#fun fact i first wrote that like ten minutes ago and got a nosebleed right after

[matrixaffiliate]

Re-blog Tag

The fabulous @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world tagged me to re-blog a fic I’m proud of. Thank you so much darling <3

If anyone wants to play consider yourself tagged. I’ll tag @gryffindorhealer @thisismegz @petals-to-fish @pansexualsnuffles

Glimpsing Happiness

FFN and AO3

I wrote this wonderful piece with @hufflepuffmarlenemckinnon and it’s still one of my favorite ones to go back and read. I’ll post just the first two chapters here, but if you follow the links above they’ll take you to the full 34K word story. I hope you enjoy this WWII Blackinnon AU!

Chapter 1

Marlene straightened her veil and smoothed the creases out of her white apron before grabbing her gray woolen coat. She chuckled bitterly at the lies she and Mary had told themselves when the war began. September seemed like a dream not just over half a year ago.

When she'd interviewed for the QAIMNS to be a military nurse she'd been a bit startled at being asked to wait afterward. The officer had returned to the waiting room ten minutes later and handed her a packet. Open only in the event of war was printed across the front. He thanked her and sent her on her way. When Mary had the same packet after her interview, Marlene at least knew it wasn't a ploy. Marlene still remembered the chill she felt when England declared war. She and Mary opened their packets together in Marlene's room. The fact that they'd been assigned to the same place was a miracle within itself. War had a habit of pulling everyone apart. But they thought Netley would be an adventure back then. They thought they would be by the sea and have beautiful scenery to live in and that this was how they'd make a difference. Though if she was honest, Marlene would have preferred being handed a rifle and marching orders. But she had to take what she could get.

“Ready Marls?” Mary came out of the loo and walked to the small bed adjacent to the one Marlene sat upon. Her Majesty's nurses were being put up in qualified dwellings, but Marlene knew the stories from The Great War and she refused to become attached to this small flat as home.

Home was London. Home was the bustling streets where she would run to school with her brother and sister. Home was making fun of her older brother for pinning after the shop girl. Home was her younger sister playing their grandmother's violin because she had the gift. Home was her mum's Sunday dinners and her seamstress work all over the sitting room. Home was the smell of her dad's pipe tobacco wafting through their small house and his hugs that made her feel understood. Home was when everyone thought that the world had seen it's worst war. This, well this was anything but home.

Marlene sighed and grabbed her gloves, “Let's get this wretched walk over with.”

Mary tutted, “Just think of it as a pleasant stroll near the seaside.”

Marlene playfully pulled one of Mary’s black curls from under her veil, “I can always count on you to be a bright ball of sunshine can't I?”

Mary reached up and grabbed one of Marlene's blonde ringlets. Marlene flinched as the lock of hair caught on Mary's wedding band, “Your fault for wearing the sun on your head, Sister.”

The women began their trek up to Netley Hospital. The cold spring air whipped against them and Marlene nearly lost her veil twice. It was biting cold and their fingers and toes ached as they climbed the hill. There's a reason that it took two steam engines for the trains to reach the hospital station, Marlene mused as she braced herself against the wind that threatened to knock her back down the hill.

When they finally made it to the hospital doors, Marlene groaned. The entry to the hospital was most peculiar and if she was being honest, downright disturbing. This grand entry served as some sort of deranged circus. All the skulled momentos of animals that had been collected across the British Empire. Beasts really, she shuddered and practically dragged Mary past it all as quickly as possible. Marlene didn't think she'd ever become accustomed to it.

“They really aren't all that bad, Sister Marlene,” Mary smirked and stopped to admire what was labeled as an elephant skull.

“Sister Mary, we're going to be late if we don't step to it and the Matron won't thank us for it.”

Mary sighed and removed her coat before adjusting her scarlet tippet, “Well then off we go.”

They walked to their Matron’s office, nodding politely and grabbed their assignments off the wall covered in file folders.

“Bollocks,” Marlene muttered as they walked out and she opened her folder.

Mary peered over her shoulder, “Oh dear.”

“I was supposed to be done this week!” Marlene groaned. “Private Fenwick will be cleared and on his way to the station by now and I was supposed to be done with Quarantine because we'd have no more patients. But no! We had to get a typhoid fever patient!”

