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tilltheendwilliwrite · 1 year ago

Text

Reflections

Chapter Eight

Master List / Real People Master List / Reflections Master List

Pairing: Mia MacAlsdair x Au Tom Hiddleston

Warnings: language, fluff, angst, mentions of suicide and self-harm, 18+ Minors do not interact

A/N: I apologize in advance should my Scottish/English interpretations be incorrect. I am Canadian playing in a world of my own making. Do not @ me.

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Tom watched Mia drive off, on the correct side of the road, into the low-lying fog. She didn't have far to go, but he made her promise to text when she arrived. The compassionate and understanding look she gave him said Emma must have explained about their parents, but she promised she would, and it eased his mind.

On a clear day, he could watch her make her way along the winding roads, the trek by car longer than the walk across the fields, but with the fog covering nearly everything, he had to wait for confirmation of her safe arrival.

He remained outside until it came and sighed in relief. It was unexpected, but she had become quite dear in a very short span of time. He appreciated her honesty, that she willingly spoke to him about her beliefs, her life, and her past. There was nothing false or contrived about Mia. She was exactly the woman she showed to the world, unapologetic and authentic to herself.

That she trusted him enough to speak of her… vision? Experience? He wasn't sure what to call it, but it humbled him that Mia told him her story. And he would be forever grateful for whatever, whoever, saw the child on the bridge and intervened.

Tom looked around at the empty grounds and then up at the cloudy sky. "I don't know if you truly are real, if you care what I think, or would bother listening to me, but if you are out there, thank you. Thank you for saving Mia."

A flash of red caught his eye, and he turned to find a raven sitting on a window sill. It hadn't been there before, of that he was sure.

It croaked at him and flew off, leaving Tom bemused.

God? Raven? Omen?

He shook his head. He wasn't sure he was ready to find out.

He walked inside to find his siblings waiting to ambush him.

"To what do I owe this pleasure? This isn't another intervention regarding cardigans, is it? I'll have you know, I haven't worn another since you likened me to Grandfather George."

Emma giggled and shook her head, her grin smug and body nearly vibrating with glee. "It seems you and Mia got on smashing once you removed your foot from your mouth."

Tom huffed and shook his head, striding past them into the study. "She's a nice girl."

"Oh, please! We watched you snog her," Kip snickered.

He barely contained the need to wince. "What of it?"

"You dog!" Kip crowed, laughing as he went to the sideboard and poured two fingers of whiskey.

Tom sat behind his desk with a scowl. "It wasn't like that."

Emma perched on the corner. "What was it like?" she asked softly.

He flexed his hand against the chair arm, still able to feel her touch like it was imprinted on his skin.

"He's speechless," Kip murmured.

"Not hardly," Tom huffed, shuffling papers around.

"Tom," Emma murmured. "You like her."

He paused in his shuffling to stare at the wood. "Yes. I… yes."

"She's really lovely, had a hard go before now, but so open."

He looked up at Emma, watching him knowingly and sighed. "I asked her to dinner tomorrow."

She beamed.

"And I told her about Sarah."

Kip and Emma appeared gobsmacked by that.

"You did?" Kip gasped.

"Henry cares for her farm. She's already heard things. I wanted her to have my truth before he distorts it."

Kip sank into the chair across the desk, his expression stunned. "It happened. It actually happened."

Tom scowled. "What are you prattling on about?"

"Love at first sight. You've already fallen for her."

Emma gasped and squealed for joy.

"I have not!" Tom bellowed, but his traitorous heart jumped in his chest.

Kip snickered. "You're so far gone 'round the bend, you can't even see it anymore."

"Fuck off!" Tom growled, glaring at his brother.

"That's so romantic." Emma smiled. "I'm so happy you've found someone."

"Not you, too," he groaned. "We've only just met!"

"I've never seen you take to anyone so quickly, though. Not since-"

"Do not say that name!" Tom snapped. "It was a mistake, and we all know it. I was nothing but a PR stunt for her." The first and last time he allowed anyone to talk him into a public relationship for the sake of image.

"Camila is different," he admitted. "There's something… almost innocent about her. She's genuine, honest, and utterly kind." He grinned slowly. "Until you annoy her, and then she lets out the temper her hair warns of."

"You are so smitten. Is the world now rose-coloured?" Kip snickered.

"No worse than you with Serina," Emma huffed.

"Or you with Ethan," Kip shot back.

"Clearly, when it's the right one, Hiddlestons' fall hard." Emma sniffed. "But you are seeing her again?"

"As I said. Tomorrow."

His phone pinged, and he glanced at it, finding a text from Mia to let her know when and where tomorrow for their date.

Tom grinned, replied he would pick her up, and wished her a pleasant night before teasing that perhaps she'd enjoy a new television show. She should see if she could find a three-episode series called The Hollow Crown.

Her cheerful thanks for the recommendation led him to believe she had no idea he was the lead.

"That's her, isn't it?" Kip snickered.

"Yes, and he's being all sneaky, suggesting she watch Hal." Emma giggled.

Tom glared at her. "It's poor manners to read another's private texts."

"Then do a better job of not showing them to me," she teased.

Another ping had him glancing down.

"What's it say?" Kip asked.

Emma leaned closer, causing Tom to snatch his phone away, but not fast enough. "She Googled and now wonders if that's his attempt to keep her thinking about him the rest of the night."

"Out!" Tom roared, pointing at the door as Kip burst out laughing. "Both of you bugger off! I don't have time for your nonsense right now!"

Emma snickered and pressed off his desk. "Ah, yes. Mayor Campbell has an appointment. Is he still after you to sell the west fields to his nephew?"

Tom rolled his eyes. "Yes. Thankfully, I have the note stating we're a heritage site now. He can't touch it as long as Highpark is in our family's possession."

"Good," Kip grinned. "Can I sit in? I would love to see the slimy toad's face when you hand him the papers."

"Let's allow him his dignity," Tom muttered.

He wanted to maintain a semblance of civility with the town and its Mayor. Kip's remarks would be unwelcome and potentially detrimental to that.

He huffed but stood. "Then tell Mia the portrait is perfect. Serina will adore it."

"Do we get to see it?" Emma asked, attempting and failing to appear uninterested.

"After Serina," Kip snickered.

Emma pouted and flounced out of the room, leaving Tom alone with Kip.

"I'm chuffed for you about Mia. I knew when we met, she was special."

"She's a remarkable woman," Tom agreed.

"Don't muff it up," Kip smirked and sauntered from the room.

Tom had no plans on fucking up a second time.

Mia sat on the couch, a bowl of popcorn in hand, watching The Hollow Crown with Cora. It was surreal and a little odd to not only know but have kissed the man who played Henry the Fifth all these years later.

"He's so young in this," Mia murmured, but Gods, if she didn't recognize that smile.

"Aye. It was odd watching him grow up on screen for a few years," Cora chuckled, helping herself to the bowl. "But he's a good man, an honourable man. He did right by his family and the village."

"What do you mean?" Mia asked, turning to face Cora.

"Came a time the Mayor wanted to turn Kelso into a thriving metropolis, make us the next Edina, but it was never what we wanted. If Highpark had folded, Campbell would've been all over that land. He talked of tearing down the keep, but conservancy said he canna, so he was goin' to turn it into a luxury hotel."

"And that would be bad?"

Cora snorted. "We don't mind the occasional tourist, but having them around all the time, pushing up prices, complaining about this and that," she scoffed deep in her throat. "We moved out of Edinburgh and Glasgow for just that reason. But Tommy came home, saw the lay of it, and dug in. Campbell still skulks around, but there's naught for him here."

"And if he took over Ashwood Farm?" Mia asked, curious what his plans were for this place.

"Feckin' holiday lets," she snorted. "He canna take down this house either, titled as it is, but he could convert the barn, the outbuildings, build what he wished in the fields. It would be a bloody mess."

Mia scowled. She would hate that. It was so peaceful here. The land was pristine and quiet. It was the only 'church' she ever needed.

"Yeah, that's not happening," she said, causing Cora to chuckle and eye her speculatively.

"So, as we're watching a film with Tom in it, can I assume yer day at Highpark went well?"

Mia blushed, causing Cora to chortle. "It was fine."

"Oh, a bit more than fine when ye blush like a schoolmaid!"

Mia groaned but quickly gave in and told Cora all about her encounter with Tom, him running out to stop her driving off, their walk around Highpark, and how he kissed her.

Mia never knew what it was like to have grandparents, but she imagined the relationship between herself and Cora to be pretty darn close. The older woman had become a confidant for Mia, someone she could ask anything of without fear of judgment.

"About damn time!" Cora crowed, throwing her hands into the air.

"What?" Mia frowned.

Cora patted her thigh. "Tommy's a good lad, but it's high time he found himself a good lady. Many a Kelso lass has tried to catch his eye, but none could. Glad I am it's ye. Ye deserve better than ye had, and Tom is better."

Mia blushed again - damn fair skin - and fiddled with the popcorn bowl. "He… he told me about Henry and Sarah."

Cora's face fell. "Aye, that was a hard time. Very hard."

"Will you tell me what you know? Henry warned me off Highpark and Tom in particular. Then Tom told me about Sarah's infatuation-"

Cora shook her head. "Nah, that girl was obsessed. She set her sights on Tom early, maybe eight years old and spent the rest of her life planning how to marry him. It was… unnatural."

"What do you mean?"

Cora sighed. "Plenty of lasses have crushes. This was more. If anyone were to naysay her, she cut them out of her life. Her entire focus was Tom."

"How did no one notice? Did they try to get her help?"

Cora shook her head. "Henry and Sarah didnae have the most involved parents, and Henry adored his sister. She could do no wrong in his eyes. Tom, for his part, tried to keep a separation between them, but Sarah was persistent. Then, the lads went off to college, and Sarah changed. She got sneaky. She didnae talk as much, but there was something… off about her. She spoke when spoken to, was pleasant, but something behind her eyes was just… wrong."

Mia sighed. "And Henry didn't notice because he was away, too."

"Something happened the night of the Highpark Christmas party. It all went sour, then poor Sarah…" She shook her head. "I've never said this to Henry, but… I have wondered if her taking her life was an accident."

Mia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"She wasn't the type. Dramatic? Yes. Conniving? Absolutely. I wouldn't have put it past her to do what she did to gain sympathy and guilt Tom."

Mia's jaw dropped. "Really?"

Cora nodded sharply. "Henry wasn't one to let things fester. If he hadnae been pished, he would have let her cool off, then gone to check on her. Instead, he fell asleep and found her in the morning."

"Oh, shit," Mia whispered. The utter horror of that find would be enough to break a strong man.

"Aye. It was terrible. He grieved hard and never went back to finish school. His parents moved away, but he stayed on, came to work here. I dinnae ken if it was the grief that kept him or the guilt, but he never left. Stuck he is."

Mia bit her lip before glancing at Cora. "Before he warned me off Highpark, Henry tried to kiss me."

"Eh!?" Cora gasped.

"I stopped him first. He's a nice man, but I don't see him like that. But Tom…"

"Aye," Cora smirked. "Thomas, he's handsome enough to make my old bones quiver!"

"Cora!" Mia laughed, making the older woman cackle.

She waved at the TV. "I'm old, not dead!"

"He asked me to dinner tomorrow night, but I don't want to cause more problems between Tom and Henry."

"But you like our Tom?"

Mia nodded.

"Then that's yer answer. Henry is a grown man. If he canna take rejection, that's on him. Besides, fighting over a bonny lass is what those two need to clear the air."

"I'd prefer not being the centre of that," she grumbled.

Cora scoffed. "Watching two braw lads come to blows over ye is a particular type of thrill. Ye canna decide if it's exciting or horrifying, but the make-up afterward is the best part."

"You're terrible!" Mia laughed.

She shrugged. "I had a few adventures once my boys were grown and gone. None stuck, but they were fun while they lasted."

"I bet," Mia snickered.

Her eyes lit up, and her smile widened. "I'll tell ye of Patrick McCain! Woo boy! The man was dense as a brick but had a boaby like-"

"Cora!"

"Bah, dinnae be a prude!" she huffed before continuing her story.

Mia was red-faced but utterly amused when she finished. "Oh, my Gods! You're terrible!"

"Was the best three days I ever spent. And when I got back, took two days before I could walk without whinging. Yer grams, she scolded me fiercely, saying it was bawheided to run off with a man I barely knew, but then she asked me how it was, and we spent an afternoon giggling over biscuits and tea!"

Mia couldn't help but laugh, only to groan and thunk her head back. "It's been so long since I.. you know."

"Since ye been proper pumped?"

"Cora!"

"Bahhahahahah!" She let loose and laughed until tears streamed down her face. "Yer too easy!"

Mia traded her bowl of popcorn for the kittens when they came to investigate the laughter and plopped one in Cora's lap. "There, now you have to watch what you say around the children."

She snorted and covered Tyr's ears. "Ye put on a nice party dress and have a good night. But if ye end up parked with that rascal, don't get caught doggin'."

Mia blinked at her and finally sighed as Cora's grin continued to widen. "I don't even want to know what doggin' means."

"When people catch you doing it in the backseat of a car."

"Odin's one eye, Cora!"

She cackled again and stroked Tyr's head. "Yer young! Go out! Have fun! And for the love of all that is holy, get some for us too old to get any for ourselves!"

Sure her face was scarlet, Mia plucked Tyr from her lap and stood. "I'm going to bed before you get any wilder. Good night, Cora. But know, if you wanted to-" she rolled her eyes, "-get some, you could. You're gorgeous."

"Bah! Yer bums oot the windae! But I thank ye anyway. Yer a good lass."

Mia bent and kissed her cheek. "I'll clean up in the morning."

Cora waved her away. "I think I'll finish the show. I'll get it afore I'm for bed."

"Alright," Mia nodded, wandering off with the kittens.

As she reached the stairs, she smiled and whispered to her fur babies, "Three good things. One, I met Tom. Two, Kip liked his painting. Three, I have a date."

Four, he kisses like a God.

"Shush. That was part of number one," Mia grumbled.

No, girl, when a man kisses that well, it deserves recognition.

Mia smiled and walked into her bedroom. "Yeah," she whispered dreamily. "It really does."

Loki's laughter was soft and indulgent.

Mia woke the following day in anticipation, hurried to dress, and waited impatiently for the coffee to drip before pouring her cup and heading for the door.

Every morning, Cora made breakfast, but Mia usually woke up to take her walk before the older woman. She made the coffee and came back to the kitchen smelling of bacon. It was an easy and beneficial relationship, as Cora could growl like a bear pre-coffee, and Mia hated cooking breakfast but loved to eat it.

But today, she was excited to see if Tom would ride down to meet her and rushed out the door only to nearly cover Henry in coffee when they collided.

"Whoa! Ye've a head a steam up. In a hurry for yer dander?" He chuckled.

"Something like that," Mia muttered, embarrassed, wondering how to break it to Henry that she was going on a date with Tom tonight.

He frowned a little but didn't ask for clarification. "I've a need to speak with ye. A friend from the north called last night. Seems his missus took a turn and landed in hospital."

"Oh no!" Mia gasped. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Aye, but he needs a hand seeing to his farm for a few weeks."

"Of course! Absolutely," she nodded. "I can look after the animals." She had already helped him around the place a few mornings and was familiar with the routine.

He seemed to relax with relief. "Thank ye. He's a good mate. Kept in touch after I left school. I was there when they married."

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Henry, go. Cora and I can look after the horses and dogs for the next few weeks. And if I have questions, I'll text you."

"It's all done this morning, but I left instructions in the feed shed," he muttered, stepping back and heading for his truck. "We'll postpone the riding lessons 'till I get back!"

Mia nodded and waved him off, watching as he drove down the road.

Well, that would put a damper on her morning walk for a while.

She sighed, but it couldn't be helped. Henry's friend being there for his wife was much more important than Mia sneaking out to watch Tom ride.

Still, she had today and headed for the meadow, whistling the dogs to her when they sat staring forlornly after the pickup. She would check Henry's instructions later and hope they were legible, but she was pretty sure she could look after two horses and a handful of birds, though collecting eggs hadn't been all that fun last time.

The morning was warming as they moved from May into June, and the light mist over the fields made her smile.

However, at that very moment, she realized she left her coffee cup on the counter in the kitchen, where she had placed it after attempting to pour it on Henry and swore softly in disappointment.

Then the dogs barked, and she looked up to find a man on a large black horse standing at the fence and forgot all about her caffeine deficiency.

With the pair rising out of the morning mists, a golden glow suffusing the two, she almost gasped. They were a sight to see, like some old-world painting.

"I thought perhaps you weren't coming." Tom smiled, though it appeared a touch relieved.

"Sorry. Henry stopped me on my way out the door. He has to go away for a few weeks, so I'm going to have to forego my walk to muck stalls and feed chickens." She sighed, stroking the black's nose when he stuck it over the fence.

"Henry's leaving?" Tom frowned.

"Left," Mia corrected. "Said something about a friend whose wife is in hospital and needs him to run his farm." She shrugged. "It was all very fast, and sometimes I still struggle with the accent."

"Damn." Tom sighed. "I had hoped to clear the air between us as best as possible before taking you out. I don't want to make him uncomfortable if we cross paths in the bailey."

"Is that the barnyard?" Mia asked.

Tom chuckled. "After a fashion. Well! There's nothing for it, then. Hop up on the wall," he instructed as the horse shifted to turn its body to show her his side.

She blinked at him, not understanding. "I'm sorry. What?"

"Climb up on the wall. Then, you can step over and sit close behind. We'll give Mystic his exercise and see a bit of the countryside. Do you have chores to do this morning?"

"Henry said he did them," she muttered, staring at man and horse skeptically. "I don't think I'm climbing up anywhere."

"Mia." He leaned toward her. "Trust me."

He held out his hand, and by the Gods, she did trust him.

Mia grasped his hand, climbed up on the stones, and gingerly slid behind him on the big horse.

"Oh, that's a long way down," she muttered, also aware of how widespread her legs were over the horse's rump.

"You have to scoot closer, love." Tom chuckled, reaching back to grasp her knees and pull her until she was flush with the saddle and his back. "Better," he purred. "Best to put your arms around me."

"Now that's definitely a line," Mia quipped, her face red, but she wrapped her arms around him.

"Nice and tight now. Mystic still has power in his legs. We don't want you taking a tumble off the backend."

She tightened her grip across a very tight, very toned, very flat stomach.

"Good girl," he crooned, nudging the horse forward, to which Mia yelped. "It's alright, darling. I won't let anything happen to you."

Then he whistled for the dogs, who came over the fence like hurdlers, making it look so easy, and trotted beside the horse.

"Get a feel for how he moves. How your hips have to shift as he walks, then we'll ask for some speed and give you a thrill."

"Thrill?" Mia squeaked. "I'm thrilled already!"

Tom laughed. "You should feel honoured. This old man made over three million on the track. Not just anyone gets to ride him. And he's doubled that in his sire fees."

"Dollars!" Mia shouted.

"Pounds, love," Tom snickered. "This isn't Canada."

