#goodbye england's rose...

[chadara]

liz truss lost her seat 🤭

[eriksangel666]

New podcast episode is up! This week, we step off the yellow brick road with Elton John and discuss the music of one of his most iconic albums on its 50th anniversary.

[filosofablogger]

♫ Candle in the Wind ♫ (Redux)

I first played this in 2018 and reduxed it in 2020, so I think another redux is due for it is a song that I do love.  Now, I originally played the Elton John original, the tribute to Marilyn Monroe, but in 2020 when I reduxed it, our friend Jim Borden offered another version, the one that Elton sang at Princess Diana’s funeral as a tribute to her, whose candle was also snuffed out too early.  So…

[piastappies]

hii, this is very specific but do you think you could write something involving fem!reader who grew up with sirius and they’re childhood best friends (but it’s only ever going to be platonic between them) and one day she transfers to hogwarts and immediately has a thing for james, however james doesn’t wanna make a move because he thinks her & sirius have some unspoken thing? <3

UNSPOKEN THINGS!

synopsis. growing up with sirius black was easy, but falling in love with his best friend was even easier. however, everything gets complicated — james keeps his distance, overthinking your relationship with sirius.

notes. i wouldn’t lie if i said i didn’t like that request, because i LOVE IT!!!! THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING SM?? obv. james potter x fem!reader. maybe ooc james. gonna make a part 2!

all the good things that had taken place during your childhood had always happened with sirius black by your side. having him next to you was like a pearl you’d never trade for anything. sneaking out at night as children to spend a little more time with each other, pulling small pranks on your siblings, and having a companion for every banquet was something priceless.

you wished that your friendship would survive the sudden shift, caused by your mother’s dream to come back to her roots in southern france, and who was your father to disobey the love of his life? so, he barely turned eleven, when you bid goodbyes, gave him your future address, and hoped he’d write.

since sirius black has always been a man of his words, he did not disappointed you with the amount of letters he’d sent you. some may think that it slowly died down, when you got to school, although it just intensified. you were certain that he told you at least the majority of his stories, confiding in that he was head over heels with remus, his schoolmate.

telling him you were coming back to england was definitely the letter you were delighted to write. seeing him after those years was magical — almost miraculous. unfortunately, something got delayed and you got to london the same day you’d leave for hogwarts.

“sirius!” a laughter left your mouth as soon as you noticed the black-haired boy, standing next to a group of teenagers. before sirius even realized, you threw your arms around his neck, clutching him in a tight hug.

“you’re finally here!” he shouted, lifting you few inches off the ground with a smile, earning a lot of confused looks from all his friends. “couldn’t get any later, could you?” the boy rolled eyes at you, turning his head to face the confused group. “this is y/n, my first best friend.” with that, his arm was thrown around your shoulder, squeezing you a little.

before any of them spoke out, you got at least two seconds to look at them, memorizing their distinguished features, which could help you recognize them later. the boy standing the closest to you, who, you guessed, was james — the only one beside remus that sirius actually put a thought into writing about.

“nice to meet you.” he was first to greet you, embracing you in a short hug, something in his cologne almost made you lightheaded, his scent staying in your mind till falling asleep that night. “sirius couldn’t stop talking about you, always blah blah blah.”

“shut up, could you?” sirius retorted, pulling you away from the potter boy.

few hours later, you were trying to settle in your new dorm, when you heard a knock on the door. “hey.” a head peaked inside before you even got to open them. “am not interrupting something, am i?” potter asked, smile rosing on his lips as he walked in.

“noo, just trying to make this place more like mine, you know?” you smiled back, putting down a few frames with photos of you and your friends back in beauxbatons. “while you’re here, could you help me with putting books on the shelves?” curly-haired boy nodded his head eagerly, before taking a pile of books to put them where you wanted.

it was almost perfect — he was about to put the last one in its place, but something was wrong, and the book fell down, and hit him right in the nose, causing a nosebleed. “shit!” he groaned, immediately grabbing the hem of his shirt, using it like a tissue.

“merde, james i’m so sorry.” you mumbled, embarrassed. the towel quickly found its way to your hand, putting it close to his nose gently. “i’ll try to be as gentle as i can, i promise.” you whispered.

the distance between you was intimidating. his eyes focused on your faces as you carefully tried to stop the bleeding, your cheeks getting warmer with each second his sight was on you. “i’m a man made of steel, it’s fine.” he chuckled, eyes squinting right afterwards.

“i can see that.” you laughed softly, pulling the fabric away, seeing that the bleeding stopped. “don’t worry, you’re still the pretty boy you were before you got here.” blush creeped onto his cheeks upon hearing your comment.

and you stayed like that until sirius stepped into the room without knocking, catching the two of you barely inches away from each other, talking in hushed voices about something insignificant. music you like, movies you want to watch, fun summer stories and anything that found its way to your tounges.

the next few weeks were horrible, having yourself busy with all the workload you got, revising all the things you weren’t taught at your previous school, but they were compulsory at hogwarts. maybe if a certain curly-haired boy wasn’t on your mind 24/7, it’d be easier to study.

“y/n, good to see you!” marlene smiled, grabbing your arm as you were walking back to the common room after the study session you had at the library. “ready for the party?” she asked, grinning widely.

the question had taken you off guard — there was supposed to be a party and you were supposed to be ready by then? to be honest, the amount of time you put into studying, made you so exhausted you were barely standing on your own. on the other hand, the raging urge to impress sirius’ friends (specifically james) was unstoppable, and refusing the party was the last thing on your priority list.

“i’ll be in thirty minutes.” quickly, you matched her smile, stepping into the already crowded gryffindor common room, only to find sirius on the coffee table with james. “guys, this is my best friend, y/n! the party is for her!” your best friend shouted to the people, earning a few laughs and claps.

you laughed along the people, catching a brief glance of james, locking eyes with him for a little too long until he looked away, cheeks tinted pinkish. “geez, pads. let the poor girl change…?” mckinnon shook her head, pulling you away from black.

“so…” she beamed, closing the door behind her. “what’s going on with you and james?” she asked with ease, making herself comfortable on your bed, watching your inept attempts to hide how easy it was for james to make you lit up.

“nothing.” you shrugged. “geez, i feel bad for saying this since he’s sirius’ other best friend, but sometimes i really wish there was something going on. you know, he’s kind, funny, and cute.” a sigh escaped from between your lips as you looked through all the cute dresses your older sister made you buy last summer in italy.

“that’s what i thought.” she giggled, picking up makeup accessories. “well, from the way he looks at you, he seems to think you’re cute too.” she made a pause. “or he’s jealous of you, and doesn’t want to lose sirius.”

upon hearing that you decided to tell the blonde girl about those few evenings, when he just happened to be walking past your dorm and stayed with you for the whole night. “then he’s definitely interested in you.” marlene gasped, immediately jumping onto the spot next to you, grabbing the fitted, silky, red dress. “we’re gonna make him make a move. i swear, this boy won’t be able to stop himself.”

twenty-five minutes later, when you were already done with shower and trying to convince marlene to let you do make up on your own (which didn’t work out and she wanted to do it herself), you were sitting in front of the girl, legs crossed as she did the perfect line on your eyelid, once in a while stealing a glance of your bra.

