#guys greet abby on her blog

[gojomamashouse]

Taking Care of You

Pairing: Mike Schmidt x babysitter!reader

Warnings: unprotected sex, oral sex (M receiving), breeding kink, praise kink, Fem!reader. Very minor mentions of injury & blood.

Description: He had never considered himself too fond of domestic life until you came into his house and made it feel like home.

A/N: crossposted on my Ao3 and Tumblr.

3.7k words

18+ content! Minors and ageless blogs dni!

You remember the first time you came over to babysit for Mike all too clearly. You remember the way your eyes went wide when the door opened, and how your jaw nearly dropped to the floor. More importantly, you remember thinking that Mike Schmidt was far too hot for his own good, a clear image in your mind of how he had greeted you with tired eyes, messy hair, and a hand gripping the doorframe.

"Mr. Schmidt," you had blurted, ignorant to how his nose scrunched at the words leaving your mouth, "It's nice to—"

"Don't tell me I look that old?" His tired expression tried a smile, and you found yourself standing there, unable to formulate a proper response as you were already convinced you messed up the job before you even started. "Just Mike is fine.”

Back then, the only thing you knew about him was that he was hot, overworked, and clearly exhausted. So you did your best to make his life easier, even if those things were small, like cleaning all the dishes before he came home, tidying up all the clutter left behind on the table and kitchen counter. It wasn’t much, but you figured he could use whatever help he could get. He came home the first night, too tired to even notice before collapsing on the couch. Suppressing a giggle, you threw a blanket over his sleeping form, lingering a moment longer than you should have just to observe his face. Even in his sleep, you weren’t sure you could find even an ounce of peace in his expression.

—

Mike remembers the first week of your babysitting, when he returned home at some ungodly hour that Friday. While most babysitters in the past opted to lay on the couch, sleeping or watching TV, he had discovered that you preferred to be a bit more proactive. That night, in particular, he recalled your humming in the kitchen, rinsing the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.

A strange feeling filled his chest at the sight, the smell of dinner still lingering and the radio playing some old song from his childhood. It was a feeling he shouldn't have been feeling towards the babysitter looking after his little sister. You had jumped when the floorboard creaked beneath himself shifting weight, still shy and jittery around him at the time.

“I didn’t see you come in,” your voice is still shaken from the scare. You turned to the oven, “Oh! I kept the food warm, in case you wanted some. Are you hungry?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” he said, blinking a bit to shake the thoughts from his head, “Ah, you don’t have to do all this, you know. The cooking and cleaning stuff.”

“I don’t mind. It’s not like I have anything else to do,” you returned your gaze to the dishes in the sink, “Besides, you work hard. It’s the least I can do. Just let me take care of it.”

Just let me take care of it.

A phrase he hadn’t yet forgotten, either. When was the last time anyone had taken care of anything for him? He’d taken on the role of being Abby’s caretaker the moment his parents were out of the picture. He had made countless sacrifices, dropping out of school to work full-time, losing his social life. His old friends preferring to go out partying rather than hang out with the guy who has a kid sister and a full-time job. Every day was work, only to mess up at work. Then go home, stress over a dirty home. Drive Abby to school, stress over her education and development.

He didn’t have it within himself to deny you, not when you were so kind and helpful. Even if the guilt ate away at him, reminding him how he couldn’t even afford to pay you close to what you deserved.

His eyes wandered to an image on the counter. There was himself, a familiar stickman with brown hair. There was Abby, of course, given the height difference. And then there was another figure, the hair undeniably similar to yours. All three figures were holding hands together inside a square home.

“What’s this?” He picked it up.

“Abby told me it’s us,” you had laughed, placing a dish in the dishwasher. “Cute, right?”

There was a thumping in his chest as he looked at you, before looking back down at the paper. All he could manage was a smile as he pinned it to the fridge.

You soon felt his presence at your side, his hand picking up another dish while you rinsed yours.

“Let me help with that,” he said.

—

You’ve fallen into a routine. Every day, when he returns home, he is met with the same thing. You, in the kitchen, humming. You, greeting him with a smile. You, sitting down to eat with him. You, always asking him about his day even though you know by now that he has nothing interesting to say. He prefers to hear you talk instead, to listen to you ramble about your shitty college professors and annoying roommates. He likes it like this. To be able to pretend that he’s not some deadbeat who can’t hold down a job to save his life or some traumatized freak haunted by the memories of his dead brother and parents. With you, he gets to pretend like he’s normal.

But, of course, just because he can pretend things are normal, doesn’t mean they are. Reality soon hits him when he’s sitting in his boss’s office, asking Mike for his badge and ID. It hits him when he’s driving home, remembering how he beat an innocent man, his knuckles still bloody as he grips the steering wheel tight. He walks through the front door, hearing you greet him from the kitchen, a sound that would have been music to his ears any other day.

“Mike?”

He doesn’t have the energy to reply. No, all he can do is walk over to the chair in the living room, sinking into it with a sigh. He loosens his tie and closes his eyes, trying to ignore the sound of dishes clattering in the sink followed by your footsteps against the hardwood floor.

“Hey, you okay?” Your voice is soft and gentle. His eyes shoot open when he feels your even softer touch against his forehead, laying the back of your palm flat. “You’re not sick, are you?”

In all the time you’ve been babysitting, neither of you had done so much as touch each other at all. The few times he could remember was how your fingers brushed when you reached for the same dish in the sink or the innocent hand you placed on his shoulder that one time you laughed so hard you couldn’t hold yourself up. He had always made sure to keep his hands firmly placed in his pockets or at his side. Now, you were touching his face, and he thinks that’s the first time anyone has touched him like that in years.

“Don’t worry about me.” He pleads, his body betraying his words when he leans into your touch, your hand drifting to caress his cheek, “You don’t have to.”

You ignore him, and your eyes scan over his form, before landing on his bloodied knuckles. A gasp escapes you, followed by the scolding of his name. He hears you stumble towards the bathroom, rummaging through whatever you can find and returning with a washcloth and disinfectant. You kneel beside him, cleaning the dried blood from his wounds and he winced from the sting of the alcohol.

“I know I don’t have to,” you finally break the silence. “I worry because I care.”

“Why?”

You avert your gaze.

“I just do.”

“That’s not a good enough answer.” He presses. There’s another pause.

“Because this feels like home.”

The answer is enough to render both of you silent, you out of humiliation, and him out of shock because he hadn’t realized you thought the same way.

You finish wiping the last bit of dried blood from his knuckles and there’s a lingering feeling left on his skin, where your fingers held his hands. Soft. Familiar. You’re still kneeling in front of him, but you’re wearing an expression he hadn’t seen since the first week he met you. It’s that look of shyness, the way you used to squirm under his gaze or shrink your presence out of fear of overstepping a boundary.

“Mike?”

“Yeah?

“Let me take care of you. Please?”

He knows it’s wrong. He knows that “messing around with the babysitter” has never been a good idea in the history of ever, but when he sees you gazing up at him like that, sitting on your knees between his legs, your eyes wide like that. Well, what the fuck else is he supposed to do?

The chair isn’t too high from the floor, so he easily finds himself at somewhat your level when he leans forward, his hand lifting your chin to look him in the eye. He pauses, analyzing your face just for a moment. Your lips are parted, so prettily, and your eyes are filled with a look of lust and desperation.

“Please,” you repeat, this time in a whisper.

Any semblance of self-restraint he had before was all lost the moment his lips met yours. He hadn’t realized just how hungry he was until he got a taste, a groan escaping his throat when he feels your tongue in his mouth. And you, you are so pliant. So eager to please. Still timid, hands hesitant as they rested on his knees, but so willing to let him handle you however he pleases, moaning when he tugs on your hair, whimpering when his hands grope your chest through your shirt.

“Quiet,” he mutters between kisses. You feel him pull away, the ghost of his lips at your ear, “we gotta be quiet, yeah?”

You nod, and he kisses your forehead, a tender change from his rough kisses shared only moments prior. He looks down at you, a flustered mess, but knows he must look the same. He couldn’t even remember the last time he let himself indulge like this. He feels your hand slither up his thigh, fumbling with his belt, groaning when you feel him through his jeans.

“You’ve had a long day, haven’t you?” You ask, looking up at him through your lashes as your hand dips into his boxers.

“You have no idea,” he says, his hand caressing the side of your face, making circles with his thumb against your cheek. He can feel your skin heat up under his touch. Your hand wraps around his hardening cock, and he has to stop himself from bucking into you. You’re just so gentle and sweet and he knows you’d let him take his frustration out but he just cannot allow himself to do that just yet— not without a little guilt.

“Then talk to me.”

“Got, ah, fired,” he chokes out, feeling your thumb swipe over his tip, gathering his pre-cum and helping you stroke up and down with more ease. “Was my fault, too.”

“You started a fight, didn’t you?”

“Something like that.”

He looks down at you, his cock now fully hard in your hand. He can’t hold but admire the sight, how you hungrily stare at him, or how you press your thighs together to relieve yourself of your own desires. He feels his breathing become heavier with each passing stroke of your hand on his dick, and he forces himself to look away, his hand that had previously been caressing the side of your head now digging his fingers into the back of your scalp.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” he leans his head back, in an attempt to stop himself from busting in your hand before you’ve even done anything. He swears he’s not usually this sensitive, but the fact that it’s been so long, and the fact that it’s you, had him feeling like he was a teenager getting his first handjob all over again. He tries not to think about it. “I’m already behind on bills. I don’t think I can even pay you. Probably won’t even get another fucking job after what I did.”

“You don’t need to pay me.”

“You’ve got to stop saying shit like that,” he shakes his head, almost in disbelief. He looks down at you again, and you’re pressing your lips to kiss the underside of his dick, then kissing his tip. He shudders. “You’re too good for this. For me.”

He’s about to continue, but your lips wrap around him and he can’t think of anything. Curse words slip from his lips, feeling your tongue work around him, your hot mouth taking him. He still has his hand on the back of your head, tempting him to force your head down, but he’s more curious about whether you’d try to take him all yourself— which you do. He feels your throat contract around him as you try to push yourself down his cock, determined to take it all. Sometimes, you really were that predictable. Sure, you were a timid little thing, but you were equally if not more stubborn. He grips the back of your head to pull you off, a cough rising to your throat as you catch your breath and he smiles lazily.

