#even though she emailed me saying her daughter would be late. why did i stay all the way till 5
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i lived
#girl i thought i was going to collapse from the way my chest was burning and my heart was pounding#she was so cheerful and normal i was in shock and she was like 'did you lose sleep over what happened?' in this joking way#and i was like.....i have been crying on and off and feeling sick to my stomach the last two days....i didn't actually say that ofc#i just went 'haha yeah' hgkshfjsjfhdhhd#then at the end of the day i asked her to tell me what really happened and she did and she showed me receipts too#her messages and emails from that parent#so what i got out of that conversation was that the parent was really mad that i was still waiting all the way till 5#even though she emailed me saying her daughter would be late. why did i stay all the way till 5#.....so That was the problem. for some reason#i still don't really get it but ig that's why my boss was like 'this is why you have to let me handle the parents; they're unpredictable'#she said it's something to learn from at the end of the day and not to worry about it#which like. okay. but i still wish she told me about this no correspondence rule in the first place#anyway it's over and i can finally breathe again. seriously feels like i've come back ro life. the last 2 days were nightmarish#i'm actually glad i talked to her after the day was over because being with the kids really helps me feel better. they're so cute
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So remwber how I said that I might not continue the Nina Castillo house fic...
Well...
Ana was sitting in the living room going through her email when her phone rang.Â
âIsla, Hi.â Ana answered the call. âItâs been a while since Iâve heard from you.â
âI know,â Islaâs voice responded, âI have been meaning to call you for weeks, but Iâve been drowning in work.âÂ
âThat is not surprising,â Ana responded, âI read about that project youâre heading, it is huge.â
âIt is, and it is also an immense honor and a responsibility. It is a very good thing though, especially given the attention it requires, Iâll get to stay here more, especially when Marco got that promotion and we just think it's for the best to stay put a little more, for a lot of reasons,â Isla continued, âThis is not what I called you to talk about. That was that GastĂłn told us that you moved.âÂ
âOh yes, we did, with Nina.â Ana nodded, âShe actually told me that you live in this area too.âÂ
âAlways trust the kids get information across on our behalf,â Isla laughed before getting more serious, âI do have to mention that he also told us why you moved. I guess congratulations are in order. German Castillo, really?âÂ
âI guess you could say it like that. I donât really want to make a number about it.â
âNew phase in life, nonetheless. It's never too late.â Islaâs voice noted, âNow I am actually finally getting to the point why I even called. Marco and I would love to have you two over for dinner sometime.â
âThat would be lovely, but I am not sure when we can make that happen.â
âYouâll give us a date and weâll make it work. We insist.âÂ
âWho was that?â German walked out of his office.Â
âIsla.â Ana put her phone away after the call disconnected. German made a confused face. âOh, you obviously donât know who from that. Isla Perida.â
âOh, so⊠Mother of that boyfrined of Ninaâs?â German questioned.Â
âWell, yes, she is his mother, but weâre are also friends,â Ana explained, âActually, it is quite an interesthing story, how I did some legal work for her and her husband when Nina was about five. They were in their 20s just starting out. We got along quite well, it was quite unfortyunate that we didnât stay in touch. So, it was quite pleasant to find out that Nina was after their son. Surely you know Isla and Marco too, given their promidence today.â
âI do know them,â German nodded, âIn a professional level, and I guess socially as well, but I would say vry personal friends. I didnât know they had a child.â
âNot many people do.â Ana responded, âTheyâre really privated that way, donât voplunteer much information about him if tehy donât have to. Quite undestandable given their background and ecerything they have been though, that they donât truth just anybody. It has obviously been the right decision, given how well ajusted and raised GastĂłn is.âÂ
âSoâŠyou approve or him and your daughter?â German questioned.Â
âWhy wouldnât I? Nina could have found much worse.â
I didn't lie, but maybe now we actually will be continuing it....
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Doctorâs Note
We all know how Lila fakes having different diseases and medical problems, but what would happen if she actually got sick and her mother went to the school to drop off a doctorâs note and pick up Lilaâs assignments? Want the answer? Warm-Fuzzies and please enjoy!
Greta Rossi could admit that she was a bit of a workaholic. Being the secretary to the assistant ambassador of Italy, in a city that was constantly under attack by a magical terrorist, was not the easiest job in the world either. It took a lot of early mornings, late nights, and even some weekends to make sure everything was prepared for her boss. But that didnât mean that she wouldnât drop everything for her one and only daughter when she needed her.Â
Right now, for example, Lila was trapped in bed with a nasty case of strep throat. The poor girl had a fever, white pustules at the back of her throat, and could hardly stop coughing. It was only due to some very strong medicine that she was able to stop coughing long enough to pass out from exhaustion.Â
She had contacted her work to let them know she would be taking the week off, and the ambassador had been very understanding. Stressing that he knew how dedicated she was to her work and that it was good for her to take time off for her family. It was only after Lila was sound asleep that she made the phone call to her school, she wanted to make sure they knew why Lila was staying home and that she would be in later that afternoon to pick up her daughterâs assignments for the next week.
The principal, M. Damocles was his name, seemed very happy to have spoken to her and said that he would have her assignments waiting when she came to pick them up. Also, if she could bring the doctorsâ notes with her, that would be very much appreciated.
Checking again that Lila was sound asleep, she left a note on her daughterâs bedside table that she was running some errands, would be home soon, and to text her if she needed anything.Â
Arriving at the school, she was surprised to see everything running so smoothly and that the reconstruction after the two month akuma attack had been gone so well. She was impressed that she couldnât even tell the difference between the old and new parts of the building. But then, she wasnât overly skilled with architecture or building construction, so that wasnât a surprise to her.Â
A few knocks on the door and she entered M. Damocles office. She had only met the man a couple times, but he had seemed like a decent person. It was a shame that he had been akumatized for so long and she was curious about what had happened to cause him to be akumatized, but she wasnât sure if it was proper to ask him.
âMme. Rossi, good to see you. I understand that Lila has fallen ill?â He asked, spinning around to grab a blue folder behind his desk.
âYes, the poor dear has strep throat and has been coughing nonstop for days.â Greta told him as she pulled the doctorâs note from her purse. âHereâs the note you requested, do you have her homework packet?â
Damocles looked over the note for a moment before nodding and looking at her expectantly. âThank you, do you have her other doctorâs notes?â
Greta tilted her head in confusion. âDoes she need more than one? Itâs just strep throat, she should be back to school after next week.â
âNo madam, this is all I need for her current leave from school. I was referring to the doctorâs notes for her tinnitus, arthritis, sprained wrist, and her lying disease. That last one especially, and any information you can give me on accommodating that one so we do not have a repeat of the incident last month.â
Nothing in the world could have kept her jaw from dropping. What he had just told her? âM. Damocles, everything you just said is completely false. Lila has no such ailments, and I donât think there is such a thing as a lying disease, unless you are referring to pathological lying.â
The man blinked back at her a few times before raising one hand to rub his brow. âOh my, Mme. Rossi, I believe you and I must have a long discussion about the things your daughter has been saying and doing since she started school here.â
Her legs were stiff as she lowered herself into a chair, a sick feeling growing in her stomach as M. Damocles pulled a different folder out from his desk.
~oOo~
Over two hours later, many truths had finally come out.Â
1) The school had never closed for months due to akumas.Â
2) When M. Damocles had been akumatized, it had been at night and did no damage to the school.Â
3) Greta was not the ambassador, but a secretary.Â
4) Lila did not suffer from any diseases.Â
5) They had been in Paris since Lila had started school, no globetrotting whatsoever.Â
6) She and her husband were not estranged, he had simply wanted to stay at his dream job in Venice and she would never force him to leave it for her temporary assignment here in Paris.Â
7) Lilaâs grandmother was alive and had never owned or given Lila a foxtail necklace.Â
8) The phone number on file was Lilaâs number, not Gretaâs. And the email was supposed to be â.govâ not â.comâ.
Damocles had also called one of Lilaâs classmates to his office, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. When the principal told Greta about the incident from the previous month, she was shocked. Then Marinette told them her side of the story; all the lies, the threats, and finally setting the poor girl up to be expelled. Greta had never been so angry with her daughter in her life. Sure, she had been a good little story teller and actress when she was little, but she never would have thought she could be so cruel.
By the end of her explanation, Marinette was practically in tears.
When she mentioned that Adrien Agreste also knew of Lilaâs lies, he was called to the office as well. He was a little more reluctant to talk about what Lila had been saying, but Greta insisted that she wanted to know what her daughter had been doing since coming to school, so he told her. If she hadnât been disgusted before, she definitely was now. Getting Adrienâs fatherâs employees in trouble, lying about being friends with Ladybug all while telling Greta that she was a useless hero, sexually harassing Adrien while the boy didnât even realize that was what she was doing to him. She had become a Gabriel model without her permission, which meant that Lila had likely forged her signatures on the contracts, so she would need to contact M. Agreste to get that sorted out. One of the things that surprised her was hearing that Lila had been akumatized, not once or twice, but three times!Â
Not long after that, M. Damocles dismissed the children so he and Greta could finish speaking. He told her that, due to falsifying contact records and two months of truancy, Lila was likely to be expelled. Greta accepted this, knowing that she would have done the same thing in that manâs position. In fact, she already had a plan forming on how to thoroughly punish her deceitful daughter. And since Lila had basically been quarantined for the next week and a half, she knew exactly what to do.
First, she began the paperwork to have Lila pulled out of Francois Dupont, effective immediately and asked to go speak to Lilaâs classmates. After hearing what her daughter had put Marinette through, she wanted to make sure everyone knew the truth. Damocles allowed this, first pulling Mme. Bustier from the class to alert her as to what was happening. The woman was appalled to hear what had happened but insisted that she had been in contact with her for months via email, to which Greta informed her that it was not her email, but one that Lila had likely set up to keep the school from contacting her. This shocked the teacher to the point where she heavily leaned against the wall and M. Damocles had to support her to keep from collapsing.
When Greta was finally permitted to address the class and debunk the lies that her daughter had been spewing, there had been a lot of shock and questions to follow. But when a girl named Alya began furiously typing on her phone to blow up at Lila, Greta stopped her.
âIâm going to ask that none of you contact Lila from now on.â Alya and the other students looked at her in surprise, but she continued before anyone could interrupt. âI have already begun putting her punishment into motion and know for a fact that it will not be something she will forget anytime soon. So I ask that you do not call, text, or email her. If she attempts to contact you, tell her that you are busy and canât talk. If she attempts to invite you over or make plans for the future, tell her that you are unavailable or that you already have plans. If she makes any threats or rude remarks to anyone, please forward those messages to me, I will leave my number for you to do so. Do this so that I may move forward with her punishment without her suspecting that I have discovered the truth.â
Having finally had the wool lifted from their eyes, the students realized just how much attention Lila seemed to demand on a daily basis. So, by acting like they were too busy for her or not in the mood to talk, that will drive her crazy and be a nice bit of revenge for lying to them. The class agreed.
After that, Greta headed home to find that Lila was still asleep but beginning to wake up, if the coughing was any indicator. While still having the chance, she called up her husband back in Venice.
âPronto.â
âMio amor, how are you? How are things at the school?â
âAh, mia bella, the school is wonderful, though I must admit, my urge to see you and Lila grows by the minute. When will you come to visit me?â
âVery soon, actually. Iâm afraid that you and I need to have a talk about our daughter.â About thirty minutes and a lot of cursing later, Ciro Rossi was now completely up to date on the actions of their daughter.
âI wish to say that I cannot believe Lila would do such things, but I canât help remembering that boy, Roberto, from two years ago.â
Yes, Greta remembered him well. He had been a very popular boy at Lilaâs school; handsome, rich, from a very well connected family, and from what she understood, completely dedicated to his boyfriend. She hadnât paid him much attention until Lila came home crying that Roberto had attempted to sexually assault her. Greta and Ciro had refused to let such a thing go unchecked and went to the police to report him. During the weeks to follow, Roberto was put through hell; bullied at school, he was beaten up a few times, his boyfriend broke up with him, and his name slandered all over Venice. They had believed what happened to the boy to be justified⊠until proof was provided that he was nowhere near Lila when she claimed to have been assaulted.Â
She suddenly recanted her story, saying that she must have been mistaken and someone that looked like Roberto assaulted her, but the damage had already been done. The boy and his family moved somewhere far away, and Greta and Ciro were forced to pay restitution to Roberto for ruining his name and reputation. Through her tears, Lila convinced them that it had been an honest mistake and that she hadnât meant for any of that to happen. It wasnât long after that, Greta received an offer to be the secretary for the assistant ambassador in Paris. Lila had begged her mother to go with her, claiming that her classmates were now bullying her for what happened to Roberto. Wanting to protect their daughter, they agreed.
Looking back on it now, and noticing the similarities between Roberto and Adrien, both Greta and Ciro were disappointed in themselves for not seeing the truth. Which likely was that Lila had tried to get close to Roberto for his money and connections, and when he turned her down, she lied about the assault to ruin his life, much like she had done to Marinette. And when it came out that she had lied about Roberto, her classmates had turned on her. So when she got the chance to start somewhere new, with people who didnât know about her lies, she took it. Not caring if she harmed anyone at her new school while repeating old habits. But they were not about to let Lila do the same thing to Adrien or Marinette. Once Greta told her husband her plan, he was all for it and began preparing things on his end. By the time Lila was done being sick, her entire life would have turned upside down.
~oOo~
It took a lot more effort than Greta had expected to hide her intentions for the nine days it took for Lila to get over her case of strep throat, but she had been making good use of that time.Â
She had contacted Gabriel Agresteâs secretary and asked about any contracts that may have been signed. When she told her she hadnât signed any contract and that her daughter would no longer be modelling, the woman had no choice but to accept this and inform M. Agreste of this development. The woman also informed Greta that such a breach of contract would result in Lila being blacklisted from the fashion industry. She agreed and promised that she would inform her daughter of this once she was better.
Greta then looked into Lilaâs savings and trust fund, of which she had control of since Lila was still a minor. She drained the accounts to pay restitutions to Marinette for bullying and slander, Adrien for sexual harassment; and then sent the rest of it to Roberto, along with a message that she was now completely aware of the type of person her daughter was and would be adequately punished very soon.
And to keep too much suspicion off of her, Greta began mentioning to Lila how her father desperately wanted to see her after she got better, so after the doctor gave her a clean bill of health, they would be going to Venice to see him. Now that she was watching, Greta saw the twinge of uncertainty at the mention of Venice, but quickly covered it with false excitement for going back to visit her father.
As the day grew closer that they would be heading to Italy, Greta also noticed Lila glaring at her phone with utter malice. She might not have known what was going on if Lilaâs classmate, Alya, wasnât keeping her up-to-date on what Lila was telling them. Her daughter was attempting to tell the class that she was going to be going on a trip with a famous singer after she was better, but her classmates were doing as Greta asked and treating the lies as if they meant nothing. When she accused Marinette of calling her a liar while she was sick and couldnât defend herself, the class stopped responding.Â
One message that was forwarded to Greta nearly had her abandoning her plan and confronting her daughter at that moment. It was a message that Lila had sent to Marinette, who had shared it with Alya, who then forwarded it to Greta. It read:
You fugly, no talent bitch! You think I donât know what youâre doing? Those stupid sheep were eating up every single one of my lies before I got sick, and now they wonât even talk to me! Just you wait. When I get back to school, Iâm going to ruin you in every way imaginable. No one will want to be your friend. By the time Iâm done with you, I hope you kill yourself. Maybe Iâll convince someone that you tried to kill me and theyâll kill you for me. Either way, youâre dead. And even if you show someone these messages, no one will believe you over me.Â
Greta forwarded the message to Ciro as well. He called her right away to discuss other accommodations that they would be making for Lila in the coming days. There was something seriously wrong with their daughter, and they refused to turn a blind eye to what was happening.
When the day finally came that Lila was better and they were heading to Venice, Greta instructed Lila not to pack her more expensive clothes as she would not want to lose them if their baggage got lost. What her daughter didnât know was that Greta was planning on selling all of her designer clothes, jewelry, her electronics, and everything else to continue paying restitutions to Marinette, Adrien, and Roberto. And it wasnât like she would need them soon, anyway.
The plane ride was a bit nerve racking for Greta, as she worried about giving something away and Lila figuring out her plan; but if she did, it didnât show. When they landed at Venice Marco Polo Airport, she had to resist her sigh of relief. The plan was almost ready to be put in action.Â
When she saw Ciro waiting for them in his dress whites, her heart sped a bit more. The man was, without a doubt, the most handsome man sheâd ever met, and was the love of her life. Being away from him for so long was difficult, but what else could they do? Her husband was a Capitano di Vascello of the Italian Navy and had worked very hard to get where he was. Although he was semi-retired now and no longer served on a ship, he had followed his dream and became the Vice Principal for the premier naval academy in Venice, Francesco Morosini Naval Military School.Â
He had gone to the school when he was younger and always claimed that it was the best experience he could have ever wished for. That being in that school saved his life. So when he continued into the navy to serve his country, he made it his goal to one day become the Principal of the school that saved him, so that he could do the same for other students. And now, they would be doing the same for Lila.
Greta and Ciro had thought of admitting Lila to Francesco Morosini when she came of age, but quickly realized that she was not the Navy type and did not want to force her into it. That choice was no longer Lilaâs and she would be staying at the military school where it was Ciroâs job, not only as a father, but as an administrator of the school, to keep a close eye on any problem children.
Ciro embraced Greta and then Lila before taking their bags and walking them to his car. Lila was talking at length to her father about all her friends at school, all the happenings in Paris, and even mentioned her boyfriend, Adrien Agreste.
âYou would like him, Papa. Heâs a model, a gentleman, and his father is the designer, Gabriel Agreste. And he treats me like a princess!â Lila gushed as she showed her father a picture of Lila kissing the blonde boyâs cheek. Greta had seen that picture and had even asked Adrien about it while they had spoken in M. Damocles office. Lila had apparently kissed him without permission when she took that picture, and then sent it to every girl in Adrienâs contact list to make it seem like they were dating.Â
Ciro played along, asking questions about her classes, Adrien, the akuma situation that he had heard about over the news, and other things to keep Lila from growing suspicious. Sure enough, she prattled on through the entire car and ferry ride to Venice. Only seeming to look around questioning when they arrived at the Naval school, rather than their apartment.
âWhat are we doing here?â She asked, looking at her father in confusion.
The two parents dropped the act and glared at their daughter in disappointment and anger. âIâm surprised at you, young lady,â Greta started. âDid you really think you could keep lying to us? We. Know. Everything.â
They watched as her olive skin quickly paled. âWhat do you mean? I didnât lie, I sw-â
âWe know the school never closed,â Ciro interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument or interruption. âWe know about you lying to your classmates and teachers about having disabilities and diseases. We know about you changing our contact information on your school records. We know about you bullying and sexually harassing your classmates. We know about the threats youâve made to that one girl. We know that youâve been akumatized multiple times. We know the truth about what you really did to Roberto two years ago! WE KNOW EVERYTHING!â
With every word he said, Lila seemed to inch away from her irate parents and shrink into herself. At the same time, they saw the rage and contemplation in her eyes. She was angry at being caught and was already trying to think of a way out of trouble. Not that they would give her a chance to even try.
âBut I didnât li-â
âLie number one, Ladybug is a useless superhero that let your school get damaged and spent months trying to deakumatize your principal, which is why you were out of school for two months.â Greta interrupted that time, pinning her daughter with a glare that she usually reserved for idiot interns who screwed up important paperwork at the embassy. âI personally spoke to your principal and looked into Ladybug. The school never closed. Ladybug and Chat Noir have always defeated the akumas and restored the damage thanks to their abilities. And you told the school that you and I were off globetrotting to places like Achu.â
Her eyes grew to the size of saucers. She was just beginning to stammer out an excuse when her father spoke over her.
âLie number two, a girl named Marinette Dupain-Cheng has been bullying you because she is jealous of your relationship with your boyfriend, Adrien Agreste. We have seen the texts that you have sent that girl, the most recent saying,â Ciro pulled out his phone to read off of the text ââ...Iâm going to ruin you in every way imaginable. No one will want to be your friend. By the time Iâm done with you, I hope you kill yourselfâŠâ Does that sound familiar to you?âÂ
âI also personally spoke to Adrien after I spoke to Marinette, and found out that not only are you not his girlfriend, but you have been sexually harassing him! You even showed us proof in that picture you took where you kissed him!â
âBut thatâs not sexual harassment!â Lila shot back at them as her panic grew.
âAny unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment. Your mother and I memorized that when you accused Roberto of assault, which is another thing you lied about! And let me guess, you wanted to use that boyâs popularity and family connections for a leg-up, but he turned down your advances since he was gay. You didnât take that rejection well, so you told us he assaulted you. Is that what happened?â
âHow did you-â Lila interrupted herself that time by slapping her hand over her mouth, quickly realizing that she had confirmed what her father had just said.
âWell, congratulations young lady. You have earned a complete overhaul on your life.âÂ
âWhat do you mean?â Lila didnât want to know, but it seemed like she had no choice but to ask.
âYour modelling contract with Gabriel is done,â Greta told her, noticing her wince since they werenât supposed to know about that either. âI spoke with his assistant and discovered that you forged my signatures on the contracts to let you model. They were kind enough not to pursue legal action against you, but they have asked that I inform you that you have been blacklisted from the fashion industry, so that career option is completely closed off to you.â
âYour mother educated your friends at school with the truth. They know about all your lies and have kept us apprised of what you have been saying, the rumors you have been attempting to spread about going on a trip with a random music star, and were kind enough to forward that threatening message you sent to that girl, Marinette. They are no longer interested in being your âsheepâ.â
âNot that you will be returning to that school,â Greta continued. âYour truancy has made that impossible, even if we did want you to stay there to face the consequences of your actions. Which includes paying restitution to the people youâve hurt.â
âPaying!â Ciro and Greta watched as Lilaâs right eye began to twitch as she snapped at them.
âYes, paying. Iâve already emptied out your savings and trust fund to pay back Marinette, Adrien, and Roberto for what youâve done to them-â
âYou canât do that! Thatâs my money!â She screamed, stomping her foot at her mother like a five year old throwing a tantrum.
âMoney that you earned illegally modelling after forging my signature. And you are a minor, I am well within my rights to take that money to pay for the damages you have incurred. I will also be selling your laptop, tablet, mobile phone, as well as the clothes and jewelry you left in Paris. Seeing as you wonât be needing them anymore.â
As she said this, Lila clutched her phone and hugged it against her chest. âHow am I supposed to talk to anyone without my phone?â
âPen and paper, and if you need to speak with your mother, thereâs my office phone or the payphone in the barracks, where you will be staying.âÂ
The girlâs eyes grew impossibly wide as she looked at her parents in a panic. They couldnât meanâŠ
Ciro smiled the smile that he used to greet the families whose children were in need of discipline. âWelcome to Francesco Morosini Naval Military School, where we strive to give children an education that will help them for their future and the world that waits for them.â
~oOo~
There had been a lot of begging, crying, and screaming after that as Lila did everything she could to try and change her parentsâ minds. This was a total nightmare for her. Forced to wear a uniform she hated. Surrounded by students, teachers, and her father; all of whom knew that she was a liar. No one gave her the type of attention she craved, but everyone was giving her the overly watchful attention she despised. She couldnât even enjoy becoming an akuma anymore, as she was far out of Hawkmothâs reach.
Greta and Ciro had gone out to dinner afterwards in an attempt to de-stress, only to get a call an hour later that Lila had tried to steal a boat and run away from the school. She was put on a 24/7 watch after that, now required to wear a tracking monitor wherever she went and was on bathroom and floor cleaning duty for the foreseeable future.
When Greta returned to Paris, she went about doing exactly as she promised. She sold Lilaâs electronics, clothes, and jewelry; only keeping a pair of plastic stud earrings that her grandmother had given her. She met with M. Damocles again to let him know that everything had been taken care of. She contacted the Dupain-Cheng family to let them know that Lila wouldnât be bothering their daughter again. That was probably the most pleasant thing she did, as they were a lovely family and sent her off with a box of assorted scones, so yummy! When she had them send a box of goodies to her husband in Venice, he called her a few days later and begged her to send more whenever she could.
Lila absolutely hated seeing her father enjoy pastries from the bakery of her rivalâs family. That, along with being forced to talk to a psychiatrist three times a week to make her admit that she was a liar and to figure out why she feels the need to lie. All while wearing a horrible uniform and actually having to clean. She was in her own personal hell. How she wished that she had never gotten sick.
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#lila salt#lila gets exposed#lila lies#lila karma#lila bashing#mlbjustice#miraculous ladybug#lila's parents#parenting done right
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-Chapter One- Teacher!Charlie Gillespie x Single!Mom!Reader
(Not My Gif)
This Story Was INSPIRED By @boyfriendskywalker Who Deactivated Their Account While Writing The Charlie Gillespie Kindergarten Teacher Story. I Have Taken It Upon Myself To Write My Own Version With Some Of The Storyline They Used. So, ALL Credit For Part Of The Storyline Goes To Them. This Will Be A Series, And I Will Finish It.
Description: Just Read It While I Try To Come Up With One--GOT IT! Okay, so Y/N L/N is a single mother of her daughter Y/D/N. Having it been four years since the father walked away. Y/N taught herself to never trust a man, but when Y/D/Nâs teacher uses his charm to worm his way into her life, will she finally be able to open herself up to love again?
Warnings: Language, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of mental abuse, and as the story goes on Iâll think of more. But, be prepared for some angst.
-Chapter One-
âOne, two, three, four--â
âMama?â Y/N looks down at the doe-eyed 5 year old. âWhy are you counting?âÂ
With a head shake, she presses her fingers onto her temples, gently massaging them. âMamaâs just tired, baby,â she explains, calmly. âAnd has a migraine.â Now flashing her daughter, Y/D/N, a fake smile, she starts the car. âAre you ready for school? Not gonna cause trouble again⊠Are you?âÂ
âI donât cause trouble!â Y/D/N argues, lightly kicking the back of the passenger seat. âMy classmates also cause trouble, I just resolve it differently than others.â She crosses her arms with a huff.
Y/N furrows her eyebrows at her daughter's words. âAre you sure youâre five?âÂ
âI like to say Iâm six,â she says, casually.
The seriousness of the young girlâs demeanor was enough to make Y/N fall into a fit of laughter. âWell alrighty then. Six it is.â She pulls into a parking space. âWe are here,â she announces, unbuckling her seat belt.
âFinally!â Y/D/N wrestles to get out of her car seat. âCould you help me out?âÂ
Y/N gets out of the car, rushing to grab her majesty from the backseat. âDo you have everything?â she asks, setting Y/D/N down on the pavement.Â
Y/D/N shrugs, but resorts to saying, âYes.âÂ
âGood.â Y/N takes Y/D/Nâs hand, guiding her into the colorful building they both grew to love and hate.Â
âMs. L/N,â a female teacher says, only giving a stiff nod towards the women.
âMrs. Winchester,â she replies mimicking the gesture. Both her and Y/D/N shiver when she passes by. âShe scares me.â
Y/D/N nods dramatically, agreeing. âI think sheâs a ghost,â she stage-whispers.
âDefinitely.â Though Y/Nâs tone mightâve been teasing, she wouldnât be surprised if she actually was.Â
âHello Y/D/N!â Another young female teacher waves before meeting Y/Nâs eyes. âUghâŠâ She continues to walk without giving Y/N a proper greeting.
âGood morning to you too,â she mumbles under her breath.Â
Only a couple more awkward encounters were experienced until she heard the loud shrill of-- âMr. Gillespie!â Y/D/N lets go of Y/Nâs hand, sprinting towards the man that she called her teacher.
âGood morning Miss Y/D/N!â he greets verbally, along with a big hug. âAnd look whoâs with you.â He moves from his crouched position to stand as tall as he could next to Y/N. âGood morning, Y/N.âÂ
âGood morning, Mr. Gillespie,â she responds. âNice to feel welcomed.â Her tone turned a little colder than what it was. âI swear it was either just someone saying my name, or a judgement glare.âÂ
âYouâll warm up to them,â he assures.Â
âLike I warmed up to you?â she questions. âDonât put me under the impression that you actually like me, please, itâll just blow my ego right out of proportion.â She uses her hands to demonstrate.
He doesnât respond, only showing her a bright smile.
The bell rings, signaling both of them to go their separate directions. âMr. Gillespie the bell rang,â a student calls out.Â
Y/N snaps out of her little daze. âAnd I guess Y/D/N already went to her seat. See? I knew she wasnât that much of a troublemaker, but you know--â she cuts herself off seeing his amused expression. âYou have to teach,â she blurts. âRight! Sorry, Iâll let you get to that. Bye Y/D/N!â she shouts into the filled room, Y/D/Nâs face going into a look of horror. âLove you, stay safe andâŠâ She salutes Charlie. âGood luck.â With a turn on her heel she goes to leave the building, mentally face palming herself on the way.
When in the safe space of her car, she allows her head to fall forward, which only led to her accidentally setting the horn off. It wasnât like sheâs not used to people. With being a hostess at a restaurant, all she did was talk, see, and meet a variety of different personalities and personas. But, after having to raise a daughter on her own you can say her cool way of talking, and the ability to form well rounded sentences went downhill. Baby talk does that.
âSo, what youâre trying to tell me is that you like your daughterâs hot teacher?â her friend, Madison, asks. Madison was a little bit younger than Y/N was, Madison being seventeen and Y/N being twenty-four, she couldnât help but bond with the girl.Â
âThatâs not what I said,â Y/N remarks, wiping down a table.Â
âThen why are you blushing?â
âBecause youâre embarrassing me!â Y/N whines.
âAnd Iâm the teenager,â Madison snickers.
Y/N blows some of her hair out of her face. âI wonât deny that heâs⊠Decent looking, but the problem is in the question. âDaughterâs teacherâ,â she repeats the words Madison said earlier.Â
âYou told me that Y/D/N canât get enough of what you only call âMr. Gillespieâ, I donât even know his first name.â She scrunches up the right side of her face.Â
âBecause itâs informal.âÂ
âHe calls you by your first name,â Madison replies back, bluntly. âBut, back to the point. If Y/D/N really likes him then whatâs the problem?âÂ
Y/N stops her movements, giving Madison a blank stare. She opens her mouth to answer, but closes it. âI just canât, okay? Can we please drop it?âÂ
Madisonâs eyes soften when seeing Y/Nâs pleading ones. âYeah, sure.â She leans against one of the tables.Â
âHello!â someone calls out from a few feet away. âWeâve been standing here for like ten minutes, can we be seated?â The annoyance on the man's face was evident.
Y/N sends Madison a cheeky smirk. âYouâre on, Mads.âÂ
She stomps her foot, discreetly, going to the group of people who are most likely âhangryâ. Y/N glances at her watch, seeing how it was about time she headed out for her break and got Y/D/N from school, only to have the last minute babysitter she found that morning watch her for the rest of the day, so Y/N can finish her shift. It wasnât the most ideal schedule, but it worked. It paid the bills, it put food on the table--could it be the reason Y/D/N throws fits, and tantrums in classrooms, and seeks attention? Maybe.
âWe need to set up a meeting.âÂ
Y/N gapes at Mr. Gillespie who for the first time sheâs seen with a stern look on his face. âWh-why?â she stutters.
âI know you arenât blind to see that Y/D/N isâŠâ His voice fades off. âThe Principal wants to set up a conference with you, me, Y/D/N, and the counselor after school one of these days.â
Y/Nâs frown gets wider, glancing over towards Y/D/N in the seat next to her. The girl only kept her eyes glued to her shoes. âThe only days Iâm off of work are Saturdays, Sundayâ and Wednesdays.â She pulls out her phone, scrolling through the calendar. âYeah, only those days, I donât know if any of those days would work butâŠâÂ
âYou work all those other days?â He raises an eyebrow at her.
âYeah,â she answers, not thinking too much about it. She gasps loudly, when it hits her. âWork!â She looks at her watch. âIâm gonna be late going back.â She stands up. âIâll send you an email tonight on what time works best for me, and then you as a faculty can talk amongst yourselves if it works for you. Iâm gonna take my kid now, and go, so I donât have to keep being stared at with that look you and all the other teachers give me.â She takes Y/D/Nâs hand, the slight pull of it noticeable enough to have Y/N make a mental note.. âHave a nice rest of your day, Mr. Gillespie.
âBye, bye,â Y/D/N finally whispers towards him. With a weak wave they both leave the room, once out of sight running for the door. âWhy were we running?â she asks, when Y/N starts to speed to their house.