“think about me if things are shitty with potter, yeah?” her smile made you roll eyes jokingly. “okayy, let’s take a quick pic of the masterpiece and go.” she quickly grabbed the camera from a shelf, snapped a picture of you, and her in the mirror, and left the room shortly after.

you remember the look james gave you, when he finally noticed you came back. he didn’t know if it was just him, but you looked like you could compete with world-level models. seeing you like that caused his heart to do a flip. just when he was about to walk up to you, sirius found his place somewhere next to you, close enough to sent james a signal to back off.

potter instantly assumed that there had to be something between the two of you, mostly by how touchy sirius would become whenever you were around, having his arm thrown around your shoulders or always somehow embracing your waist. and stealing his best friend’s girlfriend was the last thing he ever wanted to do, even if he felt he clicked with you.

as soon as sirius handed you the red cup filled with a liquid you assumed was alcohol, you let yourself forget about the whole thing with james. chugging down the cup as fast as you only could, trying to win the little competition with the black boy.

few hours later, when the entire party began to die down, james was trying to get to his dorm, completely sober, but then he noticed you sitting on the stairs, your knees and palms covered in blood. “shit.” he mumbled under his breath, debating in his mind if he should just walk the other way around or help you, and…

“what… happened?” he sat beside you, his stomach doing few more flips, seeing how your face lightened up at the sound of his voice. “y/n could you talk to me?”

“i fell down the stairs.” you grimaced, head leaned against his shoulder. “one of the seventh years suggested i should go to my own room, but i couldn’t move, ‘cos it hurts.” the grimace was replaced by a pout.

a sigh left his mouth as he picked you up, without saying a word — he believed it’d be easier to help you, and immediately leave than if he’d started a conversation with you. the whole walk to your dorm was silent, none of you hadn’t even let out a whimper until you were seated on your bed, while james tried to take proper care of your scrapped knees.

“are you mad at me?” you whispered softly, tilting your head to the side to get a better look at him. the sadness in your tone made his heart clutch. “why aren’t you speaking then? we hardly even talked today.” you added, when he just shook his head.

“i don’t want to do something, both of us might regret later.” his reply was strange, did he really think you’d regret anything that includes him in any way?

after that, the room remained silent — wordlessly, james handed you clothes that seemed like a good pyjamas material and turned away while you shamelessly changed. “can you stay with me?” you asked, stopping him in his tracks.

“of course.”

he laid down beside you, his eyes focused on the ceiling above. “have you ever thought how would your life looked like if you stayed in england?” the question left his mouth swiftly. “or if you never got back, do you think you’d fall out of touch with sirius?”

“there’s always a possibility that could happen, but i don’t think so, you know.” you answered, shifting on the mattress to see that he was already looking at you. “however, there were times when i thought he would throw away all those years of friendship.”

his curious gaze made you continue. “two years ago, he told me all about his plans with you. that you’d live together, far enough from his parents to not be threatened by them, but close enough to visit your parents every weekend. it sounds funny now, but all those plans — the apartment somewhere in the southern london, traveling and other stuff were exactly what we’d planned before i was forced to leave. that’s the only letter from sirius i didn’t keep. i couldn’t, it was a sign that the friendship wouldn’t last forever, so i burned it.” you shrugged, laying the fluffy blanket on top of your bodies. “i really wanted to hate you for this all those years, you know? but you seemed too fun to do so, coming here just made me more certain.” that was the first time in the whole evening that you’ve heard him laugh, feeling as if his normal self was coming back to you.

“look where we ended up.” the smile on his face was contagious. you beamed, laughing. you were so jealous of james two years earlier, and now you didn’t want him to leave the warm sheets of your bed. his face was getting so close to yours, you let yourself think he wanted to kiss you for a moment. maybe it was just the intoxication? “i don’t know where this might go, so i’m gonna say it know. i want us to stay on friends basis, please.”

and with those words it was your time to turn silent, acting sleepy to make him think you were about to drift off to sleep. “don’t worry, that’s what i wanted too.” you muttered with your eyes closed.

from that moment on, you hardly even spent time with james anymore, always finding an excuse to bail out if someone even suggested that you should hangout with them. the way you two acted was growing suspicious, and who would remus be if he didn’t notice?

“you’re sulking.” lupin retorted, when it was only james and he in their dorm, both pretending to not paying attention to one another. “care to elaborate? it’s been a month since you got so grumpy.”

“you won’t tell sirius?” potter tilted his head to the side, putting away the magazine he was reading and looked directly at his friend, who shook his head. “it’s about y/n.”

“so? you seemed to get along well when she got here.” remus frowned. “i mean-, you’re right, but then there was the party in october and uh, we almost kissed. i wanted to kiss her, but i quite panicked.” the seeker explained, making the werewolf to deepen his frown. “james, i swear to god what have you done?”

but remus already know. marlene had told him a few days after the party that the two lovebirds were drifting away, and prongs was definitely the reason of the sudden change in their dynamics. until now, he was just looking for a chance to speak with him about it.

“i said i wanted to keep it on friends basis, she rarely talks to me ever since.” he sighed, turning down the volume of the radio. “i really wanted to keep talking to her without breaking sirius’ heart if something between us happened.”

“wait.” the frown was now an unchanging part of remus’ face. “why do you think you’d possibly break pads’ heart if you started dating y/n?” lupin shifted on his bed, yet to connect all the dots.

james grimaced at the thought of his response, wasn’t it obvious? “well, it’s against the brocode to steal someone’s girlfriend, isn’t it?” upon hearing that, remus choked on water, confusing his friend even more.

“prongs.” the blonde boy laughed, making his way towards the other boy. “i believe that if you started dating y/n, sirius would be far from heartbroken, and he wouldn’t consider you a girlfriend thief.” another bursts of laughter escaped from between lupin’s lips as he clutched his stomach. “if you’d like to break his heart, you’d have to steal someone else, not a girl he considers a sister.”

all remus regretted that moment was that he left his camera at lily’s, so he was unable to capture the funniest expression on james’ face, he has ever seen. “you should really talk to her, to at least explain yourself.” he squeezed his friend’s knee in reassurance, before james stood up. “i’d look for her in marl’s dorm, if i were you.” he hinted, disappearing behind bathroom’s doors.

you sat on marlene’s bed with dorcas right next to you, her arm thrown around your shoulder as you drunk the wine, she bought specifically for that evening. it happened to be the day, when girls had their weekly girls’ night, so mckinnon thought you should tagged along.

the knocking on the door interrupted lily’s story about remus and hers trip to edinburgh last summer, and the one hot girl she met back then. “hey, is y/n there?” james’ voice rang loudly in the room, giving you shivers. you couldn’t have a day without thinking of him, could you?

marlene flashed you a look, before looking back at him. “i don’t know, do you think she’d like to talk to you?” she crossed arms at her chest, watching the rosing confusion on his face, before you appeared in the view, ruining the whole scary girl gig. “we’ll be right here, love.” she nudged you lightly as you walked out of the room, closing the door behind you.

“heard you were looking for me…?” you asked, muscles stiff at the thought of being one on one with him. “can we do it quickly? my wine’s bottle is probably emptied by dorcas now.” you chuckled, trying to sound as calm as you only could.

“i don’t want to be friends anymore.” his confession made your heart twitch. the alcohol running in your veins almost made you vulnerable in front of him. the sigh that left your mouth was his signal to realize you misunderstood him. “you really came up here to tell me that?”

it was getting pretty bad, and james knew, there was one thing he could do that wouldn’t mess up what he wanted to tell you. hands flew to your cheeks, cupping them with his palms as leaned in to kiss you. it was definitely unexpected — but you couldn’t resist him, the thing you’ve wanted so bad, finally came true. james’ lips on yours.

he took his time before pulling away, and when he did, you were reminded that there was world beside him. all the misery you were in was long gone, just by seeing the smile on his face. “i’m sorry.” the seeker began, his eyes tracing around your face but not stopping on your eyes once. “i misinterpreted the relationship between you and padfoot, and it got all messy in my head. i thought you two were… you know, a thing.”

a quiet chuckle escaped from between your lips, caressing his cheek gently with a thumb, involuntarily smiling at his vivid embarrassment. “james,” you spoke out softly, amusement still audible in your tone. “hypothetically, if sirius and i were a thing, would i really invite you to spend time in my room, one on one, always suggesting that you should stay overnight? you, my hypothetical boyfriend’s best friend?”

