voice rose, “I’m graduating in three months and I have a full-time job waiting for me here making good money!”

“Drake-“

“I mean it, Riley! My starting salary is almost as much as my dad is making now after twenty-five years on the force!”

“I know, Drake but I don’t want to depend on someone else’s salary!” Angry tears stung her eyes, “I want to finish my degree! I want a career of my own! I want to do things, travel, see the world a little before I settle down!”

“You can still do all those things!” He yelled.

“How?” She yelled back.

He stared into the face of the girl that held his heart in her hands, wondering how she seemed to be so oblivious to that fact.

He drew in a deep breath and tried for calm and reasonable as he said, “You can still follow all your dreams, Riley. They’ll just be delayed a little, that’s all! We can get married, have the baby and when you’re ready, you can enroll in a school closer to home.”

“School costs money-“

“I’ll pay for it!” He insisted.

“We’ve never even talked about a future together, Drake! Marriage…kids…. I don’t even know if you want that! Hell, I don’t even know if I want that! And we sure as hell shouldn’t be getting married just because I got knocked up! That’s no basis for a lasting relationship!”

“Lasting relationship?” he stared at her incredulously, “We’ve known each other our whole lives, Riley!”

“Yeah, as neighbors and friends!”

He was angry and shocked, “You think we’re just friends?”

His anger made her unsure, “Yeah, friends with benefits….”

His mouth fell open in disbelief, “Seriously?”

“Seriously what, Drake?” She exploded, “We get together over Christmas or spring break, hang out, get drunk, have sex, then go back to our respective lives! With very little communication in between, I might add! What am I supposed to think we’re doing here?”

All his resolve to remain calm and collected flew right out the window at that complete mischaracterization of their relationship, “It’s not my fault you spent last summer in fucking Europe with that study abroad program! And don’t think I don’t know that Liam was in Italy at the same time as you!”

“What’s your point?” She snapped.

“My point is that Christmas and spring break aren’t the only times that I bother to see you, they’re the only times that I get to see you, Riley, and I look forward to both of them all year long! Or have you forgotten that I drove all the way to fucking California to spend spring break with you last year?”

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” she relented. Dropping onto the black faux leather couch in the corner of the breakroom she let her head fall into her hands, “I’m just spiraling right now. I know you’re trying to help but we don’t have an actual relationship, Drake. We’re not officially dating, we’ve never discussed a future together and this certainly wasn’t planned!”

His jaw clenched as he considered her words. Nothing she said was untrue. They hadn’t discussed a future together, and they weren’t a couple, but he was in love with her.

Not that he’d ever told her that.

He crossed the room as he spoke, “All of that is true and if you don’t want to have this baby, then I’ll support you but…”

She lifted her head to look at him, “But?”

“But I don’t want you to make a decision without all the facts.” He sat down next to her with a sigh as he skimmed a hand through his hair before confessing, “I’ve never brought up the future or asked you to be official because I’m afraid of the answer.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…You've been very clear about wanting to be free to immerse yourself in the college experience and all the commensurate shenanigans that entails.”

“That was actually Liam’s idea,” she reminded him with a slight smile.

He bumped his shoulder into hers gently, “Yeah, well, you seem to have fully and enthusiastically embraced the concept.”

A small laugh escaped her, “Thanks in part to you.”

“What?” Surprise pulled through him.

“I was heartbroken when he broke up with me you know.” She shifted so her body was facing his.

“I remember…” he unconsciously turned his body a little more toward her.

She placed a hand on his arm, “You helped me through that! If not for you I’d probably still be sulking about it.”

“Great. I was your rebound guy. I knew it!” He joked.

“Ha ha, but yes, you really were. You made me feel something again.” She dropped her hand from his arm and started to turn away.

He reached out and grabbed her hand in both of his, “I’m glad I was able to be there for you, but that’s the other reason I haven’t brought up the future…”

Her eyes searched his, “What do you mean?”

“I mean…I know you’re not over Liam. I know you two still have unfinished business and I know you’ve been with other guys in California,” he released her hand and looked away as he admitted, “I… I didn’t think you wanted anything official, or to talk about a future with me.”

Riley was stunned, “Are you saying you do?”

He shrugged as he met her eyes quickly then looked away again, “Yes, Riley, I do. But I didn’t want to push you. I want kids someday. This is sooner than expected, and if it was any other girl, I’d probably be freaking out right now, but the idea of raising a baby with you isn’t the worst one in the world.”

She felt an unexpected frisson of jealousy coil around her heart, “But there are other girls.”

He turned his gaze back to her with a disbelieving shake of his head, “That’s the part you want to focus on right now? Yes, there have been other girls! Are you telling me you haven’t slept with anyone at Berkeley?”

Her eyes dropped to her lap. She didn’t answer.

“That’s what I thought. But listen,” he put a finger under her chin and tipped her head up, “those girls are friends with benefits. You are so much more to me than that! If you want to have this baby, then I am all in! I’ll do whatever you need me to do to support that, including marrying you and it won’t be just because of the baby. I’ve wanted to marry you since preschool. Remember?”

She laughed as she leaned into him, “You proposed with a ring pop!”

“Damn right I did!” he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, “It was cherry too, my favorite! I gave you my favorite flavor ring pop, Riley. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is!”

She let herself relax into his embrace, “I’m sorry if I’m being a raging bitch but-“

“You’re fine. I get it. It’s a lot to take in.”

“You may be willing to sacrifice your grades and future, but I’m not. I can’t let you do that for me.”

“It wouldn’t be for you, baby, it would be for us!” His grip around her tightened.

The intensity of emotion in his voice both thrilled and terrified her.

She wasn’t ready.

For any of it.

“I’m sorry, Drake,” she whispered, “I can’t.”

He went completely still for a moment, “Are you sure? Have you thought through every consideration?”

“I’ve had nothing but time to think while I drove across the country.”

His head fell back against the wall as relief and disappointment both crashed through him, “Okay.”

“Okay? You don’t hate me for it?” she asked as her fingers fidgeted with the placket of his shirt.

“I could never hate you,” he leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the top of her head, “for any reason.”

“Okay, good,” her voice hitched a little as tears pooled in her eyes, “I’ll make the appointment when I get back to Berkeley.”

He swallowed back his own tears as he stroked her hair, “Okay. Just tell me when and I’ll be there.”

“What?” She pulled away from him startled, “Oh, no, you don’t have to-“

He shook his head as he reached for her and pulled her back into his chest, “Yes, I do! You didn’t get into this situation alone and you’re not going to deal with the repercussions alone, okay?”

Fresh tears flooded her eyes, this time from relief, gratitude, and the overwhelming feeling of being loved when she felt completely unlovable. She nodded her head, “Okay, I’ll let you know.”

“Good.”

They held each other for a while in silence as they each tried to process the enormity of the situation.

When he finally spoke, his voice was light, his tone teasing, “So, did you drive across four states just to tell me that you don’t want to marry me?”

She laughed through her tears, as she looked up at him, “Stop it!”

He smiled sadly as he wiped the wetness from her cheeks, “Come on, Brooks. Let me buy you dinner and get you home. You must be exhausted.”

“I…can’t go home. What will I tell my parents about why I drove all the way here just to turn around and drive back?”

She hadn’t wanted to tell him on the phone. She had needed to see him, needed to confide in the only other person this affected.

“Okay, leave your car here. We’ll pull it around back, no one will see it. You can come home with me. No one ever comes in my room. You’ll get a good night’s sleep and I’ll take you to breakfast before you head back.”

She knew in that moment that she’d been right to come.

He always made everything better. From scraped knees in preschool to beating up her fifth-grade bully to helping her pick up the broken pieces of her heart after graduation.

“That sounds good, Drake. Thank you… for everything.”

“I don’t know what the hell I did except get you into this predicament,” he scoffed, “but you know I always have your back, right?”

“We got into this predicament together,” she corrected him, “But yeah, I do know, so thank you.”

“Come on,” he stood up and held his hand out to her, “the least I can do is feed you.”

The feel of his hand clasped around hers calmed the raging anxiety that had been gnawing at her since she first suspected she might be pregnant.

She followed him out of the breakroom and out of the shop, hand in hand, feeling more at peace than she had in days.

[bebepac]

Last Call (Farewell Wacky Drabbles)

I am participating in the very last @wackydrabbles  started by @emceesynonymroll and continued by @burnsoslow and @sirbeepsalot  and I appreciate you keeping it going as long as you did.  I enjoyed my time creating these over the years, and I thought it fitting to post  this wacky drabble as as it was one of the series ideas I got during Wacky drabbles. Prompt# 145: That was really really good will appear in bold.  There’s a special message in here for all wacky drabbler’s past and present, so I hope you will read, as I plan to read every wacky drabble that comes across.  Also @choicesmonthlychallenge​ prompt 1: Lemonade.

The Series: Pop’s Place

The Book: TRR (no royals)

Pairings:  Mia x Jaiden (Mia x M!OC) / with past pairings of  Mia x Liam and Mia x Drake

Word Count: 994

Warnings and Ratings:  a few curse words /Teen

Song Inspiration:  Closing Time by Semisonic

Summary:  Mia, Jaiden, and  Liam work their last shift together  at Pop’s Place before they leave to go back to school for sophomore year of college.

