#i am NOT ready for part 2 the stage show nearly broke me

[ex0tic-butters]

me to my non-theater kid gf when we walked out of wicked part one

[peppermintbee]

OMORI has poor writing (Part 1)

OMORI stans, just block the #omori hate tag now because I’m going to use it to vent my frustrations with this game. If you love this game, I am not going to try to convince you otherwise. I am glad you enjoyed it so much. I am glad it means a lot to you. I’m not here to take that away from you. I honestly wish I felt the same way!

However, if you are like me and finished the game feeling disappointed, underwhelmed, and maybe a little frustrated, then I am here to say you are not alone. OMORI--while having the right set pieces for an interesting game--is a narrative mess.

I’m splitting this into two posts. This first post is about problems with the plot. The second is about problems with the message/moral. 

(Note: I use “OMORI” in all-caps for the game title, and “Omori” in title case for the character name.)

Spoilers and criticism below.

Part 1: Plot Writing Lies

There’s a book by Brian McDonald called Invisible Ink which is about how to write a compelling story (you can read this great book online for free here). There’s an explanation of the writing “lie” that I find myself frequently thinking of. A “lie” in this context does not mean something is literally untrue, it means something FEELS untrue, unrealistic, improbable, or unlikely. For example, if a character gets shot in the leg but manages to do parkour, this is a “lie” since it seems unrealistic for that to happen. If a character witnesses their beloved parent’s death and shrugs it off, it’s a “lie” because that reaction seems highly unlikely.

In OMORI, the plot is held together by multiple little lies that--try as I might--I just couldn’t bring myself to believe.

1. Sunny’s friends care about him, and vice versa

A major theme of the game is how friendship can overcome any obstacle. Friendship gets Sunny over his fear of heights, spiders, and water. Friendship is what Sunny remembers before the final boss fight, and allows him to face his guilt and defeat it (and prevent him from committing suicide). With the photobook and dialogue you are reminded over and over and over and over and over again that Sunny’s friends love him unconditionally.

However, I just couldn’t bring myself to believe it. The childhood memories are cute but shallow, boiling down to simply hanging out and eating treats. Plus, Kel and Aubrey fight constantly, with Aubrey even physically hitting Kel when he steps out of line. Hero and Mari behave more like babysitters than true friends to the younger kids. 

But at least the other kids interact with each other. Sunny, on the other hand, showed nearly no affection or consideration towards his friends. He floats through the memories like a ghost--he could have been completely absent from all the photos and it would have made little difference. I was ready to accept this as Sunny being an unreliable narrator and not thinking he was a good enough for his friends, but this never contradicted. Instead we are given even more memories where Sunny just silently exists there being “cute.”

[Sunny enriching the lives of his friends by LARPING as a cat.]

Because of the lack of meaningful interactions between them, there was nothing in the game that made me think that these 12-15 year olds would have a strong enough bond that would survive 3-4 years of no contact after finding their friend hanged. In fact, that discovery only drove them farther apart. The only person who I could believe actually had a close bond was Basil, who almost literally filled that trope of being the friend who would help you bury a body (or in this case, help Sunny cover up the accidental manslaughter).

The writing fix for this would be simple: instead of showing us the same boring birthday and beach scenes over again, give the kids memories of overcoming some age-appropriate adversity together: heartbreak over an unrequited crush, anxiety over homework, sports injury, lost dogs, divorced parents, running away from home, bullying, etc. Set a precedent of the friends supporting each other through good times AND bad times. Without such backstory, Sunny’s friendships allegedly giving him the courage to overcome his guilt feels like a lie.

2. Sunny abandoning Basil in the bathroom scene

One of the most confusing moments in the game was Sunny’s negligence when Basil has his first breakdown in his bathroom. This part of the game is player-controlled, which is a strange writing decision because all you can do is click on Basil and various bathroom amenities over and over which completely saps the urgency out of the scene. When you try to leave, Basil begs Sunny to stay, but (due to a lack of player options) Sunny walks out without a word. With no option to talk to him OR get help for him, it makes Sunny seem exceptionally cruel to Basil. In fact, I was starting to wonder if the game was setting up for some sort of twist that Sunny DIDN’T care about his friends, which would fix some of the confusion in point #1. However, as we know, that is not the case. Therefore, Sunny’s negligence/apathy towards Basil’s pain feels like a lie.

The writing fix would be to make it MORE clear that Sunny is intentionally running away from Basil. Make it a cutscene, or, give a false choice such as ��Leave Basil? Yes / Yes”. After Sunny leaves, Kel should make some remark about Sunny looking odd, “You look sort of shaken up, is there something you want to tell me?” then hit it home with Sunny shaking his head. This would make it more clear that Sunny is intentionally hiding Basil’s state, as opposed to just being a bad friend. As it stands, it just felt like a writing mistake.

3. Basil and Sunny working together to stage Mari’s death as a suicide

This is the plot hole that I see the most complaints over, but it’s so big I have to address it. Accidentally pushing Mari down the stairs I understand, but the rest is too absurd. Below are some of the “lies” that the writing tries to get away with:

That Sunny and Basil wouldn’t just claim she slipped and fell.

That either boy would even come up with this sick plan.

That they wouldn’t back out of this idea during the multi-step process (carrying her downstairs, outside, getting the jump rope, tying a noose, putting it around her neck, stringing her up, hiding the evidence... This is a series of multiple decisions, not one quick accident like the initial push.)

That it’s not the image of Mari’s death that traumatized Sunny, but the image of what they chose to do to her body that traumatized them. I understand the image of Mari hanging is more dramatic, but they literally did it themselves so why is that more haunting than Sunny killing her?

That Mari’s true cause of death wouldn’t be immediately obvious to the parents, the police, the friends, EVERYONE. (I’ve seen fans try to get rid of this plot hole by hypothesizing that the parents knew and covered it up, but the evidence of this is circumstantial at best. The father saying, “You’re not my son,” is unreliable since it happens in Sunny’s headspace. Divorce is common after the death of a child, and, at the very least, Sunny’s mom doesn’t show any evidence of knowing what happened. The way it is written, only Sunny and Basil know the truth.)

The ridiculousness of this twist is so extreme that it completely broke any immersion I had left. Frankly, the reveal that the happy, loveable Mari committed suicide is a far heavier and more realistic twist than a crazy murder-cover-up story is.

Additionally, it seems like Basil was only written into this scene in order to make Sunny the true victim of what happened. After all, Sunny may have pushed her, but it was Basil who came up with the demented cover up. (This is apparent from just the photos but the datamined Truth Album confirms it.) By having Basil come up with the plan, the game splits the guilt between the two of them to make the kids easier to sympathize with. It’s problematic because if Basil was not in the scene, there would be no way to justify what Sunny did to Mari. So why is what they did easier to accept when they worked together?

Fixing the writing lie: Sunny lies and says that Mari slipped. Remove Basil from the scene, and instead have Sunny confide in Basil which forces Basil to become a co-conspirator and burdens him with the terrible truth.

4. Sunny’s friends forgiving him and Basil for what they did to Mari

Last but not least, the story heavily implies that Hero, Kel, and Aubrey will forgive Basil and Sunny for what they did to Mari. I found this to be almost as unbelievable as the staged-suicide stunt.

It feels like a lie since the group’s friendship is never established as anything beyond shallow hang outs from 3+ years ago (see point #1).

It feels like a lie because this is hot off the heels of Aubrey being so distraught over Mari and the following fall out that in the last three days she 1.) attacked Sunny and Kel with a nail bat TWICE, 2.) Stole Basil’s photobook, and 3.) Shoved Basil in the lake. This trauma is still very fresh for her.

It feels like a lie because the complexity of the staged-suicide is so extreme, one would be hard pressed to forgive ANYONE for doing that, be it friend, foe, parent, sibling, lover, etc.

I’ve seen fans argue that the ending is not about forgiveness, it’s about telling the truth, and I want to believe that. Really. If the ending was about Sunny starting his redemption arc by telling the truth no matter what the consequences are, that would be a meaningful lesson. But the writing does not support that. The ending headspace segments are focused on assuring Sunny that his friends will support/forgive him no matter what. To do this, the game shows us the shallow photobook memories (again) to show how much they allegedly care about each other. Then, when fighting Omori, Sunny remembers these quotes from his friends, which directly correlate to their unconditional support:

KEL: Friends... Friends are supposed to be there for each other.

AUBREY: I hope you can find some peace... or you know... some happiness.

HERO: We made the mistake of leaving each other when we needed each other the most. This time... we’ll stay together.