Mia poked him in the stomach. "Stop making fun of my homeland. At least we never lost a war to the Americans."

Tom gasped. "How dare!?"

Mia laughed at his outrage, faux as it was, only to damn near fall off when Mystic went from a slow amble to a rolling run.

It wasn't a full-out gallop, just a nice pace the dogs could keep up with, and while initially figuring out how to settle her body so she didn't fall, didn't bounce around, and didn't squeeze the life out of Tom, took time; eventually, she got it. Then, she could take in the countryside, feel the rush of wind across her face, and enjoy the sound of pounding hooves up close.

As they approached the stone fence, Tom drew Mystic down to a walk again.

"Keep going or stop?" he asked, looking back at her.

Mia beamed. "Keep going. Definitely."

Tom grinned and leaned down to open the gate.

They arrived back at the farm an hour later, Mia laughing as she carefully guided Mystic toward the barn.

She and Tom had switched positions as he gave her an impromptu riding lesson, and the horse - Mystic - was a perfectly behaved gentleman.

The mares in her paddock whickered at him as if admiring the pretty male, who nickered back like a flirt.

Mia giggled at the three of them but kept a steady course for home, where the dogs, thoroughly exhausted from chasing Mystic, flopped down in the breezeway between the stalls and the feed room.

Cora stood in the open door, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, I see why ye're late for breakfast. Tom, ye stable that horse and get in here. Ye can eat with us."

"I would be delighted, Cora," Tom agreed, sliding from Mystic's back over his hind end before joining Mia to help her down.

Her knees were like jello, and her thighs were sore when she landed, causing Tom to grab her tightly.

"Easy, love. The legs take finding again after a long ride. A bit like finding one's sea legs."

"I see that."

He held her closer as she looked up. "Let me make Mystic comfortable, and I will meet you inside."

"Okay," Mia whispered, her attention on his mouth.

"You make this impossible," he grumbled.

"What?"

"Being any sort of gentleman," he muttered before stealing a soul-searing kiss.

She moaned, surprised and instantly turned on, clinging to him when he pulled away.

His hands grasped her hair, and "Camila" whispered from his lips like a prayer.

He sank in again, stealing her breath before his tongue pressed against her lips and snaked between, coaxing his way into her mouth with minimal effort.

He backed her into the barn wall and ravished her mouth, another thing Mia thought only happened in books until a discreet cough reminded them that Cora still watched.

They broke apart like guilty teenagers.

Cora cackled and went inside as red suffused their cheeks.

"Well, I'll just." Mia pointed at the door.

"And I'll just." Tom pointed at Mystic.

Mia nodded and practically ran inside.

"Oh, lass," Cora crowed, grinning from ear to ear. "He's a keeper! He nearly curled my toes clear across the bailey!"

"Hush, old woman!" Mia muttered, face so hot it felt like it was on fire.

"Bah!" Cora huffed, sliding a plate of bacon and sausage onto the table. "It weren't so long ago I was young. Ye canna tell me he didn't knock yer knees together."

"More like apart," Mia mumbled.

"Eh?"

"Nothing!"

Cora eyed her suspiciously, but Mia scooped up the kittens when they attempted to jump from chair to table.

"Not on the counters," Mia insisted, plopping both back on the floor.

They immediately jumped back on the chair and tried to climb on the table again.

"Cut it out, troublemakers." She huffed, snatching them up before they could reach the bacon.

"Go wash up," Cora commanded, shooing her out of the kitchen.

Mia took the kittens with her, needing a minute to calm down.

Her ride with Tom was amazing, the countryside gorgeous, and the company hadn't been half bad either. But it was so easy with him after their initial meeting it made her wary.

Was it too easy? Was she stepping into the same pitfalls as last time?

Stop worrying, girl.

"Easy for you to say. You didn't get burned last time." Mia sighed.

You keep looking at the past like it is something to regret. Take it as a lesson and move forward. It got you somewhere better. You learned from it. Reflect. Don't wallow.

"Why do you always have to be so rational?" she grumbled, frowning at herself in the mirror.

What? Would you rather I tell you to gather five sprigs of rosemary, three dandelions, and the horn of an ox, burn it during the next full moon, and dance skyclad around the fire to invoke my blessing? He snorted in amusement. Come now, girl.

"No need for all the mockery," she muttered, leaving the bathroom to follow the scampering kittens back to the kitchen.

The low murmur of voices greeted her as Tom looked up and smiled. "There she is. I was telling Cora she cooked enough to feed an army."

"Usually Henry joins us. You'll have to eat his share," Mia teased as she sat at the chair he held out.

Tom shifted to the side to do the same for Cora, who batted him away. "Leave off with yer high table manners."

He chuckled, appearing to enjoy teasing her. "Now, Cora. You know no one has been a high table lord for a long time at Highpark. I'm just one of the common people now."

"Uh-huh," she sniffed. "And I'm Mary, Queen of Scots."

"Your majesty." He bowed deeply before dodging the swat she sent his way, laughing loudly as he skirted to sit across from Mia, who was plucking Tyr from the table. Again.

Tom smirked. "Little scamp."

Mia sighed. "They're usually pretty good about staying off the table, but bacon makes them crazy."

"It does that to the best of us," Tom teased as he picked a pastry with a chocolate centre from a basket. "Cora, my sweet lady. I should get down on my knees and convince you to run away with me for these blessed things alone. If I thought you would say yes, I would."

Cora snorted. "Ye've always had a sweet tooth for a pain au chocolat. I remember ye as a boy snitching them every opportunity ye got."

"But none are as divine as yours," he swore. "I have tried some of the finest pastries from around the world, but nothing compared to these. You could ask a princely sum, and people would line up for them."

She scoffed. "In New York or London, maybe, but in Kelso? Bah!"

Mia swallowed her eggs before saying, "If you like them so much, I'm surprised you haven't asked Cora to supply the cafe at Highpark."

Tom looked like he'd been hit with a shovel, while Cora just seemed surprised.

"What?" Mia mumbled when they both continued to stare at her.

"You're a certified genius," Tom whispered. "Three years we've been ordering from the grocer. Mia! You're a bloody genius!"

"What if I don't want to bake for your fancy cafe?" Cora huffed.

Tom looked crushed.

Cora burst out laughing. "Gah! Yer face!" She laughed until tears fell and sat back to cross her arms. "I'll bake what I want."

"Of course, though, there will be a minimum order and a maximum for space saving in the kitchen."

"Course." She nodded. "I may want to use yer fancy Highpark kitchen."

"Done."

"And if I don't, ye've got to come here for pickup. I won't deliver."

"I wouldn't dream of making you haul your goodies up the hill." Tom grinned.

Cora smirked. "I'll run ye some numbers. Won't give up my market stall, but I'll figure my own logistics."

Tom leaned closer. "Cora, dear. You tell me what you need, then tell me what you want. Your baked goods at Highpark will be a coup for us. It may even draw local traffic up for a cuppa. I'll happily pay for the privilege."

"We'll talk more later," she agreed before rising.

"You're not eating?" Mia frowned.

Cora smirked. "I did. Before ye got back. I'll leave yous to it. Enjoy."

She wandered off, leaving Mia gaping after her.

Tom chuckled. "I aspire to be as true to myself as she is when I'm her age."

"Yeah," Mia agreed. "She's amazing. I would have been so lost here without her taking me under her wing."

"She was always a bit of a village mum. Never afraid to scold anyone's children, not even those whose parents could have potentially lost her, her job."

"Tom Hiddleston! Did you threaten to have Cora fired?" Mia gasped.

"Eh? No!"

"Good. I was about to change my opinion of you."

He shook his head. "Benedict, the Mayor's nephew, and Joseph, the Mayor's son, were not so fortunate. Sadly, I missed the explosion to follow, but I heard from Kip that Cora marched both by their ears into the Mayor's office and told him just what she thought of the mannerless heathen brats he had in his family."

"She didn't!" Mia could see it, but she wasn't sure she believed it.

"She did!" He snickered. "Joseph straightened up after. He went off to London and became a doctor last I heard; a family practice. But Benedict never grew out of the prick stage."

Mia giggled. "I don't think he knew what to do with me."

"I surely didn't."

She looked up and found him watching her with a slight smirk and soft eyes, an almost lazy aspect to them as if he were tired, but the intensity of his focus said otherwise. He brought a hand to his mouth and rubbed his index finger over his lips as he devoured her slowly.

"And what about now?" she asked, biting down on a strawberry.

"Do I know what to do with you?" He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. "Oh, yes, pet. I know exactly what I want to do with you."

Mia smiled and blinked slowly, attempting a seduction and succeeding if his sharp inhale and bitten lip could be believed. "Don't call me pet."

He grinned like a flower unfolding. "Why not?"

"It implies ownership." She snatched Idunn and dropped the kitten on the floor before she could snag a sausage, but she never looked away from Tom's eyes.

"And I don't own you…"

The word yet resonated like a gong between them.

Mia tilted up her chin. "I wasn't looking to start anything with anyone, but if I did find myself in a new relationship, I want a partnership. My fiancé tried to change me, subtly at first, but I couldn't see how much until I was on a plane over the Atlantic."

No longer hungry, Mia pushed from the table.

Tom rose with her. "Mia, tell me how. What did he do that hurt you? How did he try to change you?"

She sighed, but he caged her against the island and wouldn't let her escape.

"My wardrobe. Nothing was good enough. I had to look the part of a lawyer's woman. He didn't want me to feel out of place when I met the partner's wives. Which, I thought, was sweet until the clothes didn't fit right. He said something about joining a gym. I had them tailored. He wasn't happy, but he backed off. Then it was tone down my freckles. Then cover them up."

"He didn't like your freckles?" Tom's gaze travelled over her face, following the path of gentle fingers, almost as if he mapped them. "I adore them. I want to memorize them." Hot eyes lifted to lock with hers. "I want to know how much of you they cover."

Mia trembled. That sounded like a threat, but his eyes said it was a promise.

"What else, Mia?"

"My art. He thought it weird, but it was income. Then Covid happened, and nothing I did was right. My music was too loud. I was too messy. I didn't fix him a meal when I made my lunch, even though he originally said he wasn't hungry. It was a lot."

Tom cupped her face. "Mia, love, he may have only hit you once, but he was abusing you. He has been for years."

"I know," she whispered, a little ashamed because she did know, but leaving was more complicated than people understood. "But… he was all I had."

"You deserved better."

"Tom…" she whispered, closing her eyes. "No one loved me from the time I was eleven. I was just a kid in the system. To go back to being alone, unloved, and homeless? How could I leave? At least with him, I had something. It wasn't good, but it was something."

Warmth preceded his forehead resting against hers. "Mia, sweetheart, you're killing me. You deserve the world, happiness, and so much love."

"I know that now. I know now that even after my parents died, my family was looking for me. They loved me enough to leave me this place and help me find a home I didn't know existed. Being here has helped me learn to love myself again, to remember the good and forget the bad. It's shown me there are good people in the world, even when I felt so very alone."

He threaded his fingers through her hair. "You're not alone now."

She opened her eyes to find dark blue staring back. "No. No, I'm not."

"Mia," he murmured, his hands warm and rough on her face.

"Tom, just shut up and kiss me," she whispered, slipping her arms around his neck.

"Yes, ma'am."

She pulled back. "Don't call me ma'am either. You make me feel old."

"No pet, no ma'am. I'm notorious for endearments, darling. I have to have something." He chuckled.

She melted against the counter. "Darling is good. So is… love. Sweetheart was also nice."

A cheeky grin flashed. "Love," he crooned. "I would kiss every one of your freckles. They are charming."

"My mother used to pick out her favourites. I hated them as a child, and she made me pick my three least hated. She would pick her three favourites. Eventually, I stopped hating them and started seeing them like she did."

"Good, because I would be most cross if you chose to cover them up," he grumbled.

"Cross?" she teased, mimicking his accent.

"Now who's poking fun?" he quipped before brushing their noses together. "You're gorgeous, Mia. I thought it from the moment you walked through the study door. I cannot wait to take you out tonight."

She blushed, pleased and a little embarrassed. "Thank you. Where are we going?"

"A restaurant in a nearby town. I thought it would be nice not to be fish in the bowl on our first night out."

Mia laughed. "That does sound good."

"Good. People mean well, but they're busybodies."

"Yeah, I'm sure everyone has heard about me and my black eye now." She sighed but smiled.

"People here care. You were Lorna and Douglas' family. That means you're ours now, too, Mia." His thumb rubbed over her cheek. "I have no plans on letting you go."

She felt it like a promise and trembled again as he pressed soft lips to the corner of her mouth.

"I need to return, but I will pick you up later."

"Yeah," she sighed, waiting for him to kiss her properly.

Tom smiled and stepped back. "Until later." He winked and walked out the door without looking back.

"Oh, that was mean," she grumbled, only to hear a commotion that had her turning just in time to watch Idunn and Tyr run off with a sausage.

Next Chapter

#reflections #au tom hiddleston fiction #rpf #real people fiction #tom hiddleston

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flatbstanley · 1 year ago

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From Taylor’s Simstagram (@.taylorgrace):

Meet the newest member of the San Sequoia Stars! Max has played soccer on his school team since kindergarten, and I’m so proud to see him following in my footsteps and stepping up to the competitive level.

Although I was never able to achieve my goal of playing professional soccer, I don’t regret my time as an elite athlete one bit! It taught me to strive for my very best in all things, and that is something I have tried hard to bring into my vocation as a wife and mother and into my relationship with God! I am so grateful to know that Max will be learning the same lesson.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” —1 Corinthians 9:24-25

@.Kelly.Moreno: Go Max! We will miss having him on the team at St. Petronella’s but I am so excited to see what he will do!

@.inkspirations So exciting! Congratulations to Max!

@.tradcathdad: Aren’t you concerned that this will interfere with his attendance at Mass? It is such a sad affair that our culture prioritizes sports over our Sunday obligation.

@.taylorgrace I’m sure it will be fine!

@.Justin.Santoro @.tradcathdad, I agree. The minute that soccer starts to intervene with our family’s Mass attendance, it’s over.

#ts4 gameplay #fundie sims #santoro family #character: taylor santoro #character: max santoro #character: justin santoro

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beantothemax · 1 year ago

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I need all the Travelers in the God au to have at least one scene where they just use their true form and scare the shit out of everyone.

Hikari vs Mugen except it isn't even a battle. It's just Brand finally crushing the Curse he took on and then letting out all his rage against Mugen because how dare he do this in his name. How dare he spill blood for the sake of Conquest and not to bring peace. How dare he. The fight is not a fight. It is judgement and everyone screams for Mugen's head. And who is Brand to deny that? The Earth shakes in fear in his rage.

Arcanette is mocking Temenos and all of a sudden things go insanely bright and you have Aelfric stand before her and tell her she's a fool for thinking she can defeat him. Light always finds a way and just because he's good doesn't mean he's Merciful. He doesn't have to be Merciful to those who twist and manipulate. Light consumes her and burns her from the inside out.

Castti looks upon Timberain and its rain and is eternally grateful for the interventions she's made with her Apothecaries. She's eternally grateful for intervening and making sure they never go down this Nihilistic Path. And then she takes a deep breath and Dohter steps forward to cleanse the rain and waters, walking by the houses to see if her Apothecaries can go to all the houses before walking outside the walls and cleansing those who were unfortunately caught in the crossfire.

Ori is dying at the Fellsun Ruins, realizing last minute that she wants to live and seeing Partitio step forward and apologize. And then she blinks and sees Bifelgan gently telling her that it isn't her time yet and that he's sorry that the world was cruel to her when it should never be. And then she closes her eyes and wakes up at the inn with an Apothecary telling her that a Merchant came by and brought her here at almost impossible speeds and how all they could feel is dread at the idea of their own end. Trade means many things after all.

Harvey laughs at Osvald, saying how he will never be as good as him, and then the moment Elena exits the picture, he feels the Elements crush him. And he sees Alephan walking forward telling him knowledge that he doesn't even know and it's too much and then in a blink he's gone.

Claude marvels at his spawn and how she refused to cut down three of her siblings with her. And then that marvel turns into horror as she steps forward and reveals herself. Aeber is the Prince of Thieves and Treasure and Belongings. And she has decided that her siblings are hers and themselves and no one else's. He wanted a garden? Then rot in it forever. Be undying as your children thrive in your rot and you in turn can not die. A blessing she "borrowed" from Aelfric and Dohter.

Ochette looks to the Lajackel and cries for him and his years. He did not deserve it. The Lajackel looks up and sees Draefendi, the creator of all beasts and nuzzles up to her, comforted by the thought that the god still sees him as himself and not a dark creature. He passes in peace and happiness that the goddess will strike down all those who try to recreate his condition.

Agnea invites Dolcinaea to a dance in private and both of them do dance. They dance in joy and happiness and Dolcinaea turns and sees Sealiteage happy and laughing. And she is in awe by her beauty and voice. And she hears the goddess tell her that she only needs to worry about herself and that her own talents brought her that far. That she used none of her powers to win. That all of it was just what she truly was. If she used her powers then everyone would fall at her feet and give them their everything. There is something comforting and horrifying about that.

TES YE SYE SYSZYEYSYESY YES YES TES TO ALL KF THIS I LOVE THIS

the travelers have all gone through so much they‘ve earned utterly crushing their opponents with divine fury

#asks #sombrerokiwi #god au

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seccndchances · 7 months ago

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"Believe it or not, he did save my life. I'm not the biggest fan of how he did it but gods could care less to what mortals think." She didn't give Hades much, but if he hadn't intervened. She wouldn't have been able to leave the Underworld period. She had to be grateful that she at least got to see Percy grow up as she did. "They're a bunch of pretentious assholes who could care less about anyone but themselves." Sally finished his thought. She knew Percy had learned this, Sally had known this for years. "If it wasn't for Percy, most wouldn't even claim their own children. I never thought I could be prouder of him until that moment." Percy gave up immortal and forced the gods to claim their own, to prevent any other demi-god from feeling like Luke and the others did. "Not many people would give up the option to live forever, so I guess I did raise him right." She added with a slight shrug of her shoulders before looking back up toward Adam. "You've got a lot of anger pent up inside, I don't need you directing it toward some assholes on my behalf." She assured the other. "I'm not some damsel in need of defending."

"Fucking badass." He says, as if there was ever any doubt. He's always been attracted to strong women. He conjures himself more alcohol, however he does process the whole petrified by Hades part. He growls, his eyes glowing yellow. "I'm sorry wait, that motherfucker did what to you?"

Protective instinct kicks in.

"Those Greek fucks can kiss my ass, for what they put you and your family through. I mean really, they're a bunch of..." He stops himself, realizing he might be getting a little bit too angry on her behalf. What's done is done, and that's all. Nevertheless, he makes a small vow to kick those greek assholes' asses. All of them. Poseidon and Hades especially.

#i’m telling you that … you’re getting too old for me to tell you what to do || sally speaks

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shesharesomething · 2 years ago

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When God intervenes how do we view Him?

Do it lead to worship or doubt? Do we reflect more or rebel more?