“well, i haven’t thought about it.” he shrugged, smile tugging on his face. “nonetheless, i’m taking you on a date, but don’t tell sirius. i’m sure he’s going to kill me for hitting up on you.” james scoffed, hair getring ruffled by his fingers.

“when did i agree on going on a date with you?” you asked, biting back a smile, at the same time trying to ignore the butterflies in your stomach. “don’t worry, i’ve never told on a cute boy before.”

he opened his mouth to reply, but marlene opened the door and snatched you inside, before you could even react, her action earning a few laughs in response. “excuse me, lover boy, but the time is up!” the blonde laughed, visibly tipsy, and disappeared behind the door.

now, james potter had two things to do — figure out where should he take you out, and how to tell his best friend that he wants to date his childhood best friend.

[saturnville]

amor aeternus, major john egan

origin: latin. pronunciation: uh-mor eh-ter-nos. meaning: everlasting love

pairing: major john "bucky" egan x amelia mae

content: this serves as the masterlist for Major John "Bucky" Egan of the 2024 Apple TV show, Masters of the Air, and black!fem!oc, Amelia Mae. please be advised that all works are works of fiction. find all related works below the cut.

sweet goodbyes. in which John is being shipped to England; his departure comes with sweet goodbyes.

home to you. John returns after spending time away in the war.

can I call you rose? a flashback to one of the first interactions of John and Amelia.

stolent moments. John manages to call Amelia after not hearing her voice for weeks.

dancing with a stranger. an alternative meeting between John and Amelia Mae.

marry me. in which John proposes to Amelia Mae.

sad girl. in the beginning stages of their relationship, Amelia finds herself questioning John and the nature of their relationship.

torture. John is interrogated in Germany.

and I drove you crazy. John is serious about Amelia and plans to prove it to her. part 2 to sad girl.

let me love you. intimate moments between John and Amelia. 18+ steam.

promise of love. in which John meets Amelia's parents.

from me to you. John receives a letter from Amelia while being held as a POW in Germany.

a different era. amelia and john experience a different era of their lives

a small favor.

matriarch. it's her first mother's day.

[vox-anglosphere]

'Goodbye England's Rose.. '

[softpeachydarling]

Non stereotypical Yuri recs:

Her Tale of Shim Chong - probably my favorite modern GL, a fairly dark take on a Korean folktale

Sadistic Beauty Side Story A - shockingly good spin off of a het femdom series. Romantic comedy between two college students with strong personalities. Great balance between smut and romance. Includes BDSM but nothing particularly intense

Renai Idenshi XX - set in a magic academy in an omega-verse like world where men are extinct. All the main characters wear suits iirc and it's arguably butchxbutch which is nice to see.

Your Scent is a Little Sweet - actual lesbian omegaverse, only 20-ish chapters translated so far but it looks promising

Run Away With Me Girl - a woman reconnects with her highschool girlfriend 10 years later and finds out she's engaged to a man, angsty but with a touching payoff at the end

My Princess Charming - very cliche fake dating to real romance story but with lesbians, pretty cute

Best Served Cold - a lonely housewife develops a crush on her hot new neighbor, but is unaware that every move the neighbor makes is part of a careful plan to ruin her and her husband's lives. Toxic, dramatic and soapy.

On a Leash - toxic relationship between two military officers that transform into animals.

Kill Me Now - a girl becomes attracted to the assassin that killed her parents that is also her foster mother

Yuki and the Authoress - cute romance in 1920s Japan, really pretty art

What Does the Fox Say - dramatic love triangle between three women, modern setting, smut with great art

Love Thy Neighbor - modern psychological drama. One of the leads is in her 20s and the other is a much older butch.

Goodbye My Rose garden - bittersweet historical romance between a lady and her maid, set in Victorian England

Black and White (Sal Jiang) - office comedy, enemies to enemies that have sex

I may add more to this list later, this is just whatever stood out to me based on what I've read in the last few years. I tried to pick stories with very different vibes and tropes from each other, and all of these are about adult women except for Renai Idenshi. Thanks to @magnetictapedatastorage for inspiring me to type this up!

[sophswritingthings]

hiiiiii! i’m not sure if requests are open but if they are, here’s an idea that i’d love to see come to fruition!

okay so: after maybe 5 or so years, mizu finally kills skeffington, roughtly (rowley?? i literally cannot remember his name 😭) and fowler, and maybe along the way she met and grew close with a woman that lived in england at the time she got there with fowler.

like, REALLY close, the most human connection either of them have ever had. but, mizu eventually has to go home, and during their goodbyes, they both try to play it cool with the whole “you were a wonderful experience” but in reality they’re both like “you were everything” and once mizu gets on the boat back to japan, they lose it. ending is up to you! ty for your time <3

pairing: mizu x fem!english!reader

warning(s): none

a/n: ya'll. I’m combining these becauseeeee they were similar enough for me to do so! hope you guys don’t mind <3

summary: after spending her time in england, mizu grows close with you. and you do the same with her. you feel an attachment, to the samurai—it’s the closest you’ve ever felt to anyone. and you never wanted her to leave; but you knew she must.

word count: 746 words / 3,948 characters

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

you knew this day was coming.

mizu had told you all about her vow; how she had sworn herself to kill the white men in japan, at the time of her birth. the men who had made her the way that she was.

and you couldn’t help but want to thank those men—because you loved the woman you had met.

mizu had finished her quest. her vow had be fulfilled.

now—it was time for her to return back to japan. one day—one night, you had together, until the boat that had gotten her here came to take her back to japan.

the day you dreaded so much.

you were sitting together, nestled onto a plush rose covered sofa.. her arm draped around your shoulder—your hand coming up to wrap around her rough hands.

it was silent. neither of you wanted to talk about it. 

“okay,” you said in that british accent that you held, getting your feet. mizu gazed at you; wondering what you were doing. and what were you about to lecture her about? “neither of us want to talk about you leaving; I can see that, mizu, but.. we have to.”

she sighed, adverting her blue gaze, “what is there to talk about, (y/n)? I am leaving. I won’t see you again.”

you almost whimper at her words.

“I..” you whisper, recoiling a bit, “I-I cannot just come with you?”

mizu shook her head, “no. not in the slightest,” she hissed, her eyes narrowed. “they want to kill me for simply having the blue eyes of a white man.. what do you think they will do to you?”

you sigh, folding your arms across your chest. you knew she was right; but you couldn’t help but hold onto hope of the idea.

“than.. what shall we do?” you posed the question. what were you to do?

“we will spend what little time we have together,” she grabbed your hand, yanking you back onto the couch beside her.

despite the grim conversation; you couldn’t help but giggle at her action.

“I love you, mizu.. I truly do. I have never felt closer to anyone than you,” you rest your chin against her chest, looking up at her with wide, loving eyes.

she kissed your forehead, “I love you too, (y/n). I feel the same as you. never before have I been able to get close to anyone; yet you welcomed me with open arms. I love you.”

you were standing on the dock to the large ship, holding a small case for mizu. yes, she hadn’t come with anything but the clothes on her back and her sword.

yet you had packed away things you wanted her to have. you wanted her to have something to remind her of you, even if it was a sad idea.

you lean over to kiss her cheek, handing her the case tenderly. tears were rolling down your cheeks, smiling softly despite it all.

“.. I will miss you,” you whisper. “you.. we’re a great experience, mizu.”

she smiles, grabbing your hand and kissing—like the first time you’d met her.

“you—were everything.” she says softly, allowing her lips to linger on your hand for just a second—before the contact faded.

you watched as she boarded the boat, that case bouncing at her side..

you couldn’t bare to see her go. tears followed down your cheeks like a raging river.

no. you weren’t letting her leave; it wasn’t happening. 