Your quick to take him back in your mouth, and he cherishes the feeling of his cock hitting the back of your throat, and your hands that reached for the base of him to stroke whatever you couldn’t take. He gives an experimental thrust and he’s in bliss when he hears you moan around him. And as much as he wishes he could do this forever, watching you take him in your mouth, he knows his own limits and he knows he won’t last any longer. Besides, he’s neglected your needs for far too long.

He pulls you off of his cock finally, tears stinging the corners of your eyes, your lips puffy from their earlier actions. Then, he’s lifting you to the couch, hovering over your form as your back hits the cushions. Mike is thankful that you chose to wear a skirt tonight because with your legs spread like this, he gets a full view of your white cotton underwear, as well as the wet patch your arousal has created. He brings his hand down between your legs, feeling you through the fabric. He can hear your breath hitch and he watches you bite down on your lower lip to suppress your noises. And as much as he wants to tell you not to, he is reminded by the fact that you are both doing this in the living room, and the last thing he wants to do is traumatize his little sister, who is sleeping a few doors down the hallway.

“Didn’t know you wanted me this bad,” he whispers, finally slipping his hand past the fabric barrier to gather your slick at his fingers and rub your clit with his thumb, his other fingers prodding at your hole but not yet entering.

“Wanted you for so long,” you admit, sucking in a breath when you feel his thumb circle around your clit again. “You’re really fucking hot.”

“Yeah?”

Two of his fingers finally sink into you and you’re gripping the fabric of his uniform at his shoulders. Rough, long and so much bigger than your own— you have to grit your teeth even harder to stop any sinful noises from escaping you.

“Always thought you were real pretty, too.” He continues, “You’re prettier right now, though.”

He continues to pump his fingers in and out of you, the wet sounds making you burn up in embarrassment. He’s obsessed with the way your eyes roll back, how your pretty lashes flutter open and closed, and how your hips buck to meet his rhythm.

“More, please,” you finally let out, your eyes going down to his cock, which was still very much hard. “Need you inside.”

You whimper at the emptiness you feel when his fingers leave, but quickly forget about it the moment your panties are removed and you feel his cock rub against your cunt, the tip resting at your entrance. You expect to feel him push in, only to see that he has paused.

“I don’t have any condoms,” he says, a pained look on his face. He had no reason to keep any around any more, not since providing for Abby had become his number one priority. He mentally kicked himself for it now.

“Mike,” you whine, trying to roll your hips up, but his hands remained firm against you, keeping you down. “I don’t care. Just pull out or something.”

You feel like a pathetic idiot for saying it, and he feels even more of one for considering it at all. All he can manage is a sigh. He’d already crossed so many lines tonight that he shouldn’t have. What difference would crossing one more be?

He hesitates before pushing in, but once he feels your tight walls around the head of his dick he can’t find it within himself to have any regrets. You’re so tight and warm and wet and he loves the way you stretch around him, gasping with every inch he gives you. He pauses when he’s buried at the hilt, mentally trying to cool himself down because the fact that he’s fucking you raw and you’re taking him so well is driving him mad.

“So good,” he coos, his hand on your face, thumb on your lower lip, “so fucking good.”

He pulls away until he’s nearly out again before thrusting into you fully, and he has to slam his hand over your mouth to stop the moan that would have escaped you. He continues to fuck you like this, slowly, and deeply, before it’s not enough, and he finds himself taking you faster, harder, wanting to see how much you were willing to take.

You feel every inch of him inside you, and you can’t help but clench around him every time the tip of his cock hits the spot inside you that you can’t reach with your own fingers. You feel so full and it’s everything and more that you’ve needed for so long.

He pushes up your shirt, revealing your cleavage. Your breasts are still covered by your bra, but he pinches your nipples through the lacy fabric anyway, content when he hears you make a sound, muffled by his other hand which remains on your mouth.

He can tell you’re close from the telltale sign of your pussy clenching harder, and how you start to freeze up, too fucked out to do anything else. He, too, starts to feel himself approaching his limit but knows he has to hold out long enough to let you reach your high first. He finally removes his hand from your mouth and uses it to rub your clit.

“Such a good girl,” he breathes.

“I’ll always be good for you,” you keep your voice a whisper, “Always waiting for you when you come home.”

Your words ignite a desire within him he never realizes he had. He had never considered himself too fond of domestic life until you came into his house and made it feel like home. Now, as he’s fucking you, the only thing he can think about is how deeply he wants to cum inside you, over and over again until he gives you another kid to take care of. He doesn’t care if he can’t afford it. He’ll pick up as many jobs as he can get just to take care of you.

He feels your back arch and your walls clench around him, immediately going to kiss you to swallow your cries. He ruts into you, over and over again and though there’s a sinful voice in the back of his head telling him to fill you up until he’s dripping out of you, he knows he should stay true to his promise to pull out. That is, until you tell him otherwise.

“You can do it inside,” you choke out, still fucked out from your orgasm, “I don’t mind—“

Before you can finish your sentence his hips come to a stop and he’s finishing inside you, as deep as he possibly can, as if to not waste a single drop. When he finally pulls out, he can’t help but watch in awe as his seed drips from your cunt down to your ass, ruining the couch cushions beneath you both. He tries not the think about the consequences that will bring. Instead, he’s pulling you close, catching his breath while laying his head against your stomach. Moments later, he feels your hand running your fingers through his hair and he sighs, leaning into your warmth.

“I don’t want you to be Abby’s babysitter anymore,” he starts, his voice hoarse and worn out. He can feel you tense up when he says it, before immediately continuing, “I want you to be my girlfriend.”

He hears you laugh.

“Does that mean I won’t get paid anymore?”

“I’ll repay you in other ways,” he flashes you a suggestive smile, earning him a snort and a flick on his forehead. Still, the guilt gnaws at him from within. “Seriously, though. I will. I’ll take care of you, too.”

He doesn’t care what job he picks up next. He’ll take any job in the world, so long as it means he can provide for you and Abby.

—

You wake up the next morning, the scent of pinewood and campfire surrounding you. You don’t remember exactly how, but you remember, after being fucked mercilessly, being carried to his room, cleaned up, and falling asleep in Mike’s bed. Now, you find the place next to you empty but can observe Mike standing at the door, speaking in a hushed voice while holding back the door.

You stand on shaky legs, still wobbly from your earlier affairs, approaching the argument.

“Abby, go away!”

“No! Let me—“

“What’s all this?” You interject.

Mike loses his grip on the door and Abby opens it wide. Her arms are crossed, adorning a frown while Mike is bringing his hands to his face.

“Abby, I can explain—“

“Why didn’t you tell me you guys were having a sleepover?” She fumes, “We could have built a pillow fort!”

[ssinstarz]

acrophobia.

a mike schmidt x reader story

synopsis - mike and abby come up with a rather interesting plan to help you face your fears and to help mike better confess his love for you (reader is spoken to/about with feminine pronouns) - (fluff <3) - (reader has acrophobia / a fear of heights)

(a/n - this is my first tumblr blog! i hope you enjoy it and i am open to any requests about mike)

"just keep your eyes closed baby." mike said, trying to soothe you. the three of you (mike, abby, and you) were heading home after taking a quick stop at a bakery nearly on the other side of town. abby saw a commercial on the television about it and immediately wanted to try their strawberry cupcakes. however, in order to get back home, you guys had to drive past a long, narrow bridge.

"its hard to, mike. i can't stop imagining the car toppling over and us being shark food." you mumbled the last part, but it was very audible to mike, and definitely abby.

"what?! mike are we going to die!?!" abby said as her smile from looking at the blue sky faded into a horrified expression.

"no abs, (y/n) is just overthinking, we'll be fine." mike said confidently, then he placed a reassuring hand on your thigh and squeezed it gently.

you loved mike. you loved how he cared for abby, how he cares for you, and how he pushed through despite all of the struggles he has faced from his childhood to now. but you definitely hated heights. the thought of dropping from one sent a chill down your spine.

"just breathe, okay baby? we are halfway through this bridge. i trust that you can get through this." said mike, filling in the silence in the car. you also loved how he knew how to comfort someone.

"yeah (y/n)! we are almost home. think about the cupcakes!" abby dragged out the "cupcakes" part, showing her excitement to indulge in the fluffy treat.

you smiled, but deep down you were mortified. you grabbed mike's hand and held it tightly. you also shut your eyes tightly, trying to block out all bad visions that involve dying.

once you guys got home. you decided to go into mike's room to get the bridge off of your mind. before you slipped into the darkness of his room, mike pulled you aside and kissed your forehead and the back of your hand.

"are you okay?" he asked you, looking into your eyes with big brown ones. "i think so." you said, avoiding his gaze. he sighed and was about to step away until you grabbed his wrists. "i'm sorry about my stupid fear getting in the way of things. i really, really, really want to overcome but when i try, i just break down. i guess i just need something to motivate me to keep going, y'know?" you said to him. mike nodded and took your last sentence into deep consideration.

mike turned to walk into the kitchen but he was greeting with a small figure standing at the end of the hallway, grinning at him.

"what's wrong, abby?" mike asked, trying to get his way into the kitchen. abby just stood there, watching him. she clearly had something to say, her lips were parting open but closing again until she finally spewed out a couple of words. well, more than a couple.

"when will you and (y/n) get married? you guys have been together for like, years. and you love her a LOT. i can tell. and you wouldn't even have to buy a ring! we could use the ring mom gave me before she..." abby said, but she didn't finish the last part of her speech, she thought it was a happy moment, not an emotional one.

"but, what if she doesnt want to get married." mike says, trying to lower his voice so you couldn't hear.

"oh well then. i mean, it's clear she really loves you too, so i don't think she would leave you." abby says. mike's heart was beating so hard once he realized the love of his life felt the very same way about him. he could swear abby could hear it pounding in the quiet hallway.

"okay, I'll propose to h--" mike said, but abby interrupted him mid sentence and pulled him into the kitchen.

"great! I have an idea!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

during the next couple of days, mike and abby have been secretly gathering information on you that aligns with abby's clever idea, as well as sneaking out of the house at night to set up the materials for their plan.

while you were grabbing grapes from the fridge mike came up the behind you and examined what you were doing, maintaining a passionate stare on you.