How do we respond when God gives us this blessing pero hindi naman ito ung pinagppray natin? Do we welcome the change or adapt the change?

Just like any teenage girl, I also imagined having my own house, a car, being a wife but I did not put any timelines or seriously envisioning myself in this dream - maybe I am so caught up of the moments in my life or I got so distracted by so many things or no one taught me to make a clear goal. I don't know.

All I know is that I've been wanting comfort, security, love to the point I crave for validation and here is where God intervenes. I met some people who would bring me closer to God, who will help me rebuild my relationship with Him, who will make me realize that I need to go back to God’s word, and I am forever grateful for all the people that God gave me. God also gave me the courage to step out of my my darkness and just be confident in seeking Him. He gave this desire in my heart to know and love Him more. He showed me signs, wander and miracles that reminds me how great our God is.

Blessings, favor, and provision from God overflows just in time and I didn’t know how to respond. Slowly, I understand how God loves me, how He comforted me and how I found my security in Him – that I don’t need other’s validation to feel my worth, because God is enough for me. I learn that I don’t need to suffer from my own frustrations and the guilt of my sin because Jesus loves me.

Now, as I reflect – I just realized how I experienced God’s greatness in my life. Although there are struggles along the way, He never leave me. All these made me a better person, all these draw me closer to Him, all these makes me appreciate all the blessings I received. I learn how to be more patient with other, be more understanding to others. I learn how to love others and not to give up on them even though there are a lot of reasons not to love and to care about them.

I am so happy how the Lord reveals His goodness to me. I don’t know, all I want is to continue to honor Him, serve Him and bring Him all the praise and glory with all my strength.

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drpatriciadsouzalobo · 2 years ago

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THE GOD OF LAST MINUTE

I always had a name for our Lord… “The God of last minute.”

In Luke 5:5 Peter toiled all the night and caught nothing, but at the last minute, God came into action and there was abundance of harvest.

The Israelite got similar result at the very last minute when they were about crossing the Red Sea to escape from the Egyptian armies. Daniel was thrown into the lion den and God showed up at the appointed time to shut the group of lion’s mouth.

However, there are times the answer will not come until the very last minute. This happened in the case of the three Hebrew boys. Nebuchadnezzar threatened that if they don’t bow to his image of gold, they will be thrown into the fiery furnace. Because they refused, they were thrown into the fiery furnace. I believe whilst they were heating up the furnace, these boys must have been crying to God for deliverance but nothing happened. When they were being tied up about to be thrown into the fire, I believe, they must have intensified their prayers at this point and still nothing happened.

The Lord waited until they were thrown into the burning furnace, before sending deliverance to them. At times, God will deliberately allow situations to get worse before intervening. He does this so that man will not be able to take glory over what He will do. Whenever God uses a life to demonstrate His awesomeness and power, He compensates the person. After God used the three Hebrew boys to demonstrate that He has control over fire, He compensated them by promoting them. I want to encourage you not to give up because you don’t know what God is up to. Don’t backslide or lose hope because God has not forgotten you. If you’re reading this, I pray that the God of last minute miracle will help you out today just the way he has been helping me out at all times.

I am grateful to the Lord for answering my cry and hearing my long due prayer and fulfilling his covenant with me. Forever Grateful!

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peakyblindersxx · 4 years ago

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come home with me - finn shelby x reader

a/n: you have @michaelgreys to thank for this one (& the gif!!! check her out she's amazing). s5 finn cause god damn!!1 i honestly dont have much to say about this one other than it's definitely self indulgent and not even god can help me at this point. i'm working on p4 to whiskey buisness rn as well as some requests, thank you for all the sweet comments!!

love, abi xxx

my masterlist

prompt: finn hates you so much he might want to fuck you.

warnings: nsfw!! smut, pretty fluffy cause he's baby 🥺

Working for the Shelby Company wasn’t difficult, except for one thing: Finn Shelby. You were one of the many secretaries, in charge of conveying messages, filing papers, and many other important things, such as making sure the glass decanter of whiskey sitting on the bar cart in Tommy’s office was never empty. It wasn’t a very taxing job, but Finn went out of his way to get under your skin in every way he could. Maybe it was the fact that you wouldn’t back down, having a quick retort to anything close to disrespectful that he said to you. The other brothers never said a thing to intervene, Arthur even telling you he was glad you had a backbone.

“Finn’s a cocky thing, eh? Too cocky for his own good. A girl like you’ll put ‘im in his place,” he had slurred, while you collected the letters he’d asked you to mail.

“Dunno, Mr. Shelby,” you’d mused. “Seems like he’s got some sort of problem with me.”

“Don’t even bother with that, he’s just an arrogant fuck. Probably got some sort of crush on you an’ is too shy to do shit about it. You know, first time he fucked a whore, he said sorry,” Arthur grunted. You’d chalked up his admissions to the half empty bottle of whiskey that he was clutching and the light dusting of snow on his right nostril. Still, you couldn’t help but wonder if the looks Finn shot your way, though seemingly out of irritation, meant something more. You couldn’t lie, you’d thought about what it’d be like to feel the youngest Shelby brother’s bow-shaped lips on your neck, his hands on your waist. It couldn’t be true, you resolved; Arthur was just wasted and you were delusional.

Monday came, and Tommy had asked you to work in the betting shop for the next few weeks. “Make sure Finn’s not fucking up,” he had grunted, taking a long drag of his cigarette, clear blue eyes barely leaving the stacks of paper that littered his massive desk. Of course you’d agreed, but you were nervous. Something about it made your heart beat faster in your chest. You took a shot of whiskey before you left, hoping the dark liquor would help calm your nerves. Isaiah insisted on accompanying you, telling you there were too many people that didn’t like them around there and to make sure someone was always with you for the next few weeks. You were grateful for his presence, the jokes he cracked easing your mind as the two of you walked briskly along the cobblestone streets. It didn’t take long to get there, Isaiah holding the door open for you as the warm air inside the betting office washed over you. Finn turned to see who it was, a scowl tugging at the edges of his mouth once he saw you.

“Why the fuck is she here,” he drawled, sitting at his desk with his feet up, a half-finished cigarette dangling from his fingertips. As much as you hated to admit it, he looked fucking good, hair neatly combed back, smelling of expensive cologne in a pressed navy blue suit. He was tall, legs stretching across the desk as he sent a glare in your direction, you rolling your eyes in response.

“Tommy said,” Isaiah interjected, sensing the tension in the air. “He said you said you needed more help, or somethin’.”

“Fuckin’ christ,” Finn mumbled, taking a drag from his cigarette before putting it out on the crystal ashtray that sat on his desk, standing to grab a stack of books from one of the shelves behind him.

“Jesus, it’s like I’m the fucking plauge or something,” you retorted, Isaiah stifling his chuckle as he looked anywhere but at the two of you. Finn ignored you, instead setting the pile of books on his desk.

“Come look at this, before I change my mind,” he said, instead. You obliged, walking behind his desk to see what he was gesturing to as Isaiah excused himself, something about “gettin’ fucking plastered, mate!” Finn was easily a head taller than you, so he practically towered over you, engulfing you in a cloud of his intoxicating cologne as you stood so close to him that you could practically feel the heat emanating from his body.

“So, these are the bets, and those are the outcomes,” he explained, arm brushing against your body slightly as he pointed to the different columns written out in the log. To your chagrin, your skin prickled in response, your body unable to control itself. Yet, you pushed it down, not wanting to give Finn the satisfaction of knowing that you wanted him. God knows he’d hold it against you forever. What he was explaining was simple enough, and you were able to grasp it fairly quickly. He was all business, handing you the logs he needed you to double check, as you sank into the desk adjacent to his, pouring over the books and coming to him to confirm small corrections.

However, after a couple of drinks of whiskey (some of which you admittedly consumed), Finn started talking. Small things, like how irritating Tommy was or how much they’d made off a certain horse. He’d never opened up to you like this; it was always a snide remark that usually set off an argument, since the two of you were fairly hot-headed. This time, it was different. Finn was still looking at you, but with slightly rosy cheeks and a smile threatening to spread across his face every time you made a witty remark. This time, you liked the way he was looking at you.

***

Two thirds of a bottle later, you were both on the floor in front of the fire, laughing at something Finn had said. Admittedly, he had said it just to see you laugh. He liked when you laughed, he realized. It was much better than the irritated look on your face that he usually saw. In all honesty, it was probably his fault, he thought to himself. Maybe it was the whiskey talking, but he really wanted to see you smile for the rest of his life. You sat next to him, shoulders brushing as the two of you talked, your jacket long abandoned, revealing the flimsy straps of the black lace dress. You looked so fucking pretty, he couldn’t help himself.

“You’re fucking beautiful, you know that, right? Always wondered why you hung ‘round us lot, bunch of mean fuckers.” The words fell out of his mouth, hovering in the air between the two of you. You stared at him, slightly taken aback, but the liquor was doing the talking for both of you, it seemed.

“Look who’s fucking talking. Half the girls in Brum would gladly fuck you, even just for a night.”

Finn paused, lighting a cigarette and offering you a drag.“What about you?”

You accepted, taking a puff before passing it back. “What about me?”

He cracked a grin. “Would you fuck me?”

His bluntness took you aback, but you were too far gone to think properly. “Maybe,” you admitted, a coy smile playing at your lips. Finn’s eyes darkened, closing the distance between the two of you until his body was almost touching yours, the tension between you crackling like the fire just a few feet away.

“What about now?” he muttered, lips brushing ever so slightly against your neck, causing you to shiver. He noticed, his hands finding the curve of your hips, searing through your dress. You couldn’t help but tilt your neck back slightly, a gasp leaving your lips as Finn pressed an open-mouthed kiss to your skin.

“Finn,” you moaned quietly, the smile on his lips growing wider as his hands fiddled with the hem of your dress, fingertips sliding underneath to grip lightly at the soft skin of your thighs. “Fuckin’ do something already, christ.”

Finn grinned. “Always got a fuckin’ mouth on you, eh? You’re lucky I find that attractive,” he teased. You opened your mouth to retort, but before you could, his fingers found your silk panties, pushing them to the side to rub lightly against your clit, causing you to jolt in pleasure. You were already wet, to Finn’s satisfaction, and he had no trouble pushing a finger inside of you. The moans that were leaving your mouth were sinful, and he savored each one, watching the way you squirmed when he added another, curling them inside of you.

“Look so goddamn pretty, stuffed full of my fingers,” he crooned, sending your eyes rolling back in your head, eyelashes fluttering.

“Finn, please,” you whined, his nimble fingers deftly unzipping your dress and sliding it off, leaving you in your black silk bra and panties. Finn paused, taking a second to drink you in before pressing his lips to yours. They were softer than you could have imagined, hands gripping at your waist as he tugged at your bottom lip for access. You let him in, melting at his touch like butter.

“Want you inside me,” you mumbled against his lips, causing his muscles to stiffen as he sprang into action, pulling you on top of him, lining his already hard cock up with you. He was big, and if you weren’t already so ready for him, you might have been a little nervous. He slowly pushed inside of you, helping you sink down on top of him with one hand as he swore under his breath, using his other hand to unhook your bra, throwing it to the side and exposing your breasts to the cool air, nipples hardening at his touch.

“Fuckin’ gorgeous,” Finn growled, unable to resist from taking one of them into his mouth, rolling it between his teeth. The sound you made in response was pathetic, but fuck if it wasn’t fueling his appetite for you. He couldn’t help but push up into you, a tight grip on your hipbones, holding you up as he rammed into you, cock pressing up against your g-spot, sending your vision spinning.

“Fuck, Finn, m’gonna cum,” you cried, eyes sqeezed shut, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of pleasure he was giving you. Finn grunted, somehow increasing his pace, pressing kisses to wherever he could.

“Go ahead darlin’, want you to cum all over my cock,” he cajoled, the words sending waves of pleasure through you. You couldn’t help but follow his orders, colors flickering across your eyesight. The image of you cumming just for him sent Finn over the edge, groaning your name as he finished inside of you, dripping down the inside of your thighs. You looked so fucking angelic in the firelight, he had the sudden urge to take care of you.

“Y’alright?” He asked, reaching for a rag to clean you up. You nodded, smiling softly down at him as he couldn’t help but press a kiss to your hipbone. He looked up at you, eyes full of adoration.

“Come home with me?” Finn murmured, hands fidgeting.

“Yeah,” you replied, a glow tinging your cheeks as you looked at him the same. “Let’s go home.”

#finn shelby imagine #finn shelby smut #peaky blinders imagine #finn shelby x reader #peaky blinders smut #peaky blinders x reader #finn shelby x y/n

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spine-buster · 3 years ago

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mutual pining, pt. 1

gif credit @/lovershines14

A/N: First author's note of the fic to let you know that this is 4000+ words of pure fucking fluff and I'm not even sorry about it!!!!! And just to let everyone know, each chapter is going to be named after tropes, so you have that to look forward to! *sings in the same beat as 'Shots' by LMFAO* TROPES TROPES TROPES TROPES TROPES TROPES

Bianca Yang felt like it was her duty to make sure Lusine didn’t get herself knee deep in shit. Honest to goodness, it felt like a part-time job. She realized within a week of them meeting that Lusine was book smart but not necessarily street smart. As she learned more about Lusine, everything sort of made sense, and so Bianca – being an only child, and secretly always longing for a younger sibling – took Lusine under her wing. It worked out for the better. They were best friends, roommates, and even though Bianca didn’t really need looking after, she knew Lusine looked out for her as much as she looked out for Lusine. It was just in different ways – Lusine would meal prep for the both of them every Sunday. Lusine would bake, and freeze things for later in the Tupperware she bought. Lusine took the job of cleaning their bathroom (Bianca chose the kitchen, and they were both responsible for their bedrooms and the living room), for which Bianca was forever grateful. Lusine even cleaned the fridge and oven when they moved in.

But despite all this, and despite being responsible, Bianca couldn’t help but arch her brow when Lusine told her, “I met a Maple Leaf.”

Bianca spun around in her desk chair. “You met a Maple Leaf.”

“Mhm,” Lusine nodded her head. “He was really nice. We had coffee together.”

“Coffee?!” Bianca wasn’t expecting that. “Which one was it? If you tell me it was Auston Matthews I’m gonna lose my shit.”

“You watch hockey?”

“Tell me who it was!”

“It was one of the Swedish guys. Rasmus Sandin,” Lusine revealed.

Bianca couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Of course it would be Lusine to meet a Toronto Maple Leaf. “How in the world did that happen?”

“Remember that day I called you when I was supposed to go on that date? With that guy Cara set me up with?” Lusine asked. Bianca nodded her head quickly. “Well he was awful – like, such a jerk. He was one of those commerce bros and kept offending me. And Rasmus was in the same coffee shop, overhearing the date, and he intervened pretending to be an old friend of mine who had moved to BC, and he got me out of it.”

Bianca’s eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets. “Oh my God, Lusine. You’ve been waiting to tell me this for how many days?! That date was almost a week ago!”

“He wants to see me again.”

Bianca practically fell out of her chair. “Lusine!” she yelled, completely flabbergasted.

“He took me out for coffee since I forgot mine on the table after he whisked me away and we talked for like, an hour and a half, and I gave him my phone number and my Instagram and my Snap, and he gave me his number and his Instagram and his Snap, and now we’re supposed to see each other on Thursday,” Lusine couldn’t stop speaking.

Bianca never thought she’d hear those words come out of Lusine’s mouth. Lusine was a lot of things, and of course things happened to her – but going on an awful date and getting saved by a guy who played for the Maple Leafs who then took her on a coffee date and wanted to see her again after exchanging numbers? That was new. “D’you think he’s cute?” she asked. Lusine nodded her head. “Was he nice?” Lusine nodded. “Respectful?”

“He was everything,” Lusine said. “He was all of that.”

“Okay…well that’s a good thing,” Bianca tried to calm down. “If he was all those things, and you didn’t feel nervous around him because you guys spent an hour and a half together, that’s a good thing.”

“You don’t think he’s gonna, like, embarrass me, do you?” Lusine asked. Bianca furrowed her brows. “Like you don’t think he was just doing it to be nice or because he felt bad for me or whatever—”

“No,” Bianca interrupted with a strong voice. “I don’t think that at all. I know you’re not experienced with this sort of stuff, but you’re a fox and any guy would be falling over their feet to have a date with you. And I’m not just saying that.”

Lusine ruminated over Bianca’s words. Bianca never lied to her, so she was inclined to believe Bianca was telling the truth. Regardless if she was or not, Lusine had to believe it herself. “I already really like him,” she whispered out loud, admitting it to herself more so than to Bianca. “Can that happen to people? Only knowing someone for ninety minutes but already feeling…I don’t know, connected?”

“It happens all the time,” Bianca said. “I’m glad it’s happening to you so you can experience it.”

“How do you know who he is?” Lusine still wanted to know.

“I just know the big guys, the popular guys, because of my cousins,” Bianca cleared up. A mischievous smile appeared on her face. “Is he cute?”

A bashful smile took over Lusine’s face, and Bianca knew she got her. “He’s really cute.”

Bianca squealed in excitement. For all that she was shocked that this entire situation was happening, she was thrilled. Lusine deserved the best. Bianca wasn’t sure yet if hockey players were the best, or if Rasmus was the best, but she was excited nonetheless. “Let’s look him up,” she said quickly, spinning back around in her chair to type his name into Google.

“Bianca!”

***

“I think Rasmus has a secret girlfriend,” William told Aberdeen as he scooped the seasoned sweet potatoes out of the roast pan and into their plates.

Aberdeen furrowed her brows. “So?”

“So?!” William repeated. “So?!”

“You had a secret girlfriend for nine months!”

“That was different!”

Aberdeen gave him a look. “No it was not. Why do you even think he has a secret girlfriend?”

“He was two hours late that day I was supposed to get coffee with him the other day,” William revealed. “And he was acting weird when we were together.”

“Rasmus always acts weird. He’s Rasmus,” Aberdeen deadpanned. “What does it matter, anyway? Rasmus is 21. He’s old enough to date – he’s even old enough to drink in the States on road trips with you guys now.”

“Says the girl who made jokes two years ago about him being twelve years old,” William reminded her. Aberdeen scrunched up her face at him, and he mimicked her. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this,” William concluded.

***

Lusine had never had oysters before. So when Rasmus ordered a dozen for an appetizer, after not even looking at the menu, she was intrigued. He even ordered East Coast style, because apparently there was a difference. Lusine was impressed. They were sitting at a table in the middle of the restaurant, which was quite full – there were even people waiting at the front. It seemed like a place for a more upscale clientele, and while Lusine didn’t exactly feel out of place as a university student, she did feel a bit…weird being there. The fact she was the guest of a hockey player probably allowed her to blend in. As she looked through the menu, she would catch Rasmus sneaking peeks at her. They’d both smile bashfully when they caught one another, only to carry on the game a few more times.

“Do you like oysters?” Rasmus asked, finally speaking instead of playing their little game. Truth be told, he felt like if it had gone any longer, he would have leaped across the table to kiss her.

“Never had them,” she revealed.

“No?”

“Nope.”

