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megalony · 1 month ago

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He's Protective

Here is my newest Dark! Evan Buckley imagine, requested by anon and I absolutely fell in love with this idea.

I hope you will all like it, feedback always makes my day.

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Evan Buckley Masterlist

Part 2

Summary: Evan has been in love with Eddie's girlfriend for what feels like forever. And when she and Eddie break up, Evan seizes his chance to make her his. And he will use whatever method he can to have her.

Enjoy.

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(Y/n) sank her teeth down into her lower lip as she leaned her head to the left and rested her cheek against her forearm that was slumped across the bar. Her eyes narrowed as she stared into the empty glass in front of her as if it would magically refill itself with another damning cocktail that tasted just like juice.

The good thing about these cocktails was that (Y/n) was already feeling the alcohol fizzling in her veins. She was on the verge of being drunk and she knew it, but that was okay. That was what she wanted.

A tepid smile formed on her lips when the bartender slid another drink over to her.

(Y/n) liked the shape of these glasses. They were round at the bottom, sucked in towards the middle and had an oval top like someone trying to suck in their stomach and show off their hips. The glass was a large one too, more alcohol hidden within.

The mustard yellow drink had swirls of orange and a flicker of crimson streaking through the middle, which would be from the cranberry juice. There were two strawberries on the edge with a stake driven through them and they made (Y/n)'s smile splinter into a sorrowful grimace.

Those strawberries resembled her heart.

Pierced. Driven through with a spike, leaving a hollow gap that didn't feel like it was going to get any better.

(Y/n) picked up the cocktail stick and tepidly ate the pieces of fruit before she began circling her finger around the glass to collect each crumb of sugar decorating the rim.

"I thought it was you."

A gasp burned at the back of her throat and she sat bolt upright on the bar stool that suddenly felt like it was hundreds of feet above the floor. When she wobbled backwards, a large, firm hand pressed into the base of her back and held her balance for her like she weighed nothing at all.

No words left (Y/n)'s lips when she looked up.

It was Evan.

He looked different to how he normally did when she saw him. (Y/n) was so used to seeing him in his work uniform or in jumpers which he liked to pull down over his hands. A few times she had even seen him in his gym gear consisting of shorts and a vest top that was either too big or too small, depending on which one he wore.

Tonight though, he was wearing a pair of black trousers that seemed to be new because they were straight as rulers and only had creases around the knees and the waist.

The shirt Evan wore was striking. A button-up, starched white shirt that had the first three buttons undone, showing off his neck, collar bone and the start of his smooth chest and the outline of his sternum. The sleeves stopped two inches after his shoulders and they looked like they were cutting into his biceps.

His hair was unruly tonight, not the usual soft-brushed waves with added gel. Each curl was wild and free, sparking off in all directions around his head and temple, and (Y/n) noticed he no longer had sideburns cut into his style. They had been shaved off. It made him look youthful yet somehow aged at the same time, making it very hard for anyone to determine his actual age.

"Hi, Buck." (Y/n) breathed through the words and let her eyes follow him as he perched down on the free seat next to her.

Sitting side by side showed how tall Evan was, because he slouched forward and still looked like he would tower over her. The smile on his face was charming and the way he tapped his finger against the condensation on his glass made a rhythmic sound that (Y/n) found herself concentrating on in her drunken state.

"Don't I always tell you to call me Evan?" His voice was melodic and the way he inclined his head to look at her made (Y/n)'s stomach pool with adrenaline. He looked sweet, charming. If she didn't know any better, she would say he was drunk with that charming smile, but something told her he wasn't as drunk as her. Not yet, anyway.

"No one else does."

"Hm, but you can." It was the same words he always said to her, but he said them with that one-sided smirk that made (Y/n) shiver.

He was always the flirt. It was their dynamic. Evan flirted with (Y/n) and broke any tension in any situation with a joke. He was cheeky enough to make (Y/n) feel at ease around him when with anyone else, she would be unsettled.

"You okay?" His eyes narrowed on her and his smirk faded into a smile when he looked her up and down.

Evan wasn't sure he'd seen (Y/n) drunk before. They'd never been out together or as a group and had drinks, he'd only seen her have one drink out of politeness at the garden party a few months ago.

He could feel his lungs seizing up in his chest, and he couldn't stop himself from gliding his tongue across his lips when he took in what she was wearing.

Her shirt had thin spaghetti straps on her shoulders, one of which was sliding halfway down her arm, exposing her strapless bra to his prying eyes. The blouse had a V-neckline that cut right down to her cleavage and when she leaned forward into the bar, Evan got a good view of something he had imagined for the last five or six months.

When he glanced down, he sucked in a deeper breath and hid his mouth behind his hand. She had to be somewhat drunk because she hadn't noticed her skirt had scrunched up around her thighs. If Evan just tilted back at an angle, he might get a view of her underwear. If he laid his hand on her exposed thigh he would get more than he bargained for.

Luck really was on his side, bringing him to the same bar that (Y/n) was in on a night where she was looking beautifully seductive without having to try.

"(Y/n), you good?"

"I'm okay," Her voice came out quiet and weak and (Y/n) internally cringed at her tone. Why did she sound so childish? It was clear she wasn't okay. She knew she looked less than her best and the amount of drinks she had taken tonight gave away she wasn't having the best of times, here by herself.

She reached out for her glass and chugged back the cocktail in one which made a grin slide across Evan's face. He leaned back, impressed, placing one elbow on the bar while his hand scraped along his jaw in thought and his other hand pushed his beer bottle away from him.

He cast his hand out towards the bartender and casually twisted his beer bottle around to face the barman. He didn't want (Y/n) to see that he had been on the non-alcoholic beer tonight. If she wanted to get drunk, he would gladly supervise without making her feel uncomfortable if she knew he wasn't drinking too.

"Another round, and keep 'em coming." Evan waved his hand towards their drinks and dipped his head in thanks when the barman nodded.

He tilted back in (Y/n)'s direction, watching with fascination in his eyes as she propped her elbows up on the bar and dragged her hands along her neck. God, she was making it hard for him to stay in control, and she had no idea she was having any affect on him at all.

"So, what's going on? Or do you usually drink alone in bars?" Something told Evan she didn't.

He knew her. He knew her better than she would ever realise, and Evan knew this wasn't (Y/n)'s style. She didn't like going out alone or being in her own company when out in public. She was the nervous type who liked company and Evan could see she was relieved he was sitting with her now.

And if she was here, alone, without Eddie, then something must have happened between them. An argument. A falling out. Whatever it was, it meant Evan could get closer to the one girl he had fallen hard for, but who was just out of his reach.

When their drinks arrived, Evan clinked his bottle against her glass before taking a few swigs.

(Y/n) tried to pace herself and only drink half her glass instead of throwing the whole drink back in one. She didn't want to embarrass herself or push away the only company she had found all night. Her finger moved to swirl around the rim of her glass and she slowly collected the tiny cubes of sugar before she bit down on her finger and let the sugar dissolve on her tongue.

"Bad night… uh, me and Eddie, we… we broke up." (Y/n) dragged her fingers through her tousled hair and chuckled at the end of her words as if she had just told him a crappy joke.

Evan raised his brows in surprise but hid his mouth behind his hand so a smile didn't accidentally break out on his face.

What luck!

Was there a God out there listening and answering Evan's prayers?

The girl he had fallen hard for had been his best friend's girlfriend. There was no way Evan could do anything without ruining his friendship and pushing away the only girl he ever wanted.

All Evan could do was flirt with (Y/n) and test the boundaries to see how close he could get without breaking any rules or putting too much pressure on her. He didn't want her to tell Eddie how he flirted with her. When in public, the flirting was harmless, it was little jokes. But in small corners, he would whisper whatever he wanted in her ear to see her smile and blush and shy away from him in that cute way she did.

"Damn. Can uh, can I ask what happened?" If she didn't want to tell him then that was fine. He would find out from Eddie at some point anyway. But Evan was more interested in (Y/n)'s side of things and how she was feeling about this.

He found himself inching closer while a sarcastic laugh tumbled past her lips which only drew him in further.

"He 'doesn't want to hurt me'." Her hands moved to add air- quotations while her smile turned sour and she took another gulp of her drink that tasted more of vodka than juice this time around.

"What would he do to hurt you?"

(Y/n) leaned her head on her right hand while her other hand began tapping away along the bar. She stretched her leg out, but when her heel accidentally caught Evan's leg, she retracted. Until he hooked his ankle behind hers and started jostling her leg up and down. He was trying to lighten the mood. Trying to make her feel better. And it made her smile.

"He's met someone. Some floosy who looks just like Shannon, if you can believe it." Her eyes rolled and she gave Evan's leg a little nudge. "He can't stop thinking about her, and he's been hanging around with her. He doesn't look like he's gonna stop hanging around her, so he broke things off."

(Y/n) was happy, in a way. She was glad Eddie came clean before things went too far with this other woman. She was glad he could acknowledge that he was so intrigued by her because of her resemblance. And (Y/n) was happy that Eddie was breaking things off now, before he stepped over the line and did anything to hurt all of them.

But she was pissed.

How dare he think it was okay to hang around a doppleganger, go around town with her and then break things off with (Y/n) in order to continue being with this other woman. How did he think this was going to end? What did he think would happen when they got serious and this Kim eventually saw the pictures of Shannon in his home? How would Chris react if he ever saw her?

Eddie wasn't thinking this through, but if he wanted to do this then (Y/n) was glad to leave him. She was glad they were breaking up if he was going to act this way. That didn't stop her heart from reaching out for him, or the tears from falling down her face.

"Jesus, look at me." She laughed miserably and swiped her hands beneath her eyes to rid the tears before they made a mess of her features. She had done so well not to cry all night, she wasn't going to break now.

"I am. I like what I see; always have."

Evan's hand found her thigh and (Y/n) paused, darting her eyes between his bright ruby lips and his hand where his thumb was skitting across her bare thigh like it had always belonged there.

"Charmer."

"Hm." Evan stretched and downed his beer before he waved across for another round of drinks. "So, you came to drown your sorrows?"

"He ended it, so I thought, fuck him I'll go for a drink or ten, or twenty."

Her smile made Evan's heart swell and he couldn't resist inching to the edge of his chair so he was that much closer to her. And he couldn't stop the raging thoughts in his mind that wished those two little words- fuck him- said in that sultry tone, were said about him and implied in that way.

Evan dreamt of (Y/n). He thought of her. He drowned his sorrows on too many occasions when he thought about how the girl of his dreams was shacked up with his best friend and Evan couldn't do anything about it.

Well, now he could. She was here, she was single, she was looking at him with those eyes, and Evan would treat her so much better than Eddie. He wouldn't look at another woman, let alone go out with them behind (Y/n)'s back. He wouldn't entertain anyone else but her. She was the one for him and if he could just show her that, then they could be happy together. Eddie be damned.

"It won't end well. Someone who looks like Shannon, what's he expect to happen? And there's Chris to think about, he won't go through with it. He'll regret losing you soon."

"Thank you. Someone gets it… I think he knows it's wrong, but he's made up his mind and I won't try and change it."

No matter how hard (Y/n) had fallen for Eddie or how much she thought she loved him, it was done. He had made his choice and (Y/n) wasn't going to try and persuade him otherwise. He was a grown man and he could make whatever mistakes he chose. And (Y/n) had enough self-respect that if Eddie realised his mistake and wanted to try again, (Y/n) would say no.

She wouldn't let herself down by going back to someone who left her for a chance at something with a ghost of the past. She wouldn't be Eddie's rebound or have him crawl back to her when everything went wrong and blew up in his face.

They were done and (Y/n) was going to come to terms with it, hopefully sooner rather than later.

"That's his loss, pity the fool who lets you go. If you were mine, I'd never look at anyone else." He took the fresh bottle placed in front of him while (Y/n) aimed straight for the strawberries floating neatly on top of her drink.

He loved the way her eyes never left his as he spoke, though. He loved those blown pupils burrowing into his mind, and those plump lips parting and enveloping around the fruit in her hand. He loved her lashes, fluttering and blinking like she was trying to send him a secret message he had to decode.

(Y/n) could feel tears of a different kind welling up in her eyes when she looked across at Evan. The strawberry clasped between her teeth didn't taste half as sweet as the words falling from Evan's tongue.

"Your girl's a lucky one. Where do I find a guy like you?" Her voice shuddered and she took a swig of her drink that suddenly tasted bittersweet compared to Evan's words.

But she found her breath catching in her throat when Evan balanced his feet on the step of his stool and leaned across the small gap of space between them. Part of her felt like she should inch back, create some room between them, but this wasn't just any old stranger in a bar.

This was Evan. This was the guy who flirted with her any chance he got, the guy who put everyone before himself and was the sweetest person by all accounts at the station. This was the guy every girl wanted to have on their arm, and he was looking at (Y/n) like she was the only one in this bar- this whole city- worthy of a second glance.

"Right in front of you, sweetheart."

The sugar coating (Y/n)'s lips transferred onto Evan's lips and he couldn't help but dart his tongue out to lick the remnants from her lips. His tongue darted between her lips and battled with hers, feeling drunk off the vodka on her tongue and the citrus zest in her mouth.

All the air evaporated from (Y/n)'s lungs as she let Evan's hand cup her jaw and tilt her head back, giving him better access to her mouth that he was exploring like it was the seventh wonder of the world.

She could feel his thumb tracing the edge of her jaw and his fingers were pressing into the side of her neck making her pulse jump beneath his touch.

Her fingers started to jump and tap in anticipation and confusion and bewilderment. He was kissing her. He was clinging to her, with his free hand now on her hip. And when their lips finally parted and she gasped for air with stars in front of her eyes, (Y/n) realised Evan had stood up from the stool and was now stood right between her legs.

He had parted her thighs to fit between them just like he had always belonged there and in doing so, he had pushed her shirt further back on her thighs, barely covering her modesty. Not that he seemed to care at all, with his free hand clamped down on her hip like he was preventing her from moving an inch away from him.

She could feel Evan panting into her mouth, their lips still practically touching, even if they were now gasping for air. The end of his nose nudged against hers and his lips curved into a wide smirk that had butterflies floating all throughout (Y/n)'s abdomen and up into her chest.

"Wanna come back to mine?" As he spoke, Evan slithered his hand from her hip to circle around her waist.

He loved the gasp she elicited which he swallowed up in another kiss when he tugged her to the very edge of her seat until she was practically sat on his hips and her legs automatically hooked around the back of his.

"God, yes." She panted against his lips while her hands moved to grip his shirt tight enough that she was almost popping the buttons undone. She clung to him to keep her balance and her sanity, which was teetering on the edge, about to drop off into oblivion.

He couldn't kiss her like that and expect her not to say yes to that question. She would go anywhere with him, all he had to do was ask, well, he probably didn't have to ask at this rate.

Evan's lips morphed into a smile as he sucked (Y/n)'s lower lip between his teeth like it was one of the strawberries from her cocktail.

He brushed his thumb up and down her back and slid his other hand down her jaw to hold the side of her neck instead.

Finally.

She was finally going to be his. Tonight. She was coming home with him, and after tonight, Evan would bind her to him forever. He wasn't about to let one night fade into a memory and never have the luxury or the pleasure of having (Y/n) again.

If she was coming home with him, then he was going to make damn sure that she was going to be his girl. Eddie had let her go, that was his loss and simultaneously the best win of Evan's life. He could finally have the girl of his dreams without breaking his best friend's heart or causing shockwaves in their friendship group.

He could have her. She was going to be his. She was finally within his grasp and Evan wasn't letting her go.

This was just the beginning.

***

Confusion mixed with glee plastered across Evan's face when he opened the apartment door.

(Y/n) was here.

He hadn't expected her to turn up to his place, especially not unannounced. After their hook up little over two months ago, contact between them had been small and stilted. (Y/n) felt bad. She didn't want to start anything with Evan or acknowledge what happened between them and hurt Eddie, and for the most part, Evan understood.

They had to wait. He couldn't expect her to start dating him or being around him too much and risk Eddie finding out. Their one night together had been enough for Evan, it was enough to calm his raging obsession over (Y/n). Knowing he'd had that night with her and that hundreds more nights like that were doubtless going to happen.

They just had to wait a little while, and it seemed the waiting was over if (Y/n) was here at his door, wanting to speak to him and be around him. A few texts every now and then and crossing paths when they went to see Chris was the most contact they had had since that night in the bar.

He moved his arm to welcome her inside and shut the door after her, following her through into the kitchen, which took him by surprise. He thought she would go into the living room if she was here to talk.

"I- I'm sorry to turn up unannounced like this, but I really need to talk to you." (Y/n) rolled her lips together and moved into the kitchen.

Her hands began to tap against the counter and she leaned her elbows forward onto the edge to prop herself up. Her eyes followed Evan as he moved to stand beside her but with his back and hips against the counter so he was facing her properly.

He folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head to one side, looking at her with that smile that made (Y/n) weak in more ways than one.

He observed her. She put her bag down on the counter beside her. Her hands were fiddling and tapping and moving at every second like she hard far too much nervous energy that she needed rid of. The way she bit her bottom lip told Evan she was nervous about something and therefore he was glad she was here so he could help with whatever the problem was.

"Sure, what's up, is everything okay?" His arms stayed folded over his chest and he began to tap his fingers on his biceps as he watched her.

She looked anxious. (Y/n) never normally seemed anxious around him, and she certainly hadn't been nervous that night they spent together. She had no need to be on edge around him, she knew how much he fancied her and they always got along like a house on fire.

"I- oh, Evan, I'm…"

Evan's brows furrowed as he watched her fumble for the right words before she seemed to give up. She rattled through her bag and handed him a small white and blue stick that took him by surprise. He gingerly took what she held out to him before his brows lifted and he did his best to supress his smile.

A pregnancy test. She was pregnant.

"Oh, wow." Evan set the test down behind him on the counter while he watched (Y/n) drop her head down into her hands. He noticed the way her fingers scratched into the back of her head and it made him desperate to reach out and stop her.

"I'm sorry," She wasn't quite sure what else to say, but she all but jumped when she felt his hand on her lower back.

"Why're you sorry?"

"Well, I- I know this is a mess. If Eddie finds out, God he's going to be so angry, look at me. He breaks up with me, and I sleep with his best friend." (Y/n) scratched her nails into her scalp as tears welled up in her eyes and she doubled over a bit more.

What would Eddie say when he found out? How bad did this make her look? How awful was she? Yes, Eddie had broken up with her and yes it was because he wanted to try something with someone else for the completely wrong reasons. But (Y/n) had gone and slept with his best friend almost immediately. She shouldn't have slept with Evan, it was too soon, it was the wrong move to make. She should have been more careful.

"Hey, hey don't do that. It doesn't matter right now what he's going to think, Eddie's not in this situation."

