#green bins for waste collection | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sansaorgana · 4 months ago

Text

— FARE THEE WELL

PAIRING — Ser Gwayne Hightower x fem!Reader

SUMMARY — You're a barmaid who had a fling with a noble knight a few moons ago. Now he comes back for one more night to spend with you before he leaves to join the war.

AUTHOR’S NOTE — It’s based on the idea for a fic by @peachysunrize that I really liked and since I usually write wife!Readers and noble born Readers in this Universe, it felt nice to explore a new trope. I couldn't help myself to make it a bit angsty as well, for which I am sorry... 🙈

WARNINGS — angsty ending, SMUT, bath sex, slight choking

WORD COUNT — 5,420

🔞 THIS FIC IS 18+ 🔞

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.

FARE THEE WELL

It was a nice and peaceful afternoon at the Tavern where you worked. The sky was blue and clear with only a few clouds and a slight wind was messing with the reckless strands of your braided hair whenever you went outside with the mugs full of beer and bowls full of food for your customers.

“There are men coming,” your boss told you after walking downstairs. “I saw ‘em from the window. A few knights on the horses that will need water and hay. They have King Aegon’s banners,” he rubbed his hands together. “This war’s good for business,” he hummed to himself.

You only nodded at that and wiped your hands in your dirty apron. The war could be good for business indeed but it also meant lots of work with demanding knights and noblemen although you hoped for some generous tips if only you acted nice enough.

“Make it look presentable, will ya?” Your boss barked at you at the sight of the counter. The crumbs were scattered all over the surface and it was sticky from the beer.

You nodded obediently and cursed under your breath when he turned around. You collected all the crumbs with the side of your hand and threw them away into the bin nearby where you kept your waste before taking it out. Then, you began to clean the counter with the damp cloth.

Busy on taking care of every little sticky spot because your boss tended to be a perfectionist, you forgot about the men coming to the Tavern already. Therefore, when the doors opened loudly, you got startled and jumped in your spot before looking up.

Your eyes widened at the sight of the familiar looking armours. You had known once a man who was wearing armour like that – green and silver with golden ornaments and a symbol of the lighthouse on his chest. You had to blink a few times to snap back to reality.

“It is my favourite Tavern in these parts,” one of the men announced and your heart skipped a beat. Oh, you knew that voice but… Was it possible that it was your mind playing tricks on you?

He took his helmet off and rested it on his hip, holding it with his left hand as he ran his right hand through his auburn hair and you gasped.

Ser Gwayne Hightower. Oh, you knew that man.

It had been a few moons ago when you had met him. He had been staying with a Lord living nearby, discussing the matters such noble men usually discussed. He had been trying to explain it to you on those nights spent together in one of the rooms upstairs but you had never fully grasped it.

What you had understood from his story was that he was the eldest son of Otto Hightower who had been King Viserys’ Lord Hand at that time. He was running Oldtown in his father’s name and sometimes he travelled to different parts of Westeros to meet with the vassals and to make the new ones. You remembered that you had asked him about his wife but he had assured you of having none.

You could feel your cheeks heating up at all the shared memories from all those moons ago. You hadn’t expected to see him again ever in your life.

It was not like you were sharing bed with every man visiting your workplace. It was a Tavern, not a brothel and you were only a barmaid, not a whore. But Ser Gwayne was different. From the moment you had seen him, you had known he was special. Something about him was making you feel the way no other man had ever been able to make you feel. He was worth risking everything.

And to him you had been only another adventure, a girl to warm his bed while he was away from home. At least in the beginning. With time, after many nights spent together on talking and fucking, he had started to grow fond of you. He had admitted that himself. He had been confused by what he was capable of feeling towards a common barmaid. And you had been surprised by that as well.

His blue eyes searched the room and then he spotted you, right behind the counter. He smiled at you and walked up as you straightened your back, with the damp cloth still in your hand.

“Well, well, well, and look who’s here,” he looked you up and down with a smug smile. You furrowed your brow, a little confused by his approach. Not that you expected him to pick you up and spin you round. After all, you were no Lady, you were no Princess. “Cole?” He beckoned over another knight.

His armour was not a Hightower one but it was also grand. He had short black hair and big, brown eyes.

“That’s our new Hand of The King, Ser Criston Cole,” Ser Gwayne introduced you and you panicked at first. You had no idea if it was some jestering or was he serious, so you decided to bow down slightly and Ser Gwayne chuckled at you. “And that is my favourite… barmaid,” he introduced you and you swallowed a lump in your throat.

His arrival was not as sweet as his departure all those moons ago when he had nearly had tears in his eyes while kissing your hand goodbye. He had made you feel like a Lady then.

Now, he made you feel like a common whore. And that had to be what The Hand thought as well when he was nodding his head at you. Ser Cole didn’t spare you any more glance and he walked away to sit by one of the tables with other men.

“We shall stay here for the night,” Ser Gwayne informed you and your boss standing behind you.

“That is an honour, Ser,” your boss nodded. “What are you in need of?”

“We want food, beer, baths and rooms to sleep in,” Ser Gwayne threw a few coins on the counter carelessly. “Our horses require tending as well.”

“I’ll fetch them some water and hay,” you cleared your throat and put the cloth down before fixing the reckless hair strands on your hair and walking out as quickly as possible.

Ser Gwayne’s confused eyes followed you but you didn’t look back since you already had tears in your own. All those moons of remembering a sweet, chivalrous knight who had stolen your heart… All those moons of dreaming about him and missing him… The fantasies and memories had all been based on an illusion. It did not feel nice to realise that.

You entered the stables and saw beautiful, armoured horses. They looked very elegant and you were taking your time with petting and feeding them. You wanted to spend as much time in the stables as possible. It was quiet there and the horses would never hurt you the way certain humans would.

As you were caressing one of the horses gently with your hand and watching him eat with a soft smile upon your face, you heard footsteps behind you. You sighed, assuming it would be your boss or another barmaid he had sent after you. But no, when you turned around, you saw Ser Gwayne himself; his face lit up just slightly from all the candles inside the Tavern next to the stables. The sun had set already while you were with the horses.

“Do forgive my tardiness, good Ser,” you cracked a smile at him.

“Sweet darling, why are you addressing me like that?” He approached you and stood right behind you. His hands touched your arms as he breathed in your scent. You were confused.

“Me, Ser Gwayne? Hasn’t it been you treating me like a common whore? Why are you back here, Ser, by the way? Were the brothels all busy or perhaps is our King Aegon running out of coins in his treasure, so you wanted to go back to a silly barmaid who is giving herself to you willingly, free of charge?” You asked but it was not asked with anger – your voice was filled with hurt as you looked down.

“Aren’t you adorable,”Ser Gwayne only chuckled before leaning in to cup your chin and force your head to turn around, gently. You looked up at him and he joined your lips together in a sweet kiss.

You gave in immediately and you hated yourself for it but there was something so charming and alluring about that man… You couldn’t deny yourself a gentle kiss from his lips.

“My sweet,” he cooed to you, looking intensely at your face with so much adoration that you couldn’t believe that a man as noble as him was capable of it. Such a look on his face should be reserved for the Princesses or pretty Ladies he would win tournaments for. Certainly not for you. “I couldn’t possibly reveal how much you mean to me in front of everybody, could I?” He explained to you. “There has been no day for me without remembering you, sweet (Y/N),” he whispered and your name had never sounded so pretty in anyone’s lips.

Your name was usually shouted by men rushing you to bring them their orders faster or by your angry boss. You had never expected to actually get a taste of what it would be like to be a real Lady. But when Ser Gwayne was whispering your name in such a delicate manner, you suddenly were a noble woman and your heart was at peace.

It brought heat to your cheeks immediately and you looked away since his gaze was getting too intense.

“I have been thinking of you, too, Ser Gwayne,” you confessed. “I have been praying to the Warrior for you and… to the Maiden… for myself.”

“Oh, have you?” Ser Gwayne chuckled and bit on his lower lip. “If I removed your skirts, I would find your knees scratched then?” He teased you.

You were taken away by his straightforward words and you walked away from him to finish your work with the horses but he kept standing there and observing you.

“I am on my way to war. A real one like I have never experienced before,” he confessed. “A real one like I have been trained to take my part in ever since I was a child, wielding a wooden practice sword.”

“It is a dangerous war coming, Ser,” you nodded, focusing on pouring the water for the horses. You didn’t want to look up and meet his gaze because you would burst out in tears if you saw his face now. “People talk that the dragons shall dance in the sky and it will be nothing but blood and fire,” you mumbled out. You didn’t want Ser Gwayne to leave for such an awful, horrible war.

“You do realise then that simple men like me do not stand a chance,” he tried to be playful about it.

“I do not wish to speak of it, Ser,” you interrupted him and shook your head, sniffling your tears back.

“Me neither, sweet (Y/N). I want my one last night of peace… Or at least an illusion of it. And I couldn’t imagine it anywhere else other than here. With you,” he informed you and nodded his head before walking out of the stables.

This time you hurried with the horses and you came back inside the Tavern as fast as possible. Your boss gave you an unpleasant look.

“What has taken you so long?”

“They’re no common horses. They’re fancy,” you rolled your eyes at him, coming up with excuses. “They demand special treatment,” you chuckled.

Your eyes sparkled while letting out that laughter and you spotted Ser Gwayne by one of the tables. Your gaze met with his for a brief moment and your whole body filled with so much warmth and nostalgia that you nearly exploded right there, in the middle of that awful Tavern.

Ser Gwayne would forever remain your what if. What if you had been born a Lady. What if he had been born a peasant. You would still love him, of that you were sure. If he was a miller, a smith or a carpenter, you would marry him in a heartbeat and perhaps your lives would be much simpler than as a Lord and a Lady.

Ser Gwayne beckoned you over with a wave of his hand and you fixed your skirts before approaching him. Some of his men were staring at you as well but you only cared for his blue eyes. Here, in the light of the Tavern, he looked even better than in the stables.

“Are you busy mayhaps, fair maiden?” He winked at you and you were trying very hard not to roll your eyes at the question.

“Depends on what you’re asking of me, kind Ser,” you bowed your head slightly.

“We have a long road ahead of us,” he answered. “I would love a long and relaxing bath.”

From the corner of your eye, you saw some of his men smirking. You just nodded your head at his words.

“I shall ask one of the girls to prepare it for you, Ser,” you teased him, pretending to sound as serious and professional as possible.

“Oh, no, no, my sweetling,” Ser Gwayne reached his hand out to squeeze yours. “You shall go upstairs now and prepare me one,” he told you.

“If you insist, Ser,” you bowed your head and turned around with a soft smile to approach your boss who was busy counting money at the moment.

“Ser Gwayne asked me for a bath,” you informed him and he only nodded without even looking up at you as he dismissed you with a wave of his hand.

You grabbed your skirts in your hands and rushed upstairs where some other girls working at the Tavern were busy with preparing the rooms for the knights.