"uhm, can you get any closer?" you questioned him as you felt his warm breath on your bare neck.

"what? i can't check up on my girlfriend?" mike held out his arms and wrapped them around your waist, pulling you into a backwards bear hug.

"stay focused!" abby whisper-yelled from the corner, looking at mike while holding a small notebook and a pen. mike needs to figure out what you like, not get intimate with you.

"grapes. she likes grapes." mike mumbled rushing over to abby as you walked into the living room and laid down on the couch near the two. she wrote it down in her notebook and gave it to him.

today will be the day the mission will go into action.

"hey baby? can i ask you something?" mike asked as he sat down next to you, resting his head on your chest and sliding the notebook slightly under the couch.

"what's up?"

"can you come with me and abby somewhere? it's really nice."

"sure. why not?"

"okay get dressed." mike ordered, ending the conversation with a quick kiss. he sat up and you slipped into his room to grab any clothes you had over there. mike then grabbed the notebook from under the couch and looked in the fridge to grab anything else he needed. abby following close behind him.

"are you nervous?" abby asked.

"a little, what if she doesn't say yes? or what if she gets mad at me? i dont think she will like this plan." mike says, ranting on until you make your presence known.

"i'm ready!" you said. you were wearing a long-sleeved purple top with a black skirt and your hair in two braids.

even though you were in your early twenties, you dressed and did your hair like a child. that was another thing mike loved about you.

abby gave mike a reassuring look, he then motioned for the two of them to the door. they all put on their shoes and left.

as mike was driving you there, he pulled a scarf from his pocket. "you need to be blindfolded. it's a surprise." he said, handing it towards you. you were reluctant at first but you tied it on, waiting for something to happen.

mike drove to the place and with abby's help they guided you to where you were supposed to be. mike ran off somewhere else in a hurry. abby ran to the other side of where you were and called out "take off the blindfold!" you took it off with a smile but to your horror you were standing in the middle of a high, high bridge over a pretty long lake. the bridge was narrow and you could clearly see the water underneath.

"mike? mike! mike please i don't like this! m-mike...." you called out his name over and over, you felt your heart sink to your chest, your breathing pattern was non-existent, beads of sweat started to form on your forehead and you felt the hot sting of tears in the corner of your eyes. you looked around, your boyfriend wasnt there, only his little sister.

"i'm sorry (y/n)! mike isnt here right now. just me. but you need to pull along and come across this bridge! mike has something for you!" she yelled from the other side.

you felt sick to your stomach. you tried to move but you just couldn't. you feel down onto your knees and sobbed. abby felt horrible but she knew what mike had waiting for you.

"abby! i don't think i can do this! you know im terrified of heights!" you called out to her. abby did say anything, but after a while she finally spoke up.

"if mike was here he would tell you to keep going! (y/n), i'm telling you if you just come across this bridge, you will get the best surprise of your life! just face your fears."

abby's words hit harder than they were supposed to. you really wanted to see what mike had in store for you, but you didn't know how to get past without flipping the fuck out. even though the bridge looked terrifying, you believed it wouldn't be likely for you to fall off.

you shut your eyes tightly and crawled across the bridge on all fours. you could hear abby cheering for you as you made it to the end of the bridge.

"yay! you did it! now c'mon, mike has been waiting." abby said. she didnt even give you a moment to catch your breathe before she pulled you along a pathway near the bridge.

it felt like you two were walking for hours, for some reason your eyes were still shut, taking in the world around you slowly but surely. abby suddenly stopped and you hesitantly fluttered open your eyes.

you were met with mike, on one knee with a toothy smile. behind him was a picnic with all of your favorite fruit and favorite flowers and small details that tied into your interests.

mike cleared his throat and pulled a box out of his pocket. before he opened it he looked into your eyes and said "(y/n), i love you so much and I am very proud of you. i remember you told me you needed something to motivate you to get rid of your phobia so abby came up with this idea." he paused for a second, watching you start to tear up, but he kept speaking.

"you are a great person. all of these years you cared for abby and me and we deeply appreciate that. my point is.." he paused, "(y/n), will you marry me?" mike said as he opened up the black box in his hands, revealing a shiny ring.

you nodded and then he walked up to you and put the ring on your finger. abby couldn't stop cheering and clapping. she jumped onto the both of you and hugged you two tightly, nearly pushing the three of you over.

mike gave you a kiss on your forehead and the three of you stood in each other's embrace.

[parkerparts]

My Work is Loving the World

Harley Keener lives alone in Tony Stark’s cabin by the lake. He fills his days with bot-building, AI-coding, garden-tending, and absolutely no spider-killing. It’s fun, sure, but he’s terribly lonely. That all changes when he comes across a red and blue spider in his garden, and to make matters even better, the little fella can understand him.

Truly, it’s a testament to Harley’s sanity — or lack thereof — that he doesn’t run away screaming. Instead, he smiles softly and holds out his hand. “Well then, Peter. Want to come stay with me in the house for a little while? I’m real lonely up there and could use the company.”

The spider Peter doesn’t bother spelling out a response. He just jumps into Harley’s hands, ready to go with him to the ends of the earth.

“Well then,” Harley says again, if only to fill the silence between himself and the nonverbal creature. “Here we go.”

(parkner, 2.6k, no warnings except for fluff and a lil sad boi harley, inspired by this prompt by @offbrand-celestial, title from mary oliver’s ‘the messenger,’ beta’d by the lovely @midorimireio-blog)

Read on AO3 or Keep Reading Below

When he was nine years old, Harley read that killing spiders in a beer brewery was practically illegal. His garage might not be a brewery — though admittedly, he had made moonshine in there once or twice on a whim with a friend or as a dare — but he still outlawed the killing of spiders.

“Why?” his Ma had asked, stepping into the place to bring him a dinner plate. She frowned at the expanse of cobwebs Harley empathetically embraced.

“They’re cool creatures,” he said with a shrug, mouth full with a bite cornbread. “Ain’t done nothing wrong to me, so I don’t see no point in killin’ them things.”

Twelve years later, not a thing has changed. He lives in Georgia now, in the lakeside cabin Tony and Pepper keep as their getaway house. They visit more often as Morgan gets older, needing a break from whatever mess they handle up in the city to spend time as a family — Harley and the other Keeners included. Harley’s Ma lives in New York, has some swanky job in one of Pepper’s departments, but Abbie’s in Georgia with Harley, attending Emory University. Harley, at Tony’s insistence, had finished high school before moving out, though he refused to go to college. He liked living here, alone most of the time except for when Abbie visited from her dorm on holidays and the Starks and his Ma came down every couple of months. He could do as he pleased, tinkering and inventing and regularly blowing things up. He was terribly happy in that cabin by the lake.

He was also terribly lonely.

Sure, he had his cars and his bots and his trusty AI C.I.R.C.E, but they weren’t the same as human connection, something he infallibly yearned for. Some days, when the self-imposed isolation was too much to bear, he’d drive half an hour into the city of Atlanta, stay a night in a hotel, find a bar, and dance the night away with a faceless guy or two before sleeping alone, buzzed but not drunk and temporarily satisfied.

Most days though, he’d just swallow down the loneliness, bury himself in work or bury himself in blankets. It was all the same to him anyway — a hazy blur of sunrises and sunsets and meals he may or may not have eaten, chores he may or may not have finished. The pile of dirty clothes is a testament to that last one, and he spends three days in an engineering binge to create Landry, the bot who lovingly does his laundry for him when he can hardly be bothered to get out of bed.

Some memories in this hazy blur stick out more sharply than others, and they all revolve around the garden.

It had been started by Pepper as a vegetable garden. When its care fell into Harley’s hands, he had lovingly invested in it, throwing as much hard work and passion into it as he did his engineering. Over the years it has grown into a veritable maze — though not an actual hedge maze, which would have been unimaginably pretentious in Harley’s eyes, and much too orderly. He grew nearly every fruit, vegetable, and flower the Georgia climate would allow and spent hours engineering bots to take care of it.

And, just as in the old garage back in Rose Hill, he had a strict no spider-killing rule.

Harley wakes up, sprawled sideways in a chair on the porch. The sun is high in the sky, and a glance at his phone indicates that it’s well past noon. Even then, Harley shivers, the spring air not yet warm enough for his liking. Half a day wasted, though really, Harley muses as he goes inside, he was up all night combing through his AI’s code, so it’s not like he actually wasted time. Just daylight.

“Mornin’ C.I.R.C.E,” he greets his AI, yawning. “How we feeling?”

“Like brand new, after last night’s check-up.”

“Good, good,” he murmurs, rifling through his dresser. At long last he finds a pair of clean jeans, holding them up with a triumphant grin. “C.I.R.C.E., wake Kof-E up for me, will ya? And send Landry in here. She’s been slacking off her duties.”

“You got it, partner.” Tony had been downright scandalized when he heard Harley’s AI’s country twang. Abbie had laughed about the look on his face for days. Harley smiles at the memory as he goes back out into the kitchen, freshly dressed but with his hair as unkempt as ever. His beloved robot Kof-E whirs from his place on the kitchen counter, wheeling closer as Harley approaches to present a cup of coffee. Harley takes it and pats the robot’s head. He heads outside again, slipping on his boots and a flannel as he makes his way to the garden.

He grabs an apple from the trees that line the border of the garden as he walks through, pausing to greet his robots — Go-G and Gerald — by name as they trundle along. Soon he reaches a small clearing by the lake under the shade of an oak tree that’s sure to be over a hundred years old. Here, Harley takes a seat, finishing his apple and tucking and core into a bag in his pocket that he’ll put in composting later.

A flash of light catches his eye, and he stands, moving closer to the source. There, in between the branches of the tree, is a spider web that — if Harley’s not hallucinating — spells out HI.

“Howdy,” Harley says out loud in response, feeling only a little stupid. “Where are you?”

As if it can understand him, a spider skittles out of the shadows of the branches. Harley bends closer to take a look, surprised by the vibrancy of the peculiar red and blue creature.

“Can you understand me?” Harley asks.

He only has to wait a moment before the spider has spun a new pattern, spelling YES.

“You got a name, fella?”

The response takes a little longer this time as the spider spells out PETER.