BASIL: Maybe one day... things can go back to the way they were before.

The really direct evidence that this ending is about getting forgiveness is this quote from Basil in Sunny’s headspace:

[BASIL: “AUBREY, KEL and HERO are good friends. You have to trust that they’ll forgive us.”]

This is one of the last scenes before Sunny tells his friends the truth, proving that obtaining forgiveness from his FRIENDS is in fact the leading motivation for Sunny’s actions.

Fixing this writing lie is easy. Instead, adjust the writing to be about telling the truth, not about how much the friends will still love Sunny. Have headspace Basil say, “Even if they don’t forgive us, Aubrey, Kel, and Hero deserve to know the truth. It’s the only way to make things right... or close to it.”

Conclusion

OMORI is undeniably a cute game with a strong visual identity, and has a premise that could make for a very compelling experience. However, the sloppy plot and weak character writing cause the potential of this game to be squandered. There are other issues as well that I chose not to cover for the sake of time, such as the poor pacing of the dragged out dungeons and the bizarre, unrealistic behavior of characters in the “real” world. 

However, there are a few more glaring problems with OMORI that I have to address: In part 2 of my critique, I break down what may be the biggest problem with OMORI’s writing: the message.

[ Link to Part 2: OMORI’s Message is Mishandled and Distasteful ]

[masterofmunson]

afraid to fall

Harry Styles x Fem!Reader

Summary: You learn to adjust to life without Harry in your life after you broke his heart. Part 2 to Falling.

Warnings: language, angst, and drinking.

Word Count: 4k+

Author’s Note: Thanks to Miss Carona I was able to write part two to my angsty Harry fic sooner than expected. Enjoy and tell me what you think!

It starts with voicemails. You were the first to leave one, and it was on his birthday. You were a nervous wreck. You antagonized over calling. It’s been nearly two months since Harry’s concert in December and neither of you made an effort to reconcile, even if you could. You knew deep down things can’t go back to the way things used to be between the two of you. You broke Harry’s heart and you’re going to live the rest of your life with regret and wondering what could have been.

You don’t blame him for not picking up when you called. He wants nothing to do with you. You missed him terribly and it was all your fault. You were scared and Harry called you out on it, and instead of being happy, you turned the other way. It was the biggest mistake of your life and now you have to live with it.

You were a jittery mess as you dialed his number. It took seven rings before you heard Harry’s automated voicemail. It made your heart race despite the fact it’s prerecorded. “Hey, it’s Harry! Leave a message after the beeeeep!” he sang into the phone before it beeped in your ear.

You let out a hesitant breath of air before talking softly. “Hey, Curly,” you whispered, “it’s me. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I understand why you didn’t pick up. I just… I’m sorry and I miss you. Happy birthday… call me or don’t, I understand.”

Harry leaves you a voicemail almost two weeks later. You were in the middle of your clinicals when he called. It made your heart jump inside your chest. You were dying to answer but you were in the middle of work and couldn’t take any calls while taking care of patients. While you were on your break, you had the chance to listen to Harry’s voice.

“Hey, darling,” his voice was warm in your ears. “Thanks for the birthday wish, it was weird celebrating without you. I miss you too. I’ll come see you soon. Promise.”

The voicemail correspondence goes on for another three weeks before they stop altogether. It hurt more than you cared to admit and you got drunk a few times to forget that you were no longer talking, again. You felt absolutely pathetic. He had every right to be mad at you. You broke his heart. Why would he want to go through that again?

You wallowed and threw yourself a pity party before gathering up the courage to leave one last voicemail. You couldn’t handle the emotional labor Harry was putting you through. He was giving you what you deserved and you hated every second. You were getting a taste of your own medicine.

Like always, it goes to voicemail. You sniffed quietly and let out a defeated sigh. Tears linger on your cheeks. “I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry,” you whispered. “You’re right. I am scared. I am a coward. I do love you. I shouldn’t have pushed you away or said those things. I know there’s nothing else I can say. I love you too, Harry. Goodbye.”

You hung up and cried yourself to sleep, mourning what could’ve been if you hadn’t let fear get in the way.

Now with your voicemail history deleted off your phone, you felt like it was a step in the right direction. You can’t torture yourself with the broken promises Harry left you in late night voicemails because neither of you had the courage to actually talk to each other. You haven’t spoken to each other since that night. You just have to accept that Harry was just a chapter in your life and now you have to move forward.

You’re already busy as it is with clinicals and school while working in the campus bookstore three times a week. It’s easy to distract yourself and not think about Harry and what he’s up to. The last you saw, he released the music video for Falling. You still haven’t watched it. You can’t bring yourself to. You know if you do, it will make you cry.

“You’re spacing again,” your sister, Piper, comments, nudging your foot gently under the table.

You blink out of your thoughts and focus on your older sister. She smiles sympathetically at you before taking a bite out of the sandwich she ordered. Your sister had come down for the weekend to ask you to be her Maid of Honor. You happily and eagerly accepted. She’s your closest confidant and you tell her everything. Piper knows everything that’s happened between you and Harry since December.

“Sorry, Pip,” you apologize, sighing quietly. “What were you saying?”

“I was telling you about Owen’s new job, but you seem preoccupied.”

You frown guiltily. You don’t have the heart to tell your sister that you don’t really care about her fiancé’s new job. Your thoughts always seem to linger on Harry. You hate it. You hate how he still has such a strong hold on you.

“You really miss him, don’t you?”

You sigh, nodding at her. You steal a fry off her plate and chew silently. You feel utterly pathetic. If it was any other man, you would be laughing it off with Harry. It wouldn’t bother you. Harry would tell you that you deserved better and he would buy you your favorite ice cream to help ease your annoyance. It worked every time.

Who would do that for you now that Harry’s the one you’re moping about?

“I called and told the truth. I apologized too. There’s nothing else I can do. It’s not like I can afford to fly wherever he is to force him to talk to me,” you sigh in defeat as you stare out the café window. Angry tears linger at the corners of your eyes. You watch cars race by the busy college streets.

“I’m sorry, Y/n,” your sister reaches for your hand and squeezes gently. You smile weakly before sinking into your chair and pushing away your food. Thinking of Harry and all the mistakes you’ve made over the course of two months makes you lose your appetite. “At least you have me to take care of you when we get drunk out of our minds tonight.”

You laugh softly, nodding in agreement. “I sure do. I’m definitely glad I bought two tickets to ABBA karaoke night instead of one.”

“Me too!”

….

Hours later,  you and Piper find yourselves standing outside Teenage Lobotomy, the karaoke bar not too far from campus or your apartment. You show the bouncer the tickets on your phone as well as your license before he let you inside with a bright pink bracelet. You make a beeline for the bar and order two shots, one for you and one for Piper. You cheer before quickly throwing the liquor to the back of your throat. Piper groans and it makes you laugh before you order a Sex on the Beach.

For the first hour, a band kicks off the event. The alcohol runs through your veins and makes your body warm. You're nursing another Sex on the Beach as you and your sister dance together. She’d only taken the one shot you gave her earlier and has been drinking water since then. The sound of Does Your Mother Know blasts through the speakers and your shouting at the top of your lungs. It was one of your favorite songs and you memorized the dance to it when Mamma Mia was released when you were a teenager. The cheers around you only spur you on further. The host of the event drags you up on the stage and asks for your name.

“Y/n!” you tell him, sipping on your drink. You point to your sister and she laughs. “I’m with my sister, Piper. She just got engaged!”

The crowd cheers and Piper waves bashfully. You drag her up on the stage and she holds you firmly to keep you steady. The host says something to you, but you aren’t listening. You’re too drunk to pay attention to what he has to say. You just want to dance. You chug the rest of your drink and stare at your sister.

“Do you remember the choreography to When I Kissed the Teacher?” you ask her.

She nods carefully. “Yes, why?”

You grin, looking back over to the host. You explain in detail how you and your sister used to dance and knew a choreographed dance to the song you learned as a teenager. The crowd laughed before Piper drags you off the stage. You giggle uncontrollably before she disappears to get you a bottle of water.

You start to dance to Voulez-Vous when you feel a gentle tap on your shoulder. You grin, ready and eager to take the water from your caring sister. Spinning around, your eyes meet the last person you expected to see at Teenage Lobotomy. Harry stands in front of you in all his rockstar glory. He’s wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of jeans. It immediately makes your head spin. Your grin falls from your face and the alcohol rushes straight to your head. It makes you stumble into the barricade. This certainly wasn’t what you pictured your reunion with Harry to be like. You’re too drunk to think rationally and you just wanted to have one fun night without a lingering thought of him at the back of your mind.