“Which chambers are Ser Gwayne’s?” You asked and one of them pointed at the ajar door at the other side of the corridor.

“I’ve just finished preparin’ it,” she informed you and you smiled at her.

“Ser Gwayne wants a bath,” you told her. “Go to the kitchen and bring me buckets with warm water.”

She nodded and hurried downstairs as you entered the chambers that were prepared for Ser Gwayne. They were one of the nicest ones that the Tavern had for the guests but you knew it had to be nothing compared to his chambers in Oldtown.

However, walking around those chambers was bringing memories to you as you smiled to yourself. All those moons ago he had been staying in these chambers as well for some nights. And perhaps for him those were just dirty rooms at some common Tavern but to you those were the fanciest chambers you had ever slept in.

Your dreamy pacing around was interrupted by the arrival of a few girls carrying buckets with warm water. They placed it on the floor and went back to their other duties as you approached the bathtub and began filling it. You sat on the edge and took your time with it like you had before with the horses. You wanted to cherish every moment of that sweet gesture you were doing – taking care of Ser Gwayne. Like a wife would.

Well, perhaps noble wives were not known for such activities. But if you were peasants like you had imagined before, you would be the one responsible for preparing his baths every other day. And you would do it gladly, without complaints. You would love to take care of him when he’d be back from work, dirty and tired. But none of that would matter since you would have him for yourself and you would have him every day, falling asleep in his arms and waking up in them.

The door opened slightly with a squeak and you looked up to see Ser Gwayne himself walking inside with a loving smile.

“You look really domestic like that,” he told you before closing the door behind him.

“Do I, good Ser?” You asked with a sad smile as you dipped your fingers in the water to check its temperature.

“Will you help me to undress?” He asked of you and you nodded, although awkwardly.

You were not familiar with all those armour pieces, however you had a small experience in taking them off of him already. You approached him and started to work on his armour piece by piece, painfully slowly. You were glad the water your friends had brought was boiling hot because you didn’t want him to whine about it being too cold later but you also didn’t want to rush this moment.

“Your fingers are so soft,” Ser Gwayne pointed out when you were working on a chest piece. “Softer than my squire’s for sure,” he chuckled.

“I know it is surprising for a commoner to have soft hands, Ser, but I work a lot in the kitchen and the butter tends to soften the skin,” you explained.

“You must look pretty in the kitchen,” Ser Gwayne pointed out and you looked up at him, questioningly. “With flour on your cheeks and nose, busy little bee,” he explained.

“Who would have thought that a noble knight would be into that,” you commented with a smirk.

“There is still a lot you ought to learn about me, (Y/N),” he whispered. “Would you cook or bake something for me if I asked you to?”

“I would bake you bread and those cakes you liked so much the last time you were here,” you looked up to meet his gaze. He blushed a little at the remark about cakes. “What? You are spoiled, kind Ser, that is not a secret. But I would happily spoil you myself, too.”

“Perhaps I should take you with me to Oldtown and hire you in The Hightower. I think you would like it there, my sweet,” he teased but his voice was more serious than you expected. “Perhaps I shall fetch you on my way back home after the war is won.”

“Perhaps,” you shrugged your arms. “My whole family lives here, however, and Oldtown is far away.”

In fact, Oldtown was like a place from the fairytales to you. It was far, far away and you would never really go there, realistically speaking. And it was a place where your Ser lived and in your imagination it had to be a beautiful and lively place… It was out of your reach in many ways.

A short, awkward silence occurred after that as you worked on the last pieces of his armour and there he stood, only in his underwear. You bowed your head at him.

“I believe my work here is done, Ser. I would recommend getting into that bathtub before the water gets cold,” you advised him.

“Oh, my sweet, won’t you stay to help me wash my back?” He grinned at you and you cracked a smile.

You were hoping for such words. So, you did not leave but stayed, with your hands clasped in front of you as you watched him get undressed completely. You tried not to give any reaction to his naked body while you watched him get inside the bathtub and let out a groan of pleasure at the feeling.

“Come here, sweet little thing,” he beckoned you over and you approached the bathtub slowly. “Join me,” he encouraged.

You hesitated but only for a second and you began to undress as he watched. His eyes were looking you up and down and you started with the apron. You wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible because it was the worst piece of your clothing, an awful reminder of your low status.

The blouse was next and then your skirts. Your corset was loosened from the whole day at work so it slipped off very easily. You were left in your underdress only but you untied your braid before taking it off as well and there you stood, naked and with your hair down as your eyes boldly met his. He had a smug smile on his face.

“You’re still as beautiful as I remembered,” Ser Gwayne remarked and reached his hand out to brush your knee with his fingers. “Come to me,” he invited you.

You joined him in the bathtub very slowly, starting with your right foot and then the left one before lowering yourself and sitting on the opposite side of Ser Gwayne.

“Your knees are scratched indeed,” he pointed out and you chuckled.

“They always are, Ser, for I am a barmaid. I spend half of my days on my knees, washing the floors,” you explained.

“Those pretty knees were made for different things, my sweet,” he assured you with a smirk as he moved a little closer to you.

He grabbed your knees softly and then he pulled you closer to him as you yelped and some of the water splashed out on the floor. You giggled and threw your hands around him to clasp them behind his neck as your faces were so close now that your noses brushed.

“And what have you been up to, kind Ser? Have you gotten married? Fathered a son?” You teased and he rolled his eyes.

“All my thoughts have been occupied by a pretty barmaid,” he confessed and caressed your thighs while you hummed to yourself.

“Oh, have they? And who is she? Is she prettier than me? Is she lovelier than me?” You rubbed your nose with his as you asked, playfully.

“She is exactly as pretty as you. Exactly as lovely as you and she even has your name,” Ser Gwayne answered before stealing a kiss from your lips.

The kiss started nearly innocently but it quickly turned into a more passionate one. It didn’t want to end and you turned out to be gasping into each other’s mouths as your hands tugged onto his hair and his fingers squeezed the soft flesh of your hips, pulling them as close to his body as possible.

“I’ve missed you,” he breathed out and moved his hands up to cup your breasts. “I’ve missed all of you. Your body, your voice, your smile, your cunt,” he confessed and his obscene words made your cheeks heat up.

And not only your cheeks. Your whole body was on fire now. To have him so close and to feel his hands on your skin was enough to make you feel dizzy. You let go of his hair and you placed your hands on his chest to push him gently. Ser Gwayne leaned back and you sat astride him, making sure that his hardening cock was brushing your soft thighs.

“My cunt’s been missing you, too,” you whispered before joining your lips together once more.

You kissed him sloppily, with your tongue and teeth clashing. One of your hands was placed upon his chest for balance and the other you moved down to grab his cock. He let out a moan into your mouth when you started to pump his length. You could feel it growing harder and harder.

Ser Gwayne kept his hands on your back but now he let them run freely all the way down as he cupped your ass and squeezed the soft flesh. His fingers wandered all the way down and brushed your folds, teasing your entrance in a way that was making your pussy throb in anticipation already.

“Have you taken another cock since our last time?” Ser Gwayne asked you and you sincerely shook your head. “Aw, my sweetling, you must be so eager,” he teased.

“And what about you, Ser? Have you been good?” You smirked at him.

You knew already that in the intimate moments the power difference between you two due to your birth status did not matter anymore. In fact, Ser Gwayne liked it when you challenged him.

“There is a brothel in Oldtown I find very enjoyable,” he confessed and bucked his hips slightly when you picked up the pace of your hand wrapped around his cock. “But none of these women could give me what my sweet little barmaid had given to me,” he added.

“Your sweet little barmaid would not be as special as you claim her to be if any common whore would give you what only she can give you, Ser,” you raised an eyebrow at him.

“I even chose the ones who looked like you – who reminded me of you – but they were doing nothing to me,” he breathed out and you leaned in, pressing your forehead to his.

“Aw, you must be so eager,” you teased him with his own words and a smirk as you guided his cock to your cunt.

You both gasped in unison at the feeling you had been missing for so long. His cock twitched inside of your wet, warm pussy that welcomed him with spazmatic throbs. You threw your head back and dug your fingernails into his shoulders, savouring the feeling of fullness.

“Fuck, my sweetling, aren’t you perfect,” Ser Gwayne mumbled out and you looked down at his face through your lashes. Your eyes were hazy from lust and the look you gave him had to be as sultry as if you were one of the whores who had only been pretending to be you in those past few moons.

Keeping your intense gaze on him, you began to move your hips up and down until you found your steady pace and continued to bounce on his cock as the water splashed. Ser Gwayne helped you to ride him with his hands on your hips but he quickly got distracted with your breasts that were right in front of his face. He moved his hands up to cup and squeeze them while you hissed at the feeling.

Feeling confident in your pace and rhythm, you let go of his shoulders and moved your hands to his neck. You looked into his eyes, searching for the confirmation and he nodded at you slightly, so you squeezed your hands a bit. He had taught you all those moons ago how such a simple action would increase the pleasure. You watched with satisfaction as his eyelids fluttered before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he let out a deep groan.

Your back arched as if you were a cat when you lowered yourself onto his body to feel more of him and to allow his cock reach deeper inside of you, brushing your sweet spot with each thrust. Your breaths were nothing but gasps now, accompanied with soft moans coming out of your parted lips. Riding him in that bathtub, with your hands around his throat and his pretty, flushed face right in front of yours, suddenly nothing else mattered – this Tavern did not, these chambers did not either and certainly all his titles mattered the least. This life and the world were so complicated sometimes but at the end of the day all that mattered was this – two people being close with each other, intimate, sharing pleasure.

“Gods,” you let out a shaky whisper when you felt a knot forming in your abdomen. Your sweet release was close after all those moons of missing him with every fibre of your being.

“Let go for me, my sweetling,” Ser Gwayne encouraged you, his voice was raspy from your choking as he forced his hazy eyes to open and watch you coming undone for him with a loud moan.

You threw your head back and kept riding him while your cunt clenched around his cock and your hands squeezed his throat even tighter. That sensation and the sight of your face was enough to make him reach his high, too. He spilled himself inside of you and your cunt milked him eagerly, taking in every single drop.

The movements of your hips slowed down gradually and Ser Gwayne’s cock softened inside of you but you had no strength to move. You laid down on his chest and tried to catch your breath, still shaking slightly. He wrapped his strong arms around you and caressed your back, letting his rough fingertips wander up and down your spine.

“The water’s getting cold, my sweet,” he pointed out after a while.

You raised your chin up to meet his gaze with a delicate smile.

“You are so spoiled, Ser,” you remarked. “I believe you have never taken a cold bath.”

He winced at that and you chuckled before placing a kiss on his throat, where your fingers had been pressing not so long ago. After that, you moved up and left the bathtub although your legs remained pretty shaky.

You leaned down to pick up your underdress but Ser Gwayne stopped you.

“Don’t,” he said, getting out of the bathtub himself. “You shall stay here for the night. I am not yet done with you.”