Truly, it’s a testament to Harley’s sanity — or lack thereof — that he doesn’t run away screaming. Instead, he smiles softly and holds out his hand. “Well then, Peter. Want to come stay with me in the house for a little while? I’m real lonely up there and could use the company.”

The spider Peter doesn’t bother spelling out a response. He just jumps into Harley’s hands, ready to go with him to the ends of the earth.

“Well then,” Harley says again, if only to fill the silence between himself and the nonverbal creature. “Here we go.”

Over the next few days, Harley and Peter figure out how to live together comfortably. All of Harley’s robots are programmed to recognize and avoid spiders and spider webs, so Peter’s safety isn’t much of a concern. Communication, however, is.

They start out with an old-fashioned chalkboard with basic responses, needs, and the alphabet written out for Peter to indicate by crawling on. With that taken care of, Harley sets off on his next engineering binge, with the goal in mind to create a robot that will allow Peter to move and speak.

He begins by programming a new AI called PETER — Personal Equipment for Telecommunications and Electronic Replies because Harley loves is acronyms as much as Tony does — and gives him the voice of a teenage boy or young adult.

If Abbie or his Ma were here to witness this bout of insanity, they’d call him out for his poorly concealed loneliness. Nonetheless, he is alone and shamelessly gives in to his fantasy of finding a best friend, even if that best friend is a spider.

And really, Peter’s not too shabby of a best friend to have. He likes bacon and waffles — really, the fact that this spider liked human foods should have been a glaring clue to Harley that something truly weird was going on — and makes Harley regain a somewhat normal sleeping schedule by wrapping webs gently around his wrists to make him stop working late at night and somehow — Harley has never figured this one out — getting C.I.R.C.E. to play rock music loudly every morning to rouse him awake. He also gets C.I.R.C.E. to wake Kof-E up every morning though, so Harley can’t complain too much. Peter accompanies Harley in the lab, webbing tools over with surprising strength and giving as much input as he can with his limited communication abilities. He accompanies Harley into the garden every evening and listens as Harley speaks, asking questions every now and then with his little chalkboard. Harley can’t wait to build his robot, ready to hear Peter tell him a story of his own.

At long last, after two weeks of work, Harley finishes the robot, affectionately nicknamed “Capslock P.E.T.E.R.,” with Peter’s approval. He guides the spider into the clear container that serves as Capslock P.E.T.E.R.’s head before stepping back with bated breath to watch his genius play out.

“Hiya, Harley,” Peter/P.E.T.E.R. says, and Harley is nearly moved to tears. “I’m Peter.”

“I know,” Harley replies with a breathless laugh. “It’s nice to meet you, Peter.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Peter replies, voice full of emotion that Harley had no idea an AI was capable of producing.

That evening, they go out to the garden, back to the clearing where they first technically met. Peter greets the garden robots as he trundles by, voice adorably becoming more enthusiastic as the robots chirp back. Harley just smiles fondly at the spider inside the robot, quietly regretting his failure to give Capslock P.E.T.E.R. a face, if only to see him smile back.

“I think it��s your turn to tell me a story,” Harley says, settling by the lake. P.E.T.E.R. rolls to a stop beside him.

“Okay,” he says. “Well, here it goes.”

Peter had once been Peter Benjamin Parker, a bright, young science nerd living in New York City with his aunt. He worked as an intern for Tony Stark, who found the boy after heavy surveillance of a masked vigilante who liked to web muggers up in a sticky, fluid substance of his own invention. “Spider-Man,” the media called him, though Tony preferred “Spider-Boy.”

Then, in a tragic twist of irony, Peter was actually bitten by a spider and somehow become a spider himself.

“Mr. Stark was beside himself. The whole thing was so bizarre, and he couldn’t figure it out. Dr. Banner thought it was radiation, but he attributes most unexplainable phenomena to radiation,” Peter explains.

Eventually, a wizard doctor guy Tony reluctantly called in a favor with figured it out. Harley wants to interrupt and ask what exactly he had figured it out, but Peter glosses over it and presses on. Apparently, Tony had been telling Harley’s Ma the story and she, remembering Harley’s affinity for spiders, had suggested that Tony send Peter down to Harley’s place. They wanted it to be a secret or for him to figure it out on his own or something, so they discreetly packaged Peter in the latest care package/equipment shipment they had sent down from New York.

“That was nearly a week before I found you!” Harley cries out, remembering.

Peter reminds him that “You had an engineering binge,” and Harley blushes, unapologetic.

Together, they sit in silence for a moment as Harley digests the story, which really was something straight out of a comic book. Then a thought occurs to him and he says, “Hey, what did that wizard doctor figure out?”

“Oh,” Peter says with poorly feigned surprise, as if he hadn’t wanted Harley to remember that little detail he left out. “Yeah, he figured out a cure.”

“There’s a cure?” Harley turns to face Capslock P.E.T.E.R. with excitement. “Peter, why didn’t you so? We have to fix this! Tell me, what can I do?”

Peter is quiet for a moment, and Harley begins to wonder if he’s said something wrong. “See, this curse or whatever is magic. And the only cure is a kiss. A true love’s kiss.”

Harley’s mind goes blank. True love?

Harley doesn’t believe in true love. He doesn’t buy into the whole soulmate idea. He moved out to a cabin in the middle of the woods with a heavily encrypted, unlisted address, condemning himself to a solitary lifestyle. He’s lonely, sure, but he likes it. He likes his space, his bots, his AI …

And Peter. He really, really likes Peter.

In the past couple of weeks, Peter has become an integral part of Harley’s life as his trusted companion and caretaker. He’s listened to all of Harley’s stories, and Harley wants nothing more than to hear all of Peter’s, get to know the boy beneath the arachnid body. As he thinks about it more, Harley can’t imagine a life without Peter in it, and maybe Peter’s not his true love — not yet, at least — but it’s worth a shot.

“Well then,” Harley says tentatively. “What are we waiting for?”

With shaking hands, he frees Peter from Capslock P.E.T.E.R.’s containment, smiling as the red and blue spider jumps eagerly into his hands. Harley raises his palm to his face, closes his eyes, and before he can think any more about it, he kisses the creature.

Immediately, Harley can feel the ripple of magic course through Peter’s body. The creature in his hands morphs until he’s cupping not a spider but the soft cheek of a boy whose lips are pressed gently against Harley’s. He opens his eyes at long last and pulls away, unable to contain a gasp at the sight of the boy-turned-spider-turned-boy-again, whom he’s come to love.

Peter wears what looks like a spandex suit, though it’s probably some fancy Stark tech, red and blue with black webbing all over it and a black spider emblem emblazoned on his chest. Harley assumes that the mask Peter mentioned is missing, but he’s glad for the fact as he drinks in Peter’s rosy cheeks and amber eyes and tousled brown curls that make Harley’s heart ache with yearning.

“Hi,” Peter says nervously in his own voice, not Capslock P.E.T.E.R.’s.

“Thank God you came back wearing clothes, because that would’ve made for a real awkward situation.” Harley wants to take back his words — which he hadn’t actually meant to say aloud, for goodness’s sake — as soon as he sees Peter’s eyes widen, but when the boy lets out a bark of surprised laughter, Harley relaxes, joining in. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

“It’s okay. The first time I met Mrs. Potts, I ran into her — literally — and tried to say either ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘Nice to meet you’ but ended up blurting out ‘I’m sorry to meet you,’ instead. I just ran away. It was so embarrassing!”

Harley can’t help but to laugh again, leaning his head on Peter’s shoulder. Peter leans his head on top of his. They sit there together, in the clearing by the lake, where it all began, feeling completely at peace with the world and each other and their state of being.

“Thank you,” Harley says suddenly, grabbing hold of Peter’s hand.

“What for?”

“The efflorescence of love,” Harley replies, “and the gossamer that holds us together.”

Peter says nothing at that, just squeezes Harley’s hand tighter. Together, they watch the sunset, witness the way the world changes colors.

The world might be forever changing, but at the heart of it all sat two boys by a lake with the knowledge that through it all, they’d have each other.

And it would be enough.

“I died, and was born in the spring; / I found you, and loved you, again.”

— Mary Oliver, “Hummingbirds”

[mearcatsreturns]

We Part Only to Meet Again, ch. 9

A problem springs up with Luka’s work visa and he is on the verge of having to leave the country. Abby can’t stand the thought of him leaving and offers a solution: a green card marriage. It might kill them both, but they're committed. 

Luka and Abby continue to enjoy each other, sometimes in ill-advised places at ill-advised times. The ER receives a letter and they mourn as a group.

And @somekindofflowergirl and I are back with the 9th chapter of our marriage of convenience AU! Sorry about the delays--between starting a new job and then having my blog deleted, writing only happened sporadically. But we’re glad to be back.

It’s also on ao3, if that’s more your speed. 

Ch. 9: A Letter and Consolation

Luka couldn’t help but smile as he made his way into the ER. He and Abby had slightly staggered shifts today, so she was already there, and he couldn’t wait to see her.

It had been about a month since they’d found their way back together. To bed, that is. Well, beds, couches, counters, and on one memorable occasion, an office printer at work. He was almost used to the eye-rolling from their coworkers at this point.

He and Abby had even met their neighbors, who were less than enthusiastic about how loud living next to them had gotten. That had been a little embarrassing, but he’d since had someone come by and improve the insulation, which had helped (so had the apology cookies he’d given them).

It should have gotten easier to bear, the heat between them, but it was as if indulging it had just made their hunger for each other stronger. Not that Luka had any complaints—nor did Abby, it seemed—but it might have made it simpler to do things, like, oh, work.

“Morning, Jerry, Frank,” he greeted them after clocking in. Frank just made an annoyed sound, and even Jerry shook his head as Luka walked past.

And there was Abby coming out of trauma two. Even though she was a mess, she lit up when she saw him.

He grinned back at her, resisting the urge to kiss her passionately in the middle of the hall. “Are you done in there?”

“Yeah, it was an MVA, but we got the guy stabilized and Romano took him up to surgery.”

“Want to help me out with my next case? I think it’s just a simple fracture.”

“...do you need my help?” Her mouth was twitching as she tried to hide a laugh.