He instantly reaches for your waist to steady you, but you immediately press a hand to his chest to keep the space between you. You’re breathing hard and you feel like you’re about to faint, throw up, or both. The bass of the music pounds inside your head and Piper reappears from the bar. Her eyes find yours then follow your gaze towards Harry. Her eyes widen and she curses loudly before pushing her way towards you. She hands you the water bottle before you push your way through the crowd to get out of the bar. The cold air nips at your skin and you turn towards the alleyway beside the bar and puke your guts out. Piper curses loudly before pulling your hair out of your face as you throw up. You spit loudly before sipping the water your sister gave you.

Tears threaten to spill over your cheeks. You just embarrassed the shit out of yourself as well as your poor sister. You won’t remember any of this in the morning. You wipe your mouth with the bottom of your t-shirt and your eyes find Harry’s again. He’s standing in the middle of the sidewalk watching you with careful eyes.

“How did you know I was here?” you spat, leaning on your sister for support as her arm made it around your waist.

“We share our locations with each other, remember?” he tells you, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

Shit. You completely forgot about that. You haven’t checked where he’s been in so long that it didn’t cross your mind to take the permissions away from him. You scoff, rolling your eyes at him. The last thing you want is to have a conversation with him right now. You’re too drunk and you’re starting to get angry. Drunk you wants nothing to do with Harry right now, especially since he’s been ghosting your calls. You deserve better.

“Thanks for reminding me to get rid of that permission when I’m sober.”

Piper starts guiding you to the parking lot and Harry follows closely behind you. She pulls out her phone to call an Uber when Harry gently grasps your sister’s arm. “I can take you back. I drove down from New York with my car,” he tells her as she struggles to keep you from falling out of her grasp.

“Are you sure, Harry? I don’t want to impose,” Piper questions as you silently drink your water. You can’t even look at him in the eyes.

“It’s the least I can do. I can carry her to the car if you can just take my keys and unlock the door f’me.”

She nods and gently hands you off to Harry while he hands her his keys. The car beeps in the parking lot and you struggle in his arms. You don’t want him to touch you. You don’t want to succumb to the feelings you’ve repressed in order to move on from him. You’re too proud and you’re still hurting. You hate it. It makes you feel weak.

“I’m just trying to help you, darling,” he sighed as he carried you to his car. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Don’t call me that,” you snapped. “Don’t try and make me fall at your feet again, not after what you did. I’m tired of playing your games. I’ve done all I can to apologize.”

Harry sighs but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he opens the back door to his car and gently sets you down. He buckles you in before climbing into the driver’s side. Piper slides in beside you before handing the keys back over to Harry. She strokes your hair gently as you stare blankly out the window as Harry pulls out of the parking lot and drives down the street to your apartment. Tears threaten to fall down your face. You don’t want Harry to see you cry. Not when you’re drunk out of your mind.

The five minute drive back to your place is entirely silent on your end. Piper and Harry talk quietly to fill the awkward tension between the two of you. Harry congratulates your sister on her engagement and Piper does the same for his album when he pulls up to the apartment complex. He parks in a guest parking spot before climbing out the car and opening the door to help you out. You don’t say anything besides a quiet thank you when he helps you into your apartment after Piper takes your keys and unlocks the door. She turns the main light on and you groan as Harry pulls you inside. He shuts the door carefully before locking it and kicking his shoes off.

He guides you to the kitchen counter before gently lifting you off the ground and setting you on one of the bar stools. Piper moves quickly in your kitchen, grabbing a glass from one of the kitchen cabinets and filling it up with water. She opens up your medicine cabinet and grabs the bottle of tylenol. She shakes out two pills and puts them in your hand for you to take. You huff childishly before popping them in your mouth and swallowing them with a swig of water. She sighs and turns to Harry.

“Thanks for all the help, Harry,” Piper smiles gently at him. “You can take the couch for the night. I’ll sleep with Y/n. The two of you can talk in the morning when she has a clearer head.”

He nods, thanking her quietly before Piper disappears with you on her arm. The door clicks shut and Harry sighs, collapsing on the comfortable couch beneath him. He tosses and turns all night thinking of you.

The next morning you wake up to an incredible hangover. You don’t remember much from last night. You remember drinking plenty and making it on the stage at one point, but after that it’s all a blur to you. You don’t remember getting home.

You groan loudly, rolling over in bed. You fumble for your phone to see what time it is. It’s almost 11:30. You groan again and wipe at your face. You sister is nowhere to be found in your bedroom and you’re still in the clothes from last night. You change into a pair of old sweats and a raggedy t-shirt. You pull your hair up into a sloppy ponytail before making your way down the hall into the kitchen, expecting your sister to be drinking coffee at the counter.

Instead you find Harry sipping at his coffee and your sister nowhere in sight. Your heart starts to race a mile a minute. Your head starts pounding inside your skull.

“What the hell are you doing here? How did you get in?” you ask him, standing in the middle of the hallway. You don’t bother moving any closer to him.

Harry’s eyes meet yours and he frowns. “Do you remember anything from last night?”

You shake your head. You don’t remember much. It doesn’t take a genius to realize Harry was at the bar with you last night. You squeeze your temple. You don’t have the patience to deal with him right now. It hurts just looking at him. The last thing you want is for him to see you cry.

“What are you doing here?” you ask again, letting out a careful breath. Your voice is even as you speak to him.

Harry sighs, carefully threading his fingers through his hair anxiously. He looks at anything and everything but you. It’s like he’s ashamed. You haven’t seen that look in so long that it almost shocks you.

“I came because I listened to what you said. I heard your apology. I could feel how broken you were and it killed me.”

You shake your head in disbelief. Tears threaten to spill over your cheeks. Harry’s lying straight through his teeth. “You’re lying,” you sniffed, wiping at your wet cheeks. “I left that last voicemail almost three weeks ago. If you really cared, you could’ve called me back. I would’ve answered.  I would’ve been okay with a text too. You left me hanging again. Is this some sort of game to you? You leave voicemails saying all these wonderful things and then you treat me like I don’t exist the next day and it goes on for weeks. I can’t do this anymore. It’s killing me, Harry. It’s exhausting.”

Tears fall freely down your face and your vision blurs. You just want everything to go back to the way it was. You miss having him in your life. You should’ve never gotten too emotionally involved with him when you were still friends. You’re absolutely miserable without your best friend in your life.

Harry takes a careful breath in before taking a hesitant step towards you. Your eyes meet and you don’t move. His shoulders noticeably deflate and he walks towards you until you’re a foot apart. He reaches for you and you allow it. Harry gently caresses your face, brushing away your tears. You turn your head to avoid his eyes.

“Can you look at me, honey?” he asks you in a whisper. His fingers move against your skin softly.

You turn your head and your teary eyes meet his. Harry gently brushes a loose strand of hair behind your ear and you shutter softly.

“I know what I did was wrong. I’m so incredibly sorry. It was childish and immature. I shouldn’t have iced you out when you apologized and told me the truth when you were ready to. I’m sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

You wipe your face with the back of your hand before leaping into his arms. You cling to him as if your life depends on it and Harry does the same. He laughs softly in relief as his arms squeeze at your sides as he holds you.

Your lingering tears dampen the crock of his neck as you hug. You feel Harry’s lips press a soft kiss to the side of your head. You let out a gentle cry.

“Please don’t cry. I hate seeing you cry.”

You pull yourself out from his neck and gently card your fingers through his hair. “Of course I’ll forgive you, Harry. I’m sorry too. I hope you can forgive me. I was so stupid. I shouldn’t have said what I did just because I was scared of change, even if it meant that I would be happy and that it was good. I was so mean. I’m sorry, Harry, so, so sorry.”

He smiles at you and it’s the first one you’ve seen from him since you last saw him in December. It makes your heart race. “I know. I forgave you a long time ago and I forgive you now. I’ve missed you so much.”

You nod, hugging him tightly again. You take a deep breath in, breathing him in. It makes you shiver and Harry laughs quietly against the shell of your ear. He sets you back on the ground and you pull away with just enough space to look him in the eyes. He grins, sticking his tongue out at you before wiping the remaining tears off your face.

“I’ve been miserable without you,” you tell him softly as his fingers run over your cheeks and nose, committing the touch to his memory. It makes your heart leap inside of your chest.

“Now that makes two of us,” he laughs. You frown at his response and he pinches your cheeks. “None o’ that. Stop frowning. We’ve made up now, haven’t we?  There’s no need for you to frown like that anymore.”