Reaching out, Evan held onto her forearms and gently reeled her up off the counter so she was stood up straight. He tried to pull her into his embrace but (Y/n) shook her head and took a step back. That upset him. He could feel his heart lurching up into his throat when she retreated from his touch.

"I- I- would you take a test? You can hate me if you want, I deserve it, but- but I wanna be sure-" (Y/n) tried to find the paternity test in her bag but just as she slumped it onto the counter, Evan gently but firmly took hold of her wrists.

He turned her attention back to him, and (Y/n) was more than surprised to find a calming smile lighting up his face. He brushed his thumbs over the back of her hands and tugged her closer until she was practically stood between his legs, almost leaning forward into his chest.

Why wasn't he shouting at her? Why wasn't he getting angry or infuriated? Why wasn't Evan telling her she was inconsiderate and rude and that he wanted nothing more to do with her? How could he be so calm in this situation?

"I'll take the test if you calm down for me." When he gently pressed his temple down against hers, (Y/n) almost fainted.

"Why're you being so calm about this?"

"Because I know that we can do this. We're not strangers, we're friends, and I kind of think you know already that I'm crazy about you. So, take a deep breath, and smile for me. I'll do the test, then when we know for sure, we can sit down and talk about how we're gonna do this. Okay?"

(Y/n) barely found herself nodding along but when Evan pecked her temple, she let the tears fall and pushed into him.

She bound her arms as tightly as she could around his torso and buried her face into his shirt. He smelled like leather and cologne; (Y/n) liked his aftershave. She loved the feeling when his arms curved around her. She loved the way his chest rumbled as he chuckled softly into her hair and her knees trembled when he pecked the top of her head.

She still couldn't fathom how he was so calm about this. She dropped a bombshell on him that she was pregnant, and she had just asked him to take a paternity test because she had to be sure. (Y/n) was almost one hundred percent sure that it wasn't Eddie's. The dates wouldn't add up and Eddie always, always, used protection. He didn't want anymore kids, he was adamant about that.

(Y/n) had been sure that she and Evan had used protection, but clearly it hadn't been effective because she was pregnant. Her dates made sense if it was Evan's baby and somehow, it would be easier if it was.

She wouldn't have to tell Eddie and have him be angry or confused or unsure about doing this with her. They would have to scramble to decide whether to get back together or co-parent whilst not being in a relationship, and (Y/n) did not want to do that. And she didn't want to get back with Eddie after the way they broke up. She was glad to leave him in her past and simply try to be friends with him, for all their sakes.

The only issue with this being Evan's baby was how they would tell people and how they would explain this if they went through with this pregnancy. Eddie would figure out the dates, he wasn't stupid, and he would likely hold this against them both. Rightfully so.

"That's better." Evan murmured into her hair when he felt (Y/n)'s breaths evening out against his sternum.

Now she was tucked up in his embrace, Evan allowed the broad smile to pull at his lips and he slouched back into the counter while he dragged his hand up and down her back.

He wasn't in any doubt.

Evan knew one hundred percent that this baby was his, but if it would calm (Y/n) down, he would take the test to calm down her anxiety.

He was Eddie's best friend, so he had heard the ins and outs of Eddie's thoughts and feelings for the last six years. He knew Eddie was adamant that he wasn't having any more kids. Chris was his one and only as far as he was concerned, and that was how Evan knew Eddie always used protection with any girlfriend he had. He wouldn't take the risk of (Y/n) getting pregnant.

It had to be Evan's, and he knew that because he didn't use protection that night they slept together after the bar. Evan knew (Y/n) was under the impression that he did, and he wouldn't tell her otherwise because it didn't matter anymore, she was already pregnant. The ins and outs and reasonings didn't matter now.

Evan loved her. He had loved her since the moment he laid eyes on her and he had been jealous every moment of every day when she had been with Eddie. Evan felt like he was going to combust whenever he thought about (Y/n) and the fact that he couldn't be with her.

That night at the bar changed everything. He loved her and she had wanted to be with him, it was as plain in her eyes as it was in how she clung to him and went home with him.

And he knew that if she got pregnant, that would be it. Their fates would be entwined and cemented together if she had a baby. She would be his girl, his and only his. She would have his baby, they would be a proper family.

With that thought in mind, Evan bypassed using protection. He made a show of looking in the bedside drawer for one, but (Y/n) had been too drunk to check if he actually found and wore one. Evan methodically planned it out in his head, this plan was what was best for them and now they were having a baby and he would always put her and the baby first.

He and Eddie were opposites. Eddie didn't want kids, Evan wanted lots, and (Y/n) was the one girl he wanted them with. He knew if she didn't get pregnant that night all it would take was a few more nights together and it would happen, but luck was clearly on his side as that one night had worked in his favour.

She was having his baby. She was his girl now.

***

A swell of relief bubbled to life in (Y/n)'s chest and sparked through her stomach when she clocked eyes on a familiar swarm of chocolate brown hair heading in her direction. She stood up and tried to smile when Eddie walked over to her.

He had one hand stuffed into his trouser pocket and the other hand stretched out in her direction. He seemed to debate whether or not to reach out for her, they weren't together anymore. They were barely on speaking terms after how things ended between them. But he settled on reaching out for her elbow and giving her a small squeeze.

"Sorry I'm late, I tried calling."

"Oh, uh my phone's out of battery. I got you a coffee, black, three sugars." (Y/n) motioned towards the table where two drinks were laid out ready before she eased back down into her seat.

Her phone hadn't actually run out of battery. She'd switched it off. Her location settings couldn't be checked if her phone was off. Evan would think she was still at home; he wouldn't know she had gone out. The other option was leave her phone at home, but that didn't feel safe. Just in case something happened or she had some sort of emergency.

"I wasn't sure I believed Buck when he told me."

A shiver crawled down (Y/n)'s spine when Eddie pointed to her stomach. She could see he was trying his best to smile, but he couldn't manage it. He couldn't hide the agony from his eyes either, and it felt like a knife imbedding into (Y/n)'s chest.

Eddie sat down opposite her at the table, resting his elbows on the table while his hands tapped and fiddled with the coffee cup (Y/n) pushed his way.

He didn't believe when Evan sat him down and tried to talk to him. He didn't believe either of them would do this to him, that they would see each other behind his back, so quickly after he and (Y/n) broke up. And Eddie certainly couldn't wrap his head around the fact that they were now having a baby together and had subsequently moved in with each other. It didn't seem real.

When (Y/n) couldn't find a reply and she didn't answer, Eddie cleared his throat.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" He had been a little more than surprised when (Y/n) called and asked if he would meet her to talk.

He had been apprehensive about meeting her, they hadn't spoken much since they broke up. A quick text here and there to arrange for (Y/n) to see Chris or take him out for the afternoon, that was about it. He wasn't sure what she wanted to talk about, he had a feeling it wasn't about their relationship. And Evan had already assured him that the baby was Evan's, so there was no panic about paternity.

"I don't know what to do… I think I need help."

"Help with what?"

"Evan,"

(Y/n) winced when Eddie's brows narrowed and he gave her such a strange look as if she had grown a second head. She clenched her hands together beneath the table, waiting in agony as Eddie took a few mouthfuls of coffee while he deliberated on what to say.

"Really? What kind of help?" The look he gave her was a strange one. He couldn't see what kind of help she thought Eddie could give, or what kind of help she would need in the first place.

"I- well, I…" Her hand reached up to tangle in her hair, a nervous habit she couldn't seem to get rid of. She didn't want to cause problems between them, at least no more than she already had, but (Y/n) didn't know what to do anymore. "I'm struggling, I've never seen this overbearing side of him before."

There. She'd said it.

(Y/n) had never seen Evan become like he was now. She had never had him be so consuming, overwhelming, suffocating like this and it was strange. It wasn't anything she had seen in him before, not that they had ever been as close as they were now. But his behaviour was starting to worry (Y/n), and since Eddie was one of the closest people to Evan, and he had been close to her at one point, she thought he might be the one to ask for help.

Eddie set his cup down and dragged his hand up and down his jaw and the side of his neck before he chose his answer carefully.

"He's protective over his loved ones, and he's always wanted kids. This is the dream he never thought he'd get. You can't blame him for being cautious or a bit… clingy."

Protective. Is that what this was? Is that all that this was? Had (Y/n) read too much into his behaviours? Surely not, surely she had some cause for concern where Evan was concerned.

"Evan, I won't be out for long, and it's not like I'm going out on a drinking night, is it?" (Y/n) ran her hand up and down her stomach that hadn't changed shape yet. She wasn't starting to show yet, but the premise was still the same.

She was meeting her friends for lunch, they wouldn't be going out drinking all afternoon and even if her friends would be drinking, (Y/n) wouldn't be joining them. She couldn't; she wasn't irresponsible to drink while she was pregnant. And her friends knew, she had told them the good news and they were happy for her.

Her teeth sank down into her lower lip and she tilted her head to one side, folding her arms over her chest when Evan moved in her path. He blocked the kitchen doorway like a boulder. The smile on his face was sweet like sugar and the way he leaned down towards her almost made (Y/n)'s knees cave.

"What if they want to go out drinking, you can't exactly join them. Why don't you just stay home with me?"

His arms cocooned around her waist and he tucked his face into her neck even as (Y/n) tried to move her hands to his shoulders and playfully nudge him away.

"Because they want to meet up."

"Just stay here, I can look after you better if you're right here with me. I can't do very much if you're out, can I?" It would be easier if she stayed home. Evan could do a lot to look after her and keep an eye on her if she was here. If she went out, he would only worry and panic over her and worry if she was alright.

"Evan-"

"It's not like they've been keeping in touch recently anyway, is it?" His words stung almost as much as his teeth biting a mark into her neck, but they also rung true.

(Y/n) hadn't spoken to the girls from work very much recently, even before she and Eddie broke up they hadn't been meeting up very often. Today was the first time in what, two months that they would all be going out together. But if it took this long for them to want to meet up, maybe (Y/n) would be better off cancelling and staying home. Surely all of them, (Y/n) herself included, would have made more effort if they all cared more.

Tilting back in her seat, (Y/n) leaned her head to one side. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting when she asked Eddie here, but she thought he might just understand. She thought that maybe, Eddie could see it too. Clearly she was seeing this differently to everyone else.

"Chris wants to see you, by the way." Eddie nudged her foot beneath the table to make sure her mind wasn't drifting off into space, and he managed a smile when she looked back at him.

"I miss him." The words stung her throat and made her chest tighten with the need to burst into tears.

She missed Chris. She really did. Getting close to Eddie also meant getting close to Chris, and (Y/n) wanted to keep in touch with him, she wanted to check how he was doing and continue taking him out and being there for him. She hadn't seen him a lot recently, something that (Y/n) sincerely regretted every day that Chris crossed her mind.

"Yeah, he's been asking why you haven't visited lately."

'Because Evan wouldn't let me.'

She only seemed to go out and meet people whenever she was going out with Evan. If he was busy at work or they were at home, (Y/n) didn't see anyone. She hadn't taken Chris out on her own since just before she found out she was pregnant. Since being with Evan, she only took Chris out when the three of them went on days out.

She didn't see the team unless her and Evan were meeting up with them. She didn't see her friends anymore. (Y/n) didn't have many people to talk to and if she called people while Evan was at work, he asked why. He asked why she waited until he went to work rather than talking to them while he was around.

His voice hung in the back of her head when he was at work and stopped (Y/n) from talking to the few people she had left.

"I haven't seen much of anyone lately." Her head hung down and she smiled remorsefully to herself while she sipped her drink.

"Why?"

"I only see people when I go out with Evan, if I try going out without him he- he starts messaging, getting nervous."

'Controlling. Upset. He doesn't like me seeing anyone without him, if he can't physically see or be with me then his anxiety flares up. He thinks things will go wrong if he doesn't control the situation.'

'He gets jealous and anxious if I talk to people and he doesn't know what I've said. Having things in common with people might mean I want to be with them more than him.'

"I can't seem to breathe without him, Eddie and it's… it's getting hard." That was why she asked him here. She needed help, (Y/n) was starting to drown and she needed someone to throw her a life jacket, or she feared she was never going to come up for air.

"Hey baby, where are you going?"

Dread dwelled in the pit of (Y/n)'s stomach and she halted in her stride, clenching her phone tighter in her hand. She pressed it so harshly to her ear that her pulse began to throb in her veins and pound in her head.

How did he know? How did Evan know she had left the house? He was supposed to be at work.

She took a sweeping look around her surroundings, but there weren't many people out in the park. None of them looked familiar, no faces resembling the team or their families. Evan wasn't hiding in the crowd. No one here was looking at her, no one could have phoned Evan to let him know she left home without telling him first.

"What?" Her voice sounded feeble and she hated how weak it made her sound, especially when her throat tightened with the sensation of wanting to burst into tears.

"I didn't think you were going out today. You've not got any appointments, is everything okay?"

For a brief moment, she rummaged through her bag as if she thought she was going to find a tracker in there, monitoring her movements, watching where she was going. But then it dawned on her. The tracker was in her hand. She had her phone on her. There were location apps on some phones.

Had Evan connected their phones? Had he turned the locator app on in her phone? Was that how he knew she wasn't at home? Why was he tracking and watching her when he was at work? Didn't he trust her?

"I- I just wanted some fresh air…"

"Okay, well I'm finishing work now anyway, so I can come get you and we can go out somewhere."

"I don't know what kind of help you want, but I don't see what I can do anyway. You moved onto my best friend what, days, maybe a week after we broke up. And now you're pregnant. You moved on with him pretty quick (Y/n), Hell you're moved in with him already, you didn't move in with me-"

"Because he asked me to and I'm pregnant. Did I really have any other choice?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she pressed both hands down on the table and leaned closer to him.

What else was she supposed to do?

Eddie never asked her. He never wanted to take that step further in the relationship, and (Y/n) respected that. She respected that Eddie was weary of commitment and took things at his pace.

But this was different. She and Evan didn't have a lot of choices. She was pregnant and if they wanted to try and make this relationship work and give their baby a stable upbringing, they had to live together. (Y/n) couldn't bring up this child on her own, she didn't want that and neither did Evan. Their only option was to move in together, surely Eddie could see and understand that.

"He seems pretty happy with you, and you've been cosy up to now." The clear cut tone to Eddie's voice made (Y/n)'s lips curl and she bit down on her lower lip to stop from bursting into tears.

"How do you know that, you've barely spoken to me since we broke up." She couldn't help snapping back at him.

Eddie didn't have the right to sit there and tell her she was wrong or she was being silly and pretend she was overreacting. She asked him here for help, Eddie had to know that she would only do that if she was desperate. He hadn't seen her much since they broke up. She had taken Chris out twice since they ended things, and she barely talked to Eddie when she picked Chris up.

The few other times she saw Chris, Evan had been there and he smoothed over the conversation. Eddie couldn't say things had been fine and cosy when he only had Evan's version of events, he didn't see things from (Y/n)'s point of view.

"Did you sleep with him before we split?" His hand ran down his jaw before his arms folded on the table and he rose a brow.

"How can you ask me that?" She didn't have the will to prevent the tears from falling down her face anymore.

If he was going to do this to her then she was going to go home. She wouldn't sit here and have Eddie accuse her of cheating when she did everything right in their relationship. She left when Eddie wanted to break up. She didn't argue or try and make things complicated. She tried to smooth things over for Chris and still be there for him. She didn't go round telling anyone other than Evan exactly why Eddie broke up with her when she had every right to say what he had done to her.

And now he had the nerve to ask if she had been cheating on him with his best friend.

"I'm sorry, (Y/n) I- I just don't like my ex and my best friend getting together right in front of me. You have to admit you two moved fast."

"Yes, and it wasn't planned."

(Y/n) hadn't planned on sleeping with Evan, she didn't plan on meeting him in that bar that night. Nor did she plan to get pregnant or get into a relationship with Evan so swiftly after leaving Eddie. But this was the way things had turned out, she couldn't lie or pretend otherwise.

"It's a pretty big coincidence though-"

"Forget it. This was a bad idea, I'm- I'm going home. Bye Eddie."

She got up as fast as she could, snatched her bag onto her shoulder and stormed out, ignoring Eddie's voice calling after her.

If he was going to berrate her then she wasn't going to sit and listen to it, she didn't have to listen anymore. She asked Eddie here for help, but he wasn't going to help her, and that was okay. She would sort this on her own, just like she had to.

Her hands swiped across her cheeks, brushing away the tears as she briskly walked down the street, aiming for home.

A home which she shared with Evan. (Y/n) couldn't go to anyone else, she didn't have anyone else and no one else she trusted would help her, they would side with Evan. They were all his friends. It didn't seem to matter now, anyway. (Y/n) couldn't raise this baby alone and whether Evan had done this intentionally or not, she was bound to him.

They lived together, (Y/n) worked from home which isolated her from everyone and the only friends she had left were those who were close to Evan. They were his friends first, his team, his family. She would just have to try and talk to Evan, see if he could stop smothering her so much and let her have a bit of leeway. They would have to work this out together, no one else could or would help them.

"Evan loves me. He loves us," Her hand moved to glide up and down her bump and she sniffed through a smile when she felt a kick against her palm. The baby agreed. "And that's enough, it has to be."

Maybe Evan was all she needed. She could rely on him, he had proven that. He didn't get angry or annoyed or walk out on her when she told him she was pregnant, and when she asked him for the paternity test he was all too eager to prove it and be by her side. (Y/n) had to be the luckiest person in the world to have Evan, despite the tendencies and quirks he was now displaying.

He loved the bones of her and their baby. He did whatever he could for her, she could ask the world of him and he wouldn't question it. Who else would look out for her, love her, protect her and put her first in the way that Evan would?

If he was the only person in her life, at least he was the one she could count on.

She didn't need anyone else.

#evan buckley #911 imagine #imagine #evan buckley x reader #pregnant! reader #evan buckley imagine #buck x reader #buck imagine #dark! buck #eddie diaz

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thecarnivorousmuffinmeta · 3 months ago

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Do you think Rita’s assertion that albus lowkey stole someone else’s research on the 12 uses of dragons blood is true?

Thoughts on Rita Skeeter

Anon, you will probably be happier on other blogs.

To caveat, we of course don't know, Harry doesn't read that part of Rita's book nor look at her sources. And the Dumbledore Harry confronts later may very well be a hallucination, so we can't give too much credence to what he says either.

What I will say is that there are many people who at the time were desperate to defend Albus Dumbledore's legacy. We see one of them in Doge both in the article he writes and his discussion with Harry at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Rita had to write this book knowing that everything was going to be heavily scrutinized and torn apart by those looking to defend this man. And the thing about Rita is... she writes in a sensational manner, she has little scruples when it comes to getting her evidence and what she chooses to print, but she's usually not dead wrong and her exaggerations are usually in the form of "as Harry spoke he cried great tears of sadness" and not lies about anything concrete. In fact, in those cases, she usually tells it how it is (see her article in GoF on the world cup, everything she wrote did happen, the beef Arthur has is not that it was what happened just that she wrote it wrong/shouldn't have written it at all). Later, when slandering Hermione, Rita doesn't say things that didn't happen, where she goes beyond the pale is framing it and speculating on Hermione's motivations.

