#happy 7 years of fluf baby!!!!

[simandy]

🐶 ATTENTION EVERYONE. IT IS OFFICIALLY- 🐶

ANAKIN DAY 🥳🥳🥳🥳

[bite-the-bloody-hand]

:3 Eros: 2, 5 Philia: 1, 4 Storge: 2, 4 Agape: 2, 5 Ludus: 1, 2 Pragma: 2, 4 Philautia: 1,5

Baby you SPOIL me!!!!

For the 7 Forms of Love ask game

Eros: 2, 5 How important is sex to them in a relationship? Do they see it as something essential to their happiness? Would they be able to remain in a monogamous relationship with someone they loved without sex?

I think Zell is best described as an allosexual demiromantic, so in short-term situations sex is the relationship whereas in a long-term situation the sex is secondary to the companionship with his partner. Sex is definitely fun for him, he enjoys it as recreation and as a way to deepen communication with his partner. If his lover wanted to be monogamous without sex, he's fine with that as long as they don't have a problem with him masturbating. If that was off the table, then they'd need to have a serious conversation.

How closely is their opinion of their own beauty (or lack thereof) linked to their confidence? Do they see themselves as more or less worthy of love or sex based on how attractive they feel?

He knows he's attractive and always has been, that's part and parcel with being a Dhampir. Not something he can really get away from without serious self harm that he isn't quite into, so he rolls with it without being particularly vain about his looks. 'Yeah yeah I'm super hot fine whatever did you know I also have A Personality?' is the vibe with him, he has ZERO patience for sycophants who are all about fluffing him up just because he's gorgeous*. He knows he can get laid regardless, so 'attractiveness' to him doesn't have as much to do with physical looks. As far as being worthy of love… he knows looks don't have much to do with real love, and often worries that he'd fall short of any other criteria.

Philia: 1, 4 Does your OC have a Best Friend? If they do then how long have they known each other and how did they meet? If they don't then do they have a close group of friends they love equally? Or are they more of a loner?

(You just want me to talk about Aslan I SEE YOUR GAME)

For a long time Zell's only friend was his horse Yanga, but then he met Aslan. After running away from Ustalav at 17, He signed on to a security gig for a fledgling merchant crew in the River Kingdoms, where the young Captain Aslan Ciardha (19) was still learning how to leverage his charisma to get things done. He immediately latched on to Zell's (at the time) acerbic but genuinely funny sense of humor and did everything in his power to dig through the layers of Zell's deflective hostility and self-deprecation to find the candy fluff center. Much to Zell's shock, it did not take Aslan long to barrel through his defenses and set up a little Best Friend shack in his heart. They stuck together for a few years until Zell went on his own to hunt a lead on some of his private research. They reconnected after Zell heard Aslan had become Baron in the Stolen Lands. He headed there immediately, figuring his friend would need all the help he could get keeping things in line. Zell stayed through the campaign until apparently falling in battle, not expecting to wake up in Kenabras half a decade later. He does slowly begin to grow close to his companions as Knight Commander, though it's difficult to find the space for friendship when he's supposed to also be their boss.

Is your OC able to build close friendships with people very different from themselves? Perhaps in terms of culture, age or personality?

Over time, yes! It can take a while to build that mutual trust, to be sure. It took less time with Aslan bullying him into best friendship pretty thoroughly. With Seelah and Woljif for example it took a while to really solidify the friendship. He had a shockingly easy time forming a respectful solidarity that could be called friendship with Regill. Ember and Daeran were easier to friend, Ember because he truly vibes with her cause and interests, and Daeran because they have complementary senses of humor. Zell ended up using similar tactics on Daeran that Aslan had used on him, which was especially helpful to strengthen their friendship after Daeran gets conscripted. Befriending Arueshalae was difficult in that he had to dodge around her hero worship puppy love but once that was resolved they became genuinely good friends. Lann… They get along in that 'friend you always fight with' kind of way. I'm still not sure how things go with them, but generally the vibe is 'he is my brother but I could be an only child again.' Unsurprisingly he had a much harder time befriending Ulbrig due to his whole being half undead and a sorcerer, and never ended up getting along with Camellia or Wenduag (though that may change with Wendu next playthrough, I feel like they'd come to an understanding.) Sosiel was the hardest to befriend because he reminds Zell too much of someone else; meanwhile befriending Trevor was incredibly easy, they have a kind of nonverbal vibe together that's very chill. Nenio is Nenio, he loves being her loyal assistant and doesn't mind that she's still getting a hang on the whole friends thing. He was surprised to learn that Greybor liked him, and really respects Greybor in turn. Zell maybe has too many complicated dadfeels to be truly close with him, though. Galfrey… It's unlikely they're ever going to be friends, but he does come to understand her better after a while. If nothing else he'd like to prove to her that he isn't a complete fuckup.** Anevia and Irabeth are his moms when Aslan's mom isn't around so they get along great, haha.

Storge: 2, 4 Does your OC have children? If so then how fiercely do they love them? If they have more than one then do they love them all equally? If they do not have children then is this part of their future plans?

Noooo he is. Abjectly against having children of his own, and unsure if he would be a good father, though he is firecely protective and supportive of all children. Especially little shithead ones, because they remind him of himself. There are so many awful what-if scenarios about his own shortcomings he agonizes about that the joyful parts of having and raising children of his own are a very distant consideration. However he will always try to be on hand to help rear his close friends' children, and generally has good Kid Energy so they come to him when there are problems anyway.*** He is also known as a favorite uncle of Aslan's children. (There are three, from different mothers. He makes sure they're taken care of and is on speaking terms with their moms, they just never got married or anything.) Ultimately, Zell would be an excellent parent if he could get over himself, but he probably won't without a lot of time and assistance.

Does your OC have any siblings? If so then did their parents have a favourite growing up? Has their relationship with their sibling changed in adulthood? If they don't have any siblings then do they perhaps feel they have missed out on an important relationship? Do they have any especially close friends who go some way towards filling that role?

As far as he knows he doesn't have any direct siblings, but he's certain he has several Dhampir half-siblings out there in the world. He's not entirely sure he'd want to meet any of them. There's also the matter of any Vampires sired by his father who he also would very much not want to meet. There were plenty of children his own age growing up in Hongli, but once he went to Ustalav he was isolated until his later teenage years put him in the Hellknight Military Academy on the Estate where his father is 'Interred.' He didn't get along with most of his classmates at that point, and the few he did get on with mostly befriended him for protection or clout. As far as he's concerned, Aslan is his brother, and the feeling is mutual. Woljif and Lann also step into the brother circle; Ember is his sister. He was hoping things might go that way with Seelah, but they aren't quite there yet. Give it time. Arue will get to the sister place when the crush finally dies in like 100 years. He sees Suture as something of a stepbrother… there's a complicated kind of kinship there he's not sure can be really defined any one way.

Agape: 2, 5 Does your OC feel a spiritual connection to the world around them? Do they have a particular love for nature or living things?

Being half undead gives Zell a really interesting perspective on the life-death cycle, and has turned that to really tuning in to the natural world. Coupled with having lived as a Nomad dependent on the land stewardship of generations past, he's got a long history of loving nature. He is deeply connected to the land, and tries very hard to maintain that no matter where he roams. He follows ancient traditions of greeting and working with land spirits, and is very keen to learn the customs of those spirits as soon as possible. As such he is something of a thorn in Ulbrig's side for a little bit because of this. For example, his way of greeting and revering spirits and ancestors is based on Hongli traditions, which can differ significantly from Sarkorian methods. They get in lots of debates about the proper methods of spirit work that often come to blows. (it's never really that serious they just both need to blow off steam.****) Zell is especially skilled with handling horses, but treats all beasts with respect and care, which means he also kind of. Adopts many creatures in his travels. He's not a healer as such, but he does know enough about rudimentary vetinary medicine to help most animals, and this ends in quite a few just following him or finding him. Besides, if he can't heal it, now he's travelling with a bunch of people who can! (Congratulations Daeran on being the unofficial horse doctor of the crusade)

Does your OC find it easy to empathise with their enemies? Or do they see it as important to dehumanise them in order to combat them with sufficient determination?

He empathises with his enemies just fine, and has no problem beating or killing them anyway. While he doesn't like to turn to violence as a first resort - negotiation is always first, followed by intimidation, then cunning, then violence - he's not shy about being really, extremely good at violent problem solving. He tries not to revel too much in combat; as a Bloodrager the risk of completely losing his head and harming a friend with spells or weapons does not appeal to him. But there are some foes, especially certain demons, that are literally too delicious for him not to go after. At that point, they're prey.

Ludus: 1, 2 Does your OC have any particular favourite chat up lines? If not for themselves then perhaps ones they have suggested to a friend? How effective do these tend to be?

Flirting is very situational for him; if he's interested in someone it's usually after he's listened to them talk for a while - at least long enough to get a decent cold read on their sense of humor. His opener will always be something lighthearted and funny to set an easy mood, and if he gets a positive response he keeps up the banter. He has a pretty decent success rate with this method.

Alternatively he goes the bratty body language route, by getting in someone's space and goading them into chasing him. He rarely goes this route unless he's really just down to fuck with no strings.

Is your OC particularly skilled at flirting? Have they had to practice this or does it just happen naturally?

Zell is usually pretty good at flirting, and even when he isn't he has enough charisma for a corny ass goofball line to flip right back around to charmingly effective. Part of it is looks, part of it is (much practiced, somewhat feigned) confidence, some of it is cool emotional reservation, and the rest is just genuinely wanting to have a fun time. He's not into using people or stringing them along and that comes through strongly in his demeanor. He did have to practice to get to this point. In his younger days he was more bratty and forceful, which got him into a lot of short-term, short-fuse situationships that weren't good for anyone.

Pragma: 2, 4 What is the biggest challenge that your OC has had to overcome in a long-term relationship or friendship? What helped them get through this?

It's always accepting that he's wanted, and not just being kept around. It's purely an internal, emotional reaction to a lifetime of displacement, and he knows that, but it's hard not to feel it. Getting past the fear that no one would want him around just for being him is hard enough as just a regular person; being an undead freak and (depending on who you ask) walking harbinger of death and pestilence doesn't make that any easier. With Aslan, he got hardcore bullied (affectionately) into accepting that not everyone saw his condition as a contagion, that his life was worthwhile, and that he had things to look forward to that weren't just sacrificing himself. It was relentless and merciless and Aslan simply would not allow him to live without having to do stupid shit like putting a gold piece in a special savings pouch every time he said a self-depricating joke. They are best friends your honor. Where romance is concerned… losing a chunk of his memories and then suddenly becoming a mythically, historically significant individual with a world-shattering responsibility and massive cultlike following makes keeping up the self-love way harder. It is a very good thing that Daeran isn't the type to get dazzled by power, or care overmuch about mythic status. The fact that he dismisses and jokes about it outright is something that draws in Zell's affection and devotion completely. If anyone is going to see him for himself, and not the overblown myth surrounding him, it's Daeran.

After the initial fires of passion cool to some degree, what would keep your OC engaged in a relationship? Shared goals? Similar values? Or contented companionship?

Contented Companionship definitely, and also a sense of shared goals, though they need not necessarily be grand ones. He wants very much to find and be around his person, to enjoy living and holding space with them. Being with someone who can stand to be together for long stretches of time is the ideal after all, because there will always be opportunities to travel.

Philautia: 1,5 Does your OC have a healthy sense of their own worth and value? Or do they see themselves as failing to live up to their original potential? Perhaps they are convinced of their own sinful or inadequate nature?

Oh indeed he does not. Zell is constantly at war with feelings of outrage, misplaced regret, sorrow, and despair over being born a Dhampir, as well as the Celestial lineage he taps into as a Bloodrager. As a Dhampir, and one of the very few related to His Majesty, there are many levels of self-loathing that only started coming at him once he was taken to Ustalav. In Hongli it was understood that he was a little more sensitive than usual to the sun, would have to hunt demons from time to time for extra nourishment, and would need extra special weapons training to reign his shit in. No problems. But in Ustalav? Social pariah. Blight on the face of Golarion, a Sin in the eyes of Pharasma, only kept alive by the pact between this specific group of really weirdly anti-Iomedaean Hellknights and his father. Forced to learn a new language, new etiquette, new rules (that were HIGHLY contradictory ALL THE TIME), wear new (terrible, uncomfortable) clothes, and constantly being told he should be grateful for the privilege really. Fucking. Sucked. He held on to what bits of self-worth he could with whimsy, mischief, and unhinged violence until he could get himself out of there, but the experience had left its mark. He wouldn't be the same after. As for his Celestial ancestry… he isn't sure entirely where it comes from as his mother is a complete unknown and his father is enigmatic and unavailable. All he knows is that it causes him pain when he uses his abilities that lingers in his body for days at a time, and that he feels nothing of the supposed holy ecstasy one is supposed to feel when thinking of literally any god. A complete atheist with a celestial heritage who also happens to be half-vampire sounds like a joke character from a pulp novel, but it's his life. He can't connect meaningfully to either of those parts of his heritage without potentially completely abandoning the other, or his sense of self, in the process. He never asked to be born into a bizarre legacy and fucked-up body but those were the cards he was dealt and he wishes he could truly forgive himself for not already having found a way to cheat the house and fold in a better hand for himself. He is slowly, very slowly, coming to accept his own worth again. It's a long road, but he'll get there.

Has your OC always had the same opinion of themselves or has this changed over time? Have they learned to love themselves - perhaps with the help of others - as their journey progressed? Or have the consequences of their actions only served to erode their sense of self-worth?

He certainly had a dip with the ol' teenage depression as you have previously read. Truly it was through being open enough to ask Aslan (and later others) for help that he's been able to start remembering what it's like to just be a person and not be completely consumed by anger and pain. Meeting and befriending Arueshalae was also inspiring for him. Arue's constant grappling with her own self-worth made him re-evaluate some of what he was doing to himself, and in turn help her as well.

*Woljif only got away with it because Zell could tell he was trying to pull a con and he's not immune to furthering mischief.

**He suspects, though he can't outright confirm, that Galfrey would appreciate knowing that he isn't just out for a fling with Daeran. If nothing else, he respects custom enough to be forthright about his intentions, even if he doesn't really get how Mendevians do things.

***[Minor act 4 spoiler] 'Adopting' Xorges doesn't do much in-game but in my head Zell takes full responsibility of ensuring Zorges gets set up for success. He doesn't want to be intrusive because clearly the kid can handle himself, but he also wants Xorges to know he has support. As a test-run for parenthood, he does all right.

****IF I HAD KNOWN HE WAS ROMANCEABLE like maaan Dae you would've had some competition for once.

[gubler-me-up]

Big, Open Arms (MGG request)

Request: Hi, a MGG request for you.  You're a famous comedian and are cast as the new agent for CM. The cast/crew all love you, even before you come on set as you're hilarious, especially Matthew which EVERYONE knows about. As a huge fan of the show you're nervous, but you get welcomed into the CM family pretty quickly, and adore them all. You become best friends with Matthew, and after a while he asks you out on a date, and you say yes then after the media get involved, Matthew asks you to be his gf.

A/N: Thanks for the request, anon! This was a fully loaded request, so I hope I encompassed every aspect to your liking! Hope you enjoy!!

Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader

Category: Fluff

Content warning: None

Word count: 2.5k

——————–

You were rehearsing your lines before you had to go on set for the day. You had to admit you sucked at memorizing lines, so there were a lot of blooper reals of you stumbling over your words. You hadn’t even been part of the Criminal Minds cast for a whole year yet. Good thing the cast and crew understood how hard it was to memorize masses of technical dialogue.

Your character was named Bianca Johnson, an SSA with a background in technology. She was basically Garcia, but could kick ass instead of petting cute animals. A lot of your lines were heavy technical geek talk, which was hard to say in a scene, let alone the whole episode. Whenever you messed up you’d joked around and said Shemar’s biceps were distracting you from actually getting your lines right.

Your favourite scenes were with Matthew though. He was such a great actor and hilarious as well. When you first introduced yourself to him he told you he thought you were such a hilarious comedian. One of his favourites actually. You told him your greatest joke of all time was landing the role of such a smart character when you only had two functioning brain cells. He let out a hardy laugh before agreeing with you by saying he also had barely functioning brain cells.

Everyone was full of the same excited energy when they met you. It was like having a family gathering every time you were on set. AJ was the sweetest, coolest person you’ve ever met, Shemar was charming, Paget was completely down to earth and Kirsten was such a character. Matthew was the standout cast member for you though. His portrayal of Dr. Spencer Reid was amazing to watch on T.V., but was even more amazing to watch in real life.

He would just spur out lines on lines of facts without messing up once. When he did though it was funny and adorable. You’d try to cover your laugh every time, but he would automatically turn to look at you with a goofy smile. Your laugh would escape immediately and then everyone else would join along.

You looked up from your script as you heard two loud bangs on your door. You looked at the time on your phone and saw it was already 8:55 a.m.

“Y/N, set in five,” you heard the producer yell.

“I’m surprised you’re here early today, Jeff,” you joked.

You heard him laugh. “If Shemar can be early on set anything’s possible, right?”

You gasped. “Shemar’s on set before I am? I have to see this.”

You got up from your chair and rushed towards the door to leave for set. Before you left, you went back to your mirror. You fluffed up your hair and adjusted your breasts. You wanted to make sure you were presentable as possible. For the camera, of course.

As you walked on set you were greeted with a welcoming hug from AJ. She literally gave the most mom-like hugs ever. It was comparable to eating cookies from the cookie jar.

“Happy wrap day,” she said as she let you go.

“I can’t believe we’re wrapping the season already. I feel as if we’ve only been filming for a week,” you said.

“I know, time flies around here. One second you’re in season one and then boom you’re in season 15,” she said.

“If I can look flawlessly good throughout 15 seasons like you I think I can get used to this job.”

She giggled and playfully rolled your eyes. “Are you kidding me? You always look so great. Trust me, a little someone keeps talking about how great you are.”

You looked at her curiously. If she was talking about who you thought she was talking about than you were ecstatic. Shemar, her and some crew members had told you when you first joined that Matthew was a huge fan of yours. Had talked about you quite a few times during the downtime on set.

“More Matthew gossip? I’m in,” you heard Shemar say from behind you.

You turned around and smiled at him. “Well, well, when Jeff said you were early on set I didn’t believe it, but now that I see it with my own eyes I still can’t believe it.”

He chuckled. “Well, baby, here I am in the flesh. If it’s opposite day maybe you’ll have a flawless run with your lines.”

“Good one. Maybe we should trade characters so I can look hot and kick down doors while you talk nerdy to me.”

“You don’t have to kick down doors in your case to look hot, Y/N. I think a certain someone thinks you’re pretty hot as is.”

You gave him a suspicious stare before looking back at AJ. She smiled and looked around the set. You folded your arms as you were waiting for further details to be spilled. They both remained quiet as you stood there waiting. Good thing your attention was soon shifted towards Matthew when you saw him walk on set. You unfolded your arms and softened your face up as you saw how good he looked.

“I guess this is our cue to go, AJ,” Shemar chuckled.

“I agree. See you in the bullpen, Y/N,” AJ said before she left with Shemar.

“Yeah,” you faintly said as you stared at Matthew.

He hadn’t noticed you. He seemed to be looking for someone though as his head continuously darted around the room. When he finally turned your way, his face instantly lit up. He lightly jogged towards you with a big smile on his face. It was as if he was looking for you.

“Hey, Y/N. Happy wrap day,” he said before embracing you in a hug.

You hugged him back. “Happy wrap day, Matt. What adventures are you going to get up to after we wrap?”

“Well, that’s kinda why I was looking for you. I was going to ask you that same exact question.”

“I don’t have anything booked until later next month, so I’m going to be relaxing mostly. Why what’s up?”

“Well, remember when we went to that Arcade Fire concert a few months ago?”

You smiled and nodded. “If you mean the best experience of my life than yes.”

He chuckled. “I’m glad you liked it. Vegas always holds the Life Is Beautiful Music and Art Festival and I was wondering if you were free to go.”

You felt your heart pumping with delight at him inviting you to go to his hometown. The last few months of your friendship were situated strictly in California. You had never really explored Vegas outside of a few shows at hotels and theatres on the strip.

“You wanna take me on a Vegas adventure?” You asked.

“Something like that.”

Before you could say your answer, the set bell rang. Sometimes that stupid bell could be so annoying, especially when you had a moment like this with Matthew. You don’t think there had ever been a more intimate moment between you two.

He smiled. “Think about it.”

As he started to walk off towards the bullpen set, you ran up to him to hug him from behind. He was caught off guard by your hug, but grabbed your hands that clung in front of him. You could say it was the first time you two had held hands.

“I’d love to go.”

“Awesome.”

—————

Going to Vegas with Matthew was such a different experience than anything you had ever done before. Everywhere he took you felt as if it were a new chapter in a life you’ve never lived. You always found Vegas cliche in its gimmicks and exaggerated neon lights. However, Matthew made it seem as if it were a faraway land yet to be discovered.

He showed you to little places outside of the flashy hotels and bright neon lights that filled the strip. You two spent a lot of time at ranches nearby. You told him since the first day you two met how much you loved animals, so going to those ranches was a dream come true.

What you weren’t expecting though was going to the ranch his mother owned. When you two were driving there, you felt your heart beating fast. You had never met his mother before but you knew he was a big mama’s boy. Even with all the nerves running through your body, you felt honoured to be meeting his mother. You didn’t even know whether to consider this whole trip a big first date or what, but it was something you weren’t expecting to happen.

You had a feeling Matthew had a crush on you for a while and the feeling had always been mutual. Guess the both of you had been crushing on each other through a screen for all these years. To be together in that moment was borderline unreal and probably long overdue.

“We’re here,” he said as he pulled up to the ranch.

You looked around the area. It was massive. Just a stretch of land with no buildings in sight. It was beautiful. You looked at Matthew with a huge contagious smile. He couldn’t help smiling back.

“Your mom knows beauty,” you said.

He laughed. “Yeah, I guess she does.”

“I mean if she created you she definitely knows what beauty is.”

He grabbed your hand and squeezed it. It was his fifteenth time holding your hand. Not like you were counting or anything. You blushed as he moved your hand closer to his lips and kissed it twice.

“I’m glad you came, Y/N. I’ve been meaning to ask you on a date for the longest time, but I couldn’t think of the perfect date to take you on,” he confessed.

“Matthew, you literally could have taken me to 7/11 for a shitty cup of coffee and I would have had the time of my life,” you said.

He laughed. “Well, even though 7/11’s cool, I thought you might like a trip to Vegas and concert better.”

“I have to say this is probably one of my favourite first dates ever. I just feel as if it’s missing a little je ne sais quoi.”

“A little je ne sais quoi you say.”

You then saw him let go of your hand and reach for the side of your neck. He brought you in closer as his face moved closer to yours. You hated dramatics, so you rushed in and embraced him with an enormous kiss. You grabbed his face to deepen the kiss. You had never been so excited to kiss anyone in your entire life. The way he kissed you was just different.

You two pulled apart from the kiss before anything went any further. You knew you were satisfied with that kiss but the way Matthew beamed made you believe he was even more satisfied. You covered your face with your hand as you couldn’t stop smiling to yourself.

“I didn’t mean to attack you like that,” you joked.

He chuckled. “No, no, it was great. Maybe we could continue this after we go see my mom.”

You smiled ear-to-ear. “I couldn’t dream of anything better.”

The two of you got out of the car to go greet his mom as she walked out to where he had parked his car. Her smile was just as magnetic as his. You were automatically drawn into her. So much so you found yourself approaching her ready to give her the biggest hug ever. She wasn’t shy to embrace you with big, open arms. It felt as if you were already apart of his family.