You nod in silent agreement before he takes your hand and kisses it softly. Your heart races and you squeeze his hand. You reach for his chin and gently press your mouth to his in a soft, romantic kiss. Harry hums in surprise and you quickly pull away.

Heat spreads across your entire body as his eyes open to meet yours. You nervously bite the inside of your cheek and fiddle with your fingers.

“For a second I thought I was going to be the one to make the first move,” he laughs, licking his lips, feeling the taste of you on his mouth linger.

You giggle bashfully and his arms wrap around your waist, pulling you in. Your hands rest on his chest.

“I’m going to kiss you again.”

You nod eagerly and your mouths meet again in a passionate kiss. It ignites something within you, something you’ve never felt before. Harry grins against your mouth and your fingers grasp at his wrinkled t-shirt. His hands roam over your body and pull you closer. A satisfied hum leaves your lips and into his mouth. Harry laughs before slowly pulling his mouth from yours.

His face is flushed a warm pink. You laugh, caressing his face gently. He leans into your touch and presses a kiss to your cheek. Your smile only widens in response and you press a kiss to his forehead.

“I love you, Harry,” you whisper against his warm skin. Your hands roam his body and you press another kiss to his lips.

He holds you tightly and kisses you over and over again until you're giggling against his mouth. He kisses your cheek, “I…” he kisses your forehead, “love…” he kisses your other cheek, “you.” Harry’s mouth meets yours in a gentle kiss and you hold his face in your hand.

Butterflies burst inside of your stomach. His confession, the reciprocation of love, makes you weak in the knees and you cling to him. A lone tear slides down your face and when Harry pulls away and opens his eyes, he frowns again.

“Why’re you crying, baby?”

You laugh and squish his face together before kissing his puckered lips. “They’re happy tears, doofus. I’m happy,” you tell him with a growing grin. “I’m happy you're here. I’m happy you’re giving me, giving us, another chance. Thank you for not giving up on me, even when you could have. I love you Harry.”

Harry’s eyes glisten with unshed tears and he gives you one last passionate kiss before pulling you in for a tight hug. You cling to him and you feel him kiss the top of your head. “ I love you, Y/n,” he whispers softly.

Your knees buckle underneath you, but you’re not afraid to fall. This time you know Harry will always be there to catch you.

He is.

Always.

[hunterguyveriv]

Hidden Beauty

Here is my submission for Days 1(First Sunrise/Set) & 2(Late Night Adventure) of Kacxa Week I had this plan to do quick ficlets for these 2 days but no matter what I did they merged into one and Kind of ties in with “The Promise.”

This post would have been up sooner, but I kind of pepper sprayed myself. Harvested hot pepper seeds from plants I grew earlier and apparently I didn’t wash the oils off well enough xD xD xD 

Anyway, here is my submission for days 1 & 2 titled Hidden Beauty

"Let me take you somewhere in which you will feel young and take your mind away from all this..."

It was nighttime on Verolgah-VI. The two planetoid moons did their annual dance across the evening sky as shooting stars streaked the upper atmosphere. The devastated planet's temperature was chilly, but nothing like what most of the Paladins were used to, save for one.

He looked to the lions with 3 out of the 5 charged up, Red was in the final stages of charging up. He let out a sigh; some things were going to plans, but he had to remain on edge as the leader. Shit tends to hit the fan when one least expected it, and with friends still about 2 maybe 3 more days away, anything could go wrong.

Since they first landed on, well, more or less crashed when the lions collapsed from low energy, the Paladins all slept in the cave with Acxa. But tonight was different; it was cold enough to drive them to the lions that were charged. Hunk, Lance, Shiro, and Coran were sleeping in the Yellow Lion. Allura, Pidge, and Romelle were sleeping in Green, with Blue-Powered down to preserve power. Krolia and Keith's wolf were snuggled up in Black, which was somewhat comfier than the ground from the Star-whale, but nothing close to temperature.

Keith only grabbed his red & white jacket from Black's storage locker, from when he grabbed what little belongings he left on the Castle when he took a sabbatical from the Voltron-Force. Krolia was ready to get some sleep when she asked if he would turn in. His response was he had too much on his mind and was going for a walk. When his mother saw Acxa walk out of the cave, she gave him her sly "mother knows all" smirk and responded with "you kids don't stay out too late" before turning and taking his wolf with her.

Blushing and stammering at her, he turned to see Acxa wearing something similar to an Earth styled tank top in the moons' light, which her blue skin radiant. When he got within range of her, she gestured her head to follow her. He threw his jacket on which even over his Paladin Armor slightly loose. He put his belt with his Marmoran blade on and started walking with her. She took him to her favorite spot in silence. It had been three long years since she saw him last and even though she had so much to tell him, opening up was something relatively new for her. Even taking him to a spot she had grown to love in her mind was a huge gamble, that she was surprised she was doing.

It was one of the most stunning sights next to her that he had ever seen. It was a massive valley with a small creek like waterfall leading into a small shallow lake. Further behind were some of the most gorgeous mountain ranges he had ever seen with millions of stars. Even the nearby Argola nebula was just barely seen. Its blues, greens, purples, & reds intensified by the planet's atmosphere. His mouth agape, Acxa finally broke her silence. "I found this place about a year and a half after I was left here by the coalition."

Keith walked forward, taking in the beauty of the water, reflecting the moons and stars. The water droplets flying into the air reminded him of fireflies he used to catch with his father when he was a small boy, "It's beautiful." She walked up to match his location, slowly wrapping her arm around his. She sensed him tensing a little and then relax, but she knew he was much like her. Both introverted warriors, just starting to let their feelings show on the surface. "In the morning this spot reminds me of my homeworld, before it was officially... 'indoctrinated' into the Empire."

He looked to her, seeing a sorrowful look on her face. "Tell me about it?" She looked at him softly, smiling, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. She started to sit down, but he stopped her taking his jacket off, laying it on the ground gesturing for them to sit on it. She slowly sat down on his coat. She looked at him. "Won't you get cold?" He shook his head, "Nah, I grew up in the desert for the most part. I am used to brutally hot and brutally cold temps."

Acxa nodded and looked up to the stars and looked back at him. "From what I remember, it wasn't like this planet. For the better part of a deca-phoeb the planet was a relatively fridgid planet, but it was no barren froze wasteland. My mother's people were born in a region in which it was neither barely above freezing or frozen. The closer you got to the planet's polar region the darker blue their skin got, towards the equatorial sections they were either a lignt blue almost white color almost like that little girl & those two Alteans. But regardless of our skintone we all loved Aaenergola..."

Keith continued to listen to the Acxa tell him of her homeworld. The architecture, the lore, some of the history, the customs, and so much more emphatically. But when it came to the story of the Empire coming to her world, her demeanor and tone changed. Her planet had fought the best it could but ultimately was indoctrinated into the Empire.

She revealed her father was a doctor and her mother a Galra Lieutenant who he had saved from dying. Both harbored no ill will towards the other's race. When she was born, both parents wanted her yo have a decent education despite being a half-blood. But it wasn't until she got to her parents' death when she was 9 that she became bitter. When Aaenergolan Terrorists executed her parents for helping Galran citizens while Aaenergolans were starving. She trailed off as she remembered coming out of her hiding place. Finding her father brutally murdered, protecting the area she was hiding.

Keith, for the first time, saw tears streaking down her face and her lip trembling. He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to scoot closer to him. He had asked if she wanted to stop, and she nodded her head, wiping some of her tears away, asking about his homeworld.

As she did to him, he told her of Earth and his life on the distant planet they were trying to get back to. Of the blue skies and oceans, everything that made the planet one of the most beautiful he has ever lived on. Growing up with just a father before he died fighting a fire. His life before his adopted brother Shiro came into it.

Keith told her it wasn't until he was on a Blade mission did he learn who his mother was and later on in the Quantum Abyss, the reasons why he grew up without her in his life. Just hearing his voice caused her to relax and snuggle up to him. He felt her wrap an arm around his waist, prompting him to wrap an arm around her shoulders. When he stopped talking about Earth, she was fast asleep, snoring softly on his shoulder. Not long after, he fell asleep after repositioning, so her head was on his chest armor.

Many Vargas later, Acxa sat right up as one of the suns started to rise. She was expecting to be alone, which typically happened when she let her guard down, showing a side people typically never see. But was relieved seeing Keith still sleeping next to her. She pulled her legs to her chest and started watching the suns rise.