“mizu!” your feet were suddenly rushing you toward the boat, your heel’s clacking against the creaking wood as you ran up the boats ramp, “I-I’m not allowing you to leave. not without me.”

her eyes narrowed to slits. she wanted that; she wanted that so bad. but she couldn’t bare to put your safety at risk for her own selfish wants.

“no—you cannot—I—“

you stopped her before she could finish speaking.

“mizu, I don’t care—I will hide, if I have to—hide in the mountains where no-one will ever find me. but I wish to be with you. I need to be with you.” you hissed, your hands resting on either side of her face.

she seemed to melt at your touch; sighing.

“alright,” she conceded.

an idiot; that’s what she was. sneaking a white woman into japan; under her protection and care.

but here she was—doing it anyway.

you needn’t worry, though, you were under her protection now. and she wasn’t going to let anyone ruffle a hair on your head.

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

tag(s): @the-crustation-sensation tagging even though you’ll probably see this lol <3

[alisonwritesimagines]

Back to December ~Simon "Ghost" Riley Imagine~

Summary: Simon and you meet up at a café when you come to visit England.

Author’s Note: I just thought of this while listening to Back to December in the car.

Song: Back to December (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift

Reader’s Pronouns: She/Her

Warnings: light angst, fluff in the end, unexpected pregnancy, vulnerable Simon

Side Note: This is a secondary blog. If you comment a question down below, I will not answer since this is not the main blog. Please send the question to my inbox if you want a response back!

Do not repost this anywhere!

I'm so glad you made time to see me How's life? Tell me, how's your family? I haven't seen them in a while You've been good, busier than ever We small talk, work and the weather Your guard is up and I know why

Hey. I'm visiting England with my family if you want to meet up if you're on leave right now. - Y/N

That was the first thing you've said to him in a year. Simon stared at the screen on his phone as he leaned back against his couch. Should he go visit you? Fuck it.

He messaged you on where you wanted to meet up before getting on the train to go to you. Luckily, you told him the name of the pub you wanted to meet at that was near your hotel.

Once Simon got to the nearest pub near your hotel, he sat in a booth in the corner. He eyed the door as he waited for you to come through. You walked through the door, scanning the area before finding Simon in the corner. You smiled before walking over towards him.

"Hi. Hope you weren't waiting long," you tell him as you sat in front of him.

"Not at all."

"I'm glad you said yes to meeting with me," you tell him.

"Me too. How's your team going?" Simon asked. He hasn't seen them since the 141 teamed up with them for a mission. The same mission where he had broken it up with you.

"They're good. Still doing good. The weather here is interesting," you tell him. Simon couldn't blame your stupid small talk. After all, he had hurt your heart pretty bad.

Because the last time you saw me Is still burned in the back of your mind You gave me roses and I left them there to die

The last time you saw Simon, it wasn't a pretty picture.

"Why won't you come with me to America for the holidays? My parents and my siblings would love to meet you," you tell him.

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to go with you love."

"Why not?"

"Because..."

Simon stared at you with a sad look. He didn't want to lose you. He didn't want to see you hurt. No matter how many times you've proven to him that you're more than capable on handling yourself, he couldn't lose you like how he lost his family.

"Because I don't think this is working out. I'm sorry."

"Simon-"

"I think it's best if we just end this," Simon told you.

"So after everything we've done and been through, this is just it? You're just ending it like this?" You asked heartbroken.

"I'm sorry, Y/n. It's for the best," Simon said before walking away.

Simon didn't even say sorry or say his goodbye to you when you and your team left to go back to your main base. You looked for him one last time before getting on the plane to head back. Simon watched from afar as your plane left making him turn back around to go back to being the cold lieutenant he was before you came along.

When Simon came back to his room, he found a rose on his desk with a small note.

If you change your mind, here's my address. I'll be home on December 18th. - Y/n

So this is me swallowin' my pride Standin' in front of you sayin' I'm sorry for that night And I go back to December all the time It turns out freedom ain't nothin' but missin' you Wishin' I'd realized what I had when you were mine I'd go back to December, turn around and make it alright I go back to December all the time

"I want to apologize about what happened that night," Simon told you.

"You don't have to."

"I want to. I thought I was protecting you, but turns out I just hurt you and I ended up missing you."

"Then why didn't you come over for the holidays with me if you missed me?"

"Thought I was doing the right thing."

"Is the terrifying Lieutenant Ghost Riley admitting that he misses me?" You tease slightly to ease the tension.

"More like apologizing for that night."

These days, I haven't been sleepin' Stayin' up playin' back myself leavin' When your birthday passed and I didn't call Then I think about summer, all the beautiful times I watched you laughin' from the passenger's side And realized I loved you in the fall And then the cold came, the dark days When fear crept into my mind You gave me all your love and all I gave you was goodbye

You moved over to the side of the table where Simon was sitting at. You were two drinks in and leaning against him while he had an arm around your shoulders, holding you close to him like he used to before.

"You could've just told me the truth," you tell him.

"You know me. Don't know how to process my feelings correctly," Simon tells you.

"When did you realize that you liked me a little too much?" You asked.

"You mean when I realized when I loved you?" Simon asked. You looked up at him and nodded.

"The second to last time I saw you. Around October."

"That mission really gave us an opportunity to let us fall for one another huh?" You asked.

"Yeah."

The amount of times your team and the 141 had crossed gave you and Simon many opportunities to get to know each other more. Which ultimately lead to your heartbreak.

I miss your tan skin, your sweet smile So good to me, so right And how you held me in your arms that September night The first time you ever saw me cry Maybe this is wishful thinkin' Probably mindless dreamin' But if we loved again, I swear I'd love you right I'd go back in time and change it, but I can't So if the chain is on your door, I understand

"It's getting a little late," you tell him.

"I'll walk you back," Simon told you. You nodded as you got out of the booth. Simon paid for the drinks before the two of you started to walk over to your hotel.

"You never told me why you wanted to see me," Simon told you.

"Oh! I can't believe I forgot! It was something important but I guess I got caught up with us," you tell him.

"What is it?" Simon asked.

"It's best if I show you," you tell him as you lead him back to your hotel.

You lead him to your room where your sister was playing with your daughter. Simon stared at the child as she looked a lot like you and him.

"Sorry for taking a little longer. Y/s/n, this is an old coworker of mine. Simon, this is my sister," you introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Simon said, giving her a nod.

"No worries. I'm going to get some sleep. See you tomorrow. Nice meeting you Simon," your sister said as she handed you your daughter to you.

"Bye," you said as you locked the door behind her.

Simon stood where he was as he stared at you with the baby girl in your arms. You nervously walked back to him with a shy smile.

"Simon, this is your daughter," you introduced.

Simon's eyes widen as he stared at her. He looked back at you before looking back at her. He quickly took off his mask as he stared down at her.

"I found out a little after our last mission. I asked Price for your number when I got here," you tell him.

Simon caressed his daughter's cheek a little, making her stare up at him with a smile. She giggled at him as she reached for his hand which he gladly let her take.

"I'm sorry. If I could go back in time, I wouldn't have hurt you-"

"Simon. It's okay. I forgive you. I just wanted you to meet Sophie."

"Sophie? That's her name?"

"Yeah. Do you want to hold her?" You asked.

"Will she be okay with that?" Simon asked.

"She seems to like you already."

You handed her to Simon who smiled down at her. He looked over at you as you leaned against the wall.

"Do you think it's too late for me to ask for one more chance?" Simon asked you. You shook your head at him as he got closer to you.

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you two. I swear on it," Simon tells you.

"I know you won't," you smile at him.

When you put Sophie to bed, you lied on bed with Simon as he held you tightly in his arms.