Original Post: 05/02/22 at 11:59AM EST.

So many things happened, but this was the best summer of my life. I think that I came out of my shell a little bit. Who am I kidding a lot more than I thought I ever would. I had three guys chasing me this summer! And I always felt like I was not the type of girl that would have that, but a  month before summer vacation was over, my heart landed with the soft spoken, and kind Jaiden Brooks.

His eyes met mine as he cleared one of the tables for me.  I smiled at him and he smiled back, 

mouthing the words "I love you."

I blew him a kiss, saying it back to him with ease, which that part was so new for me. I was in love, and he loved me back!  Focus Mia!!! I was in the process of taking the order of the customer in front of me.

The older woman sitting down, seeing my attention wavering, glanced back at Jai.

"Young love. You two are adorable."

“Thank you.”  

“Should I repeat my order?”

I smiled.  “Yes please.”  

This time I paid close attention.

I know I said this was the best summer of my life, but on the flip, it was also the worst. My Pops, the owner of the restaurant where all my family works in some capacity or another, had a heart attack, taking him out on an extended medical leave.

Who knew it was going to be three teenagers: Me, in charge of the floor, Liam now promoted to head cook, and Jaiden helping to run the restaurant the last part of summer? And somehow we didn't run the place into the ground on shortened hours during the week and no weekend hours, but we were making more money than we had been.  Our community had taken care of us when we really needed it and Pop's Place had brought us all together that summer.  

Liam had learned shorthand language I used to communicate orders to Pops, and we all had fallen into a very efficient groove together.  Even the hostility between Jaiden and Liam had lessened.

Oh right, I didn't tell you. If you didn't know, Liam and I well didn’t “officially date”, but had some flirtations going on, and one steamy nearly naked situation.

And we can’t forget Drake Walker….. Let’s just say I was living my best life this summer.  Hot girl summer was on and poppin’.

"Hey guys I want you to try something. I want to take it to Pops as a new menu item, maybe seasonal dish or something.  Take a break for a minute and sit down, I really need your opinion.”

Both Jaiden and Mia sat down at the back booth that always seemed to be reserved for staff taking breaks or eating their own lunches and or dinners.

“It’s kind of a different take on your favorite Mia, but it’s different, and I think the changes elevate the dish a lot.”  

“Oooh fancy smancy talk.  The changes elevated the dish.”   I chided with Liam speaking with a haughty English accent.

“Mia stop being an asshole!” He playfully pushed me and I laughed harder.

Jaiden had already taken a bit from his dish.  

“Holy hell babe, are you going to eat the rest of yours?”

“Jai, I haven't even had a bite yet!”  

“Liam, for real, you need to seriously think about cooking school, this is amazing.”

While Jaiden and Liam were talking Mia cleared her sample plate of food.  

“Liam, that was really really good.”  

Liam actually looked bashful for once.  He always seemed so confident.   “You guys really think it’s good enough to take to Pops?”  

“Yes!”  Both Jaiden and Mia declared enthusiastically.

“The only thing I’m concerned with is the fact you can only give him a little, he’s going to want a whole plate, and this doesn’t taste heart healthy.”  Mia chuckled lightheartedly.

Liam laughed.  “Oh trust me, it’s not!!!”  

That last shift together flew by like grease lightning as Pops would say.

At ten minutes until closing time I  did our 'last call' for any last refills or to-go orders, and at 6:00PM on the dot, I  let out the last few customers and locked the door behind them, flipping the sign on the door from Yes, We’re Open, to Sorry! We’re Closed.

"That's everyone!" I yelled.

Jaiden turned up the music and the three of us  worked as a team  helping each other finish our nightly duties.  

“You guys I’m going to miss this.”  I was feeling sappy and sentimental.

Liam laughed.  “You’re being dramatic.  You’re going to school twenty minutes away Mia! It’s not like you're moving to another country and  we’ll never see each other ever again.  Hell you and Jaiden are going to the same damn school together for crying out loud.”  

“Liam’s right Babe.  Liam will still be around, we’ll all still be around.  We just won’t always be here at this one place anymore. Just because we don’t have this particular place anymore, doesn’t mean we can’t socialize. We can still hang out and stuff. Just don’t be a stranger when we see each other out and about, and remember we started here first.”  

Mia wrapped one arm around Liam and the other around Jaiden.  

“Thank you guys.”  

Not even twenty four hours later:

“See, the Three Musketeers have already been  reunited again!"

Liam had helped me move my stuff into my dorm room, because Pops was still taking things easy, and well Jaiden was moving into his dorm too, and had showed up as soon as he could.

“How’d you guys get everything put in so quickly?”  

“I promised Liam lunch.  Pizza and Root beer.”

“New York style pizza?” Jaiden inquired.

“Of course, the best you can get in our area, and yes I got lemonade for you Jai.”  

“That’s my girl!” Jaiden kissed my lips.

Even though we weren’t at Pop’s, we found a way to find each other and socialize.  My boys were totally right.

I hope that you all see what I did here in these lines.  Let’s not be strangers, fellow wacky drabblers, past and present.  

If you would like to see  how Liam and Drake messed things up with the TRR MC Mia,  please click:  Pop’s Place

If you would like to see what happens when she goes back to school with Jaiden Please Click  Mia’s World 

[larryssunflower]

The Non-Royal Romance -season 2, part 3

tagging old mutuals! - @ravenpuff02 @simplyaiden-blog @msjr0119 @butindeed @mfackenthal @choices-lurker @american-duchess @drakelover78 @monosodiumglutamateme @crookedslimecreatorpasta @mrsdrakewalkerblog @traeumerinwitzhelden @gardeningourmet​ @speedyoperarascalparty​ @agent-zephyrkah​ @liam-rhys-x-mc-x-constantine​ @snyggflicka​ @texaskitten30​ @annekebbphotography​ @irishwhiskys-blog​ @nomadics-stuff​ @catlady0911​ @twinkle-320​ @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​ @drakewalker04​ @bigmemesplz​ @jovialyouthmusic​ @sleepwalkingelite​ @pintobom​ @moneyfordiamonds​ @mskaneko​ @lauzales​ @princessleac1​ @kingliam2019​ @queen-arabella-of-cordonia​ @drake-colt-lover-99

Oh funny seeing you guys here! Heh... So it's been like 2 years (yikes sorry) But hey I'm a college sophomore now! So I randomly thought about this fic today and found this finished draft, and figured I would publish it for anyone who still exists in this fandom! Anyway, here it is :) Also I may or may not go back to edit all the old parts bc damn is the writing cringy in the early ones lol

- The night of the barn-raising -

Kai sits next to me on my couch at the end of my bed, curled up on herself, cradling her cup of tea to her chest. “So, are you ready for the start of the engagement tour tomorrow?” Kai questions me, taking a sip of her tea. A tight knot of anxiety forms in my stomach, and I nod absentmindedly. “Y-yeah, as ready as I can be,” I chuckle lightly, watching my fingers trace the lip of my mug. Kai doesn’t say anything for a moment, and I look up to see her studying me.

“...what?” I ask, the sides of my lips quirking up in nervousness. Kai sighs slightly before speaking. “You just seem- off. I thought you would be ecstatic about this, I mean, you actually found a guy you really love,” Kai explains, and I have to look away again, studying the detail in my curtains. Not the guy you think, a voice mutters within me sourly. She has no idea what she’s talking about. I jump at a sudden hand on my arm. My eyes flit up to meet Kai’s concerned eyes. “Just talk to me,” Kai implores quietly. I gulp.

She tilts her head to the side, raising her eyebrows at me. I can’t lie to her. I sigh, placing my mug down, before bringing both my hands into my lap, twiddling my fingers. “Well, it’s sort of a long story... but the truth is, I’m not in love with Liam,” I say carefully, wincing at Kai’s taken aback expression.

I take a beat to build any last courage, not being able to look at her as I continue. “I’m in love with... Drake. My bodyguard.” I blurt out. I brave a glance up at her as she physically reels back in shock, making a shocked-scoff sound. She shakes her head. “You’re... oh god, Alana!” Kai swears, shaking her head. I look away, my heart falling. I was hoping she could help me through this, not turn on me.

“Alana. You are the Queen of Cordonia. You can’t keep sleeping around like this! You're engaged! I cannot believe you." Kai huffs, slamming her mug down and standing up. “Why are you so upset? You don’t know the half of it! How can you judge me when you don’t even know what you’re talking about?!” I exclaim, frustration starting to build in me, making her roll her eyes.

“I don’t need some lame excuse from you Alana. Of course, you could never actually have your life together for once. Honestly, I was surprised when I first came home and your life wasn’t a mess! I guess deep down I just waiting for the ball to drop. Liam is an amazing guy! How could you do that to him?” She asks me, making tears well in my eyes. Like I didn't feel guilty enough about that.

