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vettelsvee · 4 months ago

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Hey, how's it going?I have been thinking, for me, Seb gives off a GREAT vibe of a big family guy, who has a big family with the person he loves, my opinion of course. Could you write something like this?

E a propósito, adoro tudo o que você escreve!!

ROADTRIP TO MONACO | Sebastian Vettel

f1 masterlist | ao3 | requests or let's talk!

retired sebastian vettel x wife!reader

word count: 2894

summary: seb and a pregnant y/n go and have a trip to monaco with their three little ones after seb's retirement

warnings: none, just mentions of pregnancy sickness as y/n is on her first term of her pregnancy! fluff, lots of fluff, and dad!seb

a/n: i love that seb. i actually love seb and oscar so much that the only thing i want to do is write about them. i'll be waiting your feedback, comments and requests please! and also, don't forget reblogs are truly appreciated (also, so close to 1k! tysm to you all because i most of the times feel surreal with all of this and how much you seem to enjoy my fics). also, anon: hope you like this!

The soft melody of an alarm broke through the darkness of the bedroom Sebastian and you shared around one-thirty in the morning, interrupting the couple's deep sleep. Sebastian, still startled by the noise, managed to quickly stretch his arm to turn off the alarm in an attempt to fully wake up. Meanwhile, you rubbed your eyes, fighting against the tiredness.

"Is it already time to get up, sunshine?" you asked sleepily.

"Yes, darling, it's time," Seb nodded as he sat up in bed. "If we want to get to Monaco on time and avoid Charles from killing us. We should leave in about an hour and a half."

You yawned, curling up under the blankets.

"But it's too early, love… Don't you think we could, and should, sleep a little longer?"

Sebastian approached you and gently stroked your hair. He was aware that the fourth pregnancy was being a bit challenging for you compared to the previous three, despite being only in the second month.

If fatigue, nausea and dizziness were making life difficult for you at the moment, he didn't want to imagine how you would feel four months from now.

"Y/N, sweetheart, don't worry. Let me be in charge of waking up the kids and getting everything ready. You stay here and rest a little longer, okay? I promise I'll let you know when everything is ready so you only have to get in the car."

You looked at him with a tired but grateful expression. Still, you knew you had to help prepare the final details of the trip, and most importantly, make sure the kids were perfectly ready..

"Are you sure? I don't want you to take on all the work, really," you expressed with concern in your voice. "Even though I'm tired, I can help you..."

"I'm absolutely sure, darling," the man interrupted, smiling and giving you a warm kiss on the forehead. "These are the kinds of things I retired for, so focus on going back to sleep, alright? I'll see you in a bit, liebe."

"Sebastian…" you spoke again. "I'm really serious: we're in this together, and I don't want you to handle everything alone. It's a family trip, not a trip of Seb with his three kids. I want to help."

He admired your determination, but he wanted you to be treated as you deserved.

"I know, Y/N," he explained, "but I also know how tired you are. Really, allow yourself not to worry about your kids for once. I promise I'll wake you up soon enough so you can get ready."

You nodded, trying to avoid continuing the conversation and settling back into bed, closing your eyes and trying to sleep without thinking about how long your husband might take to prepare your kids.

Meanwhile, Sebastian left the room with determination and headed towards the children's rooms. Emily, Charlotte and Matilda slept all in different rooms, so he went from door to door, opening them gently and affectionately, and then approaching each bed.

He first woke up Charlotte, the middle one, who rubbed her eyes and looked at her father, confused.

"Dad, what's going on?" she asked, puzzled. "Did you have a nightmare and want to sleep with me? Or is mom having the baby?"

"No, no," Sebastian chuckled at his seven-year-old daughter's antics. "It's time to wake up. Remember we're going to Monaco today."

The little girl's eyes lit up immediately.

"Yes, that's right! We're going to your old workplace!"

After letting her fully wake up, the head of the family went to the room of the youngest, Matilda, who was four years old.

"Matilda, wake up, honey," whispered Vettel, giving her a gentle tap on her shoulder. "We have an exciting day ahead. We're going to see those fast cars daddy used to drive."

The youngest Vettel lazily stretched in his small bed and yawned. Sebastian then smiled, picking her up while she just wanted to hug Seb.

"That's what I like to see, little one," he commented, tousling her hair. "Let me dress you so mom doesn't have to worry too much, okay?"

Both the children and Sebastian hurried to get ready. There was no doubt that, despite the sleepiness, the family was full of energy and excitement for what awaited them in the country about seven hours from their residence.

After also waking up Emily, your eldest, and making sure all of them were ready, Seb put cartoons on the living room TV to keep the children entertained and returned to his room, where you were still resting, seemingly peacefully asleep.

"Honey, the kids are ready. They're waiting for us in the living room. Are you feeling better?" he whispered as softly as he could, gently stroking your arm.

You opened her eyes and sat up in bed, stretching aggressively. “Thank you so much for getting our little devils ready, I owe you one."

He tenderly kissed you on the lips.

"You don't owe me anything, you did enough effort to bring them into the world and act as both father and mother when I wasn't around. Let me help you get ready, we have a great day ahead."

Quickly, Seb helped you change you clothes, gently touching your small but already slightly prominent pregnant belly. Once you were finally dressed in sportswear for comfort, you both walked hand in hand out of the room and headed to the living room, where your children were already waiting impatiently.

After making sure everything was ready and the kids had no further needs, you all headed to the garage, quickly getting into the family car. While Sebastian made sure the suitcases fit perfectly in the trunk, you took care of buckling the children up and offering them a few games or movies to keep them entertained on the way, although you were quite aware they would end up asleep.

"Are you all ready?" you inquired, turning around from the passenger seat and looking at her children with a smile as Seb began to start the car.

"Yes, mommy, let's go!" exclaimed little Matilda, who received cheers from her sisters.

With the car's engine purring softly, they set off on the Swiss roads amidst the darkness of the night, which, despite being synonymous with tiredness, brought a surge of energy to the youngest members of the family, where conversations and plans for Monaco came to the forefront.

"Do you think grandpa Norbert is going to come, Dad? I heard you talking to him the other day," exclaimed Charlotte, once again showing her admiration for Sebastian's sister. "Is grandma Heike coming too?"

"I want to hear the loud noises of the cars and see how fast they go," Emily added immediately, excited.

Sebastian smiled as he drove, very happy to hear the excitement of his children and, especially, to be sharing such an experience with you all not only after his retirement.

As the hours went by, tiredness arrived, and the children fell asleep. Quite the opposite happened with you: you woke up when you no longer heard the sudden conversations between the siblings. As you progressed along the winding roads and approached Monegasque territory, the sky began to lighten, giving them a beautiful sunrise.

"Look, honey, the sun is rising," you commented to Seb, pointing to the horizon stained with warm colors. "I can't believe we're finally arriving in Monaco after weeks of waiting..."

After a couple more hours of driving, and lively conversation among the family resulting from a brief stop for breakfast and in your case, vomiting a couple of times, you arrived in Monaco. The city looked completely different from any other time of the year as the streets were adorned with flags and banners for the Grand Prix. Furthermore, the grandstands, the paddock, and the countless yachts docked in the harbor made Monte Carlo seem even richer than it already was.

"We're here, guys," Sebastian announced to his children sweetly. "If you need something, just make sure to tell me, alright?”

Seb parked the Mercedes in a parking lot reserved for VIP guests, and then got out of the car to help you. He made then a phone call, possibly to Leclerc, your kids began to stroke your belly. You reacted early and quickly moved them away, aware that journalists and paparazzi could discover the secret.

"Let's follow dad, guys," you whispered to them, getting down to their level. "And remember: no one, not Uncle Charles or anyone who asks you, can know that dad and I have made a little baby, okay?"

The children nodded in response to your question, which somewhat reassured you were still nervous. However, the excitement began to set in as you walked alongside your kids, following Seb towards the place where the free practice sessions would take place, partially pushing aside your worries. The sound of the engines grew louder with each step you took, with the youngest of the family covering her ears with his little hands.

"Look, mommy: there's the Ferrari team!" exclaimed Emily pointing towards the red team's garage.

Charles appeared in his racing suit, as Free Practice was set to begin in just thirty minutes.

As soon as he spotted your husband, who was slightly ahead of all of you, he raised his arms in the air with great joy at seeing him again on the circuits, a wide smile adorning his face.

"Charles!" exclaimed Seb when he finally reached the Monegasque, giving him a strong hug. "Thank you so much for inviting us. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. The kids are very excited to be here, and especially to see you."

Leclerc returned the hug to the German, reminiscing about the two years they were teammates.

"You don't have to thank me, Seb," replied the Ferrari driver. "I'm sure Emily and Charlie remember something, but I know it's all new for Matilda. Anyway, I'm sure they'll enjoy it like the first time, just like Y/N!"

As the conversation continued between the two men, you and the kids surrounded the Ferrari driver, who felt a bit shy seeing the children's excited faces.

"Thank you, Charles," you expressed with your little ones embracing you somewhat shyly. "We're very grateful that you made it possible for us to come," you leaned closer to the Monegasque and whispered: "and don't tell anyone, but despite Ferrari's shitty strategies, you're doing great."

After a few minutes of conversation catching up on your respective live, and where Seb almost revealed you were expecting your fourth child, Charlotte, Emily and Matilda crowded around Charles, excited to see their father's former teammate again. Despite the constant denials from the team engineers, he managed to let your kids have a close look at his car.

"Look," said Charles, excitedly, pointing to the vehicle, "this is the car I'll be practicing with today, and that's my teammate's, Carlos," he pointed to the car beside it. "What do you think?"

The children's eyes widened with passion as they began to examine the car closely.

"Can we touch it, Uncle Charles?" asked the four-year-old, grabbing Leclerc's race suit pants.

Charles smiled, nodding enthusiastically, inwardly melting at the scene he was witnessing. He wished he could see himself like that with Olivia in a few years.

"Of course, but do it quickly so you father doesn’t get fined again," he said jokingly.

While the kids explored the car, and after you joined them shortly after, Charles and Seb began to converse animatedly yet seriously about the expectations for the Grand Prix and the sensations he had so far in the 2024 Formula 1 season.

The sudden hustle in the Ferrari garage made it clear that Free Practice 1 was about to begin. Sebastian and Charles had their conversation interrupted when Leclerc's beloved engineer insisted he get into the car as soon as possible. It was finally time for you to head to the corresponding grandstand to enjoy the practice session.

The Monegasque was forced, much to his regret, to interrupt his conversation with the your husband. Seb, however, understood, and immediately turned to you all, who were eagerly waiting to go to the best spot to watch the cars go around.

"Come with me, kids," notedhim, "it's time to go up to the VIP grandstand to get a better view of the session."

Taking Matilda in his arms, holding his daughters' hands with his free hand, and with you on his left, you all formed a little chain to avoid getting lost in the commotion on you way to the designated spot.

You were moved by the scene you were witnessing. Holding onto Seb's free arm, you tried to control your tears as your followed your husband's lead.

Minutes later, you had found your reserved seats, but numerous fans who had recognized Seb had delayed him. You were used to this, as were your kids. Moreover, none of your minded as they were aware that Seb had done great things for and in the world of motorsport.

“Look dad!”, exclaimed Emily excitedly as her father sat down next to her, “That's Charles! He's going really fast!”

"Yes, he's going fast indeed, Emily," Seb answered, still in shock at what he was witnessing after many time.

As the practice hour progressed, you captured some moments of the family with your camera, all of them fully caught up in the energy emanating from the circuit at that moment. The applause and words of encouragement, though impossible to hear for the drivers, were felt as the local hero made his appearance on the track.

When it came to an end, faster than they thought, you all made your way back to the Ferrari garage, where Charles had promised to meet his former teammate after the session.

Once there, you saw the blue-eyed with his girlfriend, Alexandra, engaged in lively conversation, likely about what had happened on the track during the previous hour. Charles, upon seeing Sebastian with you at the garage door, hurried over as fast as he could.

"Seb, I thought you'd be gone!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I didn't get to see you: you know, speed problems," he laughed at his own bad joke, "but I'm sure you had a good time, and your amazing wife and kids did too, right?"

Matilda and Charlotte shouted in unison. You and Emily nodded quickly.

"I'm really impressed, Charles," Vettel said enthusiastically. "Apart from the track being in wonderful condition, the weather cooperating, and not having too many idiots running around today, your performance has been incredible."

Alex joined the conversation, greeting your and the kids first, and then Seb.

"It's been wonderful seeing you in the stands. I wish I didn't have to stay locked up in the garage all day, but there are these crazy Charles fangirls out there..." she joked.

You laughed at the comment. If she only knew all that you had to go through in the early years of your relationship with Seb…

"Anyways…" Leclerc began, placing his arm around his girlfriend's waist. "Alex and I have been talking these past few days and we'd like to ask you if you'd like to join us for dinner tonight. It would be nice for us to spend some time together, just relaxing, and celebrate that you've finally come back around here," he explained, looking directly at your husband.

"But really, if it's any inconvenience for you," she hurried to add, "or if you need to head back home or..."

Sebastian looked at you, who nodded excitedly at the proposal.

"It would be an honor, Charles."

After exchanging details for the dinner, they bid farewell momentarily due to Leclerc's press commitments. During that time, you returned to the hotel where you would stay for a couple of days to freshen up and prepare for dinner, as managing three children wasn't an easy or simple task.

When you met again, this time at the restaurant, you were warmly welcomed by its members. Dinner unfolded amid laughter and lively conversations, mostly revolving around Formula 1 anecdotes and your private lives.

As the night progressed, Seb and Charles delved into deeper topics about the world that absorbed so much of their lives. Alex and you, on the other hand, got to know each other more and realized they had more in common than you initially thought.

The children, meanwhile, were having the time of their lives: Charlie, Emily, and Matilda, who fell asleep early, spent the night playing games with the young couple, who still seemed like kids in your eyes.

"I hope you've enjoyed the day, guys," Charles said, raising his glass of wine. "I hope we can enjoy many more moments together, especially when the little one comes because, Y/N, I know there’s a reason why you’re not drinking alcohol when you like wine so much."

"Cheers!" you all exclaimed while you tried not to get nervous and more shy than you actually were, laughing at the revealed secret.

As you continued to enjoy the delicious food, along with the laughter and entertaining stories, you knew that trip to Monaco would become a cherished memory in the years to come. There was no doubt you should definitely do this more often and, above all, around the world if given the chance, something you had been waiting for years.

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writing-intheundercroft · 1 month ago

Text

Falling Hard

Summary: A story about how Garreth fell first (literally and figuratively).

Word Count: 5,416

Rating: T (boner alert, but that’s about it)

A/N: Thank you to @cuffmeinblack and @ellivenollivander for arranging @garrethweasleyfest!! And a special thank you to whoever submitted banana peel as a prompt lmao

Read on AO3

Garreth Weasley laid flat out in the center of the Great Hall, staring at the candle lit ceiling. He could hear laughter echoing around him, and a sharp pain radiating through the lower half of his back. Garreth shut his eyes tightly, wishing he was anywhere but the middle of his school dining hall, spread-eagle with banana pith on his heels.

He supposed he deserved this, after all.

And then, Garreth felt her hands cupping his cheeks, the soft pads of her fingers brushing his chin. When he opened his eyes, he blinked heavily, her face hovering over his. Wisps of her hair brushed his skin as she leaned over him, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Okay, he would survive this. Especially if it meant being in this close of proximity to her.

“You’re an idiot, Garreth.” She shook her head, staring down at him with wide eyes.

He smiled up at her, blinking to clear his eyes. She was kneeling, hands flat on the ground at both sides of his face. He could smell her, the faint hint of mallowsweet lingering over her distinctive perfume. If he craned his neck up, he could probably kiss her—

“Yeowch,” Garreth groaned, a sharp pain crackling through his head like lightning. The sensation was enough to drive him back down to the ground, grasping at the flagstone floor. She shifted her hand, this time to cup the back of his head. He heard her inhale sharply, examining reddened fingertips.

”Is that blood?” He asked weakly.

Leander scampered forward, gasping when he saw his best mate’s current state. She was frozen at his side, fresh blood dripping down her hand.

“Somebody call Blainey!”

It sounded like Natty. Leander sat at his side, bracing Garreth’s head in place. He tried to move, to pry himself from the other redhead’s grasp, but the sharp pain returned. Someone was saying something to the effect of conjuring towels, and he saw her sit up, the offending yellow culprit in hand.

Fuck bananas, Garreth thought. Horrible stringy fruit. Who even liked bananas anyways?

She did. She’d always bounce over from her table, snatching a banana from the fruit bowl closest to him. She’d smile, say good morning, and that interaction would make his entire day.

”Garreth,” he heard her voice. He tried to crane his neck upwards again, but the ringing continued in his ear.

And then he passed out.

“I can’t believe you,” Aunt Matilda huffed. “Seriously Garreth, cracking your skull a week before graduation. Your mother will have my head.”

”I’m sorry,” Garreth repeated for the umpteenth time, wincing as Blainey wrapped another bandage around his noggin, flattening down his red hair. It was late afternoon already, and he’d missed the majority of his classes. With exams on the horizon, few of his friends had the free time to sit by his side. Therein, he was sequestered to his hospital wing bed with only his aunt for company.

“Garreth, you’re nearly a grown man and I still have to mind your behavior.” his aunt snapped. “How can an employer take you seriously when you’re still acting like a third year? Let alone a woman—“

”I get it, Aunt Tilly,” Garreth grumbled. “I have to wisen up.”

His Aunt Matilda’s face softened, lips pursed as she gave him a flat lipped smile. “I know the final days of term can be stressful. I just don’t want to see your talent wasted on trying to be remembered as a goofball.”

Garreth wasn’t trying for anything in particular—in fact, his stunt in the Great Hall had been an attempt to get everyone to forget what he’d blurted out in the heat of the moment.

Someone cleared their throat; Garreth and his aunt turned their heads to see Nurse Blainey standing next to the fabric partition.

“Visitors for Mr. Weasley,” she announced, gesturing to the now visible doorway.