"Thank you for giving me another chance," Simon said.

"I love you Simon."

"I love you too," Simon said before leaning in to kiss you.

"Would you think about coming with us back to America?" I asked him.

"Darling, I'll follow the two of you wherever you two go," Simon tells you before kissing you once more.

[doctorcrowleywho]

Midnight Dances (10th Doctor x Gn! Reader)

Midnight Dances (10th doctor x gn! reader)  

Word count -   1753  

Warnings - tons of fluff with angst sprinkled in

Pairing(s) - 10th doctor x Gn! Reader

Summary - You show The Doctor a few new moves

Never travel alone. That was the one piece of advice The Doctor always seemed to get. But, no matter how hard he tried he always lost everyone. Some would call him a hero, others a villain. He would call himself a lost cause, a soul floating alone in the wide universe desperate for a friend. 

He never viewed his past companions in a negative light. For him, they sparkled like diamonds in the Gallifrey suns. Only to be tarnished by the sadness that seemed to wash over him if he sat and thought about them for too long. 

Especially Rose, always Rose. She was one of the special ones. The one that saw him for who he truly was and still choose to stay and even love him. Gods did he truly love her. She was everything to him, and that’s why it pained him so badly to say goodbye and that's why he’d never let something like that happen again. At least not if he could help it. 

The Doctor needed a break, he needed to go somewhere where he wasn’t a walking hazard to everyone around him. Where ever he went trouble always seemed to follow, and he wanted to desperately avoid that this time. He wanted to live up to his name this time around and actually do some good (at least good in his eyes).

So, he sent the Tardis to 14th-century England. The good old renaissance period! He wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting when it came to showing up in this period. If anything he’d just walk around watching the humans as they were a little more native during this period, and maybe even eat one of those big turkey legs. He always wondered how humans were able to simply eat a turkeys leg that big. But, that's humans for you - always finding new ways to eat things. 

With a small hum, he parked the Tardis in a discreet corner and trudged around the town square. A tiny shadow of a smile began to tug at his lips as he let his eyes wander around the town. The hustle and bustle of it all warmed his heart. Slowly but surely he spun around trying to get the full effect of everything that was happening around him. 

Sudden music lit up the town as he walked deeper into the heart of the square and everyone seemed to happily join in on the fun. Respectfully he kept his distance from it all. He wanted to watch for now instead of interrupt things. However, that plan was practically destroyed when he saw you.

You were in the center of what looked like to be a dance circle. Spinning, dancing, and clapping to your heart's content. The Doctor felt both his hearts melt at the same time and knew he was truly in for it now.  

Without even realizing it he began to walk closer to the action, or if he was being truthful- closer to you. You were like the warmest bit of sunshine the universe had to offer, and he was freezing to death. The simple sight of you was enough to grip him by his wacky tie and pull him deep down for a wild ride he had no idea he signed up for. 

Whilst you were dancing you couldn’t help the smile that graced your features. You weren’t relatively sought after on any other normal day. Being the daughter of the village's flower seller didn’t come with any amazing dowry. However, when you danced during the festival heads turned. You secretly adored the attention, any person surely would. 

However, this night was different and you couldn’t put your finger quite on why. Until you saw him. The tall handsome stranger that seemed to only have eyes for you. He wore the strangest clothes you had ever seen. But, they seemed to fit him rather well. Your eyes mainly wanted to focus on his deep brown chocolate eyes and the messiest hair you’d ever seen. 

As he seemed to get closer and closer to you, you reached out your hand silently asking for a dance. The whole world seemed to stop as he slowly glanced down at your hand and then back up to your eyes. His right eyebrow rose up almost to ask if you truly meant it. To this, you nodded and noticed the sweetest gentle smile that rose to his lips upon seeing this. 

Even The Doctor, the oncoming storm, couldn’t deny nor fight the spark that rose within him when he finally took your hand in his. Excitedly, you practically dragged him into the center and let the music move your feet. Both of The Doctor’s heart’s raced against his chest as you lead him in a semi-traditional dance. His eyes were glued to your feet desperately trying to save you from the pain of him accidentally stepping on you. 

You, however, would not settle for this. Gently you stopped and took his chin in your fingers lifting his head up to meet yours again. With the warmest smile on your face you took one of his hands and guided it to your waist, and helped the other up with your hand. Lacing his fingers with yours, which seemed to make the entire universe halt to a standstill. 

“Ready?” He said taking the biggest breath his lungs could manage.

“Always,” you replied with an eager grin on your face.

“Well in that case,” he paused for dramatic effect (time lords were drama kings but you knew this already) “, ALLONS-Y!” He cheered along with the crowd.

This was when he truly let loose, showing you exactly what he was made of. Each giggle that escaped your lips only pushed him further as he skipped with you throughout the dance circle. Lifting you high into the air, you practically felt like you were flying. When he did bring you back to earth, you could feel yourself slowly fall in love. You two spun and twirled, and he even managed a few dips in there. 

“And here I thought you weren't a dancer!” You giggled as he spun you in a lift, that giggle being music to his ears. 

“Well, you know what they say…. You have dancing shoes with nimble shoes. I have a soul of lead.” he spoke fast trying to brush over the fact that what he said hit too close to home, and that he just ripped off a future playwright.

The evening seemed to fly by with the brightest colors. You and The Doctor were stuck to each other like paper and glue, and neither of you wanted to leave the other's sight. You showed him everything your small English town had to offer, and he even got to impress you by buying you whatever you wanted from the local vendors.  

“Wait so you’re saying you’ve never had a turkey leg?” You over dramatically gasped as you stared at him with wide eyes. In which he swore he could see stars.

“Yep!” he said popping the ‘p’ “What is that so hard to believe?” He raised an eyebrow trying to keep a serious expression. But, that was proven impossible by what happened next.

You shoved a turkey leg into his hands as you looked up expectantly. “Yes it is, try it!” You sassed not leaving him any room to question you. Well here went nothing. The things people (and timelords) did when falling in love right? Closing his eyes he bit into it, and surprisingly it wasn’t…the worst. In fact, it was far from it. “Oh my goodness this is brilliant! What legs will you humans think of eating next?” he chuckled shaking his head as he prepared himself for another bite.

There you stood utterly bewildered by the fact that this man in front of you could look at life with as much excitement and joy as you did. But, perhaps that’s because he called you lot humans instead something…..normal. Which, should have worried you more than it did. Maybe all you needed was a man from the stars to truly understand you, to whisk you away to far-off places, and help you never return again. But, that was just wishful thinking. 

As the night came to a close you couldn’t help but feel a bit sad at the fact that you might never see this handsome stranger ever again. But, perhaps that’s all you were ever meant to be. Just two passing ships in the night.  

You two walked aimlessly back to the center of town where it all began, and The Doctor paused for a brief moment. Thinking that what he was going to say next he might regret in the future, but he had to let his hearts try. At least one last time. 

“So, listen tonight was great…fantastic even and I was-”

“Doctor listen if you’re trying to let me down easy, just tell me I’m used to it by now.” you cut him off nervously and his eyes widened. 

“What no! I was wondering if you’d like to come back to my erm…box I’d love to show you something.” Once that sentence left his lips he inwardly cringed, that never EVER came out right. 

Your face scrunched up hearing this “Show me something….in your box?” you asked awkwardly. So, he was crazy. Leave it to you to fall in love with the crazy visitor. 

“It’s about as weird as it sounds, but trust me it’ll blow-oh just come with me.” he huffed taking your hand in his once more and tugging you towards his Tardis. 

Jokingly, you rolled your eyes finding it hard to keep up with him at times. “Well, Allons-y then.” you teased repeating him from earlier that night. 

Upon seeing the strange blue box your suspicions were only raised. At least he wasn’t lying about the box part. Your eyes flicked back and forth between The Doctor and the box. A soft grin lay on his face as he opened the door. 