“You could have told me. I could order something you’ve had before,” Rasmus said. “I can call our waiter back. Do you want—”

“It’s okay,” she said, laying her menu down momentarily. “How are you the nervous one here? I thought I was supposed to be the nervous one.”

Rasmus saw her smile and took a deep breath. He had to remind himself that there was nothing to worry about. If she had agreed to go out with him tonight, there must have been something there with her, too. Not just him. And if she actually showed up – hell, that was as good a sign as any. They were just two people out on a date. “Neither of us should be nervous. We’re both here,” he said.

“Exactly.”

“How was school? What classes did you have?” he asked.

“I have Europe in the 20th Century Mondays and Wednesdays, and Tuesdays I have Canadian History and its tutorial before I work.”

“Where do you work?”

She smiled shyly. “Uh, I play in a band.”

Rasmus’s eyes lit up. “A band? Are you some kind of secret rockstar?”

“No,” Lusine giggled. “Definitely not. I…play the cello.”

His eyes lit up even more. “The cello?”

Lusine usually hated people’s reactions when she told them, but for some reason, she found Rasmus’s endearing. There was a genuine earnestness that he couldn’t hide which she picked up on right away. “Yeah, the cello.”

“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Her cheeks flushed red at his reaction. “I don’t know about cute. It’s pretty nerdy. The thing’s almost bigger than I am.”

“Can I hear you play sometime?” he asked.

He was already thinking about the future, about the next times they would meet. Lusine liked that. She liked how she was already comfortable with the idea of it, too. And the fact that at least one of the next times would revolve around her playing cello – since she tried to hide it from people in the past, it was a surprise to her. It wasn’t that she was ashamed – she was the only person she knew who played – it was just that she didn’t want to keep hearing the same comments over and over. Once was fine. Twice was gratuitous. Three times was enough. “Sure,” she nodded her head slightly. “I play with a quartet and we usually play the like, more upscale university events. We usually do events at private clubs too. Like on Tuesday night we were playing at the National Club.”

Rasmus had no idea what that was, but it didn’t matter. “That’s so cool,” he said instead, smiling. “I can’t wait. I—”

“Okay folks, what can I get you to drink with those oysters?” the waiter interrupted their conversation abruptly, holding his notepad in his hand ready to write.

“Which white do you recommend?” Rasmus asked immediately, eyeing the waiter, trying to tell him with his eyes that it was okay if he recommended the $145 bottle of chardonnay he saw on the wine list earlier.

“Our bottle of Napa Valley chardonnay is quickly becoming a patron favourite,” the waiter took his cue. Rasmus smiled. “Shall I bring two glasses?” the waiter looked at Lusine.

“Can I have a glass of water with lemon? I don’t drink.”

FUCK!!! Rasmus panicked. His face dropped from his smile as he looked back up at the waiter. “Two glasses of water with lemon,” Rasmus said quickly, correcting himself. The waiter smirked before nodding and telling them the oysters were almost fully shucked and would be out soon. Rasmus focused his attention back on Lusine – how could it not be on her? “You don’t drink?”

“Not on da—well—not—that’s not an offence to you—I just don’t drink on first dates. I want to remember them,” she stuttered out. She realized through her stuttering that she’d said the D word…date. She froze slightly. “This—I mean, this is a date, right?”

“This is most definitely a date.”

She let out her breath. And then, a gentle smile. Rasmus smiled too. “Good date so far,” she commented. “Much better than my last date, at least,” she joked.

The oysters were brought out on a platter of ice. Since Lusine had never had them, she wasn’t expecting it. They looked weird, but sort of appetizing, and at least the waiter explained what the different accompaniments were. When the waiter left, Rasmus let her pick one up first. She picked up the biggest one on her side of the dozen. She and Rasmus clinked them like they were champagne flutes playfully, and she watched out of the corner of her eye how Rasmus sucked it back and chewed before swallowing. She did the same.

Her eyes widened as she chewed and swallowed. Rasmus looked on nervously. “You like?”

“These are delicious!” Lusine exclaimed, picking up another one. Rasmus couldn’t help giggling as he watched her spoon some mignonette sauce and suck back like she did the first. Her eyes stayed wide as she chewed a few times before swallowing. “Seriously delicious!”

“Happy you like them,” Rasmus smiled as he picked up his second.

“Can we just—can we just keep ordering these by the dozen for our meal?” Lusine asked hesitantly, not knowing if Rasmus had a go-to order or anything. “I mean, if you have something, then—”

“Of course we can. You like them that much?” he asked. She nodded. “Then we’ll just have oysters. You’re an easy date, Lusine,” he joked, giving her a quick wink.

“I’m just easily impressed,” she said as he sucked back his oyster. “I mean, all you had to do was walk up to my table in a coffee shop and say ‘Lusine?’,” she teased. She was grateful this date was going much better than that one.

“Can I ask you a question?” Rasmus asked.

“Of course.”

“When we were out for coffee, you mentioned that you were never supposed to go to U of T. Where were you supposed to go instead?”

For the first time that night, Rasmus saw her divert her eyes to somewhere other than him. That was new. They’d been making googly-eyes at each other all night besides when they looked at the menu. “I guess just, like, somewhere close to home. A local college or whatever,” she said. “My parents didn’t want me moving too far away from home.”

“Where did you grow up?”

“Uh, the northern suburbs—well, not even the suburbs. Like, basically this random, three-street subdivision in farmland where all the houses look like they came from Stepford Wives because they were built next to a golf course,” Lusine revealed.

“You sound like you didn’t like it.”

“I hated it,” she said. “Well I didn’t—I—that’s wrong. I didn’t hate it. I think I just outgrew it. You can love things but outgrow them. Or, like, want to move on from them. And I definitely outgrew it and wanted to move on from it.”

Rasmus watched as she bit her bottom lip nervously. It was obvious she didn’t like talking about it, or at least not right now, so he decided to shift focus. “Did you have any siblings?”

“Three older brothers,” she revealed. “Etienne, Beau, and Delaney.”

All quite unique names, Rasmus thought. Even Lusine was unique – maybe her parents were just that type. “And you got along?”

“Yeah. I mean, as much as we could. Etienne is twelve years older than me, Beau is ten years, and Delaney is eight years. We got along as much as the youngest girl can get along with three older brothers.”

They both sucked back another oyster. Rasmus wondered if he should continue the conversation. She wasn’t exactly forthcoming with words or details about her family, at least not like he would be if she asked him about his parents or Linus or anything. He’d have loads of stories to tell about them and about growing up in Uppsala, playing hockey, and anything else, really. The eye contact was the big giveaway for him. She was still looking around in between looking at him.

“Can I ask you a question?” she asked suddenly.

“Of course.”

“When did you move to Canada?”

“In 2017,” he revealed. “I moved to Sault Ste. Marie to play junior hockey when I was seventeen.”

Lusine thought to who she was at seventeen – really, it was only two years ago – and was unsure she would have been able to do what Rasmus did. Moving from some small town to Toronto was one thing, because she only grew up about an hour and a bit from the city and its suburbs. But to move to a completely different country, with a different language? That took a certain kind of strength Lusine didn’t know if she had in her yet. “Were you scared? That’s pretty young to move halfway across the world.”

Rasmus shrugged. “I don’t think I was scared. I lived with a billet family so I was just excited about playing hockey in Canada. It was definitely different, and I missed my family, but by that point I’d moved away from home since I was like fourteen or fifteen to play hockey.”

Fourteen? Fifteen? Lusine couldn’t even imagine. If her parents had heard that story, they would have had heart attacks. “So why junior hockey in Canada?”

“There’s just no real comparison playing junior hockey in Sweden versus playing junior hockey in Canada. In Sweden we’d maybe get fifty people in the stands and it was all our moms and dads,” he told her. “In the Soo we’d get like five thousand people attending home games. I was hungry to make it to the NHL so me, my family, and my agent decided it was the best thing for me to do.”

Lusine could understand that – wanting something so bad you were willing to risk it and do whatever it takes to get it. “And do you like Toronto?” she asked, sucking back her fourth oyster.

“I love Toronto,” Rasmus smiled. “Especially when I get to meet people like you.”

***

Rasmus paid for dinner. He’d lost track at how many oysters they had but truthfully, he didn’t even look at the bill when it arrived. Lusine had the audacity to move to reach for her purse. He stopped that before she could even lay a hand on the purse strap. She thanked him profusely and he kept telling her it was fine.

By that point, the restaurant was packed. Lusine didn’t think it would get that busy on a Thursday night (a Friday or Saturday maybe, considering its location) but it was filled to the brim; every table was full and there was a huge crowd of people waiting at the front and outside waiting for a table. She almost felt bad for taking up so much time, but on second thought, she didn’t feel bad about spending so much time with Rasmus.

She had to make her way through the crowd of people. She was petite, and quite unassuming, so she knew she’d have a hard time. Everybody was either glued to their phones waiting or in lively conversation with one another. A few of the men were in suits and Lusine wondered if they had come straight from work. “Excuse me,” she said, but nobody seemed to hear her since nobody seemed to move. “Excuse me,” she tried more forcefully, but still nothing.

“Let me,” Rasmus said, putting a hand around her waist. “Excuse me!” he half-yelled, and finally, people noticed them and began shuffling out of the way as much as they could. Lusine was brushing up against a few people as Rasmus and his arm around her waist guided her through, but she didn’t even realize who or what she was brushing up against – all she could focus on was the feeling of Rasmus’s arm around her waist. It was hypnotic. It was firm yet gentle, sturdy yet still allowed her to move. It was only when they stepped outside and Lusine noticed the line of people outside did she realize she was holding her breath.

She and Rasmus turned away from the line. She felt his arm drop once he saw they were in the clear, and she didn’t know why, but she wanted him to keep it there. When she looked at him, he was already looking at her. “Thanks for that,” she offered.

“Can I walk you back home?” he asked back.

She would have liked him to, but she had to stick to her rules. Plus, it wasn’t like she’d never taken the subway alone at night. She did a couple of times a week, whether it was because of work ending late or a late class. So, she shook her head. “You can walk me to the subway.”

“Not home?”

“No. Not on the first date.”

Rasmus nodded, accepting her decision. “Is the jury still out on if I’m a serial killer?” he asked playfully as they began to walk in the direction of the nearest subway station.

She let out a laugh. “I think the jury’s made their decision.”

“And?”

“Not a serial killer,” she offered. “At least not in Canada. But there may have been crimes in Sweden.”

Rasmus’s eyes widened. “Whoa ho ho!!” he gasped playfully, causing her to laugh even more. “Jesus! That’s harsh!”

“It’s the hair.”

Rasmus stopped dead in his tracks dramatically. Lusine began laughing her head off. “Okay, alright! I see how it is! I see now!” he continued to play along. “You make fun of my hair. That’s how it’s gonna be then, eh? Okay.”

“You can make fun of something of mine.”

“See, I’m a nice guy, so I’m not gonna do that,” he winked.

“C’mon! One dig!”

“Nope,” Rasmus shook his head. “I’m way too nice. Way too nice.”

Lusine rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll think of something eventually,” she said as they crossed the street. She wasn’t exactly happy to see the TTC sign so close and so soon. “When’s your next game?”

“Saturday.”

“Who are you guys facing?”

“Ottawa.”

“I’ll be watching,” she said, smiling softly. They had finally made their way to the top of the steps that led underground, but she made no effort to say goodbye or even step down a single step. She wanted to squeeze in as much time with him as she could.

“I’ll make sure to impress you then,” he said biting his bottom lip and stepping closer towards her. There was a moment of silence between the two of them before he spoke again. “Can I kiss you?”

To his demise, Lusine shook her head once more. “No.”

He got nervous. Why not? Was it something he did? Was it something he said during dinner? Did he make disgusting noises while sucking back oysters and she was one of those people who hated being able to hear people it? “Is it bec—”

“It’s not—no,” she interrupted him, knowing immediately what he was going to say. “This was honest to God probably the best date I’ve ever been on,” she confessed to him, making him smile. “I just don’t—like the walking me home—it’s just, like a rule, I guess—like a—”

“—Not on the first date,” he said her words from earlier.

She nodded, thankful he was understanding. “Not on the first date.”

“Can I at least hug you?” he asked,

When she extended her arms, he wrapped his around her body and held her close – so close she could smell his cologne, and the scent of him was good. Every woman appreciated a good cologne, she thought, and she was no different. She didn’t exactly have much to stack it up against, but it didn’t matter. Lusine was willing to spend an extra five minutes just hugging him awkwardly so she could keep smelling it.

After a long hug, Rasmus was the one to pull away. “I’ll see you soon,” he said softly.

A rush of excitement washed through her body at the prospect. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, taking a step back. “Text me when you get back to your apartment.”

“I will,” she said, stepping down on the first step, but looking over her shoulder back at him. “Bye Rasmus.”

“Bye Lusine.”

Rasmus watched her descend down the steps, watched as she offered one last wave, watched as she finally disappeared behind a wall.

He was dizzy.

***

138 notes · View notes

mirkwoodshewolf · 2 years ago

Text

TCATC Chap. 33; Heal the spirit, and the body shall follow

*Author’s note*

Well it’s certainly been a LOOOOOONNNG time since I updated this series but I finally got some time to give you guys the last 2 chapters of the Hobbit celestial story. And then tomorrow I’ll start posting up the sequel chapters that I’ve got for the LOTR so I’ll stop talking and let everyone enjoy these last two chapters :)

NEXT CHAPTER

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@ixchel-9275

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@queensdivas

@queen-paladin

@byersboys

_________________________________________________________

“Okay so let me see if I got this straight, there was Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur and Bombar, then—uhh…..” we both chuckled as I finished for him.

“Nori, Dori and Ori, then Oin and Glóin. Thorin and…..Fili and Kili.” I said the last two names solemnly as I stroked their braids they gifted me.

“You seemed really close with Fili and Kili. Even so much so to have them gift you their family braids.” He said.

“I was yeah. They—they helped me release some of the grief I kept in about our kin being turned to stone. They were sweet, loving, kind, loyal above all else. Even when Sauron tried to control my body, they never once left my side. I could see them trying to reassure me and trying their best to help me.”

“Which is why you gave them your gauntlets, because you trusted them with our kin’s powers.”

“Should I have not?”

“In the shape you were in, and for that split second Sauron had you fully under his control, it was wise of you to not have those gauntlets on you. There are many what if’s that could be said if you had them on at the time, but it was due to your trust and love for them that the gems raw powers didn’t disintegrate them. However they didn’t have the knowledge to know how to use it, had I not intervened.”

“What do you mean?”

“Only they would know of it, but I spoke to them. Telling them to allow the spirits of our kin to use their bodies as a vessel and allow them to do the rest in saving you. Without my voice, the power would’ve consumed their energies and surely killed them.” Oh gods I—I didn’t even think about that.

“How could I be so foolish!?” I self-deprecated myself.

“It wasn’t your fault Hela, you couldn’t have known.” He reached out and placed his hand comfortingly over my left one. His thumb gently rubbing the back of my hand. “But like I said, the gems would’ve done far worse damage had they been on your person when Sauron had you under his will, than in the hands of two Dwarf Princes. And for that, I am truly grateful.”

“They were my little brothers. The first Dwarves I ever opened my heart to, without them I—I would’ve continued on the philosophy of Ikaris on Dwarves forever.”

“Ikaris was always hard on the Dwarves. Luckily I knew better than to believe that they were solely a stubborn, greedy race of creatures. I even had a few Dwarf friends myself for a time during my exile. Gave me food, bedding, clothing and some of the knives you saw in the trunk.”

“You must’ve done something truly special for them to customize weapons for you.”

“It wasn’t easy I’ll admit. As you know Dwarves are suspicious and secretive of folks beyond their kin. Especially if they ‘claim to be blind’.” He said in quotations.

“They really believed you to be faking your blindness?”

“Particularly the older Dwarves, the younger ones seemed to believe it. Even asked if they could see but I told them it would make them uncomfortable staring into hollowed orbs.”

“Of light. But I understand. Seems you’ve lived a life even before settling here.”

“Well, I made it through. It was—hard at first, living without our kin. Particularly my brothers and sisters of Starlight, and the fact that I could never look up at the sky to see the stars again. But I—pushed on and did what I could. Until finally deciding that here in the South needed my help and I did what I could without drawing too much attention to myself as a Celestial.”

“So you’ve kept your immortality that I can understand. But what about your Starlight powers?”

“Unfortunately those were taken away and gifted to Ikaris after my exile. As well as our typical enhanced strength and agility. Though I’m immortal, I can still be slain in battle and become exhausted during a long fight.”

“Which is why you fight with such ferocity.”

“Well that’s due to my curse as an exile. Cain the Wrathful, I am always burdened to carry with me all the anger and rage I’ve kept inside me since the day I lost my wife and children. The day I almost killed Ikaris in a rage of anger for what he did. Even though I know it was due to the fact he couldn’t say goodbye and wanted me to have a second chance, it still doesn’t give me the excuse for what I did to him.”

“I had wondered what the scar along his chest meant. I was told it was from a dragon’s claw.”

“Does sound like a better story than your older brother taking up Orcrist and cutting you with it.” He softly scoffed as he shook his head remorsefully.

I placed my right hand over his giving it a soft squeeze as he looked towards my direction.

“Tell me Hela, do you have a man in your life?” he asked me.

“You really are my older brother if you’re going straight for a question like that.” I groaned embarrassingly.

“I just mean, throughout all these years on your own, surely you must’ve met someone. For you have such a kind heart that deserves to be loved in return for the love that you give. And I hope this also won’t offend you, but I’ve felt the impression marks of a bracelet that you’ve once kept on your wrist.” His fingers gently stroking along my left wrist.

I sighed solemnly thinking back to Haldir. About the last conversation we had with one another and worried if he’s—

“I don’t mean to pry, you don’t have to answer it if you do not wish to.” I patted his hand assuringly and took a deep breath in before softly exhaling.

“There was. An Elvish Marchwarden.”

“Was? Did-did he……”

“No. At least….I hope not.” I whispered solemnly looking down. Cain’s hand lifted up to feel around my shoulder before gently cupping the back of my neck gingerly. “Before I left to find you, I broke off our engagement. Told him he’d be better off without me and that what we had was only a dream.”

“But that’s not the truth. At least some of it.”

“Even though Sauron failed to control my body, he still has access to my mind. This past year alone he’s shown me my friends being tortured in the most unimaginable ways. Hearing their screams, seeing their blood drip from their bodies as they were ripped apart. And-and when he showed me Haldir……”

“You broke his heart to protect him.” Cain finished for me solemnly. I exhaled deeply and solemnly.

“That’s more like….a quarter percent of the reason why.” Cain’s hand slowly came up to cup my cheek as I felt him drying away tears I didn’t even know I was crying. I exhaled a couple of soft, shaky breaths before admitting, “We Celestials are supposed to be impervious to any evil possessing us, but because of what I am….. what my powers can do. I allowed the Dark lord himself to easily seep his way into my mind, tainting me, and now I hear only his voice in my head in my dreams. How can Haldir ever love someone like that?”