My point is, it'd be Rita's style to say "I think Dumbledore did this because he is a FUCKER" but not so much "he did this fuckery all the time". She states what a person did then... draws conclusions from that which may or may not be true (or kind, or flattering, or something that should be put in print about a fourteen-year-old Muggle-born).

Rita said a lot worse about Dumbledore that was supported by mounds of evidence to the point where Doge could only splutter "well, technically that's all true, but you're making it sound much worse and everyone should suspect that there's a more benign, if kind of ridiculous, explanation". And in terms of Ariana, what actually happened was even worse than Rita learned from Bathilda.

If Rita even insinuated that Dumbledore engaged in plagiarism, without backing it up, the likes of Doge and everyone else for that matter would have ripped the book apart.

But we never see them do that, not one person, no matter how much they hate it.

She also cites a very specific incident, not every paper he's ever done in his career, which lends itself to her having checked thoroughly. And if we do believe in Dumbledore's ghost, then he admits to doing it but justifies it with "well, I made the idea better anyway".

Consider how much people engage in plagiarism in the real world, even when they're honest with most of their other work. And that's with a large culture of anti-plagiarism and copyright that the Wizarding World sort of has (in the anti-cheating sense) but also sort of doesn't.

It's not shocking to me that Dumbledore would plagiarize, and I'd be shocked, in fact, if he was the only one canonically to do so.

So, in short, yes, I believe it.

#harry potter #harry potter meta #harry potter headcanon #albus dumbledore #anti albus dumbledore #rita skeeter #meta #headcanon #opinion

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breakandbuildfiction · 4 months ago

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The Danny Phantom Crossover Power Scaling Issue

The existence of the Ghost Zone/Infinite Realms in Danny Phantom should, in theory, make it super easy to create crossover stories between DP and other series. The Ghost Zone is literally a dimension that exists between dimensions and has literal doorways and random portals that lead to random points between time and space and to pocket dimensions. There would be no reason NOT to have Danny just decide to check out another dimension, to have one of his rogues go cause trouble somewhere that Danny has to chase them down. And yet most people here and on AO3 only do Danny Phantom crossover prompts and stories with DC Comics.

Why? Well, for one thing DC Comics is just very easy to do crossover scenarios with thanks to it having so many different original locations, teams, and power origins. But another reason, from what I have been able to gather, is the problem of power scaling.

Danny Phantom, even without adding in fanlore like Ghost King Danny, Eldritch Danny, and Ancient of Space Danny, is incredibly OP both in terms of raw power and because he has a such a wide range of incredibly powerful, useful, and dangerous abilities.

Danny has superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes, he can fly, regenerate, shoot lasers/plasma from anywhere on his body, has cryokinesis and telekinesis, can duplicate himself, can vanish from the visible light spectrum and phase through solid mater and most forms of energy, and more. And there is only so many of those powers you can ignore and how much you can weaken them before it becomes ridiculous and character-breaking.

How can you have Danny become part of a story like Harry Potter without either making it so he never uses his powers or just steamrolls the challenges that nearly get Harry and his friends killed every year? How can you have Danny throw down in the MHA universe without him negating the danger presented to him by becoming intangible and attacking at range or overshadowing his opponents? Or Game of Thrones without making all the dangers and power plays of that world looking like a joke when he can just fly into King's Landing and force Cersei to confess to her infidelity and incest or make Joffrey look so deranged that his allies have no choice but to abandon him? Hell, I brought up shows like Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss on this blog before and I had to be very careful to avoid anything that would boil down to Danny becoming part of the direct military conflict between Heaven and Hell or having to interact with IMP!

To make crossovers with Danny Phantom work you either need to use a universe that has powers that scale to Danny's own, like DC and Marvel, or you need to avoid stories that could be solved via direct combat, which means ignoring the primary genre of Danny Phantom and a severely major aspect of what makes Danny unique as a character. So people, including me, tend to restrict themselves to DPxDC to avoid the problem of powerscaling as much as possible and allow us to have Danny keep his powers and keep having a history of heroics and personality that is in line with protecting and fighting people.

#danny phantom #crossover #dpxdc #danny phantom crossover #danny fenton #dp fan lore #fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 #dp

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1d1195 · 1 year ago

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Traditional VIII

Well this is the fastest I've ever written. Sorry to leave you hanging on part 7 like that. You can read Traditional here.

I actually wanted this part to be longer but I think I stopped it at a good spot to continue with what I want in the next part but the next part will be a hot minute before it’s posted also part 9 will pick up right where this leaves off.

Warnings: angst (see I remembered the word this time), death mentioned, mourning, (etc.)

“Can I help you?”

She stopped by the bathroom to take stock of what she looked like as soon as she got to the floor. She put the bag at her feet and stood in front of the sink counter and gripped the edge. The pain in her arm from her slip ached from the bruise forming on her forearm and rippled up the length of her arm as she held onto the counter. Taking a deep breath, she finally looked in the mirror.

Ill. She looked ill. From a green complexion to her red eyes. Her nose was cold and reddening by the second making her look like she had a cold. Bloodshot eyes and overall, just the pallor of a ghost. Her head ached and it was a dumb idea to come back to work. Surely, she would mess up more things. But there wasn’t much else she could do and nowhere else she could really go.

Slowly she closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest in defeat. Then tilted her neck all the way back to the ceiling. “Goddamn it,” she hissed to herself. Grabbing her bag, she walked swiftly back to her office. Maybe she would just sit there and stare at her computer screen until Harry finally fired her.

Niall covered the microphone with his hand. “Darling?” He asked curiously as the door to her office opened. “I’ll call y’back,” he dropped his phone back to the receiver and he hurried to her little space. “I thought—”

“I have no where to go,” she said curtly. Niall didn’t deserve her abrupt tone, but it was the only one she could give. This day was so awful, and she had nowhere to go except the one place she would most assuredly run into at least half of her problems. And that was her best option.

Without a debit card, she had no way to get to the hospital. Her apartment belonged to Harry and right now she didn’t want to be anywhere that was associated with him and the part of her life with him outside company walls. Her laptop was broken and even if she could use it her brain wouldn’t function.

“What are you talking—your apartment?” He reminded her with a question in his voice.

“You mean Harry’s apartment?”

“Love, all things considered, he wouldn’t kick you out or something... he wouldn’t do that to you. Not even on his worst day.”

She shook her head. That’s not what she meant but it was a new fear that twisted her stomach in knots on top of everything else. The tears flooded back into her vision. “I don’t want to talk about any of this Niall. I just want to work so I don’t have to think. If I have even a second to think about anything but work, I’m going to explode, and I can’t do that in front of you—”

“Sure, you can,” he said encouragingly. “Come on,” he said and tugged her out of her seat and into his office. She was too weak to do anything but follow obligingly. He gently guided her to the sofa he had in the room and hurried to his desk. He scribbled something, practically ran back to the door, and smacked the paper on the front before shutting it, blocking out the rest of the floor.

“What’s that?” She asked, curiosity getting the best of her as she looked at her hands in her lap.

“Says ‘Do not disturb. Meeting in progress.’”

“You’re going to get in trouble because of me,” she mumbled.

“Don’t worry, I know the boss pretty well.”

“That’s especially why.”

“He left for the day.”

She blinked. “What?” She asked softly. Other than being sick, Harry didn’t leave early. Ever. Most often he stayed late. The rest he left on time and not a moment sooner.

“He wasn’t feeling himself,” Niall said with a shrug. “Think you know why,” he was so casual about it. Her heart fluttered with worry despite how angry he was with her. How was she supposed to feel? She was in love with him. It didn’t matter. “Go on, then. Please tell me. I’ve been dying to help you as much as you help me.”

She shook her head. “I can’t Niall. You’re my boss—”

“Oh, for God’s sake, love. You’re also the love of my best friend’s life. Would you just talk to me already?” She looked at him as if she was really seeing him for the first time. She couldn’t believe he said that out loud. Now she understood why he put the note up. He wasn’t doing this as her boss. This was Harry’s best friend. If she could dream or hope about a future with Harry, he would be one of her best friends, too. “Pretend I’m not your boss right now.”

She apparently didn’t need much more encouragement for her already bubbling emotions to flow over. Poor Niall took it all in stride. Every word that exploded out of her, all the tears, everything. It wasn’t like when she talked to Harry, and it definitely wasn’t like when she talked to Louis. She told him all about the last twenty-four hours from Hell. She listed every inconvenience, every heartbreak. The debit card, the mean coworker, her dad, how her coffee tasted bad and got everywhere, her laptop was broken, and Louis and Eleanor were her only friends, and she couldn’t even go see them. “And of course, Harry hates me, so I didn’t get to see him last night,” she finished blubbering. She didn’t give lots of details on most anything, just the coworker since that was one of the only ones that she could see him dealing with. Not that she wanted him to.

“To be fair, I think Harry hates me, right now,” he smirked sadly.

“That’s almost worse,” she sniffled.

Niall rolled his eyes as he rubbed her back soothingly with the palm of his hand and watched her dab her eyes with the tissues he got from his desk. “He hates me because he thinks I’m stealing you away because you didn’t tell him any of that. And he’s mad that you didn’t want to tell him. He thought your relationship was evolving and you took like ten steps back without a word. Christ darling, I’m mad you for not saying anything about the harassment. That is not okay. You’re not plain, you’re lovely. She’s just jealous.”

She found it interesting that he agreed with Louis’s assessment. “That’s what Louis said, even before she talked to me.”

Niall shook his head. “She was extremely cruel for no reason, I’m so sorry, love. You did not deserve that.”

She shrugged awkwardly, defeated still. Even getting all of that off her chest. “I am plain. It’s why I was so worried about my... situation with Harry...I don’t...” she took a deep breath. “You’re not my boss right now?” She repeated his statement as a question for reassurance. He shook his head.

“Just a really good friend,” he promised. “I won’t tell Harry,” he added for good measure.

“I don’t even think he’ll want to sleep with me because I’m so ordinary and...” Despite his talk with Niall and that fact they were both aware of her relationship with Harry, she still didn’t like bringing it up. Plus, the untraditional details were lost on her, and she didn’t want to have to explain it to Niall awkwardly.

“Love,” Niall smirked. “Harry is...infatuated with you,” he promised. “You don’t have to worry about any of that kind of thing. He would—look I don’t want to say it because it sounds like locker room talk and I don’t want you to think he and I talk about you like that. We don’t, I promise—but that’s not something you need to worry about. I’ve never seen him like this about anyone he’s ever been involved with romantically one way or another.”

It made her heart hope, and she hated it. She was prepared for defeat. Harry wouldn’t be in love with her anymore. They wouldn’t get dinner on Mondays or watch movies on Thursdays. There would be no more little sleepovers where he would be sick and accidentally tell her he loved her and forget by morning. She shook her head. “Niall, I...” She swallowed.

“Please tell me you’re in love with him, I’ve been dying for you to say it almost as much as he has.”

The smallest pause. Niall wasn’t her boss. “Of course, I’m in love with him. How can you not be?” She asked, face blushing, as she stared at her hands.

Niall sighed. “You need to tell him what you told me,” he said.

She shook her head. “No, it’s not his problem. I’m a big girl and...I have to handle it.”

“But you don’t have to do it on your own,” he promised her. “I don’t know everything, but I see the way you work, and I know bits and pieces of what Harry is willing to tell me. I know you want to fix every problem that crosses your path for anyone that has one. If you walked into your office and spoke to the you that sits at your computer, how would you help?” He asked. “Would you tell yourself to keep it all bottled up or take a hike and deal with it yourself? Or would you, the person who helps everyone with anything they may need, help you?”

She took a deep breath. The first bit of clarity over the last twelve hours was finally reaching her ears from Niall. “I would help.”

“Then help yourself, darling. Please. Tell Harry.”

She closed her eyes and nodded solemnly. “I think I have to go to the hospital first,” she said to Niall. “But I don’t have a debit card or a ride.”

“Call Harry’s driver. He won’t care. Or I’ll take you, I don’t mind at all,” Niall reached into his wallet and pulled out one of his plastic cards. “I think this has a 25,000-spending limit,” he smirked. “I’d be impressed if you used all of it in one weekend,” he smiled. “Bring it back Monday,” he shrugged. “Definitely use it to get a new laptop when you have time.”

Sucking her lip into her mouth she awkwardly took the card “Please don’t tell Harry about...her...”

He frowned. “Darling,” his tone was so disapproving. It sounded like that was going to be Niall’s first call. Maybe second if he called the bitchy woman down to his office to fire her after the sweet girl left.

“He’ll fire her.”

“As he should! She harassed you!”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Please, Niall,” she whispered.

He sighed bitterly. If even one thing that happened to her over the last day didn’t happen, he wouldn’t have listened. But she had been through enough and he didn’t want to be the cause of any more of her anxiety. Besides, once he was officially forgiven by Harry, he would ask for front row seats to her exit interview. “Okay, darling. I won’t. Go to the hospital. Then you have to go to Harry’s.”

Harry’s driver was kind throughout the ride and didn’t ask her a single question about why she needed to go to a hospital. In fact, other than asking if she wanted to listen to a certain type of music, he didn’t ask any questions. “Won’t Harry notice?” She eventually asked.

“No,” he shrugged one shoulder as he passed towards the streets that used to be home. She lived an hour away now, but it felt like an entirely foreign country right now. “Probably not. If he needed me, I would probably send another one of the drivers from the company,” he said simply.

The remainder of the drive was silent. Her heart beating erratically with every closer turn to the town she left. “Do you need help?” He asked when they arrived at the hospital. She shook her head steeling herself for the horribleness she was about to endure in so many emotional forms.

“No... thank you,” she said gratefully. “And... if you have to leave... I understand. But could you please...don’t tell Harry.”

“Of course, Miss,” he smiled encouragingly. Taking her work bag with her, she stepped out of the car and headed into the hospital.

It was a little over an hour later that she left the hospital with one less parent in existence. Although, she hadn’t had two parents since before her brother died, she felt saddened knowing that it would never be amended. And for her mom, it would never be the same. She would always be alone, now.

Naturally, it didn’t seem to bother her mother all that much. “I’ll never forgive you,” her mom said with tears in her eyes. “You can leave now.”

When it came to her parents, there wasn’t much she could do but listen. Part of her wanted to appease them and hope that eventually they would love her again. So of course, after she said goodbye there was nothing left for her to do except listen to her mother’s request.

Her loss didn’t feel as sad as it should have. Probably because when her brother passed, she didn’t just lose her brother. She lost her best friend and her parents all in one swoop. Mourning her brother at age sixteen when her friends were buying prom dresses and going on college tours in hopes of meeting college boys was a tragedy that Shakespeare wouldn’t write.

There was nothing like mourning the death of people who were still alive and lived with you every day.

When she exited the hospital room, she called the driver once more who told her to wait five minutes and he would pull around so she wouldn’t have to wait in the cold. She stood outside anyway, for the full five minutes letting the cold wash over her. She was already numb. Everything that had happened in such a short amount of time was numbing her. The cold didn’t even hurt because she was already in so much pain.

All she wanted was to see Harry. Her chest ached at the thought of being held by him. It would cure her broken heart, she was certain.

She sniffled and a few stray tears spilt over her lash line. Without her realizing, she got more teary as she waited, only noticing when his driver reappeared. “Miss,” the driver said hurriedly. He was rushing over to her on the sidewalk reaching for her bag and offered her a tissue from his pocket. He placed a hand on her lower back to guide her up the sidewalk to the car. “Is everything alright? Are you—”

She shook her head, tears steadily falling down her cheeks. She opened the door herself as he looked on with worry. “I’m fine,” she whispered but her voice broke on the word fine. “Can you take me to Harry’s?”

The closer she got to his house, the more anxious and sadder she got. As he parked in the driveway, she strongly considered telling him to take her back to the apartment. However, she all but promised Niall she would come here. Maybe these tears would make him listen at least for a moment. Wringing her hands together, she sat silently, awkwardly in her seat before the driver even made a move after several minutes. With a deep breath, she swallowed and pushed the door out of the way. “Can you wait five more minutes in case he really hates me, and I need to leave?” She asked.

The driver chuckled dryly. “He doesn’t hate you, but I’ll wait,” he said.

She made her way across the path and up the steps to his front door. She knocked and was prepared to stare at her feet the whole time she waited for Harry to open the door. Maybe she even planned to stare at her feet if he was willing to talk to her. She was going to beg or cry (probably both) just for five minutes to explain everything. Five minutes to try and fix her broken heart.

“Can I help you?”

Her heart officially shattered. Her head snapped up to the beautiful woman’s voice and she gasped. It felt like someone wrapped their hand around her throat and was squeezing all life out of her. “Oh my God,” how could Niall suggest this? Did he know? Was Harry really that mad at her he would have Niall convince her to come over and see another woman and...? “I’m so sorry,” she whispered breathlessly. It felt like she was swallowing her tongue. She backed away, nearly losing her balance as she did. She wanted to be embarrassed about almost losing her balance but even standing upright she felt like she was swaying and the only thing she felt was betrayal and she had no right to feel that way.

“Whoa, hey,” the girl said reaching for her before she fell back off the steps. She regained her balance and felt like her stomach was going to heave up anything she had eaten—which wasn’t the time to remember but she realized she only had a bagel and a coffee this morning almost twelve hours ago.

Of course, Harry would find someone else. He was...him. He had money and he could have any girl he wanted. Someone beautiful. Someone who didn’t have all the baggage that she did. Someone who didn’t hide from him and someone who would do what a companion like her was supposed to do.

“Why are you apologizing? Is Harry expecting you?” She asked tilting her head curiously, trying to figure out who she was. Like this was normal for her to be answering the door and for her to be standing there. “Are you alright?” She asked gently.

She wished she wasn’t nice. It was making it harder for her to be mad. Seeing this kind woman opening the door to the house of the man she was in love with would have been so much easier if she could have been mad. But she was just heartbreakingly sad. “N-no...I...I didn’t mean to intrude, I’m so sorry,” she repeated hurrying down the few steps and nearly missed the last one tripping into the yard. So much so, she lost one of her shoes. Worse yet in her fit of non-embarrassment, just total shock, she left it there. “Oh my God,” she whimpered to herself. She was now truly worried she would throw up. She turned quickly and practically ran back for the driveway.

“Kitten?!” Harry shouted from somewhere in the house.

“Hey, wait!” The woman called suddenly.