âBecause Mamaâs gonna be late to work, and is now stressed because we have to talk to adults who donât like her very much,â she pauses. âYou and I need to have a very, very, serious conversation when I get back home on where your behavior is coming from.âÂ
âBut, I donât wanna,â Y/D/N cries.
âI know you donât want to, I donât want to, but itâs one of the cons of being a parent, I have to be strict at times when you donât follow the rules.â
âBut--âÂ
âDonât make me yell at you,â Y/N warns. âYou and I both hate yelling when youâre in trouble, so I think weâd both appreciate it if you promise to be good until Iâm back, no arguing.âÂ
Y/D/N slowly feels the tears come to her eyes. âMr. Gillespie never yells at me.â
The name made Y/N freeze a little. Was he a part of the reason?Â
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@yagorlemmalyn @justxfolio @charliegillespiewife
#jatp#jatp imagines#julie and the phantoms#alex mercer#jatp fanfiction#julie molina#luke patterson#luke patterson imagine#reggie peters#charlie gillespie#charliegillespieedit#charlie gillespie fluff#charlie gillespie x reader#charlie gillespie x y/n#charlie gillespie fanfiction#charlie gillespie fic#jatp x reader#sunset curve#julie and the phat ones#netflix#jatp netflix#owen joyner#jeremy shada#madison reyes#owen patrick joyner#jadah marie#savannah lee may#luke jatp#luke patterson x reader
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Part One - âCall me Jane.â
a/n: hereâs part one of nanny!H, Iâm very excited about this series. Iâm not sure how many parts itâs going to be, so please donât ask lmao. Once I know how many parts itâll be, Iâll make a master post for it. Iâm just too excited not at least share the first part because Harry is just too cute in this! Feedback and reblogs are super helpful, and keep me motivated, especially when it comes to writing series. (not proofread) You can support me here if youâre able!
Warnings: none...for now
Words: 4.1K
Pairing: Harry x OC (Jane Watson)
Master Post
Harry found himself in a real bind. He was twenty-six years old, had an early childhood education degree, and the daycare he worked at was going under. He had just been promoted a month prior too, how could things go wrong so quickly? Times like this he really hated that he stayed in the states. Childcare services werenât nearly as fucked up back home. His dream was to save up enough money to open up his own pre-school at some point, but it was really tough.
There was this weird stigma that if adult men wanted to work with babies and toddlers then that made them a pedophile or something of the sort. That wasnât the case with Harry. His minor in school was psychology because cognitive development intrigued him. He also loved babies and little ones. He loved watching them learn and discover.
Only now, he was without a job in an already struggling field. He and the other employees werenât exactly given a big notice before they were told the business was going under. Harry mostly felt bad for the parents of the kids that had to find new child care centers. He knew heâd have to compete with his co-workers for any available jobs, and he knew they were bound to find places before him because they were women. It was their fault, and he knew it. He was experiencing a prejudice that they must face all the time.
He looked into Care.com, but none of the jobs on there seemed like long-term gigs, and he didnât want to just be a glorified baby sitter. He figured if he could find a well paying nannying job, he could do that for a bit until finding a job at a new facility, or even set up his dream pre-school. During his search on Indeed, he saw a position for a live-in nanny â jackpot! Live-in meant long-term, and long-term meant lots of money. It also meant he could get rid of his apartment and not have to pay rent for a while. He clicked on the ad that was posted only a couple of weeks ago.
Live-in Nanny Needed for Help with Eight-Month-Old
Minimum requirements:
·       Bachelorâs in either early childhood education or elementary education
·       At least two yearsâ experience working babies/children
Three professional references required
Applicant is subject to thorough background check for the safety of the child and mother.
Other tasks as needed include:
·       Cooking
·       Light cleaning
·       Grocery shopping/running other errands
If applicant is selected, they will be paid a flat rate of $1600 bi-weekly, will live in âin-lawâ section of the house, and a car will be provided for them. A resume, cover letter, and three professional references may be sent directly to [email protected]
After reading everything over, this seemed like Harryâs best bet. Some of it seemed a little too good to be true, but this was a risk he needed to take right now. He just hoped the position hadnât already been filled. That night he spent some time updating his LinkedIn, making sure all of his privacy settings were up to date on all of his social media, and then wrote out a resume and cover letter. The last part was his least favorite because he knew a proper resume and cover letter had to be curated to the specific job, and it made things all the more tedious. By the time he was done, it was late. He didnât want to seem unprofessional, so he waited to send the email until the next morning.
Subject: Nannying Advert on Indeed
From: [email protected]
Good morning,
My name is Harry and Iâm interested in the nannying advert youâve posted on Indeed. For the last four years Iâve been working at P.B. & J.âs Child Care Center, and was recently promoted to team lead. Unfortunately, the business itself couldnât remain afloat, and I was laid off.
Attached are my resume and cover letter. Iâd be happy to provide the three references if I end up being considered for the position.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Harry
Treat People With Kindness
He closes his laptop with a satisfied sigh after proofreading his email ten different times before he hit send. He takes a sip from his coffee, and sits back on his sofa. Now all he had to do was wait.
//
There was radio silence for two days. Harry was starting to think he would need to keep job hunting. He had bills to pay, and the last thing he wanted to do was ask his parents for help. They already looked down on his profession as it was. If he had his own car heâd become an uber driver or something, but he didnât so he couldnât. Then, by some stroke of luck, at 4:55PM on a Thursday, he gets an email from the address he had been hoping to see pop up.
Subject: Re: Nannying Advert on Indeed
From: [email protected]
Good evening Harry,
My name is Jane Watson, thank you so much for your application. My apologies it has taken me a couple of days to get back to you. I am usually more responsive, but things have been a little crazy at work as of late. Upon further review of your resume and over letter, I would like to offer you an interview this Saturday at noon, if you are available. I can be flexible if that day and time do not work for you.
If you are able to come, and are still interested in the position, I ask that you please bring your references with you. I will want to call them right away. I am sure you can understand me wanting to thoroughly look into you before letting you into my daughterâs life.
I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
All my best,
Jane
Harry responded to her right away, he didnât care how eager he seemed. He told her Saturday at noon worked great, and that he would definitely have his references, and anything else he needed to provide. She emailed him back an hour or so later with her cell phone number and address. For the first time in a while, Harry felt like he could breathe again. He knew it wasnât a done deal that heâd be getting the job, but he was being given a chance, and for that he was thankful.
//
He wanted to make a good first impression on Saturday, so he made sure to wash his hair in the shower, and use his good mousse so his hair would look more orderly. He shaved to give himself that clean and sleek look, this was not a day to appear scruffy. He knew he didnât need to be overly dressed up, but he also knew that youâre supposed to dress for the job you want and not the job you have. He irons a pair of tan slacks and pairs it with a blue button up. Not to brag, but his bum looked great in these slacks, and it was giving him all the confidence in the world. He puts on a floral tie, just to show a bit of his personality, makes sure his nail polish isnât chipped, and makes sure all of his rings are looking shiny. He takes an uber out to Janeâs house. It was in a gated community, which he was expecting since he looked up the house beforehand. He wondered what she or her husband did for work to live in a place like this. Or perhaps she inherited the home? Either way, he was excited.
He thanks the driver, and knocks on the door as he was instructed to do. A woman with silver hair that was up in a nice bun opens the door.
âHello, you must be Mr. Styles.â She smiles.
âYes, hello.â He smiles back.
âIâm MaryAnne, please come in.â She steps aside to let Harry in.
âThank you.â
âMiss Watson is just pumping, but you can wait for her here in her office.â She leads Harry down a corridor where he meets a grand double door. MaryAnne opens them and shows him inside. âMake yourself comfortable, dear. Can I get you anything? Coffee, water, tea?â
âIâm all set, but thank you very much.â
The woman nods and leaves him in the room alone. He stays standing as he didnât want to assume where he should be sitting. There was a gorgeous desk with two chairs on the other side, but there was also a small round table with four chairs around it in the corner. She clearly held a lot of meetings here, or so it would seem. To pass the time he looks over her bookshelves, scanning over what she might be into. She seemed to be into fiction, but he had never heard of any of the books on some of the shelves, or the author. She had several by the same person. Before he could look further, he heard the clacking of heels on the hardwood floors approaching him.
Everything stopped when she walked in. Jane had her hair up in a flowing ponytail, a white blouse covered her top half, he notices that the first few buttons were left undone, probably to help with her pumping, and she had a black pencil skirt on that just came to her knees. She was short, and a little voluptuous, not that Harry was checking her out. Â
âHello, Mr. Styles, Iâm sorry to keep you waiting.â He goes to stick his hand out for her to shake, but she walks around him and sits down at her desk. âPlease, have a seat.â
He swallows and sits down.
âY-you can just call me Harry if you like, Mrs. Watson.â
âIâm a Miss not a missus.â She says as she takes out a folder with a few sheets in it and a pen. âIt says here you graduated Summa Cum Laude from Lesley University. Thatâs an incredible place to get a degree in education.â
âThank you, I got a pretty decent scholarship, it was my reach school. I minored in psychology as well. I did my practicum hours at a daycare center that specialized in caring for children with disabilities. So, Iâve worked with all sorts of children. I prefer working with infants and toddlers, though.â
âAnd why is that?â She looks at him, clicking her pen, ready to take notes.
âWell, I just have more fun with them, to be honest. I like watching them discover new things. My favorite thing to do while working in the baby room at my last job was working with the babies on their tummy times. It was always rewarding to watch them get stronger. I feel like I just bond with them better.â
âI need to ask you some personal questions since this is a live-in position.â
âOf course.â Harry nods.
âAre you in any sort of relationship with anyone?â
âNo, Iâm single.â
âHave you ever been arrested, or do you have any sort of criminal history?â
âNo.â
âIâm not one to judge, I think everyone deserves a second chance, I just have to ask these sort of things.â She says.
âI donât have a criminal record, Miss Watson.â
âHistory of drug use?â
âI smoked a bit of weed when I was younger, but I donât anymore. An edible once in a while, maybe, but never when Iâm on the clock.â
âJust marijuana?â
âIâve done shrooms a few times, but nothing other than that. Stupid kid stuff.â
âAgain, not judging. Iâd prefer you donât have any drugs in the house, unless theyâre for medical use. I know edibles can be prescribed by doctors for anxiety and whatnot.â Harry nods at that. âWhat about alcohol? Youâre twenty-six, you must enjoy a drink after a long day.â
âA glass of red once in a while, sure.â He nods. âBut Iâm not really a heavy drinker, I never have been. Iâd say if anything Iâm a social drinker, but you watch me carefully at a party youâll notice that I nurse the same drink.â He smirks.
âIâm the same way. A little bit of a buzz is fun, but anything more can be a bit scary. I actually cannot remember the last time I had a real drink.â She looks off in thought.
âWell, canât you drink now that the babyâs here?â
âAnd have to succumb to a pump and dump?â She scoffs. âNo way, that would be a total waste. Itâs torture enough to sit there while a machine sucks the milk out of my-â She stops herself. âSorry.â She shakes her head. âAnyways, your resume was impressive, and you were quite articulate in your cover letter. Youâre the only candidate Iâve invited for an interview.â
âReally?â
âYes.â She nods. âI really wanted someone with experience, not someone fresh out of college looking for a place to live. Youâd really be okay with living here?â
âHonestly, youâd be doing me a favor. My long-term goal is to either have a daycare or pre-school of my own someday. Not having to pay rent for a while would really help me save up for that.â
âThatâs an incredible goal to have, Harry.â She smiles, impressed by his ambition. âWhat questions do you have for me?â
âI just want to clarify, your daughter is eight months?â Jane nods. âAnd whatâs her name?â
âLilly.â Jane smiles.
âThatâs a beautiful name.â Harry smiles. âWhy exactly do you need a live-in nanny?â
âI work a lot.â She sighs. âAnd Iâm a single mom. I want her to always have someone here that she can depend on and feel comfortable with. Sometimes my work drags me out in the middle of the night, or I have to take a phone call at an odd hour. I just want someone else here in case I canât be if something comes up.â
âSo, her fatherâs not in the picture?â
âNo.â Her features sour a bit. âHe doesnât even know she exists to be perfectly honest with you. I found out I was pregnant after we broke up, and I decided not to tell him about her. He was a deadbeat moocher, he would have been useless.â
âIâm sorry to hear that, but thank you for telling me. May I ask, how old are you?â
âTwenty-nine, does that matter?â
âNo! No, I was just more so curious. You seem pretty successful to be in a home like this. In the advert, you stated Iâd be given a car as well, thatâs not exactly cheap.â
âYouâll be given access to one of my cars.â She says. âIâm not giving you a car, make no mistake about that.â She smirks. âIâm an author, a successful one.â Harry tries to think if heâs ever heard of a Jane Watson before, but heâs coming up blank. âYouâve never heard of me because I have a pen name. If itâs all the same, I donât really want to share it with you. Not yet, anyways.â
âSureâŠwaitâŠare you offering me the job?â
âNot quite. Iâd like you to meet my daughter. I want to see how she interacts with you.â
âIâd love to meet Lilly.â He smiles.
âGreat, before we do that, do you have more questions?â
âYes, whoâs MaryAnne? Is she, like, a maid or housekeeper?â
âNo.â Jane laughs. âSheâs my personal assistant. I usually answer the door myself, but pumping took a bit longer than usual.â
âWhen did you publish your first work?â
âWhen I was twenty.â She smiles. âI was still in school, and I decided just to self-publish. It took off, and a few companies reached out to me. I eventually got an agent, and the rest was history. Iâm a fast writer, Iâm able to churn out more projects than most people, and for whatever reason they keep becoming hits. One of the reasons I travel a lot is that a couple of my works are being turned into television shows, and working out those contracts is a lot. I want to be a part of the process to make sure the stories are told correctly.â
âThatâs incredible!â
âit is.â She nods. âI never thought Iâd be a television producer, but here I am. I donât really want Lilly around all that, so thereâs another reason for having a live-in nanny.â
âThis may seem like a silly question, but will I have time off?â
âOh my goodness, of course! The salary is negotiable as well. Youâll have weekends off, as well as all bank and national holidays. Youâll also earn vacation time and sick leave like at any other job. Youâll be given a benefits package as well, if you need health insurance.â
âYouâŠyou provide stuff like that?â
âYeah, why wouldnât I?â
âIâve just never heard of a nannying job quite like this before.â He blinks. âIt feels too good to be true.â
âIâm just a firm believer in compensating someone properly. I believe in investing in the people you have.â
âRight.â He swallows. He almost starting to feel like he was going to be her sugar baby or something, but he obviously knew that wasnât the case. âYou asked me about my dating life, what about yours?â
âIâm also single. Lilly is my top priority, and then comes my work. Iâm completely fulfilled as is.â She stands from her desk. âCome, Iâll give you a tour of the house, and of the in-law space, and then you can meet Lilly.â
âOkay.â He stands up and follows her out of the office.
She shows him the living room, which felt more like a study. There was an entertainment room with a huge flat screen, deluxe loungers, a pool table, and bar. She shows him to the kitchen which was equally as extravagant. She brings him upstairs to show him all of the bedrooms.
âThis is Lillyâs room.â Jane says proudly.
âitâs beautiful, I love the light purple.â
âSo do I.â She says. âMy room is down the hall, donât think you need a tour of that.â She laughs and they head back downstairs. âHereâs the inside entrance to the in-law, but thereâs also an exterior entrance you can useâŠor if you have guests over.â Harryâs in awe of the space. It was larger than his apartment. âItâs a one bedroom flat essentially. Thereâs a full bath en suite, and thereâs a half bath over there. Open concept kitchen and living area. Itâs fully furnished as well. Feel free to decorate it however you like. I just ask that this space stays yours. Thereâs really no reason for you to bring Lilly in here, you know?â
âSure, yeah. This is amazing.â
âIâm glad you like it. Letâs just hope Lilly like you.â Jane smirks, and they head back to the main part of the house, and into Lillyâs playroom. She was sitting with MaryAnne in a large rocking chair. âM, you can feel free to go back to your office if you like. Harryâs going to get acquainted with Lilly.â
âOf course.â MaryAnne stands up with the baby, and hands her over to Jane.
âShe has an office here too?â Harry asks.
âOf course she does, and one of the guest rooms upstairs is hers to use when she needs it.â She kisses the top of her daughterâs head. âLilly,â she coos, âI have someone Iâd like you to meet.â She gestures for Harry to take her, and he happily does so.
âHey, baby girl.â Harry coos. Bright hazel eyes look up at him in wonder. He lets her latch onto his index finger. âItâs so nice to meet you.â He looks at Jane. âSheâs precious, Miss Watson.â
âIsnât she?â Jane beams. âSheâs really been enjoying her bouncy, and messing around with her blocks. I have some CDâs I like having her listen to as well. Oh! We did a paint with pudding night as a sensory play thing, it was a hoot.â She chuckles.
âThose are great, arenât they? Very stimulating, and it teaches the child that sometimes messes are okay.â He looks down at Lilly and smiles. âMay I sit with her in the rocking chair?â
âPlease!â She gestures to it, and she sits down on the loveseat in the room. Harry sits down with Lilly, cradling her carefully. He adjusts her so sheâs able to stand on his lap. She bounces herself and giggles. âLook at that!â Jane exclaims. âI love it when she does that.â
âSheâs awfully sweet.â Harry smiles, and then he looks at Jane. âHow much do you feed her?â
âI give her roughly twenty-four to thirty-two ounces a day. Youâll know how hungry she is or isnât in the moment. Iâve started giving her pureed butternut squash, mashed bananas and strawberries, sheâs got that puffed baby cereal as well. Iâve also started giving her ground chicken in really small doses just to get her some protein, but right now Iâve mostly been sticking to fruits and veggies. You must know a lot about what foods to give a baby?â
âI do.â He nods. âYouâre still producing that much milk to give her daily?â
âIâve almost been wishing Iâd dry up. I get so sore somedays.â Jane sighs. âBut I figure itâs good for her to have it while I can still make it. Iâm not opposed to formular or anythingâŠbut I like bonding with her in that way. I got rid of her baby acne by rubbing my nipple on her skin, it was like magic.â
âItâs certainly a trick of the trade.â He smirks at her. âI remember learning that in one of my courses, and I was amazed. You all are super humans.â
Jane watches Harry play on the ground with Lilly for a bit. Harry was already so wonderful with her. Harry starts to smell something, and so does Jane.
âThink itâs time for a diaper change.â He chuckles and picks her up. âWould you like me to change her?â
âYeah, Iâd like to see you do it.â
He brings Lilly over to the changing table, and lays her down.
âI know youâre all warm and cozy, but I need to disrupt that for a moment.â He says to the baby girl who was babbling and blowing little spit bubbles, totally unbothered. Harry unsnaps her onesie, and lifts her legs to detach the diaper. His eyes widen at the type of diaper thatâs on her. âYou cloth diaper?â He looks at Jane.
âItâs better for the environment.â She shrugs. âThereâs a trashcan for theâŠum, poop, and thereâs another can for the diapers. I give her a regular diaper for bedtime just because itâs easier to change her in the middle of the night and in the morning, but daytime I use the cloth diapers.â
âMakes sense to me.â Harry disposes of everything, and grabs a few wipes to clean Lilly up. She took a powerful stinky.
âI blame it on the pureed peas.â Jane laughs.
âIt doesnât even phase me anymore, honestly.â Harry says as he gets a little baby powder on her. He grabs a spare cloth diaper, and gets it on her. He snaps her onesie back together and lifts her up. âThere we go, good as new, darling girl.â Lilly blows some bubbles at Harry, and blows some back, making her giggle. Jane beams at the two of them.
âItâs about time for her afternoon nap. Would you like to put her down?â
âIâd love to.â
Harry carries Lilly upstairs with Jane. She flips on Lillyâs white noise machine, and makes sure her favorite blankies are in the crib. Harry sits down in the large chair in the corner of the room and starts to rock her gently, giving her soothing rubs. Jane watches as Lillyâs eyelids start to droop. She fights it at first, but Harry continues to soothe her until sheâs out like a light. He carefully stands up and sets her down into her crib. The two back out of the room quietly, and make their way down the stairs.
âLetâs go back to my office.â Jane says, and Harry follows her there. Once theyâre both seated, she starts speaking again. âWell, the job is yours if you want it.â
âReally?â Harry felt every worry from his life leave his body.
âYes.â She chuckles. âYouâve really impressed me, and I think Lillyâs quite taken with you already. Iâd love to have you as her nanny.â She takes out a few forms. âMay I have your references? The background check will take about a week. How soon could you start after that?â
âRight away, honestly.â He hands her a sheet with his references.
âHere are the tax forms youâll need to fill out, a form for direct deposit, and some information on your benefits. You can get everything back to me by the end of next week.â
âI canât thank you enough for this opportunity, Iâm so excited. I canât wait to get started, Miss Watson.â He stands to shake her hand, and she stands as she takes it.
âPlease, you can call me Jane.â
#love's divine#love's divine part one#call me jane#harry styles#harry styles imagine#harry styles au#harry styles series#harry styles fic#harry styles fanfic#harry styles x oc#harry styles fluff#harry styles smut#nanny!Harry#nanny!H#nannerry
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JACOB BLACK CURSED FATE
Word count:Â 2512
Summary:Â In an attempt to fix their relationship, everything falls apart
Warnings: angst, hurt/no comfort, emotional cheating, jealousy, unhealthy relationship
note: Thank you @tyb1 for giving me an amazing idea to experiment with. This was also loosely inspired by this imagine by @imaginingmanyfandoms (with their permission!) Please check both of them out!
You swatted away the lingering fly, which had been testing your patience the whole day, from the freshly set table. You didnât want anything ruining your mood that day and if you had the same accuracy your boyfriend had when it came to killing flies, it wouldâve been smashed against one of your counters the second you had seen it flying around. Losing the buzzing creature from your sight, you stepped away from your kitchen table to take in the view. Perfect, you thought with a satisfied smile, quietly praising yourself.Â
After months of barely seeing your boyfriend and living with each other like you were roommates, you found it was time to find that spark you once felt by having his favorite meal and desert. You wanted to create a comfortable scenery to discuss your concerns with Jacob and was more than positive about the outcome. He was always willing to listen and work on himself together with you when it came to problems you were having.Â
With a lighthearted sigh you grabbed your phone from the edge of the table. Your notification centre showed a few unimportant emails waiting to be deleted from your inbox, instead of the text you were waiting for. You looked at the time above the notifications. 7:23 pm. He wasnât supposed to be home for a while and him not responding to your texts probably meant patrolling just took longer. You pushed down that icky feeling at the pit of your stomach and decided to dress up with the time you still had. You didnât want to wear anything over the top in your own kitchen, but something cute enough for Jacob to see you were trying to look nice for him.
Taking your time to take a shower, do your hair and put together an outfit you were pleased with, you were expecting Jacob to walk into your home at any given moment then, but even when you returned to the kitchen there was still no sign of him. This time you looked up at the analog clock hanging from one of your kitchen walls. 8:41 pm.Â
With a forced smile you tried to contain the excitement you had been feeling the whole day as you got a pack of lucifers to light the candle in the middle of the table. Once the candle held onto the flame, you looked over your shoulder at the food on the stove while you waved with the lucifer in your hand, before it had the chance to burn all the way down to your fingers. You wanted Jacob to come home to a prepared plate but the moment you heard the fly buzzing around your living room you stopped yourself. You werenât in the mood to keep that thing away from the food so you were just going to wait until he got home.Â
You sat down at the kitchen table, grabbing your phone once again. Maybe he responded. Lightly tapping your screen, your notification centre popped up, but there still was no text. Out of curiosity you checked your messages, going into your conversation with Jacob.Â
âYou still going to be home by 8:30?â
You sighed looking at the delivered stamp underneath your text, but decided to give him more time. He was barely ten minutes late and it wasnât unusual with the recent supernatural activity in the area so you just had to keep your excitement at bay a little longer.Â
Time ticked by slowly, ten minutes turning into thirty, half an hour turning into an hour as you impatiently bounced on your legs, soft thumbs filling the silent kitchen. You were leaning against the kitchen counter, looking down at the game on your phone to kill time, but with each passing second your worries were starting to grow excessively.
When the clock hit 10:30 pm you decided to call him, the phone icon next to his caller id waiting to be pressed by your hovering thumb. But before you could put your phone up to your ear, your call went straight to his voicemail. Your heart jumped, your sudden rising heartbeat ringing in your ears from worry.
His phone has never been turned off before. Why is his phone turned off?Â
You exhaled audibly, automatically going to your contacts to find Quilâs number while you nibbled on your thumbnail. If your memory didnât do you wrong, you were almost certain they were patrolling together. He would know where Jacob was. Again, you tapped on the phone icon as your hand rested against your neck, feeling your rapid heartbeat.Â
You looked up at the ceiling, briefly closing your eyes as you forced yourself to stay calm. In and out, you told yourself, inhaling and exhaling deeply to keep yourself from having gruesome intrusive thoughts of things that couldâve gone wrong while you impatiently waited for your boyfriendâs best friend to pick up his phone.
âHey, (Y/N). Whatâs up?â Quilâs neutral voice sent you into relaxation, your eyes shooting open and bending your head back down to its original state. His calm tone was enough to let you know nothing happened on their patrol.Â
âHey, Quil.â Your voice was slightly shaken up from the brief panic, but hoping he wouldnât notice you tried to make it less obvious. âIâm looking for Jake, is he with you?â
âNot anymore.â He answered. âLin called him earlier. Iâm guessing something happened, because Jake left right after, but he didnât say what though.âÂ
Lin. Of course he was with Lin.Â
The itch you were trying to keep down suddenly became uncontrollable. The anger, resentment and hurt you thought you had pushed down months ago bubbled up without a warning, making you bite your tongue to keep your composure towards Quil. As far as you knew he didnât know about the arguments and fights she had caused in your relationship, how many times you threatened to leave Jacob because of her presence and how many nights you had banned Jacob from your bedroom so you could silently cry into your pillow, knowing he was listening to the pathetic muffled sobs from the couch in the living room.Â
â(Y/N)?â A different voice called out from the living room as you heard the click of the closing front door. âIâm home.âÂ
âThanks, Quil.â You said, snapping out of your silent rage, remembering your boyfriendâs best friend was at the other side of the line. âHe actually just came home.âÂ
âAnytime.â Quil responded unknowing of what he had just caused, before you exchanged goodbyes with him and hung up the phone. You slowly placed it back down on the table and shook your head in disbelief, pushing yourself away from the kitchen counter to meet Jacob in the living room.
âHey, what did you make?â Your clueless boyfriend commented, briefly turning his head over his shoulder to watch you stand in the kitchenâs doorway, his back turned to you as he put his jacket away. âIt smells good.âÂ
âWhere were you, Jacob?â Your voice was icingly calm as you ignored his question, his name feeling foreign in your mouth. It was always Jake, not Jacob so using his full name for the first time in months made sure he knew how badly he had fucked up. You knew where he had been and that simple question was enough to let him know there was no use in lying.Â
It was like he freezed up for a split second before he turned to face you, looking like a deer caught in headlights. You didnât know why you were even giving him the room to answer, there was no way he could talk himself out of this. His mouth was agape, his lips moving slightly but there were no words coming out.Â
âSpit it out. Where were you?â You repeated, your voice slightly raising this time.Â
âBabe, I can explain--âÂ
âExplain?â You interrupted him as a humourless chuckle fell from your lips. You softly pinched the skin between your eyebrows, your eyes fluttering closed. Your patience was thin, your head full of different voices telling you what to do in your rage, but you werenât sure what voice to give in to. âExplain what? That you basically ditched me to be with Lin when I explicitly told you I wanted to have one night, just one night, to have your undivided attention.âÂ
 âI know I messed up, but you know I wouldnât do it without a well enough reason.â Jake sounded distraught and without looking up you could tell he was panicking. âJust hear me out, okay?â
You pulled your hand away from your face, opening your eyes to look at the man who was suddenly standing much closer than he was before in an attempt to close the space between you. If he came any closer you were sure you wouldâve backed away, but he knew better than to try to touch you when you were livid. It was a mistake he made before, but surely wouldnât do again.Â
âShe needed someone to talk to.â He started off, making you scoff. It was something you heard a dozen times before. âThis is the first time she has been without her daughter for this long and itâs just hard on her.âÂ
âIt still surprises me you donât see what sheâs doing. She has enough friends to call. Sheâs using you, Jacob. Using you.â You narrowed your eyes in disbelief and used your hands to emphasize your point. âShe only has to breathe differently and youâre there, she just likes the attention youâre giving her, because no one else will.âÂ
âI donât think sheâs using me.â Jacob disagreed with a sigh. âBut I also know you wouldnât get me giving into it. As much I know you hate it, I have to be there for her, (Y/N). Weâve talked about the imprinting, itâs not a choice.âÂ
Was he seriously defending what she was doing?Â
âAnd weâve also talked about boundaries.â You snarled back at him. âYou can be there for her without ignoring our relationship. You promised me we would come first no matter who your imprint was going to be.â
He nodded in agreement. âAnd we still come first, but like I said I also have to be there for her when she needs me. She might not be my top priority, but I canât ignore Linâs needs either, thatâs just the bond.âÂ
âJust the bond.â You repeated with a chuckle, your eyes prickling with tears as the sudden realization seeped in.Â
Nothing was more important to him than that damned forced bond and the longer you listened to him the clearer it became. You hoped it wouldnât come to this, but looking back you couldnât believe how stupid you were for believing the words of a man who hadnât experienced something so intense before. âI donât care who she is, youâre the one for meâ was what he said when you finally communicated your worries weeks after he had imprinted on her. You wished you had listened to the insecurity lingering at the back of your head when you had seen the relationships between Sam and Emily, Jared and Kim and every other pack member who had ended up with their imprint.
Why would I be naĂŻve enough to think it would be any different for Jacob when he finally imprinted on someone?Â
âBaby, donât cry.â He finally tried to narrow the space between your bodies to comfort you, but as you snapped out of your thoughts you flinched away from him. His comfort was the last thing you wanted.
Just then his words registered and you noticed the tears staining your cheeks. You quickly wiped them away with the back of your hand. âYou donât even see youâre in love with her, do you?â You looked up at his pained expression. You might donât like being touched when you were mad, but you had never backed away from him when you were crying before.
âIâm not, I swear.â He answered hurriedly.
âYouâre lying to yourself.â You shook your head, wiping your nose with your hand. âYou dropped everything to be there for her when I needed you here. Again.â
Without waiting for a response, you were headed to your shared bedroom, Jacobâs footsteps closely behind you. You wanted to get away from him as far as possible, there was no way you were staying in the same house together. You didnât feel like suffocating on your own again.
âBaby, (Y/N).â Jacob called out to you, hopelessly following you as you marched into your shared bedroom, diving straight into your closet to grab a suitcase. âWhat are you doing?â
You placed it on the bed, zipping it open as the tears falling from your eyes blurred your sight. When you turned back to your closet to grab a bunch of clothes, not even thinking of all the things you actually needed if you were going to stay away for a while, Jacob finally managed to get his hands on you. He held your wrists, not tight enough to hurt you, but with just enough force to keep you from moving. âHey, donât go, okay? Please. I want to fix this.âÂ
âHow? Itâs not a choice, remember?â You avoided his gaze, looking down at the floor. Your body was trembling from the anxiety and all the mixed emotions coming out were making you sick to your stomach. You truly felt like throwing up. âHow did you even want to start a family with me if I canât even be your first choice, hm? Iâm not putting my child through that.â
â(Y/N), donât tell me. . .â Jacobâs eyes widened. When you told him you wanted to talk this morning he could tell you were excited, but he brushed it off like the idiot he was. All the signs were there and when it fell silent for a moment, he finally understood why tonight was so important to you.
 âIâm pregnant.â You felt your arms slipping from his grip as you looked up at his blank expression. You pulled your hands away to dry the tears dripping from your face. âAnd I wanted to do things differently for our baby than our parents did, I wanted them to grow up with both of us there.â
âAnd they will.â His glinstering eyes and watery smile stared at you as he brought his hands up to your cheeks, softly caressing the sides of your face with his thumbs and placing his forehead against yours. You let him. âJust let me fix this. Iâll do anything for you-- both of you.â
As much as you wanted to believe what he said, you knew it was only a matter of time before he went running to Lin when she needed him again. He could treat you badly all he wanted, but you refused to let your child grow up feeling unwanted the way you did.Â
âNo.â You whispered back to him, pulling your face away from his grip. âIâm done.âÂ
masterlist | not editedÂ
note: If you canât tell Iâm bad at endings and writing angst, but I hope you enjoyed it either way. Please let me know what you think so I know how I could improve or if you liked it!