————

Back in your trailer to film another season of Criminal Minds and you thought you could get better at memorizing your lines. You didn’t. You swore to yourself you would get better over the summer break, but that plan went out the window as soon as Vegas happened. Matthew had turned what was supposed to be a mundane summer into a long-lasting experience. A long-lasting experience with a lot of making out and wandering hands.

You looked at your watch and saw you had a few minutes to kill before you had to go on set. You tossed your script aside and reached for your phone. The lines could wait a minute or several as you indulged in looking through Twitter.

You scrolled down your timeline, liking and retweeting a few things that caught your eye. One thing caught your eye in particular though. It was from TMZ out of all gossip media showing pictures of you and Matthew holding hands and kissing just a few days ago when you two went to the beach. They must have been hidden well because you knew for a fact no one was around the area you two set up.

Your shock was interrupted when a few knocks were made at your door. You put down your phone and picked up your script to pretend you were still trying to memorize your line. You knew if it was Jeff coming in he’d much rather see you trying to memorize your lines than scrolling through Twitter.

“Come in,” you said.

You saw Matthew come in with a sheepish smile on. You looked at him strange as you had never seen him seem so shy. Then you saw a magazine in his hand. You could only guess what it was. He held up the magazine, so you could see it. Right on the front cover was a picture of you on top of Matthew making out with him on the beach.

You smiled. “At least People Magazine finally put some eye candy on the front page.”

“I didn’t even know they were allowed to publish pictures of soft porn,” he chuckled as he handed you the magazine.

You laughed. “In this day and age anything’s possible.”

“Anything huh?”

He took your hand to take you out of your seat. You gladly got up as you tossed the script and magazine on your vanity. He pulled you in close as his hands moved from your hands to your waist. If this was his way of proposing a quickie in your trailer, you weren’t about to turn him down.

“If anything’s possible, how about we make it official?” He asked.

You would have screamed out of delight, but you were worried he might take it back if you did. You did the next best thing that had come to mind and grabbed his face, so you could kiss him. He wrapped his arms around your waist and embraced the kiss even further. The only reason you two broke apart was because you could hear the director calling everyone to set.

“I guess we should go before this ends up being our last season,” you said as you let go of him.

“I think it might be your last season if you can’t remember those lines,” he joked.

You laughed. “If I can still have you at the end of the day I’d be okay with that. Besides, I think Vegas might have an opening for me.”

—–

MASTERLIST

[1-800-sunset]

Dabihawks Childhood sweethearts AU and Dabihawks lovechild AU

tw: mentions of teen pregnancy and eggpreg

Touya and Keigo were childhood best friends both being raised in a special program run by the Hero Commission. Keigo when he first entered the program at 7 really didn’t care much about socializing with the other kids. He mostly stayed quiet and kept to himself. That’s what helped him not get into trouble when he still lived with his mom. The Commission however needed him to get over that attitude and be charismatic. Just like a good hero. Sometimes it was hard to socialize but he wasn’t the only one the Commission had trouble to be more friendly. A boy with white spiked hair and turquoise eyes was always snapping back and filled with so much discontent towards the mentors. Keigo later learned his name was Touya and he was two years older than him. One day the two were paired up for a partner activity. Touya obviously hated the idea of working with someone else until he noticed Keigo’s wings. A part of him was mesmerized by their beautiful red color. He hated the color red for it reminded him of his father but this red was different. It’s vibrance reminded him of the roses in his mother’s garden, so full of life.Apparently the two of them had chemistry and they simply clicked together. The instructors for the activity noticed their fluid work ethic and made a note of it. After all Touya was a difficult child to work with but Keigo made it seem so easy. Touya and Keigo soon became friends, they knew everything about each other and nothing was ever between them. The Commission didn’t care much about their relationship hoping that any obedience Keigo demonstrated would rub off on the rebellious Touya. They were inseparable, never one without the other. 

As they grew older certain aspects of their relationship evolved. There was now a shyness whenever they held each other's hand or in the days they snuck into each other's rooms. There was now a flush on cheeks whenever one or the other looked at eachother simply admiring. The beating of hearts matching the racing of emotions. It was until Touya decided to kiss Keigo on his 13th birthday when things shifted. The older boy took the face of his best friend and scrunched his face as his lips met Keigo’s. It was a pretty awkward kiss if you could call it that but to them it was like electricity. Keigo’s wings fluffed out and a chirp rose in his throat. From that point on they began to date in secret. If the Commission found out they would surely be punished. After all they were trained to be ready to be open to quirk marriages. 

Keigo was 16 when the Commission told him Touya died. How could Touya have died just like that? It was not even three days since Touya’s 18th birthday. He of course didn’t tell them how they spent that night under the covers and the promises they made to each other. The Commission only told him that Touya pushed himself too far and his body burned, unable to handle his fire. Keigo felt sick to his stomach and his heart shattered. Touya was gone. The boy that his body decided was his mate for life was never coming back to him.

Keigo continued to feel nauseous for two months. Not knowing what was going on with his body and why he was just so tired all the time. Apart from the sad longing in his heart. So he made his way to the medical ward. It was there that he received news that would change his life forever. He was pregnant… His bird anatomy apparently also allowed him to carry children of his own in the form of eggs. Keigo knew he came from an egg at least that’s what his mother told him when he was younger so it kinda made a little sense. The Commission demanded to know who the father of this unborn child was but in a way that was stern cold and calculating. Keigo had to give them a direct answer. So Keigo told them it was Touya. Instead of the fury he was expecting they smiled in a way that Keigo wished they were mad with him. They still had a part of Touya with them, this child had potential. Keigo’s heart slightly warmed, because he too still had a piece of Touya with him.

 The Commission decided to tell Touya’s family. It was not long before the Todorokis’ came to visit him. Shoto was 9, Natsou was 14 and Fuyumi was 16 just like him. Enji refused to meet his eyes focusing only on his barely bulging stomach. But Keigo couldn’t care less about him, Touya had told him everything about his father’s abuse towards him, his mom, and siblings. He wanted to snarl and make him back away but stopped himself. He however was a little let down that Enji wouldn’t let Rei visit him. Keigo always wanted to meet Rei. Fuyumi was the most excited by the news and asked many questions that Keigo gladly answered. She looked at him with no judgment and he felt so at ease with her. He knew Natsou wanted to ask him about Touya but refrained from doing so which he was grateful for . Shoto was quiet not really knowing what was going on. Keigo didn’t know why he felt a certain protectiveness toward the young boy. The way he was so quiet and the deadpan face reminding him of Touya when they first met. Keigo blamed it on his pregnancy hormones. Everything was going smoothly until Enji opened his big mouth and criticized Touya’s recklessness for knocking Keigo up. Now Keigo would not let this man talk shit about Touya. In his fury he told Enji to shut up and get out. He did not miss the way Shoto looked at him with a sparkle in his eyes and Natsou holding in his laughter. It didn’t take much of Keigo’s yelling for Enji to leave. Fuyumi tried to calm him down knowing it was not good for him to be this stressed.

He laid the egg at 4 months, the medic estimated that the egg itself would hatch in 5 months. The Commission made him continue his training after laying his child after all his goals have not changed. Keigo weirdly missed the time he was allowed to relax because of the egg. All his free time went to watching over his little egg. Fuyumi visited him often and would talk to him about everything at home. He liked her company and they grew to become good friends after all they were technically brother and sister in law. On the very rare occasion that Enji was out of town Shoto even tagged along. The fondness Keigo felt for the boy only grew. Shoto looked at him in awe and Keigo was curious as to why. Shoto explained that he has never seen anyone stand up to his father the way he did and plus his wings were really pretty. Keigo flattered and ruffled Shoto’s hair earning a giggle. 

August 15th was the day he egg hatched. Keigo helped a little baby boy out of the egg. His heart soaring. The baby had Touya’s spiky hair but just like his uncle Shoto had his hair color split down the middle white on the left side and blonde on the right. The baby had his eyes gold matching his and eye marks prominent, tiny white wings with some golden feathers peppered in. He was a beautiful baby made of white and gold. As Keigo held him in his arms tears streamed down his face silently sobbing. This baby was the proof of their love and Keigo swore he would be there for his baby. He would try to be the best dad he could be. Keigo had spent all this time trying to pick the perfect name. So when the doctors asked what the baby’s name was going to be he answered; Yukihiro Takami.

The Commission let him take care of Yukihiro but when it came to training he had to hand him over to a hired sitter.Fuyumi was his constant supporter and would sometimes take care of Yukihiro when Keigo had to train. He had to work hard as he had a new motivation in life. In two years he would open his own agency as planned and get his own apartment for him and Yukihiro.

When Natsou and Shoto came to see them along with Fuyumi they couldn’t help but point out how it seems that Yukihiro inherited Shoto’s split hair. Shoto looked at the baby in amazement, he has never seen anyone with hair like his. Keigo couldn’t help but giggle and ask if Shoto wanted to hold him. With a shy nod, Keigo showed him how to properly hold a baby. A small smile spread across his face. God it this was too cute for Keigo to handle.

Two years went by fast, almost too fast. As planned his agency opened was doing extremely well. God his baby was now a toddler. Yukihiro certainly was a more observant toddler preferring to watch his dad over playing with watchever new toy his aunt Fuyumi brought him. The Todoroki siblings began to visit Keigo more often at his apartment making it a weekly thing. Every Friday they would come over to eat takeout, play board games, and watch movies. He threatened Enji never to come near him or his kid unless he wanted to wake up in a ditch somewhere on the other side of the world. To them he was still Keigo but to the rest of the public he was Hawks. 

When Keigo was 22, Yukihiro was 5. The dreaded time came of seeing if there was more to his quirk. But nothing. Yukihiro didn’t have Keigo’s ability to control his feathers. So when the Commission tried to see if maybe Yukihiro had Touya’s fire quirk the tests came back negative. They lit a single feather on fire and it burned. Sure Yukihiro could fly like his dad but that was it. The Commission had no use for him. This child hadn’t inherited any of the abilities that made his parents have potential. Keigo was relieved that the universe had finally thrown him a bone and saved his little boy from being raised the way he was. Yukihiro didn’t feel bad at all. To be honest he was most happy when he was looking at picture books his uncle Shoto would bring him or before bed when his daddy would tell him the best stories ever. Yukihiro would sometimes be the one telling the stories he imagined. With excited wings happily flapping, eyes shining chirps occasionally littered in his stories. Keigo could only look at his son with such pride. Since Hawks was doing so well going up the ranks the Commission allowed some of their best private tutors to teach Yukihiro. 

During his time of raising his son Keigo tried to date but nothing ever felt right. Sure some of his dates were very attractive but he just didn’t feel like there was a connection worth fighting for. Touya was the only one he has ever loved romantically but Yukihiro was the only one he loved as much even more than Touya. He did make a new friend though, the rabbit hero Miruko. She was the only person he let get close to him aside from the Todoroki siblings. She made him feel like his age. Not to mention she didn’t freak out when finding out about his son. Instead she opted to help out on the days Fuyumi couldn’t. Keigo was happy to have his own little flock. Shoto was growing up too and soon entered UA Highschool. Keigo could not believe it. And when it came to internships He obviously sent one Shoto’s way. Sure Hawks didn’t have a quirk that Shoto could learn from but he also had other skills. In the end Shoto chose to go with Endeavor to learn how to control his flames. Hawks understood why and knew that he would offer a work study at his agency to Shoto when the time came. Not to mention he was also going to keep an eye one that Tokoyami kid. He was glad Shoto reached out to his mom and Shoto invited him and Yukihiro to visit her with him. He was  definitely nervous to meet Rei but at the same time excited. Excited for his son to meet his grandma and to finally officially meet his mother in law. Rei was so sweet to him and she too was happy to finally meet him and Yukihiro. Rei must have made a good impression on Yukihiro because he saw how his little boy looked at her with wide eyes. Immediately after they left the hospital Yukihiro wanted to know when would they visit his grandma again.

The day he got his mission to infiltrate the league of villains, he knew he couldn’t refuse. He had to succeed, there was no other choice. His way into the League was Dabi. The villain infamous and known for helping out the attack on the Summer Camp Shoto attended. There was nothing more that Hawks wanted to do than punch Dabi’s stupid face. How dare he attack Shoto’s class. He had to keep himself under control. His gut however must be messed up because he felt this weird attraction to Dabi. The way he looked at Hawks with an intense blue gaze that reminded him too much of Touya. Of course the guy that made Hawks want to bone again was a fucking villain. It didn’t help that Dabi shamelessly flirted with him and would touch his wings teasing. When the time came for the High End Nomu to attack Hawks had the perfect candidate to test it. He scripted himself a story to feed Endeavor to get him to eat with him. Endeavor asked about Yukihiro which threw Keigo off a bit from his story but decided to indulge the old man this once. He adapted and talked about Yukihiro for a bit before switching to give him the information he got from Dabi about the Nomus .Then unexpectedly the building was under attack by what seemed like a Nomu. Dabi misled him, that motherfucker! 

Even after the mess after the High End attack Dab still flirted with him even though it irritated Hawks. Sometimes Dabi would purposely force him to stay longer just to continue to spite him. He would rather be at home in his pajamas and listen to Yukihiro’s day. 

Dabi one day decides to break into his favorite hero’s apartment. He climbs in through the balcony. The place looked cozy enough. None of the stuff looked too luxurious. The only thing that looked remotely expensive was the big tv in the living room connected to various consoles that he knew Shigaraki and Spinner would be jealous of. It looked like no one was home. He decided to look in one of the rooms only to find a small child with split blonde and white hair and white and gold wings sleeping peacefully in a comfy bed. Dabi was shocked, Hawks had a kid. No no no not the man he was in love with before becoming a villain. That can’t be right as far the public knew he has never had a partner. Which Dabi knew was a lie because it was 5 years ago that they were still together. Before he “died”. That could mean… no it’s not possible… or is it? The room looked whimsical and Dabi could not help but admire it. He heard a snarl and felt hands grip harshly against his skin and sharp feather blade pressed against his neck. Next thing he knew he was being dragged harshly by a furious Hawks. He has never even before the accident seen Hawks thing angry, almost looking feral. 

“Dabi what the fuck do you think you are doing here!” He whispers shouts with dripping venom trying not to wake the sleeping child.

“Is...that your kid?” Dabi questions mind not being to focus on anything other than the fact that Hawks has a child.

“....Yes. He’s my son…” Hawks doesn’t know what Dabi is trying to get at and he knows he shouldn’t give him any information about his personal life. But it felt weirdly ok to talk about this to him.

“What’s his name?”

“Yukihiro.”

“Why?”

“Well his dad and I were both born in winter. Plus his grandma has an ice quirk so I thought it was a nice name.”

“What happened to his dad?”

Hawks felt a lump in his throat, tears threatening to spill. No not in front of Dabi. He took a deep breath.

“He died... in an accident related to his quirk.” Hawks didn’t want to talk about this subject but the words just kept spilling out of his mouth with zero control. Why was his body going against common sense? His instincts were going against what a sane human being would be doing.

“What was his name?”

“Touya”

And like that Dabi felt his grasp on reality slip. He had a son. Somehow he and Hawks had a son. A little boy named Yukihiro named after the snow in winter and his mom...  Keigo thought about his mom when naming their child. A kid with split hair that reminded him of Shoto. He was apparently a dad. It’s been 5 or 6 years? How did this happen? Was the night of his 18th birthday that somehow brought a child into the world? His heart clenched tightly. This was going to be one big mess.

(I swore to myself I wasn't going to make a dabihawks lovechild. But then I thought imagine the heartache of A Keigo whose boyfriend supposedly died. And my brain went you know what would make it angstier... a child.)

[airis-paris14]

Starlight 6

Summary: Amani is an orphaned heiress who’s spent most of her life raising her younger sister. T’Challa is a widowed King and Father. Neither of them is expecting much from their night at the Lotus. But the coming months have many milestones in store for these young adults. Will becoming a family be one of them?

1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7

“So where are you going?” Madiyson pestered her friend. It was 4:30 and Amani knew T’Challa would be here in exactly an hour. She quickly picked up the pace. She still had to take down her twist out and style it. “He said he’s just taking me out to dinner and then a surprise after.” Amani stood up from her vanity and walked into the bathroom. Madiyson had kept her word and spent the night. “With a man like that, the surprise could be diamonds sis,” Madiyson exclaimed as she fell back on Amani’s bed. “I’m pretty sure it’s not diamonds,” the heiress laughed. “How do you know?” Madiyson sat up, watching her friend delicately untwist her strands of hair. “I don’t but I hope not. I’d have to give them back.” Amani shrugged. They sat in silence as Amani finished untwisting and fluffing her hair.

“You really like him don’t you,” Madiyson asked. Amani paused her search for her red silk headwrap. She glanced up at her friend, “I really do.”

“I can tell, you’re willing to give back diamonds,” Madiyson teased. “Shut up,” Amani laughed, throwing one of the headwraps at her. Diamonds had always been Amani’s favorite jewel and all of her friends knew it. It wasn’t that she owned a lot of diamonds, but she was very vocal about her love of jewelry. It wasn’t rare for her to get excited and show her friends a video from a jeweler’s Instagram. The only two diamonds she owned had been gifted by her parents. Her first diamond was a necklace gifted to her when she turned 16. The second was a pair of diamond drop earrings given to her on her eighteenth birthday. Her parents had continued the tradition for Amare as well, but it would be up to Amani to purchase the diamond for her 18th birthday that was coming soon. She made a mental note to start looking for diamond earrings.

“I just don’t want him to think I’m with him for what he can give me. We aren’t in an exclusive relationship, and most of the things he can give me, I could give myself. Gifts are for girlfriends and wives, and I’m not either.” Amani pointed. Finally locating her silk head wrap she began to tie up her curls into a red wrapped pineapple updo. “I understand,” Madiyson agreed walking over into Amani’s closet. “What are you wearing to dinner?” Madiyson called searching through hangers. “It’s in here with me,” Amani replied, laughing as she heard the hangers continuing to move. “Okay, I’ll see it when you get dressed… Girl! I should raid your closet more often!” Madiyson yelled.”

Amani shook her head and started to pull on her clothes. She grabbed her red bodysuit followed by a pair of navy blue and green silk pants edged with red trim. She finished the look with a dark green short coat and red heels. She grabbed her diamond earrings off of the bathroom counter and checked to make sure she was still wearing the necklace her parents had given her. She hadn’t taken it off since the day they passed. With earrings and necklace in place, Amani covered her lips in lipgloss and smiled at her outfit. She looked good, and she knew it. The black woman left her bathroom and walked out into the bedroom. She grabbed her matching clutch and checked her phone. 5:25 on the dot. “Girl can I borrow this dress some-” Madiyson stopped talking as she spotted her friend. “Okay, sis!” Madiyson cheered. “You look good.”

“Thank you,” Amani smiled, “And of course. It would look great on you.” Amani nodded towards the short beaded white dress in her friend’s hand. “Thank you,” Madiyson cheesed. “He should be here soon. You gonna drive home or you gotta work soon?” Amani asked as she and Madiyson headed towards the living room. “I’m going home. Marquis asked if I wanted to get drinks at 8.”

“Ooh, look at you,” Amani teased. “It’s just drinks between friends,” Madiyson blushed. “Sure,” Amani grinned, “It’s just drinks for now. Next week it’ll be a date, and you know I’m right.” Madiyson didn’t respond and Amani knew that she was right. The doorbell drew both of their attention. “He’s punctual,” Madiyson commented. Amani opened the front door and smiled at the sight of T’Challa. “Hi,” she breathed. “Hey,” he breathed back, his eyes drinking in the sight of the woman before him. “Come in,” Amani gestured. “Thank you,” T’Challa smiled. “T’Challa this is Madiyson. Madiyson, this is T’Challa.”

“Nice to meet you,” T’Challa shook Madiyson’s hand. “The pleasure is all mine,” Madiyson insisted, “I’ve heard so much about you-”

“Okay, we should probably get going. I’m sure T’Challa had reservations,” Amani interrupted her friend. Madiyson could never resist a chance to embarrass her friend. “Bye Madiyson,” Amani called as she and T’Challa headed out of the front door. “Have fun! I’ll lock up! Don’t bring home no babies.” Madiyson yelled front the front stoop and Amani mentally groaned.

“She seems nice,” T’Challa commented as he opened the car door for Amani. “She’s really sweet when she’s not trying to embarrass me,” Amani sighed as he closed her door. T’Challa laughed as he settled in the car beside her. “The king drives himself?” Amani raised an eyebrow. “I enjoy driving,” T’Challa laughed, “besides, this is the safest car in the world. I wanted to drive you myself without someone listening in on our conversations tonight.”

“And what’s on the conversation table tonight that so special?”

“You’ll just have to stick around and find out won’t you,” T’Challa teased. He smoothly backed out of her drive and pulled off into the city. “How’d you end up in Atlanta?” the king broke the silence. “I went to college in the AUC, Atlanta University Center, I went to Spelman.”

“What did you major in?” the king inquired. “I was an independent Major. Did a mixture of Documentary Filmmaking, History, writing, and hospitality.” T’Challa nodded, “Did you enjoy your time?”

“I adored it. I’m still friends with a lot of people I went to school with. Madiyson, went to Clark Atlanta. I met her at homecoming one year. It gave me a sense of self and confidence. None of my professors made me feel crazy for wanting to study all of my interests.” Amani reminisced. “Does your sister go to school there?” T’Challa slowed to a stop at a red light. “Nope. They didn’t have her major, so she ended up at MIT. That’s where she wanted to be, so I’m happy for her. She has to make her own decisions.”

“It’s good that you’re supportive.” T’Challa smiled, easing onto the gas as the light turned to green. “What about you? Did you go to college?” Amani asked.

“Yes. I actually went to school in the states.” T’Challa’s eyes twinkled. “Really, you probably went to Yale right?” Amani joked. “Not even close,” T’Challa laughed. “Well, where’d you go to school?”

“I went to Howard University.”

“You’re a lie. There’s absolutely no way.” Amani gasped. “Is it so hard to believe that I would fit in?” T’Challa frowned.

“No! No, I just meant that it seems impossible that you could go to school in the states and no one would know who you were. It seems like the media would have been all over that.” Amani clarified. “Oh. Well, it was not that difficult. Your country did not have much interest in Wakanda until my father passed. I’m the first king to open Wakanda up to the world. I didn’t really tell people who I was, and people didn’t really ask. They just knew I was a foreign exchange student,” the king shrugged. “If that ever gets loose people are gonna lose their ever-loving minds,” Amani laughed. “I’m genuinely surprised it hasn’t already. I’m not exactly hiding it,” the king chuckled.

“What was your major?”

“Physics and Engineering.”

“No politics or international studies?”

“It was a minor,” the king shrugged, “My father taught me everything I needed to know about running our country. I wanted to study something that I was interested in before I spent a life ruling a country,” T’Challa explained. Amani frowned, “You don’t like being a king?”

“It’s not really as simple as enjoying it. It’s a responsibility that I gladly accept. I enjoy working with my people. I enjoy traveling, I could do without all of the politics but it comes with the job description. The responsibility has been passed down through my family since the beginning of our country’s existence. I couldn’t really see myself doing anything else.”

“I can’t fully understand, but as long as you’re happy, I’m happy for you,” Amani smiled. “Thank you,” the king grinned. They fell into comfortable silence once more. T’Challa pulled into a valet station and parked the car. He got out and rushed around to help Amani out of the car. “Thank you,” the waitress smiled. The king handed his keys to the valet and walked with Amani into the restaurant. “I hope you like Thai food,” he placed his hand on her lower back as they approached the maître d'. “I love it,” Amani told him. They checked in and the host led them back to their table. They looked over the menu, ordered, and simply enjoyed each other’s company. “If you could go to any city in the world right at this moment, where would you want to go?” T’Challa suddenly sat up. He leaned forward looking Amani directly in the eyes. Amani sat back, releasing her straw back into her drink, “Any city I want?”