“Fuck,” she heard Harry hiss as she hurried back to the car, tears falling quickly down her cheeks as she awkwardly limped without her shoe the path to the driveway. With her head start she thought she really might make it in the car and drive away before Harry got to her. But he had much longer legs...and he wasn’t bogged down by missing a shoe. “Goddammit! Love, stop!” He shouted running across the yard. She pulled the door handle quickly trying to get away from this house, but the door smacked shut at the same time. Harry’s hand pressed to the window while the other grabbed her arm right where it bruised. She inhaled sharply in pain and winced. Harry dropped her arm like a hot potato, he released a breath out of frustration. “Kitten, stop,” he was out of breath from his short run—but it wasn’t the run making him breathless but the thought of losing her at this moment. She wanted to look up at him and see those perfect green eyes, but she was so scared. “Look at me, please,” he begged. But her eyes stayed glued to the driveway. Harry was only in socks, and she thought that was cute. His feet in socks. It wasn’t the time, but her brain was operating on no sleep and way too much trauma for one day.

Her face crumpled in pain and she shook her head. She couldn’t look at him, if she looked all the pain would boil over and she would start crying and never stop. Why didn’t Harry deserve some woman that would be there for him the way she couldn’t be? Why wouldn’t he want someone beautiful and not plain? Someone who wasn’t so young that she was still in the internship phase. Someone who didn’t need his money or a job. Someone who was brilliant enough to help him with whatever his company and he himself needed.

“Hey,” the woman’s voice suddenly sounded beside her. It was gentle and out of instinct she turned to the direction of the woman that was currently amplifying just how terrible her day could get just by existing. It wasn’t her fault either. She really thought the girl was beautiful and lovely. She was kind to not sneer at her as a sniveling mess. She sniffled looking at her curiously. The beautiful girl handed Harry her missing shoe then stuck her hand out to introduce herself. “M’Gemma,” she said softly, apologetically in tone as she smiled at her with a terrible look of pity directed toward her.

Even though one of the only things she prided herself on was being intelligent this had to be the dumbest thing she had ever done in her whole life. She was speechless. Couldn’t even say her own name as she held her hand out awkwardly and (fortunately for her) instinctively for Harry’s sister to shake.

At the same time, Harry crouched to the ground and placed her shoe back on her foot holding her ankle so gently, like she might break. “I was just going, truly,” Gemma smiled at her sympathetically. “I’ve heard loads about you. I’ll meet you again sometime, yeah?” She asked quietly. Harry was silent throughout the interaction. His breathing erratic as he was hoping she wouldn’t leave. “Bye Harry,” she kissed him on the cheek and Gemma went to the other side of the car and gave the driver a wave before sliding into the back seat. The car drove away leaving her alone with Harry.

“Kitten,” he whispered softly.

“I’ve had a terrible couple of days,” she sniffled tears clouding her vision again. The fear of Harry finding someone else nearly ruined her completely. She was lucky that wasn’t the case. But she still had to have this talk that she promised Niall.

“I know y’have love, I just...Niall texted me...and Louis is worried...and... my love,” his voice was so gentle. It pulled at every string in her heart.

She started to say the speech she had planned in her head when she arrived. Before she saw Gemma. “I know you hate me, but I have nowhere else to go,” she whimpered, and it was all too much, and she finally let her knees give out as she melted to the ground. She covered her face and cried.

“No. Baby, I don’t hate you. Not at all. M’so sorry about everything,” he promised crouching beside her. “Let’s go inside...s’too cold t’have y’out here,” he lifted around her waist to help her stand. He wanted to scoop her up and carry her because whatever demons she was fighting right now had made her weak. But she seemed overwhelmed already and he didn’t want to add to that any more than he already had by not realizing sooner that Gemma was talking to her without her knowing who Gemma was. So, once she was standing again, he held her hand and pulled her back to the house.

Gemma had been extremely helpful in working through Harry’s emotions with him. “You really think Niall of all people would do that to you?” She rolled her eyes.

Harry felt like her little brother at that moment. He didn’t too often anymore because he was always busy with his company, and he was always busy doing things that he never really got a chance to just be the younger sibling and have Gemma take care of him like she used to when they were young. “I think I love her, Gem.”

“Ya think?” She rolled her eyes. Harry sighed. The pair of them were sitting on his sofa and sipping tea. They ordered out for dinner and were now chatting so Harry would calm down. Harry never left work early, but he was so distraught and angry that something had to be done. Gemma came right over, and he told her everything about the girl of his dreams. Unbeknownst to Harry, Gemma was thrilled that Harry cared so deeply about someone in this capacity. Like Niall, she noticed it was so different than anyone he ever involved himself with up to this point in time. She couldn’t wait to tell their mum.

After venting for almost two hours and working through what he needed to do next, Gemma chatted about herself and caught him up on her life. In comparison, it wasn’t much. Work was good and her dating life was good. There wasn’t much to report.

Her phone vibrated. Hey Gem. It was Niall. I know he’s pissed at me, but can you tell him to look at his phone? It’s an emergency.

Frowning, she responded to Niall while she called out to Harry. “Harry, look at your phone. Niall said there’s an emergency.” He was putting the mugs in the sink when Gemma gave him the directions. As he put the phone in his hand, his stomach dropped. He hadn’t looked at it in hours.

He had a message from Niall and a message from an unknown number claiming to be Louis. His chest felt tight. The only thought he managed was that something was wrong with her; and that was the worst kind of thought.

Niall’s said: Harry...you have to talk to her. It’s bad.

Then a second message: Really bad.

He frowned feeling worry for the sweet girl. He almost called her instead of reading Louis’ message, but there was a knock at the door, changing his plan as he tried to gather his scattered thoughts. He tapped on the message from Louis. “I’ll answer it on my way out, have a good weekend, Harry!” Gemma called cheerfully. He didn’t even respond because he was busy reading.

Louis’ message was a long one: Hey Harry, it’s Louis. I stole your phone number from her back in August without her knowing. She would kill me for messaging you, but we’re on a plane and... well... she said she was feeling poor and headed to your house. But El and I just figured out WHY she’s poorly. She’s ignoring her phone, or something... Can you please tell her to call me? She probably won’t even tell you, so she won’t be a bother, and I can’t tell you through a text message... I’m sure she doesn’t want to interrupt our weekend either, but... please have her call me back. Or you can when you have her in a stable place... Thank you for taking care of her... I don’t think I’ve ever said that before to you... I don’t trust her with very many people. So, thank you for taking care of my best friend.

It took him a moment to pull himself from the message and that the other voice outside was the sweet girl speaking to Gemma at the door.

“Why are you apologizing? Is Harry expecting you?” Gemma asked gently.

“N-no...I... I didn’t mean to intrude, I’m so sorry,” she stammered, and Harry shook his head trying to reach the fact that she was there.

“Kitten?!” He shouted. By the time he raced to the door, she was nearing the car. He wondered when the driver got there briefly, but he was nearly sprinting, almost pushing Gemma to the ground, to make sure he got to the car before she did. As she pulled the door handle open sniffling as she desperately tried to leave, he smacked the door shut immediately. He would not let her leave.

Something was wrong with her arm because when he reached for it, she winced in pain and Harry thought he would murder someone if they hurt her. The messages from Niall and Louis scrolling through his mind. “Kitten, stop,” he whispered as she tried to reach for the car again. “Look at me please,” he begged. It had only been a day, but he was a lovesick man. He missed her face and he wanted to see the beautiful eyes he loved so much, the little windows to her soul. Even if he just saw them for a second. But she kept her eyes to the ground. Fortunately, at that moment, Gemma introduced herself.

That’s when Harry put it together that she thought Gemma was some other woman. He didn’t even find it funny, although he wished he could have. He felt so terrible she thought so little of how much she meant to Harry that he would find someone else in less than twenty-four hours.

Now, they were inside. “Where do y’want to sit?” He asked. “The sofa or the bed?”

“I don’t—”

“Love. Please, where will you be most comfortable?” He whispered gently.

“The sofa,” she answered.

He softly nudged her to the living area, taking her coat off before she sat and then he crouched to take her shoes off. Lightly, he pushed the sleeve of her blouse up because he didn’t forget, and he saw the nasty bruise on her arm that made his heart ache with anger. “What happened?” His voice was short. He thought of the messages both Niall and Louis sent him. “Louis texted me. Said you’re ignoring his calls.”

She shook her head. “I don’t even remember the last time I saw my phone.” He frowned. He was glad she was here. If he tried to call her and she didn’t answer, he would have gone mad with worry. She sniffled. “Harry,” she croaked.

“M’here, kitten,” he promised, and he pushed himself to kneel between her legs and he placed his hands on either side of her face. It felt like fire to touch her like this. He craved it so badly. Not having it at movie night and not seeing her until five minutes ago...and knowing she was hurt? His heart was broken. “Tell me, please,” he begged. “I’ll kill someone if I have to.”

She sighed. “You have to listen to everything before you say something or I won’t be able to finish it all,” she whispered.

“Sure love,” he nodded obediently.

“And you can’t kill or fire anyone.” He didn’t respond because he wasn’t sure he could make that promise to her. Especially if someone caused that bruise. He pressed his lips together, knelt between her legs and held her face to keep her gaze. “It’s not going to make sense, so much went wrong so fast,” she told him.

“I can keep up,” he promised. There was a moment of pause as she collected all her thoughts trying to figure out how to begin.

She began her story. “Someone stole my debit card, and I don’t... As a rule, I don’t use my credit card... at least not right now. I have too many bills and worries to be using it. I can’t wrack up any more debt... So, I basically have no access to my account or money for a week,” Harry took a hand from her face to reach into his pocket for his wallet. That was an easy fix, and he was sad it started off so easy because that meant it was going to get much worse.

She shook her head. “Niall already gave me his, because I needed it to get to the hospital,” she said, stilling his hand from opening his wallet. She gave his hand a squeeze at the sound of Niall’s name. But he didn’t feel jealous. He did in the moment seeing his best friend holding the object of all his affections so comfortingly in his arms. He didn’t know what was wrong and he was irrationally angry that Niall wouldn’t say—even when he didn’t know at the time either. He wanted to be the one comforting her. That was all.

“Hospital?” He questioned his eyes falling back to her arm.

“I’m jumping ahead. It wasn’t for me.”

He frowned. Putting the wallet on the coffee table he would thank Niall later for offering his help while Harry was being an idiot. “Go on,” he said, and he moved to sit beside her. He stretched his legs out on the chaise section and pulled her over his body, so her legs laid over his lap. This way he could see into her eyes and still touch her. He kept one of his hands wrapped up in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“I was going to try and figure out how to transfer some of my money on my laptop to a temporary gift card or something… and maybe work on my internship reflection for school but... my laptop wouldn’t turn on,” she mumbled. “And then at the same time it occurred to me I can’t even buy a laptop because I don’t have a debit card.”

“We can go buy you a new one tomorrow,” he promised.

“S’not the point,” she mumbled. “You’re not supposed to interrupt,” she reminded him.

He squeezed her hand. “M’sorry.”

“The woman from the meeting who thinks I’m stupid because I’m an intern,” she whispered the description. “Do you know who I’m talking about?” Harry nodded, curious as to how someone he only saw at meetings had anything to do with this story. Harry almost forgot about her. She was right. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, he hadn’t even had a chance to debrief with her the wonderful job she did in person and to tell her not to worry about the woman from the meeting.

“You’re not stup—”

She continued without letting Harry compliment her. “She told me that you wouldn’t sleep with me.”

Harry blinked rapidly a few times, shook his head trying to clear it. Surely, he missed something to get to this section of the story. “What? I’m sorry...what do you—”

She looked at their hands held together. “She came to my office, unprompted, while I was sad about my laptop, and she just said I was stupid and plain, and you wouldn’t sleep with me because I wasn’t your type. I’m not special or smart and just because I had one good idea and I work well with Niall didn’t mean you would want me... an intern.”

He had no idea the condition to hear her story was not firing an employee was for the benefit of some cruel woman who was just so wrong. He felt speechless because everything in those two sentences was wrong. She wasn’t plain, she was so goddamn beautiful she haunted his every thought. Add in the fact she was so brilliant and kind. Harry couldn’t get enough of her, and the idea of sleeping with her...

Again, he if it meant he could have her there in his life forever, he wouldn’t care about being intimate. But otherwise, he would kill to be so close to her. “Kitten,” he whispered.He was so mad. The rage in his chest was consuming. She would be fired. For one reason or another. Harry didn’t care what he had to do. He wouldn’t let anyone speak that way to another employee. But especially not the angel seated beside him.

“It gets worse,” she mumbled.

Harry closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded. He didn’t know how that could be possible, but he supposed he would find out. “Please continue, then.”

“She knocked my coffee all over my desk,” she said. “And it got all over my skirt, my laptop, the floor, my desktop, and then...I went to clean it and I slipped and that’s how I got this bruise,” she gestured to her arm. Instinctively, Harry reached out and brushed his fingers over it. Not only did he want to fire her, but he also wanted to kill her. The poor girl knew exactly what Harry would do under the right circumstances and that was why she made restrictions on hearing the story as such. She was good, Harry would give her that.

“That’s when you came in,” she mumbled. “I was so sad and heartbroken I couldn’t speak to even tell you what was wrong, and I knew how sad and hurt you were that Niall was comforting me... but Harry, I would never do that to you, ever. Especially with your best friend. Regardless of this... relationship we have... I would never... it’s a—”

“I had no right to be that mad,” Harry mumbled quietly. He had long since forgiven her. She didn’t even need forgiveness because she didn’t do anything wrong.

“And then you cancelled movie night,” she whispered brokenly. Somehow this sounded like it hurt her worse than the bruise or that stupid woman’s comments. Harry’s frown deepened and he rubbed his hand on the back of his head awkwardly.

“I was so sad,” he told her. “I shouldn’t have—”

“It gets worse,” she repeated. He was hoping she was done. The idea it could get worse...

Harry wanted to take her heart out so he could sew all the holes that she was opening and then give it back to her. And Harry couldn’t even sew but whatever he did had to be better than whatever wounds laid in her heart. “I was a total zombie today at work. Niall was avoiding me per you, I think. He told me to go home after lunch so I could... I don’t know I think he just wanted me away from him.” Harry frowned. That was what Niall wanted. It was all Harry’s doing because he yelled at Niall and accused him of things he shouldn’t have as his best friend. “So I was walking home—”

“Walking?! It was freezing out, kitten.”

“Can you... this is the worst part...” He was silent. But in his head, he was arranging for a car to follow her for the rest of her life and would be training a driver to somehow coerce her into the car if she refused in sub-arctic temperatures. “My mom called,” she said. Harry’s heart stopped. “I went to the hospital.” His eyebrows quirked up and he pressed his lips together. After another brief moment of utter silence, “my dad died,” she whispered.

“Kitten,” he cooed. “Baby, m’so sorry.”

This had to be one of the worst days in recorded human history. No wonder Louis’ message was so long. He was probably freaking out. “I went to the hospital...my mom...she won’t forgive me and...” she took a deep breath. “I had nowhere else to go and I just wanted you and I don’t even know if that’s fair after all I’ve put you through over the last day. So, I came here. I’m sorry for wanting you, I don’t want to—”

“Kitten,” he reached for her face and pressed his thumb over her lips so she would stop speaking and stop breaking his heart. She was here. That meant the story was over. Thank God. “I want you here. Always,” he promised. “I want you.” The relief on her face was somehow one of the most heartbreaking expressions she wore throughout the duration of her story. Harry wanted to cry at the thought. He pulled her toward him, face pressed to his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. One hand snaked up her back to hold the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair, and he kissed the space of her forehead just by her hairline before closing his eyes completely content having her there.

There were so many things that needed to be addressed. She needed to call Louis. Harry wanted to call Niall...he wanted to call that terrible woman and fire her over the phone but that would have to wait until Monday. Harry would see to it that something about the funeral be figured out. Maybe he would send one of his lawyers to deal with her mum. Her bank account, her laptop, even the driver he was seriously going to have follow her... all of it needed to be taken care of for Harry to feel like he was helping her and making her horrible thirty-some odd hours end.

But for the next five minutes he was going to hold her like it was his one and only job. “M’gonna make it all better, kitten,” he murmured brushing his lips over her forehead again. “Promise.”

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harry-styles-obsessed · 7 months ago

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Hii loves this post/ imagine is a thank you to you all for 258 followers!!! I freaking adore each and every one of you and never thought I’d ever get here before!! I fucking love you all!!!! Found this photo on Pinterest for INSPO! (I am getting through requests little by little. Thank you for the patience!!)

©️ please do not copy or translate my work.

—

Harry was laid on the couch, staring at the tv knuckles keeping his head propped up as he watched the screen. You were laid just to the side of him your eyes remaining on your handsome boyfriend.

“What?” He murmured to you quietly soon catching you staring at him “what?” You asked back and he smiled slender fingers rubbing against his cheek “you’re looking at me, pretty.” He murmured with a small grin and you rolled your eyes playfully “you’re looking too good to not look at you.” You murmured happily and he chuckled softly before shaking his head, reaching his hand out to you and grabbing onto your hand. You were both tired, voices lazy and gentle as you both gazed at each other with a lot of love before you both focused on the tv again.

About 30 minutes had passed and Harry started hearing a slight sound coming from you, and he turned his head to look at you seeing you fast asleep lightly snoring. His smile slowly grew as he stared before letting out a soft chuckle “babyyy..” he whined playfully “you said you wanted to watch this with me… of course you fall asleep.” He rolled his eyes playfully as he began stroking his fingers through your hair delicately. He looked at you with such love. His fingers stroked along your cheek softly as you nuzzled into his touch and he smiled keeping his eyes on you not moving just delicately caressing his fingertips over your skin.

Eventually however the credits were rolling and he knew you both had a busy day tomorrow so it was best to sleep. He slowly got up from the coach, stretching slightly as his hands fumbled with his hair for a few moments before he walked closer to you gently wrapping his arms underneath you, gently hiking you up into his embrace as he held you bridal style slowly walking you into yours and his shared bedroom. He slowly laid you down on the bed, gently making sure your entire body was down on the mattress before slowly pulling his hands out from underneath you before he grabbed your favourite blanket he had got you for Christmas which— funnily enough, was a blanket of all collages of you and him for when he went on tour and he wasn’t there. It became a great help for when you were clingy.

He didn’t mind your clingy ness. He found it rather cute actually. He gently covered you with the blanket before pulling the thicker duvet over you, tucking you in so you were nice and warm, purposely tucking your entire body and all around your feet knowing you liked to be snug as a bug when going to sleep. Something about how you didn’t want “ghosts” to touch your feet… now he wasn’t a believer in much but…. He couldn’t change your views on whether ghosts would come and tickle your feet or not. But really he knew he would be the only one to tickle your feet so really you only had to worry about him.