“You should’ve told him the truth.”

“But you don’t know Haldir like I do Cain. He’s always put up a wall around his heart, it took him almost 100 years for him to fully trust me and even when he did, it was a slow build of friendship until my near-death experience with the Deviants caused him to admit his true feelings. He’s not one to forgive so easily. If I told him that a great evil came into my body, he’d never look at me with the same love he allowed himself to show me.”

“Yvaine once told me when we first began courting each other, ‘If we are meant to be one, then you must trust me with your burdens. No matter the good, the bad, or the ugliest truth.’ From what I have seen, you and Haldir showed a decent amount of love for one another. Even for being apart for years if not decades at a time. But now you’ve chosen to push him away not only for his sake but it would seem your own.”

“No need to add salt to the wound brother I already feel bad as it is.”

“As you should. Because you truly think Haldir would leave you after all you both have been through together.” His other hand cupped my other cheek and I stared into his shining hollowed eyes. “I don’t mean to say this to be cruel, I only wish for you to understand that you chose what was only best for you without have a mutual agreement with your beloved.”

“Lady Galadriel said to me before I left that if it is meant to be, Haldir and I could rekindle our love’s fire once again.”

“And she is right. Love is a deep magic that is both known yet unknown to all of us. It defines right from wrong, and governs all of our destines. Yours, mine, Haldir’s, your Dwarvish company, Fili and Kili, even our own kin. If you and Haldir are meant to be, you will reunite. It’ll take time to fan the spark again, but it’ll create a new flame even stronger than the last.”

“And what if it doesn’t?”

“Then you’ll know it wasn’t meant to be. And one day you’ll find someone who will give that to you. But you must learn from your mistakes and not let your guilt blind you from what could be.”

“I still do love Haldir and I wish I could tell him how sorry I am.” He leaned his forehead against mine.

“I know. I know you do.” Our noses softly brushing against the others as Cain softly kissed my forehead before pulling me into a comforting embrace.

After hearing Cain’s story and finally accepting him as my brother Celestial, the days we spent together were merely talking about our adventures with one another. Cain told me of his travels and I continued to open up more about my time with the Company of Thorin Oakenshield.

It was such a relief off my heart to finally talk about my travels with someone who doesn’t have a prejudice outlook on Dwarves and who can (to a degree) empathize with me on the toll that Fili and Kili’s death took on me. Cain also provided me some wisdom and advice on how to properly accept the grief and (as mentioned above) helped me ease my fears and doubts about Haldir’s and I’s future together.

Then one day just as the first light was coming into the sky, Cain woke me up and had asked me to come with him to the mountains. He never told me for what reason we were going, just to get dressed and prepare for a long hike.

And what a hike it was, it took us almost all day to reach the mountains and up until nightfall for us to get to the top. At the peak there was a cave like entrance and once we entered inside, I saw carvings of ancient runes and a crystal clear pool just in front of us.

“What is this place Cain?”

“A gateway.” He merely replied as he walked on ahead.

“To what?” I asked suspiciously.

“In times of great distress or darkness, I’ve found that this mountain, particularly this very pool can lead to the council of deities even wiser than Ajak. Surely she must’ve talked about her conversations with the Valar themselves.”

“She did. She told me how she would come to the deep South to—wait. This….this is the Mountain of the Celestial Prime.” He nodded.

“The very mountains where she not only can converse with the Valar, but also the very birthplace of each Celestial. It was in these very jungles where each Celestial was born and given their gifts by their respected Valar they would help serve or protect Middle Earth.”

“I can’t believe it. None but Ajak knew of this very mountain. Is it because of the small portion of her soul that made your eyes know exactly where this place was?” he nodded.

“And it’s also the reason why I am able to speak to the Valar themselves. And now it is time you did the same. For the two Valar that you help represent have longed to speak with you.”

“They have?” he nodded again.

“In order to help you regain the connection with our kins Celestial power, you must first regain your own and I cannot be the one to teach you that. But they can.”

“What must I do?”

“Enter the pool until it rises up to your hip then float on your back, and allow me to take care of the rest.” I nodded and slowly placed on foot into the pool before slowly walking in until inch by inch the water rose pass my ankles, up my shins, over my knees and thighs until finally I was hip deep in the water.

I slowly allowed myself to float on my back in the water and I saw the runes along the wall starting to glow. They were written in both Celeste and Quenya and I heard the faint, muffled sound of Cain doing a Quenya chant. The water also began to glow a bright purple/blue color and it was then I felt a tingling sensation come all over my body. My mind started to go fuzzy and my eyes soon began to close until soon I lay there limp in the water, still as a statue.

When I opened my eyes I saw nothing but blackness. There was nothing around me. No rocks, no boulders, no water, not even Cain was there. What also struck me was the absolute silence that surrounded me. There was absolutely no noise nor sound coming in any direction, no wind, no birds, not even drips of water.

“Hela.” A whisper soon called out to me. I jumped in shock at the sudden voice that seemed to just come in all directions. It softly kept whispering my name every now and then before all would go quiet again.

“Here I am.” I said cautiously. “Where are you?”

“Follow the ache piercing in your heart.” The voice said again. It was then I heard the faint sounds of two voices. I slowly turned and soon felt my heart give an odd thump. It was like it had skipped a beat but not in the good kind of way. Slowly I walked forward and the ache in my heart grew sharper as the voices grew louder and more clearer.

“No. No not this.” A bright light flashed before my eyes and next thing I knew, I now stood right at the edge of Ravenhill and I saw Fili’s and Kili’s corpses.

The brothers eternally bounded in death even though they died separately. I fell to my knees and crawled towards them shaking my head when suddenly Fili grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly.

“You….. could’ve…..saved—us.” He said choking on his own blood.

“Why didn’t—you do more?” Kili soon spoke up.

“I—I’m sorry. I tried my best I didn’t have my powers but I tried. I really tried Fili and Kili I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry. I wasn’t fast enough, I wasn’t—wasn’t str-strong enough. I should’ve done more. I shouldn’t have allowed Sauron to take my power if only I was strong enough but I’m not. I’m sorry.” I ranted as tears poured down my face.

“This is what your mind and heart are telling you.” The female voice soon spoke up again. When I opened my eyes Fili’s and Kili’s bodies were gone. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and I turned around and couldn’t believe who I saw.

Her beauty could only be compared to Arwen’s with her long raven black hair that came down in gently waves much like Galadriel’s. She wore a beautiful circlet in the shape of teardrops upon her head and wore a dress that would almost seem black when in truth it was a very, very dark grey. But it was her eyes, her eyes that held such sorrow but also pity and hope within them.

I sniffled and wiped my tears as I softly spoke out her name.

“Lady Nienna?” I-I couldn’t believe my eyes.

There right before me was one of the High Queens of the Valor, Lady Nienna. Some call her the ‘The Lady of Tears’ or ‘She who weeps’. Gandalf talked a lot about her shortly after our first meetings and how he had learnt everything about empathy and pity from the Lady Nienna herself.

“I have long been expecting you Hela.” Her hand came off my shoulder and was now in front of my face. I reached out my hand and she helped me to my feet. “For centuries ever since your birth, I have longed to speak with you, and now at the lowest point of your life, I have come.”

“Forgive me, Lady Nienna but I—I don’t feel as if I am worthy in your presences in my current state of being.”

“Grief is not meant to be beautiful but it is also not to be shameful for.” Her finger gingerly brushed underneath my eye to catch a tear before it fell. “For a Celestial who is the only one of her kind to be gifted into being the Celestial of Death, you have suffered so much than those that go through the aftermath of loss.”

“I am no gift. I am a curse!” I snapped.

“Why do you say that?” she asked with a slight tilt of her head, her eyes brimming with pity.

“Because I just am! Everywhere I go Death always follows me! Anyone I get close to they must suffer the worst fate of all! Tortured, burned by dragon fire, turned to stone, beaten or worse—sacrificing themselves for me. I—I am not worth all of this pain. And why must I alone be burdened with such agony? Why couldn’t I have been born a Mind Celestial like my brother Druig? Or a Starlight like Ikaris and Cain? Even a War Celestial like Thena or Elemental like Cersei?” I ranted turning away from her pacing back and forth angrily.

“Ajak knew that there could only be one Celestial who would not only be strong enough to carry such a title, but also help others understand that Death does not always need to be feared.” Lady Nienna said. I stopped and looked at her, “Is that not what King Thranduil said to you?”

“She was wrong. They’re all wrong.” I said brokenly. I looked outward and said. “I am not strong enough. I—I see them all. In my dreams. I see it on a constant time loop that repeats in my head over and over again. The weight of all this pain has me feeling like an old dead mule who refuses to go another step until I just drop dead. Why must I be the only one to bear such a heavy burden?”

“You may think you are hopeless now Hela, but there is more to Death than just pain and suffering. But that you shall learn from my brother.”

“Mandos?” I asked turning to her. She softly nodded.

“He too, has long to speak with you. And it is him that shall teach you a better understand of what your title and powers truly mean. I, however, have come to show you just what you truly mean to the souls that depart this world and that even though they met such gruesome fates at the end of their life, they do not harbor such hatred that you think they do.”

“When Girion showed himself to me after Bard killed Smaug, that was you wasn’t it?” I asked her. A slight smile came at the corner of her mouth.

“Come. It is time to let your soul finally be heal.” She extended her hand out for me once more. I looked between her hand and her eyes before finally accepting her hand. As we walked, Ravenhill became no more than a whisp of wind and we were in the darkness once more.

“What exactly is this place? This cannot be my head alone?” I asked her.

“Your mind is the abyssal plain between the physical world, and the world of the Arda.”

“This—empty abyss is the heavens in which you Valar reign in?”

“You have not been given the permission to explore the Arda fully. Only when given permission by each of the Valar themselves can you enter their realms through your spirit. My power alone has you relive the places where you’ve felt the most grief in your life, that is why you came to Ravenhill to see the Princes of Durin.” She told me.

As we continued to walk we soon stopped before a large door that had familiar runes on them. However they were not in any form of Elvish, no these were Dwarvish runes, Khuzdul.

“I know these runes.” I spoke.

“Can you read them?” she asked me.

“From what I remember from my teachings with the company it says: ‘Here lies the Halls of Mahal. Creator of Dwarves. And Protector of Durin’s kin.’” I turned to her and she gave me a soft nod.

I walked up towards the door and slowly raised my arm out and extended it to the door. I hesitated to touch it by just an inch, maybe even barely that, until finally I touched the stone door and the runes began to glow a starlight blue.

“Who dares to enter my realm!” a booming voice soon spoke up. Thunderous footsteps came from the other side of the door, the booming footsteps grew louder and louder until finally the doors opened and a bright light shined right at me. It was so bright, I had to shield my face with my own arms to block out the light.

The light soon dimmed and soon a figure was now towering over me. He stood almost as tall as a mountain, he had dark brown hair with some white streaks shining in the locks. A thick, burly beard that was almost like a combination of Glóin’s (with the thick bushy main beard) and the two long braids that even surpassed the beard itself (much like how Bombur’s) but it was braided tight and clean like Bifur’s had on some of his strands.

His upper torso was bare but on his forearms he wore iron shackles and gauntlets with Dwarvish runes on them, and in his right hand he held a forger’s hammer. He wore dark brown pants (much like Beorn) and thick, deerskin boots.

“Aulë, I bring to you the Celestial of Death Hela.” Nienna said to Aulë, or as known to the Dwarves, Mahal.

“The Celestial of Death?” he pondered before looking down at me. I fell to my knees and bowed before him.

“Oh mighty Mahal.”

“None but my Dwarvish children call me that name. Never have I heard a Celestial call me that.”

“I…..have had the honor and privilege to be in the company of some Dwarves fairly recently.” I said raising my head to look upon him. He softly hummed.

“And what would a Celestial want with the souls of my departed creations? Never before have you chosen this path in speaking with the souls of my creations.”

“As she’s stated; Hela was a member of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield.”

“Oakenshield?” Mahal said incredulously.

“Yes Oh Mighty Mahal. The very same Thorin Oakenshield of the line of Durin. The King beneath the Mountain. I was his guide on the quest to reclaim their homeland. He, along with 12 others of his kin. They have taught me your ways and their culture. To the extent that only a few of my brothers and sisters of Phastos’ side only knew long before I was born and from when I was a youngling.”

“Phastos you say? He was one of my best students, and my greatest creation of the Celestial forging.”

“Yes. And I know that none but your creations can enter your halls, but I beg of you. On my hands and knees I plead to you Mighty Mahal to grant me entrance into your halls so that I may say my final goodbyes to two dwarves that I lost in the Company. They—they mean everything to me.” I lowered my head once again feeling the tears well up in my eyes once more. And the memories of Fili and Kili played out in my head.

There was silence for a moment until a large hand came before me, I looked up and Mahal looked at me with both a stern but empathetic expression.

“It is true that I have not allowed anyone but a Dwarf into my halls. Even when you were created I had forbidden even the Celestial of Death to reach these halls for the souls of my children deserve nothing but eternal peace.” He scooped me up and I held onto his finger as he raised me up to his head. “But seeing what you have become, and hearing of the tales that the Dwarves of whom you speak, praise and mourn for you just as you do for them. I shall allow you enter my domain for this one time only.”

I bowed my head in respect and thanked him in Khuzdul, to which he found impressive that I knew his creation’s language. The doors soon opened back up and the bright light shined once more and I felt Mahal carry me into the halls of his realm.

When the light died down once again, I found myself in a vast valley of greenery, wild flowers and just beyond the horizon, large stone castles that almost resembled Erebor.

“Oh no please don’t tell me we drove you this far.” A voice soon spoke up. My heart leapt into my throat clenching it as I slowly turned and there stood the two Dwarves whom I had long to see since their passing.

They look peaceful, content, as if the weight of the world was off their shoulders for good. And they looked just as healthy as the day I first met them in Bag-end.

“Fili…..Kili…..”

“Hello Hela.” Fili greeted with a warm smile.

“Been a long time.” Kili spoke. I couldn’t move, I fell to my knees and felt my bottom lip tremble.

“Nadadîths.” I whimpered. They walked up to me and I was immediately brought into their arms. Like that night so long ago when we got captured by the trolls, I found my face buried in both leather and animal fur. Their hands rubbing up and down my back or brushing through my hair, even stroking their own braids they gave me. “I’m so sorry!” I wept.

“What have you to be sorry for?” Fili asked. We separated from our hug but we didn’t separated. Kili tucked a strand of my white hair behind my ear as I said.

“I was too weak to stop it. I-I had a nightmare of your deaths. Had I known they were truly visions of the future and not just a torment of a nightmare. And if I hadn’t allowed Sauron into my head to take my powers I-I could’ve changed the battle. I could’ve stopped the whole thing. I……I could’ve saved you!”

“What happened, happened Hela. There was no changing what was meant to be. We knew the risks of the quest, not all of us were going to make it out alive.” Kili said to me as he cupped the right side of my face while Fili wiped a tear from my left eye.

“You both were so young. You deserved to have lived full lives.”

“But we are glad that in our lifetime, even for how short it was. We got the chance to meet you.” Fili said.

“And we wouldn’t change that for all the gold in Erebor. Nor the treasures here in Mahal’s halls.” Kili said with a soft smile. I sniffled and lowered my head but Fili raised my chin back up.

“I tried. I tried so hard to get to you in time Fili, I…..”

“I know.” He assured me. “I—can’t really explain it but at the time, I could hear your voice in my head. I could hear you calling out to me and I tried to call back but you didn’t respond back to me.”

“You—you heard me?”

“Aye. Even at the end, I was thankful to have at least heard your voice one last time assuring me you were coming.” His hand moved from my chin to my jawline as he wiped a tear that had been dangling down there debating whether to drop off my face like a raindrop on a leaf.

“The same can be said for me Hela.” Kili said. My eyes shifted over to him as he continued, “When I heard your screams of pain, I couldn’t bear to lose another older sibling. I failed Fili but I wasn’t going to fail you.”

“You didn’t Kee, to either of us. Right, Hela?” Fili assured his brother.

“He’s right. I—I just wish I hadn’t lost my powers cause then I-I could’ve……”

“What’s done is done. We’ve already forgiven you Hela. But now you must learn to forgive yourself. Don’t let our death be the reason for your pain and suffering. Nor the reason for holding you back. You have so much more to do Hela, and we have a feeling you are going to become the most powerful Celestial Middle Earth has ever known.” Fili told me as his hand once again cupped the side of my face.

My bottom lip trembled as I reached out and embraced them both burying my face into their shoulders.

“I love you both so much.” I wept.

“And we love you Hela.” They both said as they both squeezed me as tight as they could.

“And never forget,” Fili started as Kili finished for him.

“We’ll always be with you.”

“In your heart and memories.” They both finished together once more. I let out a sob and as I separated from them, I saw their spirits beginning to glow before evaporating from my sight.

The last thing I would see of them was the smiles upon both their faces and their eyes filled with warmth and love.

When their spirits were finally gone from my sight, tears slipped down my face as I softly thanked them both.

“Thank you, Fili and Kili……for everything.” I let out a couple of more sobs before finally feeling the guilt being lifted off my shoulders as I took a couple of shaky breaths to calm myself down and closed my eyes. I sat there on my knees in silence for a few moments until a voice spoke to me.

“You are now ready to take the next step, my young Hela.” This time the voice was male but it wasn’t as thunderous as Mahal’s voice was.

When I opened my eyes I found myself in a place I knew all too well. The dark hallways but it’s structure was built more like a cave than a castle. Think of Thranduil’s home but instead of a tree-cave structure with natural tree sap giving light, this place was like an abyssal place and the only source of light came from the strange unearthly glow from the ceiling above.

I stood before a large throne and sitting upon that throne was the Keeper of the Dead himself. He was a very tall man stood about as tall as an Ent, snow white hair (as white as the two streaks in my own hair) could be seen from the hood that was kept over his face. His eyes ever glowing like Cain’s but instead of a comforting starlight color, there was a bit of a coldness in the darker blue his eyes glowed.

He wore a circlet of silver that held my Celestial symbol of a circle with a line going downward representing the soul. On his fingers he wore silver claw-like rings that almost made his fingers (especially his index and tall finger) look like sheers about to snip out the last thread of your life. And to most that would see him for the first time, they’d be either shocked or horrified to see that where his feet would be, was nothing but a whisp of his long robe.

“We finally meet face to face at last, Hela Celestial of mine and my sister’s creation.” His voice was both stern yet solemn as he looked down upon me.

“Lord Mandos.” I greeted as I fell to my knees in respect. Being the Celestial of Death and asking for permission to allow the souls of both Men and Elves to enter my body to speak in the world of the living, I’ve had many spiritual encounters with him. Asking for permission to allow the families of the living to say their final farewells and not be riddled with guilt or regret.

But this is the first time I’ve ever truly seen him in person with my own two eyes.

“Being with my sister has allowed you to riddle the guilt that has weighed upon your heart. And now at last, the time has come for us to finally meet face to face.”

“She told me you would help me better understand my powers of the Dead.”