“Good to know that you think I’m a failure as well as everyone else in this family. Thanks for enlightening me.” I snap sarcastically, my voice cracking. Kai just shakes her head at me, looking over at me with distaste. “God. I thought you were better than this,” she says, stinging my skin. Kai turns and storms out, and I collapse onto the couch, the tears falling freely.

- the next day, in the train, en route to Italy -

Watching the Cordonian countryside fly by outside the train window, I still feel stung from last night. Next to me, Liam reads the news, and Max and Kai sit across from us. Kai still refuses to look at me, and I catch her glancing over at Drake and then at Liam a couple times. I just wish she would let me explain fully.

We all sit in peaceful quiet, Max chuckling a couple times at his phone. Of course, our peaceful atmosphere doesn’t last. The door to our dining compartment slides open, and Leo strolls in. “Ah, good morning all,” He grins, making us all look up.

“It’s twelve,” Liam says amusedly, still looking down at his newspaper. “And?” Leo asks, before sitting at a chair across from our booth, stretching fully on his seat. “So are we excited to be starting this tour?” Leo quirks, watching all of us in his characteristic fox-like manner. It’s... unsettling. “Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?” Maxwell asks, putting his phone down.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you were all targeted at a ball by terrorists just a couple months ago?” Leo says sarcastically, making my stomach flip. I close my eyes for a moment, composing myself. A pang of pain shoots through my shoulder. I ignore it, knowing it's just psychological. It’s not fun to be reminded of the worst night of my life.

“Kai and I excluded of course,” Leo adds, sending her a quick wink, eliciting a roll of her eyes, visible annoyance flashing across her features. “Well, thanks for the reminder, but there isn’t much we can do.” Liam sighs, tossing his newspaper on the table in front of us. He must have realized he won’t be able to read it in peace.

Smart.

“What do you mean, 'there isn’t much you can do'? Alana is the Queen isn’t she?” Leo asks, his eyes settling on me. I grit my teeth. “Yes Leo, I am the queen. But Cordonia has always been peaceful. We don’t have any enemies, at least that we know of, and the palace’s task force is investigating it. There isn’t anything else we can do,” I explain, making Leo pull a face.

“God, a task force? No wonder nothing is getting done. What you need to do is take it into your own hands. Hell, we’ll help you,” Leo says, taking me aback. “I don’t know-“ I start, but get cut off by Maxwell’s gasp.

I glance over in concern to see him looking down at his phone in shock.

“What?” Liam asks, and Max looks up at me hesitantly. “Uhm. Something happened.” Max whispers, his voice quivering nervously.

My heart leaps in my chest. “It’s not another attack?” Drake asks from beside us, his sudden deep voice making me jump. Max shakes his head, turning the phone screen for me to see, his face crinkled with discomfort. I grab his phone my stomach falling. It’s a tabloid article, with a picture of Tariq and me in my room at Applewood manor, a black rectangle edited in where my underwear-clad body should be. The way the photo is taken makes it seem like I wanted him there, making bile rise up my throat at the thought.

Liam leans over to take a look, his eyes widening. “Son of a bitch,” Drake curses from behind us. “Liam, I promise, that’s not what happened,” I blurt out, my heart hammering loudly in my chest.

“‘Thou shall not commit adultery, something Queen Alana clearly doesn’t believe. Affair with Tariq revealed the day Queen Alana’s engagement tour starts.’” Kai reads out, her eyes flicking up to meet mine. I gulp, knowing she probably believes it.

“Alana is right, Liam, I was there. Tariq broke into her room and tried to take advantage of her while she was changing. Luckily I was walking by and took care of him before he could touch her,” Drake explains, and I glance at Liam, my chest heaving with panic. Liam looks at me, and nods, relief flooding through my body.

“I believe you, don’t worry babe. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Liam reassures me, holding my hand. I smile appreciatively. “I’m sorry too Al,” Maxwell says, and I nod my heart hammering.

God, this is just what I needed in my life. Another thing to go wrong.

“Look! Another example! Someone is after you Alana, and your ‘task force’ is not going to help you. We should all work together and find the motherfuckers doing this to you!” Leo exclaims, and Maxwell nods. “I agree, you don’t deserve this,” Max chimes in, making me smile slightly.

I sigh, mulling over my options in my mind. Leo is partly right, our palace investigation has found close to nothing, it couldn't hurt to have more help, right?

"Oh okay, we may as well," I concede, to Leo and Max’s happiness. My mind starts running a million miles a minute. While Leo and Maxwell start to discuss plans, Kai still looks over at me warily, making my heart sink. I haven’t always been the stable and responsible one like her, but it breaks my heart that she turned her back on me so quickly before knowing all the information.

“You in Kai?” Leo asks her, making her turn her head to look at him with a strange expression. “Yes I suppose,” She agrees after a moment of thought, making me smile slightly in appreciation. “Okay, we need to figure out who took these photos. There’s no way they were legally allowed to be at the manor that time of night. They either formed the story themselves or were paid to do so,” Leo explains, surprising me slightly with his knowledge and seemingly instant readiness of the situation.

Maxwell scrolls down his phone, looking for the photographer’s name at the bottom of the article. “Uh just hold on a sec... okay it looks like the photographer is named Minnie Godard. Can we find a way to track her on social media or something?” Maxwell asks, making us mumble in thought.

“No need,” Leo says smoothly, causing us to turn to him in confusion. After a moment- “Of course.” Kai groans.

“What?” Maxwell asks. Leo grins wider as Kai sighs with exasperation.

“He slept with her,” She groans in a disgusted tone. Leo nods. “Darling, you know me so well,” he grins. “Don’t you dare call me darling, you pig.” she snaps back to him heatedly.

“Can we not fight please?” Liam asks, “Leo, can you contact her?”He asks, turning to Leo, who nods, scrolling through his phone.

“Who knew? Having a man-whore on our team actually has its benefits,” Kai mutters, making Maxwell snicker.

—-

Drake’s POV

Later that night I stand outside Alana’s door on the train, waiting for her to finish getting dressed for the party tonight. I guess this makeshift 'team' be a good idea, but having all these civilians, noble civilians at that, trying to solve a national conspiracy seems very dangerous. But I don’t think it’s possible to change their minds and the palace task force isn’t getting anywhere. I just hope no one gets hurt again, especially Alana. I don’t know what I would do if she was hurt.

“Hey Drake, can you come in here?” Alana’s muffled voice calls through her door. I slide it open to see her standing in front of her floor-length mirror, wearing a deep red gown, the beads on the plunging neckline sparkling in the low light. Soft vintage music plays in the background and I have to catch my breath for a moment. It’s not an unusual habit of mine when I’m around her. She is so undeniably gorgeous. As I take her in, I can’t help but think about the last time we were alone in the spa. And the ways that I touched her, the sounds she made.

She has her back to me, her dress only partly zipped up, showing her bare back. “Do you mind?” She asks, looking back over her shoulder at me. I close the door behind me and silently nod before gently brushing her hair to the side which she holds in place. Vivid pictures of her underneath me last night flashes through my mind as I grasp the metal zipper and start to pull upwards.

I finish the zipper at the back of her neck, and she shudders as my fingers brush across her sensitive skin. She turns around and I notice we are suddenly very close as she gazes up at me. As I look down at her, I suddenly feel an overwhelming feeling of adoration. God, I love her. The dark specks in her eyes, her lightly freckled cheeks, and perfect lips. Her kind and ambitious soul, her incredible habit of making everyone around her fall in love, just...everything. She is everything. I bring my hand up to brush against her cheek as I take a moment to admire her. “everything okay?” she whispers softly, her eyes searching mine, seemingly sparkling in the low light. I smile and nod. “I just- love you,” I respond honestly, making her smile, her eyes crinkling at the edges.

I suddenly feel very lucky that of all the people for her to love, she chose me. I can barely believe it. She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me into an embrace and my arms fall instinctively around her waist, pulling her body to mine. “I love you too,” Alana whispers to my ear, and I hug her tighter, a warmth spreading through my chest just from being close to her. A new song starts to play, Put Your Head on My Shoulder. I smile and pull away slightly before starting to dance slowly with her. She giggles softly, swaying along with me.

We dance slowly with each other. No fancy dance moves, no waltz. Just two people slowly swaying together, enjoying the few minutes alone.

“This was one of my dad’s favorite songs,” I say after a while. I feel vulnerable opening up about my past, but I know it’s what Alana wants. She deserves to know me better. I feel her smile against my neck. “He has very good taste,” She mumbles. I blink. “Had,” I correct her quietly. She stops. Then she pulls away to look at me. “You lost your dad too?” She asks softly. I nod. Her eyes soften. And not in an ‘Aw you poor pitiful thing’ way but in a ‘I understand your pain’ way.

“Losing a parent is one of the hardest things that you can go through. I’m glad we have each other,” Alana softly says, bringing her hand up to brush a strand of hair away from my face. “Always,” I nod. She smiles wider, before pulling me back towards her and into our precious swaying. I tell her about how my parents used to dance in the kitchen late at night, often to this song. She laughs and tells me that they must have been much better than us, which may or may not be true. As the song start to wind down I spin her gently and then dip her down, making her giggle.