“Please you first,” he said holding the door wide open for you. 

Sighing, you swallowed your courage and walked into The Doctor’s box not even slightly prepared for what you were about to see. 

Your eyes widened as you danced around the center console room trying to grasp what exactly was happening. 

What fell out of your lips was The Doctors absolute favorite part of gaining a new companion. “It’s bigger on the inside!” you gasped. 

The Doctor smiled.

[calisources]

𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐀 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄.

All sentences are taken from different books from Phillipa Gregory, specially her series about the historical fiction setting of the war of roses and the tudors era. Change names, locations, pronouns and nouns as you see fit for your own liking. Some of these have slight foul language or involve insuation of sexual situations. Please beware. This is part one.

You can smile when your heart is breaking because you're a woman.

If it means something, take it to heart. If it means nothing, it's nothing. Let it go.

I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't do anything but think about him.

At night I dream of him, all day I wait to see him, and when I do see him my heart turns over and I think I will faint with desire.

A man will always promise to do more than he can do to a woman he cannot understand.

I would know you anywhere for my true love. 

Whoever I was and whoever you were, I would know you at once for my true love.

When a woman thinks her husband is a fool, her marriage is over. 

The world hasn't changed that much; men still rule.

If you go on flirting with the king with those sickly little smiles, one of us Boleyns is going to scratch your eyes out

What a pair we shall be! What man can resist us?

You have to choose the best, every day, without compromise...guided by your own virtue and highest ambition.

I never thought it would end like this. I never thought he would leave me without saying goodbye.

But I don't forget and I don't forgive.

A woman has to change her nature if she is to be a wife.

To be a good wife is to be a woman with a will of iron that you yourself have forged into a bridle to curb your own abilities. 

But I am above these judgments, I am a Queen.

Anyone can attract a man. The trick is to keep him.

I was born to be your rival.

Know your rights.

When they see us dance. When they see how you look at me. When they see how I smile at you.

I have learned the power of surviving.

I was a woman who was capable of passion and who had a great need and a great desire for love.

Good god what men can do to their brains when their cocks are hard.

They are a house which has to have blood, and they will shed their own if they have no other enemy.

I want to take you for pleasure, and hold you in my arms for desire.

 I want you to know that it is your kiss that I want, not another heir to the throne.

You can know that I love you, quite for yourself, when I come to your bed, and not as the York’s broodmare.

You think to bed me for love and not for children? Isn’t that sin?

I shall make sure that it feels richly sinful.

Some women attract desire. Others do not.

Every woman has to have something which singles her out, which catches the eyes, which makes her the center of attention.

If it has to be done at all, it must be done with grace.

She  was speaking out for the women of the country, for the good wives who should not be put aside just because their husbands had taken a fancy to another.

Because all books are forbidden when a country turns to terror.

You can smile when your heart is breaking because you are a woman, and a courtier.

War does not answer war, war does not finish war. The only ending is peace.

To save my son, I would plot with the devil himself.

Yes, but either way, shamed or not, I shall be Queen of England, and this is the last time you will sit in my presence.

I am not a yard of ribbon. I am not a leg of ham. I am not for sale to anyone.

We have to be more royal than royalty itself or nobody will believe us.

I betrayed as a daughter will betray her mother and yet, never stop loving her.

I am an object of beauty. He has never loved me as a woman.

When a man wants a mystery, it is generally better to leave him mystified. Nobody loves a clever woman.

I wanted the heat and the sweat and the passion of a man that I could love and trust. 

And I wanted to give myself to him: not for advantage, but for desire.

I am a fool to own it, but I am in a fever for his touch.

It is luck to love someone who is free to love you in return.

Just decide that you are not going to be a fearful woman and when you come to something that makes you apprehensive, you face it and walk towards it

This was my destiny: to put my son on the throne of England.

This is a woman whose belly is filled with pride.

 She has been eating nothing but her own ambition for nearly thirty years.

Plainly, she is quite besotted by him,... a girl, a young girl, and she is falling in love for the first time in her life.

And – I think you know, don’t you? – that I love you, Anne.

And you are the sort of mistress a man doesn't bother to marry. Sons or no sons.

You don't need to struggle, your baby is coming.

You give birth, you don't force birth or besiege it. It's not a battle, it's an act of love. You give birth to your child and you can do it gently.

But young hearts mend easily.

Either you have me or not at all. Either you love me or not at all. Either I am all yours or I am nobody’s. I will have no half-measures with you.

Men die in battle; women die in childbirth.

 shall put a curse on their house that they will have no first born son to inherit. 

Have you ever wondered, Anne, in your untiring dance of seduction, whether you might not be dancing to Henry's tune instead of your own?

I am a Queen. It is natural that men are going to gather round me, hoping for a smile.

My honour and my pride are in my heart, and not in what the world says.

He is fragile, like a prince of ice, of glass.

But I warn you that a woman who seeks great power and wealth has to pay a great price.

Every woman is a mad ugly bad old witch somewhere in her heart.

My own mother told my lady governess that if the baby and I were in danger then they should save the baby.

She has a smile that grows slowly and then shines, like an angel’s smile.

Jane would be the next queen and her children, when she had them, would be the next princes or princesses.

I am mad for you.

You're not cursed daughter, you are the finest and rarest of all my children, the most beautiful, the most beloved.

One’s lover is one’s partner in observing and understanding the world.

Marriage is a place where joint narratives are composed. If the lover is a liar then all your joint observations are unreliable. 

If it was not in your interests to betray me then you would have been loyal.

I am marrying the finest man I have ever known.

You can have my glove, my favour.

Nobody gets to be Queen of England by being loveable. You will have to play your cards right.

Thomas More once told me: lion or king, never show fear or you are a dead man.

When I marry you, everything I have becomes yours.

[zomtart]

At Least Out Loud (Karen Page x Fem!Reader)

Here's my day 2 of Tuna-Tober! Finally wrote something for the love of my life Karen Page

Sorry it ends on a sort of cliffhanger, I am trying to keep these as short as I can manage so I can get through more! Maybe I'll write a part two🤭 Also title is a reference to the absolute BANGER of a song I Won't Say I'm In Love, which hits so much harder in a sapphic context if you ask me <3

Tuna-Tober Day 2: “I’m in love with you, and that scares me.” + A Hug That Lasts A Little Too Long

Pairing: Karen Page x Fem!Reader

Warnings: mentions of alcohol, sapphic yearning, platonic matt and reader

Word Count: 1.1k

Karen slapped a hand over her mouth, trying to refrain from spitting out her drink at Foggy’s joke. You had failed that challenge, but managed to get it back in your cup as the entire table erupted into laughter. It was a much needed break for all of you, the end of a long week and long work hours. Foggy and Matt at their firm, you and Karen at the Bulletin. You hadn’t been able to spend time together with all four of you in so long. It felt so right, like coming home, and you never wanted it to end. Foggy’s jokes, Matt’s smile, and…Karen. Everything about Karen.

The low lighting of Josie’s gave you courage, or maybe just the ability to hide from the truth. No matter what, at the end of the night in the run-down dive bar, you always were left with that feeling in your stomach. A feeling that felt suspiciously like butterflies.

“Okay, okay, I need to…” Karen let out a few more giggles before running a hand through her stupid, perfect hair. “Need to go. Got a meeting tomorrow morning.”

There was a unisonous groan across the table.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday!” Foggy protested.

“Yes, Foggy, I know. I’m not looking forward to getting up early on a weekend either, but this is when Julia Dayton can meet for an interview.” she explained as she shrugged her bag onto her shoulder.

“Let me know how it goes,” you smile up at her. “That’s gonna be one hell of an article.”