He then walked around the bed as he got in on his side and wrapped his arms around you pulling you close so you were pressed to his chest, your face snuggled into the crook of his neck. “I love you.” He spoke quietly into your ear a small smile forming on his face as you just hummed and snuggled closer to him. He then began stroking his fingertips up and down your back as he began relaxing little by little, his grip on you remaining tight throughout the entire night, both of you snuggled close together.

You slept peacefully until around 10:30 AM that morning as you began feeling something tickling against the bottom of your foot, you pulled your leg under the covers abruptly feeling it again and you whined “harryyyy… somethings touching my foot.” You murmured quietly only to hear your boyfriend at the foot of the bed chuckling… he was the culprit tickling your foot. He then grabbed onto your ankle tightly as he began wriggling his fingers against your foot making you squeal in surprise beginning to kick at him before you heard a groan and a thump.

You quickly sat up seeing him clutching at his crotch, a look of pain swept over his face “oh.. sorry.” You laughed out and he stared at you raising his brows “I deserved that.. don’t worry.” He spoke trying to relieve himself of the pain, you continued laughing before eventually he stood up and began getting closer to you.. but not your feet this time. “Harry…” you spoke in a warning tone and he just grinned at you, you quickly jumped from the bed still half asleep as you tried to run out of the room only for him to wrap his arms around your waist capturing you as he began tickling you, screams and laughs coming from you… oh he always knew how to start the day right. You adored him but not as much as he adored you.

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sassy-cissa · 5 months ago

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The Feel of You

Prompt: texture @drarrymicrofic

Rating: Teen and Up (PG-13)

Words: 333

This is my first ever Drarry Microfic - written as a birthday gift for @maesterchill. @lettersbyelise and I decided to both write for the same prompt to see what we'd come up with. Here is mine. I hope you have a birthday that is filled with love and all the wonderful things you deserve.

Sundays were the best day, in Harry's mind, lazy mornings just made for taking their time. Today, the typical London weather was practically begging them to stay in bed. Outside a soft rain fell on the roof, and drops ran silently down the windows.

The room was dark, but for the soft glow of the fire they'd lit to ward off the chill. Harry was mesmerised by the way the firelight danced across Draco's skin. Harry never grew tired of running his hands over Draco's body. Skin so pale it was nearly translucent and as soft as silk. His hand ghosted over Draco's perfectly formed arse, and felt the muscles beneath his palm tense in pleasure.

"Stop petting me and get moving," Draco chided, patience gone. "I'm not a Crup."

Harry laughed lightly, but continued to slide his hands over Draco's body. "Your skin is so soft. I love how smooth it feels." As those words left his mouth, his hand moved to Draco's chest. Harry's fingers skimmed across the scars left from one of the worst moments in his life. The skin had a different texture there…long strips of pale pink, slightly darker than the surrounding flesh, and ridges lifting rough along what had once been a perfect chest. The scars crisscrossed Draco's chest. Harry's hand stilled and he inhaled sharply. It seemed a sacrilege to caress what he'd once done in anger.

Draco sensed Harry's hesitation.

He took hold of Harry's hand and turned it, pressing his palm to the skin over his heart. "I love my scars," Draco said softly, "they remind me that my life would have been very different if I'd have cast the curse I'd intended in the bathroom that day. Don't look at them as a mistake. Consider them the first step in our road to being together."

"But…" Harry began. Draco pressed a finger against Harry's lips. "No buts…only this." He covered Harry's mouth with his own and kissed away all of Harry's doubts.

You can also read and comment on AO3.

#drarry #drarry microfic #drarrymicrofic #drarry fic #drarry fanfic #prompts #May 2024 Prompts #May microfic prompt #birthday gift for maesterchill

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spider-stark · 2 years ago

Text

PLAY NICE

HARRY OSBORN X READER // PETER PARKER X READER

Summary - Peter and Harry both want a turn with you.

Warnings - 18+, smut, degrading, threesome, not proof-read

// masterlist // send me your thoughts //

YOUR LUNGS began to burn from the lack of oxygen, your vision turning hazy as tears welled up in your eyes. Occasionally a desperate sort of noise would manage to escape your lips, though your whines only seemed to encourage him to go harder.

"Such a needy fucking slut."

The words were so demeaning in nature, yet they dripped from his tongue with a sickening sense of adoration, coming together to create a heavenly contrast that had wetness pooling between your thighs.

"One cock just isn't enough for you, is it?"

A rhetorical question that you couldn't have answered, your mouth rendered useless as Harry's grip on your hair tightened, forcing you to take his cock further down your throat.

You choked out another whimper around his length, palms pressed flat against his thighs as he relentlessly fucked your mouth. "Aw," he cooed at you, biting back his own heavy moans as he spoke, "can my little fuck-toy not breathe?"

It drove him mad—the glossy, doe-eyed expression you wore as you looked up at him through wet lashes, the tears now freely slipping down your cheeks. So sweet, so desperate, practically begging to be used. It made him regret his decision to share you with Peter; reminded of his best friends presence as he clamped a hand to his still-clothed shoulder, urging him to give you at least a moments peace. "C'mon, back off, Har."

You were grateful for Peter's distraction, taking advantage of the opportunity by momentarily pushing yourself away from Harry, nearly crumpling into the plush carpet as you gasped for air.

Compared to the two boys towering over you, you were drastically under-dressed. Peter was fully dressed still, whereas Harry had at least ditched the clothing that had covered the lower half of his body, too eager to feel your lips wrapped around him to bother with undressing fully. You, however, had been stripped down to nothing except the matching set Harry had so graciously bought for you a few days prior.

"Don't be such a prude, Parker." Harry remarked, jerking away from Peter's touch as he shot him a look that bordered on disgust. He turned his attention back to you, reaching down to let the pad of his thumb swipe at the drool that dripped down your chin, the remnants of his fevered assault on your mouth. "You can take it, can't you? Go on, tell him.”

You only blinked up at him, chest still heaving as your brain struggled to catch up with the situation, too far gone to remember how to form words.

Harry snorted, "Dumb baby is too cock-drunk to speak." His thumb moved from your chin, ghosting over your bottom lip as he smirked. "Pathetic."

Peter moved to your side, placing a hand under each of your arms and hoisting you up off the floor, effectively removing you from Harry's touch as he carefully guided you to the bed. "You're a dick." Peter spoke over his shoulder, blissfully unaware of the daggers the young Osborn was shooting into his back.

"I'm not fucking done with her!" Something close to a whine followed his words, a pitiful noise that he would have never made under different circumstances. Right now, though, he was far too frustrated to care about his tone.

He knew that you loved the way he was treating you, how rough and vulgar he was willing to get, satisfying all of the desires you would never speak aloud. Still, you were thankful that Peter was taking control, desperate for a break after Harry had essentially fucked your throat raw.

"So pretty." Peter's words were much softer than Harry, as was his touch as he laid you out against the mattress. Slender fingers grazed against your upper thigh, featherlight and leaving goosebumps in their wake. Your back arched at the sensation, the reaction eliciting a prideful grin from Peter as he repeated himself, "So fucking pretty."

His fingers dipped beneath the lace Harry had picked out for you, his thumb immediately pressing itself against your clit as his lips hovered over your inner thigh, placing wet kisses against the sensitive spot.

Another series of whimpers began to pour from your mouth, now less urgent but still just as desperate. You felt the mattress sink down beside you, Harry's tongue now swiping along the column of your throat, refusing to give Peter even a second alone with you—both of them wanting to be the one to take advantage of your body.

Eventually they'd learn to play nice—

you thought to yourself, Peter's nimble fingers now working their way inside of you as Harry's mouth worked its way south, his teeth grazing against your chest.

but for now, you'd enjoy this.

a/n - idk what this is, ok? i'm bored and depressed and this has zero plot and i just don't wanna leave it in my drafts lmao. enjoy.

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judesmoonbeauty · 3 months ago

Text

Ghost House Report: A Requiem For You - Harrison Gray Premium End

Fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors. Cybird owns everything. Feel free to re-blog, but please do not post my translations elsewhere. If you'd like to be added to my translations tag list, please comment below. Thank you, for you support! ☾.

Harrison: So, what is the head butler be searching for in his master’s hidden room?

Robert formed a small circle with my fingers.

Robert’s Ghost: It’s a ring about this big.

Robert’s Ghost: It was to be a gift for my lover.

(…….My chest tightens…….Robert’s regret…….feelings for his girlfriend…..)

Robert’s Ghost: That is what I held onto on the promised day.

Robert’s Ghost: I was going to propose……after we escaped the mansion.

Harrison: …..That so.

Harry looks around the room.

Harrison: If it’s something small like a ring, then it’s got to be in this chest.

One by one, Harry opened the drawers, starting from the top and rummaged through them.

(……Ugh….something’s wrong, I’ve been in pain for a while now.)

(It’s more than just Robert’s feelings…..)

Robert’s Ghost: …..Tss.

Harrison: As expected of a nobleman, it’s packed with jewelry.

Harrison: Robert, the ring you had…..is this it?

Harry holds up a simple ring box and opens it.

There shining was an elegant and pretty ring.

Robert’s Ghost: ….Yes….yes, that’s it….ahhh…

Harrison: What’s up?

Robert’s Ghost: ……It’s a little hard to breath…….

(….Haa, Haa……..ha, I need to stay calm….)

Harrison: Oi, is Kate alright?

Robert’s Ghost: The young lady is very kind….she’s attuned with my emotions.

Robert’s Ghost: It’s an odd reaction……Perhaps, because she is kind

Robert’s Ghost: The painful feelings that I’ve shared have been amplified…..I think it’s affected her body.

Robert’s Ghost: …..I’m like this….I’ve never possessed a body for this long….this is completely unexpected.

(…..Harry….)

Unable to stand, my body collapses.

Harrison: Kate!

Holding me in his arms, Harry desperately calls out to me.

Harrison: Kate! Can you hear me? Kate!

Harrison: Damn it, Oi Robert! You said Kate wasn’t in danger?!

Robert’s Ghost: …..Ha, I…..I’m trying to leave the young lady’s body…..

Robert’s Ghost: The Misses feelings…..are too linked to mine…..my soul has become stronger…..

Robert’s Ghost: …Tss, because of this….the young lady’s soul has weakened…….to be expelled from her body….

Harrison: ! Kate! Hold On! Kate!

Harry keeps calling out to me as he holds me tightly.

(….Harry’s voice….is distant….)

Robert’s Ghost: We have to give…..the young lady’s will power back….

Robert’s Ghost: Something…..something that will move her heart….that’ll prick her…

(”…..Losing you would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Do your best.”)

(…..Robert…..?)

Harrison: Kate!

I feel a slightly warm sensation on my cheek.

(….H…arr……y’s……lips….?)

I can feel his brushing back my hair, the warmth of his skin as he repeatedly kisses and rubs my cheek, as if through a thin veil.

Harrison: Kate, stay strong!

Harrison: ……Don’t……leave me all alone in the darkness….

(……That’s right….)

I decided not to let Harry’s hand go, the moment I decided to stay at Crown Castle.

I’d hang on no matter what and live by Harry’s side.

(….H, how …..could I….let go….of….this place….)

Harrison: Kate….please….please come back…..

(Mmm……)

Spurned on by Harry’s earnest feelings, I struggle to regain my consciousness.

Soon after, I could clearly feel Harry’s warmth —.

My body feels so much better.

(….Ah…..my body’s sensations are returning….)

Kate: ….H…arry….

Harrison: ! Kate!

Kate: ….Harry…I’m sorry….for worrying you…

He held me tightly.

Harrison: ….No, it’s fine. More importantly, is your body okay?

Kate: …..It’s alright….your voice helped me Harry……Thank you.

Harrison: …..That’s good.

Harry's arms felt like they were trembling a bit as he answered while still holding me.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: Well, I’m glad I was able to escape.

Kate & Harrison: !

When I heard a voice coming from above, I looked up and saw Robert’s ghost in a butler's uniform floating in the air.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: Very good. Personally, I had no desire to spend the rest of my life in a woman’s body.

(…….Although you say such rude things.)

Kate: Robert, thank you……for encouraging me.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: Thank you? Haha, what are you saying?

Robert’s Floating Ghost: Don’t mistake me. If you weren’t safe, my wishes wouldn’t be fulfilled.

Harrison: …..Robert, you’re a really crafty guy.

Contrary to Harry’s words, his gaze was kind.

(Harry must know Robert’s words were a lie.)

Robert’s Floating Ghost: Hehe, I’ll take that as a compliment.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: Well, your lover seems to be safe, I hope you’ll fulfill my wish as promised.

Harrison: Oh, what should I do with the ring?

Robert’s Floating Ghost: Naturally, I’d like to give it to my love.

With Harry supporting me, we followed after Robert -

As we moved closer to the portrait of the young woman, sobbing could be heard.

Harrison: …..Right, I get it.

Harrison: In reality, Robert you wanted to give it to her yourself.

Harrison: Since you can’t hold this, I’ll help you.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: ….Thank you for your time.

Harry takes the ring out of the ring box and holds it up towards the portrait.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: My Lady….I’m so sorry for hurting you.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: I couldn’t give this to you on that day, but now - These are my honest feelings. Will you please accept them?

Touching the ring to the portrait -

Harrison: ….!

The ring Harry held suddenly disappeared-

A ring of the same design appeared on the left hand of the portrait, which hadn’t been there before.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: ….Seems like she’s happy with it.

Kate: Ah…..her sobbing stopped….can you hear her calm voice?

Harrison: …..Yeah, I can hear it too.

Lady in the Portrait: ……Robert, I’m sorry for doubting you.

Lady in the Portrait: ….I’m very happy….thank you…..

Robert’s Floating Ghost: This time, let’s be happy together….in the new world where no one can get in our way.

Lady in the Portrait: Yes….this time….please take me with you……as long as we can be together……anywhere…

Then something like white smoke came out from the portrait -

Robert hugged her lovingly.

(The girl’s…..ghost?)

Robert’s Floating Ghost: …I won’t make my lover said anymore.

Robert whispered softly and then turned to us.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: Thank you. I’m so grateful to have met you both.

Robert’s Floating Ghost: ….I’d like to thank you for your kind hearts.

Robert hugged his lover’s spirit even tighter, and eventually they became one -

Suddenly disappearing.

Harrison: ……They’ve both, gone away.

Harrison: What’s wrong?

A thin plume of smoke was rose by my feet.

When I looked down, I saw an old silver coin on the floor that was about to disappear.

Kate: Oh, this silver coin….Robert possessed me when I first picked it up.

Kate: Maybe it was a piece of Robert’s soul.

Harrison: …..That guy really doesn’t have anymore regrets or attachments in this world.

Kate: Yeah, you’re right.

The silver coin along with the smoke would eventually completely disappear.

Looking beyond the smoke, the lady in the portrait was smiling.

Kate: ……The lady, she has such a lovely smile. She’s happy.

Harrison: Yea, so it is. Her long-held wish has come true.

Kate: ….This time, they’ll be happy together.

As I uttered my prayer, Harry’s hand tightened around my waist.

Afterwards, we met up with the others, we investigated the hidden room once again, and collected any evidence that could reveal the secrets of the mansion.

It seems that the "human experiments" that Robert was talking about were related to cursed research -

Roger was so delighted that he said, “Yes, I’ve found valuable information!”

Harrison: ….So, any problems with your body since then?

Harry offered me a warm cup of milk tea and sat down next to me on the bed.

Kate: ….Thank you. Thanks to you Harry, I’m fine.

(….. I feel like I haven't fully regained feeling in my limbs yet.)

(It’s my body after all, so it’ll recover in no time.)

As I took the cup with slightly trembling hands, his hands wrapped around mine.

(…It’s warm.)

As I feel the warmth, I start to relax -

Harrison: …I’m sorry. I knew it was impossible.

The cup was snatched away.

Kate: Huh? Ah.

Harry grabbed my hands still in mid-air and trapped me in his arms.

Harrison: I wanted to help you so much during your rough time…..but didn’t have the luxury of doing so.

Harry's heart beats faster as he whispers, and my own heart also speeds up and overlaps with his.

Harrison: …I was terrified when I thought you might disappear.

Harrison: That is some kind of lie or threat.

Harry's voice was painfully serious as he spoke.

( - All this time.)

(Harry’s desperately trying to stay calm.)

I wasn't just imagining it because Harry's arms were trembling slightly.

My lover - he’s a kind person who’s good at lying and saying, “It's okay, it’s not a big deal.”*

I hug Harry back with my still weakened arms.

Kate: Back then….just as I was going to black out, I heard your voice Harry.

Kate: Harry it was….your warmth, your touch and thoughts …that brought me back.

Kate: ….Because of you, I’m still here. So don’t worry, I won’t leave your side.

Kate: Because aren’t I like the sun that shines upon you Harry?

Harrison: …….

( - It’s embarrassing to say that myself.)

Kate: Sorry, I got carried away, forget I said anything - Whoa!

I was suddenly pushed down, the bed creaking.

The mint-colored eyes looked down at me wavering slightly.

Harrison: …You really won’t leave?

Kate: Of course, I’m going to stick to you Harry, no matter what.

Harrison: Right….well then.

As his eyes grew with heat, my hands wove with his and the sheets.

Harrison: Prove it to me. Don’t leave me Kate.

Harrison: Right here, right now. Until I’m satisfied.

Harrison: ….Be prepared for tonight.

*Since we've had their second wedding event, I was really hoping that they would use the term husband/wife for Harry & Kate in this event, but there is no indication this event is following that event, and that verbiage is never used, so I chose to stick with lover for the entire translation.

[Master List] [Epilogue]

Tag List: @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @sh0jun @letter-from-afar

Dividers: @/brokenbard

#harrison gray #ikevil harrison #ikevil translations #cybird translations #harrison gray translations #ikevil harrison gray #ikevil

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larrylimericks · 2 years ago

Text

23Mar23

We’re feeling some internal friction At silver screen Louis’ depiction; All the world is a stage But it’s hard to engage When plot lines combine fact and fiction.

I get really rambly below the fold. Proceed with caution if you’re over the discourse already.

I debated seeing All of Those Voices in theaters. I didn’t see either of Harry’s films in theaters — Harries are too much of a wildcard, and I refused to sit through hours of squeals and gasps and reactions, not to the movie but to “omg! Harry’s going down on someone! omg, Harry’s bum!” So I was already tentative about seeing Louis’ film in a shared space, outside the protective silos of tumblr. But I bought a ticket, because I want to support him and because I was genuinely curious what story would be told. Then we got the trailer and I hesitated again, not wanting to watch a propaganda film. But, I’ve lived through all the other Bullshit moments, so I figured I could live through Bullshit on the big screen.