Helping her untie the used smock (if he took the opportunity to slightly and subtly grope her, so be it) and throwing it away, he shrugged. “Well, you never know. Maybe it’s more serious and I just won’t be able to see it.”

“See, to me it sounds like you’re just flirting and trying to seduce a poor, innocent nurse.”

“Maybe I am, but do you have anything else urgent?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll go with you.”

It did indeed look like a simple, straightforward break. They took the patient up to radiology. Certainly, both of them didn’t need to go, but the way Abby gasped when he surreptitiously ran his hand under her scrub top as he passed by her might have played a role in convincing her to “help.”

Once the patient was in with the radiology tech, Abby said she was going to get a few things from the supply closet while they waited, giving him a long look. Luka quickly offered to help. The tech rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, but waved them away. “Just be back in like half an hour for the patient, okay? I’ll send the films down.”

He didn’t care, just hurried after his wife, following her into the supply room.

She was facing the door when he came in, and she wasted no time in flinging herself into his arms.

Meeting her lips with a quiet groan, he reached down to lift her up into his arms. He walked them back up against the counter, her legs wrapped around his hips.

“You sure this is a good idea?” she asked when they pulled back for a breath.

He cupped her jaw and lifted her lips to his in an all-consuming kiss. “I am,” he said.

Abby didn’t waste time disagreeing, reaching for him and fumbling with his belt. He tugged at her scrub pants, pulling them off as quickly as he could and bringing her to the edge of the countertop.

She succeeded in getting him free, and he moaned into their kiss as she wrapped her hand around him, stroking him until he was fully hard.

Luka stepped between her legs and thrust into her without much preamble. He felt the familiar thrill of satisfaction at how Abby clutched at him, biting down on her lip to keep from crying out. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, wordlessly encouraging him to move.

He set a quick pace, knowing that as thrilling as the semi-public location was, every minute they continued they risked getting caught. He reached between them, trying to help Abby along. It didn’t take her much longer before she was gasping his name, pushing him over the edge after her.

With a sigh of regret, he pulled back from her after a minute or two, and they hurried to clean themselves up. When Abby reached for the door to head back out, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, giving her a lingering kiss.

He finally slipped out into the hallway when Abby yelped in surprise. Rushing out to see what had startled her, he started heading toward the elevator. Then he heard the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat, and Luka turned to face a very disapproving Susan, standing with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

He could feel his entire body turning red. “I was, ah, I was grabbing something from storage.”

“I don’t want to know what the ‘something’ of Abby’s was. Anyway, one of your patients needs you, and the films are ready for your radial fracture.”

“Okay...I’ll...I’ll just go see to that.”

Susan sighed. “First, I’d make sure your shirt is buttoned properly, okay?”

He looked down. Sure enough, his buttons were askew.

“Just...no more...boffing at work, please.”

Luka nodded and fled as quickly as he could.

&&&

Abby was tending to a patient in sutures when she felt Luka slide behind her, his hand slipping down to give her hip a squeeze. She gave him what she hoped was a quelling look, but probably wasn’t. She couldn’t get enough of his hands and his answering smolder said he knew it. He apparently hadn’t gotten her into enough trouble today already.

Ugh, he shouldn’t be so attractive when he was smug. But dammit, he WAS, and he had REASON to be.

Still, there were protocols they ought to be observing at work. Silly ones, such as, oh, don’t have sex in the ER, and also, probably, don’t flirt and fondle each other in front of patients.

Abby was only a woman. One with a very handsome husband who enjoyed enticing her into breaking the rules. Repeatedly.

Luka efficiently checked the wound and asked for the suture kit, which Abby had at the ready. Haleh poked her head in to let her know she needed to change the IV on her diabetic patient.

“You good here?” She checked with Luka.

“I’ll miss you, but I’ve got this.”

She rolled her eyes at him as she ignored his grin and aimed to be stern with her reply.

“Behave, Dr. Kovač.”

He stared back at her with his eyes practically twinkling. Was he seriously turned on right now? Their earlier rendezvous was only a couple hours ago.

Abby watched him in disbelief before shaking her head and turning to go. On the way out, she heard the patient.

“So I guess that stuff about nurses and doctors is true, huh?”

Luka laughed at the older man in response.

“Well, in this case anyway. She’s my wife.”

The pride in his voice nearly made her turn around to kiss him.

&&&

A few hours later, Abby was standing at admit, listening to Carter read Dr. Greene’s letter. He sounded remarkably upbeat, considering. That was the power of getting away from County and sitting on a beach, she guessed. Or, more likely, he was doing it for their sakes, focusing on the positive. That sounded like something he would do.

Luka came over then, coffee mug in hand.

“What’s going on?” He bent toward her ear.

“It’s from Dr. Greene.”

Damn, the man was on the beach in Hawaii and longing for a trauma. “The day I start fantasizing about critical procedures is the day I leave, too.”

What followed sounded like a goodbye to all of them, and Abby guessed it was. She shifted so she could lean back against Luka. He slid a comforting hand onto her shoulder.

Carter stopped reading and Luka urged him to continue. “Go on.”

There wasn’t much left, just an endnote about his daughters finding a shell. Feeling a need to lighten the mood, Abby joked with Haleh about macadamia nuts. After a moment, she felt Luka tense, so she jerked up her head to look at him and followed his gaze to Carter. Oh god. She knew what he was going to say.

“What?” Susan knew, too, Abby could hear it in her voice, how her question wasn’t really a question.

Carter could hardly get the words out. No matter how weird things had been between them, she ached for her friend.

“This next part’s from Dr. Corday… ‘Mark died this morning.’”

&&&

The rest of the day was rough.

As much as Abby respected Dr. Greene and appreciated how gentle he was with patients and his coworkers, she hadn’t expected to feel personal loss when he died. But she did. Luka did too, she could feel it in how he gripped her briefly after they heard, could see it in the dark look in his eyes.

It wasn’t their tragedy, though, not really. So Abby tucked away her own shock and hurt over it and tried to comfort the ones who had known him longer and better.

After Carter faltered in the trauma with the dad from an MVA, she gave him a long look and followed him to the vending machines. He was moving forward, trying to get through the day, but his eyes showed how wrecked he really was.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. No. I…”

Abby tried to find the words to help him. They’d kept their distance when possible, ever since he’d found out about her marriage to Luka. Not out of guilt, but that day had made it clear that Carter had still had feelings for her. She could at least give him the space to get over it. Plus, he had really pissed her off.

None of that mattered at the moment.

“If you want to talk…”

“I can’t…not right now.” He closed his eyes. “Not...not because of you...I just need to put my head down to get through the rest of today.”

“Okay, you know where to find me.”

He nodded and started back toward admit.

Abby turned to see Luka coming toward her as she grabbed her soda.

“Is he okay?”

She looked up at him and gave a weak attempt at a smile.

“I don’t think anybody is today.”

“Yeah.”

He looked like he was going to say more, as he worked his jaw, but he thought better of it and put his arms around her instead. She buried her face in his chest and breathed deep, focusing on the smell of him and the warmth, his heartbeat thumping beneath her ear. A small shudder went through him before he relaxed, sighed and kissed her head, running his hand down her back.

“Susan wants to go out for drinks after work. What do you think?”

Luka pulled back to eye her carefully. “Will that be okay for you?”

Abby wanted to scoff and say of course, but made herself stop and consider.

“I think so. As long as you come too. I know you have to stay a little later, but I’ll be alright for a little while. I think...I think she really needs someone to be there tonight.”

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before answering.

“Okay, if you’re sure, I’d like to go. And we can leave whenever you need to, even if it’s as soon as I get there.”

The trust in his eyes loosened something inside her.

“Thanks, Luka. I don’t really want to go home by myself tonight either.”

Luka gave her another gentle squeeze before taking her by the hand and walking back toward admit. Carter was there, in front of the board, and she caught him looking at them. He looked away, his expression inscrutable.

“Let me know before you leave?”

“Yeah.”

She looked back to her husband and swiped her thumb across the back of his hand before letting go. Before she left, she would make a quick trip to OB to let Janet know her plans for the evening.

&&&

Abby and Susan had a quiet L ride and stroll to the Lava Lounge. It was an, um, interesting location for a wake. The tiki bar atmosphere made Abby feel even more depressed.

She wanted Luka. Taking a deep breath, she refocused on Susan. The others were supposed to trickle in soon, but it was just the two of them for the moment.

“I feel like asking how you’re doing is really stupid, so I’m just going to say you can talk to me instead. If you want to.”

Susan nodded and sipped at her enormous tropical drink.

“God, this sucks.”

“Yeah,” Abby agreed, swirling the straw of her club soda with lime.

She thought back to the sexual harassment seminar, and Carter’s insistence on Susan and Dr. Greene having feelings for each other. Susan had seemed genuine in her denial, and Abby hoped for her sake that she was. They must have been on the same wavelength because Susan started talking about it.

“Mark and I. We, uh, we never went out. That was true. But we did have feelings for each other, before. Neither of us said anything until I was leaving. I always kind of thought of him as the one that got away.”

“Wow, that...that sucks.”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m not still there. I fell in love with Dix, he fell in love with Elizabeth, and we both moved on. I just figured some things happen for a reason. But part of me can’t help but wonder what might have been different if we hadn’t. Or if nothing would have, and I’d be the widow trying to raise a baby and stepdaughter by myself.” Susan shuddered and took a big gulp.

Abby hadn’t been able to think of Corday all day without pain. She couldn’t help but imagine how hard this must be, especially with their separation. For a split second, she imagined losing Luka like that. She could barely breathe at the thought. How much worse the reality of it would be.

Luka. God. He’d gone through that, and so much worse. At least Corday still had Ella, still had her to love and care for. Damn, she needed to hold her husband.

Looking to her new friend, she tried to picture things from her perspective. If she and Luka hadn’t reconciled, and then he’d died...he would never have known she did care for him, she’d never have known he cared for her. What would she have needed to hear?

“I don’t know that I really believe in meant to be. But I do know that Dr. Greene and Corday loved each other. I know you were a good friend to him, and I am sure that meant a lot.”

“Yeah,” Susan answered hoarsely, wiping her eyes.

“I’m sure there’s someone out there for you. You’re a good friend, you’re great with kids, you’re a great doctor, you’re pretty—you will find someone. It just wasn’t him.”