It was early morning and you were feeding the horses in the stables. The sun was barely up but the knights had to come back to their camp before leaving with the rest of the men and continuing their march. You had barely had any sleep on the previous night but you did not complain about it.

“I knew I would find you here,” Ser Gwayne walked inside when you were caressing one of the stallions. “I wanted to give you a proper goodbye,” he walked up to you.

You looked up at his face and you smiled to yourself. He looked pretty tired himself and you knew the reason behind that. But the exhaustion was not making him any less handsome.

“Fare thee well, my kind Ser,” you turned around to squeeze his hands that he had reached out for you.

“Can you give me your blessing before I leave?” He asked and there was surprisingly no teasing in his voice.

“I’m no Princess nor a Lady,” you looked down slightly as your cheeks heated up.

“I do not care. I will not be at peace without your blessing, my sweet,” he insisted.

“I do not have a handkerchief to give you, Ser,” you looked up again as you confessed and stood on your tiptoes to press a kiss to his forehead. “That is all I can offer.”

“That is more than enough,” Ser Gwayne smiled sadly at you. He let go of your hands and reached to his chest. He took off a necklace that he was wearing – a small ring on a chain. You had asked about it all those moons ago and he had confessed then that it had belonged to his Lady Mother once. “I want you to have it,” he gave it to you and you froze.

“I… I cannot accept it, Ser,” your eyes widened.

“You must for I insist,” he closed your hands around it and squeezed them. “You shall give it back to me when I visit you after the war,” he bit on his lower lip as he looked at your face in anticipation, curious of your reaction.

“That is… The most generous,” your eyes filled with tears. “I shall keep it safe for you, Ser,” you promised.

He nodded at that and watched you put the necklace around your neck before he took your hand and placed a soft kiss upon it as if it was a hand of a Princess or a Lady and not a common barmaid.

“Farewell, my sweetling,” he whispered.

“Farewell, Ser Gwayne,” you whispered back.

You stared into each other’s eyes for a while and then he nodded at you again and moved away at the sound of other men walking inside the stables.

You watched them mount their horses but your eyes were truly only on him and he kept watching you from the corner of his eye, too. You walked outside to observe them as they rode away and Ser Gwayne turned around one last time before disappearing down the road. You squeezed the ring on the necklace in your hand and your heart moved all the way up to your throat, forming a lump that was hard to swallow.

A few years later you would give the necklace to your son – alongside with the tale of his brave and noble father from Oldtown.

MASTERLIST

#gwayne hightower x reader #lilysfiction

446 notes · View notes

reasonsforhope · 10 months ago

Text

The new 'compost obligatoire' rules came into force on 1 January 2024. Here's what they entail.

As of 1 January 2024, organic waste recycling is mandatory in France under new 'compost obligatoire' rules.

With support from the government’s Green Fund, municipalities must provide residents with ways to sort bio-waste, which includes food scraps, vegetable peels, expired food and garden waste.

Households and businesses are required to dispose of organic matter either in a dedicated small bin for home collection or at a municipal collection point. Previously, only those who generated over five tonnes of organic waste per year were required to separate it.

The waste will then be turned into biogas or compost to replace chemical fertilisers. Alternatively, it can be composted at home.

The obligation is currently on local authorities to provide an easy means for households to compost or separate organic waste.

While facilities are rolled out, there will not be fines imposed for non-compliance. It is yet to be seen whether stricter rules will be imposed in future.

One-third of household waste is bio-waste

Organic waste from food and gardens accounts for almost one-third of household waste. When it is mixed with other rubbish, it typically ends up in landfills or incinerators, where it produces heat-trapping greenhouse gases like methane and CO2.

Food waste is responsible for about 16 per cent of the total emissions from the EU food system, according to the European Commission. Globally, food loss and waste generates around 8 per cent of all human-caused emissions annually, the UN says.

It can also contaminate packaging destined for recycling like paper, plastic and glass.

In 2018, only 34 per cent of the EU’s total bio-waste was collected, leaving 40 million tonnes of potential soil nutrients to be discarded, according to NGO Zero Waste Europe.

In France, an estimated 82 kg of compostable waste per person is thrown away each year.

Is bio-waste separation mandatory in other European countries?

Under the EU’s Waste Framework Directive, bio-waste collection is being encouraged this year, but it stops short of setting mandatory targets.

In many European countries, organic waste separation has already been implemented at the municipal level.

Milan in Italy has been running a residential food waste collection programme since 2014. Households were given dedicated bins and compostable bags to kick off the scheme.

Elsewhere, taxes or bans on incinerating bio-waste have encouraged similar schemes, with separate bins and home composting widespread in Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The UK announced plans to roll out separate food waste collection in 2023. It remains voluntary for households in England, but is more strictly enforced in Wales and for business owners.

How to sort your bio-waste

Ideally, all waste - including organic matter - should be kept to a minimum.

This can be achieved through careful meal planning. Consuming, freezing or preserving food before it expires along with using every part of an ingredient also help to reduce waste. Some food waste can even be repurposed into animal feed.

Any food waste that cannot be saved or repurposed should be either composted or separated for collection. This includes uneaten food scraps, baked goods, dairy products, eggshells, fruit and vegetables and their peels, mouldy food, pet food, raw and cooked meat and fish, bones, tea and coffee grounds.

Liquids, non-food products and packaging should not be placed in bio-waste bins.

-via EuroNews.Green, January 2, 2024

#france #composting #eu #european union #organic waste #biofuels #recycling #sustainability #food #food waste #compost #carbon dioxide #carbon emissions #sustainable living #good news #hope

184 notes · View notes

becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys · 1 year ago

Note

Hi, what do you think about this news?

BBC News - Climate: NFU Cymru opts out of farming scheme over tree planting

Interesting, isn't it?

Here's the thing: it is a fact that we need more trees than we currently have, that Wales is under-forested, and that decades of inaction mean we now have to make big changes fast rather than incremental changes safely. Given that the Welsh Government is actively trying to base modern Welsh identity on environmentalism (we are the only country in the entire world with dedicated sustainability legislation in the form of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, and we're third in the world for recycling rates), it was inevitable that they were going to seize the bull by the horns, so to speak, and set a strict target.

In fact, they have past form for this - there's a reason we're third in the world for recycling. I am simplifying this massively and going to make any lawyers reading this wince, but the way EU legislation works is that the member states agree something should be legislated for, the EU makes a directive, and then the member states each interpret and apply that directive how they want into their own laws (sorry lawyers). In the case of recycling, the EU member states collectively decided we needed to get serious about diversion from landfill in 2008 with the Waste Framework Directive, and then the UK chose how to go about that.

But, waste management is a devolved area. So Wales, Scotland, NI and England all got to implement it themselves how they wanted to. England didn't set any specific targets; it was more like "endeavour to be recycling 50% of waste across the country by X year." But the Welsh Government went "Right, lads, here's the targets: 58% by 2015/16, 64% by 2020, and zero waste by 2050. We'll let you pick the recycling bag colours."

(In Swansea it's green for paper, cardboard, metal and glass, pink for plastic, white for garden waste, and you get a special dark green bin for food waste with a locking lid to keep the seagulls out.)

But that meant Welsh councils had to actually move on it, with the result that we smashed those targets. We're now aiming for 70% recycling by 2025, and zero waste might be brought forward to 2030, because the government likes the model of "Shoot for the moon and land among the stars."

So like. It has worked, in the past.

BUT, the problem with setting arbitrary targets like that is that it doesn't always work, and what happens to people who get caught in the gears, so to speak?

In this case, this is a subsidy scheme. It's still in consultation, but if it goes ahead, farmers get money from the public purse for doing something "for the public good" - they need to tree plant 10% of their land, and manage another 10% as wildlife habitat. Currently, this is true for every farm, regardless of its nature. 20% of productive land removed, and you'll be paid to do so.

But, will that work for every farm? No. No it won't. The smaller your set up, the more that 20% is going to bite into profits that the subsidies won't compensate; and what if you only have productive land? A flatish farm, somewhere in Powys, used for crops rather than livestock? 20% of that is very, very different to 20% of an upland sheep farm with sections that are almost impassable and very difficult to round up the sheep from anyway, where you can simply fence off and plant up the slopes to create ffridd and woodlands. It's a one size fits few policy. I fully believe the government saying plenty of farmers are all for it - this will work for many. But for many others, it's simply not financially viable.

But what I find REALLY interesting about that article, actually, is the way the farmers are framing their objections:

(NFU Cymru) president Aled Jones said farmers were prepared to integrate more trees into farming systems - from "shelterbelts, streamside corridors to field corners". "But we will not take our productive land out of food production for tree-planting," he said.

SHELTERBELTS. That is the Pontbren effect. Pontbren taught us that farmer-led environmental schemes work, and provide additional unexpected benefits including in revenue (it was designed to simply allow the sheep to stay out year round, but the flood control and soil conservation that came with it brought their own benefits - silvopasture, how I love thee.) Now it's there as proof-of-concept, farmers want a piece of that action. They want to be more environmentally sound. But, those trees have to serve an economic purpose, not a solely environmental one; otherwise, it's not going to work for farmers.

And it's very frustrating that the Welsh Government have forgotten that crucial lesson in trying to implement this. But then, as I say, it's true that we need big changes now, and are running out of time for the soft incremental changes. I just think the two could have been married better.

#asks #environment!#WALES!#closed for cleaning on mondays

317 notes · View notes

zuffer-weird-girl · 2 years ago

Note

Babe I hope your doing well can I request Kai and Angel in bed with their clothes all over the floor after doing their sexy things Angel wakes up and Angel gets hungry so thinking Kai lives alone she gets his iconic jacket with just her bra and underwear and goes to the kitchen to make breakfast as she’s making breakfast chrono comes to make coffee and he’s surprised about a random female in the yakuza house as both of them are asking each other questions Kai walks in still sleepy grabs Angel by her waste and pulls her towards him as he kisses her cheek until he notices chrono is there too

I don't know if reader is just obvious or just ignored all the bodyguards but oh well is funny-

The morning came and you could only groan at the feeling of the sunshine blinding lights hitted you directly on your eyesight.

Keeping your complain at bay you sat up carefully while rubbing your face a bit... exhaustion still clearly present as a certain pain on your legs made its appearance.

When you were about to question why you were with that pain you froze at the bed shifting the slightest bit... turning your head to your side you watched the man who made love to you last night completely out like a light despite the time of the morning.

His usual covered lips were now in display, slightly parted as now at then some very quiet snore escaped him... a mess of a brown hair all around the pillow and his golden eyes now closed in total peace on his slumber...

You smiled and carefully pulled the covers up to his naked shoulders... fully knowing that asides from a pair of black boxers he wore nothing. A sight you could admire all day if it wasn't for the sudden rumble of your stomach.