“Any city on any continent,” the king promised, his smile growing by the second. “Milan, Italy,” Amani responded, “for fashion week.”

“Fashion week is soon yes?” T’Challa asked, sitting back in his chair. “It sure is, My sister’s birthday is usually the week after. That’s how I remember when fashion week starts,” Amani laughed. “How old will she be?” “She’ll be 18 this year,” Amani sighed. “That isn’t a good thing?” T’Challa frowned. “It is, but it’s just a reminder she’s gonna leave me for good soon,” Amani frowned, “And 18 is a big birthday in our family.”

“How so?” the king inquired. “Well, 18 is the age of majority in the US. So in acknowledgment of us becoming an adult, my parents gave their last gift. When we turned 16, my parents gave my sister and me a diamond necklace. When I turned 18, they gave me a pair of diamond earrings. Amare had been excited about receiving her earrings since she turned 17. They had bought her necklace before they died, so I was able to give it to her, but I’ve gotta keep the tradition alive on this one.”

“That’s really sweet,” The king offered a small smile, “I’m sure she’ll love whatever you buy for her.

“I hope so.”

The conversation faded again as the couple enjoyed their food. The occasional comment on the food was the only conversation. “Amani,” T’Challa started once he finished his food, “I have really enjoyed spending time with you.” Amani blushed. The king pushed his plate back before continuing, “I know that there is a lot to overcome between us. The distance being the biggest problem, my job coming in a close second,” Amani and T’Challa chuckled, “But I would really like to make us work. As a couple. Officially,” T’Challa paused watching for Amani’s reaction. She took a deep breath as her smile grew across her face, “Me too,” the young woman nodded in response. T’Challa reached across the table and took her hand in his, “Amani Okeke, will you be my girlfriend?”

“It would be my honor, your majesty,” Amani laughed at T’Challa’s groan. “It’s just T’Challa to you, entle.” The king pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “What does that mean?” Amani soaked in the feeling of his hand against hers.

“It means beautiful in Xhosa, my native language.”

“I like it,” Amani giggled, looking up into his eyes. “I’m glad,” he stared back at her.

The waiter came back shortly and took away the new couple’s empty plates. T’Challa paid for dinner and happily escorted his girlfriend out into his waiting car. “I hope you enjoyed the food.” The king opened the door for Amani as she climbed in. “It was wonderful, thank you,” the young woman smiled as the king closed her door. “I am glad you enjoyed the meal.”

T’Challa pulled away from the curb and started the opposite direction from Amani’s house. “Where are you taking me?” Amani smiled, her eyes glued to the king as he ventured to the opposite side of the city. “It is a surprise.” He smirked as he cruised through a green light.

“Oh really?” Amani turned to face the window. “Can I have a hint?”

“No, no hints. Just accept the surprise.”

Amani frowned out the window, as T’Challa laughed. “I can see you pouting in the window.”

“I’m not pouting,” a smile crept back onto Amani’s face. “I can see it in the glass from all the way over here Amani-”T’Challa started. “I just want to know where we are going. I don’t like surprises,” Amani’s voice trailed off into a mumble. “You do not like surprises?” T’Challa glanced over at her. “No,” she fought back another smile. “So you would like for me to turn around and take you home? It is really a shame since we are so close to the surp-”

“No, don’t turn around,” Amani cried out stopping his hand from pulling over. The king laughed. “I won’t,”T’challa still pulled over into a parking spot off the curb. “We are already here.” The king smiled as he stopped the car. He got out and helped Amani out from her side. He squeezed her hand gently and didn’t let go. They walked up the street to a glass-front building. “An art gallery,” Amani smiled as she noticed people inside mulling around holding flutes of champagne. “Yes, I hope this is alright, I assumed that you like art from the work hanging in your house-”

“I do! I love art,” Amani reassured as the couple paused outside of the front door, “I just wasn’t expecting this, but I love it.”

“What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know, dancing or a show, I don’t really know what I was expecting. I’m glad this is the surprise though, I truly am surprised, and happy.”

T’Challa nodded and escorted her in. Their hands swang together softly as they moved into the room. “I do not know much about the exposition, besides the fact that it is a collection of new African American artists. This gallery is my favorite in the city, they always do an amazing job.”

“They must have an amazing curator,” Amani affirmed as she gazed at some of the works in front of her. “One of the best. I buy a lot of pieces from this galley. They always seem to have something that I want.”

“Maybe I’ll find something new for myself or Amare,” Amani smiled at her date. The two meandered around the room, picking up some champagne as they perused. As they were talking and walking Amani’s attention was drawn to a painting that hung behind T’Challa’s head. Noticing her look the king turned over his shoulder to find what had caught her gaze and he smiled. “Do you like it?” He gripped her hand in his and walked her to the painting.

“I do. There’s just something about her gaze, and her hair. It’s like it’s people, then a city, but then I find myself just staring at her curls once more. There’s innocence, there’s pain, and there’s pride. It’s wrapped up in one, and it’s breathtaking.”

“You should buy it?”

“Where am I gonna put a bright red painting in my house T’Challa?”

“I don’t know, paint your bedroom red? Paint the Guest room red?”

“You really want me to buy this painting.” Amani turned to him. “No. Not if you do not want it, but you’ve bought two pictures for Amare for her birthday, and you have yet to buy one for yourself.”

“I’ve already started my collection, and I’ve got to save up for her birthday present. So maybe next time,” Amani shrugged but looked up at the painting. “I understand.” T’challa glanced over at his girlfriend before taking another sip of his champagne. “So I am going to buy it for you,” The king announced.

“T’Challa you don’t have to do that. You do not have to buy me gifts.”

“I know that I do not have to do anything, but I want to do this for you. Do you like this painting,” the king turned to face his girlfriend and took one of her hands in his free one. “I do,” she nodded back. “Then I am going to buy it for you, because your are my girlfriend and I want to treat you. You do so much for others, so let me do something for you.”

Amani nodded and smiled. The couple finished pursuing and purchasing their items. A few hours later they found themselves back on Amani’s front steps. “I had an amazing time tonight.”

Amani pushed the key in her lock as she smiled. The lock clicked opened and she invited T’Challa in. “I did too,” the young homeowner smiled, shrugging off her coat onto the couch before walking back over to T’Challa. He smiled at her, “I hope I an not to forward in asking this, but I am going to be taking Ada on a short vacation and I would like for you to come with us. We aren’t going to Milan unfortunately, but we are going to Paris. I am sure she would enjoy your presence as well.”

“Are you sure, I wouldn’t want to encroach on you all’s time together. I know it is limited since she is away at school and with Nanny’s-”

“Well,” T’Challa cleared his throat, “I have been doing some thinking and that is all going to be changing soon. The vacation is for the end of her school year, and next year, I have decided that she will be continuing her formal education with me in the palace. And her nanny will be retiring as well. I took your advice and realized that I wanted to spend quality time with my daughter and get to know her. Not be a stranger that she comes home to and calls her father. And she is only five, she probably will not even really remember this vacation and she loves having you around and we coul-” Amani cut off his rambling by pressing her lips to his. She melted into the kiss as his senses took over and he kissed her back. She pulled away slowly blinking her eyes, “If I can get off of work, I would love to tag along with you all,” She bit her lip and grinned.

“Great,” he nodded slowly, gazing back at her, “I’ll send you the details in the morning my love.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

T’Challa rested his forehead on hers. “Goodnight Amani,” The king smiled. “Goodnight,” Amani whispered. The father placed one last kiss on her lips before she let him out. Amani locked the door behind herself and grinned all the way up the stairs to take a shower.

Taglist: @almostpurelysmut @blackbypurpose @nyneebee @hutchj @tchoking @sisterwifeudaku @wikiwakanda @royallyprincesslilly @90sinspiredgirl @strictlyashley @afraiddreamingandloving @thedelightfulone @autumn242 @purple-apricots @kumkaniudaku @queertrex @kaciidubs @halfrican-heat @skysynclair19 @dramaqueenamby @gorjiss @leahnicole1219 @kreolemami @mzbritt @yoyolovesbucky @derangedcupcake @builtalongthewayside @ilcb7 @chaneajoyyy @lalapalooza718 @ororowrites @leahnicole1219 @dopegalkk @sarcastic-sunshines @sarahboseman @shesakillerkween @waitingonafriend @faatassbitch @lady-love-and-glitter-roses @cxnismajcr @tchallasbabymama

[ask-professor-laurel]

Would you be able to do any field notes on Corviknight? Yamper? Scorbunny <:0

Three Pokemon I’ve got some experience with! I’ve never personally had one of these in my care, but I’ve met the ones the people around me have, and I’ve also encountered quite a few in the wild. I’ll keep these ones a bit short, but feel free to let me know if you’d like some expansion! 

Corviknight: 

These guys are fierce in every sense of the word. Fiercely loyal, fierce in battle, and fiercely loving. Corviknights bond for life, and tend to bond in their smaller stages. You’ll rarely see a bond as strong as a Corviknight and the trainer who raised it from a Rookidee. If you raise a Rookidee to a Corviknight, and it loves you, there is nothing it won’t do for you.

Corviknight are WILDLY territorial. They’re very protective of their homes, especially if there’s a nest involved, and they attack first and ask questions later. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of that, trust me, I’ve got a scar on my back from a Hyper Beam that’s only a few months old and still itches. Your best bet when faced with an angry Corviknight is to hit the deck, cover your head, and wait it out. 

They fear nothing. You cannot scare off a Corviknight, they know their average height is 7 feet and they aren’t afraid to swing their weight around. A Corviknight would fight Arceus itself. They aren’t to be messed with.

All that said, Corviknight are some of the most loving Pokemon there are. Corviknight stick with their young until they’re fully evolved and they have a farewell dance. Corviknight with young trainers have been noted to treat their trainers like they would their young and try to feed them, try to preen them, it’s seriously adorable. I’ve seen this firsthand with Hop’s Corviknight- they just become big ol’ softies. 

Yamper: 

Don’t let their little appearance fool you- Yampers require a ton of exercise and play, like most Electric types. They love to play pretty typical games like catch, shaking a toy around, that sort of thing, so it isn’t difficult. Honestly, an enclosed space for them to run around does a lot of good. They don’t like being in Pokeballs all the time and require a good amount of time outside of it to work off the electricity they build up in their downtime. Otherwise you’re gonna get shocked every time you touch it, and it might unleash all the build up in a burst. I usually recommend people keep them out of their Pokeballs until they learn how to shed excess energy and control their powers a bit more, usually when they’re older or closer to evolution. 

Yampers, unlike some Electric types, do not need to sleep to regain their energy. They regain it when they slow down, when they stay still, and will in fact just choose to not sleep. Young Yampers will go as long as possible without sleeping, then crash and sleep, and then be up again in a few hours. They need to be almost trained to sleep and in theory it’s funny, in practice it is exhausting and if you’ve got a young Yamper, be prepared for sleepless nights. I imagine it’s like having a baby, except the baby will shock you for fun and run away from you when you try to wrestle it into a blanket. 

Yampers hate getting wet. They do not like bath time and they will do everything they can to get out of it, they are not above trying to electrocute you. Wear protective gear when bathing a Yamper or else you’re in for a bad time. They’ll cry, they’ll thrash, they’ll shock, and then after they’ll crawl into your lap all fluffed up and dry and give you kisses cause they feel bad. So, protective gloves, and a whole lot of patience and love. They can learn to tolerate bath time, but they seriously hate getting wet, so it’s a difficult process. Practice positive reinforcement, give them lots of treats, because they love food and they’ll be less grumpy if they associate bath time with extra food and good snuggles. I’m somewhat convinced their brains are in their stomachs.

If I sound like I don’t like them, I promise that’s not the case, I just have a lot of experience with Yampers in particular because Sonia has one! I love that Yamper with my whole heart, but I was also there when he was very young, and he was a menace who tried frying my brain more times than I can count. I love Yampers, I really do, they’re super sweet, affectionate, and great to cuddle if you don’t mind the occasional buzz of their electricity.

Scorbunny:

I mentioned this a little while ago in the tags, but as a fun fact, Scorbunny was the Pokemon my parents wanted me to have for my first partner and every single day of my life I’m very glad I didn’t listen to them. Scorbunny knock it out of the park when it comes to how much exercise and play they require- the only time they don’t need exercise is when they’re eating, or when they’re sleeping. They’re a good partner for trainers who are gonna be travelling and battling a lot. Another species I never recommend keeping in a Pokeball for long periods of time because they get restless easy and build up heat, so they’ll be energetic AND cranky. 

Scorbunnies love to run. One of their favourite things to do is race, be it with each other, other Pokemon, or trainers. It’s a good way for them to literally work off steam and keep from getting overheated- their bodies generate heat at a wild level, even for a Fire type, so they need a way to work it off and not get too hot. A good way to help them with this, if you’re not able to run with them, is to play catch. Enclosed areas will not work well for this, they will burn through most fences, and if they can’t burn through it they’ll just build up so much speed they’ll break right through. 

There are few things in this world as cute as a sleepy Scorbunny. They become just… puddles of cuddly affection. They want nothing more than to snuggle up in your arms, or curl up in your lap, and sleep for hours. Scorbunnies can sleep up to 12 hours depending on how much they’ve worn themselves out! They’re perfect for sleeping all cuddled up in your arms- they feel like a hot water bottle. If one falls asleep on you, you’re not allowed to move it. I don’t make the rules, and I’ve done work with a Scorbunny in one arm more times than I can count. 

Most of my experience with Scorbunnies comes from fieldwork I did a few years ago, but more recently Leon took one in and has since raised her to a Cinderace. He’s got a love for Fire types, I’m surprised it took him this long to get one, but he’s a perfect example of a trainer suited to a Scorbunny’s needs. Raboot and Cinderace are still super cuddly, they love giving and receiving hugs, and Cinderace will often give those smaller than them piggyback rides! This includes humans, by the way, Leon’s Cinderace does it all the time whenever she sees Hop. 

Hope you don’t mind shorter notes! Again, I don’t mind expanding on some of these if you want, these are all species I’m personally familiar with in my day to day life and I have a lot of love for all of them, so I’m happy to ramble on forever, haha. 

[brighidsember]

So, I was kinda gonna do a show and tell about my very first crystal. Which was a...a pretty "meh" idea to begin with, I gotta admit. But I thought it prove useful to people just getting started in witchcraft who are crystal-less and wondering where to start and worried they won't pick the right one. So here we are. However, upon looking through my hoarde, I discovered that I didn't have one "beginner" crystal. Oh sure, there was the first one I bought with intention, which I might discuss in future, but my first crystal (or crystals, should I say) were gifted to me by my mother, my own little starter kit for crystals. Be warned, this is gonna be a long one. Here they are: | 1. Amethyst. Every good witch needs an amethyst, right? Right. They're the lavender of gemstones; universal, spiritual, good for protection. It's a good crystal to have in your starter kit, and I used this one in A LOT of spells and charms. | 2. Sooo...this is either a legit rose quartz...or a clear quartz dyed pink. Im thinking it's the latter. Which might be why I never used it in love spells. I had an old necklace with a gold chain and a true rose quartz heart pendant, that one I used for love spells for a long time. This one was just a cool crystal to put on a shelf and point out whenever we had company. *shrugs* | 3. For the longest time, I thought this stone was jade. Only a few years ago did my mother inform me it was actually aventurine. Unsure about that one. It's definitely not jade, but it still worked well in money spells! | 4. Turquoise. My mom has a bit of a turquoise collection, some of which were gifted to her when she was a teenager by our aunt (who is awesome and has a Tibetan singing bowl I want to steal because it's super cool looking! Okay, tangent over). Turquoise is good for bringing spiritual wisdom and serenity, and even though I never used it spells, just having it around brought calmness to my space when I was growing up. | 5. Amber. I never know what to call amber. It's technically not a crystal or gemstone, because it's not a mineral, it's a resin. It's associated with love, and placed on your bedside or in the love and marriage sector of your home/room (feng shui), it can help manifest a loving relationship or self love. | 6. Raw peridot. When I was younger, I believed any and all green stones were fair game for use in money spells. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen, but it did work for me, for what it's worth. Otherwise, peridot is good for balancing emotions (could've used that more as a teenager), bringing creativity, as well as good health. | 7. Black Obsidian. First thing you will notice about this little guy is that it's...well, black. And you know what that means: banishing negativity! Made from volcanic glass, it can be used as a scrying tool, a protection amulet, or for banishing negative emotions and energy. Just remember to cleanse early and cleanse often if that is it's job! Smudging is the safest way to cleanse this crystal, though I will say I have used salt in the past without issue...but I'm trash, so yeah. On a personal note, this little crystal did help me in some small way with a major bout of depression some years ago. | 8. Smoky Quartz. Another great protection stone, smoky quartz is also great for banishing anxiety and fear, grounding, and helping you feel settled in your earthly body...if you're into that sort of thing. Otherwise, a great stone to keep around when it's 3 a.m. but you haven't had any sleep and you heard a weird noise. What's that? Why, no, I'm not speaking from personal experience, why do you ask? | 9. Clear Quartz. Ah, clear quartz. So simple. So plain. Yet so beautiful, and powerful. Need a spell boosted? Add in quartz. Need protection against negativity? Place a quartz crystal by the entrance to your house, or in the room often used for congregating. Connecting to your higher self? Quartz on your bedside or altar. Need healing or pain relief? Wear a quartz pendant. It's such a versatile little stone, it's no wonder every witch has loads of clear quartz, in their house, in their car, their office, their outfit...just clear quartz coming out of our ears! Also, along with amethyst, it's a good starter crystal because you can find it everywhere crystals are sold, in any size or shape, without needing to take a hammer to your heirloom piggy bank. | 10. Angel Aura. Clear quartz and platinum had a love child, and it's name was angel aura. I could explain the process, but as I mentioned before, I am trash, and google is a thing. Go forth and investigate, my child! Angel aura, as you could guess by the name, can help align your vibrations with angels. Angels aren't your jam? Cool, cool; it can help align you with the astral plane as well. Helpful if you want to get into astral travel. It's also the gemstone equivalent of aura fluffing, so if you just wanna feel happy for no damn reason, pick up some angel aura. | 11. Raw Agate. We have an agate problem in my family. At least, my mother, aunt, and grandmother do. When my mom and her sister were younger (and the backroads of rural Wisconsin were still mostly gravel), my grandmother would take them agate hunting in the summer. All you needed was a container for your haul, some water to bring out the color (easier to identify the stone), and a dirt road. Easy. Cheap. And now, my grandma has a comically large brandy glass filled with agate they've collected through the years. This agate I have is not from those days. You see, my mom is so good at finding agate now, she can find it literally anywhere. Like a parking lot of a restaurant somewhere in the Twin Cities (true story, bro). This particular type of agate is what the experts call "banded agate", which is good for healing, protection, memory, and wealth. | 12. Rose Quartz. This is probably the stone I have the earliest memory of. When I was a baby, my mother had my room decorated floor-to-ceiling with dolphins, in hues of aqua blue and baby pink. Ah, the 90's, when denim maternity shirts, teased bangs, and platform shoes were actual things that people wore. And dolphins? I don't know why mom surrounded me with dolphins. She just did. On curtains, comforters, lampshades, and t-shirts. And in the form of carved rose quartz. Rose quartz is the stone of love and peace. Whether it's romance, self love, or familiar love, rose quartz inspires you to love unconditionally. Ironically, dolphins represent self love. Though I never used this stone in a spell, keeping it by my bed as a child always reminded me that my mother loved me unconditionally. Oh, the feels. | So there you have it. Some good starter crystals to investigate and read more about. Thank you for attending my Ted talk.

[polkahotness]

SHORTAKI WEEK, DAY 7

FFN // AO3 

                                      Marriage 

What's in name?

Lifetimes ago, I delivered this line from onstage after having crammed it into my head in a matter of hours beforehand. At the time, the words hadn't meant much to me; the concept lost on a tired girl with dreams of kissing the love of her life no matter how many lines I had to memorize or classmates I had to scare off just to do so.

Nowadays, I can kiss that football-headed dork any old time I feel like it. I guess that's one of the benefits of marrying the person you're madly in love with: kissing privileges. Each and every time our lips met, shivers went up my spine and proceeded to send shockwaves of electricity coursing through my veins. Arnold's lips were my second home; his arms that of my first. With him at my side encouraging me forward, there was nothing that I couldn't do and nothing that I couldn't conquer.

Well, almost nothing… there was still the matter of my name.

What was once a badge of honor that I wore proudly and spoke of often had now become a stamp of shame. I dragged my name around, signing it when appropriate and speaking it only when necessary. There had always been connotations with my last name and things that I didn't appreciate being constantly reminded of AKA my stupid-perfect sister.

But something funny happened when Olga got married during my sophomore year of high school. I remember her walking out to show me and the other bridesmaids the wedding dress she'd chosen. It had been an A-Line dress—real classy looking, old-fashioned-esque, but with a flair of lace that somehow made the blue of her eyes pop.

My sister looked stunning.

Part of me hated that. It was that part that had always dictated the complicated relationship the two of us shared, and in that moment, it did the same thing it always did. My blood began to race through me—a rage I'd come to know all-too-well filling me up with hostility and envy. Olga Pataki. Olga freakin' Pataki. She was always beautiful, always wanted, and always the one who got to live her life proud of the Pataki namesake.

After all, it was practically her who made it even halfway decent to live with. It certainly hadn't been our blowhard dad or our recently sobered mother. It had been Olga, always Olga, who brought pride to the Pataki name. That was probably why I was completely shocked when she told me she couldn't wait to change it.

"Wait, you're actually excited to change your name?" I asked her as her other bridesmaids primped and fluffed out the dress she stared at in the mirror.

Glancing up from her own image, her eyes locked with mine from the reflective glass ahead of her. "Well, of course, silly! I've been waiting to be Mrs. Olga Reid for what feels like forever."

"But… why?" I pressed while remaining in my seat with my arms tightly crossed over my chest. "I'd think that you'd want to keep that little gem, or at least hyphenate it or something."

Turning around on the pedestal she stood atop of, Olga faced me with a confused expression lining her perfectly-made-up features. "What would I do that for?"

Sighing in dramatic fashion, I dropped my head back in irritation while keeping my arms folding securely. "Criminy, Olga. For someone so smart, why am I the one who has to explain everything?" Tilting my head back up to look at her again, I shrugged my shoulders and said in a snide tone, "I guess I just figured that after all of those awards, scholarships, published dissertations, and whatever other nonsense your name is attached to… I figured you wouldn't want to erase that."

"How is my getting married and taking Joseph's last name erasing all of that?"

"I don't know," I muttered with another shrug of my shoulders. "You were the infamous, 'Olga Pataki.' Every teacher's favorite student. Everybody's best friend or personal mentor. Dad's winner—his freakin' champion. Honestly, I'm shocked that he's even letting you consider dropping the Pataki name."

"Our father has no say in my choices, Helga," Olga calmly told me from where she stayed standing on the platform. "And even if he did, I would still choose to take Joseph's name."

"Why, cause you're in love?" I retorted with a scoff.

"Yes, I am in love with Joseph. Very much so," she responded before letting out a soft and controlled breath. "But also, because… well, I suppose you are sort of right. I am happy to be erasing the girl I once was and replacing her with the woman I am now."

The five other women in the room shared a look with one another before returning their eyes to Olga and me. They took turns watching us as Olga stepped off the podium while carefully hiking up the sides of her dress so she could walk towards me. Following behind her, they helped move the train of her dress so she could take a seat at my side on the couch that I'd been stubbornly sitting at for the past two hours.