I hear a noise and look up, still holding Alana in the dip, to see Kai standing in the doorway staring at us. My stomach drops and I quickly bring Alana back up. Kai blinks at me with a shocked, surprised expression. I gape at her, not knowing what to say. She just looks at Alana for a second, a thoughtful look on her face. “The cars are here to take us to the party,” Kai finally says flatly with a glance at me before leaving. I turn to Alana, my eyes wide.

She grimaces. “Don’t worry, she already knows. Doesn’t approve, but she knows” Alana exhales. I sigh. “This isn’t going to mess things up for you will it?” I question, worry eating at me. Her eyes soften. “I appreciate the concern Drake, but it’s okay.” she pauses, her eyes going slightly downcast. “But, if only right?” she quietly asks. My heart twists in my chest. To hear her voice my deepest desire I have had since I met her, is hard. I tilt my head to the side, quietly looking down at her. I don’t even know what to say.

“ALANA!” Maxwell screams from down the hall, making both of us jump. “I guess we should get going,” Alana mumbles with a smile that doesn’t seem to reach her eyes. I don’t have the heart to respond, just wordlessly offering my arm for her to take. She takes a deep breath before slipping her arm into mine and walking out with me.

——

I follow Liam and Alana around the party as they greet all the foreign politicians, ambassadors, and occasionally, the press. The party is in an Italian hotel with massive windows. Through which the party-goers admire the old architecture of the city lit up as they discuss the politics of whatever country they lead. My heart steadily gets heavier the longer I endure their rehearsed conversations urging these nobles to attend the wedding and excusing the scandal as tabloid fake news that will soon be sorted out. The other nobles can relate, the tabloids constantly try to ruin their reputations. Eventually, they take a break by sitting down at a table with the rest of the group, Max, Kai, and Leo.

“Okay so Minnie is the one in that blue dress over there,” Leo says with a low voice, pointing to a redhead in the group of photographers permitted inside. “Just as hot as I remember,” Leo adds with a wink, making Kai scrunch her face in disgust. “You’re a gross man, have I ever told you that?” She asks, and Leo’s grin grows wider as he leans in closer to her. “Yes and I love it every time,” He says lowly, making her lean away from him in disdain, her eyes shooting daggers.

“How about we figure out a plan?” Maxwell says, suddenly cutting in, clearly uncomfortable with the hostility. Leo finally looks away from Kai and looks at Maxwell. “Well, we need a way to get her separate from the photographers. I tried to message her, but she left me on read,” Leo says, ending in a quiet tone. Kai snorts. “Serves you right,” She mutters under her breath.

“Okay well, how do we do that?” Liam asks Leo expectantly. Leo chews on his bottom lips for a second, deep in thought. As a new song starts to play and a new group of people starts to dance in the middle. Leo suddenly looks up with a mischievous smirk. “I know what to do. Kai, I’m going to need your hand with this. Literally,” Leo says standing up and offering her his hand.

Kai scoffs. “No! why would I do that?” She exclaims, clearly shocked that he would even consider her help. “Kai. Seriously we need to do this, no matter how much you hate me. And I need a single yet eligible woman,” Leo adds, raising his eyebrows expectantly. Kai glances at Alana then looks back at Liam. “Fine,” She mutters reluctantly, taking his hand.

Leo takes Kai to the dance floor and begins to waltz with her, eyeing the photographer all the while. The two of them seem to have a conversation, Kai only talking through her gritted teeth, clearly uncomfortable. I glance to my side and observe Alana watching Leo like a hawk, staring at his hands unflinchingly. I smile. It’s interesting to see her role as a protective big sister.

I haven’t seen that side of her. I want to see all of her, to know all the intricacies of her personality, her life, her emotions. I worry I will never be able to let myself get as close as I desperately hope. My eyes find Alana once again, a multitude of conflicting emotions flashing through me. I want her. God, I want her so badly I can barely tolerate it. But there are so many forces going against us. It’s not fair, but if I’m being honest, it’s just my luck that the woman I’m in love with is the most unavailable person in the country.

When I look at her and think about us, I also feel overwhelming fear. Fear that the assassins will find a way to find her, that we won’t be able to figure out who is doing this soon enough, that I will lose Alana forever. I can live without being hers. But I cannot live with myself if she was hurt, especially if I could have stopped it.

No matter the situation, as her bodyguard I will always be responsible. A sudden realization settles in, making my mouth go dry and my heart stop. If I really want to be the best bodyguard I can possibly be for Alana, to truly be able to protect her, I have to let her go.

I can’t continue this. No matter how strong these feelings are, the only way for me to be the best bodyguard for her is to be as emotionless and detached as possible. If I’m too invested I can get distracted or sloppy and possibly allow something horrible to happen. I won’t allow it.

My eyes glance over her profile and I feel a sense of dread. How will I ever explain this to her? Every time I try to push her away, to keep her safe, she always fights back. I should have been stronger. I was so closed off in the beginning, why do I find that so hard now? Now that I got the taste of us, I don't know if I'm strong enough to let it go.

But I have to. For her.

----

Oooooo Drake is back on his bullshit...But what else is new? lol

Anyways, hi again! idk if any of my old mutuals are active anymore but I missed you all! :) <3

[dont-be-so-shy]

reverse robins au

if you want to write a reverse-reverse robins au: the batgirl’s are batman’s protege’s (taking the robins positions), while the robins are more of their own entity within gotham but still classify as batman’s protege’s.

for example, people who have identified as robin chronologically:

dick grayson, jason todd, carrie kelley, tim drake, stephanie brown, damian wayne, troy walker, daxton chill, andre cipriani, isabella ortiz, duke thomas, matt mcginnis

plus people who have identified as batgirl chronologically: bette kane, barbara gordon, helena bertinelli, cass cain, stephanie brown, charlie gage-radcliffe, tiffany fox

(opt. people who have identified as catgirl: duela dent, carrie kelley, kitrina falcone)

ps. carrie is not a vigilante in earth-1, but she was robin, catgirl, and batwoman in earth-31. in the main ‘verse, she’s a college student who taught damian acting. matt mcginnis is technically not born yet, but is the future younger brother of terry mcginnis (batman beyond) and former robin before he retired to just,,, live his life. tiffany fox is batgirl in futures end and part of the league of batgirls, but in earth-1, she’s 5 years old.

if you just want to switch the batgirl’s and robin’s, you can only have 7 so you have to erase troy, daxton, andre, and isabella.

(leaving dick, jason, carrie, tim, damian, duke, and matt and bette, babs, helena, cass, steph, charlie, and tiffany)

pps. matt and tiffany are both only heroes in the future

so i only wanted to use steph once, so i put her own on the batgirl list and not the robin one even though she was a robin

for those who don't know, carrie is canonically batwoman, matt retired, bette is previously flamebird, now hawkfire, though i will be calling her flamebird because of the flamebird/nightwing thing, helena is huntress, charlie is misfit, and tiffany is batgirl

so: if you switch the batgirl's and robins, bette with dick and babs with jason:

dick as (bette) flamebird and an olympic athlete

jason as (babs) oracle

carrie as (helena) huntress who was previously robin and catgirl

tim as (cass) black bat/orphan, raised as an assassin and selectively mute

damian as (steph) robin for only, like, a few months and then spoiler

duke as (charlie) robin for one month before becoming misfit

matt as (tiffany) robin in futures end league of robins alongside tim and damian

bette as (dick) nightwing and a cop

babs as (jason) red hood

helena as the second (carrie) batwoman and a college student

cass as (tim) red robin/red batgirl/red bat (idk ??)

steph as (damian) batgirl and a stabby stabby assassin mcmurder

charlie as (duke) signal and batgirl for a few months only

tiffany as a former (matt) batgirl and now retired

if you want to switch the ages, dick as tiffany, jason as charlie:

dick as (tiffany) robin in futures end alongside

jason as (charlie) robin, then misfit

carrie as (steph) robin, batgirl, then spoiler

tim as (cass) black bat/orphan

damian as (helena) robin then hunter

duke as (babs) oracle which we all need

matt as (bette) flamebird

bette as (matt) batgirl, now retired

babs as (duke) signal

helena as (damian) batgirl and an assassin

cass as former (tim) batgirl, now her own hero

steph as former (carrie) batgirl, now batwoman

charlie as (jason) red hood

tiffany as (dick) nightwing

if you want to not switch the robins and batgirl’s:

dick as previously (matt) robin, now retired

jason as (duke) signal, previously robin

carrie as an assassin, currently (damian) robin

tim as red robin

damian as (carrie) his own hero and previously robin

duke as (jason) red hood

matt as (dick) nightwing and a cop

bette as (tiffany) batgirl in futures end alongside cass and helena

babs as (charlie) batgirl for a month then misfit

helena as (steph) batgirl, robin, and spoiler

cass as black bat/orphan

steph as previously (helena) batgirl, now huntress

charlie as (babs) oracle

tiffany as (bette) flamebird and an olympic athlete

[txemrn]

Stay

Chapter 2: "Ten Feet Under and Upside-Down"

Catch up here!