Brushing his bangs away a bit to kiss his forehead, a action it would prompted your boyfriend to scowl if he was awake, you carefully slipped out of bed... hoping and praying that he wouldn't wake up just yet since you wanted him to rest a bit longer.

Looking at all the clothes on the floor you mentally cringed at only imagining Kai's reaction to it as you started to collect to put all of them on the wash bin that was on his bathroom.

While doing that you spotted his iconic green purple feathered jacket, the past item you were suppose to put to wash later, as you holded at arm's length only to snort at your boyfriend's awfully choice of clothing.... he usually wore things so pretty but this jacket of his was a true exception.

Despite your thoughts, you couldn't help but to bring the jacket close to you.. inhaling the natural scent of your partner made you smile instantly.

Another rumble of your stomach interrupted once again your actions and you didn't even think before putting the jacket on and leaving the bedroom.

It was tough to discover where the hell was a kitchen on that house... it was so big it was quite was hard to believe that Kai lived alone on this place.

"Finally..." You breathed in relief at finding the kitchen and you immediately get to work to make one of your favorite things to eat for breakfast.

While you were about to start, after finally a managing to finding the ingredients, you yelped at the sound of something breaking behind you and you almost screamed at the sigh of a total white haired stranger staring at you with wide Grey eyes.

"Who the fuck are you?!" The male almost screamed before he gasped and looked away from you when you turned over to him, blushing crimson red.

... oh shit you were only wearing Kai's jacket and your underwear...

You quickly zipped the jacket to hide your body with a blush as well.

"Who am I?! Who are you?! I'm calling the cops!" You exclaimed as the male covered his eyes the best he could with his hands.

"Cops? You are inside a yakuza house, practically trespassing and basically almost naked and your first thought is calling the cops on someone that lives here?!"

"Wait, you live here?" You asked in astonished while the guy finally could look at you but still with red cheeks.

"I do, how did you even get in without the security spotting you and.... where the fuck did you got that?" He pointed at the jacket you were wearing.

"I... oh come on don't judge a woman for stealing her boyfriend's clothes!" You huffed and the guy only widened his eyes more.

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah! I thought he lived alone here! I didn't even thought he would have a roommate considering how he is!"

"Roommate...? Wait, hold on, so you're telling me that you got in without a trouble because you-" before he could finish his question a yawn interrupted him and both of you were turning heads at the man who just casually walked in to stand by your side to give your cheek a kiss like there wasn't anyone else in the room.

He merely blinked the sleep out of his eyes before boticing what you were wearing before scoffing, a dust oubj covering his pale face as he nuzzle his nose on the top of your hair.

"Thief... what are you even doing out of bed..?" He mumbled as his hands lowered a bit before groaning when you pushed them away "What?"

"Kai.." You almost growled too while pointing with your eyes at the astonished white haired dude that looked like he was about to faint.

When Chisaki finally looked up his sleepy golden eyes widened and he immediately pulled you to stay behind him.

"GET OUT OF HERE NOW! AVERT YOUR EYES THIS INSTANT YOU SCUMBAG!"

" WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING OVERHAUL?!"

"I thought that when you told me and the old man you were dating it was just bluff for him to get off your back in my defense." The man, now you knew as Kurono, mumbled as Kai glared daggers at him while you couldn't help but snort.

"I should take your eyes out for looking at her." He growled, a dark area manifesting around him and Chrono visibly flinched before his eyes widened at you placing a gently hand on Chisaki's shoulder.

"Now it wasn't his fault, you didn't told me you lived with other people." He watched in amusement that instead of getting yourself overhauled by your actions and words, you only received a click of the young man's tongue as he crossed his arms over his chest with the tip of his ears burning red.

"... I already like you. Kurono Hari." He bowed in respect as you laughed while your boyfriend only glared even more at his subordinate.

#overhaul x reader #chisaki kai x reader #overhaul #chisaki kai #bnha villains x reader #bnha villains #zuffer writings

171 notes · View notes

babyjakes · 2 years ago

Text

ever green, evermore | 2. the little garden fairy.

〈 disclaimer: this blog posts content not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. minors are strictly prohibited from viewing, sharing, or interacting with this blog. for more information on this blog's commitment to protecting minors, read our full statement here. ��

← last chapter | series masterlist | next chapter →

summary | loving husbands jake and ari had always believed they were all each other could ever want or need. but one unusual summer, when their world is turned upside-down by an uncanny girl from down the street, they find that having someone to love, nurture, and care for together is the missing piece that finally completes their perfect family and lives.

characters | caretaker!jake jensen, daddy!ari levinson, wrenley beauchamp (original character)

warnings | mentions/depictions of domestic and sexual violence, mental health themes: anxiety/panic disorders, trauma and post-traumatic-stress, eating disorders (restrictive subtype), therapeutic methods and tools: exposure, age regression.

As soon as his rugged boots hit the pale gravel of the driveway, something stirred within Jake. Lifting his head up to look around, his eyes were immediately drawn to the lush bunches of green and petals filling the rows of wooden boxes before him; furrowing his brow, the man paused in confusion. “Ari?”

Closing the driver’s side door behind him, the older, larger man walked over to stand at Jake’s side. “Yeah- you okay, honey?” Ari asked, his eyes following the blonde’s gaze to look over the garden. “Oh right- I was gonna tell you, I think someone’s been stopping by to tend to the garden.”

“Oh?” Jake asked as he approached the collection of plants, his hesitancy stemming more from amazement than anything else. Carefully eyeing the row closest to him, which happened to be one of his favorites: his bright yellow tulips, Ari’s suspicions were immediately confirmed for him. “You’re right; someone’s definitely been in here. Unless you were the one who got rid of all the weeds.” Considering the fact that he’d been gone for four and a half weeks, Jake normally would’ve expected to return to a decent amount of new prickly growth. But looking over all the boxes as he walked slowly along the rows, he couldn’t find a single stem that was out of place; whoever had done the job was more diligent than even he would have been.

“No, wasn’t me- but here they are,” Ari responded, now standing over by the waste bin at the end of the workbench. Walking over to join him, Jake’s eyes widened at the sight waiting in the black garbage bag. The weeds, plentiful in number, sat tied together with some sort of string in neat little bundles at the bottom of the bin; clearly, their removal had been no accident. “Whoever it was, I think they were watering too. Some days I’d come out and the soil would already be damp, even in the middle of the afternoon.”

“Fascinating,” Jake whispered, turning back to look over the plants once more. “They look… greener than I remember.” Pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, the man’s expression once again turned to a look of bewilderment. He was stumped. He couldn’t think of anyone who might do such a thing. The couple’s closest neighbors were well down the road, over a large hill, and he hadn’t ever talked much with any of them. In fact, most of them he hadn’t met at all. “You didn’t see anyone?”

“Nope, and I tried to check a few times a day. I was curious. Maybe it was a magical little garden fairy,” the brunette teased lightly, reaching out to rub the younger man’s shoulder. Turning to face him, Jake’s pensiveness melted away as he smirked playfully at the thought. “I should probably head in and start on dinner, don’t wanna be sitting down to eat too late,” Ari murmured, planting a kiss on his husband’s forehead. “You gonna stay out here for a bit?”

“No, I’ll come in and help you,” Jake decided, rubbing the back of his neck as he sighed. “I’m gonna wait ‘til tomorrow to figure this out. Right now I just wanna get inside, get some food in my stomach, maybe curl up with you on the couch-”

“Mm, that sounds good to me, sweetheart,” Ari hummed, his lips lingering against Jake’s forehead as he wrapped his arms around his smaller frame, pulling him in close. “Missed you so much, handsome, ‘m so glad you’re back.”

“Missed you more,” Jake breathed into his shoulder, soaking in the warmth of his familiar embrace.

At breakfast the next morning, as Ari stood between the sink and the island counter in the home’s large U-shaped kitchen and pulled freshly washed dishes out of the dishwasher, Jake sat with his usual cup of coffee at the dining table, his eyes focused on long runs of code and fragmented data typed out in one of his countless tech manuals. “That one any good?” the brunette asked as he wiped another glass clean with the white cloth in his hand before reaching up to store it away in the overhead cabinets.

“Yeah, better plot than the last one,” Jake joked as he scribbled a few illegible notes in the margin before flipping the page, the eraser of the pencil mindlessly finding its way between the man’s rosy lips.

“Honey,” Ari warned with a chuckle, causing the blonde to immediately remove the already half-chewed nub from his mouth. The older man never seemed to miss a thing when it came to watching over his partner. By now, he knew all of his little quirks, and though Jake would have been a little embarrassed to admit it, Ari’s constant attentiveness and borderline overprotectiveness did give him a nice feeling of security. He loved feeling cared for, which was something his husband did very well. “You want some real food? I can cook you up some eggs before I get started in the office.”

“No, that’s okay,” Jake declined casually as he took a sip from his burgundy mug, the lead of his pencil falling back down to meet the white of the page as he jotted more notes. “Think I’m gonna bake some muffins this morning, I’ve been craving something sweet. We got any fruit in the fridge?”

“Fresh box of blueberries from the farmer’s market,” Ari replied with a grin as he kicked up the dishwasher door to close it, hanging the towel over the bar of the handle. “You want me to take the stuff out for you?”

“Sure, thanks,” Jake agreed gratefully as his eyes skimmed line after line of the random letters and numbers through the thick frames of his glasses. “This stuff rots the brain, I swear,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Ari murmured as he began pulling ingredients from the cupboards, placing them out on the counter next to the sink. “Baking’ll be a good break for your head. You just got back yesterday, bud. Hate to see you diving back in already.”

“It’s fine,” Jake tried to assure him, more than anything just wanting to get to the end of the section so he could have a nice place to pause and close the book.

“Hey, have you thought any more about the garden?” Ari asked curiously as he looked over at the blonde, lips curling up in an affectionate smile as he noticed the familiar look of concentration settled into his features. Ari loved everything about Jake; he could sit and watch him do his work for hours. There were so many little things he did that the doctor just found so precious, so endearing. Ari didn’t know many people as smart as himself, but Jake had to be one of the few exceptions. And it was a different kind of smart, one which the older man found so fascinating. In his eyes, Jake had the most beautiful brain on earth, so vast and full of information; it never failed to amaze and impress him.

“Yeah- muffins are part of the plan,” Jake revealed as his eyes shifted from the left page to the right, earning a questioning look from Ari. “I’m gonna spend my day in the kitchen; that way, I can keep an eye on out front. If I finish up these last few paragraphs, I’ll be caught up on work through the end of the week. Gonna hang out in here, maybe crank up some tunes- you know, get the groove goin’.”

“Mhm, I see,” Ari nodded with another smile as he finished gathering everything his husband would need for the muffins. After looking over the pile on the counter, the man made his way over to the kitchen table to stand at Jake’s side, wrapping his arms around the blonde’s head and leaning down to plant a kiss in his hair. “That sounds like a good plan, my love. I’ll try to finish work early today so I can come join you; we can cook up a nice dinner together. How’s that sound?”