He started to stir, feeling the warmth on his face. When he woke up, he saw Acxa sitting up, his jacket draped over her shoulders. He slowly sat up and beheld one of the most stunning sights as the twin suns started to dance across the sky. The water, especially the waterfall, looked like it was molten lava. Like the sky, the vegetation itself looked like it was ablaze, swaying in the wind with colors of reds, blues, greens, and purples.

Both half breeds talked a little while enjoying the beauty of the sunset heads perched against each other. When the bottom of the second sun was just barely over the distant mountains, they decided it was time to head back to the group. But before leaving, he took one last look at their surroundings and turned to her.

She had a nervous look on her face, "About last night..." He had a delicate look on his face and softly smiled, "I want to thank you for last night. You bringing me to this beautiful place was as if you were opening your true self to me." She closed her mouth, being a little surprised at being thanked; she started to blush purple. "It takes great courage and trust to open up to someone, and I hope I am worthy of both."

Almost 2 hours later: The group was starting to freak out that Keith was nowhere to be found, nor was Acxa. Most of the group was searching the compound, while others were searching the immediate area. Some were worried that the pirates took them, one worried that their host handed him over to the pirates, while another knew all too well where they were. She refused to answer anyone's questions about why she wasn't worried. But Coran soon put two and two together, once being a parent himself.

When the group regrouped, it wasn't until his wolf snapped his head up, ears perked that everyone put their attention elsewhere. With their leader and hostess missing, The Paladins drew their bayards ready for anything. If it were an ambush like last time, they'd be prepared to fight.

Two figures were walking towards them with the suns at their backs, nearly blinding everyone. When the wolf bolted and teleported, everyone got on edge, waiting for the inevitable attack. But it never came. Instead, they could barely make out one figure stopping greeting the wolf and the three of them walking back.

As they got close, enough everyone realized that it was Keith with Acxa wearing his jacket. But what really caught their attention was that they were both holding hands and that their demeanor was different. It was no longer of two socially awkward Galrans who tried hiding there was something there to clearly having broken the ice with each other.

[confessionsofaromanticidiot]

Lord Voldemort - The reason why you should never ignore red flags in a relationship!

Disclaimer J.K. Rowling please don’t sue me but yes, we did give my ex the nickname of the evil villain from Harry Potter. Let’s call him Jamie. Jamie had every red flag known to man but me stupidly ignored them all as only a deluded emotionally unstable woman can. Again, I look back on this relationship and wonder a few things:

1.       How the fuck did it last five years?

2.       Why did I put up with so much bullshit?

3.       How did I ignore every red flag thrown in my face?

I guess, even though Jamie was a red flag from day one, it was not always bad. Originally when we first start dating, I was actually the one that asked him out. Mistake number one, actually going on this date with the douche bag but as I said it was not always the horrendous shit show our last year together was. We ended up in a relationship for five years, it could not have been that terrible. He did tell me he loved me first, I said it back, but I didn’t really mean it at the time, but I was absolutely obliterated drunk and it just came out of my mouth.

Lesson number one people: NEVER SAY YOU LOVE SOMEONE IF YOU DON’T MEAN IT! I have had since Jamie and I’s break up almost two years ago, had at least two men said they love me, but I was not ready probably for good reason I suppose looking back on it now. (Including an extremely sexy French Doctor but we will come back to that train wreck later).

In five years, I faked nearly every orgasm yes, I know guys we aren’t meant to this, sex was not our strong point. I always was a very sexual person, but this battered my sexual confidence in a tiny box, tied an anchor to it and dumped it off a ship somewhere near the Bermuda triangle never to be seen again or so I thought. But he was kind and sweet, so I just sucked it up. I decided that this was a sacrifice I had to make because every other aspect of our relationship was so blissful (I am laughing as I type this). I kind of saw him as a fixer upper, he had a great job, family where AMAZING but lacked something to this day i cannot put my finger on it. He was never satisfied with anything in his life was always pushing for more or looking to others to see what they where doing in order to compare his life? I guess, I made the age old mistake of thinking I could change him. Also mistake number two, if he was never satisfied with the things in his life, why did I think I would be any different?    

The point of this section is guess is not to bitch about my ex but to teach people not to ignore all the RED FUCKING FLAGS. You will notice I make this mistake over and over in relationships but to a lesser extent (I’ll get there I promise), but I have also learnt from this relationship to cut and run when it feels wrong because guess what? If it feels wrong, it most likely is wrong and you trust your intuition a little more.

So, some examples of Jamie’s glaring RED FLAGS, that I made excuses for

1.       First night he met my best friend, we went to a night club and he hit on another girl in front of us and when I confronted him, he left us there.

2.       Suffered with Anxiety, not saying that this a red flag as I suffer too but he had a dependency on alcohol to get through social events but more often than not got completely obliviated. Which meant some of the things he said or did to me when drunk where forgotten about and therefore ignored or I was told it didn’t happen that he would never do such a thing because he loved me.

3.       I have PCOS (Yes, I know I am barrel of laughs right), at one stage when I was 27, I was told I could not have children (Which also turned out to be a misdiagnoses). I was devastated it was as though part of me died but he ignored and went drinking. Came home locked and woke me up had a massive argument after I had spent the best part of a day crying as though someone died. He did not seem to care.

4.    I was on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and I couldn’t really drink but yet dragged me to the pub every time and or was dubbed BORING because I didn’t want to go.

5.  SEX became non-existent (Not that it was that great anyway but.._). Mainly due to the fact he was getting it from somewhere else for the last 7 months of our relationship.

6. Our last valentine day together, he used his brother as excuse to go have a night out with the other me in a hotel. Sidebar Jamie’s brother suffered with mental illness and used the fact that if something was to happen to him on our wedding day (Thank Christ that never happened), I would tell him to help him to go to cheat on me the sick bastard.

7.  Point above continued, the kicker the Friday after I covered his room with tea lights and tried to make it romantic because we missed valentine’s day. He came home drunk (Feel the trend) and had a massive argument with me. Gut punch hadn’t even written my Valentine’s day card three days after the actual day!

8.  When we EVENTUALLY broke up, he compared me to sturdy house, that’s amazing but how do you know you want that house and not the house next door! (Rolling my eyes as I type this)

If I look back on it now, point one with my emotional maturity I would have told him to Fuck right off and never see him again. Right but I was 25, had been cheated on before so was emotionally vulnerable. I was stupid, I left that relationship  with a lack of self confidence and he was cute so I looked past a lot.  As we got older, we changed and became really different people but neither of us recognized it. Well, we did but neither of us wanted to be the bad guy, so it got ignored for another year.

Now, I am not excusing the fact I ignored it too, I should have cut and run on one of the above points not allowing it get to points 6 through 8 and there were others also not mentioned. But when you are in relationship that you are constantly making excuses for people’s behavior, it becomes your default. Never do this, never let something in a relationship become a default behavior. Due to the fact someone’s bad behavior becomes normalized, you begin to believe this is just the way we are but guess what it is not how you are!!

Also, I had my part to play, I am not angel let’s be honest a relationship does not go to shit from one person being a dick head. It takes two Tango! I gave up trying to have sex with him and bought a vibrator. It gave me more orgasms anyway. When I stopped trying bar once or twice, he didn’t even try. He will never admit it, but he stopped being attracted to me physically, to be honest I don’t blame him for it. I was put on two courses of steroids prior to starting the HRT, I got to my heaviest weight and my own mental health started to decline. I would not look in mirror and who wants to be with someone that is constantly jabbing themselves with needles or crying because your jeans don’t fit anymore. Plus, I am not going to sugar coat this in any way I was an absolute CUNT on HRT. Mood swings alone was enough to make some of my family members stay clear never mind anyone else.

Does this excuse in anyway what he did? Of course not, but if I was the person I am today, point one might have given a second chance not to be himself basically and when that eventually happened, I would have left. Now, at one point I was so duped that I had a life planned for us but again as we got older our plans became very drastically different. Personally, my own life experiences made me want different things and I went through a lot of stuff that no person not just a woman should go through in their lifetime. But I matured much quicker even than some of my friends, so we were naturally at odds. 

When we eventually broke up again it never really was a final argument either, I just knew I never wanted to see him ever. I realized that I cried once and it was more out of anger that he had used his depressed brother as an excuse to cheat on me. That was all that annoyed me about the entire thing, when I finally removed myself from the situation, I felt like I could breathe again. 