#thaliawritesx#twilight#twilight imagine#twilight wolf pack#twilight wolf pack imagine#wolf pack imagines#twilight wolves#jacob black#jacob black imagine#jacob black fluff#jacob black x reader
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The Gentryâs Gifts: Max Phillips
Hello! Â This is sort of a sequel to the Pero story, in that we saw Max and now we know what he was doing there and what choice he needed to make.
Warnings:  Cursing. Angst. I had the trick of having to put both blank canvas characters into one story, lol.  But I think I finessed it.  The âyouâ character is a blank slate, mostly gender neutral (mentions of wanting to have children could sway your perception one way or the other.). Not betad. Â
This is my late #writerwednesday entry, thank you to @autumnleaves1991-blogâ and @clydesducktapeâ
Prologue:
Max Phillips slammed the hospital doors open, eager to get outside. Â The sound beeping machines seemed to echo in his ears, making them hurt. Â The smell of the place stuck to the back of his throat.
He tilted his head back in the afternoon sun, and breathed in, breathed out. Â Tried to make himself calm down. Â The Autumn are cleared his head as he jogged across the road. Â
âBad day?â Â A voice asked.
Between two benches, almost hidden in the orange leaves, was a woman, instead of the âNam veteran he usually passed a few moments talking to. Â Her wiry steel colored hair was in a messy bun, covered by a turban. Â She wore layers and layers even though it was a warm fall day. Â âWhereâs Raffi?â Â Max asked.
âHis daughter found him. Â He decided to try living with her again.â
Max nodded.  âI hope it works out.  She wasnâtâŠapparently he isnât easy to live with.  Bad dreams.â
âItâll be better now.â Â She said with such serene certainty that Max believed her. Â He gave a little wave and walked away. Â
He was back, twenty minutes later.  He put a chocolate shake in front of her, and a boxed fried chicken meal.  If he had known his folkloreâŠwhich, sadly, he would become intimately familiar with, he would have understood her amusement.  Milk, breadâŠthese were the Old offerings. Â
Instead he shrugged, uncomfortable. Â âWhat? Â I figure everyone likes chocolate. Â And I needed to eat, too.â Â He sat next to her.
âHow old are you?â She asked, though she knew.
He shrugged. Â âSeventeen.â Â He buttered a biscuit and took a huge bite. Â He ate like he was starving. Â âWhy?â
âYou seem to be awfully young to be hanging out with homeless people. Â Where are your parents?â Â
He shrugged again.  âMy momâs gone.  My fatherâŠâ. He pointed towards the hospital doors with his chin.  âHeâs dying.â  He hunched over the greasy box of chicken, potato strips and biscuits, eating like it was the only thing keeping him sane.
She sighed.
He looked at her, and she shook her head, and ate the food he brought her. Â You are going to go off the rails Max Phillips. Â You are going to go off the rails so badly and thereâs nothing I can do about it.
The Present:
He entered the library through the basement, crept up the stairway.  The first floor was nearly emptyâŠthe university library kept late hours so that students could cram late into the night, but it was Thirsty Thursday and most of the students were elsewhere. Â
He waited until you were focused on the book cart again, back towards the main floor, and got himself around the corner. Â Then he pulled out his cell and dialed the front desk.
You now turned to go to the phone, at least he hoped so, as he disconnected the call and opened the side door to the area behind the circulation deskâŠ
You were there, leaning against the cart, arms folded. Â âNice try, but I know your tricks, Mister Phillips.â
He grinned and advanced on her, step by step.
âNo noâŠâ. You point a finger at him.  âStay back, this is a work placeâŠâ. You shoot a look towards the front desk as he backs you into your office.  âYou are going to lose me my job.â  You hiss at him, and he bends a little, and kisses you breathless.
âQuit. Â Iâll take care of you.â
You wrap your arms around his shoulders. Â Heâs cool to the touch. Â Itâs not disconcerting, not like it used to be. Â âI wish I could.â
âStop wishing...â
âIf you say âand make your dreams a realityâ, Iâll bite you.â Â
Max looks offended. Â âItâs a great slogan! Â Do you know how many units of Losapill those golden words have sold?â
âI donât understand how I can love someone so much and want to punch them so badly.â
He grins down at you. Â âI can name several reasons why you love me.â
You smirk up at him.  âIâm sure you canâŠlet me go, honey.  Iâve got to tell everyone weâre closing in half an hour.â  He listened to your voice on the loudspeaker, buttery and gentle and reassuring, and smiled a little. He could listen to that voice forever.  He could sell holy water to a priest, but so far all his skills had failed to net him the one thing he wanted.
He walks with you, as you check the restrooms (He even does the menâs for you on each floor, turning off the lights and blocking the doors open) and stands behind you, hands in his pockets, looking gloomy as you gently tell students to take their books to the front desk if they needed to check them out, that the library was closing shortly.
He waits, patiently, while you close up and lock the doors and usher the last people out. Â
âI really wish youâd let me turn you,â he says when you are both in your car and on the way home. Â Max often took the rooftops from his office to the university. Â He was fast, and strong, and being fairly indestructible made him long for the thrill of possibly getting hurt, so he parkoured his way through the city once it got dark. Â It was disgusting, how he looked so good after running and leaping five miles.
He shifts in his seat as you let the silence grow. Â âAre you ignoring me?â
âYes.â Â You stop at a red light. Â
âWhy?  You said youâd think about it.  Youâve been thinking about it for a month.  Any idea where you are on it?  Like, from the scale of one to tenâŠâ
Youâve been wanting to avoid this. Â Youâve really been wanting to avoid this. Â âZero.â
She waits. Â She waits for the torrent of salesmanship. Â The spiel. Â Why becoming a vampire and living forever is what she wants, she just doesnât know itâs yet. Â
For once, words fail him. Â No quick comeback, no charming lines. âI canât believe you donât want to be with me.â Â He says it so softly that you almost arenât sure you heard it. Â
You pull into the apartment parking lot, picks a spot quickly you can park and take his hands in yours.  âMax.  I do.  I really do.  But justâŠI donât want to be a vampire.  I donât want to give up the things I would have to give up?â
âLike what?  Death?  Getting old?  Getting sick?  Being weak?â  He pulls his hands away.  âI am offering you unlimited time.  Think of the things we can do together!  And you donât have to killâŠI haven't killed anyone in ages!â
âSunlight.â Â You say. Â âFood.â Â He makes a disgusted sound and looks out the window. Â âA family.â Â You take a deep breath. Â âChildren.â
He finally looks at you again. Â âThen I wonât waste any more of your time.â Â He raises his hand, and time goes wonky for a moment, and when things snap back into place, heâs gone.
You stay in your car a long time, hoping heâll come back. Every step up to your apartment, you look around, hoping. Â
Itâs dawn, before you give up, dried out from crying, your mouth feels full of ashes and your heart full of regret.
The next day:
Max was not in a good mood the next day. Â Usually he has a nice word for, if no one else, his PA, a miracle worker of a woman heâd always been fond of, but he just glared at her and slams his door shut.
Emails. Â Reports. Â He plowed into work. Â
The door opened, and he ignored it, steadfast in the hope that whoever it was would go the fuck away. Â I could always eat them. Â I donât have to be good anymore.
A cup thumped down on his desk. Â He looked up. Â He didnât recognize the woman â her steel grey hair was neat, her suit elegant. Â Her heart beat strangely, and he could tell she was not â quiteâhuman. Â Great. Â Someone new from corporate?
âI thought you said that everyone loves chocolate?â  She said, pointing at the milkshake.  âYouâve come far, since we last spoke outside the hospitalâŠâ
He shook his head.  âI remember you, butâŠâ. How did she come to be here? Why? His brain was still trying to match up the homeless lady with the epitome of corporate flash in front of him. Â
âNow, I didnât say you moved in a good direction. Â How did the sweet boy who spent his last twenty on dinner for himself and a homeless woman end up being a bloodsucking asshole selling fake products?â
âItâs a long story. Letâs schedule an appointment, maybe for the next century?â
âNope.â Â She reached across the desk. Â âYou gonna drink this?â
He shook his head and she took the milkshake, leaned back in her chair, moving the straw back and forth in the lid, making an annoying shriek sound that hurt his ears. Â
âDo you think I wanted this?â Â He snapped at her. Â Vampires didnât really need much in the way of sleep, but he was tired. Â Tired and hurt. Â âAnd who gives you the right to fucking judge me?â
âIâm one of the gentry,â she said. Â âThat doesnât give me the right, but it gives me the power.â
âYouâre fae. Â That explains it. Â You donât seem human.â Â
âI thought they taught you the rules. Â You never call us out so clearly. Â Always call us by some euphemism and hope we donât take a notion to turn our attention towards you.â
He threw up his hands. Â âWhy? Â Why does it matter?â
âBecause if I wanted to, Max Phillips, I could turn you back into the weak, dying, foolish mortal you once were.â
This stopped him. Â âYou could?â Â He said carefully. Â
âI could.â
âWhatâs the catch?â
She smiled.  âGood boy.  Maybe they did teach you something, after all.â  She put the milkshake on the desk.  âYou wereâŠwhat?  Twenty, twenty one when you got turned?  I could, if I wanted to, make it as if you never got turned.  I could choose for you to age to the age you should be, had you not cheated deathâŠor I could make you start from where you are right now.  If I was feeling so inclined.â
âWhy would I want that?â Â He scoffed. Â âDo you think I want to get old and sick? Â Do you think I want to spend the last year of my life in a hospital bed, unable to even piss for myself? Â You think this is a fucking gift? Â Enticing? Â No.â
âSo you donât want a life with the librarian? Probably for the best. She is made out of sunlight and deserves so much better.â
He stopped.  He could feel the slippingâŠwhere the darker side of him started clambering up, eager to take control and rend and kill. Â
âHush.â  She said, and the blood stopped rushing in his ears, the fangs stopped aching.  âI shouldnât needle.  Itâs just so frustrating.  You were a sweet boy and you just allowed the bad in your life to make youâŠwell, frankly, a bit of a jackass.â  She shoot him an apologetic look.  âOK, that was a cruddy apology.  But.  Back to the subject at hand.  Once, you were kind to me.  And if you do me a favor â one more favor â I will give you a choice.  A chance to choose a life for yourself instead of being a victim of bad choices and worse luck.  No strings.  No further price.â
He side eyed her a long moment. Â He was intrigued, despite himself. Â âWhatâs the favor?â
She took a small painting out of her pocket and slid it over to him.  âAnother debt to payâŠthat woman has a soul mate out there.  I know where he is.  If you get her to my house tomorrow night, I can unite them, give them a chance at well deserved happiness.â
âYeuch.â Â He said, then picked up the painting. Â âWait. Â Thatâs my PA.â
âIs it? Â How delightful. Â Isnât just splendid how fate intervenes.â Â She put a card on the desk. Â âThis is the address. Â Hope to see you.â Â She held up her finger. Â âThere is one thing. Â She canât know. Â You have to get her there without her knowing why. Â Alright?â
âDonât hold your breath.â Â He muttered.
âGood. Â I am glad you understand. Â Ciao!â
He picked up the card. Â And cursed a bit.
NIght, in the time middle of nowhere:
âSo, Mister PhillipsâŠare you taking me out into the middle of the woods to murder me?â  His PA asked, laughing.  She didnât know he was a vampire.  Telling people what he was hadnât worked out very well at his last job, so heâd been much more circumspect this time.
âI promise, you are safe. Â From me. Â I donât know what Corporate will do, though,â he said, turning down another road. Â
âSo, did they tell you what the meeting is about?â
âItâs meant to be a retreat. Â All the heads of the various branches and their PAâs. Â They want to re-envision the future of the companyâ. He took one hand off the wheel to put air quotes in the right place. Â âApparently they messed up your email address so we didnât get the invite in time. Â Someone caught it and called me directly.â
âI hope the place they picked is niceâŠâ. She was looking out the window, trying to make out the road ahead.  âCarol in accounting is super jealous.  I think she has a bit of a crush on youâŠâ
âWell, I am irresistible.â
âMostly.â Â She grinned at him. Â A square of light grabbed her attention. Â âI think weâre here.â
He pulled up to the house. Â It looked sketchy at best, and the looks his PA were casting made him wonder if her trust was stretching a little too thin.
He got out and walked up to the porch.  The Fae came out this time wearing a chic, flowery dress.  She ignored Max and called to his PA.  âDonât be afraid.  You are here so I can talk to you about your dreamsâŠand by that, I mean the Spaniard, with the scar over his eye.â
The PA froze.  âYouïżœïżœïżœyou know about him?â Â
âGo inside, dear, and I will tell you all about him. Â But I need to talk to Max, here, firstâ
His PA stopped next to him, put her hand on his arm. Â âWill you be OK?â
âAbsolutely. Â You know me.â
She went into the house. Â
âCome here, Max.â Â The Fae held out her hand, gesturing him to come up to the porch. Â He did. Â A card table was set up, with one chair. Â Two cards lay face down. Â âHere is your choice. Â Are you ready?â
He stood there, looking at the table, and nodded.  Fear coursed through him, as strong as the day cold hands grabbed him from behind, teeth sinking into his throatâŠ
She reached down and flipped over a card.  The Queen of Spades.  âDarkness ever lasting.  A vampire queen even now is looking for her equal.  She will choose you, and the two of you will know power beyond your wildest dreamsâŠuntil enough people get angry about it and decide to deal with you both.  You will not love her, but who needs love when you have sex and death and all the power you ever hoped for?â
She reaches again, flips over another card. Â The Queen of Hearts. Â âAnd this. Â This is life. Â Your soul will wake up, and you will be twenty one and full of possibilities again. Â Your heart will beat every beat that was stolen from you. Â The slate will not be wiped entirely clean, but you will have a chance â a chance with your lovely librarian. Â Children. Â Be kind when you were once cruel, and live a decent, good life.â Â
His lips were numb.  âHowâŠhow long?â
âLong enough.  You will not feel cheated.  It will be a plain sort of life, but it will be yours, and you will have the woman you loveâŠsome would say that is worth dying for.â
âWhat do you know about death? Â Your kind just fade when they are tired of living. Â You will never know the absolute fucking horror of your body betraying you. Â The fucking humiliation that waits. Â The pain.â
âNo.â  She said softly.  âI do not.â  She kissed his temple.  âI am sorry.  If I had met you sooner, perhapsâŠbut, in any case, I consider all debts paid.  When you are ready, pick up the card representing your choice, and rip it in half.  Choose well, Maxwell Phillips.  May we never meet again.â
He didnât notice her leave. Â He sat down, weak, at the table.
Life. Â Death. Â Life. Â Death. Â
Heâd seen both his parents die terribly. Â After he was turned, heâd mourned, then he realized the gift heâd been given. Â No hospitals. Â No lingering disease. Â No pain.
His hand hovered next to the Queen of Spades.  No love, but power and sex.  Heâd tried to recover, tried to be good, for you.  And heâd started feeling the guilt.  And with guilt, came all the excuses.  That he was living according to the nature that had been forced upon him.  That he was giving people a giftâŠthey died, or they become something that could never die.
You donât punish the wolf for being a wolf.
But that was why it had been easy to walk away.  Because you deserved better.  Not a vampire.  Not a wolf.  A manâŠ
He did not hear the car, but he heard the thump of the other manâs steps as he mounted the porch. Â
âSheâs in thereâŠâ  he said, barely paying attention. Â
When the other man left, he repeated what he said to him, in his head. Â Choosing between life and death.
He picked up the Queen of Hearts. Â His hands were shaking. Â He ripped the card in half. Â Darkness roared around him, pulled him under.
When he woke up, he was on the floor of his apartment. Â
No. Â His fucking. Â College. Â Dorm room.
âDude, you started early.â Â Evanâs stupid face appeared as he bent over him. Â
Max wondered if he could punch him in the face. Â It would feel really, really good to punch the other man in the face,
âOK, well, Iâm going to an away gameâŠsee you sometime tomorrow.â
He put the palms of his hands in his eyes.  âYeahâŠhave fun.â
Evan stepped over him.  âSee yaâŠwouldnât want to be ya!â  The door slammed shut and Max raised both hands in a one finger salute towards it.
He made himself get up and go to the bathroom. Â He looked younger but not better, per se. Â What is wrong with me? Â Whatâs this feeling?
It wasnât just that he could feel his body working. Â Feel breath (was breathing always so fucking noisy?) and heat beats and aches in his neck and back from laying weird on the floor.
Heâd lived for years. Â But right now, he was still the same angry, miserable hit mess of a man heâd been at this point of his life. Â
A phone was ringing, he went and grabbed it.
âHey Maxie. Â Is Evan gone?â Â Evanâs girlfriend. Â Great.
Oh. Â
âYeah.  Yeah.  LookâŠâ
âAwesome.  I bought the cutest bra and pantiesâŠâ
And this is where, he thought, this is where he took the step to becoming the man you deserved him to be.  âThatâs great.  But you knowâŠI only want to fuck you because your boyfriend is an annoying twit.â
Shocked silence. Â OK still an asshole. Â Check. Â So much for being a sweet boy when I was younger. Â âLook. I meant what I said. Â You are beautiful. You are probably far, far too good for Evan. Or maybe not, if you are willing to screw around with an asshole like me. In any case, you deserve better. But you have to decide what better is.â
This treated him to a string of profanity before the woman hung up.
Then, he walked to the infirmary, and asked for aspirin. And if there were any free spots for the therapist.
Sunday, the conversation between roommates went like this:
âSo you were going to screw my girlfriend?â
A shrug â Max concentrated on the video game. Â âChanged my mind.â
âWhy?â
He paused the game. Â âBecause you deserve better.â
He felt Evan throw himself on the couch next to him. Â âThatâs rich, coming from you.â
âI donât hate you. Youâre just so fucking happy and peppy and optimistic and everything is going to be awesome but I think the world is shit and misery and maybe if you dialed it back a little I we could have conversations that didnât end with me wanting to punch your face.â
âDude.â Â It sounded defeated and apologetic at the same time.
Max held a controller out to him. âSorry. Iâll try to be less of an asshole.â
He took it.  âIâll try to be lessâŠhappy?â
Max sighed. Â âJust donât get me kicked out, ok? I canât afford anywhere else and I really donât want to end up in Transylvania.â
Two years later, he decided he could go and find you.
Most people went to nice places on their spring break.
Max got on a bus and headed to a University in the next state. Â Theyâd had their Spring break a week sooner.
There you were. Sitting cross legged on a bench with a man with a streak of blonde in his hair, and a suit coat with elbow patches. Â Elbow patches. Â Pretentious asshole.
You were tucking hair behind your ear. You liked him. Max wondered if he should leave, come backâŠin a year?  Three?  When did he have a right to become part of your life?  Did he even?
You look at him and smile and it is sunshine and he canât leave.
The man on the bench says something about class. Â âSee you at work,â she tells him, and he lopes off in an easy walk to one of the brick covered class buildings.
Max approaches carefully. Â âHey. Â Um. Â Iâm thinking about transferring here, wondered what itâs like?â
She shifted her bag over, even though there was plenty of room to sit, and he took it as an invite. Â âSure. What do you want to know?â
He gave her his best smile. âEverything. I want to know everything.â
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Stomach Bug Ch3
Future Plans
Thank you everyone whoâs reading this fic and enjoying it. It really means a lot that you guys like this fic so much.
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Everything settled down once Alfred stepped in the announce dinner, Jason was forced to relinquish Marinette so she could regain her footing and settle her stomach. Damian helped steady her as she took a few slow deep breaths to calm her stomach. Dick still much too animated, was herding the two youngest into the dining room where the table was filled with a large array of food plates set out and silverware pristine.
Damian helped her to a seat beside himself making sure she was comfortable before taking his seat much to the amusement of his family. âWhat?â he glared, catching his family all staring at him with a mix of glee and surprise.
âOh nothing, just didnât take you for a helicopter boyfriend.â Jason chuckled taking his seat and started to pile his plate full of Alfredâs amazing cooking.
âSheâs pregnant, she should be careful.â Damian glared filling his and Marinetteâs plate with all the vegetarian options he could find.
Marinette sighed softly watching Damianâs antics, a small smile on her face as he set her plate down in front of her, âThank you Dami.â She whispered trying hard to ignore the three brothers across from her making exaggerated cooing and gagging noises at them
Bruce shook his head a fond smile on his face as everyone got their food and settled in to eat a comfortable silence falling over them as everyone enjoyed the meal. Of course, this is the Wayne household so silence never lasted long and it was Bruce to break it this time.
âSo, Marinette why donât you tell us a bit about yourself and youâre planning now that youâre pregnant, what do you plan to do for school?â Bruce asked sipping on some wine as he watched the two youngest.
âSchooling wonât be a problem. I was already doing online classes, so it wonât be a problem keeping up with my classes. As for the future I just want to do what is best for the baby and my future.â She smiled sipping on some water.
âAnd weâll be there to help her out every step of the way,â Harley grinned, reaching over to ruffle Marinetteâs hair.
âOf course, however, we should discuss her living arrangements.â Bruce nodded, setting his glass down pointedly ignoring his three eldest dramatically rolling their eyes and their comments of, âoh Christâ and âhe has to stop at some point.â
Harley just looked him in the eye and crossed her arms, âShe will be living with her mothers, we can provide for her just fine Bruce. She should remain somewhere she is familiar with and comfortable so she doesnât stress herself out.â
âI understand that, however, Iâd very much like to get to know my sonâs girlfriend and would like to know that she always has someone with her.â Bruce said eyeing both women at his table, âI donât mean to sound rude but you two are well-known guests at Arkham.â
âIvy and I havenât gotten thrown into Arkham since we got Marigold,â Harley glared, getting to her feet, âAnd I donât like your tone you are not just going to swoop in and take my daughter just because sheâs carrying your grandchild Bruce. She is staying at home with us where we can help her and make sure she is happy and comfortable.â
âI donât mean to insult Harley.â Bruce said, raising his hands in a calming manner, âI want what is best for her as much as you. We can get her a private doctor who wonât go to the press if they find out whose child she is carrying. We can watch over her in the event of you two having to handle up on other matters of less legal means.â
Tension filled the room as the kids watched Harley and Bruce go back and forth with their arguments and reasoning for why it would be best for Marinette to live with them as opposed to the other. Jason seemed greatly entertained enjoying the show while Dick seemed to want to play mediator trying to cut in but failing each time as they just grew louder. It wasnât long until the room was filled with Bruceâs stern voice and Harleyâs animated accented speech.
âMaman,â Marinette shouted, effectively shutting down the argument as Harley turned to look at Marinette, âMaybe we can compromise?â she asked a bit quietly.
Harley sighed, sitting down, and waved her hand signaling for Marinette to continue as she grabbed a roll biting into it as she waited for Marinette to say her piece.
Marinette took a moment to breathe and collect her thoughts before turning to look at Bruce, âMr. Wayne, do you want me to live here?â she asked, getting his nod of confirmation, âMaman, and Mum you still want me to stay at home?â she added looking over at Harley and Ivy getting their nods as well.
She nodded, taking another moment, âHow about we have a sort of⊠custody agreement?â she asked, trying to think of the proper words, âAll my schoolwork and projects are at home and I donât want to completely relocate this late in the year. I can still stay with my momsâ during the week and on the weekend I can stay here. On holidays all of us can come over and spend the break here.â She said looking between the adults, âThat way Iâm still with my moms and you all can still get to know me and you can keep your eyes on me since no one thinks I can function now that Iâm pregnant.â
The adults fell into silence thinking the proposal over. Harley let out a sigh letting her head fall back in her seat, âI suppose itâll do but if anything happens to you while youâre here we are locking you in your room away from Bruce.â She quickly threw in.
âAnd if either of you end up in Arkham then sheâs being moved to the manor immediately.â Bruce tacked on staring the two women down.
âSo⊠doesnât everyone agree to the terms?â Marinette asked, looking between the two a bit warily as they continued to stare each other down.
âItâs a good compromise.â Ivy said putting a hand on Harleyâs arm, âRight Bruce?â
âYes it is,â Bruce nodded, finally tearing his eyes away from Harley to look at Marinette, âIâll have Alfred prepare a room for you.â
Marinette nodded a soft smile on her face as the tension began to leave the room as everyone went back to quietly eating. Until Jason decided to cut in, âYou met Demon Spawn through a pen pal assignment, right? Howâd that go?â
Marinette giggled softly as Damian got this slightly pained look on his face at the mention of how they met. âI used to go to school in Paris, we had a pen pal assignment. We would send letters back and forth at first it was only for the assignment. Iâll admit I wasnât aware he was from a well-known wealthy family and since it was just for school we didnât share many personal details at the beginning.â She admitted.
âWhat was it that caused the snowball?â Damian asked, leaning back trying to remember.
âYou mentioned in your letter that you were in the middle of a feud with your brothers because one of them threatened to eat Batcow and another hid Jerry the Turkey around Thanksgiving.â Marinette said giggling at the memory, âI was so confused that you had farm animals, and then the next letter you sent pictures of your animals. I still have them in an old photo album somewhere.â
âFrom there we just started talking more when the assignment was due to end she sent me her email and we continued to talk through that later it turned into video calls then we swapped numbers when she came to Gotham.â Damian finished pointedly ignoring his brothers looking at him as if he was a clone.
âWhy did you move to Gotham?â Dick asked looking at Marinette a bit curious, âNot many people pick Gotham when theyâre looking for new places to live.â
âI came to Gotham because thatâs where my moms live. They adopted me a little over a year ago and I was flown out here once the adoption was all finished.â She said her formerly bright and happy smile fading away to a more somber one.
âYou mentioned projects.â Jason quickly cut in drawing Marinetteâs attention, âare they school projects or hobbies?â
âOh, theyâre commissions for an online store I have. I like to keep them in one spot part of why I donât want to leave home just yet itâll take a while to properly pack everything up so nothing is ruined.â She smiled a bit of her shine coming back, âI run a small online boutique and make clothing. The sweater and jeans Iâm wearing I actually made. I donât often buy premade clothing unless itâs to customize.â
Once the sudden round of questioning came to an end other conversations began to flow smoothly after that everyone taking turns to ask a question or to throw out an answer. The tension from the previous custody argument seemingly forgotten as the Wayne boys took turns trying to learn as much about Marinette as possible. However, Marinette made it a tad difficult for them to get any real personal information on her as she seemed to masterfully skirt around certain questions while making it seem like she wasnât dodging the question.
If anyone noticed her doing so they didnât comment on it. Soon the plates were cleared away and Alfred was coming out with a plate stacked with macarons of multiple colors and flavors. Alfred walked around and set down a few macarons on everyoneâs plate before disappearing back into the kitchen with a few leftovers for him to enjoy. Everyone kindly thanked Marinette for bringing the dessert even though she didnât have to as they each picked up their cookie to take a bite.
Soft chatter began to fill as the boys began complimenting Marinette on the macarons as they all enjoyed the sweet cookies. âThese are delicious Marinette where did you learn to make them?â Dick asked his cheeks ballooned out like a chipmunk as he chewed.
Marinette giggled happiness filling her as everyone enjoying her dessert, âI grew up in a bakery most of my life so baking is just second nature at this point.â she smiled, âI usually make bread for the week on sundays so itâs one less thing we have to worry about getting at the store.â she added.
The Wayne boys nodded as they enjoyed the cookies and continued with their previous attempt of questioning Marinette though didnât get very far once again. Marinette seemed to know how to handle questioning quite well to answer a question by not giving an answer at all and it didnât even bother them.
All too soon dinner came to an end and the Isley-Quinzels had to leave so that Marinette could get to sleep for her classes in the morning. They all stood at the front door saying their good-byes and planning when best to drop Marinette off on the upcoming Friday. âWeâve also already found her an OB-GYN weâll send over the information and when we have appointments settled weâll be sure to notify you if we keep this doctor,â Ivy said as she pulled on her coat.
âYou trust this doctor?â he asked looking at her as the boys were busy trying to say their good-byes to Marinette.
âWe wonât know for sure until weâre in her office. Marinette is a good judge of character if she doesnât trust the doctor then we wonât continue to go to them.â Ivy said as Marinette kissed Damian on the cheek before coming over to join them, âWeâll keep you informed on how everything goes but we wonât be able to set up an appointment until sometime next week.â
He nodded and opened the door for them, âYou three have a safe night and Iâll see you on Friday Marinette.â Bruce smiled gently patting her back as she nodded following her motherâs out.
âHave a nice evening Mr. Wayne.â She smiled softly up at him as they all left heading down the stairs as Bruce closed the door and turned to face his sons. He let out a tired sigh watching as they all seemed to be ganging up on Damian trying to interrogate him about Marinette to learn as much as they could before Friday rolled around.
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@myazael @beautiful-disasters-sunshine @moonlightstar64 @moonlitceleste @stainedglassm @casual-darkness @mochegato @ultimatetornshipper @heemsanddamemes @nathleigh @qualitypeacepainter @killer-frost-ladybug @maskedpainter @demonicbusiness @dood-space @trippingovermyfeet @emimar7 @indecisive-mess-named-me @changelinggarden
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A Bizarre set of events that happen in the Castillo house...continues
Okay, first of all, yes I have changed the name of this fic: A very Bizarre fic about Nina living at Castillo house -> A Bizarre set of events that happen in the Castillo house... Second of all: SUPRISE!!! We are continuing this, like 10 months after, but I made no promises after all If you need a refresher, this is no way in pro German Castillo fic, actually this is very anti German Castillo. This also still isn't to be take very seriously, more like at all. Don take this serious please, because I don't. Go read ÂżPuede la ondulaciĂłn cambiar una marea?, if you want something I take seriously. Lastly, again this takes place in a time vacuum during S2a, meaning that the canonical events during or after S2a are not going to be relevant unless directly referenced, but everything before it has happened. Anyways, I had a lot of fun writing this, so hope everyone is enjoying reading it as well. Oh and also, fyi, I kept the canon Violetta couples, because that's just more convient for me, especially asthey won't be heavily featured in this anyway.