“That sounds perfect, honey. Thank you,” Jake breathed as he turned to wrap his arms around his lover’s waist, taking a moment to rub his face lovingly against the soft cotton of the man’s shirt. “You let me know if you need somethin’, okay? I’ll be around all day, not doing much. If I can bring you coffee or a snack or anything, just holler.”

“I will, sugar. You take such good care’a me,” Ari hummed, giving the top of his head one more kiss before letting go. “And you come and tell me if you spot anything, alright? I’m curious to see just who this little garden fairy is.”

And though he waited patiently and hoped, that first Monday home went by without a single stir through the window. As did the next day, and even another. Jake did his best to keep himself busy, pulling out the old record player he and Ari kept stored in the hall closet along with the cardboard box that stored their combined vinyl collection. Grooving along to all of his old favorites, he passed the time with various activities: baking, reading, tinkering around with his tech gadgets- by the time Thursday came around, he even resorted to giving the kitchen a full, thorough cleaning, though Ari had just done a deep clean the week before. He wasn’t sure what was taking the mystery gardener so long; he couldn’t imagine how they would’ve found out about his return, or that they would even know he was the owner of the garden to begin with.

By the time Friday morning came, the man’s hopes were dwindling. But even still, after pouring his usual cup of coffee, he once again settled down in his seat at the kitchen table, flipping open his laptop with a soft groan as he wasn’t exactly looking forward to logging back into his work browser.

Taking the first sip from his mug, Jake’s face scrunched up as he choked lightly on the unusually bitter taste of the brew. “Needs cream,” he mumbled to himself, rising from his chair with the mug in his hand. And just as he made his way over to the refrigerator to retrieve the carton, he saw it through the large double windows behind the sink: by the roses, pale yellow watering can in hand, stood a small creature, a girl- and as he watched in amazement, Jake honestly thought could have been imagining her entirely by the way she almost seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. She was just as his husband had suggested: like a magical being from a storybook. “Little garden fairy,” Jake hummed to himself in awe as he continued to observe the young girl; aside from her lack of glittering wings, everything about her matched the title. Her small, delicate frame, the petite features of her soft face. Her flowing locks of sand dollar hair, caressed by the golden light of the morning. Her white sundress blowing gently in the breeze, the garment’s simple look and color giving off an air of complete innocence. Her silver ballet flats with long ribbons laced up around her calves- she can’t be real, Jake thought to himself as he stood, frozen, still trying to process what was right before his eyes. Though even after blinking a few times to clear his vision, there she remained, in all her wonder and beauty.

Keeping his movements slow to avoid gaining her attention through the window, Jake took a step back, swallowing down a lump in his throat. He was nervous; he didn’t know what exactly to expect, but this was far off from whatever he had been imagining. Dumping his coffee down the drain, he placed the mug at the bottom of the sink, trying to plan out his next moves wisely. He wanted to go alert Ari, but he was worried the girl could disappear at any moment, and then he would’ve lost his chance. “I have to go say hi,” he finally told himself, turning to leave the kitchen. “I have to thank her for taking care of things while I was away.”

Though he was certain she couldn’t see him as he passed through the living room towards the front door, Jake still made an effort to keep quiet as he slipped on his shoes before heading out into the mild morning air, keeping his footing light against the beige gravel of the walkway. Just as she came into view from behind the edge of the house’s navy blue siding, the man halted, taking another few moments to just observe undetected.

The girl now stood at the other end of the rows of boxes, her steady hands carefully sprinkling water over the last of the daffodils from the watering can. Jake didn’t recognize it as one of theirs, bringing him to the conclusion that she must’ve brought it herself. A glint of metal caught the man’s eye as he watched; eyes trailing over, he discovered an unfamiliar bike stationed by the foot of the driveway, just past the entrance to the garden. It was a unique looking bike, ivory in color, with two rear wheels that held a large basket between them. She must live nearby, Jake thought to himself as he turned his attention back to the girl who was still at work, humming softly to herself as she gazed down lovingly at the plants below her.

Gathering his courage, Jake decided to finally make his presence known, taking another step forward before clearing his throat. “Hey…” he began, trying to shake the nerves from his voice. “So you’re the one who’s been takin’ care’a things around here, huh? I’m glad I finally get to meet you,” he greeted with a friendly smile, though it quickly turned to a look of great concern at the girl’s reaction.

As soon as she heard the man’s voice, she jumped, her watering can flying out of her hands as she let out a gasp. When her wide eyes landed on him, Jake was startled to see that they quickly filled with tears, a frightened whimper sounding from the poor girl as she cowered back instinctively. Cornered, bumping up against the shaded racks of flower boxes behind her, she could do nothing but fall to her knees, her bottom lip wobbling feverishly as she shook like a leaf under the stranger’s gaze.

“Oh, oh hey-” Jake stumbled, extending a hand out as an offering of peace. The girl only shrunk back from the motion, tears beginning to flood her cheeks as her chest rose and fell sporadically with uneven breaths. Frowning, the man took a few careful steps forward, trying to lower himself a little to avoid towering over her. “Hey, I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to startle you.” Big eyes blinking quickly, she couldn’t manage any words. All she could do was struggle for air; recognizing her inability to speak, Jake softened his voice. “Hey, it’s alright. You wanna take some deep breaths with me?” he offered, his sensitive response to the panicked girl coming much more naturally than one might’ve expected. The truth was, though, that he was actually an expert at this. “It’s alright,” he murmured again, starting the grounding exercise just like he always did, “you’re alright. Let’s go slow- here, in… and out…”

“In… and out…” Jake had spoken the same words years ago to a similar cowering figure- that of his beloved little sister Claire, who he had grown up helping care for. She had developed a severe anxiety disorder early on in life from an incident at school, making her prone to episodes of debilitating fear that looked a lot like what was playing out before Jake’s very eyes there in the garden. Though he had been a growing boy himself, often times he was the only person who could manage to calm his sister down; with his gentle tone and demeanor, he was a natural at soothing her unwieldy mind. And though he knew nothing about this girl who was now sobbing quietly before him, something inside of Jake told him that his years of practice growing up might come in handy as he tried to de-escalate the situation at hand. “In… and out, you’re okay- it’s okay, sweetheart. There’s no need to cry, nothing to cry about here.”

Little hands clutched in fists over her chest, the girl let out a weak whimper, lips trembling as she tried to form words, though at first all she could manage was a jumbled mess of incoherent syllables. “I-I… I’m… I…” Raising his brow, Jake’s expression softened further at the first sound of her voice. “I… I’m so sorry,” she finally managed after a few more shaky breaths, more tears bursting from her pale blue eyes; now able to get a closer look, Jake could see that they were quite the unique shade of silver, almost giving off the tiniest bit of lavender in the mid-morning sun. She had just about the cutest features decorating her delicate face, soft patches of freckles dotting all over her little button nose, and pale pink lips that glittered faintly from what looked to be a light layer of gloss. Rosy cheeks flushed from her tears, the girl rubbed at her eyes, her bottom lip puffing out unthinkingly as she peered up warily at the man before her.

“Hey- it’s okay, no need to apologize,” Jake told her soothingly as he slowly took another few steps in her direction, not failing to notice the way she once again shrunk back from his approach. Bending down to sit a safe few feet away from the stranger, he cleared his throat, his eyes struggling to catch her gaze as she glanced around nervously. “Remember to keep breathing,” he said softly, his gentle reminder seeming to provide at least a little comfort to the girl as she gave him a small nod. “I’m sorry for frightening you,” Jake apologized again, his voice swelling with sincerity, “I didn’t mean to- oh sweetie, you’re alright,” he continued to hum his comforting words as his heart couldn’t help but break at the sight of the poor thing still trembling. “I was just so excited to finally meet you- I’ve been wanting to thank you for all the work you’ve done in the garden,” he tried to explain. “I was away for a few weeks; usually when I come back, the place is in need of some serious TLC. But thanks to you, things are thriving now more than ever. You’ve got a real green thumb on you,” he told her with a warm smile, trying to convey just how appreciative he was.

Blinking a few times at the man’s words, the girl nodded again hesitantly, almost seeming doubtful that Jake would really be thanking her for her service. “Oh, I… of c-course, sir,” she stumbled a bit more over her words. With the urge to almost lean in just to hear her better, Jake realized this little garden fairy already had him wrapped around her finger; there was just something about her voice, so sweet and mild, that did him in. “I-I’m sorry for coming in and… and messing with things without asking for permission. I just… I wasn’t sure if anyone was here to take care of it,” she rambled nervously.

Shaking his head reassuringly, Jake promised her, “That’s okay, believe me. You’ve been such a big help. You’re welcome here any time.”

Eyes growing a little wider as the rest of her tears finally subsided, the girl’s voice grew slightly in amazement as she asked, “Really? Oh, th-thank you so much, sir. That’s so kind of you- I’ve always dreamed of having a big garden just like this, but I’ve got no room for it at home.”

“Well, I would never turn down an extra pair of hands around here,” Jake chuckled softly, “especially ones as skilled as yours. I’m Jake, by the way. I don’t think I caught your name.”

“It’s n-nice to meet you, Mr. Jake,” the girl greeted with the softest of smiles, her eyes shining with a pleasant sense of friendliness. “I’m Wrenley- you can call me Wren. I live just down the road from here, over the big hill,” she told him, nodding in the direction that the road followed.

“Wren” Jake repeated the name back to her, a certain fondness evident in his voice as he returned her smile. “The pleasure’s all mine. Here, can I help you up?” he asked, extending his hand out as he spoke.

With just the smallest hint of a wince, Wren hesitated, eyes drooping warily at the offer. Picking up on her uncertainty, Jake softened his voice once more. “Here, let me back up a bit,” he suggested as he retracted his hand and scooted back a few steps, rising to his feet. Carefully standing after him, the girl only came up to his shoulders as they faced each other; she was quite a tiny little thing, and as he continued to look at her, a question began to rise out of Jake before he even realized he was speaking. “How old are you, Wren?”

Cheeks reddening, her small voice replied, “Twenty, sir. I’ll be twenty-one in the fall.”

“I see,” Jake nodded, not sure how much more he could ask without coming across as nosy. “Are you in school, then? Or do you work?” Though they lived out in the countryside, there was a chance that she went into one of the nearby towns to attend college or work a job. The closest was a short drive away, convenient for things like buying groceries and seeing a doctor every once and a while.

“I-I’m taking university courses online,” Wren explained. “I’m very lucky; my boyfriend makes enough to let me focus on my studies instead of working. What about you, sir?”

Not wanting to go too deep into his occupation, Jake simply said, “I work for the government. Tech stuff, nothing special. Sometimes I get to take trips to help out the higher-ups. You live with your boyfriend, then?” The girl nodded. “That’s nice. I live here with my husband, Ari. You should meet him, sometime. He’s been just as impressed with your gardening work as I have.” At the mention of meeting another stranger, it was unmistakable that Wren began to tremble slightly once more; expression softening sympathetically, Jake reassured her, “Only when you’re ready, of course.”