”Oh thank Merlin,” Garreth wheezed, sitting up. He smiled weakly at Natty and Leander, who were walking into the hospital wing with his textbooks and assignments in their arms.

”Sorry it took us so long,” Natty said apologetically. “Had a double potions session with Sharp.” She dumped Garreth’s book bag onto the bed, books and papers spilling out the top.

”Thank you for bringing his homework,” Aunt Matilda said kindly. She redirected her attention back down to Garreth, eyes narrowing. “Now, don’t get into any more mischief, young man. I’ll be back in the morning.”

”Yes, Aunt Tilly.” Garreth said dully, crossing his arms. Natty and Leander watched the deputy headmistress walk out of the hospital wing, disappearing down the stairs.

”How do you feel?” Leander asked, pulling up a chair. Natty sat at the end of the bed, rearranging his book bag.

”Like shit,” Garreth grumbled, rubbing his head. “Cracked my skull, remember?”

“While skele-grow works wonders, I’m sure it can’t taste all that good.” Natty winced, shivering at the thought. “What did it taste like?”

”Chalk,” Garreth tapped his chin. “Think I blacked out all over again while taking it.”

Leander snorted, opening his own book bag to deliver a pumpkin pasty wrapped in a napkin. “I know the hospital wing food is tragic, don’t eat it all in one go.”

”What’s the damage then?” Garreth asked, swiping the pasty from Leander’s outstretched hand. He took a big bite, chewing thoughtful as his eyes flitted between his two friends.

”It’s fine—“

”Awful, mate.”

Leander and Natty shared similar sharp glances at one another.

“Alrighty then,” Garreth wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Give me the play by play, what people are saying.”

”Well,” Natty said hesitantly, playing with the end of one of her braids. “People are saying you’ve…er, gone a bit mad.”

”Me?” Garreth balked. “Gone mad? Over a banana?”

”It’s not just the banana.” Natty sighed. “It’s how you were speaking to her.”

”To her?” Garreth posed the question, still confused.

”Well, you sort of shouted at her.” Leander said slowly.

”I did not shout at her,” Garreth retorted.

Natty winced. “Yeah, afraid you did.”

Garreth blinked, trying to remember exactly what had happened at breakfast that morning. “I…I shouted at her?”

”She came over to the table to take a banana, like she always does.” Leander recounted. “And you asked her to sit with us. She just about did—“

”Until Sallow yelled at her to come back and sit with him and Ominis.” Natty finished his sentence. “You kind of lost the plot then.”

”I don’t remember this at all,” Garreth groaned.

”I think that’s for the best.” Natty said reassuringly, patting his hand.

“No, tell me more.” Garreth beckoned them forward. “Tell me how bad it was.”

”You sort of…well, you got into it with Sallow, told him off for interrupting you. And you both stood up at the front of the table, got in each other’s faces. And then, Sebastian yelled—“

This part Garreth remembered. It came back to him like a punch to the gut.

It’s almost like you’re in love with her, Weasley.

“Fuck,” Garreth swore. “I told everyone I was in love with her.”

Leander and Natty shared a painful glance with one another. “Just about. I mean, really, you were screaming it, so I’m not sure everyone truly understood.” Natty offered.

Leander scoffed. “It was pretty easy to put two and two together, Nat.”

Garreth buried his face in his hands as the memory formed in his head. Completely red in the face at Sebastian’s remark, he stared at the Slytherin with balled up fists. Garreth had stepped up, puffing his chest out as he blurted out his confession.

Maybe I am, he’d shrieked. IkindofsortofamkindofinlovewithherandI’vebeeninlovewithhereversinceourfifthyear.

”Merlin’s saggy tits,” Garreth muttered, hanging his head low. “I need to move continents.”

“I’m sure it’ll blow over,” Natty assured him. “It’s the last week of school, everyone who didn’t hear you will just assume you had—“

”A mental break?” Leander interjected. “That’s plausible. What’s not plausible is the fact that he decided to throw a bloody banana peel and crack his own skull open.”

“It was for comedic effect,” Garreth argued. “To uh, deflect the problem at hand.”

”Joke went out the window when everyone saw your blood on the floor.” Leander pointed out.

Garreth slumped in his bed, a hand flying up to adjust the gauze bandage around his head. He opened his mouth, shutting it rapidly as he tried to form his next thought without making his brain explode.

”It seemed like the best possible plan at the time.” He said miserably.

”It was funny at first.” Natty shrugged. “Don’t dwell on it, Garreth. Peeves has already stopped singing about it.”

Garreth ripped his pillow out from behind him, screaming into the feathered cushion.

”I told you we shouldn’t tell him that part.” Leander muttered.

Hogwarts was known for its decadent meals, but that service didn’t seem to translate up to the food offered in the hospital wing. It was nearly eleven o’clock at night and Garreth was still playing with his spoon, dragging it back and forth the cold, half-empty bowl of chicken broth a house elf had brought in for him. He wished he hadn’t been so quick to finish the pasties Leander had smuggled in for him.

“You should eat, Mr. Weasley.” Nurse Blainey clucked. The school nurse was clad in her pajamas, hair set in curlers as she prepared for bed. “Your bones will heal faster if you’re properly nourished.”

”Not much nourishment in this soup,” Garreth wrinkled his nose.

Blainey ignored his complaints, instead brushing the edge of her robe. “Now, it’s lights out, Mr. Weasley. I’ll leave you with your tray, but otherwise you should get your rest. I’ll be in my office; should you need me, just ring the bell.”

Blainey disappeared behind the partition; Garreth could see the outline of her walking back to her office, waving her wand to dim the lights. The door clicked shut, and all that was left in the hospital wing was poor old Garreth and his bowl of cold broth. He winced as he shifted in the creaky bed, setting the tray down on the bedside table. If he was going to be stuck here all night, he might as well get a good night’s rest before facing ridicule from the entire student body.

”It’s only one more week,” Garreth mumbled to himself, pulling the woolen blanket up to his chin. A singular week separated him from graduation. In seven days, he’d be a free man. Free to explore the world, to finally start the research on his potion ingredient almanac the way he’d planned on doing his entire school career.

A week before he’d likely never see her again.

Garreth turned on to his side, groaning. Perhaps that was for the best, he thought. He probably frightened her. That, or at least made her think he was completely off his rocker. Who in the right mind would shout their undying love, followed by trying to annihilate oneself with a banana peel?

Fuck, he’d never live it down. The ghosts would tell stories of his tragedy for years to come.

Besides, it wasn’t as if she’d responded. If she had understood his ramblings (which Leander had confirmed to be an unmistakable declaration of love), she hadn’t visited him in the hospital wing at all during the day. He’d been optimistic earlier, after Natty and Leander left for supper. But with every passing hour, Garreth lost a little bit of hope that his affections might be returned.

How could she love him, he thought. They were friends, that’s all. It was his own fault he’d taken the bait from Sallow, who’d given him that annoyingly smug face at the breakfast table.

Garreth was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the footsteps, or the creak of the partitions being moved. He only became aware of a second body in the hospital wing when the mattress dipped. He furrowed his brow as he looked over his shoulder, blinking at nothing.

”What the?” He grumbled, sitting up.

“Revelio,” a familiar voice muttered.

“Bloody hell,” Garreth gasped. He clutched his heart, as if it were going to beat right out of his chest at the sight of his crush materializing out of thin air at the edge of his bed.

She smiled at him, wild hair flying around her face as she dropped her wand onto the blanket. “Hi.” She whispered, nudging his legs. “Scoot over.”

”What are you doing here?” Garreth whispered, eyes wide.

Figured you could use some company.” She said nonchalantly, smoothing out the edge of her dressing gown. “And some snacks—the hospital wing food is atrocious from what I can remember.” She reached down to her little purse, undoing the flap. Garreth stared at her in confusion as she shoved her arm down to the elbow.

”Undetectable extension charm,” she murmured, pulling her arm back out to reveal a tin can. “Here, eat this.”

Garreth looked down at the tin, which she’d placed in his hands. Banana flavored candies from Zonko’s.

“What are you doing here?” Garreth repeated, peering up at her through his copper lashes.

She gave him a funny look. “I’m here to see you, silly.”

”But why now?” Garreth insisted. “You had all day.”

”Excuse me, I had a full diary today. I wasn’t factoring a trip to the hospital wing in the schedule.” She scoffed, handing him a chocolate bar from Zonko’s. “Classes, studying for NEWTs, some errands for a few folks in the highlands, checking in on the shop.” She herself opened a tin of licorice, tipping it his way as an offering. “The usual.”

Garreth gladly took a piece. “You do too much, you know.” He pointed out, followed by a big bite. “I have no idea how you manage.”

She shrugged, playing with the edge of the blanket. “I just want to be helpful while I’m still around the highlands. Who on earth is going to help these villagers with all their tasks when I’m gone?”

Garreth chuckled, shaking his head. “You do too much.”

She chewed on the candy, eyes twinkling. “I know I do.”

”And you should probably be sleeping,” Garreth pointed out. He looked at the clock on his bedside table. “Merlin’s beard, it’s nearly midnight. You’ll be exhausted tomorrow.”

She swallowed thickly. “I just wanted to see that you’re okay.”

Garreth felt his face heat up in a blush. “I’m fine,” he sighed exasperatedly. “Just a bump.”

She raised her brow. “A bump? Garreth, you were in a puddle of your own blood.”

”My own fault.” Garreth pointed out. “As everyone has reminded me.”

She shook her head, fighting a laugh. “Garreth Weasley, only you would try to take yourself out with a banana peel the week before graduation.”

”It’s pathetic.” Garreth wrinkled his nose.

”It’s hilarious,” she said sternly, wagging a finger in his face. “But I must plead with you to be more careful with yourself.”

Garreth chewed his bottom lip, avoiding her gaze. He instead focused on the woven pattern of the blanket, pulling on the frayed edge. “I thought I might have scared you.”

She tilted her head. “Scared me? How so?”

“Because I said some things…perhaps I screamed them at you, I don’t quite remember.”

Her face softened, and she tilted his chin up to look at her. “Sebastian can be cruel sometimes, I don’t want you to take it to heart. He felt awful, you know. I gave him a proper scolding afterwards. He didn’t mean to egg you on like that.”

She’d completely glazed over the confession, Garreth noted. A clear sign of her feelings towards him. Just friends, that’s all they were. They’d been friends since she arrived at the beginning of fifth year—she’d been the only person brave enough to sneak into Sharp’s office to get him a fwooper feather, and then she’d boldly traversed the One Eyed Witch passage to gather him some billywig stings. Letters exchanged over the summer holidays, stolen glances across the cauldron from one another in Sharp’s seventh year seminar. He’d memorized the sound of her laugh from all their shared classes, always endeavoring to make her giggle at least once every lesson. And for the last year, she’d volunteer to be his partner every night in Astronomy, shivering together as they charted their stars.

But, there was Sebastian.

Garreth had nothing against the chap, except for the fact that he was a Slytherin. In fact, he and Sebastian had quite a jovial acquaintanceship going before she arrived. But as soon as they’d returned for their sixth year, things seemed to change. Sebastian was more withdrawn, keeping to himself more than ever after his uncle’s death. And she stayed at his side, always fussing over him at meals or passing notes with him during study periods. It was the kind of treatment one would reserve for a loved one, an intimacy Garreth could never seem to cross with her.

Sebastian always hogged her, especially at meal times. She only ever left his side at breakfast to get her daily fruit from the Gryffindor table, exchanging pleasantries and a kind smile with Garreth in exchange. If he were lucky, they’d have time for a cup of tea between classes. On even luckier days, he might catch her walking home from Hogsmeade, electing to take the long way home just to hear her speak.

Even if she was taken, his crush on her grew stronger, made even more alluring by how unattainable she was.

”It was stupid of me,” Garreth mumbled, pinching the blanket. “To say all that in front of your boyfriend.”

She wrinkled her nose. “My boyfriend?”

”Yeah,” Garreth sighed. “Sebastian.”

Her eyes softened once more, and she took her hand in his.

”Garreth,” she said carefully. “Sebastian and I—we’re not together.”

Garreth looked up at her in confusion. “You’re not?”

”He’s just my best friend,” she murmured. “He’s had it tough the last two years, and perhaps I’ve babied him a bit too much. But trust me when I say there is absolutely nothing between us. He’s like a brother to me, Gar.”

”A brother,” Garreth repeated.

”A brother who is very protective of me,” she chewed on her lower lip. “Especially around a boy who might like me.”

“Yeah,” Garreth breathed in sharply. “A boy who might like you very much.”

She started to trace a circle in the palm of his hand. “And if I’m to believe the confession he gave at breakfast this morning, a boy who might love me.”

Garreth gave her a weak smile. “It’s stupid, I know. We’ve hardly had time together, let alone to properly…uh, properly grow those feelings. But it’s true.”

”It’s not stupid.” She shook her head. “Not when I feel the same way.”

Garreth sat up straighter, sucking in sharply when he felt his head ringing. At this point he wasn’t sure if it was the wound or the blood pounding in his head from her own confession.

“You should lay down,” she said, coaxing him back into the bed. “I’ll lay next to you, okay?”

Garreth scooted over to the edge, letting her slip under the covers next to him. He felt as if he was dreaming—his wildest dreams coming true, having the object of his affections curled up into him a week before graduation? He pinched himself as they shuffled on the small bed frame, getting closer.

“You like me,” Garreth said slowly as the top sheet fell over their heads.

”I like you,” she affirmed. “Have for a while, actually.”

”Since when?” Garreth asked, feeling his heart drop into his stomach.

”Since the party at the end of fifth year,” she confessed. “When you let me try fizzing whizzbeer. You…uh, you put your arm around me and kissed me on the cheek. Said you couldn’t have done it without me.” Her face was pink, flushed from her own confession.

“Merlin, I’m an idiot.” Garreth groaned.

”Just a bit,” she snorted. “I tried to drop so many signs. Why else did you think I wanted to be your partner all the time in Astronomy?”

”Because I’m good at Astronomy?”

“Garreth, you’re terrible at it.” She chuckled. “I kept trying to cuddle up with you, but you were always speeding to get the star charts done as fast as possible so we could go to bed. I thought—I mean, I took that as a sign you weren’t interested.”

Garreth’s eyes widened. “That was why you kept wearing such thin cloaks to class?”

”I wanted you to put your arm around me.” She retorted.

Garreth tilted his head, putting two and two together. Now it made sense why she was always shivering, backing into him as they took their evening class. She’d once stepped right between his legs, her backside pressed right against—

Shit. He was an idiot.

”We’re bad at this flirting thing, aren’t we?” She tilted her head.

”Awful at it,” he moaned. He lifted his hand, letting it rest on her hip. She seemed to like it, melting into his touch.

”Sebastian was getting so frustrated hearing me whine about you.” She murmured. “I think that’s why he was pushing you so hard this morning. I think he and Ominis had a bet you’d say something before graduation, and Seb didn’t want to lose his galleons.”

”I’ll have to thank Sallow then,” Garreth pointed out. “For helping me across the finish line.”

“You shouldn’t, his head can’t stand to get any bigger than it already is.” She chuckled. Garreth could feel her breath on his cheeks, and his eyes fluttered at the sensation.

”So, you like me.” Garreth repeated. It felt like a mantra he had to repeat over and over again, lest it not be true.

”And you love me.” She said coyly, lifting her hand to touch his cheeks. When her finger brushed against his lips, he pressed a tentative kiss against them. ”You love me enough to save me a banana every morning.”

”It sounds silly, doesn’t it?” Garreth murmured, his grip tightening on her waist. She shifted closer to him, legs tangling between his.

She looked up at him, eyelashes fluttering as the hand on his cheek drifted upwards to touch the bandage around his head.

“Does it hurt?” She asked.

Garreth shook his head a little. “Just a scratch.”

“That’s a shame,” she pouted. “I was hoping to help you feel better.”

“Oh no,” Garreth blinked heavily. “Oh, it’s actually so painful.”

She smirked, rolling her eyes. “Does it now?”

”So painful,” Garreth groaned, feigning dramatics. “I don’t know how I’ll ever carry on.”

Her hand snaked around his head, fingers threading through his copper hair. She scratched his scalp, and Garreth leaned into her touch in return.

“I’ll make it better,” she said coyly, nose brushing against his.

Garreth had kissed other girls before, but nothing could have prepared him for the feeling of kissing her. He just about moaned into her mouth when her lips touched his, melting into her touch. He immediately tried to roll over, to cage her underneath him against the mattress, but his body had other ideas.

”I can’t—“ Garreth huffed through gritted teeth, “roll over.”

She let out a breathy laugh in exchange. “Let me, then.” Her voice was low as she swung her leg over his lap, straddling him in his pajamas. She pulled the thin sheet over them, just the two of them under a cotton canopy. Garreth swore under his breath as she leaned over him, hair tickling his chin.

“Is that better?” She whispered.

Garreth grinned against her lips, his nose brushing against hers. “This just might heal me,” he murmured, arms circling around her waist to bring her in tight. She hummed approvingly when he nipped her lower lip, delicately licking into her mouth. Everything was new, yet it felt so right—every kiss she returned was just an affirmation that she felt the same way. She liked that he was silly. She liked that he was loud. She liked the way he saved her a banana in the morning, the way he’d lean his body against hers during the cold nights in the astronomy tower—

Maybe one day she might love him too.

The sheet went flying, exposing both of them to the cold hospital wing. Garreth blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to the darkness; instead, Nurse Blainey materialized, holding a lamp with the world’s largest frown on her face.

”Young lady,” Blainey hissed. “What in Merlin’s name do you think you’re doing?”

She quickly hopped off Garreth’s lap, taking the sheet with her as she slid off the bed. Garreth squeaked indignantly as the warmth of her body disappeared, pulling one of the pillows to hide the rather obvious erection she’d left him with. His partner in crime adjusted her dressing gown, giving Blainey an awkward smile as she patted down her hair.

”I just wanted to check in on Garreth, that’s all.” She said smoothly.

“And you thought it appropriate to crawl into his bed?” Blainey snapped.

She winced, scratching the back of her head. “I wanted to see if his bandage was still alright?”