Ana was sitting in the living room going through her email when her phone rang.Â
âIsla, Hi.â Ana answered the call. âItâs been a while since Iâve heard from you.â
âI know,â Islaâs voice responded, âI have been meaning to call you for weeks, but Iâve been drowning in work.âÂ
âThat is not surprising,â Ana responded, âI read about that project youâre heading, it is huge.â
âIt is, and it is also an immense honor and a responsibility. It is a very good thing though, especially given the attention it requires, Iâll get to stay here more, especially when Marco got that promotion and we just think it's for the best to stay put a little more, for a lot of reasons,â Isla continued, âThis is not what I called you to talk about. That was that GastĂłn told us that you moved.âÂ
âOh yes, we did, with Nina.â Ana nodded, âShe actually told me that you live in this area too.âÂ
âAlways trust the kids get information across on our behalf,â Isla laughed before getting more serious, âI do have to mention that he also told us why you moved. I guess congratulations are in order. German Castillo, really?âÂ
âI guess you could say it like that. I donât really want to make a number about it.â
âNew phase in life, nonetheless. It's never too late.â Islaâs voice noted, âNow I am actually finally getting to the point why I even called. Marco and I would love to have you two over for dinner sometime.â
âThat would be lovely, but I am not sure when we can make that happen.â
âYouâll give us a date and weâll make it work. We insist.âÂ
âWho was that?â German walked out of his office.Â
âIsla.â Ana put her phone away after the call disconnected. German made a confused face. âOh, you obviously donât know who that is from that. Isla Perida.â
âOh, so⊠Mother of that boyfriend of Ninaâs?â German questioned.Â
âWell, yes, she is his mother, but we're also friends,â Ana explained, âActually, it is quite an interesting story, how I did some legal work for her and her husband when Nina was about five. They were in their 20s just starting out. We got along quite well, it was quite unfortunate that we didnât stay in touch. So, it was quite pleasant to find out that Nina was after their son. Surely you know the Peridas.â
âOf course I know them. Who doesnât?â German nodded, âOn a professional level, and I guess socially as well, but I wouldnât say very personal friends. I didnât know they had a child.â
âNot many people do.â Ana responded, âTheyâre really private that way, donât volunteer much information about him if they donât have to. Quite understandable given their background and everything they have been through, that they donât trust just anybody. It has obviously been the right decision, given how well adjusted and raised GastĂłn is.âÂ
âSoâŠyou approve of him and your daughter?â German questioned.Â
âWhy wouldnât I? Nina could have found much worse.â Ana shook her head, âThey want to have us for dinner.â
âUs?â German questioned. âWell, that is kind.â
âWell, hello!â Suddenly the door of the house opened, and Angie walked in with Pablo. âDid we catch you at a bad time?â
âNot at all,â German huffed, âAlways a pleasure Angie. Ana, this my sister-in-law Angie, Mariaâs sister, and her husbandâ
âPablo?â Ana got up from the couch, âIt was Pablo, right?â
âIt is,â Pablo nodded, âYou really are that Ana?â
âI am. Itâs been years.âÂ
âYou two know each other?â Angie asked, confused while looking between Pablo and Ana.Â
âHeâs a cousin of my ex-husband,â Ana explained, âRicardo, Ninaâs father.â
âWell, ain't this an awkward coincidence?â Angie looked out of the window, âBut things are only awkward if we make them, am I right? Nice to meet you, Ana.âÂ
***
âNooo, you almost did notâŠâ Matteo laughed on the phone.Â
âHe came in like a minute later,â GastĂłn shook his head, âIâve never feared for my life before.âÂ
âYeah,â Matteoâs voice was very skeptical, âNinaâs dad has never cared how all over his daughter you usually are. Crude awakening now, I feel you.âÂ
âItâs not my fault Iâm in love with her.â GastĂłn shook his head, âThis is not helping. Nina doesnât seem to care though.âÂ
âThatâs whatâs important right?â Matteo seemed to laugh, âAnd by the way, it is completely your fault that you canât keep your hands off her.âÂ
âHow could I not? SheâsâŠâ GastĂłn stared at the ceiling, âIâm not afraid, if thatâs what you think.âÂ
âGood to hear,â Matteo laughed again, âSince you decided to jump to the deep end of the dating pool so thoroughly.â
âYeah, youâre the one to talk.â GastĂłn huffed, âTell me something, youâve never met any of your girlfriends Dadâs, right? Not even Ambarâs.â
âOkay, you got me.â Matteo responded, âI mean, her parents were never even around. I think their names were Saffira and Gareth, but Iâve never met them.âÂ
âSapphire and Garnet for Amber. How convenient,â GastĂłn shook his head, âAnyways, Ambar aside. In the end, at least Mr. Castillo is not the one who I need to ask Ninaâs hand from someday, and Ricardo likes me.â
âHow romantic,â GastĂłn could hear Matteo rolling his eyes amused, âYouâre so whipped to have thought that far. Youâve really turned into a traditionalist.âÂ
âNot like that,â GastĂłn laughed sarcastically, âI just think itâs something important. I mean, I know, Dad would have loved to ask Momâs hand from her father, but Grandpa was dead and their whole engagement was very unconventional anyway. He didnât know what he was doing until he was doing it.â
âBetter than how Dad handled it,â Matteo laughed, âHe asked Sofia over morning coffee, COFFEE! I am almost offended on her behalf.â
âI guess it is different the second time around. How did he propose to you mom?â
âIâm not sure actually,â Matteo responded, âBut I doubt it was any more romantic. He doesnât have a romantic bone in his body. The only thing he knows how to do is to buy jewelry for them.âÂ
âDad buys jewelry for Mom too, itâs one of his favorite pastimes.â
âYeah, that does not compare,â Matteo argued, âTheyâve been madly in love for 20 years. Your Dad actually puts thought into that stuff and isnât that the case that he could probably tell a story about each thing he gets for your Mom, the apple doesnât fall far from the tree.âÂ
âAnyways,â GastĂłn sighed, âSpeaking off my parents⊠I think I did something really stupid.â
âOh noh, this is not the moment you tell me that Ninaâs pregnantââ
âWhat, no!â GastĂłn exclaimed, âMatteo seriously?â
âDonât act like itâs not possible,â Matteo sounded like he was smirking, âbecause then youâve done a really good job at controlling yourself if you two havenâtâŠâÂ
âThat is not what I am talking about right now,â GastĂłn shook his head, âI told to Mom and Dad that they moved to German Castilloâs place.â
âOoooooh⊠What did they say? Isla and Marco donât like the guy at all, right? They always told us to stay away from that house.âÂ
âI donât know,â GastĂłn answered, âI think they invited them for dinnerâŠand probably planning on chewing him out then. Who honestly knows with them.â
âThat sounds like a show Iâd like to get tickets to.â Matteo laughed
***
âOlga! Can you get me my tea?â German was reading an email on his phone and looked out of the window.Â
Something peculiar caught his eye. It was like a neon pink bolt of lightning was running around the street.Â
âHey Dad!â Violetta walked down the stairs holding some pile of sheet music. âOr not⊠Whatâs that sour expression for?â
âI donât know.â German shook his head and looked out of the window again. Maybe it had been a trick of a light or somethingâ
Suddenly there was a knock on their door. Olga was clearly doing something, because she was nowhere to be found, so German went to open the door.Â
There was no one at the door. German looked outside confused until the same neon colored twister came into his view.Â
That same girl who had been at the house previously with Nina, the girl who she had introduced her as her best friend, was now wheeling all around his driveway.Â
âIâm sorry?â German tried but the girl, whose name he did not remember, didnât appear to be listening. She had roller skates on and was doing all sorts of odd twirls. âGood girl, stop before you hurt yourself!!â
âOh, hi!!â Luna did one more twirl before stopping. âDidnât see you there.â
âObviously.â German stared.Â
âHi!â Violetta had appeared behind German at the door. âYouâre Luna, right? Nina has told us about you.â
âOh yeah.â Luna nodded. âIs she home? I thought we could go to Roller.â
âSo, you decided to show up on our street?â German asked while his face started growing grumpier by the minute.Â
âIâll go get her.â Vilu slightly nudged her father on the ribs and disappeared inside the house, leaving German and Luna alone.Â
âSoooâŠâ German stared at Luna. âWho were you again?â
âLuna, sir.â Luna answered enthusiastically. âLuna Valente.â
âOkayâŠâ German continued awkwardly, while trying to make small talk. âWhere do you live?â
âActually, Iâm not that sure⊠But itâs the Benson Mansion.â
âWhy do you live there?â German asked, confused. As far as he was aware, Sharon Benson didnât have any children, and this girl most certainly couldnât be oneâŠ
âMy parents work there.â
Ah, that made more sense.Â
âLuna!â Nina suddenly walked through the door. âSorry that I was late. I was in the middle of a bookâŠâ
***
âSo, what do you think about this?â Ludmila sat down on the couch in the living room holding a cup of tea.Â
âI think the chord progression has something missing.â Violetta responded while strumming her guitar.Â
âYeah, you need to add about then different notes in there, because that sounded horrible.â Ludmila said bluntly.Â
âThank you?â Vilu gave her an appointed look.Â
âYou brought it up,â She shook her head, âAnyway, I didnât mean whatever you are trying to do here. I mean that whole thing with our, I guess kind of yours, but still our new sister.â
âI think Nina is really nice.â Violetta remarked. âIâve always wanted a little sister.âÂ
âThat is true.â Ludmila nodded. âShe is really sweet. And Ana seems like a definite upgrade, at least from my mother.
âDad does need someone who wonât put up with his nonsense.â Vilu shook her head, âBut I am kind of worried.â
âWorried about what?â Ludmila asked.Â
âHow keen Dad is on Nina.â Violetta explained. âI feel like heâs gonna treat her as a do over on having the perfect daughter.â
âIs someone jealous?â Ludmila raised her eyebrow.Â
âNo, I am not.â Violetta responded, âI mean like, I am scared heâs gonna treat her like he did me. All the overbearingness, and toxic protectiveness.â
âHe didnât do that to me.â Ludmila remarked.Â
âYou were an adult when you moved here.â Vilu pointed out. âI donât think Dad ever even realized you and Fede were together.â
âPlus Ninaâs probably not being abused by her mother.â
âYeah, so he is focusing on the trivial stuff again.â Violetta nodded, âYou should have seen his face when her boyfriend, a senior boyfriend, came to pick her up for school. It was quite hilarious, but this is serious.âÂ
âOh, okay.â Ludmila nodded. âDo you know who her boyfriend is?â
âWe met him briefly with Leon, but I only got his first name.â Violetta turned a tuner on the guitar, âItâs GastĂłn, but I didnât get a last name or anything. He was cute, and I mean that in the most age-appropriate way possible.â
At that moment Nina walked down the stairs, her nose buried in a book.Â
âPerfect!â Violetta put the guitar aside. âNina!â
âWhat?â She raised her head from the book as she stepped on the first floor.Â
âCome sit with us.â Ludmila suggested.Â
âOkay.â Nina looked at them.Â
âWe were just talkingâŠâ Violetta started, âHaving a sisterly chat. Join us ⊠And, itâs okay that we call you that right?â
âNo, thatâs okay.â Nina nodded.Â
âSoooo⊠How have you liked living here?â
âWell, itâs a nice house.â Nina said while sitting down. âAnd the area is really nice too. GastĂłn lives here, soâŠâ
âOh yeah, your boyfriend.â Ludmila nodded, âPardon me for being curious, but tell us more about him.â
âGastĂłn?â Nina asked.Â
âIf thatâs his name. Come tell us more, donât be shy. How did you meet?â
âHeâs on the skating team that my best friend is on.â Nina explained, but Iâve known him since I started at Blake. I guessâŠhe just caught my eye when I was a freshman, but GastĂłn Perida was like the most popular guy in the whole world, so there was no way he even knew I existed. In the end we got partnered up for a photography class in my sophomore year and clicked from there.â
âPerida?â Ludmila asked.Â
âYes.â Nina nodded.Â
âThe Peridas have kids?â Violetta asked.
âThey do.â Nina responded, âOr well, one child. GastĂłn is an only child. Isla and Marco moved here from Cordoba when he was four.â
âWell done.â Ludmila nodded. âYou have caught the non-existent Perida heir.â
âLudmila reads business gossip magazines.â Violetta explained. âI canât believe how much speculations there truly is over the people who arenât even really celebrities.â
âWell, who isnât interested in reading about how it is extremely odd that the glamorous rags to riches business power couple who cannot keep their hands off each other donât have any kids. I found it actually quite odd too.â
âItâs not a secret to the people who know him.â Nina explained, âThey are just private.âÂ
âWell, that makes sense,â Violetta nodded. âSo, otherwise, I have been meaning to ask you, because it was said before that you write. What sort of things?â
âMostly creative stuff, some poetry,â Nina explained, âThat kind of stuff.â
âI have been working on some new chord progression.â Vilu brighten up. âBut I might be in need of some lyrics.â
âSeriously?â Nina asked, âI mean, I have written some lyrics before butâŠâ
âVilu, we need to get going.â Ludmila piped up suddenly.Â
âAlready?âÂ
âWhere are you going?â Nina asked.Â
âI teach at our old music school, the OnBeat Studio.â Ludmila explained. âI took up a post this fall as I hurt my leg during a tour this summer. Vilu is coming with me to do a demonstration.â
âDid Fran and Diego ever reply?â Violetta asked.Â
âThey did. Theyâre also coming?â Ludmila answered.
âJust when we were about to get a conversation going.â Violetta complained while looking at Nina. âFran is my best friend and Diego her fiancĂ©.â
âDid you say OnBeat Studio?â Nina asked.Â
âYes.â Ludmila and Violetta nodded.Â
âI think my dadâs cousin might run itâŠâ Nina pondered out loud.Â
âYou know Pablo?â
âPablo Galindo?â Nina asked again, âI mean, it has been years, but yes. He is Dadâs cousin.â
âHow can this keep happening!â Violetta exclaimed, âI shouldnât believe in coincidences anymore. Pablo was our director when we studied there, and now he is full on running the place. Heâs also married to my aunt Angie, who teaches there. They are having a baby very soonâÂ
âThat is pretty crazy, especially given that my mom is with your dad and your aunt is married to her ex-husbandâs cousinâŠâ
âYeah, let's not think about it like that.â Violetta shook her head laughing. Suddenly her eyes glistened, âOh, I have an idea! Are you doing anything right now?â
âNo, not really.â Nina responded.Â
âHow about you come with us to the studio?â Vilu suggested. âWe can always use some help, and I would really love to just spend more time with you Nina. So, we get to know each other better.âÂ
âWell, sure.â Nina nodded, âI can come.âÂ
âOkay, thatâs great.â Ludmila got up from the couch. âNow we really need to get going. Iâm gonna drive.â
Nina got up from the couch and followed Violetta and Ludmila. This was maybe a little bit of a bizarre scenario, but maybe she should embrace it. These were her new âsistersâ, so maybe she would get to know them.Â
âHowâs the house search, by the way?â Ludmila asked Violetta as she pulled off the driveway.Â
âWe havenât had much time,â She responded. âI do wanna get it sorted soon.â
âYouâre looking to move out?â Nina asked.Â
âYep.â Violetta nodded, âLeon and I are. Donât tell Dad though, I will do that once we have everything ready. Heâs gonna have a heart attack anyway, so I at least donât want him to try and stop me.âÂ
âYou should look at places close to where our place is.â Ludmila nodded, before glancing at Nina. âYou have probably come to notice that I donât actually live at Germanâs. Me and my boyfriend have a place, but heâs on tour right now, so Iâm hanging with Vilu.â
âDad has zero idea on who actually lives at our house.â Violetta remarked, âFede lived there for years. I honestly feel like I could smuggle Leon in, and he wouldnât notice at times.â
âUntil he does, and all hell breaks loose.â Ludmila laughed.Â
***
âCome on in.â
âIt was very kind of you to invite us.â Ana said as she and German stepped into the Peridaâs house.Â
âThink nothing of it.â Isla shook her head, âWe are happy to do it.â
âIt is always good to sometimes spend time in a more casual setting.â Marco added as he and Isla shook Germanâs hand. âGreat to see you again.â
âI appreciate your hospitality.â German nodded.Â
âWe are honored.â Isla gave him an appointed smile. âWe got reacquainted with Ana at the start of the summer, so of course we wanna hear more about this. Please.â She gestured toward the couch as they got to the living room.Â
âI am very glad. You donât always get to have a chance to get on the personal level in the environments we usually meet at.â German pointed out. Â
âWe are too.â Marco remarked while moving his arms around Isla as she leaned on him after they sat down on the couch. âAlthough, we have to say that we have enjoyed your weddings.â
âNever a dull moment at those.â Isla added.Â
âWell⊠I would like to hear more about the career changes you two have gone through.â Ana changed the subject.Â
âIt was quite convenient for both of us,â Isla nodded while glancing at Marco. âHe got offered to take up Monto HezmĂĄâs spot at the board of the AFG, and I was asked to chair a huge convention that UW-EE and EtalazĂĄ are collaborating on. The offers came about 12 hours from each other.â
âWeâve wanted to slow down for a longest time now,â Marco ran his thump over Islaâs knuckles, while he looked at her softly, âThis was honestly perfect opportunity for that. We can stay home more, which is better for GastĂłn and better for us.â
âWe always managed, but all the traveling and hectic schedules have always had their challenges.â Isla added, âEspecially if we had to travel on our own. We always kept a strict two-week limit on it, so that we wouldnât go longer without seeing each other. Good thing he is in the airport industry, because it makes the layover synchronizing much easier.â
âI am pretty sure that some airport hotels do hate us as a result.â Marco added, and he and Isla shared a very conspiracy look. âBut German, howâs the company?â
âWe just lost our CFO.â German started. âAt the worst time possible tooââ
âWell, donât you dare to look at him,â Isla inserted, while glancing at Marco, âHe is not taking any more jobs.â
âI donât think he meant that.â Marco responded, while running his hand on Islaâs arm.Â
âJust making sure,â Isla smiled back at him.Â
Marco made a very shuttle hand gesture that Isla responded to, before turning back to German. âBut, if this is urgent and you are in need for recommendations, I would have few.âÂ
âThat would help.âÂ
Marco made a few other hand signs to Isla, as they got up and started walking toward the office.Â
âWhat is going on?â Ana asked Isla after they were left alone. âYou two have taken up sign language?â
âWell, we couldnât be sure what languages German Castillo speaks.â Isla tilted her head. âBut we have taken courses in ASL. Nevermind that though, our scheme worked.âÂ
âScheme?â Ana looked at her again, questioningly.Â
âWhat? I canât scheme with my husband?â Isla looked at her very innocently, âHow do you think we got GastĂłn to eat vegetables when he was three?âÂ
âBut why are you scheming?âÂ
âMarco was supposed to latch on something German said, so they can discuss it elsewhere. Him getting a CFO out of it I guess is just necessary evil now.â Isla explained, while leaning forward, âSo we can talk.âÂ
âYou had an ulterior motive?â Ana was still looking at Isla.Â
âI havenât been a field realtor in years, but we always have an ulterior motive.â Isla nodded.
âSo, what do you want to talk about?âÂ
âWellâŠâ Isla made a quite interesting face. âWe are friends, so I am just worried, because⊠German Castillo? Out of all the men in Buenos Aires? Marco and I were invited to at least two of his failed weddingsâŠâ
âI never knew you hold such a low opinion of him.â
âProfessionally, his work is amazing, but personally, he is strange.â Isla looked at her, âI am not trying to judge you. You are allowed to make your own choices. Honestly, I am not even in a place to judge,â She ran her hand through her hair, laughing a little awkwardly, âI wouldn't even know how dating at this age would work. Last time I dated somebody was when I was 20, and that happened to be the most amazing man in the whole world, who I have been lucky to call my husband for almost 20 years, till forever.â
âAnd you are very lucky.â
âI know that we are.â Isla nodded, âMarco and I have found the happiness that is pretty rare these days, and I truly hope that everyone would get the experience of that. Obviously, we most of all hope that GastĂłn will find it someday, if he hasnât already. Thatâs one of the reasons why we are so worried about this, because we love Nina immensely already. German is a messy person, with a messy personal life. Again, you are allowed to do what you want as an adult, but that man is a serial groom. I donât want you to be his next target of self-validation, or whatever his aim here is, and Nina to be caught there in the middle.Â
âYou are very good at meddling.â Ana looked at Isla, âDo you know that?â
âI wouldnât have a career if I wasnât.â Isla smiled. âDonât take this the wrong way. I donât mean to attack you or your choices, but things in the Buenos Aires high society are complicated. We had to learn that the hard way.â
âI am not taking it in any way.â Ana remarked. I can assure you, we are just trying things out. I have no intention on marrying again and there might be more to German that you know.â
âThatâs all I want to hear.â
***
âI often keep people on file that I have worked with or trained.â Marco said as he opened the door to the office.Â
âI appreciate that.â German nodded as Marco looked through the shelves.Â
âThis could take a little bitââ Marco furrowed his brow. âWe havenât organized these in a while.â
âYou might wanna invest in an assistant.â
âWeâve been trying actually.â Marco answered, while looking through the folders. âAn assistant, and maybe a cook as well, but it is incredibly difficult to find domestic staff these days. Ana actually told us how a couple sheâs friendly with would be the exact people we would be looking for if they werenât already employed by Sharon Benson. Of course we can cross our fingers, since that place is extremely unstable for a work environment, that if they decide to leave, they could come our way. It would make our life so much easier.â He reached on an upper shelf. âI swear this isnât usually like this, but Isla has gotten into a habit of leaving her folders where mine should go.â
âYou share an office?â German questioned while looking around.Â
âYes.â Marco nodded.Â
âSurely you would be able to have two offices in this house.â
âOf course we would be able to,â Marco nodded while finally reaching for the right folder. âBut why would we? This way we are able to talk and help each other out when necessary, and her presence makes everything better. Obviously, it does open up opportunities for getting distracted, if you know what I mean, but I would not be a smart man if I complained about that, especially when it comes to my wife.â
âUhu,â German just nodded, before turning the conversation back to his staffing issues. âLatima left us at with no warning at all, so now I need to scramble for a replacement, while there are million other things.â
âI feel that,â Marco nodded, âIt is always a hassle if you donât have candidate in mind already. I am sorry that Iâm very much not available myself.â
âThat became clear,â German nodded, âIs she always that straight forward.â
âIsla?â Marco turned his head, âYes. She has a fire. Itâs one of the most beautiful and miraculous things about her.â He coughed slightly, before opening the folder. âOkay, my principal on new personnel, is that you should always go with people who donât need to be replaced right away. I donât really believe in interim people, unless it is absolutely urgent. I recall that your former CFO was quite old, so I recommend going with someone younger.âÂ
âI was thinking I might contact YlensisâŠâ German looked at the folder.Â
âOh no.â Marco shook his head. âYou canât have Micheal. He is amazing at what he does, but he is mine. And he wouldnât dare to betray me. He owes me too much from our college days.âÂ
***
âHello ladies.âÂ
âYou got your business sorted.â Isla asked as Marco sat back down next to her after coming back to the living room with German.Â
âI think so.â He responded as he rested his hand on her hip. âYou?â
âWe did.â Isla nodded, briefly glancing at Ana.Â
âWhat business did you have?â German asked.Â
âA lot, trust me.â Isla piped up before Ana was able to open her mouth. âLike we were just talking about how amazing your daughter is. My nieces, for example, are huge fans of Violetta Castillo and her music.â
âWell,â German nodded, âShe is very talented.â
âHer mother was an opera singer, right?â Marco asked.Â
âShe was.â German nodded again.Â
âMust have been quite a clear career path for her.â Isla noted. âYou must be proud. She went to that music school, right? We are quite friendly with the Vargases, and their son went there as well.âÂ
âYes, Leon went there as well.â German said, trying to hide the sour note in his voice.
âLeon Vargas is Violettaâs boyfriend.â Ana added.Â
âWell, that does make sense.âÂ
âHow has Nina adjusted to the new house? This is quite a different area from where you used to live.âÂ
âI think she has adjusted fine.â Ana answered. âThis is an extremely nice area. If I could have, we would have always lived here.â
âIt is extremely nice,â Isla nodded, âProperties here have grown in value immensely in the last ten years and so has the demand. We were so lucky that we were able to secure a few investment properties from around here a while agoâŠand I am gonna stop now before we get too far back into work talk. Iâm sure youâll enjoy it here and Nina will most likely like it. The rink and everything are so close now.â
âShe has been happy about that, because she loves to complain about being picked up.â Ana nodded, âBlake is a little far away now, but that was solved quite easily as well, so everything sorted themselves out.â
âGastĂłn was so happy when he could drive her.â Marco noted.Â
âOh yes,â German decided to join back in the conversation. âHow long has that boy had a driverâs license?âÂ
âLittle over six months now.â Marco responded. âHe took the test a day after his birthday, and passed it on the first try too.â
âNot that we thought he wouldnât have.â Isla added, âHe is so smart, so driving isnât something he couldnât have handled.âÂ
âDonât you think that a 17 is a little young for a child to start driving on dangerous roadsâŠâÂ
âNot really.â Marco shook his head, âI got my license when I was 17. It was much more convenient that GastĂłn would be able to drive himself to school and everything as soon as it was possible.â
âI see.â German nodded. âI do have to note, I wasnât aware of him before he showed up at my door.â
âWe know that you didnât know.â Isla answered apointently. âWe donât talk about him, on purpose.â
âWe have always wanted him to grow up and have his own life.â Marco nodded, âHe was four when we moved here and had no idea what future had in store for us. More he is out of the limelight while being a child, the better.â
âHonestly we think we should only come out with the truth after he is done with college and everything.â Isla squeezed his hand.
âDoes he have any options yet?â Ana asked. âI donât think Nina has said anything.â
âA few. Heâs probably gonna pursue engineering of some sort.â Marco looked at Isla. âTaking after Tomas. School wise, there is nothing concrete yet. He is one of the tops at Blake, so most of the universitiesâ doors will be wide open to him, which is amazing honestly. Itâs what we have always wanted for him.â
âWe never got that choice ourselves,â Isla shook her head, âWe went where we were able and we made that work. But GastĂłn, we are able to send him anywhere he wants to go. We kind of hope actually that he would get excited about going to Oxford. It would be far, but an amazing opportunity for him.â
âBut weâll see, there are a lot of conversations still to be had about this.â Marco brushed some hair off Islaâs shoulder. âItâs his decision at the end of the day, and we would never try to stop him from doing what he wants, no matter what we want for him.â
âI donât know what kind of people would want to prevent or forbid their children from doing what they are truly passionate about.â Isla shook her head, while German shifted uncomfortablyânot that anyone noticed. âThere is something seriously wrong with people like that.âÂ
âI agree.â German nodded slowly, âBut sometimes the children donât know whatâs best for them.â
âHe wonât be a child much longer,â Marco remarked, âWe only have about five months or so.âÂ
âSo much has changed to remind us that he is growing up so fast. Now with college looming andââ Isla nodded, before looking at Ana. ââand a girlfriend. I still canât believe that you knew, and didnât tell me.â
âWe hadnât talked in years, when I found out that Nina was after GastĂłn, who was your son. I only realized it when I saw him.âÂ
âOkay, that is fair.â Isla shook her head laughing. âBut you at least knew, we had to gauge it out of GastĂłn, that he was seeing someone.â
âBut was starting to be pretty obvious.â Marco added. âHe started asking questions that he never would have wanted to know answers otherwise.â
âIt was impossible to ignore the completely new light in his eyes.â Isla continued, while glancing at Marco, âgot his eyes from his father, they canât hide anything. It is clearly something special that they have. And just put it out thereâŠwe are paying for the wedding, if and when we go there someday.â
German started coughing. âDonât you think it's a little too early to speak of things like that?âÂ
âObviously it would be years away.â Marco stated, before looking at Isla, âBut we do have quite an optimistic view on true love.â
âThey are children, we canât really speak of love, can we?â German laughed awkwardly.Â
âWho knows,â Isla shrugged, âWe donât really think it depends on the age. Everyone is different.â
***
German rounded the curb with his car after a long day of work. He whistled slightly.Â
He was about to turn his blinker on so he could pull up on the houseâs driveway, when he stopped.Â
He stopped because he saw a black Ferrari stop next to the house's curb side door. The driverâs side door opened and the boy who he now recognized as GastĂłn Perida, the Peridasâ son andâŠNinaâs boyfriend. The boy truly did look like his father, with the unmistakable charm and charisma. German watched him walk around the car to open the door opposite of the driver for Nina.Â
Hmmm⊠German backed his own car back slightly, so they couldnât see him. He wasnât doing anything wrong; Violetta didnât have anything to worry about. Overprotectiveness and things, no way. He was just looking out for Anaâs daughter, because he cared about them both, and someone really should keep their eye on the children.Â
German rolled his window down slightly, so he was able to hear better.Â
âI donât think Ms. Ălko is going to stay at Blake for very long.â Ninaâs voice said. âI mean, she is trying, but her methods just aren't really working. Or the material is just really hard.â
âMix of bothââ GastĂłn responded. German could identify the Cordoban accent on his voice now, a slighter version of the thicker version he had heard on only three people: Isla and Marco Perida, plus Tomas Perida. He should have known that soon as he first met the boy.Â
Well, at least he had a good background to him, with a respectable family. The boy was polite and effortlessly charming, but he was still a BOY.Â
ââbut donât worry. I can help you. Iâll be your private tutor.â Germanâs head perked up. He didnât like the boyâs tone at all. It was way too smooth.Â
He better not try anything, oh not on his watch. German gripped his steering wheel.Â
âYou do have this tendency of always offering help with my homework. Do you not notice that?â To Germanâs horror, Nina's voice was giggly. âYou were doing that all the time last year.â
âBecause I was too afraid to ask you out.â GastĂłn responded, his voice sounding way too smug. German saw him take a step closer. âGot there at the end though.â
This was starting to look way too dangerous.Â
âI guess we did.â Nina smiled at him as his hand brushed some hair of her shoulderâ
âYou better keep your hands to yourself, boy.â German muttered.Â
Too late. To Germanâs horror, the hand started moving down her arm until he gripped her from the waist.Â
How did he dare to do that? Especially on the sidewalk, in front of her home, Germanâs house!! This was his house, his property.Â
And if it couldnât get any worse, German had to watch in growing horror, how GastĂłn pulled Nina closer and pressed his lips onto hers.Â
How did that boy have the nerve?Â
This was dangerous. He was an upperclassman, who clearly had no sense of what was appropriate. 17-year-old girl couldnât defend herself. She wasnât even fighting back, completely engulfed in his charms.Â
You would think that people like the Perida couple, who were effortlessly glamorous and elegant, had taught their child some mannersâself-control. If German had had a son, he would have made sure he would have been brought up as a gentleman, instead of a charming hot shot, who knew no bounds apparently.Â
How could respectable people like Isla and Marco Perida raise their son to have so little self-control and respect? That boy was completely lacking in any sort of boundaries.Â
And it wasnât a giant mystery of where he had picked up this behaviorâŠif you listened to the rumors or read gossip magazines, like Jade had loved to do.Â
The Perida couple had had their skyrocketing launch to their success after entering the scene out of nowhere over ten years ago. They were elegant, charming and charismatic, which had gotten them far. But under the surface, there were a lot of murmurs of their candid behavior which often bordered on being inappropriate to the public settings.Â
So called electric chemistry which was left unchecked and hands lingering little too long in the wrong placesâŠwhich went way beyond appropriate level of affection between a married couple.
German had witnessed this behavior a few times himself, which just spoke miles about their more common beginnings.Â
âWe could just go to mine⊠Mom and Dad just left this morning.â Germanâs eyes darted back into the children. Hell no. Not only after his totally boundary disrespecting behavior, but the boy was also pushing even more now. He seriously was trying to coax Nina to come to his house, with no supervision. Apparently the Peridas actually felt comfortable with leaving him here to do what he wanted. How many times had Nina been there like that? Did Ana know that that was happening?
How irresponsible were they?
If that boy truly imagined he could just have his way with herâŠ
No no no no. German shook his head. Over his dead body.
âWe canât. We need to change and get to Rollerââ Nina responded. German relaxed slightly, good, she had some respect for herself, like a smart girl she was. She had other plans, and was firm in them, not letting this boy distract her.
ââyouâll be late for practice. Juliana will kill you.â
German stiffed again. They were going to that Roller place, togetherâŠafter this display?
âI guess we canât take that risk.â GastĂłn laughed, while tugging Nina closer again. âNo matter how much Iâd want to.â
If that boy kept his hand on her a little longer, German wasnât sure if he could just sit idly by anymore.Â
âIâll see you at Roller.â Nina responded, âI promised that Iâd meet up with Luna before.â
âOkay.â GastĂłn nodded, before kissing her cheek. âSee you there.âÂ
Then he got back to his car and drove off, while Nina walked inside.Â
âWeâll see about that.â German mumbled to himself as he finally drove into the driveway.Â
***
âSo, if we try that with the guitar and then add the PianoâŠâ Violetta was saying to Francesca. âHey Nina.â
âHey.â Nina had walked past them while going through something in her bag.
âWhere are you going?â
âTo Jam&Roller,â Nina explained, âIt's the place where our team trains at.â
âI still havenât quite figured it out.â Violetta continued, âYou donât skate, but are still on the team?â
âWell, I guess I am not on the team exactly, but we all just support each other. Roller is a nice place to spend time at andâŠitâs very important to me. I met my friends and GastĂłn there and everything.â Nina explained. âI often watch the practices and stuff, to see if they need help on this and everything.âÂ
âI would love to see roller skating someday.â Francesca piped up.Â
âThey are taking part in a competition soon.â Nina said, âYou could come and watch.â
âWe could yeah.â Vilu nodded.Â
âAnyway, I need to get going. I promised to meet Luna before their practice starts.â
Violetta and Francesca walked down the stairs behind Nina, because they needed the piano.Â
âEvening ladies.â German walked out of his office at that moment. He gave Violetta and Francesca a nod as she sat next to the piano, âCamila.â
Vilu and Fran just shared an amused look. German would never learn her name apparently.Â
Nina looked at German a little weirded out, before glancing at Francesca, but then she just shook her head and started heading toward the door.