Word Count: ~6835 (I apologize; it's a long one)

Series Summary: With her family facing deportation back to Auvernal, fun-spirited Reid Ambrose quits college to support her family. But as fate would have it, she accepts a temporary job as a caregiver for the royal family, an experience that will challenge her, break her, and devastate her world in the most exciting of ways.

Chapter Summary: An old face returns to Cordonia to work for the royal family. But even after almost a decade away, not much has changed, and he's more miserable than ever.

Series Warning: ⛔ Please Be Advised: 18+ Only ⛔This series will contain mature material, including foul language, NSFW 🍋, discussion/depictions of war, violence, gun violence, assassination attempts; medical situations, including major character injuries; ethical dilemmas including euthanasia & bodily autonomy; mental health, including depression, PTSD, suicide

Series Music Inspo: “Awake” by Secondhand Serenade

Chapter Music Inspo: "Storm" by Lifehouse

AN: Majority of these characters and some plots belong to our friends at Pixelberry. Special thanks to my amazing friend @kat-tia801 for prereading, and my sweet friend @ao719 for helping me dial-up a scene as well as pre-reading it. Also, you will recognize some items from canon; other items may be completely contradictory to canon. Just got with it, and enjoy the story. 😊

~🖤~

Present (as a reminder: 3 years after Leo's tragic birthday party)

Coasting into the assigned parking spot at his apartment complex, Drake Walker haphazardly downshifts his truck before ripping the keys out of the ignition. All the lights seem to be out in his place, which will work in his favor for a possibly quiet night at home. No talking, especially no arguing. Hopefully with his quick maneuvering, the rumble of his old pick-up won’t disturb his wife and son from their sleep.

Fuck. It did. A lamp in the master bedroom flickers on, a glow illuminating through the window. 

Drake lays his exhausted head on the steering wheel, unsure if he should turn back around and go back to his job and stay the night there. At least then he wouldn't have to hide himself, hide his emotions from his bride, pretend to be the man he promised her he would be.

Jodi doesn't deserve this. Any of this. The silent treatment. The avoidance. The denial of connection. She's too faithful, too fucking loving for her own good. Truth be told, her gentle answers, loving support, and abundant encouragement are the reasons Drake has been so successful both in college and starting his career as a physical therapist.

Why was he shutting down on her now?  

It all started about six months ago, when Drake found the crown prince of Cordonia wandering on their front porch of their newly-built Texas home. 

“Leo?” Drake cocked his head, furrowing his eyebrows in disbelief.  He hadn’t seen the tall blond since the aftermath of his birthday party almost three years ago. 

“Walker!” he extended his hand, striding widely to greet the commoner. “Long time no see, brother!”

Brother? Drake eyes the prince’s outstretched arm before hesitantly gripping it. Taking in Leo’s appearance, he notices a thick file folder under his arm, filled with what looked like a stack of disjointed documents with tabs and post-it notes.

“Jesus Christ, Texas is fucking hot,” Leo chuckled, dabbing his forehead, but his perfect pearly white smile remained on Drake. “Beautiful place you got here.”

Always the charmer. “Yeah,” Drake shifted his gaze to the screen door, seeing a curious Jodi with their son Finn on her hip. He gave her a nod with the notion that everything was okay before turning back to his visitor. “Listen, Leo…” he clapped his hands, “um, what are you doing here?”

Leo snickered. “Straight to the point as always, Walker. Is there some place we can talk?”

“Right here is just fine,” Drake fired back quickly, not trusting the future king’s intentions. He folded his arms, leaning a shoulder against a wooden post.

“On behalf of the Cordonian royal family, we’d like to hire you.”  

Leo had offered Drake a full-time job to be the prince’s personal physical therapist. This, of course, made the commoner scoff, making it clear that he would never cross onto Cordonian soil again. Not for anyone, not even him.  But when he stormed inside, he was stopped by Jodi who had been listening.

“He traveled halfway around the world, Drake Walker,” she quietly scolded, “at least talk to him. We’re talking about your old stomping grounds, your family… I know they treated you like shit, but… at least hear him out. Maybe it’s time to bury the hatchet, you know? Let go of your bitterness.”

“Jo… I don’t know.”

“Think of the good example you’ll be setting for Finn,” she smiled, batting her puppy-dog eyes.

Fuck, she was good.

Luckily Leo hadn’t retreated too far away from their land.  Drake waved down his driver, and then invited Leo back to the house for a drink and for the opportunity to discuss his proposal. Once the crown prince was introduced to Jodi, the three of them sat down at the kitchen table while Finn took a nap on the couch.

Looking like an episode of Criminal Minds, the documents in the folder were carefully explained and spread out before the young couple’s eyes. It was a medical file, complete with lab test results, written diagnoses and prognoses by doctors, some of which were second and third opinions. Lists of medications, photographs of scarred skin, MRIs of nerve damage, degeneration and muscle atrophy: it was clear that there was a serious need.

But why him? Why Drake?

“We’ve already been through three therapists, and all of them have left us,” Leo answered somberly. “I’m not going to lie; it’s… difficult, and not just because your job is already difficult. But… he’s difficult.” Leo folded his hands on the table, mindlessly fidgeting with his thumbs. Suddenly something came over him, something more honest, something more human. “Please, Walker,” his voice shook before clearing his throat. “We… We need you.”

Drake quietly sits in the driver's seat in the stillness of the night, fidgeting with his wedding band as Leo’s words echo in his head. 

We need you…

He reminisces about his childhood in Cordonia, about games of tag in the hedge maze, fishing trips out on Lake Malus, and sleepovers on the back lawn of the palace with only his sleeping bag, a flashlight and comic books. 

But, along with the fond memories of his childhood came the bittersweet remembrance of his friendship with Liam. He was always there. Always–well, for the most part, at least up until the end. The prince was Drake’s confidant, his greatest support. He gave sound advice, but also knew when to sit, whether it was to listen or because Drake needed silence.

He didn’t turn his back on Drake even after he felt abandoned by his own family.

Maybe that’s why Drake finally agreed to this arrangement; maybe he felt indebted somehow to the royal family, to the memory of Liam being patiently supportive when tragedy struck. The sacrifice probably didn’t seem great to the leaders of a country, but to Drake, it was everything.

Never in a million years would Drake have guessed this would be his life, a selfless life of servitude to the royals, a miserable life putting them first before his own family. Just like his father. When he left Cordonia almost a decade ago, his decision seemed so certain, so clear, and he swore that he would never see any of these horrid people again.

He glances towards the orange glow, pouring from his bedroom window, and he worries about his marriage. The pent-up regret and festering anger has been building since the moment he stepped back onto Cordonia soil. The job was difficult, and it was near impossible to work with his ornery client. Drake returns home late every night with battle wounds on his heart.

But, tonight he suddenly feels an overwhelming sense of guilt as he watches the shadows shift against the ambient lighting.  Has he been silently taking out his frustrations on his wife? He’s trying to spare her his heartache by keeping it to himself; but in doing so, is he neglecting her needs?

Damnit, my family needs me, too.

He reaches into a secret pocket of his duffle bag, and pulls out two cigarettes. Tucking one behind his ear to chainsmoke later, he lights the other one, pulling in the deep burn. He combs his fringe out of his eyes before leaning back on his head rest, exhaling his smoky breath. But still, the haunting anxiety remains.

How the fuck did we even get here?

------

9 Years ago

A sudden loud clatter jolts nineteen-year-old Drake awake from his impromptu nap. Unsure of the time or how long he has been asleep, he intently rubs his eyes with his fists before succumbing to a large, vocal yawn, stretching his sculpted arms over his head. Quickly noticing the darkness outside, he reaches for his phone and notices the time.

1:24 AM

The fuck, Liam?

Last year, the young prince started his rigorous royal training in preparation for his older brother Leo’s ascension to the Cordonian throne. Being separated from his best friend, Drake quickly made himself busy around the palace, mainly serving as a stablehand, until Liam would retire from the evening.  But, with constant travels, the wearisome studies and the long diplomatic meetings, the two men discovered less and less free time to spend together. Liam was forming new bonds and new relationships with fellow dignitaries and politicians while his friendship with Drake was starving for a connection.  After a few short months, they were barely texting one another.

Today is Liam’s birthday, and the two men had agreed to finally catch up with drinks at the beer garden to celebrate. Drake came home early to make himself presentable before heading over to Liam’s quarters early.   He was nervous, not because he was finally going to come face-to-face with Liam, but he was anxious about talking with him.  Drake had come to an important conclusion, and having Liam’s support meant the world.

When he arrived to the room, no one answered the door.  The commoner let himself in with his spare key only to discover a dark room with the young prince nowhere to be found. 

After leaving multiple voice messages and sending off several unopened texts, Drake contacted Lars, Liam’s personal guard.