Nodding gratefully, Wren seemed to pause, opening her mouth as if she was getting ready to say something. But when no words came out, she simply deflated a little, apologizing, “I-I’m sorry, sir. I… I don’t know how to explain, I…” Listening intently, Jake nodded, patiently waiting for her to continue. “I’m… I just have a hard time with… with people. I get so nervous and…” Words trailing off, she lowered her head slightly.

“Hey,” Jake smiled softly, trying to give the flighty girl a reassuring look, “that’s okay, sweetheart. You know, I actually have a sister who’s a little bit like you. She has a hard time with people too; sometimes she gets really overwhelmed and needs to do some breathing to calm down.” A look of recognition appeared on Wren’s face at the man’s words, followed by a bit of relief as she nodded knowingly. “So I understand, and I’m always happy to help if things are getting to be too much. You don’t have to be sorry for that; I know it’s out of your control.”

“Th-thank you, sir,” Wren breathed, her shaking dying down a bit as she admitted, “it’s nice to meet someone who... you know, who gets it. When I… when I got scared earlier, I… no one’s ever reacted that way before. You’re very kind, sir. Your sister is lucky to have you.” Hearing the underlying sadness in her voice, Jake’s heart broke a little bit for the girl. It sounded like maybe she had been treated less kindly by others in the past, which he just hated to imagine.

“There’s no need to thank me, sweet thing. You’re safe with me, okay?” he assured her, and one thing was certain: he really meant it. Though he had only just met her, Jake already knew that she was a special girl, and all he wanted was to be someone to her like he was to Claire, someone who could help when she needed it. He just hoped she’d let him.

← last chapter | series masterlist | next chapter ��

#eun's writing #egem #egem: the little garden fairy #ari levinson #ari levinson fanfiction #ari levinson au #the red sea diving resort #daddy!ari levinson #ari levinson x oc #jake jensen #jake jensen fanfiction #jake jensen au #the losers #jake jensen x oc #chris evans #chris evans fanfiction #ari levinson series #jake jensen series #hurt/comfort

185 notes · View notes

lpmurphy · 4 months ago

Text

Spring in Tchakova Park

Read on AO3

Master List

Chapter Playlist

Summary: Green was the color of the grass where he used to walk in Tchakova Park.

In which John meets a stranger in the park, Violet learns of the care and keeping of Spartans, and Cortana offers dating advice. (Complete 5/7/24)

Chapter Summary: Violet's dating history is exposed to the team. John, Violet and the team arrive at the Demeter Project, and John has a realization.

Chapter Twenty Eight: Sunshine

The two nights leading up to their shared mission were, if he was putting it lightly, chaotic. Violet filled each moment they were home with last minute planning and tasks. John had been exposed to the full scope of Violet’s disorganization that he had only seen glimpses of as they prepared for their trip into the mountains with her family. With the distraction of the inoperable system, she had become far more scattered than he knew her to be. Storage bins that contained a staggering amount of clothing were emptied onto their bed after returning home from work on Monday night. The better part of the evening was spent with her digging through the piles in search of her field clothing that she stuffed haphazardly into her duffle bag. He trailed behind her all night, silently cleaning up the mess she left in her wake as she tore through the apartment like a windstorm. He had been grateful when she left for a third time to run to the retail center for another item she had forgotten to purchase and left him to fold and tuck away the clothing that had accumulated on the bed in a silent house.

For their final night at home, Violet decided to invite the team over for one last dinner before they departed Reach for the foreseeable future. She had grocery shopped Sunday before returning to work and grumbled all Monday evening about food waste as she cooked dinner for the two of them, barely making a dent in the full fridge. He had received a message the next morning from Violet announcing that she needed help clearing out the fridge and requesting that the team join them at the apartment. Much to his annoyance, he found that she had put them all into a group thread together that she, Riz, and Kai communicated solely on for the remainder of the day as his pad buzzed every few minutes when Kai changed the name of the group to fit her current liking and Riz fed Violet the latest base gossip she had overheard.

He took Sadie to her parents’ home once they arrived home that evening and left Violet to finish her last minute packing before the team arrived. Jane sent him home with even more food that he had attempted to politely decline until she met him with that hard stare that Violet had replicated when he came back through the door with arms full of dishes. Kai, Riz, and Vannak were all perched in their usual places when he came home like they were integral to the structure of the apartment when he returned home and leaned down to kiss Violet’s cheek apologetically as she took the dishes from him with a sigh. Kai and Vannak were both vocal in their disapproval of Sadie’s absence throughout the evening as they all picked at the contents of the refrigerator that Violet had prepared and set out on the island. It hadn’t taken long for the four Spartans to make quick work of the odds and ends, leaving a collection of empty dishes on the island as they sat around and talked. John stood in the kitchen with Vannak, both collecting dishes and trash as the three women sat huddled on the sofa. Riz announced after dinner that she and Violet had been on kitchen duty the last time they had all gathered and both women were all too happy to send their men back into the kitchen with pleased smiles. They knew better than to argue.

“I have found four local carpenters that can reinforce furniture. Would you like me to send their information over to Doctor Harris’ pad?”

John looked over to where Violet sat between Riz and Kai on the sofa, the frame groaning under each shift of their weight. His team had spent nearly every other night since their return from the mountains in their apartment and Violet’s furniture had begun to protest each time he or a member of his team lowered themselves into it. He watched Violet tilt her head back to laugh at something Kai said. The blonde lowered herself off of the sofa as it groaned again to lay on the living room floor and kick her feet up into Violet’s lap.

“Get quotes from each. Send them over to mine once you have them.”

“You got it, Chief.”

Violet rose from the sofa as Riz and Kai turned their conversation to one another and crossed the living room to where he stood at the island. John lowered his cheek to her as she popped up onto her toes. Soft lips brushed against his jaw, her hand on his arm as he wrapped his own around her waist. His fingers brushed against the soft fabric of her sweater and she rested her head on his arm, “Want to swap out for a bit?”

He pressed his lips to her head in response, “I’m fine. Go sit.”

“You sure? I feel bad; we’ve only been home from vacation for a few days and we’ve done nothing but get ready for the next one. You’re spoiling me with all this vacation time, I might start expecting it.”

He rolled his eyes at the tired joke she had been using since she received the news of their now shared assignment. “It’s not a vacation, Goose,” he sighed. “It’s a humanitarian mission.”

“It’s a fucking babysitting job is what it is,” Vannak grumbled as he passed by her to settle beside Riz on the sofa.

Violet smirked at his crotchety tone while John watched as he sat and threw his arm over the back of the sofa behind Riz. Since their discovery in the words, the two had been far less secretive. Still quite private, but John found that the gazes they had held from across the room since they were teenagers had given away to gentle touches when they thought no one was looking. He always pretended not to notice.

Violet followed him back to the living room to sit beside their friends again. “You don’t want to hang out with me? That hurts my feelings, Vannak. I thought we were friends. I’m sad now.”

“Fuck off, Harris.”

“Ouch,” she pressed a hand to her chest in mock offense. “And you kiss Riz with that mouth? Shame on you.”

Riz laughed from beside her as Vannak rolled her eyes and tucked her legs under herself, “So, tell us about this installation of yours?”

John watched Violet toss the blanket off of her lap and stand up to cross to the bookshelves as she excitedly explained the mission of the project he knew she held so dearly. She plucked a frame from the shelf below where their picture sat and turned to hold it out to Kai and Riz. He had seen the picture before; Violet standing with the Demeter team in front of one of the greenhouses, all smiling proudly with arms around one another. It was framed in her mother’s home as well. She tapped on the face of each of her companions as she spoke.

“There were nine of us in total before I left,” she explained, smiling as she looked over the faces of her team, “The research team was made up of myself, Meredith, and Devrin. Saul is our ionic physicist, Jin is a biochemist and the smartest woman I’ve ever met. Leif and Bastian are our horticulturists, and Derek and Corey are the project engineers. They’re all exceptional.”

Kai pointed beyond her to the shelves, her augmented vision honed in on another frame, “Who’s the Ranger?”

John knew exactly what picture Kai referenced. He had noticed it himself shortly after he started spending time in her apartment; Violet standing shoulder to shoulder with a dark haired Ranger, his arm around her as they laughed. It had been an innocent enough image tucked between pictures of Violet with other friends that he hadn’t thought anything of it. He picked up Vannak’s plate off the island and set it into the sink with a smirk as Violet started to blush.

“Oh that? He’s just an old friend. He was stationed at the same base.”

John couldn’t help the chuckle that barked out of him, “Oh, ‘an old friend’? That’s what we’re calling him now?”

She sighed as she set the frame back down on the shelf, cheeks still red as she returned to her spot on the sofa, “Oh my god, stop. We’ve been over this.”

Riz and Kai looked to him quizzically as he continued to collect dishes. “They dated,” he explained, both redhead and blonde nodding in acknowledgement.

Riz looked back to Violet, “I thought Dev was a scientist?”

“He is…Greg is a Ranger, though.”

“Violet Harris, you little harlot,” Kai laughed. She raised a foot to gently kick Violet’s knee in jest from where she lay on her back on the living room floor, turning her head to look up at Violet, “Two exes at the same base?”

Violet scoffed and kicked Kai’s knee in return, her touch doing nothing to move the larger woman. Her cheeks remained red, and John smirked as she sputtered and pointed across the living room to where he stood. “John fucked a POW. Why don’t we talk more about that? Why is my dating history suddenly under scrutiny?”

Vannak, Kai and Riz all let out a collective groan at the statement. “Old news, Harris,” Riz said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “We all know about that. This is far more interesting. Tell us; many broken hearts did you leave in your wake? How many men are there?”

Violet rubbed her face with a groan and shot him a dirty look over her shoulder, “He’s making it sound far more exciting of a story than it is; we were close friends, we both were interested but never acted on it until Dev and I broke up. We dated for a few months before I left for Reach. We both knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere. We were just enjoying one another’s company. We’re friends. That’s all.”

“I remember there being more to the story than just that.” Cortana smirked.

John rolled his eyes at the single detail she had chosen to omit. Violet had shared the story with him weeks ago, claiming full honesty in one another’s lives after the night he left. She had told him of her ‘old friend’ one night as she nervously shared each detail. He found it comically hypocritical that his botanist now withheld information as she spoke of it to them. He leaned his elbows against the island, “Is that why you made a marriage pact, then?”

“John,” she sighed. Four pairs of eyes fixed upon her as she dropped her head into her hands.

“A what?” Kai laughed.

Violet lifted her head and held her hands out in defeat, flashing a tight, embarrassed smile, “I had just turned thirty, I was freaking about about getting older, he’s four years older than me, we both want kids. We agreed that if we both were still single when I turned thirty two that we would get married. Obviously, we aren’t, because look at where you are all currently sitting. I love John very much. Everyone shut up and drop it.”