“Nice try.” Blainey rolled her eyes. “You’re very lucky the two of you are of age, otherwise I’d have to call your aunt in, Mr. Weasley.”

”Oh come on,” Garreth whined. “It’s just a week before we graduate—“

”And I certainly don’t feel like filling out any detention paperwork at this hour.” Blainey hissed. “You, go back to your dormitory straight away. And Mr. Weasley, if you do not rest—“

”Right, right,” Garreth grumbled, sinking back into his mattress. “It won’t heal properly, and I’ll be stuck here longer.”

Garreth wanted to protest as she balled up the bedsheet, tossing it back into his lap. She gave him a sheepish smile, grabbing her wand from the stone floor. “Er, I’ll see you tomorrow morning, okay?”

“Breakfast?” Garreth asked hopefully.

Her face flushed red, a smile blossoming on her lips as she backed away. “Yes, breakfast.”

Blainey cleared her throat, saying her name one more time. “If you don’t go back to your common room right away—“

”Alright, alright,” she rolled her eyes, walking backwards towards the entrance. She waved one last time before she turned on her heel, slippers thwacking against the floor as she made her escape.

Blainey looked down at Garreth, coughing as he tucked himself back into bed.

”You won’t tell my aunt, will you?” Garreth asked hesitantly.

”I should,” Blainey narrowed her eyes. “But I won’t. Your aunt has too much to worry about without having to find out you tried to deflower a young lady in the hospital wing.”

”I did not,” Garreth guffawed. “I would never!”

Blainey shrugged. “And at least your case gave me a good chuckle today. Your friend Mr. Prewett is correct. You will always be remembered as the boy who’d cracked his skull open slipping on a banana peel, after all.”

”Oh come on,” Garreth huffed as the matron walked away. “You’ve had to have seen worse cases.”

”Self-inflicted banana related wounds are a first,” Blainey snorted as she walked back to her office. “Go to bed, Mr. Weasley.”

Garreth fell back against the pillows, wincing slightly at the sting from his wound. He stared up at the ceiling, touching his lips. He hadn’t dreamt it—he’d held her in his arms, kissed her until she was breathless. Quite content, Garreth fell asleep with little effort.

He had breakfast to look forward to, after all.

“Good as new,” Nurse Blainey nodded, balling up the wad of bandages from Garreth’s wound.

”Oh, thank Merlin.” Aunt Matilda cooed. “I’m glad the skelegrow was able to sort out the skull fracture.”

Garreth averted his gaze as he glanced at his watch. The house elves had brought up a fresh uniform for him, so he at least wouldn’t have to stop at the Gryffindor dormitory. He tapped his brown boots against the floor as Nurse Blainey went through her concussion checklist once more.

”Can I please leave?” Garreth wheezed, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Breakfast is nearly over—“

”What has you in such a rush this morning?” Aunt Matilda asked, eyes narrowed in confusion.

“I just have friends I need to meet up with at breakfast,” Garreth said quickly.

Nurse Blainey snorted as she tapped her quill against her clipboard. “Right,” she drawled. “Friends.”

Garreth drummed his hands against the iron rail of the bed, nodding his head. “Yes, friends.” He repeated. “And I really, really don’t want to miss them.”

“Well, you’ve passed the test with flying colors,” Blainey checked the assessment. “No flying, floo travel, or apparating for the next forty eight hours. Overall, please limit any physical activity.” She waggled her eyebrows at Garreth, prompting a ferocious blush on his cheeks.

”Thank you,” Garreth said quickly, snatching his book bag from the edge of the bed. He could hear his aunt yelling after him as he scampered down the hall, feet drumming against the stairs as he made his way down.

”Garreth!” Aunt Matilda roared. “I can write you a note if you’re that worried about being late—“

”Gotta run,” he bellowed, skipping the last two steps. “See you later, Aunt Tilly!”

Despite Blainey’s instruction to limit his physical activity, Garreth had never run faster in his life. He nearly mowed down a pack of first years trying to scamper through the hallways, prefects and portraits yelling at him to slow down. He tore past both Natty and Leander, their mouths agape at their best friend making a fool out of himself yet again.

There would be plenty of time to explain later.

Garreth pushed the doors of the Great Hall open, panting as he doubled over, hands on knees. He scanned the Great Hall, praying to Merlin he would find a familiar face. The room was mostly empty, most of his fellow students off to their first classes of the day.

Except her. His heart thumped in his chest as he stood up straighter; she was perched on the Gryffindor table, sitting next to the fruit bowl. Like every morning, she had a half eaten banana in her hand.

Garreth willed himself to walk over, a big goofy grin on his face as he approached her. There was a twinkle in her eye as she leaned back on her elbows, appraising him.

”You look well rested,” she hummed, taking another bite. “Good as new.”

Garreth rubbed the back of his head. The injury was gone, the thatch of hair ant the spot of his wound already grown back thanks to Blainey’s tonic. “Better than ever,” he announced, setting his bag on the ground. “Are you going to finish that?”

She carefully peeled the fruit, breaking off a chunk to hand to Garreth. He took it gratefully, savoring the bite as she ate the rest. He cocked a brow when she folded up the peel into a neat square, tossing it onto the table.

”Have to be careful, you know.” She shrugged. “There was a guy in here just yesterday, cracked his skull slipping on a banana peel.”

Garreth rolled his eyes, snickering. “Very dangerous.” He tiptoed closer to her, his thighs pressed against her knees. He shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking into her. “A fall like that might cause a head injury. Would make someone say some pretty crazy things.”

She snorted, tilting her chin up to face him. “I’m pretty sure you said you loved me before you slipped on the banana peel, Garreth.”

”I did,” Garreth admitted. “I love you.”

She didn’t have to say it back, he thought to himself. He was just happy it was out there, that she might reciprocate his feelings even fifty percent—

She grabbed his tie, tugging it to pull his face closer to hers. He could smell her perfume again, and the faint hint of banana on her lips. Her eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks, and she pressed a delicate kiss to his lips. Garreth returned it eagerly, pulling his hands out of his pockets and resting them on the table as he leaned into her embrace. Her kiss was soft and sweet, a reassurance of her feelings for him. When they pulled apart, foreheads resting against each other’s, she smiled once more.

“I love you too, you idiot.”

#garreth weasley #garreth weasley x mc #garreth weasley x reader #garreth weasley x you #garreth fell first #the prompt was banana peel #I'm so serious it really was a banana peel and I ran with it #garrethweasleyfest2024 #garrethweasleyfest

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miss-oranje-disco-dancer · 9 months ago

Text

you are my sunshine (not old enough ch.9)

pairing: leon x reader

cw: oral sex, only a lil smut, so much fluff, brief mentions of labor and birth

summary: the final chapter, little snippets of your life with leon <3

a/n: i'm sorry i'm awful at fluff :( i've been lowkey dreading this chapter, but i have to give them the happy ending they deserve. thank you all for reading the series! there may be more sexy spinoffs of this, but for now, this is the end <3

wc: 3.7k

ao3 link

Before Matilda made her appearance, the nursery needed to be finished. Since neither of you had any friends or relatives with kids who’d grown up that could give you hand-me-down baby furniture and accessories, you had to go on a shopping spree. A crib, a rocking chair, a changing table, a dresser - Leon didn’t even let you look at the receipt, fearing you’d pass out and endanger the baby.

As it turned out, a crib has to be built, which was obviously Leon’s job. This was one of the few times that you didn’t protest his insistence on you doing as little work as possible during your pregnancy. You’re all for getting rid of stereotypical gender expectations, but you would’ve posed yourself as ‘just a fragile little lady’ if he’d asked you to help build any sort of furniture whether you were pregnant or not.

There was an added plus to Leon doing all the handy work that you had not anticipated - he looked hot as fuck doing it. You walked in to offer him something to drink and you caught him lifting his t-shirt to wipe sweat off his forehead. His biceps in the tight shirt, his abs, the v-line of his hips, the light trail of hair leading down from his belly button - you caught a glimpse of it all. It didn’t take an expert in psychology or mathematics to understand the association - sweat plus striptease equals sex. You were no longer thinking about offering him a drink or asking him how he was doing or anything other than getting on your knees and -

He caught you standing in the doorframe, gawking at him.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” He could tell exactly what you were looking at by your face.

You didn’t say anything, just walked closer, dropping to your knees in front of him.

“Honey, what are you doing?” he asked as if it wasn’t entirely obvious.

You still declined to respond, mind fixated on one task, your small hands found their way to the zipper of his jeans. Before actually ripping off his clothes, you looked up, asking, no, begging, for consent. You saw the two sides dueling behind his eyes - should he do the ‘right’ thing and offer to do this in the bedroom or at least, grab a pillow for your knees, or should he give in right here and now? As usual, arousal beat reason and he nodded, gently running his hands through your hair, pulling it back for you. He sighed, fully resigning himself to the fact that he was not going to be the hero in this situation.

When his cock sprung out, ready, like it’d been waiting for this moment, Leon said, “Do you think this is wrong to do it in the nursery?”

With his dick in hand, already stroking it because you both knew how this was going to pan out anyway, you said, “Leon, we had sex to make her. It’s a human thing.”

“Isn’t a blowjob a little diff-” he tried to say, but was cut off by a groan when you licked one long stripe from his balls all the way to the tip and then immediately took as much of his cock into your mouth as you could.

You pulled off to ask, as a tease, “What were you saying?”

“Never mind,” he said, his hand on the back of your head coaxing you to continue.

He watched your head bob up and down and said, tilting his head back as if to speak to God, “What did I do to deserve this?”

God did not respond. And neither did you, mostly because you had his dick down your throat - Leon’s not God’s - and were trying not to choke.

You might’ve told him, “you deserve so much more than this because you’re such a good person and yadda yadda yadda” or, more likely, you would’ve said, “it’s not like I’m doing you a favor, in fact, it’s mostly selfish, I’m trying to memorize the way you look right now, so I can touch myself later while picturing it”. That is, if you couldn’t goad him into fucking you.

You lost yourself in the sounds of his moans, and your mind was entirely empty until he pulled your head away. He didn’t respond to the pout on your face, instead he said, “close your eyes,” with a devious smile. You obeyed without question and he finished himself off. You didn’t see it, of course, but you felt something hot and sticky hit your face in spurts.

“Wait there and keep your eyes closed,” Leon said and grabbed something from across the room.

He wiped your eyelids and lashes with a tissue because, despite being naughty enough to come on your face, he didn’t want you to get any in your eyes.

Then he said, “you can open your eyes now.”

When you did, you smiled at him - instinctively, though well-timed because Leon had grabbed his phone and was taking a picture of you.

Half-amused, half-surprised, your mouth was wide open, but you couldn’t help laughing when you saw his shameless grin.

“You look pretty like this,” he said, patting your cheek.

“I’m sure I do,” you said, a bit sarcastic.

“You wanna see?” he asked, proudly holding out his phone to show you the picture of yourself.

You looked at it and said, “I suppose I can see the appeal.”

“Yeah, see,” he zoomed in, “I got a good shot of your tits, too.”

“You act like this is art.”

“Is it not?”

“A photo of jizz on my face, which as you noted, also captures my cleavage.”

“Exactly. It’ll come in handy later.”

“Double entendre?”

“Huh?”

“Come in hand-y.”

“Unintended, but I wish I had thought of that.”

“You’re a builder, a photographer, and a comedian. How lucky am I?”

“You forgot a fine artist,” he pointed out, “I did a fantastic job painting your face in my opinion.”

“Gross,” you laughed and playfully smacked him on the thigh.

He helped you stand up before finally pulling his pants back up. You were about to exit the room to find a washcloth when you said, “Send me that pic, so I can get it framed for you as a father’s day gift.”

You winked at him and then made your way to the bathroom, all the while, you could still hear his laughter from down the hall.

You were biting your nails waiting for Leon to speak with Chris. Leon said they’d have a talk after your little dalliance with Chris while Leon was away. The guilt festered inside you until the moment Leon set up a time to meet with Chris. Much to your disappointment, you were not allowed to mediate. You really hoped ‘have a talk with’ did not mean get into a physical fight, similar to the one in the parking lot outside that club.

He was gone for a lot longer than you thought he’d be. You knew this meant one of two things: either it was going phenomenally well or it was going catastrophically badly.

According to Leon, it went well, and since he came home with a smile on his face rather than any bruises, you took him at his word.

It was awkward at first. They met on a Saturday at the park because Leon was trying to quit drinking again and you wanted him far away from any temptation in case things went awry - no bars, you told him.

Leon sat on a park bench overlooking the Potomac, watching couples walking hand-in-hand, families, friends, getting lost in thought, when Chris sat down beside him.

“Hey,” Chris said, unintentionally startling Leon.

“Jesus, when did you get there?” Leon, the dramatist, held his hand over his heart like he was about to drop dead from fright.

“About five seconds ago.”

Leon didn’t respond, but refused to break eye-contact, trying to see if he could get Chris to speak first.

But it was Leon who bit the bullet and began with, “So…” “Look, I’m sorry,” Chris began, “and I know that doesn’t cut it, but I want you to know that I mean it.”

“Were you going to tell me?” Leon asked in a prickly tone.

“Honestly, no. I didn’t want to ruin what you two have.”

“Didn’t think of that beforehand? What if she hadn’t told me?”

Chris looked toward the sky and sighed in genuine contemplation, “I don’t know… I’ve made a lot of bad calls. If you want someone to blame, blame me.”

“Blame doesn’t get me shit. I just want to know that my girlfriend and my friend won’t go behind my back like that again.” It was a threat. And if you do… the rest was left unspoken.

“Swear on my life. I can’t swear on hers, but she loves you, but I think you already know that.”

“I do know that, yeah.”

A woman jogging, a couple with a picnic basket, the boats in the Potomac - Leon watched them all pass in front of his eyes. Time passed quickly as he aged, and wisdom brought him the revelation. A sense of urgency, too. “Fuck it, I forgive you,” he said.

Sometimes - far too often - Leon was too forgiving, and people had been known to take advantage of his kindness. Forgiveness was his knee-jerk response, he was a natural people-pleaser. A therapist had advised him to weigh the pros and cons in situations like this and to be a little bit selfish in his choice. This time forgiveness was the right decision.

“Thanks, I appreciate it. I didn’t want to lose your friendship over this,” Chris said.

“Yeah, well, I’m getting out of shape, so you’d have an edge over me if we fought, so I feel like forgiveness is my only option,” Leon opted to lighten the mood.

“You think I don’t already have an edge over you?”

“Are you challenging me right now?”

“No, I’m just stating the obvious.”

“Do you think you would’ve beaten me back at that club?”

“Hell yeah. You were wasted. I could’ve taken you down in one punch.” “That’s where you’re wrong. My alcohol intake would’ve lowered my inhibitions and my pain tolerance.” “Sure, but you were practically tripping over your own feet.”

“If you could’ve beaten me, then why didn’t you?”

“Because Claire pulled me away.”

“You said you could’ve taken me down in one punch. You got more than one in, and guess what? I’m still standing.”

“Yeah, okay, maybe I didn’t want to leave you unconscious in the parking lot.”

“Hmph. I guess I should thank you then.”

“Let’s just call it even… after everything that’s happened.”

And that was the last they spoke of the matter.

The day was nice, though, so they lingered at the park. Leon watched as a mother walked by with a stroller and smiled, thinking of you.

He realized that he wasn’t sure if Chris knew.

“I suppose I should tell you the good news.”

“You’re retiring,” Chris said, assuming that was the answer. “Yes, but no, and who told you that?”

“Just a guess.”

Leon couldn’t hold back the secret. With a hint of giddiness, he said, “I’m gonna be a dad.”

“No fucking way.”

“Way.”

“Holy shit. Congrats.”

Chris went in for the hug, and Leon accepted. Yeah, it went well.

You weren’t sure how to feel about having a full-on baby shower, but Leon’s friends - now, your friends, too - insisted on planning you one.

“We have to celebrate,” Claire insisted, “this is the first baby to be initiated to the friend group.”

“Initiated? Is that what they’re calling being born these days? ‘Initiation to life’,” Leon joked.

“Ugh. I don’t even want to think about giving birth,” you said.

“Sweetheart, I hate to tell you this, but,” Leon said, pointing to your bump, “you’re gonna have to do it.”

“I’ve heard it’s not that bad, you know, once you get the epidural,” Chris offered.

“You’ve heard it’s not that bad? From whom?” Claire asked in disbelief.

“Women I know,” Chris responded.

“We’re like, the only women you know,” Claire said, “and neither Jill, nor I, have ever given birth.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t need to,” Jill said, “I take care of babies

for a living regardless.” She tilted her head towards Chris, who didn’t deny the accusation.

“Agreed. I could never do the whole pregnancy thing,” Claire said, “this one is much stronger than me.” She playfully nudged you. You didn’t believe that for a second, but you were fully aware of how rough pregnancy was, and may never have wanted to go through with it if it weren’t for Leon.

Claire appointed herself as party planner, so she gave the orders - to everyone besides you. “The future mom deserves some rest,” she said.

“But the future dad doesn’t?” Leon said.

“Men,” she scoffed, “you’re all the same.”

Cake, decorations, invitations - they handled it all. Leon was the one to write the guest list. You didn’t know many people in the city, but it was far from lonely. Your tight knit circle, which would soon add another member, was all you needed.

“Just keep it short,” you said.

Claire, Chris, Jill, who else did he know? Hunnigan? He’d pretty much patched things up with her, might as well. Ashley? Leon hadn’t heard from her in a bit. Definitely should invite Sherry, she’d come. Ada? No way. It’d be a little funny to send her an invite though. Too bad Leon didn’t have her address. It came down to this: Claire, Chris, Jill, Hunnigan, Rebecca, Helena, Ashley, Sherry (Jake, by extension), not Ada.

“Does this look good, honey?” he asked, handing you the list.

You didn’t look up from your book, What To Expect When You’re Expecting. Oh, if only a book could tell you. “Just tell me how many people we’re having,” you said.

Leon counted on his fingers like a grown man should. “Including me?”

“Sure.”

“10.”