“Walker, you know it’s against protocol for me to tell you where he is at–”

“Lars, just… c’mon,” Drake sighed, “we had plans. Tonight. I mean, maybe he forgot? Or–or maybe he thought I stood him up?” The silence on the phone spoke loud and clear, giving Drake the answer he didn’t want. “When you find a heart, tell him I was looking for him.” Ending the call, Drake slumped into a leather loveseat in Liam’s bedroom.

Sitting alone in the dimly lit room, Drake was left to his own thoughts.  He remembers his mom lecturing Savannah all the time about the importance of the quality of friendships rather than the quantity of friends she claimed she had.  She would say kitschy phrases, like, “Some people come into your life for a lifetime while others come into your life for a season.” 

But the latter was for other people and their failed relationships; this didn’t apply to Drake and his childhood friend Liam. Right? They grew up together; they became men together. They’ve seen each other at their best and at their absolute worst.  They’ve rejoiced together; they've grieved together. Liam was his ride or die. 

Then why was it all of a sudden so goddamn hard to even be around each other, let alone talk to each other?

Drake rakes his fingers through his hair, finally resting his forehead in his hands as the racket continues.  First, he hears keys pawing at the door, like a cat to a scratch post, followed by poorly stifled giggles and even more obnoxious hushes. Finally busts open with an unkempt, very drunk Liam with lips glued to a shapely brunette, her dress already unzipped.

Drake clears his throat, causing the couple to jump apart.

“Drake!” Liam slurs, “Just the man I was looking for!” He glides towards his best friend, patting him on the shoulder before turning his attention to the woman in the room. “I want you to meet Lady… Lady… Latvia–”

“Actually, it’s Leilani,” she kindly interrupts, “Lady Leilani of Latvia.” She offers a crooked smile to Drake while Liam plays cool, snapping his fingers and pointing to her in acknowledgement that she was correct. She stumbles forward towards the commoner with an extended hand to shake while her other arm keeps her bodice covering her chest.

Raising an eyebrow at the trainwreck in front of him before glaring at the inebriated prince, Drake raises his voice. “We need to talk, Li.”

With Leilani giving Liam a concerned look, he walks up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist as he nuzzles his nose into her neck. “Can this wait until tomorrow?” Liam calls out, his words nasally and muffled against her skin.

Drake stands quickly with a heavy foot. “No.” 

With his friend’s words shooting through him like an arrow, Liam quickly gives a sober nod.  He whispers something into the young coed’s ear, causing her to giggle as he helps her back into her dress. She makes her exit, swaying her hips through the door, but not before she blows a kiss to Liam.

Liam catches the airborne kiss, touching his palm to his face as she finally exits the room.  “Isn’t she something?”As he turns to face Drake, the prince is met with a cold stare, a lump suddenly forming in his throat.  “Well,” Liam clears his throat as he makes himself comfortable on the side of his bed. “So, what’s up–hey! We missed you tonight, bruh” he jokes, finger-gunning towards Drake.

“‘Bruh’?” Drake scoffs. “I was here, Li… waiting for you… like we had planned.”

Liam gives him a funny look. “We did?” He shrugs off his sports coat, letting it crumple on the ground as he untucks his pale pink oxford. “Well,” the blond lays back on his bed, letting out a hefty exhale. “You should’ve joined us–”

 “Are you fucking for real right now?”

“Drake, relax,” he waves his hand flippantly in the air, closing his eyes. But, when he hears a loud sigh, he sits up on his elbows with one eye open.  "Wait… are you seriously mad at me? For not drinking with you? Last I checked–” Liam extends his arms above his head, allowing his head to hit the plush comforter. “It’s my birthday!”

“Fuck it,” Drake mutters, standing up to head for the door. “I’m leaving–”

“Whoa, whoa,” Liam jumps up to stop his best friend from leaving, tripping over his jacket on the way. “Seriously, dude,” Liam puts his hand to his chest as he begins to sing, “talk to me. Tell me your name–”

Drake pushes Liam out of the way, causing him to stumble to the ground.

“Whoa there, old friend,” Liam pulls himself back up. “That was kinda hard.”

“It wasn’t that hard.” Drake opens the door.

“I thought you wanted to talk,” Liam shouts, a twinge of humor in his voice.

“You’re drunk–”

“And for once,” Liam draws closer to the shaggy brunette, jabbing his finger into his chest, “you’re not!”

Drake sees red as he glares at the shell of the man that he used to consider his brother. When did he become so rude? So flippant? So careless? So… Leo? “You know what, Li?” He raises his hands in surrender, slowly stepping backwards through the door. “We’re done.” He turns on his heel and storms towards his private quarters.

“Drake? Drake, c’mon,” Liam calls out, jogging towards the commoner. He grabs him by the shoulder, turning him around. “Listen, I’m sorry. I–I'm dunk–drunk. Let’s just talk about this tomorrow–”

“No, Li. There is no more time to talk.” Drake shrugs off Liam’s hand as he returns to his pursuit. “Besides, I have a plane to catch in the morning.”

“A plane?” Liam catches up to Drake again, this time cutting in front of him. “Where–where are you going?”

"Away," he grumbles, finally reaching his room.

"Okay," Liam curiously stops, raising an eyebrow, his voice becoming softer. "When are you coming back?"

On cue, Drake unlocks his door to reveal a few packed boxes and luggage. Liam flips on an overhead light, his eyes registering the scene. He furrows his brows, as he tracks his pacing friend. Drake finally turns around, shoving his hands in his pocket before daring to look up at the prince.

"You're moving," Liam states matter-of-factly.

"To Texas," Drake finishes, eyes trained to the floor.

"But… but what about your life here–"

"What life, Liam?" Drake angrily interrupts. "I see the same three guys every day down in the stables. I eat breakfast and dinner by myself," he suddenly chokes on his words, his breath hitching as he turns away to collect himself. He looks back to Liam, his eyes reddening with the threat of tears. "I spend my free-time wondering if my fucking best friend will actually talk to me today."

"So this is my fault?" Liam shifts his weight, putting his hands on his hips. "Drake," he scoffs, "we knew this day was coming, my noble training, my duties. And this is harder, harder than I ever imagined. I’m sorry that we don’t hang out as much. But, cut me some slack."

"I have… For a long time now." 

Liam looks away, his lips twisting.  Every emotion flashes across his youthful, chiseled face. Confusion. Anger. Worry. Betrayal. Running a hand over his stubbled chin, he looks back at his friend.

"How do I fix this?"

Hearing the genuine desperation in Liam's voice, Drake drops his head. He rubs the back of his neck, his eyes still trained on the floor. "Li, I–"

"Just tell me. And I'll make it happen. Anything."

Drake sardonically snickers, shaking his head. "Don't you want better for me?  For me to make something of myself?"

"Is it a job? Because I can get you a better job. Or we can get you into Cordonia U in the Fall–"

"Wow," Drake blows a raspberry with his lips. "Do you seriously think I need your help? That I'm incapable of creating my own life? My own future?" Fuming, Drake catches his breath. “Jesus fucking Christ, you nobles are all the same. You think you can just throw your wealth, your fucking title and get your way–”

“It never stopped you from accepting my help before.”

A dark stillness engulfs the room as the two friends stare daggers into each other. Liam crosses his arms, his physique growing rigid as he towers his extra three inches of height over denim-clad commoner. Breathing madly, Drake’s broad chest rises and falls as his hands grip into fists. They stood there for a few minutes, hurling silent insults at each other, tearing each other apart with their quiet thoughts. 

Finally, Drake shakes his head in disgust, throwing up his hands before heading for the door.  “I’ll send for my stuff,” he mutters under his breath as he intentionally bumps his shoulder into the prince’s arm, pushing him off balance.

Liam scoffs. He brushes off his arm as if Drake had left something dirty on him from impact. He follows him out the door to watch him walk down the main corridor. 

“Like mother, like son.”

Drake spins around, his jaw tightening. He closes the space between him and Liam before launching a wrathful swing of his arm, his fist abruptly meeting a hearty crack against the prince’s chiseled face. 

Liam stumbles backwards, falling to a knee as he holds his cheek. But before he can retaliate, Liam’s guard Lars quickly apprehends Drake, knocking him to the ground as he calls for reinforcements over his earpiece.  With six more guards swarming the floor, Drake is picked up by his pinned arms.

“Stop!” Liam bellows, struggling to stand up. With the help of another guard, Liam steadies his gate before drawing closer to Drake, He wipes at his lip, noting the dark red crimson trickling from his mouth. He locks his eyes on his childhood friend before slowly shaking his head. 

“You ungrateful bastard,” Liam growls before turning to Lars. “Show Mr. Walker out.” Liam turns on his heel, walking back to his quarters before slamming the door.

------

Present

An abrupt knocking on the glass breaks Drake’s reverie. He anxiously sits up, but his troubled heart instantly takes comfort at the sight of her, his bride, his person. It was his Jodi. Even in a ratty old SFA t-shirt and an old pair of his boxers, she was still stunning. Her hair reflects the moonlight, turning her usual golden strands into ethereal white. Her warm caramel-chocolate eyes hold the universe, Drake’s whole universe, as they sparkle and dance just for him.  She delicately presses her fingertips against the pane, her heart-shaped lips offering a pleading smile.  Baby, please. I’m here.