Learning out comes, never ignore red flags, or try to identify them enough in the relationship which can be hard to do because of the honeymoon phase. Never make excuse for someone’s bad behaviors, let them live with the consequences. Be the bad guy, if you are not feeling a relationship anymore, for god sake leave before someone gets hurt. To be honest, Jamie gifted me a get out of jail card by cheating on me to leave without acknowledging part of the fault it was all on him. But no, I gave up too the cheating was just the golden ticket I needed to get out of a toxic relationship. Never allow your emotions to be manipulated, in the manner I did it took a very long time after this relationship for me to actually fully and wholly trust a man with my heart. 

It’s sad really, that it came to this. If one of us had of been braver there would not have been so much damage not caused at all. But I guess my experience and reflection has brought me to you, my only hope is by documenting my mistakes, some of you may not go down the same path.

[a-second-hand-sorrow]

Our Next Adventure Part 2 (The Master X Reader)

WC: 1531

Warnings: None really, it’s pretty sweet though there is a teensy description of violence but nothing major.

Summary: After years of posing as MI6 agents, the time has come for Y/N and the Master to finally face the Doctor, though Y/N reflects on their time undercover

A/N: I got a major inspiration wave and cranked this out lol. Hope y’all enjoy!

Spending several years on Earth disguised as boring, basic humans was not something Y/N and the Master would normally do voluntarily, however they knew the end result would be more than worth it.

The pair had spent the past few years pretending to be agents O and N from MI6. The Master asked his wife why she chose N to replace, and her response was that together the initials spell ‘no’ and she couldn’t think of a better pairing than that for them. 

After a few years they decided to move out to the Australian outback, using the Tardis as their ‘house’, and although it was boring they did find ways to kill time together, some more creative than others.

As soon as they received the call that the Doctor would be coming to visit them, in desperate need of assistance regarding an unknown alien race threatening intelligence officer, they both nearly jumped up and down with glee. All their hard work had finally paid off.

Y/N sat in the living room, clutching a cup of tea as she thought back to their time at MI6, realising it wasn’t totally bad.

                                                    --------

“O, N. You guys coming out for drinks tonight?” Y/N looked up from her desk, seeing agent Z standing rather close to her. She would’ve rejected in a heartbeat, however she decided she wanted to be a little mischievous. A little mischief never hurt anyone, right?

“I would love to, though I can’t be sure about O. He’s never been a social creature, isn’t that right, O?” Y/N said, raising her eyebrows as she looked over at her husband.

He clenched his jaw, knowing exactly what Y/N was doing. He hated social gatherings with the other agents, and if drinks were to be anything like last year’s Christmas party then he certainly wanted no part. However, he wasn’t letting his wife get away with anything that easily.

“Drinks sound like a lot of fun. All this work has been scrambling my brain, so some relaxation would be wonderful.” He said, giving Y/N a pointed look before turning his gaze to Z.

“Wicked. I’ll meet you lot at the pub after work, let’s say 5?” Z said, and the pair nodded, watching him leave before turning to each other.

“You are the absolute worst, you know that right? I can’t stand working in the same building as these pathetic creatures, let alone being forced to make small talk with them for hours while drinking terrible alcohol. I hate you so much.” The Master ranted, glaring at Y/N who simply smiled widely back.

“Love you too Koschei, though you should probably work on your geeky, charming demeanour. It’s supposed to be O’s trademark characteristic, right love?” Y/N said, and the Master narrowed his eyes, scoffing before looking back down at his computer, signalling that the conversation was over.

“You’ll be the death of me, Y/N. I swear.” He muttered to himself, flipping through the pages of yet another boring document as he cursed the menial nature of this job. Y/N was the only thing that made it interesting.

                                                     --------

Y/N chuckled at the memory, remembering how her husband sat through drinks absolutely fuming, aching to leave at every possible moment. She glanced over at him now, fiddling with the computers while muttering to himself under his breath.

“You know talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, darling.” Y/N piped up, and even though his back was to her she could tell he was rolling his eyes.

 “You and I both know we are well past the first stage.” He retorted, and Y/N nodded, laughing to herself as she walked over towards him.

 “Oh I am well aware of that. I saw the look in your eyes when we watched Gallifrey burn, and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Y/N said, wrapping her arms around his waist as she waited for his reply.

“As flattered as I am, you’re forgetting that I’ve seen you choke a man so hard his eyes nearly popped out, and then laugh as he scuttled away broken. Now that, my dear, is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. You amaze me, honestly. I count my lucky stars every day that we were classmates in the Academy.” He said, turning around so that he could face Y/N, an adoring look in his eyes as he watched her react to his words.

 “You really know how to flatter a girl, Koschei. I just might swoon, so let’s hope you can catch me in time.” Y/N said, and although her words were playful, the Master knew that there was a strong sincerity to them.

There was a comfortable silence that quickly settled over them, and just as Y/N was about to lean in and kiss her husband, they were interrupted by the all-too-familiar sound of a Tardis landing.

“She’s here.” The Master muttered, reluctantly pulling away from his wife and straightening his vest. Y/N took in a deep breath, fiddling with the ring on her left hand. The sight of the ring brought back memories of their time on Earth, and she smiled widely as she recalled those memories.

                                                     -------

“So, what’s the relationship like between you and O, because half of the office thinks you hate each other, and half think you’re madly in love.” Y/N jumped slightly at the sound of agent G’s voice. Y/N and G had become surprisingly close, but then again Y/N was always fonder of humans than her husband was.

“We’re actually married, have been for a while now.” Y/N said, and G’s eyes widened, a surprised laugh escaping her mouth.

 “No way! How come I don’t see a ring on that finger, N?” G said, and Y/N chuckled awkwardly, shoving her hands in her pockets.

“O’s always been a bit unorthodox, and I didn’t mind that he didn’t have a ring. It was a pretty spur of the moment thing anyway. We were really young and all we knew was that we wanted to get married and run off together, so we did.” Y/N said, smiling subconsciously as she remembered the wedding.

“So you two eloped, got it. It actually sounds kind of cute, but do you want some woman to woman advice?” G said, and Y/N nodded, wondering what she had to say.

“You should make him buy you a proper ring for you next anniversary. Surely you want a nice big rock you can show off, huh?” G said, and Y/N chuckled, nodding her head.

“What would I do without you, G?”

                                                        -------

“You need to buy me a wedding ring.” Y/N said on their way back to the Tardis (which was currently disguised as a small house in London) and the Master stopped in his tracks.

“I’m sorry, what? Did you just say you want a wedding ring?” He said and Y/N nodded, looking him dead in the eye.

“Yeah, a wedding ring. I know Gallifreyans don’t have rings, but I was talking to G and I told her we were married and she asked why I didn’t have a ring and she said I should make you buy me one for our next anniversary. I obviously couldn’t tell her that we don’t celebrate anniversaries, but I have decided that I want a ring.” Y/N said, standing taller as she waited eagerly for a response.

“How do you propose I pay for this ring, because the ones I’ve seen are rather expensive.” He said, and Y/N raised an eyebrow, looking at him curiously.

“You’ve been looking at rings?” Y/N said, coming to a complete halt once she realised what her husband had said.

“It was meant to be a surprise, because I know how much you love stupid human things and I’m not normally a present-giver so I thought it would be nice to treat my wife to something special.” He said, and Y/N was shocked because for once she saw her husband looking somewhat sheepish.

 “You’re such a softie underneath that hard façade, darling, and I love you so much for it. Also you don’t have to get the ring for me now, do it whenever you feel ready.” Y/N said, kissing her husband briefly before pulling away.

 “Actually, I think we should go see what jewellers are open. Lord knows if I got you the wrong ring, I’d be hearing about it for the next hundred years or so, so it’s best to have you with me. Any opposition to that, love?” He said, and Y/n’s face broke out in a brilliant smile.

 “None whatsoever.”

                                                     --------

 The sound of her husband pacing brought Y/N out of her memories and back into the real world. She made sure the collar of her shirt was fixed before letting out a sigh.

“I’d ask if you were ready for this but that’s a stupid question. You’re always ready.” Y/N said, earning a smile and a kiss on the cheek from the man standing opposite her.

“And so commences the beginning of the end. Shall we, my dear?” The Master said, holding his arm out for his wife to take. Y/N took it with a smile, ready to face the Doctor.

[anythingandeverything1d]

Falling (part 2)

 Part 1: https://anythingandeverything1d.tumblr.com/post/615981743290400768/falling

You looked at your watch, the concert was in a few hours and you instantly ran upstairs to get ready, fighting back the logic your brain warned you about and following your heart. You tore your closet open looking for the perfect outfit, but for what occasion. For the first time in months you softly smiled and let yourself think about the possibility of Harry. The nights that you missed so much, his soft hair in your fingers, his dimples, the way he kissed you, the way he laughed and told horrible jokes, all of it. “Ughhh” you moaned leaning back against the wall. “What am I getting myself into?”