John relented at the tight-smiled glare he caught from across the room, recognizing impending trouble for himself when he could see it. Ignoring Riz’s warning taps on his knee, Vannak continued to chuckle, “Are you going to kick his ass too, Chief?”

“No one is kicking anyone’s ass,” Violet groaned, pressing her hands to her flushed cheeks. “We’re going to go, we’re going to do what we need to do, and everyone is going to be cool about it. Got it?”

Kai raised her hand from where she laid on the floor, “What about Dev? Am I allowed to kick his ass?”

Biting back his permission to use Johal for target practice if Kai so desired, John looked to Violet for her reply. Violet sighed and turned back to the woman beside her.

“I said… Do not… You-,” she stopped and sighed again, clapping her hands together and bringing them to her chin. She pondered for a moment before nodding in approval, “That’s fine. You can kick his ass. But just him, no one else, Kai. And only with good reason. Understood?”

Kai laughed and nodded, “You never let us have any fun, Harris.”

Riz shook her head and glanced over at the late evening hour on the chrono, announcing that it was time for the three to return to the base. The three rose in a chorus of chatter as Violet hugged both women goodbye, ignoring Vannak’s begrudging protests as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight squeeze. John and Riz exchanged a sympathetic look with one another at the realization that they were stuck playing audience to their antics until the repairs were completed. Something about the sight of them all in the apartment together, Violet hugging and laughing with his sisters and bantering with his brother, felt right to him. As if it should have always been that way. John had only known a few places he had considered home in his lifetime, yet all of them had lacked the feeling he felt now as he stood in their kitchen and watched her wish their family a goodnight in the home she gave him. It was the same feeling he had felt every time he sat under the Harris’ backyard lights. The same feeling he had felt watching them all swim in that cold lake. The same feeling he had felt as they laid around the dying fire beside the oak listening to them swap stories while Violet slept on his chest. It was a wholeness that filled him up; a warm heaviness that crawled over him like he was standing in the sun. He hoped it would never leave.

The lock rolled in the tumbler as Violet turned from the door, crossed the apartment to the bedroom door, and disappeared inside. “I’m going to change and then I’ll come help you finish up,” she called behind her.

“Already done,” he called back. He left the kitchen and crossed to the balcony windows. The park laid below him, illuminated in the dusky glow of the lamp posts. His eyes fell to the pricks of light on the water to find the yellow glow of where he stood.

“Okay, can you come help me double check my bag then? I feel like I forgot something.”

John glanced over to where she had returned to the doorway. His response caught in his throat as he realized that she had not been dressed in the pullover and sweatpants she had worn the night before to be. He raked his eyes over the garment she wore instead; all sheer black lace that did little to cover her. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders, Violet smirking up at him from where she leaned against the doorframe. John forgot what he had been doing, nor could he remember what they had been discussing as his eyes rolled over her again and he matched the playful look on her face.

“What’s this?”

“Oh, this? I picked it up one of the times I went out last night. I felt bad for being such a pain this week. And, you were clear that we’re not allowed to be ‘inappropriate’ with one another while we’re away,” she smiled. John recalled the conversation regarding the profession courtesies to be expected on this joint deployment they engaged in night before, “So, I figured since it’s our last night at home, and we don’t have a dog to share a bed with, we might as well get our fill of each other.”

“Might as well.”

“But,” she sighed the word out in a playful singsong. “You did just make me look like a total skank in front of our friends.”

She clicked her tongue and shrugged. Pushing herself off of the wall, she turned her back to him to reveal how deliciously little the garment covered as she began to push the bedroom door shut behind her, “So, I think I’m going to change and go to bed instead. Goodnight!”

John crossed the room in a matter of steps to press his hand against the door as she giggled from behind it. Violet met him with a smirk as he started to remove his shirt.

“On the bed, Goose.”

She smiled that Violet smile, her eyes burning as she looked up at him. She stepped back against the bed and perched herself on the edge of it to watch as he began to work off his pants.

“That’s naked enough for me to know it’s time to abide by Rule #1,” Cortana sighed. “Goodnight, Chief.”

---

John couldn’t think of a place less fitting for Violet as he looked over the base.

“Cortana?”

Cortana stood beside him in the cockpit as the ship lowered onto the tarmac with a lurch, blue light glowing on the walls around him as she briefed him.

“Forward Operating Base Nomad,” Cortana chirped. “Located 30 klicks east of a small civilian settlement. The locals are of Cambodian descent and speak primarily Khmer. Several insurgent cells populate the area. The primary function of the base had been to engage with the local population to gather intelligence, build relationships, and conduct civil-military operations. The Ranger team assigned to the base has worked with the locals to form and train a small militia, along with conducting operations out of the base.”

“And it houses a badass scientific project,” Violet called. John turned over his shoulder to her. Violet braided her still shower-damp hair as she approached the cockpit. “Can’t forget about that, Cortana.”

She had changed into cargo pants and a thin long sleeve embellished with the project’s insignia since emerging from cryosleep. She had spent the better part of the past half hour in the showers, her and Vannak tossing back insults as she still retched and gagged on the taste of the suppressant that had filled her lungs over the past three weeks of travel. Cortana had been there when Violet woke to remind her to sit up and cough, speaking gently to Violet as she turned and vomited directly onto the floor, and continued to spit up bile and the mucus-like suppressant for several minutes after.

She was still slightly green as she stepped into the cockpit to stand beside him and press a kiss to his jaw. John noticed the length of tawny brown fabric she wore loosely wrapped around her neck. She had fished it out of a box in her closet while packing at the apartment and he didn’t ask how a civilian contractor had ended up with a tactical scarf that looked like it had made it through several missions. He hadn’t been sure he wanted the answer as he watched the determined way she had stuffed it into her rucksack.

“That as well, Doctor Harris,” Cortana agreed with a smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better. Thank you, Cortana. Again, I’m so sorry for throwing up on you.”

“Well, being that you vomited through me, as it would be impossible for you to vomit on me, I assume all is forgiven.”

Violet laughed that musical laugh and nodded before turning green eyes up to John, “One last kiss before the helmet goes on and I’m not allowed to touch you? I brushed my teeth twice, I promise.”

John chuckled and lowered his lips to hers, Violet taking his face in her hands. Cortana excused herself in a flurry of blue light to leave them alone. John was grateful for the moment together, her lips on his and his hand on her back. She released his face with a final peck on the cheek and smiled at him before turning out of the cockpit.

“Come on,” she called. “Let’s get this over with so we can go home.”

A team was waiting on the tarmac as they arrived, the engines kicking up swirls of dust as they stepped off into the heat. Violet blocked the bright sunlight that flooded into the cargo bay with a raised hand as the ramp dropped. John had seen dozens of FOBs just like the one that laid beyond the tarmac; command center surrounded by several different semi-permanent structures, a small field hospital, and CHU housing. A perimeter wall surrounded the base, fortified with a handful of guard towers, concertina wire, and surveillance equipment to monitor and defend against potential threats. The small base sat in the foreground of jagged mountains dotted with skeletal trees. He couldn’t picture Violet in a place with such little green. Much less being there for four years.

Three greenhouses sat on the far side of the base beside a low building. They were much less grandiose versions of the ones Violet occupied back at FLEETCOM, smaller and dingier with panes covered in the dust that seemed to cling to everything. Each bore the same insignia on the polycarbonate roofs that Violet wore on the pocket of her shirt; an overflowing cornucopia ringed with laurel leaves. He’d seen the same insignia on a few of the pullovers she would slip into after their evening runs; The Demeter Project.

He watched Violet descend the ramp as it touched down on the tarmac, pulling the scarf over her mouth and nose as she stepped down into the still swirling grime. John found that their welcome committee didn’t consist of just the team sent out to retrieve supplies as his heavy footsteps thudded against the ramp. He recognized the Ranger whose picture sat in their apartment at the base of the ramp, the name of his uniform confirming his identity to John. He stood straight, his hands clasped behind his back as Violet continued down the ramp and pulled the scarf over her head. The thick deployment beard did nothing to hide the smile that the dark haired man tried to suppress at the sight of Violet.

“Captain Mullins,” Violet called over the quieting engines, continuing down the ramp to him.

“Welcome back, Doctor Harris. Wonderful to see you, as always,” he nodded. John stayed behind her, watching as the man’s eyes darted to him behind the lenses of his sunglasses. “Master Chief. Welcome to Nomad.”

Violet smiled, her hand still raised as she spoke, “They still have you at this shithole?”

“Some of us call this shithole home, Doctor. You did not too long ago. Not all of us get to waltz off to a corner office.”

She laughed that musical laugh as she stepped in front of him on the tarmac, and the man’s smile only grew. John’s jaw tightened as Mullins reached a hand to Violet’s face and tugged at the scarf, adjusting it so that it blocked the sun from her eyes.

“It’s hardly a corner office,” she laughed. “More of a supply closet with some leg room.”

“Just a friendly reminder that breaking his wrist would most likely result in a court-martial. Do with that information what you will, Chief.”

“Noted.”

“Sounds like leaving wasn’t as much of an adventure as you hoped for, then.”

“It was, actually,” Violet responded, her nose crinkling slightly. “In other ways. I’ll fill you in later when we get some free time.”

“I’d like that.”

“I’m sure he would,” Cortana grumbled, “On second thought, I could make revisions to reports to make any injuries seem like a terrible accident. Just give me the word, Chief. I’m ready when you are.”

John ignored Cortana’s tight tone and watched as Violet pulled Mullins in for a hug. It was a friendly gesture, the same way he had seen her force hugs upon Vannak. But Mullins leaned into her in the same way John would when Violet would snake her arms around him. Mullins laughed as he pulled Violet to him.

“It’s nice to see you, Greg,” she smiled.

“Hey, Sunshine,” John stiffened even further. “Good to have you home.”

“Excuse me? Her name is Goose. Seriously, Chief. On your signal.”

“Quiet.”

The man released Violet from the bear hug he had wrapped her into and readjusted the shifted scarf with a smile of his own. “Your team set your room back up at the Garden Center- no one’s been in there since you left. You’re welcome to stay there, but I heard rumors that Saul and Leif may have turned it into a gaming room so you may have to evict a few squatters.”

She rolled her eyes with an amused sigh, “Still acting like a couple of fifteen year olds?”

“You thought they would magically grow up in the eight months you’ve been gone?”

She scoffed, still shaking her head as Mullins turned to address John again. “I apologize, Master Chief, but we are short on housing. We are happy to see what temporary accommodations we can make for your team until we are able to find something more long-term.”

“Ooo, offer to bunk with Doctor Harris,” Cortana offered, tone dripping with mischief. “That may be enough for him to pick up on.”

John rolled his eyes, “We will be fine on the Condor, Captain.”