Drake furrows his brow at the sight of her. His lips can’t help but frown as the pricking of tears sting his eyes.  He finally drops his head into hands, shielding his face from her view.  He knew the dam that was holding back his emotions would eventually break, and his heart would bleed out as the unbearable weight on his shoulders came crashing down around him. But, he didn’t want to do this in front of Jodi, not in front of the woman that trusts him to be her rock and strength.

“Drake?” She softly calls to him. “Drake baby?” She gently taps her fingertips against the window again to get his attention, but he doesn’t answer her.

Jodi quickly rounds the truck, climbing in on the other side while shoving his duffle bag into the back of the cab.  “Baby? Baby?” She slides her arms around Drake’s broad shoulders, pulling him snuggly into her embrace, resting her chin in his tousled hair.  Her face etches with worry, but she’s not a fool; she knows her husband, and she knows that this–whatever this is– has been building like a cancer inside of him for a while now. 

At least since they moved to Cordonia.

“I’m sorry,” Drake whispers, but Jodi quickly hushes him endearingly, combing her fingers through his hair and behind his ear. “I promised you a better life than this. I promised you a better husband than–”

“Don’t you dare talk about my husband that way, Drake Walker.” She playfully scorns, planting kisses on the crown of his head. 

Drake sits up, giving his wife a half-crooked smile as he quickly dries his eyes with the heel of his hand. He then wraps a strong arm around her, pulling her to his side, their lips tenderly meeting.

Jodi reaches over, lacing her petite hand with his large fingers. Her eyes find his glassy stare, but he quickly looks away from her, clearing his throat.

She squeezes his grip before casually looking out the window. “Your mom used to say, 'He's just like Jack.'  

Drake's eyes widen, turning back to his wife. "What?"

The corners of Jodi's mouth turn up as she continues. "Apparently your dad was incredibly strong. Tough. Hard-headed–"

Drake guiltily chuckles under his breath. "Sounds slightly familiar." 

"And yet… very emotional. Haunted even." She looks up at her husband, their eyes locking on one another. As silence fills the truck, Jodi's attention falls to their laced fingers. Gently letting go of his hand, she begins twirling his platinum wedding ring.

"Listen, Jo–"

She holds a finger to his mouth and sweetly grins. "I love you, Drake Walker," her eyes twinkle, "just the way you are, even when you feel like being quiet and I know,” she chuckles, “I know. You have to mull things over before you can talk about them." She cups his face, gently stroking the coarse hairs of his bearded jaw. “But you married me. You don't have to shoulder the pain alone anymore. You don't have to worry about tomorrow or about decisions or about life alone anymore." Watching a tear swell and threaten to drop from his long lashes, Jodi gently rubs her thumb across his lower eyelid. "You can be quiet, that's fine. But you eventually need to talk to me, Drake. Please–" she sniffles, "don't shut me out. Don't–don't shut us out–"

"Oh, baby," Drake exhales, his arms enveloping his wife. He leans in, resting his forehead against hers as he closes his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry… I–" he sighs, "I never meant to do this to you. All I want to do… is protect you, be a man that you are proud of–”

“Drake–”

“Jodi Walker… you are the most precious thing this life has ever given me… damnit–” his breath hitches as he presses his face intimately into her hair, "I need you. God, everyday. I need you every fucking day. More and more." 

"I need you, too, baby," Jodi sweetly whispers in his ear, her voice hoarse from tears. She presses a firm kiss into his hairline, her fingers tangled tightly in his hair. “And I am proud of you.”

For the first time in almost six months, Drake suddenly understands what it means to be supported, to be heard and to be loved. It's not that his wife failed to do these things for him. But he realizes it's easy to feel comforted when he feels positive about himself and rewarded by life. He promised Jodi happiness, and he is bound and determined to ensure she always has that.

Even if that means hiding himself and his own demons.

But he had forgotten one very important detail: Jodi made the exact same promise of a happy life, to love him, and to comfort him through every curve ball thrown at them. He’s not that little boy anymore, suffering through his father’s death and mother’s abandonment alone. He has someone now, his person, his better half, his forever.

After spending some much needed time in each other's arms, whispering sentiments of love and sharing sweet kisses, the couple is interrupted by a tiny voice on the baby monitor.  They both stare at the device intently, finally raising an eyebrow to one another, holding their breath as they try to decipher the message. 

"Damnit! Okay! Fine. I have no idea,” Jodi confesses, throwing up her hands as a guilty expression paints across her face. “I have no fucking idea what the hell he is saying half the time."

"Shit, I thought it was just me," Drake snickers, rubbing his forehead.

Jodi slowly furrows her eyebrows. “You think he’s normal?”

“Meh,” Drake shrugs his shoulders, “I don’t think we’ve fucked him up too badly just yet–”

“Drake!” Jodi swats at her husband’s arm as he pretends to shield himself.  They tumble into a fit of snickers as Drake puts his arm around her shoulders, hugging her tightly.

"Well, I better go check on him," she gives a sorrowful smile before pressing her lips to Drake one last time. "Take your time… but don't dare keep me waiting alone for too long, Mr. Walker," she winks as she begins to slide out of the truck.

Drake grabs her elbow, pulling her back to his side as their mouths meet again. A soft moan tumbles from her chest as he strokes her hair back. 

"We're in this together… right, Mrs. Walker?" he kisses her nose, making her scrunch it up.

"Always."

------

By the time Drake makes it upstairs, a lone kitchen light illuminates his path in the open-concept layout of his apartment. He quietly sets his bag down next to the front door before kicking off his tennis shoes. He strips down into his white undershirt and boxer briefs, gathering his dirty scrubs to throw into the wash. 

Softly padding to the kitchen to warm up some dinner, he notices a certain little 3-year-old’s upside-down handprint on a piece of construction paper.  As he draws close to the craft, Drake’s smile begins to grow as the gray blob of paint begins to take the shape of an elephant, complete with a googly-eye glued near the base of the tiny thumb and his ear, toes and tail drawn on with a permanent marker, no doubt drawn on by Jodi.

To: Daddy

Drake traces the hand print, a sense of pride billowing in his chest. My boy. Feeling the tight ache in his cheeks from smiling, he glances towards Finn’s room and notices the door is ajar, his night light pouring through the crack out into the hallway. He quietly moseys to his son’s room, peering in to see his son, sleeping soundly with his chestnut strands sprawled out carelessly on his pillow. With a secure grip on a toy firetruck, the young child’s arm is relaxed over his head while the thumb of his other hand is tucked barely into the waistband of his dinosaur underwear.

Drake chuckles to himself, admiring the adorable vision when he suddenly looks down, noticing that he had his own thumb tucked into the waistband of his boxers.

And it hits him: what else am I unknowingly teaching him? 

Drake has fond memories of his father: camping, fishing, learning how to tie a tie, grilling the perfect steak, tuning up a car. But one thing he doesn’t like to think about are the times his father wasn’t there–especially since those times outnumber the moments he was present. 

And it was all for the sake of the job. Drake remembers phone calls in the middle of the night, impromptu international trips, interrupted holidays. And then when his dad was home, he wasn’t always present with them. Often times, his mother would shoo Drake and his younger sister away to allow for Jackson to rest by the fire with a bottle of scotch in his hands.

But Drake has nothing, but admiration and gratefulness for his dad, for all of the good times, the life lessons and pep talks. Because of the early, pleasant experiences, Drake always imagined raising his children the exact same way.

Only now that he’s in Cordonia, he’s not.

But that stops tonight.

Drake tenderly picks up his son, Finn’s head instantly nuzzling back to sleep on his dad’s shoulder, gripping tightly to his shirt. He knew that Jodi was probably going to kill him for getting the little one out of his bed, but at this moment, holding their boy, reminding him that Daddy is always there seems more important.  

Drake strolls into his bedroom with a snoozing Finn in his arms, wrapped up with his patch-work blankie.  With her eyes growing heavy, Jodi is mindlessly scrolling through TikTok in the dark when she hears her husband’s heavy steps. She sits up on her elbow, and then notices her son.

“Drake?” She turns on a lamp, slowly sitting up in bed.  “What are you doing? Is he okay—?”

“Yeah,” Drake looks down at his son, nestled in his arms, “everything is perfect now.”

------

The next morning, Drake feels renewed, like shackles have been broken off of his hands and feet, setting him free. There’s no sense of dread or anxiety. He doesn't feel agonizing guilt or slithering voices of self-loathing. Rather, he's at peace; he's comforted. He has a swelling of confidence in his chest and a new lease of determination in his soul. And when he wakes up next to his wife and son, his heart almost aches from the overflow of love for them. 

He contacts his work, notifying them that he would be present for his client at the regular scheduled start time in accordance with his contract. He took a very excited Finn to the kitchen for breakfast, knowing that his early-bird of a wife would be in shortly.

Only she wasn’t.