You could handle 10. Hopefully, they didn’t expect anything fancy. You struggled to fit in your party outfits, and you rarely had the energy to do a full face of makeup and style your hair these days.

The day of the shower, Claire walked in at 11:30 AM, cake already in hand, frantically calling Jill.

“I can help you put up decorations,” Leon offered.

“I don’t trust your interior decorating skills,” Claire said.

“Fine, put me to work wherever I can be of use.” His tone was already snippy.

You walked downstairs in a pink sundress and got a standing ovation from the two people in your living room. Claire put a sash around you that said “Mama to be”. Flashy glitter wasn’t really your style, but it was kind of cute, and apropos of the event.

All of Leon’s friends were lovely, and you shouldn’t have been surprised - they’re Leon’s friends, of course they’re sweet.

Ashley had always been a story to you. She looked even prettier in person than in the tabloids, and she really was America’s sweetheart, her bubbly personality was as real as her blonde hair. As it turned out, she has a great taste in baby clothes, too.

Similarly, Sherry was only a voice over the phone until the party, granted you’d seen a picture of her once. She brought a man with her - you’d heard only a little about him, but they seemed like a cute couple. You could see yourself attending her baby shower. She seemed like she’d be a good mom.

You were nervous to meet Hunnigan, but you shouldn’t have been. Similar to how you felt when you met Ada, you could see how Leon liked Hunnigan, and you felt bad for harboring a bit of a vendetta against her. She was nothing but friendly, and she even apologized for the fact that she didn’t let you speak to Leon while he was away.

“No, it’s okay,” you told her in response, “I understand why you did it”. You hoped she knew what you meant, which was “you got the love of my life home safely, nothing else matters”.

When it came time for you to open your gifts, you realized the purpose of baby showers. Clothes, bibs, pacifiers, diapers, you name it, you got it.

You weren’t expecting a gift from Leon. After you’d opened your gifts from the rest of the partygoers, Leon stood up, and said, “Can I take my turn now?”

A hush fell over the room, as many of your friends were privy to the event that was about to unfold. Leon got down on one knee.

“Yes!” You said before he could open his mouth to give you a speech he’d prepared and immediately forgotten. It all amounted to “I love you”, his mantra when it came to you, plus four new words: “Will you marry me?”

You nodded with your face already buried in his neck, hiding your tears from the audience that surrounded you, clapping as they watched the spectacle unfold before their eyes.

Leon slid the ring onto your finger. It fit perfectly. “How’d you know my size?”

“You’re a heavy sleeper.”

“You measured my finger in my sleep?”

“I sure did.”

“You did a good job picking out the cut, too.”

“I had some assistance,” he admitted, looking at Claire and Jill, who were both grinning ear-to-ear.

As were you.

A package arrived a day after the shower. No return address. It had your name on it, but Leon insisted on being the one to open it because he was paranoid about it being anthrax or whatever. It was not anything deadly. It was a gift, in fact. A teddy bear with a note that said, “Congratulations!” signed “A.W.”, and you both knew who it was. Ada, of course.

“Aw,” you said, “that’s so thoughtful. I wish we knew her address so we could send her a thank you note.”

“Very thoughtful,” Leon echoed your words, but they seemed to hold a greater weight when he said them.

“What?” you asked when you noticed the amusement on his face.

He told you about the charm on the key to the jetski - the one Ada gave him back in Spain when he was famously rescuing the president’s daughter.

“Would Ashley recognize it?”

“Maybe. Why?”

“I was gonna text her.”

“You have her number?”

“Yeah, she gave it to me. I’m stealing your friends and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

The baby arrived early. On Halloween of all nights. Your water broke at a get-together with friends. You couldn’t party while pregnant, but you could eat a fuckton of candy and wear a cute costume. Leon drove you to the hospital without changing his - or your - clothes, so you both showed up in costume. One day you would be able to tell Matilda how you and Leon were dressed as Daphne and Fred from Scooby Doo the day you got to meet her. What To Expect When You’re Expecting did not contain any information about how to prepare for labor when you’re wearing a Halloween costume. Like most of life’s greatest joys, Matilda Grace Kennedy took her sweet time to arrive after a long, exhausting labor.

It was all worth it. One night, looking down at your baby girl you sang to her as Leon looked upon you both fondly.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are gray.

You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you.

I love you more and more everyday.

The other night, dear, while I was sleeping,

I dreamt I held you in my arms.

When I awoke, dear, I was so happy

That I hugged you all day long.

You’d noticed the confusion on Leon’s face towards the end of the first verse, but he didn’t comment until the song was over. Once he was done clapping for you - which made you roll your eyes - he said, “The lyrics - did you change them? Or am I misremembering the song?”

“My mom changed them. She used to sing to me when I was a baby, and she thought the song was too sad so she made up her own words. They’re hers, not mine, but I’m gonna pass them on.”

“How does the original go?”

“The ending of the first verse is ‘please don’t take my sunshine away’, and the ending of the second verse is ‘I was so sorry that I hung my head and cried’.”

“Those are depressing. Yours are better. Plus, you have a beautiful voice.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“I’m not. If you sang to me, I’d fall asleep, too,” Leon said, pointing to Matilda who was passed out in your arms.

One afternoon, you heard Leon in his home office - he was singing something. You approached quietly, knowing that if he heard you, he’d stop. On your tiptoes, you pressed your ear against the door, and heard him singing your mother’s version of You Are My Sunshine. It was a catchy tune.

You didn’t tell him about it at the time, but that night, he was holding Matilda in the rocking chair in her nursery, and you walked in to find him singing it to her. You started to tear up and couldn’t even blame it on the pregnancy hormones anymore.

Leon didn’t notice you standing in the doorway. He was much too focused on the little girl in his arms. Towards the end of the song, he stopped, forgetting the lyrics, so you jumped in and sang the ending for him.

“I didn’t know you were standing there.”

“I know. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want you to stop. You have a beautiful voice.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“She likes it.” You pointed towards the sleeping baby.

“I wish I could sleep like her.”

Once Matilda started sleeping through the night, so did you and Leon. According to scientists, dreams are our subconscious processing our waking hours, reliving our days in fragments. Agent Kennedy - briefly Officer Kennedy - a man married to his work who carried a gun as his sidekick, had frequent nightmares. Leon S. Kennedy, your husband who carried a little girl up on his shoulders while you walked alongside the Potomac on spring mornings when the cherry blossoms were in bloom, had only good dreams.

#leon s kennedy #leon kennedy #leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy x reader #leon s kennedy smut #leon s kennedy x reader

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sleeplesssmoll · 6 months ago

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Imagine if, somehow, Vertin got turned into pre-Breakaway Smoltin. Would chaos unfold in the Suitcase?

At first I was going to say "yes" but after really thinking about it...

Vertin's team is soooo protective of her. She'd be in safe hands. Also, Smoltin was a menace because she was forbidden from being true to herself. I think the team would be happy to show her new places, help her catch Critters, and tell her stories about their adventures. They'd give her the childhood she was robbed of. Even the little ones like Erik, Eagle, and the others would be happy to play the role of "Big Sister".

I'm sure she'd still get into shenanigans but everyone is in on it!

Also, maybe this could be an important time of healing for Sonetto. She gets to hug Smoltin. It's something she wish she did more of when they were younger instead of breaking her little heart. She'll be the one giving Smoltin toffees and sweets this time.

However, she is also unwilling to share Smoltin which means that the team is actively fighting over her. While Vertin was the black sheep at the Foundation, here she's the apple of everyone's eye 🍎

Regulus wants to show her all her favorite records.

Sotheby wants to show her potions and talk her ear-off about crazy ideas.

Druvis makes a swing out of tree branches in the Wilderness for Smoltin.

Blonney and Desert Flannel want to dress her up like a little doll.

Jessica introduces her Critter friends to Smoltin and the little one curls up between the fluffy Carbuncles.

Click is following her around and taking pictures of these precious moments.

Smoltin is in awe at how big Matilda and Sonetto are now! Matilda acts normal but admits to Sonetto in private that seeing Smoltin like this hurts. This is the life Vertin deserve; one full of happiness and belonging. She also remembers the day she thought Vertin was Reversed like the others which is something she never talks about, not even to Sonetto.

Smoltin befriends Pavia's dogs, who recognize her scent as the person who gives them treats. Pavia acts annoyed but makes no attempt to stop Smoltin from playing with his puppies. He even offers her some of his precious Gelato and is pleased by her excited reactions when she eats it. He tells her to smile like that more often because he's sick of her stoic face (referring to Vertin as the Timekeeper).

Oliver Fog wanted no part of this. He's only concerned about getting her back to normal, but X thinks the whole thing is hilarious. He is in no rush and takes his time showing her his inventions. He likes that Smoltin and Vertin are always curious and listen intently to his explanations, even if he can tell they don't quite get it.

Mesmer Jr. gave her exactly one head pat. She has a lot of baggage too, but in that moment seeing Vertin reminded her of their childhood before the Break-away event and the Parade. She and Smoltin were friends at one point. Part of her misses how things used to be and the other reminds her not to dwell on these things. Its easier to not care.

As fun as it is spoiling Smoltin, the team begins to miss their Timekeeper. Without Vertin leading them, there is a noticeable hole in their lives. She was a friend, leader, parent, and everything else they needed her to be. They develop a deeper appreciation toward her. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

There are so many fun possibilities with this idea I'm sure other people have many. Feel free to share!

#reverse 1999 #vertin #smoltin

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hogwartslegacyreactions2 · 7 months ago

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Hello! Sorry if you have already done something like this but I would love the professors' (whichever ones you feel comfortable writing) reactions to mc struggling in class due to being so stressed/tired/overwhelmed from the chaos that is their fifth year. I would love some parental vibes

Thank you! :)

A/N: Hogwarts professors deserve all the love 💕

HL PROFESSORS REACT TO MC STRUGGLING IN CLASS

ELEAZAR FIG: He gets a pit in his stomach from guilt. MC's circumstances aren't entirely in his control, but he feels responsible for them. The first thing he does is get them to take a break. Full stop on everything. Take a few days to decompress and refocus. Afterwards, he'll be right next to them to help them catch up on their studies. They'll pass their O.W.Ls with flying colors if he has anything to say about it.

MATILDA WEASLEY: This doesn't entirely surprise her given the rumored extracurricular activities MC has been up to. She has a heart-to-heart with them in her office. She wants the full story. No more deflection or bullshit. Tell her the truth. She takes the whole ancient magic thing pretty well, even if she doesn't fully understand. With their powers being so heavily tied to the goblin threat, suppose certain school assignments will have to be postponed. She can make arrangements.

CHIYO KOGAWA: She sees the heavy bags under MC's eyes when they come to tell her they completed another one of her assignments. They could barely focus on the wand movements necessary for the new spell. She has them sit and she pours a cup of tea. "Imported from my hometown in Japan. Just got it today. Have some. Might help you feel better; along with some decent sleep."

AESOP SHARP: He pulls them aside after class. "If you keep falling asleep standing up, you're going to wake up face first in your brew." His tone wasn't accusatory, but it made MC cry anyway. He's taken aback for a moment but he's seen this behavior before. They're exhausted. Likely pushing themselves too hard and not getting enough sleep. He holds out a handkerchief to them and then a small sleeping draught. "I have a new assignment for you. Go to your dorm, get comfortable and take this. Don't come back until you've caught up on sleep."

ABRAHAM RONEN: He sees MC fall asleep in his class again. No matter how much Natty prods them, they can't seem to stay awake. He doesn't allow Natty to bother them further, even when class ends. He lets them sleep until they wake up on their own and he has a tall cold glass of pumpkin juice poured for them. He sits next to them, pouring a glass for himself. "Don't panic. You didn't miss anything important. But, I am worried for you. Why are you falling asleep in class?"

MIRABEL GARLICK: She asks MC to stay behind after a lesson and asks what's been going on, they don't seem themselves. "Your engagement in class has fallen really low. Why is that, my dear?" As MC starts pouring their heart out and tearing up, she pulls them into a warm hug. This makes MC cry more but she just gently shushes them and rubs their back. "Let it all out, dearie."

MUDIWA ONAI: She's a master at reading body language. She can tell just by looking at them that MC has been running themselves ragged. She puts a hand on their shoulder and looks them in the eye. "Even the sun must rest, MC. You are powerful, full of potential, but without rest, you are as well suited for life as a dehydrated toad." MC laughs a little and nods understandably. She pulls MC close and gives them a forehead kiss. "Take better care of yourself."

BAI HOWIN: If there was one class MC could slack off in, it was beasts. She found them asleep in the hay multiple times and she doesn't bother them. She does get curious after a while if her class is just nap time for them or if there's something else going on. If they come clean that they've been overworking themselves, She doesn't give them more assignments from her class other than the necessities.

DINAH HECAT: "Enemies are going to catch you on your back foot at this rate." She comments as MC sluggishly packs up after class. "Perhaps You should limit your extracurricular activities for a while. Studying for your O.W.Ls seems to have you busy enough." But then MC sits down hard on the bench and MC lets it all out. They tell her everything. She sits and listens calmly. "I see...let me talk to Professor Weasely on your behalf. Perhaps we can work something out."

CUTHBERT BINNS: His class is where most catch up on sleep anyway. He's not overly concerned, but if MC asks for more review material he is happy to provide.

SATYAVATI SHAH: "Wake. Up." Her sharp voice can snap anyone out of sleep. "That's the third time this week. You're falling behind. Do I need to start deducting house points to make you care about your studies?" MC doesn't even look at her, they just shake their head. She feels a pang of guilt for going hard on them, they seem to genuinely be struggling, but life's a struggle. They'll figure it out or fail.

PHINEAS NIGELLUS BLACK: This doesn't seem like his problem.

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy reactions #hogwarts legacy professors #eleazar fig #aesop sharp

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tommykinardkink · 7 months ago

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slide on through my window

@bucktommyweek Prompt: Day One - Alternate first meeting Rating: Teen and up Summary: Based on this other prompt - “You broke into my apartment drunk thinking it was your friend’s house and I should call the cops but my cat kinda likes you so we’re good.” Notes: for #bucktommyweekend

The first inkling Tommy Kinard has that something’s wrong is when Matilda doesn’t come greet him at the front door. She's usually there as soon as the door opens, winding herself around his legs purring loudly

He steps into his apartment, tossing his keys on the kitchen counter as he cranes his neck in search of his cat.

That’s when he gets an eyeful of his second clue that his day’s gonna be off to a weird start.

There’s a half-naked man sprawled out across his couch, snoring softly. Matilda, the traitorous little fur ball, is curled up on the man’s lap, tail wrapped around her body. She opens her eyes but doesn’t lift her head, watching as Tommy creeps forward.

For a moment, all he can do is stare. Because this is weird, right? Even by LA standards. Tommy allows himself some time to take in the stranger’s appearance. By his guess, the stranger could be about his height, but isn’t quite as broad. Despite his large frame, his features are boyish, with a birthmark at the corner of his right eye and above his brow and his mouth softened in sleep. His sandy blond hair is a mess, almost as though someone had been running their hands through it. That combined with the missing shirt—Tommy doesn’t allow his gaze to linger on the tattoo on his left pec—and Tommy can’t help but wonder if there’s another half-naked stranger in his apartment somewhere.

It’s been a long night, and an even longer shift at the 127. The whole drive home, all he’d been able to think about was snuggling Matilda, and then falling face first into bed and crashing for the rest of the day. This stranger has robbed him of both those things.

“Hey.” Tommy inches forward and pokes the man in the shoulder. A loud snore is all he gets in response. He frowns and rubs a hand over his face before trying again, poking him harder this time.

“C’mon, wake up.”

“Wha’?” The stranger jerks awake, sitting upright so quickly that he almost head butts Tommy in the face. It's only reflexes honed from years of Muay Thai that save him from a broken nose. Bright impossibly blue eyes blink at him in confusion. Somehow, the man hasn’t disturbed Matilda at all, and she rests her chin on her little paws and watches the standoff through a half-lidded gaze.

“Who’re you?” the stranger asks in a sleep roughened voice.

Tommy straightens to his full height, suddenly indignant.

“Who’m I? I’m the guy whose apartment you broke into,” he snaps.

The stranger squints at him before his expression breaks into a broad, still somewhat tipsy, grin. Tommy does his best not to notice how it brightens up the guy’s whole face.

“Nah.”

Jesus Christ.

Tommy draws in a deep breath through his mouth before releasing it slowly out his mouth. Grace, he reminds himself. It’s important to always extend grace to others, even when they don’t deserve it. Even when they’re intruding on his very limited free time.

“What’s your name?”

“Ev—Buck.”

“Evbuck?”

The beautiful dimwit blinks up at Tommy, clearly baffled. He slowly lowers himself down onto his elbows—Tommy is about to warn him not to get too comfortable—and shakes his head.

“My name’s Evan. Friends call me Buck.”

Well, Tommy sure as hell isn’t this guy’s friend.

“Okay, so. Evan. You broke into my home.”

This doesn’t seem to sink in any better than it did the first time. Evan frowns at him, then glances down at Matilda. She blinks placidly back at him.

“You’re Chimney’s roommate?”

Now it’s Tommy’s turn to be confused. Is Evan simply drunk, or is he having some sort of seizure? Tommy belatedly wonders if he shouldn’t just call 911 and be done with it. This entire conversation is giving him a headache.

But Evan has apparently used the brief silence to fill in some blanks in his mind. Only, he apparently spells like a toddler, judging by the way his shoulders abruptly sag in relief.

“Man, I guess Chimney didn’t tell you I was coming.” He flops back down onto the couch, the picture of ease as he beams up at Tommy. “I’m really sorry about that. He said I could—”

��What the—who is…” Tommy takes another deep breath. It doesn’t help, so he counts to ten before saying in as calm a voice as he can manage, “Evan. Are you on drugs?”

Now Evan looks offended. Good.

“No.” A beat. “I’m just a little drunk. But,” he adds, when Tommy opens his mouth to speak, “not so drunk that I can’t read… this.” He rummages around in the back pocket of his jeans, having to arch his back and lift his hips off the couch to do so and.