My theater crowd was great — pretty neutral aside from an amusing row of politely excitable Larries I was in secret solidarity with. And I pretty much loved the film. Well, 92% of it. I look forward to watching it again when it streams. I mean, it was an hour and a half of content featuring this fascinating creature we’re all obsessed with. I didn’t want to blink. I hung on his every word (when I could understand them). How cool to get, essentially, a long-form interview, where he’s not promoting an album and we’re not getting the same sound bytes. Louis is wonderfully open and vulnerable, and the story of his life (heh) is inherently compelling. The cinematography is beautiful. The behind-the-scenes are delightful and delicious. I can’t wait for the AOTV gif sets once we have it in high-def.

But it has some plot holes as wide and deep as the ones in Don’t Worry Darling.

First, there’s the confusing (to the uninformed) absence of a love interest. Louis is asexual, as far as the film goes. There’s not even a ghost of Eleanor, with whom he’s cumulatively spent a decade and who is supposed to have inspired so many great love songs and with whom he is supposed to have survived a pandemic. Props to E for living her best life now: going to see Scream on AOTV opening day, enjoying full custody of the pups, publicly supporting her assumed partner — sorry you got Kiki Layned from the film, but I’m guessing you weren’t even written into the script. (It’s not like the film was conveniently re-edited in the months since their break-up. Her stunt tapering was intentional.)

Then there’s the glaring absence of a baby mama (thank god; that family would have been even more insufferable). We’re cruising along for 45 minutes or so and then, wham, Dad!Louis enters the chat with a fully formed 6-year-old child. The kid just magically appears with no backstory — just like in real life ... twice (the first time with the pregnancy announcement and the second time with the revival of Dad!Louis after several years of dormancy, right in time for documentary filming. Just like Harry stunted with his co-star during filming and production, Louis stunted with his.)

The kid is cute, and faultless in this. The scenes are objectively sweet (as they were designed to be). But Louis, who normally keeps things very close to the vest, is all of a sudden an emotional spigot you can’t turn off when it comes to these scenes. It seems quite out of character. Which brings back to mind that this Louis *is* a character. The Freddie scenes just didn’t seem to have a point in the plot other than: Louis is a dad. And that role isn’t integral to the film’s story.

He’s incredibly emotional with Freddie, but the movie doesn’t tell us why. The storytelling gets lazy here. The lad/dad plot seems wedged in. The movie would be perfectly complete without it. I felt like it could have been integrated a few different ways: Louis experienced tragedy after tragedy after tragedy — loses 1D, loses his mum, loses his sister ... and then impending fatherhood either becomes another trial he must reluctantly face (in the surprise pregnancy narrative) or it helps him navigate the grief of losing his sole parent, his closest confidante. OR, Louis, not wanting to be like the absentee father he had, shows up for his own oopsie baby despite the unexpected circumstances. But there’s no exposition or rising action. No footage or photos from the first few years of the kid’s life that we haven’t already seen. Just an immaculate conception.

I think the most compelling narratives of the film are these:

Louis’ overcoming adversity after adversity after adversity. Holy hell. I lived through 1D ending, through the devastating news about Jay (god, I remember the shock and sadness of that day — it was incomprehensible), through the heartbreaking news about Fizzy, and then when you think Louis is gonna get his moment of victory with his first solo world tour, coronavirus pulls the rug out. (That sequence was well done: where we keep seeing the dates get closer and closer to March 2020, and we all know the villain that’s coming, but it’s still such a blow.) I lived through all that in real time, but seeing it in such a concentrated sequence really highlights the shit he’s been dealt, and hearing him open up about so much of it ... that’s the character development relevant to the film’s denouement. And getting to see Louis get what he deserves, finally, and hearing him acknowledge that he deserves it, was a lovely ending.

Louis’ journey to find his footing and his confidence as a solo artist after unfathomable success as part of a group. But, in a sort of plot twist, he’s not really solo, is he? The film gives a lovely introduction to his band now — and in their own words, reveals that they’re not just a backing band, they’re a *band* band. Louis has let them in. He’s forged a new brotherhood. *That*, for me, was the heartwarming story. I loved those scenes, loved seeing Louis in his element, which is in a collective, where he is both king and jester at the same time. (Or perhaps Oli’s the jester. Thank fuck for him, man. Oli is the standout. The breakthrough performance. The comic relief. I want a spinoff series.) It’s easy to miss 1D and glorify those short years and think nothing will ever top it, but Charlie’s storytelling of the LT Band is remarkable. We’re left looking forward, not back.

I know Louis’ dedication to his fans and his fans’ dedication to him is a huge focus, but I don’t really enjoy watching commentaries on fandoms I’m a part of. I’m living it. I don’t need outsider context. And in a fandom as fractured as Louis’ (and 1D’s) there’s not a universal experience. The film depicts dedication as sleeping on streets for rail, hopping from country to country and draining bank accounts — because that’s the kind of “superfandom” that gets easily turned into a marketable freak show. Show me the documentary on the fans who organize the light projects, who run the fashion accounts, who curate livestream sources on show nights, who have turned giffing into an art and science, who help promote Louis in the absence of a competent marketing team, etc., etc. I also thought the interview with the American(?) girls talking about LATAM shows was shortsighted. And showing the rainbow factions but not addressing them? What a missed opportunity to talk about songs like Only the Brave becoming a queer anthem. Straight artists can have gay fans, you know.

But the film doesn’t make the kid relevant to any of those storylines. He could have been worked into the first, but wasn’t. It was like a standalone narrative, with footage from a narrow set of days. I was at both those L.A. shows. The energy was so different from night 1 to 2. And in retrospect it’s clear Louis was performing the first night so Charlie could get the right shots. More like a choreographed play than a rock concert. It makes sense now why the Clarks weren’t in the VIP box with Freddie — couldn’t have them cluttering the frame or distracting the actors. Just, everything about the Freddie scenes is heavy-handed. Make a sign for your dad! Draw his logo in the sand! Fly a kite at sunset! He’s the spitting image of Louis! (Len does all the heavy lifting.) And all the maneuvering it had to take to get all those shots from the L.A. show?! In the VIP box from behind (and from the front, and when he just happens to be mouthing along to Two Of Us), side stage watching Louis end the show, on-stage watching Louis approach Freddie after the show, on-stage catching the moment Louis gives the lad a shout-out ... Charlie had a shot list. But sure, nothing was set up, it was totally organic.

I’m still unsettled by how heavily Charlie laid it on at the first premiere press conference — *he* was the one to bring up the kid, and was weirdly emphatic that nothing was staged, nothing was forced. It had the same energy of the “It’s. Not. Real” thrown baby doll moment, only it’s Charlie insisting that It. Is. Real. Thou dost protest too much, me thinks.

And of course, the lack of interaction between Louis and Harry remains, as ever, the biggest tell. We get poignant post-1D Nouis and Lilo moments in the film, but no Larry. We’re spoon-fed these Very Emotional Moments between father and son (“love you,” “Darling,” mouth kisses), when the real story, the real emotion, the real connection is in just a few seconds of furtive glances between Harry and Louis in the backstage footage of the last 1D performance. Christ, the way Harry’s eyes bore into Louis — chin tilted down, eyes glancing up from beneath a furrowed brow, lips tight, disguising his attentiveness with a hair flip ... they mastered so many forms of silent communication. The quiet call and response, the depths of love and care and concern and protection contained in micro-expressions. Fuck, give me 90 minutes of that. Just a silent film of Louis and Harry looking at each other.

Anyway. Sorry this sounds so grumpy. I did really love most of the movie. But I haven’t made sense of why this film was made. I don’t know its purpose. Maybe the introspection forced by the pandemic lockdown is to credit for this glut of music docs (“docs”) lately. Maybe nine minutes frees him up for nine more months or nine more years. I dunno. He obviously wanted this story told in this way.

Seeing a movie requires the willing suspension of disbelief. You have to ignore critical thinking in order to enjoy the story you’re being told. You tune out your knowledge that everything is fake for the sake of being entertained. We know that Superman can’t actually fly, but we still buy tickets to the cinema. But, a documentary shouldn’t require us to employ this semi-conscious perceiving mode. Yet here we are. I’m just not sure how much more or how much longer we can suspend our disbelief to enjoy fandom.

#larry #louis #louis tomlinson #all of those voices #aotv #stunts #babygate #bbg #spoilers #aotv spoilers #limerick-lt #march 22 #2023

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five-rivers · 5 months ago

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A continuation of my pollfic! Last entry here.

If there was someone under the shelves Danny had knocked over, Danny couldn’t leave them there. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself. Or half-live with himself. Whatever. Stupid reflexive death joke.

Missing most of his height, he didn’t have the leverage he usually would, but in human form he could phase his arms right through the books and shelves before pulling them up and tossing them to the side with his relatively meager human strength. Unfortunately, this made a lot of noise. Not from things he was touching, or things he was throwing, but from things those things bumped into.

The light was getting closer, brighter. He didn’t have a lot of time.

He worked in the direction he’d heard the first sounds, ghost half thrumming under his skin. He wanted to be in ghost form, he wanted to be ready to fight. He didn’t like facing such a large, unknown group in human form. Oh, sure, he’d done similar things before, when there was need for it, like when Youngblood and Ember had kidnapped all the adults and stolen the ghost shield generator, but there were substantial differences between that and this.

“Danny? Danny? What is he doing?”

He didn’t have time to explain. Finger spelling wasn’t an efficient method of communication.

The light was like a spotlight. He wasn’t looking. He wasn’t looking.

He flipped over another shelf, revealing the thin, tailed ghost with large feathered wings that Danny had seen in the copyists’ room when he’d first come in. He looked harried, and his bag was torn, but he was otherwise intact.

“What is wrong with you?” he hissed. “Do you–”

Danny tried to put his hand over the ghost’s mouth, but it was too small to be an effective muffle. However, it did make the ghost pause long enough to actually look at Danny.

A thin smile stretched out over his thin face. “You’ve attracted their attention, haven’t you? The quiet ones. Finally.”

The ghost loomed over Danny, and Danny saw that the torn bag contained stacks of spent visitor badges, the ink on them faded, but still visible. They had notes written on them in shiny black ink.

“I’ve been researching them forever, coming back down here again and again.” He looked up, eyes wild and reflective under the light, and his long-fingered hand came down on Danny’s shoulder. “You’re trying to run, aren’t you? Can’t have that, I need to see an actual transformation - don’t worry, you’ll be able to spend as much time in the library as you want, after.”

Oh, heck, this guy was nuts. Nuts, and bad at guessing Obsessions. Not that being nuts was particularly unusual for ghosts, but in this case, it was particularly inconvenient.

Danny swiped at the ghost’s face with an ecto-charged hand and phased out of his grip. Judging by the brightness, he had only seconds before the quiet ones got here.

“Wait! Don’t go! I can already see why they like you, you’ll be so small, so soft–”

For Danny, that wasn’t exactly a recommendation. He dove into the triangular space between a fallen bookshelf and a wall, and shimmied sideways until the gap let back out into the more usual maze of shelves, and then he ran, his footfalls mute against the stone and tile floor.

“He was here!” he heard the thin ghost shout, his voice growing fainter as Danny moved further away. “Over here! Please, please come back! I need to see!”

Jerk.

“That was awful of him!” shouted Dad, suddenly, making Danny wince at the volume. “I can’t believe he did that after you dug him out!”

Danny shrugged, hoping they’d pick up on the motion even if they wouldn’t be able to directly see it. Although, with how he was moving it would probably be difficult… Either way, it wasn’t the first time someone he’d helped had backstabbed him, and it wouldn’t be the last. And Danny had dropped those bookshelves on him in the first place, so…

“It’s too bad you can’t change again,” said Dad, after another minute went by. “That trick of going up through the ceiling bought you a lot of time, even if, um, you know.”

Danny grimaced. He could transform. It was just that he didn’t want to attract the quiet ones. He wasn’t sure he could outfly them like that again. They were close. And if Danny read the movements of the light right, many had taken to the air and were searching from above.

No, it would be best if he stayed like this,

“I’m trying to find another way up,” said Mom. “I’m assuming you can’t change for some reason - your hands still look human - so I’m trying to find other ways up.” She sighed, the sound staticy in Danny’s ear. “If we had our other equipment, this would be so much easier.”

Maybe. But Danny’s new size was making even this equipment unwieldy. He adjusted a camera slightly. Until they gave him a heading, he’d just focus on moving away from the light.

Although… In most other buildings Danny had been in, stairs that led down and stairs that led up were closely placed to one another. The stairs might very well be in the opposite direction from where he was going.

He made a face. Was his moth-ified brain just making up reasons to go back to the light? Or was that legitimate reasoning? He couldn’t tell.

“I’m getting some readings… but they look like they’re from back where all the other ghosts are,” said Mom. There was a tiny click from one of the smaller cameras pinned to Danny’s shirt. “Even with the filters to take out inanimate objects…”

“I thought those were still buggy.”

“They are.”

Danny licked his lips and looked back over his shoulder. He’d gotten far enough away that the light was not so bright as it had been, but it was still there. It was still… pressing. Arresting, even.

#danny phantom #pollfic #poll fic #kingdom of fish #choose your own adventure

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hsvh-hp · 9 months ago

Note

what drarry fics would you recommend that are very in character?

Before I get into it, I’d just like to say that I started working on a fic rec sideblog last month. The posting schedule doesn’t kick in until April, so it’s blank at the moment. But, it’s there, if you’re interested in giving it a follow!

Anyway, two caveats about this: one, I read a lot of drarry fic and have a bit of a poor memory, and two, I'm not certain that what I consider in-character to be the majority consensus of the drarry fandom (for example, I don't like down and out Draco, soft Draco, Draco hating either of his parents, or Harry being overly judgmental or unforgiving (though that's not to say I haven't read those tropes and enjoyed them)).

In general, any fics from my ao3 bookmarks will meet my bar on being in-character, since I tend to hit the back button if I start asking myself, 'who are these people?'. I took a cruise through my bookmarks in spirit of the ask though, and I'll post a list below the cut of fics that stick out in my memory as having some of my favourite characterizations:

Twelve Months by dysonrules (14,840 words)

Hermione buys Harry a journal and he ends up using it to record his DEEP THOUGHTS. Not surprisingly, those tend to mostly involve Draco Malfoy.

This one cracked me up. Since it's written in journal form, we get Harry's running internal monologue about his life. And a lot of Draco, because of course we do. I also always enjoy a Draco who actually is up to something, but it’s for a good cause.

The Gentlewizard Club by Sophie_French (28,129 words)

Draco wants what Draco wants. And if he has to snuggle up to Harry to get it, well, surely, Draco can handle that. Problem is, not sure Harry can.

This fic starts with Draco and Harry as both friends and Auror partners. As friends, the high point of every day for Draco is when he gets to read (oft-times aloud, and dramatically so) Harry's fan mail as it's delivered to their office. As Auror partners, Draco is barred in writing their field reports because he sucks at it. He's very happy to put that work onto Harry, and Harry is happy to do it (because he's pining hard, okay?).

That Draco and Harry are Auror partners isn't actually important in this fic (although the sequel has a case that they tackle). Harry gets a letter about having been admitted into a club that Draco really, really, really wants to join, and he begs Harry to sponsor his admittance. Harry can't say no to him, therefore, commence operation fake relationship for a weekend getaway. I love the balance in Harry trying to give Draco what he wants while fearing that what he wants will only hurt him.

Martyred by dothechachaslide (82,004 words)

Harry Potter only wants one thing: to take care of the people he loves. After Teddy’s abrupt departure from his role as Andromeda’s caretaker, Harry decides it’s finally time to step up and handle the job himself. Castoff Manor, an old Black family estate, has never seemed as sinister as the stories make it sound, but it’s there that Harry stumbles upon ghosts, haunting family secrets, and a familiar, snarky blond gardener hell-bent on chasing him out. Maybe if Harry sticks around long enough, he’ll finally learn why all of Andromeda’s previous caretakers have fled without looking back.

Harry and Draco are in their fifties, in this fic. The summary about sums up Harry's characterization: he takes care of the people he loves, and a mystery at hand draws him obsessively in. As for Draco, I would consider him post-redemption. He took the consequences handed down to him after the war seriously, and has grown so used to the Muggle world that he lives there as comfortably as the magical world. He tends the garden at Castoff Manor to prevent anyone else being harmed in the role (part of the fic's mystery), and tutors Squibs in the nearby village.

One small detail that I love about Draco is how every time he gets uncomfortable, he hops on his bike and runs away. It's one of those things that, despite the rather far-flung future from the canon years, it's so absolutely in-character across time and space for him. He's changed so much, but there's still this degree of pettiness and cowardice deep down inside. It's just expressed in a less harmful way than it used to be.

Lethe by QueenieJinny (70,885 words)

A new form of vanishing sickness is sweeping across Britain. Healers Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are on the case. When Draco Malfoy is admitted to the isolation ward, Harry never imagines falling in love with him will be the easiest thing he’s ever done – and watching him fade away to nothing will be the hardest.

Like above, Harry again takes care of the people he loves and cannot resist a mystery to solve. He's a Healer in this fic, a line of work that suits him well for his compassion, and Draco ends up his patient. Draco is on the difficult end of the spectrum as far as patients go (are you surprised?). Watching their Healer-patient power dynamic swing toward equilibrium is wonderful. They fall in love, Draco comes to terms with his (temporary) mortality, and Harry goes as far as he possibly can for Draco after he's gone: finding a way to rescue him from where the vanishing sickness took him.

Draco Malfoy, Bloodsucking Fiend by Kbrick (23,198 words)

There are two things that Draco’s Auror partner, Harry Potter, must never know about him. One is that he’s a vampire. The other is that he’s been completely, pathetically, head-over-heels in love with Harry for years. But when the duo is trapped inside an old shop on Diagon Alley with no means of escape, Draco finds himself fiending for blood and unable to put even a modicum of distance between himself and the man he can’t stop lusting after.

There are 3 of Kbrick's fics on this list, and I could have honestly added more. All of her fics that I haven't gotten to yet are on my to-read list. I just love the way she writes Draco and Harry, okay?? I'm a big baby when it comes to angst and hurt/comfort (more on that further down), but I absolutely trust her to put the boys in a blender on the highest setting that I can personally handle.

Anyway, this fic in particular, I'm all about that pining and the feeling of a countdown being on. Draco is resisting on two fronts: his feelings for Harry and his need as a vampire to feed. Harry is perfectly balanced in his obliviousness and perception.

You See Through My Disguise by aibidil (9,666 words)

Bellatrix's knife flew across the room, but Harry leaped, pushing Dobby and Griphook to safety but stranding himself at Malfoy Manor. Now he and Draco are locked in the cellar with Wormtail's corpse and a rat, waiting for Voldemort to return and decide their fate.

The premise is on the tin. As for their characterizations, Harry and Draco are on a countdown to sort themselves out enough to make an escape from the dungeon at Malfoy Manor during the war. They can't help but poke at each other, so the fic is a compelling balance of ego and necessity.