“All thanks to you,” she laughs a little bit. “You helped me finish up my editorial in time.”

You waved a hand in dismissal as she hugged Matt and Foggy goodbye. You stood up too, grabbing your bag. “Walk you home?”

She shook her head. “I called an Uber.” 

“Oh. You sure you’re good going by yourself?”

She smiled knowingly. “I’ll text you when I’m back safe. Okay?” she pulled you into a hug, the faint scent of roses and shitty tequila washing over you as you gently gripped her shoulders. 

“Okay.” you responded, your voice far too small. You briefly wondered how long you should make the hug…were you hugging for too long? Were you making it weird? 

You tried to pull back, but then she held on, and you just about melted in her arms. You weren’t sure if it was the alcohol, or the way her thumb was ever so slightly moving back and forth on your arm, but you felt entranced. If this was where you stayed for the rest of your life, you’d be completely fine with that.

When the hug finally broke you forced your expression into what you hoped was nonchalant, giving her a small smile. Then she was gone, leaving you to watch her walk out the bar door.

A beat of silence passed before you heard a snort from behind you. You turned around to see Matt and Foggy, trying to hold in smirks.

“What?” you were immediately on the defensive, practically stomping back to your seat. 

“Nothing, nothing. Sorry.”

~

You tried your best to enjoy the rest of the night, but the feeling in your stomach wouldn’t go away. A note of roses still lingered in the air, clouding over every other thought in your head. 

You tell yourself it’s the alcohol.

“Alright, guys. I gotta call it a night.” Foggy sighed, standing up with a slight wobble. 

Matt laughed at the slur in his friend’s voice and his lack of balance. “Yeah, I think that’s for the best, buddy.” 

Foggy shooed him away, huffing as he mumbled something about the King of England being his uber driver.

“It says George the third…” you heard him tell Matt as he walked him out to the car. You laughed to yourself, finishing off the rest of your glass. You weren’t sure how many drinks that had added up to, but for the sake of your sanity you didn’t look at the bill before giving Josie your card. By the time you paid, Matt was back at the table, pulling his jacket around his shoulders.

“Ready to go?” He wasn't nearly as drunk as Foggy, and you couldn’t blame him. After learning about his heightened senses, you could understand how being drunk could be unpleasant for him.

You nodded, starting to force a smile before deciding not to bother. He would tell you’d be faking it, anyway. It almost seemed that he noticed you starting to fake it. You felt him focusing on you as you took his elbow and walked out of the bar.

After a block of heavy silence you pursed your lips and turned to look at him. “Do you have something to say? Or are you just going to keep counting my heart rate or whatever you’re doing?” 

He laughed a little at your remark. “I don’t need enhanced senses to realize you’re upset.”

“I’m not upset.” you said immediately, but there wasn’t any conviction to it. You were too tired, too drunk. He just sighed, because he knew you were lying, and you knew he knew you were lying.

He murmured your name gently, before saying, very quietly, “You can’t keep running from it.” 

The words hit you like a freight train. He was right. That’s what you were doing. You were running from this. That’s what you always did. The tightness expanded in your chest, moving past your ribcage, making your whole body feel like it was under ice water. Tears pricked at your eyes and you furiously wiped at them, turning away from him.

“She’s my best friend, Matt. I…I don’t want to lose her.”

“Do you really think you’d lose her?” he stopped you walking with a gentle hand on your shoulder. “Honestly. Do you think if she somehow doesn’t feel the same, that she would treat you any differently?”

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head. “N-no, no, of course not but it’s…I can’t just…” you struggled to find the words. “It’s not that easy, Matt, I’m…I’m terrified. I’m in love with her and that--that scares me. I don’t like feeling like this. Like I could just give her everything and she could just…say no. Or worse--she says yes. And then I…then I have to find some way to be enough for this beautiful, ambitious, amazing woman.”

Matt frowned. “That’s not how love works. It’s not a business exchange. If she loves you, which I--” he sighed. “Which I really think she does…then you’re already enough for her. It’s why she loves you." He gently placed a hand on your shoulder. “I’m not saying you have to tell her if you’re not ready. I’m just saying that…” he trailed off, searching for the words. “If anyone is going to be gentle with your heart, it’s Karen.”

@tunatober

[melanieph321]

My Brother's Best Friend Part 4/4

It was a cute story, really proud of myself 😊

Summary - A four part series where reader rencounters her brother's best friend and the two of them hit it off quite well.

Enjoy!

"He's not coming is he?"

"I'm sorry honey." Your parents said.

You were suprised enough that they wanted to drive you to the hospital the next morning. They had been awfully nice to you after what happened at the restaurant. Perhaps you had Ruben to thank for that? Too bad neither he or your brother, cared enough to say goodbye to you before you flew back home.

"Well, there is no point in waiting, is there?" You slapped your knees and rose to your feet. Grabbing your bag, you were ready to head for the security check.

"Don't forget to call upon arrival." Your mother said, pampering you with kisses.

"I will." You groaned, still getting used to this much attention from her.

"And we'll be down at the end of the month to help you clear your apartment." Your dad nodded.

Your parents were happy to hear that you were moving back home upon graduating from university. A perfect pit stop before you figure out your next move. And it would be nice to rekindle your relationship with your parents, everyone deserves a second chance.

"I guess I'll see you later then." You waved.

Your parents embrace each other, waving back at you. That's when you saw them, Ruben and your brother, sprinting across the airport, coming your way.

"Sorry we're late!" They announced, breathless from the run.

"YB/N, Ruben? You're both here, together." Your parents looked as confused as you.

"Y/N, I came to say I'm sorry for how I behaved last night."

"Really?"

He nodded. "I was more angry that you decided to keep somthing like that from me. Ruben is my best friend and so I know he's a great guy, still, it would have been nice if you told me that you liked him yourself,  instead of me finding out in the way that I did."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know how to tell you. It all happened so fast and I...." You flinched as your brother leaped forward, catching you by surprise by gathering you in his embrace. "I get it, no need to explain. Ruben said it best last night."

"Ruben?"

You pulled away from your brothers hug to look at him. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept all night.

"Pãi, Mamãe, we should buy Y/N a book that she could read on the plane." Your brother grabbing your luggage and lured your parents away.

"Thank you." You whispered.

Ruben and you were now left alone.

"You know..." He began, running a anxious hand rough his untamed hair. "I won't be called up to play for the national team for at least six months. In the mean time I'm going back to England where I live"

You nodded. "And I don't do long distance relationships."

"I figured." He said, chewing on the inside of his jaw. "I guess I only had you for that one moment. " He chuckled, although he seemed far from happy.

"You have me now." You shrugged.

It's all you had to say, Ruben leaped forwards, collecting you in his arms, the smell of him invading your nostrils.

He kissed the lobe of your ear,  moving on to the side of your face. Eventually cupping your head between his hands, bringing your lips forwards, pressing them against his own.

"Ruben I don't want to..." You said, catching your breath.

"Neither do I..."

"Then what are we...?"

"Doing?" He smiled. "I have no idea."

"But I really don't do long distance."

Ruben's eyes watched you attentively. "Come with me to England then." He said.

"You're crazy." You snorted. "Whatever this is..." You said, pointing a finger between the two of you. "It just happened."

Ruben shook his head, a smile carving his lips. "Y/N, I've thought of you for the past twenty years. I'm more than ready to take this a step further. And now that I've sorted things out with your brother I'm not letting you get away from me again. Not ever."

Your gaze dropped to the floor, hiding your immaculate smile. It was wiped away once you raised your head again. "Leaving school, I'm gonna move back with my parents for a while. I want them in my life, so I think it's worth that we work through some things."

Ruben nodded understandingly. "I get it and you should do it. Just know that if you ever decided to come to England you have a home there waiting for you, a home with me."