Is Tommy having some kind of Freudian nightmare? Is that what this is? Did he just crash on one of the bunks in the station and this is all just a figment of his overtired imagination? Is he gonna have to pinch himself?

But no, there's no time for that. He watches as Evan pulls a worn little square of paper from his pocket and waves it under Tommy’s nose triumphantly. Tommy snatches it out of his hand to peer at it.

Jesus, no wonder the kid had gotten lost. Tommy looks down at the chicken scratch on the bit of paper, practically illegible even in the early morning light. Tommy’s eyes narrow.

“What’d you say your friend’s name is?”

“Chimney,” Evan replies promptly, as though that’s at all helpful.

“The name on his birth certificate,” he clarifies through clenched teeth. Tommy can practically feel his eye twitching.

“How the hell am I s’posed to know?” Evan’s voice rises slightly in exasperation. “He just said—Ow!”

Tommy jumps, the piece of paper fluttering from his hands to the floor as Evan lets out a loud yelp. It’s easy to guess the source of his sudden discomfort. Matilda, who’d been handling the situation a whole lot better than Tommy, had seemingly lost her patience with the way Evan kept shifting around beneath her and stuck her tiny, needle-like claws through his jeans in an effort to keep him still. Evan stares down at her, eyes wide, big body motionless.

And. It’s stupid. Utterly ridiculous. This stupid man had broken into Tommy’s apartment and stolen his cat’s affection. But even though Tommy knows first hand how much those claws hurt, Evan makes no move to push Matilda away or retaliate. And just like that, Tommy feels most of his irritation slipping away. He lets out a gusty sigh and drops down into the loveseat opposite Evan.

“Okay, let’s try to figure this out,” he says, trying to be reasonable. “I’m telling you that you’re in the wrong apartment. No one by the name of Chimney,” Tommy pulls a face, “lives here.” Evan looks like he’s about to argue, so Tommy continues hurriedly, “I also don’t believe that you’re some kind of weirdo who just breaks into people’s homes so you can sleep on their couches.”

“Good. ‘Cause I’m not.”

“Right. Glad to hear it.” They stare at each other for a moment; Evan is definitely pouting. Tommy forces himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. “So this leaves us with a third option: this was all just a big mixup. Which, given your friend’s handwriting, isn’t surprising. So. No harm, no foul.”

“You’re not gonna call the cops?” Evan asks in a small voice.

“I was tempted for a minute.” Tommy looks back over at where his cat is kneading at Evan’s thighs in an effort to make herself comfortable. Evan winces but makes no move to stop her. “But Matilda’s the boss around here, and she seems to like you.”

Evan follows the direction of his gaze and smiles. It’s soft and sweet and Tommy really needs to go to bed. He pulls his cell phone out of his pocket and starts swiping through his apps.

"Uh..."

"Relax," Tommy says without looking up. "I'm getting you an uber."

"Thanks, that really nice—" He stops, and the abrupt silence grabs Tommy's attention, worried that Matilda's somehow managed to draw blood. He glances at Evan, only to find the other man looking at him thoughtfully.

"What?"

"You never told me your name."

Oh. It's strange but he feels a flutter of something like nerves for the first time since finding Evan passed out on his couch. He glances down briefly before forcing himself to get it together.

"Tommy. My name's Tommy."

And dear God, what was it with this guy and his smile? Tommy's too old to be getting flustered by some pretty boy and his fucking dimples. He clears his throat and quickly looks away again.

"Well. Evan. It's been nice meeting you. But I think it might be time for you to go."

"Yeah." Evan's smile dims slightly. He seems to shake it off, though, as he turns his attention to Matilda. With one big, gentle hand, he reaches down to scratch under her chin. Tommy can hear her purring from here. "Sorry, babe, but I gotta go," he tells her with a grin. She pushes her face against his hand, demanding that he keep it up, and Tommy has never before been envious of a cat. "But I promise, I'll always remember our time together."

He's so stupid. And adorable. And Tommy needs him to find his shirt, stat.

It takes some coaxing—and Tommy going to the kitchen for some treats—to get Matilda off Evan's lap. Tommy does his best not to stare as the other man gets off the couch and stretches lazily. The flex of his muscles is obscene and Tommy can't help the way his eyes dip to where the happy trail disappears beneath Evan's jeans.

Shit.

Tommy feels his face burning as he rips his gaze away, looking up just in time to catch Evan's little smirk. He can feel his cheeks burning and he pointedly turns his back as Evan pulls his shirt on over his head.

Together they walk to the front door, and the silence feels kinda awkward. A sudden thought occurs to him.

"Hey. How'd you even get in?"

"Huh? Oh." Now it's Evan's turn to blush, and he ducks his head. "I, uh, I came in through the window."

"We're on the third floor."

"Yeah." Evan scratches the back of his neck, expression sheepish. "I wasn't thinking too clearly. But still," he peeks up at Tommy from beneath his lashes, "pretty impressive, right?"

Is he... flirting right now?

But there's this incorrigible grin on Evan's face, impossible to resist, and Tommy can't help smiling back at him.

"Yeah. Pretty impressive."

Tommy's phone buzzes, a notification that the uber's just around the corner. He can't help but feel a pang of disappointment.

"Hey, can I—?" He looks up to find Evan looking slightly nervous. Tommy's expecting a request to use the bathroom but, instead, Evan surprises him.

"Can I have your number?"

"My number?" Tommy scrambles to cover his astonishment and tries for teasing as he asks, "Why, d'you wanna call ahead the next time you break in?"

"No. I wanna take you out for dinner. Or, y'know, maybe for breakfast." Evan's got this cocky smirk on his face, but there's a hint of vulnerability there too.

This is a terrible idea.

That knowledge doesn't stop him from giving Evan his number and watching as he disappears down the hallway and into the elevator.

This was really not how Tommy had expected his morning to go.

But he can't say he minds.

#bucktommyweekend #evan buckley #tommy kinard #bucktommy #911 abc #my writing

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overtrred28 · 2 months ago

Text

Stargirl | matildas x original character fic [part twenty one]

Words; 2.1k

Pairings; matildas team x astrid taylor (OC)

Warnings; none

masterlist

The lead up to the world cup is no easy feat, for anyone. Everything you did as players both at club and on national level in the months before mattered more than ever. And for Astrid the pressure was building up inside.

She had made her mark in the team again at the last camp against Scotland and England, playing in the second match, assisting Charli’s first Matildas goal and slipping one of her own in. Not to mention her 19th birthday celebrated in England before she went back to Sweden and returned to Hammarby training with Kyra.

They were in the start of the Damallsvenskan season and nearing the end of the Svenska Cupen, hoping to make it to the final and win the cup. Astrid and Kyra were both a major part of the squad, either playing full matches or close to and making an impact within the team. They continued to work well with one another, creating beautiful passes and more assist/goal partnerships than anyone else on the team.

Their relationship outside of the game was continuing to grow with one another, but only behind closed doors. They knew what fans could be like with speculation and looking deeply into photos to find “clues” as to whether or not their close friendship had evolved anywhere further. So it was best if no one was in on their secret, not even Charli or Courtney who thankfully lived further away and didn’t interrupt their stolen moments at home.

On the 6th of June, 2023, Hammarby had their final game in the Svenska Cup against BK Häcken for the title. Kyra had been named in the starting line up with plenty of other strong players she could create chances with, but when they got to halftime and no goals scored by either side, she was ready for Astrid to come on.

Replacing Matilda Vinberg on the wing, Astrid came on with a fire to take out the cup and win her first trophy with Hammarby. Madelen Janogy helped them get ahead with 2 goals within 15 minutes of the second half.

Astrid’s first goal came not long after that, a corner by Kyra’s right foot, the ball landing directly at her head as she stood close to the goal, knocking it in with precision to slip past the keeper's hands. She immediately ran over to Kyra who came in from the corner, jumping onto her and nearly pushing her down but Kyra stabilised themselves, before the rest of the team came and dogpiled them.

One more goal from Maika at 68 minutes and there was no chance they weren’t winning, the possession stayed with Hammarby and although the Häcken keeper was able to block a lot more the of the shots towards the end, Häcken wasn’t able to get any goals into the net either. The whistle blew and the team screamed in joy, running in together and celebrating their cup win.

After the end of that cup, the Damallsvenskan was in full force and Hammarby were on a winning streak. The 4 games in the remainder of that month ended in victory for the club and happiness forAstrid for making one or more goal contributions to each of those games.

The 3rd of July 2023 became a date Astrid would never forget. It was early morning right before they left for training when Astrid’s phone began buzzing, Tony’s contact appearing on her screen. Without hesitation she quickly accepted the facetime and held it up to see him.

“Ah! Hello Astrid.” Tony waved through the screen.

“Hi G-man, how are you?” Astrid waved back, a wide smile on her face but her stomach churned in anticipation.

“Very well, thank you.” Tony laughed at the nickname like every time she said it, Kyra was also shaking her head and holding a laugh from the otherside of the room.

“Congratulations on the cup win, very deserved.”

“Thank you Tony, very happy with the result.” Astrid nodded her head and waited for him to speak further.

“Astrid,” He began falling into a more serious tone. “My reasoning for the call is to talk about the next camp against France and also this year's World Cup.” Astrid stayed silent and nodded her head. “As a coaching staff we have never been more impressed with a person of your age and talent. You are strong, skilled, resilient and so much more. You are a large asset to the team both on and off the pitch.” Tony smiled kindly at her, watching her face light up at the compliments.

“Thank you.” Astrid held back the tears brimming from her eyes and let him continue.

“Which is why it is my pleasure to invite you on our roster for the 2023 Women's World Cup if you would join us?” Both their smiles grew bigger and Kyra was jumping up and down in the living room for her girlfriend.

“Yes, yes. Absolutely yes.” Astrid beamed even brighter, nodding her head up and down as Tony laughed and they wrapped up their conversation. As soon as the call ended Astrid dropped her phone and ran over to Kyra, jumping up and wrapping her legs around Kyra’s waist. “OH MY GOD!” Astrid yelled out as they spun in circles. Tears of happiness ran down her face as Kyra placed her down again.

“I’m so proud of you.” Kyra wiped Astrid’s tears with her thumbs before leaning in and kissing her. But they were interrupted when Kyra’s phone started buzzing in her pocket. “It’s Tony.” Kyra looked from her phone back up to Astrid who was practically answering the facetime for her and pushing it up to Kyra’s face, stepping out of view.

Astrid was half paying attention to the facetime as she stood opposite Kyra, instead thinking of her parents and how proud they would be. Wishing she could tell them but they already knew as they watched over her every single day of her life. Astrid zoned back in as Kyra finished her conversation and ran to her girlfriend with an even bigger smile.

“WE’RE GOING TO THE WORLD CUP BABY!” Kyra shouted as they jumped around in a circle holding hands before pulling in and kissing one another with pride. A morning Astrid will never forget.

Only 5 days later Astrid and Kyra were jumping on a plane back home to Australia for their final World Cup prep match against France down in Melbourne. The flight was long but not awful, both of the girls managed to sleep a lot of the way, landing well rested and not irritable.

They pulled up to the hotel and jumped out, grabbing their bags and moving into the lobby. Because of their club schedule the pair were once again last to arrive, after rooms had been assigned by their teammates. So it was a mystery which teammate they had been paired with until they opened their room doors and greeted their bunkmate for the next week.

Astrid and Kyra walked hand in hand while no one was around, soaking in the last minutes they could act like a couple for probably a few days. They waved bye to each other and reached their separate rooms. Astrid opened her door and pushed her way through, dragging her heavy bags in and peering around the corner.

Sam was laying on one of the beds and looked up from her phone upon hearing the door open. “KIDDO!” She threw her phone down as Astrid appeared around the corner.

“SAMMY!” Astrid yelled in reply as she dropped her items and ran forward tackling Sam on the bed in a bear hug.

“UGH!Get off me you rat.” Sam laughed and pushed Astrid away and over to the bed opposite.

“What? You’re not happy to see me?” Astrid scoffed as she flattened her hair down again, pouting playfully at Sam.

“No, not really.” Sam shrugs playfully, pretending to occupy herself by picking at her nails and Astrid is not having it.

“Admit it Sam, I’m your favourite.” Astrid crosses her arms and raises a brow, awaiting Sam’s response.

“Ha! You wish As-turd.” Sam retaliates as she settles back down into her previous position with her phone. Dramatically Astrid gasps with a hand to her chest.

“Excuse me, only Macca is allowed to call me that.” Astrid mirrors Sam, lying down on her own bed and turns her head towards Sam’s bed where the captain was also looking over at the young striker.

“Whatever. How have you been? Congrats on the cup.” Sam brings them to a regular conversation.

“Thanks. Yeah, I’m good. Excited to be back home.” Astrid speaks with a soft smile, turning towards the roof. She loved coming back home to Australia after so much time away, but it didn’t feel the same anymore.

“Good.” Sam nods and the room goes silent for a minute. “How’s it going with Kyra?” Astrid's eyes widen and her head snaps back to Sam. How does she know?

“W-what do you mean?” Her voice wavers a bit and Sam continues looking at her phone.

“Aren’t you guys living together? Is she making you pull your hair out yet?” Sam chuckles lightly and Astrid lets out a sigh of relief.

“Oh yeah. Everyday.” She laughs and rolls her eyes. Phew.

“Are you ready for dinner?” Sam asks after checking the time and seeing it was time for team dinner now that everyone had arrived.

“Yes, I’m starving!” Astrid jumped out of bed and they left the room together.

As everyone arrived at the dining room they greeted one another, excited as always to be on camp with the people again and playing the game they love.

Astrid sat with Kyra, Charli, Courtney, and Mary, or as everyone else called them, the babies, and they caught up after 2 months apart and loudly annoyed one another which then annoyed everyone else.

After a night of catching up, playing games and relaxing before the week ahead of their French battle, everyone tiredly returned to their rooms and fell asleep early.

The girls had four days together to prepare for game day and no one was messing around. Well, kinda.

The team always liked to have fun with one another in training, laughing and giggling at one another's mistakes, pulling small pranks and teasing but most of all chatting. They loved to chat while running drills, especially Astrid and Charli.

They could chat and chat for hours while still perfectly executing drills or simply running around the track. The other girls were marvelled with how much they could get done while talking to one another and giggling mostly.

After four days of training it was finally match day at Marvel Stadium. The team had gone on their pre-match walk and completed their pre game training, watching the fans start to filter through and fill the seats.

Astrid hadn’t been named in the starting 11, which slightly disappointed her but she understood that her reputation still stood as a super-sub and she was more than happy to come on towards the end and hopefully score a goal for the fans.

And that’s just what she did. At 75 minutes her number 31 was flashing green and number 20 was red as Sam made her way to the sidelines for Astrid to come on. Astrid ran to her position as the new 9 alongside Tameka as the 10.

It didn’t take long for Astrid to get her foot on the ball and close to the goal, after Kyra had passed it through to her and now she was 1v1 with a french defender. She battled easily and managed to nutmeg her before running around and towards the keeper. She was alone and onside and the net was clearer than ever.

Her line was as clear as it was going to get so she went for it. Her right foot swung hard against the ball, rolling across the grass in what felt like slow motion as it rolled through the keeper's feet and past the white line.

The crowd roared and Astrid took off running, hands reaching up to the sky and forming a hard with her hands as she ran, her teammates running behind her before she stopped and they jumped all over her. She smiled and laughed with her best friends as they celebrated and the crowd was cheering.

The game ended in a 2-0 win and a very happy crowd of supporters celebrating the last game before the world cup starts only 6 days from now.

The girls did their round of the stadium for the fans, taking photos and signing merchandise, making people's dreams come true. This could easily be Astrid’s favourite part of being with the matildas, watching peoples faces light up with joy over a simple interaction or wave in their direction and it made everything they go through as players worth it.

To be continued...

#auswnt #matildas #kyra cooney cross #charli grant #steph catley #matildas x reader #alanna kennedy #mackenzie arnold #sam kerr #caitlin foord #woso #woso x reader

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townsenddecades · 4 months ago

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1314 – Day 3

TOWNSEND FARM

The rains are still worryingly heavy. It isn’t normal for the weather to be this wet at this time of the year. Some people, scared for their survival, are already wondering if this is some sort of punishment by The Watcher for the state of the world. They’d flock to Her churches, if they weren’t so desperate to make ends meet.

On the Townsend farm, Malika’s pregnancy is progressing steadily. Doing her chores and caring for the three youngest members of the household isn’t easy when she feels as if she waddles rather than walks, but she does her best. Her only consolation is that it can’t be long, now.

Both Helen and her young niece and nephew spend a lot of their time being underfoot on the farm – just like all the other children before them – when their parents and grandfather are too busy to pay attention to them. Benjamin helps Malika to care for the children whenever he’s got the time, but because they still plan to furnish the second cottage – a necessity now that their family is growing – he has little time to do so.

Whatever their woes regarding their fields, Benedict’s carpentry, at least, is serving them well. He does not earn much by it for the most part but has had two commissions for artworks by wealthier patrons Anna and her family had procured for him. He hopes that he will have more of them as his reputation as a craftsman spreads. Watcher knows they will need it, although even that won’t save them if there is no food to be had at all.

Malika thanks him for his efforts, regardless. He has given most of the running of the farm over to them, but she knows how hard he works so her children will have a better future. He waves her words away, but she can tell he is touched.

It is a relief to Malika when she finally goes into labour, at least until the pain starts to gain strength. The midwife is quickly summoned, hours go by, and far past nightfall, she gives birth to a perfect, healthy son. Like with most of the Townsend children, his appearance is a bit startling, if only because his dark skin is contrasted by light blond hair – indubitably inherited from Benjamin’s late mother. Benedict’s eyes fill with tears when he sees this reminder of Anne. He’s spotted traces of her in all their children, but none of them has inherited her hair. It’s almost as if the Watcher Herself wants to show them that some part of her lingers.

Benjamin is equally moved when he cradles their boy, whom they name Duncan, while his wife gets her well-deserved rest.