"What," I demanded rather then questioned as she looked at me with sad eyes. "So, I was right. Why are you sitting down like you're going to give me some long, and incredibly annoying big-sister speech? I don't want that."

"Well, too bad, baby sis. You're getting on anyway," she insisted before turning over her shoulder to send a smile and a wave to our five onlookers. Taking the hint, each of them filed out of the dressing room we sat in, now alone.

Eyeing them as they left us, I waited for Olga to begin talking the moment the door shut. Oddly enough, she didn't speak a word. She just stared at me as if waiting for me to begin the speech that she had insisted on giving to me.

"Aren't you going to start spewing off your stupid, sappy soliloquy, already?" The words came out of me sourly, though Olga didn't even flinch. I imagined that by now, she was pretty used to my high levels of cynicism and wit. "Not that I'm interested in hearing it, I just figured we should get this over with already. I don't want to miss my re-runs of old Wrestlemanias that I've seen a hundred times. Lord only knows that those are way more important than whatever it is you're going to go off ranting about."

"So angry," Olga noted with a sad smile before reaching out to tuck a loose strand of my hair behind my ear as I gave her the best stink-eye I could manage. "I used to be angry like you." Breathing out a heavy sigh, she shook her head. "I never had the guts to show it like you always have, but I remember being angry like you."

"Angry? You?!" I was flabbergasted and laughed in her face with utter disbelief. "Since when have you, the Perfect-Pataki, ever been angry about anything EVER?"

"Oh, Helga. I've been angry plenty of times," she told me without hesitation. "But with Joseph… I'm not so angry anymore."

"What could you have ever been angry about, Olga?" I ordered; my tone changing from agitation to rage. "What could have possibly been something that pissed you off? Was it the countless trophies? The constant attention from Mom and Dad? The compliments or the hordes of friends or the infamous notoriety? Or… is it the way that practically every single person who has ever come into contact with you bows to kiss your freakin' feet?"

"Yes," she answered after a moment of thought. "All of that. It made me angry. Furious, even."

At her response, I scoffed and donned a humorless smile. "Right. Well. It sure sounds like all of that must have just sucked for you. My sincerest apologies on your incredibly tough life."

"Helga," Olga repeated my name, "I know that to you these things seem silly to be angry about. Especially considering the life you had to live under my shadow."

"Thanks for that reminder there, Olga," I grumbled while turning to look away from her and focus my attention on the corner of the room where the ceiling and the walls met. "As if I didn't already know that, but hey. Who knows the shadow you cast better than you, am I right?"

"I know you're being sarcastic right now, and I don't fault you for going back to that defense mechanism of yours," she explained, turning into the shrink that she was to psycho-analyze my behavior. "But you have to believe me when I tell you how sorry I am that you had to live like that. As much as my name followed you around, it followed me around worse because it was me. I couldn't hide in the shadow and do great things that I wanted to do. In that respect, you've always been so lucky."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," I sputtered out while resuming my attention on Olga and letting my arms drop to my sides as I spoke. "Why on earth would you want to live in your own shadow? You literally just said that you know how much it sucks."

"You've always been so creative," Olga spoke in a soft voice, her thoughts recalling a feeling that I couldn't quite place as a warm smile spread across her lips. "Poetry. Stories. That time that you portrayed Juliet in the school play—"

"I was nine, Olga," I emphasized while giving her a flat look. "It was an elementary school rendition of Romeo and Juliet. For cripes sake, you act like I gave some Tony-award-winning performance or something."

"The point is, Helga, you were able to do all of those things," she digressed. "You were able to try new things and, even though you always excelled in them, you didn't have to. From the safety of my shadow, you were allowed to find who you were and for that, I am so incredibly happy. I have the highest hopes for what you'll achieve one day because of those opportunities."

"Like it will ever be as great as some stinkin' doctorate degree and the tons of different things that you've had published in those fancy psychology books and magazines dad's been adding to his shrine of you."

Olga frowned at my comment, though continued on. "Maybe to you or to daddy, but not to me." She paused for an instant before adding, "And mom. She's been doing so much better and I know how proud she is of you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I dismissed her statements with ease. "In your opinion, I'm absolutely fantastic. I guess that means I should be pretty stoked since it's coming from you. What was the point of this conversation again? You've lost my interest."

Taking both of my hands in hers, Olga forced me to look her in the eye as she continued with her speech. "What I'm trying to say is that… our name, the name that you think I am so proud of is the very thing that weighs me down. I often wonder what I could have become had I been given room to explore my own interests rather than collecting memorabilia for daddy."

Unsure of what to say, I moved my gaze from her eyes down to where she firmly held my hands. Chewing on my lip, I waited for her to either say more or finally free me from her grip. At the sound of her sniffles, I knew immediately that she had additional material that she was ready to lay on me with help from the mascara rivers that I'd become so accustomed to witnessing mid-big-sister-pep-talk.

Hoping I could end this before it began, I tried to stop what I knew was on the way. "Olga, c'mon. Don't go giving me the waterworks, here…"

"I can't help it," she cried out while gently rubbing my hands with her thumbs as she started to sob. "All I want is…is for you to be… to be so happy, baby sister."

"I know, okay? But—" I tried yet again, though she didn't let me get out a word in edgewise.

"One day… one day, I hope… I hope…" she sniffled again while releasing one of my hands to reach up and wipe away some of the tears that had begun their decent down her cheeks. "I hope that you'll see… you'll realize what a-a… a blessing it is to erase… erase… erase the person you were and start again. You-You deserve that, Helga."

"Jeez, Olga, it's just a name, already," I said with a roll of my eyes. "I was just making a comment, you didn't have to get all… all weepy on me about it."

Of course, at the time, I didn't understand the power that a name-change could have on someone with as many hidden issues as Olga. Together, her and Joey-boy (my fond nickname for her husband) had saved enough money from their jobs that they'd already left them. As far as I knew, they were off helping kids in some third-world country, but there was something different about Olga when they departed for their five-year mission, two years ago.

She seemed at peace. Life as Joseph and Olga Reid had blessed her with the opportunities to erase herself from the narrative my father had started writing for her since her birth. This time, she was able to write her own story and pen it with the name of her one true love.

I couldn't wait to do the same.

"Man, I tell you what, Arnold… I cannot wait to get rid of this stupid name already and take yours," I told him as we sat on our couch eating the Chinese take-out he'd picked up for us on his way home from work. "The day I become a 'Shortman' is the day my life can finally start."

Chewing thoughtfully, Arnold looked at me as though inspecting every inch of me from the inside out. If that makes sense. After swallowing his bite, he watched me for a little while longer before finally talking. "It's just a name, Helga," he decided on before fishing out another one of his sweet n' sour chicken and popping it into his mouth. "I don't know why you think it's going to change anything other than your signature."

"Oh, it will, footballhead. Just you wait and see," I told him confidently, though he didn't buy into my reasoning. In fact, he wanted an explanation of it.

"But why?" He asked while furrowing his brow and soon swallowing his food. Setting the take-out container down to rest on his lap, he twisted his body so he could face me more directly. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly while looking ahead at the television show we had on for background noise rather than content. "I guess I just figure it's going to do something like how it did for Olga. Maybe it'll be cathartic or something." I offered him a lackluster shrug while digging my chopsticks into the container of the fried dumplings I was working on.

"You really think it's going to affect you the way it did your sister?" Arnold wondered while keeping his eyes on me as I picked up a dumpling and tossed it into my mouth.

Turning my head to look over at him briefly, I left his eyes to look ahead at the screen of our TV without any intention of actively paying attention to it. "Maybe," I responded through my chews. "At the very least, it'll let me forget that sad, pathetic little girl of my past. Give me some peace-of-mind and the chance to move forward with our lives."

"Oh," was all Arnold said, and I dropped my arm that still held my chopsticks to my side in exasperation.

"What?" I spat out while shooting my fiancée a look of frustration. "You don't think it will be good for me to erase that part of my life? Erase all of the things that made me so angry and bitter in the first place? I thought that might be something you and that head of yours might be interested in."

"I'm interested," he intoned before leaving my eyes to look down at his own container of food. "I just don't think it does any good to try and erase something like who you were—who you still are."

"You can't tell me that you still think I'm that bully who hides her feelings because she's too afraid of the consequences of acting on them." At my statement, Arnold remained silent and I stared at him incredulously. "Arnold. I'm not that girl anymore. Criminy, why would you ask me to marry you if you thought that I still was?"

"Helga, you don't have to actively be that person to still be her," he told me and I laughed outright at his ridiculous and completely batshit notion.

"As if that makes any sense, Arnoldo."

"Think about it," he continued while looking in my direction as I averted my eyes from his. "You still call me football-head and Hair Boy and all of the other nicknames you gave me back in elementary school. Don't you? I mean, you just did, right?"

"What's your point," I replied flatly.

"My point is…" he emphasized as if the nature of his tone would alleviate some of the attitude I'd picked up as our conversation had progressed. "You obviouslystill see me as that dense kid from our youth. To you, I'm still just that freaky-headed-kid who couldn't see the amazing, beautiful, incredibly smart and talented—albeit hurt—little girl with the pink bow who was right in front of me."

"Yeah, well…" I couldn't dispute his argument. Instead, I chose to accept it and attempt to deliver a satisfactory answer that might end this little disagreement. "Your head still is enormous and weirdly shaped… so…"

"You know that's not what I'm saying, Helga."

Huffing out a breath, I raised my chopsticks to dig around in my container for another dumpling. "Then how about you drop the act and just come out and say what you want to say instead of making me guess all the damn time. Criminy! I mean, you've been giving me this whole, righteously noble, 'after school special' routine since we were kids. Just say what you're thinking!"

"Fine," he said with simplicity. "I think that you think changing your name is going to give you this life and this family that you think is going to get rid of all the demons that live inside of you… but it's not going to."

"Newsflash, Hair Boy! You already told me all of that like ten minutes ago," I exclaimed with a shake of my head and a wave of the dumpling being held by my chopsticks. Biting the dumpling in half, I chewed it for a moment before soon swallowing and saying, "And besides. You don't know what 'demons' I have, you know why?"

"Why?" He asked as I'd instructed, though I knew he was merely humoring me.

Glowering at him, I said, "Because I don't have those demons anymore, okay? Years of therapy and not having to talk to Bob every day of my natural born life has done wonders for me." Softening my voice, I then added, "Plus your uh… your family helped a lot too. Your parents and stuff. Grandparents. You know."

"I know," he reiterated with a knowing look that I didn't appreciate. "And because I know, I also know that you're projecting my family onto you like it'll cover up everything bad that happened to you, but do you want to know something?"

Finishing the remainder of my dumpling, I gave a half-hearted reply. "Sure, Arnold. Blow my mind with your sage wisdom."

Ignoring my sarcasm, he pressed onward. "All of those bad things that happened to you, as horrible as they were… they made you, you."

Moving to set my food down on the coffee table ahead of us, I balanced my chopsticks on the top of the container. Sucking in a deep breath, I then twisted my body to face Arnold while pulling my leg up to rest on the side of the couch in an effort towards looking at him straight-on. "Alright, Arnold. You have my attention. Go ahead. Explain how it is that my shitty life has helped me."

"I didn't say it helped you," he clarified before continuing. "What I am saying is that if it weren't for those things happening to you, you wouldn't have your humor, for instance. That quick-wit, while sometimes hurtful, is one of the things I love most about you. You've always had this ability to say and point out the cleverest things."

"So?"

"So," Arnold went on, "I don't think that you would have that if you hadn't gone through such hardship. You wouldn't have had to develop that skill or to even use it. There'd be no need."

"There's tons of clever people in this world, you know," I pointed out. "And I'd be willing to bet that they all had fairly normal lives compared to mine. Keep on guessing there, Hair Boy."

"What about your writing?" He offered. "Being introspective and creative like that often stems from a difficult life of having to fend for yourself. You can't deny that."

"I mean, I could, I can, and I will," I said sternly. "One. I've always been a good writer, okay? I didn't need life to take a shit on me for that to happen. Two. Yet again, there are countless creative imbeciles walking the planet, so unfortunately, I won't be accepting that answer."

"Fine, then, Helga. But let me offer you one more example," he asserted before setting his food down beside mine on the coffee table. "One more, and then if you still don't agree, then I'll drop it and we never have to talk about this name thing again. Okay? Can you agree to that?"

"Sure, I can agree to that," I accepted with a smirk. "Whatchya got? It had better be a good one this time."

Arnold hesitated as if to build the suspense for another one of his supposedly 'concrete points.' I didn't have much faith that what he was going to say would alter my views on my life or my name-change for our impending nuptials. Despite my lack of confidence in whatever this next claim would be, I patiently waited for him to speak so we could get on with our dinner, our night, and our lives.

"What about me?" he finally said, and I looked at him with a baffled expression painted over my face.

"What about you?" I repeated, completely missing the point he was trying to make.

"You've always talked about the day we first met, the day at the pre-school when I held the umbrella over your—"

"Yeah, Arnold, I know what you're referencing," I spat out almost angrily.

Pausing to let me cool down, he then said, "You claim that it was that day that you fell in love with me. Right?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Why?"

I watched him cautiously while trying to keep a poker-face. "What do you mean, why, you know why."

It was Arnold's turn to shrug his shoulders. "Why?" He repeated without much inflection. "What did I do that made you feel that way? I wasn't anybody special. You didn't even know me. What could I have done that warranted such strong affections—and from a toddler at that?"

Well. I had not been expecting this.

Arnold was making a solid case and I knew where he was headed with it, too.

As I allowed each of his words the chance to soak in, I struggled to find a good enough clapback that would force Arnold to backtrack and say he didn't know what he was talking about. I wanted so badly for him to say those words, but I knew he wouldn't—at least not tonight. He was absolutely right, and he knew it. Hell, even I knew it… I just wasn't ready to admit it.

Opening my mouth to speak, nothing left my lips but empty air. I had nothing.

Realizing that I was about ready to tap out, Arnold chose to answer his own question on my behalf. "You developed feelings for me because you were a frightened little girl who hadn't been shown much kindness before. It was because of those vulnerabilities that you latched onto me so hard and set forth the series of events that led to where we are now."

I stayed speechless as my eyes kept themselves glued to Arnold's. Pressing my lips into a hard line, I refused to respond to what he was saying even though we both knew that I agreed. Arnold knew me, knew me better than I knew myself, obviously.

"So, I argue, that if it hadn't been for the tough aspects of your life, you would not be the person you are today. You wouldn't have appreciated my kindness the way you did." He reached out to pick up his food once again and focused on picking up another piece of his chicken with his chopsticks. "For all you know, if you'd been showered with love and attention say, like your sister had, you might have turned out more like her than you care to admit."

"Now hold it right there, football-head—" I began, and Arnold was quick to stop me before I could really start in on him.

"It is because of that, because of those demons you want to just dismiss, that I don't think changing your name is going to do for you what it did for Olga," he stated firmly and with sincere honesty. "Face it, Helga. You don't need to erase who you were and start over because who you were is what brought you all of the things you have now—including me. Olga needed to separate herself from that name because it was all she had ever been known for. You?" He let out a sigh before continuing. "I think, if anything, you need to keep your name."

"You want me to keep my name?" I asked skeptically.

"Not necessarily, no." He thought hard for a good minute before speaking his next few sentences thoughtfully and with great care. "I wonder if keeping your name, really reclaiming it for yourself, might help you to be proud of yourself because of who you were and what you went through in order to become who you are now. Does that make sense?"

Nodding my head minimally, I quietly muttered, "Maybe, yeah."

"I mean, we're getting married, right?" He went on, and I raised a brow at his super obvious statement. "But the whole name change thing… that's just an old and tired tradition that doesn't mean anything anymore—"

"It means something to me," I countered. "Arnold, I've always wanted to be yours. All yours. Having your name and being part of your family has been my dream since… well, since forever, practically."

"I know that," he affirmed before giving me his next thought to mull over. "But if we're getting married, merging our lives together for one that is uniquely ours… maybe we should really get married."

"Now you've lost me," I said while feeding myself another dumpling and chewing it as he delivered his thought more descriptively.

"Isn't marriage blending two families together?" Arnold questioned me, and I nodded with a slight shrug. "So, why don't we blend our families together? Why don't we take each other's last names?"

"You want to be Arnold Pataki? Arnold Shortman-Pataki? Arnold Pataki-Shortman?" I laughed at the combinations I gave him, only to stop as he confirmed what I thought was a joke.

"Yeah. I can be Arnold Pataki-Shortman, and you can be Helga Shortman-Pataki. That way we're still keeping our last names but marrying them."

I couldn't help but continue my chuckling at his inane idea. "And you don't think that would get confusing when we have kids who have to take our names? I mean, what are we going to name them? Freddy Shortman-Pataki-Pataki-Shortman? That's a little insane, Arnold. Even for you."

"So, then I'll just take your name. I can be Arnold Shortman-Pataki."

"That's weird," I replied with a grimace at the sound of it. "I don't like that at all."

"Arnold Pataki-Shortman?" He suggested and I allowed the proposed name to echo a few times from the inside of my mind.

"I don't know…" I finally commented after being lost in my thoughts. "That would make me Helga Pataki-Shortman then, wouldn't it?"

"If you don't want to have a really confusing last name for our kids, then yeah."

I thought about this for a long time before repeating my potential name one more time. "Helga Pataki-Shortman, huh?"

"Helga G. Pataki-Shortman," Arnold refined the name with ease and a mischievous grin. "Even you have to admit that Helga G. Pataki-Shortman packs a pretty nice punch."

Smirking at his words, I returned his smile. "You do have a point there, Hair Boy. Helga G. Pataki-Shortman gives off that whole… badass partner-in-crime vibe."

"It should, shouldn't it?" He questioned without giving me the chance to answer. "Together we're better than we ever were separately. We should celebrate that. Loudly and proudly."

Just like that, Arnold had once again saved me from myself. By some miracle, he'd dug so deep inside of me that he managed to yank out the sweet and smooth truffle-like goodness I would never have seen if he hadn't seen it first.

Arnold saw the silver lining of the dark and stormy clouds that made up my past. He had seen me for all that I was, and just as he always had, he kept those storm clouds at bay from erupting and ruining all that I held dear.

I was going to take Arnold's last name just as I had always wanted to, but I would take it and marry it with my own—marrying every little piece of me, even the broken ones, with the boy of my dreams. By keeping my last name and blending it with Arnold's, him doing the same in return, we were marrying more than just the two boring adults we had grown into. Our wedding would symbolize the union of all that we were, all that we are, and all that we will be in the future. Together, that football-headed dweeb and his bully would unite with the Arnold and Helga of today.

And that was a marriage worth talking about.

[thank-you-for-the-vampire-money]

I HAVE ISSUES (Part 7)

Series summary: Lance has always been an asshole.  Womanizer, alcoholic, narcisitic, you name it, that’s Lance.  But the question is… why?

A/N: PLOT IS PICKING UP... sorta. and YES!  MORE THAN 800 WORDS!

Lance x plussize!reader

Word count: 1520

Summary: Lance is definitely improving with the added help of Dinah- now he had something important to ask you.

Warnings: dealing with feelings, vulnerability, fatphobic language, mild violence, insecurity

Part 6

(GIF not mine)

The room was eerily quiet as Dinah scribbled notes in her pink, holographic notebook.  It was so quiet, Lance cringed at the sound of his clothes shifting against each other as he hugged his knees to his chest.

Lance had been seeing Dinah consistently every week for about a month and a half, and he had gotten very comfortable with her; (Y/N) was right, she really did help him.  He was noticing fewer temper tantrums, he felt less depressed, he was being a bit more social instead of isolating himself, he felt a lot better.

“So why don’t you think she’ll accept your offer?” Dinah asked, looking up at him with a smile to comfort him.

Lance took a second to answer.  “Well… because I’ve been an asshole to her for years,” he sighed, resting his chin on his knees, “I’ve been so rotten to her- why would she want to go out with me?”

“You have been nicer to her recently, correct?” she hummed, .

“I suppose,” he mumbled in reply.

“And you said last week that you apologized to her, is that right?” she continued.

“I did… she accepted it…” he hummed, “but what if she was just saying that to be nice?!”

Dinah sighed, looking him in the eye.  “From the way you talk about (Y/N) I don’t think she’d fake forgiveness,” she explained softly, “and you can’t know for sure unless you ask her- I say it’s worth a try,”.

He sighed heavily, his stomach already twisting from nervousness.  “I guess you’re right…” he nodded, taking a deep breath, “I’ll give it a try, I’ll ask her,”.

“Good!  I’m glad you’re taking that risk,” she smiled, very proud of him.  He was so closed off, she was happy he was opening himself up a bit.  “And remember, even if she says no, that doesn’t mean you’re any less valuable, nor does it mean you aren’t making progress,” she reminded him.

You looked up from her book and smiled as she saw Lance waving goodbye to Dinah.  “How was it?  Do you feel better?” you asked, getting the car keys out of your bag.  He had such a stressful week and he was really on edge, so this session was really needed.

“I feel good,” he nodded quietly, shoving his hands in his pockets.  He didn’t want to talk… not yet anyway.

You smiled kindly as Lance watched you vacuum the living room.  Lance had been sitting on the couch awfully quiet for the past few hours- he wasn’t normally like this.

“Are you okay, coach?” You asked, turning off the dirt devil for a minute so you could hear him.

He nodded unceremoniously.

“You don’t seem okay…” You hummed, sitting on the couch next to him, “you’re too quiet to be ‘okay’.  What’s wrong?”

He took a deep breath, trying gather up whatever courage he had- which wasn’t much.  “I just… I wanna ask you something…” he mumbled.

“Anything,” you smiled sweetly, trying to subtly show that he was safe telling you.

“I Uhm… would you… Do ya… wanna Uhm… wanna go out sometime?” He asked shyly, “I can… want to take you out to… to dinner…”.  He held his breath, waiting for your answer.

Your expression softened.  Then became hesitant as your brows furrowed.  Would it be wise to go out with your boss?  Well… maybe… why not?  “Sure,” you grinned

“Wait what?” Lance gaped.  She actually said YES!  He was so excited!  “Yes?  Yes!  Thank you!” He squealed, “how about Friday night?”

“Sounds good to me,” she grinned, loving to see him smile so wide.

You were changing in the girl’s locker room at the gym, since Lance wanted to go out right after work.  You’ve never seen him this excited for something since… ever.  He had even done his own laundry for once, wanting his suit to be perfect.  With all his preparations, you were a bit afraid you were underdressed.  Was a pink dress too baby-ish?  Maybe you should have worn flats…

You walked out of the locker room, still fluffing your hair to adjust it properly- this one stupid lock just wouldn’t lie flat!  Setting your black flats on the floor to slip them on, you could hear Lance’s jaw drop to the floor.

“Stunning…” he beamed, looking at your figure up and down, “I never thought pink could look so good,”.

You chuckled shyly, your face blushing.  “That’s very sweet of you,” you rasp, your voice suddenly gone.

“A-are you ready to go?” he asked, shaking his head to break the spell you had cast on him, “the reservations are in thirty minutes,”.

The dance hall was huge!  Well, huge to you, someone who only attends noodle cafes and coffee shops across from Target.  There were so many nicely dressed ladies there, it made you feel a bit uncomfortable.  Thank God for the open bar.

Lance held you on his arm proudly as you both were lead by the waitress to your private booth close to the DJ.  Could you consider someone who only played jazz and swing a DJ?  WHat else would you call them?  Are there different name for- STOP!  You had to calm your mind down before you exhausted yourself.