“Part of me feels...relieved that it wasn’t. You know? It hurts like hell just to lose my friend.”

“Yeah,” Abby whispered back.

Her own eyes watered as she watched Susan try to get herself back under control. It took a couple minutes of wiping her eyes with a napkin, taking deep breaths, and a gulp of her drink before she turned to Abby with a weak smile.

“Okay, enough of that for now. So, really, you don’t believe in fate or meant to be? Despite your newlywed, clearly cannot keep your hands or anything else to yourself phase?”

Abby flushed bright red. Had it really only been that morning that Susan had caught her and Luka trying to sneak out of radiology, obviously post-coital? It felt like a week ago.

“Uh...yeah...sorry about...that.”

Susan laughed a little. “I wish I could say you were the first, but at least I didn’t actually catch you in the act. Just make sure you’re always far away from the emergency call button. That’s how we caught Mark and Jennifer.”

Wow. Alright then. “Did that really happen?”

“Yep, we rushed in with the defibrillator and everything.” Susan laughed at the memory.

“That would be…” Abby couldn’t imagine living that down. They had to knock it off, or it was bound to happen. If it had been someone else who caught them, like Dr. Weaver, they probably wouldn’t still have jobs.

“Hey, I get it. I just can’t believe I never saw how much chemistry you two have before. It’s hard enough to work near you two sometimes, I’m sure it’s hard to hold back.”

Ha. If she only knew how many times Abby had held back.

“Yeah, it’s just...I think it would be easier if I did believe in fate. Because I still feel scared sometimes at how close we came to losing that.”

The vulnerability was uncomfortable, even though Susan had been just as open. She joked, trying to get back to safer ground.

“Plus, Luka’s really hot, so…I don’t know, can you blame me?”

Susan giggled at that and then burst into laughter as Abby joined her. It hadn’t been that funny, and the laughter was a bit hysterical, but it was a relief to release some of that tension.

“What’s this about?” In the commotion, Abby had missed Luka, Gallant and Haleh’s approach. She sighed and placed her hand on top of the one he laid on her shoulder, and she immediately felt grounded.

“Your sexual prowess,” Susan responded then cackled. Abby giggled at Luka’s horrified look and shook her head at him in answer.

The others sat down and Susan pulled herself together. Gallant went to grab drinks and Abby looked at Luka in question as he asked for a Coke. He merely winked in response and turned back to the conversation.

He didn’t have to do that, and she’d remind him later, but it was nice that he cared that much.

They all talked. Kerry and Sandy showed up, too. The others shared some memories, and they did some toasting. It was nice, but the melancholy started hitting Abby hard. She wasn’t exactly craving a drink, but she was becoming more and more aware of how easy it would be. With the day, the reminder that anything terrible could happen at anytime, to anyone, it would be so easy to slip. But Abby just wanted to go home and have Luka hold her. She settled for laying her head on his shoulder.

“You alright?”

Her half-hearted smile didn’t fool him. He turned to the others.

“I guess we’ll see you all at work. We’re going to head home. Been a long day.”

They said their goodbyes and Abby stopped to share a sad smile with Susan. “If you need anything…”

“Thanks, Abby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Luka wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she snuggled into him even as they walked toward the door side-by-side.

“Do you need to stop anywhere or call Janet or anything?”

She looked up at his earnest, eager-to-help face. There wasn’t a single trace of judgment there, and she wanted to kiss him for it.

“I just need you.”

Luka startled and looked down at her with a cocked eyebrow.

“Not like that, perv.” She smacked his arm, laughing. “I want to go home and crawl into bed and be held. Can we do that?”

He hummed in response and kissed her head.

“Absolutely.”

&&&

They nearly ran into Carter in the alley. He was heading in to the Lava Lounge, hands tucked into his pockets, lost in thought.

Luka narrowly avoided a collision, reaching out to grasp Carter’s shoulder. “Sorry.”

“Oh...no, I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

He glanced over and saw Abby smile sadly at Carter. “It’s okay.”

The three of them stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Finally, Carter cleared his throat and broke the silence. “So...you two headed out?”

Abby nodded. “Yeah, it’s—well, it’s been a long day, and people are starting to drink, so we’re out, but pretty much everyone else is still inside, and they’d love to see you.”

“Haleh and Kerry both asked after you,” Luka said, squeezing Abby’s arm. God, he loved her. Loved how supportive she was, even when she was hurting too.

“Okay, thanks. Well, you two have a good evening.”

They told him good night and were continuing on their way when Carter called out, “Luka, wait.”

He looked over at Abby quizzically, and she shrugged in response. He patted her on the shoulder and turned back to face Carter.

Carter took a deep breath. “I—I know it’s belated and I should have said it sooner, but...congratulations. You two seem happy together.”

Huh. There was nothing like a reminder of the fleeting nature of life to bring things into perspective, Luka supposed. He stuck out his hand to Carter, who shook it with a brief smile. “Thanks. And...take care of yourself, yeah?”

“Will do. Thanks again.”

Carter made his way inside, and Luka hurried to catch up with Abby.

“What was that about?”

“He just...well, he said congratulations to us. I think it’s been a hard time for him.”

“A little late,” she said with a snort.

“Better late than never, eh?”

She beamed up at him and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Yeah, that’s true.”

[clarke-kom-eden]

Arkadia Island

Bellarke, Modern AU, all 20 chpts on my blog, thanks! Storm, #arkadia island

Chapter 10

Every step she took was slow and heavy, her shoes and jeans weighed down by mud. Before long, the sun rose, shedding light on the destruction that surrounded her. She barely recognised her world. What once had been a picture of serenity was now dark and bleak. She fought her way through the devastation, her fingers and toes stung with the cold. She remembered what the rescue team had said about the roads being washed away, so she stuck to the footpaths through the woods that so far seemed to have held up ok. She kept pushing forward, determined, focused, not allowing her mind to wander as to the fate of the others. She had a job to do.

When the rescue team arrived back at the highschool, they had lost some people and gained others. Some of the team had accompanied the badly injured to the hospital, but as they knew how overwhelmed the hospital would be, they decided it would be best to bring everyone else to the school for shelter. Murphy entered, assisting a pretty girl with a tattoo on her face, followed by Nate and Mr.Miller carrying a guy between them. Then Bellamy limped in, carrying a small boy, no older than 3. One of the students ran towards Bellamy crying out,

‘Jacob, of my goodness, my little brother!’ She took him from Bellamy and held him tightly. 'Thankyou, thankyou so much!’ Just then, Jake arrived with Jacob’s mother, reuniting the family, it was a beautiful moment.

Octavia greeted her brother, and noticing his limp, helped him sit down.

'Are you ok, what happened?’ Jake answered for him,

'Not sure if your brother’s brave or stupid, Octavia. Stopped a kid from falling through some unstable debris, by jumping in a pile of broken glass.’ He patted him on the shoulder, 'I guess we’ll go with brave.  Now let’s see if we can’t get you fixed up. Where’s Clarke?’ Octavia stayed completely silent, not knowing where to start. Bellamy noticed,

'O? Where is Clarke?’ His tone was deadly serious.

'After you left, the hospital radioed. They were looking for Jackson, is he…?’

'Taken the injured to the hospital, you were saying?’

'Right. They needed help and they couldn’t reach you, and Clarke, she…’ Octavia continued to try to explain, Bellamy and Jake both furious.

'How could you let her go, alone?!’ Bellamy fumed,

'We didn’t let her go! She left, we couldn’t stop her!’ Octavia argued. Jake threw up his hands in frustration,

'What was she doing?!’ he asked, of no one in particular.

'Being Clarke.’ Bellamy answered, as he got up and began getting his things together once more. He had every intention of  going back out there, to find her, but it was Monty who stopped him.

'Bellamy your leg is bleeding, it needs taking care of, you don’t even know where she is.’

'I CAN’T LOSE CLARKE!’ He shouted, losing his calm completely, 'I can’t lose her.’

'You won’t, but right now, we need to take care of you. Clarke said she’d radio when she got there, she’s probably close. I’m sure it won’t be long.’ Jake was desperate to find her too. The anguish he saw in Bellamy was alarming, the reality that someone could love his daughter almost as much as he did. He put his hand on Bellamy’s shoulder.

'We’ll give her an hour, ok? One hour, and if she hasn’t checked in, we’ll get back out there.’ Jake knew Bellamy needed to rest his leg, and felt a responsibility on Clarke’s behalf to keep him safe. He had no intention of taking Bellamy with him if he went out to find her, but if this pacified him for now, it would do. Bellamy relented and allowed Monty to look at his leg, all the while on edge, listening out for her call.

Clarke arrived at the hospital, legs shaking with pain. There were several tents and marquees pitched outside, so she made her way through the maze of them to the entrance. She introduced herself and the staff seemed grateful to have her, especially when they realised she was Abby’s daughter. Clarke asked for the radio, but the Doctor, Indra, insisted she change first and get checked over, as she was soaked through. As soon as this was done, Indra handed her the radio, and told her to come find her as soon as she was finished, as she had plenty for her to do.

'Monty, anyone, can you hear me?’

Bellamy jumped as the radio crackled in his hand and he heard her voice.

'Clarke?’

'Bellamy?’ Clarke was so relieved that it was him, it meant he was back safe. Bellamy was relieved too, but now he knew she was ok, the worry he had felt was replaced with anger.

'What the hell were you thinking! You left?!’

'I, I thought you’d understand. I had to.’

'No. You made a choice Clarke. You could have been hurt. Are you alright?’

'Fine. You?’

'Fine.’ He lied. Jake was there now, and gestured for Bellamy to pass him the radio, which he handed over reluctantly.

'Clarke. This is your father speaking, over.’

'Dad, are you ok?’

'What you did was completely reckless. What if you had been hurt out there alone? I am very disappointed with you, I can’t,’ he took a second and exhaled loudly, ‘I can’t even speak to you right now.’ He passed the radio back to Bellamy, as Clarke scrambled to reply.

'I’m sorry, I really am. I didn’t think it through.’ Just as she was trying to explain herself, Indra flagged her down, 'I have to go, I’m needed, I’m really sorry.’ She meant it, she had been so impulsive, she hadn’t meant to worry them. Bellamy spoke then,

'Its ok, Clarke.’ It wasn’t completely of course, but they could talk about it later. ‘I’ll get over to you soon.’ With that, Jake took the radio from Bellamy again.