30 minutes later and you had thrown almost every article of clothing you owned onto your bedroom floor. You had decided on black skinny jeans, a white crop top, and your hair had been thrown into a half bun (one of Harry’s favorite looks on you) “ugh what have I actually become” you mumbled to yourself while putting on some hot pink lip gloss and grabbing your jacket off the door. You grabbed the envelope with the tickets and opened the door revealing your friend. She looked you up and down with a suspicious glance. 

“Where are you going?”

“Uhh nowhere...”

“Nowhere?”

“Yep, I better get going..” She grabbed your wrist and stopped you. “You're going nowhere looking like that? Really? You expect me to believe that...” You glanced at the envelope quickly and nodded trying to continue out the door. “Whats this?” She took the envelope from your hand and peered inside. “Oh my god. You are not. Theres no way you are going to Harry’s concert..”

“I need to. Okay. I need to know. I need closure.” You ranted on a quick explanation of seeing him at the gas station and the note on the back of the ticket and sighed. “You don't understand...I need to go. I need to move on.”

“Fine then we are going together. There’s no way Im letting you make a stupid rash decision when he bats those eyes and smiles at you. Nope. If you're doing this, we are doing it together.” And with that you smiled, grabbed her hand and pulled her to the car. 

Harry’s POV:

Harry was pacing the dressing room. His mind was moving a million miles a minute but yet everything was focused on one thing. You. He was sweating, so nervous about what the night would bring. He had specifically chosen the pink suit you had picked out for him so long ago. Paired with the black button down he wore on your first date. He picked the outfit specifically for you tonight and he hoped it would work. Of course he hadn’t ever stopped thinking of you, but seeing you at the gas station had sealed the deal. He needed you back in his life. Even as a friend. He knew he had screwed up. It had only been a few months without you but he was crumbling slowly. He was the one who fucked everything up. He hadn’t been present in the relationship for a while. He had dragged you along for the journey. He would leave and not call or text. And then there was Sarah. He never wanted to cheat but after drinking too much it had happened and of course you had been there to see it happen. Sarah was great and Harry had flirted for a while...but there wasn’t a spark. There wasn't anything that was there when you were in his life. He knew the moment you said goodbye that he had ruined the best thing in his life. He got lucky his show was in town tonight and even more lucky that you still lived in the same apartment complex. He left the tickets and passes but had no idea if you would even show up. He just prayed. “Please (y/n)...please come...I need you..” he mumbled with his head down.

“What?” Mitch asked walking in.

“Nothing.” Harry said looking up. 

“Well 20 minutes till showtime.” 

“Okay. Hey is there anyone backstage looking for me or anyone using a backstage pass left in my name?” Harry asked anxiously.

“No. Not that I know of anyone. Who are you expecting Styles..a girl?” He wiggled his eyebrows and laughed as Clare, Sarah, and Adam walked in.

“Oh what’s going on. What are we teasing Harry about now?” Clare asked.

“A girl.” Mitch answered. 

“Shut up guys.” Harry mumbled looking at Sarah. She had agreed friends was better and he was glad because he felt nothing but that. It was still a little awkward though. “Let’s just go. It’ll be great right? We can do this.”

Your POV:

You and your friend has pushed up to the front where the seats were and you were shaking you were so nervous. Of course everyone acknowledged you as you walked in so it took forever to find your seats but luckily the lights were dimming as you sat down. Smoke rolled off the stage and everyone cheered. You stood up slowly feeling a little light headed. You looked up and he was there. His head down. His pink suit. Hair pushed back in a wave and a small smile in the corner of his mouth. It was too much. You pushed back a few rows to where you were no longer visible and sat down collecting yourself. You just listened to the music. He was amazing. His album was amazing...of course you already knew that because you had listened the moment it was released. He really was a super star. You were proud too because he had waited for this moment for years. 

Towards the end of the concert Harry had begun searching the crowd with his eyes. Scanning row by row until he found you. His green eyes locked on yours. His mouth slight parted and his breathing was heavy from the last song. He curved his mouth up into a smile, his eyes never leaving yours. “There’s a song I’ve been working on. I decided tonight to play it. I hope you all enjoy, Ive worked hard on it.” He nodded to the band behind him and the music started.

“I’m in my bed. And you're not here. And there's no one to blame but the drink and my wandering hands. Forget what I said. Its not what I meant. And I can't take it back. I can't unpack the baggage you left.” His eyes never strayed from yours. You knew what was happening. There were a few songs on the album about you, but this was different. Your eyes clouded with tears and you couldn't breathe. “What am I now, What am I now, What if I’m someone I don't want around. I’m falling again, I’m falling again, I’m falling.” Harry broke eye contact and looked down. Pouring himself into the words of the songs. You sat on the floor and put your head between your legs trying to breathe. Your friend was rubbing your back. Harry got to the end of the song “What if I’m down? What if I’m out? What if I’m someone you won't talk about? Im falling again, Im falling again, I’m falling.” And with that he bowed and ran off stage. The crowd of people slowly began clearing and you were able to breathe a little better. 

“Want to go home now?” your friend asked still slightly concerned at how pale your face was. You shook your head and stood up, pulling the backstage pass out. You ran to the guard and showed him before following him back. It was only a minute before you saw the pink suit. It stood out in a crowd very easily.

“Harry Edward Styles!” you shout, tears already forming in your eyes. He turns quickly and looks at you slightly stunned, and you continue forward pointing a finger at him. “What the hell was that?” You asked. He looked unsure of what to say. Finally he looked at you and sighed.

“That was my new song. What else would it be?” He sarcastically replied.

You didn’t know what else to say. You just stared at him, your nostrils flaring and his eyes intently watching your every move. Your friend came forward and grabbed your hand. “Come on (y/n), you don't need this.” She gently pulled you towards the door. 

“No.” His hand went out and grabbed your other wrist. “We need to talk.” He looked you in the eyes. “Thats why you're here right? Why else would you come?” His tone was harsh and you had no idea why. You looked at him and then at your friend. Your head was spinning again and you felt like you needed to sit down. You reached for the floor and felt yourself falling . “(y/n)!” Harry’s voice now very concerned shouted. Your eyes fluttered close and you hit the floor. 

Harry’s POV:

Harry didn’t know why he was being mean. He felt angry that you came back just to attack the song he had written about her. That he had poured so much energy and emotion into. When you had looked at him, he saw a slight fear in your eyes. You were scared of him and he didn’t want that. He saw you reach for the floor and your eyes close. He knew this, you were fainting. It was something that had happened a few time in the past. Scared him to death very time. This was no exception. He tried to catch your head and cushion the fall. You had hit the floor and he had immediately pulled you onto his lap and rocked you slowly. “(y/n) wake up...youre okay. Just please open your eyes...” He touched his forehead to yours and breathed slowly.

“This is your fault Styles.” your friend remarked kneeling next to him. “You overwhelmed her. You shouldn’t have even given her tickets. You nearly killed her two months ago. You don't even deserve the chance to speak to her.”

“(y/n)...open your eyes. You’re okay.” Harry ignored your friends comments and hummed softly, his eyes closed and his head against yours. 

Your POV:

Your eyes slowly opened and you heard a low and soft humming. Your head was pounding and you were acutely aware of arms wrapped tightly around you. You looked up and saw anxious green eyes staring into yours. Harry let out a shaky deep breath and moved his head back. You awkwardly climbed out of his arms and attempted to stand. You wobbled a bit and he immediately grabbed on and steadied you. You looked at your friend who was watching Harry very closely. “(y/n) can we please talk...alone.” he mumbled looking at your friend. You nodded your head, earning a sigh of relief from him. You looked at your friend telling her it was okay and let Harry pull you into his dressing room. He sat you on the couch and stood in front of you, running his fingers through his hair. “I don't even know where to start...”

“How about at the part where you left these tickets on my porch..” you grumbled watching him.

“I needed you here. I couldn’t get you out of my head after the gas station. It’s been so long...theres so much I’ve wanted to tell you but I couldn't because you blocked my calls.”

“Yeah because you cheated on me Harry. After 5 years?! You broke everything we had built together. All for some random girl?” You were annoyed but when you looked at him tears were falling down his cheeks and that made you sad. You didn’t want him to be upset. He had taken the jacket off and thrown it on a chair in the corner.