“Get whatever you’d like,” Lance grinned, handing you a menu, “I recommend their lamb,”.

You nodded, taking a deep breath and skipping to the salad menu.

Lance gave you a look of both concern and playful judgement.  “I know what you’re doing- don’t,” he said, turning the page over to their signature dishes page as well as a wine menu.

After a ordering and getting your food, you felt a lot more comfortable around each other, talking freely and laughing loudly.  “Wanna dance before dessert?” Lance asked, gesturing to the dance floor as the Charleston started.

Your lips parted in an eager grin, nodded your head in agreement.  You took his hand and leaped onto the dancefloor with him, already moving your feet and hips.

Lance was a surprisingly clumsy dancer.  For someone who spent their entire childhood working on form and grace on a blue mat, eating, breathing, and sleeping gymnastics, his footwork was quite off.  It was fucking adorable.  Who knew you’d be the dancer out of the two of you?

Another thing, was that Lance never let go of you, he was always touching you.  He was either holding your hand, or your waist, guiding your hips or your shoulders.  He wasn’t handsy, he never pushed boundaries.  But… it was almost… affectionate.

“Phew- I need a drink,” he huffed, guiding you to a chair on the open bar.  “I’ll get us a couple sangrias, okay?” he grinned, squeezing your hand before going up the bartender.

“How much?” a strange man said to Lance, causing him to turn around from where he was waiting by the counter.

“Excuse me?” Lance hummed.  He had never seen this dude before.  HIghschool maybe?  Nah, he was much older than Lance.  This guy was at least forty-five.

“How much are you getting?” he asked, his botoxed-eye-candy mistress hanging off his arm like a cat on a leash.

“For… what?” he inquired, craning his neck.

“C’mon, there is no way a hot shot like you would get with a fat broad,” he gestured to you, sitting at the end of the bar, “how much did your friends offer to dare you to take her out?  Fifty?  Hundred bucks?”

Lance cringed at him.  Disgusting.  “I’m not getting paid… my friends don’t talk to me..” he hummed, still processing what he just said, “she’s my date!  And for your information, douchbag, she’s a nice lady!”.

“Take it from me, boy, you could do better,” he hummed, nodding in a condescending manner, “you could get a model if you wanted,”.

Without thinking about Lance actions, he punched the man straight in the nose, anger bubbling up inside of his chest.  “Don’t fucking call her that you overgrown dildo!” Lance shouted, throwing money at the bartender for everything, and storming up to you to leave.

“What’s going on?  What happened?” you gasped, shocked at Lance’s seemingly sudden burst of anger.

“It doesn’t matter- let’s get out of here,”

Lance draped a blanket over your shoulders as you ate your cheetoes.  “I’m sorry for what that dude said…” he sighed, bandaging his knuckles as he sat beside you, “I think you’re a beautiful lady,”.

You smiled shyly at him.  “Thank you for defending me- though I wish you had dealt with it in a better way,” you sighed, cupping his cheek.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking…” he muttered, playing with the strings of his hoodie, “at least I’ll have a lot to talk about next time I see Dinah,”.

You chuckled.  Even when you were upset with him (mildly), he was adorable.  “You’re a mess, Lance Tucker…” you sighed, “what am I going to do with you?”.

“I wouldn’t mind a kiss…” he said nonchalantly, pursing his lips.

You playfully rolled your eyes, kissing kiss cheek softly.

He blushed hard, showing off his perfect smile.  “Does this mean there will be a second date?”.

TAGLIST:

@buckyshattergirl @joannie95 @forever1313 @marie-is-in-the-dark @lookwhatyoumademequeue @nerdy-bookworm-1998

[all-the-love-harold]

It’s a Sign of the Times - Part #7

Previously: “ ‘s wrong?” he mumbled, voice breaking from being quiet for so long “He’s moving Harry” you took his hand placed it on your belly, pulling your shirt up so that he was touching your bare skin “Did you feel that” 

He chuckled, sitting up a little and placing his other hand on the other side of your bump “He really is moving” he smiled a smile so wide the corners of his eyes crinkled 

“That’s our boy H” you placed your hand over his

 He looked at you intently for a moment, seeing the excitement on your face, he realised that he didn’t ever want to do this with anyone else. You were the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, no matter what, you were his best friend and he couldn’t imagine being with anyone else ever again. 

“Marry me, Y/N?” 

Part 6 

Master Post

August 30th, 2017 -21 Weeks

“Did you just…” you looked at Harry, shocked by what he had just asked, hands still over his on your bump

“Marry me” he urged you, intertwining his fingers with yours

“Harry are you crazy?”

“Maybe, but Christ Y/N, I want this, I don’t want to spend my life with anyone else, I want this baby to have a proper family, with a Mum and Dad” he leant in a little closer “I know we haven’t been together for very long, and maybe this is a little crazy, but what about my life right now is normal?” He brought his hand to your face “I love you Y/N, I have since the day we became friends, I don’t want to wait any longer to start our life together”

You brought your hand up to his on your face, slamming your lips against his to shut him up, once he had a chance to react, you felt his tongue press against the seam of your lips, parting them, you allowed him in for a moment, pulling away before things got too heated.  

“Yes” you giggled, resting your head on his “Fuck yes Harry, I’ll marry you”

He pressed another kiss to your lips “before the baby comes?” he asked a little tentatively, aware of how little time the both of you had before he left for tour.

You laughed, leaning your head on his shoulder “If you can get it organised and get my family here, before you go on tour, then sure, we can get married before the baby comes”

***

September 8th, 2017 – 23 Weeks

The last week and a half had been absolutely crazy, between the beginning of Live Lounge month at work and trying to get your wedding organised so last minute, you were exhausted. But it meant a lot to Harry that the wedding happened before the baby came, he wasn’t his father, but if you were married, then the baby could take his name, and that was as close as he could get.

Today was the day you had dreamed about ever since you were a little girl, and while you had never imagined that you would be pregnant, everything else was how you had always dreamed it would be. You were in a slight daze, as Lou did your hair and makeup and your sister and Gemma buzzed around the room, making sure your dress was ready to put on when Lou had finished.

“I’m going to run next door, make sure the groom hasn’t run away” Gemma said, walking towards the door

“Gemma!” your sister, Anna, exclaimed, “don’t say that! She’ll cry again”

“I’m not going to cry” you rolled your eyes “go check on him Gems, he’ll be a nervous wreck” you smiled, and Gemma walked out of the room. Harry was getting ready in the room next door, at such short notice, he was unable to find a proper wedding venue, so instead he he’d hired a house in Homes Chapel where the wedding could be hidden from prying eyes. The house had a big enough garden for the ceremony to take place outside and there was plenty of room in the house for the reception after the wedding.

“You’re all done love” Lou smiled, fluffing your hair a little before she offered you a hand to help you stand up

“Thanks Lou” you looked at your hair, admiring her work “it looks great”

“You look great” she said, “I’ll go swap with Gemma, keep Harry’s nerves at bay while you finish getting ready” she twisted the handle on the door and turned her head back towards you before she walked out “No more tears, don’t ruin your makeup” She closed the door and left you and Anna in the room.

“You look beautiful Y/N” she said, bringing your dress over to you “If I can look half as beautiful as you do right now on my wedding day, I’ll be happy”

“Just don’t be pregnant for it” you laughed

“Hey, if this little bump never happened, you and Harry would still be pretending not to be in love”

You smiled “That is probably very true”

“What’s true?” Gemma asked as she walked back in the room

“The bump made Harry and I fall in love” you said to her

“Took your bloody time” she laughed “right” she capped her hands “let’s get you dressed”

***

“One, Two, Three, Four” Ed counted as your dad grabbed your hand at the beginning of the aisle, placing a kiss your hand and smiling at his eldest daughter, who he was about to give away to the love of her life, her best friend, her knight in shining amour, her Harry. The gentle strumming of the guitar began, and Anna started her walk down the aisle, closely followed by Gemma. They were both dressed in dusty pink dresses, with flowers woven into their hair and they looked stunning as they made their way to the arch where Harry was standing.

Ed had lengthened the introduction to the song so that he would start singing as you walked down the aisle.

“Settle down with me Cover me up Cuddle me in”

Your dad looked at you and you took a deep breath, taking your first step towards the rest of your life. You concentrated on your feet, focusing on each step, trying to avoid making eye contact with any of your guests, knowing that as soon as you did, you would start crying.

“Settle down with me And I'll be your safety You'll be my lady”

Halfway down the aisle, you looked up to see Harry, standing there, smile on his face as your eyes met. He was in awe of how beautiful you looked and as you looked up at him, all the butterflies that had been in his stomach all day, vanished, and he was overcome with love for you. He couldn’t quite believe that this was actually happening, it was a day he’d always dreamed about, but never in his wildest dreams, did he imagine that it would be you, meeting him at the end of aisle.

“This feels like falling in love Falling in love We're falling in love”

As Ed played the final notes of the song, your Dad placed a gentle kiss to your hand, and passed you into Harry’s grip.

“You look beautiful” he whispered into your ear as you both turned towards the minister

You smiled at him mouthing a ‘thank you’ as the minister began to speak “Friends and Family of Y/N and Harry, welcome and thank you for being here on such a momentous day for the young couple. We are gathered together to celebrate the very special love that Y/N and Harry share by joining them in Marriage. Y/N and Harry,” She smiled at the both of you, glancing down at your bump, “your marriage today is the public and legal joining of your souls that have already been united as one in your hearts. Marriage will allow you a new environment to share your lives together, standing together to face the world and all that it can throw at you.” You looked up at Harry, who was already looking at you, and smiled knowing that together, you could take on the world. “With that said, I would now like to invite Anne Twist, to read a poem”

Anne made her way to the podium, taking out a folded piece of paper and placing it flat against the wood, speaking into the microphone as tears streamed down her face “Harry and Y/N, the relationship that you have nourished together stands for love that will blossom and grow with each passing day. Swami Omkarananada, put into words what I couldn’t, so I’d like to read a poem of his to you now; Love has wisdom that can solve every problem. It possesses the great patience which waits until, drop by drop, an ocean is formed. Love is royal in dignity, brave in spirit, unbreakable in substance, and divine in nature. It does not complain, does not judge. It transforms everything that it touches. It rules everything to which it presents its own Light. It understands and yields only to conquer fully. Love has numberless resources and inexhaustible energies.”  She stepped away from the podium, tears rushing down here cheeks as she made her way back to her seat just behind Harry.

“It’s now time for the vows” the minister said, looking at you and Harry “could the couple, please turn and face one another” you and Harry both turned to look into each other’s eyes, joining both your hands “Mr Styles, do you have your vows ready”

He cleared his throat, letting go of your left hand and searching the inside of his suit jacket for the piece of paper that he’d written his vows on “Yes” he said, voice shaking as he unfolded the paper “Y/N” he looked at you and took a breath, “ I have loved you since we were 18, long before we both thought the same thing” he laughed and cleared his throat as you heard Niall Liam and Louis snickering in the crowd “Sorry,” he shook his head as you rolled your eyes at him “I’m not going to do that, we were 19” the crowd laughed, catching on to the reference a little late “I’ll start again.” He cleared his throat “Y/N, You have been my best friend since the day we met, and for the last four years, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing my life with you, you’re the most wonderful woman I know, I love you, not only for what you have made yourself, but for who you have made me,  I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done for me, my sweetest creature, wherever I go, you will always bring you home.” The tears were falling freely from your eyes now “Y/N, my love, I promise, from this day forward, to be your companion and your friend, I promise to love you, even when I don’t, I promise to lift you up when you’re feeling down and to laugh with you in your happiest moments, our life together will bring many ups and downs, but I promise to always be there for you, no matter where I am in the world. I promise, that for the rest of our lives, I will love you with my whole heart, I will brighten your darkest days, and above all else, I promise to be your best friend, from now, until forever.” Tears began to fall from his eyes now too and you reached up to wipe them away with your thumb and he chuckled at you “Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N, I love you more than anything in the world and I couldn’t be happier to be spending the rest of my life by your side”

You felt the urge to kiss him over take you, as the tears streamed down both of your faces

“Damn it Styles” you giggled through your tears “you stole my thunder” the crowd laughed and so did Harry, shrugging his shoulders with a smug look on his face. “Harry,” you smiled at him, “If you told me when we first met that we’d be getting married in four years’ time, I would have laughed in your face, but I’m the luckiest girl in the world, to be standing here next to you, about to start our life together. To the world, you’re a rock star, but to me, you’re the weirdo that used to show up at my door at 2am with two tubs of ice cream, because he was lonely” you giggled and wiped some tears from your eyes “it may have taken me four years to fall in love with you, but I have never been so sure of anything in my life, I love you more than anything in the world and I promise that, for the rest of our lives, I will love you, I will love you when you’re touring the world and I haven’t seen you for weeks, I will love you when you’re tired and jetlagged, I will love you at your best and at your worst.” You paused for a moment, taking a breath and letting Harry wipe the tears from your eyes “Today,” you sighed “I am marrying my best friend, I love you Harry Edward Styles, you’re my rock, my sunshine, my home, thank you for loving me too.” Harry leant in and placed a light kiss to your lips, smiling widely at you

“Not yet” the minister laughed, “let’s get to the rings”

Grimmy walked over to you, holding the box with the rings, grinning at you both as he handed your ring to Harry.

“Repeat after me; I, Harry Styles”

“I Harry Styles”

"give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today”

"give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today” he placed the ring on your finger, smirking at you.

“Y/N,” the minister said as Grimmy handed you Harry’s ring “Repeat after me; I Y/N Y/L/N

“I, Y/N Y/L/N”

"give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today”

"give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today” you placed the ring on his finger

“Now” the minister sighed “You may kiss the Bride”

Harry leant down and placed a tender kiss to your lips as your family and friends stood and cheered and he pulled away and grabbed your hand. You both walked back down the aisle, hand in hand, starting your new life together, as Mr and Mrs Styles.

I’m very emotional after writing this! The song that features is ‘Kiss Me’ by Ed Sheeran, which can be found here. I hope you enjoyed reading this part, I’m going to write a part 7.5 which will be about the reception, but I just thought that the wedding itself deserved it’s own part. 

Let me know what you think! and don’t forget that requests are open, so please let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see 

All the love, Lyss xx  

[taewithblackhair]

Favourite Taekook fics list

♡ Abaddon’s Waltz

by Eclairdeluxe

Tags: AU!, Knifeplay, Bloodplay, Exhibitionism, Pyromania, Sociopathy, Blow Jobs, Marking, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Wax Play, Dysfunctional Relationships, Sadomasochism, Rough Sex, Risk Aware Consensual Kink, Dark Themes, Cheating, Minor Character Death, Violence, Sedatives, Manipulation, References to Child Abuse/Neglect, Switch!Taekook

Description:

Hell hath no fury like a lover scorned.

♡ All I Want (Is Nothing More)

by Lethallergic

Tags:  Explicit Sexual Content, Top!JK

Description:

“Okay, but really, you would look so hot driving in a Lambo.”

♡ Blind me or bind me

by AnonymousXJWIFE

Tags: Sugar Daddy!AU, Daddy Kink, Spanking, Smut, Slut Shaming, Double Penetration, Sex Toys, Light Dom/Sub, Rimming, Barebacking, Money play, PWP, Crossdressing, Angst, Feminization, Minor Violence, Minor Character Death, Top!JK

Description:

Taehyung is just looking for something to fill the empty void in his heart and Jungkook only has money to offer. 

Or 

Taehyung offers his body for his Sugar Daddy Jungkook. ‘This isn’t a place where people fall in love.’

♡ Blooms of the Pomegranate Tree

by Merelypretty

Tags: Persephone!Taehyung, Hades!Jeongguk, Slow Burn, Greek Mythology!AU, Mild Smut, Top!JK

Description:

Taehyung was born into nature. As the God of Spring, he is destined to give life back to the earth, spending his days making the flowers bloom and the meadows flourish. All his life, he’s been convinced that the Gods of the Underworld can only mean disaster; they bring death in their wake, which completely contradicts the work he puts forth in order to keep things alive. Still, he finds no reason that he can’t get along with Jeongguk, who is nice despite the deadly world he was born into. Your origins don’t define you - this is what Taehyung believes. It’s be so much easier if their parents thought the same.

♡ Bubblegum Bitch

by Snowmoney

Tags: Fake Dating!AU, Fashion Magazine!AU, Romance, Hate to Love, High Heels, Tattoos, Top!JK

Description:

Jungkook is but a simple delivery boy; the last thing he needs is a high maintenance fake boyfriend.

♡ Cold hands and sleepless nights

by TBZ

Tags: Vampires, Romance, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Violence, Kinks, Biting, Blood Drinking, Choking, Breathplay, Bondage, Handcuffs, Blindfolds, Hair-pulling, BDSM, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Cock Rings, Dry Orgasms, Vibrators, Masturbation, Top!JK, Magic, Pain & Suffering, Rimming, Barebacking, Praise Kink, Dominance, Explicit Sexual Content

Description:

The night breathed with deathless whispers and crawled with the underlying smell of blood. Little wisps of the faintest hints of the metallic tang ghosted through the air at times, but swelled into a leaden blanket of the stench without warning. Taehyung wondered if the smell would go away, too. Or maybe the scent of blood had long since coateed the inside of his nostrils and dripped down into his lungs.

♡ How about it, officer?

by TBZ

Tags: Eventual Romance, Smut, AU, Police Officer!JK, Handcuffs, Public Blow Jobs, Masturbation, Car Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, Top!JK, Sexual Tension

Description:

“He’s- I- wow. He’s... something else.” Jungkook managed to get out weakly, but honestly, what would he say to that? He shouldn’t even be surprised at the shit Taehyung pulled at this point. Jimin rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he took another vicious bite into his apple. “Tell me about it. Namjoon got mad because this is like the seventh time he’s had to seriously consider getting psychatric help for the other people in that cell, to help them overcome P-Tae-SD.”

♡ Hustlers

by TBZ

Tags: Gambling, Cards, Hustlers, Mobs, Money, AU, Drama, Romance, Action, Violence, Smut, Betrayal, Fluff, Domestic Violence, Heavy Angst, Dom!JK, Explicit Sexual Content, Begins with Top!Tae but after only Top!JK

Description:

Jungkook hadn’t meant to lose nine million. He certainly hadn’t meant to lose his kidney. And he hadn’t meant to meet Kim Taehyung.

♡ If I Let Go Of Your Hand...

by Taehansik

Tags: Reincarnation!AU, Fantasy, Angst, Happy Ending, Explicit Sexual Content, Time Loop, Dark Magic, Third Person POV, Eternal Love, Power Bottom!Tae

Description:

Jungkook is not going to stop searching for answers until he knows that Taehyung can be safe in his arms; alive, breathing, smiling, and the both of them can finally do what they’ve never been able to do before: Live.

♡ I’m Feeling Electric Tonight

by Mindheist

❀ Part 1: Kiss Me Hard Before You Go

    Tags: Fake Dating!AU, Top!JK

    Description:

    Dramatization. Do not try at home.

❀ Part 2: I Just Wanted You To Know (That Baby, You’re The Best)

    Tags: Angst

    Description:

    If you experience headaches, nausea, or heartbreak, discontinue use and       talk to your doctor because relationships might not be right for you.

❀ Part 3: Think I’ll Miss You Forever

    Tags: Taehyung & Bogum smut scene, Angst

    Description:

    Happy endings sold separately.

♡ Keep the water warm

by Sassyneki

Tags: Stepsiblings!AU, University, Smut, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Family Issues, Pining, Emotional Constipation, Slow Burn, Rimming, Switch!Taekook, Hate to Love, Barebacking, Attempted Sexual Assualt, Wall Sex, Vibrators, Implied/referenced Homophobia

Description:

“Get the fuck out of this room, Kim Taehyung!” The last thing Taehyung expected this summer was to meet his new family, but as with all things, he’s willing to give it a shot. He’s willing to try. Too bad his new stepbrother doesn’t feel the same way.

♡ Loving easy

by Aeterisks

Tags: College/University!AU, Cheerleader!Taehyung, Punk!Jungkook, Flirting, First Dates, Light Angst, Misunderstandings, Top!JK, Blow Jobs, Handjobs, Rimming, Barebacking, Fluff, Smut

Description:

After two years of being a cheerleader, Taehyung has come to know all the people who usually attend the basketball games. So obviously, he wouldn’t fail to notice him. 

♡ Lupus Tales

by Kpopismydrug

❀ Part 1: Lupi

    Tags: Wolves!AU, Mild Language, Slow Build

    Description:

    This is one summer break that Taehyung will never forget. From dealing         with a moody mare that likes to think she’s a stroppy teenager rather than       a horse, to dealing with childhood memories that threaten to choke him,         Taehyung will soon find out that when you take a trip down memory lane,       some things are more than just memories.

❀ Part 2: Just Us

    Tags: Mild Language, Sexual Content, Homophobic Language,                       Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wolves!AU

    Description:

    Winter break was meant to be the time for Taehyung to return back to the       pack, to relax at the farmhouse, to roam with the pack like he had done           during the summer nights, and to also deal with a certain stroppy mare that     still likes to torment his poor boyfriend. However, he was not at all                   expecting this winter break to turn out the way it did.

❀ Part 3: Us vs Them

    Tags: Wolves!AU, Mild Language, Death, Violence, Fluff, Angst

    Description:

    Sometimes, we need to root ourselves, to find strength in the face of fear,       and to face what wants to tear us down.

❀ Part 4: Believe

❀ Part 5: My Lupi

    Tags: Wolves!AU, Angst, Mild Language, Sexual Content, Fluff, Top!JK

    Description:

    No matter what is thrown at him, no matter if it is Lupus or Mundane that         come and try to push Taehyung away from Jungkook and Jimin, they can       come and try, because Taehyung is a scrappy fighter and he isn’t scared to     fight dirty. So, let them try. But he’ll never leave or forget them again.               They’re his family now.

❀ Part 6: One of Us

    Tags: Wolves!AU, Twisted & Fluffy Feelings, Fluff

    Description:

    When you’re about to meet your mate’s and his best friend’s pack-born, it’s     only fair for you to feel like you’re about to either a) have a panic attack or       b) have a panic attack.

❀ Part 7: In Sickness and Health

    Tags: Wolves!AU, Fluff

    Description:

    In sickness and health, family stands together.

❀ Part 8: Through My Eyes

    Tags: Wolves!AU, Angst, Fluff, Sexual Content

    Description:

    Everyone has a story to tell. Are you ready to hear it from the beginning?

♡ Mama called me destructive (said it’d ruin me one day)

by Eclairdeluxe

Tags: Organized Crime, Boss!JK, Minor Character Death, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Anal Sex, Dom/Sub undertones, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Dysfunctional Relationships, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Dark Themes, Top!JK

Description:

In his realm of destruction and deceit, Kim Taehyung is the closest thing he comes to understanding about love.

♡ Maybe we can be (each other’s company)

by Foolishbangtan

Tags: Idol!AU, Fanacc!AU, Smut, Insecurity, Explicit Language, Platonic!Vmin, Fluff, Dom/Sub, Hurt, Comfort, Angst, Side polyamory, Top!JK

Description:

In which Jeongguk is an idol, and Taehyung is a dedicated fan account.