This time you were the one to leap forwards, clinging onto Ruben's neck, bringing his face down for a kiss. He returned it with equal amount of passion, letting his hands rest on each side of your hips. Eventually you two were interrupted by your family.

"So we got a book called The Human Centipede. Enjoy your flight sis."

You shook your head and brought them all in for a hug, including Ruben. Once it was time for you to go they stood by, watching you go through security until you went onwards towards the airport gates. Not to worry though, you'd be home soon enough, weather that was in Portugal or in England. Home to you was really where you felt the most loved and for the moment the people you loved the most were all gathered in one place.

-  The End

[it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream]

Beautiful, Beautiful Lightning Bug (Druig x Reader)

It was raining again. Yes, it was your fault. The looks you were getting from Sersi and Sprite all too familiar, but as much as you tried to cut it out you couldn’t, you were just in one of those moods. It used to be rainbows and sunshine, but as England was known to be a gloomy rainy place anyway, you could pout and get away with it without causing too much worldly upset. 

Your boot kicked at the cobbled path as you waited outside the pub for Sersi and Dane to finish saying their goodbyes. Some guy had pissed you off inside, making advances then getting angry when he heard the word ‘no.’ You left before you did anything that would bring attention. If anyone was to blame for the dreary weather, then it was the dickhead that had one too many Jack Daniels and coke.  

The rain seemed to dissipate as you started the walk home along the canal. Dane looking at you from time to time, he knew something was up, it didn’t help that Sprite had been feeding him stories about the eternals even though your existence wasn’t common knowledge, you tended to leave things down to the avengers.  

You knew the jig was up as soon as the Deviant rose from the chilly water. Your body tingled and your hair rose with a static wind as your fingers started to crackle, your eyes no doubt were white with the reflection of lightning. You struck first, Sersi and Sprite making sure Dane wasn’t in the firing line. Volts of electricity erupted from your fingertips and struck true, the Deviant snarling as you charred one of its legs. You turned your head to make sure the others were safe, which was a mistake as the Devinant took a swipe at you, its claws catching your stomach making your cry out. Sersi was quick to stop it in its tracks while you tried to recover and you watched as she vaulted the wall, leading it away from you, Dane and Sprite. 

The night ended with Ikaris making a grand entrance and saving the day as always. You were used to it, always in your older brother’s shadow. You were happy to see him, even if he had disappeared for years without letting anyone know where he was. Years in your lifetime didn’t seem like much in the grand scheme of things. He told you off, like always, for allowing yourself to get hurt for the sake of a human. You were sure he was just salty because the human in question was Sersi’s new boyfriend.  

He was kind of right though, telling you off for getting hurt, the Deviants scratch was worse than you first anticipated, and it hurt, it didn’t hurt like this in the past. Luckily you were fast healing, and you were on your way to seek Ajaks. She was a healer, your leader and she would know what to do, she always did.  

You’d arrived at the ranch a couple of days after the attack; however, it was too late. The Deviants had made it first and the sky crackled a brilliant purple as you let out your pained cries. You’d held Ajax’ lifeless body in your arms as rain poured from the heavens soaking you to the core. She was basically your mother; she was to so many of you. You had always looked to her for guidance and knew you could always confide in her, now she was gone. 

That brought you to now. Hesitating in the background floating on a dark cloud that you had conjured. After re-grouping with Kingo, Thena and Gilgamesh you’d made the next stop that had your stomach doing summersaults.  

You winced as the scars across your abdomen flickered with pain. Thunder shook the rainforest and birds sprung from their trees, wings flapping hard against the unnatural wind that had disturbed their peace. Thena peered at you through the trees with a knowing look. You were nervous. You hadn’t seen him in a few decades after some stupid fall out.  

The others entered the little church like building while the villagers stood around and watched, their voices becoming eerie and controlled. You heard arguing and could hear his voice amidst the chaos. His Irish accent making heat pool in the bottom of your belly.  

Your cloud floated to the ground, and you stepped off, your heavy black boots making squelching noises in soggy leaves. With a deep breath you pushed on the heavy wooden doors. All eyes turned to you, but the only ones you caught were a brilliant gold. His face softened as soon as his eyes met yours and in three long strides you found yourself being wrapped in his arms.  

Your eyes watered instantly; you were home. In Druigs arms, you were home. You breathe deeply, his warm earthy scent invading your senses. Your hand reached up to play with the hair at the base of his neck which you knew he loved. He shivered and held you tighter, pressing his lips to your forehead. 

“My Beautiful, beautiful lightning bug, was that you making all tha’ noise outside?” 

You lifted your head from under his chin to peer up at him with a blush, your cheeks reddening when Kingo made a gasp in the background. Your turned to see his assistant/cameraman Karun pointing the lens at the two of you. It was no secret to the girls that you and Druig have been a thing since, well, forever. Either the men decided to block it out or they really were that oblivious. For Arishems sake… you were even married. 

“Kingo ge’ your mans camera out my girls face unless you want to be struck by lightning.”  

[drarryspecificrecsdaily]

2023.09.15

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

1. Strawberries by thewanderingwriter [E, 5k]

►Harry and Draco are best friends and, just like every summer since they first met, Harry spends the holidays at Malfoy Manor. But now Harry knows his feelings for Draco run deeper than friendship, and when the perfect opportunity comes he can't let it slip away.

---

Fest/Exchange

1. Expiration of a Summer's Rose by Anonymous [M, 60k]

►Draco returns to England ten years after the war. Many things are different, but Harry is the same. But what does Harry have to do with Draco's compelling new interest in botany? After an unexpected event disrupts the life Draco has built for himself, he slowly finds out. ★ HP Soulmates Fest 2023 | @hp-soulmates

2. Firewood by @itsjamethyst [M, 8k]

►[...] It’s a bit strange seeing Draco like this—in his picturesque townhouse with his buttoned cloak to the hollow of his neck, fitted black trousers, and owl socks. But there’s a whisper of a smile on his face when he raises his eyebrows at me. “My recollection differs from yours, it seems.” ★ HP Law of Attraction Fest | @hp-lawofattraction-fest

3. Hellos, goodbyes, a thousand midnights by Anonymous [M, 13k]

►The world, as Harry knew it, has ended. At least he has a garden. OR Harry and Draco live through the apocalypse ★ Drarry Let’s Play Fest 2023 | @drarry-lets-play

[vintagedot]

Goodbye, My Rose Garden is.... cliche. It's the story of a maid falling for her lady and it reads like something a character in another story would reference. It is also fucking amazing.

The art is so good and the characters offer their own substance and backstories, creating a genuinely compelling narrative. You have Hanako, the Japanese aspiring writer who traveled across the sea to England in hopes that it's society would be more welcoming to the idea of a female author, and her love-to-be, Lady Alice, a kindhearted noble who is stricken with heartache over the way society is unaccepting of her sexuality and how it has scorned her in the past.

They each have their own thing going on that supplements the story and reacts to the others deal. They're characters that stand on their own and supplement the story rather than existing because they are in a story.

The story itself actually tackles queerness being scorned in its setting and even uses real life queer authors and their stories to give further depth to our characters. For example, Lady Alice was shown taking great interest in the story of Oscar Wildes' trial and sentencing because she herself was experiencing scorn for her romantic feelings. It created this sense of realness to me that helped me buy into the protagonists struggle as well as how different side characters reacted. You had some characters who were in the know and covered for their newfound queer hatchlings as well as other characters who reacted with scorn and bigotry as was normal for the time.

I should also mention this manga very much feels like reading a saucy romance between the maid and the master. Lots of heartache by the sea and thrilling countdowns to sunset. Personally I love that shit but it can be a downside for others. Overall I give this story a solid 9/10, it was a refreshing tale after a string of mid stories and it really reinvigorated my Yuri reading.