âWow, wow, wow. Wait a moment.â German interjected before she was able to press the door handle. âWhere are you going?â
âTo Roller.â Nina responded and tried to open the door again, but German leaned against it, pretending to be casual.Â
âRoller you say⊠What was Roller again?â German started asking.Â
âJam and Roller.â Nina stated, âItâs a freestyle skating rink. My friends are on the team there.â
âSo, why are you going there?â German kept asking.Â
âTo watch them train. Iâm gonna be late soon.â
âWell, maybe theyâll survive without you for oneââ
âDad.â Violetta had gotten up, and was pulling German by the arm. âFran and I need you toâŠaccompany us while we⊠Sing scales!â
Vilu forcefully pulled German off the door and started dragging him toward the piano. âHave fun Nina!!â
âBye!â Nina looked at the scene a little confused, before finally opening the door and stepping outside.Â
âDAD!!â Violetta crossed her arms as soon as the door clicked shut. âWhat are you doing?âÂ
âNothing,â German protested as he looked at the door helplessly.Â
âCome onâŠâ Vilu shook her head, âI know you Dad. You promised you wouldnât do this.â
âYou donât understand.â
âUnderstand what?â Violetta shook her head, âShe went to Roller, where she spends her time. What is so wrong with that?â
âItâs not just her friends.â German grunted. âItâs just a ploy to see that boy.âÂ
âBoy? You mean her boyfriend.â Violetta still was looking skeptical. âOf course she is seeing him as well, since he is on the team there.â
âHe is trouble.â
âHow?â
âI saw him. He had the NERVE to kiss herâin front of the house.âÂ
âAndâŠ?â Vilu looked at Francesca amused. âDad, seriously, you donât have the right to disapprove. Plus, GastĂłn is really cool. I thought you would approve; he is the son of one of the prominent millionaire families here. Donât you know his parents? You had dinner with them.âÂ
âI do, but those two clearly have not taught their son any manners, and he has picked up on their own evident lack of boundaries in social settings.âÂ
âHeaven forbid married people love each other. Okay⊠I think we're done with his conversation now.â Violetta shook her head, put her hands on Germanâs shoulders and forced him to sit down on the piano stool. âSo, less talking and more playing.â
âButâŠâ
âPlay the scales Dad.âÂ
âOkay,â German relented and opened the piano. âDo, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do. There, your voices must be warmed up now ⊠I think I heard Olga say that we were out of milk. Olga!â German mock called. âShe wonât hear me, but I think I could get that milk for her. Love you Vilu. See you, Camila.â
After German had dashed out of the door, Violetta sighed as she sat down on the piano stool. âI canât believe this.â
âYour dad is going wild.â Francesca remarked.Â
âHe is going to blow this.â Vilu lamented. âHe is behaving exactly the same way as he did with me and⊠Tomas, Diego and Leon. I donât know whatâs wrong with him.â
âHe does have a tendency to do crazy things.â Fran placed a hand on her shoulder.Â
âNinaâs not even his daughter, but he is viewing her as a little girl âwho canât defend herselfâ from a guy who she knew before him, again. Next thing I know heâs gonna pretend to be a pianist againâŠâÂ
Viluâs voice trailed off⊠âHe went to follow her, didn't he?âÂ
âYou tell me.âÂ
âHe absolutely did.â Violetta jumped to the standing position. âHow didnât I realize?â She grabbed Francescaâs hand, âWe need to stop him.â
âWe?â
âYes, we.â
âOkay, fine⊠As long as I donât need to wear a wig again.â
{}
Did I only write this for the scene where Gastón's parents half unintentionally roast German, because they don't like him. I also out German into *Good Husband School* for a minute through exposure theraphy, because he needs it. German also had a tad bit elitist attitude, not as extreme as Sharon, but still a slight edge on expectng that people from 'common' background donÀt know how to act in certain situation an lect 'self control'. German Castillo puled German Castillo on his stepdaughter. Again, I am not sure if this will be continued, I did leave a bit of hook in the end there, so it can be continued... I mean, check back with me in 10 months. Who knows.
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part 1 read on ao3
âSo youâre telling me that you havenât Iris Messaged Annabeth in a month?â
âShe was with her cousin, Ma.â
His mother stopped the car right next to Goodeâthe high school he would (hopefully) be attending in August.
She turned to look at him, that motherly stern look that always came up when she knew he wasnât telling her everything.
âWhat?â
She shrugged. âWhatever you say. But physically, you havenât seen her since last January! Iâm just worried thatââ
âWe emailed each other, thoughââ
âYes, but itâs not the same.â At Percyâs roll of the eyes, she held her hands up in surrender. âAll Iâm saying is toâŠsee if thereâs anything wrong. I have a feeling she didnât want to IM you for some other reason. And I know you, Perce. You have the same feeling as I do.â
He did, but that wasnât the point. So he kissed his mom on the cheek and stepped out of the car.
âGood luck on your date! And with, um, school!â
He threw her a thumbs up and shouldered his backpack.
Too bad that luck wasnât on his side that day.
She saw him before he saw her.
Heâs grown, was the first thing that came to Annabethâs mind.
His clothing peppered in burn holes, the smoke wafting further back, and the pretty girl chasing him was registered later.
She saw him before he saw her, and so Percy bumped into her in the alleyway. Her hands went to his shoulders, steadying him.
âWhoah!â she said, laughing. âWatch where youâre going, Seaweed Brain!â
Maybe he thought heâd be late for our date. Thatâs why heâs in such a hurry.
It didnât matter. Because he was here, and he was just a bit taller than herâhis hair was longer than she remembered, but his green eyes were the same, beautiful color, and...
Then she caught his panicked look. Then she caught the girl behind him and the smoke and his burnt clothing.
âWhat happened?â
Before he could reply, the redhead called out, âPercy! Wait up!â
Her flip-flops echoed across the relatively quiet street, interrupting Annabethâs thought process.
âAnd whoâs she?â
Percy turned to the other girl and waited until she arrived next to them. He glanced at Annabeth, wincing. âItâs uhâŠitâs a long story.â
âYou promised to explain,â the girl insisted, breathless. âAbout the monsters and the gods and everything.â
âWait,â Annabeth said. âSheâs a demigod?â
âNo.â
At the same time, the girl tilted her head and said, âSo youâre one of them, too, huh?â
Annabeth felt her mouth fall open in disbelief. She met Percyâs eyes. âYou told some mortal about us?â
âMy nameâs Rachel.â
And my nameâs I-donât-give-a-fuck.
âShe can see through the mist,â is all he said.
She shook her head. Out of everything that could happen todayâŠand this was what Fate had decided on.
âCome on.â She tugged on Percyâs arm. âWeâre leaving before whatever attacked you comes back.â
He followed her, but not without gazing back at Rachel as though he wanted to stay with her. As though it were easier than being with Annabeth. There was something bubbling in her stomach at that, something that boiled her insides.
âWait!â Rachel shouted. âYou promised to explain!â
She sprinted toward them and took out a sharpie marker sheâd sprung out from thin air. Annabeth rolled her eyes. Rachel grasped Percyâs arm and began writing something that looked like numbers.
She wasnât rolling her eyes anymore.
âMy phone number,â Rachel explained. Then she winked at him. âWhenever you can, call me.â
.
âWhat was all that about?â Annabeth said. Sheâd already stormed ahead, taking the lead.
He tried to explain. Heâd gone to Goodeâs orientation tour, just like she knew he would. There, heâd been attacked by empousa cheerleaders, and thanks to Rachelâs Sight, heâd survived.
âIâd be dead if it werenât for her,â he said, eyeing his marked arm. âI have to repay her in some way.â
âSo now you have her phone number,â she said lightly.
âUhâŠyeah.â
âSheâs really cute.â
Percy stopped in his tracks. She stopped as well and looked back, realizing that he was staring at her exasperatedly.
âAw, come on, Annabeth. You and I are literally dating, and I just saw her todayâwell, except for last yearââ
âYouâve met her before?â
He scratched his head, shifting from one foot to the other. âI, uhâŠyeah. Last year at Hoover Dam.â
Right. When he was looking for me.
She kept walking again.
âAre you seriously upset because of her?â He tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away. ââBeth, I neverââ
âAnyway, I donât think we can go on our date anymore.â Her tone was scathing, like sharp, twisted knives. But she didnât care. The gods hated her, apparently, because she and Percy could never be a normal teenage couple.
âOh, so now you can get all angry with me when we couldnât even call properly because of your cousin? Not even a single call?â
âThat empousai said that the camp would go up in flames, we need toââ
âDonât change the subject.â He ran up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her halt. The few baby fat heâd still preserved back in winter was gone, replaced with the hints of someone older; with a harshness akin to his father, the Sea God. âHow much time did you actually spend with your cousin? Honestly. He couldnât have been with you all the time, and I tried to be nice and understanding, but did you reallyââ
âIf what that empousa warned you about is true, then we need to head to camp. Right now.â
She left before he could talk about anything else involving her pathetic lies. Left before he could see her blinking back tears. She ran directly into Argusâ van, and once Percy had closed the door, she told the bodyguard to drive directly to camp. No detours.
They didnât talk on the way there. She stared out the window, watching the passing farms and the cotton sky.
Her first meeting with Percy after months apart and it couldnât have gone better.
.
The thing is: Annabeth had changed her mind about camp. In her plans, sheâd stay in San Francisco for longer than usual, just to be as far away from Camp Half-Blood as possible. Then, sheâd go to New York City, and her and Percy would be taken to camp by Argus.
But plans changed.
Her mother had come, weeks before Annabeth would leave as initially intended. For some strange reason, sheâd knocked on her door like Luke all those months ago.
A spluttering Frederick had answered this time. Annabeth trailed behind him, cautious for anything.
Cautious for anything didnât mean sheâd thought Athena would ever consider stopping by.
âMom?â sheâd said, eyes wide.
After greetings were made, Athena had insisted she go to camp immediately. âThey are counting on you to be there, Annabeth. You must go. Before itâs too late.â
Annabeth recalled what sheâd told Luke:
âPeople are counting on youâon meâ
But hearing it from her mother, seeing her so insistentâenough so that sheâd come, personally, to her porch stepsâmade Annabeth reconsider.
Anyway, this was Athena. Her mother. Who was she to displease her?
So she buried all her worries about Luke and Percy and followed her; in the blink of an eye, sheâd arrived at camp, Athena nowhere to be seen. Annabeth hadnât even had the chance to ask her about why sheâd decided to help, out of the blue.
But Athena was right; camp needed her. Apparently, Clarisseâs top-secret quest from last winter had to do with venturing into the Labyrinth. She and Chiron had rescued Chris Rodriguez, an ex-camper who was scouting it in the hopes of finding an entrance to camp for Lukeâs army. Heâd fallen victim to madness in those dark, underground walls. No one knew whyâonly that he needed help.
Not only that, but throughout those few weeks, sheâd felt as if her motherâs face was implanted in her mind like a brand; she swore she saw those grey eyes everywhere. While she got familiar with Quintus and Mrs. OâLeary. While planning with Clarisse and Chiron. While hanging out with Silena. While scouring the forest with Grover and his new girlfriend, Juniperâsearching for an entrance to the Labyrinth.
It got to the point where she lit a match and watched as dozens of olives burst into flames, in the hopes that Athena would respond.
âWhat do you want from me?â
âPlease answer.â
âWhat do you know that we donât?â
Everything.
Thatâs what sheâd say, probably. But Annabeth would never know, because Athena never answered. She nearly burned down cabin seven because of this. In her frustration, she scooped up the remaining olives, stomped across camp, and threw them into the sea.
âThanks for everything,â she muttered, watching the waves greedily drag the olives away.
She didnât feel eyes burning into her neck after that, but coming back with Percy restarted the process all over again.
An owl was perched on Thaliaâs tree. She ignored it, only for it to come back while her and Percy both sat to hear what the Council of Cloven Elders had to say about Groverâs search for Pan.
.
âMom. What do you want?â
âLovely way of greeting your visiting mother, I see.â
Annabeth sighed.
After reasurances to Grover that, âEverything will be alright. Donât worry. I know youâll find Pan before the Councilâs deadline,â sheâd taken to the trees. To where that grey owl was perched.
The owl disappeared, however. Replaced by the goddess of wisdom. So now both mother and daughter stood, a few feet apart, while everyone else gathered on the other side. No one noticed the secret meeting.
âYou prayed to me,â Athena said. âOf course I would answer. Even if you did throw the offerings away.â
To where Annabeth threw them away was left unsaid; Athena knew. She knew, and sheâd likely come because of it.
Annabeth shrugged.
âYouâre angry with me,â Athena observed. âAnger must be controlled, or else unwise decisions happen. Like throwing a prized possession into the sea.â
âWell, Mother,â Annabeth said, jaw tense. âYou havenât exactly been clear about why youâre following me around. Or about why you wanted me to go to camp early in the first place.â
Athena was rarely quick to anger. She calculated everything, patient and firm, just like now.
âKnowing the intentions of the divine can either be a blessing or a curse.â
âBut youâre about to tell me something. About to answer me. Am I cursed, then?â
Athena cocked her head, considering.
âNo,â she finally said.
There was a glint in her eyes, something that told Annabeth that she was holding back.
âWell, then...I am asking again: why are you here?â
âBecause I foresee that you shall lead a quest.â
A pause. Her comment was precise, abrupt as a frigid wind. Annabeth felt herself gaping like a fish. Quickly, she clamped her mouth shut. That was all she wanted, wasnât it? To lead a quest? But then why did she feel such a profound sense of dread?
âI came to warn you. It wonât be easy.â
She restrained the urge to roll her eyes. âQuests arenât meant to be easy.â
âNever stray from the plan,â Athena said, ignoring her comment. Her eyes were grey as granite, face hard as marble. âI know that you canâŠmanage your hubris, but this time, itâll be the ultimate trial for what you can or canât do. If you can yield or not. You and Perseus both. Hubris can be controlled, but if control itself is the problem...that is very dire, indeed.â
âWhat are you talking about?â
âI may have made a mistake in assuming Perseusâ fatal flaw. Maybe not. In any case...you must be careful.â
âYou assumed what his fatal flaw is?â
Athena regarded her carefully, like one does when studying an ancient scroll. âYou can ask him about it. Since you two are...close.â
She said close as if it was a foregin word on her tongue, something she wanted to get rid of.
Of course she knew.
âAbout that, I donât care what youââ
âI give you the benefit of the doubt,â Athena said, an eyebrow raised. âMy children are known to make wise, rational decisions. I can only hope that you wonât become an exception to that rule. I do not approve, but it is your life. Your choice.â
Annabethâs mouth felt like sand. Choices. Sheâd begun to hate them, now.
âWhatâs Percyâs fatal flaw?â
âEven to me, itâs uncertain.â
âBut you have some idea.â
âAs do you, my daughter.â
âI thought knowledge is power.â
âYes. Knowledge is power. But how do you know that the knowledge you possess is true? How do you know if itâs not? Fate, however, is already decided; all we can do is prepare for the worst.â
âWhatâs going to happen, then?â Annabeth felt like she was barely able to grasp for something to hold on to, waitingâ begging âfor the ground to steady itself. âWhat will happen to Luke? Whatâs my role in all of this?â
Athena only shook her head. âKnowing something and having the wits to use it are two separate things.â Then she turned around, her time at camp over as well as her vague and unreliable warnings. âI must go. Good luck, Annabeth, on your quest.â
âA quest no one has even mentioned ââ
âAnd watch for Percy Jackson.â
She vanished into the canopy, morphing into that same, grey owl. A single feather fell from the sky and settled quietly into the ground next to Annabethâs sneakers. It mocked her, that feather. She kicked it away, then thought better of it and rubbed it into the dirt with her heel, destroying every single trace.
Your choice.
.
Neither her nor Percy mentioned their earlier fight. It became a discarded page, ripped off and torn into pieces like an old math textbook. It gave her space to breathe, to start over. A part of her knew that it wasnât right, and that eventually, theyâd have to talk about itâbut that was eventually. This was now.
During the ânow,â she filled Percy in on the Labyrinth.
(The Labyrinth will be the quest your mom mentioned. It canât be about anything else)
He listened to everything she had to say and stayed even while Clarisse was there, too.
(Probably because theyâre friends. They just hate to admit it.)
They ignored the catcalls and the teasing. She expected it, anyway.
(âSo the rumors are true,â Malcolm said, wiggling his eyebrows and making her roll her eyes. âYou and Percy are a thing, now.â
âUhâŠyeah.â
âAnd you never thought to tell me? Like, Iâm not surprised or anything, butâhey! Donât hit me! Okay, fine, everyone knew since you two held hands and made gooey eyes at each other and stuff last Januaryâstop hitting me!â)
Later, her and Percy sat together by the warmth of the campfire, roasting sâmores. She enjoyed laying her head on his shoulder and kissing his cheek. She laughed at his horrible singing and held his hand later that night, swinging their arms up and down as they walked toward cabin three.
Joking around and taking comfort in the sound of the crickets, Annabeth understood what it was like to love someone. It was a different kind of love than that of Luke. She watched him smile wide, watched the way his eyes crinkled as she rolled her eyes about Clarisse and Silena. Thatâs when it crossed her mind: their friendship hadnât changed. Not really.
Even though they hadnât seen each other for six months or so, and even though their newest step to their relationship had started weeks before that, their esense stayed the same. He was still Percy and she was still Annabeth. And that would never change.
âPenny for your thoughts?â Percy said, squeezing her hand.
âOh, um. Just...thinking.â
âWell duh.â
âShut up.â
He grinned at her, even as she shoved him off.
âNo but seriously,â he said. âWhatâs wrong?â
She sighed. Her meeting with Athena had slipped into her mind like passing sticky notes and secret messages. âI want to talk about fatal flaws.â
She felt his hand tense. âWhat about them?â
âJust, I dunno, like...do you know yours?â
He was looking straight ahead when he said, âYour, uh, mom told me. Is personal loyalty even considered a flaw?â
âThatâs what she said? That your fatal flaw is personal loyalty?â
He shrugged. âGuess so.â
So itâs true. She thinks sheâs wrong.
âI mean, personal loyalty is considered a flaw, but...do you think it could be something else? Maybe?â
They locked eyes. The faraway hearth lit up his face, sharpening his features.
âDo you think itâs something else?â
âI donât know.â
Another lie. Or was it? Could personal loyalty be his fatal flaw or could it be something else? Was Athena right? Was she wrong?
Percy raised his eyebrows. âYou know something. You have that planning face look.â
âI donât have aââ
âUh, yeah you do. But whatever. Itâs not like you know what my fatal flaw is.â
âIâm...yeah. I was just wondering since, well, I know about mine. And weâre so close to the Great Prophecy, and if you donât know by now what your fatal flaw is, wellââ
âItâs good that I know, then,â he cut in. âGood that I know my fatal flaw by now.â His eyes flicked to her. âRight?â
âYeah. Right. Good.â
Nothing else was said after that. He stopped by the porch steps of cabin three and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes, comforted like she had throughout the singalong. Comforted by Percy.
Until he closed his door and left her in the dark.
.
The next day, Quintusâ strange game involving scorpions and ribbons began with her being paired up with Percy. It was just their luck that theyâd stumbled into the Labyrinth, of all places .
âSo weâre stuck here.â
âYep,â Percy confirmed.
âYouâre not helping.â
âIâm only here for moral support. Youâre the brains of the relationship.â
âAm not,â she grumbled. âYouâre smart; stop pretending you arenât.â
It was no use, anyway. She couldnât find the mark of Daedalus in the darkness. They took a break from searching and calling for help to sit down, bunching up against a wall and leaning against the other.
âI never apologized.â
Percyâs voice in the hollow chambers nearly made her jump. She lifted her chin and tucked it into his collarbone.
âFor what?â she said.
âThe Rachel thing.â
âTo be fair, Iâd nearly forgotten.â
âExactly. So I justâŠwant to clear the air before it comes up again. And to say sorry for doubting you about your cousin.â
She shut her eyes tight. The truth was coming like undigested food; she was ready to spill it all out. But she swallowed the words insteadâhating herself and loving this beautiful, selfless boy all at the same time. Round and round. Round and round it went.
âIâm sorry, too.â
âWhat are you sorry for? You were right to be angry with me. Like, all this time apart and suddenly a girl writes down her phone number on my arm , and then we canât even have a normal date because I seem to mess that up, too.â
Youâre perfect, she wanted to say. Youâre perfect and Iâm the one who messed everything up. Not you.
âWe both reacted in stupid ways,â she said instead. âAnd anyway, I shouldâve found the time to IM with you.â
He kissed the top of her head and mumbled into her hair, âYou know you can tell me anything, right?â
âYeah. I know.â
He pulled away from her. She could feel his gaze but couldnât see him clearly. âSomethingâs bothering you, Annabeth. Whatâs wrong? Whatâs actually wrong?â
She pursed her lips.
âWhat ifâŠwhat if we donât make it?â
Her voice came out barely above a whisper, but in the drifting silence, it sounded like ringing bells, there for everyone to hear.
( âWhat if you donât make it?â She could never dare to say that out loud, however. )
She felt Percy lace his fingers through hers. âWeâll be together. Thatâs something I know for sure.â
They chose silence after that. Annabeth rested her head against his shoulder once more, listening to the constant creaking and shifting of the Labyrinth.
âHey,â Percy murmured.
She glanced at him. âHmm?â
Suddenly, she was aware of his hand resting on her arm, of his breath warm against her cheek. She froze, just for a second.
âCan I kiss you?â
Now that she thought about it, theyâd never kissed properlyâjust a quick peck here and there. She nearly laughed at how nervous Percy sounded, at how this was just like last winter as they asked permission for a simple kiss like the awkward teenagers that they were.
She nodded. âYeah.â
He tucked a stray curl behind her ear and leaned in. He didnât need to look far, not even in the darkness; she was already inches apart, closing her eyes and feeling their breaths slip by.
When their lips met, she decided that surrender tasted sweet and pure, something sheâd willingly do over and over again. He kissed her and nothing else mattered, not Time or the dark or choices.
He was the first to pull away.
âWeâve, um, weâve been in here for too long,â he said. âLetâs keep trying to find a way out.â
It wasnât long until they did.
.
By the time theyâd managed to slip out of the Labyrinth, hours had passed. Night had fallen like autumn leaves, though she swore that theyâd been in the maze for thirty minutes  at most.
By the time the campers and Chiron found them, she already knew that a quest would have to be made.
Just like her mother had promised, she was chosen to lead.
From what the oracle told her, she wished she could hide in her cabin and never come out. She wished that all of this was a dream and that absolutely nothing would happenâto anyone.
âThe child of Athenaâs final stand,â sheâd said, repeating nearly all of her prophecy once Chiron asked her about it.
She paused and didnât say the last line. The worst line. That line had cut to her bones. A rusted knife against her throat.
âAnd lose a love worse than death.â
She gazed at Percy. Innocent green eyes gazed right back at her, unwavering. What a terrible person she was, that sheâd lead him to this fate because she couldnât leave without him. How weak.
âWill you come?â she breathed.
He agreed without a second thought.
.
He found her in her cabin. They were alone, for once. And when he asked her what was wrong, when he looked at her like that, she couldnât take it anymore. She surged to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and secure, so he could never go away.
She breathed in his scent, feeling tears already trickling into his shirt.
âHey, itâsâitâs okay. Weâll survive.â
âBut what if we donât?â
His hands drifted up to her back, steadying her.
She lifted her eyes, pulling away slightly, if only to see him clearly. A varying amount of emotions crossed his face. Concern, fear, love. Until he settled on concern and flicked away her stray tears with the pad of his thumb ever so gently. His eyebrows were pinched together.
âI justâŠâ she said, looking away. âI just donât want anything happening to yoâto any of you.â
âIâll be here,â he said softly, cupping her cheek and moving it in his direction so that she could understand. âWeâll be okay.â
She wished she could believe that. Wished she could believe it with the same amount of heart that she poured into the kiss that followed. Her hands tugged at his hair, lips moving along with his like they never had before. They were warm and sure, his lips. But they could easily turn blue and cold, as easily as a flame could cease to exist. So she kissed him with everything she had so that his lips would stay warm like this, foreverâpassed her oxygen to him until there was nothing left to give.
.
Annabeth also chose Grover and Tyson to join her quest. With two more people, the quest team turned up as four instead of three; a feeling told her that she needed them all.
But three is a sacred number. Not four. This is why Zoë and Bianca passed on.
Three, not four.
And lose a love to worse thanâ
She strolled past the moving walls, the footfalls of the rest echoing behind her. Until she stopped. They were in a lavish room with a muraled painting of the gods, but that wasnât the problem. The problem was the two doorways, the two paths.
âSo?â Grover asked. âWhich one do we uhâŠwhich one do we pick?â
Before she could answer, a man formedâor rather, a man with two faces. They stood in between the pathways, leering at her.
âYes, Annabeth,â said one face.
âWhich one do you pick?â said the other.
.
She kept mulling it over, what Hera had said. Theyâd encountered Janus, the god of doorways and beginnings and endings. And choices.
âChoose,â theyâd said.
Instantly, images had painted themselves in her mind. In one, she was looking for Daedalus alongside Percy and Grover and Tyson. In the other, she was looking for Luke. âHe can be saved,â her imaginary self muttered as she trudged through the Labyrinth alone, on the brink of madness. âIf I save him, there will be no more death.â
But then more flashed through her mind. Choose one pathway, and sheâd lose Percy, and soon after that, sheâd lose Grover and Tyson. Choose the other, and sheâd lose Luke instead.
âChoose.â
Everything had come to a pause when Hera arrived. She wanted to help them, apparentlyâonly that that wasnât true. Gods didnât help. They only left you confused and disoriented, spinning around with no control.
She hadnât helped, not that it surprised her.
None of them had any clue how to navigate the Labyrinth, only that supposedly Percy knew the answer. And also that they had to search for Hephaestus if they wanted to find Daedalus.
As a parting gift, sheâd said, âI delayed Janusâ visit, but be careful, Annabeth. Your choice will come soon enough.â
âLetâs rest here,â Percy said, sensing her waning steps.
Despite her exhaustion, she insisted on taking first watch. She had to think. Pray. Slowly, everyone else fell into a slumber, but her mind was wide awake, gazing at Percyâs motionless form.
Prophecies had double meanings, didnât they?
.
Her world was turned upside-down once she heard the explosion, once she went airborne for a few seconds only to hit her shoulder on a jagged rock. Immediately, she felt the sharp sting of pain. She clutched her shoulder, biting her lip. Her hand came back slick with blood.
âYou chose this,â the two-faced god taunted her.
Then she heard a strangled scream. Percyâs scream. She inhaled sharply and scrambled to stand up, ignoring the scuttling spider that was getting farther and farther away and the stabbing pain traveling from her shoulder to the rest of her body.
âPercy!â
She ran in the direction from which sheâd come from. Too late. Searing heat slapped her in the face before she understood what was happening. Another explosion came, and this time, she wasnât so lucky.
Her body stumbled back, rocks caving in on her.
The sky. This is like the skyâ
And everything went dark.
The darkness formed into a memory:
âNo! I canât leave you!â
âIâve got a planâpromise!â he insisted. âYou follow that metal spider to Hephaestus' lair, tell him about whatâs going on.â
âBut youâll be killed!â
This was the choice; leave him or stay. Stay or leave.
âIâll be fine,â he said. From the look in his eyes, Annabeth knew that she couldnât convince him. He was decided. âBesides, weâve got no choice.â
Yes, they did have a choice.
No.
Yes.
She kissed him instead. A quick kiss, a promise.
âCome back to me,â she said, fighting back tears. She pulled on her Yankees cap and left, then ran.
Her sobs escaped from her rib cage by then, finally free.
She woke to that memory and nothing else, head pounding like drums. The spider was long gone, and she stumbled around, drunk with grief. It was a miracle she found Hephaestus at all.
.
Hephaestus, thank the gods, understood her unintelligible blabbering. He took pity on her, perhaps, because he healed her physical wounds and dropped her off at camp. Never mind that Grover and Tyson were gone, on their own path looking for Pan. Never mind that PercyâŠ
She broke down crying for the thousandth time that day when Chiron asked her what had happened. Why sheâd staggered into camp all alone. Her heart, her entire being, spilled to the floor like water from an overfilled cup.
âFour went in and one came back. Only Annabeth came back,â the campers whispered among themselves. She saw their faces, saw their horror at realizing that Percy was likely dead, Grover and Tyson gone as well without much of a trace.
It drove her to hide. She stayed in bed for the next three days, not daring to close her eyes in the fear of what she may find there.
She thought that sheâd run out of tears long ago, but they came anyway. She clamped her mouth shut so as not to alert any of her siblings who were asleep.
Your choice.
For the first time in the past two days, her eyes fluttered closed. She didnât dream of anything at all.
.
Clarisse came barging into cabin seven the next morning.
âCome on, Princess,â she said, staring down at her. âYouâve gotta eat.â
Malcolm stood behind her, likely the one who had told Clarisse to come in the first place, since Annabeth hadnât listened to any of her siblings about eating.
She tried to protest, to fight. But Clarisse was strong and had a purpose; Annabeth had nothing at all. So she sat in the dining pavilion, taking her time with her breakfast and ignoring everyoneïżœïżœïżœs eyes on her.
Clarisse sat next to her, making sure she finished her food.
âSlowly, okay?â she said, then murmured, âGods, when was the last time you ate something?â
âShut the fuck up,â Annabeth snapped.
A few minutes passed in relative silence before Silena came to their table, offering solace.
âHey, girlie,â she said. âHow are you?â
Annabeth didnât respond. Silena softly laid a hand on her shoulder, then decided better of it and pulled her in for a hug.
âYou know itâs not your fault, right?â she said gently.
But it was.
Annabeth chose to leave him.
It took everything in her not to break down in Silenaâs arms. Annabeth gave her a weak smile once she proposed to do something to pass the time. Like weaving, something she knew Annabeth enjoyed, being Athenaâs daughter and all that.
So they did. Silena was good at itâgood at making beautiful things. In the arts and crafts station, they spent most of the afternoon knitting and sewing as well, with Clarisse begrudgingly accompanying them.
She felt herself forget, her hands the only thing working. Not her mind. Not her subconscious or her guilt or her worry and fear.
It lasted only a moment. Because then she saw what sheâd been working on for the past hour. Subconsciously, Annabeth had created a shroud. A beautiful one at that, with different hues of blue and greenâjust like his eyes. Just like the sea.
As if sensing her distress, the two girls looked up from what they were doing.
Clarisse said, âIs something wroââ
She didnât need to say the rest, because Annabeth found her legs already moving, racing out the door.
âLet her,â she heard Silena say. âGive her space.â
She didnât look back, sprinting to the one place where she knew Percyâs presence still thrived. Where she could be reminded that he would come back, just like he promised.
âIâll be here.â
Cabin three didnât look like much. Granted, she could barely focus on anything but her breathingâwhich was rapidly increasing its paceâbut even so, she was reminded of how simple yet welcoming cabin three was in comparison to Zeusâ.
It smelled like him. Like walking down the beach on a sunny day. Everything was as it always had beenâclothes splayed haphazardly on the ground, bed unmade, stray papers adorning his nightstand.
She crumpled to her knees on the worn wooden planks. A great sob escaped her, and she covered her face with shaking hands
âHeâs gone, Poseidon,â she cried. âHeâs gone, andâand Iâm so sorry.â
That night, she threw up everything sheâd eaten.
.
âIt is time,â Chiron said, his eyes dim with pity.
He preferred demigods dead, it seemed, than to try and look for them. Sheâd begged. Pleaded. Fallen to her knees until they bled. But it was no use; her teacher was convinced he was dead, and by the time the second week passed without Percy showing up, he was declared as such.
âHeâs powerful,â Clarisse had told her. âI trust your instincts. Heâs not dead. Canât be, or else Iâd have to beat him up.â
She helped Annabeth try to talk Chiron out of the funeral but to no avail.
And he wasnât. Annabeth knew, in her heart, that Percy wasnât dead. Barely anyone believed her, however. She didnât blame them; no one knew about the last line of the prophecy for her quest.
But a pestering voice reminded her of something else: Percy was not, by any means, her only loved one. That voice sounded eerily like Janus.
What if itâs Luke?
He was nothing to her, now. She swore that he wasnât.
What if Percy is dead?
Thatâs when Silena squeezed her shoulder, repeating what Chiron had told her the day prior.
âItâs time.â
Everyone who had gathered by the Amphitheatre waited for her to give out her statement, grim-faced. Chiron stood at the center of it all, the shroud sheâd made at the arts and crafts cabin in his hands.
She hated that shroud with all her being, but she took it anyway once she stepped the last of the stairs. The fire next to her kissed her cheeks like the warmth of the sun. But inside, all she felt was cold. His body hadnât been foundâŠyet the shroud that she clutched in her hands would burn with Percyâs life.
âHeâŠâ Her eyes drifted to the shimmering cloth. How could she ever describe Percy Jackson? How could she ever put him into words? âHe was kind,â she began. Her voice was unrecognizable, even to her. âHe was probably the bravest friend Iâve ever had, andâŠâ
And then she saw him, grinning like an idiot behind everyone else.
.
âBravest friend you ever had?â was the first thing he said, after their bone-crushing hug.
She wiped her tears away and laughed. For the moment, she didnât care that he hadn't answered her frantic questions.