♡ Oh Darling, Stand By Me

by Beatitudinem

Tags: AU, Royalty, Werewolves, Were-Creatures, Princes, Arranged Marriage, War Aftermath, A/B/O Dynamics, Power Dynamics, Getting Together, Strangers to Lovers, Prince!Tae, Prince!JK, Omega!Tae, Alpha!JK, Shapeshifting, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Original Lycan Lore, Traditions, Ceremonies, Festivities, Courting, Explicit Sexual Content, Biting Kink, Marking, Praise Kink, Aftercare, Slow Burn, Resolved Sexual Tension, Fluff, Angst, Winter Setting, Mountains, Forests, Snow, Supernatural Elements, Violence

Description:

Kim Taehyung had never coped well when there was an angry alpha around, no matter that he wasn’t the object of their fury. Wisely choosing to keep his mouth shut, he ignored the flaring annoyance building up inside his chest at being treated like a frail and delicate porcelain doll who didn’t know any better, once again. He wasn’t frail. He wasn’t delicate. And he also wasn’t anywhere near ignorant. “And how do you suggest we do that?” Alpha Jeon asked eventually, tiredly taking a seat when he realized Alpha Kim was not about to open his mouth any time soon. “How else, Alpha Jeon,” Alpha Park said easily, an eerie smile taking over her lips as she regarded both the kings levelly, “Just like we have sealed over alliances with one another, of course.”

♡ One Time’s A Charm

by NastaeTae

❀ Part 1: Pink Sweaters

     Tags: High School!AU, Fluff, No Angst, Smut, Blowjobs, Porn with Plot,             Rimming, Underage Drinking, Ageswap, Top!JK

     Description:

     They say that opposites attract in the best way possible. Kim Taehyung            didn’t mean to make Jeon Jeongguk question his sexuality, but he did.            And Jeon Jeongguk sure as hell didn’t mean to make Kim Taehyung fall in      love with him, but look where they end up.

❀ Part 2: Kill Cams and Knee Highs

     Tags: Blowjobs, Rimming, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Masturbation, High              School!AU, Game Night, Smut, Barebacking, Multiple Orgasms,                      Established Relationship, Ageswap, Top!JK

     Description:

     Two senior boys left alone on a Saturday night with video games doesn’t        sound like a bad idea to Jeongguk’s parents, especially when their son is        straight as a board. Little do they know that Kim Taehyung made Jeon            Jeongguk question his sexuality two years ago.

❀ Part 3: I Got Lost In You(r eyes)

    Tags: Age Swap, Hurt/Comfort, College/University!AU, Excessive Drinking,      Vhope - freeform, Smut, Anal Sex, Angst, Top!JK

    Description:

    The earth is surrounded by a universe that doesn’t care, and filled with           people that do. When something is out of place, the universe will correct it,     no matter what the cost.

❀ Part 4: Come inside, or you’ll catch a cold

    Tags: Emotional Healing, Time Skips, Flirting, Modern Setting!AU, Smut,          Top!JK

    Description:

    It’s during times of 4AM thinking or after too many glasses of wine that he       starts to believe that the Universe is against him. Maybe Taehyung is right.     When he’s standing out in the rain on an early Sunday morning, he can’t         help but wonder if the Universe really does hate him.

♡ Only Breathing - Aquiver

by Sharleena

Tags:  Gangsters/Criminals!AU, Prostitute!Taehyung, Runner!Jungkook, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Gunplay, Breathplay, Implied Referenced Rape, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Twisted & Fluffy Feelings, side Yoonmin, Druglord!Yoongi, Top!JK

Description:

Like all things about Taehyung, being loved by him is loud, messy and familiar. Under lilac neon lights his hair is a shade lighter and his skin is gold, Jungkook’s hands tremble when he touches it and Taehyung keeps mixing weird sauces in his ramen. “Do you still quiver when I touch you?” “Always.” This is a prequel/spinoff of Only Breathing.

♡ Our Red Scarf (Keep Me Warm)

by MirreRover

Tags: College!AU, Fuckbuddies, Angst, Smut, Explicit Language, Bad Boy!JK, Top!JK

Description:

Jeongguk is trouble. Taehyung likes trouble a bit more than he probably should. Just don’t tell Jimin about it.

♡ Overtones

by Coley_merrin

Tags: Vampire!AU, Angst, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Self-Sacrifice, Smut, Fluff, Top!Tae

Description:

As a vampire, Taehyung’s life is full of walls and restrictions. Jungkook is a temptation and a risk, someone who could take Taehyung’s eternity, even as he could steal Jungkook’s future.

♡ Promises to Keep (and Miles to Go Before We Sleep)

by TrappingLightningBugs

Tags: A/B/O Dynamics, Werewolf!AU, Alpha!JK, Misunderstandings, Slow Burn, Sexual Tension, Anal Fingering, Blow Jobs, Come Marking, Fluff, Smut, Claiming Bites, Knotting, Top!JK

Description:

Taehyung stumbles into the world of werewolves when an injured puppy catches his attention one day as a child. Jungkook is a fascination, a good friend, and an alpha -- and Taehyung has been his since the moment he laid eyes on him.

♡ Purple Constellations

by Lili95276

Tags: Angst, Smut, Abuse, Blow Jobs, Photographer!JK, Drama Major!Tae, College!AU, Masturbation, Rape, Non-con Elements, Infidelity

Description:

Because Taehyung is a knot and Jeongguk would give blood and bones just to unravel him.

♡ Quiescent

by NastaeTae

Tags: Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Fluff, Drama, Angst, Magic!AU, Prostate Milking, Rimming, Oral Sex, Semi-Drunk Sex, Smut, Referenced Past Tragedy, Romance, Mpreg, Top!JK

Description:

When you’ve run out of Earth and find yourself at the Edge of Time, just know that I’ll be here hidden among the stars, waiting for the day that you give yourself to the night sky. For I am you, yet you are not me because baby, you’re an enigma.

♡ Race Against Time

by Joyous1369

Tags: Hospital!AU, Major Character Death, Angst, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Top!JK

Description:

“There’s a new boy. His name’s Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook.”

♡ Reborn in Water

by TrappingLightningBugs

Tags: Strangers to Lovers, Masturbation, Magical Realism, Naiad!Taehyung, Nature Spirits!AU, Accidental Arranged Marriage, Wet Dream, Siren!Yoongi, Mermaid!Jin, Mermaid!Hoseok, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, Fluff & Smut, Top!JK

Description:

Freshly graduated from high school, Jungkook loses his class ring in the nearby lake, and despite the fact that his parents would be super pissed, it’s not that big of a deal. That is, until a stranger decides to appear in his bath one night, wearing his ring.

♡ Run Away With Me

by Buttstrife

Tags: A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha!JK, Omega!Tae, Canon Compliant, Underage Drinking, Scent Marking, Knotting, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Mating Cycles, In Heat, Top!JK

Description:

When Jungkook and Taehyung get completely shit-faced drunk, they ‘accidentally’ form a bond -- only problem is that they are idols and an alpha/omega bond between two group members is the worst kind of scandal they can envision.

♡ Shifting on my feet

by MarionetteFtHJM

Tags: Shifters!AU, Police!AU, Violence, Action, OC(s), Jungkook-centric, Undercover, Kinky Smut, Top!JK, Angst, Gangs & Maffia, Fluff, Past Relationship(s), Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, One Jikook Smut Scene

Description:

With the ever-growing crime rate in the city there’s no telling what the leading figures will do to remain leading. The safety of the people is at risk and the possible collateral damage looms over the authorities. There is only one safe option, sacrifice a few to save the lives of many. Tear them from the inside, cool the situation down - should be easy enough, right? Jeongguk was just trying to live out his days peacefully, but running from one’s past never really worked out for anybody - so why would he be an exception? He’s not. Demons tend to find who they’re looking for in the end.

♡ Show Me The Love

by Lethallergic

❀ Part 1: Hit The Lights

    Tags: Drabble, Smut, Top!JK

     Description:

     1-800-HOTLINEBLING

❀ Part 2: Drive Me Wild

    Tags: Social Media!AU, Snapchat, Smut, Top!JK

    Description:

    “We should stop because I want to permanently add you to the snapchat         story of my life.”

♡ Soulmates

by GiiGii

Tags: A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha!Jungkook, Omega!Taehyung, Soulmates, Past Rape, Singer!Jungkook, Student!Taehyung, Platonic Taegi, Slow Burn, Non-Con Drug Use, Pining, Imprinting, Explicit Sexual Content, Scents, Angst, Overcoming Trauma

Description:

Soulmates are supposed to be rare and enviable. At the height of his career, Jungkook can’t believe he’s found his; a beautiful omega. He also can’t believe that his soulmate has rejected him. Taehyung has struggled with being an omega since he presented. He doesn’t want to be forced into another dominating relationship but the appearance of Jungkook is upsetting his wishes.

♡ Storytime

by Trilluvium

Tags: Canon Compliant, Dry Humping, Masturbation, Voyeurism, Voice Kink, Mentions of Het-Sex, Pillow Humping, Phone Sex

Description:

Of all the ways the day could have ended, narrating some stupid smutty fantasy to Jeongguk and watching him get off to it was probably at the bottom of Taehyung’s list of guesses.

♡ Sweeter Than Fiction

by NastaeTae

Tags: Twins!AU, Established Relationship, Threesome - MMM, A/B/O Dynamics, Top!JK, Alpha!JK, Omega!Tae

Description:

Kim Taehyung is the luckiest man alive, and although he forgets that very simple fact sometimes, it doesn’t take much for him to remember it. He ended up with two sides of the same coin, and he couldn’t be any happier.

♡ Then there’s the landing

by Sharleena

Tags: Figure Skating!AU, Figure Skater!JK, Figure Skater!Tae, Figure Skater!Jimin, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Fluff, Angst, Fuckbuddies, Rimming, Face-fucking, Competitiveness, Power Bottom!Taehyung, Explicit Language

Description:

The thing about figure skating is that it’s the most brutal sport disguised as something incredibly beautiful to look at, something elegant and frail. Just like Kim Taehyung.

♡ Wanna be loved (same love as you)

by Sugacravings

Tags: Sugar Daddy!AU, Daddy!Taehyung, Alpha/Omega/Beta Dynamics, Non-traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Fluff, Eventual Angst, Writer!Taehyung, Artist!JK, Mild Smut, Alpha!JK, Omega!Tae, Top!JK

Description:

Taehyung needs a heat buddy so he hires an alpha off Naver.

♡ You got me shot down (by love)

by NastaeTae

Tags: Porn without Plot, Smut, Top!JK, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Rimjobs, Delivery Boy!Jeongguk

Description:

Kim Taehyung is running out of money, but that hot delivery boy is worth it. Let’s just say that pepperoni pizza isn’t the only thing being served up tonight.

♡ You’re My Forever Boy

by Lolistar92

Tags: Fanboy meets Idol!AU, Platonic Relationships, Soul Bond, A/B/O Dynamics, Omega!Taehyung, Alpha!Jungkook, Smut, Anal Sex, Rimming, Anal Fingering, Slight Angst, Happy Ending, Mating Cycles, In Heat, Shapeshifting, Chases, Predator, Knotting, Multiple Orgasms, Dry Orgasm, Panic Attack, Voyeurism, First Time, Blood

Description:

Let’s be real - who could possibly ever say that their happily-ever-after starts with a fan meeting their idol, realizing they’re soulmates, and subsequently turning tail and running away? Well, Taehyung’s always been a bit different.

[chmergess4ever]

The Chmerkovskiy’s (Part 14)

Hey Guys!!! Here is the next chapter!! I really loved writing this one so I hope you enjoy reading it. I’m thinking two or three more chapters to wrap it up!! Thanks for all the support! You guys are the greatest! 

After the wedding everyone, all normal guest went back to their rooms as they had two hours before the reception. All the bridesmaids and groomsmen gathered for picture time as they had decided that the pictures should be taken after the ceremony. The girls posed first, doing every position that the photographer suggested, and the guys followed. They then came together to take photos as one big group. Afterwards, they all watched as the photographer took photos of Sharna and Val alone in different poses. All together it took about an hour. The photographer showed a few of them to Sharna and Val to make sure they were happy. “Is there anyway, Me, You and Val can take one more?”

“Sure? You have an idea?”

“Sort of involves taking a trip somewhere.”

“We have time.”

Val smiled, knowing exactly what his wife was thinking.

The three of them got in the car and drove to the hospital. Everyone was looking at them as they walked through the hall whispering congratulations, smiling and waving. Sharna knocked on Peta’s door and they both peaked their heads in, “Surprise.”

Peta gasped, “Oh my god. Oh my God. You’re married!!” They each bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“What are you doing here? What about the party?”

“We had some time. I couldn’t not get a picture with my maid of honor on my wedding day.”

“Shar, I look awful.”

“You look beautiful.”

“Except, she knew you would say that. So she made me bring this.” Val handed her a palate of makeup. Peta laughed, “Thank you.”

“Where’s the little munchkin? Can i see him?”

“You can!!” Peta turned to the nurse, “Can you go get Sam?”

The nurse nodded and left. Peta put on light makeup while the nurse was gone but when she returned, she gave Peta the baby in her arms. Sharna sat on one side of the bed, as Val sat on the other. All three of them were look down at the baby, admiring him.

“Wait. Stay there.” The photographer changed her lens and snapped a few shots. “That’s the perfect picture.”

Peta turned to Sharna, “I’m so so sorry. I don’t know how I’m ever going to make this up to you.”

“Godmother?” Sharna threw her head back and laughed, “I’m kidding. This day couldn’t be anymore perfect. You’re not there, but you’re in here.” Sharna pointed to her heart. “Nothing changes that.”

Peta gave Sharna a one armed hug as she held the baby with the other. “I love you, babe.”

“That makes two of us.” Val crossed his arms. “We should go.”

Sharna nodded, “We’ll see you on facetime soon.” She have Peta a kiss on the cheek.

They got back in their limo, Val took her hand as they sat in the backseat together, “You ok?” He stroked her hand with his thumb.

Sharna nodded. “I’m the happiest I have ever been.” She leaned in to kiss him and rested her free hand on his cheek. “You’re my husband.”

The party started soon after that. Everyone was mingling at the cocktail hour as the wedding party prepared to make their entrance. Nicole fluffed out Sharna’s dress so it was perfect for the entrance. She then straightened Val’s bowtie. She put her hand on his chest and then brushed his cheek, “I can’t believe you’re married.”

Sharna laughed as she watched Nicole’s interaction with him.

“Thank you for everything, Nicole. You really made this day so special for the both of us.” Sharna put her hand on her arm.

“It’s my pleasure. You guys are kind of my family.” Nicole said sarcastically as she laughed. “Let’s go make an entrance.”

The DJ started by welcoming everyone to the reception and then began calling the names of people in the wedding party. Maks once again, entered alone but this time he was carrying an ipad with him which had Peta on facetime. Everyone then silenced and waiting for the next words, “And now. It is my pleasure. To announce, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Valentin Chmerkovskiy.” They walked out and everyone stood up and cheered. They walked to the center of the floor, and their first danced music began to play. Val pulled her into him as they started dancing in slow circles. He mouthed the words that they knew all too well. She looked up at him and whispered, “Do you remember what happened that last time we slow danced together at a wedding?”

“I do.” He leaned over and kissed her just as he did that night during Maks and Peta’s party. Thank goodness we have some pretty pesty friends that wouldn’t let us get away with it, right?”

“Yea, I’d say we’re pretty lucky.” She rested her head on his shoulder and they continued dancing. The other couples in the room joined them on the outer edge of the dancefloor and they all danced to the beautiful song the couple had picked.

“Everything but you.” Val whispered as he kissed the top of her head when the song ended.

Everyone clapped as the song had ended and Val kissed his bride one more time. They moved to sit at their table wit the wedding party as everyone took their respective seats at their assigned tables. They were served the appetizer first, followed by a salad and then the main meal. There was a large segment of dancing but when everyone settled back down for dessert Maks got on stage and clinged hus glass. Emma was standing next to him but back a little bit so he was slightly in front of her.

Everyone went quiet and listened to him speak. “So, as many of you know Val and Sharna selected Me and my beautiful wife as Best Man and Maid of Honor. We graciously expected but our second child had plans of its own and decided to arrive two weeks early last night, so my wife is currently in the hospital recovering. Emma will be reading Peta’s speech on her behalf and Peta is right over there on the ipad watching. Maks waved at the ipad that Alan was holding. I’ll go first though. So, when Val first asked me to be his best man, I said to myself “Oh shit. How am I going to top the speech he gave me at my wedding. Because the truth is, he summed up our relationship perfectly. Val is my best friend and will be my best friend for the rest of our lives. When I was 7 years old, my parents told me that I was going to have a little brother. I never in my life imagined what that little brother would mean to me.  I’ve watched him grow up, make something huge out of nothing, follow in my footsteps and become a badass ballroom dancer, and even make his mistakes. And believe me he’s made plenty of them.” Everyone laughed as Maks continued, “But that’s ok, because we learn from mistakes. He finally learned that Sharna, my sister in law, was the one for him, and he finally learned what he deserves in life. Someone who loves him for him, someone who lets him be himself. He found someone who is practically the feminine version of him. And thank God they found each other because I think all of us might have blown a fit if the two of them didn’t figure out what was right in front of them every day of their lives. Val, Sharna, I’m so happy you guys have come together and love each other immensely. A love, like the two of you have, nothing can break. I love you guys with all my heart. Emma?”

Emma stepped forward, “Oh wow. This just became real.” Emma looked up from the paper, “That’s not me saying that. Peta literally has it written down that she was going to say that. But anyway, back to the paper.” Everyone laughed. Sharna shook her head giggling as Val threw his head back smiling. Emma continued once they had settled down, “I’ve never had the opportunity to do this before, and I can say without a shadow of the doubt that I wouldn’t rather do it for anybody else. Sharna you have been my best friend for years I can’t even count and I am so lucky that Dancing with the Stars brought us together. Although I haven’t know you for as long as Maks has known Val-unless we’re long lost sisters which is totally possible-I feel like I’ve known forever. You are my best friend and have seen me at my worst and my best. And I think I can say the same for you. See, the job of a best friend is to help a friend when their upset, but I haven’t really been able to fulfill that duty because Val makes you happy all the damn the time. Sorry for my french, but ya know it’s true. And I couldn’t be happier. To watch you go from being that single girl at my wedding, to a taken girl, to an engaged girl, to now a married girl as been such a joy. To see your relationship with my brother in law, flourish has been amazing. The love you two have each other can’t be replicated by anything and I now know that it will never have to. You know, I said to you on my wedding day, that there is a possibility you already met your guy, and boy was I right!!” Everyone clapped and laughed, “Not only had you met him, but you practically saw him every day. I’m so happy he makes you so happy because you deserve everything and more. I love you, S. Burgatroyd Forever. She’s mine, Val. Don’t ever forget that.” Emma paused and then looked back up to take in everyone enjoying the speech and then saw a few more sentences scribbled at the bottom, “Well it was supposed to end there but now I have to add this. My baby decided to come two weeks early. Misbehavin from the start, and I’m so sorry I couldn’t share your special day with you. But, know that we have plenty of says to share now, cause not only are we now sister-in-laws, We’re all The Chmerkovskiy’s.”

[phantomrose96]

A Breach of Trust: Chapter 23

(Act 1: Chapter 1-9 )

(Act 2: Chapter 10-18 )

(Act 3: Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24)

When Tetsuo slipped back into the office on the morning of October 10th, everything sat exactly as he’d had left it, as though nothing had changed. The papers on his desk had been left untouched. They were printed copies of casefiles Tetsuo had been picking through before he left work on the evening he encountered Reigen, the evening he’d entered the Mogami house, the evening he’d learned the truth of what had been happening to his hazy memory, of what had been inside him.

Tetsuo skimmed a hand over the papers, as though to check that they were even real. They didn’t seem real, nor did they look it. They felt like they belonged in a photograph, filed away in some strictly “before” time of his life, when now he was so terrifyingly mired in “after”. The two weren’t compatible. Nothing could possibly exist from the time when he felt safe.

“Hey stranger. First day on the job?”

Except for Isa.

Tetsuo glanced up from his papers. Isa stood at the edge of his desk, weight leaning slightly into the hip she used to support the stack of papers held between her body and right arm. The stack was easily two inches thick, and Isa did not use her right hand to support it. Both hands were occupied with near identical Styrofoam white cups. Tetsuo craned his neck to see into them. The contents of one were a swirly, milky beige. The other was black.

“Sorry lady. I may be new, but I’m happily married,” Tetsuo answered, catching up with her teasing.

“Haha,” Isa responded, her voice flat. “You’re not my type anyway, beardy.”

Tetsuo raised his hand to his chin, skimming. Stubble grated against his fingers like tiny Velcro hooks. “Jun says I scratch her face up.”

“Then shave it.”

“Maybe I like it.”

“Here,” Isa extended her left hand, offering the cup of black coffee. “A peace offering.”

“Station coffee, really Isa?”

“The one and only.”

Tetsuo took the cup, feigning offense, before letting his shoulders slump down in resignation. He took a sip from the cup. “It’s nothing like what I can grind for myself at home. I already regret being back.”

Isa readjusted. She swapped her cup of coffee to her free hand and hoisted the papers higher against her hip.  She set her own cup to her lips, the lethally sugary one, and drank half of it in one go.

“Tastes fine to me.”

“You poison yours with sugar. You’re masking the fact that it’s bad.”

“My new partner isn’t this hard to please.”

“Yeah, how’s it been working with Ando?” Tetsuo asked.

“Hmm?”

“Haruki Ando. The younger man you left me for.”

“Oh is that what happened.”

“I get it. I’m not as young and spry as I once was. 32 is ancient. You need some excitement in your police career.” Tetsuo drew his words out, mockingly singsong. “Just toss me into the old folks home where I can waste away playing bingo and envisioning what sort of happiness Ando brings you.”

“Haruki Ando is like my baby brother. Every day I fight the urge to send him to bed with a cup of warm milk.”

“Oh? Then who am I like to you?”

“Also my baby brother. I’m older than you. Also Mr. Dead-at-32, what exactly are you implying about someone who’s 34?” Isa raised her cup to her lips again, a light smile betraying her jest. She drained her cup and dropped the Styrofoam into Tetsuo’s trash bin. “Working with Ando has been fine. He’s at least got energy, but I can’t ever take it easy. Like I’m serious about the little brother thing. He’s pretty much a kid. I have to take charge all the time. It’s exhausting.”

“Didn’t you raise like five younger siblings?”

“Four. And yes. And it sucked. That’s why I’m your partner, so I can mooch off your take-the-reigns attitude. I miss sleeping in the passenger’s seat.”

“You’re gonna have to bear it a bit longer. I’m just back on desk duty.” Tetsuo spread his arms, motioning to his desk in full. “Sitting my ass in this chair and not moving all day, that’s my job prospects for the future. I’m still on physical recovery or something, no field work. You’re stuck with Ando for now.”

“I didn’t say it was bad working with him.”

“Admit it, you miss me.”

“He misses you more. He asks about you incessantly.”

“Oh?”

“Officer Isari this, Officer Isari that. When we run out of small talk he just asks random crap about you. He wanted to know if you wrestled a bear once.”

“Didn’t I?”

“No, you didn’t. You fired a blank to scare it off.”

“Right. Shoot. I’ve been embellishing that story.”

“He believed it. Ando admires the hell out of you. He styles his hair to be like yours.”

“Really?”

“You never noticed?”

“No!”

“Well go find him. The hair gel’s not a coincidence.”

“I like Ando’s hair. I should ask him what gel he uses.”

“He’d be over the moon to tell you. And then he’d ask you a hundred follow up questions. I’m hoping he starts pestering you now instead of me.”

“Good! I need to get my bear cred back.”

Isa snorted, and her shoulders relaxed a bit. She shifted her papers from one hip to the other, her smile easier now.

“It was nice having the coffee pot actually full while you were gone Tetsuo, but I think I prefer having you back. I won’t keep staring into empty space every time I look up at your desk.”