CRAWLEY HOUSEHOLD

While the Townsends are in suspense over Malika’s labour, anxieties of a different sort assail a member of the Crawley household. The rain has stopped for once, and as she often does, Anna has gone outside to be with her lost children for a while. Nothing brings her more joy than spending time with Annette, but she still misses Matilda and Edward as if a part of herself had been taken from her.

There is no sign of another pregnancy yet. If she’s honest to herself, she isn’t too unhappy about that. It will likely take years for her to make her peace with her children’s deaths and she isn’t looking to add more heartache to that.

Lost in her recollections as she is, it takes her a while to notice that Caroline has joined her outside, fiddling with her wide sleeves and looking uncharacteristically unsure of herself.

“I…I need to speak to you”, she says, after a moment. “I need your help.”

“My help?”, Anna asked, taken aback. “Shouldn’t you be planning your trousseau with your mother?”

That had been another monumental change: only weeks after the death of the future Baroness Elbenhawke, Lady Petersmarch had approached Mary and Matthew to talk to them about arranging a match between the widowed heir to the barony and Caroline. The Crawleys had jumped at the chance, of course. It meant snubbing the Sterlings, but for their daughter to be betrothed to a future baron! It was an honour scarcely imaginable.

Only Caroline had been very quiet, as could be expected. She had liked Tobias Sterling, and no position in the world can make up for having to break the heart of a man that holds true affection for oneself.

Anna’s comment had been meant as a pure joke, which makes Caroline’s sharp gasp even more startling. The other woman quickly covers her mouth, but she’s pale and trembling.

“That’s exactly it”, she forces out. “I can’t marry Pelham’s heir.”

Anna rushes over to her, now truly concerned. “I know how much you liked young Sterling.”

“It isn’t just that. I…we…I committed a sin, Anna. A terrible mistake.”

The implications dawn on Anna almost immediately. It’s what led to her brother Benjamin’s marriage, after all. “Oh Caroline, you didn’t.”

Caroline’s eyes fill with tears. “We did. We were as good as betrothed, and he said he’d marry me if…it took. And then, a few days later, Father told us that the Baron’s son had offered for my hand.”

She’d had no say in it. Her Father ultimately decided whom she was to marry, and no one had thought that she would raise any objections to be raised up into nobility, regardless of her affections for her swain. Even Anna, while sympathetic, hadn’t considered the possibility. How could she have known what her friend had done?

She rubs her arms until Caroline stops shaking. “And you’re with child?”, she asks, looking around quickly to make sure none of the servants are lurking anywhere. Caroline nods timidly.

“I haven’t bled in two months.”

“Oh dear.” If someone found out, it’s likely that the Baron would rescind the marriage offer, on grounds of Caroline’s questionable morals. Understandable as her tryst with Sterling had been, it also doesn’t speak well of what she might do once married. “Does your swain know?”

Caroline shakes her head. “I couldn’t say if he’d still want me. He…he didn’t take well to being thrown over. He thinks I should have fought my parents or run away with him. I don’t know what he’ll say if I were to go back on that now just to preserve my honour.”

And even if she does, she’ll have to insult the Baron’s family and break her promise. People will still talk. “Would you want to do it? Marry Tobias, I mean?”

Caroline hesitates. “Mother and Father would never allow it.”

“You could elope. Tell Tobias you’ve changed your mind.”

“I’ve already broken his heart. And besides…it could help our family so much if I were to become a baroness. I’d lift them up, too. Set a precedent, which could even improve Annette’s marriage chances. I want to be with Tobias, more than anything, but…I don’t know if I can disappoint Mother and Father to do it.”

Part of her surely wants to be a noble lady, too. It is a grand honour that the Countess has spoken up for her. Snubbing that could damage Matthew’s standing in the Earl’s household, everything he’d been working for, all for a stupid, youthful mistake. There is no good way out of this situation, that much Anna can see clearly.

She is silent for a while, pondering their chances. “As I see it, you have three options. One, marry Tobias Sterling, and risk insulting both Lords of the county in the process and damaging your family’s reputation.”

“I can’t do that”, Caroline whispers. “I love Tobias, but I can’t.”

“Which means you’ll have to marry the Baron’s son, which he likely won’t consent to if he finds out you’re pregnant with another man’s child. We could try to hasten the marriage and make him believe your child is his, but you may already be too far along for that, and he’ll likely not wish to insult his wife’s memory by marrying so soon after her passing.”

“So, I’m doomed.”

“No.” Anna shakes her head, an idea already forming. “I’m not sure you’ll like it, but we could make a trip somewhere else, you and me. Maybe go to the seaside for the bracing air. We’ll stay there for a few months, until you’ve given birth. And once we return with the baby, I’ll claim it’s mine and George’s.”

For a few moments, Caroline is speechless. “You’d to that?”

“Of course I would. You’re my sister. I’d do as much for Edith.”

“But I would never to be able to acknowledge the child as mine.”

Anna gives her a sad smile. “I’m afraid that’s the price you’ll have to pay, if you wish to keep it a secret. We’ll likely need co-conspirators, but the fewer people know, the better. I do want your brother to know, however. I can’t keep a secret like that from my husband.”

Caroline still looks numb, but she nods with an effort. “I suppose there is no other way.”

But she sounds incredibly heartbroken as she says it.

Prev: 1314, Day 2 <--> Next: 1314, Day 4

WATCHER’S COMMENTARY:

This wasn’t planned.

When Elinor died, I went through my options as to who Richard could marry. Creating an entirely new sim was an option, but my first thought was the Dudleys, which fell through because their only living daughter is Gwendolen, who is far too young. So, my mind went to Caroline. A lord’s heir marrying the daughter of a commoner isn’t realistic, but I’ve been very frank about the fact that I’m taking some liberties, and with her family being close to the Earl and well-off, I decided to just handwave it.

And I kid you not, I couldn’t even get them engaged before I received the notification that she had gotten pregnant by her boyfriend. So, I decided to incorporate that into the story, the result of which you see here. The fact that it gave me an opportunity to write some more about her and Anna supporting each other was just the icing on the cake.

What this will lead to, I don’t know yet. I know the gender of the baby, but I have no idea if it will take after the Crawleys or after Caroline’s lover. I also don’t know if I’ll have the child be part of the succession should the need arise, or if I will skip them in favour of the next-closest sim that is part of the Townsend bloodline. I will cross that bridge should I get to it.

I do know that I will roll for the kid, so let’s see if they even survive past infancy.

#i honestly love anna and her friendship with Caroline so much #easily my favourite sim and relationship atm #ultimate decades challenge #the ultimate decades challenge #the sims 3 #ts3 #townsend legacy #udc: townsend family #udc: pelham family #udc: crawley family #udc: gen 1 #1310s

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sunnyrealist · 5 months ago

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Chapter 49: Cartwheels

The Sun, the Moon, and All Our Stars

Summary and Details…

Previous Chapter Recap/Context: Sebastian has moved into Kate's cottage. In the previous chapter, Sebastian completely unpacked, explained his frequent use of sleeping potions, and sentimentally reminisced about his family as he shows Kate three old portraits. He shared a lot of details in particular about his parents, including their research. Kate suggested displaying the pictures in their house, and then she and Sebastian spoke about having portraits done of them as a couple. They also had a discussion about Sebastian's dangerous work with the DMLE and how he needs to find a way out of it. When the previous chapter ended, a letter from Hogwarts had just arrived. This chapter picks up right after that and features these two being playful, lovey-dovey goofballs, sharing their most embarrassing moments, and post-lovemaking pillow talk about children and their future.

Pairing: 25-year-old, post-Azkaban Sebastian Sallow x 24-year-old Kate Mayflower (my OC), the assistant librarian at Hogwarts

Content warnings: In general, this is rated 18+, so minors should not read or interact with this story. This chapter doesn't have any smut, but there is definitely some innuendo and mentioning of making love.

The full chapter is available below the cut; it can also be found on AO3 (link is posted below). Please leave some feedback if possible, especially if you like what you read! 🥰

Chapter 49: Cartwheels

Sebastian holds out the envelope to Kate. “It seems that Hogwarts has business with you.”

Kate’s face scrunches up. “Hogwarts? During the summer? That’s odd.” She quickly breaks the seal and looks for the signature. “It’s from Prof- I mean, Matilda Weasley,” she informs him. As she reads, she goes red.

Dear Miss Mayflower, I am writing regarding some library business. As you know, in the summer, Headmaster Black requires me to complete an evaluation of each of our spaces to ensure that the castle is in an acceptable state for the next term. I am not certain as to why this has occurred, but the library is not ready in terms of organization and cleanliness. Additionally, the Ministry of Magic has recently gifted the library about a dozen new artifacts for safekeeping in the Restricted Section. These must be catalogued and stored properly. I will explain more in person. If possible, I would appreciate a conference with you during normal working hours next week to discuss when you might be able to complete some work over the summer. Please reply with a date and time for our meeting, and I will be happy to see you in my office. I hope you have had a lovely first week off of work, filled with well-deserved rest and relaxation. All my best, Matilda Weasley Deputy Headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

“Matilda wants me to do some work over the summer,” Kate summarizes after reading. “It sounds like Agnes and I might not have been as thorough with organization as we thought before leaving for the summer. She also has items that must be catalogued into the library’s Restricted Section, but she’s being a bit dodgy about what these artifacts are. That probably means they’re hazardous.”

“Hazardous?” Sebastian echoes. ��I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Well, I don’t know that for sure - it’s just speculation,” she notes. “But it is part of the job. I’ve never had to do that before - Agnes has always handled it in the past… I’m sure I can handle it.”

“I know you can take care of yourself, but it doesn’t mean I won’t worry. I don’t know what I would do if…” he trails off, then gives her a pointed look. “Just… Be careful, alright?”

Kate smiles sweetly at his concern. “It’s just a meeting for now. It’s not like I’ll be working with these artifacts right away next week.” She slides off of the bed. “Well, I had better write back to her.”

Just a meeting… Sebastian thinks to himself. Nothing to worry about. Not yet.

“Oh!” Kate suddenly adds. “I almost forgot! I need to send an owl to my parents, too. They asked me to write as soon as I returned from our trip.”

“Good idea. I don’t want them to think I’ve kidnapped you,” he replies, half-kidding.

“Dearrrrr mamma and papa,” Kate loudly begins to recite with a cheeky smile on her face. “You wouldn’t believe how much danger I was in on our trip! I know we’ve only officially dated for about a week, but I’ve invited Sebastian to live with me. Also, I can’t wait to tell you all about the things he can do with his mouth…” She pauses for a moment as he processes her words, then cracks up, darting into the kitchen.

“Oi!” Sebastian lets out a chuckle, shaking his head as he follows her in a rush. “Be careful what you say to your parents! I don’t need them to know all of the sinful things I’ve done to their precious daughter!”

She giggles as he chases her into the kitchen, right on her heels as she rounds the table. He’s far too fast and strong, easily catching her.

“Sebastian!” she shrieks, cackling as his arms wrap around her waist.

Leaning in close, his lips hover just above her ear. In a low, seductive tone, he whispers, “You know you’re in trouble now, darling. Teasing me like that and running away… We can’t let that slide, can we?”

Kate chuckles to herself. “Oh, Bash - I would never!”

“I don’t believe you for a second,” he retorts, grinning widely and tightening his hold on her. “You know exactly which buttons to push.” He presses a kiss just above her ear.

After a moment, she murmurs, “I… should write those letters,” as if she needs to convince herself.

“You probably should,” he reluctantly agrees. “Though I must admit, I would much rather spend the rest of the day doing… other things.”

She breaks out of his grasp, raising an eyebrow. “You’re insatiable, you know that?”

“Sure. Insatiable and unapologetic about it.” He smirks, crossing his arms. “My girlfriend is absolutely irresistible. Can you blame me?”

“Yes,” she replies with a pointed look.

Sebastian pouts melodramatically. “Fine. Go write your letters. I’ll just… be all alone and neglected.”

Kate kicks him playfully. “I love you, ridiculous man. Read a book, play piano - just find something to do so I can get something done. You’re rather distracting.” She pulls her wand out of a pocket in her dress. “Accio correspondence supplies.”

Sebastian begins to leave the room as the summoned items soar into the kitchen. He decides at the last moment to return for a kiss, and that’s when he collides with the ink pot, which spills all over Kate’s dress.

“Ugh!” She shoots up, grabbing the ink and shoving it upright back on the table. “Scourgify!” She points her wand at her dress. The stain slowly begins to disappear, but the ink is so dark, it still leaves a blotch. She sighs, plopping back down. “It’s ruined.”

“Sorry, love,” he murmurs, feeling guilty, but a moment later, he gives her a mischievous look. “You know, you could just… take your dress off.”

Kate narrows her eyes, shaking her head. “You sly dog.” Then, a smile of amusement tugs at her lips. “You know, now that you mention it, it is a bit chilly in the cottage. Perhaps I should take the dress off… and replace it with an oversized sweater, scarf, long skirt, stockings… you know… fully cover up.”

Sebastian groans dramatically, mock suffering on his face. “Ah… no, no, no. Don’t hide your heavenly body from me. I’ll suffer.”

“Oh, well, we can’t have that,” she plays along. “But I simply cannot be naked all of the time, Bash. You wouldn’t want me to catch a cold… that would make me suffer.” She giggles.

He leans against the wall, a lopsided smile on his face. “Of course - of course. But… who needs clothes anyway? They’re just a hindrance. We should both just walk around naked all the time. That would solve everything.”

“Oh, yes, what a brilliant idea, Mr. Sallow,” Kate retorts sarcastically, peering at the stain again. “And while we’re at it, why only be naked in the house? We can garden and do laundry in the nude, too. Then, any old passerby could see me, too.” She laughs, knowing how mad she’s about to make him. “Imagine how many men might see my body…”

The silly glimmer in Sebastian’s eye immediately disappears as he squints at her. “Don’t even joke about that.”

Kate chuckles, unable to stop teasing him. “You know you’re not the only man who’s seen my body before…” She rests her chin on her hand, studying his reaction.

“I know, sunshine, but I don’t like thinking about it,” he mutters, looking away. “I damn well will be the only one to see you naked from here on out.”

She glances away, biting her lip and grinning, debating whether to bring something up. “Have I… ever shared with you my most embarrassing moment?”

Sebastian’s eyebrows raise in curiosity, and he takes the seat next to her. “No, you haven’t.” He smiles. “I promise I won’t laugh too much.”

“Well…” she begins. “It happened during my sixth year at Hogwarts. Hufflepuff had just won the Quidditch Cup, and it was quite a big deal. I think every Hufflepuff was packed into the Three Broomsticks that night, and let’s just say that… alcohol was flowing freely. Professor Garlick was kind enough to turn a blind eye - no one got in trouble. So, anyway, my friends and I were absolutely pissed when we stumbled back into the Hufflepuff common room. We were some of the first people back, and we decided to continue the fun and play drinking games. Eventually, Truth or Dare became our game of choice… Do you want to hear more of it?” She gives him a questioning glance.

“Yes, yes,” Sebastian replies eagerly. “Go on. What happened next?”

“It was kind of what you might expect - a lot of stupid dares and silly questions. But it got wilder and wilder as the night went on,” she continues. “We were passing around bottles of vodka and gin, taking shots, and we were quite sloppy around 1 o’clock in the morning. Someone dared me to perform a cartwheel, which probably sounds quite tame.”

Sebastian can picture a younger Kate, drunk and giggly with her friends, causing chaos and mischief, and it makes him grin. “It is pretty tame. So what happened? Did you fall on your arse?”

Kate grimaces. “Not quite. I agreed to the dare, but I had forgotten something important. It was unseasonably warm, and over the course of the night as we drank, body temperatures rose. Most of us stripped down a bit since we were amongst close friends. I myself was just wearing a loose, low-cut shirt with my corset… which I had loosened considerably as the hours passed. Right when I started the cartwheel, the door to the common room opened, and in walked the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, flanked by just about the entire house. I was midway through the cartwheel, upside down, when suddenly… my tits popped out of my corset, and I exposed myself to just about everyone. The Quidditch guys whistled and cheered like I had actually intended to flash them.” She turns beet red, recalling the incident.

Sebastian bursts out laughing, the sound echoing around the room. “Oh - Oh, Merlin!” he exclaims. “I’m sorry, love, but, my gods, that’s hilarious! I can almost see it! I bet the team thought they won the World Cup!”

“Yeah…” She joins in the chuckling, able to see the humor in the situation now that it is long past. “I suppose it was quite the warm welcome back for the team. Personally? I just wanted to turn invisible. To be permanently under disillusionment.” She shakes her head with merriment. “Everyone kept making comments about it for weeks afterwards. I already had a boyfriend at the time, but I kept getting asked out by other guys. And one girl, too. I guess they… erm, enjoyed the view…” She raises her eyebrows, looking away.

He rests his hands behind his head, leaning back in his chair. “I would have remembered that for ages, too, had I been there. I probably would have been the one whistling loudest, in fact..”

Kate reaches out to swat at him; he dodges. “Se-BAS-tian!” she chastises, punctuating each syllable. “You’re terrible! Don’t you remember, I was an entire year younger than you at Hogwarts!”

“Oh no!” Sebastian replies dramatically. “One whole year younger?!” He cackles again. “If I had been there, I would have absolutely tried to muster the courage to ask you out for a Butterbeer after your little show. In any case… it would have provided some… shall I say, inspiring material for many nights to come.” He waggles his eyebrows.

“Inspiring material?!” Kate shouts, laughing even louder. “You mean… You would have…” she doubles over, unable to breathe. “Is that what the boys would call… Quietus Time?”

He nearly falls out of his chair at her response. “That’s exactly what I would have called it! I guarantee that you made your way into many a Quietus Time after your little… accident.”

“Oh my gods, Bash! Gross! Teenage boys are so gross!”

They devolve again into a fit of giggles.

When the two can finally breathe again, Kate cocks an eyebrow. “Well… What about you? What was your most embarrassing moment? I’m guessing you didn’t flash all of your housemates.”

Sebastian runs his hand through his brown hair, still grinning as he takes a moment to think. “I guess I could tell you about the time I lost a bet and had to wear Hufflepuff house colors and cheer for them during a Quidditch match against Slytherin - in the Slytherin stands. It was a very traumatic experience for me.” He feigns a shudder.