Criminal by The_Sinking_Ship (83,497 words)

Things were going just fine for Draco Malfoy. He successfully conned and counted cards across Europe and America, amassing a small fortune, along with a lengthy rap sheet. That was until he made the grave mistake of returning to England for a high stakes card game and got himself caught – by Harry Potter no less. Now, Draco is stuck in England under Auror Potter’s guard with no friends, no distractions, and no escape. How the hell will he pass the time? And since when did Potter get so bloody fit?

I'd had this fic on my to-read list for ages before seeing it on a rec list for morally grey Draco. That's my favourite kind of Draco, so I decided to jump this one to the top. Also, like I said about Kbrick above, The_Sinking_Ship is another writer with whom I've either enjoyed everything I've read (recs within recs: Never Mind the Bullocks, Dwelling on Dreams, and Chasing Dragons) or I've simply yet to get to the rest of their work.

For this fic specifically, Draco's done the best he can with the shit situation his life was in post-war, and he's a lion in a cage when he gets legally stuck in England. He and Harry meet for check-ins, and the chemistry goes from there. Draco has some self-harm tendencies, and his want for Harry ends up (temporarily) going that way for him. Harry's in a rut in his life as an Auror. I love fics where he goes into the force and then becomes disillusioned with it. That feels very in-character for Harry, to me.

AITA for being "obsessed" with my childhood nemesis? by RainstormRadish (4,289 words)

Alrakis I [24M] attended a small boarding school in the UK. There was a boy in my year, a couple of months younger than me, and he became my nemesis after we developed an intense rivalry. My friend [25F] told me recently that our dynamic was "weird back then" and that "it’s even weirder" that I still think about him today. She argued that I talk about him all the time, but I believe the amount I talk about him is reasonable. AITA? prongymcprongface i completely get what you mean. i had a nemesis (like a school one, separate to my other nemesis) and we had a dynamic super similar to what you are describing. having a nemesis is a very cool and normal thing dw about it. NTA In which Draco asks the internet if he's being reasonable. Only one commenter is sympathetic. They start talking.

Draco and Harry cross paths on Reddit. Everyone else in the AITA thread thinks Draco (the OP) is absolutely nuts for his 'nemesis' situation. Except one, because of course that one person had a similar situation and it was totally normal, don't worry about it. I'm aware I basically just repeated the summary, but it says it all, really!

Rookie Moves by peu_a_peu (75,328 words)

Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.

More Auror partners with a Draco that is unhinged. Tbh, I am very fussy on Auror Draco fics. I don't see Draco as someone to subject himself to much pain and suffering (like in fics where it's emphasized that he was subject to much bullying/pranks/etc during training, and he persevered regardless). He's too hedonistic, and I don't particularly think that the war would have warmed him to the Ministry or the means it possesses of authoritarian force. Fool me once, and all that.

In this fic, each chapter covers a job or case that Draco and Harry embark upon. It's meant to be funny, and holy shit is it ever. These two are such dumb cops. Even with the genre shift from serious to goofy, they get the work done. It's been long enough now since I read it that I can't remember specifically, but I feel that sometimes Draco and Harry being disasters helped them solve their cases. The other fics in the series Rookie Moves belongs to are 100% reading through as well. I cried happy tears in the end.

Timeshare by astolat (14,156 words)

“It’s not for long,” Hermione said. “By the time we get back to Hogwarts, the Unfettering Brew will be ready.” “Listen to you!” Ron said. “He’s got to get through a month with the Dursleys and a month at Malfoy Manor. With Draco Malfoy.” “Yeah, thanks,” Harry said, because he hadn’t just spent the last week contemplating just how much more horrible his summer holidays were about to be than they’d ever been before.

This fic has wonderful fuck/fight dynamics between the boys. I also like fics where the writer isn't afraid to let Draco be flawed with bigotry. Things like that he cannot fathom 'Potter's Muggles' talking to him and that he whinges the entire month he's at the Dursleys' house that it's too small, and the food isn't up to par, etc. As for Harry, he wants Draco despite all this, as well as despite how uncomfortable his month at the manor with Lucius and Narcissa is. I love when Harry is allowed to be flawed in that way.

Hey, Potter by SunseticMonster (16,024 words)

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 8th year, determined not to let Malfoy get to him. But when the snarky teasing starts up again, Harry finds that returning the jibes with compliments has a far more interesting outcome.

This fic explores something that I've always headcanoned about how Draco and Harry got along throughout the canon books. We never see them have a single good or even neutral interaction (rather than Draco's part in their Madam Malkin's meet). They're always going at each other with their claws and teeth out, taking everything the other does in the most bad-faith interpretation. So, what happens when Harry starts killing Draco with kindness? I personally believe that if Harry did as such in the canon books, he would have very easily won Draco over.

Lumos by birdsofshore (41,476 words)

Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.

I love eighth-year fics where Draco doesn't return to Hogwarts with his chin down and shoulders hunched. It doesn't feel in-character to me; he'd feel just as free as anyone else post-war, and I can't see him even hiding his relief and happiness for it to be over for the sensibilities of the other survivors. On top of that, Draco coming back to Hogwarts and immediately pushing Harry's buttons? 100% him. Harry playing into it every time? Also 100%.

A Convenient Impracticality by firethesound (38,540 words)

Somehow Harry ends up agreeing to a fake relationship with his ex-nemesis-turned-friendly-acquaintance-with-benefits, except for some reason it involves an awful lot of actual dating and, sadly, not much sex. Confused? Harry is too, but when has anything with Draco Malfoy ever been as straightforward as it seems?

More fake relationships! Harry and Draco fucking but not being sure what they are or what the other feels in return is so my jam. I can see both of them being attracted enough to each other to land in bed together, but the intimacy is more hard-earned because of their history. It's all the more satisfying once they figure it out.

Who we are in the shadows by Quicksilvermaid (99,714 words)

What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

I wrote up above about loving a Draco who's up to something, and it's for a good cause. This fic takes that notion and turns it up to like, 15 at minimum. Draco's an investigative journalist, and he's going after some very dangerous people. He needs muscle, enter security agent Harry who's still adjusting to life as a werewolf. Harry tags along out of (hired) necessity on Draco's job, and they are a team not to be reckoned with. On top of their chemistry, this fic left me gasping for breath. Folks who've read it before will know what I mean when I say my heart was pounding out of my chest during the tunnel scene.

Star Quality by who_la_hoop (118,607 words)

Two years after the war, and Harry’s content with his life. OK, so it’s a little annoying that he keeps winning Witch Weekly’s Most Eligible Bachelor award, and he’s really not looking forward to the unveiling of an enormous gold statue of himself, but he loves his friends, and he loves being an Auror. And if he yearns for something more, something he can barely bring himself to think about, well, he’ll probably get over it. No one’s happy all the time, are they? But then everything changes, and Harry’s thrown into a new and dazzling world he’s not sure he can actually escape from. And as time goes on, he starts to wonder: does he actually want to?

Draco and Harry end up in such a wonderfully ridiculous situation in this fic. Harry wakes up in an alternate (Muggle) universe where Draco is a pop star. The Draco of his universe has come along with him, and he's a total shit about helping Harry get them back home. Harry's grumpy, Draco's having a blast. It's fun. It's them.

The Day Before the Wedding by Kbrick (39,419 words)

Harry's getting married to Ginny tomorrow. The problem is that he can't seem to get beyond today.

Time loops and Kbrick, my beloved (Turning Leaves is another excellent fic of hers with this trope). The summary says it all for the premise. Like Star Quality above, Draco is 'in the know' with Harry (though he doesn't tell Harry right away lmao). Harry makes some Realizations in the time loop. Seeing as it's a Drarry fic and Harry was meant to get married to Ginny, I'm sure it's quite plain as to what that might be.

Bad Habits by No_One_Special_01289 (70,509 words)

Circles can be tiring. They have no end. But sometimes, the path is set for a reason, as anything outside the circle is even worse than what's within. Harry is running in circles with Draco Malfoy, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't escape.

Another fuck/fight kind of Drarry fic. This one takes place through OOTP, HBP, and DH canon, as if Draco and Harry had a secret sexual relationship throughout. I love how they come together like two accelerated particles, only to scatter to lick their wounds or attempt to process just what the hell is going on. It has the explosiveness that I love to see in Hogwarts-era Drarry fics when the war is on and they remain on opposing sides through to the end of it.

Dwelling by aideomai (83,382 words)

Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it's not called the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean you shouldn't know better.

Listen: I bawled. I'm going to try to say this without spoiling the big twist. The fic nails how Harry and Draco tick together twice. Whether it's in a No Voldemort AU or a canon post-war era, these two cannot stay away from each other. I love the solution Harry and Draco reach at the end of the fic - the only way they can fathom any sort of resolution for what happened to them, despite how turbulent their waters remain.

Lovesick by corvuscrowned (7,688 words)

People keep spiking Auror Harry Potter with love potions. Healer Draco Malfoy keeps having to pick up the pieces. But it's getting harder and harder for Draco to watch Harry fall in love with everyone except for him.

corvuscrowned is another writer I put in the same category as Kbrick and The_Sinking_Ship. I've either read their fics and loved them, or just haven't got to the rest yet. What can I say? I love a slow burn. For more excellent fics from corvuscrowned, I will also humbly offer Loverboys (their first fic I read, which blew me away) and Seeker's High for your future reading consideration.

For this fic, the premise is on the tin, and crow executes it perfectly for characterization. I love their Harry in general, how he has his own complexes and the Harry POV isn't just Harry witnessing Draco's character. This fic is Draco POV, and Harry under a love potion is great. So is Draco's pining. They're perfect.

The Matchmaker's Spell by Kbrick (20,859 words)

Thanks to a spell cast over all of wizarding Britain, Draco is forced to marry Harry Potter, who still hates him. But Draco refuses to live a cold, sexless existence, choosing to fill the emptiness in his life and his bed with a parade of lovers. And while Harry may not be able to stand Draco, he despises seeing him with anyone else.

Remember earlier when I said that I trust Kbrick to put the boys in a blender at the exact intensity I could personally handle? This fic is right on the precipice of that. It's so angsty and dark. Draco and Harry are forced to marry, and their journey is so turbulent. Draco cuckolds Harry to push his buttons, and at one point their marriage goes well for a little while before shit happens and they're back on the rocks. They almost had it! We saw a glimpse of their potential!! Also, Draco's lovers keep mysteriously dying? That's sure weird and coincidental. The last scene in the fic made me gasp out loud.

Salt on the Western Wind by Saras_Girl (60,549 words)

When the war isn’t quite as over as it first appears, a guilt-ridden Harry is sent to a mysterious safe-house. Among sandwiches, insomnia, and Mills & Boon, he discovers something quite unexpected.

This fic starts up right after the Battle of Hogwarts, where Narcissa demands the trio take Draco into forced hiding with them. This leads to Draco and Harry being accidentally bonded. Oops! I don't think I have to make the case for how well Saras_Girl characterizes the boys, but I think this one is my favourite so far of the ones I've read (also, obligatory Turn and All Life is Yours to Miss mentions here).

Recalibrate by Saras_Girl (20,921 words)

Sometimes, you need to step back and think about things from a new perspective. Other times, you’ve just got to open your eyes to what you needed all along.

Yay, more eighth year! I read this one a looong time ago, but I still remember reading this and thinking 'oh, this is so them' at so many points. I am overdue for a reread.

Actually, that's probably true of all of these, lol. I should reread them and give them their own post/shower of love on that rec blog I mentioned.

This list took a couple days to compile. I could never make a wholly comprehensive one, but I believe I answered your question, anon. 🤪

#drarry #fic rec #anon ask #ask

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sunnysam-my · 8 months ago

Text

Yesterday I couldn't sleep after seeing Dune in theatre so I made a Danny Phantom rewrite in my head. I always wanted the show to be deeper and more mature, you know, serious issues, learning how to navigate unwelcoming world and all that stuff. I ended up making it more angst lol. I already wrote most of first chapter but I'm super curious what would you change :>

So here's what I'm thinking:

Ghosts are "unfinished business" merged with plasma, intention so strong it lingers after death. When it meets ectoplasm, it changes into the shape of the intention + the owner of it. They're animated ectoplasm with a single goal: an obsession. The longer they exist, the less human they are.

Danny’s obsession is fixing, due to the fact he died trying to fix the portal to try to fix his family. He was unstable at first, lacking purpose, but once he realized he wants to fix his mistake and protect Amity, it stabilized him.

Danny accidentally opens the portal, and now it can’t be closed, since the off button is behind the portal. The ghost comes to the living world and Danny thinks it’s his fault. He feels the need to fix it.

Right after opening the portal he can't control his anger and fear as a ghost so he runs away to the forest and is found 5 days later.

Ghost don't belong in living world, just like humans in ghost, so they need to recharge in Ghost zone. Because Danny’s only a half ghost he just needs to be close the portal. If ghost consume their power entirely, they disappear, half ghost change back to human form, unless they force themselves/are forced to stay in ghost form.

Danny’s room is located above the portal, thanks to that he recharges while sleeping. + The room is space themed, because he loves space.

After the accident, he gets a bit paler than he was before. His pulse and body temperature are below normal.

There’s a Lichtenberg scar covering the right side of his body from the accident, going from his shoulder over his back, neck, and knee. It wraps behind the ear on his forehead, only delicately visible, but Danny covers it with his hair. He gets called Harry Potter puns, like closet boy, because of that.

His fangs are sharper and more prominent, even in human form.

At first he has problems controlling his strength, for example he bit a glass and shattered it by accident, because he was zoning out.

Accident triggered Danny's joint problems as well as injured his right knee. He suffers chronic pain, a headache disorder and mild cognitive impairments in memory, attention, and mood regulation. He had multiple physically aggressive outbursts since the injury, but he never hurt anyone.

Danny is mathematically “gifted”, Tucker technologically and Sam literary. That’s why people pick on them. From an outsider's point of view, they have it easier. After the accident, Danny is acknowledged as disabled, but he "doesn't look like he really is". They are different, and school achievements comes easy to them. Their parents are pretty neglectful, so they can do whatever they want. People get jealous.

Due to being a ghost you can't stare at Phantom too long, your brain will struggle to comprehend what it's seeing. The longer you spend with a ghost, the easier it is to see them. All ghosts are like that.

Ghost can finish their unfinished business and disappear.

I have many more ideas, but that's all I'm going say for now :>

So, what would you want to see in a rewrite?

#danny fenton #danny phantom #danny phantom rewrite #rewrite #disabled Danny #fanfiction #fanfic #phandom

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friendly-books · 5 months ago

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Bi Harry moments

All Bi Harry moments I could find

Storm Front

“A man of handsome and unassuming features” pg. 45 Bi Harry 1 (Harry describing Marcone)

“Good looking, tanned, athletic, and enthusiastic” pg. 46 Bi Harry 2 (Harry describing Marcone)

Fool’s Moon

“Middle-aged, starkly handsome man” pg. 145 Bi Harry counter 3

“Good-looking detective” pg. 231 Bi Harry counter 4

“A man in his mature prime, his hair immaculately graying at the temples, his custom-made suit displaying a body kept fit in spite of the advancing years” pg. 293 Bi Harry 5 (Harry describing Marcone)

“Marcone looked good in his gray suit and perfect hair and his manicured hands, but he wasn’t” pg. 295 Bi Harry 6 (Harry describing Marcone)

Grave Peril

“Rudy’s clean cut good looks” pg. 126 Bi Harry 7 (Harry describing Rudolph)

“Hell’s bells, I noticed how good he looked” pg. 290 Bi Harry 8

“The handsome vampire” pg. 440 Bi Harry 9 (Harry describing Thomas)

Summer Knight

“Complemented his smile” pg. 490 Bi Harry 10

Death Mask

“Rudy was young, good looking, clean-cut” pg. 231 Bi Harry 11 (Harry describing Rudolph)

“He had a male model’s face” pg. 241 Bi Harry 12 (Harry describing Thomas)

“He had handsome but unremarkable features” pg. 264 Bi Harry 13

“He pulled in, dressed in casual clothes and wearing a baseball cap, which alone generated enough cognitive dissonance to make me start dropping” pg. 481 Bi Harry 14 (Harry describing Marcone)

Blood Rites

“He was tall and built like a statue of Hercules” pg. 86 Bi Harry 15

“His face didn’t match the Olympian body” pg. 86 Bi Harry 16

“Thomas writhed sinuously” pg. 201 Bi Harry 17 (Harry describing Thomas)

“He was better looking than Thomas” pg. 218 Bi Harry 18

“He didn’t have Thomas beat when it came to smiles. Thomas’s grin had so much life to it was practically sentient” pg. 222 Bi Harry 19

Dead Beat

“Thomas looked like someone’s painting of a forgotten Greek god of body cologne” pg. 18 Bi Harry 20 (Harry describing Thomas)

“He looked handsome and wholesome” pg. 274 Bi Harry 21 (Harry describing Marcone)

“Because Thomas is too pretty die. And because I’m too stubborn.” “And polka will never die” pg. 331 Ha and Bi Harry 22 (Harry describing Thomas)

Proven Guilty

“All lean muscle, sculpted and well formed” pg. 58 Bi Harry 23

“Crane was a surprisingly good-looking man” pg. 252 Bi Harry 24

“He turned that dazzling smile on Murph” pg. 256 Bi Harry 25

“As tall and dark and handsome as you please” pg. 341 Bi Harry 26

“Slim, dark-haired, pale, and handsome” pg. 289 Bi Harry 27

“He wasn’t wearing a business suit. He had on jeans and a black leather jacket. His hair was longish, a little mussed and he also sported a stubble of a beard that gave him a rakish look that would attract attention from the girls who fantasized about indulging with a bad boy” pg. 393 Bi Harry 28 (Harry describing Marcone)

Small Favor

“He had a good voice, mellow and surprisingly deep” pg. 361 Bi Harry 29 (Harry describing Nick)

“He was a man of medium height and build, his features handsome, strong, his eyes dark and intelligent.” pg. 363 Bi Harry 30 (Harry describing Nick)

“Nicodemus let out another quiet, charming laugh.” pg. 365 Bi Harry 31 (Harry describing Nick)

“Michael had some serious pecs.” pg. 423 Bi Harry 32 (Harry describing Micheal)

“Never mind Michael’s pecs. Sanya made us both look like we needed to eat more wheat germ” pg. 424 Bi Harry 33 (Harry describing Sanya)

Turn Coat

N/A

Changes

N/A

Ghost Story

“Sanya said, his dark, handsome face lighting up with a white grin.” pg. 679 Bi Harry moment 34 (Harry describing Sanya)

Cold Days

N/A

Skin Game

“That voice had once been smooth and flowing, but now there was a hint of rasp to it, a roughness that wasn’t there before, like silk gliding over old gravel. pg. 30 Bi Harry moment 35 (Harry describing Nick)

“His features were clean-cut, pleasant, without being handsome.” pg. 166 Bi Harry 36

“There might have been slightly more silver at his temples than last time I’d seen him, but it only made him look more distinguished. Otherwise, he looked exactly as he did: calm, alert, impeccably groomed, and as merciful as a lawn mower’s blade.” pg. 665 Bi Harry 37 (Harry describing Marcone)

“Marcone’s eyes, the exact green shade of old dollar bills, focused pleasantly on me.” pg. 666 Bi Harry 38 (Harry describing Marcone)

AAAA Wizardly

“He was a good-looking man” pg. 151 Bi Harry 39

Curses

“ruggedly handsome” pg. 211 Bi Harry 40

“Gwynn ap Nupp’s handsome face broke into a smile” pg. 223 Bi Harry 41

Jury Duty

“He held up a glossy professional headshot of a handsome man in his thirties and showed it to us.” pg. 520 Bi Harry 42

#the dresden files #harry dresden #john marcone #wizardbaron #harry dresden is bi

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hawkogurl · 4 months ago

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Hi! 😊 I saw you post something saying it was clear to you that raimi harry Osborn was schizophrenic do you think you could please explain that a bit? (If you've already made a post about it and I've just missed it I apologise) Have a nice day!