“Yes. Both my sister and I created you to be the barrier between the seen and unseen world. A power such as that can easily be corrupted which is why when Ajak knew a Celestial of Death had to be created, she was informed by me that there could only be one.”

“Because of what Sauron can do?” I asked.

“Melkor’s lieutenant proved my doom of the powers of the Afterlife. While you have proven that it can be used for a better cause, there is still the threat of what he has obtained. And what he almost obtained from you by being a spirit.”

“I wish I had gone to you for guidance more often as a youngling. I was so shamed and afraid of my powers that I was too weak to go against Sauron’s spirit.”

“Sauron is powerful. Though not as powerful as his predecessor, he is a threat whether in his physical form or spiritual. But that is why you are here now.” I looked back up at him. “It will take many long years, many years of meditation and spiritual training, but I will mold you into the Celestial you were born to become.”

His hand slowly reached out for me and his tall finger touched my forehead while his index finger came over my heart and I was met with flashes of a vision.

A bright light surrounded me and as I squinted my eyes I saw a silhouette of a woman. Her arms extended outward and I could see the shape of some sort of headdress over her head in the shape of what looked like an M. Her hair went all the way down past her back but came down in waves (even more than Galadriel’s hair).

I couldn’t see the woman’s face but there was this strong pull that I felt with her as her silhouette continued to hover over me like a shadow.

‘You will become. The Celestial you were always born to be.’ Mandos’ voice once again rang through my head.

I shot up feeling cold and wet coughing and spurting out water. I felt hands on me and I thrashed around but when I saw that it was Cain at my side he told me.

“Easy little sister, easy. It’s okay. Breathe, deep breaths.”

“Cain?” my voice came out in a hoarse croak.

“I take it you saw them?” He asked me. I nodded as he helped me out of the water.

Back at his cabin, I held a cup of tea in my hands and had a plate of deer meat and green apples for my meal.

“He—showed me, a vision of something that hasn’t happened yet. I—I don’t know if it was me or…..but there was this pull that the woman had incredible power.” I told him.

“And what of Lady Nienna, what did she show you?”

“She took me to the halls of Mahal. And Mahal actually granted me passage into his realm. And that’s where I saw……” I stroked the beads of both Fili and Kili. “They forgive me Cain. Even in their final moments they never once held any hate or regret towards me.”

“They are your little brothers Hela. And anyone who is lucky to see you as their sister, shall never harbor any hatred towards you.” He said placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “And by learning to forgive yourself, you’ve taken the first step into healing.”

“Aye.” I said with a firm nod. “Fili was right, I cannot allow their death to be the reason for my pain and suffering. I am allowed to feel sad for them, but I cannot let their death consume me. Like I’ve allowed many other of my friends and even our kins fall did. That’s how Sauron has the advantage over me.”

“I hope you’re not suggesting you ready to take on Sauron now.” He teased. I snickered and playfully shoved his arm.

“Not in the slightest. I’m nowhere near ready. I only mean I’m not gonna let him have the upper hand by using those that I’ve lost against me.”

“Spoken like a true Celestial.” Cain softly praised as he leaned his forehead against mine, our noses brushing against each other’s.

In the months that followed Cain helped me regain my physical strength back as well as a better understanding of our kins powers thanks to his knowledge from the sliver of Ajak’s spirit that is used as his eyes. He was both a firm but wise teacher who took no mercy when needed, but was also a guide to help me perfect my fighting skills.

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thefanficmonster · 3 years ago

Text

Sign From The Past

Andrew/Abraham (The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope) x Reader (Female)

Warnings: Spoilers for Little Hope, Swearing, Blood and Injury, Bus Crash (Mentioned)

Genre: Romance, A bit of Angst

Summary: Following the bus crash and the group of students and their professor getting stranded in the eerie town of Little Hope, Y/N and Andrew come to find out a lot about and themselves as in their thoughts and feelings as well as about each other. It does take a little push from the past to pass the threshold though.

Requested by 💞 Anon. Hi darling! Thank you so much for your lovely request, it was a real joy to write. Also thank you so much for your patience - I know the wait has been really long and I’m extremely sorry for that but I still hope you come across the fic and read it. If so, I hope you enjoy it! Love, Vy ❤

Y/D/N - Your Double’s Name (Same first letter as your name)

Y/N stands behind John and observes as her professor is attempting to wake up the possibly concussed boy sitting on the ground with his back against the roof of the flipped bus they had all been safely seated in less than ten minutes ago. Her classmate and best friend Taylor’s struggling to fetch even the tiniest possible signal with her phone held up in the air, muttering curses under her breath. Two more classmates are unaccounted for at the moment but that’s not what’s bothering Y/N the most right now - maybe it’s messed up, but it’s true.

The girls main attention and worry is focused on the boy who’s still unconscious. The boy she’s praying will wake up soon.

Being the only one with a med major, Y/N was quick to tend to any external wounds such as the cut on Andrew’s forehead which was rather deep but nothing to get too worked up about. There was not much she could do without a med-kit which made her feel utterly helpless and useless while John continuously reassured her Andrew and the rest of them would all be ok.

Come on, Andrew. Don’t scare us like this

As if overhearing her thoughts, Andrew’s eyes started fluttering open, causing Y/N’s heartbeat to pick up, her legs automatically carrying her closer to him, ducking down in front of him to get a good look at him.

She’s the first person his gaze lands upon before fluttering over to John. His eyebrow seems to raise ever so slightly before he looks at Y/N again, “Y/N, what happened? Who’s that?“

Her heart dropped and so did the smile that appeared on John’s face as a result of Andrew’s consciousness returning.

Overhearing Andrew’s question, Taylor quickly comes over as well, ducking down next to Y/N. “Rise and shine, Andy. We’re stuck in a ghost town, this is no time to be taking naps.”

Andrew scoffs, looking at Taylor, “Maybe you could run that back a bit cause I have no idea where I am or what on Earth happened.” His eyes shift back to you, “Any explanation would be nice, Y/N. Even a shitty one.”

Y/N sighs, “We were going on a fieldtrip and our bus crashed. This is our professor,” she points to John and then to Taylor, “And this is our classmate. Two others are with us but we don’t know where they are at the moment.”

The boy stays quiet for a moment, his gaze distancing and becoming unfocused to the point of scaring Y/N but then he starts talking, focusing again, “You’re a med major, so doc can you please tell me why the hell I remember none of what you just told me?“

Even though the girl is rather shocked by his memory of her and her major, she hurries to recompose herself and reply, “You’re just concussed, Andrew. Don’t worry, you’ll be perfectly fine soon, nothing to panic over. I promise.”

Taylor snorts from next to her, cutting the tension, “Wow Andy, you know Y/N AND her major but you can’t even remember our names. Just wow!”

“Not everyone leaves the same impression on a person, Taylor.“ John says, looking between Y/N and Andrew knowingly.

“You got that one right professor.“ Taylor agrees, nudging Y/N’s shoulder with her own, sending a wink her best friend’s way despite the other girl desperately avoiding her gaze.

All she can really do is sit in the intense heat of her blush and hope it’s not as apparent as her crush on Andrew seems to be.

It’s gonna be one hell of a night, she thinks to herself.

If only she knew how right she was...

* * *

“Feeling any better? Any fatigue or nausea?“ Y/N asks Andrew as the two continue down the road, walking ahead of everybody else. This is a routinely question she’s been asking him every thirty or so minutes while hoping she wasn’t annoying him too much with it.

Luckily, he never made her feel like she was, always replying in a friendly, light-hearted manner and even with a hint of a smile, “No, I’m good, don’t worry.”

Right, as if Y/N had a switch to flip to turn her worry off. She’s always been the nurturing type. The one who always over-cares and is always over-kind. She’s been like that with everyone since forever. But with Andrew, though she refuses to admit it, it’s obviously a bit different and more intense.

Seeing as how she’s the only one he remembers, he’s been sticking by her side and gravitating towards her the whole night - much like she’s been doing as well. Little do they both know that even back on campus, in the gardens and the hallways of their college they’d somehow always end up finding one another and walking together to or from class. There are invisible magnetic forces between them, pulling them towards one another so subtly neither of them have noticed. Not yet, at least.

“Hey look! An old train station.“ Y/N points out, looking first to Andrew then turning around in search of the rest of their group members. Her heart drops when all her gaze lands upon is the thick fog that’s been following them everywhere they’ve gone so far and doesn’t seem to show any sign of thinning anytime soon.

Having noticed her mild distress at the absence of their professor and classmates, Andrew hurries to approach her, subconsciously resting a hand on her shoulder, “Hey, they’re probably right behind us, don’t freak out, ok?” His eyes stare into hers so convincingly that all she can do is nod. When she does so, he continues, “Ok, good. Let’s go into the station, see if we can find anything or anyone.” She nods again, praying the blush that’s appeared on her cheeks as a result of the physical contact isn’t visible in the faint light of the streetlight.

As the two turn to venture onward, Y/N nearly jumps out of her skin when she feels Andrew’s hand slide down her arm to take a hold of hers as if afraid he’d lose her in the dark. She tries not to pay too much mind to it and not read into it, biting her lip to suppress the involuntary smile that’s creeping up on her face.

Seeing this moment with the two so at peace and relaxed, the horrors felt mocked apparently and felt the need to intervene.

Just as the two students are about to pass the threshold into the station, a hand covered in cracked ashy skin takes hold of Andrew’s forearm, pulling him in the station.

And simultaneously into the past.

When him and Y/N come to they are shocked at the sight that greets them: themselves. The two of them are standing next to a horse carriage, wearing attire from centuries ago and speaking in hushed tones and whispers but loud enough to be understood at the distance they were at. Y/N and Andrew decide to stay quiet and avoid being spotted by them.

“Never have I thought I’d have to send you off such a way and for such a reason, Y/D/N.” The man who looks exactly like Andrew says, his head hanging low with disappointment, regret and sorrow.

“Abraham, listen to me, this is no fault of yours. You are doing what you think will keep me from harm and I’m grateful with all my heart. I just worry the Reverend will find out you had something to do with me...“

“I’d regret not a single thing even if he did find out.“ The man, Abraham apparently, cuts the girl - Y/D/N - off, his eyes coming up to meet hers again, his hand taking hold of hers. The girl looks around nervously as if to make sure she’s got permission to hold the hand of the man she clearly loves, but then just nods in gratitude.

“I’m forever in your debt, Abraham, thank you.“ She says, bowing her head now too.

“Do not thank me, Y/D/N, and do not speak such nonsense as debt. I would rather die seen as a betrayer of God than see you burnt at the steak or hanged. My lover is no witch and won’t be treated like one till the day I draw my last breath.“

With that Abraham and Y/D/N share one final hug before he helps her up on the carriage which takes off in a direction where Y/N and Andrew see nothing but darkness.

And just like that, the two present versions of those people, are put back where they belong - in the present, surrounded by fog and darkness as previously. The surroundings that previously gave them an uneasy feeling now make them feel comfort because of their familiarity.

“You ok?“ Y/N jumps when Andrew’s hand’s hold on her tightens ever so slightly as if to free her from the web of confusion and fear.

She nods then shakes her head but manages to let out an affirmative hum to reassure him. “You?”

Andrew repeats the same motion she did - a nod followed by a shake of the head, “Yes and no, if I’m being honest. And on the topic of honesty: I haven’t been at the peak of mine as of recent.”

Y/N’s eyebrows furrow, “What do you mean?“

The boy lets out a heavy sigh that is meant to prepare him for what he’s about to say. What he’s about to confess to. “There’s plenty of things I haven’t told you. Things I refused to tell myself too...”

“Andrew, sorry but, I’ve had it with puzzles and riddles all night long. Can you please be straight-forward, I promise I won’t freak out or anything.“

Despite still being hesitant on the matter, Andrew decides to listen to Y/N’s advice - or rather request - and nods before continuing, “You’re one of my best friends, Y/N, I hope you know that and I trust you and I care for you and...and I just tonight came to understanding that it was always something...more than a friend. More than a best friend. I’m sorry if this makes you feel weird or awkward or if you don’t feel the same way please don’t cushion the rejection or pity me. I just...” As he’s talking he makes the mistake of looking her in the eyes which are giving him the most unimpressed look which gets him to shut up asap.

“If you didn’t already have a head injury I’d smack you.“ She says, eyes narrowed, “Andrew, I’m sorry, but you have to be one of the densest and most oblivious guys I’ve ever met. Like, you’re up there at Daniel’s level when he refused to believe Taylor liked him back. That’s how high up you’re on the scale.“

Her words confuse him, leaving him to process all that she’s said until some type of realization hit him. Only one is turning up and he refused to believe it cause it seems so impossible to him.

“I like you too, you dumbass.“ She says, a smile on her face hiding the tons of exhaustion he’d been seeing on it for the past few hours.

“FUCKING FINALLY!“ The familiar voice of no one but Taylor arises from somewhere behind the couple who have now found themselves at a closer proximity than before, arms automatically reaching for the other to take them in their embrace.

Fucking finally indeed, Taylor.

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phoenixashvibes · 2 years ago

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August 28, 2022 12:05p.m. Saturn Hr // Sun Virgo and Moon in Virgo void of course Libra// 6 planets Rx

I was called to finally solidify a clean altar in honor of myself and those that came before me that got me this far. I am grateful to have all the skills, tools, and knowledge to be able to have a life I becoming more proud of every day. The black and white candles are for protection. New Moon in Virgo on Saturday night at 10:11p.m. Saturn planetary hour I lit the black candle and ten minutes later lit the white candle for protection and peace for all as the black candle works to banish any and everything that do not serve me. All toxic negativity must go back to senders. If there are none. All negative or bad energy still has to be out my space. Period. I was wondering about the flowers I was supposed to get and Asked Archangel Michael what flowers and he sent a card flying out my hand with the cards were purple flowers. Ironically, I have purple flowers growing on my property. They were planted by someone that does not treat me the nicest. I went and clipped the flowers. Put the plant I was gifted on Friday on the altar too. Now as I type this at 12:12p.m. I heard Cardinals chirping outside my window. The cardinals and crows have been on me heavily lately. It is how I know I am receiving confirmations of where I need to be and why I need to be there. My energy and space feels so much more steady since I petitioned for a healthier life away from chaos, negativity and that which does not align with my higher self any longer; if ever. I have a lot going on and on my mind. I will continue to update the progress. The candle flames flicker to the west and dance. For the most part they are strong flames. The white candle is burning faster and it has been lit for the shorter amount of time. The Aquamarine crystal popped out of no where on my room floor. I put it on the Altar. I suppose it has a place. The Jasper was rediscovered today too. It went up there as well. I want my spirit quartz to return to me or at least to know it is somewhere not in my space. Tarot cards say the petunias are for the King of Cups, JUDGEMENT, King of Wands.

The Candles - THE WORLD a cycle closing full circle coming to and end so a new chapter of renewal is started. A chance to have a clean and clear slate. The Divine intervening to stop a distraction, blockage, interference. Ending to betrayals, ending to what I perceive as mentally anguishing, ending to anxiety and stress carried over from others that do not belong in my space. Happiness and fulfillment will be restored. The hard work and effort I have put in will pay off for me. No worries, no stress. I am strongly connected to the Divinest power existing there is success any in petition issued from me to my Tribe. I do not harm others and always wish for the good of all in any declaration or request to my God. Amen! So it is and shall be forever more beloveds.

#ImNotAWitchButPleaseDontPushMe

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mittensmorgul · 4 years ago

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save me from andrew dabb and the tnt loop... hello 8.22:

Castiel: I like this bunker. It's orderly. Sam: Oh, give us a few months. Dean wants to get a ping-pong table. Castiel: I've heard of that. It's a game, right?

PING PONG. Why has this particular reference resurfaced in the last week or two just to torment me. I am tormented... but my torment is not over. This episode is full of angst about the story-- about Bad Guys™ literally using the story written by Chuck IN-STORY as a weapon and a tool.

Metatron-- having spent millennia collecting the stories of Humanity-- somehow ~missed~ the Supernatural series entirely. In addition to having cut himself off from angel radio, somehow not noticing the entire apocalypse going down a few years prior or the resurfacing of the Leviathan or Cas swallowing Purgatory and becoming the new God(stiel) for a bit. Like... none of that ever cracked through whatever warding and protection he’d surrounded himself with and pinged his danger warning systems. How isolated must he have been? Or how much had Chuck also been shielding him from discovering any of this? Keeping him on ice as a character in his Grand Narrative to let him discover everything he’d apparently missed while in isolation, only to set him loose on the story armed with the story itself?

It’s wild how many plot twists and Chekhov’s Guns Chuck managed to plant throughout the history of creation, and the discovery of Adam and Serafina in 15.17 just goes to show how well and truly seeded the narrative was, in retrospect. And Metatron, to me, seems like one of the biggest seeds-- him and his Tablets, which for me was the ONE time Chuck truly managed to manipulate Sam and Dean into breaking the universe, rather than “tricking” them into stumbling into the choices he wanted them to make. The s8 arc of the Demon Tablet Trials was the single time Sam and Dean made a cosmic-level CHOICE to break the natural order. They could’ve left well enough alone, let the status quo stand, but no... they decided that the gates of Hell should be closed and locked forever. And I’m so grateful they pulled a 180 at the last minute, even if that one bad choice, that one grand act of hubris, propelled the narrative for the next seven years. It still stands as Chuck’s own little egotistical proof that Sam and Dean are just as manipulative and corrupt as he was, that they would meddle with the cosmic order to that degree, even if they chose not to go through with it when they knew the full truth.

Poor Cas, though...

CASTIEL: Dean, I can go with you. Dean. I'm sorry. DEAN: For what? CASTIEL: For everything. DEAN: Everything? Like, uh... Like ignoring us? CASTIEL: Yes. DEAN: Or like bolting off with the Angel Tablet, then losing it 'cause you didn't trust me? You didn't trust me. CASTIEL: Yes. DEAN: Yeah. Nah, that's not gonna cut it. Not this time. So you can take your little apology and you cram it up your ass. CASTIEL: Dean, I thought I was doing the right thing. DEAN: Yeah, you always do.

And here we have the OG version of the s15 breakup arc... back then it led to Cas becoming vulnerable to Metatron’s manipulation, leading directly to Cas’s full exploration of his own humanity. Throughout s8, he’d had his eyes opened to the true nature of Heaven, and now I can’t help but see Metatron taking Cas’s grace and returning him to live a human life as a punishment that Chuck would’ve truly felt was a punishment, you know? Except... that’s not how Cas saw it at all.

And before I start getting angry that Cas was never allowed to accept his own humanity and choose the life that Chuck saw as a punishment because to Cas it would’ve been a GIFT... I’m gonna return to the discussion of villains using the story itself as a weapon...

Crowley did the same, just as the Leviathans had done in 7.06. He used the story itself to manipulate the Winchesters, in a slightly different way than before. The Levi’s used locations to set a trap for Sam and Dean, but Crowley went directly after the individuals they’d saved, choosing specific victims they’d saved that would hurt the most to lose, to convince them to stop the Hell Trials. Granted, the “villainousness” here was mostly based in self-preservation. If they slammed the gates of Hell and banished all demons from the earth forever, Crowley would’ve been stuck in hell, forever. And he would’ve hated it... So it’s hard to really fault him from taking whatever measures necessary to stop that from happening to him.