“But we sent vaccines over to France. He should have been vaccinated, it was mandated, David told me so.” Mary’s husband had been sent over to France with the British Expeditionary Force.

“The vaccine isn't a guarantee, Sister. He's probably one of the lucky ones.” Marlene huffed and snapped her folder shut.

“Yes,” Mary rolled her eyes, “very lucky, indeed.”

“Enjoy surgical recovery,” Marlene tipped her head as they reached Mary's ward.

“Enjoy your walk,” Mary blew her a kiss before walking into the first room of her ward.

Marlene started her near quarter-mile trek to the far side of Netley Hospital. She'd gone home last night looking forward to a new assignment, to being done with the Quarantine patient. Not that Private Fenwick was a bad sort, but Marlene was tired of being sequestered off with the shy little ward maid, Arabella Figg. She was a sweet enough lady, but she always insisted on talking about the cats she bread and Marlene wasn't particularly fond of cats, she was more of a dog person actually, so their conversations fizzled out quickly.

“Sister Marlene,” Arabella smiled kindly at her as she pulled the sheets off of Private Fenwick's cot. “I told them to put your new patient by the window. Not much of a view, but I thought a bit of sun would do the poor officer good.”

“Thank you, Arabella,” Marlene nodded and walked to the far end of the room where a man lay unconscious under his blankets. Opening the chart, Marlene sighed, “Welcome home, Captain Black.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 2

It started out like just a common cold. Sirius did his best to ignore the blaring headache and aches in his muscles. He was fighting in a bloody war; he had more important things to focus on than the damned sniffles.

But within a few weeks, it was high fevers to the point of full-on delirium. No amount of Iron-will stubbornness could have kept him on the field after that. He was lucky someone had dragged him off to sick bay before his vision gave out.

Losing his sight was quite jarring, even to a mind that was preoccupied with the fact it was boiling. Was he dying? Where was he? What was happening?

He woke up, and by virtue of doing so, he was fairly sure he wasn’t dead. He didn’t quite have a gage on how long he was unconscious, but when he woke he was absolutely sure he’d been moved.

The smell.

This was some sort of infirmary or hospital. It smelled like sickness. Death and dying. Was he next? What sort of soldier dies of the sniffles? Uncle Alphard would be ashamed.

Or he would have been...He was gone now. Sirius winced. The news of his favorite Uncle’s passing was fresh. The letter had only come a week before the nosebleeds began.

Uncle Alphard had been his hero. The only person he could really look up to in that whole god-forsaken family. He was also just about the only blood relation that Sirius had who hadn’t been ashamed of him.

To be fair, the shame went both ways. Having grown up in a house with his 1st cousin, Bellatrix Black, who kissed the ground that Herr Hitler walked on, was not something that Sirius was particularly proud of. Leaving aside the constant rumors that she was intimately close to the Führer and may or may not be pregnant with his horrible Nazi hellspawn. Sirius didn’t even believe that last bit, but he felt sure that Bella wished it were true. She’d had these awful framed photos of him up in her bedroom when they were children. She was living her dream… It disgusted him and he didn’t bring it up if he could help it.

Instead, he attempted to shake off any hints of German in his speech and mannerisms. This was a monumental task for someone who spoke German from the nursery. In truth, he was a quarter British, if that. His mother’s mother was a Granddaughter of Queen Victoria herself. But they’d married Germans, as the British nobility had been wont to do, and consequently, his Mother’s noble house of Black, was about as German as anyone in Europe.

His father was bitter that he never got to wear the crown he had lived his life thinking that he deserved. He’d never fully adjusted. It was a far fall from His Royal Highness Orion, Crown Prince of Saxony, to an untitled exile, taking his wife’s name and live off her relatives' generosity.

Things were always tense at Uncle Cygnus’s generosity and his estate in Berkshire. Sirius and Cygnus’s middle daughter, Andromeda, clung to each other, and their uncle Alphard, in the midst of all these disgruntled Germans. The three of them were all that was left, well before England declared war. The others contended that Herr Hitler had the right idea about the Herrenmenschen. Transparently desperate to be superior to someone after losing their titles, they made their choice.

Sirius felt that he had to make choices of his own, despite being only 15 at the time. He’d opted to stay behind with his best mate from Eton, James Potter, and Uncle Alphard. This decision, and his iron-will refusal to do as he was told, did not go over well.