'No he won’t Clarke, Bellamy is injured, he’ll be staying put so he can rest and you, stay where you are. No more ridiculous heroics from either of you, do you understand?!’ Jake was more than a little frustrated with the pair of them.

'What? How bad is it? Is he ok?’

'He’ll be fine, but he needs to rest. Go and do what you went there to do and help. We’ll talk later. Over and out.’ With that, Jake cut Clarke off and left, taking the radio with him, leaving both Clarke and Bellamy reeling.

[1rban]

Welcome to The COVID-19 Devotionals | Day 15! 

Keep A Positive Outlook

While the stay at home, shelter in place, social distancing of the past couple of weeks has thrown a serious kink into our lives, our efforts are not in vain. This time spent in voluntary separation (in most cases), does not need to be a total bummer either.

One thing I have always admired about my Mom is her ability to find the silver lining in any event in her life and her determination to make the best out of any situation, good or bad, that she can. And she’s had her share of both. Yet, anyone that knows her will tell you that she’s probably the most positive, optimistic person they know.

During one of the most challenging times in our personal lives and in the history of Planet Earth, it is important to keep a positive outlook.

Remember way back when, just a couple of months ago, when you wished you had more time with family and the flexibility to enjoy more of the fun things in life? Or maybe you had a home improvement project you couldn’t find the time to complete? Perhaps, your dream list is simpler and consists of carving out time to curl up with a good book or catch up on the latest binge-worthy TV show everybody’s talking about. Take advantage of the time. Don’t get caught up on the gloom and doom of it all. I get it. There’s plenty to worry about. There always is. If anything, COVID-19 should remind you to appreciate each day we’re granted on this earth.

Home Before Dark

Terri and I binged on the Apple TV+ show, Home Before Dark, that came out on Friday, April 3. Created by Dana Fox and Dara Resnik, Home Before Dark is an American mystery-drama series based on the real life adventures of nine-year old journalist Hilde Lysiak, played by Brooklynn Prince. The show also features Jim Sturgess, Abby Miller, Louis Herthum, Michael Weston, Kiefer O’Reilly, Kylie Rogers, Aziza Scott, Adrian Hough, Joelle Carter, Jibrail Nantambu, and Deric McCabe.

The show is well done and keeps you guessing. Each actor does a superb job playing their role and the writing is superb. The story unfolds through twists and turns in each episode and makes you want to watch the next episode like a great page-turning novel.  Nine-year old Brooklyn Prince is remarkable, an actor mature beyond her years. The chemistry between her character and Jim Sturgess, who plays her father, is extremely natural, albeit very unique given Brooklyn’s character, as if they were really father and daughter in real life.

Enjoy Walks Together

Walking together has always been one of my favorite activities with Terri. She and I have walked in some pretty neat places in the twenty years God has chosen to bless me with her. It helps us unwind, reflect, and spend time in communion with God and His beautiful creation. Often when we walk, we pray for the people living in the houses that we pass by. Sometimes, we recite scripture we’ve memorized or are trying to commit to memory.

Getting out in the neighborhood allows the opportunity to greet our neighbors and fellow community members. We make it a point of saying hello and greeting people with a smile, although they don’t always reciprocate in kind. For us, it’s a simple way to show a little kindness and share the love and joy of Jesus with others.

Listen to Jim Hamner

For a number of years, Jim Hamner has played organ at our home church, Trinity Bible Richardson. Recently, Jim has been hosting an hour of piano music, titled “Quarantune Happy Hour,” thanks to Facebook Live. He’s slowly working through the American Songbook, playing tons of old favorites and familiar standards. He’s sharing the gift of music the Lord has given him with us, trying to brighten everyone’s day, even if it’s only for an hour. I’ve found it to be a pleasant distraction from the world around me.

You can catch Jim Hamner’s “Quarantune Happy Hour“, at 5 p.m. CST, Monday-Friday.

Cook Some Food!

I’ve enjoyed cooking dinner for Terri and I the past couple of weeks. While we love to go out, it’s nice to be able to sit down at home together over a meal that I prepared. I spent today smoking a roast and a tenderloin. The other day, I cooked baby back ribs, asparagus, and potatoes. It was delicious, if I do say so myself.

Having spent nearly 25 years in the food business, cooking is something I still love to do, especially for my bride. Besides, if you know me, you know I LOVE to eat. I think food is a great vehicle for building relationships and for demonstrating love in a tangible way.

Reflection Questions:

How are you keeping a positive outlook during the COVID-19 pandemic?

What binge worthy shows are you streaming that you would recommend others watch to pass the time during the COVID-19 crisis?

How are you spending time outside during the COVID-19 situation?

Do you know of someone sharing their gifts online to help others relieve stress during the COVID-19 pandemic?

What activities, like cooking, are you enjoying during this COVID-19 crisis?

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for the blessings You reveal to us during this difficult time. We are hurting and we are suffering, but we know that You are with us amid this crisis, as You are in every day of our lives. We can trust that You are with us as we celebrate joyfully on the mountaintops and when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. This Holy Week, help us remember, that You are a good God who loved us so much so that You gave Your only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. What a remarkable gift You gave us that day on Calvary! Praise You, Lord. Praise You today and forevermore. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Praying that you and those you love remain healthy and safe. Together we will get through this thing that’s disrupted our lives.

Thank you for taking time to read this post and for visiting my blog, The Devotional Guy™.  Feel free to like this post, leave a comment in the comments section below, and share it with those you know.

Be sure to follow The Devotional Guy™ to get notified of my new posts. You can also connect with me through social media on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram!

Blessings,

The Devotional Guy™

ABOUT: The Devotional Guy™is a writing ministry of Rainer Bantau,  a chaplain actively and intentionally sharing the love of Jesus with people working in the marketplace, the homeless, and wherever else he encounters them.

      The COVID-19 Devotionals | Day 15 Welcome to The COVID-19 Devotionals | Day 15! Keep A Positive Outlook While the stay at home, shelter in place, social distancing of the past couple of weeks has thrown a serious kink into our lives, our efforts are not in vain.

[shortychelsea]

In Today’s Blog Post, I Will Be Writing About My Adventure To Ghana, Kumasi For Medical & Disable Orphanage Experience With A Company Called Plan My Gap Year, I Went Away With Them For 3 Weeks & Was Such A Surreal Experience. There Will Be 3 Parts To This Blog 🙂 

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My Journey To Ghana Began On The 5th August 2018, I Flew To Accra With British Airways (6 Hour Flight). I Met Some Amazing People On My Flight. When I Arrived In Ghana, I Showed My Yellow Fever Certificate and Then Went Through Visa & Passport Control. I Then Collected My Bags, Got Them Scanned, & Found Dennis & Kristy To Be Taken To The Pink Hostel.

We Stayed At The Pink Hostel For The Night, Before Starting Our Journey To Kumasi To The Volunteer House. When We Arrived We Was Greeted By The Staff & The Gorgeous Kiddies Who Hang Around The PMGY House. We Was Shown To Our Rooms & Then Unpacked Before Joining Everyone In The Dinning Area To Have A Little Meeting / Twi Lesson.

The Following Day Was An Early Start As It Was Orientation Day. We Went To The Various Placements, We Visited The Kids At The School & Was Greeted With The Best Hugs. We Also Visited The Hospital & Saw Tiny Newborns Super Cute & Got Me Excited To Begin Placement. After We Had Visited The Placements We Went To The Kumasi Market Which Is The Largest Market In Ghana It Was Crazy!!. We Then Visited Manhyia Palace Museum & Learnt About The History Of Kumasi. We Then Went Back To The Volunteer House & Had Dinner. 

The Following Day Was Our First Day Of Placement, We Was Taken To The Hospital By Kristy & Dennis. I Was At The Hospital & Went To The Maternity Ward I Shadowed A Midwife, I Was Helping With Doing The Checks On The Labouring Women, Also Checking On The Women Who Had C-Sections & Their Babies. I Also Helped Transfer A Women From The Surgery Up To The Maternity Ward Where We Transferred Her On To Her Bed. It Was A Great Day & At 2pm I Got Changed & Met Everyone Downstairs To Meet Dennis To Go Back To The Volunteer House.

Today Was Our First Day Of Our Weekend Adventure!! PMGY Ghana Offer A Safari Weekend, So Thursday Was Our Village Day, So We Drove To Lake Bosumtwi Where We Was Shown So Much Love By The Local Children, We Was Taken To The Locals Homes & Sat Outside, We Was Given A Basket For Our Heads & The Guys Were Given Machete’s. We Ventured Into The Forest & The Guys Cut The Tree To Get The Fruit/Vegetables & Us Girls Carried It On Our Heads In The Baskets. We Brought It To The Women Who Cooked It Whilst Us Kids & Volunteers Relaxed Near The Lake. We Went Back & Pounded The Fufu, & We All Tried A Bit. We Then Drove To The Lake Where We Had A Boat Ride Across The River & Back Again, We Also Had Our Lunch Too. We Then Had A Swim In The Lake Before Heading Back To The House.

Friday Was An Early Start As We Had A Long Drive To Mole National Park, Before We Went To The National Park We Visited The Oldest Mosque In West Africa, We Had A Tour & Was About To Take A Photo But Their Was A Man Who Was Not Happy Of Us Being There (Fridays Were Praying Day) So There Was A Big Scene So We All Left & Went To The National Park. We Arrived & Had Some Lunch (I Had Pizza), We Then Checked Into Our Rooms, & Went On Our First Safari Ride. We Saw Antelopes, Baboons, Elephants & Different Species Of Birds. After A Few Hours We Headed Back, Went To Get Changed Into Our Swimming Suits When A Baboon Went Into One Of The Girls Room & Scared The Life Out Of Them & Stole Amy’s Tablets. It Then Ran Out & Chased Me, Abby & Flo Into A Corner It Was So Scary. After The Shock Of That We Went For A Swim & Relaxed For About An Hour. We Then Got Changed, Had Dinner. Then Travelled Back To The Village Near The Mosque & Had A Drumming & Dancing Session It Was A Lot Of Fun. We Then Went Back To The Hotel & Went To Bed.