With a small resigned smile, Tetsuo set his own cup to his lips and drank. He scarcely tasted it. He felt too disconnected from it all. The unfaltering hum of fluorescent lights. The muffled rumble of voices from behind closed doors. The officers of the Seasoning City Precinct were assigned to desks in a shared office space, broken up into islands of two or three a piece. Isa’s desk stood perpendicular to Tetsuo’s, part of the same island, and the desk directly across from his belonged to an officer who’d been on maternity leave for some months.

Isa felt real enough—she’d been part of it all, or at least she’d been present, even if she didn’t know exactly what had happened in the Mogami house. She knew that Tetsuo’s sick leave had been a lie. But beyond their island of three desks—his, Isa’s, and the absent woman’s—reality dropped off. The tall gray filing cabinets that stretched to the ceiling felt distant. The fast staccato clanking noise, as cabinets were pulled out along their tracks, seemed unreachable. The printer, stiff and white bodied, churning out hot papers for those who milled around it. That wasn’t quite real. The coffee pot set up on the counter behind them, where the scuffed tile flooring had tainted darker with years of clumsy spills. Idle chatter. Phone ringing. Buzzing. Unrendered. Temporary. Static.

Purgatory.

Waiting in fear of the moment Mogami finally--

“Tetsuo.”

“Huh?” Tetsuo snapped back to attention.

He blinked, and found his eyes unadjusted.  Everything looked bleached and blurry in the few moments that he lost focus. He set his eyes to Isa instead, and took her in as real. Loose ponytail holding her dark hair back behind her neck, with a few stray strands framing her expressionless face. Dark eyes, piercing but not unkind, beneath a brow that scrunched slightly upward in concern. Isa placed her coffee cup down on Tetsuo’s desk and leaned her hand into the wood grain.

“I zoned out a moment.” Tetsuo gestured weakly to the coffee in his hand. “I was thinking about my dark roast at home.”

Isa nodded, and the silence fell back over them.

“Are you okay, Tetsuo?”

“Yeah. Just adjusting again.”

“Because if you’re not—“

“—A slow start—“

“—I need to know. I’m your—“

“—My partner, I know—“

“—partner, yeah. Okay. So you’ll tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“If something’s wrong.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah I’ll tell you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Okay so I’ll ask again—“

“—Isa—“

“Are you alright, Tetsuo?”

“Come on, Isa. 7 am? You can’t make me—can’t pressure a guy to just—bear his soul before 7 am.” Tetsuo raised his coffee cup. “Before I’ve even finished my coffee.”

“That’s at least your third cup.”

“Fourth.”

“Tetsuo.” Isa stepped forward and she set a hand to Tetsuo’s shoulder, forcing eye contact. “What happened to you? What’s wrong?”

“It’s…difficult.”

“I’m good at difficult. So are you.”

“Not this kind of difficult.”

“What kind of difficult?”

“The kind that makes it hard to talk about.”

“I won’t judge you. I know about your fantasy elf seductor roleplay group, I can’t possibly judge you for anything after that.”

“That’s a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.”

“That’s not my point.”

“And it’s a lot cooler than it used to—“

“Tetsuo.” Isa’s grip tightened, and Tetsuo looked her in the eyes. They were clear, calm, imploring. “Please…?”

And most importantly, her eyes were stable. Stable still after seeing Mogami’s corpse, the thing that had broken Tetsuo into pieces. Stable after seeing his own breakdown. Suddenly the anchor that Tetsuo had prided himself on being for so long.

Tetsuo wondered how many times Isa had looked toward his desk in the last few months, and how many times it had been Mogami staring back.

Tetsuo breathed in deep, and he felt the exhaustion rattle through his ribcage, the roll of dread that washed him head to toe after forcing it down for so long. There was a pit in his stomach that he lived with permanently now, and hot flashes of panic that burst down his spine at each remembrance of Mogami’s eyes, his sallow skin, the red barrier, and the feel of cold steel against his throat.

“Um…So…” Tetsuo muttered, slowly, quietly. “I’m trying to think where to start…”

“Take your time.”

“You know how I’ve been complaining about feeling spacey for a while…?”

“Officer Isari!”

Both Isa and Tetsuo jolted. Isa stepped aside, angling her body to follow the voice. As she moved aside, Tetsuo’s eyes connected with Officer Haruki Ando. He was a good head shorter than both Isa and Tetsuo, his chestnut hair fluffed out, held with a bit of visible gel. His green eyes radiated with an energy that seemed practically fake. Tetsuo had seen nothing but somber faces. It was hard to process a show of genuine happiness.

“You’re back! You… you look much better than the last time I saw you. That’s a relief. Are you… back for good?”

“Ah, I think so,” Tetsuo answered, rubbing at the back of his neck. He avoided looking at Isa, his attention fully fixed on Haruki’s green eyes. “I just um…hell of a fever. Doctor never saw that sort of thing set in so fast. I’m fine though. Not contagious. Just ah…taking it easy.”

Haruki nodded, and Tetsuo watched that flicker of concern cross his face. “So um…the Kageyama case?”

“That…fever dream. Fever nightmare? Really um, I’d appreciate if you didn’t dwell on it. Or mention it.”

“Oh, oh oh of course not no!” Haruki answered. He shook his head and crossed his arms in an X over his chest. “Not a soul of course. Officer Maki said over the telephone—I mean I wouldn’t talk about this anyway. So just. Um. There’s no lead on the Kageyama case…?”

Tetsuo shook his head. He offered up a sad smile. “None…”

“Okay,” Haruki answered, a bit deflated. “Well it was um, it was a pleasure being Officer Maki’s partner.” Haruki shifted his attention to Isa, and bowed shallowly. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“No ‘ma’am’ I’m only like 30.”

“Sorry. Thank you Officer Maki!”

“I’m still your partner Ando.”

“It was a pleasure to—huh?”

“Yeah. Tetsuo’s doing desk work. You’re still stuck with me.”

“I wouldn’t call it being stuck.”

“See I can’t deal with this kind of optimism.” Isa pointed to Haruki, chin tilted toward Tetsuo before she fixed her eyes back on Haruki. “How do you do it Ando?”

Haruki threaded his fingers together, eyes shifting between Tetsuo and Isa. “I’m just…happy to be working with experienced people I respect.”

Isa let out a sigh. “I can’t even tease him.”

“Well, you guys should go work on your teamwork. I’ve got desk duty, with like a million things I’m supposed to sort and email and file. I think I’m on phone duty later.” Tetsuo made a face. “I’ll need more coffee.”

Tetsuo stood, and he side-stepped Haruki and Isa on his way to the filing cabinet.

“Oh, um…” Isa trailed off. “I worked nightshift, so I get off at noon, but do you want to grab lunch when I get off?”

“Sure, um, if I’m not swamped with work.” Tetsuo answered, guarded. “I’m probably going to be slow these first couple days getting used to new filing duties.”

“Officer Maki I’ll get lunch with you…”

Tetsuo stopped listening. He headed across the room to the filing cabinet set against the far wall. Tetsuo leafed through the cabinet, filled only with single cards identifying case files and numbers. The buzz of the lights filled his ears again, the distant roll of a phone, mumbling chatter that didn’t concern him. He ran the file until he found a specific card, with a specific file, and pulled it from the drawer.

He took the long way to the back room, hugging the walls away from his desk. His key unlocked the back door, which gave way to a room dark and chilled and just a bit damp. Filing cabinets lined every wall, floor to ceiling, identified by number. It was the back room where cold cases went to die.

Tetsuo retrieved the ladder, and set it down on the dust-strewn ground. He climbed it three shelves up, to a section of files relatively recent compared to the archives that went back decades and decades (Mogami’s case was in those decades-back files, somewhere.)

He stopped at the drawer whose label matched his card. He pulled it out fully, and leafed through it until his clammy hands settled on Kageyama, Shigeo.

Tetsuo pulled the file out. He dusted it off and weighed it in his hands.

He dismounted the ladder, and unlatched the tab holding the file together. Sterile report after sterile report filled the file, printed, dated—statements from the parents, from the teachers, neighbors, the little brother. Tetsuo’s eyes skimmed over the singular mention of “Mogami” from Ritsu Kageyama, and he shuddered.

Tetsuo lifted the step ladder and dragged it to the back of the room, where the concrete walls and floor sapped the heat, and the singular hanging light above swayed with the air currents. He drew out a filing cabinet whose edges had rusted with decades of wet summers, and pulled out the file whose corners had soured yellow with time.

Tetsuo’s finger tips, cold, seemed to spark electric at the touch.

Mogami, Keiji.

…

Mob had fallen asleep on the couch again, a tv movie-turned-infomercial playing as a hum to the background. The sales pitch was smooth, and quiet, and created a sort of calm to the small apartment that Reigen couldn’t quite describe. Lights low, Mob snoring quietly beneath the two couch blankets, a near-silent sales pitch for jewelry filling the empty air as Reigen sat at the table, laptop open, researching restaurants.

It was an atmosphere that Reigen could sink into, so starkly different from the evenings he’s grown used to—lights off, cold brightness of the television flickering through late-night programs surreal and jarring, falling asleep in a haze, blurry and drunk on the couch, so that when he woke the next morning contorted on the couch, he could not even properly remember falling asleep.

Reigen stood from the table.

At 6:00 pm, with a bit of excitement, and a bit of trepidation, Reigen nudged Mob awake.

Usually he let Mob keep his strange hours of wakefulness and rest, since Reigen himself had little set schedule, and a rather weak appetite, and found it easier most of the time to just adjust to Mob’s whims. Today though, he woke Mob, who looked up for a few seconds of blurry confusion before fully lifting his head and yawning.

“Reigen?”

“Come on Mob, wake up. We’re going out.”

Mob glanced to the window. His brow creased.

“It’s dark out already.”

“Yeah, but it’s not that late. It’s only 6.”

“Where are we going?”

“Out to eat. To a restaurant. It’s this ramen place that’s walking distance from my office. I used to go there a lot years ago, but it got kinda outside my budget. Eating out in general. Food kinda got outside my budget, actually. But I mean, today’s special, Mob.”

“Special?”

“I was looking up other restaurants, but a lot of them are pricey. Not great yelp reviews either. Not that I take those at face value really since I figure most people only log on to yelp if they want to complain, right? I mean that’s what I’d do. I think. If I ever went out to eat. Anyway though this ramen place is great. It’s kind of a bar really, with a drape over the front. Hole-in-the-wall kind of place. But hey, cool crisp fall air like this? It’ll be nice. Cool breeze and hot ramen. I wonder if the bar tender still remembers me.”

Reigen moved toward the front door, where he lifted his light coat from the rack and pulled it on, one arm at a time. He bent down to get his shoes, and found Mob had caught up behind him, grabbing the small pair of white sneakers set beside Reigen’s loafers near the door. Reigen slipped his shoes on, and in the time it took for Mob to tie his own laces, Reigen grabbed the colorfully-wrapped parcel from beside the coat rack and slipped it under his coat.

…

On the drive over, Reigen kept the windows cracked. Cool dry night air swirled through the car, the glimmer of streetlights, shop signs, and taillights speckling them through the windows. Reigen threw sidelong glances to Mob, who had nearly pressed himself against the passenger’s side window, watching the flurry of night life lights go by. It was the first glimpse Mob had gotten of the night since he and Reigen first met, and given the state Mob had been in, Reigen figured it was probably the first chance Mob had gotten to appreciate any of it.

Reigen pulled down a side street, and parked the car in an empty spot along the side of the road, and decided to ignore the parking meter on the gamble that no one was checking them.

“Come on Mob, this way.”

Reigen motioned with his shoulder to the other side of the street. The back of apartment buildings rose like monoliths—cold solid brick exteriors with fire escapes climbing like segmented iron snakes. Smoke furled out dense and heavy from the roofs, and over top them was the gentle glow of the cityscape beyond. Reigen pointed to the bottom, dead center, to the patterned red and orange drapes that fell to about shoulder height, hiding behind them a warmly-lit interior that smelled rich and dense with broth. As they crossed the street, laughter boomed from inside.

Reigen brushed the drape away first, and Mob came in under his shoulder, glimmering eyes set to the hanging paper lanterns, the handful of people seated along the length of the bar, some huddled near a glowing red heater, others slurping ramen up between chop stick guides, two older men with scraggly white beards clanging shots glasses together and singing off key until they lost their breath to laughter. Reigen followed his line of sight to the woks on the stoves in back, pork and egg roasting, crackling, simmering beside the vats of noodles dipped in broth brought near to boiling. Two men dressed in white attended to the stove, yelling heartily to each other over the buzz of the patrons.

Reigen stooped slightly, so that he stood close to Mob’s ear. “This okay?”

Mob hesitated, his wide eyes shooting about, possibly overwhelmed. Slowly, he nodded. “It smells incredible.”

Reigen brightened. He took the nearest stool, and angled himself away from the drunk singing men. He nodded to the one open beside it, which Mob climbed into. A gust of air whipped through the curtain, and Mob shivered, though he hardly seemed to notice. His eyes drank in everything around him.

“Two ramen please, with all the toppings you usually put on them, plus extra pork. Today we’re celebrating.” Reigen spoke to one of the white-clad men, who answered with a nod. Reigen turned to Mob. “Do you know why we’re celebrating?”

Mob focused back on Reigen, who leaned in, intent, eager. Mob blinked, and then shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“It’s October 10th. It’s my birthday. I turned 28 today. I didn’t even realize my birthday was this close until yesterday, which I think says a lot about the kind of life I lead but besides the point.”

“Oh,” Mob answered, and then he straightened. “Oh happy birthday. I didn’t get you a gift.”

“Of course you didn’t. How could you get me a gift you didn’t know it was my birthday. I hardly knew it was my birthday. Besides the point. Besides, you know, this already is the gift.”

Mob didn’t answer. He stared back, confused, face lit with warm orange tones from the paper lanterns above.

“If this had been a normal birthday I’d probably be spending it at a very different kind of bar hanging out with people who probably wouldn’t remember my birthday anyhow. This is um…different from that.”

“Is this better?”

“Infinitely,” Reigen answered along a breath. He breathed in deep, and then exhaled, and then continued, more sober. “And, you know, I mean I almost missed my birthday. But you uh….you missed the last four. Of yours. I can’t imagine. If Shishou ever. I mean. You didn’t know how old you were, so…” Reigen reached across the counter and grabbed the set of chopsticks laid out for him. He took one in his hand, pencil like, and pointed it to Mob. “It may be my birthday, but it’s also four of yours. We’ve got ground to make up.”

“Oh,” Mob answered, thinking the words over. He straightened a little, almost shocked, and looked at Reigen. “Does this really count?”

“Only if you want it to. Does this seem like a good four birthdays together?”

One of the chefs turned and pushed two bowls across the counter. Reigen pulled his closer, and Mob followed suit. Reigen breathed in, the smell almost intoxicatingly rich—a dark broth, thin noodles acting as a bed for slices of hard boiled egg, their yolks dense and crumbly yet runny at the center, six slices of pork heartily brazened on the outside, left delicately pink in center, deep green leeks slice diagonally, scallions scattered, crinkled mushrooms holding broth in their folds, fishcakes that spiraled pink at the center, bamboo shoots overlapping like the threads of a wicker basket.

“Yeah, this seems good,” Mob answered.

Reigen breathed in deep again, and he grabbed his chop sticks, and set to the bowl. But not before he checked that Mob had done the same.

They took their first bite at the same time.

Reigen swallowed, and cleared his throat, and gestured to Mob. “How is it…?”

Mob stared into the bowl for a moment longer, then looked up to Reigen. His cheeks had flushed pinker, his eyes more watery than before.

“It’s delicious.”

“Yeah,” Reigen agreed, as he raised the bowl to his lips. “It is.”

…

Reigen let the engine stall for a moment, hands on the wheel in indecision, as he idled outside a building cast in shadow, dark to the world save for the few bright spots of street lamps against its brick façade. He glanced to Mob in the passenger’s seat, dozing again, and Reigen considered backing out.

“Hey, Mob. You gotta wake up again. Just one more thing, yeah?”

Mob blinked awake again, head swiveling left and right to take in his surroundings. He’d left a spot of condensation on the window with his breath. Mob used his sleeve to wipe it off and stare outside, into inky blackness.

“What’s here?”

“I’ll show you.”

Reigen stepped out, and waited for Mob to follow before he locked the car door. The front door of the building had a wire grate over its window, and a directory of names written on the side panel. Some were actually business plates, others—new or temporary—were written on masking tape.

Reigen flipped through his keyring and unlocked this door.

“Second floor, third door on the right, just follow me.”

Reigen flipped on light switches as he went, illuminating cold dark white walls with a glow that buzzed for the first several seconds after being flipped on. Reigen shivered, and entered the stairwell, and climbed the metal-grated set of stairs to the second floor. Mob lagged, a bit winded by the climb, so Reigen slowed his pace.

“You okay?”

“I’m okay,” Mob answered, though his eyes betrayed uncertainty, fear perhaps. “Where are we?”

“Hang on, it’s right over here.” Reigen traced down the hall, not bothering with this set of lights, instead allowing the glow of the stairwell to trickle down the hall and light the contours of the door knob he targeted. Reigen flipped to a different key, and set it to the door, and it clicked.

Reigen opened it. Cold air drenched him from within. Reigen hit the lights, and turned the radiator on, and watched his breath crystalize in front of his nose as the office came back awake until its harsh white lighting.

Mob entered behind him, curious, arms hugged against his body for warmth.

“This is my office,” Reigen said. He set his hands to his hips and swiveled in place. “It’s…where I used to run Spirits and Such. And it’s still where I work now, doing the private investigator stuff, but it…used to be Spirits and Such.”

Mob spun in place too, taking in the lone desk and desk lamp, the filing cabinet against the wall, the single window in back.

“Are you cold, Mob?” Reigen asked.

“A little.”

“Well here.” Reigen pulled the wrapped parcel out from his coat and tossed it to Mob. “For you. Happy birthday.”

It took Mob a moment to respond. He eyed Reigen, as if asking permission, and Reigen nodded him on. Mob tore back the wrapping—pink with white polka dots—and unfurled from the parcel something thick, and warm, and red. Mob held it up fully, paper dropped to the ground, revealing a red hoodie.

“I wanted to get something with the Spirits and Such logo but I…only started planning any of this yesterday. I’ll get it emblazoned later. Like um, one of those iron-on things, or maybe embroidered. I googled and there’s places that do that. So it’s kind of a stand in right now, but um, picture it as having the Spirits and Such logo okay?”

“Okay,” Mob answered.

“I lied a little bit, earlier, by the way, about there not being a present for me. I’m actually giving myself a present,” Reigen continued, hands spinning together a bit. “I’m reopening Spirits and Such. No more of this…None of this PI stuff, anymore. I had one last hurrah with that and I am done.” Reigen’s eyes shifted to Mob, and he chewed his tongue, breath puffing with ice as Mob pulled the hoodie over his head. “So um, that brings me to part two of this. Which is…up to you, Mob. But um. When I reopen, do you, would you um—what I offered earlier—do you want to work for me? As my psychic sidekick? My psy-kick?”

“Your psy-kick?”

“It’s a pun. Listen we can workshop it. I just mean.” Reigen spun his hand through the air, settling in a fist with his thumb pointed at himself. “I’m psychic. You’re psychic. We may as well put our powers to good use, yeah? Get the ball rolling on this again. I remember where most of those boxed-up things go. Plus um, it’ll be different this time. If any evil spirit tries to jump me, I’ve got you now to save me.”

“Save you?”

“Save me.”

“Reigen my powers aren’t as strong as yours. I don’t think I can save you.”

“Trust me kid, you don’t even know.” Reigen moved behind his desk, large exaggerated steps as he spread his arms wide to frame the back wall. “Big banner, right here! Get something professionally done with the logo. Or hmm, maybe banner goes outside. Want the inside to seem a bit more professional. But not too professional, yeah? You want your psychic exorcist to be a bit eccentric. I should put that poster back up, the one with my face, that sort of thing screams ‘wacky eccentric’.”

“The candles and the jade doll too?”

“Not the jade doll Mob. The jade doll is going away forever. But yes to the candles. And the juggling balls. I can’t believe I ever gave up that hobby.”

“And you want…me?”

“Absolutely! You know, you know you know,” Reigen took to pacing, hands churning through the air and fingers furling, unfurling, until he stopped and pointed purposefully at Mob. “That’s how a real psychic learns! In the field! Struggling against spirits and bartering with them for knowledge! You learn the most important things you’ll ever hear from them. In fact, I had no one to train me in my powers. I had to negotiate with spirits—evil ones sometimes—to learn. It was a curse laid upon my grandmother that first gave me my powers, but I learned to reign them in, under my control, with the wise knowledge of spirits with thousands of years’ experience. THAT’S the sort of thing that would teach you to control your barrier. That’s where the real secret lies.”

Reigen dropped his hand, and he stared at Mob, who seemed smaller beneath the folds of his hoodie. His breath still puffed icy in front of his face, cheeks and eyes sunken in the harsh overhead lighting, but there was interest, intrigue, excitement.

“…So long as I don’t hurt anyone.”

“Not a soul. Not on my watch.”

Mob looked to his feet, then the floor, then he scanned the length of the office, until his eyes settled on Reigen.

“Then yes. Yes I do want to work with you here.”

“Awesome.” Reigen moved behind his desk. He pulled out the top drawer, where a pack of cigarettes slid to the front. Reigen grabbed the whole pack, unopened, and dropped it into the trash can beside his desk. “And you know, after you go home…? Even once you’re home, and this is all behind us, you could still um…come back here, and work with me, yeah…? Plenty of kids have part-time jobs. Think of it as um…work experience.”

“Yeah,” Mob answered simply, seemingly unaware of the enormous weight his easy agreement lifted from Reigen’s chest. The radiator heat trickled through the air, wafts of warmth in the room abysmally bright, abysmally empty, against the backdrop of night sky through the window, flecked with stars, streets below speckled with moving lights. It was a different kind of world they occupied then, a different sort of separated from everything else. Something colder, crisper, but more invigorating. A cold bright empty white-walled room with just the two of them, planning their future, as their breath curled around their necks. “I’d like that.”

…

The front door to Reigen’s apartment clicked, unlocked, and it was already warm when Reigen set foot inside. He shrugged off his jacket, and stepped out of his shoes, and shut the door to the brisk October night air. The lights had remained on. The infomercial reel still ran. Soft lighting, and gentle noise, and a warmth Reigen was not used to feeling inside his own apartment.

Reigen glanced to the clock. 10:07 pm.

“You know, Mob, I picked up one last thing.”

Mob stared on, unspeaking, as Reigen moved to the cleaned-out fridge. He opened the freezer side, and pulled from it a small bakery box. He set it on the counter, lifting the flap to reveal a small white-frosted cake inside. Reigen reached into the upper cabinet and pulled out two plates, both clean, and from the nearest drawer he fetched two forks and a hefty knife, washed as well. It was strange, almost, not to pull something used from the sink, and wet it clean. This time nothing remained in the sink. Nothing remained unclean. It was a house put together, cared for, lived in, comfortable to come home to.

“Do you like cake?” Reigen asked.

Mob stepped closer. “You bought a cake?”

“A small one. Yesterday. It was on sale with the coupons.”

“Oh.”

“It’s got ice cream in it, and this um…It’s chocolate by the look of it. Like chocolate crumble inside. Vanilla ice cream, and chocolate crumble, and regular cake part.

Reigen held the knife to the cake. He leaned down on it, putting most of his weight into the cutting of the frozen ice cream layer until it finally relented, hitting with a thock against the cardboard bottom of the box. Reigen repeated this twice more, cutting two roughly even size pieces, which he plated, and set to the counter.

“Can I get milk too?” Mob asked.