But Metatron... he took The Word, weaponized it like the Chuck Protege he was. Surely, he’d also spent the intervening millennia hiding out of self-preservation so the agents of Heaven wouldn’t tear into him to pluck out the information they needed to take over Heaven. I mean, they eventually organized the whole apocalypse deal even without the power of the angel tablet powering them up the way Metatron did. But with that tablet... well, any angel could’ve set themselves up as the new God. It was just the method Metatron used was just as manipulative and dodgy as Chuck’s own writing, since he’d used Chuck’s own stories as his template.

I just find all of this fascinating. It really is spirals all the way down, right up until the penultimate episode of the series. Then everything stops making sense and we got That™.

#spn 8.22 #dabb vs cars #Chuck's process #spn 15.17 #spn 15.03 #spn 15.09 #spiders georg of the tnt loop #destiel #the scheherazade of supernatural #s15 is weirdly a strange retelling of the major events of s8 until you hit #spn 15.20 #at which point it just randomly and incoherently jumps back to s2 to retell Chuck's Original Story before free will and humanity #became the ideals of the narrative

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moosoobi · 4 years ago

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Confessions

In the night: Chapter 2

T.Jeff- Hamilton: the musical

Y/N can’t hold all her secrets. She’s tired of hiding. The people deserve the truth. Here’s her confession: the one she should’ve told us long ago

I started to write this chapter the day after I finished chapter 1, yet before the first chapter was even published (time management queen). As I’m typing this message, I’m currently distracting myself from finals LMAO. Anyway, I wanted to finish this chapter as soon as possible to give some explanation of the events in the previous chapter, so I hope I do exactly that. I’m still manifesting that I articulate through this story smoothly, please give me feedback <3

MC (aka Y/N’s) POV

Modern au

Word Count: 5.4k

A few unrealistic realities, but I’m working with what I got

This chapter will most likely answer many questions about chapter 1

THIS CHAPTER OCCURS AT THE SAME TIME AS CHAPTER 1! all events in this chapter line up with the events of chapter 1

Disclaimers:

TW: violence, abuse, mentions of blood, themes of injury, itty bitty angst?

photo not mine <3

If you have any questions/concerns about this story, DONT BE SHY TO ASK ME! This is my first time writing a whole series, so I apologize if the plot gets confusing.

-Now Playing: Broken Clocks by SZA-

Where to start…

My attention was taken from Professor Washington’s lecture the moment I felt a pair of eyes attempting to pierce a hole in the back of my head. As I look back, I realize that it’s no one other than Thomas Jefferson, the spoiled francophile, or so people like the whisper, but gossip’s not my thing.

Upon being called out by Professor Washington, I couldn’t hold in my giggle as Thomas’s head ducks down in embarrassment. I suppose he sure knows how to lighten the demeanor in the lecture hall; It was a nice excuse to take my eyes off of Washington’s low-quality power-point presentation, but I appreciate that the man is trying.

This class feels like it’ll last forever, and I contemplate if I could just perish in my seat at this very instant, yet Thomas’s presence seems to make it worthwhile. I don’t know him that much, or maybe at all for that matter, but since he’s been seen with a Schuyler, the locals around here can’t seem to keep their mouths shut about him.

From what I’ve heard, he’s another silver-spoon raised boy representing Virginia up here in New York. A few scholarships here and there, as well as a trip to France for a semester. I don’t see what all the fuss is about; He seems like a pretty cool person, probably has an exciting life, and isn’t throwing away his shot. It’s odd, even with parents to piggyback off of, Thomas is very similar to a certain orphan I know.

“Class is dismissed” Is all I heard from Professor Washington’s mouth before that obnoxious but relieving bell sounds off.

Desperate to get out of this class, I hurry to put my stationery items into my burgundy-magenta backpack. You’d think after those turbulent years of high school that college would motivate me for fancier bags, but I can’t say no to my favorite color. It’s simple, won’t bring attention to my presence, unlike every other decision I’ve made in my life.

After I finally finished packing up, I can’t wait to take a breath of the fresh, polluted air of New York City. I quickly spotted my roommate's car within the crowd of vehicles next to the sidewalk. He’s on time, as always, to pick me up from class, and I’m grateful that he sacrifices his time for me, but it’s not like he had a choice. I toss my bag into the trunk, surely crinkling a few important papers. Upon reaching the door of his expensive car, my roommate greets me with joy to see me.

“How was class, Cherie?”

Lafayette, my roommate, shoots a smile at me, his white teeth are almost blinding, but he always says I’m exaggerating.

“Boring as always, but I’m still here, sadly” I say as I hop into the front seat of Lafayette’s car. He pouts in my direction

“Ahh, c’mon, don’t be like that.” Once he acknowledges the buckling of my seatbelt, he begins to power up the car. “C’est la vie, Y/N” I roll my eyes, my hatred for him grows just a little more every time he says that.

“Can we get McDonald’s?” I attempt to change the subject, earning a small chuckle from him. He prepares to drive off “You know I can't say no to you and your American junk food”

And so we begin to drive off

Lafayette and I indeed have a bit of history together. After I got mistakenly involved with Alexander and his clique, Lafayette was the next best (or worse) person to walk into my life. He’s sweet, charming, probably all the things Americans are not; the gentleman hails from France. Yet he’s so much more than that.

Ever since I caught his eye at that obnoxious high school party, he and I hit the ground running. Disclosing the events which took place in his-

our bedroom won’t solve the problem, but the stubble on his jaw and the way he holds the steering wheel with one hand nearing my thigh reminds me of the unresolved sexual tension between the both of us.

I’ve only been living in his apartment for a few months, an idea he proposed when I mentioned my dreadful rent. A nice view, nice coffee maker, and nice bedsheets were more than enough to convince me, but I know there’s more to that “nice” list that I shouldn’t disclose.

Though I know his intentions were good, I’m sure he invited me into his abode to protect me from Alex.

Since I began to band with Alex and his gang, Alexander’s been strict about getting me home on time. It wasn’t only because I was a helpless high school student, but also to prevent me from ratting him and his group out to the authorities.

Upon joining Alex's posse, a strict curfew has been placed on me, only to ensure I stay safe at night, or perhaps to make sure I don’t betray them.

Moving in with Lafayette made following this time limitation easier for me, especially since he volunteers to drive me home or takes a stand for me. If the unfortunate event of my arrival past my ‘bedtime’ timer occurs, Alexander ensures I pay the price.

Speaking of arrivals, Lafayette passes me a box of hot, salty fries and a smile spreads across my face. His eyes visibly soften as my entire demeanor changes.

“Have I ever told you that you’re the best person ever?” I spilled my thoughts while stuffing my mouth with fries. He lightly chuckles, watching me.

“Maybe a couple of times..” He prepares to drive off again “...too many times, actually.” he shot a wink at me.

Blood didn’t have any time to rush to my cheeks before I could slap the side of his shoulder, causing him to whine in discomfort. I sigh before returning my focus to the steaming fries in front of me. The tension grows, and so does the silence between us. Eager to break the tension, I propose an idea.

“Let’s go home?” we turn to each other at the same time

“Oui.”

---

I enter Professor Washington’s lecture hall and my attention is driven to the two curly-headed Virginians. I watch in secondhand embarrassment as Thomas Jefferson and his friend playfully argue in front of the entire class, seemingly a heated debate of the greatness of Mac and Cheese. One argues on behalf of the gooey pasta, while the other simultaneously retorts with a mix of “you’re so stupid” and “God help me”.

Feeling a rush of confidence and suaveness, my brain urges my body to intervene in their conversation. Maybe it was to make new friends, or perhaps to stop the class from staring at their dumb dispute, but I swiftly walk over to them. The next few words to come out of my mouth fell into place oh-so-perfectly.

“Hey, can I sit here?”

Upon sitting in between the two Virginians, they introduce themselves. The calmer, self-collected man among the two introduced himself as James Madison, while the bolder, upbeat man introduced himself as no other than Thomas Jefferson. Both of them seemed happy that I interrupted and decided to reach out to them, maybe one was a tad more excited than the other.

And ever since then, Professor Washington can’t seem to split up our trio. From childish jokes and a few inappropriate inferences, Thomas and James make great company. The idiotic smile that spreads across Thomas’s face whenever he’s capable of making James and I break our silence during class would become more annoying than Lafayette saying “C’est la vie” whenever I make a poor life decision.

Nevertheless, Thomas and James dangerously remind me of Alexander and his goons. The abundant amount of self-praise and cocky remarks said by both Thomas and Alexander is almost astronomical. In the case of Thomas and Alexander’s meeting, I’m sure they’d be the best of friends. But likewise, I could also envision the two attempting to tear each other's heads off, the chaotic clashing of two powerful minds.

They always know what to say and when to say it. I’ve never met anyone as clever as Thomas and James, and they’re even worse when they’re together.

“‘ ‘s Adams here today? Washington told me to turn in my papers t’ him.” Thomas whispers as he eases into his chair, Washington’s booming voice seems to become background noise to us

“Is he ever?” I reply, attempting not to giggle at my own response “I haven’t seen him since Washington initially introduced him to the class.”

“Maybe he’s jus’ sick or somethin’. Kinda reminds me of you, James'' His head of curls turns to stare down James, in which James replies by rolling his eyes

“He can stay home, he does the same amount of work there anyways.” James cleverly retorted.

And that seemed to be our last straw before bursting out in laughter. Thomas’s body flung forward as he laughed his head off, James ducking his head to hide his glee behind his laptop, and I quickly slap a hand over my mouth to prevent anyone around us from drawing suspicion. But apparently, Washington wasn’t having our disguises.

“Can the three of you even tell me what I just said?” Washington turns around from the board to scan the crowd, his eagle eyes find us quickly

The silence was all we could emit, and soon enough, He turned back to his lesson. I sigh with relief; the last thing I need is to get kicked out of a class I don’t even pay for.

…

...

“Washington sure got a shiny ass head. D’you think he uses shampoo and conditioner?” Whispered Thomas as he leans over to me

And just like that, we’re faced with the same struggle all over again.

—-

Lafayette adjusted the hot pan, erupting a few sizzles. The wall clock ticked, the hour arm froze pointing to the “11” written in roman numerals. Lafayette and I decided to agree on a home-cooked meal, and although it’s too late for an average dinner, yet too early to be defined as a midnight snack, I’m sure Lafayette’s cooking will satisfy me for the night.

“Y/NN, would you prefer salt on your omelet? Or did you decide to be healthy tonight?” He said holding a salt shaker in the air to steal my focus from the swirling red liquid in my glass.

My head lifts to meet his eyes. I tilt my head, the wine causing me to ponder for a little longer than I should’ve. He continues to stare at me, holding in a laugh, before I force myself to nod.

“Yeah.. a little won’t hurt” I hear him chuckle at my drunken dialect, but I know the French man isn’t about to lecture me about English “Your wish is my command.”

I watch as he conducts the kitchen perfectly. He knows where everything is, exactly what to add into the sizzling pan, maybe even the exact second to take the meal off the flame.

“I thought you weren’t a fan of monarchy?” the sarcasm was evident in my tone “but I appreciate the submission” I shot him a playful wink, to which he responds with a pompous smirk

A few sips of wine later, I recognize notification that has been staring back at me for hours.

1 Message from Thomas

A text from Thomas? And I’m barely seeing this now? I silently scold myself for giving into the wine before opening the message.

“Thomas: Hey this is Thomas from class, wanna come study with us at the library sometime?”

My eyes become glued to my phone. It was certainly necessary for me to reread Thomas’s text, I was unsure if the alcohol was beginning to make me see odd things, but I assured myself I was correct.

I could feel the blush spread across my face. Maybe it’s just the wine taking control, or maybe it’s the butterflies in my stomach forming every time I reread his message. A harmless invite, perhaps evoked from Thomas due to James stroking his ego, but I know James’ wouldn’t promote such a bold, straight-forward message. Though Thomas is known for his meticulous confidence and certainty, a message this simple could be notably deceiving.

But a little socializing won’t damage my self-respect. “Be bold, Y/N” is what I used to tell myself at the beginning of the semester, and what do I have to lose? I begin to type my reply.

“Y/N: yeah I’m down :) just send a time and place and I’ll be on my way”

Sent.

My introspection was soon interrupted by the screeching plate being slid in my direction by Lafayette, the steam circulating the meal

“Y/N, Mangeons.” My head comes up from my phone, my eyes meet his eyes momentarily.

“Thanks, Laf.” I reply before taking a fork from him and digging into the steaming meal ahead of me. Lafayette’s cooking never disappoints. Ever.

My body couldn’t help but pick up my phone every few minutes to respond to Thomas’s messages, Though they were just the details of the hangout-offer he previously proposed, I felt enclosed in my little bubble while texting him. Those few moments of interaction with him somehow made my day better. I’m sure even Lafayette could see my radiating energy, but I’m not sure how he took it.

We’re technically not a couple; a few hookups and moving in together don't make us an official couple, right?

“Merci, Laffy.” I watched as he visibly cringed at my poor attempt at french. “Let’s just stick to our mother tongues, angel.” He retorted. I laughed it off, yet inside his reply left a scratch on my pride.

---

Another class of absolute foolery and childish inferences, and I can’t help but laugh as Thomas, James, and I exit the lecture hall. The New-York cold hits us harshly, but being about a month into this semester, students already know what to expect.

It was indeed embarrassing, running to Lafayette’s car to remind him of your library study session.

“Alright, I’ll pick you up before your curfew, okay?” He asked with one hand on the wheel. His faux-leather jacket contorting around his toned arms made it difficult not to remember the moments they shared around midnight. The imagery of their candle-lit room appearing in her head as he sat at the wheel stopped her from replying for a moment.

“Y-Yeah sounds great. You’re the best, you know that?” She thanked him for sacrificing his time to make sure she arrives home on time.

“You remind me all the time.” He sneaks in a small wink between his sentences “I’ll see you tonight, Cherie”

Y/N smiled before turning around to prance over to her friends. Y/N heard the faint sounds of Lafayette driving off, sighing in relief

After briefly explaining my situation to the boys, we quickly head over to the library.

A woman in a coral-pink blazer and pants set is waiting impatiently at a table she rented out just for us. “What in the world took you guys so long?” She pressured for an answer

“C’mon Angie, that wasn’t even ten minutes.” Thomas rolled his eyes before removing his backpack and opening a chair for Y/N. Real smooth, Thomas, I can’t lie. He looked over to me, seeing stars in my eyes as I realize I’m standing next to the oldest Schuyler.

“You’re-” She interrupted me with a smile, sticking out her hand to shake mine

“Angelica Schuyler. And you?” I swear her name sounds familiar. I’m sure I’ve heard it around but I just can't place it. I do see her on my social media feed from time to time, and I must admit, she looks even more heavenly in person.

“Y/N L/N.” My hand meets hers in a firm handshake.

“Nice to meet you.”

—-

At first, I thought nothing of it.

Though Lafayette’s text at 7:30 (on the dot) did push me out of my zone, I did appreciate his promise to me.

Thomas on the other hand seemed disturbed by my sudden leave, but it’s not like he’d understand. Alexander would literally kill me if I were home late.

But Thomas and I would continue to hang out. His evening texts would slowly become a weekly routine. Whether it was a scary movie or an ice cream date for just the two of us, he always found a way to spend time with me.

“Don’t tell me that mint chocolate chip is actually your favorite flavor, darlin’.” He adjusted his position on the park bench and raised an eyebrow, his gaze focused on the green ice cream atop my ice cream cone “You might make me regret takin’ you out tonight” he chuckled and I couldn’t help but smile

“You know you love me” I jokingly retorted, scooping part of my ice cream with my tongue, and relaxing against the bench.

It’s very rare to get to relax like this. Not only am I a fully-fledged college student, but also one of Alexander’s goons. The weekends are merely just ‘weekdays: the sequel’, but add forbidden literature and alcohol to that equation.

I look back up to Thomas, seeing his disgusted face. “Wait.. are you actually against mint chocolate chip ice cream?” I cocked an eyebrow towards him

He shrugged before chuckling “I recall telling you of my unfortunate arguments while visiting England..”

“..so what does mint chocolate chip ice cream have to do with your political upheavals in a foreign country?”

He smirked in an ‘all knowing’ manner. “Well, Darlin, if you did your research—“

“—You’ve got to be kidding me—“I start to wonder why I even asked

“—you’d learn that the monstrosity in your ice cream cone, mint chocolate chip, originated in England.” He completed his statement with triumph “Ever since my disagreements in England, I swore to despise such a concoction until the day I die.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. “I can’t believe you did your research on English creations. You’re so dramatic sometimes” I respond

“Hey, I wouldn’t be a Jefferson if I wasn’t.” He stared back to his cone, the mesmerizing ice cream almost reflecting himself back at him.

We shared silence for a moment. Words were unnecessary when we were together.

“I suppose..” Jefferson started “...I might be able to tolerate mint chocolate chip ice cream, but only for you, though.” He turned towards my direction

My eyes soon met his. “Well, I’m honored to be your exemption, Jefferson.” I smile with triumph, recognizing my effect on him.

He swiftly takes my hand, his skin feels burning compared to mine. Our eyes remain connected as he dips his head down to kiss the back of my hand. I attempt to hide the fact that my heart stopped beating for a moment, but the breath hitching in my throat wouldn’t help me at all.

“Let’s drop the formalities, Darlin, you can call me Thomas now.” My hand remained between his. I try my best to keep my hand still, wanting to marinate in this moment forever.

A new feeling courses through my body. Something unfamiliar. Perhaps it’s the charm of a Southern Gentleman. Maybe the feeling of being treated right for the first time, something I’ve never experienced from anyone.

What have I ever done to deserve this chivalrous kindness?

‘What a gentleman’ I repeat to myself in my mind. What makes him so different from the others?

From a simple kiss, I suddenly crave more.

More than the unresolved sexual tension between Lafayette and I.

More than I was ever granted the opportunity to.

Maybe ‘more’ is what I deserve.

My mind bleeds with the thought of Lafayette, but Thomas seems like he has so much more to offer. What if I do deserve to be happy? I may not have earned it, but who gets to declare my right to happiness? I was once happy with Lafayette, but the times have changed

He’s just not him. He’s just not Thomas.

---

But no matter how much I enjoyed spending time with Jefferson himself, I was always the first one to leave. I had to.

I remember the way his smile would fall at the sound of Lafayette’s car horn.

The way his jaw tenses whenever my phone vibrates across the table

Whenever Lafayette came to pick me up, I also can’t help but feel a part of my soul crack within me.

“I’ll see you this weekend?” He kisses the back of my hand once more in an attempt to savor this moment, continuing to maintain eye contact.

“I’ll try, Thomas. Not sure if I’m busy.” I sigh with fatigue. “But I’ll let you know.”