âWhere have you been?â
âWhat happened?â
He was here and he was alive. Her arms still clung to his neck; she wasnât sure sheâd ever manage to fully let go.
âYouâre my friend above everything else, Seaweed Brain. And yeah, I guess youâre pretty brave.â
A question formed at the tip of her tongueâthe one asking once more about what had happened in that explosion, where heâd been all this time; she knew that Percy could tell.
He was about to say something when Chiron interrupted them.
âMy boy,â he said, mainly addressing Percy. âWe need to talk.â
Percyâs demeanor changed like the shock of icy water to the face.
âUh, yeah.â Something passed through his eyes; he glanced at her, then at their teacher. âI know how to navigate Labyrinth.â
.
Her relief became a ghost of the past once he explained himself. He told them the plan for the next part of the questâfor finding Grover and Tyson and finally Daedalusâbut all she could hear was her ears ringing. Â
âI was marooned on an island.â
âI uhâŠI stayed there for some time, healing from the explosion.â
She was almost certain about where heâd been. And then heâd mentioned his plan to find Rachel, the pretty redhead who wrote her phone number on his arm. Supposedly, she could help them.
âA clear-sighted mortal,â Chiron had said. âClever, indeed.â
Only it wasnât. It was her quest. Her choice. Not his.
Annabeth stood from her chair. The screeching noise made Percy wince. âI canât believe you! Youâre asking me to go to that mortal for help?â
Chironâs eyes were soft when he said, âAnnabeth, calm downââ
âNo, Iâm not calming down, because Percy here wantsââ
âItâs the only way,â Percy said, hands wrung together.
âOhh donât tell me whatâs âthe only wayâ and what isnât when you couldâve easily come back sooner.â
Percy opened his mouth, but she talked over him.
âYou think Iâm stupid? You think Iâm dumb?â
âNo, âBeth, Iââ
âYou were with that goddess,â she said, her voice taking a hard edge. âCalypso, isnât it? Was she nice company for you? Did you have a good time while I sat here, waiting for you, as my life spiraled out of control because one of the most important people in my life was gone?â
Percy stammered, ââBeth, pleaseâŠjustâjust let me explain.â
She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. âYouâre not denying it, either. Thatâs why you didnât recount the entire story of your fun little vacation in a beautiful island with a beautiful goddess who was probably all over yoââ
He stood up then, leaning over the table, face inches apart from hers. âDonât act so high and mighty with me when I know you lied to me about your cousin.â
âPercy, this isnât even aboutââ
âNo, no. Youâre hearing me out. Okay? Hey, stop. Look me in the eyes. Nothing happened between us. Okay, nothing. She liked me, yes, but that is literally her curse! I knew youâd react that way because Iâm realizing that you donât fucking trust me!â
âWhat? Percy, I trust you with my lifeââ
âThen how come you never told me what was bothering you?â
âBecause I donât know what was bothering me!â
âOh, thatâs rich, coming from you! You know exactly what bothers you. But guess what? You wonât tell me! So like, donât even dare accuse me of not revealing where I was when you do the exact same thing, âBeth!â
Annabeth felt like falling, but this time, she found no branch to hold onto and crashed to the ground, bleeding out and breathless.
Meanwhile, Percy kept talking, throwing javelins her way. âWhen you didnât want to communicate via IM last semester, I agreed because I wanted to give you space to whatever the fuck was going on with youâand something is still going on, but you wonât tell meâand like, all that time while I was with her on that island, I wanted to go!
âI wanted to be with you! Shit, I donât even know what Iâd do without you, but I couldnât fucking leave because that place is cursed! And when I did, itâs because sheâdâŠsheâd fallen in love with me! But IâŠbut all I wanted was you!â
Silence fell over them with the remnants of Percyâs hard breathing. She blinked a few times, telling herself that she would not cry.
Chiron saved her before that could happen. âNow, children. Settle down. Percy. Give Annabeth some space to think about this.â
He obliged, much to her relief.
âThis time, itâll be the ultimate trial for what you can or canât do. If you can yield or not.â
It all came down to that, to her motherâs words. She understood what they meant, now.
With just enough drachmas in her bag and a bluster assuring her that she would not fail, she grabbed Percy by the hand and crossed the camp border. Argus was waiting down below.
#pjo fic#percabeth#percabeth fic#pjo au#the battle of the labyrinth#look mom i can write#omg me updating?? so soon?? unheard of
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Can you do a list of Mic being pure w/ his favorite student, (y/n) (like, heâs not afraid to show it), but sheâs living with her friend and their family since sheâs alone in Japan, and trying to keep it a secret. But when he finds out heâs just âASDFGHJKLWHATâ, and heâs trying to help her with so many things, which soon evolves to âcustody of childââ.
https://dontbesoweirdkira.tumblr.com/post/189518600672/hey-its-me-again-i-hope-you-are-still-open-for
A/N: I first would like to say I ALSO HAVE EATEN A NUCLEAR REACTOR...it tasted like radiation and strawberries yummy! Hereâs your soft present mic X student. I hope you enjoy. Â
(I kind of made it where you arenât fully living with your friend. Just bouncing from the streets to her house every so often if that makes sense??)Requests open
-So at first Mic didnât notice anything was up...well no he did but he kind of brushed it off since he didnât want to cross any boundaries.
-Like when he asked for your parents signature but they were always somehow âout of townâ or âworking overtimeâÂ
-Or when he was going to offer you a ride home since it was pretty late but you just insisted to walk by yourself. And how you didnât bother to call them and let them know you were going to be home a bit later than usual.Â
-He was always curious but like i said he didnât want to cross a boundary and make you feel uncomfortable about something so personal. Besides how would he bring it up?
-âHey Y/N, Why do you always conveniently âforgetâ to fill out your home address on forms?âÂ
-Yeah see his dilemma?^ And like what if it was nothing and it really was just a convenience. It seemed better to leave it alone and not worry. Youâd tell him if something was going on, right?
-Maybe one day youâre talking to your friend and Heâs just around the corner so he overhears the conversation.
-âHey Y/N, my family is going out of town for a few weeks. I- i would ask if you could come with so youâll have some place to stay but we are going out of the county and you know how that is..â
-âOh..um..Donât worry, I'll figure something out.â
-âAre you sure? I- i can always leave the house key so you can have somewhere safe to go? But uhm, My cousin might come over every so often to watch a game or to check the house so be alert and make sure he doesnât see you.âÂ
-âN-No itâs okay, seriously. Iâll find somewhere to go, thank you though. â
-âWell, I'll leave the key under the doormat if you change your mind, weâre leaving in the afternoon tomorrow so after then the place will be yours for a bit.Iâll text you later, âkay?â
-Heâs shocked?? Like he thought maybe your at home life wasnât good or maybe you were embarrassed about living in a low income place, but you were homeless?? And youâve been staying with your friends every so often?? Why didnât you tell him? Did you not feel comfortable? Heâs in this weird state of shock and acknowledgement.
-For the rest of the school day hE Is cOnTemPlaTiNg oN WhaT tO Do. Heâs not sure how he should bring it up or even if he should bring it up.Â
- *is casually being torn apart internally as heâs trying to teach english*
-*dEeP sPaCe STarE while he is standing at the board pointing to the sentence structures*
-âSensei, are you oka-â
-âIMTHINKINGASHARDASICANTOFIGUREOUTASOLUTIONDONTPRESSUREMEoKaY.â
-lolol but once classes are over he taps you on the shoulder and asks if he could walk with you home for a bit. You visibly nervous, you reject and say âUmm Itâs all right Mr.Hizashi, youâre busy and I don't want you to take up any of your time plus itâs late and I'm tired and i have to go and-â
-âY/n...You donât have to make up excuses, I know you donât have anywhere to stay.â
-stopping in your tracks, your eyes went wide and you faced himÂ
-âI heard you talking to that friend this morning.â
-M-mr.Hizashi I can explain-â
-cutting you off once again he begins âHey, you donât have to do any of that. Itâs your business. But I donât want you to just roaming around or staying anywhere alone anymore, okay? If you would like, I have an extra bedroom at my house, you can stay there until we get everything sorted.â
-âNo..Mr.Hizashi...Itâs okay..Iâll be okay, Iâve always have. Plus you have been such a great teacher and already went out of your way more than what I could have asked...staying with you would be too much.â
-âY/n, itâs okay to ask for help. I seriously donât mind. At least stay for the night so you can eat and have a roof over your head, then in the morning weâll figure something out.â
-You hesitantly accepted but you told him that youâd be out of his hair as soon as the next morning hit.
-That night going to his house was...nice to say the least. The guest bedroom that he had was bigger than your friendâs kitchen and nicer than any place that youâve stayed at. It really was heaven. So warm and cosy. There was a nice sense of nostalgia and security, something youâve havenât felt in years. His home was somewhere anyone would want to live in their whole lives.Â
-âOnce youâve settled down, you can come to the dining room. I ordered some take out, I figured youâd be hungry.â
-For a moment you sat on the fluffy bed and just took in everything. God was so good to you right now and honestly you thanked him. Although it frustrates you to think that this would only last for a second and youâd be back on the streets, roaming around. Yeah yeah, Hizashi wants to help you but you knew soon heâd get tired of your presence in his houseâŠ..they all did.Â
-Taking a deep breath, you went to go meet hizashi in the dining room.
-He welcomed you then motioned you to sit down at any of the seats at the table. âOh hey, thereâs miss america. You may sit anywhere youâd like. And help yourself to the food here.â
-You sat down across from him, only not to look at him just to have your eyes on the empty plate in front of you. You didnât really touch any of the food actually or even make a sound. You werenât trying to be rude or anything, you just..there was a lot on your mind and facing hizashi seemed difficult.
-âAre you okay Y/N? I hope sushi is okay. I- i meant to um ask what you would like to eat first. Iâm sorry.â
-âNo Iâm sorry for-,â twiddling your thumbs for a moment you then looked towards the blonde fellow âMr.Hizashi..My parents left when I was around three but they left me with my aunt. She was a very good person and took good care of me but she got very ill...and um you know. At first I was living in her apartment but i couldnât pay for it when it was time for rent so..I stayed with my friend for a couple of months. But her parents kind of got tired of me staying there and it was this thing, so I lied and told them I found a family member to stay with. And um up until now I've been staying on the streets. Sometimes having a sleepover once every so often.â
-âY/nâŠâ
-âI didnât tell you because I was so scared⊠I didn't know what to do and I really really donât want to go in foster care or anything so I just thought I was better off keeping it from you. But I guess it backfired anyways because you still found out hahaâŠ.Iâm sorry Hizashi. I hope you donât think of me any less. I- it was a tough situation and all and you know how that is...â
-He immeadately stood up, walked over to you and hugged you. It was with So mUcH compassion and genuine love. You really was his favorite student no scratch that HIS FAVORITE HUMAN i swear he would end the world for you.Â
-He gave you a little cheek kiss and was like âIâm not letting anyone put you in foster care and I'm sure as hell am not kicking you out even if i have to take custody of you.â
-âw-wait what? wAiT wHaT???â
-âKID IM fucking keeping you here safe with me even if iâm in court all year. We are going to make this work somehow, you arenât doing this alone anymore. Do you understand?â
-YeAh hEs cRyInG iM cRyinG yOuRe CryInG wE aLl CryinGÂ
-BRO YOU ARE UGLY CRYING NOT NO SOFT CUTE CRY LIKE HAHA YOU SOUND LIKE A WALRUS TRYING TO SAY ât-tH-Th-HaNKy-yyy-YoUUU-UOi mR hIzZaShIiIiâ
-He whipes the tears of your cheeks and ruffles your hairÂ
-âitâll be okay Y/N, I promise.â
-I swear heâs like rushing to the computer and trying to figure out how to adopt you.
-âHoW tO aDoPt a ChILD wHen You aRe a hEro.â
-There's an actual wiki-how about it???????
-No but heâs really doing his research and is visiting lawyers trying to find the right one. He has them immediately looking into everything and making sure that his chances of getting you is as high as possible.Â
-Heâs up late at night on the phone, emailing, and writing
-He has pounds and pounds of evidence that he is the most fit person to take care of you. He is not playing whatsoever
-He already letâs you decorate and he even gives you an office so you can do work or whatever. He most definitely brought you clothes and stuff for your room.
-When the courts and everything finally approves it after a long year of fighting, he picked you up and spun you around.
-âWhat did I tell you?!? I was not going to lose you and i made sure of that. And starting today and the rest of forever youâll never have to be alone.â
-BonUs
-100% takes you out somewhere super fun and nice.Â
-âWait we must take a selfie, The first day we are legally Father-daughter!â
-The most chaotic duo now, Everyone at school knows he adopted you and like he won't let anyone forget it.
-MISSSSSS AMERICAAAAAAA, is now, MISSSSSSS HIZAAAAASSSHHHHHIIIIIIII.
-âWHEEEEERRREEEE ISSS MYYYY LITTLE MUSHROOM???â
-âYYYYYY/NNNNN YOU LEFT YOUR BAG IN MY MINIVAN.â
-He has a minivan now. It also has a âYeah Iâm a soccer dad and iâm proudâ sticker on it.
-He joined the PTAÂ
-HE IS SOOO BIASED I SWEAR NO ONE IS ABOVE YOU IN HIS CLASS AND NO ONE BETTER SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT
-Always hugging you and giving you little cheek kisses when he sees you in the halls
-Made a titled track called âNow a dadâ
-he most definitely wears âBest Dadâ shirts now. He also is in a âSingle dadâs in Japanâ group now
-âI think we look just alike, Donât we Y/N?â you both smiled and posed at the same time
#Headcanon#headcannons#x reader#fanfic#dating#oneshot#imagines#bnha present mic#present mic x reader#present mic#mha hizashi#hizashi yamada#yamada hizashi#hizashi yamada x reader#aizawa x reader#mr aizawa#shouta aizawa#aizawa shouta#toshinori yagi#my hero academia#my hero acadamy#mha x reader#mha#boku no hero academia#boku no hero imagines#anime#anime headcanons#bnha teachers#BNHA Headcanons
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learn to love; jungkook | 02
pairing: teacher!jungkook x singleparent!reader
genre: angst, fluff
word count: 3k+
summary: raising your daughter alone while simultaneously watching your ex-husband live the life of his dreams away from the two of you hurts. badly. it hurts a little less, though, when you find an unlikely friend while looking for help.
lowercase intended
01Â | 03Â | 04
  it was day two of having to call your nanny for seyoung because you were too busy with work to get home at a godly hour. if it wasnât for seulgi, you wouldnât know what to do with yourself. anytime you needed her to cook, clean, or take care of your baby girl, sheâd be on the case as soon as she could. seulgi means wisdom. you thought her parents couldnât have chosen a better name for her.
  like you, seulgi has a passion for music. seulgi recently joined sm entertainment, not as a trainee, but as a songwriter. when she brought you the news that sheâd been hired, you couldnât have been more happy for her. over coffee, she explained to you how they offered her a position as a trainee for her voice, but she insisted she would go on as a songwriter because she loves taking care of children, especially seyoung. although seulgi was so cheerful to let you know, you felt as though you had dragged her down from something she may have considered a dream. as you confessed your worry, she begged you not to, saying she knew she wouldnât be happy as an idol and that sheâd get a larger sum of money as a songwriter. her words calmed you, making you feel like, for once, you havenât done anything wrong. seulgi was like your second daughter, and you love her just as much as you love seyoung.
  âyes, (y/n), seyoungâs in bed! she begged me to make her something new for dinner, so we made pasta together. i just sent you a picture.â seulgi chuckled through the phone, your call about five minutes in.
  â iâm so glad you guys had fun. i'm guessing she slept later than usual?â you sighed, relieved. you can always count on seulgi.
  âof course she did, you know how seyoung is.â you could practically see her cheerful smile through the phone. âshe said, and i quote, âmommy isnât here today, so iâll go to sleep as late as i want!â and about ten minutes after that, she was out cold.â
  âseulgi-ah, i canât believe how lucky i am to have found you. i donât think i say this enough, but thank you so, so much.â phone balancing between your ear and shoulder, you fumbled with your keys, pulling open your purse to find them.
  âitâs no problem, (y/n). you and seyoung are like my second family.â seulgi paused, the sound of a door shutting softly from the other end of the line. âand⊠i've cleaned up seyoungâs room! any plans for tonight?â
  âtonight?â you questioned aloud, finally finding your keys and stepping into your car. glancing at the digital clock on your dash, you realized it was three in the morning, and poor seulgi was still in your house watching over your daughter. âuh, well, i'm going to meet seyoungâs teacher at four, so thatâs new.â
  seulgi giggled quietly. âdid seyoung do something wrong? i know sheâs naughty at home, but i never wouldâve thought she would mess around at school!â
  âof course, not, sheâs got (l/n) blood in her. we deceive everyone with out good looks and amazing personalities.â you joked, earning a shared laugh. âher teacher emailed the parents asking to meet with us, and i decided to sign up as soon as i could. he sounds really excited to get to know seyoung, so iâd like to get to know him.â
  âfair enough, (y/n)! if i may ask, how far away are you from home?â seulgi questioned, a tone of uneasiness in her voice.
  âabout two-ish minutes away? why do you ask?â you answered, silently thanking the world that the traffic wasnât bad this morning. after all, itâs three in the fucking morning. who other than rebellious teenagers or stressed-out parents are driving at this hour?
  âah, no worries, then. i have classes today, and i thought i might be late or too tired to go if i stayed.â there was a short pause, the faint sound of your car pulling into the driveway on the other end. âi see you!â seulgi cheered. âiâll come out to greet you, (y/n)."
  almost trudging out of your car, you emerged from the driver's seat, the garage noisily opening behind you. âhi, seulgi.â you groaned. the headlights of your car reflected against what storage you have inside of your garage, straining your eyes and what energy you had left at this point. seeing her approach, you grabbed onto her hands, holding them tightly and shaking them with a firm grip. âthank you, thank you so much for staying with seyoung this late. i know it inconvenienced you, and i'm sorry about that.â
  â(y/n), itâs fine! i'm just doinâ my job.â seulgi smiled crookedly, her hair falling towards her face. âgood night!â seulgi waved, bowing politely before walking out of your garage cheerfully. you smiled and watched her get into her car, making sure she at least got in safe.
  the moment her car was out of sight you nearly collapsed in the middle of your garage from exhaustion. pulling your purse from the passengerâs seat, you closed your garage door, making sure to shut the door into your house from your garage to make sure seyoung was not disturbed. throwing your purse onto your desk in defeat, you pulled off your flats and shuffled towards your dresser. kicking off your pants angrily and throwing it, along with your shirt, into your hamper, you pulled on the nearest tank top you could and tumbled into your bed, allowing your body to be consumed in the sheets. you laid your head onto your pillow, holding your phone up to spot a new notification from seulgi. âoh, the picture.â you thought aloud.
  swiping up to see what sheâd sent, a photo of a smiley seyoung, face covered in pasta sauce, greeted you, noodles laying across her face and being gripped in her small hands. it made you smile, seeing how happy your baby girl was. a second picture accompanied it, showing seulgi with a tomato sauce baby handprint on her left cheek, her and seyoung making silly faces.
  you put your phone to charge next to you, happy that your night â or day, rather â had ended on such a happy note. you felt yourself letting go of the âfamilyâ mindset. all the family you needed was right here.
  you groaned in annoyance, the sunlight pouring from your window blinding your eyes as you opened them. adjusting your eyes to your current situation, you felt a huge pressure on your chest, wriggling under whatever was sitting on top of you. âmommy, mommy!â a girlâs voice chirped, shaking your shoulders lightly.
  âseyoungâŠ?â you groaned, lifting your head to find your daughter straddling your stomach, smiling happily at you in her purple iridescent pajamas, the sunlight bouncing off of the sparkles creating a disco ball inside your bedroom.
  âmhm!â she nodded her head furiously. âmommy, itâs time for school. your alarm woke me up, but it didnât wake you up, so i decided to be mommyâs alarm instead!â seyoung explained, letting herself fall onto the unoccupied pile of blanket next to you.
  shaking the covers loose, you emerged from your bed, bedhead and all. making her leave the room so you could quickly change into something more âresponsible parentâ ready, you followed your marching daughter to her room, letting her pick out what she wanted to wear.  she twirled stylishly, modeling the new navy blue skirt you bought her, something newly added to her schoolâs uniform. âyou look so pretty, se-se.â you complimented sleepily, chuckling at her playful spirit that could rise so early in the morning. it was something you always admired of your daughter, and you hoped sheâd never lose it.
  you laughed happily at your daughter grabbing your wrist in determination and leading you back to your bedroom, where your large master bathroom stood. seyoung always told you how much she liked it in comparison to her bathroom, because in the master bathroom, she could sit on the counter and watch you style her hair from almost every angle. you pulled her up to the counter and brushed her hair, the brush falling gracefully, barely meeting a knot in her hair. knowing how much she enjoys wearing colorful clips with her outfits each day, you paired blue butterfly clips with her navy skirt. she seemed to enjoy this, pointing to the matching accessories with a wide grin on her face.
  âse-se,â you called, tieing your hair into a ponytail and putting a jacket on after putting her cereal on the dining table. âeat your breakfast! mommy has to make sure your teacher doesnât think she looks silly.â
  seyoungâs giggles erupted from the far end of your house, the sounds of her small footsteps pattering against the hardwood floor approaching you quickly. âokay, mommy!â she bounced when she saw you, pausing for a moment before dashing towards the dining table to eat quickly. you chuckled at your daughterâs seemingly endless amount of excitement, reentering your bathroom to clean yourself up. looking up at your nude face, you sighed, spotting how deep your eye bags had gotten. from the time seyoung was born, caring about your looks became a thing of the past, but now, youâre starting to wonder whether or not you should get back on that self-confidence train. because right now, it looks like that train derailed, and even though it no longer has a path, it keeps on chugging. so, in conclusion, a bad thingâs consequences are finally showing up, and without dealing with that first bad thing, another bad thing is bound to happen. lightly dabbing on some concealer and foundation, you fixed the signs of a mother with âparent of the yearâ button hanging by a thread. looking at yourself once again, you felt a pot of confidence beginning to bubble in your chest. makeup isnât necessary and never will be, but sometimes, itâs nice to feel nice.
  âiâm done!â seyoung called, the sound of cluttered dishes in the kitchen sink clattering against each other.
  âbe careful!â you warned, worried she may break something and end up hurting herself or damaging something else. fear piling up in your mind as you imagined each and every terrible outcome possible, you rushed towards the living room, just to find a calm seyoung sitting on the couch, her backpack securely attached to her back and her legs dangling from the floor. sighing silently in relief, you adjusted your posture, offering your hand to your daughter. âready to go?â you smiled brightly as you felt your larger palm engulf her soft hand.
  âseyoungie, iâm meeting your teacher today!â you said happily, eyes darting towards the rear-view mirror to see her mid-drive.
  âreally?â she smiled, kicking her legs in excitement. âyouâre meeting mr. jeon?â her voice became higher, indicating her exhilaration.
  âmhm!â you nodded, amused at how elated she was at this news. âhowâs mr. jeon, anyway? do you like him? is he fun?â you asked, wanting to know what exactly made her so enthusiastic about this specific teacher. in the past, seyoungâs always been excited for school, but never her teachers. sheâd go on and on about what drama her seven-year-old classmates would have, but never completely ditch the narrative to talk about a teacher.
  âi really, really like mr. jeon, mommy.â seyoung explained, hugging her lunchbox. âon the first day of school, he gave us all these gummy candies that are supposed to be healthy for us, and gave us an extra one whenever we got the names right in the name game we were playing! he did it so we could get to know everyone in the class. and- and then, he showed us his tangerine points! for every time the class does well on a quiz or something, then we get a tangerine point! if we get ten tangerine points by the end of the year, he said we can have a tangerine party!â she squealed, kicking her legs even faster at the thought of treats â it was one incentive for kids, but something completely different for seyoung. she loves snacks, no matter what it is. if you have celery, and you offer her one, sheâll ask for more until you say no. but, then again, who could say no to such a cute face? âoh! oh! and, heâs a super fun teacher. yeah, he makes math fun. and you know mommy, you know how much i donât like math.â
  âyes, baby, i know. math is our mortal enemy.â you laughed, finally arriving at her school. you looked over the dashboard, searching for an empty spot to park.
  âthere he is!â seyoung yelled, slamming her hands up against the window. âthatâs mr. jeon! thatâs him!â
  âseyoung! you nearly scared the life out of me!â you gripped your wheel in shock, the loud bang of her palms hitting the glass startling you to a point you didnât even know she could. thankfully, youâd gotten in the spot safely without hitting anyone in the process.
  âawe, mommy, you missed it! now heâs in the school.â she pout, crossing her arms against her lunchbox.
  you stepped out of your car carefully, taking a deep breath of fresh, outside air to calm your senses. âbaby, i know youâre excited about your teacher, but you canât scare mommy like that. we couldâve gotten hurt, you know, and that wouldnât be fun. if you get hurt, mommy will be sad, daddy will be sad, mr. jeon will be sad, and so will all your friends!â you pulled seyoung out of her car seat, pulling her bag from the spot next to her and handing it to her.
  âwhat about yubin auntie?â seyoung asked, looking up at you in wonder, still clutching her lunchbox.
  âyes, also yubin auntie.â you swallowed your anger and nodded, knowing that seyoungâs relationship with âyubin auntieâ was much more friendly and less backstabbing than yours. âweâll all be sad.â the two of you walked into seyoungâs school, seyoung greeting her friends older and younger than her and you earning smiles and waves from those youâre familiar with. she led you to her room quickly, where she opened the door to reveal it.
  the classroom was decorated beautifully, bright colors and fun posters and class supplies adorning the walls. the whiteboard was labeled very neatly, with the tangerine point scoreboard drawn in its own box, embellished with cute magnets that were found across the board as well, mostly being used to hold up pieces of paper. you turned to the wall next to you, which held petite hooks where his students could put their bags, a little name tag above each one in each childâs handwriting, decorated the way they liked. your eyes, flying from decoration to inspirational poster and back to a decoration finally landed on the teacher himself, who was leaning over his desk to what looked like thumb through some papers.
  âmr. jeon!â seyoung called, her teacherâs head immediately turning to see whoâd called him over, looking to be near your age. âmr. jeon, good morning!â she waved vigorously.
  âseyoung!â he replied, a dazzling smile cracking across his face. you, now getting a good look at her teacher, now saw why seyoung was so enthusiastic about him. with just one word, you could tell just how devoted he was to each and every one of his students. you could basically see the same excitement in seyoungâs eyes reflected in his own. not to mention, he was insanely attractive â but itâs not like seyoung was old enough to worry about that, yet. âgood morning to you, too! how are you?"
  âi'm good!â seyoung piped, waddling over to place her bag on her designated hook. âthatâs my mommy!â she motioned to you, mr. jeonâs soft, brown eyes immediately meeting yours.
  âah, the famous ms. (l/n)!â he smiled, walking closer to you. âseyoung, you can sit down until class starts! iâll talk to your mom for a little bit.â he asked, nodding towards her seat. youâve never seen seyoung respond to an order from an adult so quickly. honestly, you were a little jealous. âseyoung is quite the talker, but you wouldnât believe how much she talks about you. and now, day four into the new school year, i can finally meet you!â he offered his hand to you, you holding it lightly to shake it.
  âoh, thatâs so flattering,â you chuckled, glancing down at his hand. huh, no ring. âweâre set up for a four pm parent meeting today? i just wanted to pop in to get to know you and see the classroom seyoung goes on and on about. she talks about you a lot, too.â you complimented.
  âyes, we are! and, iâm so happy to hear seyoung likes me and my class. i remember when i was a student, i had this epiphany: a teacherâs job is to teach because they want to teach, so why not make the students come because they want to learn? so, i build my teaching style around that, but, i make sure i donât distract them too much with the gifts and games. schoolâs main purpose is knowledge, right?â he joked, laughing heartily.
  âi'm very happy that seyoung is happy at school. youâre truly making her day. i do have to run now, but iâll see you later at four, hopefully, to discuss seyoung and more about your class?â you asked, adjusting the bag on your shoulder. fuck, did that make you look uncomfortable? well, youâre always uncomfortable, but itâs not because of him nor this conversation!
 while you were in your state of mild panic, mr. jeon flashed you the same energetic smile he gave seyoung. âof course and of course! i look forward to seeing you again, missâŠ?â he trailed off, hoping to get your name.
  â(y/n).â you replied, feeling confident, though not understanding why your cheeks felt so hot. â(y/n), seyoungâs mother.â you reiterated, adding a fact about yourself you were most proud of.
  âmiss (y/n), seyoungâs mother.â he repeated, his face softening to an understanding look, his lips curling upwards. âuntil we meet again, miss (y/n)." tag list:Â
@ggsmashggâ, @childishbxmbinoâ
#kpop#bts#bts masterlist#bts series#bts au#bts oneshot#bts drabble#bts reactions#bts fluff#bts angst#bts smut#jeon jungkook#bts jungkook#jungkook#jungkook fluff#jungkook angst#jungkook smut#bts x reader#kpop icons#kpop masterlist#kpop bios#kpop rp#namjoon#seokjin#yoongi#hoseok#jimin#taehyung
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Five Seconds (5/8)
If youâd like to read on AO3, you may do so here.
October 15, 2018
The leaves were beginning to change outside the window; the maples turning russet, the birch yellow. Scully felt pendulous and gravid, the child in her belly more active than her previous two combined. Sleep was becoming difficult, but by day theyâd fallen into a comfortable routine, safe and unmolested from the dangers that were beginning to feel as though they had never existed at all.
She stretched and left Mulder, half his face obscured by his pillow, his lips soft and pliant in sleep. A fresh pot of decaf awaited her in the kitchen, its automatic timer set by Mulder late last night.
The kids were still asleep, as far as she could tell -- she'd heard Lily come home well after midnight. She'd been up reading anyway when her daughter had popped her head into their bedroom door and whispered "I'm home." The girl had been wearing a small smile and Scully recognized the look. Lily was falling in love.
Will shuffled into the kitchen sleepily, a palm rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He approached Scully where she stood at the counter and put an arm around her shoulder, leaning on her. He still smelled like the sleepy little boy who liked to cuddle into her side to watch nature shows when he was six.
"Morning Mom," he said, taking a snuffly breath. He leaned down and rested his cheek against her head (he was almost as tall as Mulder, though still as skinny as a maypole). Scully wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him in closer. Affection from her kids was getting fewer and farther between now that they were active teenagers. She was determined to enjoy whatever she got.
"Morning," she said, giving his back a little rub, "you're up early."
"Yeah," he said on a yawn. "There's an open rink this morning and a couple of buddies are going. Is it okay if I join them?"
Scully nodded. "Just make sure you tell your dad, too. Know the exits before you go and keep an eye on the crowd."
Will squeezed her once and then let go, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl on the counter and holding up like James Bond. "Call me Double O Billy," he said and sidled back to his room off of Scully's bemused chuckle.
She spent an hour catching up on email that had been routed through the Gunmen and Darlene -- coded messages that they interpreted and sent to her mother, sister and brothers. Melissa was giving her a hard time about not letting her fly to Europe (where she thought they were) to be her doula when the time came to give birth. She was tempted to send Byers to her sister's house to explain exactly what was happening, but rejected the impulse. Their mother -- the only person other than the Gunmen and the X-Files triumvirate at the FBI who knew their situation (though not their location for her own protection) -- would talk her down eventually.
Mulder came padding up behind her as she closed the laptop and she felt a soft, drawn-out kiss on the side of her neck.
"Morning," he mumbled into her skin.
She reached up and threaded her fingers through his hair, then turned to receive his kiss.
"Morning," she said.
"Iâll be back shortly. I'm going to drop Billy off at the ice complex and then take Lil to campus -- she suddenly started liking football."
"I think it's the company rather than the sport," Scully said, turning in her chair to face him.
"...I'm going to choose to believe my version," he said.
Scully reached out and linked their fingers briefly. "Tell her to be careful," she said, "she's spending a lot of time out of the house."
Mulder nodded and squeezed her fingers. "I will," he said, "and when I get back, I have a few ideas for how we can spend our child-free afternoon." He waggled his eyebrows at her and let go, backing out of the room like the charmer he was.
XxXxXxXxXxX
âSo why UVA?â Travis asked her. He had his head propped up on an elbow and his other hand was wrapped loosely around her foot, his thumb rubbing circles into her arch. She was on the couch in his dorm room and he was on the floor -- sheâd been helping him study for mid-terms. They had been officially dating for five weeks and had seen each other at least every other day in that time. Heâd introduced her to a couple of friends as his girlfriend.