His mother berated him for his choices, saying he was a traitor to his blood. He said they were traitors to his country. This was the country that had educated him and taught him to be a man more than she ever could. So his parents and younger brother went on their way to support the Fürher and Sirius Black did his damnedest to be an English Gentleman through and through. That was that.

Apparently, being an English Gentleman did nothing to fend off typhoid fever. So he was to convalesce at the rather unpleasant smelling Netley Hospital for the time being.  

Those were amongst the words of the commanding baritone voice, was it a doctor? A medic? How was Sirius supposed to know? He couldn’t bloody see. How did people manage to live like this?

This was going to get old very quickly, if, like the voice informed him, he was going to live through it. Six weeks as a blind invalid?

Bollocks…

“Welcome home, Captain Black” the sound of his name startled him out of his half unconscious state.

“Did you say home? Are you sure about that? I think perhaps I died and went to Hell. Are you Hell’s secretary?”

“I beg your pardon! I’m Sister Marlene McKinnon. I’m charged with taking care of you while you recover here at Netley. So I recommend you be a bit nicer to me. You just asked the woman who’ll handle all your meals and medication for the next… ooooh six weeks is it… if she was Hell’s secretary.”

“And I’m still not convinced that you’re not. Sister Marlene. Are you a nun? I’m afraid I find myself dreadfully blind at the moment. You’ll have to tell me; are you wearing one of those nun head what’s-its?”

“Well, this is going to be an eventful six weeks… No, Captain Black, I’m not a nun. Sister is a rank. Sister is my rank in Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service.”

“Ah yes. Great Aunt Alix. That was the funeral of the season when I was six.” He remarked casually.

“Captain, I don’t care if her Majesty herself was your aunt. You still have to be polite.”

“Do I? Is there a law? ‘Here in Hell, we must be polite’? I must say, that’s unexpected. Here I was thinking the Devil would be lax with the rules. Shows what I know.”

Sirius was pretty sure he heard the woman, Sister Marlene, groan.

“I’ll be back in an hour, Captain Black. Perhaps by then you’ll have reconsidered your attitude.” Her clipped footsteps faded towards what must have been the door.

[hansolmates]

vernon; you’re my cure

genre: fluff fluff fluffity fluff

word count: 2033

feat: Hansol Vernon Chwe/Original Female + various

(a/n): based on a prompt I found AGES ago, I forgot where but something along the lines of “if you were ever sick, they wouldn’t notice until you were pale and dying on the ground” although i think vernon would be pretty attentive, the prompt was SO CUTE SO HERE U GO <3 

She hated to admit, but Vernon was oblivious to many things. Sometimes it was okay, the way he was so focused on writing lyrics and blur the world around him, because only then he was able to concentrate. Otherwise, his members have mentioned that they do worry about him from time to time, and jokingly confessed that he does get babied often because he forgets to take care of himself.

But that was nothing of her concern. She liked him either way, he was sweet and dependable and it was like dating her best friend. Not her concern, until today.

“Hey, are you alright?” Leave it to Josh to notice right away.

“You look tired.” And Seungcheol, and practically every other person that went her way this evening.

“I’ll be okay. It’s just a cold. It happens during allergy season.” she sniffled, trying to talk as clearly as possible. She unfortunately had the worst colds, ever. Every spring it was like this. Waking up feeling incredibly dry and dehydrated, random nosebleeds in the middle of the night, and feeling overall weak and vulnerable. Her contact lenses were burning with the amount of stress it took to put them on, accompanied with the globs of makeup she used to keep her skin looking healthy.

“Are you sure it’s just allergies?” Seungcheol winced, tilting his head to the side to get a closer look at her. “You sound like you have the flu or something.”

Josh didn’t hesitate with his actions and placed a palm over her forehead. His touch was cool and comforting, and she practically melted into a puddle as her eyes fluttered shut. But the second he touched her he snatched it back, as if he were on a hot stove. “You’re really warm.” he said, as if it were the understatement of the century.

“Can you like, put your hand back on my head for the rest of the night.” she grabbed Josh’s hand once more and put it on her cheek, sighing in contentment.

The leader smiled unsteadily, “Are you sure you should be here?” he asked, gesturing to the bustling waiting room backstage. 

“Of course.” she insisted stubbornly, “He’d be so disappointed if I wasn’t here for the showcase.”

Speak of the devil, Vernon started jogging up to them. He finally wriggled away from the makeup artists long enough to get to her, he was eyeing her for the past ten minutes as he got his touch-ups. Seungcheol and Josh immediately took five steps back from her, and suddenly took an immediate interest in the snack table next to them.

“I’m so happy you came.” Vernon said, eyes glowing like mini-constellations as he walked up to her.

“You look so handsome.” she smiled, taking in his pinstripe suit and shiny black oxfords. Her fingers trailed absently over the stiff lapels, pressed and rolled to perfection.

“And you look beautiful as always.” he reached for her hands, and leaned in so his lips were barely brushing against her ears. “I’d totally hug and kiss you right now, believe me. But the stylists are all looking at me and if they see that I ruined my makeup and outfit, they’d kill me. They’d actually kill me.” he whispered dramatically, his warm breath tickling her skin.

She pulled away and laughed, trying to fight the soreness bubbling up her throat. No kissing was quite alright for her, since she still felt kind of gross. “It's fine, just so long as you kill it on stage. And you all totally will, you've worked so hard for this.”

He looked away bashfully, rubbing his neck. “You know,” he started, thumbing his collar. “I wrote one of my songs about you.”

“Wait, really?” she smiled softly at the gesture.

“Of course, you're my muse.” and they started calling the first unit for standby. It was his stage with a couple other members. “Wish me luck.” and before anyone could stop him, he placed a quick kiss to her forehead before following the rest of his unit before the stage.

She was hoping he'd notice the difference in her temperature when he kissed her, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. Jihoon was in the first unit as well, and was eyeing her imploringly at her state, but otherwise didn't say anything. Jeonghan frowned at her as well, his eyes darting to her restless gaze but otherwise did not pry. She watched the first performance through the streaming television, and remembered that she was here to support Vernon. No matter what, she was going to suck it up for this beautiful boy who was writing beautiful songs about her. Being sick would not change that.

Jun slided next to her, offering a cupful of strawberries. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You look awful.”

Shooting him a glare, she snatched the entire cup from him. “Gee, thanks for noticing.”

He innocently popped another red berry his mouth. “Would you like me to catch you when you fall?”

“Are you trying to be flirty or…?”

He shrugged, elbowing her. “No, but I'd really do it.” he said earnestly, before walking away for the next team on standby.

The showcase was ultimately successful, and went on with only minor hitches that were to be expected. By the end of the evening, everyone was equally sweaty and exhausted, the crew was more than ready to pack up and tuck in for the night. Her too, as it was incredibly late and she was starting to feel the lack of rest hitting her in the head.

“God, I’m starving!” Hoshi complained, bouncing around  to hurry everyone up. Most of the members were in a circle waiting for the rest to hurry up and load in the car.

“And that adlib at the end, I’m really happy it worked out.” Vernon just wouldn’t stop talking, his one hand waving around in story mode while his other was clutched securely around hers, swinging their arms around like a pendulum. It was making her nauseous. Did he notice how clammy her palm was? She tried not to cringe at the contact, because Vernon was really happy about how well he did today, and within good reason.

Forcing a smile, she nodded gently, feeling her head spin. “I’m really proud of you.”

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Dino whined, tapping his foot while the managers were busy making various phone calls.

Pointedly ignoring everyone else, Vernon asked her, “You’re getting dinner with us, right? We’re buying steak.”

She was far from hungry, in fact the only thing she wanted was a cup of tea and her couch. Apologetic, she shook her head. “I’m kinda tired. But go on and celebrate without me!” she insisted with forced cheer. She felt really hot all of a sudden, like walking into a volcano with no air. Her neck was uncomfortably damp with sweat, thankfully covered by her hair.

Vernon’s whole face crumpled at her rejection, and she had to look away to not feel guilty from his puppy eyes. “But,” he pouted, “It won’t be fun without you.”

From the corner of her eye, she noticed the ever-sarcastic Jun hold his arms out expectantly even though he was metres away.

“Will you be okay getting back?” Josh stepped in, slipping his body partway between them. “You drove, right?”

Vernon suddenly felt betrayed, and shook his friend’s shoulder. “C’mon, help me convince her!”

“Do you have food at home?” Seungcheol asked, ready to pull out his phone to place an order.

“But it’s been a long time since we all had a meal together.” Vernon continued to insist.

“Yah, can’t you see?” Jihoon interjected.

“See what?” he furrowed his brows, confused.

Another wave of dizziness swept over her form, and she felt the whole parking lot blur. She always wondered what it felt like to faint, it looked so dainty and almost nap-like in the movies. But she only felt nauseous, like she was drowning in murky water. Sounds and gasps were coming at her in slow motion, like a dream. She felt strong hands snatch her waist, trying to lift her deadweight. When she closed her eyes for the last time, she could only concentrate on the panicked look on Vernon’s face.

She woke up hours later, feeling overheated once more. She couldn’t move, as she was swaddled like a baby, burrito-ed in between the sheets and a familiar-smelling hoodie. Looking up through her tiny face-hole, she took in the room before her. It was their dorm. The strange thing was that it was almost uncomfortably empty.

“Are you thirsty?” Vernon’s voice echoed from the kitchenette, and he brought over a bowl of soup to his bed-bench.  

“Where is everybody?” she asked instead.

“Getting steak, remember?”

“But, you’re not there.” she wriggled out of her blankets like a cocoon, exhaling in relief when her arms were free. “I should go home.”

Vernon easily pushed her back down, wrapping the sheets back on her body. “Nope, no way am I leaving you alone tonight.” he made a move to lift the spoon of her soup to feed her, but she made a face and edged away. He only made a warning face in reply, nudging the spoon. Not wanting the liquids to spill on his quilt she opened her mouth, forcing the too-hot soup down her throat. “There,” Vernon declared, looking proud of himself. “Was that so bad?”

The soup sizzled against her sore throat, taking its sweet time to make its way down her system. As much as it soothed her throat, she didn't feel like eating. If she had one more spoonful she'd heave right then and there. “I feel like crap.” she admitted guiltily, her voice soft yet rough with wear. “I'm sorry I ruined your celebration. I know how much this event meant to you.”

His satisfied grin weaned, slowly putting the bowl down. “No, I'm sorry baby. I should've known you were sick.”

“You were busy, there was no reason why you should've noticed. I tried so hard to hide it.”

“Everyone was busy, but everyone noticed except me.” he murmured, brushing a thumb over her brow. “I was so scared, when you fell into my arms I felt so helpless.” he confessed, clenching his hands between the fabric of his blanket.  “Please don’t do that again.”

“I tried so hard to hide it.” she exhaled tiredly, looking up through her lashes. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

Vernon leaned in and pressed her forehead to his, having no choice but to drown herself in his chocolate gaze. “Don't ever hide your pain for me, okay? Yeah, I would've been upset if you weren't there. But I know you'd be cheering me on from home, and I'd feel better knowing you were resting.” he felt the heat, finally. He fought the urge to scrunch his nose at how hot her body was, wondering why he couldn’t feel it hours ago. At the very least, she was now safe and in his arms, well on her way to getting better.

“Apology accepted.” she replied immediately, giving him a weary, but reassuring smile. “But Vernon? Can you please take these blankets off me, I’m dying.”

“Oh, yeah! My bad, baby.” his smile quickly returned to his face upon seeing hers, peeling off the layers of blankets one by one. It wasn’t until he reached the opening that he slipped his body between the blankets, throwing one layer over each other like their own little igloo. She thankfully didn’t feel so stuffy anymore, but a much welcomed warmth bloomed in her chest.“I don’t mind staying home tonight. I can take care of my babygirl and we can have some alone time for once.” he cheered, dipping his nose to nuzzle hers.

She giggled at the contact, lifting a hand to lightly push away his chest. “Vernon, stop! You’ll get sick.”

“So?” he chuckled, his words so soft that they could only be heard between the confines of their blankets, his hands reaching to tug at the fabric of her sweater. “I need to give you some healing.”

“Oh, so you’re a doctor now?”

“Trust me, I’m a professional.” he chuckled, getting closer and closer to her face. “Just one dose,” he assured, brushing his lips with hers, “And I’m sure you’ll feel better.”