Mullins nodded and went on to ask about unloading the supplies. Violet jumped in to answer before John could speak, “The three over there are mine. It’s expensive equipment, Greg. Like, lose my job if it’s broken kind-of expensive. Make sure it’s handled appropriately, please.”

“Have I ever let you down?”

“I don’t know,” she crossed her arms, shifting her weight onto her hip as she stared back at him with a hard glare. “Do I need to remind you of Wendell’s little accident with my herbarium cabinets?”

“Oh good, still holding that grudge,” Mullins muttered. He turned from the ramp, “Message received, Vi.”

Violet nodded and turned back up the ramp, calling that she should get her things before the unloading team came up to retrieve cargo and load it onto the small convoy that sat on the tarmac. John turned to follow her into the cargo bay, the neat end of her braid swaying with each step she took. He watched as she looked around and mumbled to herself as she tried to remember where she had stowed away her things in the week prior, fingers fidgeting with the fraying edge of the scarf.

Wordlessly, John pointed to the far side of the cargo bay to where her bags sat. Violet muttered out a triumphant noise as she wove through the crates to her things. John followed behind, “Sunshine, huh?”

“Oh, please,” she groaned. She adjusted her braid as she slung her rucksack over her shoulders. “Don’t start. We’ve gone over this; we dated for a few months. I lived here for four years, mind you. I had a life before I met you. You do remember that we practically live together, right?”

“I’m aware.”

Violet huffed out a laugh and shook her head, “You’re so jealous.”

“I’m not.”

“You so are,” she laughed, pulling her eyes from his to continue to look for her bag. He reached to her face, tucking a finger up her chin and lifting her face to make her eyes meet his again. Green looked up at him from under thick lashes, her lips parted slightly in surprise.

“I’m not jealous,” his voice was low as he spoke. Violet’s eyes never left his as he held her chin in gauntleted hand. “That would mean I want something I can’t have. I’m protecting what belongs to me.”

Violet eyes darkened slightly at his statement as she smiled up at him, taking his wrist in her hand and pressing her lips to her palm. “All yours, big guy,” she murmured, “Now can you please be nice?”

John brought his hand to her face and brushed his thumb along her cheek. Professional courtesies were all but forgotten when Violet looked up at him from under the edge of that scarf in a way that was so different from the way she had looked at Mullins on the tarmac; in a way he knew belonged only to him in all of that warmth and loveliness. He traced his thumb along the curve of her lips and she pressed a kiss to the pad of it as she watched her reflection in the visor of his helmet. All yours, she had said. He was all hers as well. Every piece and part and dent belonged to her.

“Whatever you say, Goose.”

Those eyes that belonged to only him were pulled away at the sound of Mullins’ voice on the ramp. John dropped his hand as Violet reached down to pick up her duffle bag.

“Hey, Harris! You headed to the labs? I can have a couple of guys take your equipment over before we head out with supplies.”

Violet’s footsteps thudded against the ramp as she walked towards where Mullins stood beside the crates that held her equipment. She tossed her bags atop one of them. “You think I’m going to miss out on a trip into town? Yeah, right. You know me better than that, Greg. I’m coming with you. You can have them take my things there. I’ll head that way when we get back.”

Mullins nodded and called out orders to the unloading team. A small group of men greeted Violet as they came to collect her supplies and she greeted each by name with bright smiles. Mullins nodded towards the installation and John followed his gesture to the group of people that approached, all but one waving excitedly at Violet as they neared. “Geek Squad is out here to see you.”

John recognized the bounce of Meredith Powell’s hair as she sprinted at Violet and tackled her to the ground in a tight hug. Violet yelped as she was knocked to the ground with a puff of red dirt, the sound immediately replaced by that musical laughter as she clung to her friend. The rest of the team lingered behind, all stepping forward to hug his botanist after Meredith helped her back to her feet. They watched him with wide eyes as he stood behind her, but the moment of wonder was lost to Violet as she pulled them all in with happy laughter. John noticed that Devrin stayed back, arms crossed tightly against his chest as he nodded to Violet.

“Doctor Harris.”

“Doctor Johal.”

Dev regarded John with a curt nod. A flicker of fear flashed in the scientist’s eyes before he turned to head back to the installation. Mullins called out to Violet again with that nickname that made John grit his teeth from where the convoy sat. Violet turned away from her team to where Mullins stood and waved her over, “We’re ready when you are, kid!”

Violet squeezed the shoulders of the large Black man she hugged- John recognized him as Saul from her picture- and turned away with promises to catch up with all of them later as she crossed to where Mullins waited for her.

“You’re all with me,” John said. The team’s acknowledgement lights flashed on his HUD as they all started down the ramp towards the convoy. “Looks like we’re taking a drive.”

Violet smiled at him over her shoulder as she talked to Mullins, watching as soldiers loaded into the convoy behind them. Mullins tore his eyes away from the botanist to acknowledge Silver Team as they approached before returning his attention to Violet, “Insurgent groups have been active again since the famine. We’ve been working with the local militia to keep it at bay, but it’s not like you remember it. It’s best if you stick with an armed escort, Sunshine.”

John stepped behind Violet, subtly tapping his hand against her back. He was sure he would get an earful from her about breaking his own rules when they got a moment together. She leaned into the touch, looking over to where Kai, Riz, and Vannak stepped beside him with one of those bright smiles before turning back with Mullins.

“Well, I was sent with four. I think I’ll be alright, don’t you?”

---

Violet jumped into action as soon as they arrived in the village. John watched as she interacted with the crowd of villagers that met the convoy and chatted with each soldier in that same warm way; asking of spouses and parents and children as she greeted each. Each seemed to meet Violet with that same warmth, her brightness touching all those around her even in the bleak village. John watched as she reached into the crates to pass out rations and supplies to villagers that she greeted in their native tongue, chatting with each in Khmer as they approached her. Pride settled into him as he watched her goodness translate into the sense of gentle authority that had come over her since they arrived.

John watched as a young girl ran up to Violet and threw her arms around her middle. Violet wrapped her arms around the child without looking down to identify her first, but John watched her face light up in happy recognition as she did. Violet took the girl’s face in her hands as she spoke excitedly to the girl in the tonal language. John leaned over to where Riz stood beside him watching the distribution, Violet still smiling as she brushed the girl’s hair out of her face.

“What’s she saying?”

Riz listened for a moment as Violet spoke to the girl. “She’s telling her how tall and beautiful she’s gotten.”

Cortana continued to translate for him long after Riz did. She buzzed between his ears as she relayed each side of the villagers’ conversations with Violet. She spoke to each one with nothing but softness; her voice kind and gentle. Each villager regarded her as one would welcome home an old friend with wide smiles passed between each party. Violet reached out and grasped the hand of a woman who welcomed her in greeting, asking the woman how her mother had been and if her sister had delivered her baby. She told another little boy how much he looked like his older brother as she hugged him tightly. She asked another man about his wife, and when he replied that she was with child, Violet looked around to make sure no one had been watching before she snuck the man a few extra rations with that kind smile. It went on like that for some time. John watched as the goodness that she radiated like sunbeams touched everyone she surrounded in her. Sunshine, Mullins had called her. The captain hadn’t been too far off.

He looked from Violet to where the captain stood with members of his team, turned at his fellow Ranger’s side so that he could both speak to the man and still assess the crowd. Mullins watched beyond where villagers gathered at the convoy to where Violet stood, the captain watching her with the same soft smile that was hidden behind his helmet. John had never been the most adept with social queues, but he recognized the man’s look immediately; John had looked at Violet that same way since that evening he met her in the park. He had seen other men look at her that way before; MPs she’d become friendly with at the gates back home, horticulturalists on her team, damn near every man she had walked past on that base just today. He found with each of their stares that the fear he had once felt did not come. It did not creep in like a frost and chill him until he could no longer move. He did not fear and lament the man who would come after him and someday deserve Violet Harris, or the men who had come before. He simply knew there would never be another man. He was the only one she looked back at the same way.

Violet looked up at the sound of a dog’s bark. John found the pitch of it familiar. Her eyes fell on the source; a small pack of dogs that lay panting in the shade of a building. He had noticed the population of strays that roamed the village when they arrived. A smile crept across her face at the sight and she stepped to the edge of the vehicle’s cargo bed to lower herself to the ground. Mullins was on her in an instant, offering his hand for balance with another grin. Violet took his hand with an appreciative smile and hopped down with a puff of dirt before returning her focus to the dogs. She slowly approached the dogs, their eyes watching and ears twitching as she approached them with a series of soft whistles followed by calm whispers.

The dog in the center sat up, a black and white collie with a graying snout, and whined happily as Violet padded near them. John watched the dog’s tail start to sway as Violet approached. The excited way it wiggled reminded him of the way Sadie greeted him at the door every evening. Violet crouched down beside it, speaking softly to the pup as she started to scratch its ears and it rolled onto its back to expose its belly to her. John noticed a shepard sitting beside the collie in the shade, his bright white fur dull and dirty. He watched Violet cautiously as she pet the collie, protective of the dog that licked at the botanist’s hands. It reminded him of the dog he saw in his memories.

“Captain!” Kai called.

Mullins looked up and crossed from where he stood supervising the distribution as Kai waved him over. She gestured to where Violet sat with the grouping of dogs, giggling as the collie licked her face. “What’s with the wildlife?”

“It’s a part of the local charm. The locals stopped keeping them as pets years ago because they couldn’t feed them. They formed packs and started finding their own food sources. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Doctor Harris’ dog, but she adopted Sadie from the streets about two years ago. See that one she’s petting? That’s Sadie’s momma. Doctor Harris always makes sure to say hello. No animals on base, but Violet hid her for about three months before command found out. She found some loophole about installation rules over base rules, so Sadie became somewhat of a mascot for the project. She loves that dog something fierce. I’m surprised she was willing to leave her behind. I wonder who she trusted enough with her baby while she’s here.”

“Yeah, Chief,” John could hear the grin masked by Kai’s helmet in her voice as she looked over to him. “Who is watching your dog while you and Doctor Harris are here?”

Mullins straightened up and pulled his eyes from Violet to look up at the Master Chief, realization washing over his face at Kai’s question. Violet looked up from the old dog to glance over at John and offer him one of those bright Violet smiles. He couldn’t blame the captain for staring; John could understand every look she got. But those green eyes never left him, even as Mullins’ eyes returned to her a little bit more forlorn this time.

John watched as Violet stroked the dog’s back again and gave her rear a pat before standing up. She dusted off her hands on her pants, her eyes finding him again from where she stood in the shade. Violet brought her hand up again to block the dropping sun from her eyes as she gave him a small wave, the warmth in her eyes rivaling the blistering air around him and John found himself caught in the gaze that belonged to only him.

#halo fanfic #halo tv show #master chief #master chief/oc #romance #romcom in space #au #halo fanfiction #not canon compliant #silver timeline #halo series #halo #john 117/oc #john 117 #spring in tchakova park

7 notes · View notes