“Oh, not that!” she yells dramatically. “Imagine cheering for Hufflepuff - what an embarrassment!” She shakes her head disapprovingly at him. “You just watch. Someday, our kids will be in Hufflepuff, and you’ll have to cheer them on.” She pokes his arm.

He grins at her playfully. “I sure hope not. If we have children, they had better be sorted into Slytherin. I’ll have nothing less.” He leans in to whisper in her ear. “Besides, I think you’ll look amazing in green and silver.”

“Oh, do you?” Kate asks innocently, then turns her nose up. “You wish.” Moments later, her haughty expression melts into a smile. “Bash, I’ll be happy with them no matter what. Even if they end up arrogant little Slytherins.”

Sebastian’s eyes glint with amusement. “Arrogant, you say? Not so. We’re simply confident and proud,” he retorts, pretending to take offense. He reaches out to brush a stand of hair behind her ear. “I’m calling it now, Kate. Our many, many adorable little ones are going to be Slytherin, and you’ll learn to love it.”

“You’re insufferable,” she mutters with a grin, throwing up her hands.

They chuckle, and then Kate leans in to press a kiss to Sebastian’s lips. “I love you, my insatiable, insufferable Slytherin.”

He grins against her lips. “And I love you, my… intoxicating, irresistible Hufflepuff.” He kisses her more deeply, his hands tracing up and down her arms. “You know,” he murmurs, his voice low, “When you tell me you love me, I can barely fathom the wonder of hearing those words. But it sounds even better when you’re breathless underneath me, moaning it in my ear…”

Kate’s suddenly heated gaze flicks up to him. “I… I feel like we’re on our honeymoon. Do you?” she whispers. “It feels like… time has just stopped today.” She kisses him again.

Sebastian’s eyes sparkle with affection. “I know what you mean, my love. It always feels like time freezes when I’m with you.” His voice is soft and tender. “And yes, it feels like a honeymoon, but now that I know it’s… permanent, I feel like I’m in heaven. I am so privileged to have you by my side every day now.”

Eventually, she insists that it’s time to finally complete her correspondence and demands that she is given at least a little bit of privacy. It’s clear that, without it, she will not get much done. In her letters, she arranges a meeting with Matilda Weasley on Monday and writes to tell her parents that she is home and safe and that she would like to visit soon to tell them about Sebastian. This, in particular, weighs heavily on her, but she resolves to put it to the back of her mind until she hears back from them.

Later that night, Sebastian lays next to Kate, both of them naked and content after making love. His fingers gently stroke her wavy blonde strands. “I can’t stop touching your hair. It’s just so soft and beautiful. I love it. I can’t help myself.”

“Maybe our daughters will have my hair,” Kate replies dreamily. “You can learn to braid.”

Sebastian lets out a laugh at her words. “Daughters? Bold of you to assume we won’t have sons instead.” His gaze softens as he considers it. “I suppose, though, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to have little girls with your hair and eyes.”

She chuckles. “And they’ll probably inherit your freckles. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.” She kisses his cheek. “What do you think we’ll have more of? Daughters or sons?”

He hums thoughtfully, a smile tugging at his mouth. “Who knows? There’s an equal chance for both. But personally, I’m hoping for at least one daughter with my freckles and your golden hair.” He raises an eyebrow, considering the alternative. “The thought of little boys with my stubbornness and recklessness is… a bit scary. They would likely end up driving both of us insane.”

“Yes, they would!” Kate laughs heartily. “They would keep me on my toes every minute.”

She kisses him, still chuckling, weaving her hands into his wavy chestnut hair. He leans in closer, his hand wandering up her abdomen.

“They will keep us on our toes,” Sebastian corrects. “You won’t be the only one dealing with them, you know. They’ll be the spawn of two troublemakers who will suddenly find themselves having to keep miniature versions of themselves in line.”

“Gods help us. And don’t forget how sneaky I’ve always been. I’m an expert at getting away with things.” She scrunches her nose. “That will make it even worse. Sneaky little mischief-makers… How will we ever handle them?”

“The only way is together, as a team. We’ll keep each other sane… or at least, as sane as we possibly can be.” He kisses the top of her head. “Just imagine it, darling. We’ll fill this home with love and laughter and joy. There will be books and toys everywhere, and it will be absolute chaos, but… it will be perfect.”

Kate exhales softly, snuggling into him. “It sounds like a dream - a beautiful dream. Oh, I love you so.”

“One day soon, all of this will be our reality. We’ll have our own little family, and we’ll be happier than we ever thought possible,” he murmurs contentedly.

“I’m already happier than ever,” Kate whispers before kissing his chest. Then, she yawns uncontrollably. “Oh, Bash, I’m so tired. You’ve worn me out. I think I’ll go to sleep. It’s been quite a day.” She adjusts to a more comfortable position, turning over to face away from him. “Are you staying up or going to sleep as well?”

“I’ll stay here with you, but I’ll probably read for a bit. I’ll keep the light hidden away as best I can,” he replies. “You should rest, my sweet.”

Kate closes her eyes, pulling the covers up over her shoulders. “Good night, my moon. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Good night, my sunshine. Sweet dreams,” he whispers, his heart full of affection.

It isn’t long until Kate is lightly snoring. Crickets chirp outside the cottage, and the room is lit only by the soft glow of one burning candle. Sebastian eventually grabs his book from the nightstand and flips through pages, but it’s difficult for him to focus. His mind is reeling with anxiety over tomorrow’s journey to the Feldcroft cemetery.

As if reading Sebastian’s tumultuous thoughts, Kate turns over, deep asleep, wrapping her arm around his waist and putting her cheek against his bare back. It’s as if she knows, even unconsciously, that he needs comfort. His heart performs cartwheels.

#hogwarts legacy fanfic #hogwarts legacy sebastian #sebastian sallow x oc #post azkaban sebastian #hufflepuff x slytherin #aged up sebastian sallow #hogwarts legacy oc #hl oc #hl sebastian #hogwarts legacy romance #sebastian sallow #hogwarts legacy original character

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womanofwords · 9 months ago

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The Cuckoo Princess

Dedicated to @befuddled-calico-whump because their prompt has been in my head.

Before the wizard, the king, and the neighbouring prince came, Charlize had been living like any other princess. She woke up in a wonderful bed with servants already at her back and call from the moment she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. From there, she would order a very complicated breakfast from the rat-like servant Rosetta or whatever her name was and snigger as she scurried off to get it from the cook.

After that, she would change into whatever of the incredible outfits she wanted to wear and go for a chariot ride. Sometimes, she would go and see one of the other princesses, and sometimes, she would have the chariot drive through the poorer neighbourhoods in the kingdom so she could see how the peasants lived their little peasant lives.

But today wasn't destined to be an ordinary day.

"Today will be the best day of your life," Queen Matilda said, as she sat down to eat with her daughter. A rare occurrence. "Prince Edmund has a magical bond with you that was cemented soon after your birth. You were destined to marry him, my girl."

"What do you mean, magical?" Charlize asked.

"Their wizard had a prophecy that Edmund was destined to marry my firstborn daughter, so he cast a spell shortly after you were born that would make your heart glow in the presence of the prince. It will be a surreal sight."

The royal princess couldn't help but feel proud at the thought. Singled out by magic and fate? It couldn't possibly be happening to a more deserving person.

Charlize was dressed in a pale pink dress ("All the better to accentuate the glow that will be about you," her mother said) and her hair and makeup done perfectly. Anything to get Prince Edmund's attention.

Everyone in the castle was there when Prince Edmund, his parents, and the wizard arrived. Charlize did her best to flirt with her eyes with the prince, but his head was down. The wizard smelled of lavender and sweat.

"Greetings, Queen Matilda, King Declan, Princess Charlize," the king said. Charlize greeted him with a bow. Edmund smiled shyly at Charlize.

"Edmund, Charlize, you two were bound together by the red strings of fate," the wizard proclaimed. "I saw it in a vision that you would marry the first daughter of the neighbouring king and queen."

"And this is her?" Edmund asked.

"In the flesh," Charlize crooned, with the sweet vocals her music teacher had praised us for.

"To ensure that everything is in order, I shall cast a simple recognition spell." The wizard's hand began to shine as he muttered incantations, and Edmund's chest shone.

But nothing happened to Charlize. She felt nothing, and nothing happened to her.

"Why isn't it working? Is your spell wrong?" Queen Matilda snapped. Just as she said that, the maids began to groan and shield their eyes, and that was when they saw something shocking.

The young servant girl, Rosie, was glowing from her literal heart. "Your Majesty, something's terribly wrong," was all she could say.

It didn't take long for everyone present to join up the dots. The bonding spell was cast on the princess shortly after birth. If it was happening to a maid instead of the girl everyone knew as princess, then that meant that it was the maid, not the princess, that was the king and queen's biological daughter. Someone had swapped the royal newborn with the brat of a scullery maid, and that brat had had silver spoons in her mouth ever since.

And that was when she was branded with that horrible nickname: the cuckoo princess.

Charlize knew what a cuckoo bird was; her science teacher had told her about it. The cuckoo bird ensured survival of its offspring by leaving it in the nests of other birds. The offspring would complete the work of its parents by pushing its siblings out of the nest.

And that was what she was being called now.

All the details came spilling out after that. Charlize's biological mother had bribed the midwife to swap her own newborn (which was Charlize) with the royal newborn when they were born days apart. From there, the royal child was raised as a commoner with the maid as her mother, while the maid's child was living in the royal palace. They hadn't been counting on the spell the wizard cast and simply thought that they would never be caught.

Both were executed for treason and fraud, of course, and the true princess was accepted into the high circles as royalty. Prince Edmund openly admitted that he liked her better than the girl he thought he would have to marry. And the nobility were fawning over her like a puppy that had hurt its paw. Poor Rosalie, they would say. Robbed of her birthright, being made to live in poverty and serve a fraud! How awful!

"What do we do with the imposter?" Queen Matilda said.

"Execute her along with the others involved," King Declan ordered. Knights grabbed her and Charlize struggled and screamed as they attempted to drag her over to the dungeon. This was it for her. As a result of others' crimes, she was destine to be executed in front of the-

"Wait!" Rosalie said. Everyone turned to stare at her. "She was an infant at the time and was merely a pawn in someone else's plan. Now I am a princess and my adoptive mother is dead, there are two maid vacancies. Putting her to work in the profession of her birthright will fill one of those roles."

And that started her new life as a scullery maid. Instead of eating off silverware, she was cleaning it. And everyone seemed to think it was hilarious to keep calling her a princess.

"You need to polish a bit more, princess."

"Do it again, princess."

"If I can't see my reflection in every inch of it, it's not good enough, princess."

And every day, she saw Rosalie. Conversing with her etiquette tutor, learning good posture with books balancing on her head, eating her meals with cutlery she'd clearly never used. And all the while, she was being coddled endlessly.

Even more than anyone coddled her.

"Rosalie, is the food to your liking?" King Declan asked, nervously checking on his daughter.

"Yes, sir-I mean, Father," Rosalie said.

"Are you sure? I know you're not used to much," Queen Matilda said, also monitoring her daughter. Charlize wanted to vomit with disgust and envy. One little spell and they discarded someone they raised for years in favour of someone who basically lived in a gutter.

After a long day, Charlize would fantasize about running away and living anonymously. Sneaking out of the castle and starting anew. But that soon proved impossible.

"12 pence," said the woman in the bakery.

"The sign says 6," Charlize pointed out.

"For everyone else, it's 6. For cuckoo princesses, it's 12," she said, a smug look on her face. Charlize had no choice but to pay up.

When she was walking back to the palace with the bread she was overcharged for, she felt something wet and disgusting hit her face and peals of high-pitched laughter come from two children.

"I hit the fake princess! I hit her, I hit her!" one of them cheered. Charlize sobbed and ran back as fast as she could.

After that, she stayed in the castle as often as she could, which the other maids resented. "Please get lost. You hang around here like a bad smell," someone told her.

"I can't go outside. People hate me!" Charlize wailed.

"She has a point. We can't send her to get food because all the vendors either refuse to sell to her or overcharge her into oblivion," another maid pointed out.

"See?!" Charlize shrieked.

"Whatever. Just . . . stay out of sight."

And Charlize did exactly that. She languished in the attic, hiding from everyone as often as she could. She couldn't leave, and she couldn't stay, and she had to see Rosalie's face everywhere. She was the worst, and although she never did anything overt, she knew the effect she had on Charlize.

Charlize used to twirl in the corridors and run carefree throughout the castle. But with the way the people of the kingdom treated her outside of the castle and how she was quietly reviled inside of it, there was no escape.

She was the cuckoo princess, and she would be for the rest of her life. That was the real punishment Rosalie gave her.

#creative writing #my writing #writing inspiration #writers on tumblr #writeblr #writing #writers #writerscommunity #royalty #swapped at birth

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streettealee · 1 year ago

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Jem Carstairs & Yin fen

TW: discussions of chronic illness, prescription drugs, and pain

So, you can laugh at me, but I have this box beside my bed. It’s... maybe the size of a tissue box? Slightly thinner, a smidge taller, at least compared to the tissue boxes I’m used to. Anyway, it holds this medication I have to take nightly (I have others to take during the day as well, but they’re stored elsewhere). Basically, the box holds several sachets full of granules - they’re tiny, mostly white looking, at least until they’re mixed with water because then I think they look slightly on the pinker side of white. Sitting here, turning to reach for my box on my bedside table full of sand-like stuff that I have to take in order to, basically, function day-to-day, I realised it reminded me of Jem Carstairs. Obviously, his drug is more harmful than any good, and he can’t live without it whereas I could - with a lot of struggle, but I could, and it’s non-addictive.

This is part of something that always touched my heart about Jem though. TSC is not... I’m not going to say it’s the greatest source of representation for everything, because it’s really not, but I will say that learning about him when I was 16 and reading The Infernal Devices was really comforting. When you’ve been dealing with chronic illness since about the age of 10, you carry that weight with you. You feel it some days more than others. You wonder what it’s like to be normal. To be able to go about your day not needing to worry about the time you take your meds, the pain keeping you from regular activities, the way certain meds and the nature of your condition triggers other long-term problems that you also need to keep on top of with yet more meds.

It was cruel, but I used to get a lot of jokes about how, if I were a racehorse, I’d be put down (racehorsing was kind of a Thing where I used to live and there’d be all sorts of discourse going on about it, just as an aside). And we know of several times in TID where Jem was dying and some thought that Tessa and Will should not waste their time being bound to him (also, obviously, cruel).

I get where Jem was coming from, funnily enough, when he says he’d rather burn brightly for those he loves for a shorter amount of time than live a half-life. When I’m in a bad health period, I do become reduced to a half-life if I don’t have medication. I have spent the entirety of my teenage years - allegedly important and life impactful years - struggling to live a full life like many others my age. I used to be the protective older sister, the shield for all my siblings. I was fiery, stubborn, argumentative, and kind of aggressively loyal even to those who did not always deserve it. But after the accident that allowed for my condition to evolve, I was weak. Not just in body but also mind, eventually. I was tired all the time. Couldn’t sleep either because of the pain or the pain meds that kept me up. Pain was like a second thing, a second being, inhabiting my body and pulsing and taking up space and reducing my ability to exist in a moment beyond it. On my better days, it’s more like a heavy weight on my shoulders that tires me out but isn’t necessarily keeping me armchair-bound. Nevertheless, I stopped being able to do everything by myself for a time, to take care of myself and others around me. Suddenly, they needed to take care of me. Help me change shirts, do my hair, carry things, and even write sometimes.

I couldn’t participate in sports. I turned to music. Clarinet was not easy because of the nature of my problem being focused primarily (at the time) in my shoulder and arm, but it gave me something. It was a little lonely, because no one else played the music I did (music classes were always full of pop and I was learning things like the national anthem, Waltzing Matilda, and some classics). Sure, I got transposed music that occasionally allowed me to play things like Imagine Dragons (did you ever think Believer could be played on clarinet? I committed to it). Hallelujah was a dear favourite, and a rare song I felt I could play with deep emotion. I learned an instrument and nearly played in an orchestra (on bass clarinet, admittedly, because they were a person short and I was able to adjust to the instrument more easily on short notice), until The Pandemic. These days? I can only really play the national anthem and simpler pieces. It’s been so long since I’ve properly and consistently practiced. Anyway, we got slightly off-topic.

Music felt like the one thing I could do most days (sometimes the pain got bad enough that I couldn’t practice as often in a week as I wanted). That, and reading and watching movies. I didn’t have the brain space while in pain to do well in school for a while. I couldn’t concentrate in classes. I still can never get out of my head a time when a guy I genuinely had a major crush on (for years) asked me to dance and I had to decline because I was in too much pain to trust myself to do it well or comfortably. So, a lot of time was spent just listening to people idly and not taking much in, as well as reading from screens on the days that books hurt too much to hold (you’d be surprised how much that affects my arm and shoulder), and watching far too many movies and shows. I developed a lot of different interests than the people around me. When I sketched, I drew attention (sorry, pun was unintended but I’ll leave it there), but outside of that? It was a struggle to keep up with them. I felt like I was missing out all the time. On life.

Jem Carstairs felt like someone had looked at my quiet, pain-tensed body and peered through to the tired, raging spirit still underneath that couldn’t get out for the longest time, and said, “You are not alone with this. Here is a young man who plays the violin and suffers day in and day out.” Some people would look at him and treat him as if he were already dead. In my lifetime, I’ve been treated like I’m not even there, just faded into the furniture, gone. Not a lot of people want to be friends with the depressed chronically ill kid who struggles with a pain from an ailment they can’t even see. That’s why I always loved the Tessas and Wills of my life, the others that didn’t treat me any less because I could not live the way they did. And I love Jem for finally being someone in fiction I can relate to.

Sometimes, it’s not about which character has the closest personality and similarities to me. Sometimes it’s just one character who has just one key thing that connects deeply with an experience of ours that isn’t common which gives us comfort. For me, that’s Jem Carstairs and his yin fen box. My meds often make me feel ill but let me function better than I would otherwise. I have some in a box on my bedside table. And I have people who understand my limits, but do not act as if I cannot be human. It’s really nice to see that part of me reflected.