“I know....I know I ruined everything. It wasn't supposed to happen, it was a dumb mistake and I will forever regret it. The minute I saw you...I knew. I knew I had ruined the best thing in my life. There was never anything between me and her it was always just a drunk mistake. When you said goodbye I nearly lost it. I knew I would never love anyone but you. I haven't even looked a girl since that night. You're the only one I ever needed. I am so so so very sorry.I know I can’t take anything back but I need you. I can’t let you go, not again.” Your eyes were tearing up again and he reached up to wipe them away. His fingers rubbed my jaw and he leaned closer. You were suddenly very aware of him, his smell, everything. You leaned closer breathing faster and his lips cautiously met yours. You gave in. You fell against him and his hand pulled you unbearably close. He kissed you in a way that made you drown in him. He made the kiss deeper, adding more force and biting down on your lip. You moaned, opening your lips more allowing his tongue inside of your mouth. You sat up and ran your fingers through his hair, playing with the curls at the base of his neck while he trailed fingers up your back. If you died right now, you would be content. This moment was everything your body had been aching for the past two months. You grabbed the buttons on his shirt and went to pull it off. He pushed you back onto the cushions of the couch, your legs wrapped tightly around his waist. “Fuck I missed you (y/n).” He breathed into your ear before biting the soft skin on your neck. Yikes that was going to bruise for sure...

“I missed you too Harry” you managed before turning his head and bringing his lips back to yours. He kissed you like his life depended on it. Like there was nothing else he needed but you. You matched his energy. He had your shirt pulled almost over your head when there was a knock at the door and in walked a girl. She looked familiar..the hair... Harry looked up, his cheeks bright red. You sat up, pulling your shirt down and looking from her to Harry. 

“Sarah.” Harry managed while trying to catch his breath. “Is everything okay?” He looked anxious. 

You looked at her again and it hit you. “Sarah?” You looked at Harry again with pain in your eyes. 

“(y/n)....wait. It’s, It’s not what you think..” He grabbed your hand as you stood up. 

“She’s in your band?” You were crying again. Sarah was uncomfortable and moving towards the door. 

“Im going to go...I’ll catch you later Harry.” she left closing you back in the room with Harry. You turned toward him. 

“Really?” You said again looking at him.

“Like I said before, she was a mistake. I was drunk, she was drunk and that's all there is. There is absolutely nothing between us. I swear.” He stood up and walked towards you again. “(y/n), love, theres nothing between me and her. Its strictly work related.”

“Did you kiss her after we broke up? Did the two of you...” You asked staring at him. 

He looked down and shifted uncomfortably, giving you your answer. You wanted an answer though. “Harry. Did. You. Have. Sex. With. Her.”

“She kissed me...we...we just.... The next morning. But I swear I broke it off after that. I told her the truth. There was no feeling. There was nothing. You're all I could think of. I promise on my mums life there is nothing between us. There never will be.” Harry grabbed your hand and pulled you into his arms. He held you while you cried, rubbing your back. 

“I can't do this right now Harry. I really can’t. I...I need to go.” You pushed him away and walked to the door. Turning one last time you looked at him, his eyes shining with tears and you left. 

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

What do you guys think?? Part 3?? Let me know! xoxo

[touchedflowers]

Girly pt.1

Requested by @nctobsessedhours I hope you enjoy. 🌹

"I see that bite mark on your neck Taemin. You might wanna be careful, the girls will go rabid." Kai smirked back in the corner at your comment, a faint purple patch flashing behind the collar of his shirt. "I see yours too, Kai. Cover that up jeez! Can't you guys go 2 days without trying to eat eachother?"

"No," they said simultaneously. It's like they were trying to get caught. You, Taeyong, Taemin and Kai were all in the dressing room before SuperM's concert. The boys were supposed to be getting ready but instead, Thing 1 and Thing 2 decided to sneak off and suck face causing the other members to go look for them. Leaving you with Tae until they returned.

"Where is everyone else," Wondered Kai.

"Looking for you two. You're supposed to be done with your makeup by now but nooooo. You had to ruin my hard work!"Everyone let out a laugh at that. You wished you could say that you stayed angry but Taeyong's voice made that impossible.

"Come on, y/n. It's not Kai's fault that Taemin is a slut and it's not Taemin's that Kai can't keep it in his pants"

"Yah!" Taemin came forward, his shakey voice failing to cover his embarrassment. Which was made obvious by the blood filling his face. "Dont speak to your elders in that way!"

Kai chimed in. "Besides, it's not like Taeyong doesn't do the same to you. We see the hickies on his neck so dont pretend he's not just as bad. Taeyong's face now matched Taemin's, the rosey hue creeping down his neck to his chest. Poor boy. Let's tease him a little. You knew it was cruel but he practically begged for it with such a cute face.

"Actually it's more the opposite. Tae is the submissive and actually . . . he behaves pretty girly."

All 3 of them were startled at that. A horde of makeup crashed onto the floor and Taeyong turned from his station, with a shocked and, frankly, angry expression.

"I'm not girly!" The red lipstick he clutched paired with the stain on his lips did not enforce his statement.

"Sure you are Tae. No need to be ashamed, I love the way you whimper when you suck my nipples." Roars of laughter erupted from the the hallway. The other boys finally returned from their search. Each one bore a grin and Lucas even had tears in his eyes.

"Ahh man, that's fantastic. Who knew our fierce leader was such a baby?" More laughter. Your poor baby wasn't amused sadly. The pinkish tone of embarrassment turned a hot red as his ire reached a head.

"YAH! Shut up!" The sheer volume of laughter drown out his protest. It was all in good fun and the fun was yours. You just couldn't help it. You poke and poke and poke at this man. Why? Why was it so satisfying. The howling was cut off by a staff member. You could see into the hallway behind him at the copious amounts of assistants running around to a backdrop of screaming women.

"20 minutes guys. Please finish up." Everyone was making final tweaks to outfits and makeup and hair. Taeyong spent the 20 minutes glaring at you while he deepend his lipstick. The boys were ushered out of the room, all of them saying goodbye to you and you wished them luck. All except Taeyong. He didn't look at you. Someone is sulking

The concert was bomb just as expected. You watched from behind the stage, dancing to every song and shrieking out your adoration along with the crowd. No Manners started up and the boys got into their positions. It was the last group song before boys' solos then ending with the title song. You watched Taeyong as he performed the choreo. Every move was just so smooth and practiced, his stage presence commanding attention. Major dom energy so unlike the mewling kitten that occupied your bed at night. He broke off from the dance and each member strayed onto different parts of the stage. He followed behind Ten, pulling the shorter dancer closer to him. Intimately close. A hand behind Ten's head with fingers in his hair. Their faces were so close it was almost as if they were kissing. Even in this, you could catch the glint of his eyes as he flashed his gaze at you. He was showing off. The song was approaching Tae's part as he moved backward towards center stage, facing you. He got down on his knees and grinded against the stage, the bright lights flooding his profile into a white silhouette. The only thing visible was his gaze and the red of his lips, his teeth shining in a near snarl.

Such a exhibition was childish and yet watching him display his anger, grating his hips to the beat and a feral smile of red amid his sharp face. He was anything but a child. The song finally came to a close and all the boys save Lucas exited the stage, the bass booming with his solo. Before you could comment on his little show Taeyong seized your wrist (why always the wrist?)and ripped you away from the group.

"Taeyong! What are you doing? That hurts!" If he heard your protests he didn't show it. In fact his grip became that much tighter. If either of you had been paying attention you would've noticed the 2 figures trailing behind you.

Coming to an empty hallway he pulled you into the first room, closing and locking it behind him. You stood in the middle of the space watching his shoulders heave, his head down, facing the door. You couldn't help the twinges of heat you felt at the sight of his aggression. He almost looked . . . violent. His grip on you was. "Taeyong?" Your chest almost hurt for your hammering heart.

He spun around and came at you. You stumbled back, every step of yours overtaken by his. Pinning you back against the wall opposite the door, the hard lines of his body crushed you into the cold surface. He towered over you so much that you had to look straight up to meet his gaze. Not that you had that much courage. No. Instead you coward away, pressing yourself into the wall trying to create space where there was none.

"Look at me." His voice was guttural, but nearly silent. You know when you get so made that you can't even speak? That's what this voice was. It made you shiver against him reguardless of the heated anger pouring from him. A heat that reached other places. Places that violence shouldn't reach. "Look at me." You couldn't. For the first time you felt small. You felt vulnerable. You felt weak. And you loved it.

His nails scraped your flesh when he wrenched your head back by the roots of your hair. "FUCKING LOOK AT ME!" A sobbing moan broke from you as you shook in his grip. