#getting asks is like opening a letter on a picnic blanket in my beautiful garden

[pynkhues]

So do you generally just avoid looking at twitter or tumblr posts from people you don't follow, and thereby avoid seeing a lot of stupidity and bad takes and asinine fandom behavior? Because that sounds good and I think I should start doing that.

More or less, anon. I kind of have a system now where when I start wanting to engage with a new fandom, I'll jump in the main tag and usually follow quite a few people who just seem to be actively posting, which gives me a bit of a lay of the land. That usually gives me a pretty good sense of the discourse that's going around and some time to think about where I might currently land on topics (I don't say it often, but I actually really, really love being convinced of something I didn't initially agree to! I LOVE compelling arguments! Just a lot of people tend to state a point and not back it up, and again, like, that's not actually an argument, y'know? That's just you saying something and telling me that I'm wrong if I don't agree with you, which just isn't a conversation I feel inclined to be a part of.)

I read a lot of the fandom discourse in this period, which was basically in the few weeks leading up to s2, so I read a lot of the like - - gothic heroine arguments then, for instance - - and arguments I don't agree with don't make me unfollow, actually (in fact, I still follow at least two people I often disagree with, but am always interested to see what they write because I think their arguments are interesting), but how a user interacts with other people and arguments is definitely something that makes me unfollow or even block, and that's often the main thing I think I'm subconsciously looking for in that window. So I guess I kind of vibe check, haha, which leads to a bit of a curation process of what I want my fandom experience to look like.

Then I'll add people at a much slower pace, and usually after people I already follow have engaged. I sometimes venture into the main tags in the hours after an episode has aired, but yeah, after that initial process, I'm tending a garden, not venturing out into the wild, haha. It works for me, it might not work for everyone though :-)

[nishimochas]

❁﹝ enha!tegories ﹞

‣ ⒈  enhypen as some of my favorite cottagecore-esque songs.

❁﹝ lee heeseung as like the dawn by the oh hellos. ﹞

“ and like the dawn, you broke the dark and my whole earth shook. i was sleeping in the garden when i saw you. ”

light crept through the windows over your slumbering figure, heeseung's eyes steady over your face, studying every curve, angle, every dip and crevice. a sigh escapes him, content, as his fingers brush over your features in a soothing manner. the soft simper he wore blooms into a smile as your eyes begin to flutter open. you share his smile with a sleepy one of yours and snuggle closer to his frame.

"good morning, sunshine."

the moniker is met with a chuckle as he leans in to press a gingerly kiss on your crown. your arms circle his frane loosely, savoring the warmth. heeseung's heart swells when his eyes meet yours. he knows he hasn't yet seen a more beautiful sight, and he doubts such a sight to even exist in earth.

to wake up next to you for all the mornings of his life, to have you as his first sight with each break of dawn – nothing would ever compare.

“ you were the brightest shade of sun i had ever seen. ”

.

× 🌼 ×

.

❁﹝ jay park jongseong as home by jacob banks ﹞

“ so baby, baby, won't you let me in? i'm knocking on your door so let me in. i just need someone to love, i just need someone to hold. ”

the afternoon had been quaint, pleasant and proper enough for a leisurely nap. you curled up within the blankets as your system drowns out the tv noise, thoughts drifting away. as if in instinct, your hand reaches for the mess of pillows by your side – where jay usually sits, limbs in a tangle with yours as you both doze off. you couldn't hold back a sigh; it wasn't quite like home without him there.

buzz buzz.

you check your phone for the notification. an immediate smile tugs on the corner of your lips upon reading the message.

[ from: jjongddaengie 😎 ]

i'm almost home, baby. wait for me?

and so you set your phone aside and envelope yourself with the soft fabric, fighting the urge to giggle in anticipation. as the white noise of the movie you half paid attention to lulls you to sleep, you enter oblivion in the knowledge that in not very long, jay will come back home and see you as you are. you know you'll be greeted with two arms around your waist and a kiss on the shoulder; and at that moment, you know you'll always find home right where he is.

“ i need someone to kiss goodnight, and to give my heart a home. ”

.

× 🌼 ×

.

❁﹝ jake shim jaeyoon as coffee by beabadoobee ﹞

“ don't stay awake for too long, don't go to bed; i'll make a cup of coffee for your head, i'll get you up and going out of bed ”

nights like these, when it is calm and the winds are gentle, are best enjoyed with a cup of hot coffee. it's become a habit for you jake to lounge on your front porch, each with a steaming cup with hand as you two chat about everything there is under the sun and beyond. this night was not very different; same seat, same sweaters, same mugs, only this time, there was complete silence between the two of you.

you'd expected it to be tense, for an unsettling echo of quiet to descend between you. but much to your surprise, this... this was comfortable.

"jakey?"

"yes, love?"

you breath almost hitches at his answer – no matter how many times he's been affectionate with you, it'll always feel special. different. like there was no other soul in the entire universe who could ever say it the way jake does.

you take a sip from your coffee cup and glance back at him, wearing a proud grin only he could ever give you.

"let's do this more often."

“ won't you come down and get me? i like it when you hold me tight. ”

.

× 🌼 ×

.

❁﹝ park sunghoon as yellow by coldplay ﹞

“ look at the stars, look how they shine for you and everything you do; yeah, they were all yellow. ”

driving out at such an ungodly hour was, prior to being an impulse, something you and sunghoon have given much thought to. it was only when the two of you were still wide awake after having tried everything that you hopped into the car for your late night escapade. a song you weren't familiar with played in the radio station to fill the silence, but you were far too focused on counting the billboards to notice.

"twenty two... twenty three... ooo look, it's one of those ads about billboard ads–"

you roll down the car window to see further out, still counting under your breath each time you pass one by. he glances to his side and sees you; you two looked so cliche, almost straight out of a music video. he pulled over at an empty park and your displeasure was immediately made known.

"hey, i wasn't done counting..."

sunghoon chuckles from the driver's seat and pulls you in by the wrist, lips pressing softly against your temple in the most delicate of brushes.

"you can go back to counting when i'm done kissing you."

“ your skin and bones turn into something beautiful. do you know i love you so? ”

.

× 🌼 ×

.

❁﹝ kim sunoo as strawberry blonde by mitski ﹞

“ i love everybody because i love you – i dont need the city and i dont need proof. all i need, darling, is a life in your shape; i picture it, soft, and i ache. ”

the sun was especially kind today – it's warmth remained watchful over the grass you and sunoo sat on, but through a veil of clouds so as to not be so glaring. the perfect day for a picnic, as he said so himself. he always goes all out for them; whatever you craved for, he had it all. you looked through his basket with a giggle, noticing a few delicacies he doesn't usually bring.

"why macaroons?", you ask while helping him set up the mat and the containers.

"didn't you say you wanted macaroons last week? i thought i should bring some for you! i tried baking them but they didn't turn out very nice–"

his babbling was halted with a macaroon to the mouth, sending you both into a fit of laughter. you'll never get tired of how considerate he is, how much he pays attention to the things you say and how much sunoo truly cares. you popped a strawberry macaroon into your own mouth and rested your temple against his shoulder. now, you couldn't help but wonder: would it have tasted better if he made it?

“ look at you, strawberry blonde – fields rolling on, i love it when you call my name. ”

.

× 🌼 ×

.

❁﹝ yang jungwon as santa monica dream by angus and julia stone ﹞

“ goodbye to my santa monica dream – fifteen kids in the backyard drinking wine. you tell me stories of the sea, and the ones you left behind. ”

it's nearing three in the afternoon and jungwon's just about finished with helping you pack. he ushers the last suitcase out and into the car where your father waits for you. it wasn't difficult to tell that he was trying to avoid your gaze.

"hey..." you take his hand in yours, making him see you eye to eye. there's something quite crestfallen with how he looked at you; you had to go and pursue your dream away from home, he knew that, and he was happy for you. but you knew him better than that.

"i'll miss you, dork."

he could only give you a little smile, but it was more than enough. you look behind him and see the fridge door, battered with polaroids, receipts and letters. reminders of you, so he'll never forget.

you wave goodbye and so does he, not caring at all to wipe the tear streaking down his cheek. he'd miss you so and you all the same, but no matter where you are, or where you'll go – jungwon knows he'll be dreaming of you each and every night.

“ i'm singing songs about the future, wondering where you are. ”

.

× 🌼 ×

.

❁﹝ ni-ki nishimura riki as kiss me by sixpence none the richer ﹞

“ nightly, beside the green, green grass. swing, swing, swing the spinning step, you wear those shoes and i will wear that dress. ”

"hurry, we'll miss the fireworks!"

ni-ki half dragged you through the open venue, clad only in socks and you in his shoes with you broken heels in one hand. you could barely hold your laughter; you'd assume the punch had no alcohol, but given how giddy you were, it wouldn't have been surprising if it were revealed to be booze.

"cinderella! wanna get out of here?", he shouted beside you, the sentiment almost drowned out by the cacophony of fireworks and cheer. you took him by the wrist and maneuvered you two through the crowd. he'd figured that was a yes. you two found a cozy nook under the garden tree, spending the rest of the prom night watching from afar and laughing at his dirty socks.

"man, i'm seriously convinced that thing had alcohol in it." he laughs and nods along, peering over for a better view of your face.

"is that why you're so pink, then? drunk blush?"

immediately flustered, you hurry to cover your warm cheeks with two hands. another laugh escapes him – you almost expected him to tease you. but instead, ni-ki takes your hands away from your face, nudging your chin up so your eyes will meet his. you couldn't miss the smug grin he wore even if you wanted to.

"hey, kiss me."

“ lift your open hand, strike up the band and make the fireflies dance; silver moon's sparkling, so kiss me. ”

❁ :: i'm honestly kinda disappointed in this HSHSB brain go brr, but i hope u guys like it 🥺💕 (edit: i really should have proofread this wow)

[zodiyack]

Happiness

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x reader

Warning: Swearing, fluff, mention of cheating (not Tommy), two sexual references, violence, alcohol, cigarettes, lyrics, me not proofreading

Words: 5279

Song: Happiness by Rex Orange County

Note: Lyrics = Bold + Italic | Memories = Italic

masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist

I'll be the one that stays 'til the end. And I'll be the one that needs you again

When Tommy met Y/n, she was a sad one. Her heart had been broken too many times. Being cheated on many times by one person affected her trust, but being cheated on many times by one person and then being cheated on by another person ruined her trust all completely. Tommy asked her out, she said that she didn’t know him well enough, he asked her to talk to him so they could get to know each other, she said “doesn’t work that way” and walked off.

She really grabbed Tommy’s interest. Even if she didn’t mean to, Tommy was now caught like a fish in Y/n’s fishing rod of love, and Tommy refused to let go, no matter what plants they got stuck in. One day, after weeks of him bothering her and begging her, he managed to finally ask her out successfully. They hung out and talked almost every day, so he took her to a surprise spot. The blindfold came off and a picnic blanket and basket were revealed. That date had went well, in fact it’s one of Y/n’s favorite memories.

The two twirled around in the now messed up blanket. Giggles escaped Y/n’s mouth as Tommy tickled her and wiped frosting onto her face. She squealed as a sign that she yielded.

“Alright love, sorry if I was too-”

The yield however, wasn’t the kind of yield he thought it was. She took the chance while he was distracted and pushed him down, straddling him to wipe some of the frosting on his skin. Their giggles that had stopped after Y/n pleaded now continued. Kisses were placed on Tommy’s face, some of them leaving frosting behind.

This went on for a while, the flirting and messing around seemed funnier and funnier. Tommy, a serious and intimidating man, was being goofy and genuinely chuckling. This didn’t happen a lot, so Y/n made note to find ways to cheer up the Shelby boy.

A year later, after many many dates, Y/n and Tommy had a conversation that would change their lives. In a good way of course, but it seriously meant a lot to them. “Y/n. Can I promise you something?” They were lying on a blanket

“If you can keep it.”

“Well, I promise you I’ll stay here...forever. Until you die or until I die. The point is, I promise to love you forever, and if we end up splitting, I’ll still be here as a friend, whenever you need me.”

“Thomas Shelby. I promise the exact same thing, but let me add one tiny detail.”

“Yes?”

“I promise to be here as I am currently, and if you need me just tell me. I’ll be here to support you and comfort you as your friend, as your lover, and as your wife.”

“Wife?”

“You’ve thought of getting married haven’t you?”

“Yes heh...but I just didn’t think you’d agree. I love you Y/n M/n L/n.”

“I love you too Thomas Michael Shelby.”

Now, they had been together for nine years. Tommy left for war two years after they got together. He had kissed her passionately at the train station, telling her that he loved her and would write to her. She promised the same to him and stayed there until he left, then leaving to go to the Shelby house, resting on Tommy’s bed and writing a letter to him right away.

When he came back, he wasn’t the innocent boy Y/n knew. But she also wasn’t the innocent woman he knew. They both had changed, and they both loved it. Y/n stayed loyal while Tommy was gone, she wrote to him and his brothers every day, even telling Tommy of the people who flirted with her or greeted her. She missed him and he missed her. His now protective and serious attitude fit well with her cautious and quick-but-good thinking one. Their sweet and innocent personas still existed, but only for each other to see.

Neither of them had broken their promises. And neither of them had broken the other’s heart.

And I'll be the one that proposes in a garden of roses, And truly loves you long after our curtain closes... But will you still love me when nobody wants me around, When I turn eighty-one and forget things will you still be proud?

The year 1921 and Y/n bear a slightly raised belly. She was pregnant, but it didn’t show much. Y/n and Tommy’s relationship was stronger than ever, their love for each other quite obvious. However, Y/n was slightly upset over one thing. Marriage.

Tommy impregnated her, yet still hadn’t done anything to prove that he wanted her to be his forever like he said he did when they were younger. Y/n was ready. She had been ready ever since he came back from the war. To be honest, she was half expecting him to drop on his knee right there...but he didn’t.

Her train of thought crashed when footsteps sounded down the hall.

“Y/n! Y/n!” A 13 year old Finn called out. “There’s something you need to see!”

The small boy took off outside, leaving Y/n to trip over her own feat and try her best to follow him. He led her to a garden like place, although, the only thing growing was the red flowers that symbolized romance. Roses.

‘When did they have the time to grow this?!’ thought Y/n. Just yesterday she had came out back and this was never here.

“Y/n L/n.” Y/n’s attention turned to Tommy, he was on his knee on a pile of rose pedals by the other roses. “You have been my best friend as well as lover for a long time. Nine years I have been loved by you, twelve I have loved you, and fourteen I have known you. I fell in love with you when I was only 19. You fell in love with me when I was 22. Your eyes and your smile lit up my day, your laugh and your voice made my heart skip a beat, there’s so much more. You now are bearing my child and I would do anything for you and them. I vow to protect you both with my life, to love you and put you before anything and everything-”

“I’m just gonna guess ‘except for work’?” Y/n was smiling and crying, and she laughed when Tommy shrugged and did a small nod.

“Sometimes. Anyways, I hope you know that I love you more than life itself. I keep my promise from 1913. Do remember it?” She nodded, thinking back to her dates and secret meet-ups with him. “Well, as I said, I haven’t broken that promise yet and I don’t plan on breaking it. I will love you now, then, and forever. When you die or when you change, I will still love you. If you regret being with me, I will still love you.” He stopped talking for a moment. A tear ran down his face as his thoughts filled his head.

Y/n walked closer to him, running a hand through his hair and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “What’s wrong honey?”

Tommy inhaled and closed his eyes, he took and held her hands for dear life. “You already know that some people don’t quite like the Shelby name. Well... would you still love me when absolutely everyone wants us gone? Would you still want to be a Shelby? A- And when we grow old...and forget things... do you think we’ll be proud of ourselves? Of each other? Do you think we’d remember our great moments?”

“Tommy Shelby. I love you so so much, you honestly have no idea. I would never be ashamed nor disgusted by the thought of being a Shelby. Fuck what the people think. And for your last question Tommy, I think we’ll be really fucking proud of ourselves. We can’t forget our love since it’ll continue to exist.”

Thomas smiled and nodded. Y/n had a point. He took a box out of his trousers and opened it to Y/n. “Would you do me the honor of being my present and my future, of being my happiness, of being my wife, of becoming Mrs. Shelby?”

“I do! I do, I do!” She let the tears run down her face with a smile as Tommy slid the ring onto her finger. As soon as he stood up, she jumped onto him and connected their lips with burning passion.

'Cause I am the one that's waited this long. And I am the one that might get it wrong, And I'll be the one that will love you the way I'm supposed to, girl

The day of their wedding came. 1922, after Charles Shelby had been born and alive for at least 5 months. Y/n’s dress was beautiful. She was beautiful. Tommy swore up and down that Y/n was breathtaking with and without clothing. He said she made his heart beat faster whenever she was around.

Y/n was smoothing down her dress and looking at herself in the mirror. The maids who were helping dress her and fix up her hair had left her to be alone for a bit but left the door open a crack. That was their mistake. The door creaked open a bit, a tiny Charlie in a cute little suit crawled in.

“How’d you get here? Well, my love, you can’t be in here, so I’ll have to find one of your uncles or Daddy’s friends to take you back to Daddy. Come on little man.” She picked him up and leaned out the door slightly. No one was in sight, and the sound of talking came from outside the building. “God damn it. Come one Charlie, let’s go find someone before your Daddy comes inside and sees me.”

She wandered around, attempting to search for anyone but her fiancé whilst entertaining Charlie. Y/n rounded the corner, eyes widening to find Tommy, John and Arthur chatting amongst themselves against the wall.

“Poppa!” Charlie giggled and pointed his finger at the three men. They stopped talking and turned their heads over to where Y/n was. Luckily, she moved in time, but unluckily, the boys had already noticed the noise. Y/n heard them pull out their guns.

“Wait! Don’t come around the corner, put your guns away and make sure Tommy doesn’t come over here. John, will you come over here and get Charlie?”

“Bloody hell Y/n! Scared us half to death!”

“What’re you doin’ out of the room Y/n?” Tommy seemed curious and worried, he knew of the time limit that was gifted to Y/n. With his knowledge came his protectiveness. Anyone could get her while she was unattended, hence him and his brothers staying near the room.

“Charlie got into my room so I was gonna find either John or-” John took Charlie from Y/n and whispered a compliment about how pretty she looked. She said a quick thank you before continuing, “or Arthur so that they could take Charlie. I didn’t realize you guys would be out here all together.”

“Oh...well please just call for us next time, never know what’s gonna happen when so many people dislike the Shelby name. You’re lucky Charlie called out, I would’ve been upset if anything happened to you.”

“Nothing would’ve happened to me...wait...” His voice was a lot closer, and she was leaning against the corner of the wall, keeping her dress out of sight. “Are you right next to me?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Hmm...Let me come right back.” Y/n went back into the room, peaking up the biggest cloth she could find. She wrapped it around her figure and walked out to Tommy. “Now you can’t see my dress, so it’s not bad luck.”

“I don’t believe in that bad luck thing with the dress.”

“Eh, I do. Now shut up and kiss me.” Their lips connected and the fiery passion filled their kiss and it grew intense, he put his hand on the back of Y/n’s neck. Realizing where they were, Tommy pulled away, winking and walking back to his brothers. He stopped halfway and turned to Y/n a final time.

“Y/n. I promise you, I may not be the best man, nor the best man for you to love. I might turn into a bad husband, or just be a bad husband, but I swear, I will love you the way I should. I will treat you like the queen you are, I will care for you and I will never break your heart.”

The Shelby boys, not including Finn, walked back outside. Tommy left Y/n with a smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks. She couldn’t wait until she would be known as “Mrs. Shelby.”

. . .

The priest was talking, but Tommy and Y/n couldn’t hear him. They were whispering out of the sides of their mouths. It felt like it was just them in the room. No one else, just them.

“I’ve waited forever for this moment, ya know?” Tommy whispered subtly.

“Oh sure. You waited nine years to ask my to marry you. You totally wanted it more than I did.”

“Oh hush, I was taking my time...for...reasons I guess.”

“Sure, whatever. You’re lucky you’re cute.” Y/n turned her attention to the priest so that he could distract her from laughing aloud.

It had all gone so fast, the couple being distracted with each other or with trying to not giggle at each other. The smile on Tommy’s face was so big, you would never think that he was really the leader of the Peaky Blinders, or you would and you’d just think he’d gone soft. His smile matched the one on Y/n’s face.

“You may kiss the bride”

They turned towards each other. Tommy smiled sweetly at his newly dubbed wife, he took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. Y/n grabbed his hand and pulled away, smiling widely again once they both opened their eyes. His beautiful ocean eyes were sparkling.

But will you still love me when nobody wants me around, around? When I turn eighty-one and forget things, will you still be proud?

Tommy kissed Y/n before she sat down. They were at the Garrison with the rest of the Shelbys...not including Finn. Anyways, an angry drunk walked over to the Shelby family. He had a disgusted look on his face, remains of food in his beard, and the smell of too much alcohol clouding around him.

Y/n and Ada’s face scrunched with slight disgust. He looked at Y/n in a way that made Tommy want to grab the back of his neck and slam his face into the table.

“Excuse me sir, could you please leave?” Y/n’s voice put Tommy at ease. She rubbed his arm while she gave her best attempt at shooing the man.

“I won’t take orders from a whore!” The drunk man itched his head. He seemed to be thinking but obviously was done when he spoke again, “How about this. You come with me, give me a good fuck, I’ll leave you alone.”

This agitated Tommy beyond Y/n’s repair. She couldn’t whisper her way out of this one. With one look from Tommy, the rest of the Shelby boys rose up from their seats and pointed their guns at the man. Thomas’ face looked dark and empty, all emotion wiped clean except for jealousy and vengeance.

“Listen here. Talk to my wife like that again, and you will be blinded by order of the Peaky fucking Blinders!” Y/n had never seen Tommy act this way before. He was red in the face, spit was flying out of his mouth when he spoke. The attention of the bar, not that there were many people currently, was directed towards the group.

Tommy connected his fist with the man’s jaw. The two men continued fighting, yet as flattered and in awe Y/n was, she couldn’t watch the violence. It wasn’t the violence itself, it was her need to yack and the excitement only making it worse.

Y/n was only 3 months pregnant, almost two years since their wedding. Polly and Ada knew of this, of course, and were quick to rush to Y/n’s aid and bring her outside. The fight went on as Y/n relieved her stomach through her throat. Rather nasty, but when you gotta do it, you gotta do it.

She decided to stay outside, not wanting to get involved with any more violence for the night. Ada brushed her fingers through Y/n’s hair and whispered softly to her. Pol tried to do the same, giving up half way through and pulling out a cigarette and walking away from the two girls.

“Y/n! Are you alright!” Tommy pushed through the front doors of the Garrison. Blood was leaking down his nose, his hair and shirt were disheveled, his fists were bloody and bruised.

“You didn’t use your hat did you?”

“Nah...it’s been a bit since I’ve used my actual fists. Felt nice.” He swapped places with Ada and smiled at his wife. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

A blush filled Y/n’s cheeks. “T- thank you... Um... Tommy?”

“Yes?”

“What happened in there? After I left?”

“Well...He started insulting us, insulting you and insulting our family. He was crazy enough to do it right in front of us! I did what any Shelby would do and protected the family name and honor.”

“Thomas, please tell me you didn’t-”

“No. I didn’t kill him. I wanted to, but I know that murder would have to have a good reason behind it... Are you mad at me? All of these people hate me, some even want me dead... do you feel the same way now?”

Tommy looked down, his eyes were watery and tired. It had been a long night, Thomas and the other boys were drunk and the ladies were the only ones sober enough to do anything. Although, they do say that a drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts.

“Tommy... I could never hate you or be mad at you just because other people feel that way. Fuck what the people think. I’m here, I’m your wife, I don’t care about what others think. All that is important is that I love you Thomas Michael Shelby.”

“I- ...I love you too Y/n M/n- hiccup Shelby.” The drowsiness and the “hics” were already starting to show. Y/n let out a small giggle at her man-child and helped him steady himself before walking him home. It’s safe to say that when they got home, Y/n and Tommy had the best sleep they’d ever had in their entire lives.

Proud of me and my short list of accomplishments, say, And me and my lack of new news. Me and my selfishness, oh me and myself, Wish you nothing but a happy new version of you

‘It’s or god damn anniversary. What the fuck am I going to get her?’ Thoughts like these filled Tommy’s head. Indeed, it was their anniversary and he did have nothing to give her. She was always so creative with her gifts.

A portrait of him, a new pair of knickers (A/N BACK THEN, THOSE WERE WHAT SOCKS WERE CALLED SO SHH) that were specially made for him, and some nice other stuff. Sometimes she even got her brothers-in-law or Charlie to help out. Her plans could never be foiled but they could certainly interrupt Tommy’s.

He gave up and sat down at his desk. There was still one more thing he could do. “Charles? Charlie, could you come here for a moment?” In rushed the little boy that resembled the Peaky leader.

“Yes dad?”

“I need your help. Do you have any ideas of a gift your mummy might like?”

Charlie thought for a moment before looking up at his father slowly and nodding. He ran off and out of the room, returning with a paper and pen. He handed them to his father and skipped too the doorway.

“Wait. Why would you mother want my to draw something?”

“No dad. Write something. Write about her.” Charlie finished off his help with a smile and continued skipping back to his mum. Y/n was still pregnant, only 8 months into said pregnancy. She was quite excited, so were Tommy and Charlie. A new addition to their small family.

Tommy sat down with the tools he was given. He rubbed his temples with confusion and thought. As he touched the pen to the page, he let his thoughts and emotions take control. Whoever knew Thomas Shelby was full of such beautiful poetry?

He finished writing and trifolded the paper with a large grin on his face. How did he not think of this? The idea was brilliant. No, his son and the idea were brilliant. The paper in his hands came from his heart as well as his child’s mind. A true gift made of genuine love.

The time came for the couple to hand each other their gifts. Tommy had received a photo album of their family so far, and a small portrait of them Y/n had made for Tommy’s desk. She tilted her head at the small paper she was handed, the smile Tommy loved appearing on her face when she noticed his familiar handwriting. She read it aloud after Charlie complained over and over again that he wanted to know what it said.

“My dearest Y/n, I know that we’re married now, and parents, so you must now at least a tiny sum of how much I love you, right? You stole my heart as soon as you were in my line of sight, I belonged to you right then and there, I just didn’t know it until two years later. It took me those two years to find out just how much I wanted you and how much I needed you.

I know it would be dramatic to say that I needed you, but it’s true. I was a 17 year old boy, not wise in the slightest and certainly not charming. When you confessed your love to me, I was 19, but you made my world seem brighter. I swear, my heart started to beat faster and faster.

We were only children. Okay so maybe not only children, but still, so young but so deeply in love. When I left for war, I missed you every second. My heart reminded me that you were one of the things I was fighting for. It reminded me that I needed to come home to find you and let you know that I wanted to marry you and make you mine forever. Unfortunately, I grew insecure with the marriage part.

I had feared that I wasn’t enough. I’m a Peaky fucking Binder for fucks sake! I didn’t do much in my life except for steal your heart and fight for my country. Why on earth would you love me? I was also a selfish man. Wanting your attention 98% of the time, and I still do, I’m selfish and there’s nothing else I can tell you.

You probably might just hate me and act like you don’t since you’re married to me and have a child with me....but what I really want you to know is that I love you more than life itself. I love you more than the stars, I love you and your insecurities. I love all of you, Y/n M/n Shelby.” 

She finished reading it with puffy eyes and a cracked voice. Her heart couldn’t handle it, Tommy’s words filled her with joy and a sweet melancholy feel. It wasn’t the sad kind, it was more of happy and hurt for him.

Because I, I mmm, mmm, yeah, I want you to tell me you find it hard to be yourself so I can say, "It's gonna be alright"

And I want you to love me the way you love your family, The way you love to show me what it's like...To be happy

"Y/n? What has you so worried? It’s almost time to go.”

“Exactly.” Thomas gave his wife a confused look, sitting down beside her and rubbing her back softly. “Well ya know...we’re going to meet my parents.”

“And? I already knew of that Y/n, that’s why I said it’s almost time to go. What’s really wrong? You can tell my, my love.”

“My parents. I- I’m scared that... that they won’t approve of you or the kids. I’m scared that I’ll have to put on a fake persona all over again. It’s just so scary and so hard...”

Tommy leaned on his wife’s shoulder. It was often that she got scared about this. It had been scheduled for about a month now. Ruby and Charlie’s grandmother heard of them and the couple’s marriage, she demanded that her and her husband meet the kids and the “lucky man.”

“It’ll be alright, we’re a family, family sticks together. I love you so so so much Y/n. You have no idea.”

“Mhm. Last night said otherwise.”

“I love you more than that!” He tickled her sides until she was begging for him to stop, laughter and playful cries for help filled the room. They pressed their lips together once they had calmed.

. . .

“Mom. Dad. This, is Thomas, but you can call him Tommy.” Y/f/n shook Tommy’s hand and watched as Tommy pressed a soft kiss to Y/m/n’s hand. He wrapped his arm around Y/n once more before they introduced their children to the Y/l/ns. “This is my son, Charles, and my daughter, Ruby. Although, Charles says he prefers being called Charlie.”

Her mother and father smiled at the family opposite to them. “Welcome home!”

Y/m/n and Y/f/n led Charlie and Ruby to the kitchen for some treats as Y/n and Tommy took off their coats. Tommy didn’t feel like Y/n had explained her family in full detail. Confusion clouded his brain. He brushed it off, seeing as it was a normal thing for grandparents to spoil their grandchildren with treats and candy.

A younger looking woman walked down the stairs with an even younger looking boy. They both looked like Y/n, so Tommy guessed right away that they were either siblings or cousins. Both hugged Y/n and stopped to talk to her.

“Oh! Guys, meet my husband, Tommy! Charlie and Ruby are both in the kitchen with mom and dad. Tommy, these are my little siblings.”

“Nice to meet you Tommy, I’m y/b/n.” The boy spoke. He shook hands with Tommy and walked into the kitchen. The girl greeted him next, “Hello! I’m Y/s/n. Thank you for loving and taking care of my sister. I apologize about Y/b/n, he can be very...shy.”

“That’s fine, I understand his trust issues. I wouldn’t trust a man Ada brought home if I’d never met him fully.”

“Ada? Is she the sister I’ve heard about?” Tommy didn’t know what she meant, but nodded at Y/s/n. She smiled and grabbed Y/n’s hand. “Y/n sent me letters about you guys and your family, she loves you a lot, ya know?”

Before Tommy could respond, Y/n was pushing Y/s/n to the kitchen. “Oookay that’s enough talking for you two. Mom, is dinner ready yet?”

“Yes dear. Everyone, come sit!”

The dinner table was clothed in a cute table cloth, plates of food and glasses of drinks decorated the top of it. Lively conversation started, smiles and laughs galore. It wasn’t something Tommy was really used to. The kids seemed to be enjoying it, so he was somewhat relaxed.

They passed food to each other, Charlie and Ruby earning winks when they asked if they could have a little bit more of something. When Tommy bit into his food, he smiled. It tasted amazing. This was a new environment for him. Laughter and hugs everywhere.

“Thank you Mrs. Y/l/n. This is very good.”

“Aw! You’re welcome Tommy, and please, feel free to call me mom or Y/m/n!”

The rest of the night was spend like that. No hatred, no mention of crime, no work, no anger. Just family, love and support. Tommy decided that it felt nice and that it was a little better than dinner with his family. He loved his family, but he had never seen a family love each other this much.

Y/n and Tommy were given a guest room to stay in for the night. Their children were sleeping in Y/n’s old room. A sigh of relief from the long day left Tommy’s mouth as Y/n kissed up his neck from behind him. He was nervous to meet her family, but now it felt like that nervousness was not even worth it. Y/n’s family was amazing, friendly, and funny. Her serious father and brother had dropped their protective personas after a bit and got to know Tommy a bit more.

Bedtime finally rolled around and Y/n and Tommy wanted their alone time. They hadn’t had much since Ruby was born, so this only made the trip worth it even more. Y/n’s delicate hands massaged Tommy’s shoulders. They were tense and sore, probably from all the working and worrying he had been doing, but Y/n was happy to help.

“Love?”

“Yes Tommy?”

“Your family...you guys are really close, aren’t you?”

She stopped rubbing his shoulders and looked at him. Her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. Y/n moved around him and sat in his lap, “Yes, I suppose we are...why do you ask? Aren’t you close with yours?”

“Well yes, of course but...” His hand rested on her thigh, rubbing it every so often. “I never knew a family like yours. You guys are so happy and trusting, your parents are so kind, and your siblings are funny and smart. I can see it in your eyes.”

“See what?”

“When you sip your wine and look over at your family...you love them a lot. The look in your eyes is rare, yet comforting.”

Y/n didn’t get what he was hinting at for a few minutes. Her hands brushed through Tommy’s hair once she finally realized. A moment of silence was shared, just Y/n combing her fingers through Tommy’s hair and Tommy rubbing Y/n’s thigh with a small half smile.

“Tommy. I love you, a lot. I love you and Charlie and Ruby. You guys are my world, you guys are my life, you guys are my present and my future. You guys make me so fucking happy. You have no idea how much I love you three. When I look at my family, I see the people I grew up with. I see the people who raised me and taught me almost everything I know. But when I look at you. I see my husband, the light of my life, the man who stole my heart and refused to give it back. I see the father of my children, the keeper of the key to my heart. The man who could get me to do almost anything with a simple smile. When I look at you and our little ones, I see the finishing touch to my family. I see my purpose in life.”

“I-” He didn’t know how to respond. And that was okay.

“I love you Thomas Michael Shelby.”

“I love you too Y/n M/n Shelby.”

Their lips pressed together for the final time that night before they went to sleep. This kiss was passionate and true. This kiss shared love. This kiss was beautiful. And this kiss helped show Tommy the true meaning of Happiness.

[likesomekindofcheese]

hi! i just found out i have aspergers, and this might be a bit of an odd request, could you maybe write some hcs for the bug boys or queen (your choice) and how they would react to the reader telling them 👉👈? sorry if this is weird i just love your writing saw requests were open

Hello, there darling nonny!

This is not an odd request at all! Although reader inserts should always be as blank a slate as possible, diverse reader inserts are always especially needed and appreciated in my opinion. Racial, ethnic, LGBTQIA, gender, and neurodiversity representation can be extremely powerful.

To receive a diagnosis is freeing for some and nerve-wracking for others. But you are lucky, there are lots of resources that can help you, Tumblr and otherwise (which I will reblog with links that I know of).  Sorry, this took a while, I was nervous to take this on. Since symptoms can be so different for every person and trying not to be accidentally ableist, yada yada ya. And if I get anything wrong or offensive, someone please correct me. Don’t be afraid to dm me with anything you have to say or to let me know. Drag me gently. 

Anyways, onto the headcanons! I will do both!

For the Beatles...

John: I imagine John would blink a lot. You would be scared he would make fun of you or leave you at once. He does not. You’re still shaking so badly you don’t know what he will say. So finally he smiles. He asks lots of quiet questions about it. If you were sensitive to sounds, he would even play his guitar a little quieter just for you when you were around. If you got antsy somewhere and stimmed by rubbing your hands or tapping your foot he would play “footsie” with you. He would help you with anything involving hand-eye coordination like silly carnival games and then give you the prize.

 Paul: Paul would be the most mother like and protective at first. But he would soon relax. You communicate to him that it’s too much and he relaxes. Both of you love routines and you find ways to work together where you even gossip about so and so while brushing your teeth. Sometimes you ask “Paul…am I being too awkward? I know I’m awkward, I’m so nervous.” So he will put an arm around you and call you “me dove,” and do something to charm and relax you. He often buys gifts relating to your special interests. He flat out spoils you on Christmas and your birthday! He would also check your mail, destroying any ableist letters from jealous fans. You feel like he is your safe haven and you are his.

 George: You tell him on a beautiful day in a flower garden on a picnic. You rest your head on his lap and he strokes your hair softly. Geroge would understand if you are more shy and quiet like he is. Though if you are more boisterous he has a way of calming you down. If you get worked up emotionally, he often takes you walking into the garden to relax a little. He is a cuddler so you put on the movie that’s been invading your thoughts and cuddle with blankets a lot. Once (at a slower point, let’s face it, you knew the script backward and forwards) you made a game of throwing strawberries into each other face and catching it with your mouths open and it was hysterical. He always knows how to make you relaxed and happy.

 Ringo: Both of you would get emotional when you tell. You love him so much and you’re scared he will leave you because he’s in a popular band. But he doesn’t. He tears up because you trust him so much. “You don’t think I’m some…I don’t know, some monster?” “Monster! No- God, Y/N! You’re not a monster! You’re the bloody opposite! You’re an angel! Always! That doesn’t change anything!” He might misunderstand certain things but you correct him and he corrects himself (“But didn’t you cry at that song?” “I can still cry! I feel empathy,” “Oh, okay.”). Though he would sometimes forget and even brag about you (never discussing your diagnosis without your clear consent) because he would be very starry-eyed and lovey-dovey over you. Despite the newness of the term even, he still kisses the ground you walk on. He just learns to be careful.

 Now for Queen...

Freddie (platonically): You keep trying to find a time to tell him, but he is always incredibly busy. He is like a bee, bustling about. But the time you get him to sit down, you tell him. He gets you some tea and one of his cats comes up and curls next to you, purring. Though, somehow some words got around, even if Freddie got his mouth shut. A staff member overheard perhaps. At one party there was an ableist asshole who heard the word and went up to you. “So Y/N, you don’t look…” “Y/N looks like a divine creature of Roman mythology, don’t you agree darling?” he would swoop in with a wink. You love attending parties. If you’re more introverted you feel comfortable, and if extraverted you know you can be yourself. Fred is the king of that. He is a gay immigrant and empathizes with you for being different, but encouraging you to be unapologetically yourself as he is.

 Roger: Like with Ringo, you were scared when you “Came out” to Roger due to him being the drummer of an incredible band and how the fans would view you. You would go on a drive in his favorite car. Then ask him to park. And then you tell him. He would hug you at first and you would smile. He helps you to stand up for yourself if someone is being dismissive. Though he might fist sight any ableist who messes with you. He would love to hear you talk about your special interests and passions and have all sorts of conversations about it. He drums in a special place so it’s not a sensory overload- he even gets you a small headset with your favorite records with a note reading “for Y/N, my sweet love, Rog.” Though if you love to listen to it at full blast he will place you on his lap and play. He would also never mind all of the one-sided conversations and know how to talk with you. I mean, the man turns girls to gravy with one look so imagine what dating him would do!

 Brian: He would be the most scientific and the most technical when you tell him. When you come out, the conversation after is like a trip to a very sweet, empathetic doctor. But he can in a way relate. He has a variety of things he is passionate about. He has a lot of in-depth knowledge but he forgets the car keys (which you always have in your pocket and will return to him for one kiss). He can be considered an eccentric, and you feel like you are eccentric. But he smiles and tells you “just be your lovely self, Y/N.” If you stim, you love playing with his hair and he lets you. He would never talk you down and patiently re-explain things if need be. If you don’t feel like looking into his eyes, he will at least stand by you and maybe hold your hand if you want to. Even when you get depressed or anxious, just a quiet night of stargazing with your favorite guitarist reminds you how happy and lucky you truly are.

 John: He is a total sweetie and completely accepting. If you are the type that is clumsy he will love to catch you and then hold on, saying something cheeky like “if you wanted to dance with me you should have asked.” He is quieter but sometimes makes sure his gestures are a little more clear so you understand. He would also like to learn about your own passions and even fix your tv when it broke and you wanted to watch a show that was special to you. He is so sweet and calming if you get anxious or depressed. He would make you cheese on toast, peppered with buttery, crumby kisses, and talk through things with you. He tells you he is going to write a song. You’re nervous. What if he says something insulting by accident. But just a song to play when you get stressed or upset. So the day you are brought into the studio with tape and the first few lines of “You’re My Best Friend” churn out (btw if you’re not fem! identifying, imagine Deaky switched the pronouns), you’re in happy tears.

Taglist: @queenlover05 @retropetalss

[warriorofdragons]

Light in the Dark Chapter 16: A Museum Courtship

Word Count: 22k

Warnings: Language, Violence, Blood

This has limóns ;)

Rose pours over the most recent letter she had received from Lönathar once more.

She had already sent him a response and eagerly awaited his next letter. The letter had been sealed with a gold pegasus with wings outstretched in ornate riding gear and at the end of the letter were the words, “Yours, Lönathar.”

She smiles and holds the letter to her chest, it’s awfully soon to be signing his letters in such a way, but she couldn’t resist signing in kind in hers.

What would have been an otherwise dreadful night, turned into something wonderful, and something Rose had never expected…

There’s a shout from outside and she glances over at the window before standing up from her writing desk and stepping over to the window. She peers down at the front pathway heading to the house and sees nothing except the usual staff tending to the plants. And then she sees them motioning their arms and they seem to be staring…her gaze follows theirs skyward and she spots a strange white bird headed in the direction of the house. She stares at it as it gets closer and realizes that it’s not a bird as the pegasus flies down onto the road and fold its wings at it’s side and it’s rider slows it down to a trot.

Rose turns from the window and moves to stand in front of her mirror.

Oh how she wishes she had more time to appropriately fix her hair!

Or at least put on a nice, satin dress.

She is decent enough and she rushes down the staircase and then swiftly out of the house to meet him. She regains her composure and carefully and gracefully descends the stone staircase. Lönathar spots her headed towards him and smiles and urges his steed forward to meet her before coming to a gentle stop.

Rose smiles and shakes her head, “If only I had known you were coming I would have made tea,” she says.

Lönathar smiles again and then dismounts his pegasus.

Rose stares at the snowy white steed, “Can I?” she asks tentatively reaching her hand out.

She’s never seen a pegasus up close before, only in shows from a distance.

“Of course,” Lönathar says as he takes her hand in his and brings it towards the pegagus’s muzzle.

The pegasus sniffs her hand and then Lönathar brings her hand to it’s forehead.

She smiles and stares at him.

“She’s quite gentle-natured,” Lönathar assures her.

“You’re so pretty,” Rose coos to the pegasus.

Lönathar retrieves something from his belt pouch and hands it to her.

Rose takes the apple slices he offers her and holds out her hand for the pegasus.

“Perhaps some day I could take you flying with her?” Lönathar offers.

Rose smiles and glances down shyly, “That sounds wonderful.”

She’s always dreamed of riding on a pegasus ever since she was a little girl.

“Rose!” her brother calls.

They both turn to stare at her brother Edwin as he descends the stairs.

“You didn’t tell me we had a guest,” Edwin says.

“Oh, I didn’t know we would be having one today,” Rose says.

Her brother smiles and turns towards the elf, “I’m sorry but our father is not home at the moment, he is attending business on the other side of town.”

“Oh, that’s quite alright, I’m not here to see your father,” Lönathar states.

Lönathar then takes her hand and presses a kiss to her knuckles.

Rose blushes and smiles even more.

Edwin glances between the two of them, seemingly disgruntled by the elf’s presence and behavior.

“Perhaps if you could come back later?” Edwin asks.

“It’s alright,” Rose assures her brother.

“I brought a few things with me and I thought we might have a picnic,” Lönathar says, “It’s such a beautiful day out,” he continues gazing at her.

“That sounds lovely,” Rose says.

Lönathar offers her his right arm she takes it.

“Oh if you would perhaps be so kind as to show my pegasus to a solitary grazing patch?” Lönathar asks.

Edwin looks like he’s about to refuse.

“Please, he is a guest,” Rose insists.

Her brother smiles with reluctance, “Of course.”

He then calls over one of the nearby staff to escort the pegasus to a pasture, but not before Lönathar retrieves a few bundles from her saddlebags and tucks them under his other arm.

Rose then happily leads Lönathar by the arm into the house.

“There’s a perfect spot in the garden that we could have a picnic,” Rose says.

Lönathar smiles and leans towards her and kisses her cheek, “Any spot would be perfect.”

Rose giggles to herself and tries not to swoon.

Edwin glares at the elf before turning to her, “Rose? A word, please.”

“Oh of course,” Rose says releasing the elf and following her brother into an adjacent room.

He closes the door behind them both, “Are you mad? An Elf here to see You?” Edwin demands in a hushed tone.

“What’s wrong with that?” Rose questions.

He shakes his head, “Surely you know what he’s after? What he wants?”

Rose stares at him blankly.

Her brother sighs, “He wants to have you in his bed and then toss you aside as though you were rubbish.”

She looks at him aghast, “Lönathar wouldn’t do that, he’s the perfect gentleman.”

“For now, until he gets what he wants, he’ll never marry you, Rose,” Edwin says.

“You don’t know that,” she protests.

“I do, He’s an Elf and you’re a Human, you’ll never live as long as him. Do you really think anyone who cared about you would want to helplessly watch you grow old and die so much sooner than they would?”

Rose purses her lips, “He’s our Guest and it would be rude to turn him away now,” she says as she turns from him to open the doors and leave the room.

She finds Lönathar patiently waiting in the hall with his arms full.

“Come, the garden’s this way,” she says and then she leads him through the house.

She leads him to a secluded spot amidst the lavender and out of sight of any windows and she helps him spread the blanket out across the ground.

She carefully seats herself, trying to manage as much grace as possible and the elf joins her.

As he pulls out some cheeses and a wine bottle, “I must confess,” Lönathar begins, “I overheard your conversation with your brother.”

Rose stares at him in surprise, “Really?”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Lönathar apologizes, “Elves ears are very sensitive.”

“How sensitive?” she asks curious.

He pours some wine for the two of them in the glasses he brought, “Very, I can hear a whisper from roughly forty paces away.”

Rose studies him for a moment and then lowers her voice to barely a whisper, “How very interesting.”

“Yes, sometimes it can be a bit much though,” Lönathar responds without looking up.

Rose smiles at him and he looks up at her finally and his brows furrow.

Then he closes his eyes and smiles, “You like to be cheeky,” he chuckles.

“Maybe,” she says taking the wine glass he offers her.

“An elven wine, one of the less potent varieties and one that has been very popular with my human guests,” Lönathar explains gesturing to the wine.

She smiles at him as they both take a sip.

“Mmm, it’s quite delicious,” she says.

“Thank you, I’m glad you like it,” he says spreading out some cheeses on a couple of napkins for the two of them and then he hands her one.

He then breaks off a few pieces of bread and gives her some as well. Rose takes a bite of the offered cheeses and sips her wine.

It’s an excellent pairing.

“Tell me, Lönathar, do you fancy me?” Rose asks swirling her wine.

He raises an eyebrow at her and then glances down shyly, his reddish-brown hair  falling perfectly around his face, “I very much do,” he says.

Rose hums and sips more of her wine.

“And how about you?” he asks inching closer to her and resting his hand overtop hers on the blanket, “Do you fancy me?”

“I do,” Rose says.

She glances down at his lips and then leans forwards.

His hand moves to cup her cheek and his lips meet hers.

Rose lifts her left hand to his face and deepens the kiss.

Lönathar is not her first kiss, but he is her sweetest.

She parts from his lips slowly, mesmerized by the elven gentleman in front of her.

He thumbs her cheek, before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

“I…um this is a lovely spot you picked,” Lönathar states.

Rose smiles and sets her wine glass down, “Thank you, lavender is my favorite flower, I love to come here often and read.”

Lönathar sips his own wine and raises his brows, “Really? A Rose that loves lavender?”

Rose giggles.

He sets his glass down as well and takes her hands in both of his, “They’re both beautiful flowers.”

Rose can feel her cheeks heat up and Lönathar leans forwards again to kiss her.

She savors the taste of his lips and the wine that has stained both of their tongues.

When they part once more she stares deeply into the elf’s bright, silvery eyes.

And her heart flutters upon noticing the gaze Lönathar has fixed her with.

His pupils are wide and his face soft as he regards her.

“I’ve quiet enjoyed your letters over these past few weeks, you’ve kept me company,” Lönathar says softly.

Rose smiles wide, “I’m glad. I’m especially glad that you wished to write to me in the first place.”

“How could I not?” Lönathar asks placing her hands in his lap, “You’re such an enchanting and intriguing woman.”

Rose blushes even more and glances to the side shyly.

“Speaking of letters,” he says and momentarily releases her hands to dig through his pockets and he pulls a letter from his vest and hands it to her.

She smiles again, “A hand delivered letter?”

“I do ask that you wait until I have gone to read it,” Lönathar pleads.

Rose nods and gently sets it aside.

The elf takes her hands again and this time Rose rests his hands in her lap.

The elf stares at their entwined hands and then smiles.

“Now what about that pegasus ride you promised?” Rose asks.

Lönathar laughs and nods, “Ah, of course!”

“When and where should we do that? Is there anything in particular I should wear? What sort of-“ Rose begins.

“Slow down,” Lönathar says laughing, “I was hoping to take you flying around my home since the property is already set up with pegasi in mind. There’s even a ground training area for first time riders, though I intend to ride with you your first time,” Lönathar explains.

“Pegasi? As in plural?” Rose asks shocked.

“Well, yes my family raises them,” Lönathar states.

“You? Raise…” Rose begins, “Is that why your seal is a pegasus?”

“It is, my seal is my family crest, I thought you knew?” Lönathar asks.

Rose shakes her head, “I didn’t, I’m sure my father knew, but I’m not very familiar with the elven families around here or elven customs for that matter. Many elves prefer to keep to themselves, it’s why it was so surprising that you…”

“Are interested in you? Darling, I adore you,” Lönathar says absolutely smitten.

Rose smiles giddily and clutches his hands tighter in hers.

“And if there’s ever anything you would like to know about elven customs, I’m an open book, so don’t be afraid to ask me anything,” Lönathar says.

Rose smiles, “Well, I would like to know more about you, Lönathar,” she says moving closer to him.

Lönathar smiles too, “Certainly, My Lady, I would love to know more about you as well. Let’s discuss what we haven’t already covered in our letters.”

You hear a knock on your door and check to see who it is and immediately smile and open the door.

Kandomere smiles and gives you a quick peck on the lips, “May I come in?”

“Of course,” you say and step aside to let him in.

It’s then that you notice he has grocery bags in his hands and upon entering he heads for the kitchen.

Curious, you lock the door behind him and follow him.

You then watch for a moment as he sets the bags down on your counter and empties the contents. The elf notices and pulls something out of one of the bags and shows it to you, “Since you don’t drink, I brought strawberry lemonade for the two of us.”

You stare at the container of lemonade and then up at Kandomere, “The two of us?” you ask softly.

“Well yes…” he says shifting uncomfortably on his feet before setting the lemonade in the fridge, “I thought you could use a good meal after everything that’s happened.”

You smile and wrap your arms around him and rest your head against his chest.

His arms wrap around you as well and he gives you a gentle squeeze. You then pull back and lean towards his face and press your lips to his.

“So what are we having?” you ask softly.

His face breaks into a huge grin, “I’m making an Elvish dish using one of my family’s recipes.”

You smile at him again, one of his family’s recipes?

“You like Elvish food, right?” he asks.

You nod, “I actually love it, and I can’t wait to try what you’re about to cook up.”

He huffs a little and starts to bring out some pans and cutting boards from your cabinets. Your eyes trail over the elf as he shrugs out of his jacket, and this time Kandomere notices you staring and his head dips down as he gives you a seductive look.

Your eyes widen and you feel your blood rush.

“Like what you see?” Kandomere asks in a low voice, clearly loving your reaction.

“Um…yes,” you mutter quietly.

Kandomere steps towards you slowly, throwing his jacket over his shoulder, and you can practically hear your own heartbeat in your ears. He reaches a hand out and gently caresses your ear with his fingertips before trailing down to your chin. You lock eyes with him and he leans down and you eagerly meet his lips with your own. You wrap your arms around him and rub up and down his back.

And then you feel his hand trail down your back but quickly dart back up when he accidentally grazes your butt. You pull apart from him for a moment, “It’s okay,” you whisper against his lips, “You can touch my ass if you want to.”

He blinks and then you feel one of his hands move back down your back and lightly brush across a cheek before squeezing firmly causing you to squeak.

He lets go immediately, “That wasn’t too hard was it?”

You shake your head, “No, that was perfect.”

He leans towards you and the two of you kiss again.

You feel his hand find your ass again and he squeezes you slowly. He hums in appreciation against your mouth and you can feel your face get warm as well as your lower abdomen. The two of you then start to pull apart slowly, giving each other a series of quick pecks, before Kandomere is out of reach and you miss and kiss his jaw instead.

And he blinks a few times and takes a slow breath.

You’re more than a little pleased you have such an effect on the elf.

“Dinner,” he says, “I was going to cook you dinner.”

You let out a little giggle and then your hand trails down his arm to his hand still resting on your ass, and you see a slight blush color his cheeks as he removes his hand.

He’s so cute!

He then takes your hand in his and lifts it to his lips, pressing a kiss to each of your knuckles.

He’s sweet too.

He gives you a broad smile before finally returning to dinner preparations.

You look down at yourself and notice that you’re wearing a particularly old and worn set of clothes, “I’m going to go change into something more comfortable,” you say trying to excuse yourself from the kitchen.

Kandomere looks to you with his brows raised, “Oh um…of course.”

You realize that sounded more suggestive than you had intended it.

“Uh I…meant in a, I wasn’t expecting company kind of way, not in a sexy way,” you correct quietly.

Kandomere’s brows raise again, “Of course,” he says seeming slightly relieved.

“Can’t exactly wear stockings and a satin slip in the kitchen now can I?” you say awkwardly.

Kandomere’s mouth opens slightly as he stares at you and then his eyes trail down your form, he swallows thickly and nods.

Did he just?

Did he just picture you wearing lingerie?

“…I’ll be right back,” you say as you start to back out of the kitchen.

The elf offers you a smile before rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.

You awkwardly shuffle to your bedroom and close the door behind you.

You exhale slowly and quietly and then stare over at your unmade bed with the comforter tossed about. And your mind briefly wanders to an image of Kandomere in your bed…no, it’s too soon for that.

You step over to your dresser and look through your drawers. Finding something suitable you begin to peel off your layers of clothing and toss them onto the floor.

And when you strip down to your underwear, you frown.

You should probably wear cuter underwear than this.

What are you thinking?

It’s not like he’s going to see it.

You glance over your shoulder at your bed, but he might.

You exhale and remove your underwear and search for a cuter set. You pick up a gorgeous red pair and shake your head, no that’s too sexy.

You could go with black?

No.

You gasp and pull out a baby blue pair of panties and a bra, perfect!

As you’re putting your underwear on, you glance at the door and realize you didn’t lock it, and you quickly put on the rest of your clothes.

What if Kandomere had walked in?

No, he would have knocked because he’s a gentleman. And besides he probably wouldn’t want to come into your bedroom anyways after seeing your sex toy.

You glance back at your bed and your shoulders slump.

Still, it would be nice to have Kandomere in your bed.

Wait, was he already into you when he saw your vibrator?

You put your hand over your mouth briefly and then open the door and return to the kitchen to find Kandomere chopping vegetables. He looks up as you enter and smiles as his eyes trail over you for not the first time tonight.

“Well, aren’t you adorable,” he says fondly.

You blush and smile, glancing to the side.

You then step towards him and reach your hand out.

He slows in his rapid chopping as you touch his forearm and slide your hand up to his shoulder.

You lean towards him and he meets you halfway to kiss you.

And as the two of you part, “Need any help?” you ask.

He smiles, “Of course.”

He sets the knife down and moves so you can approach the cutting board. You pick up the knife and he maneuvers around behind you and his hands slide down your arms to your hands.

And he gently guides you as you begin chopping the vegetables.

You smile as you feel him press his chest to your back, before pressing a kiss to the side of your head. You finish chopping and he takes the cutting board from you and adds it to the dish. He then returns to you and sets another vegetable down for you to chop and as you’re chopping you can feel your sweater slip off your shoulder and drag one of your bra straps down with it. Kandomere removes his left hand from yours and he gently slips a finger under the strap and lifts it back up.

“Um, thank you,” you mutter weakly.

He stares at you and smiles and you smile back and then continue to chop the vegetables. When you’re done Kandomere adds it to the dish as well and it’s not long before the heavenly scent of cooked food fills your apartment and is ready to eat.

You both fill your plates and head out to the living room.

“Oh by the way, I was able to record that special you were telling me about, if you wanted to watch it?” you ask.

He smiles, “I’d love to.”

You turn on the tv and find the recording and then take your first bite of food and are unable to stop yourself from sighing.

Kandomere chuckles.

You eat in silence for a couple of minutes while you both watch tv until a thought pops into your head suddenly.

“Kandomere…” you begin turning to the elf, “Is this a date?”

He looks at you in surprise before furrowing his brows, “I hadn’t planned on it…” he murmurs a little confused.

“You came to my apartment and you cooked me food, and now we’re watching a two hour history program,” you explain.

He glances from you to the tv and then back to you a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, “Did you want it to be?” he asks honestly.

“Yes,” you say softly.

He takes your hand and presses a kiss to your skin, “Then it’s a date.”

You smile and place your hand on his cheek and kiss him.

And when you return to eating your meal, “I have been meaning to discuss with you what you would like to do for our Third date,” Kandomere says.

You stare at him and smile.

“How does an art museum sound?” he asks tentatively.

“A museum?! I’d love to!” you exclaim.

He smiles wide, “There’s even a new exhibit that just opened up,” he continues enthusiastically, “You know…I wasn’t aware that you would be into an informal date.”

You knit your brows together and then you remember something Selina had said once about elves having courtship rules that they are obligated to follow.

“Things haven’t exactly been what you would call formal between us, Dear,” you say.

He nods, “True, but still it’s customary to wait until after….” he trails off suddenly.

You continue to stare at him as you feel a warmth in your abdomen again, “Until after…sex?” you finish for him.

He wets his lips and nods slowly, “…yes.”

So he has thought about sex.

With you.

Whether or not anything happens tonight you’re definitely going to be thinking about this later, although you would prefer to wait a little while longer.

But there’s a particular word he said that’s catching your attention.

“Customary?” you question.

He blinks a few times and his mouth opens slightly.

“Kandomere, are you…courting me?” you ask.

He opens his mouth further and closes it slowly before answering, “I am,” he admits proudly.

You cover your mouth with your hand and smile.

You’re beyond flattered, if there’s one thing you know about elven courtships it’s that no elf begins one unless they’re serious.

“That’s…that’s so sweet,” you manage to say.

“Did you not expect me to?” he asks seriously.

You shake your head and shrug your shoulders, “I’ve never dated an elf before, I don’t know what to expect.”

Kandomere smiles and takes your hand in his, “Expect that I will care for you.”

You’re speechless as he leans towards you and presses his lips to yours.

And when you part you rub your forehead against his and he does the same.

After you’re both finished eating Kandomere takes both of your plates back to the kitchen and as he enters the living room again he checks the time on his pocket watch.

“Do you have to leave soon?” you ask a little disappointed.

“No, I had Montehugh drop me off earlier and I thought he’d be here by now,” Kandomere explains.

“You know I was wondering about your car being parked out on the street and if it would be there when you got back,” you say with amusement glancing towards the window.

Kandomere chuckles, “Which is exactly why I didn‘t drive here, Montehugh still has a few things to finish up at the office and he’ll be by after and in the meantime…” he says and grabs the blanket off the back of the couch.

“We can cuddle?” you ask hopeful.

He nods and takes off his shoes and sits down on the couch.

You move to his side of the couch as he starts to remove his vest and sets it on the coffee table. Then you reach for his tie and his attention turns to you as you tug it loose. You hand it back to him and he absentmindedly sets it on the coffee table and lies down. You follow him and he pulls the blanket over you both and you rest your head on his chest. His hands run up and down your back and then down your arms. You lift yourself up onto your elbow and lean towards him.

His right arm wraps around your waist and he holds you close to him.

You lean closer to him and start to press your lips to his and let out a small moan when his tongue enters your mouth unexpectedly and you reach towards his face with your left hand.

Your nails gently scrape the inside of his pointed ear and he groans loudly.

Your mouth pulls away from his in alarm and you’re about to apologize when his mouth finds yours again and you’re momentarily distracted by his passionate kisses.

His left hand moves to squeeze your ass and as you moan into his mouth you begin to move your hips against his. His right hand grips your hip and steadies you and he squeezes you again with his left and you begin to feel some much longed for friction. Your lips part from his to kiss his jaw a few times before slowly moving down his neck.

His hands grip your hips tighter as the two of you move against one another.

You start to unbutton his shirt and pull apart the fabric and kiss his bare chest.

“Wait…stop,” he pants.

You stop altogether and lift your head to stare at the elf.

He takes a breath and you sit back and feel something hard beneath you and realize you’re practically straddling the elf. He wets his lips and glances down at his partially open shirt and pulls it back together, obstructing your view of his chest.

“I…not yet,” he manages.

“Oh,” you say softly and lift off of him and push yourself back against the couch, “I’m sorry.”

You’re terribly embarrassed, you hadn’t meant to go this far.

You’re usually not like this.

“I didn’t mean to push you,” you apologize.

Kandomere stares at you as he sees the conflict on your face, “No, you didn’t-“ he mutters and then sits up and lifts a hand to your cheek, “It’s alright, Amor, it’s alright.”

“I know that there’s rules to courtships,” you continue, “And I know that I just broke one.”

Kandomere’s eyes dart to the side, “Yes, but I also broke it.”

You place your hand over his, “You’re not upset? Or hurt?’ you ask fearful.

He shakes his head gently, “No, Querida, come let’s cuddle like you had suggested.”

You smile a little and settle back down onto the couch with the elf and rest against his chest again. And Kandomere’s hands gently trail up and down your back again before he pulls the blanket around you both again. And the gentle rise and fall of his chest and drone of the tv eventually lulls you to sleep.

                                                                      *******

Kandomere stares down at her, sound asleep on his chest.

He should explain to her what happened.

But he’s not sure how to tell her that his ears are an erogenous zone, that she accidentally stumbled into. And he realized a little late that he had escalated their making out…to a little more than that.

He can still smell her arousal, fortunately she didn’t seem to notice his erection.

He sighs and buries his nose in her hair.

He should tell her.

But at this point he’s touched her ears so many times…

Although it is clear to him that she sees it as the affectionate gesture he intends it to be. There’s no way he’s going to be able to last the six months of abstinence that is standard in elven courtships, and many last longer than that.

Nor should he have to wait.

He’s eager for the first night he makes love to her, but he wants to do so gently.

And slowly.

He wants to take his time and he wants them both to be ready when the moment comes. Tonight was about lifting her spirits and he hadn’t realized it could be seen as an impromptu date by his new girlfriend…

Well he hopes she wants to be.

She was excited at the prospect of being courted by him, he smiles and presses a kiss to the top of her head and runs his hands across her back.

He’s truly falling for this woman.

His girlfriend grumbles in her sleep and clutches his shirt, “Shh,” he soothes and then proceeds to hum a few bars of ‘Oh Lover Mine.’

She quiets down and her hand releases it’s hold on his clothing.

He worries that she’ll have more nightmares when he’s not here.

Agent Hernández and him had a conversation about it early on when she had discovered his Bright’s bedroom frozen and he had informed her that he was already aware of the situation, but that it would be a good idea if they both kept an eye on her.

Although without her magic…

Will that even happen?

It would be a terrible way for it to resurface.

He starts to hum again and she nuzzles against his chest.

There’s a loud buzzing noise as his phone in his vest pocket vibrates on the coffee table. Worried she might wake, Kandomere reaches over and fishes through his pockets and pulls out the phone.

Montehugh.

He answers it and holds it up to his ear, “Getting a little late isn’t it?”

“Yeah, yeah I know. You do realize there’s been a shit ton of paperwork and reports to file what with all these damn elves running about?” Montehugh questions.

Kandomere chuckles quietly, “I’m aware.”

“I’m headed over there now in case you were wondering,” Montehugh says.

“Oh by all means take your time, Ulysses,” Kandomere says before burying his nose in his date’s hair.

“You know I hear sarcasm in your voice but what I Don’t hear is you complaining about spending quality time with your new girlfriend,” Montehugh remarks.

Kandomere is quiet for a moment and then lifts his head, “Goodbye, Ulysses.”

“Yeah, uh huh, bye,” Montehugh says and Kandomere hangs up the phone and sets it back down again.

He stares at the tv while wrapping both of his arms around her and gives her a gentle squeeze and his eyes start to slip closed.

There’s a hard banging on the door that jolts Kandomere and the woman on his chest awake He can instantly smell fear coming from her and as they both sit up, he holds up a hand. Then he quietly moves to the door, careful to keep his shadow from passing in front of it and listens.

He hears a sniffle and then another series of banging on the door.

Kandomere smiles and holds out a hand to the woman still on the couch.

He unlocks the door and stares at his partner about to knock again.

“You’ll wake the entire apartment complex like that,” Kandomere says.

“Well maybe if Someone would answer their phone,” Montehugh says holding his own up, “I texted you like ten minutes ago what have you been doing?!”

Montehugh then takes note of the elf’s clothing or lack thereof.

“Should I come back later…or tomorrow?” Montehugh asks with a raised brow.

“Just give me a moment,” Kandomere says before shutting the door.

The elf turns back to his girlfriend on the couch, who is now slowly and sleepily getting up.

He walks towards her and she gets up and meets him halfway.

His hands meet her waist and he gently tugs her closer to him until her hips touch his and his lips meet hers. They slowly kiss one another as her hands find his face and then he slowly withdraws.

“I…I didn’t upset you or anything did I?” she asks softly.

He shakes his head gently, “No, Querida, I’m not upset, I simply want to wait a little while longer before we…” he trails off.

She nods in understanding, “However long you need.”

He stares at her for a moment before pressing his lips to hers again, and then he presses a kiss to her cheek, and then he leans in close to her ear, “I won’t make you wait forever…” he promises.

And as Kandomere pulls back to meet her gaze, he smiles at her wide pupils and slight blush now coloring her cheeks.

She smiles back at him with some restrained excitement and gives him a small nod.

He brushes his hand gently against her cheek affectionately and she closes her eyes as she leans into his touch.

Kandomere then picks up his discarded clothing and redresses himself.

His date helps him and smoothes down the fabric to get rid of the wrinkles in his vest.

She kisses him again, “Goodnight, Darling,” she whispers.

“Goodnight, Mi Amor,” he says softly cupping her face.

He kisses her again and finally steps out of the apartment.

Montehugh eyes him for a moment, “If you want me to pick you up tomorrow morning instead…” Montehugh begins.

Kandomere shakes his head and starts walking down the hall, “No, I would prefer to drive myself to work tomorrow and besides I have an early shift, I doubt you would appreciate it.”

Montehugh tilts his head to the side, “Yeah, I really wouldn’t.”

Kandomere hears a door open behind him and turns to see his girlfriend peering at him behind her apartment door. He stares at her concerned until she purses her lips and he knows what is that she wants.

He smiles and quickly strides back to her and gives her one last goodnight kiss.

Then he presses his forehead against hers and she lets out a soft sigh.

She smiles at him and they both slowly untangle themselves from each other again and she goes back into her apartment and closes and locks the door behind her.

Kandomere turns back around with a smile on his face and sees Montehugh watching him with a grin.

The elf shakes his head at him and walks past him in the hallway.

And when they step on the elevator together, “You know it’s good to see you act a little more human for a change,” Montehugh says.

Kandomere huffs, “What Elves can’t have feelings?”

Montehugh chuckles and then pats Kandomere on the back.

The elf is confused by this gesture and stares at the man.

“I’m happy for you, Boss, I really am,” Montehugh says.

Kandomere blinks a few times and smiles, “Thank you, Ulysses.”

                                                                     *******

Kandomere picks out a red tie from his drawer and slips it around his neck and then tucks it under his collar. He glances down at his phone on the dresser and smiles and pauses to pick it up and text his Bright.

“Hola, Hermosa,” he says.

He sets the phone down and begins tying his tie. He’s heading into work earlier than her today, but he still wanted to send a good morning message to her. He finishes tying his tie and tucks it into his vest and admires himself.

And then he starts to feel a throbbing pain in his head.

He rubs his temples, it seems he’s a little slow in making his morning coffee.

Kandomere goes into his kitchen and brews some coffee, and as he brings the cup to his lips there’s a sudden sharp pain and he reaches for his head and drops the mug onto the floor.

He pushes through the pain and stares blearily at the floor and the shattered cup.

Kandomere sighs heavily to himself.

At least he didn’t spill any on himself.

He cleans up the broken shards and wipes up the coffee, before fixing himself another cup. But strangely enough the dull ache persists as he starts driving to work. He gets stuck in a bit of traffic due to a mild accident on the road, but he takes a shortcut due to his elven plates through a corner of the elven district, and still makes it to work on time.

As he sits down in his office chair he rubs his temples some more, the coffee didn’t seem to do anything at all for his headache. He reaches into his drawer and pulls out a bottle of aspirin and takes some before beginning on his paperwork.

Kandomere returns to his desk after a brief trip to the break room for more coffee and grabs the bottle of aspirin again and dumps a handful into his hand and downs it with a swig of coffee.

“Jesus, you okay, Boss?” Montehugh asks.

Kandomere turns around and stares at the man.

“No…I’ve got a splitting headache,” Kandomere grumbles rubbing his forehead, then the elf turns to him again, “What is it?”

“Well, you’re not gonna like it, but you know that goblin we arrested for possession of illegal gryphon organs?” Montehugh asks.

Kandomere nods.

“There’s a lawyer here for him, an Elven lawyer,” Montehugh states.

Kandomere furrows his brows, “How did he manage to get an elven lawyer?”

Montehugh shrugs, “I don’t know, but what I do know is that he’s from a Certain Law Firm.”

Kandomere tilts his head and sighs.

And the headache just got worse.

The two of them then head downstairs and make their way to the holding facility only to find an unfamiliar elf already leaving.

Kandomere locks eyes with the elf and as he steps closer his headache worsens.

The pale, brown-haired elven man gives him a closed mouth smile and there’s an odd familiarity to this individual.

The bearded elven man then extends his right hand towards Kandomere, “Hello, I’m Rütheron, and the legal representation for Mr.Gargef.”

Kandomere glares at the elf’s outstretched hand and notices a singular, silvery snake ring adorning his ring finger.

Kandomere slowly lifts his head to stare into the eyes of the other elf.

Who smiles and quirks his brow before blinking and withdrawing his hand only to place both of his hands in his pockets, “I realize dealing with lawyers is never an easy task, but I’m a part of the balance in the justice system and a necessary evil.”

Kandomere straightens and stares up at Rütheron who is at least a couple of inches taller than him.

He doesn’t know how this elf found the MTF but he’s not about to let him intimidate him.

“I’m Special Agent Kandomere, and I’m confused as to why an individual such as yourself is representing a goblin, who probably won’t be able to afford your rates,” Kandomere says.

“Now, now it’s not about the money, it’s about justice and fair treatment,” Rütheron states.

That’s the first lie.

“My client,” Rütheron continues placing a hand on his chest, “Was nowhere near the events your agents apprehended him for and is merely a victim of his fellows egregious activities.”

“The contraband in question was still in his possession and he has been charged as such,” Kandomere states.

“You know, you would know that shit if you actually read his file, or talked to him like you’re supposed to, you know as his Legal Counsel,” Montehugh chimes in.

“Yes, but I’m sure you would try to find a way to charge him for it anyways, which is why I’m hoping to broker a deal for a lesser sentence in exchange for information on his fellows’ whereabouts and the missing gryphons,” Rütheron continues.

Kandomere’s eyes shift to Montehugh briefly and the two exchange a glance.

Neither of them mentioned anything about missing gryphons.

It is still possible Gargef told Rütheron himself, as he did with Agent McTavish, especially considering that this elf is far more intimidating.

Kandomere studies him carefully for a moment.

But other than the ring on the elf’s finger, he doesn’t have evidence of his involvement in the twins’ illegal activities. And as a lawyer he would easily escape a prison sentence without something more concrete to arrest him for. He would simply say the ring was a family heirloom passed down to him and that he had no idea it was filled with deadly Basilisk’s venom.

He’s seen such scenarios play out one too many times before with these snakes.

“If you can convince him to tell us where the gryphons are, then I’ll consider cutting him a deal,” Kandomere says simply.

Rütheron smiles wide, “I knew you would see reason, you’re not as archaic as other elves I’ve known,” he says patting his tie.

And Kandomere notices that Rütheron is not wearing a gorget.

Strange, considering who he works for.

“Those sort of archaic beliefs have no place in a modern world, and I would argue they never should have had a place to begin with,” Kandomere says.

Rütheron nods, “I couldn’t have said it better myself, now if you’ll excuse me I have another appointment to keep across town.”

“What? Leaving so soon?” Montehugh asks.

Rütheron smiles again, “I’m afraid so, oh but before I leave,” he says reaching into his jacket, he pulls out a business card and hands it to Kandomere.

But Kandomere doesn’t take it.

He already knows what it says.

Montehugh on the other hand steps forwards and Rütheron turns to hand him the card instead.

“Pretty prestigious law firm,” Montehugh comments with feigned surprise.

Rütheron chuckles, “Yes, well I’m sure you have a lot of Bright individuals working for you,” he says casting a glance up at the office building behind them.

Kandomere turns to stare at the building and his brows furrow angrily.

He knows she’s not here yet, so there’s no way he can sense her, but Rütheron still knows that she works here.

Kandomere steels his features and turns back to the other elf, “We’ll be in touch.”

“I may be the one paying you a visit before long,” Rütheron says as he starts to make his way across the parking lot.

The two agents watch him leave.

Montehugh looks at the business card, “Cocky bastard. What are the odds he gave us his real name?” he asks holding up the card between two fingers.

Kandomere stares angrily into the distance as the other elf drives off, “Very high.”

“Think your old man sent him?” Montehugh asks.

Kandomere shakes his head, “No, this isn’t his style.”

“Did you get a load of that ring he had on?” Montehugh asks.

Kandomere nods.

They both return to the office and Kandomere takes the business card from Montehugh.

“Make sure Vynadar’s accounts are frozen and see if you can trace his spending to wherever he is now if possible,” Kandomere says.

Montehugh nods, “If I recall The Northern Light mentioned something about that dragon he’s buddies with taking off to Europe, it’s possible he went with him.”

Kandomere nods, “Find out what you can.”

“Will do, Boss,” Montehugh says and walks down the hall.

Kandomere stares across the various desks in the room and spots Arathir.

He walks over to the younger purple-haired elf who looks up at him as he approaches.

“Yes, Sir?” Arathir asks.

“I need you to do a search on this elf,” Kandomere says handing him the business card.

Arathir examines the card and then types the name into the computer.

He runs the criminal background check first and almost immediately there’s nothing.

Which doesn’t surprise Kandomere.

Next, Arathir runs a more general search and comes up with Rütheron’s employer’s website which is written entirely in Övüsi.

Again not surprising.

There’s a picture of Rütheron along with some of his credentials and accomplishments.

Kandomere straightens and sighs.

And Arathir glances up at him, waiting for him to say something.

“See if he has any close relatives,” Kandomere says.

Arathir begins to do a search for Rütheron’s family and he finds quite a bit, and when he runs a search on one of his sisters, both of them come up, in a fashion article.

Kandomere crosses his arms as Arathir brings up the article and scrolls down to find a photo of the elven twins, Helaria and Katharia, two big names in fashion here in L.A.

Arathir blinks as he stares at the photo, “Those are the elves that were at the textile mill.”

“Indeed they are,” Kandomere confirms, “And the third sibling just showed up on our doorstep.”

Arathir looks down at the business card again.

“I want you to compile as much information as you can about these three,” Kandomere says.

Arathir nods, “Yes, Sir.”

Kandomere’s eyes are drawn to movement from the other side of the room and he turns to see Agents Hernández and McTavish and…his new girlfriend.

She sees him right away and smiles at him.

“Do you need this by the end of the day, Sir?” Arathir asks.

Kandomere’s attention is drawn back to the agent in front of him, “Yes.”

Arathir nods and glances over at the woman before returning to his work.

Was he that obvious?

He needs to try to keep things low profile between him and her while at work, unless he wants office gossip to spread, and the possibility of either of them getting fired. While it’s not exactly against the rules for them to date it’s not exactly celebrated either.

He strides across the room to meet her, “If I could speak to you for a moment in my office,” he says.

She smiles and nods, and then follows him down the hall to his office.

However avoiding her now would be suspicious and he doesn’t want to do that at all anyways.

He opens his door for her and she steps through.

Kandomere enters his office and closes and locks the door. He steps behind her and lightly grasps her shoulders and presses a kiss to the top of her head.

She turns in his arms to stare up at him with a smile on her face.

“Did you really need to talk to me? Or did you just want to see me?” she asks.

“Both,” he says brushing the hair out of her face.

His hands trail down to hers and he walks backwards as he leads her over to his desk. He leans back against the desk and pulls her close to his chest.

She giggles and her hands slip out of his to rest on his chest.

“Did you get my text this morning?” he asks.

“I did, did you see mine?” she asks.

He shakes his head and shifts so he can reach his phone in his pocket and checks his messages.

He smiles when he reads it, “Hey, Handsome?”

She nods and smiles, “I looked up what Hermosa meant and thought it was an appropriate response.”

“But do you really think I’m handsome?” he asks playfully.

“Of course I do,” she answers smiling, “Do you really think I’m beautiful?”

“Absolutely,” he says with no hesitation as he caresses her face.

She closes her eyes and sways in his arms and his left hand moves to her lower back.

“Kandomere?” she asks softly.

“Hm?” he hums.

“Are we…officially dating? I know you said you were courting me but I wasn’t sure,” she says.

“We’re definitely dating,” he confirms with a smirk.

She smiles broadly, “And you do want it to be just me and you?”

“I Only want you,” he says tilting her chin up.

She closes her eyes and giggles softly, “Good.”

He wraps both of his arms around her and holds her tight against his body and he can feel a heat pool in his lower abdomen.

“I just wanted to know we were on the same page,” she says.

“Do humans still call being exclusive ‘going steady’?” Kandomere asks, “I hope you know I’m in this for the long run.”

“I do now,” she says softly, “I wanted to be sure before we…got any further.”

Kandomere smiles, “When we reach that point, I’ll go slow and I’ll be gentle with you, I promise.”

He can see her face start to flush and then she smiles and blushes even more, “I…I would love that.”

He smiles and brushes his nose against hers.

“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it,” she admits.

He raises an eyebrow, “Really?”

She nods biting her lower lip.

And Kandomere wants to bite it for her.

But his teeth?

They’re probably too sharp for her.

“I have a confession to make, I’ve also thought about it, namely when I found a certain blue object…” Kandomere trails off.

Her brows furrow for a moment and then her eyes widen and she covers her mouth.

He hopes he hasn’t made this awkward.

“I…that was actually because of you,” she squeaks.

The heat in his groin grows.

“Me?” he breathes and her pupils dilate.

She nods, “I might have read too many romance novels before bed,” she says.

Her book, ‘A Moonlit Courtship’ she had just gotten it back at the time.

“I’m flattered, Querida, you smelled so wonderful that when I got home I couldn’t resist…” he trails off.

She stares at him and slowly clutches at his vest and as he stares at her he inhales subtly and…sure enough he can smell her arousal growing. He feels his erection growing and as she leans in to kiss him, she suddenly stops and glances down.

She exhales slowly and lets go of him and pushes back against his arms and he releases his hold on her as she steps back.

“You had said you wanted to wait,” she says nodding to herself, “So I’ll just head back to work, if that’s alright.”

He nods, “Oh um….I do actually need to tell you what you’re working on today.”

She smiles and lets out a small laugh.

“You’ve probably already guessed but I want you to assist Agents Hernández and McTavish today in deciphering any spells or potions Vynadar had been using in his lab,” he explains.

She nods and starts to walk away.

“Wait,” he says catching her hand and bringing it to his lips.

She smiles and takes his hand in hers and thumbs across his knuckles.

Then he releases her hand and lets her depart his office finally.

He glances down at his erection and clears his throat slightly and returns to sit back at his desk. He’s never exactly had this happen before at work and he needs to calm down.

Paperwork.

That’s plenty boring.

And not all a gorgeous woman just down the hall from him.

He rubs his temples, his headache hasn’t gone away, it does feel like it’s subsiding a little though.

It’s probably all the painkillers he took.

Which was admittedly overkill but it felt like nothing was working.

But seeing his new girlfriend has put a smile on his face.

His erection slowly goes down overtime and he spends a couple of hours on paperwork, and he’s no longer worried about someone knocking on his office door.

He takes a moment away from his paperwork to check his email on his work laptop and answer any new messages.

When he notices an email he’s unfamiliar with.

He opens it and sees that it’s from a curator of a French museum.

He had called a number of people trying to get records on Selina’s family history just the other day. Apparently one of the people he had called had forwarded his contact info to someone interested in…archiving and displaying any historical items belonging to the half-elf and her family for remembrance. She says she’s also the person who organized and currated the new exhibit visiting L.A. and she’s even giving a speech on it tonight.

Kandomere glances over at Jean’s belongings still next to his couch on the floor.

Perhaps his girlfriend should meet her?

She’s been worried about what will happen to Jean’s belongings specifically and this is a possible option. He sends a response email stating that he would like the living family member to meet her and discuss further. He continues his work and spends another hour on paperwork and it’s then that he receives a reply that she’s ecstatic to meet with this family member later tonight if possible.

Kandomere has been intending to take his girlfriend to the museum.

He’ll have to ask her if she’s willing to go tonight.

                                                                     *******

You follow Hernández and McTavish outside.

You smile to yourself thinking about Kandomere.

Your new boyfriend Kandomere.

“Well, you look happy,” Hernández says.

You glance over at her, “Oh, yeah I am.”

“Did something happen?” McTavish prompts.

You walk along the sidewalk and glance around and there’s no one else.

“Kandomere, came over to my apartment last night and cooked dinner for me,” you explain.

“Did you two snuggle afterwards?” Hernández teases.

“Yeah we did!” you exclaim excitedly.

Hernández makes a face like she’s just seen a cute puppy, “Ah! That’s adorable!”

“And I asked him if he was courting me because he was being very romantic and he said he was and then things got a little steamy but nothing happened, happened. And then today I asked him if we were dating and he said we definitely are, and I think I have a new boyfriend,” you excitedly ramble.

“Ooh! That’s great!” McTavish squeals, “I’m so happy for you!”

Hernández looks absolutely giddy now, “What did I tell you?! And to think you weren’t going to go out with him.”

“I know, I know you were right,” you admit.

“I’m sorry what was that?” Hernández asks cupping her ear.

“I said you were right, Gabriela,” you repeat.

She nods to herself, “So did you at least get to touch his butt?”

“No,” you say, “But he did touch mine.”

She holds up her hand and you high five her.

“We did make out a little and he definitely got…” you trail off.

Hernández smiles and nods.

“Also I did tell him earlier that I….uh thought about him when I was in the shower,” you continue.

“Wait, was it the time you used your…grown up toy?” McTavish asks.

You nod, “Yeah, it was.”

“Okay, Gabriela told me about that,” McTavish says.

“Wait, so you admitted that to him?” Hernández asks surprised, “Damn, you’re a little bolder than I thought.”

You bite your lip and smile, “Yeah and then he told me that he thought about me later that same night.”

“Holy Shit!” McTavish exclaims, “That’s amazing.”

“So when’s he going to invite you over to his place?” Hernández asks elbowing you.

“I don’t know we’ve only been on two dates so far, but he did say something about not making me wait forever, I know elven courtships can be a bit long-winded, and he didn’t seem quite ready yet. So….I guess when we’re both ready for that next step, I honestly don’t mind waiting. It’s nice getting to know him,” you continue.

“Alright, I want to ask you a million more things, but we have got to head inside now,” Hernández says about the lab building you’re approaching.

“Wait! How did your first date go?” McTavish asks.

“Oh shit! I almost forgot, we really need to catch up huh?” Hernández asks.

“It went really well, he brought me flowers, then we went to dinner and we pretty much talked until the restaurant closed and then we kissed each other goodnight,” you explain quickly.

“How was it?” Hernández asks.

“It was amazing, he’s amazing,” you sigh.

“Awww,” they both say.

“We’ve kissed a bunch of times since then too,” you say.

“I would hope so, you made out didn’t you? Alright more on this later,” Hernández says waving a hand over her face and steeling her expression, “I can’t have those lab guys knowing I’m a big softie for mushy romance stuff.”

You laugh as the three of you enter the building.

Hernández leads you all to the main research room, “Hey, have any of you seen Saerthon around?” she asks the room.

One of the lab techs looks up at her and then points to an adjacent room.

“Thanks,” Hernández says.

You follow her to the room and she pushes open the door and the only person occupying it is Saerthon, who turns around to stare at you all. It’s the same room where the Basilisk’s venom ring had been kept and currently sitting on the metal countertops in the middle of the rectangular room are pieces of what remains of the golem. They probably had a difficult time removing it from the basement and taking it out in pieces was the only way.

You also see the diamond lance sitting next to it.

“Just here to check up on your progress,” Hernández says.

“Well, I’m afraid I don’t have much at the moment,” Saerthon says.

“So you don’t have anything for us?” McTavish asks crossing her arms.

“I didn’t say that,” Saerthon corrects, “In fact I do have something very important to show you.”

He finishes setting some vials of liquid in a centrifuge and walks to the right side of the counter to open a fridge and retrieve something. He takes out a tray with the dragon scale resting on it and sets it down on the counter.

You all step closer to it to inspect it.

“Is that?” Hernández asks.

“It is indeed,” Saerthon says, ”The scale that was used to control Angelo. Although I don’t believe it was used to quite that effect. You see, I and my staff have poured through the elf’s research notes and found nothing capable of controlling a dragon, but what we did find was a Berserker Spell.”

“Which enraged the dragon and pointed him in the right direction,” you say nodding.

“Precisely,” Saerthon says pointing at you, “But even still it would be difficult to cast a spell on such a large and powerful magical creature, so the scale was used to strengthen it’s potency.”

“But if he was fully aware of himself he still would have had a good chance of fighting the magic, but not if he was attacked by another dragon,” you continue staring at the cracked scale.

“Pain and anger at being threatened would have only been heightened by the Berserker spell,” Saerthon states.

“It’s no wonder he was attacking everything in sight,” Hernández says.

“And I bet that evil dragon was the only way the elf could get close enough to Angelo in the first place,” McTavish says.

“Did the crack happen during the spell or after it?” you ask.

Saerthon looks at the scale, “It’s hard to say, but it was likely damaged during the spell and as such cannot be used again.”

You nod.

“Are you wondering if the breaking of the spell caused the fissure?” Saerthon asks.

You shrug your shoulders, “It’s possible, usually spells don’t work twice on creatures like dragons.”

“Ah yes, spell immunity,” Saerthon muses.

“Spell immunity?” McTavish says.

Saerthon waves a hand at you.

“Spell immunity is much like regular immunity to disease, you can build up a defense against a particular spell and it will be harder for it take effect the next time it’s used and possibly make it completely ineffective,” you explain.

“That’s really cool actually, so we don’t have to worry about Angelo going rogue anymore?” Hernández asks.

You shake your head, “Not if this was the result,” you say gesturing to the scale.

“What about The Northern Light?” McTavish asks.

“She does not have the immunity, but she is aware of their efforts and she’s larger than the rival male dragon, and this sort of trick isn’t going to work twice regardless,” Saerthon says.

“Good to know they can’t turn the dragons against us anymore,” Hernández says.

“Unless they get the amulet,” Saerthon interjects.

“I’ve heard of spell immunity before but I’ve never seen it work, is it any spell or only certain ones?” Hernández asks.

“No, offensive magic is like throwing a rock at someone so no immunity there, but you can get good at dodging rocks and some things cause the equivalent of an allergic reaction so the next exposure could actually be far worse,” you continue.

Hernández nods, “Good to know.”

“Basilisks’ venom is a perfect example of that last one,” Saerthon adds.

You glance down.

“You know about that?” McTavish asks.

Saerthon nods, “By the way since we’re on the topic of spells and such I was curious as to how you stopped Angelo in the first place?”

“Oh um…with a Calm Mind spell,” you answer.

“Fascinating,” Saerthon says, “Such a spell would require a great deal of focus, which I imagine would be difficult to come by with a fire-breathing dragon wreaking havoc in front of you.”

You remember Angelo setting one of the APCs on fire and then grabbing the other in his jaws and smashing it into the concrete repeatedly. And the look he gave you when you called out to him…

“Yeah,” you say.

“Not to mention such a large, intelligent creature enthralled in a spell is equally difficult to dispel, although you are a Bright so I shouldn’t be surprised that you managed it,” Saerthon continues.

“Hey, Saerthon, can you lay off you’re being weird again,” Hernández says.

The smile slowly drops from the elf’s face and he glowers at Hernández.

“Alright, so we don’t have to worry about the dragon, what about that statue thing?” McTavish asks.

“The golem?” Saerthon asks.

McTavish nods.

“Ah, yes,” Saerthon says picking up the tray with the scale and returning it to the fridge.

He then picks up a metal bowl filled with something from the opposite counter and carefully sets it next to the broken pieces of the golem.

“The arcane matrix is a particularly intriguing device,” Saerthon begins.

You stare at the removed, diamond star-shaped glass housing for some sort of silver liquid that has pooled outside of it and into the bowl.

“The exterior is common glass, but the interior is liquid mercury, “Saerthon explains.

“Mercury?” you question.

“You didn’t touch it did you?” Saerthon questions.

You shake your head, “I’m pretty sure I didn’t, I let go of the spear before it-“

“Ah, yes! The spear! Thank you for reminding me,” Saerthon interrupts and walks over to where the spear is laying on the opposite side of the counter.

“Uh?” Hernández questions holding up her hand, “The matrix?”

“Yes, yes in a moment,” Saerthon says picking up the diamond spear with ease, “This spear isn’t carved, it was shaped from multiple sources of diamond.”

“With magic I’m guessing?” McTavish asks disinterested.

“Yes and it’s extraordinary! To be able to forge such a weapon with a flawless crystalline structure from so many separate pieces,” he says examing it closely.

“Yeah, that’s great, Saerthon. Is there anything else magic about it?” McTavish asks.

Saerthon deflates like a disappointed child, “Well…no, other than the way it was constructed, it is quite ordinary, if you can call a lance made of diamond ordinary.”

“Then let’s get back to the heart of the golem,” McTavish says gently.

Saerthon actually pouts and sets the weapon down and steps back over to the arcane matrix.

He sighs, “The size and shape is what you would expect for a golem of this size,” he says waving to the remnants of it on the counters, “But again like with the spear it was molded into the statue itself.”

“So he built the statue around it? Or?” Hernández questions.

“More like he put a battery in a car, it’s what makes it work, it’s what allows it to move. Golems have to be carved or made by your own hand in order to instill the magic in them necessary for them to act of their own accord, especially when their owner is nowhere to be found,” Saerthon continues.

“That explains the elaborate setup with the door, it was supposed to be a guard dog, “Hernández says.

“Only you don’t have to feed it and it’ll never listen to someone else,” McTavish says.

“It would take an awful long time to make such a construct so it’s likely been down there for years at the very least,” Saerthon adds.

“Any idea what triggered it?” Hernández asks looking to you.

You nod, “Yeah, me.”

They all look at you.

“Really? So it was a trap specifically intended for another Bright?” Saerthon asks.

You nod again, “It looked right at me.”

He looks mildly impressed, “And here I thought he might just be paranoid about the Magic Task Force as are most individuals we come across.”

“Considering he probably knew Selina was in the same city, I’m not surprised,” you say.

“What makes you say that?” Saerthon asks curiously.

“Because I know this wouldn’t have stopped Selina,” you say looking at it, “She would have torn right through it like it was wet tissue paper.”

“Damn, then your Aunt was a powerhouse,” Hernández says.

“Yeah, but the main reason it would have been easy, is because her natural magic was earth…and I’m guessing that her half-brother has the same magic,” you explain.

Saerthon gasps slowly, “That would explain everything!”

You all stare at him.

“The spear, the golem, the arcane matrix, even the basement, all of which involve the earth or are a part of the earth in one form or another, it’s because it’s his strongest magic, it’s why he had the mirror as well,” Saerthon continues.

“Because it turns people to stone?” Hernández asks.

Saerthon just waves his hands in the air for a moment, “So many things about his preference for certain spell choices make sense. Thank you, for that useful piece of information,” he says pointing to you.

“You’re…welcome?” you question.

“I need to do more research,” Saerthon continues more to himself than anyone else.

“Oookaay,” Hernández says, “If that’s all you have for now we’ll be going,” she says gesturing for the two of you to back up with her as Saerthon turns away.

“Oh one more thing before I forget,” Saerthon says turning to you, “How did you know where the matrix was? Was there some sort of symbol on the outside?”

“No…I sensed it…it was like a heartbeat,” you say.

He nods thoughtfully, “It would appear your magic never left you after all,” he says and returns to his work.

You and Hernández and McTavish leave the lab building together.

“That guy is really weird sometimes,” Hernández says.

“So you can still sense magic? That’s good,” McTavish says.

“Yeah, but I still can’t cast magic,” you say.

“Just give it some more time, you can’t expect to run a marathon after breaking your leg,” Hernández says.

You return to the office and start on the less exciting but less dangerous, paperwork.

You work until lunch and then come back and pick up where you left off.

McTavish looks up from her desk at Arathir as he walks past sighing heavily to himself, “Hey, Arathir,” McTavish greets, “Is everything alright?”

Arathir stops and looks over at her, “Oh, hello Agent McTavish. No, everything’s fine I simply have to finish gathering this intel on this elven lawyer that showed up earlier by the end of the day for Special Agent Kandomere.”

“What’s the matter?” Davidson mocks from his desk, “You need your mommy to tell off that big meanie?”

Arathir frowns and ignores him.

Hernández on the other hand, glares at Davidson out of the corner of her eye and then smiles, “Special Agent Kandomere Sir, here’s that report you asked for.”

Davidson who was reclining back smugly in his chair sits forwards abruptly and knocks his pen holder along with a file off his desk. When he looks around and doesn’t see the blue-haired elf anywhere, he stares angrily at Hernández, who chuckles to herself.

Even Arathir laughs at him and Davidson looks pissed.

“Did you say elven lawyer?” you question.

“Yeah, he was here early this morning to speak to a…” Arathir says as he checks his file, “A Mr. Gargef.”

“What?!” McTavish asks in surprise.

Hernández perks up as well, “What would an elven lawyer want with a goblin? Usually we only get elf lawyers when we detain elves.”

“I know and that’s not even the worst part,” Arathir says, “He seems to be the brother of the two elven twins we encountered at the textile mill.”

“Their brother?”” you question looking to Agents McTavish and Hernández, “What if he’s also a…”

Hernández stands up and takes her coat off the back of her chair and puts it on, “I think it’s time we had another chat with Garg.”

The three of you all head downstairs and back outside and then walk towards the containment facility. Hernández asks the guards there to let you speak to the goblin and then you wait while he’s brought to the same room as before.

When you finally enter the interrogation room something seems…off.

He’s more nervous perhaps?

“What do you want?” he demands.

“Just here for a little chat is all,” Hernández says taking a seat.

“I ain’t saying shit without my lawyer present,” Garg says.

“That’s actually what we’re here to discuss,” McTavish says.

“How did you get an Elven lawyer hm? Do you really make that much money selling gryphon parts?” Hernández questions.

Garg huffs.

“Or is there another reason he was here?” Hernández asks.

Garg glares at her and then turns his head away.

“Not talking huh?” Hernández asks.

“Not without my lawyer present,” Garg snarls as he leans forwards.

There’s a twitch in his face and then it’s gone.

Then he relaxes back into the chair and folds his arms over his chest.

“What did he say to you?” you ask.

Garg looks to you, “Lawyer stuff.”

“Did he threaten you?” you question.

Garg’s jaw clenches and then he sneers at you.

He’s afraid.

You can see it now in his eyes.

“He did? Didn’t he?” Hernández asks.

Garg says nothing.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Garg,” McTavish says.

Then you follow the agents out of the room and the guards come to collect Garg.

As you walk down the hall, you remember something.

“There’s cameras in that room, right?’ you ask.

“Yeah, of course,” Hernández says turning to you.

“If that lawyer is a Bright he could have easily tampered with them,” you say.

“Let’s check them before we leave then,” McTavish says.

You all head to security and are escorted back to the surveillance room to check the tapes.

“Can you show us the feed from earlier this morning? Where the lawyer walked in?” McTavish asks.

“Sure,” the guard says.

He scrubs back through the silent exterior camera footage overlooking the entrance until he finds the lawyer. Making note of the timestamp he follows him with the other cameras into the building. It’s fairly mundane at first and then they get to the part where he enters the room with Garg, the guard switches over to the camera in the interrogation room and there’s…nothing.

The guard examines the file and even moves the footage further along and it only comes back as the lawyer leaves the room.

Garg is still sitting in the chair as he was before and then the guards come into the room to escort him out.

“Check the camera for when he comes out,” Hernández suggests.

The guard does as she says and you watch the entire fast-forwarded footage of outside the room as nothing happens for ten minutes.

“That’s weird, the file is corrupte. I had a few glitches earlier with the cameras but was able to fix it in time to watch them talk,” the guard says.

“Did he do anything strange while he was in there?” McTavish asks.

The guard shakes his head, “Not that I saw.”

You stare at the still footage of the elf re-buttoning his suit jacket as he steps out.

“Was his coat buttoned before he went in?” you ask pointing at it.

The guard rewinds the footage and sure enough the elf’s jacket was buttoned before he went in the room, “Son of a bitch,” the guard mutters.

“Make sure to archive that footage, we might need it later,” Hernández says.

“Already on it,” the guard says, “I swear you can’t trust these elf bastards.”

“We need to tell the boss about this,” Hernández says to you and McTavish.

The three of you leave the building and head back to the office and when you’re outside Kandomere’s office door, McTavish knocks.

“Come in,” Kandomere calls.

Hernández opens the door and the elf is sitting at his desk and he glances up as you enter.

“So apparently there was an elven lawyer here today to speak with Garg,” Hernández begins.

Kandomere sets his pen down and folds his hands across his desk, “I am aware, the elf in question is named Rütheron, we spoke earlier.”

“Well, we just spoke to Garg and he seems fucking terrified, and I have reason to believe Rütheron threatened him or…did something,” Hernández continues.

Kandomere raises his brows and purses his lips and then sighs.

“We checked the cameras and the file for the interrogation room is corrupted and the guard mentioned there were problems with them all earlier. Kind of like when I…used magic a while back,” you explain messing with your hair awkwardly.

Kandomere ponders this for a moment, “Did he seem injured?”

“Not that I could tell at a glance,” Hernández says.

“I’ll have him checked for injury just in case,” Kandomere states, “There are other ways to tamper with cameras without magic but we can’t take the risk that magic wasn’t used. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

Hernández nods.

And with that you all leave his office again.

                                                                     *******

Montehugh enters the room and shuts the door behind him.

The elf waits until he’s seated before beginning the call.

And they wait in silence with the only sound being the dial tone.

“Hello?” a man’s voice answers.

“Hello, Sir, this is Special Agent Kandomere,” Kandomere says.

“And Agent Montehugh,” Montehugh says.

“And we’re calling to inform you of a ‘visitor’ that arrived unannounced on the premises earlier today,” Kandomere explains.

Their boss is silent for a moment, “Go on.”

“An elven lawyer by the name of Rütheron arrived early this morning to speak with the goblin know as Gargef, that we have detained for possession charges, and this elf is acting as his lawyer,” Kandomere continues.

“An elven lawyer? For a goblin?” their boss asks incredulously.

“That’s what we thought too,” Montehugh adds.

“So we spoke with Rütheron before he left and discovered that he also possesses a ring similar to that of the elven women, and as was discovered with a search through the internet, he is their older brother,” Kandomere says.  

There’s some grumbling from the other end, “You mentioned in your reports that there was a third member of their coven.”

“That’s correct, he gave us his business card and from there we were able to verify his place of employment and discover the names of his little sisters, Helaria and Katharia,” Montehugh says.

“They’re well known fashion designers here in L.A. And there supposed to make an appearance at a show tomorrow on one of the rooftops in the elven district,” Kandomere says.

“And Both twins are going to be there?” their boss asks.

“There’s articles with quotes from the sisters themselves that confirms they have plans to be there,” Montehugh confirms.

“Isn’t this the same fashion show I signed off permission months ago to allow a phoenix on site for a photo shoot?” their boss asks.

“Photo shoot and a brief flight over the building,” Montehugh says.

“Remind me again who we have watching the phoenix tomorrow?” their boss asks.

“Agents McTavish and Hernández,’ Kandomere answers.

“Good, they’re dependable and not likely to be noticed, but just for good measure send the consultant along with them,” their boss says.

Kandomere steeples his fingers and chews his lip, nervously.

Montehugh looks to the elf and then back at the phone, “Any particular reason?”

“We cannot lose that phoenix, it’s bad enough we’ve already lost some of the gryphons and based on their past interest in magical creature organs I wouldn’t put it past them,” their boss says.

“I don’t see how they could manage to kill it, phoenixes are immortal,” Kandomere says.

“True, but we can’t let them try, see to it that the creature is well guarded and unharmed during tomorrow’s event,” their boss orders.

Kandomere nods, “Of course.”

At the end of the day Kandomere catches his new girlfriend before she enters the elevator to leave for the day, “If I could have a word with you for a moment, please?”

Hernández and McTavish both smile at her and then get on the elevator without her.

“We’ll meet you on the ground floor,” McTavish says.

Kandomere hits the button for a new elevator and one already sitting on the floor opens its doors. Then he and his girlfriend enter the elevator together and as the doors close he turns to her.

“Would you be up for a date to that museum tonight?” he asks.

She smiles at him, “Tonight? Yeah, I’d love to.”

He smiles and takes her hand and lifts it to his face and presses his lips to her skin, “I’ll pick you up in an hour and a half, how does that sound?’ Kandomere asks.

She smiles and nods, “It’s a date.”

They reach the ground floor and he releases her hand as she steps off.

It’s getting a little easier to ask her out on dates, especially now that he knows she likes him.

As he’s driving home and mentally going over his checklist of things to do before he heads to pick her up, his phone rings. He glances down at it and sees that it’s his mother. He waits until he’s stopped at a light before answering and putting his mother on speaker.

“KANDOMERE!” his mother yells.

Kandomere winces and is thankful that he’s stopped at a light.

“I was just talking to my neighbor and she tells me that there was a raid the other night by the Magic Task Force on a house only three blocks down from me!” his mother exclaims.

He sighs.

“Is This why you didn’t want me to go home? Because you were worried about your Mamá?” his mother continues.

“Yes, mother it was,” Kandomere says quietly.

“So did you-“ she begins.

“I won’t be able to answer any more questions about the ongoing investigation,” Kandomere interrupts before she assails him with more questions.

Which is more than enough of an answer for her, of no they didn’t catch him.

“Ah I see, well anyways about my friend’s daughter,” she says without skipping a beat.

“I’m not interested, Mamá,” Kandomere says annoyed.

“Well, why not, Hijo? When are you going to start dating again?” his mother demands, “You know I just want you to be happy and you always seem to be so lonely living by yourself, which is why you need to find a wife and have grand-I mean childr-“

“Mamá, I’m already seeing someone,” Kandomere interrupts.

There’s a brief moment of silence in the car and then it’s pierced by her excited squealing, “Really?! You actually met someone? Kandomere, that’s so wonderful!”

Kandomere smiles, “I did, we even have a date tonight.”

He feels some relief at telling his mother.

“When can I meet her?” his mother asks.

And it’s gone.

“Uh…after at least a year,” he says, his eyes growing wide, “We’ve only just started dating.”

“So you’re officially courting her? What’s her name?” his mother asks happily.

“I am,” Kandomere answers proudly, “And I’m not telling you.”

“Why not?!” she complains.

“Because you’re just going to stalk her through her social media, or worse stalk her parents’ social media and attempt to call them,” Kandomere says.

“Do you at least have a photo of her I could see?” his mother asks.

Kandomere is silent for a moment.

He doesn’t actually have one yet.

“Hijo?” his mother calls.

“Lo Siento, Mamá,” he apologizes, “I don’t actually have one yet.”

“Well, when you hurry up and take one be sure to send it to me,” she says, “I can’t wait to see the lovely, elven lady that’s stolen my son’s heart.”

Kandomere wets his lips, “Of course, Mamá,” he says softly.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” his mother says, “I have to go tell everyone I know.”

He says his goodbyes to his mother and then sits in silence for a while wondering at what point is it too late to mention to his mother, that his new girlfriend is human.

                                                                     *******

There’s a knock at your door and you eagerly open it to reveal your date Kandomere.

He steps inside and gives you a peck on the lips.

Your hands find his face and then you pull back from him and stare at him for a moment.

“What?” he asks his brows furrowing in confusion.

“Bend down,” you say.

Still confused he does as you say and leans forwards and you place your hand on his forehead and then remove it only to press your lips to his forehead instead.

“You’re burning up,” you state.

“What? I don’t feel feverish, I mean I’ve had a headache since…” Kandomere begins.

“Kandomere, come sit on the couch,” you say.

He shakes his head slightly but allows you to lead him by the hand to your couch.

“Darling, I’m fine,” he insists.

“Wait, here while I go get you a cool rag,” you insist.

You hear the elf sigh softly as you enter the kitchen. Grabbing a dishtowel you dampen it with cool water and wring it out a little and then you return to the elf and place it on his forehead.

“Now leave that there while I go make you some tea,” you say.

Kandomere holds the rag to his head as he leans forwards and catches your hand, “Is this really necessary, I assure you I’m fine.”

You purse your lips and stare at him.

He leans back and relents, “Alright.”

You go back into the kitchen and boil some water for the tea, and using one of your Aunt’s recipes, you make an herbal tea that’s helpful for reducing fevers and relieving headaches.

You fix a cup for Kandomere and walk back into the living room and hand it to him.

He takes it from you and he sips it and you remove the rag to feel his forehead again and then you feel his cheek briefly before pressing your lips to his cheek too.

“Is that supposed to help?” he asks.

You realize you left a lipstick stain on his cheek and begin to wipe it off with your thumb, “Didn’t your mother ever do this to you?” you ask with a small smile.

He shakes his head as he smiles at you.

“I’m going to go get a thermometer,” you say and quickly walk to your bathroom to retrieve it.

Once you return, you uncap it and sit down on the couch next to Kandomere and momentarily realize you need to put this under his arm. He’s not wearing a full suit right now, just a blue button up shirt with white flowers on it.

It’s actually the most casual you’ve seen him.

He stares at the thermometer that you’re holding out in front of him and removes the rag from his forehead and hands you his cup of tea first.

You then trade him the rag for the thermometer and watch as he unbuttons his shirt.

He places the thermometer under his arm and he takes the cup of tea from you again and slowly sips it some more.

You slowly stand and make your way back to the kitchen to re-dampen the rag, and you quickly return when you hear the thermometer beep.

“What does it say?” you ask.

He pulls it out and reads it, “Ninety-seven degrees.”

“So your temperature’s too low not too high,” you say setting the rag on the coffee table.

“No, you were right I am running a slight fever,” he says.

When you furrow your brows in confusion he chuckles softly.

“I’m an elf remember? My body temperature usually sits at around ninety-six not ninety-eight,” he says.

“Oh,” you mutter and your shoulders relax a little.

You retrieve the rag and place it back on his forehead as you sit down next to him on the couch again. His shirt is still open and your eyes wander down to his chest briefly. Your hand hovers over his bare chest for a moment before you rest your hand on the clothed portion of his torso. Kandomere sets his hand overtop of yours and you smile at him softly. He smirks and moves your hand to his bare skin and your heart beats faster.  

You then slide your hand further under his shirt and lean towards him.

“You can move closer,” he says softly.

His other hand moves to your lower back and gently nudges you forward.

You move closer to him and soon realize that if you get any closer you would have to…

“Do you want me to sit in your lap?” you ask.

He gives you a slight nod.

You gingerly lift yourself up and onto his lap and take a moment to settle yourself. Then you comb your fingers through his hair gently, “How’s your head?”

“It’s feeling much better, Querida. I think it’s feeling better than it has all day, your tea has really helped,” Kandomere says.

You smile and rub your thumb against his chest.

He rubs your lower back and smiles back, “We should be on our way soon, yes?”

“Are you sure?” you ask, “If you’re not feeling well, we don’t have to go out tonight.”

“I was really looking forward to tonight and I think you’ll like what I have in mind,” Kandomere says.

“Alright, but if you feel any worse we can always leave early,” you say.

He smiles and you press your lips to his.

He finishes his tea and you return the rag and empty cup back to the kitchen and then join Kandomere in the living room again after he’s buttoned his shirt again.

“Shall we?” he asks offering you his arm.

“Absolutely,” you say smiling fondly at him.

Kandomere drives you to an art museum that is Not in the elven district.

In fact there aren’t any other elves in sight.

You smile as you walk arm in arm with Kandomere into the building, and you ignore the stares the two of you receive. It’s been a while since you’ve been to a museum and you’re on a date at one no less!

“You seem excited,” Kandomere notes smiling at you.

“Yeah, I am I’m just…happy to be spending time with you,” you answer honestly.

He lets out a laugh and kisses your cheek, “So am I.”

“Also I really love museums, I haven’t had the opportunity to go to one in a while,” you continue.

“Not enough time off work to visit one?” Kandomere asks.

You sigh, “Yeah my old job had me work a lot of hours.”

Kandomere huffs, “And what about your new job?”

“Hm…I like it but it can be very demanding, luckily I work with some pretty good people,” you say smiling at him.

“And what about your Boss? How do you feel about him?” Kandomere asks.

You stare up at him while you purse your lips, “I’ll let you know when you take me home tonight, although I think you know already.”

Kandomere smiles broadly and lifts your hand to his face and presses another kiss to your knuckles.

The two of you head to the ticket counter and Kandomere purchases tickets for the both of you. Then you follow the signs for the new exhibit and before you reach it, Kandomere pauses.

“What?” you ask.

“Why don’t we look over here for a moment?” Kandomere asks.

“Oh, alright,” you say.

You walk together away from the exhibit to another hallway of art not far away, glancing to your right at the painting hanging on the wall you smile.

And then you notice a young elven woman ahead of you.

She’s the first elf you’ve seen all night, so she stands out among the crowd.

You get the feeling that not many elves frequent this museum.

The pale, reddish-brown haired elven woman smiles at the two of you, which is particularly strange and you immediately feel uneasy.

And you feel even more uneasy when she starts walking towards you, “Special Agent Kandomere I presume?” she questions.

You glance up at your boyfriend hoping for answers.

“And you must be Selina’s niece,” she says turning to you.

You shoot Kandomere another questioning glance.

“This is the curator of the newest exhibit here that’s visiting from France and she’s here to give a presentation tonight,” Kandomere explains.

Which explains only some of your questions.

“A pleasure to meet you,” the curator says extending a hand to you.

You stare at her manicured hand and then up at Kandomere again.

Silently asking him if it’s safe to introduce yourself, and he gives a slight nod.

You hesitantly shake her hand and she smiles at you.

“It’s an honor to meet a relative of Selina, she’s been such a huge inspiration to me growing up in France,” the curator says.

You stare at her confused, “Is that so?”

She smiles again revealing her sharp teeth, “I see that you seem confused.”

“Only a little,” you say.

“What was she like? Did she ever tell you stories of her heroics?” the curator asks with a gleam in her eyes.

“Uh…” you begin stepping back behind your boyfriend a bit, “She was very nice, a good cook, and yeah…sometimes. She didn’t always like to talk about her past.”

She collects herself, “Oh, forgive me, I’ve forgotten my manners.”

“Why do you want to know about Selina,” you ask.

Now she stares at you confused, “I…does she not know why she’s here?” she asks glancing to Kandomere.

“No, actually, because this was supposed to be…our date,” you whisper the last part to Kandomere.

“The two of you are together?” the curator asks glancing between the two of you quickly.

“Yes,” you answer quickly, stepping forward again.

She clasps her hands together and stares at you both, “That’s so wonderful, I…” she says and wipes at her eyes that are beginning to water.

You and Kandomere glance at one another equally confused.

“I’m sorry for getting a little emotional,” she apologizes, “It’s just that my father is a half-elf while my mother is full elf.”

“So you’re a quarter human?” you ask, “And three-fourths elf obviously.”

She doesn’t have many visible human traits, but other than something obvious like eye color, it would be near impossible to tell, since elves also come in many different shapes and sizes like humans. Although, you have always wondered if half-elves could have children and now it seems you have your answer.

“Yes,” she says, “To put it bluntly.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude, I only ever knew one half-elf so I don’t know how the genetics work,” you continue.

“So Selina never did have any children?” the curator asks.

You shake your head, “No, and I hate to disappoint you but I’m not even blood-related to her.”

“Really?” she asks surprised, “So…more of a found family situation?”

You nod, “Yeah.”

“But she did name you her heir to her estate and belongings?” the curator asks.

You stare at her askance, “Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m interested in displaying some of your Aunt’s personal belongings for an exhibit in Paris, with your permission of course,” the curator says.

Your heart wrenches and you shake your head, “I don’t know if I can do that…”

The curator’s eyes widen, “I’m sorry, I’m in no way going to take them from you. It’s just that knowing more about Selina’s history and having physical proof of her existence would have such a huge historical impact on the history of half-elves and other such half-breeds in France. Selina was one of if not The most famous half-elf in France,” the curator explains.

You take a breath, “I can’t decide right now, whether or not I’m going to give you anything of hers, I’ve only recently lost her.”

“I understand completely,” the curator says.

You take another breath and remove your arm from Kandomere’s only to hold your hand out, palm facing upwards for him.

He smiles and takes your hand and presses a kiss to it.

And you’re instantly able to relax a little.

Then he takes your hand in his.

You continue to hold Kandomere’s hand and the curator smiles at you both.

“You know many elves wish to refute the existence of half-elves even going so far as to take great care in removing records of them throughout history, but any good historian knows that humans and elves have been alongside one another for a long time. And you don’t spend that much time together if you’re not friends, so it’s no wonder that some fell in love,” the curator says.

You and Kandomere stare at one another and you smile at each other.

“You’ve studied Selina then?” you ask.

“Yes, quite extensively, why?” the curator asks.

“There’s things I don’t know about her that I’d like to, like what caused her mother’s death,” you ask.

The curator stares at you and takes a breath, “I have most of my notes back in France so I will need to wait until I return before I can give any specifics, but I may need to do a little more research if you want something specific on Lady Stellaneth,” the curator says.

“As specific as you can find, I need to know how she died, and what illness she had,” you say.

Kandomere looks down at you and then presses a kiss to the top of your head.

If you can find out why and how Stellaneth died, you might have a better idea of what motivated Vynadar.

“I will do my best,” the curator says.

“Thank you,” you say.

“Please, enjoy the exhibit and if you’ll excuse me I have a presentation to give,” the curator says before walking away.

You and Kandomere walk back the way you came and you pout in silence.

Kandomere stares at you for a moment and then stops, “Amor-“

“Why didn’t you tell me this is why you wanted me to come here?” you demand.

“I…it’s not the only reason I genuinely do want to be on a date with you,” Kandomere says.

“You should have mentioned this earlier and not sprung this on me instead! It feels like you tricked me into coming here,” you say glancing to the side.

“Mi Amor,” Kandomere says softly taking both your hands in his, “I hadn’t meant for it to feel that way at all, I was hoping to surprise you with a solution for Jean’s and Selina’s belongings after you lamented on what to do with everything.”

“Well, I don’t like this ‘surprise’ I know I’ve been out of it in terms of dealing with everything after my Aunt’s death, and I appreciate your support and help. Especially in arranging the meeting with the lawyer because I definitely would have forgotten otherwise and might have lost Selina’s things but I need more time to process everything,” you explain.

Kandomere nods and pulls you closer to him, “I’m sorry Amor, I thought I was helping but now I see that I’ve reopened a wound.”

“I just wanted a nice, quiet evening with my boyfriend,” you say softly.

“Boyfriend?” Kandomere asks softly tilting your chin up.

Your eyes widen slightly as you stare into his beautiful, silver eyes.

“It’s so nice to hear you call me that,” he says gently.

“Well, you are,” you say fondly.

“I know,” he replies, “And you’re my girlfriend.”

You smile and then press your lips to his and taste his tongue over yours.

You both part from one another and press your foreheads together.

“It’s a good long term solution,” Kandomere says.

“I know,” you state.

“In a museum they would catalog and document everything, you would have high res photos at your disposal, and they would not do anything without your permission when it comes to displaying the personal effects, you would have the final say on everything to be sure that it’s shown in a dignified manner,” Kandomere explains calmly.

“I’m not saying it’s not a good option, I’m saying I’m not emotionally ready to make this decision,” you say.

He nods.

You let out a sigh and pull back.

He presses his lips to your knuckles again

“No more surprises unless they’re sweets,” you say.

Kandomere chuckles, “Alright, I promise.”

You look around the empty hallway you’re in and then you both walk together hand in hand towards the exhibit and you see a large sign for it and then turn to your elven boyfriend.

“Interracial Courtships Through the Ages?” you question.

“I…thought we both might enjoy this,” Kandomere says.

The two of you enter the exhibit together and there are paintings and sculptures depicting different couples in each of them. You approach one of the first paintings of a coppery-skinned dwarven woman with long black hair bound in braids and gold running down her back as she lies on her stomach on a stone bench, dressed in a long, red gown.

In front of her is a curly haired, human man dressed in similar finery with a small book in hand clearly reciting poetry to her while on one knee and in the background are a handful of other dark-haired dwarven women all giggling amongst themselves. There’s a golden crown set with diamonds atop her head and you lean forward to read the painting’s plaque, “The Courtship of Princess Bellanora.“

You smile at Kandomere and you both move on to the next piece of art.

And there’s so much art, a lot of paintings are from later periods based on popular stories like one with a Viking orc woman and her human husband and how they fought side by side, and a Brezzik and her orc captain, a lady who had gone rogue from the British navy, and many many more.

You enjoy the exhibit immensely as you and Kandomere take it all in.

You’ve known that the races intermingle and it’s common enough for orcs and humans to date, even some of your friends have dated orcs before, but this?

This is so much more than you could have imagined, everyone always makes it seem like interracial relationships are taboo and never happen….

You and Kandomere get a considerable number of both confused and surprised stares, but you ignore them and only pay attention to each other.

“Humans are…quite adventurous,” you mutter.

Kandomere tries to stifle a laugh.

While a lot of the art also depicts orcs and dwarves or Brezziks and orcs, there are an overwhelming amount of human and insert other race here pairings.

You stop to glance up at Kandomere.

“I’m sorry, I’m not being disrespectful,” Kandomere begins.

You raise an eyebrow at him.

“In fact I think this means that humans are more loving than the other races,” Kandomere explains.

“You were going to say horny weren’t you?” you question as you begin walking again.

Kandomere’s face flushes, “No…I wasn’t but its not as though sex cannot forge love.”

Now your face flushes too.

You touch your hand to your cheek which has become very warm, “Um…I think you already know some…of my thoughts on that,” you whisper.

There aren’t a lot of people around you at the moment as you enter the next room and you’re thankful for the seclusion.

Kandomere reaches his hand out as you stop again and gently caresses your ear and tucks some of your hair back, “Do you only form a bond before or after?” he asks.

“Before preferably, it doesn’t mean anything other-“ you begin and lock eyes with someone staring at you and you quickly turn your head away again.

Kandomere glances over at them and then shifts his body to block their view of you.

After a moment, “They’re gone,” Kandomere says.

“Let’s continue, please,” you say.

Kandomere nods and then looks up at something behind you.

“You know it’s a shame that we haven’t seen any human and elf couples in any of the art,” you sigh.

“Querida,” Kandomere chuckles, “Turn around.”

You do as he says and let out a quiet gasp as you stare up at the marble statue of an elf and human couple.

Up until now you had not seen a single piece of art depicting an elf and human couple, and finally you find one and it’s an at least, twenty foot tall statue with both of them nude and only what you presume to be bed sheets covering the front of their bodies.

Kandomere gently rubs his hands up and down your arms, “You were saying?”

You smile at the statue and then at your boyfriend and he kisses your cheek.

The human woman has long curly hair and is being hugged from behind by her lover, an elven man who is gently kissing her neck, whilst also holding up the fabric that is providing them both with modesty.

You notice a plaque in front of the statue and step forward to read it.

“Rose and Lönathar from A Moonlit Courtship,” it reads.

Your eyes widen and you step back to stare up at it again.

“Is something wrong?” Kandomere asks placing his hands on your shoulders.

“It’s…the couple from my book, but what is a statue of them doing here?” you ask.

Kandomere glances up at it and is silent for a moment, “Do you mean ‘A Moonlit Courtship’?” he asks finally.

“Yeah how did you-“ you begin.

“You mentioned it briefly in your story about your Aunt when you stayed at her apartment last, and when you had the opportunity to grab a couple of books, it was the first one you sought out,” Kandomere explains.

“Oh…you remember all of that?” you ask a little surprised.

“I do,” he says and wraps his arms around you and holds you close to his chest, “I also know that ‘A Moonlit Courtship’ is not a fairytale but a true story written by the human and elf couple it’s about.”

“But it’s only from Rose’s perspective,” you say.

“Your copy is, but mine is Lönathar’s,” Kandomere says.

“There’s another copy?” you ask, “And you have it?’

He nods, “I wanted to know what your story was about and decided to read it for myself. Did you think it was fiction this whole time?”

You nod and turn towards him, placing your hands on his chest, “I…” you pause and stare up at the statue.

Kandomere slowly and gently grips your chin and turns you towards him.

“It’s real…” you whisper.

You close your eyes and lean towards your boyfriend as his lips meet yours.

And when the two of you part it’s almost reluctantly.

You both stare up at the statue again.

“Oh!” you exclaim as you begin to fish around in your purse for your phone, “Let’s take a photo.”

Kandomere smiles and you hold out your phone as he wraps an arm around you. You’re having trouble reaching your arm out far enough to get both of you in the shot when Kandomere gently takes your phone from you and holds out his much longer arm to get both of you in the shot. You smile and stare up at him and then wrap your arm around him as well and rest your head on his shoulder.

And you can see in the camera, Kandomere’s eyes shift to you briefly before he tightens his grip on you and smiles.

You smile too and he takes the photo.

You then hold out your hand to take your phone back when he quickly turns and presses his lips to your cheek.

You blush furiously and then you turn away, “Kandomere!”

He wraps both of his arms around you and pulls you close.

“You’re so cute when you’re flustered,” he whispers, “I had to take another photo.”

Which only serves to make you more flustered, “Can I have my phone back, please?” you ask holding out your hand.

“You mean may I have my phone back,” Kandomere teases.

“May I?” you whisper turning to meet his gaze.

He swallows as he locks eyes with you.

And then he sets the phone in your hand, “You may.”

You stuff your phone back into your purse.

There are a few people standing nearby, but you ignore them.

“So have you finished the book yet?” you ask.

“Not yet, I tend to be a slow reader, I like to savor a good story,” he says.

“Oh is that so? Well, either way let me know when you finish it so we can compare the two,” you say.

“I will, I promise,” Kandomere says.

He offers you his arm again and you take it, but you notice that there’s a path behind the statue where you can walk and you steer your boyfriend toward the back of the statue.

“What are you doing?” he asks amused.

“Just seeing something,” you answer.

As you reach the back of the statue you can see the elven man Lönathar’s bare back and…butt.

You giggle to yourself and then lean back a bit to stare down at Kandomere’s ass.

He raises his brows at you, “Are you enjoying the view?”

“Maybe…” you say, “You’ve got a nice one.”

He smiles and lean towards your ear, “So do you.”

You blush again.

You just can’t win with this elf.

The statue was the end of the exhibit but you and Kandomere take some time to visit the other ones. And you eventually come across paintings of magical creatures.

“Ooh that unicorn one is so pretty,” you say staring at the silvery creature in a beautiful forest.

“I’ll take your picture,” Kandomere offers taking out his own phone.

He takes a photo of you, without the flash of course and then shows it to you.

“Oh that turned out really good,” you say.

“So how does it compare to the real thing?” he asks gesturing to the painting.

“It’s close, so the painter definitely saw one, but I don’t think it’s possible to capture something like that on canvas,” you say.

The two of you continue on and then you come across a painting of a pair of dragons one red and one white fighting in a darkened, stormy sky and whatever Kandomere was about to say fades from your senses.

There’s a loud, angry snarl that fills your ears instead.

Followed by a flash of lightning and you can see a familiar pair of burning orange eyes as The Darkest Shadow growls and whips his head away from an impending claw attack from another dragon. Then he lunges forward, jaws wide and sinks his teeth into the neck of the dragon whose perspective you’re seeing.  

And she lets out a long howl of pain.

Both dragons’ wings are tangled together as they plummet toward the ground. As The Darkest Shadow rakes his talons across her torso her grip on him loosens and he manages to extricate his wings and then he kicks off against her body and quickly fades from view against the dark sky. The dragon you’re seeing the perspective of attempts in vain to unfurl her wings as a vast forest unfolds beneath her. And then her vision goes black followed by the sound of cracking branches and a sickening crunch.

It’s dark for a moment…and then her eyes slowly open…

And she stares blearily at a figure approaching her…

She opens her eyes further and emits a low, guttural growl as a warning.

And then she attempts to lift her head and lets out a howl and remains still instead as the pain passes. Her eyes begin to adjust to the bright light of the destroyed forest around her and she takes in the man stepping foolishly towards her. A bald, dark man with a beard wearing gray robes meaning he could only be…a wizard.

The Everburning Emerald sighs to herself inwardly and then snarls at the man.

“Easy…” the man says gently holding out his hand with no trace of fear.

“I am not some beast of the field, Mage,” The Everburning Emerald scowls.

“Yes, I know, but you can barely lift your head off the ground and your efforts will only serve to injure you further,” the wizard says.

The dragon’s eyes scan over her green, scaled body and the crimson blood that coats it before fixing her gaze on the man again.

“If you will allow me to help,” the wizard begins clutching a brass amulet with a solitary crystal as the focus.

There’s a warm light that flows from the amulet and the man’s hand and with her eyes she can both feel and see the magical energy flowing from it like water…

“Is she going to be alright?” a voice asks.

“Yes, she just needs a moment to rest,” Kandomere says.

“Kandomere?” you question weakly.

“Hey, I’m here,” he answers you gently.

Your vision comes back slowly and you focus on his face and his hand on your cheek.

You smile a little and cover his hand with your own.

He smiles back and presses his forehead to yours.

“Did I go out again?” you ask.

“Yes,” he says, “It’s been a while since this has happened.”

“Do you need us to call someone for you?” a woman asks.

You turn your head to see two concerned women that exchange glances with one another.

“No, but thank you, she just needs to rest,” Kandomere reiterates.

“I’ll be alright,” you assure everyone.

The two women look to you and smile and then they walk away.

It’s then that you notice Kandomere’s arm around you and that you’re sitting on a bench in the gallery room with the unicorn painting.

“How did we get?” you begin.

“I picked you up and carried you here, as soon as I saw the painting I realized what had happened,” Kandomere says quietly.

He’s holding you upright on the bench next to him and you lean towards him and rest your head against his chest.

You feel so tired now.

“What did you see?” Kandomere asks.

“The Darkest Shadow, he was fighting The Everburning Emerald and she ended up falling to the ground and…when she woke up there was a wizard there,” you explain.

“A wizard?” Kandomere questions.

You nod in acknowledgement against his chest.

Kandomere rubs your back.

“I think he was using an amulet to heal her,” you add.

“Was it the same?” he asks.

“No,” you mutter, “It was probably his old one, before you know.”

He hums and nods.

It’s silent for a moment.

“I think whenever you feel like standing that I should take you home,” Kandomere says.

“No,” you moan.

“Yes,” he states with more authority.

“Fine,” you relent burrowing further into his chest, “But I was having fun all things considered.”

Kandomere smoothes down your hair, “I’m glad, but I think it’s time to head home.”

You sit up a little straighter and stare around the room.

And you notice that you’re sitting under a painting you saw earlier of two gryphon parents and their hatchlings.

Eventually you recover enough to stand and you walk with Kandomere towards the exit. You spot the gift shop and a refrigerator full of sodas.

“Hey, can I get a soda?” you ask.

Kandomere glances over at the gift shop and then smiles at you, “Of course.”

The two of you wander over to the gift shop and you pick out a soda and a candy bar. Kandomere doesn’t stray too far from you but he does show interest in a few of the items the shop has to offer. You and him both chuckle at some of the fun magnets and then you take a moment to peruse the souvenirs. You find the postcards and one that is specific to the new exhibit and has the statue of Rose and Lönathar on the cover of the packaging. Picking it up, you carry it with you as you look around some more. You spot plushies of unicorns and pull one off the shelf only to be disappointed by it’s tail and lack of split hooves.

You put it back and pout.

Kandomere chuckles, “What? Why the sad face?”

“All unicorn plushies are just horses with horns, they don’t look anything like real ones,” you whine.

Kandomere smiles and brushes your hair back, “Most people don’t know that though,” he whispers.

“I know, but still,” you say.

You take your snacks and postcards to the counter and start to remove your wallet from your purse, but Kandomere has already pulled out his card.

“Oh you don’t have to-“ you begin.

“My treat,” he says with a smile.

You smile back, “Alright.”

You and Kandomere finally leave the gift shop together after purchasing your items and then you leave the museum and head for his car.

                                                                      *******

He escorts her up to her apartment and when she unlocks the door he asks if he can come inside for a moment.

She closes the door behind him and turns to him.

Kandomere gently brushes her cheek, “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she says softly, “How are you? Do you still have a headache?”

“You’re honestly worried about me when you were the one who blacked out earlier?” Kandomere asks with raised brows.

“We can both be worried about each other,” she says smiling.

“I suppose you’re right, I haven’t had a headache since we left earlier,” he says.

“That’s good,” she says.

“I’m hesitant to leave you all by yourself,” Kandomere says.

“Oh? Do you want to keep me company?” she asks stepping closer to him.

He smiles and wraps an arm around her, “I want to, I would feel bad for leaving my girlfriend alone in her apartment after she fell unconscious due to a magical amulet.”

“But?” she asks sadly wrapping her arms around him.

“But I don’t know if I would leave…I would certainly enjoy keeping you company any day or night,” he says leaning forwards.

He presses his lips to hers and then again and again.

Then he kisses her cheek.

And then he cups her face gently as he trails his lips down her neck.

He kisses her slowly and she gasps quietly, her hands moving up his back.

Her right hand finds the back of his head and tangles itself in his soft hair.

Her slow, soft pants fill his ears as he sucks on her skin.

He moves to a new spot and one of his hands moves to her ass and squeezes her gently and then massages her, she groans softly and he kisses her more fervently.

“Kandomere,” she says softly.

He starts to bite her neck.

“Ah fuck!” she moans.

He releases her immediately and then gently presses his lips to her skin and smoothes his tongue across her to soothe the bite mark.

He’s getting carried away again.

He hadn’t meant to bite down.

“I’m sorry,” he says pulling back.

She stares at him confused.

“For tonight,” he adds quickly.

She shakes her head, “Don’t be, I had a good time.”

He smiles, “Goodnight, Querida,” he says before kissing her.

“Goodnight, Darling,” she says.

“If you need anything-“ he begins.

“You’re only a phone call away, I know,” she says before kissing him again.

He begrudgingly lets go of her.

“I’ll be sure to send you those photos,” she promises.

“Please do,” Kandomere says.

And then he finally leaves her apartment again.

He takes a breath once he’s out in the hall and then he smiles to himself before heading down the hallway.

Kandomere steps out of the front door of the apartment complex and heads for his car parked in the street. He slows as he sees two black SUVs parked on either side of his blue Mercedes that were most definitely not there before. His gaze fixes on the bulky, shadowy figures through the tinted windows still sitting in both vehicles, four in the one on his left and two in the one on his right, making six total. There are baseball caps on a few of the individuals and on the ones without Kandomere can make out pointed ears.

Kandomere exhales, so orcs then.

The Fogteeth gang, no doubt.

The elf stops several feet from his own vehicle and waits.

Two orcs from the left vehicle step out of the side closest to him and one orc from the right vehicle steps out as well. And then the three orcs block his path to his Mercedes.

Kandomere stares at them unimpressed and unafraid.

The remainder of the orcs step out onto the street and round their vehicles and head towards him and Kandomere actually recognizes one of them as Franklyn, who seems to be less disgruntled than the rest of his compatriots.

“You’re in the wrong part of town,” one of the shorter orcs in front of him says.

“Is that so?” Kandomere responds.

“Yeah,” the orc says nodding with his arms crossed.

The rest of the orcs join their fellows in front of Kandomere.

“It’s not fair for you to be allowed in our neighborhood, but we’re not allowed in yours,” he continues gesturing to his comrades.

“It ain’t fair, Vykhor,” another orc echoes.

Kandomere considers that for a moment, “You’re right about that.”

The orc in front of him, Vykhor blinks seemingly not expecting that answer.

But he recovers and squares his shoulders, “The boys and I couldn’t help but notice…that you’re uh making a lot of frequent visits to this apartment building.”

“And,” Frank cuts in moving to stand next to Vykhor, “You seem to have taken an interest in someone that lives here.”

“Considering that I’ve hired her as a consultant, it’s not that surprising,” Kandomere says.

Frank’s brows raise.

“Is that why you bought her flowers?” Vykhor asks.

Kandomere’s gaze shifts to Vykhor and then he eyes the other orcs.

“Now, I think that’s what we in the business would call…a date,” Frank says.

“And I do believe that tonight was another such date with this ‘Consultant’ of yours,” Vykhor says.

“I don’t see how my love life is of any concern of yours,” Kandomere says coldly.

“It is when it’s someone in our neighborhood, because you see, we know how you elves are. Think you can have whatever you want or whoever you want,” Vykhor continues.

“Her Aunt just Died and you’re really going to sleep with her?” Frank demands.

Kandomere stares at him, “You don’t know me, none of you do, and you definitely don’t know her. Yes, I’m attracted to her, but I also have feelings for her, not that you would believe me.”

Frank studies him silently for a moment.

“Feelings? Yeah right,” Vykhor laughs.

The rest of the orcs laugh as well.

“My Ma told me what book you bought at her shop a while back,” Frank interrupts.

“And?” Kandomere asks.

Frank shakes his head, “You using it as some kind of manual?”

The other Fogteeth members seem confused and exchange glances.

“Not exactly, I simply enjoy reading it,” Kandomere says.

“Strange book to go looking for, and you’d have to, considering how rare it is,” Franks says.

“Considering elves don’t like the implication that one of their own could fall in love with someone from another race in fiction let alone non-fiction, I’m not surprised. I only heard about it from my girlfriend who has the other copy written from the woman’s perspective,” Kandomere explains.

“The other copy? What do you mean?” Frank asks.

“It’s written from two perspectives, one is by the human woman, and the other is by an elven man,” Kandomere continues.

“Wait, is this some kind of romance novel?” Vykhor asks confused.

“It’s a love story,” Kandomere corrects.

“So a romance novel,” Vykhor insists.

“What’s wrong with a man reading a romance story?” Kandomere asks.

“Nothing,” Frank says, “That’s not our problem here.”

“Frank, I’m not the elf you should be worried about,” Kandomere says.

“Oh so there’s other elves we should be worried about? Are they friends of yours?” Vykhor asks.

Kandomere eyes Vykhor for a moment, “No, they are not. And one of them killed her Aunt and tried to kill her and may try again and there are other elves that are equally not as fond of a human dating an elf.”

“What’s this elf look like?” Vykhor asks.

Kandomere refrains from smiling, “He has silver hair and was last seen wearing a green suit, but I would not recommend engaging this individual seeing as he is a wanted criminal by the Magic Task Force.”

Vykhor smirks, “Anything else we should Watch out for?”

“Honestly, any elf that isn’t myself,” Kandomere says.

“So even you don’t trust other elves, so how are you different?” Frank asks.

“I actually care about people, and more importantly I care about her,” Kandomere says.

Frank points a finger at Kandomere, “If I catch wind of anything…”

The other orcs nod and echo their support.

“You won’t need to do anything, I only wish to take care of her,” Kandomere says.

“Just know this is your final warning,” Frank says as he steps aside.

“Thanks for the heads up on that elf,” Vykhor says chuckling as he too steps aside and the other orcs follow him.

Leaving Kandomere free to get into his vehicle and drive home.

                                                                     *******

You close and lock the door behind Kandomere and press your hands to it firmly. You feel an ache in your abdomen and you quickly dart to your room and shut the door. Kicking off your shoes first, you then unbutton and pull your shirt over your head and unclip your bra. You pull off your skirt and underwear next and you’re really glad you didn’t wear tights tonight, because you might have ruined them in your haste. Next you grab the remote and turn the lighting to a nice dim setting and then sit on the edge of your bed and search for your vibrator in the drawer of your nightstand. You grab the familiar blue vibrator and stuff the batteries into it and pull back the covers. You then gently lie back on the bed and pull the covers around you. Turning the vibrator on, you rub it against your clit as you search through the drawer with your other hand for the bottle of lube.

You set the bottle on top of the nightstand and shut the drawer finally.

You then cup your right breast and massage yourself.

You were right, Kandomere does give the best neck kisses.

You sigh softly imagining his mouth on your clit.

After a moment you move to your left breast and move the vibrator further down, and as you move it back up towards your clit, you groan because you can already feel the warm fluids from your vagina transfer up you.

You close your eyes and picture Kandomere in your bed overtop of you.

His tongue slowly sliding across you as he hums in appreciation.

You open your eyes and turn off the vibrator for a moment as you take the time to apply lube to the tip and the rabbit portion of the vibrator. You then carefully dip the tip inside of you and pull it back out and then you repeat this several times. Opening your legs a little wider you slide the vibrator further inside you and open your mouth wordlessly.  

You close your eyes again and thrust it into you at an easy pace. Then you turn it on again and moan softly,” Oh, Kandomere.”

The elf thrusts into you at a nice steady pace while his thumb circles your clit.

“How’s that?’ he asks.

“Good, it’s really good,” you say.

He smiles and leans down to meet your lips.

You turn the vibrator up and thrust a little harder.

Kandomere parts from your lips to find your neck and sucks on your skin.

You bury your fingers in his hair and find his pointed ear.

You really love his ears, they’re so cute.

You begin to pant heavily and your thighs begin to shake.

You want to reach out to his ear and…your eyes open and you start to whine.

You turn the vibrator up even higher and work to push yourself over the edge.

Then you feel your pelvic muscles tighten and clutch at the vibrator and you cry out your boyfriend’s name, “Kandomere! Oh Fuck Kandomere…fuck me.”

You breathe heavily and switch off the vibrator as you slowly come down.

“Please, Kandomere,” you say softly staring up at the ceiling.

You want to wait until Kandomere is ready of course, but…you also realize you’re ready for him. You’re more than ready to take the next step with Kandomere in your relationship.

You rest a few minutes and then wash your vibrator off and clean yourself up.

You do remember to send Kandomere the photos of the two of you together and, then you curl up under the covers again and fall asleep.

                                                                     *******

He reaches his apartment finally and without even changing his clothes he starts making dinner for himself. Kandomere puts on his apron of course and a little music and finds himself humming along as he cooks. He sits down alone at the dining room table and catches up on reading.

Then he puts the food away and heads to bed.

Yawning, the elf sits on the edge of the bed and sets the museum ticket on his nightstand and picks up his phone. He scrolls through his messages and smiles when he sees her face. He saves all of the photos and then he sets the one of them together smiling, as his new home screen before sending her a text, “Goodnight, Querida.”

He glances at his photos again and spots the one where she’s blushing furiously as he kisses her cheek. Kandomere’s more than a little proud of himself for being able to fluster her so easily.

He wants to see how flustered she would get if he was teasing her.

He remembers her low pants as he kissed her neck and her soft skin on his lips.

He wishes he could have bit her tenderly…

Kandomere sets his phone back down and plugs it into the charger and then sets his alarm for the morning.

He should wait.

He pulls back the covers and rests his head against the pillow.

The elf runs his fingers through his hair, but how long?

Would two weeks suffice?

It’s not as though he hasn’t known her for a month anyway.

He lightly scratches his scalp and he hums softly.

No.

He stops scratching and he glances over at his phone and unlocks it and stares at her picture and her resting her head on his shoulder so contentedly.

He starts to scratch is scalp again, why shouldn’t he think of her?

He massages his ears next and sighs.

She is his girlfriend, they’re going to have sex at some point.

And when they finally do…he’s sure it will be wonderful.

He reaches down and pulls himself free and begins to stroke himself.

Kandomere lifts the covers so he can stare at himself as he gets harder and harder.

She has already thought of him…and HE was the reason her entire shower smelled so wonderfully of her. And his touches have been the reason he’s continued to be able to smell her arousal…

He watches himself for a moment longer before closing his eyes and picturing himself poised overtop of her, nestled between her thighs.

His thumb gently circling her clit while he kisses her.

Kandomere grips himself more firmly.

And the look on her face when he stops only to withdraw until his head is between her legs, he smiles to himself.

Kissing her thighs briefly before lapping at her aching clit…Oh how he wants to taste her…she smells so wonderful already.

He’ll press his tongue into her to sate his thirst for her.

Kandomere starts to breathe heavily as he pumps up and down his shaft hard.

Then he’ll plunge his fingers into her core and lose himself in her warmth and moans. Almost…he’s almost...

Kandomere reaches out with his other hand and fumbles for a tissue from the tissue box nearby and readies it for when he cums.

He moans softly trying to think of her again to push himself over the edge.

What if her mouth was on his dick?

Her brilliant, red lipstick staining his body and his…he groans loudly and continues to stroke himself before he has to stop.

He pants heavily as his dick throbs.

Kandomere swallows and stares up at the ceiling.

He blinks, there’s no way he’s going to be able to last two weeks.

He’s never been this turned on by a woman.

He sits up slowly and grabs another tissue or two and cleans himself up before he heads to the bathroom to throw away the used tissues and wash his hands and such. He finally settles back onto his bed and as he lies down he stares at the empty side of the bed.

The elf runs his hand over the cool fabric of the pillow next to him and sighs.

It’s a bad time to feel like cuddling.

He lies down on his side and faces the left side of the bed.

For his next date he should invite her over to his place.

It’s only fair that she sees his apartment anyways, he’s seen hers and the two have spent a great deal of time there already. He can cook dinner for her and everything, a private candlelit dinner away from prying eyes.

Kandomere smiles to himself.

Perhaps he should even politely suggest she wear a dress?

Although all of the outfits she has worn have looked absolutely stunning on her.

It’s settled then, he’ll invite her over to his apartment.

He’s actually…never had anyone over to This apartment before since he moved here eight years ago, and it’s been eleven years since he’s dated anyone.

His last ex was a terrible woman.

But not his Bright, she’s far kinder and considerate, she was actually worried about him tonight.

He stares at the pillow on the opposite side of the bed and pulls it close to him and hugs it to his chest. He sighs, it’s not the same and yet he can’t bring himself to let go of it. He tries to think of a good time to invite his girlfriend over as he drifts off to sleep.

[roses-of-rutherglen]

Uniquely Normal- Chapter 1

-Dean-

Uniquely normal was how Dean's family described him. To his mother, three sisters, stepfather and possible little brother or sister on the way. He was always there, reliable cheery and seemingly completely normal. But as his mum and the only dad he'd known relied on him as the oldest there was something in the way he carried himself that was just so Dean, that no one could describe but everyone was incredibly grateful for. When he was five, just after his little sister Scout was born, his mum was amazed at how little things just seemed to be getting done around the house, the baby being hushed calmed and rocked to sleep among many other things when no one had been in all day. Dean would fess up but his parents could never quite figure out how he did it.

Like most other boys his age, he and his Dad shared a love of soccer and were loud and proud supporters of the West Ham Football Team. Every spare minute was spent in their back yard playing kick to kick to get out of the girl's hair. Somehow they always managed to get the best seats at any game they went to and even meet some of the players, who turns out were friends of Dean's friends. While confused at how all these wonderful things happened to them, Hernando, Dean's dad took it all in his stride and joked about his "uniqueness" that his wife kept harping on about. It became a family joke from that point on.

It came to his eleventh birthday and the family was gathered on a picnic blanket in their back garden, surrounded by the new life of spring. He had gotten several pieces of West Ham merch as well as some Doctor Who merchandise as the family had taken up the British tradition of watching through the series from the beginning on Saturday evenings. All of the gifts had been opened and Dean and his little sisters were just about to start a game of hide and seek with Scout, Teagan and Emily running around in the soft grass looking for a place to hide before Dean went to find them. Just as his count down finished a beautiful tawny owl flew out of the air towards the family and landed on Lauren's head "Dear, I do believe there is an owl on your head." Hernando managed to choke out after getting over his initial surprise "You think I wouldn't notice? Can you get it off me please!" The owl sat there contently hooting as the girls came running and started laughing and pointing at the "funny bird on mummy's head" after shaking her head and trying to find some way to unseat the bird Lauren gave up. "Dean can you help me here as your father appears to be struck dumb" Brough out of his staring at the gorgeous bird he slowly lifted his arm in front of him and the owl hopped straight onto it attempting to rub its head in his hand and nearly falling upside down in the process, this set the girls off giggling again. "I like the funny birdy can we keep it?" Tea asked as innocently as only a three-year-old could. Hernando and Lauren laughed but Dean was staring at the envelope he had removed from the owl's leg it was made of heavy parchment and addressed in emerald green ink

'Mr. Dean Thomas Only upstairs bedroom with a window 5 The Cherry Orchard Staverton Gloucestershire England' It was his address right down to his bedroom! He quickly opened the top as the owl hopped over to investigate Em and Tea’s fingers while Scout was looking through Dean's presents. His parents moved closer as he slid the letters out of the envelope 'Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards) Dear Mr. Thomas, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find an enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September first, we await your owl no later than thirty-first of July. A member of the Hogwarts staff will arrive sometime within the next week to help introduce you and your family to the magical world. Also, the owl's name is Amanita we have been trying to rehome her for a while so if you want to keep her you may. I am sure your little sisters will love her. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Deputy headmistress'

The next page was a list of school supplies such as books, a cauldron, potion ingredients, robes and the thing that made Dean's heart jump a wand. "Mummy?" He questioned looking towards his two clearly befuddles parents "is this a birthday joke?" Both of his parents looked at each other slowly shaking their heads. It seemed that their little boy had magic.

A week later the family was spread out around the house Dean, Tea and Emily were playing Princess' and dragon in the back yard while Scout was working on her crayon masterpiece which was actually quite impressive considering her age and her choice of utensil but it looked like art ran through the family as her older brother was an amazing artist as well. Hernando and Lauren were sitting on opposite ends of the couch legs tangled together with books in their hands and everyone was content and relaxed on a Sunday afternoon. Then there was a complicated knock on the door, Scout leaped up from her spot on the floor scattering crayons everywhere in her rush to let the visitor in.

Professor Aurora Sinistra arrived at number five The Cherry Orchard at around midday on the Sunday after the letter had been sent. The house was set at the end of a culdesac and was half-hidden by a rather large hydrangea bush she walked up the concrete drive to the wooden front door and knocked several times. A high pitched cry of "I'll get it!" Came from within and the door was flung open by a smiling curly-haired six years old who looked her up and down before shouting over her shoulder "Mum some woman who kinda looks like Auntie Joan is here!" Then pausing before turning back towards the professor on the doorstep and in the most polite voice she'd heard out of anyone that age graciously invited her inside the house. It was cozy and homely, it felt well lived in. The little girl who had now introduced herself as Scout had taken her by the hand and led her into the living room where the curtains and windows were open letting in the rare spring sunshine and filling the house with light.

The two adults were sitting on the couch books hastily placed on the side table suggested that they had been reading just before she came in and seeing the crayons scattered over the floor she guessed Scout was the one responsible for the colourful night sky crayon drawing on the chair opposite. "Good afternoon ma'am, how may we help you this fine day." Started the man pushing his glasses up his nose "my name is Hernando and this is my wife Lauren, I see you've already met Scout who has just gone to get her other siblings." Aurora smiled at the couple who still seemed slightly uneasy. "No need to worry too much and thank you for allowing me to visit you on this fine day. I am professor Aurora Sinistra, I teach Astronomy at Hogwarts and I'm here to talk to you about your eldest son Dean's recent acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I know this may come as a bit of a shock, knowing that our world co-exists with yours but let me tell you we are not very different to one another and nothing about your son is going to change because of this."

At this point in time, Scout came trotting back into the room leading Tea, Emily, and dean at the back. Lauren seemed to snap out of her silence "Aurora, I hope it's okay to call you that" she paused trying to gauge the witches' reaction before noticing her nod visibly relaxing and continuing on. "This is Scout whom you've already met she's six then this" pointing to a little girl who looked around four years old "is Emily and this little ragamuffin here is Teagan or Tea as we all call her." They all smiled at the professor and she smiled back. There was a moment of silence just as Hernando was about to offer to make tea there was a slight thud and an indignant hoot. Dean chuckled "she never sees the glass door even though there is an open window right next to it she always tries the door" he shook his head in a joking fashion before turning to open the door the tawny owl fluffed her feathers indignantly before seeming to glare at the glass door and settling on Dean's shoulder. Aurora smiled "I'm glad Amanita has found a good home, she never really fitted in with the other postage owls at Hogwarts." Dean looked at her, 'its real?' He thought 'this isn't some kind of elaborate joke?' He shook himself out of his thoughts just as his mum asked the girls to go and play in Em and Tea's shared bedroom. They trooped out of the room and Dean turned back in as his dad came in with a tray of tea. "So this isn't a joke planned by one of my friends?" He questioned and the professor chuckled shaking her head and taking a sip of her tea before starting to explain.

All in all the visit took over three hours and Aurora ended up staying for dinner much to the delight of the three younger girls who seemed to have fallen in love with her and her stick that was holstered to her belt. They were given the address for the shops in London and told to ask the bartender how to get in, as well as being given a ticket for the Hogwarts Express on platform 9 and 3/4 which made Dean's parents laugh saying they had been there many times and never seen such a platform. But a weekend was planned so the shopping could be done as slowly as needed and Dean went to be that night more excited than he had ever been in his life.

Chapter 2 here!!

[butwhyduh]

Ain’t No Sunshine

Tom Holland x reader

Warning: language, hints at smut

Summary: Tom remembers last summer. This is set is the 1950-ish. Tom’s family in no way behaves as they do in real life. It’s actually based on an ex boyfriend’s family. It is inspired by a romantic movie that I changed I think for the better. I won’t spoil the story by saying what it is. You don’t have to watch it to read the story. For @the-claire-bitch-project challenge.

Salty sea air was brisk as Tom collected firewood in the dying light of the spring day. Warm enough to enjoy outside but cool enough to need a jumper in the evening. He couldn’t help but think about last summer. How he had spent it with you. At his special beach.

Tom thought about the last day of summer. The last really perfect day. The two of you played on the beach. Tom grabbed you around the waist and you both went down in the sand. She shrieked like I was going to eat her, he smiled ruefully. Tom lit the wood and sat down. It was properly cool now. The soft crackling of fire blended with the crash of the tide and it lulled him into memory.

Tom remembered the first time he met you. You were wearing a sundress and sandals. You had a floppy sun hat that the wind of the beach knocked off. Tom grabbed it for you. You grinned at him, noting his freckled nose and sweet smile. You had offered to buy him an ice cream to thank him. The two of you sat under a red and white stripped umbrella, at a picnic table, the beach a stone throw away.

It was your first day of summer break. You were staying at your cousin’s house between semesters at uni. Tom was local. He worked for a carpenter. Tom walked with you on the beach. You kicked your shoes off and picked up shells. The bottom of your dress was soaked by the time you got back to your cousin’s house. She had her own story about a lovely lad she met too.

You had met up with Tom 2 days later. He had just gotten off of work. He smelled of saw dust and sweat. His damp white shirt stuck to his body. It didn’t matter because he stripped it off to jump in the water. The spot was Tom’s. He had found a tiny cove surrounded by trees as a young teen. A cliff sat snug near and on top an entire colony of birds had taken roost in the bleached trees. It was a wild place.

Tom didn’t bring anyone there. Not even his best mates knew if it. But you were different. You were his first love. Tom turned around as you pulled off your dress and jumped in the water in your undergarments. You tapped his shoulder and he turned and laughed. He could see how beautiful you were. Your hair a mess and not a stitch of makeup to be seen.

He couldn’t help but notice the way your smile lit up, the way your laughter was louder and more free, and the way your bra clung to your breasts in the cool water. He could also see the way you watched him too. The way your eyes lingered on his lips and even dipped to look at his chest when you thought he wasn’t looking. You thought the world of him. He was kind and beautiful.

——————-

Tom stirred the fire. The sun had officially set and the twilight of the day was fading. He had all but given up. You hadn’t written since October and you weren’t coming today. Should he pack up and leave? No, he thought. I’ll stay all night. Just in case. You had a pull on him that he couldn’t control.

Like the way you pulled him off the pier and into the water. Your cousin swam deeper out in the water with the boy now officially her boyfriend. You floated lazily near the shore. Your head rest on a float. Tom saw you first. He couldn’t help but admire you as he walked closer. Tom slid his shoes off as he walked on the pier.

“Hello, love,” he said smiling. You pulled your sun glasses down to look at him.

“Join me,” you said swimming close.

“I’m still in my work clothes,” Tom said. “I’ll watch.”

“No, no. Join me,” you ordered grinning. Tom shook his head. “Please,” you begged.

“Love,” Tom pleaded back. You reached your hands up and he grasped you to pull you from the water. Instead you yanked him in. Tom gasped and looked at his drenched clothing before laughing. He splashed you before pulling his shirt off. You played in the water until both of your skin burned from the sun.

Your aunt invited him and your cousin’s boyfriend over for dinner. Her breezy dinning room smelled delicious of pie as you ate a cold meal of chicken salad with cut vegetables. It was cooling after your hot day out. You must have drank 10 glasses of water with the meal.

Your aunt politely asked about each of your date. It turned out that they were friends from school. It wasn’t super surprising, being a small town an all. Harrison talked about his plans. His father owned a boat and he was working on it during the season and would work at the tackle and fish shop off season. Your aunt hummed in approval before turning to Tom to ask the same question.

“I er, don’t have a family boat,” he said awkwardly laughing. “I just work for a carpenter. Not posh, ay?”

“It’s fine. Your family?” She asked. You frowned at her probing questions. He clearly wasn’t from a well off family like Harrison.

“I haven’t really talked to them in years. I guess they’re fine,” he said rubbing his neck. Your aunt’s eyebrows about rose to her forehead before she hid the expression.

“I know where we can go for sunset,” Harrison said. He wanted to change the subject. You places your hand on Tom’s knee and rubbed softly. “Nice little hill.”

—————-

That wasn’t the first or last time I wasn’t good enough, Tom thought bitterly. He laid his blanket beside the fire and added another log. It really was night now. There was no way you would come down now.

Maybe I should move on, he thought. Maybe it was all just a summer fling and you had moved on. You had your studies and maybe a rich city boyfriend. You had just stopped writing in October. The letters had slowed down before stopping completely. The pages back in his room were weathered and wrinkled. Tom had read them an embarrassing amount of times.

But the way your lip curled when you thought you were going to surprise Tom called him back. The scent of your neck when you laid in his arms. Your hand in his when you walked. You walked with Tom just about every evening.

“...Then she said that- that she was going to fix it herself,” you laughed. Your hand swung entwined with Tom’s as you told a story. You were so animated as you talked.

“I could have popped over myself,” he said.

“I told her but she was so... adamant,” you giggled. “She’ll learn. Or she’ll have a crooked shelf.”

You looked around. You were back at Tom’s beach. Your walks always came here at one point or another. You would kiss for a while before going home. Tom pulled you close. His fingers on your side at a respectful place. He kissed you. His scent of wood and salt surrounded you in the dying light of the day.

Usually you pulled away after a few minutes. But you didn’t that day. Maybe it was young love, the beautiful day, or the end of summer nearing. That day you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Tom moaned against your mouth as you threaded your fingers in his hair. He wanted to do more but he would never push it.

His tongue slid from your mouth and he kissed the corner of your mouth and down to your neck. Tom cradled your waist as you leaned back to give him better access as he kissed down to your collar bone. His fingers gently pressing into your back as his thumbs rubbed the corners of your lower ribs. After a minute Tom broke the kiss.

“What do you want,” He whispered. His thumbs continued their calming movement. His lips were swollen and cheeks pink. “I need to know.”

“I want you. All of you,” you whispered back. Tom groaned before kissing your lips. He pulled away before taking your hand. He walked you both up the beach to the grass where he had a blanket that he laid down. “Were you prepared?”

“For a picnic I had planned,” he said. “Not this.”

You sat on the blanket suddenly seeming nervous. Tom sat beside you. He moved cautiously, not wanting to scare you. He leaned over to kiss you. He gently held your cheek. Tom broke the kiss.

“Tell me if you want to stop,” Tom said before gently leaning you back on the blanket. Your heart pounded and you were nervous but not because of him. He gently bent over you to kiss. His other touches were gentle too as you both laid together. It was cliche but that’s when Tom knew he was in love with you.

The first time he said it was after you begged him to meet his family. You had imagined Tom to be poor. He lived modestly and didn’t have much. But meeting his family was shocking.

Tom had finally given in and had picked you up for Sunday supper. He wore a nice button down with his jeans. He even had his normally curly hair greased down neatly. Your simple sundress almost seemed too plain but he swore it was perfect. His old beat up truck stood out in front of the tidy house where he parked.

A proper two story brick with a lovely garden sat in front of you. You looked at him in confusion. Tom smiled nervously.

“Not what you thought?”

“Well... you’re family is rather rich, Tom,” you admitted nervously. He chuckled slightly.

“They are. I’m not. I’m... kind of the black sheep of the family. Just warning you,” he said nervously. You grasped his hand before getting out.

Tom opened the gate of a white picket fence. Purple wisteria vines spilled over the fense top surrounding neat manicured yard. Next to the generously wide steps was snuggled 2 peach rose bushes still in full summer bloom. The fragrance of the yard was heavenly as you stepped on a handsome red brick walkway to the door. This was miles away from your aunt’s simple cottage with rough scrub brush and sand yard.

Tom gripped your hand and you could feel that he was nervously sweating a little. You started to feel bad. Was it really this bad? Maybe you shouldn’t have asked him to introduce you to his family. Tom cleared his throat and knocked.

A teenage boy who looked a lot like Tom answered the door. “Tom!” He cried and gave Tom a giant hug. Tom laughed and hugged him back. “It’s been too long.”

“I know, Pad. This is Y/n and this is my brother Paddy,” Tom said. You held out your hand to shake and Paddy high fived instead.

“That’s why you’ve been gone,” Paddy said as you walked in the foyer. “You went off and got a girlfriend.”

“Uh kinda,” Tom said awkwardly. He stiffened as he looked behind Paddy. A woman who could only be seen as his mother stood just as stiffly. The room was noticeably icy. She smiled and it didn’t reach her eyes but she pulled Tom into a hug and he stiffly complied.

“Hello,” she said.

“Mum, this is Y/n. Y/n this is Mum,” Tom said. She looked at you critically. Her eyes took in everything from your simple dress to your worn sandals.

“Hello,” you said nervously holding out your hand.

“I’m Nikki,” she responded. “Please come in. Harry and Sam are in the garden.”

You walked through a formal dining room that was fully set with spring seasonal tablewareand a set of glass double door framed with billowing white curtains into the backyard. Two more young men played a game of washers. They looked a lot like Tom as well. A man around Nikki’s age that looked a bit like Tom who must be their father manned a grill.

“Tom!” One brother said.

“He lives!” Said the other brother. Tom laughed a little. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah, this is Y/n. This is my brothers Harry and Sam. And my dad Dom,” Tom said quickly.

“I think supper will be ready soon,” Dom called cheerily from the grill. He seemed oblivious to the tension in the air. You and Tom sat at a wrought iron table in chairs with delicate patterned cushions.

Nikki sat down beside you both. She smiled softly as Paddy won the round of washers. The other two young men complained of cheating. “So where are you from?”

“I’m from the city but I am staying all summer with my aunt,” you answered. “You have a lovely garden.” And indeed it was with various flowers and bushes growing and blooming in the corners of the yard.

“Thank you. And who is your aunt?” She asked. You said her name and Nikki’s look turned from interest to disdain. “Oh, that’s nice.”

“Supper is done,” Dom said proudly. He carried a tray of food to the kitchen when Nikki followed. You followed the boys into the dinning room after Nikki refused your offer to help. You sat nervously before her and Dom brought in the food. Plates of sausage and chicken and bowls of salad and roast vegetables were sat on the table.

The meal began uneventfully as everyone ate. But it soon dissolved. “So Tom, when are you planning to go back to university?” Dom asked. Tom choked on his water.

“I’m apprenticing to get my carpentry certificate,” Tom answered and you could tell that it wasn’t the first time he was asked this. You even see Sam grimace.

“You could be a lawyer,” Nikki said. “You’re plenty young and you haven’t wasted too long. Your uncle could talk to-“

“No, Mum. I don’t want-“

“Right, because slumming is more your style. No offense but when this summer love spell is over I will be glad and you can finally get a worthy career.”

“My golf buddy knows people at university. I can talk to him. It’s a little late in the year to apply but I’m sure he can make an exception if I speak to him soon,” Dom said as if this was an easy fix. Tom sighed. Paddy tapped his fork on his plate in the silence.

“Dad, I’m not going to university. Ever,” Tom said trying to be controlled. It sounded like he finally said something he had been skirting around this whole time. This evening was not going well. Harry covered a nervous laugh with a cough.

“Oh and how do you plan to take your lovely date out? What about when you find a nice girl and finally settle down?” Nikki said pointedly ignoring you at this point. “Will you be poor?” She said as if it was ludicrous. You felt flushed and angry but had no idea on what to possibly say.

“My nice girl is sitting right here but don’t worry about that because we are leaving. I’m so sorry, love,” Tom said to you standing. You stood and followed. Normally you would thank your host but you had just been thoroughly insulted. Tom was furious. His face was red and his shoulders clenched as he walked to the truck. “I’m so sorry and I understand if you don’t want to go out anymore. I shouldn’t have brought-“

“It’s okay,” you said softly. “I’m not going anywhere. Your family is insane but you can’t control them. I’m proud of you.”

“I love you,” Tom said suddenly. You flushed at his words.

“You..love me?” You asked. You had never heard anyone tell you that romantically.

“I do. You should have ran away after that but you didn’t,” Tom said.

“Probably a bad idea. What am I thinking?” You joked.

“Who knows. Clearly I’m the smart one because I found a catch and I���m not letting her go,” Tom said as he drove back to your aunt’s house.

“Not even at the end of summer?” You asked.

“Definitely not. Forever,” Tom said threading his fingers in yours. A few minutes later he pulled into your aunt’s driveway. He leaned over and kissed you slowly. It was a kiss to say that he loved you. His fingers brushed your cheek before sliding his tongue in your mouth. The sound of the sceeen door slamming broke your kiss as your cousin walked out. She grinned at you both before walking down the street, most certainly to meet a certain gentleman.

—————————

Tom laid on the blanket he had brought. His eyes were glazed as he stared into the fire. The dying embers felt like his heart as the night grew late. It wasn’t long until he fell asleep alone on the beach.

He woke up to the sound of sea gulls and the light of an early morning sun piercing even through his closed eyes. Tom sat up and stretched his neck. Had he really slept there all night? You were truly gone. He had been in denial all night but now it was real. He started rolling up his blanket and tossed sand on the already cold ash.

He heard a sound. The wind covered most of it. He looked around to see nothing. Tom heard it again and saw you running. The sand dipping ridiculously into your sandals, your bag flapped wildly.

“Tom! Thomas!” You yelled and Tom stood confused. He couldn’t believe you were real. “Tom,” you yelped one last time before running straight into his arms. He held you stiffly. You pulled away to grasp his face. You would have kissed him if not for the look he gave you.

“Why?” Tom said looking. You looked surprised.

“Sam told me. I saw him at university. I didn’t know. I thought you stopped talking to me,” you said. “I didn’t know that you wanted to meet. I took the first train. I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t get my letters?”

“No. You stopped writing and so I thought you didn’t want to talk to me any more. Then he said you were waiting for me,” you said. Tom pushed your hair from your face in the wind. He bent over and kissed you. The kiss that he waited almost a year to do. Something he thought he’d never do again.

“How did you not get my letters?” Tom asked. You shook your head in confusion. “I think I know. Come on.”

He pulled you with him to his truck. He quickly started driving back into town. He drove to his parents house.

“Mum! Mother!” He called and she quickly came from her sitting room with the newspaper still in hand.

“What son?” She asked confused.

“Did you stop my post?”

“What ever are you talking about?” She said frowning. She sat the paper on an end table.

“I wrote 3 letters to Y/n that were never delivered. Did you stop them from being sent,” Tom asked. You stood there awkwardly. Your fingers were clasped with Tom’s. He hadn’t let go since you returned.

“I would never stop your postage, Thomas. That is illegal,” she snapped, highly insulted. “I don’t like you, yes,” she said to you. “But I wouldn’t purposely do that. Thomas can make his own mistakes.”

“Stop acting like she’s a mistake. She’s the best woman in town,” Tom said. You both walked out of the house. He walked back to his truck and drove to the post office.

“My letters weren’t delivered. I want to know why,” Tom said. The postman knew everyone in town. He gave Tom a look before looking your way.

“Is he bothering you, Miss?”

“What? No,” you said confused.

“Well your aunt warned me of him. Said he were stalking you and to not deliver letters to or from him and you,” the man admitted.

“He’s never stalked me. She just didn’t want me to get his letters,” you said angry. It was your turn to grab his hand and pull him up the truck. He drove without saying anything but was occasionally looking over at you. You sat with your hands in fists with your jaw clenched. You almost looked like you wanted to fist fight your aunt.

When he pulled in the drive you almost leapt from the truck before it even stopped. Tom tried to hurry to follow you. You rushed in the house to see your aunt making tea for herself. She smiled and went to welcome you when Tom followed you.

“Why?” You asked. You felt like crying but held it back.

“What?” She tried to play innocent.

“You told the post office Tom was stalking me. Why would you do that?” You said. Your voice felt raw and your eyes watered. She calmly put down the tea kettle and sighed. You wanted her to be angry. Why was she so stupidly calm?

“I did it for you. To protect you,” she started.

“From what? Being with Tom?” You spat back. Tom was mad but this was a family matter.

“You should know about his family. They are snakes, the lot of them,” she said. She looked at Tom nastily. He glared back. “I dated his dear uncle years ago and he moved to go to uni and said he would write and did until he found a new girl and I was forgotten.”

“And that makes the family bad?” You said.

“When I tried to contact him through his family they said he was busy with school when they knew he was dating someone else from university,” she said as if that makes sense.

“You’re just bitter. Tom was waiting for me and stayed out all night waiting for me and I didn’t show. He thought I didn’t want to talk so he stopped writing,” you said emotionally before calming. “I won’t be visiting this summer.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Where are you going?” She called as you pulled Tom out the door. You made it to the car before you burst into tears. Tom rubbed your back.

“Where do you want to go, darling?” He said gently.

“To your house. Please,” you said and he drove quietly. Tom didn’t know what to say. He was used to being the black sheep. His family was regularly treating him poorly. To find out suddenly was all new to him.

He opened the screen door to his modest home. You walked in and hugged him. Your smell that he missed for all those months was there.

———————-

It took a few months for you to speak to your cousin who swore she never knew about it and a few years to talk to your aunt and things were never good. Tom was always the black sheep of his family. He never inherited a thing from his parents. They refused unless he went to university like they wanted. You finished school and moved back with Tom the next summer to work as a nurse. He opened his own carpentry shop a few years later. You were never rich but were very happy.

[gendercraft]

Requited

Sequel to this fic

Trigger warnings: Mary mentioned in passing, cussing, Lucien does a punch, lmk if I missed anything

    Word count: 2129

    Ship: Smallmarch [RobertxDamien]

    A/N: Damien’s dialogue… hard…

    Also can someone please lmk if Damien being vegetarian is canon or just a common headcannon? I can’t remember eao;ih;oigh

    Reblogs > Likes

    Damien finished plating his food just as Lucien’s door opened and shut. Lucien dropped his backpack on the ground and fumbled with the coffee machine.

    Damien gently shooed him away, handing him the plate. “I’ll get that. Go eat.”

    He turned off the stove and cleaned up while Lucien woke up. “Do you have a class today with that girl you were talking about?” He set the mug of coffee in front of him.

    Lucien spent way too long taking gulps of his coffee, and when he finally set it down again, his face was pink. “Yeah.”

    Damien smiled. “You’ll be fine.”

    He groaned. “I know. I gotta go.” He put his empty plate in the dishwasher, and grabbed his backpack.

    Damien chuckled as Lucien practically sprinted out of the house. He was about to go back upstairs, when the door opened again and Lucien called, his voice hard, “Did Robert make you cry?”

    He hesitated, his stomach churning. “No?”

    Lucien appeared in the doorway, a bouquet of red roses in one hand, a small card in the other. He read from it deadpan, “Damien, sorry for making you cry, Robert.”

    Damien blushed.

    “It was a misunderstanding,” he assured. “Come on, you’re going to be late for school.”

    Lucien glared, shoving the card back in the bouquet. “What did he do? Did he-”

    “He didn’t do anything,” he said softly. “I promise. We’re okay.”

    Lucien gave him a suspicious look, but grabbed a vase from under the sink and began to arrange the flowers. He paused, and then sighed. “You took him to the cemetery, didn’t you? He scared you with some stupid urban legend, didn’t he?”

    Damien looked away, his body hot with embarrassment. “Yes. Please, Lucien, go to school.”

    “Dumbass,” he muttered, and it was unclear who he meant. He set the vase on the table and left again.

    When Lucien was really gone, Damien shut himself in his library, and began his letter. He had trouble deciding what exactly was too much to say, and what was too little. Robert was an intensely private man, and Damien had only ever seen him close with Mary. Whatever the reason he was so reserved, he knew the possibility of scaring him off was just as great as brushing him away. He finally settled on being straightforward.

    Dearest Robert,

    I was overjoyed this morning to find the bouquet you sent me on my doorstep. The flowers are beautiful, now resting in an antique vase in my kitchen, and the sentiment warmed my heart.

    I’m writing to invite you to a picnic lunch. I enjoy your company so much, and I’d love to spend more time with you. We could eat in my garden or, if you’d rather, in the cemetery. Does this Saturday, at noon, fit your convenience?

    Sincerely,

    D. Bloodmarch

    He got a response the next day.

    Lucien came in from school, stomping into the kitchen and waving the crumpled piece of lined paper in Damien’s face.

    “Does Robert know what a mailbox is?”

    Damien blushed, snatching the note. “Did you read it?!”

    “Dear God, no. I wouldn’t want to risk seeing your guys’ sexts in Victorian grammar.”

    “We don’t- Never mind.” Damien peeked at the note as Lucien grabbed a soda.

    Damien,

    Sure. Saturday’s good. Glad you liked the flowers. I’ll bring the food.

    -Robert

    The food bit, truthfully, terrified Damien, but he didn’t want to show just how manic he could be just yet. He folded it back in the exact same crumpled way Robert had it, putting it in his pocket it stash in his desk later.

    When he looked up, he frowned in confusion as Lucien stared off into space, a ghost of a smile on his face.

    “Lucy, did you smoke?”

    Lucien’s gaze snapped to his, now equally confused. “What? No.”

    “You’re acting…” Damien struggled for a moment, before just saying, “high.”

    “I didn’t smoke,” he insisted.

    “I know, I know, I believed you the first time. What’s going on? Did you have a good day?” Lucien, as much as Damien hated to admit, didn’t have many good days. When they came he liked to hear all about them.

    Lucien shrugged, and almost smiled again, but stopped himself. “I guess so.”

    “What happened?”

    “It’s stupid.”

    “My love, nothing that makes you happy is stupid,” Damien said firmly. “Now, what happened?”

    “That girl I was telling you about,” he mumbled, so low Damien could barely understand him, his face practically on fire, “she sat with me and Ernest at lunch today.”

    All Lucien had really said was she was a goth girl named Carly who moved here recently.

    He smiled. “That’s wonderful, Lucien! What does Ernest think?”

    “He likes her, too.” His eyes widened. “Wait, not like- Like I like her, or anything. Just that he thinks she’s cool.” He bit his lip. “I gotta go.”

    Damien chuckled and squeezed his shoulder as he passed. “I expect to hear more about this girl over dinner!”

    Lucien just groaned.

    Damien took way too long getting ready.

    He worked right up until the doorbell rang. He set down his makeup brush, and closed the vanity, his heart pounding. He pulled open the front door to find Robert standing there, not with a basket but with a black backpack in hand.

    “Good afternoon, Robert,” Damien said. “Here, I can take that. Are- Are you alright?”

    Robert blinked, meeting his eyes again as he handed over his backpack. “Yeah. You, uh, you look good.”

    Damien blushed. Thank God.

    “Oh, and here.” Robert pulled a bottle of Mountain Dew: Code Red from inside his jacket and handed it to him. “I thought about bringing wine, but I remembered you don’t drink, so…”

    Oh, goodness. It was completely, one hundred percent not fair how sweet he was being.

    “Thank you,” he managed, and quickly stepped aside. “Here, come in. You’ve seen my garden before, yes?”

    A few years ago, Damien hosted a tea party in his garden for the adults in the cul-de-sac. It was sort of a bust; Mary showed up first, dragging Robert behind her, and the three of them watched as everyone else came and went. Nobody stayed for more than twenty minutes, claiming they needed to get back to their kids.

    Robert and Mary had helped him clean up afterwards- Robert wasn’t happy about that -while Damien pretended to not be bothered, and he insisted they take the quite plentiful leftovers off his hands. He left the parties to Joseph now.

    “Yeah.” Robert’s face twisted at the memory.

    Damien hesitated. He always prided himself on his garden, but he knew it was eccentric, and if Robert already had a bad impression…

    He tried sounding casual as he asked, “Well, perhaps you’d rather be at the cemetery, then?”

    Robert chuckled. “I’ve definitely seen the graveyard before. I haven’t been to your garden in a while, I wanna see it.” He waggled his eyebrows, his voice dropping to a teasing tone, “Unless you’ve let it go?”

    He pressed his hand to his heart. “I’d never!”

    “Let’s see it, then.”

    Damien beamed as he held the door open, watching the look of awe push through Robert’s usually apathetic expression.

    Robert turned to look at him. “How many hours a day do you spend gardening?”

    Silence.

    “I plead the fifth.”

    Robert snickered as Damien blushed.

    Damien laid out a blanket for them to sit on while Robert pulled out food in tupperwares.

    “Mary wasn’t fucking with me when you said you were vegetarian, right?”

    Damien blinked. “No, that’s correct.” Did Robert actually make vegetarian food?

    “Mary helped with this,” he sat out a big container of spaghetti and very obviously vegetarian meatballs, “so if it’s bad, put the letter of complaint in her mailbox.”

    Damien laughed lightly and lowered himself down across from him. “Will do. But they look great.”

    “Do they?” Robert narrowed his eyes, inspecting the meal closely.

    “Something you should know about meat substitutes is to never expect it to taste like actual meat. A lot of it is really good, but that’s it.”

    “Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “So you just haven’t had, like, steak or anything close to it for how long?”

    “About four years. And, well, sometimes it tastes accurate, but I’ve never had vegetarian meat that tastes exactly right.” He smiled as Robert plated their food. “What are they made out of?”

    “Uh, tofu? A bunch of grinded up vegetables. Some other stuff, shit I didn’t understand.”

    “Well, it sounds lovely.”

    Robert watched him suspiciously. “Does it?”

    Damien took the plate and made a show of tasting it. The flavours didn’t all blend together in the way they should, but it was still good. “Wonderful.”

    Robert grumbled under his breath and looked away. He pulled out some small side dishes, and Damien laughed as he set down two wine glasses. Damien filled them up with the Mountain Dew.

    “Just like the Victorians did it.”

    “So,” Robert started as they ate, “where’s your little brat?”

    “Out with Ernest and some girl. There’s a music festival in town they drove out to see, I believe.”

    “A girl, huh?” Robert grinned. Of course that was all he heard. “You gonna have to talk to someone’s father soon?”

    “Oh, that’s ridiculous.” Damien waved him away. “Lucien’s a mature kid, and I assume this girl is, too.”

    “Mature? Really? We’re talking about the kid who tried to Cask of Amontillado another kid?”

    “He was messing around with a friend,” he countered. “I have no doubt in my mind that he would have stopped on his own.”

    “Kids are dumb. Especially in relationships.” He paused, and then asked, somewhat hesitantly, “Is the food okay?”

    “It’s perfect,” Damien promised.

    “Good. I wasn’t sure…” He didn’t continue.

    Damien reached over and rested his pale hand atop Robert’s. “I’m enjoying myself. As I always do around you.”

    Robert’s face flushed. “Right. Um. Me too.”

    After they finished eating, Damien showed him around the garden, along the short cobblestone walking path. At one point, while Damien was rambling on and on about Victorian floral language, Robert took his hand and laced their fingers. Damien found it hard to focus after that, not that he was complaining.

    “Did I make up for what happened at the cemetery?” Robert asked as they walked inside, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

    Damien looked at their hands. “Definitely. Maybe we can-”

    Robert ducked away easily from Lucien’s fist, his eyes wide. Lucien lunged away, and Damien grabbed him around the waist, dragging him away from Robert.

    “What the hell, kid?”

    “Lucien!” Damien gasped.

    Ernest was laughing so hard he could barely breathe, at the foot of the staircase, and a girl with long blue hair and a skirt with suspenders giggled into her hand.

    “You made my dad cry!”

    “Lucien, stop!” Damien put himself between Robert and his son, grabbing his shoulders.

    He finally stopped struggling, huffing. With Damien’s grip loosened, he shrugged himself free and crossed his arms over his chest.

    “Goodness, Lucien, we’ve talked about this!”

    He just glared at Robert. “Don’t know what you see in this dude.”

    Damien blushed. Robert set his backpack down and came to stand in front of Lucien, Carly and Ernest’s laughter dying down.

    “Listen, kid,” he said quietly, and Damien was so stressed out he could faint, “you wanna protect your dad, that’s great. But it was an accident, and I apologized, so you don’t get the face.” He smacked his own arm, twice. “Right here.”

    Lucien looked at him in surprise, and Robert nodded. He winced as Lucien hit him as hard as he could in the arm.

    Robert patted his shoulder. “Good man. Go back to your friends.”

    “We’re talking about this later!” Damien called as Lucien, Ernest, and Carly headed back to Lucien’s room. He turned to Robert, and asked, exasperated, “What was that?”

    Robert grinned. “Gotta teach him the rules.”

    He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I apologize. He shouldn’t have hit you.”

    Robert shrugged. “Nah, he’s good. He was just tryna watch out for you. He’s definitely not mature, but you’ve got a good kid.”

    Damien smiled. “I suppose so.”

    “Well, I’ll leave you to deal with that.” He pulled his backpack back on, and winced. “You’ve got a strong kid, damn. I’m lucky he didn’t hit my face. Fucker woulda broken my nose.”

    “Um, Robert, before you go…” Damien took in a deep breath. “It’d really be an honour to spend more time with you.”

    Robert looked away, poorly hiding his smile. “Yeah. Maybe you can come over tomorrow. We can watch a movie or something.”

    After he left, Damien relaxed for a moment, letting his heart calm down. Then he started planning what he would say to Lucien.

Tag list: @caktusjuice

[theunidentifiedpiece]

Smile for me Hwi.

GENRE: Fluff & a bit of Angst

PAIRING: HuiDawn / Hui X E’Dawn

BASED OFF ON @shinwonsaysomething ‘s aesthetic mood boards

————————————

PROLOGUE » 07 : 21 AM, THURSDAY

Hyojong stared at the clear blue sky, then seeing within a horizon he saw a kingdom that always had a dark lurking arua. Hyojong rembered that he needed to befriend the kingdom, that’s what his father tried to do before he got killed. He shook his head, trying his best to look bright and positive for the next few days that he’ll be staying in there. Hyojong sent a letter to them, saying that he will be visiting them and hoped that to become friends with the prince of the Dark Kingdom.

Although it seemed unusual that they accepted his letter and sent a response to his, Hyojong really needed to continue his father’s work to befriend other kingdoms. He just wanted things to be peaceful, Hyojong recalled the reason.

Hyojong looked at his suitcase, filled with the clothes that he’ll be wearing for his stay in the other kingdom. “If I succeed in making the Dark Kingdom’s royalties my friends, I hope that father would be proud.” He said, still staring at his suitcase.

———————————

MEETING THE DARK KINGDOM’S ROYAL FAMILY » 12 : 39 PM, MONDAY. DAY 1

After days of Hyojong’s travel, he reached the gates of the Dark Kingdom’s castle. He stood there, with a suitcase in his hands whilst two gloomy dark knights stared at the differently dressed prince. Hyojong thought that he should represent his kingdom by wearing his usual clothes that he wore in his kingdom, they were all in the shades of yellow to white. Nothing seemingly dark nor gloomy in his palette of colors in his closet though.

He saw the gigantic gate open with no creak being heard, unlike his kingdom’s which always creaked once it was opened. “They must have really good metal here.. Probably never rusts.” He thought to himself.

He was greeted with royalties staring at him, the king was smiling widely, the queen had a small smile and the prince stared at him, his gaze stayed at the beautiful prince, surely he was intimidated but there was something that seemed to pull him in the prince’s odd aura. He was just staring at him, he was staring back at the dark prince. The dark prince blinked, Hyojong was snapped out of his gaze.

Hyojong bowed before the Dark Kingdom’s royalties, he looked at the family, “I am Kim Hyojong, Prince of the Light Kingdom. I wish to bond with you, and to become familiar with you all. I hope that I would be able to be companions with your son.” He said, with a promising tone that laced his voice.

The king laughed at the Light Prince, clearly amused with his introduction. “Kim Hyojong, of the Light Kingdom. I welcome you into our castle, I wish that you’ll enjoy your stay here.” He said.

Hyojong was surprised on how seemingly joyous the Dark Kingdom’s king was a hearty man, their queen seemed to be caring basing off their looks, but the prince? He seemed different.

Hyojong stood up and thanked the king. He smiled at the family, which lead him to his room, in this case he had to share with the Dark Prince’s. Since the king suggested that they should bond with each other.

He wasn’t ready for this, but at least he’ll have plenty of chances to talk to the alluring prince. He unpacked his suitcase, not knowing that the Dark Prince was looking at him in a distance since his room was large.

He stared at the boy, he thought he was attractive. “Now he’s taking he sweet time to sort his clothes, his face seems to be a little droopy or sad but good lord he‘s adorable.” The Dark Prince thought to himself.

Hyojong turned to look, he felt as is somebody was looking at him. He saw the Dark Prince staring at him, their eyes meet.

“Hello Kim Hyojong, I am Prince Lee Hwitaek of the Dark Kingdom.” He said, still remaining his gaze at the Light Prince.

Hyojong swallowed, Hwitaek’s dominating gaze pierced his heart. “G-Greetings Lee Hwitaek.” He stuttered at the boy before him.

Hwitaek chuckled, “You seem promising, Hyojong.”

Hyojong was entirely entranced at Hwitaek's alluring stare, it made his mind go blank and his heart beating like hell. Hwitaek blinked at the entranced boy, was he that attractive? Hwitaek pursed his lips and approached the prince,  Hyojong's hand was on a pile of his own clothes, Hwitaek placed his hand on Hyojong's frozen one.

Hwitaek looked at the boy, "I was just merely testing you. Making sure if you are able to take my stares. Though, you seem weak." He said softly,

Hyojong blinked at what Hwitaek said, "D-Do you to this to people?"

Hwitaek chuckled, "No, but to the people that I like and try to trust." Hyojong was mentally panicking on what to do, his body was getting closer to his.

He pushed Hwitaek away, he hid his face since he probably looked like a tomato. "Hyojong... I'm sorry." Hwitaek said, sincerity was in his voice.

"I've never really had a friend so, I don't know what to do exactly... and I hoped that I would help you, but.. uhm.." Hwitaek's voice trailed off, he wasn't exactly sure why he exactly did that.

Hyojong looked through his fingers, he saw and felt Hwitaek lying next to him, he took his hands off his face and looked at the prince. Hwitaek noticed Hyojong, looking at him. Silence was wedged in the atmosphere, the two princes simply looking each other on a bed that had some clothes scattered here and there on the bed.

Hyojong gulped, “I just... I could need help in these clothes though.” He looked away blushing, Hwitaek laughed at the blushing boy.

“I’ll help you then sunshine.” Hwitaek said softly at the prince, he stood up and walked to Hyojong. He stuck his hand out, Hyojong got ahold of his hand and pulled himself out of the bed that they laid in.

The two princes simply helped each other sorting one’s clothes into the closet, Hwitaek noticed how his clothes were different from his own.

His had shades with anything dark and intimidating, Hyojong’s were light and lovely. He could see how different they were, but for a moment there he forgot that he was the Dark Prince and Hyojong was the Light Prince.

The two princes stretched their bodies, they were both tired from the clothes sorting. Hwitaek wanted to talk to the Light Prince more, is this how friendship feels? He wanted to talk and be open to Hyojong, and he could trust him and Hyojong would trust him back.

“Hyojong? Would you like some tea with me?” He asked to the prince who was laying down on his back on his bed. Hyojong perked up and smoothed out his outfit and ran a hand through his hair, Hyojong smiled and nodded at Hwitaek.

———————————

A PICNIC » 01 : 25 PM, TUESDAY. DAY 6

Hyojong and Hwitaek became good friends within a few days, they talked about themselves and what interested them. They also practiced fighting with swords together, stabbing hay dummies and parrying each other, dodging ones attack with both having a determined gaze.

Although that tired the two princes, they still thought that it was a good experience to practice the sword with each other. Now Hyojong was stirring up a little plan to make the bond between him and Hwitaek stronger, last night they just simply talked about what they liked, now Hyojong wanted to know more things about the Dark Prince.

Hyojong called out to Hwitaek, who was in a distance, he walked over to him with a small smile on his face. “Hwi? Would you like to go on a picnic with me? Just you and me?” He asked Hwitaek with happiness in his voice.

Hwitaek smiled at his already close friend, “Alright, lead me the way Hyojong.” His hand was intertwined with Hyojong, he led him to his garden in the castle.

Hwitaek noticed what was before his eyes. A beautiful but simple little tea set on a white silk picnic blanket laid on the lush green grass, it was surrounded with walls of beautiful thorned roses. It was perfect for him, it seemed dangerous to be around rose bushes but he thought it was a beautiful thing to look at the thorns.

Hyojong smiled at what his did, he looked at Hwitaek with a smile on his face. “I knew and remembered that you liked thorns, and I like roses. So I thought that this would this would be beautiful scenery to place this little picnic for us.” He said

Hwitaek couldn’t form any words any in his mouth, he just simply stared at Hyojong with a smile that simply said ‘Thank You.’

Hyojong squeezed his hand that was intertwined with Hwitaek’s, and lead him to the picnic blanket. Hyojong sat on one side, Hwitaek sat across him. The tea set between them, Hyojong’s pale hands reach for the tea pot, Hwitaek insisted that he would be the one pouring tea.

Both tea cups were filled, Hyojong sipped on the tea that he made. A smile was placed on his lips. He looked at Hwitaek who stared at his cup of tea, he looked at Hyojong. A smile appeared on his face, he drank his tea.

Hyojong saw Hwitaek’s satisfied face as he tastes the sweetness of the tea. He blinked and a sigh left his lips, “Hyojong, how did you make this amazing tea?” Hwitaek asked Hyojong who was watching him earlier.

“It was something that I learned, my mom thought me how before she...” Hyojong gulped, his eyes stung remembering his own mother’s death. Hyojong shook his head and placed his tea cup down and covered his face.

Hwitaek looked at Hyojong who was shaking, he approached the prince slowly and wrapped his hands around him. He whispered soft words against Hyojong’s ear, he ran his fingers through Hyojong’s hair. Hyojong calmed down, he was being hugged and comforted by Hwitaek, he looked up at him, his eyes red and puffy. Hwitaek placed a hand on Hyojong’s tear streaked cheek. He caressed it with his thumb, the two princes stared at each other in comforting silence.

Hyojong took ahold of Hwitaek’s hand, he intertwined it with his. The two princes still remaining the gaze, both of their hearts beating in sync. The world felt like it disappeared and only the two of them were just in vast silence.

Hwitaek had already found his soulmate. Hyojong did too, only one day left to prove if they’ll be able to tell each other what they felt. Before Hyojong leaves on the next day

————————————-

TO TELL HIM. » 11:23 PM, TUESDAY. INCOMING DEPARTURE.

The two princes spent their time together, and now here they were on their bed staring at the painted ceiling. No words uttered between the two princes. Only contented silence. One wanting to spill all the words to the other, but he didn’t have the courage. The other waiting for someone to speak. they’ve become so close over the time, they sometimes talked to each other, they always had silent moments together, where their bodies would be close and they’d be awake, but they wouldn’t talk, but they liked silence all in all.

Hwitaek kept staring at the prince beside him, his eyelids slowly getting heavier as time passed. He wanted to keep looking at Hyojong, since he won’t be able to se the beautiful boy anymore on the next day and maybe he won’t be able to see him forever. Though as the thoughts rushed through his head, he finally fell asleep.

Hyojong noticed the sleeping Hwitaek, he turned himself towards him and wrapped him around his hands. Hwitaek woke up and looked at Hyojong, he sleepily blinked and placed his head on Hyojong’s chest.

Hwitaek swallowed his fears down, “Hyojong... I-I love you... I don’t know what to do when I’m alone here, I’ll miss you sunshine...” Hwitaek said, his voice breaking and tears were forming in his eyes.

Hyojong heard what Hwitaek said, he pulled Hwitaek closer to him. “Hwi... don’t cry...” He said softly as he ran his hands through Hwitaek’s soft hair.

Hwitaek looked up at Hyojong, “I cant when I know that we won’t be able to see each other like this... to wake up beside you, made my days brighter... now it’s all going to be gloomy again without my sunshine...” He said, his voice broken with sadness and fear.

Hyojong honestly never wanted to leave, but he also couldn’t leave his kingdom. “Hwi..” he leaned closer to the prince and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

“I love you too, but listen to me..” Hyojong said, still running his fingers through Hwitaek’s hair.

Hwitaek looked into the prince’s eyes, was he not enough for him? Was Hwitaek someone just oh so close to Hyojong but they’ll only remain as close friends? Hwitaek choked as silence was brought upon them. “Hyojong..?”

“I’ll be leaving early in the morning, and I’ll leave you a letter on your table.” Hyojong said, filled with sadnesss.

“And I hope that you’ll write a letter for me, once I return to my castle.” Hyojong added.

Hwitaek nodded sleepily, both of the princes now tired and sleepy. They cuddled each other when they slept.

————————————-

A LETTER FOR THE DARK PRINCE. » 08:59 AM, WEDNESDAY.

Hwitaek woke up, with no one beside him. He remembered what happened last night, he looked around his room. It felt dead and empty. It was just how he felt, something used to brighten up something his heart now it’s dead.

Although he stood up and tried to conquer the day, he noticed a letter that was on his table. He rushed to it quickly and opened it.

Dear sunshine,

Good morning! I hope you’ve had a good night’s sleep. I already miss you, well even though I’m writing this beside you, who was sleeping. Although I know that things may seem a little dead without me, please don’t feel sad.

Smile for me, Hwi. Promise me that.

-Love, Hyojong

I felt tears form in my eyes again, Hyojong. I’ll meet you again, soon.

————————————-

YOU AND ME, TOGETHER. » EPILOUGE

Years have passed , the two princes kept sending each other letters constantly.

Hwitaek had something under his sleeves. He was going to visit Hyojong and his kingdom, he didn’t tell Hyojong anything, but he told him and assured him in his last letter that he’ll be busy dealing with royal duties, and he won’t be able to respond to his letter for a little while.

Hwitaek stood at the grand white gates of the Light Kingdom. There were guards that guarded the gates, the noticed the darkly dressed Prince, his crown gleamed in the sun. The guards quickly opened the gates for the Dark Prince. He walked through the gates and the villagers that stared at him, he was the odd one out of this kingdom. But he doesn’t care about his anxiety, all he wanted to do is to meet the one that he loved.

He asked the guards to inform that someone familiar is here, now he stood at the castles entrance. Anxious to see his loved one, he fixed his clothes and the white bow that Hyojong gave in one of his letters as a gift.

The doors opened to reveal the only person that he wanted to see, Hyojong. He slowly walked to the shocked prince, he looked more beautiful than ever. He placed a hand on his cheek.

Hyojong looked at Hwitaek straight in the eyes, he smiled at him. The two princes leaned closer and their lips met.

Finally for years that they yearned this moment, they both pulled away and smiled at each other.

“You kept your promise to smile, and you look more handsome than ever Hwi.” Hyojong said,

“I would keep my promises, especially if it’s from you sunshine.” Hwitaek said, placing a kiss on his forehead. Hyojong giggled,

“So... the Light Kingdom and the Dark Kingdom has found unity?” Hwitaek softly whispered,

Hyojong hummed a yes, and placed his head on his lover’s chest. A sweet little happily ever after for the unity of two kingdoms

[thewokewordsmith]

@zutaraweek

Letters that you never meant to send

Summary: Zuko pens a letter to his Uncle Iroh in which he confesses his true feelings for Katara.

Dear Uncle,

How are you? How is Ba Sing Se and the Jasmine Dragon? Are you getting to play lots of pai sho? I hope so. I hope that things are going well for you. Things are going well in the Fire Nation. I'm still recovering so that means I'm mostly restricted to the palace grounds, but it's OK Katara has been here everyday to tend to my injury and keep me company. Hopefully you've found someone to keep you company. How are the other members of the White Lotus doing? As soon as I get a free moment I'll have to stop by and see how everyone is getting along. The rest of team avatar is doing OK. They all send you their love. Speaking of love it's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about actually. Maybe we should be having this conversation in person, but it's too hard and too embarrassing, but Uncle I think that I maybe in love, but I don't know if she loves me back. I'm pretty sure you know who I'm talking about. It's the same someone I'm always talking to you about. Katara.

It all started back when we got trapped in the crystal catacombs together. What happened between us down there seemed like such a small moment, but for me it was one moment that changed my life forever. The moment Katara offered to heal my scar. The moment she touched my face something between the two of us started to change. I've never told Katara, but I had hope when I got back to Fire Nation and the one thing that gave me that hope was my faith in Katara and my faith in Katara's healing abilities. Katara didn't even heal my scar, but I knew that she could. I knew what a powerful waterbender Katara was. I knew she was powerful enough to bring Aang back from the dead. I even told my father before I left the palace that Aang wasn't dead, even though I had no way of knowing that for sure, but deep down I knew. I knew because it was Katara that had healed Aang, and from the moment she touched my face and offered to heal me I've had an unshakable faith in Katara, but I can't tell her.

Before we'd gone off to find the leader of the Southern Raiders we weren't even friends, but when rocks were about to crush Katara I was the one to save her and when I was about to fall to my death Katara was the one to save me. She was the one to reach for me and I reached out for her. So maybe her faith in me is unshakable too? When I told Katara that I knew how and where to find her mother's killer she went along with  me without question. We still weren't friends at that point but she still went along with me. I'm sure a lot of it had to do with wanting revenge, but even still she went with me no questions asked. She trusted me even after I betrayed her in the worst way possible. Sometimes I think if she was able to trust me that deeply even when we weren't friends then maybe, just maybe she'll be able to love someone like me, but that's just my dream. In reality it seems too good to be true.

I've never told you this before now, but when I needed to work up the nerve to talk to you after betraying you in the crystal catacombs it was Katara who gave me the strength to go in your tent. It was her faith in me that pushed me along. It was the fact that she forgave me that gave me faith that you would forgive me too. My faith in her is why I chose to have her by my side when I went to fight. Then there is of course taking a bolt of lightning for Katara. I wasn't really thinking about her ability to heal me then. To be honest at that moment all I could think is that I'd rather die then live in a world that didn't have Katara in it. So how is it Uncle that I can take a bolt of lightning for Katara but I can't tell her how I really feel about her?

I know you Uncle, and I know you would say that I should tell her how I really feel, but I can't. What if she doesn't feel the same way about me? She might not be my girlfriend now, but at least she's my friend. At least she's in my life. If I told her how I feel and she didn't feel the same way it could ruin what we have. What if she found it too hard to be around me after I confessed my feelings? What would I do if she never wanted to see me again? I couldn't live with that. It be like dying for real this time. Maybe I'll get the courage to tell her one day Uncle, but not today. Beside I'm Fire Lord now, do you really think it be fair to ask her to be Fire Lady one day?

Aah now I'm getting ahead of myself thinking of Katara as the next Fire Lady when she isn't even my lady. How pathetic of me. I'm sorry Uncle for making this letter all about me and my love life (or in this case lack there of) I just needed for someone to know how I really feel, and if I can't tell Katara...I don't know, but I had to tell someone and you're the only other someone I know.

Lovingly your nephew, Zuko.

Zuko got up from his desk and went to the rookery and selected a messenger hawk to deliver his letter to his uncle. He debated a second on whether he should send the letter or not and after a few minutes of back and forth arguing in his mind he decided to send the letter. The weight of his feelings sitting on his chest might crush him if he didn't. Katara was stopping by the palace later on in the day and that meant another full day of pretending that he didn't want her as much as he did. A full day of making sure he didn't look in her eyes too long or smile stupidly at everything that she said. A full day of making sure when he touched her it wasn't for too long or too much. Another day of trying to force his heart not to beat twice as fast whenever she said his name. His name coming off her lips was like music to his ears. Every single space that was free in his head was filled with thoughts of Katara. He knew his uncle was right. He should tell her how he felt but every time he tried he lost his courage. Why would someone like her want to be with someone like him? He was lucky that she even forgave him he would not risk fate in thinking that she'd be foolish enough to date him. Not Katara. She could have anyone she wanted so why would she want him?

He sighed. Now he regretted sending that letter to his uncle and wished that he had it back so that he could burn it. What did he think his uncle could do? There was no hope for him. Katara would probably end up with Aang and he would probably end up alone. Being alone was almost preferable than being without Katara. He went back to his room with his heart feeling as twice as heavy as it had a second ago. Why did he torture himself this way? Why did he have to fall in love with the one girl who couldn't love him back? The best and the worst part was that for the next few weeks he had to see her. She was the best healer in the four nations. If only she hadn't of touched his face back in the crystal catacombs. If only she hadn't of opened up her heart to him. If only he hadn't of opened up his heart to her. He usually kept his feeling to himself for a reason. Nothing good ever came of exposing your heart like some love sick fool. Nothing good at all.

It still didn't stop him from wearing his finest outfit and putting on his best smelling cologne for Katara's visit. He put his cologne on the way his uncle had showed him. Behind his ears, the back of his neck, and then two more sprays on either side of his throat. "Cologne is for wearing not bathing." His uncle would always say. It was all a wasted effort he knew, but he still liked looking his best around Katara because she always looked her best around him. Of course Katara could show up in a burlap sack and a tea cozy on her head and Zuko would still think she looked her best.

To distract himself while he waited for Katara to show up he tried playing pai sho but he never had the patience for the game. He tried to play his tsungi horn but the only songs he could think to play were love songs and he was in no mood to hear songs about love when his was unrequited. Finally he gave up and lie on his bed and did the thing that his mind had been wanting him to do for so long now. Think about Katara. He thought about holding her. Kissing her. Telling her that he loved her and hearing her say it back. Spirits he was hopeless. Life did not work out the way it did in all of the plays his mother used to drag him to. Finally after spending several agonizing hours alone Katara showed up. She was still wearing red and Zuko thought that she looked amazing in red. She looked beyond amazing. She looked like a Spirit Goddess. The Spirit Goddess of love and beauty.

"Hi." He said. The stupid grin appeared on his face and wouldn't go away. His heart leapt about in his chest like a rabaroo.

"Hi, how are you feeling?"

"Better now that you're here." Zuko mentally kicked himself. Anytime that she was around his mouth got a mind of it's own.

Katara just smiled and held up a huge basket of goodies for Zuko to see. "One of your staff of thousands saw me headed towards your room so they gave me this. It's a care package from your uncle." She handed him the overstuffed basket so that he could go through it.

"Why don't we take this out to the Royal Gardens and see what's inside, and then we can have a picnic." Zuko didn't give Katara time to say no. He raced back into his room and got a blanket and then started for the gardens and was beyond thrilled when Katara followed by his side. "I thought we could sit by the cherry trees. There in bloom this time of year and they're really something to see. He was going to pull out all of the stops. This was probably as close to a date with Katara as he was ever going to get.

"That sounds wonderful." Katara said. "I've always loved cherry trees."

The stupid grin on Zuko's face got even bigger and his heart beat even faster.

They walked along the cherry trees until Zuko found the biggest fullest tree in the garden and spread the blanket out underneath it. He waited for Katara to sit down before sitting down himself. At once Zuko began to dig through the basket and pull out his favorite comfort foods. Sticky buns, mooncakes, dumplings. There was also plates, cups, and silverware. His uncle had thought of everything.

"Oh, my uncle has something in here for you too." Zuko said and handed Katara a package that had her name attached to it by a little pink ribbon. "It must be a thank you gift for taking care of me." He handed Katara the package, there was something so familiar about the package's wrapping, but he was so distracted by Katara's presence that he didn't notice right away. In fact there were several things he might have noticed earlier that he didn't had he not been distracted by Katara.

Katara however didn't seem so easily distracted. She had unwrapped her package which contained several different teas and had turned the wrapping it came in over and was studying it intently.

Zuko was suddenly hit with a jolt of intense knowing. The synapses in his brain were now firing on all cylinders. The wrapping! It wasn't just any wrapping it was his letter! The one he'd written to his uncle about his feelings for Katara. His uncle, the sneaky old man, had wrapped Katara's tea up in his letter. Now she was reading his letter right in front of him. He sat there watching her read the letter too afraid to move or speak. If he could have moved he would have run. He would have run away and never looked back. How could his uncle do this to him? His heart beat so loudly in his chest he wouldn't have been surprised at all of Katara could have heard it. He had to say something before she did, but nothing came to his mind. His tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth.

"Zuko, you wrote this letter?"

What did he do? Did he admit it? He had to what else was there to do but admit the truth.

"I-I-." The truth was out now so why was it that he still couldn't tell her how he felt about her? Why couldn't he just say it?

"You were never supposed to see that." He said finally and got to his feet quickly. He hung his head in shame in anticipation of Katara's rejection. He was ready to bolt the moment the words I'm sorry Zuko, but I just don't feel the same way about you left Katara's lips.

"Well I'm glad I did."

Zuko's head snapped up so fast it was amazing that it didn't break his neck. "Hun?" That wasn't what she was supposed to say.

"I said I'm glad that I did."

"You are, but why?"

Katara laughed and then closed in the space between them. "Because I feel the same way about you that you feel about me."

Then her lips were on his and she was kissing him. Really kissing him and he was kissing her back. His heart soared. This was real. This wasn't a dream it was really happening. He was kissing Katara and she was kissing him back.

When their kiss broke the two of them sat back down on the blanket and Zuko looked through the basket of goodies again and saw that there were two cups. Two plates and enough silverware for two people. His uncle had set him up. "I can't believe my uncle did this!"

"Well would you have asked me out otherwise?" Katara wanted to know.

"No."

"Then I think you own your uncle a huge thanks. I think we both do."

"I think you're right." Zuko said and then leaned over and kissed Katara again.

[ificouldlivemydaydream-blog]

Sister in the Glade (Minho x Reader) Part 2: Matchmaker

A/N: Sorry I can’t link Part 1 but it should be pretty easy to find seeing as this will only be the second fanfic ever I’ve written. And Sorry if it’s really bad and for mistakes.

Also sorry that this took ages to do I just moved so I’ve been unpacking and uninspired.

————————————————————————

“Hey Jessie” you call, climbing the watchtower to where you’d decided to have lunch together. You were super close to your identical twin sister, but you never got to spend time with her because while she was supposedly working (and by working I mean messing around) with Newt in the gardens. Her head popped up over the side and she looked down at you.

“Ya know, a normal person might use the ladder,” she said.

“Since when have I been normal?”

“Good point”

“So whatchya got, Y/N?”

“Good question,” you said as Jessica pulled your lunch out of the bag Fry had packed it in.

“Mac’n’cheese, apparently!”

“Yes! I’m so sick of the same sandwich every day.” Usually you would eat in the Maze with Minho, your running partner, and boyfriend. Speaking of which.

“Jess, when are you gonna ask Newt out?” You asked. “You guys are soooo cute together.”

“ I don’t know, I don’t want to ruin our friendship. Besides, there’s no way he likes me back.”

“Wouldn’t be so sure about that,” came a voice from behind you, causing you to choke on your mac’n’cheese.

“Oh my god, Minho!” You shouted, mouth still full of macaroni. “Don’t do that!” He just laughed, and kissed your forehead. You rolled your eyes as he sat down and helped himself to your mac’n’cheese. You swatted him away.

“Seriously, Jess. The guy’s head over heels for you.”

“He isn’t though!”

You looked at Minho and rolled your eyes in unison.

“Besides, how am I even supposed to do it?”

“Most people would start by walking over and saying hi.” Minho quipped. Jessica blushed as you shoved him of the side of the watch tower.

“Ow.” You looked over the side to see Minho swinging on a branch.

“Maybe next time don’t try to kill me?” He said.

“You’re fine.”

“No I’m not!” He said as He ran of to god knows where. Actually, probably to talk to Newt.

Next Morning

You and Minho has come up with a master plan. Newt and Jessica were perfect for each other, but as they refused to admit it, you had to take matters into your own hands. The two of you still had to run you’re route, though, so Winston and Zart were going to set up. You’d begged Alby for another day off, so you could do it, but he’d said no. You just had to hope for the best.

Time skip because I’m lazy

When you got back, the two of you immediately jumped into action. You ran off to find Jessica, while Minho went on a search for Newt. And of course you found them throwing tomatoes at each other in the gardens. You and Minho looked at each other like awwww.

“Hey, Jess, can I talk to you?”

“Uh, yeah, sure”

You pulled her aside.

“I’ve got to show you something, and I don’t want the boys to know about. Meet me in that clearing in the woods tonight at 8. You know, the one Min always takes me to?” With that, You ran off to yours and Minho’s room and collapsed on the bed, waiting. A second later, the door opened Minho strolled in. You leaped up. “Did ya get him to meet you?”

“Yep!”

“Yes! This is going perfectly!”You squealed. Minho looked at you.

“You’re so cute when you’re excited.” He said.

Then he kissed you. It was passionate, strong, what you lived for. You ran your hand through his hair. It was so soft, sleek-

Suddenly Zart and Winston barged in excited. “Guys we finished the- oh. Heyyyy guys. We interrupting-.”

“You could say that” Minho said, while you fell of the bed laughing at their expressions.

“Ever heard of knocking?” you rolled your eyes, still trying to hold back more laughter.

“Whatever, lets go check it out, Minnie.”

You left the Homestead, and started out across the field.

“ Race ya” I said, and took of sprinting straight for the deadheads. You beat Minho by a landslide, and nearly fall over laughing when he trips over a log.

“Oh my god, guys, it’s beautiful!”

Yet Another time skip

At eight o’clock, you and Minho are huddled up in the bushes, eyes on the clearing. You’d just finished setting up the picnic, and had found the best viewing spot, right by the pond.

You sat there whispering as Newt and Jess wandered into the clearing. They were both clearly confused as to why there was a picnic set up when they were supposed to meet people.

You watched as Newt picked up the envelope with the letter you’d written.

Dear Jess and Newt,

As you can tell this is probably not what you expected. And yes, this is for you. Enjoy!

Minho and Y/N

Jessica’s POV

I should have known this was what she was up to. But it looked like a great feast, and I’m not one to pass up free food. I scanned everything on the ground and quickly realized they’d done British and American food for me and Newt. Typical Y/ N. She’s not really great at subtlety. I sat down across from Newt and popped a strawberry in my mouth. I smiled at Newt.

“Have you ever had a Chocolate Orange?” He asked me.

“No, what’s that?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Try one!” He tossed a foil ball in my direction. I opened it to reveal a chocolate ball, shaped like, well, an orange.

“You break off a piece, like this” he demonstrated.

It was the same as an orange, just chocolate. I took a bite.

“Oh my god, why would someone do this to chocolate?” I said.

“You don’t like it?”

“British food is so weird!”

“I think you mean delicious”

“Here, try this.” I tossed him a can of Root Beer, and watched as he took a drink.

“Eurg, that’s disgusting!” He said while I laughed.

“I guess were just going to have to agree to disagree here.” I said, shaking my head.

“What on earth is this?” Newt asked me.

“Oh my gosh, that’s monkey bread! I love that stuff!”

Newt eyed it suspiciously, fair enough since I told him Root Beer was amazing(which it is).

I ripped of a chunk and tossed it to him. He caught it in his mouth, and I burst out laughing.

“I’m gonna have to put a request with Fry, this stuff’s amazing.”

“Hang on, get up.” I instructed. He obeyed, and his blonde hair flew around as he did in the breeze. His hair... he was so cute...

“What exactly am I doing,” He asked, snapping me out of my daydream.

“Hold on, hold on,” I said, standing up with the monkey bread.

“Okay, you ready?”

“Yeah!”

I tossed the monkey bread over the blanket, for him to catch. And he did. He was good at it, too. Then I started to go a little faster, and it got crazy.

“Don’t waste the monkey bread!”he cried.

Then I threw one up high. I didn’t think he’d catch it, but he did! And then....

Newt’s POV

I guess I got a little too ambitious catching flying bread. Jessica threw one high up, and a caught it! However, I then tripped over the bowl of drinks, and fell... right on top of Jessica. I blushed, staring into her eyes... she was so beautiful... and so perfect... if only she could love me back.

“Sorry, love...”

“Oh for shuck’s sake just kiss already!”came a voice that could only have been Minho’s, followed by a large splash that could also only have been Minho, followed by a “Do you ever shut up!?” YN. Definitely YN.

I looked back to Jessica. And I kissed her. Suddenly I pulled back.

“I-I’m Sorry-I shouldn’t have-“ she cut me off with another kiss. “Newt, I’ve been waiting for you to do that for 6 months”

“Really?”

“Yeah”

“Sorry I kept you waiting, then. Now, I think there are a couple of shanks who need dealing with, who are possibly in the pond”

Your POV. Sort of.

You saw Newt fall on Jessica, holding your breath. They whispered a couple things, then Newt started to get up.

“Oh for shuck’s sake just kiss already!” shouted Minho as you shoved him into the pond.

“Do you ever shut up?” And they kissed. You squealed with delight, as Minho climbed out of the pond, drenched.

“Did I miss it?”

“You totally missed it.”

“Oh come on, YN” he whined.

“Oh shuck,” you squealed as Newt and Jess came running toward you.

“Run!” Luckily, the two of you were the fastest people in the Glade, so it wasn’t all that difficult for you to get away. They chased you into the field, though, where there were a ton of people still milling around. They stopped, still holding hands, and a million people bombarded them.

“Sooooo... Newt? Jess?” Fry. “What’s the story.” Newt looked at Jessica.

“Well? Jess? Will you be my girlfriend?”

“Yes, Newt. Always.”

You shrieked with delight, and Minho lifted you on his shoulders to greet the Glade’s newest couple. You were so happy for your sister. So happy that she had finally got what she’d fantasized about since you all came up in the Box.

[mariamuses]

100 Reasons Why

The wonderful @queen-archeron suggested this prompt where Elain x Azriel go to their first date and have their first kiss, because I couldn’t find any inspiration lately. It’s just pure Elriel fluff because Anna and I have been sharing opinions on it lately and I’m trash. Hope you enjoy it!

Tags:  @songbirdsbooks @kaliejane26 @personpersonper @turtlesnook @the-bookish-soul @court-0f-dreamers

Word Count: 2,244

AO3

After the war, it had taken everyone in the inner circle time to grow accustomed to their new lives, with new nightmares, new dynamics, new people...

But to Elain, that new life came with the literal sense. She had died on that Cauldron, moved across the continent and had left all her social life and the people that came with it behind. To top it off, she had been given a mate, and a handsome one at that, but he was someone she didn’t really know, and their relationship hadn’t exactly started with the right foot. 

She knew Lucien was a good man, but to her, it wasn’t reason enough to force herself to accept some bond that was thrusted upon her, when all her life she had grown up believing that you get to choose who you love, and you have to choose right, for the humans didn’t have the mating bond and the certainty it offered. She had given up enough things to now give up her beliefs and values too. Even if it was a hard choice, she wasn’t going to be one to keep a male at her knees, begging for scraps when he, and she too, could aim for so much more.

So, she had called the mating bond off. One day when Lucien had returned to the Night Court after one of his many trips as Emissary, Elain had taken him to the garden for a walk and told him everything. Lucien had been very gracious about it, after all he had been waiting for her to make a decision, but it wasn’t too difficult considering how he had Vassa as a safe net to cushion the fall. Elain had agreed, much to Lucien’s disbelief, after catching Lucien writing letters to Vassa, that keeping correspondence with her was a great idea, even while they went on a few dates, to keep his options open in case he didn’t want the mating bond, so he wouldn’t feel trapped. Of course, Lucien wasn’t as decisive as her and hadn’t dared to call it off even when he already knew what he wanted.

It was a crucial step Elain had taken, but she hadn’t been alone in that journey. Not at all.

Azriel had been there. He always was and now, she hoped, he always will.

He was different. Always quiet, in the shadows, looking, observing. But also, Elain had noticed, helping. Every time she had something to do, he was there, helping her. He wasn’t as noticeable as maybe Cassian, Rhysand or Mor were. But to Elain, that only made her look at him closely.

The first thing she had noticed was that he was beautiful, in a sharp yet delicate way. Then she noticed how she was her best self with him around her. And when the visions had started to go out of control, he had been the one at the front line, the first to know what she was, the only one who knew how to help her.

And so she started seeing him too, under another light. How this male didn’t believe he could be loved, or that he was deserving of love. She saw his shadows, but looked past them; saw his scars but only felt his hands. How he could create with them, when they cooked together; or be gentle, when he scooped her up when a vision hit her or when he took care of her garden.

And Elain saw him look at her, too. That gaze filled with hidden love, but also guilt and sadness. 

And she couldn’t bear it, so she took matters onto her own hands; and after a few days of gathering the courage after setting Lucien free, she was determined to show him what love meant and asked him out on a date. And after a lot of convincing and giving him countless reasons and explanations that she didn’t want Lucien, but him, he said yes.

And today was the day.

He was picking her up on the House of Wind because Feyre had insisted that way was more romantic, him being forced to fly her down to Velaris and all.

A sharp knock shook Elain out of her reverie and she pulled the door open, looking up to a view that melted her heart into a puddle.

In front of her was Azriel, out of his normal leathers, with a clean-shaven face, black linen pants and a black, plain t-shirt fitted so it hugged his arms and chest. Her jaw hanged, but she wasn’t the only one stunned.

In front of her, Azriel’s gaze kept flicking all over her. First her eyes and the black kohl she had lined them with; then her lips, which were plump and rose colored; and finally her body, for she was clad in a dress which did nothing to hide her breasts, as well as the curve of her hips and finished right above the knee.

After a full minute of checking each other out, Azriel chuckled, tending a hand out to her and asked, “Shall we go?”.

Elain furrowed her brow, the lack of compliment on her appearance bothering her but remembering how hard it had been for him to agree to the date, she cleared her doubts out of her mind and took his hand, letting him put his hands behind her knees and back and picking her up as if she weighted nothing.

“We shall, handsome”, she answered.

And they took off.

Elain took Azriel on a tour of the city. Of course, he already knew all the places, but what he didn’t know, or at least fully acknowledge, was the meaning behind them.

“Okay, so this”, explained Elain pointing at a restaurant, “is the first place I ate after the war was won. I had been on the townhouse for months without ever coming out other than to my garden, but you convinced me to come saying that there were flower beds with flowers from every court. It was the first time I felt I could breathe after they pulled me out from the Cauldron. And that is reason number one.”

“Reason number one? Of what? What do you need reasons for?”, questioned Azriel, his brow knitting.

Elain wiggled her eyebrows.

“You’ll see”, she said taking his hand and dragging him to a new location; another restaurant. Actually, their favorite restaurant of Velaris, the one they frequented the most.

“This” kept going Elain, “I was showed, but Rhys actually let me into his mind, projecting a memory for me where you took Fey here, was the first time she ate out when she came from Spring. Also, where you and Mor and Cassian invited her to dance. And that, is reason number two.”

This went on for the better part of the evening, and Azriel kept getting more and more confused because, trying to pick them common denominator to all the reasons, the only one he could find was him, but not always her, or Feyre… just him. And it drove him insane.

“Over here we have a brick wall, with a big crack. And it’s the place you killed an attor on Hybern’s first attack on Velaris, defending a woman who was holding her newborn child.”

“This fence, right here, you helped a neighbor patch up after a dog had escaped and you found it and brought it back to the owner.”

The weirdest one was a kid she pulled up while she went on, “This, is Aaron. How old are you Aaron?”

“Six, but I’m turning seven in five days”, answered the kid.

“Oh, and do you know who this is?”, asked him Elain.

“Yes! He’s the spymaster, Azriel.”

“That is right”, she continued, kneeling in front of him. “And how do you know him?”

“He saved me! I was climbing a big wall, but my foot slipped, and he caught me when I was gonna hit the floor and BAM! We flew sooo high and then he took me to mamma”.

“Thank you very much, Aaron. Happy early birthday”, Elain waved the kid goodbye and turned to Azriel again. “And that is reason number thirty.”

And so, the confusion went on.

When dawn was nearing, they arrived at the river bank, where a blanket was spread out with a picnic on top.

Carefully, Elain strayed from the paved path, and with Azriel’s hand on hers, made her way, and sat down.

Az eyed the set up suspiciously, and inquired.

“Is this another one of your mysterious reasons? Because I don’t remember ever being here before... “

Elain giggled, looking up to him, still standing.

“No, silly. This is our dinner. I made it with help from Cassian”, she said, “He helped me make some traditional illyrian dishes, supposedly, the ones you like the most”.

As she finished her explanation, Azriel sat down and eagerly started taking of the lids off the plates, eyes widening by the second at the delicious food she had so masterful prepared with the help of his brother.

Eyes shining with not yet fallen tears, he turned to her.

“Elain, this is perfect. No one has even done this for me before... Thank you.”, he whispered in awe.

“And that is reason number one hundred”, she muttered, while grabbing his face between her hands, her own eyes lined with silver.

He cocked his head, exasperation brushing his features and trying to get out of her touch; but she gripped him harder, not enough to hurt, but to hold on.

“Elain you-”

“Shhhh. Shut up and let me explain. Please. I promise you’re going to understand everything”, she interrupted.

Azriel sighed, but resigned himself and shut his gaping mouth.

“Azriel, you are the most selfless, handsome, hardworking, intelligent male I’ve ever met.” She was interrupted by a stuttering Azriel, but she hushed him again and kept going.

“You’ve been through hell and back, yet still manage to live for others, helping them, sacrificing your time and money to do it. You’ve taking care of Rhys and Cassian as if they were your own biological brothers, you’ve done their dirty work when even they weren’t able to, loved them when they didn’t love themselves, believed in them. You’ve brought Amren blood to her apartment when she was in a mood and nobody dared to. You’ve known Mor’s secret for centuries, and don’t even try to deny it, but still you’ve love her so much, so she could realize she was worthy of any kind of love she wanted. But that’s not even scraping the surface. Azriel, you’ve been to me what no male before has: a friend, without any added relationship behind it. I mean, I consider Rhys and Cass my friends, too, maybe even Lucien, but the former ones are tied to my sisters and Lucien did it for the bond that was between us. But not you, never you. You always saw me, even in those first days when no one did. You spent time with me, even when I had nothing to give back to you. And then I fell for you. And I know you don’t think yourself worthy of me, but you are. We’re not mates, but I’m grateful for that because the Cauldron has given me the opportunity to choose you, show you how much I love you. Because somehow, if the Cauldron had made us mates, you would feel as if me being your mate was a kind of obligation, but now it isn’t. Azriel, I can see the future, but I didn’t need to, not to make this decision; it’s always been crystal clear. But not for you it hasn’t, because your opinion of yourself gets in the way. So, for our first date I decided to take you on a tour of a city you know better than anyone, but instead of showing you buildings or shop I showed you the reasons why I loved you, so you wouldn’t forget. But most important, I made you food, so symbolize how I accept the bond we’ll be creating together. A bond of our own, stronger than any other by nothing more than choice and sheer will. Az, I love you because you helped my sisters, you help others, and you’ve helped me become the person I am today. And those, are the hundred reasons why I love you”, finished Elain, breathless of all the rushed talking.

A quiet moment followed before Azriel took his hands and mimicked hers, holding her face and breathed.

“You love me?”

“Yes. And I’m going to do everything in my power―“

Azriel pressed his lips to hers, silencing her. At first, she startled, but then she reacted to him, lips moving over each other in synchronization, heat rising in her stomach in realization of what she was doing, and how right it felt.

When they pulled apart, after what felt only a second, she blushed, and he pulled her into his lap, embracing her tiny frame in his arms and pushing away stray hairs from her face, as she looked up into his eyes, a contents sigh escaping her lips as he smirked at her.

“I can’t wait”, she murmured, captivated by him and how the date had developed.

“For what, flower?”, asked Az, curious of what could this precious being so expectant.

“For the rest of our lives together”, she concluded as a new vision of family and happiness formed in her mind.

[xnotyourdarlingx]

i was tagged by the darling @honeyangelique ! sorry for not doing the other tags.. ♡

♡what four flowers would you grow in your garden?

tiger lillies, roses, delphiniums & amaryllis

♡ if you fell in love with a mythical being, what would they be

a merman; whom roams the sea. or an angelic being

♡ describe an ideal date?

my ideal date is enjoying a lovely picnic we packed, with lovely sandwiches & juice boxes bc it makes us feel younger. than whenever night time comes, lying underneath the stars, on a makeshift bed of blankets sprawled across the grass, with lots of pillows. or a hammock. we could lay down, cuddling each other, while watching the stars. & talking about the littlest things, like our aspirations and dreams. or staring into each others eyes, smiling like crazy. while soft music plays in the background. just admiring our time together. no grand restaurant. just us.

♡ describe a favourite memory?

i have so many darling memories. i'd have to choose just one, instead of compiling a list. but my favourite memory recently has been whenever me & my friends and family went to a movie in the park. we got to talk and play around, joking with each other. it was such a beautiful experience; being able to finally have friends to do stufd with outside of school. another special memory is the first time we hung out. we went to a friends house & stayed up late playing video games and laughing at the silliest things! <3

♡ you get one wish; what is it?

if wishing for an infinite amount of wishes was a possibility, i'd go for that option w/o a single doubt. overall, my greatest wish would that we all lived in a lovely world where hate has never once existed. a peaceful place inhabited by animals & the most gorgeous garden known to mankind. with beautiful cottage houses, and streams. i know that might seem childish; but i've always wanted to escape reality & reside in a heavenly world akin to eden. it would be magnificent. another wish i'd desperately want is that other fans and i may get our one wish. meeting our idols. the ones we look up to & who have saved our lives countless times. or cheered us up a lot.

♡ something someone did that made you happy? it can be someone famous or someone you know!

recently, my friend has been very supportive of my writing. she drew my main character, honey. it touched my heart that she wanted to draw her, even though it took two hours to complete it since it was a digital drawing. it is breathtaking, in many ways.

♡ what would you sell your soul for?

let's be honest, i'd sell my soul to live inside a world where the lines of fictional & reality blurred together. where anime & everything else was real. it'd be a dream to talk to fictional characters.

♡ a favourite song & what it makes you think of?

serendipity by jimin might be my favourite song. essentially, the song reminds me of snuggling underneath the covers of a blanket with your s/o. it reminds me of a super pure love; full of hand holding, small kisses on the cheek & lots of tickle fights. just super innocent & adorable.

♡ if you could live in the universe of a book, which book would it be?

it would be terrifying, but i'd love to live in the universe of children of eden. i'd have it good, being a first born child. but it would be thrilling to assist the second born survive in a world that wants them dead. sad as it is. even meeting lark & rowan would be super amazing. they're such headstrong, independent woman!

♡ do you prefer writing letters or recieving them?

i prefer recieving. it's more fun reading someone elses wonderful cursive, & i suck at writing letters to others. i used to have a penpal, but i always get so busy that i don't necessarily have time to write. but it was fun learning about her life in another part of the world & what she likes or disliked. plus my handwriting is messy. so it gets on my nerves.

♡ a favourite poetry quote?

i don't know enough poetry yet to answer this..

♡ and lastly, a piece of wisdom; what would you tell someone if they asked you for wisdom?

honestly, it's gonna sound super clichè, but i want to encourage students to stay in class & study hard. learning complicated math formulas & proper grammar is important. i get it; why take advice from someone who has horrible grammar. but it's crucial to know these things. plus, higher grades will help you land a good college & a well paying job. if you're experiencing a rough time at school, just remember i'm always open to talking to you. <3 one last sentiment; you're gorgeous. i want you to take a moment to look in the mirror. take a few deep breaths. that person staring back at you? that's someone who will live to do spectacular things in their lifetime. unless you're doing it at 12 & you said bloody mary. get outta there fast. but no lie. you were destined to make so many people happy. if people in school are rude, screw them. you're perfect. the only copy out there. so if you're considering anything that might make us lose such an irreplaceable being, just know i would miss you. so would everyone else. you are someones soulmate. someones best friend. someones co-worker. maybe even the next beyoncè ( we ly queen bee ). i wish you the very best out of life. may your days be blessed with lots of love & hugs. i can't stress this enough, you are wonderful in every way.

[greathammerhead]

Chapter 4

summary: She ended every letter with a heart; she was still debating if distance really made the heart grow fonder. pairings: Harry Hook x Evie, Ben x Mal; slight Carlos x Jane, Carlos x Jay, Carlos x Chad style: Multi-chapter — somewhat sequel to this; canon divergence notes: I just can’t win guys haha. While I finally have Wifi, my laptop decided to die and I absolutely hate the new laptop I bought, so I ordered a better one which won’t arrive until late November. So please bear with me! Hopefully this fluffy chapter makes up for the wait! rated: T; will feature strong language, minor violence, and sexual themes other locations: ao3 | ffnet

Harry swore, eyes narrowed in frustration. 

“This is impossible.”

He shifted his position, lifting his hands closer to the dim light to try and get a better view. He continued to squint, and it took only a few minutes for him to get fully frustrated and throw the item in his hands to the floor.

“Ugh, Harry !” A voice from around the corner groaned.

Harry just huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and pointedly looking away from the mess he’d made.

The second occupant of the room stomped over to him, but really, the small girl barely made any noise and she was far from intimidating anyway.

“I went away for, like, five minutes. Try again!”

“Ye don’t tell me what tah do, Dizzy.”

Dizzy took a deep, calming breath. There weren’t many times she actually wanted to inflict harm upon anyone, but it usually came out with either her family or Harry.

“ This ,” She bent down to pick up the delicate pieces he’d thrown on the floor — seashells, pretty-colored rocks, beads — and cradled them in her hands as if she held a newborn, “is for the most wonderful, beautiful girl in the world, Harry. You need to treat this like you care.”

Harry glared. If it was anyone but Dizzy, he wouldn’t hesitate to hook them. But she was right.

“Ah do care! It’s just not in mah skill set.”

Dizzy tsked, bringing the pieces back over to him. “Anyone can make a bracelet. Here.” She picked up another piece of string, dipping the frayed ends in questionable-looking water before pinching it. “Try this piece.” 

Carefully, Harry began the task again. He began with a few beads — which was the easy part — before moving on to the more brittle pieces that required more patience. This time, however, Dizzy was at his side, helping to steady one of his hands and knowing when to re-dip the thread to make it easier for him.

He was in disbelief when, nearly an hour later, he had a decent-looking bracelet in his hands.

Dizzy patted him on the shoulder, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. “Phew!” She readjusted her glasses, smiling at their creation. “She’s gonna love it.”

One of his thumbs ran across the surface of a shell. Their worlds colliding — fashion and the sea, and it looked so good.

“Yeah,” He whispered, “ah hope so.”

Evie placed her backpack on a picnic table for the second time that week with a sigh. While it had been entirely refreshing to have more people in their room, Jane and Lonnie were becoming regulars, and it had been too hard to concentrate with them.

If she had been doing homework it would’ve been fine. Homework didn’t require as much soul as this damn letter, which was taking a lot more time than she’d initially thought.

She was nearing the end, she just didn’t know how best to end it. She needed to have it be perfect , and she couldn’t imagine sending it while it was anything less.

She stopped herself before she began chewing on her pen cap in frustration.

“Evie!” She rolled her eyes at the intrusion, but pursed her lips when she saw who it was. 

“Ben,” She greeted, “what a surprise.”

He stood beside the table, hands clasped together with the brightest of smiles on his face.

“I, ah, I haven’t seen any of you guys today, and didn’t know if you needed help with anything,” he motioned to her paper, “or any schoolwork.”

It almost hurt to see how genuine he was. Evie had seen far more fake smiles than genuine ones, and she’d always been a quick study in telling them apart. Ben was a rare breed, even in Auradon, and Evie didn’t feel so bad when she returned the smile.

Ben seemed to be the only one who truly wanted them in the first place, anyway.

She gestured for him to sit and he did so eagerly, his smile never wavering.

“I do have an...odd question for you, Ben.”

His expression remained; he only nodded, encouraging her to continue.

“How did you get Carlos to like a dog?”

It took him a second, but Ben laughed. “I just showed him how loving they can be. That once you get to know them, or even just spending a few minutes with one, they’re not as bad as he thought. And that there was never a reason to be scared in the first place.”

Evie tapped her nails on the table, suddenly feeling very small. She was a quick study in many things. “Well, it’s easy to do that when you’ve already had practice introducing people to the things they’re afraid of.”

Ben placed a hand on her shoulder in a gentle but firm grip. “They’ll all see what I see in you guys.”

“What do you see, exactly?”

Ben smiled. “People. Good people who come from bad situations, and new voices to listen to.”

Evie bit down on the inside of her cheek, feeling tears begin to bud in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn’t form the words that could express how she felt. 

There were very few people who saw her as more than her mother’s daughter, and for those few she was incredibly grateful. She never imagined Ben to make the list.

“Is there anything else I can do?” His voice was soft, comforting. 

In that moment, she didn’t care if she was too trusting. Chad knew, Doug knew, Jane and Lonnie knew, and she’d be surprised if it wasn’t already circling around campus.

Ben truly seemed to want to help. He was taking a chance on them, giving them a part of himself, and letting him in didn’t seem so scary anymore.

“There is.” She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, directing her attention back to her letter. “I have a boyfriend back on the Isle. Captain Hook’s son, Harry. I...Is there any way I can send letters to him? There’s no other way to talk, and I-” 

Ben squeezed her shoulder again. “Of course you can. I will see to it myself.”

Evie couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face. “Thank you, Ben.” 

He gave her his own smile before standing up. “Just let me know when you’d like to send it.” He went to turn but stopped himself. However, when he turned back to Evie, he didn’t seem as sure of himself as when he first approached her. His hands were clasped together again, but his fingers tapped against the other palm.

“Should I ask the others if there’s letters they’d like to send as well?” 

Evie’s brows shot up. Suddenly some of Mal’s mannerisms were making much more sense.

“No. Everyone they care for is already here.”

Ben’s nerves faded into concern, brows furrowing at her comment. Evie realized her mistake and, not wanting to comment on it further, hoped to redirect him. “They should all be back in my room by now, so you could stop by and see if there’s anything that they need.”

Ben nodded, unable to stop the smile on his face. “Thank you, Evie.”

“Harry!”

Harry groaned, rolling over so his back was to the door, hoping whoever was knocking would take it as a sign to go away.

Another thump. “Harry!”

He stuck his arm out of the cocoon of blankets he’d made for himself, hoping to have something, anything within his grasp. Eventually, he felt his fingers brush a bit of leather, and he flung his boot in the general direction of the door.

It didn’t hit, but still made a satisfying sound that he hoped would drive the idiot away.

No such luck. Only this time, the knocks were much louder, and a very different voice called for him.

“Harry! Get out here!”

He turned over, narrowing his eyes at the door. He ripped the sheets off and stomped, as slowly as he could, to the door.

“What, Captain?” As soon as he’d opened the door, Uma and Gil pushed him back inside.

“Oh don’t be such an ass. It’s something you’ll like.” Uma rolled her eyes at his grumpiness, far too used to it by now. She turned to Gil, whose attention was captured by a mysterious stain he noticed on the ceiling. “Gil?”

“Oh, right!” Gil dug in one of his pockets, then in another before he found what he was looking for. It was slightly crumpled, but it was a light blue envelope, closed by the royal seal.

“What’s that?” Harry squinted, mind still fuzzy from being rudely awoken.

“I assume it’s from your princess.” Uma couldn’t help but laugh at how Harry physically reacted. He suddenly straightened up, eyes wide as he snatched the envelope from Gil’s hands. “You’re welcome , Hook.”

But truly, she didn’t mind how he was suddenly too focused on the envelope he now held, completely forgetting about she and Gil.

While she liked the tough and crazy side of her first mate, he was also her best friend, and it always made her happy to see him happy.

And if, somehow, that prissy blue princess made him happy, who was she to complain? 

She threaded her arm through Gil’s, dragging the still-distracted pirate from Harry’s room, closing his door behind them.

Harry stumbled back to his hammock, completely engrossed in tearing the envelope open. Other than the seal, there was nothing indicating it was even to him, or even from Evie. 

But as soon as he unfolded the letter, letting a second, smaller letter fall in his lap, all doubt melted away. He immediately recognized her handwriting.

‘Harry,

I don’t know when this will get to you and I don’t know how, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t.

It really is another world over here. Who knew food could be so tasty? And they’ve never even heard of smog!

We’re not close to the ocean, but I’m hoping to find some sort of pond or lake that can do. After all, I need to leave something with a hook symbol, don’t I? Something to be found years from now and terrify them.

We’re surrounded by trees and gardens, which are truly breathtaking. It’s weird not seeing anything dead around here.

They make us do actual school work here. It’s not just showing up and trying not to kill each other. Some of it is actually interesting, but for the most part we’re all kind of behind. Oh — what’s really interesting are the people here.

Aurora’s daughter, Audrey, is the definition of a stuck-up princess. Of course she’s dating Ben, and won’t let anyone forget about it. It’s kind of sad, really. If I ever give you ridiculous nicknames, like “Harry-boo” or “Harry-kins”, please hook me on the spot.

Chad Charming is, by far, the dumbest person I’ve ever met. I think he tried hitting on me to get me to do his homework? He was all, ‘Is everyone on the Isle as pretty as you?’. Pshh. If he was going to compliment me , he could’ve at least made it a fact that I’m the prettiest on the Isle — take notes, Hook. Well, not that you need them. You’ve probably already said that to me, but I was probably distracted by your ridiculously gorgeous eyes. (Seriously. I’m trying to find something with that color but it’s impossible and it’s all your fault .)

Doug, the son of one of the dwarves, was also utterly charmed by me, but he’s harmless and is interested in stories about the isle, especially the pirates. You’ve already got yourself a fan over here.  

Ben is not what I was expecting from the Prince of Auradon. He’s actually kind . Like, the real kind, not the “Isle kind” where you expect things in return, or need to have an alliance with someone so they don’t set your house on fire. He’s the reason I’m able to send this to you.

All that aside...I miss you. Terribly. I won’t lie, Auradon is starting to grow on me, but I’d leave in a heartbeat if it meant seeing you again. I...I don’t know what vacations and visitations will be allowed, but whatever chance I get, I will see you.  

I love you, Harry Hook.  

Sending you all my love,

Evie  

P.S.: There’s a smaller letter in here for Dizzy. Please give it to her next time you see her.’

He couldn’t tell how long he’d been staring at that piece of paper, and he didn’t really care.

Seeing her words meant more than he would ever say aloud — to anyone but her.

He tried not to think about how she didn’t mention when she would return, or how. He didn’t know what the VKs planned to accomplish in Auradon, and quite frankly, he didn’t care as long as Evie returned.

In Isle standards, they’d been together a long time, and going from seeing her nearly every day to long-distance was something he wasn’t prepared for. But with these letters, this tangible piece of her, he could stand it a bit longer.

He took a look at the bracelet that sat on the side table, carefully dangling off his hook so he wouldn’t lose it.

Soon, he would go find his friends and figure out how the letter was delivered to see if he could send something back. Soon, but not now.

He would re-read that letter until he could picture Auradon, picture the trees she talked about that he only truly saw in paintings, picture a boy named Chad and his irritation and how ironic it was that he wasn’t so charming, picture Evie sitting by a lake, thinking of him while he thought of her.

He would re-read that letter until the next one arrived.

[leisurelypanda]

Anniversary

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11758722

Jonathan Fisher walked through the cemetery hand-in-hand with Damien with his heart in his throat. Logically, he knew that there was nothing to be scared of. It was the anniversary, though, and he was feeling a bit emotional. It wasn’t as though this cemetery was any different from the others they sometimes walked through on their dates. The only difference now was that it was in the daytime. And that this wasn’t a date, per se. And this time, it was Damien with him instead of his usual company, though if it had to be anyone, Jonathan would have wanted it to be Damien.

 They reached the destination, a solitary tombstone. Most tombstones were placed with family. Spouses, parents, children, siblings. Not this one. This one was alone, like the family that bought this section of the cemetery still only had one person in it that had died. Jonathan approached the tombstone, the flowers from that past Christmas had been cleaned away. He never brought the fake flowers that you shoved in styrofoam molds. He always brought real ones. He knelt before the tombstone labelled “Alex Fisher”.

 “Hi Alex,” he whispered. 9 years now and it still wasn’t any easier. “Been a while.”

 He took a steadying breath. It was never easy. “A lot has changed, Alex. We moved to the other side of town. You remember how you always talked about never wanting a house too big for your needs? Well, we downsized. It’s a cozy little house, you’d like it. The neighbors are amazing. You remember Craig from college? He’s our neighbor now. I’ve been going on runs with him. Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either, but the dude got ripped. He has three daughters now, I guess that changed him. A lot.

 “Amanda isn’t here today. She’s in college. But she sends her love. She’s studying photography. The school has a really amazing program. You should have seen her face when she read the acceptance letter. She always had your love of the arts. She inherited your rebellious streak too. She runs around town spray painting stop signs and setting fire to dumpsters. You know, normal teenage stuff. Well, she used to. Now she’s in college, maybe doing less of that. You’d be so proud of her.

 “She misses you. We found some old pictures when we were moving. She keeps the picture of you holding her as a baby, the one that says ‘I love you, Amanda!’ at the bottom, in her wallet. She wears your jacket everywhere now, too. She added some pins and stuff to it. It makes her feel close to you, I think.”

 He felt the tears stream down his face and he placed a hand over his eyes and tried to wipe the tears away. “I miss you, too, Alex. I miss you more than you’ll ever know.” He sobbed into his hands. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked through bleary eyes at Damien, who had knelt down on the grass beside him. He didn’t say anything. He knew. He understood. There was no need for apology or explanation. He held up the bouquet they had prepared for the occasion. Knowing Damien, he’d probably guessed the reason for this particular flower. They were forget-me-nots. Coincidentally, they were also Alex’s favorite flowers.

 Jonathan solemnly put the flowers in the brass vase over the tombstone. No matter how many years it had been, he was always emotional for a week or two this time of year. Amanda was too. It was one of the things that they usually bonded over every year, but now she was away. He was grateful, though, to have Damien with him today.

 “Alex, this is Damien. He’s one of the neighbors. And he’s my… boyfriend. You’d like him. He dresses in Victorian style Goth clothing and lives in this big, Victorian styled house. It’s beautiful. The flowers this year are from his own garden, which is full of so many different kinds of flowers it’s honestly mind blowing. He also volunteers at an animal shelter and he works in IT. He has a son, too. Lucien. He’s a bit more modern Goth, but he’s a good kid.” He’s rambling, he knows, but he can’t stop. He tells Alex about the other neighbors. About his perpetual and perhaps somewhat irrational rivalry with Brian. About Joseph and Mary and their strange (creepy) children. About Mat and his coffee shop and all the music puns he gave his drinks and recipes. About Hugo and the trivia nights he and Damien competed in over cheese boards. About Robert, the local cryptid hunter. He told him about the picture Amanda gave him at her graduation party of the two of them, that he keeps a copy of it at his work office, that he worries about her every day, but knows that she’s doing just fine.

 When he was done, he stood back and Damien took out the picnic blanket and placed the basket down. He produced a bottle of wine and two glasses and noticed a bottle of beer from a local brewery. “Who’s the beer for?” he asked, laying a hand on Jonathan’s when he didn’t answer.

 Jonathan shook out of his reverie and squeezed the hand in appreciation. “It’s for Alex,” he said. “He was always a fan of good beer. Never really cared much for wine, though.”

 Damien nodded in understanding, and poured two glasses and handed one to his lover. He raised his glass in a toast. “To Alex.”

 Jonathan smiled, his eyes still a little teary. “To Alex.” He took a long, fortifying drink. It was a good vintage.

 Damien sipped his wine. “Alex was your husband?” he asked.

 Jonathan thought for a moment. He’d talked a bit about Alex with Damien, but never in much detail. “No, not technically,” he said. “He took my last name and we always talked about getting married as soon as it was legal, but he died before it was legalized in this state.”

 “This isn’t your family’s section, then?” Damien asked.

 “It’s ours. I bought it with the life insurance money as part of his company’s health insurance plan. My extended family lives in Florida, but I wanted to be able to visit him more than just at Christmas,” he said. “His family… disowned him when he came out. Hence the reason he took my name. So it’s our section.”

 “My condolences,” Damien said.

 The rest of the picnic was spent on more pleasant topics. Jonathan told Damien about how he and Alex met in college, how one of their friends volunteered to be the surrogate for Amanda. He told him about Alex’s artistic pursuits and how he always complained that he had to work for a living so he could afford to be artistic. He told him about how much joy they had together, their adventures, how he had helped Alex come out to his family and the fallout afterwards. When Amanda entered their lives and the shenanigans Alex and she would get up to when left alone for more than five minutes. How Alex started focusing more on photography when she was born and filled albums with pictures of their little family. Damien listened intently, occasionally asking questions.

 Eventually the sun began to set. Damien packed up the remains of their picnic. Jonathan took the bottle of beer and opened it, pouring it over the grave where his partner was buried. Damien reached into a sleeve and produced a single red tea rose and placed in the center of the bouquet on the grave.

 “It was good to meet you, Alex,” he said. “I wish I had had the pleasure of making your acquaintance in this life. I shall instead look forward to meeting you in the next.”

 Jonathan took Damien’s hand and looked into his eyes. “Thank you,” he said. “It means a lot to hear you say that.”

 Damien lifted his hand and kissed it. “For you, my love, anything.”

 Jonathan closed the distance and pressed a gentle kiss to Damien’s lips. “I love you, Damien.”

 Damien blushed slightly. “I love you, too,” he replied. They walked back home, hand in hand.

 He wouldn’t say that he’d have it any other way. He had loved Alex too much to want that. He would have much preferred that Alex never died, that Amanda could have grown up with two fathers instead of one. But he was grateful for the way things had turned out in the past year. As they left the cemetery, he couldn’t help but feel as though Alex approved. It made him smile.

[ibangtanthings]

Sleep - pt 5

He was being silly and you smiled for him, enjoying his antics.

The scenery was nice and no one else was hiking this trail today. You snapped pictures per his request and grinned as he posed along every other weirdly shaped tree or bush.

Soon the thin waterfall was clearly audible and the narrow stream of water was within sight. You guys walked to the viewing platform and looked up at the tall phenomenon.

The mist gently touched your face. It felt good.

“Take a picture!” Hoseok told you, showing off his profile and opening his mouth to make it seem like he was drinking the waterfall.

You giggled as you saw how good the picture came out and he ran over to see.

“Okay. Now let me take a picture of you.” He said, grabbing the phone out of your hand.

You smirked and shook your head. “Let’s keep going.”

The trail grounds around the waterfall were wet and mossy. You didn’t like stepping in the mushy grass but Hoseok was running around everywhere, taking cool pictures and showing them to you immediately after each one.

“Y/N!” He called suddenly.

When you turned around to see what he wanted to show you, a flash made you blink.

“That’s it! I got it. Come here look.” He said.

“No. Delete it.” You said, using your own phone camera to continue taking pictures of the trail.

“No. I need a photo for you ID in my contact too. I’m sending it to Jimin.” He reasoned.

You shrugged but didn’t go check out the picture he took. Instead you thought about the selfie he sent so that you can put it as his ID picture in your contacts.

In it, he had a tight lipped smile that showed off his dimples. It was cute and heart warming. What you really wanted was a picture of him laughing.

After walking the long distance back down the trail and finally getting some food, the car ride was relatively short considering you fell asleep as soon as he got on the freeway.

You sheepishly got out of the car and he guided you to your room. The familiar pink cotton scent filled your nose as your body hit the bed. It was strong and overbearing but you were too tired to do anything about it.

You would have to tell Jimin that you preferred cleaner scents. He was probably working his ass off at the bar while you and Hoseok fell asleep after a long hike.

It wasn’t hard to fall asleep in your new room, it was just different. You were used to different, but hoped the room would grow on you.

Surprisingly the dream catcher began to work its magic and Hoseok nor Jimin needed to come during the night to calm you down.

Only sometimes would you have trouble staying asleep but no nightmares or dreams stained your memory. And only sometimes did you pretend to be asleep, when Hoseok peeked into your room in the middle of the night to make sure you were okay.

Therapy…well that was a different story.

“I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Y/N. There’s feelings that you have about living outside again that you need to express.” She said.

“But I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary. I feel fine.” You argued.

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about. Anything bothering you? Annoying you? Anything unexpected you’ve come to face since leaving?”

“Hmm…not really no. I was having some nightmares since I left but they’re gone now. I got a dream catcher. It takes away all my dreams, the good ones and bad ones.” You said, hoping it was enough to peak her interest.

The sooner you could leave the sooner you could go back to Hoseok waiting outside.

“I see, and are you sleeping well or do you keep waking up at night?” She asked.

“Only rarely. I do get tired easily though.”

“That’s normal. You had such a sedentary lifestyle here so it’s normal for your body to get a bit tired now that your going out more. Mr. Hoseok seems to be taking care of you just fine.”

“He is, and I even have another friend. Jimin. We’re all roommates.” You smiled.

“That makes you happy. Good Y/N. You’re beginning to surround yourself with people who make you feel safe. That’s the first step to making your own decisions.”

“I am happy living there.” You realized, and it felt like you were making some sort of progress.

You never knew what that meant, making progress…but it started to make a bit more sense.

“Y/N. It’s okay to feel a bit numb sometimes. What you don’t want to do is stop feelings things intentionally. Let this occur naturally and recognize that when you don’t like something, it’s better to think calmly about the situation step by step, rather than let your emotions get the best of you.”

You remembered when you saw the letters from your parents on Hoseok’s nightstand.

“I understand.” You answered.

Hoseok immediately grabbed your hands and asked you how it went.

“Better than I thought it would.” You mumbled and he smiled in return.

“Guess what.” He said casually, not looking away from the road.

“What?”

“Jimin’s looking for an apartment. He said he can probably move out by the end of the month.” Hoseok said.

“Move out? Why?”

Jimin never mentioned anything.

“He wants to be closer to his job. That and now that you’re here, he can’t really bring any girls home.” Hoseok laughed.

You exhaled through your nose, with a slight smile.

It was weird how you just told Doctor Yoo how comforting it was living with both of them and now change occurred once again without warning.

You didn’t think too much of it though. He was Hoseok’s friend more than you so like always, for you, friends came and went easily.

Only Hoseok was the permanent figure in your life, which was funny because like Jimin, he was so open to everyone. He got along with everyone, befriended many people of all ages and had a good social life.

You on the other hand, well that was never the case. The few friends you had over the years lost contact and making new friends seemed unnecessary. You just needed Hoseok.

“Then it will be just us two.” You said looking outside the car window and watching the sun go down.

“Do you prefer that? The neighbors will think we’re indecent.” He teased.

You laughed, saw him smile genuinely and hoped this wasn’t a dream.

___________

“I still haven’t decided yet, but if you want me to leave you and Hoseok alone then it’s fine.” He teased.

“No need. How many times have I said it? It’s not like-”

“Oh! Why aren’t you finishing your sentence?” He pointed at you accusingly.

You smacked hand down playfully.

He giggled at your flustered reaction and got you a beer.

Hoseok sounded so sure that Jimin was going to leave.

“What is it? What are you thinking about?” He asked after seeing you get so quiet.

“I’ll have to get a job.” You said.

“Maybe I haven’t thought about it enough. Getting a job is probably the last thing on your to do list right now.”

“Hoseok is still paying for my stay and treatment at the hospital.” You admitted.

“I won’t leave then. I know how hard it is to start over. If you don’t want to work that’s fine. If you do want to work though, I could get you a job here if you want. Something like cleaning? Washing dishes? You won’t have to talk to anyone.” He offered.

“I gotta talk to him about it first but I want to work only when you’re working too.”

“Deal…but tell me something. Did something change with Hobi hyung?” He raised his eyebrows in a cute but annoying way.

“If something did change, you would be the first to know. We’re just friends.” You repeated Hoseok’s words.

“I hope so.” He said right before Hoseok walked through the door.

“You’re here!” You ran over to hug him, surprised at your own excitement.

“Did you guys miss me?” He asked, patting your back.

“No. Y/N’s just glad we can all go eat now.” Jimin teased.

He closed up the bar and you walked together to a nearby restaurant.

For the first time since getting out of the ward, you got drunk. Not flat out wasted but drunk to the point of falling asleep.

You felt the drowsiness creep up on you and they took you home just in time. Once you smelled the horrible sweet candle, your eyes shut and you mumbled a goodnight to both of them.

Without warning, Hoseok woke you up the next day bright and early to inform you that he planned a morning hike.

A dull headache greeted you but a hike seemed like the perfect cure for your hangover. You both hiked more often now since you told him it was your favorite thing to do.

It was just nice seeing him get so excited about everything on the trails and it was the perfect time to take pictures.

This time you finally put on a shy smile as he took a photo of you two by a garden. A small pond took center and turtles sat on mossy rocks.

How you envied those turtles who could hide in their shells any where and any time.

This trail was different. It was cleaner and prettier than the rest. Most people probably walked this one, and for good reason because after a few minutes you reached the circular plane of grass on top of a small cliff.

The ocean was visible from there. It was beautiful and you two were the only ones enjoying the view. From his backpack he pulled out a blanket. All along it was a surprise picnic.

Fruit, mini kimbap and he even got your favorite rice crackers from the convenience store. You lied down on the blanket and looked up at the sky, smiling as you took a breath of the clean air.

“You’re not going to eat? You need to take your medication before noon.” He said, pushing the food closer to your hand.

“This doesn’t feel real. It’s like a really good dream.” You told him.

He smiled. “If you want you can become a hippie and live this way everyday.”

“Can I?” You asked the sky.

He ate and watched the waves below while you heard them crashing into shore. After a while you sat up and ate even though you weren’t that hungry. The headache had subsided and your mind felt at peace.

It had been so long since you felt your mind relax. Your thoughts focused on the small things right in front of you, like the dandelion in front of your foot, and the way Hoseok turned his face up towards the sun.

Heck, even the weather was perfect.

For a moment you both stayed silent, just taking in the minutes of peace, sitting down on the blanket like children again.

You leaned closer and let your head rest on his shoulder. “Are you happy Hoseok?”

“Mm” he nodded. “Are you?”

“Right now yes. I feel a bit more free, if that makes sense.”

“You’re not in as much pain anymore.” He said.

“It’s all thanks to you. I’m glad I have you.” You sighed a sigh of relief.

He scooted away to face you and brushed your hair behind your ear. “I’m glad I have you too Y/N. One day you’re going to want to get rid of me though I know it.” He said sarcastically.

“Never.” You giggled.

“How did you convince Jimin to stay by the way?”

“Well you were so sure he was going to leave. He was just thinking about moving. Then I realized I would have to go work to help pay his half of the rent. That’s when he said he’d stay to make things easier for me.” You explained.

“I could manage if he leaves. Anyways, I’m kinda glad you convinced him to stay. It’s nice being together.” He said.

You nodded. “Speaking of Jimin, he said I could get a job washing dishes or cleaning at the bar.”

“A job? Don’t you think it’s a bit early to start thinking about that? I told you, don’t worry about money. I get more than enough to take care of both of us.”

“But what about my treatment?” You argued.

“It’s my responsibility. You just worry about how much weight you’re going to gain from eating all these chips.” He stole the bag from your hands.

Immediately you took it back. “You’re the one who buys them.” You mumbled, eating only a few more because he was right.

You heard his phone buzz but he ignored it. Again it buzzed and he took a look.

He threw himself back onto the blanket and sighed, placing his hands on his face. “I have to go to work.” He groaned.

“All of a sudden?” You asked, throwing yourself back too.

“Its just one class. They always reschedule my room.” He pouted.

“We could just stay here and play hooky.” You rolled onto your side curled up into a ball, closing your eyes to avoid the sun’s glare.

“You’re tired aren’t you?” He laughed.

You resisted as he tried to pull you up, eventually getting up and stomping back down the trail to the car.

After Hoseok left for work, you stayed home and played a new video game Jimin got. He said it was no fun playing alone and that Hoseok barely had time these days since you were hogging him up.

You managed to stay awake until Hoseok got home but by then even Jimin was getting ready to go to bed.

It was a quick evening, one without dinner since Hoseok already ate before arriving, and you and Jimin reheated leftovers.

As soon as the three bedroom doors closed, the entire house was silent.

__________________________

You were on that bridge again.

The street lights were like beautiful colors in your blurry eyes.

Wiping your tears away, you looked around to make sure no one was taking notice.

It was cold and snow had already stuck to the ground but you didn’t feel a thing. Not too cold or too warm. You felt nothing.

It was time. Finally it was time.

This was the last time you’d look up at the sky and pray for something better.

This is what you were going to do. You were giving back the life you didn’t ask for. The one that treated some to luxury and others to dirt.

If reincarnation was real then you didn’t even want that because you were sure that you’d be right back on this same bridge.

You took one step onto the railing and then another, only looking at your feet to ensure proper balance.

Then you looked down below at the waves crashing into the black rocks, confused and horrified.

Suddenly you lost your balance and held onto the railing with both hands, trying not to fall down. Heavy breaths escaping your lips and creating more noise in your ears besides the waves rolling onto shore.

Jimin was on his back, lying over one of the boulders. Blood covered his mouth and neck, and his limbs were oddly placed.

“Jimin!” You screamed, but his eyes didn’t open.

A bloody and weak cough escaped his lips but still his eyes were shut.

You began to cry and pressed your head into you arms, looking away from the scene. Looking upwards, you realized no one could see you dangling off the bridge.

When you looked back down, your legs went weak and it was hard to hold on.

“No…no, please! I can’t!” You wailed, seeing Hoseok’s body in place of Jimin’s.

His legs were half submerged into a small crack between two boulders, and his arm was twisted irregularly behind his back. Blood just seeping out his head, draining the life out of him.

“Hoseok!!” You screamed so hard that your throat hurt. “Hoseok please! Don’t leave me!!” You begged.

Ragged breaths escaped your throat like fire, but you couldn’t stop looking at him. You kicked your legs in anger, your hands slipping further away.

That’s when you knew why you were here. It was your turn. It was what life was giving you before you left. It was going to destroy any ounce of love you had left. Now you were truly empty.

This time you said sorry to Jimin and Hoseok.

“I hate you, I hate everything, I hate this!” You growled, feeling nothing but pain in that very instant.

Existence itself was pain and you were done. You just wanted to go.

Everything went silent. Surprisingly, you were somewhere else but still hanging off that bridge.

Below, there was just a beach. No rocks nearby, just water.

You cried tears of joy. Actual joy. The you let let go.

______

“Y/N!!”

You gasped, taking a huge breath of air as if you were really just pulled out of the water.

No. You weren’t drowning, you weren’t outside and you weren’t dying.

You were in your room, in Jimin’s arms and shivering with fear, agony, and who knows what?

It was Jimin…

Immediately you began to cry and you wrapped your arms around his neck, weeping into his chest and trying to control your emotions.

“It wasn’t real Y/N.” He whispered, hugging you tightly with his strong arms, keeping you still.

You felt like a child, weeping uncontrollably, just waiting until your body decided you could calm down.

He began to sing a wordless lullaby, grabbing your hand in his and rubbing circles into your palm.

Soon your whimpers turned into small shudderingly breaths.

“Where’s Hoseok?” You breathed.

He rubbed your arm. “Sleeping like a baby. If you want, I’ll go wake him up.”

“No. I need you to stay.” You held onto him.

You needed to know that this was real, that this body holding you was alive and breathing.

“What happened in your nightmare Y/N?” He whispered.

“You and Hoseok jumped off the bridge…and I did too.” You shuddered.

“If your friends jump off a bridge then you do too. That’s normal Y/N.” Jimin said.

You began to laugh. Happy that he could joke about it but sad that the bridge was real.

Half asleep, you felt Jimin’s hand stroke your cheek before he brought the covers over your body. The bed moved as he got up.

“Jimin don’t leave.” You mumbled.

He sat back down. By the time you woke up, it felt like you had only slept for a few minutes. You rolled over to see that Jimin was still sitting on your bed, asleep.

Hoseok you remembered.

You walked to his room hurriedly and opened the door.

He was sound asleep. As much as you wanted to wake him up and hear his voice, you just got ready for the day and made breakfast before they both woke up. ____________________

Part 6