“Alright. Get home safe, darlin’” I hear him stand from the park bench as I wander to Lafayette’s car, his eyes following my figure.

I hop into Lafayette’s car before taking one last glance in Thomas’s direction, watching as his figure begins to walk in the opposite direction that our car was heading.

“Ahh, Y/N. Don’t tell me you’re cheating on me” his sarcastic tone wouldn’t pierce deep enough.

I speak without thinking. “I do recall you claiming that you and I were never a couple, remember Laf?” My change in demeanor was certain to shut him up. And he did.

He’s just not him. He’s just not Thomas.

I remained turned away from Lafayette as we drove through the city. The memories built between Lafayette and I constantly falls like a house of cards, but I prefer to avoid the subject.

Lafayette felt otherwise, yet respected my choice.

He was the first to speak.

“Alexander needs me for a transport this weekend.” He stated, “I’m not sure when I’ll get back, so it’s very important that you get back from whatever plans you have before your curfew.” He takes a glance over to me and briefly meets my eyes

“Don’t test the waters, Y/N.”

Ah yes, the monthly literature transportation of Alexander’s gang.

The Notorious Sons of Liberty.

A popular group roaming the streets of New York. But instead ironically of selling drugs or performing homicide, they produce and sell illegal, banned literature and disperse them to the highest bidders.

How else do you think I pay for college?

Although gang violence isn’t really their thing, that doesn’t mean they’re not in possession of such weaponry and devices. I’ve never seen anyone take literature as seriously as they do.

They’re also known for their bold publicity stunts, which are indeed fun to watch from a nearby coffee shop. Watching Alexander, Lafayette, and some other friends, John and Herc, run from the authorities on a Sunday afternoon, accidentally laughing at the sight of John tripping over his own feet, Lafayette mouthing ‘help us out’ in my direction. Very entertaining.

On the contrary, their security on me has become tighter and tighter. I know they worry for the gang’s reputation over my safety, but it feels nice to imagine having a battalion of book-worm gang members watching over you.

“I know, I know. You guys can stop treating me like a kid” I attempt to contain a giggle to portray my seriousness.

He takes a glance at me before returning his attention to the road. “You cannot say that until you have another way home other than me.” He sighed rather loudly

“Be careful, or I might do just that, Lafayette.”

---

I sipped on wine and ate cheese at Thomas’s place without a care in the world on a Saturday night. Of course, I had to accept Thomas’s offer, I never knew how to say no to him.

Jefferson has sure been taking his sweet time to put a title on us. Now, I’m no philosopher when it comes to dating, but Ice cream at the park, fancy dinners, and wine and cheese sure sound romantic.

My night was going well. All until the 7:30 alarm on my phone rang, and before I knew it, everything began to go downhill

[events of chapter 1]

And next thing I knew, the cold New York air slapped my face, following the harsh slam of the apartment door.

As my adrenaline began to settle down, panic rushed through my body.

Fuck. At this rate, I won’t be home until after my curfew. Although my immediate instinct was to sprint my way home, those thoughts were quickly followed by the idea of passing out within five minutes. My apartment isn’t too far, but being fueled by wine and cheese doesn’t sound like the best idea.

“Don’t test the waters, Y/N” echoed throughout my head.

I begin to walk down the street before whipping out my phone to contact an Uber.

The small talk produced between my driver and I worked a bit to calm myself down, but that would all change the moment I walked through my apartment door.

Once I turn back around from locking the door, I’m met with exactly what I didn’t want to see at this very moment.

Lafayette stood staring at me, his lips pursed with anxiousness, recognizing my significantly late arrival.

Hercules, another good friend I’ve met through the sons of liberty, stood beside Lafayette. His mouth hung open in shock as he also recognized my mistake.

John, the group’s smallest yet mightiest, leaned against the wall, perhaps planning my fate right in front of me

And none other than Alexander Hamilton himself, sipping scotch on my couch, similarly to how I was not too long ago at Thomas’s place. The glare on his face quickly reminded me that I was in big trouble.

“Y/N, I thought I told you—“ Lafayette began but was quickly interrupted

“You’re late.” He swirled his drink before standing up. The clock ticked, and the hour hand notably passed the 8:30 symbol. I was not getting out of this one.

Although I feared for the following moments, I attempted to contain my emotions within myself. I kept my straight face for the time being. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me.

“I’m well aware.” That came out of my mouth a little too harsh for my liking

“May I remind you that being out past your curfew could severely damage our image.”

I saw John look over to Alex from the corner of my eye. The air became thinner if that were even possible, and I refused to meet his eyes.

“And I do recall reminding you of your consequences.” He walked towards me and I felt my heart froze. “Having you out so late could raise some suspicions among our competitors, L/N.”

I couldn’t find the right words and resort to nodding instead

“I always fucking told you—“ he harshly slammed his drink onto the table beside him “—not to test the waters—”

“—I-I know—“

“So why the fuck are you stumbling in here past your curfew?”

At this very moment, I wondered if I had pulled the last straw.

I couldn’t speak. God forbid I spat out the wrong words. Contained within my thoughts, I didn’t acknowledge Alexander closing the distance between us.

“Ow!--” I watched as Alex shoved me to the wall, the moment playing in slow motion in my head.

Lafayette’s throat grew dry “Hey, Alex, Calm dow-”

He was interrupted by the sound of Alexander harshly slapping me across the face. My hands quickly went to soothe what felt like fire burning my cheek.

“We do so much for you, Y/N.” Alex growled

The sharp pain in my side grew, almost echoing throughout my body. I could feel my body giving up on itself. I mean, this wouldn’t be the first time Alex has acted like this.

Occasionally, Alex would stop by Lafayette and I’s apartment just to ensure I was home before my curfew, and he wasn’t the most forgiving.

--He owns an apartment key and has every single one of his gang member’s location tracked on his phone. Sometimes I wondered what was so special about us to have to keep all of us in check 24/7--

One time Hercules and I went shopping a little too late after sunset, part of me felt like a reckless teenager, probably because I was. I still remember Alexander’s face when I entered my own apartment, he looks identical every time.

In an attempt to shelter me, my body curled into itself against the wall. I shrunk to the floor, feeling his shadow intensely stand above me.

“Arghh!—“ the sound spilled out of me when I felt Alexander’s shin connect with my rib cage.

My lungs felt punctured under the pressure.

My arms felt like they could give out any second.

Part of me had wished I’d stay at Thomas’s place tonight, even if it meant telling him the truth.

What a predicament I’ve gotten myself into.

I looked up, wondering if my torment was over until I was met with a —Crack— Alexander’s knee encountered my face.

It was only a moment before I could hear the shuffling of the others’ shoes. I prayed they were coming to help me out.

Alexander lifted his glass of alcohol, previously forgotten, and hauled it towards me

Crash!

The piercing shards of glass combining with the stinging alcohol were the last thing I needed on a Saturday night. I didn’t notice the tears falling from my eyes until now, and the way my heart felt like it was just on a rollercoaster.

I kept my head low, watching blood drip down my face and onto the floor below me. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one to notice.

“Alex! What the fuck?!” I heard Laurens yell

“Are you trying to kill her?!?” I recognized Lafayette’s scream

Before Alex was able to make another blow, Lauren and Lafayette were quick to hold him back, attempting to calm him down.

Hercules swiftly knelt beside me, the guilt was obvious in his gaze. I hated the pity in each of their glances towards me. He attempted to wipe away the blood from my forehead with a paper towel.

Alexander fought back against the two, trying his best to prove his point. There’s the Hamilton we all know, unwilling to stand down no matter the cost.

Hercules turned back to me, his words were ready to leave his mouth from the moment we reconnected eyes.

“Y/N..” He pulled me up and shoved me out of my apartment door. “..Run.” I almost stumbled into a nearby pole, but I began running, if running in my condition was possible, back to Thomas’s place.

—-

[events of chapter 1]

The next thing I knew, I woke up in Thomas’s bed beside him. I took a moment to soak in the feeling of his satin sheets. Part of me can’t recall the events before I passed out in front of Thomas’s apartment, or maybe my mind refuses to remember them.

The sun hasn’t risen yet.

I turn to my side and reach for my phone, wincing from the pressure applied to my rib cage.

The bright light of my phone hitting my eyes felt like I was transported to another dimension.

54 notifications:

12 calls from Lafayette 🥐

24 texts from Lafayette 🥐

1 text from Alexander 💡

3 calls from Mariah 💋

14 texts from Mariah 💋

“oh fuck..” I sigh, wondering how things will play out.

Out of curiosity, I open the message from Alexander. Perhaps it’s an apology? Maybe a reminder?

Alexander 💡: I know where you are, Y/N. Don’t drag your friend into this. Because I can.

Where I am? I ask myself

My heart dropped, remembering that Alexander tracks my location 24/7. He knows where I am at this very second.

By escaping to Thomas’s apartment, I’ve just dragged him into this mess I’ve made. If my worlds collide, it would all be because I ran to this exact apartment.

Panic once again rushed through my body.

I need to get out of here. I need to leave.

I slip out from under the sheets and grab my belongings. Unprepared for what’s to come, I steal one of Thomas’s jackets from his cluttered desk chair. I’ll give it back eventually, I thought to myself.

After I put on my shoes I take one last glance toward Thomas.

He seems so peaceful when he’s asleep, tangled in his blanket, not to mention his name-brand Mac and cheese pajama pants.

I’m sorry if I drag you into this, Thomas, you just wouldn’t understand.

Taglist <3: @kenmacrumbs @strayblades @laic2299 @ohsoverykeri

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leossmoonn · 4 years ago

Text

mind games [part eight]

masterlist | part seven | part nine

zuko x fem!reader fluff, angst smau (it has the social media elements, but not as much as the last series)

avatar: the last airbender

summary - being zuko’s best friend is the easiest thing in the world. until he gets a girlfriend and you realize you’re in love with him

warnings / includes (this counts for any/all chapters) - fighting a lot between zuko and mai, lightly suggestive, language, crying, alcohol, physical fighting, cheating, talk about injuries. you are sokka and katara’s older sister. you, mai, and zuko are seniors in college, sokka and suki are juniors, katara, aang, and toph are sophomores.

————

a week later and things weren’t any better. they actually were worse, which seemed impossible to you. but here you were with no best friend. no person to go to when you needed to cry or jump for joy. no zuko. don’t get yourself wrong, you love everyone else. but there was no denying you and zuko had the tightest bond out of everyone. you two were friends before meeting everyone else after all.

zuko had come back the night of your fight to get his stuff. you tried to avoid eye contact with him, downing the beer you had and trying to pay attention to painting toph’s nails, but it was so hard. zuko was looking at you, anyways. practically begging for your attention. you gave in for 5 seconds. looking up to him and seeing the pained and regretful look in his eyes. you wanted to forgive him, and you knew you would eventually, but you weren’t ready. this was more than an argument. zuko had basically called you worthless and told mai, and you inadvertently, that he didn’t care about you. the only person he cared about was mai. which was what hurt you the most, even though you hated to admit it.

your friends understood your pain. they, too, had lost a friend in some way. you knew things were awkward with aang and sokka. they were still hanging out with zuko, and while you didn’t mind, you had troubles refraining yourself from asking them how zuko was. if he wanted to see you, if he missed you. you always had to walk out of the room when zuko was mentioned otherwise you would end up a sobbing mess.

jet, on the other hand, had issues understanding. he didn’t realise the bond you and zuko had was so strong. it made him a little jealous that you were crying over another guy, but in the end, jet was the one who was able to hug you and care for you and comfort you, and that was all that mattered. plus, jet also managed to cheer you up most times, which made him feel good.

seeing you in pain hurt jet and your friends. so, with a lot of convincing for jet, they all decided to intervene again and try to get you and zuko right back on track. so, without your knowledge, they invited zuko back for dinner. they told zuko you’d be out for the night with jet, but when you and zuko came into the house, you were unpleasantly surprised to see zuko there.

“what’re you doing here?” you snapped.

“i… i don’t know. aang and sokka said we’re hanging out here. they said you’ll be at jet’s,” zuko explained.

“jet’s out with his friends tonight. i had plans to hang out with the girls here. i… oh, my god,” you muttered.

“what?” zuko asked. “this is a set up. they set us up! they want us to be friends again, ugh!” you groaned.

“oh, well, that’s not a bad thing… right?” zuko said, looking at you shyly.

you clenched your jaw and balled your fists. “it is a bad thing! i don’t want to be in the same room with you, i don’t want to see you, i don’t even want to hear your stupid voice! i’m going to jet’s. i have a key and i’ll just wait for him to come home.” you spun on your heels and went to the front door. zuko walked to you, reaching out to grab your wrist.

“let go of me zuko!” you exclaimed.

“no!” zuko shouted. “why? you don’t even want me as a friend anymore. you have mai, remember?” you scoffed.

zuko shook his head. “no, th-that’s not true. please, i know i said some things, but i didn’t mean them. not the words about you, anyways. let me explain, please, y/n,” he begged.

you turned your head, looking into his sad, amber eyes. you knew he wouldn’t let you go, so you sighed and decided to comply.

“fine. i’ll let you explain, but then you leave, okay?” you said.

zuko nodded, a small, grateful smile resting on his lips. you went in the kitchen, grabbing the dumplings and soda your friends had bought you and went over to the couch. zuko sat next to you awkwardly. you two ate in silence for 10 minutes before you broke the silence.

“so? what is it you wanted to say?” you asked, not looking at him.

“oh, right. well, uh i want- i need- to say i’m sorry. it was wrong of me to say those things about you. i was drunk, angry at mai, and just a total dick all around. you don’t mean nothing to me, and you aren’t worthless. and i definitely do care about you, more you will ever know. i knew that if i admitted that i cared about you, mai would kill me. she’s the jealous type, if you can’t tell. i hate lying to her, but you’re my best friend. i’d rather lose her than you,” zuko admitted sheepishly.

you looked at him long and hard, trying to stay angry at him, but it not working. you decided to give in, knowing he meant what he said. you missed him and couldn’t stand this fight between you two. so, you set your bowl down on the coffee table and moved to hug him.

you wrapped your arms around him tightly, putting your head on his shoulder and burying your face in his neck. you closed your eyes and breathed in his scent, letting the feeling of home wash over you.

zuko set his plate on the table next to the couch, wrapping his arms around you. he pulled you in close, setting his cheek on your head, breathing in your perfume. his own feeling of home and comfort washing over him.

“i’m really sorry, y/n. truly,” zuko muttered.

you smiled into his skin, “i know. i forgive you.” you then pulled away, coming face-to-face with him.

“i’ve missed you,” zuko said. “i’ve missed you, too,” you smiled.

“hey, i… need your help,” zuko said. “what’s up?” you asked, leaning back against the couch.

“i know you know that mai and i fight a lot. she's so jealous and manipulative and horrible. the only way we make up is sex. this whole week has just been worse since i moved in with her. i feel like i’m suffocating. i don’t know what to do, honestly. i don’t want to hurt her, but i can’t keep being with her. i love her, but not enough to have fights everyday, especially if it’s about the same thing,” zuko sighed.

“hm, well, what do you two fight about?” you asked.

“you,” zuko answered. “me? what did i do?” you asked.

“that’s the thing: nothing. she’s just jealous and it’s ridiculous. she thinks i love you,” zuko chuckled. he looked to you, “not that i don’t. i do love you, y/n, as a friend, of course. but she thinks i’m in love with you. it’s so stupid. i mean, we’re close, but not like… close.”

“yeah, jet thinks that, too. i don’t know why. i mean, if i was in love with you, then i would be with you, not him. i try to understand where he’s coming from, i do, but i just don’t get it. i reassure him constantly, and not just with words, but i show him all the time who i love. it should be obvious,” you shrugged.

“well, i think it intimidates him. but if you need anything from me, just let me know,” zuko said.

you smiled and put a hand on his thigh. “thank you, but i think he just needs more time to understand, and i just need to keep being a good, loyal girlfriend. which of course, is very easy.”

zuko couldn’t help but stare at your hand. your touch made his heart palpitate. he looked up to your eyes, scanning your lips. you noticed this and took your hand off his thigh, putting it back in your lap. zuko looked away from you awkwardly.

“well, that’s good. being loyal is easy. especially to the people you love,” zuko said.

you smiled and leaned into him, your knees touching. “true. well, hey, since you told me you love me, i guess it’s only fair if i say it, too. i love you, zuko. as a best friend, of course.”

zuko grinned from ear-to-ear, leaning in to you. “well, i’m glad to hear that. it’s good to know the love is not one sided.”

you laughed, nodding in response. you looked into his eyes, going in to some sort of daze. your eyes traveled from his and down to his lips. his perfect pink lips. they looked so soft. so alluring, thin, but also so kissable.

before you knew it, you were leaning in. your hand found its place on zuko’s thigh again. zuko’s breath hitched as he realised what was happening. he knew he should stop, pull away, scold you for almost kissing him. but honestly, he didn’t want to. even though he said he wasn’t in love with you, he was. he just denied it all the time because he knew you two could never be. he would rather suffer as your best friend then lose you forever if you two broke up.

your forehead went against his, your eyes flicking down up to his eyes and down to his lips. you stopped breathing momentarily once you felt zuko’s hand on your waist. you stared into his dark, golden eyes for a few moments. you knew this was wrong, but it felt so right. you and zuko kissing sounded so right. the thought you and zuko dating sounded so right. but as you thought about dating, you remembered you were dating someone.

“jet,” you mumbled in realisation. “what?” zuko asked, his eyes going up to yours.

“jet i… i’m dating jet and you’re dating mai. we… we can’t do this. i’m sorry, zuko,” you said, your hand finding his and squeezing it.

zuko sighed, pulling away and nodding. “yeah, i know. i’m sorry, i knew it was wrong.”

“no, it’s my fault. i was the first to lean in. that was so wrong of me,” you sighed. you got up from the couch, shaking the thoughts of you and zuko from your head.

“i don’t know why i did that but um… let’s never speak about it again, alright?” you asked.

zuko nodded. you looked at him, seeing the hurt in his eyes.

“i’m so happy we are friends again. i’m going to go to jet’s, so, i’ll text you later, okay?” you asked.

“yeah, sound good,” zuko muttered.

“alright,” you smiled briefly before going to put on your shoes and jacket. you left the house, leaving zuko with his own thoughts. he pulled out his phone, calling mai.

“zuko?” mai’s voice sounded over the phone. “yeah, it’s me. i’m coming home do you uh… wanna have some fun once i get there?” zuko asked.

“of course, i do. i’ll be waiting, baby boy,” mai smirked over the phone.

zuko chuckled and hung up. he ran his fingers through his hair, hoping that by going home to mai, he would forget the feelings he was feeling for you.

————

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note - close call, am i right?

thank you guys for staying this far and reading!! i hope you all are enjoying the story :)

taglist is open, just lmk if you wanna be on it for this series by messaging me, commenting, and/or send me a message!

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#zuko x reader #zuko imagine #zuko x reader smau #zuko #atla zuko #atla zuko x reader #zuko imagine smau #zuko smau #atla smau #avatar the last airbender #jet #jet x reader #atla jet x reader

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