After bribing his son to take five ‘big boy bites’, Drake cleans Finn up before securing him inside a baby gate with his blankie and a new episode of Dino Ranch.  Returning to the kitchen, he pours a mug of piping hot coffee for Jodi while preparing a short stack of pancakes with spiced apple butter, his wife’s new favorite topping since moving to Cordonia.  Arranging the meal on a rustic, wooden tray, he carries it, tiptoeing carefully into the bedroom.  He finds her already up, rinsing out her mouth before returning to bed.

“Morning, Mrs. Walker,” he smiles, presenting her breakfast like a trophy.. 

“Mmmm, morning, Mr. Walker,” her voice is raspy. “I see you’ve been cooking–”

“Jo–” he interrupts, putting the tray down and cradling her face. “You okay?”  He gently strokes his thumbs across the dark, purple circles under her swollen eyes.

“Yeah,” she reassures, putting her hands on his wrists. “I–I’m just tired. Someone invited a certain little boy into our bed that I swear is going to be the kicker for the Cowboys someday."

“A kicker instead of a… walker?” he mischievously raises his eyebrows, ensuring his wife got the punchline. 

Oh, she did. Jodi playfully glares at her husband. "You know? Just because you're a dad now doesn't mean you have to tell dad jokes."

"You love my jokes," he badgers, his voice growing heated as his mouth grazes gently across her lips. 

"Mmmm… I love you," she croons. 

Their mouths meet again, but the intimate touch is gone too quickly. Jodi playfully pouts, the adorable sight coaxing Drake to kiss her again. And then again. And then once more. “Greedy girl this morning,” he growls, handing her the coffee before pinching her ass.

“Baby," she yelps. "Hey, wait… shouldn’t you be at work?” Jodi furrows her eyebrows before sniffing her mug and stealthily setting it down.

“Technically my contract says I have to be in by 8:30 AM. The only one that wants me there at 6 is my fucking client–”

“Drake,” she warns.

“What?” He shrugs his shoulders, feigning ignorance.

“Are you going to always refer to him as your ‘fucking client’?”

“That’s all he is, Jo,” he spits back. He watches his wife calmly push her loose tendrils behind her ear before she dips her finger into the apple butter. Drake sighs, “I’m sorry, okay? It’s just… it’s different. He’s different.”

“I guess I don’t understand. What about all the phone calls and facetimes?” She licks her finger. “I mean I know that all stopped when… uh, well… after everything happened, and–and–and you and I had Finn, then the wedding. But I thought surely you two would go back to–”

“It’s not like that anymore, Jo,” he sighs.  “I know you were hoping that somehow moving back here would be like some magical family reunion. It’s not. We’re not family anymore.”

“Have… you… talked to–?”

“No. And we don’t talk about her either.” He bites back, a silence falling between them as he stares at his twiddling thumbs. He finally sighs. “Look, Jo, I’m sorry. I know I’m being short with you, but this?  This is my nightmare. Every-fucking-day. I spend my entire day trying to save him, and he’s a stranger, as if we have absolutely no history. He’s… just a fucking asshole.”

Jodi places an endearing hand on his upper back. “I know, baby. But, you’re doing the right thing–”

“Right thing?” Drake blows a raspberry with his mouth.  “The only reason why I’m even here in Cordonia is I was a last ditch effort. He wants to move on, and they thought I’d be the cure,” he sarcastically snickers, “he doesn’t want a fucking cure.” He looks away from his wife, taking a moment to think.  “You know? They are actually considering hiring another ‘caretaker’,” he air-quotes, “but she has to be a young female–”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. Who knows? Maybe that will interest him in wanting to stay.”

“Will she have big tits and dollar bills hanging out of her g-string?” Jodi jokes. 

“They can’t hire you,” Drake winks, earning him a swat from his wife. He gets up and retrieves her plate and mug. “Which… how is the training going at your new job?”

“It’s good,” she brightens, as she follows Drake into the kitchen where they can see Finn playing with his toy cars in the living area. “I start at the embassy on Monday, and then I’ll go to the satellite campuses for interviews after that—”

“Jodi?” He interjects, his voice becoming worrisome as he observes her untouched plate. “Aren’t you hungry? That’s fresh apple butter.” 

“I can tell it is,” she grins. “I’m just not hungry yet.”

Drake nods in understanding, but suddenly notices her untouched coffee, an early morning staple for a fully functioning Jodi Walker.

“So,” she continues, “I found out some good news.”

Drake sits down to put on his shoes, turning his ear to her. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“A spot opened up at the employee daycare, so I don’t think we need Sav afterall.” 

“Jo,” Drake runs his hands down his face, “we talked about this. Sav is family–”

“And this is the start of our son's education. Did you know that they use the same programs that the nobles use for private lessons–”

Drake grumbles. “Weren’t you just asking me if I thought he was normal?”

“Drake.”  

“--about how if we’ve fucked him up yet?”

“Drake Walker.”  Jodi crosses her arms, raising an eyebrow. “Please don’t start with that noble shit right now. I’m only wanting the best for him. I love Sav, but I want him doing more than just playing with cars and watching television. Not to mention that drive? Everyday? Especially in Valtoria traffic?” 

“You also don’t have to go back to work,” Drake mutters. When he notices the room is silent, he turns around to see a glaring Jodi with her hands on her hips.  He nervously clears his throat. “Sorry. Continue, sweetheart.”

“He needs structure–”

“Have you met Bertrand?”

“Drake,” she rubs her head as if she is developing a headache.  She quietly saunters towards her husband, slowly snaking her hands around his abdomen. “Please. This will be really good for Finn. I promise.” She tightens her embrace, pressing her forehead into his broad chest. “They have an open house in a few weeks that we can go to. Would that make you feel better?”

Drake gently runs his hands up and down his wife’s back, milling around the information he just learned. He takes a deep breath, finally looking down and meeting her pleading gaze. “Fine. Open house, but Savannah until then.”

“Deal.”  Their lips meet briefly, eliciting a soft moan from Jodi.

“Any other benefits I should know about?” Drake sasses.

“Actually…” Jodi bites her bottom lip, “remember how I only got eight weeks off after I had Finn, and only six of them were paid for?”

Drake huffs under his breath as he pulls out his lunchbox to pack. “Don’t remind me… fucking school district is a bunch of crooks.”

Jodi widens her eyes, placing her pointer finger on her mouth as she shifts her eyes to Finn. Drake retracts his head like a turtle before mouthing the word sorry. 

“Anyway,” Jodi jovially rolls her eyes, “so get this: even as a part-time employee, I still get six months of paid maternity leave. Guaranteed.”

“O…kay.” Drake titters, opening up the refrigerator, “is this your subtle-not-so-subtle way of bringing up the baby conversation again?”

“No–I mean… sortof?” She cocks her head, her tongue pressed to the back of her teeth.  

The moment Drake hears the inflection in her voice, he freezes. Then whirls around to face his wife, noticing how extremely tired she looks. Then he turns to face the sink, glancing at her untouched plate and mug of coffee.

“Jo?” His eyes shift suspiciously towards his wife.

“Drake?” She smiles sheepishly.

“You’re… not…” he tries hard to stifle his smile, but the joy in his gaze betrays him.

Jodi shrugs her shoulders before nodding her head enthusiastically, biting her bottom lip. Within seconds, her husband scoops her up in his arms, lifting her off the ground as their lips melt in a tender kiss.

“Are you serious?  Wait… are you sure?”  He whispers. “You’re not fucking with me? We–we’re really having another baby?” Watching her husband fumble with his words, Jodi is consumed with giggles, her cheeks pinking with joy. Before she can even answer a single question, Drake pushes his mouth back into hers, tracing a trail of heated kisses to the back of her neck before finally embracing her tightly, burying his face into her gold locks. Wrapped in each other's arms, they fall into a pleasurable silence as they gently rock each other back and forth, basking in the blessing of turning into a family of four. “I love you, Jo.”

“Love you, Walker," she echoes hoarsely, sharing one last peck on his lips. Suddenly, she bounds to the baby gate where Finn is watching intently, reaching for his parents.  Jodi picks him up, saddling him on her hip as she spins him around. “And… I love you!” She squeals, grabbing his belly, tickling him lightly as he throws his head back with giggles.

“Oh, damnit.”

Jodi abruptly stops, growing concerned as her husband’s face drops. “What’s wrong?”

“I just realized… I’m not gonna have any extra dollar bills for that new stripper–”

Jodi scrunches up her face. “Let’s get Daddy,” she whispers to Finn. They begin to tickle Drake as he shields himself, all the while laughing hysterically. “No strippers, ya hear me? Y’all are going to hire a sweet girl with manners…  that can keep her clothes on during working hours.”

“That’s what strippers do during working hours,” he snorts, enveloping his small family, planting a kiss on Finn's chubby cheek. As Drake tries to smooth down his son's inherited cowlick, he grows quiet, his expression pensive.  “You’re right, you know.”  Drake exhales, becoming more serious. “I do still care… And if I can’t make him feel better, then I hope this crazy plan of hiring a nice girl works.”

“I hope so too, baby.”

“I just hope she can break through to him,” he sighs, “and that it’s not too late.”

~🖤~

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