#jem carstairs #james carstairs #the infernal devices #tid #tsc #yinfen #chronic illness #chronic pain #personal experience

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rosewoodconch · 3 months ago

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RWCH Readathon Days 13-14?

Undercover Princess: Ch. 40-45

Mega liveblog

Ill be honest. I'm really ill: but i am on a bus for 2 hours. So: heres a really porrly written summary of like... the lead up to the ball

Ch. 40

"Promise you'll also be happy"

Well...

Shes happy sometimes?

I really like that again we see that question of jamies origin which doesnt seem so important until youve read everything else

Ill be honest, i usually skip the valentines day bits

Lola is an icon, shes right. Jamie not liking cupcakes is blasphemous

And ellie getting lottle the flowers her name was named for is really sweet and i miss this era of them when it was so easy to fix

Also that note is so incredibly stupid and yes its a threat but also imagine jamie in his room making up the rhyme

"They might take ellie away" GIRL YOUR JOB IS TO PROTECT HER NOT TO KEEP HER FOREVER. Go read the diary again cmon

Ch. 41

Exams! The ball! Finally we hear more about the ball. Its crazy that they get results that quickly

Lottie having nightmares about failing her exams is... oh this poor girl

Shoutout to angus the most scottish person here i love him

Binah is so funny. I absolutely hated people who reacted like that in school

I'm so proud of Lottie like genuinely because after all of the chaos, shes still done incredibly

I was that one sobbing ivy girl ngl. I litterally appealed my b in nat 5 physics because i was convined i deserved a A. I didnt

Ollies messages was so sweet. I missed him so much. He deserves so so so much better. I wish he was able to know things but hes so right to be concerned and hurt. Then "have a good life"

Heartbreaking

Ch. 42

DRESS SHOPPING i probably dont have many thoughts other than OMG DRESSES AND SHOES so sorry in advance

Lèon is an icon and i love him

"I never like to be predictable" YES LOTTIE HARNASS THE SASS

Hes so real with the day and night hes all of us

I really wish ellie got to wear a suit here, it wouldve contrasted so perfectly to the book 5 ball

THE SHOES OH MY GOD THE SHOES

Ellie telling jamie to "just leave" is such a horrible awful thing to have said knowing all we know on reread.

Ch. 43

Jamie lore

I like that we get this explanation before the ball. Because rereading we can see how much the "normal" route relates to ani and saskia and it makes us wonder about who else could be

Jamie is different

The fake story of Hirana, and all of the information about her being lied about not just to ellie, but to jamie too, is so so sad.

Ellie wants nothing but Jamie and her to have normal lives. For them to not be connected in this way. "Everyone should get to choose"

I really love that thats echoed in the ending of the series.

Ugh again with the trust. How often do we hear them go we need to trust each other then lottie hides more stuff again. Im tired lottie.

The Cinderella moment 😭😭😭😭

Ch. 44

Let it be known that in the audiobook connie says Queen Matilda

Her "Real Room" makes me so so happy and i cannot wait to eventually read about it again.

In fact does Lottie ever see it!??!?!?! Someone tell me

See this is what i mean about the trust thing.

Im sorry but if a girl i had a crush on pinned me against the wall, said to tell her a secret or shed bite me i think id pass out

"Youll be mad at me" well no shit sherlock

Jamie is an icon and i love him. Never change

Ch. 45

"I cant promise not to be mad, but I'll hear you out" is so eloquent and I'll always have that in my mind

Creepily similar? A resemblance perhaps?

Ellie lying to try and help lottie is sweet but scary. Because how often does she do this?

I really do think that underneath he is pained for lying to his queen. But not just because hes loyal to her, or that it is his job, but also the queen is nurturing and kind and i think he does internalise that

Lottie defending herself to jamie is so painful

I love the difference between jamie "acting pained" and then the following

For anyone who isn't using the audiobook, i want you to understand how terrifying it is when it switches pov here. Because the whole book has been connie, for the prologue was her mum.

But here, theres a male voice. Jamies va.

Jamie recognising all the palace staff is really sweet

The fact that he has such a routine, hes been trained to hide his emotions from everyone including himself.

And the simple sentence of "he broke down" honestly cuts deeper than if it had been fully elaborated. Its so simple. And thats why its so powerful. He cant even cry and feel comfort. He has to retreat away from everyone and everything

Next chapters are the ball and everything so I'll probably do another mega liveblog for those ones!

Its just easier when I'm ill to group them like this!

#rwchreadathon2024 #rwch readathon 2024 #rwch #undercover princess #connie glynn #the rosewood chronicles #u.p readathon #rosewood chronicles #lottie pumpkin #ellie wolf #jamie volk

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infallible-dreamers · 2 years ago

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You're the winter sun

This is my gift for @alixoxox for the malex secret santa gift exchange (@malexsanta), who asked for a domestic fic. Here is a little winter morning shared by Michael and Alex. Title is inspired by the song Matilda by Harry Styles particularly this lyric - You showed me a power that is strong enough to bring sun to the darkest days I've always thought of Alex when I listen to this song. Happy Holidays, hope your Hanukah this year is amazing!

Read on AO3

Michael woke up before Alex, although still an uncommon occurrence but no longer a rarity as Michael had once thought. It was his favourite part of being married, the days just to themselves, where there was no Deep Sky or covert alien emergencies. Mornings spent peppering kisses across the constellation of small freckles on Alex’s back or letting Alex play with his curls, his soft fingers massaging Michael’s scalp.

But Michael didn’t feel like he should wake him up this morning. It was only seven now, and they’d only retired to bed four hours ago after a night of drinking with Kyle and Isobel. Where Isobel teased her brother that when he wasn’t holding Alex dangerously low on his waist, he was staring at his ass. Kyle had grown uncomfortable with the glare in his direction when they two friends caught up, and had whispered as much in Alex’s ear, which only served to fuel a primal jealousy in Michael. He knew it was completely unfounded, but Alex was more than happy to show Michael how much, halfway dragging Michael to the bathroom. It ended with Maria ordering them home.

Followed inevitably by them tiring themselves out as soon as they walked into their own home.

They had finally fallen asleep, leaving them too tired to figure out where Alex’s shirt had gone. With Michael hugging him, his chest resting against Alex’s back and neither was all that bothered at the time by the cold.

So, he wanted Alex to get this much-deserved sleep.

He could tell now that Alex was definitely cold, from the tinge of red on Alex’s cheeks and his breath creating dew as it left his mouth. How could he not be freezing? So he hugs Alex tighter, letting his warmth radiate towards the airman and heat up wherever he could get his hands on. Alex simply sunk deeper into his hold.

The doorbell buzzed, Michael cursed as their perfect moment was disrupted by the real world. But it wasn’t the same as 7 years ago, when a disruption like this would have sent Alex into hiding, and Michael falling back on careless remarks to get any reaction in public out of him even if it was hurt.

Now the only thing that annoyed either of them was that one of them would inevitably have to leave their comfortable embrace. The doorbell buzzed a second time and the airman started to stir, scrunching his face, and trying to will his eyes open.

“Mmm...” Alex murmurs, making slow tired movements to get out of bed, but Michael holds him back by the waist.

“You stay in bed. I’ll get it my love.” Michael kisses his bare shoulder, and pulling his forearm out from under Alex, pushes himself up to get out of bed and away from his sleepy husband.

Alex whines further at the loss of his heat source. The Roswell winter chill is more evident without Michael. Michael chuckles and throws the duvet over him with a swift nod of his head. It was left unused on the floor and was still cool to touch. Alex shivers before he pulls it around himself and wraps up like a burrito.

“You cold there?”

Alex murmurs into the sheets what sounds like a sarcastic “No.”

Michael loves this version of Alex.

Alex, who usually seemed so perfect and put together, a captain and a genius hacker, was also the same person who was an overly affectionate, whiny, smart-aleck. A version that was purely reserved for his husband, he was downright adorable.

Michael found the lost shirt crumpled by their bedroom door and threw it on over his boxers to at least be partially dressed. Although if someone decided to come by this early, it was really on them if they had witnessed Michael half naked. Stopping in the lounge to switch the heat on, he takes his time getting to the door. If it was Isobel, she deserved to wait out in the cold.

By the time he got to the door, “Hello?” Michael cautiously held the door frame. A teenage kid he didn’t recognise stood outside, wrapped in a thick down jacket and scarf. He stares the cowboy up and down equally as confused as Michael, and then cautiously greets him in return.

“Hi, you must be Alex’s boyfriend?” The kid blushes at his own descriptor.

“Husband…” Michael loved saying it and was always prepared to deal with any reaction.

“Oh congratulations,” the stranger looked behind Michael into the home, but disappointed not to see Alex, “I’m Jackson, I live next door. My mum just wanted me to check with Alex whether he wanted us to clear the snow on your driveway with ours, like last year.”

“Oh.” Seemed plausible, with a fresh coat of white covering everything outside. Michael could do it without the shovel and the salt but he had never know neighbours to be this polite “Umm… sure.”

“Awesome! Tell Alex I’ll do an amazing job!” The kid excitedly trudges off down the driveway, odd but friendly enough. Michael wasn’t sure if he meant now or later. But figures it doesn’t matter anyway because they have nowhere to be.

“Did you know we have neighbors?” Michael made his way back to their bedroom, corners of his mouth lifting when he saw Alex snuggled up head to toe engulfed by duvet.

“Mmm-hmm.” Alex hummed muffled into the pillow, before rolling to face Michael. Squinting one eye, as he adjusts to the light and still finds his alien staring at him smiling from the doorway, “Usually the case when you live on a street with other houses on it.”

“Hey, you don’t really get neighbors when you’re living in a trailer in the middle of nowhere.” Michael smirks as he shoots back, “The best person to knock on my door is you. Even if you were coming to evict me.”

“I didn’t evict you.” Alex groans, laughter in his voice as he pushes himself up to on to his elbows, “I kindly asked you to relocate.”

“Baby, I would’ve done anything if you asked me to.”

Alex rolls his eyes, but can’t hide his involuntary reddening cheeks and Michael sneaks his way under the duvet, “Who was at the door anyway?”

The name forgotten, as soon as Alex slips his hand under his shirt again and rests on his stomach siphoning his warmth, “A kid offering to clear the driveway.” Alex nods knowing who it must have been, and Michael adds, “he seemed quite disappointed you weren’t answering the door though. Think he has a bit of a crush on you.”

Alex cocked a brow “Jackson, he doesn’t have a crush… he’s just been struggling a bit at school and I just gave him a little advice.” His lived experience of bullying and trauma being able to help someone else ended up being one of two things that Alex had taken away from his experience.“He’s a nice kid.”

Michael was always in awe of Alex. Admiring the way his husband hadn’t let his trauma drag him further into the dark, he remained the light in his own life and still had more to share with the world. With all their talk of the little family they were creating, that he would get the chance to raise kids with this man still floored him.

Alex shied away from his proud gaze. Burying his head in the alien’s chest.

“So who else do we have around us?”

“Well, Ms Hernandez and her son Jackson live on the left and the Davises on the right, and across the road is the Lees, they have a new…” Alex yawns widely, he brings his hand to cover his face but Michael’s own reaches first to turn as he kisses the open mouth, his laughter tremors in Alex’s mouth, “…baby.”

Michael grinning against his lips, “So does that make us the Guerins?”

“Yes,” Alex tugged at his own t-shirt to keeping his husband close and flicking Michael’s lip teasingly with his tongue.

“We are the Guerins.”

#malex #malexsanta #malexsanta2022 #Michael Guerin #Alex Manes #roswell new mexico #rnm fic #my fic #malex fic #post canon #cute married malex #Michael and Alex are going to be amazing parents

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asirensrambles · 2 years ago

Text

Boiling Point (pt. 1/2)

A commotion at Martle Square grabs the builder's attention after a late night of exploring under the church with Grace

Part 2

Spoilers for Knives Out Update

Early on in her days in Sandrock, Serena learned that sound carries on the desert. It didn't have the buildings or furnishings of cities for the sound to get caught on. Whatever was happening in Martle Square was big; she'd never heard a commotion like this before. Even though time was of the essence, Serena still took the time to strap on her daggers.

Not wanting to waste any more time, she didn't bother saddling Boogaloo, but rather opted for swinging onto him bareback. Touching her heels to his side, Boogalooo took off for the Square. Cresting the hill, it seemed like the entire town was there. Everyone was staring at the steps in front of City Hall, faces awash with an array of emotions. Turning to see what had their attention, Serena's heart plummeted, then shot back up into her throat.

Haru was on the main steps, flanked by Miguel, Matilda, and The Civil Corps. He seemed uninjured, which was a good sign. Thoughts crashed against each other in Serena's head. How had Haru been captured? Was it intentional, was there some plan Grace and Logan had she didn't known about? When was it revealed to the townspeople?

With mounting dread, Serena dismounted Boogaloo, pulling the reins over his head to make sure he stayed put before making her way into the crowd. Her pulse roared in her ears so loudly she almost didn't hear when Justice started listing out Haru's crimes,

"Uh, right. Haru, you're charged with unlawful destruction of properties, theft, hijacking, kidnapping, and resisting arrest. It's...a long list."

Haru murmured, "You're the ones."

Miguel responded, "Hmm? Did you say something? All you need to do is cooperate, isn't that right."

Movement in the corner of her eye drew Serena's attention. She watched in horror as Pen moved his hand to rest on top of Andy's head; the hand wearing a glove that was undoubtedly a relic weapon. It took everything she had not to rush over and grab Andy away from him. That would only serve to put him in further danger. Just as casually as Pen had put his hand on Andy's head, he let it drop.

It didn't matter, the point had been made. Even without looking at him, Serena was sure Haru had seen it too. There was a new tension to his body that hadn't been there before. "I don't have anything to say," Haru said, bravely. "Fine," Miguel said, contempt dripping from the word. He then proceeded to Haru's sentencing and what he deserved. Trudy tried to interject, as did Matilda, but both were mostly ignored.

"Before we adjourn, I open the floor. Will anyone speak on behalf of this criminal? Anyone at all?" Miguel asked.

There was lots of uncomfortable shifting and inaudible murmurs. Surprisingly, it was Arvio who raised his hand. Miguel let him say his piece, although his defense almost made Serena snort. Only Arvio could come up with something like brainwashing. Miguel seemed unmoved by Arvio,

"Yes. We'll...take your words into consideration during sentencing. Now if that's all..."

The moment seemed to stretch into infinity. Serena waited desperately for Grace or Logan to appear and set things straight. As each rapid heartbeat passed, it was more and more obvious that whatever they were planning wasn't ready, or they weren't here yet. It was up to Serena to stall. Trying desperately to steady her voice, she called out,

"Haru's innocent!"

Heads whipped around to stare at her, different shades of shock and confusion painted on their faces. The next few minutes were a nerve wracked blur; trying to defend Haru without explaining why, Miguel throwing wild accusation after accusation, while the Sandrockers clamored to her defense. Just when Serena felt like she was at the end of her rope, a deep voice drawled out from the back of the crowd,

"Lookin' for me?"

It was the sweetest sound Serena had ever heard. The cavalry was here, and she almost collapsed with relief. Cool as you please, Logan began to stride forward. As he walked up to the throng of people, he seemed to be searching for someone. As Logan's gaze found Serena, his eyes locked with hers.

The same electricity she'd felt locking eyes the day the water tower exploded crackled between them again. She was struck once more by just how blue his eyes were, how they seemed to pierce straight through her. Logan gave Serena a small nod before looking back toward the steps of City Hall and walking up to it. The crowd parted before him.

"Hang tight Haru, I've got this!" Logan called out. Serena hoped to Peach Logan did, in fact, "got this."

Justice finally spoke, "You givin' yourself up buddy?"

"Somethin' like that," Logan replied. What the hell did that mean?

Seemingly at his limit, Miguel yelled, "What are you all waiting for?! Get him!"

Before Serena could process any of what was happening, Justice, Unsurr, and Pen rushed at Logan. He leaped back and flipped away from them with an elegance and grace she could only hope to one day achieve. Whatever Serena thought his plan might have been, it wasn't destroying the Peach statue and revealing the scheme that way. Just how strong was this man? That statue couldn't be light.

His plan was damn effective though. With the entire town turned against him, Miguel broke down. No one could have expected him to shoot Minister Matilda though. Serena's estimation of Trudy skyrocketed as she rushed forward to disarm Miguel. Trudy's didn't waver as she held the gun on him.

Miguel's words sent ice down Serena's spine. Surely there couldn't be as many Duvos agents as he was implying, right? It couldn't be. When he called on Pen for an extraction, Serena pulled out her daggers with more vicious pleasure than was probably appropriate. But Pen had threatened Andy; that wouldn't go unanswered. However, before she could get anywhere close enough to strike, Pen set his relic weapon on the mayor. Only for it to sputter out and die.

Pen stared at the glove in shock. Andy's voice cut through the tense silence,

"Lookin' for this?" he asked, waving around a processor.

Serena was going to give that child the biggest hug after this was done, she'd never been so proud. Apparently Andy had been paying attention to her explanations all those times he was over at the workshop. Now, it was time to face Pen on an even playing field. Serena didn't hesitate to charge straight at him. The fury from Pen's earlier threat against Andy still coursed through her veins. It drove particularly brutal dagger strikes, making him give up ground.

Recovering from the unexpected onslaught, Pen took a swing of his own, forcing Serena to dive out of the way. Coming up from the dive, she saw Logan had taken her place and was trading his own blows with Pen now. Various cheers of encouragement rang out from the other Sandrockers, but one rose above the rest,

"Go Logan, go! Get him Serena, show him who's boss!" Andy cried.

With renewed determination, Serena adjusted the grip on her daggers and surged back into the fray.

Part 2

#mtas #mtas spoilers #mtas logan x builder #mtas logan #my time at sandrock spoilers #my time at sandrock #my time at sandrock fic #mtas fic #my time at sandrock logan x builder #my writing

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