Probably won’t be the best worded so I’ll be happy to elaborate further. Also feel compelled to state that I probably view that constitutes canon pretty differently than most people. What I mean by the idea that Harry having some sort of psychotic disorder in the raimiverse is at least semi-canon is generally pretty complicated so bear with me.

A lot of what has brought me to this conclusion is pretty doylist. It’s not a plot hole that Harry’s hallucinating in the second movie, the way the first two movies are written in this regard before Sony decided to fuck with things in the third is too deliberate. Raimi’s history as a horror directors shows in a lot of areas, but it never really feels like he’s throwing elements in for the hell of it, whenever something feels horrorish, it’s pretty deliberate. All this to say that Harry’s not hallucinating for the hell of it.

When it comes to specifically raimiverse based interpretation, there’s generally four things I see a lot. The first and in my opinion weakest being the idea that it’s happening as a result of the serum in the nearby hidden room leaking. I understand how this is seen as appealing or interesting, especially in any case where someone might think it doesn’t make sense for Harry not to have developed a goblin persona like Norman had. In the past I’ve gone into how I believe that’s also a pretty deliberate narrative choice, so putting all that aside, I don’t think it makes sense for this to be intended by the creators. From a writing standpoint, if that’s what we were supposed to think, you’d be shown shots to indicate things like that. Additionally, the serum itself is always shown to be stored in a liquid form, only gas when it’s applied to a person, a process that consistently requires quite a bit of machinery. I understand the appeal of the theory, but if I’m looking at what I think is most likely to be the thought in the creators heads, I don’t think this is likely.

I also see it generally get dismissed as ghosts a lot, which also feels strange to me. The only other instance of something happening that could be seen as similarly supernatural would also be in this movie, being the scene where Peter, conflicted about how being Spider-Man effects his life, has a conversation with Ben, who is also dead, in the car from the first movie in the middle of a white void. This scene occurs in an ambiguous white background using imagery from the last conversation Peter had with Ben before he died and also draws on how that conversation has affected Peter’s worldview. This scene ends by cutting to Peter, who’s sitting in bed with his eyes open as he comes to the conclusion he can’t keep being Spider-Man. Because of the framing of it in a space that isn’t recognizable as the normal physical world and the fact we’re shown Peter in the physical world after it, we’re not meant to be taking this scene literally. This scene is a metaphorical expression of Peter’s internal conflict, not a literal event that’s physically happening in any sort of meaningful capacity. It’s a visual expression of a non physical story element. This isn’t all that important for my point, but I find it important to state for later comparison.

This leaves Harry’s interactions with Norman after he’s died as the only remaining event that can be simply explained with the supernatural. That being said, it doesn’t really make internal sense for this to be the case. Though fantastical, every superhuman element of this story has been at least connected to some sort of scientific idea that grounds it in reality, never something more fantastical. The Green Goblin is the result of a performance enhancing drug created for the military. Doc Ock is the result of malfunctioning AI and his most dangerous goals rely on using nuclear fusion to create energy. Sandman was created by the writer’s rather incorrect idea of what a particle accelerator is. Venom is an alien, but still connected pretty blatantly to real life biology ideas of real word symbiotes. It’s all rather fantastical and implausible, but it’s all still connected to real world familiar scientific ideas. To randomly bring the supernatural into it for scenes it could be easily replaced with something else to accomplish the same end results and never elaborating on the idea that apparently ghosts are real would be a really bizarre world building choice.

But going back to the scene with Peter, unlike that this scene is not framed to be metaphorical. It’s happening in the real world right before and after real physical events with Harry and has physical results on the world and the characters. In some capacity, what’s happening here is literal—but I don’t think that means some piece of Norman is physically there. The audience is viewing this alongside Harry and from his perspective, there’s never any other character who’s present for scenes where Harry experiences things like this. The events are literal and intended to be something physically happening, but only from Harry’s perspective. There’s no other set of eyes to establish the reality of this from beyond Harry’s sole perspective.

Among the common theories I see, I probably like the idea that it’s alcohol induced the second most. I don’t really like to demean it because I think it’s very likely that this idea is important to people in the same way it being psychological is important to me. That being said, I don’t know how much I think it holds up to scrutiny. Yes, Harry’s shown to be drinking pretty heavily around this period, but in the moment he first experiences his hallucinations, he’s not shown to be drinking. He at least appears to be somewhat sober. In the second instance, he is shown to drink, but only in the literal seconds before he hallucinates. If this is intended to be the actual cause, the creators would more likely put more emphasis on him drinking in relation to the hallucinations or similar. That being said, I have reasons I think it was kept more vague that I’ll get into.

If I’m looking at what was likely intended, the most likely doylist explanation for why these scenes exist, the idea it’s psychological for him is the only thing that’s going to consistently check out. For one thing, in the comics, Harry is schizophrenic! That’s outright the word used to describe what he has going on, he is diagnosed with schizophrenia. Additionally, in a lot of comics with Harry at the time, he’s hallucinating Norman as an expression of a lot of his internal conflicts, similarly to what we see here. In the comics that Raimi Harry most closely follows the broader beats of, he has persecutory hallucinations of his father as an expression of his internal conflict, hallucinations that target the things that he feels make him weak and drive him towards his worst behaviors while also being specifically schizophrenic. In the raimi trilogy, Harry develops persecutory hallucinations of his father that particularly target the idea that he feels weak and drive him towards his worst behaviors. From that alone, it’s not irrational to conclude that it’s at least something of a reference towards his schizophrenia in the comics.

What’s more, in the novelizations it appears to be rather explicit. While interviews and Reddit AMAs have made it somewhat clear that Peter David, their author, did have quite a bit of freedom, they also made it clear he was still obligated to follow the scripts he was given rather closely and his writing still had to be approved. The novels were primarily only allowed elaboration, not outright reimagining. In the novelizations, Harry is written to hallucinate much more frequently. He’s often paranoid of the world. His behavior is more erratic. He experiences moments of Cotard’s delusion. His behavior through the third movie goes from likely being inspired by or intended to reference and imply Harry’s comic-canon schizophrenia to, in the novels, being outright written to resemble and follow the symptoms of schizophrenia far more closely. While they very much aren’t the movies, the fact that they were being written from the scripts at the time of the movies release and a lot of the information we have on how they were written does point me towards the idea that while you can’t exactly treat them as above the movies in terms of what’s canon, you can treat them very fairly as auxiliary information in terms of interpreting the intended story.

Additionally, I think they provide a pretty interesting piece of information that also sort of solidifies the idea for me that what Harry’s experiencing is some form of psychosis. Harry only develops these issues after learning Peter is Spider-Man. Not after taking the serum, specifically immediately after learning Peter is Spider-Man. At this point in the story, Peter is Harry’s closest friend and arguably the most important person in Harry’s life. I don’t need to explain that Spider-Man is the exact opposite. It’s likely rather shattering to how Harry perceives reality to realize the most important person in his life is the person he hates the most, and that he’s been lying to him after in Harry’s perception killing his father for multiple years. Psychosis is specifically a break in someone’s grasp on reality. I don’t think it’s that hard for me to believe that a revelation that shattered how Harry perceived reality that severely might risk causing a psychotic episode of some form.

Additionally, it’s the most consistent with how the world and writing of these movies work internally. It’s never really about the fantastical elements narratively—these movies are about people. The internal, human elements of these characters lives are the most emphasized, the supernatural elements are almost always allegorically connected to some aspect of humanity or very human flaws. That’s always what’s emphasized. Narratively, the goblin is representative of Norman’s greed and ego, his conviction that he is superior to others and entitled to power and control. Otto isn’t about the arms, not really, it’s about selfishly motivated ambition even with the best of intentions and turning those motivations into selfless ones. Flint being Sandman is secondary to how poverty has fucked him over, how he’s been forced into crime in his desperation to help his ill daughter. Eddie wasn’t really corrupted by Venom, he was a selfish and self centered man with a massive sense of entitlement to what he wanted who was given the power to do what he wanted. By extension, it makes the most sense that Harry, who’s already defined by trauma, cycles of abuse and identity would be far more connected to the very human idea of mental illness than something far less poignant like inexplicable supernatural elements.

All this to say that when I, guy who’s always going to feel compelled to take doylism and authorial intent into account when doing my analysis, look at all the information that I have, I think it’s very likely that Harry’s comics schizophrenia or hallucinations were on the writer’s minds when they were planning out or writing the scenes I am referring to. I don’t think that was ever likely to end up explicit—it’s not practical for a movie with its demographic, with a studio prone to intervention, especially with how messy SM3’s development was. It’s not practical for it to be super explicit in a movie of its demographic in 2007, but I think it’s very likely to be on the writers minds when it was written.

#harryposting #harry osborn #raimiverse #raimi trilogy #spider man #spiderman

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eruden-writes · 5 months ago

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Strictly Pleasure - Part 16 (Jek x Heidi)

orc x human age gap paranormal romance 16 of ?

Summary: An awkward fresh-out-of-a-relationship woman and an orc that owns a sex store enter an adult theater together. She, intent on pushing her own boundaries. He, just looking to give her some sense of safety. Well, that and he wouldn’t complain about having a bit of fun himself.

After they inevitably get interrupted, Jek deals with the problem while Heidi flees. Resigned, he believes he’ll never see her again.

Thus begins Jek and Heidi’s sporadic interactions until, eventually, they find themselves fumbling around each other daily at the very place it started: Strictly Pleasure.

Part 1 - Masterlist - Part 15

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

A sudden knock resounded on the door. Heidi jumped, eyes widening. There was no way Jek had managed to get to her apartment that fast. They had barely closed out of the video chat! Grabbing a more appropriate robe from her closet, she made her way to the front door as another set of rapping knocks sounded.

Peering through the peephole, the cozy heat Jek had stoked suddenly drained away. An elven police officer stood at her front door.

Her stomach sunk, her mind a swirl of sudden tragedies. Was Malachai in trouble? Had he skipped out on school? Or did something happen at his school?

With a flurry of fear swarming her thoughts, she flung her door open and stared up at the officer.

“Is something wrong?” Her words came out as a gasp as her eyes bounced to the tag on the officer’s chest. Officer B. Thaybore.

“Miss Heidi Harris?” Officer Thaybore’s tone betrayed no sense of urgency. In fact, they seemed bored. Which was utterly ridiculous given how fast Heidi’s heart thrummed in her chest.

“Yes, that’s me.” Heidi’s eyes fell to the clipboard in the officer’s hand.

Holding up the clipboard, offering her a pen, Officer Thaybore pointed to the form. “You’ve been served. Sign the form to indicate delivery, please.”

Numb, Heidi followed the instructions without a second thought. Once the officer looked over the signature and nodded, they handed Heidi a sealed packet. When the officer turned to leave, she remained in the door, staring at the packet.

She couldn’t imagine who would be serving her legal paperwork. Was this always a bad thing? Swallowing the lump in her throat, she ran her finger under the flap and tore the seal. Sliding out the sheet, her stomach dropped, reading the header.

PETITION TO ESTABLISH PATERNITY, CUSTODY, VISITATION AND SUPPORT

ARTUK GRAWL Petitioner

The name felt like a rather corporeal ghost slapping Heidi across the face. The paper crinkled at the edges as her fingers tightened on the sheaf, only half-reading the rest of the content. Something about establishing paternity at a particular lab. Something about getting legal counsel.

What was this about custody and visitation? When she revealed to Artuk she was pregnant, he nearly left skid marks on the ground when he left! On top of her confusion, sudden fears slammed through her thoughts.

This was going to be expensive. Did she have to force Malachai in for a paternity test? It had been over a decade! How did Artuk have a legal foot to stand on? Her stomach lurched as more and more thoughts careened through her head. She’d have to find a lawyer. Did she know anyone who could give her a recommendation? Where did she even begin?

In Heidi’s emotional upheaval, she didn’t see Jek’s slow approach. Even from a distance, he could see she looked pale and her expression strained. His worries intensified when she didn’t look up as he stood before her.

“Everything alright? I saw an officer leaving.” He nodded toward the exit, his thumb jerking the direction the cop went.

Heidi blinked rapidly fighting back tears as she tore her gaze from the legal papers. She didn’t realize it was Jek who had been talking until she looked up.

He startled seeing the tears at the edges of her lashes. Refraining from reaching out to touch her, he could only think to say, “What happened?”

With a sniff, she shook her head and turned to disappear inside, waving for Jek to follow after her. Anxiety had her throat constricted and, with all the thoughts tumbling about her head, she couldn’t find the words to answer him.

~ ~ ~

The two soon found themselves sitting at the kitchen table, next to each other. Heidi quickly briefed Jek on the whole turn of events, but soon found herself explaining far more than just the papers. The quiet attentiveness Jek gave her just made the words flood out.

“We dated in high school and lived together when going to college for a time. Looking back, it wasn’t a great relationship.” She shook her head, recalling what life with Artuk had been like. Typical growing pains for young adults, but there had been quite a few fights, retaliation – admittedly from both sides – and ultimately him abandoning her. Something caught in her voice as she bitterly added, “When I told him I was pregnant, it was like he couldn’t leave fast enough,”

Despite the mask of calm he managed to affix, something in Jek bristled. At the back of his jaw, his teeth ground together, thinking of a younger Heidi navigating single parenthood alone simply because another man didn’t want to step up. That’s how she met Travis. Had to be why she even humored his degradation as long as she did. She needed someone.

Of course, if this Artuk had stuck around, Jek realized he may have never met Heidi. Where would she be now? Not that he could thank the fuck for it. The whole thing obviously affected her deeply.

When Jek spoke again, his voice managed to remain calm with no indication of his inner boiling rage. “And he hasn’t been paying child support this whole time?”

“I never asked him to! I figured if he didn’t want to be there, I’d just do it all on my own.” A foolish thought Heidi realized soon after having Malachai. Her family had misgivings about her relationship with an orc, but when she ended up pregnant, they cut ties entirely. Heidi never once regretted it, but she did wish she had someone to help.

Believing she could handle parenthood alone seemed all the more foolish now that Artuk was pursuing legal actions. She never thought he’d rear his head again. He made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with her or her child when he left her.

With a heavy sigh, Heidi collapsed onto the table, still sniffling. “I’m an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot,” Jek was quick to reply, a sternness in his voice he didn’t often use. “You didn’t know he was going to come back and do this.”

“It doesn’t matter what I thought, because now he’s going to take me to court.” Propping herself up on her elbows again, she didn’t even bother swiping at the tears trailing down her cheeks. “And it’s going to cost a lot of money. Oh, and I work at a sex shop! Mother of the year right here.”

“Do you not want to work at the store anymore?” He tried to keep his shoulders from hunching, familiar with the socially construed stigma of his business. Part of him flinched at the very prospect of losing her, all the same.

“It’s not that! I love working with you and Gnadi. It’s a little unconventional, sure, but I’m enjoying my time there.” She instantly sat straighter, waving her hands, aware of how her words could be construed. She couldn’t ignore how her occupation would reflect in court, though. “It’s just now every little thing I do is going to be scrutinized and I just started working again.”

Heidi’s stomach lurched, wondering just how deeply the courts would have to dig to verify her Good Mother status. Was she even a good mother? She didn’t know. Malachai was struggling after Travis bounced out of their life, but he was struggling before… usually thanks to Travis.

She had worried his struggles had something to do with being an orc but not having family tied to the culture. It wasn’t like she hadn’t tried, of course. But there were things orcs could do and provide and tell him that she couldn’t. And he was too shy to engage with strangers.

Had she failed him? The familiar thought made woe bubble up in her chest and she blinked back a new slew of tears. Only then did she realize Jek still sat quietly, watching her. A wave of foolishness crashed down with the misery in her chest, remembering why he was even here to begin with.

Shaking her head, Heidi tried to wipe the tears off her cheeks. “I’m sorry, you came all this way and this happens. You can leave if you want.”

“It’s fine, it’s not your fault,” Jek rushed to say, caving into the urge to touch her by grabbing one of her forearms and gently pulling her hand from her cheek. He leaned toward her as he raised his hand to her cheek, using his thumb to swipe softly over the tear trail. “Do you want me to leave? I’m happy to stick around if you need anything.”

His touch nearly undid Heidi. Something about the gentleness, the warmth, pierced through her. She ached to feel more of it, to feel more of him. She absolutely did not want Jek to leave. His presence alone held off the worst of her reaction. His touch… well, it reminded her there were other ways to burn off her surge of fear-fueled adrenaline.

The looming threat that Artuk presented made her stomach swarm with uncertainty. Could she really act on hormones with this matter looming? Hells, what if the courts found out about her banging her boss? Would that completely ruin her chances to be seen as a proper guardian?

Closing her eyes, frustration licked over her. How could Artuk, a man who never wanted to be in her child’s life before, do this? How was he allowed to make her second-guess every single decision she was making? It was like Travis, in a way. He always questioned her motivations.

Gods, she was so tired of second-guessing everything she did. The mental energy to stoke her confidence and make a decision was waning, though. Fully aware of Jek’s hand still on her cheek, Heidi opened her eyes and met his gaze.

His eyes flickered to her mouth as she licked her dry lips. Excitement jolted through her at the simple attention. It took effort to force her next words out and, even then, they came out soft and unsure. “Would it be terrible of me to say I still want to have sex?”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

If you like my content, please consider supporting me on:

*:･ﾟ✧ Patreon or Ko-Fi *:･ﾟ✧

#exo writing #exophilia #orc #orc romance #orc x human #monster romance #monster x human #monster fucker #monster lover #boss x employee #strictly pleasure #jek #heidi #“noise complaint” was a good guess lol #buuuut...

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