âWhat?â she asked. It was hard enough to concentrate while getting a foot massage, and sheâd been staring at the index cards in front of her, trying to find a question that would stump him.
âWhy are you going to UVA? Brain like yours, you could have gone anywhere. I donât think Iâve ever asked you why there.â
âOther than the in-state tuition?â She had told him that theyâd moved from Virginia, but hadnât elaborated.
âOther than that,â he smiled.
âIâve always wanted to. When I was a kid, my dad would occasionally get called in to consult there and he would take me with him. I kinda fell in love with it.â
âWhat did your dad consult on?â he asked, âYou donât talk about your parents much.â
Travis tapped her other leg, and she switched feet, silencing a groan when his knuckle hit a particularly sensitive spot.
She had purposely avoided mentioning her family much and debated how much was safe to share.
âUVA has a Department of Perceptual Studies,â she said, and she saw him tilt his head in question.
âA department of what?â
âPerceptual studies,â she said, smiling, âitâs a research group devoted to the investigation of phenomena that challenge mainstream scientific paradigms regarding the nature of the mind/brain relationship.â Travis stopped rubbing her foot and looked at her. She went on, further quoting her dadâs friend Dr. Stevenson: âTheir mission is the scientific empirical investigation of phenomena that suggest that currently accepted scientific assumptions and theories about the nature of mind or consciousness, and its relation to matter, may be incomplete.â
âYouâre shitting me,â he said.
âI shit you not.â
âWhat kind of phenomena?â He narrowed his eyes at her.
She tried not to smile, âESP, poltergeists, near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, claimed memories of past lives.â
âAnd what did they want with your father?â he asked, sitting up.
She shrugged. âHeâs a shrink,â she said, being deliberately vague.
âThis is an accredited university?â He teased her. She kicked at him, and he ducked out of the way and laughed, then looked at her thoughtfully. âYou know, I myself had an out-of-body experience with Trudy Carmichael under the bleachers when I was sixteen. Pretty sure I saw through time.â
Lily chuckled, then playfully challenged: âDo I need to worry about this Trudy Carmichael?â
âI doubt it,â he said, hanging his head, âI lost my virginity, and she lost my number. Not my finest hour.â
âA whole hour?,â Lily said wryly.
âOne way to find out.â
He looked at her then and she looked back. The moment was charged and sat in between them. The truth was, Lily was still a virgin. She and Travis had messed around, but fairly innocently, and sheâd demurred on action below the waist/under the clothes. âIâm not waiting for marriage,â sheâd told him a few weeks back, but she did want to wait for love. If only she knew what that felt like.
âHey, Frisbee,â Travis said when she didnât say anything, âplease donât take this as a negotiation tactic -- youâve been clear on your limits and I totally respect that -- and with the full understanding that you donât need a reason, and you do you and all that -- but⊠do you want to talk about it?â
âTalk about what exactly?â she asked, clarifying.
âWhen I say âno pressure,â I mean it,â he said, reaching out to squeeze her foot.
Lily looked around his sloppy dorm room. There were clothes strewn about, though mostly out of the wayâ socks balled up near the laundry hamper, a sweatshirt hanging on the back of a chair. The wooden loft that held his bed was posted around the couch, made of flimsy-looking two-by-fours, and did not look like it could hold his weight, much less hers in addition, and remained untried (though Travis swore it had passed inspection). His desk was more fastidiously kept, a reflection of his mind, a structured order in the midst of chaos. He was kind and smart. His smile could make her insides go liquid.
âHonestly?â she finally said, âitâs my parents.â
âSuper religious?â he asked.
She had to stop herself from laughing. âNo, itâs⊠My parents love each other. More than anyone Iâve ever known. Their love is like⊠romance film love. Itâs practically written in the stars.â
He looked at her contemplatively. âThatâs a lot to live up to,â he said. âIs that what it is?â
âYes,â she said, then, âno.â It was and it wasnât. She didnât know if there was a love out there that could compare, she suspected there wasnât. Her real hang-up, and she hadnât been able to get it out of her head since she found her fatherâs first wedding picture in their attic -- was that her father had obviously made a mistake. What if she did too?
She laughed, annoyed at herself. This wasnât Regency England. Sex didnât mean marriage. It didnât even necessarily mean love. Still...
âCome on,â she said, sitting up and grabbing for his class notes, âthis bio exam isnât going to take itself.â
XxXxXxXxXxX
A sound woke her. Her hips were in agony and sleeping was difficult, so initially she was more annoyed than anything; she could rarely line up more than 90 minutes straight of deep slumber. And then she heard it again.
She reached over, squeezed Mulder's bicep until she heard him sniff sharply awake and silently, pulled out the sidearm she kept inside her bedside table. Mulder, slipping out of bed without a word, pulled out his own gun and went to the door. He held up a hand, trying to tell Scully to stay back, but she shook her head angrily -- she would have his back whether he liked it or not.
When he moved into the hallway, she stepped on the back of his heel and he ended up ramming his shoulder into the doorframe. He swore low under his breath. They were out of sync.
She watched as he put his head into the kids rooms as he made his way down the hallway, nodding at her that they were both accounted for. One more thunk from the living room.
He sidled up to the wall that led to the room and backed up against it. He mouthed one-two-three and they went in, but where she usually went low and he went high, this time they rammed shoulders and stumbled into the room. Mulder flicked on the light when she finally had her weapon aimed true.
There, sitting on a high bookshelf sat Apgar, her black tail swishing merrily. Maintaining eye contact, she swiped one more of the professor's knick-knacks off the shelf and onto the floor.
Mulder dropped his weapon and heaved a sigh, tipping his head back in frustration. "Fucking cat," he hissed.
Mission completed, Apgar jumped down with a thump and weaved a figure eight between Mulder's legs.
"She must be hungry," Scully said.
"Hangry was invented by cats," Mulder mumbled, reaching down to pet the cat with his free hand.
"Our tactical coordination was atrocious," Scully said, flicking the light back off and holding her gun at her hip.
"Yes," Mulder agreed.
"When was the last time you went to the range?" she asked.
"It's been months," he said tiredly.
"We're going tomorrow," Scully said. Mulder knew better than to argue.
XxX
There were more than a few Molon Labe bumper stickers in the parking lot. Scully had to remind herself that they were in Michigan Militia territory. "Michitucky," she'd heard it called by a few guys at the Bureau. Nevertheless, she pulled up to the firing range with fire in her blood. She might not share their politics, but she would share their space, and show most of them up to boot.
They signed in and bought ammunition. She got a few extra looks for being a visibly pregnant woman, but most of the men (and they were all men) who were at the range gave her begrudging looks of approval. Mulder stood, standing straighter and closer than normal, practically growling at anyone who got too close. She had to admit that his fierce protective nature was more than a turn-on.
The range was outdoors -- different than what they were used to at Quantico. And where there were metal tables and dividers and state of the art equipment at the government facility, here it was all beat-to-shit plywood tables and sunburnt grass littered with shell casings and old ear plugs. They took the lane at the end.
They both loaded and checked their weapons, snugged earmuffs over their heads.
"You want to go first?" Mulder asked, double checking the safety on his pistol and setting it on the table behind their station.
"I can do that," Scully said, looking down at her Sig.
"Care for a little wager?" her husband asked.
"You can't afford me, Dr. Mulder," she said, admiring the still-lanky line of his physique.
He raised his eyebrows, and leaned back against the tall wobbly table. "Oh-ho," he said, "I suppose that depends on the currency." He had a smug look about him that she wanted to wipe off his face. She was a better marksman and more competitive than anyone gave her credit for.
"What are you offering?" she asked.
"Dishes?" he offered, "Laundry?"
"We had children for the menial labor," she challenged, "I can win this with one hand tied behind my back. Make it interesting for me."
He licked his lips. She had him.
"I liked the part about 'hands behind the back,'" he said, "Winner decides who wears the handcuffs."
"You're not exactly incentivizing this, Mulder."
He had a flushed look about him; his nostrils flared.
"Prove it," he said, and she felt a flush. Second trimester hormones could be a beautiful thing, she mused.
It took her several rounds before she got back into the groove. It actually had been too long since she'd practiced and she was rusty. Considering their current situation, she ought not to let it happen again. Her last few rounds were dead center. Once her clip was empty, she cleared her weapon and stepped back.
Mulder's turn.
He wasn't quite as out of practice as she was initially, which irritated her to no end. However, his fourth and fifth shots were a bit wide, and he ended around the edges.
When he was clear, she stepped back up and took a bracing breath. She raised her weapon and fired rapidly; all her shots were center mass except the last two, which she swung up and finished with perfect shots to the head of the paper dummy.
When Mulder stepped forward for his turn, she nudged him.
"How big would you say the back of the Yukon is?'" she asked casually.
His first three shots went wide.
XxXxXxXxXxX
October 17, 2018
âMom?â Lily asked. There was a hesitancy in her voice that made Scully look up from where she was chopping vegetables for dinner. âHow did you know you loved Dad?â
Scully set the knife down and turned toward her daughter. âThatâs a big question, Lil.â
âWhatâs a big question?â Mulder came breezing into the kitchen, shooting Scully an intrigued look.
Scully suspected something was up, but didnât want to embarrass their daughter. Lily had always had an inquisitive streak and would occasionally come to Scully with problems or questions, but she was apt to clam up when pressed.
âLily was asking me about how I fell in love with you,â Scully said, trying to catch Mulderâs eye.
âIt was the day she met me, no doubt,â Mulder said. He grabbed an apple out of the bowl on the counter and shined it on his sleeve before taking a snappy bite. âIâm catnip to the ladies,â he said around the mouthful. Lily smiled. Scully rolled her eyes. Â
âSuddenly, Iâm struggling to remember,â Scully said with mock derision. Mulder gave her a cheeky grin.
âDid you know right away?â Lily asked.
Scully paused. âNot⊠Not right away,â she said thoughtfully.
Lily looked back and forth between her parents. âI guess it was a long time ago, huh.â
âLove in a time of sarsaparilla,â Mulder said dreamily. Scully shook her head and he caught her eye. âIt wasnât that long ago, Lil,â he went on, and Scully felt the low bloom of feeling that always accompanied a look from her husband. For as long as she lived, she would always remember the first time she felt it; on the Tooms case, when heâd hooked his finger in her necklace and pulled.
âNo, what I mean is⊠it was complicated,â Scully clarified.
Lily nodded and turned to her father. âYou were married. Before Mom.â
âYes,â Mulder said.
âDid you love her? Your ex wife?â
âI thought I did.â
âWhen did you figure out that you didnât?â Lily asked.
âWhen I met your Mom,â Mulder said.
âSo what you felt with MomâŠâ
â... was so much bigger than I was, that I couldnât contain it.â
Scully felt her eyes well up. Mulder still sometimes had the ability to make her feel things all the way down to her toes.
Lily smiled, but looked pensive.
"But you thought you loved this other woman? I mean, enough to marry her?" she asked.
Mulder narrowed his eyes at his daughter. "What are you asking, Lil?"
Lily shook her head, her cheeks pink. She grabbed a soda from the fridge and walked out of the room.
âOh boy,â said Scully.
âWhat?â Mulder asked.
âTravis,â said Scully. âSheâs trying to figure it all out.â
âJesus, he didnât propose, did he?â Mulder asked. The look on his face was enough to make her laugh, but she held it in.
Scully turned fully to Mulder and leaned back against the countertop, crossing her arms in front of her.
âYou want to know what I think?â she asked. Mulder nodded. âSheâs trying to decide whether or when to...â She made a vague gesture with her hands.
Mulder looked at her, still not understanding. Scully gave him the stare of the dotard husband.
âMulderâŠâ she said, glaring hard.
Realization dawned and Mulder swallowed. âI should have had that boy killed,â he said.
Scully turned back to the vegetables sheâd been chopping. âLetâs refrain from wetwork while weâre on the lam.â
âI make no promises,â he said, and slid up behind her, stepping in close and putting his hands on her waist. Â
âI had the guys check him out by way of Darlene,â Scully said. âHe is who he says he is. And he seems like a decent kid. Letâs let her navigate this on her own, huh?â She felt his fingers squeeze and then they drifted down to rest on her hips.
âI donât like it,â he mumbled, and leaned down to rest his chin on her shoulder.
âYouâre not supposed to,â she said. âBut you do have to accept it, and trust that we raised her to make these decisions for herself.â Â She remembered being nineteen and in college and in love for the first time. âYou want to hear about Kevin McAvoy, my freshman year boyfriend?â
Mulder squeezed his fingers again and then started to turn her slowly toward him. She set down the knife on the counter and let him. His head was bent toward her and she felt his breath fan her face.
âNo,â he said, leaning even more into her personal space.
âI was his Little Red Corvette,â she said playfully, tipping her head back in challenge. He smiled, but she saw something rough pass through his eyes. âHeâd put on Prince and --â
Mulder leaned down and silenced her with a kiss.
XxXxXxXxXxX
In her room, Lily sat on the bed, the can of soda from the fridge sitting unopened on her bedside table. Condensation beaded on the side of it, sliding down silently to pool at the base, unnoticed.
Crusher liked to sleep on her pillow, and had left a black felted indent in the feathers, which Lily brushed away and fluffed. She looked about the room. Not much about it spoke of the young woman who slept there and had for months; no posters on the walls, no pennants hanging or pictures of friends. It was a sterile guest room decorated with the mute tones of an unmarried 60-something and lately it had been making her feel like she wasn't even herself.
She stood and walked to the desk, the one place she deposited her things. Her wallet, the phone Darlene had given her that she rarely used and usually kept switched off. Her purse was half hanging off -- likely knocked into such a position by a passing cat -- and when she righted it, she noticed the picture that sat under it. The photo of her father and an unfamiliar brunette, who's face conveyed confidence -- almost a smugness -- and a certain charm.
She stared at the picture. And she wondered.
XxX
October 20, 2018
Lily glanced over her shoulder when she sat, feeling as though she were doing something illegal, something fraught.
No one really used the computer labs anymore -- if you needed to, you could write an entire paper on your phone, though Lily found the practice ridiculous and immature. Nevertheless, there were one or two students sitting at the various desktops around the small library lab, and she checked to make sure no one was paying attention to what she was doing.
She tried to be careful. She had told Travis that she was hoping to log into the university's network to prep for some of the classes sheâd be taking at UVA next semester and so she was using his password and login information. She'd checked to make sure there were no cameras on the area where she sat, and that her back was to the one aimed at the larger area.
With a bracing breath, she logged on.
It was surprising what you could find with a simple Google search, and the commonwealth of Virginia's vital records office would send you a copy of any marriage certificate for a fee of $45. Knowing better than to use a credit card, she'd opted for a more in depth search, and found what she was looking for in the Daily Press -- the local newspaper of record in Newport News, Virginia.
It was a wedding announcement, complete with two pictures -- one, the same picture she'd found in her parent's attic and the other of a similar style -- of Fox William Mulder and Lauren Edith Williams, married on August 17th, 1988. According to the article, Lauren had been a recent graduate of Georgetown University and had been employed at Schuster and McClure, a PR firm in the District of Columbia.
Lily looked at the new photograph on the screen before her. Her father looked so young. Only a few years older than herself. Lauren was pretty, had perfect posture, and was staring into the camera like a dare; her dress was all frills and white froth, the material of the dress ruched in large poofs at the shoulders, a crown of satin flowers around the lush brunette curls on her head. She looked like someone Lily wouldn't have dared talk to back in high school. She looked nothing like Lily's mother.
Lauren Edith Williams, she wrote down, and stared at the paper in front of her.
XxXxXxXxXxX
October 21, 2018
Lily was on the bus when she noticed him. It was his age that first drew her attention. Most everyone that rode this route (it went right into campus) was either a student or a professor, and something about him seemed the antithesis of scholarly. He had a sharp face, was dressed in loose clothing, a plain, black ball cap pulled low over his head. His knee bounced where he sat. She thought she could make out a tattoo curling onto the skin under the sleeve of his jacket. He could have been custodial staff for all she knew, but her parents had raised her to trust her instincts, and something inside of her pinged.
He hadnât so much as looked in her direction, but she reached up and pulled the cord that requested a stop anyway, keeping him in her periphery when the bus rolled to the next stop. She was five blocks further away than she would have liked -- she was supposed to meet Travis just off campus for lunch. The man didn't move or rise from his seat. Nevertheless, she ducked out of the back door and onto the sidewalk, shouldering her purse and pretending to look at her phone. Only when the bus left with the man still on it would she exhale. The bus had just started to roll forward when it chirped to a stop and the front doors opened. The man in the cap trotted down the steps and onto the sidewalk, glancing briefly at her before turning and walking slowly west. Adrenaline awash in her bloodstream, she turned east.
The man had had a nondescript face. He was of average height and build, not someone you'd notice. She wracked her brain trying to remember when or if she'd seen him before, and had a hazy recollection of someone who might have been him: waiting outside of Travis's dorm when she'd come to visit him a couple days prior, or maybe even standing behind her in line at a coffee shop the day before. She should have been paying closer attention. Her parents had taught her to pay closer attention. Up until she'd done a search on her father and his ex-wife, she had. Lily silently cursed at herself.
She looked at her reflection in the shop windows along Grand River Avenue, trying to catch a glimpse behind her. She caught movement, but there were plenty of other people walking up and down the sidewalk. She needed a better look.
She swung up the stairs of the Student Union when she came to it a moment later, remembering walking in with her brother and dad only the month before, and felt the sharp pang of guilt.
When she reached the top of the staircase, she stopped to retie her shoe, glancing back behind her as she did so. The man in the cap was there, and had paused a ways away, looking down at his phone. Lily finished fiddling with her shoe and casually walked to the door, holding it open for a girl who was coming out, her heart hammering in her chest as she did so. Through the large doorway was a wide set of stairs going both up and down. When the door closed behind her, she bolted down the stairs to her right. There were a number of study spaces and she could pass through each one fairly quickly -- the day was busy and there were students everywhere; if she was lucky she could get lost in the crowd.
She ducked through the main lounge and past the small coffee shop on the lower level, looking behind her. She saw nothing, but that didn't mean he still wasn't coming. Seeing the full racks of clothing in the Spirit Shop across the hallway, she went inside, bending down to pretend to look at a few items on the bottom shelf.
Peering through underneath the hanging shirts, she watched as the man in the black cap came down the hallway outside of the shop and paused, turning toward it. Her heart leapt to her throat. He did a slow turn and then turned to keep walking. She kept her head down.
From the corner of her eye she caught her own reflection in the mirror outside the tiny dressing room -- she was wearing a bright blue shirt and her hair -- as bright and reflective as a stop sign, and always a part of herself she was fond of -- would give her away.
She stood, scanning the hallway outside the shop, and then she hastily pulled a green knit cap off a nearby shelf and pulled the tag off, shoving it over her head and tucking her hair up under it as quickly as she could. She grabbed a large tee shirt off the rack nearest her and took it plus the hat's tag to the counter, pulling some cash that her parents always had her carry out and plunking it on the counter.
"I don't need a receipt, thanks," she told the young woman helping her, and turned away.
"But what about your change?" the girl called after her.
"Tip jar," she said, turning back and keeping her voice low.
Once outside the store, she pulled the tee shirt over her head and made her way for the lower level exit that emptied onto campus. Seeing no one behind her, she took the steps out as fast as they would carry her and ran.
XxX
Darlene narrowed her eyes at Lily, and opened the door. âQuickly,â she said.
âThanks,â Lily said, as Darlene let her into the house, peering around the block. âI didnât want to use the phone.â
âI get it,â Darlene replied as she ushered Lily into her kitchen, where Lily sank onto one of the stools that sat before the peninsula of the counter.
"You want a lemonade or something, kiddo?" Darlene asked, leaning forward against the counter herself and giving Lily an expectant look -- there was more to it than just polite hospitality.
"No, thanks," Lily said, feeling the weight of Darlene's gaze and her own guilt in equal measure.
"Did you do something stupid?" Darlene asked outright and Lily, taken aback, sat up straighter, but didn't answer, thus confirming Darlene's clear suspicion. "How bad?"
"I think they found us."
Darlene huffed a breath. "Elaborate," she said.
"I... I ran a search. A couple days ago, in the university library. I was careful, but maybe not careful enough."
"What did you search?"
"My dad's ex-wife."
Darlene gave a low whistle. "Kiddo," she said, a statement.
"I know."
"Have you considered just asking him about her?"
Lily hugged herself.
"I have. I did. But⊠I wanted to know. For me. I don't want his version of this woman. I wanted to see for myself who she was. Is."
Darlene moved to the window and peered out, lowering the blinds as she did so. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
Lily once again felt a pang of guilt. She looked down. "Not really."
Darlene moved around the counter to a sideboard table on the dining room side of the counter and began shuffling through a drawer.
"What makes you think they found you?" she asked.
"I think there's someone following me," Lily said, "I think maybe Iâve seen him a couple of times on campus, but I donât know. I lost him and came here."
"Just one someone?"
Lily began to second guess herself.
"I think so?"
When Darlene straightened from the sideboard she was holding a pistol.
"Call your father right now, and tell him to get over here. Armed." Darlene's words were cold and calm. Lily's stomach dropped in her gut.
She reached for Darlene's phone, a relic from another time which hung on the wall, its cord coiled like a snake.
Darlene walked to the sliding glass door as she dialed the numbers, each tone sounding long and drawn out, Darlene pulled the long curtains closed with a snap.
"Dad?" Lily said, when Mulder answered.
"Hey Lil!" he sounded so relaxed, excited just to talk to her though he'd seen her that morning.
"Dad, I'm at Darlene's. She says to get over here. She said to bring your gun."
She heard his sharp inhale. âIâm coming,â he said, and then she heard a dial tone.
"Lily," said Darlene, walking over to her computer, which was booted up and sitting on her dining room table, cords snaking out of it and across the floor. She quickly typed hunt-and-peck with her right hand, the gun still clutched in her left. "I want you to go into the top right drawer in my dresser. In a small lockbox, code 9-10-9-3, you'll find an old Nokia phone. It should be fully charged. Itâs untraceable. Do not turn it on. Take it. Put it somewhere safe -- your bra or your sock or underwear. Then get under my bed."
Lily walked to the hallway, her body on autopilot, her heart hammering and her blood roaring in her veins.
Darlene finished typing, clicked a few things with her mouse and then peeked an eye out the closed curtain toward the backyard, tapping the gun against the side of her thigh.
Pausing in the hallway, Lily turned back to Darlene.
"Is someone coming?" Lily asked.
"Kid," Darlene said, shooting her a look, "they're already here."
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Back Before You Lost the One Real Thing You've Ever Known
Summary: Rebecca spent over a year trying to coax feelings back out of Rafael Barba, only to have it all end abruptly when he lashed out. The attorney wasnât able to fight the urge to fire first. When he needed comfort, she tried to reach out to no avail, but sheâs been able to steel herself now. After all, creating a life changes you.
Pairings: Rafael Barba x OC
First Part
A/N: A few more ideas came up.Â
Oh, your sweet disposition And my wide-eyed gaze We're singing in the car, getting lost upstate
Rebecca should have known better than to try and be there for Rafael Barba. Sheâd met him when sheâd had to testify to what sheâd walked in on in another Kindergarten classroom, the one eventually taken over by Al. Heâd prepped her, and conversation came easily between the pair. After heâd gotten his guilty verdict, heâd asked her to get celebratory drinks now that the ordeal was over. Theyâd met several times throughout the investigation and trial, and Rebecca saw a determination to put abusers away and a quick wit that led her to accept his invitation eagerly. What she didnât realize was that while her infatuation with the handsome prosecutor grew, so would the issues they ran into. It wasnât easy for him to express anything but the cocksuredness he portrayed in the courtroom. Once he relaxed, heâd sing along to the radio or tell her stories from his childhood, but she sensed a careful wall.
At first, sheâd assumed the wall was a sign of maturity; he was significantly older, though she hadnât guessed it at first. As thirty came closer for her, fifty was coming closer for him. Maybe that was why he was so hesitant to tell her what was going through his head. He was always fine, but heâd had longer to learn to be fine. Meanwhile, sheâd come home and cry because she couldnât fix the fact that her studentâs dog had died or they couldnât afford lunch. Often, heâd stare at her, and she was certain he was thinking how ridiculous she was. Each time she gave him a defense, telling him that she prayed sheâd never be numb to these feelings like some of her colleagues. To her, it was a sign she was feeling, and she strived to love without expectation. And each time, heâd hold her close and tell her that her extreme empathy was what he liked so much.
And despite his hesitance to share, he was sweet overall. When he learned how much sheâd been wanting to sneak away to the mountains, he rented them a cabin. Sheâd watched the trees go by, in awe as she watched paths wind through the woods. On occasion, her hand would fly to his arm, and she would squeal as she pointed out an animal in the woods. She could remember the soft smile heâd affixed her with, the first time she was sure he did love her. It had been six months, and sheâd been assuring him she loved him for three. It was hard for her not to hear it back, and anytime she felt jealous of the points her friends were at in their relationships, sheâd remind herself he wasnât as open as their partners. Being significantly older didnât make him immune from hang ups. Heâd sung her the sappy songs that came up with his phone on shuffle, and Rebecca couldnât have predicted the way this would all sour a short year later. When she closed her eyes, she could still see him with a crooked smile and her hand in his, serenading her with a Frank Sinatra song.
After wishing and praying for him to come home, he was standing there, still with devastatingly gorgeous eyes and now with a sprinkling of gray in his hair and new beard. His dress wasnât as meticulous as it used to be, and part of her wondered if he had intended to come here at all. Dark jeans and a tucked in button down shirt? In the city? The snow clung to his hair and beard and lashes, but she could suddenly feel everything all too well. The way she felt about him, the way his hands felt on her skin, his lips on hers, the insecurity when he couldnât share, the overwhelming relief when he did. And now he was standing there, saying he loved her and she didnât have to believe him. Tha last part was the hardest because it did let her start to consider that heâd never been so okay with uncertainty. Heâd always been the one to say you know how I feel, or once heâd said it, you know I love you. She was always supposed to take what he said as fact, and now he wasnât expecting it.Â
Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it I'd like to be my old self again But I'm still trying to find it
When heâd said he loved her, it was late at night, and she wasnât positive he knew she was awake. Heâs said it with such sincerity, however, that she wrapped her arm tighter around him, hearing his sharp intake of breath. It would be a year the following week, and relief washed over her to have something she knew to be true so easily confirmed. I love you, heâd repeated so easily, nuzzling into the crook of her neck as his fingers trailed up her sides. For Rafael, touch was what he used to say what he couldnât with words. If he couldnât tell her, he could show her, and that had worked for her. But now? As he laid over her, they moved together, and she could hear his whispered, reverent I love yous? There were no words. But in the weeks afterwards, things began to deteriorate, and she focused on the fact he was probably grappling with the shift and the fear sheâd do to him what Yelina had. That said, she wasnât going to bend her life to his trauma. He was old enough to know he needed help but too stubborn to get it. Sheâd been so excited to share her plans with Al. They were the two kindergarten teachers at the small school they taught at, and the last partner sheâd had was stand offish and now in prison, thanks to Rafael.Â
Just get a fuckinâ room already.
Raf, heâs my coworker. Weâre friends.
You know exactly what he wants from you, and you want it too.Â
What are you saying? Iâm a slut or something? You know youâre it for me.
A spadeâs a spade.
Crushed was an understatement. Sheâd gone home, spent weeks working through things at least enough to leave him a letter. He wasnât a bad guy, and the guilt she felt for slapping him was overwhelming. Heâd opened up to her recently, told her his dad had been abusive. And she slapped him? It was different, she knew, but still, Rebecca was incapable of not apologizing to him for any negative response he could have.Â
And as time went on, she couldnât go back to who she was before. Things had been irrevocably shifted by Rafael, and she began to be more hesitant with new people. Sheâd loved Rafael in a way she hadnât before, felt she understood him as she hadnât before. And she thought heâd understood her. The implication sheâd cheat so easily and make him feel like she knew Yelina had was enough to give her a wall she hadnât before.Â
After all, creating life changes you.
Al had been the first one to comment on it. After weeks on the phone with him in hysterics, sheâd started just saying she was fine. There had been dozens of phone calls to Rafael between Christmas and the new year, and heâd ignored each. She felt weak for how badly heâd managed to hurt her and how unable she was to find the beauty in it. Each night, sheâd try to sleep and see every moment theyâd spent together running through her mind like an old projector, flickering as it moved from the reel of Rafael in the three piece suit balancing coffee as he came to visit her while she prepped in July to the one of him begrudgingly joining her on a hike in the mountains.Â
Youâre not okay, Bec. Me and Rodney are worried about you.
Itâs nothing.
Itâs not nothing, okay?Â
Itâs nothing.
It took until Rafaelâs trial for Rebecca to drop the black and white image on Alâs desk, her name and six weeks, four days in small letters at the top and a fetal ultrasound visible. Al stared at it, finding the date and doing the math, the realization she was ten weeks along. He looked up at her with wide eyes, pulling her into a hug. As Al cooed sheâd be okay against her temple, promised to support whatever she did and murder Rafael if need be, she cried into his jacket. She didnât go back to her apartment for three days, instead staying in Al and Rodneyâs spare bed and avoiding the news. After Alâs encouragement, she emailed Rafael finally, calling the matter time sensitive, but she never heard back.
'Cause there we are again when I loved you so, back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known. It was rare. I was there. I remember it all too well.
It was easy, even three years after the last time she saw him, to transport herself to the seat beside his, and as she looked into his eyes where he stood on her stoop, the snow clinging to his beard and hair and the deep gray jacket, she wanted to cry because things werenât as easy as they were four and a half years before. Their daughter was born the August after he left, and Rebecca didnât know how to tell Rafael that what had changed was so cosmic. God had given her this little girl, now two and a half, eagerly waiting on Christmas eve the next night. The little girl who Rebecca had felt she was supposed to let know who her father was. She could recognize Rafael, though without the suits and with the beard, Rebecca thought there was a chance the little girl wouldnât know. It suddenly struck her how easily Catalina could get out of the toddler bed sheâd moved to, and the real possibility sheâd call down for water or a story at any moment.Â
Sheâd taken her to the same church she attended with Rafael, sat in the same pew. After giving birth, Rebecca had tried going by his apartment, finding it rented out and receiving the news he was in Iowa. Sheâd never met his mother, and Rebecca didnât want to approach anyone in case he wanted nothing to do with them. Al and Rodney had been a blessing, always eager to step in to babysit or give her the adult company she needed. Their daughter looked almost infuriatingly like her father, with expressive green eyes and thick dark hair. Sheâd also make the same faces as him from time to time. One of the pictures framed in the living room showed her with her mouth set in the same frustrated line as she rolled her eyes in a huff. Every reminder rubbed the wound open again, but sheâd gotten tougher.
Creating a life changes you.
âRafael, no one had ever hurt me like that.â He had the decency to look ashamed, maybe even more than he needed to, and shift his weight from foot to foot.Â
âI know. I was so afraid, Becca. I thought I loved Yelina. I didnât. I was forty-six, falling really, actually in love for the first time. I felt stupid and afraid, and I lost the only good thing I had. The only person who loved the fucked up, broken parts.â
âI was there, Rafael. I was calling. I even emailed.â
âYou emailed?â
âAfter the trial. About two weeks later.â
âDios mio,â he ran his hand over his face, letting out a low groan. âYou emailed my work email, didnât you?â
âItâs the only one you use.â
âI resigned the day I was found not guilty. Mi corazĂłn, I lost access that day.â
âYou never got my email?â
âNo. I ignored your calls, and that was stupid. But Iâd have taken any communication then.â
âWeâre going to need to talk about something then.â
âWho is he?â The way Rafael had resigned himself to the idea she moved on was something sheâd expected to feel hurt by. Instead, she saw his face free of anger. âBecca, I want you to be happy. If someone else could make you happy, Iâm glad.â
âRaf-â she could hear the slightest movement. It was ten oâclock and every night around this time, sheâd give Catalina a cup of water or lay with her until she slept again.Â
âOh god, youâre with someone else and heâs here? I can go. I just- I had to try.â
âNo. Thereâs no one else. Itâs just-â
âMama!â she heard echo down the stairs, and Rafaelâs eyes snapped to hers.
âMama?â he asked, and she opened the door to him finally.Â
âI have to get her back to sleep. Go sit at the dining table.â
#rafael barba#rafael barba x oc#rafael Barba x reader#law and order special victims unit#law and order svu#writing
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Blended
I was (thankfully) given some time off during this holiday season; which I promptly used to spend time with the family and recharge at home. Also spent time watching various movies during this time and a little LoK story idea came from it.