“Yeah of course.” Reigen reached for the drink cabinet, but Mob had beaten him to it, hand rising and snagging a glass from the bottom-most shelf. Mob moved to the fridge to retrieve the milk, and Reigen scooted past behind him to put the rest of the cake back in the freezer.

“You got that?” Reigen asked as Mob pulled the jug of milk from the fridge.

“Yeah.”

Alright. Reigen shut the freezer. He moved back to the counter, grabbing his plate and fork, and setting down at the table. He watched the infomercial a moment, trying to make sense of what was being advertised. It looked like a ladder of some sort. Reigen wondered if he even owned a ladder.

The sound of pouring milk drowned out the advertisement. Reigen shrugged, and dug his fork into the cake, and took the first bite. It was good—it was great, in fact. The ice cream melted against his tongue, smooth and creamy, the chocolate crumble gave it a heartiness and richness, the cake part fluffy and soft. Or maybe it was a terrible cake—and Reigen just never got cake enough to know the difference.

The scrape of a plate leaving the counter, the clink of a glass being lifted. Reigen scooted a bit to the side subconsciously, so that Mob would have more room to take the seat beside him. Reigen stared at the television again, because now one of the advertisers was climbing the ladder.

Something smashed behind him.

Reigen jumped, head whipping to the side in panic as he took in the scene. Mob stood, plate in one hand, glass in shattered against the ground, milk soaking into his socks as a shimmering minefield of glass rung him, like islands in the white sea.

“Oh, well shoot. I don’t have a lot of those glasses—“

“I’M SORRY!”

Mob dropped down into a crouch, arms thrown violently over his head which trembled alongside his whole body. Breath gasped in and out of his throat, a heaving wheezing noise of panic as Mob curled further in on himself and cried out, muffled into his clothing, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to drop it!”

“Hey, hey hey hey!” Reigen jumped from his seat, cake forgotten, and stepped through the puddle of milk and glass, only half-aware of the sharp shards that might shred his feet. He reached a hand out, but Mob recoiled violently, until he stumbled back and braced his back against the wall.

“I didn’t mean it Shishou it was an accident it was an accident I didn’t mean it I didn’t—“

“Mob!”

“I didn’t mean it I didn’t mean it I swear I didn’t mean it—“

“Mob!”

“Shishou please Shishou please Shishou please—“

“Mob I’m not Shishou!” Reigen shoved forward, feet wet, and took Mob by the shoulders. Mob looked up, eyes wet, startled and frozen. “Mob… Mob, I’m not angry. I’m not angry and it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s just a glass. It’s only a glass, Mob. And I’m not angry. It was an old dirty glass anyway, Mob. An old dirty glass I don’t care about and I won’t miss and it’s 100% okay it’s okay, I promise.”

Mob’s hitching breath evened just a fraction, his hunched shoulders unfurling as his eyes surveyed Reigen for any evidence of a trick, or deception, or deceit. He looked down at his own shaking hands, and the air around him, as if only just processing what he saw.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“I know you didn’t. That’s why I’m not mad. Dropping something by accident is okay.” Reigen tightened his hand on Mob’s shoulder, and he looked back and forth between Mob’s eyes. It filled him with a twisting sort of helplessness, seeing what lay behind Mob’s eyes. Seeing the kid that ‘Shishou’ had so thoroughly broken. That all Mob’s pain, and all Mob’s horror, and all Mob’s suffering traced back to this one single Shishou, and that this man had brought about an evil that Reigen himself perhaps didn’t have the power to heal. It threatened that precarious future Reigen had just claimed, the one where he got to stay with Mob, healed and safe.

“Mob…please. Your Shishou is dead. He is dead, Mob. Your Shishou is dead, and he can’t hurt you anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s okay Mob.”

“No, I’m…” Mob paused. He hiccupped, voice still hitching, body still trembling. “I’m sorry Shishou is dead. I did something to make him kill himself. I know it.”

“Good, Mob. Good…”

Mob stared up, jaw slack, baffled. “No… No, no, you’re angry about it… Shishou was your friend, and I got him killed. I’m sorry.”

Reigen pulled back, doubt squirming in his chest, black with revulsion. “What? No. No no, I never knew your Shishou. I wasn’t friends with him, Mob. I would never be friends with that man.”

“I heard you! No, no I heard you.” Mob leaned forward, his hands locking onto Reigen’s arm. “Through the basement door I could hear you talking with Shishou. You visited twice to talk with Shishou. You were friends!”

Reigen leaned back. Floor wet, mind buzzing, staring forward, mouth dry. Suddenly the taste of cake and ramen were a thousand miles away, from a different lifetime, from a “before”, when Reigen had just been thrown so terribly into “after”.

“Wait…wait a moment… Wait a moment… Basement door?”

Mob nodded. “I… I lived there in Shishou’s house.”

“And Shishou… bought supplies for you, Mob…?”

“Yes…”

“What… what did you eat Mob?”

“My barrier shreds all real food, so it was just soup. I…I got tired of it.”

The buzzing in Reigen’s ears grew louder. His hand slipped off Mob’s shoulder. A hollow pit of dread opened up in his stomach, revulsion, horror, guilt. Glimpses of the Mogami house, fetid and rotting, too vile to stay in for even a single night. The cans of soup, left on the counter by a dead man who did not need to eat. And Reigen, asking for more, wanting the pieces to fit, seeing what couldn’t click and now, suddenly…

“Reigen…?”

“Mob… What was your Shishou’s name?”

“Why are you asking…?”

“Mob please, just tell me this.”

“You seem different. Are you mad?”

“I’m not. Mob, please tell me, what was your Shishou’s name…?”

Mob hesitated. He pulled his hands away from Reigen, and answered with only a whisper.

“…Mogami. He was Mogami-Shishou.”

The name twisted tight like a fist in Reigen’s chest. It flooded his veins with an icy horror, a nauseous understanding, a horrific feeling that threatened to hollow him out from the inside.

The hum of the television. The buzz of the lights.

“…Reigen?”

The rushing of blood in his ears. The tingling numbness in his fingers.

“…Reigen…?”

He’d been there. Right there, on the floorboards above. Mob had not made a peep. Not a sound. Not a single indication. Reigen had left that house assuming it was empty. He’d left Mob to rot.

“Reigen, please…?”

It was cold now, in this house.

Chapter 24

[sanoiro]

Lucifer Fanfiction  Completed & To Do List...

Updated 21 Oct 2017

Why am I posting this? 

I just wanted all my Lucifer fanfics in one post. Yet beware... I’m not an English native speaker/writer. I mess up quite a lot and I tend to edit several of my chapters and one-shots for months afterwards. You see I have the bad tendency to post first and edit more thoroughly later.  Additionally, my plots are usually absurd and most often than not I write them because an idea was stuck for too long and it had to get out. Writing fanfiction is an outlet and a practice for me so I might not be the Lucifer fanfic author you would be interested in. A03 has almost 1400 Lucifer fics. In short, know your options. 

Only on Archive of Our Own (A03)

1) Matters of Light (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: A Mother always knows. A Mother can always hope that the ones who will be left behind, will be safe and happy. Thus, a chat occurs.

2) A Place That's Warm and Dark (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: “You really believe I take after Dad? We both know now where this is going. Don’t we?” Lucifer gave a bitter chuckle rubbing his tired aching eyes in hopelessness. He realised it too late. Oh, so late…

*CO-AUTHORED* with @ships-sailing-in-the-night  

3) A Grain of Truth (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed 

Chloe and Trixie go to the movies. Unfortunately, so does Lucifer...

4) Gravity  (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed Summary: Chloe figured out that Lt. Pierce was using her to get to Sinnerman and she went back to Lucifer's place heartbroken, letting him pick up the pieces.

*CO-AUTHORED* with @ships-sailing-in-the-night  

5) A Planeful Explanation (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Lucifer finds a drunk Chloe under his baby grand... Feels ensue...

6) Just a Door (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: It's just a door but then again it's not...

Standalone One-shots

1) Just a Job Description (Two Chapters/Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Exploring the first kiss between Chloe and Lucifer and the awkward question that followed. Submitted for the Lucifer Gift Exchange Round 1 (2017)

2) A Heart's Arduous Return (Oneshot-Drabble) for Yearning: Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Chloe Decker celebrates her 36th year on this Earth. She will probably never know but love is the small gestures even when coming from afar. Set between 2x13 and 2x14.

3) Who is Afraid of Charlotte Richards? (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Lucifer has been gone for two months, Uriel for four and a half. Mother finally wants to talk about these two different kinds of losses. Linda Martin reluctantly agrees to listen. Pain overtakes people, only for them to find an immeasurable kind of love somewhere in the depths of their existence. Set between 2x13 and 2x14.

4) Caterpillar-Duck Race, Hello! (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Lucifer is being childish, Chloe is finally unwinding and granting her inner child some freedom. It’s the heat, it’s the children, it’s a Caterpillar-Duck Race, Hello! Takes place between 2x10 and 2x11.

5) Aurio (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Lucifer goes back to the penthouse after his 72 hours are up in the psychiatric hospital. The Detective is there, being what he needs her to be. A short drabble about "Tomorrow"...

6) My Blue-Grey (H)orison (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Amenadiel realises how deep his brother's feelings run for Chloe. Set after the end of 2x15.

7) End Me With a Kiss (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Out of all the idiotic things Lucifer could have done, he had to go and kiss her.

8) The Sun Shines Through the Rain (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Chloe makes perfectly clear to Lucifer that she doesn't need him anymore. Lucifer disagrees in the best way he knows how. Melodiously. 

9) It Has Been a Year (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary:*In Honour of the 1st Lucifer Anniversary / 25th of January 2016 - 25th of January 2017*

“Did you love her?”

“Deeply. You seem… surprised by this answer Doctor. They say the Devil cannot love but he did once. He was created out of love. The stars you gaze every night were created by that deep, gut-wrenching emotion as well.”

10) Handle With Care (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Two weeks after his departure (2x13), Lucifer is standing right in the middle of her case's crime scene.

11) The Definition of a Hellbound Tenebrific Soul (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Lucifer is coming to terms with what it means to be unworthy before Chloe finds him on the beach. 2x11

12) The Sense of Completion (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: "Our most honest conversations are done at 4 AM and while you are sleeping." 

An additional scene I needed from Lucifer after the ending of 2x17.

13) On a Chemical Level (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Linda asks a question and a favour. Chloe replies on a chemical level.

14) You Cannot Hurry Love (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: This night is *the* night but as Linda and Maze realise you cannot hurry Deckerstar…

Series I: A Devil of a Time

1) 3 Seconds of Sorrow (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: When she would wake up Lucifer would smile to her, joke to her but never promise her she would see him again. It only took three seconds of sorrow to realise that soon he would be gone and thus how much she means to him. Prequel to 60 Seconds of Silence. *A spontaneous 20-minute challenge! Or when sleep deprivation motivates you abort, abort!*

2) 60 Seconds of Silence (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: In the era of camera surveillance, Chloe Decker finds how *team* effort worked to save her in 2x13. This was not what she had in mind when she was told that Lucifer had gotten a hold of the formula through unconventional means.

3) 60 Years of Pandemonium (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Lucifer knew how to wager deals with humans, unfortunately, no one ever explained to him that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. You see Chloe Decker is not exactly happy and she knows precisely how to track him down after 2x13. *An unexpected sequel to 60 Seconds of Silence.

Series II: Tis the Season to be Folly 

(including the Lucifer's A03 Christmas Countdown Challenge entries)

Given in their correct reading order

1) Guilty as Sin (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: “Care to explain?” he asked somewhat too distressfully for his taste. In the midst of a chaotic day at home, Trixie has a very interesting question for the Devil.

2) Carols of Rum and Raspberries (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: When Lucifer is caught in an awkward situation due to his earlier that day vandalised sensitivities, a counter favour will have him illuminating the ivory keys while talking over matters of rum and raspberries.

3) Walk 8766 Miles in my Elven Shoes (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Kidnapping Dan was a necessary evil for Lucifer. After all, in his book, a promise is a promise and the Devil will go to great lengths this holiday season to keep his.

4) My Mutineer Santa (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Maze had been entrusted with the Christmas grocery shopping. Amenadiel just wanted to get into her good graces. He should have known. Never let a demon make purchases at the spree of the moment. How will the rest react?

5) Lucifer in the Sky with Lions (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Having Lucifer as a forced house guest was never the plan. Neither was him tugging along for the most important errant of this holiday season. Thankfully, he claims to have plenty of experience but does he really?

6) A Tree for the Latchkey Kid (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: Amenadiel is house-sitting for Lucifer. For the past year, he knew that his dear brother was changing yet this holiday season a discovery will make him realise just how far this change goes. Thankfully the good doctor is there to help or at least she gets credit for trying.

7) On a Wing and a Prayer (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: CHAPTER 1 of Alis Grave Nil. Beatrice leads Lucifer to new, uncharted paths this holiday season. What makes a man and what makes a believer? Joyous, precious, burned to crisp and even bitter presents will be given. Even from Father himself. 

8) Father is Waiting in the Wings (Oneshot): Written - Edited - Completed

Summary: CHAPTER 2 of Alis Grave Nil. His playful eyes roamed her figure and a sense of familiarity enfolded him. “Are you sure that we haven’t met? I could swear I’ve seen you naked.” Christmas held the significance of their connection in time. But they were unaware of how deep it ran. Standalone Outtake of On a Wing and a Prayer. *(The somewhat mature version of AGN Ch2)*

9) Alis Grave Nil (Multichapter): 25 chapters - Ongoing - 16 Chapters Posted

Working Summary: There is a rule to never steal from the Devil. A masterfully blurred memory and a stolen token bring Lucifer to his breaking point. Nothing is heavy to the wings* but what happens when you have severed yours? Romance, Mystery, Angst and your occasional Fluf.

Second Summary: Nothing is heavy when you have wings, but what happens when you have severed yours? Divine plans, destiny and above all free will get Lucifer’s world spinning. Revelations and surprising twists all come down to Lucifer’s will, but freedom always has a price. Perhaps it’s finally time for him to reap the rewards as well. Romance, Mystery, Angst and your occasional Fluf.

Fanvideos

1) Black Sea  

Summary: You rise I fall, I stand you crawl, you twist I turn, who’s the first to burn?

2) It Had To Be You Summary: It had to be you… Wonderful you… It had to be you… 3) Everybody Lies Summary: We do what we have to when we fall in love.

4) Oh My Soul

Summary: Oh, my soul, Oh, how you're weary, from fearing you lost control This was the one thing, you didn't see coming.

5) So Tied Up 

Summary: Lover, best friend, my worst enemy. You know I won’t let you get away. They never said that love is a twisted game. And no one ever wins

To Do List:

Fanfictions:

0) Alis Grave Nil: Chapter 17 has reached 2K...  :) Soon...  1) The Penthouse Chronicles(Mid-length Multichapter) 

Summary: Hilarity, Fluff and Angst. Lucifer Morningstar’s Penthouse has seen it all.  2) Untitled (Short-length Multichapter) Summary: Trixie in 1x10 decides to take matters into her own hands so she flees her house and makes a deal with her favourite Devil. An AU take of what if Trixie had found Lucifer at home. 

3) Untitled (Short-length Multichapter or Oneshot) Summary: Based on my Maze and Wings theory.  Fandvideo: 1) The Other Night 2) Shadow Preachers

Disclaimer: I don’t own the Lucifer’s characters, the sed music or any other material produced by FOX or any other licenced creator. My aim is to promote what I love in my own way and also express my creativity. I take no royalties of any kind nor do I profit by the above forms of art. 

[jenmedsbookreviews]

Can’t take the credit for the picture this week – that’s from Pixabay – but I was where this was taken, Dundee, on Friday. Had the dubious pleasure of driving across that old Tay Bridge and back on a flying visit to the town. Downside of being so danged busy last week is I am fluffing knackered and have done not a lot of anything interesting. Upside – I managed to complete another audio book.

Well – I take that back. I say I’ve done not a lot of anything interesting but over the weekend I did find the energy to attend the blogger/author bash organised by Kim Nash in Birmingham where I caught up with a number of lovely bookish friends old and new. Always a pleasure and the venue is really nice too. I have no pictures as evidence as I hate selfies, but there are some knocking about the old tinterweb if you care to look about.

Book post wise, apart from a few more Mr Men Christmas books that I bought myself for November’s Christmas month I have had none. Zip. Nada. Nothing for over two weeks now. I am pondering my imminent retirement from blogging as clearly everyone hates me 😦 Just as soon as I’ve read the four hundred plus books I still have waiting for me to read, I’m straight on it.

Bookish buys wise, I’ve had a pretty poor week too. Seems like everything bookish is drying up… I only bought 7 books, 5 of them were Mr Men and 2 of those were even preorders. The 2 non Mr Men books were preorders too. It’s like a virtual bookish apocalypse for me. Unheard of. In case you care, I preordered the new Carol Wyer/Robyn Carter thriller, The Silent Children, due in November, and Kelly Rimmer’s new book Before I Let You Go which is due out next year. Mr Men wise I preordered Mr Happy and the Office Party and Little Miss Shy Goes Online Dating. Yes. That’s right. Mr Men for Adults. I can’t wait. Mr Men for kids wise I am now the proud owner of Mr Men Meet Father Christmas, Mr Noisy and the Silent Night and Mr Men, A Christmas Carol.

Netgalley wise, I picked up four books, three of which are for blog tours so therefore not really adding to my total. Sort of. Ish. These were Bad Sister by Sam Carrington, A Cosy Candlelit Christmas by Tilly Tennant, The Lost Child by Patricia Gibney and Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell. Really looking forward to reading them all.

Reading wise, I’ve been fairly productive considering I had an 18 hour working day on Friday mucking up my plans. Still on track with the three books a week target at the moment so fingers crossed.

Books I have read

The Mistake by K.L. Slater

You think you know the truth about the people you love.

But one discovery can change everything… 

Eight-year-old Billy goes missing one day, out flying his kite with his sister Rose. Two days later, he is found dead. 

Sixteen years on, Rose still blames herself for Billy’s death. How could she have failed to protect her little brother?

Rose has never fully recovered from the trauma, and one of the few people she trusts is her neighbour Ronnie, who she has known all her life. But one day Ronnie falls ill, and Rose goes next door to help him… and what she finds in his attic room turns her world upside down.

Rose thought she knew the truth about what happened to Billy. She thought she knew her neighbour. Now the only thing she knows is that she is in danger…

The Mistake is a completely gripping thriller that will keep you up all night, from the top ten bestselling author of Blink, Liar and Safe with Me. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.

Loved this. I only meant to start reading a few chapters, maybe half the book, because I was so tired already on Monday evening. Five hours and a lot of nail biting later I had finished. What a story. So many twists and such an occasionally dark but always compelling story, I can’t wait to share my thoughts on it as part of the blog tour. In the mean time you can preorder a copy here.

…

Snowflakes, Iced Cakes and Second Chances by Sue Watson

Escape to Devon for blustery walks along the beach, hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and proof that miracles really do happen, especially at Christmas. 

A year after she separated from her husband, Gianni, on Christmas Day, Chloe’s heart is still in pieces as she unpacks the decorations for her first ever festive holiday alone. That is, until the phone rings…

It seems Gianni’s new seaside restaurant is in trouble and Chloe must go to Appledore to save the business – and him. Equally famous for his experimental culinary extravaganzas and his explosive temper, Gianni has been really stirring up a sensation with the locals – and not in a good way! 

As pans fly and the temperature in the kitchen rises, Chloe’s calming influence and magic touch might just get critics back on side in time to save the restaurant from sinking like a sad soufflé. But will it be enough to save their marriage? 

Chloe came to Appledore in search of her Christmas sparkle, but when the snow clears, will she finally find the way back to her husband’s heart?

A laugh-out-loud festive treat that will give you the tingle of freshly-hung tinsel. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Abby Clements and Debbie Johnson. 

You know that with a Sue Watson book you are guaranteed a feel good, heart warming and very funny book and this was no exception. Chloe and Gianni are polar opposites – even their star signs are against them – but there is an irrisistible charm about the pair. Full of laughter, ice cream and dishes which sound like they’d make even Heston Blumenthal baulk, this is a book which will make you smile, if only for Gianni’s unique way of describing the beach… My review will be up soon as part of the tour but you can pre-order the book here.

…

The Preplexing Theft of the Jewel In The Crown by Vaseem Khan

The second book in the heartwarming and charming Baby Ganesh series.

For centuries the Koh-i-Noor diamond has set man against man and king against king.

Now part of the British Crown Jewels, the priceless gem is a prize that many have killed to possess.

So when the Crown Jewels go on display in Mumbai, security is everyone’s principal concern. And yet, on the very day Inspector Chopra visits the exhibition, the diamond is stolen from under his nose.

The heist was daring and seemingly impossible. The hunt is on for the culprits. But it soon becomes clear that only one man – and his elephant – can possibly crack this case…

Book two in the Inspector Chopra series sees our interpid hero caught up in the case of the theft of the Queen Mother’s Crown, believed to be an attempt to reclaim the Koh-i-Noor diamond for it’s rightful owner – India. I am loving this series and the setting and pace of the book are brilliant. I’ve listened to rather than read both of the first two books, with book three lined up for a weeks time when I travel to Bracknell. Each book has been laced with a side mystery and more than a little excitement involving the wonderful baby Ganesh. You can order a copy of the book here.

…

Her Last Secret by Barbara Copperthwaite

There are some secrets you can never tell.

The last thing to go through Dominique Thomas’s head was the image of her teenage daughter’s face and her heart lifted. Then the shot rang out.

They were the perfect family. Successful businessman Ben Thomas and his wife Dominique live an enviable life, along with their beautiful children; teenager Ruby and quirky younger daughter, Mouse. 

But on Christmas Day the police are called to their London home, only to discover a horrific scene; the entire family lying lifeless, victims of an unknown assailant. 

But when Ruby’s diary is discovered, revealing her rage at the world around her, police are forced to look closer to home for the key to this tragedy.

Each family member harboured their own dark truths – but has keeping their secrets pushed Ruby to the edge of sanity? Or are there darker forces at work?

Oh my. What an opening. And what a tale. An family nursing secrets, one of which could prove to be deadly. I loved the suspense in this book and was hooked from the first page. I needed to know what happened and why. I absolutely needed to know the secret Ruby was keeping and the reason for her rage. I am sure that when you read it, you will too. You can preorder your own copy right here.

…

Four books. Not quite as impressive as last week but given the week I’ve had, I’ll take it. Blog wise it was another full on week recapped below.

Alison Brodie, author of #Zenka

Guest Post: Billy McLaughlin, author of The Daughter

Review: She Did It by Mel Sherratt

#Blogblitz: Cold Blood by Robert Bryndza

#BookLove: Patricia Furstenberg

#BlogTour: The Frozen Woman by #JonMichelet trans. Don Bartlett

#BlogTour: Reach For The Stars by Colleen Coleman

Guest Review: Forgotten by Neven Carr

This week is just as busy with #booklove from my guest reviewer and older sister, Mandie and blog tours for Maria In The Moon by Louise Beech, Kisses From Nimbus by P.J.Riley, The Surrogate by Louise Jensen, House of Spines by Michael J. Malone, Operation Clean Up Day by Jason Tucker, We’ll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale and Lies That Poison by Amanda Fleet.

And finally, I’ll jsut say that my Bloody Scotland giveaway is now closed and the winner will be announced in due course. Watch this space.

Have a fabulously bookish week all. I shall be knee deep in paperwork as I try and prepare next years budget. No small feat believe me.

Jen

Rewind, recap: weekly update w/e 24/09/17 Can't take the credit for the picture this week - that's from Pixabay - but I was where this was taken, Dundee, on Friday.