On Saturday We Woke Up Really Early For Our Walking Safari Tour, We Only Saw Elephants This Morning But That Was Amazing, We Was So Close To Them & It Was Such A Surreal Experience. We Then Went Back & Had Our Breakfast Before Checking Out. We Then Drove To The Mosque & Got a Group Photo As We Were Unable Yesterday. We Then Drove 3 Hours To Quickly Have Some Lunch, We Then Drove To “Kintampo Waterfalls” Where We Had A Swim & Had A Lot Of Fun. We Relaxed For A Bit Before Driving To The Monkey Sanctuary Where We Fed The Monkeys Nuts & Bananas & They Climbed All Over Us. Me & Greg Then Decided To Try & Climb A Tree Which We Succeeded. We Then Went To The Gift Shop Where It Is All Hand Made, I Brought Some Ordinaments. We Then Handed Out Gifts To The Local Children. We Then Drove Back To Kumasi To The Volunteer House Where We Had Dinner, Had A Shower After The Long Day We Had, We Also Played Truth & Dare With Everyone Before Going To Bed As We Was All Knackered.

On Sunday I Woke Up Later Than Usual As I Was So Tired, I Got Ready For The Day & Me & Some Of The Volunteers Went To Kumasi Market. It Was A Lot Quieter Today As Sunday’s Are Church Day & Are Known As Family Days So Most Stalls Are Closed. I Brought A Few Gifts For My Family. We Then Headed Home Where I Began Editing My Vlog For The 1st Week Of Ghana, We Then Had Dinner & Then I Had A Shower. I Went To Bed Early As I Was Tired & Had To Be Up Early For Placement The Next Morning.

Next Saturday Part 2 Will Be Uploaded / I Hope You Enjoyed This & Are Looking Forward To Part 2.

Chelsea ❤

My Volunteering Experience In Ghana 2018 – Week 1 In Today's Blog Post, I Will Be Writing About My Adventure To Ghana, Kumasi For Medical & Disable Orphanage Experience With A Company Called Plan My Gap Year, I Went Away With Them For 3 Weeks & Was Such A Surreal Experience.

[thepennydarling]

…well for all intents and purposes, anyway.

Hello there, Penny Darlings! Greeting & salutations from the great state of Illinois!

This has been quite the experience! Actually, I don’t know yet, I’m just teasing! I’m typing before I jet set off into the Windy City! It’s going to be FAB though, I can already tell.

But anyway, let’s talk engagement photos.

Most people take engagement photos because 95% of the photos of you and your SO are taken with phones at fun events, snapchats with filters still on, or selfies. Most people don’t have the repertoire of high-res, beautiful, Pinterest worth shots with their SO.

However, Preston and I have A TON!

  And honestly, this barely even scratches the surface. I had to transfer an album labeled “Preston” to an external hard drive once and TBH – it had over TWO THOUSAND pics in it. TWO DAMN THOUSAND!

We take a lot of pictures together, is the moral of the story.

But I have absolutely had my heart set on going back to this ABSOLUTELY perfect location after Preston & I worked on Anne Frank at this theatre!

So, we picked up our bowties, berets, & character shoes (a great name for a tell-all book about college theatre) and went to take some impromptu engagement shots!

                                      SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!

If you are at all interested in doing a collab or working with me – please feel free to check out my new Contact Me! page!

I definitely want to do more His & Her fashion. Do you guys like seeing Preston more?

Follow me on Instagram: @thepennydarling

If you want to follow my darling, Preston – you can click here!

Like my Facebook page here!

Follow me on Twitter here!

Subscribe for updates!

Check out my Gwynnie Bee affiliate page here! (Free month trial if you use my code!)

Check out my Society+ affiliate page here!

If you’d like to donate to help me keep Penny Darling going – click here!

Comment for topics you would like to see me cover! Like to help my self esteem! What do you think so far? More fashion? More lifestyle? Do you like the mix?

Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.

Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!

How Very,

Abby

Our Engagement Photos...well at least as much of 'engagement' photos as we're doing! Check out our impromptu shoot at a cool location! ...well for all intents and purposes, anyway. Hello there, Penny Darlings! Greeting & salutations from the great state of Illinois!

[themediocregm-blog]

Greetings from the other side of the table!

Greetings fellow dice mongers and would-be adventurers!  As mentioned in a previous post, the GM of a Second Darkness game (the title of the Adventure) is running a game for seven players, most of which are new.  I say most, because she also mentioned that her boyfriend Ryan is in the game and is a source of help to her.  That statement fills me with no shortage of joy.  For it is none other than I, the Ryan of Legend!...I mean, maybe people tell the Legends of me?  

No?  Oh....well maybe the characters I make get Legends made of them?

...

...You mean they’ve never been heard of...by anyone...?

...

...

...fine.

Kidding aside, I am one of the seven players in this Pathfinder game, a well-versed GM in the rules of Pathfinder, and harbor an acute love of *most* things D&D.  I’ll have a few series of posts on this blog, as I am the troubling combination of having opinions, a keyboard, and enough hubris to think that the internet cares.  I’m sure several of you do, and more so hope you enjoy the antics we’ll be describing here.  

One on-going series I’ll do will be a Campaign Diary of sorts.  I always take notes as a player, and often commit them to a Word document in the voice of my character.  So, each week I’ll be sharing the most recent entry into my campaign diary, as felt through the lens of my character (Ivioreth, the half-elf magus).  Let’s call it...Campaign Diary with Yuri.

On top of collaborating(?) with Abby on other topic posts, I’m also GMing a game Wednesday nights.  My session notes, certain details of my preparation, and relevant details that other GM’s could find use of, or at least it’ll be of some use for people to see regular updates  and campaign stories.  If nothing else it’ll help to clear up my thoughts and organize all of my notes a bit better.  This series will be titled “Tales from Darkmoon Vale.”  

I also am the roommate of a little, green-skinned goblin that lives under my bed.  He wears glasses, likes playing with numbers, and above all LOVES to correct people.  He has many names, all of which have profanity in them.  So for the purposes of this blog, let’s call him “The Correction Goblin.”  He’s the spellcheck and proofreader that nobody ever asks for, yet I refuse to kick out because he takes dishes off the drying rack and scrubs every doorknob in the house.  Weird guy, but once in awhile he gets on my computer and corrects a lot of things that I get wrong in my writing projects.  This is no different.  If you see us say something that isn’t QUITE right, and you want to write us a comment or message telling us all about it, odds are he’s already beaten you to it.  And in a game where rules debates and misconceptions are almost to be expected, not to mention the sheer litany of rules that come with the Pathfinder Game system, mistakes are made.  And he lets us know.  Diligent little bastard...At any rate, he is our Correction Goblin and he will be a part of this blog as well.  

If people are receptive to what it is we do here and like sharing our love for this wonderful hobby as a community, I have a few ideas for more posts, content, and miscellaneous other tools and resources that any GM can make use of.

As always, I hope your day is wonderful or at least gets better.

Your Friendly GM,

R.

[inaworldthatsfullofstrangers]

 MANGGAHAN FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE | 2 0 1 7 I couldn’t come up with a greeting for this post, what do I say? Okay. It’s still so hard to believe. Am I really back? Hahaha. I feel so overwhelmed and shall I say challenged? After all it’s been one year and five months since the last time I updated my blog. I will start my entry with a pile of photos from my friends’ and I’s recent trip to my beloved Guimaras.  It’s this very tiny island near my home but mind you, this place is a jewel. Now I agree when people say that sometimes, the best moments happened unplanned.  This trip came out all of a sudden and im glad that God made ways for me to come along because those days were my days off. Haha. Say what now. So we went to the jetty port in Pulupandan (the municipality near my hometown and where my bestfriend Jocynth lives!) My bestfriend told us we should be early as there are only two to three trips  going to Guima. My friends John Rommel- a baguio based engineer working in one of the richest mines in baguio lol!, Joemier – another colleague  who works in one of the major money remittances in the country and ofcourse my sister from another mister- Abby like OMG need I say more about her? Like seriously my posts are all about her Im sure you guys know her. Haha. So yeah it’s the four of us who were about to go visit the amazeeee place. We ended up leaving for Guima at around 11 noon and we arrive just around lunch time.  But I didn’t expect that Guimaras isn’t a small island at all infact we hit the road by 12 noon and we arrive in the beach area roughly around 3pm? Does that make sense? Like yes it does! Its not that small as you guys think! Transportation is also a bit expensive putting all the taxicle drivers effort to drive rain or shine!  I was surprised with how much it cost like even if you go to a place closer to where you stay you still get to pay 250- yes you read it right and that’s regardless if you’re alone or your too many. Ahaha you might as well consider your friends coming with you! Hahahaha.. Also their beaches are heaven. I SWEAR. I swoon over its beauty and serenity. It’s the best place on earth to unwind and think deep and breathe like you’re in a yoga class or something. Its surreal. And for the entrance fee you don’t have to pay much . We only get to pay 30 pesos each and we soaked under the sun the whole afternoon! Amazing!!!!! And oh I know that my thoughts aren’t organized that’s because I have so many things to share and I say but I tend to type fast or else these thoughts are gone like bubbles. You don’t wanna see how I type. Haha. Also we got to stay in a very affordable accommodation. Message me to know more haha its kind of like hard to explain how we got it -in the first place considering its their manggahan festival and people expect everything to be fully booked and much worse, EXPENSIVE, but guess who just got lucky. US. Hehehe And oh the most important thing you need to know, ofcourse when you go on travelling the main thing you after is their mouth watering food and delicacies, Aside from mangoes which the place is widely known we got to eat in a restaurant called the Pitstop. This restaurant is a pro! You’ve never tasted heaven of guimaras if you haven’t eaten in pitstop. Here are the things you need to try: 1. Beef bulalo with Mango- Php395.002. Mango pizza- Php 385.00 (family size 8 slices)3. Mango & Cucumber pitcher- Php160.00 You might want to try Galvez eatery as well for cheaper meals, try their lumpia, I’m no words about it just WOW! So yeah I just hope I’d get back to blogging with a more organize feels. Haha. Till next we meet Guima.

[teambgasm]

Happy Birthday @noonakiller-hanbin 

Just imagine that this is you lol