In my usual writing preference â itâs still a Lin/Tenzin endgame story but â in sort of a modern setting AU, blended family/semi-highschool themed with ages differed a bit (Lin and Tenzin was aged down by around 5 years). Expect it to be tropey and may be a bit of a clichĂ©. This is written on a whim so if it doesnât make senseâŠah well. Haha! May edit this piece later onâŠ
Iâm considering this to be a short story, just a little self-indulgent-written-for-fun type of thing. But if other people enjoy it too then thatâs such an added bonus so Iâm sharing it with you as well. đ Let me know what you think since this is somewhat different from my usual style, I guess.
Also â I have misgivings regarding creating OCs so Iâm likely to lean on canon characters and take a lot of creative license in developing them for the story.
 ---
Title (tentative): Â Blended
Legend of Korra, Lin/Tenzin, Modern AU, no bending
(Not sure if one-shot or will be multi-part yet)
 ---
Tenzin, Republic City Primary School
âThank you for making time to meet today,â The silver-haired lady clasped her hands together on her desk. âI know you must have a packed schedule, but I think it would be good to have the check-in session for your daughter today.â
âYes, of course â anything for my daughter.â The bald and bearded man threw a look at the doorâs window, where he could see his daughter swinging her legs while seated at the corridor.
âIkki is a bright child and sheâs been doing her best to catch up with the class requirements. She excels the most at individual tasks.â The teacher continued to talk a little bit more about the projects that the students have been working on.
Teacher Yue handed the father a folder marked âIkkiâ. Tenzin carefully picked it up and looked into the contents, smiling as he saw Ikkiâs artworks and class outputs.
âHowever, I see that she seems to have challenges in adjusting in a large class set-up.â Yue shared. âItâs nothing to worry about though. Weâve had several transferees in the past as well and this is usual; I expect that might take a little bit longer since itâs a transition from homeschooling to a big school.â
Tenzin frowned and he hurt for his daughter. His two children had both been homeschooled until recently.
They also had to experience a lot of upheaval in the past year or so â from the divorce, to being uprooted from their childhood home, moving to a new city, and then going to a new school.
He did notice that while his son was as precocious as ever (maybe owing to his young age?), his daughter had become more subdued since their move.
âWhat can we do for her?â
âWell, we have a big sister-little sister type of mentorship program.â The teacher pushed forward a brochure and several index cards. âItâs mostly an afterschool interaction activity, we have here several students who have been volunteering. Maybe youâd like to ask Ikki to join?â She pointed at the index cards. âFeel free to select which mentor you think would help her best. We usually ask the parent or the student to select their preferred mentor profile from the roster. We would not want Ikki to feel uncomfortable; youâd know her best than any teacher.â
He nodded. After a few moments perusing the index cards and the brochure and pulled out one from the pile. âLetâs go with this girl.â
Tenzin pointed out to a profile labelled Jinora.
 ---
Jinora, Home
The ten-year old girl has just finished putting hair in a bun when she heard a knock on her bedroom door.
âJinora!â It was her oldest brother. âMom says I can use the car today â want to leave with us instead of riding the bus?â
âSure!â She called back, quickly grabbing her backpack. âIâll be down in a bit.â
âAlright!â
Smack!
âHey! Why did you do that for?â
âGood morning bro!â
Jinora rolled her eyes good-naturedly. That was probably her other brother slapping the arm of the other one.
Even at eighteen and sixteen years old respectively, they tend to act like children occasionally to the consternation of their mother.
She hurried down, knowing that if she did not do so, there would be no pancakes left for her.
Jinora heard her motherâs gruff voice in the dining room. âBolin! Leave some eggs for your sister!â
âBut, Mom,â Bolin spoke through a mouthful of scrambled eggs. âIâm a growing boy. I need this stuff.â
âAnd Jinora is a growing girl,â Their mother drolly responded, taking a sip of her coffee after putting down the last batch of pancakes on the platter. âThere should be enough from everyone.â
âItâs fine, Mom,â Jinora immediately sat down and her brother forked two pancakes to her plate. âThanks, Mako.â She slathered butter all over the cakes then squeezed a load of maple syrup.
She ignored Bolin gagging at her left at the amount of sweetness. She also ignored her mother who was hiding a smile and shaking her head at seeing the display.
In their family, it was only Jinora had a penchant for sweets. Her mother said she likely took after her father in that regard.
Her fatherâŠher absentee fatherâŠ
Jinora shook off her maudlin thoughts when she saw Pabu, Bolinâs pet guinea pig, land on her motherâs shoulder, probably hopping from her brotherâs backpack which was hung behind his chair.
Pabu began chewing their motherâs greying hair without warning.
Wheek-wheek-wheek.
âBOLIN!â
âIâm so sorry, Mom! Pabu get down from there â leave momâs hair alone!â
All in all, it was another morning in their household.
It was noisy and sometimes chaotic, but Jinora would not exchange it for the world.
 ---
Ikki, library
Truth be told, Ikki liked going to school. She even liked her teacher and classmates.
She liked to be busy and the activities were very interesting. Getting homeschooled and only seeing their tutor, nanny and Meelo had become very tedious anyway.
Staying at their old home also reminded her acutely that their mother was not there anymore. She did not understand what happened, but she tried to.
It has been more than a year since their parents sat her and her brother down to explain that they were separating but it did not mean they did not love her and Meelo any less.
At first, she thought it might have been her fault (or maybe Meeloâs fault for that matter, he did fart a lot and that annoyed her terribly). Her dad and mom were quick to quash those theories, however. They spoke of drifting apart, change in priorities and other grown-up things that she supposed she will understand when she gets older.
But for now, she supposed as she opened her notebook on one of the long tables in the library, they would need to get used to their new living arrangement.
It was difficult last year as they were shuttled to and from two households. It also did not help that their mother was starting out with her new venture had been spending less time at her home. On the other hand, Ikki noticed their father spending more time with them, cutting down his work hours. It all came to a head when Pema had said she will be moving to another country to establish her new business. And so, they ended up -.
âHey, are you Ikki?â
Ikki looked up to see an older girl with dark brown hair in a bun.
She nodded her head yes.
The girl gave her a bright smile and extended her hand.
âIâm Jinora and welcome to Republic City!â
 ---
Lin, Future Industries Head Office
Lin tiredly wiped her glasses clean before putting them on again, rereading her email response for one last time before hitting send.
It had been a long yet productive day. Her team had managed to fulfill all the visual design requirements that were due that day. She reviewed the different files sent to the printers, making sure that the final and correct collaterals were attached.
Her last task was to ensure that the last set of proposals were on-brand and aligned with Future Industriesâ visual identity. Once she had provided her comments and revisions needed on the file, she sat back as she waited for the files to be uploaded to their server.
She reached for her cellphone, wanting to check on her kids while waiting. She looked at their family group chat and read messages from the last time she sent one.
 Ohana (Lin repressed the urge to cringe. That was the final time that she would ask Bolin to create their group chat)
Lin: Kids â as mentioned earlier, Iâll be home a bit late. No need to drop by to fetch me; have dinner already and donât wait up.
Jinora: Mom, Iâll be staying behind after class â I got a mentee! âș Mako Bolin can you wait up?
Mako: Jinora Bo has training today; I think we can wait for you.
Bolin: Jinora đđŒ
Jinora: Mako Bolin thanks! đ
Jinora: Mako what will you be doing while waiting? You sure youâll be okay?
Mako: Donât worry about me. Iâll manage.
Lin scrolled through some more messages. Knowing her eldest, Mako would like skulk off to the library.
Jinora: I met my mentee this afternoon. Sheâs such a lovely girl.
Lin smiled at this. Her daughter had always been the polite one.
Jinora: Her nameâs Ikki and sheâs two years younger than me. She said she and her father had first checked out Patola Mountain Primary.
Lin frowned. Patola Primary was far; she went there as a child.
Mako: Kid didnât like it there?
Jinora: They didnât have the chance to know. They had to move besause of her fatherâs job.
Bolin: heeey sorry guys- just about to be done with training. Just gonna shower âŠunless I just shower at home?
Jinora: Ew, no Bo. Shower first please
Mako: Agree. Youâll stink up the car, bro.
Ding!
Lin drew her attention from her phone as her laptop screen indicated that the files have been uploaded. She hit the send button and packed up for the day.
She was looking forward to spending some quiet time with her kids tonight.
 ---
Bumi, White Lotus Headquarters
Bumi leaned back in his fully ergonomic chair, thinking about how times had changed.
Being in an office was something he balked at when he was younger. But now, after serving a long career in defense and military, he submitted his retirement and come to the aid of his younger brother.
Ah, his only brother â back in the day, he would be hard-pressed to keep contact with his brother.
His brother who took on the role of spearheading their familyâs company back when their father died.
His brother who had the task of continuing to revive the company and making sure it keeps up with the times.
His brother, who, despite being the youngest, was tagged by the board of directors as the heir apparent owing to his excellent academic records.
His brother who Bumi had felt envious of at some point. He later on realized that his brother actually missed out on a lot of freedom in his life.
His brother who managed to keep their company part of the Top 100 and make malls relevant again.
His brother who probably made some life decisions for the benefit of their company rather than his own.
His brother who had been through hell and back the past year when he and his much younger wife called it quits. His brother whose ex-wife is now galivanting somewhere in the Fire Nation, expanding a business built on horticulture and floristry.
His brother who, despite making some decisions that Bumi might not agree with, is still family.
And if there was anything that their parents taught them â family is permanent.
The ex-military man took a deep breath, looking at their last family photo. For what itâs worth, he liked to think that their fragmented family had found its way back into each other in their adulthood.
Bumi had to admit that Tenzin did have remarkable business acumen that benefited their company, a conglomerate built on the mall industry. With the fourth industrial revolution at hand and the shift towards virtual and digital, the White Lotus Corporation had been challenged during the last years of their fatherâs life. Tenzin had worked hard to change the ways of working and the culture in the company.
To do it, he had to make sure that there is a buy-in from the board. Ironically, to bring the company to the current century, he had to abide with one of the most archaic practices â an arranged marriage, a marriage that would serve as a press release to the business world in general, that their company was stable and there to stay.
Bumi had been surprised to get a call from Tenzin back then. He had called to let him know of his impending engagement, seeking support. Bumi had cheered, given his congratulations â but named the wrong bride. He had launched into a long tirade, berating his brother for his choices. Tenzin had shouted back his defense.
He still did not understand why Tenzin acted the way he did. However, he could never regret his niece and nephew which came from this questionable business-like union.
Bloop-bloop-bloop.
Speaking of whichâŠ
âHey Uncle Bumi!â
âHello there, cloudchild!â Bumi greeted his niece with a nickname his sister Kya came up with, given that the kids were actually born somewhere near the mountains. âHowâs the new school?â
âItâs great!â Ikki beamed at him and gushed into a long narrative of what she had been up to in the past days.
Bumi enjoyed video conferencing with his niece and nephew. Granted, Meelo had a short attention span but Ikki had always had the flair for storytelling.
It pleased him to see her spark back. He had heard from his brother and their trusted bodyguard/chauffeur Shung that Ikki had been withdrawn during the first weeks in Republic City. It saddened him to learn that the otherwise bubbly child had been affected in that way.
ââŠAnd then, I invited her over! Daddy said it was okay â and sheâs sooooo nice. Didjaknow she also knows how to play the piano! We practiced a bit. Sheâs good even if her family didnât have a piano, they only had this electronic keyboard but itâs so short. But she did well. She said she had a stepdad and it was totally okay. Theyâre a happy family. Dâyou think Iâll have a stepmom too? I think it would be okay if Daddy thinks so and maybe weâll be a happy family here too and you know I joined this contest in school and I-.â
âWhoa, slow down, kiddo.â Bumi let out his booming laughter. âI didnât quite catch it â whatâs the name of your new friend?â He was heartened that Ikki seemed to have adjusted better now.
âJinora!â His seven-year-old niece practically chirped the name. âSheâs actually here!â Ikki turned to someone from beyond the view of the webcam. âJin, itâs my Uncle Bumi â I want you to meet him!â
âUm, itâs fine, Ikki.â A calm voice of an older child can be heard. âI can wait here.â
âNooonseeense.â Bumi could see Ikki pull something, rather someone to the camera. âUncle Bumi, this is my friend Jinora. Jinora, my Uncle Bumi.â She said by way of introducing them.
Jinora gives a small wave and a soft hello.
Bumi gives them a short bow. âNice to meet you, Jinora. Itâs great to meet the friend of my favorite niece (Ikki Âplease donât tell Korra).â
Ikki gives a delighted clap and proceeds into another lengthy tale on what she and Jinora were working on that day at home.
Bumi smiles back at them, observing the childrenâs banter as they demonstrate the monologue that Ikki was preparing for. It was amusing.
Heh, they could be cousins.
He recalled when he was young, he, his siblings and even the sisters-who-must-not-be-named would stay over in one house after school to work on school projects. It had been one of the highlights of his childhood. He was glad that his niece would be somewhat experience it; he had been worried a few years back when Tenzin and Pema (primarily Pema) were very protective of their kids. It was to the point that they were both homeschooled and basically kept out of the public eye and the public itself.
It canât be good for socialization. But what can he say? He didnât have kids so he probably wouldnât know what he was talking about, right?
Heâs just fun ole Uncle Bumi.
Nonetheless, as he turned his attention back to the two girls, Bumi promised himself that he will always be there for his brotherâs kids. Itâs the least he could do as their godfather.
 ---
Mako, Republic City High
âI worry about Mom.â Mako picked at his dumplings during lunch time, a stark contrast to his brother who was eating a lot (âCoach said I needed to bulk up!â).
âWhy? Has my dad been overworking her?â Asami slipped beside him at their usual lunch table. She brought out her packed lunch of pasta and a bottle of coconut water. âJust let me know and I can try to look into it.â She was, after all, interning at Future Industries in her spare time.
âNow thatâs just powerplay.â The exchange student from Ba Sing Se High chortled, taking a sip of his sparkling water. âAnd thatâs a no-no and Auntie will definitely get mad if she hears about that.â
âYou would know about powerplay,â Bolin swallowed a mouthful of chicken, pointing his fork at the other boy. âWasnât that why you got the last slot in the elective you wanted to take this year?â
âWho? Me?â The other boy dramatically placed a hand on his chest, eyes widening. âYou think, I Wu would stoop so low as to manipulate the results of the audition for the voice elective? Donât you think I have enough talent to get into that class?â
Bolin just snorted into his food and Asami choked on her drink. Wu cracked a smile at their reactions.
âAgain, Wu â donât let Mom hear you call her Auntie.â Mako reiterated for the nth time in their friendship. âShe hates it.â
âThatâs why I do it.â Wu winked at them.
âWait, Mako, what were you saying about Mom?â Bolin managed to ask in between bites of food. âIs something wrong? I mean, sheâs a little bit run-down but she said itâs just because of the time of the year.â The last quarter of the year, after all, is usually the busiest.
âNo, itâs just â well,â Mako sought words to explain it. âIâll be leaving for college, youâll be away for training, and okay, Jinora would be there but sheâs in middle school nowâŠâ He trailed off. With Jinoraâs aptitude and interests, Mako would not be surprised if she took on a lot of electives and extra-curricular activities. âMom works too hard, you know?â He ended lamely.
âShe has always looked out for us, but yeah,â A shadow passed over his brotherâs face. âEver since Pa passed away a few years back, she poured much of her energy to ensuring our welfare. Sheâs barely spent time for herself.â
Mako met Bolinâs now worried eyes.
The brothers knew that their mom had sacrificed a lot for them and Jinora.
When they first met Lin and one-year-old Jinora, she had already been under a lot of duress â taking care of a baby, leaving behind Jinoraâs deadbeat dad, settling down in a new neighborhood and restarting a career. It had been two years later when she married their father San, who had been a sergeant at the cityâs police station at the time.
And, Mako thought wearily, history has not been kind to Lin Beifong at all. While they did have four years (four wonderful years that Mako will treasure for the rest of his life), their fairytale-like family life came to an abrupt end.
San was involved in an armed bank robbery four years later and had not survived the gunshot wounds â leaving Lin behind with two boys at the brink of puberty and a young daughter.
Bolin and Jinora had been very confused at the time. Mako, already fifteen, had been expecting that he and Bolin would be forced into the system or sent off to their relatives in Ba Sing Se. He felt that Lin would not be in any way obligated to take him and his brother in; they were not blood relatives anyway. They were just stepchildren.
To his stunned astonishment, Lin did neither. Â He recalled crying in Linâs arms that night after his fatherâs funeral.
She had asked him, with a confused expression, why he was packing. Lin wept alongside him as she explained that Mako and Bolin are her sons and there was no way that she was sending them away.
Since then, Mako made sure to look after his mom the way she looked after them. The brothersâ protectiveness was soon well-known in their neighborhood.
Probably also why no one had expressed any type of interest towards Lin even years afterâŠ
Mako reflected that it might have been a good move on their part but now it might have been a little bit selfish.
He and Bolin would now need to rethink their strategyâŠ
After all, their mom Lin deserves all the happiness in the world.
 ---
Tenzin, Republic City Primary School â Parking Lot
âAre you sure youâre not just using this as an excuse to have a sleepover?â Tenzin looked over at his daughter, a teasing grin out of place on his face.
âOf course not, Daddy.â Ikki replied indignantly, kicking pebbles as they waited at the parking lot.
âWhy canât you do the project at our house?â He was actually leaning towards allowing Ikki on her first ever sleepover/overnight but he wanted to hear from his daughter.
âWeâll need a big big printer, Daddy.â Ikki raised her arms to show him just how big. âWeâll need to print out my project and Jinoraâs mommy has a big printer and lamin-lami-lamintor (âLaminating machine, dear?â Tenzin clarified.) because she frilancets (âFreelances?â).â
âMmhhmm.â Tenzin looked across the school building, shifting Ikkiâs overnight bag on his shoulder.
Ikki timidly approached him the other night, asking if she could spend Friday night and Saturday at her friend Jinoraâs house. They had an output required of them of the big sister-little sister program. Tenzin was actually unclear as to what is the specific output that the girls had decided on but it did require a large-scale printer and a laminating machine.
Jinora attempted to explain to him what they were going to do during the last week that they were in his house but he felt out of his depth so he had nodded and let them work on what they needed to.
The father had met Jinora several times already in the past months so he knew the child was in earnest that their intent for the overnight activity would be mainly to finish a project. He also realized (well, Bumi made him realize) that Ikki was old enough for a sleepover (and Pemaâs overprotectiveness would be to the detriment of their kidsâ development). Additionally, he thought grimly, it would also keep Meelo from wreaking havoc on the work area of the girls.
Nonetheless, he took up Jinoraâs momâs offer to meet up for snacks before she takes the kids home. This would give him a chance to meet the mom, discuss some ground rules and as well thank the mom privately for letting Jinora help Ikki come out of her shell during her first months in Republic City Primary. Jinora did say that her pa and mom used to do the same before she spends the night over at her other friends â the parents meet up, share a small meal, get to know each other. Tenzin thought this was a good parenting tactic; it would definitely assuage his fears as well.
But now, said mom was late.
Jinora had hurried to them, dragging with her a large cartolina and illustration board. She explained that her momâs work meeting overran and if it would be okay if she rode with them? Her mom will be meeting them at the local diner instead, so they donât get caught up in traffic.
Tenzin could feel his impatience growing.
So far, this woman was not making a good impression on him.
How on earth she produced a lovely daughter like Jinora was beyond him.
 ---
Lin, Narookâs
Damn Sato, Lin ground her teeth as she finally parked her car into the last parking space in front of Narookâs. Of all the days for a meeting to go over time, it has to be today when she had explicitly asked to leave early to fetch her daughter.
Jinora had provided her enough context to know that making a good impression with Ikkiâs dad was important to her daughter.
Lin heard that the dad was some big shot divorced corporate guy, who, she thought, was a bit paranoid about his kidsâ safety.
Lin acted as an arts club moderator so she was regularly present at the Republic City High, which gave her chances to meet Ikki whenever she drops by the primary school to fetch Jinora.
The girl was a sweet child â energetic and delightful once she felt comfortable enough with you. It had come to her attention, in the short conversations with the kid, that she was not allowed to go out and play with other kids in their old neighborhood so she was very much excited to have a new friend outside of her class and her family.
When Jinora mentioned their culminating project and their dilemma on the timeline and materials, Lin suggested that they take the project home to work on.
The crestfallen expression of Ikki as she stated that her dad would not allow her pushed Lin to share that sheâs willing to talk to the dad to help convince him to give his permission.
The infectious smile that burst on Ikkiâs face was enough to convince Lin that she made the right decision.
Now, however, as she entered the diner, spotting her daughter at the corner booth, she froze and started to doubt all her life decisions that led to this moment.
Wondering and questioning the universe what had she done in her past life for her to deserve this.
Across Jinora, beside the talkative Ikki, sat Tenzin â her former boyfriend and Jinoraâs father.
 ---
Note: Soooo hmmmmmm. What do you think?
#linzin#linzin fanfic#legend of korra#lin beifong#tenzin#jinora#ikki#mako#toccatina's fanfics#toccatina wip
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Everlark #46
Okay, this took much longer than Iâd hoped, but thatâs because every time I thought I was finished, something new popped into my head and I had to include it, so itâs also much longer than Iâd anticipated. But, here it is, @mandelion82! I hope you enjoy! Iâm thinking of continuing it too, so stay tuned! Also going to post it on AO3. :)
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Everlark 46: nanny/single parent au
The Nanny/Babysitter/Minder
When Katniss Everdeen placed an ad looking for a nanny to care for her five-year-old daughter Cassie, the gorgeous blond, blue-eyed specimen of a man standing on her front porch was not exactly what she had in mind.
âCan IâŠhelp you? Sir?â she asked, trying to wipe the puzzled expression off her face when she opened the door.
He smiled, his hands shoved in the front pockets of his dark wash jeans, looking slightly puzzled himself. âIâm Peeta. Peeta Mellark? I emailed you about the nanny position for your daughter? We agreed Iâd come over to meet her at one oâclock today?â he replied. His eyes flickered to the side at the sound of a car horn behind him on the busy street, then flicked back to Katniss while he waited for her response.
Flustered that Peeta was apparently a manâs name and not an old womanâs like sheâd assumed, (Why had she assumed that? What could have it been short for? Petunia? Come on, Katniss) she hesitated and then said, âoh, yes, of course. Um, please, come in,â stepping aside to let the subtly muscular man walk past her and into the hallway.
Hesitating again, she decided to throw caution to the wind and continue with the appointment with this man, Peeta. She hadnât received any other responses to the ad sheâd placed two weeks prior, and she was getting desperate. Her surgery schedule had changed at the hospital, thanks to crotchety Chief Abernathy who didnât care about her childcare woes, and she needed to find someone to pick Cassie up from school until her current shift rotation changed again in a few monthsâ time. If it changed. Knowing Abernathy, heâd keep her on this schedule indefinitely.
âCassie? Can you come out please sweetheart, thereâs someone Iâd like you to meet,â she called down the hall.
She motioned for Peeta to proceed into the living room as a tiny pixie of a girl came bounding down the hall and into the room, her dark brown hair in two messy braids down her back. âMama, I was playing,â she whined, but stopped and stared, wide-eyed at the blond man standing in front of her. âWho are you?â she asked, curiously.
âCassie honey, I told you weâd be meeting your new nann-errâŠyourâŠ.baby-umâŠyourâŠminderâŠtoday. Remember?â hastily fumbling over what to call Peeta. âThis is Mr. Mel-um, Peeta.â
âHi Mr. Peeta,â Cassie whispered, peering up at him shyly as her little mouth curling into a smile.
Peeta knelt down in front of Cassie and held out his hand. âHello Miss Cassie, itâs very nice to meet you. You can call me just Peeta, though, if youâd like,â he replied, gently smiling at the girl. âIâm looking forward to getting to know you better, I hope.â
âCassie, why donât you tell Peeta about school? Cassie just started grade one. Peeta, can I get you something to drink?â asked Katniss, starting towards the kitchen. She needed to put some distance between herself and this gorgeous man. Needed to catch her breath and steady herself â it had been a while since sheâd been around anyone who made her feel so flustered. She was usually so calm and cool-headed; she needed to be, being an orthopedic surgeon and all. When Peeta didnât reply right away, she turned to face him and found him staring straight at her.
âIâm fine, thank you,â he replied, his eyes warm as he looked at her for a beat longer than normal, before turning his focus back to her mini-me sitting before him on the floor. She could feel the heat from his brief gaze go straight to her core. She shivered and spun on her heel, swiftly walking to the kitchen. What was that? As she poured herself a glass of water, she gave herself a mental shake before gulping it down and returning to the living room to sit and observe.
As Katniss watched the two interact on the floor, her initial hesitations began to melt away. Peeta was patient, attentive and gentle with her sweet girl, listening to her talk about her dolls, how much she wanted a cat (Katniss refused - she and felines did not get along) and how nice her kindergarten teacher Mr. Cinna was. Peeta asked her questions about her favourite colour (purple, but also green, like Mama) what she wanted to be when she grew up (a veterinarian) and her favourite flavour ice cream (Rocky Road).
After 45 minutes had passed and the two seemed thick as thieves, Katnissâs worries were gone. Her desperation to find someone to look after Cassie while she was at work had melted away as she watched Cassie, normally a shy, reserved little girl, open up and giggle at the gentle man who made silly faces and showed her pictures of his cat, Cupcake (she couldâve scolded him for that - she didnât need Cassie getting any more ideas about wanting a cat.) Occasionally, sheâd laugh softly at something one of them would say, and sheâd catch Peetaâs eye when heâd glance at her and smile warmly, his dimples dusting his cheeks.
With her ex Gale no longer in the picture, and her mother and sister living two states away, she didnât have any family support. Peeta seemed to be the answer to her prayers, judging from how quickly he and her daughter got along. PlusâŠhe wasnât hard on the eyes. Stop lusting after the hired help, Katniss. Get it together.
After some more time had passed, Katniss looked at her watch and said, âWell, I think weâve taken up enough of Peetaâs time, Cassie, and you have to get ready to head out to your singing lesson too,â said Katniss, standing up and motioning to her daughter to go to her room and get ready. âWhy donât you brush your teeth, use the bathroom and get your sheet music from your bedroom while I talk to Peeta?â
âBut I donât haveta use the bathroom, Mama,â Cassie grumbled. She didnât make any moves to get up from her spot on the floor next to Peeta, who smartly stayed silent as he watched the mother and daughter talk.
âYou will as soon as we get in the car and by then itâll be too late. Go, please, missy,â replied her mother, sternly.
Peeta stood up from where heâd been sitting crossed legged on the floor with Cassie and dipping into a deep bow, offered her his hand to pull her up. âMay I be of service to the young lady and help her up?â His eyes twinkled as she giggled again and placed her little hand in his, letting him easily pull her to her feet. âWill I see you again, Mr. Peeta?â she asked shyly, glancing at her mother before turning back to him.
âI would like that, Miss Cassie. How about I chat with your mama while you get ready? Itâs a good idea to listen to her - she knows best,â he replied gently.
Cassie huffed, but turned and bounded out of the room, the chorus of âLet It Goâ echoing down the hall as she went.
Peeta chuckled and shook his head amusedly, shoving his hands in his front pockets, adopting his stance from earlier. He turned his gaze to Katniss once again, his piercing blue eyes warm and kind. Before she could speak, Peeta beat her to it.
âShe seems like a wonderful little girl, Mrs. Everdeen. Iâd be happy to look after her for you when needed,â he said. âI can provide a list of references and my child CPR certification if youâd like. I mean, if youâd like me to...if youâd like t-to hire me?â He stuttered, watching her face spread into a wide, amused smile.
âItâs Dr. Everdeen, actually. Ms. Dr. Everdeen, really. Iâm not married. Ever. Havenât ever been married. I mean, not that that matters, Iâm jus-I mean Cassieâs father and I werenât married, we were just together, but heâs not around anymore, he-â what was wrong with her? She was a top-notch surgeon; a strong, independent woman, raising a child on her own. Why was she so tongue-tied around this man? She took a deep breath and said, âKatniss is fine. And your references and other files would be great. Could you email them to me please?â
Amused by her stuttered response that mirrored his own, Peeta replied, âOkay. Katniss it is, and yes, Iâll send them over today.â He seemed relieved that she was as nervous as he was.
After they discussed hours and rate of pay, the one questions that had been nagging in the back of her mind finally couldnât be left unasked. âWhy do you want this job?â She blurted.
Mortified, she continued before he could even open his mouth. âSorry, itâs just...when I placed the ad, I expected to find an old, grandmother-type woman. Not a young, handsome guy. I mean-I just...I havenât come across a lot of male...nannies,â she trailed off, embarrassed by her word choice. Did I just call him handsome? To his face? Oh god, I wish I could bury MY face in my hands right about now.
Peeta shifted somewhat uncomfortably from one foot to the other before replying. âThatâs a fair question, I guess. I work in my familyâs bakery in the mornings, but my day is finished by noon. I wanted something to fill the rest of my days and I love kids â I have a niece and nephew who are just the greatest, I love spending time with little people that age, theyâre so inquisitive and honest. Iâve actually thought about going back to school to become a teacher â I mean, I havenât ruled it out yet, Iâm only twenty-six, thatâs not too old. Plus, I thought about how much of a struggle it must be sometimes to be a single parent and if I have the ability and capacity to help someone out, well, then I want to do that.â He realized he was rambling a bit and flushed with embarrassment. âIs that weird? I just thought Iâd combine helping people and kids and...well, here I am. Here we are.â
âHere we are indeed,â mused Katniss, staring at him wonderingly. âThat seems like as good a reason as any, I suppose.â She started to turn away but stopped and looked at him once again. âAnd I do appreciate the help, by the wayâŠcan you start Monday?â Her lips curved into a small smile, Peeta beamed back at her, this time his dimples on full display.
âGreat! Yes, Mondayâs great. Okay. Good. I think this will be...great. Iâve said great a lot. Iâll stop,â said Peeta sheepishly, running his hand through his messy blond curls. His face flushed bright red again, a shade Katniss found endearing.
Before she could respond again, Cassie came bounding down the hallway, her teeth clean and music bag in tow. âIâm ready, Mama! Mr. Peeta, so will I see you again?â She asked hopefully, peering up at her new friend once again.
Peeta glanced at Katniss, who smiled and nodded, before replying to Cassie. âYou will! Iâll be there to pick you up from school on Monday. I have a very serious question for you though, Miss Cassie. Are you ready to hear it?â Her brow furrowed as she nodded slowly. âDo you like to have fun?â She little face broke out into a grin as she nodded again, more enthusiastically this time. âWell good,â he continued. âBecause weâre going to have lots of it.â
Hearing her child break out into giggles again melted her heart and stirred something inside her. Looking at Peeta, she met his intense gaze with one of her own, grateful for this kind man to care for the more important person in her life.
âWell, itâs time to go, sweetheart. Peeta, thank you so much again. Weâll be chatting before Monday to go over the rest of the particulars,â said Katniss, ushering Cassie out the front door and turning to Peeta once again. As he moved past her to go through the front door, his hand lightly pressed against the small of her back to step around her, and Katniss felt the heat of his touch through her coat. It spread from her back throughout her body, right down to her toes. She froze as he passed through the door and hopped down the steps, turning back to look at her and flashed his dimples once again. Oh my. This is going to be interestingâŠ
âIâll speak to you very soon, Katniss. Cassie, Iâll see you Monday afternoon!â he called, cheerfully as he waved and headed to his car.
âI like Mr. Peeta, Mama. Heâs nice. And he has a cat!! Do you think he can bring Cupcake over to play with me sometime?â Cassie babbled as Katniss strapped her into her seat, her mind replaying the memory of Peetaâs touch on her back over and over. She flushed again, thinking of how close his muscular body had to hers been when he walked by, how his blue eyes sparkled when he stared at her, how his dimples seemed to make an appearance when he beamed at herâŠ.how his ass looked when he bent over to help Cassie up...
Oh no. She was in trouble.
A young, hot, (she has to admit he was hot, there was no denying it) kind, patient man was going to be looking after her child and thus very, very involved in her life for the unforeseeable future. This would be interesting indeedâŠ
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#everlark fanfiction#everlark#everlark fanfic#mama!katniss#katniss everdeen#Peeta Mellark#babysitter!peeta#The Hunger Games
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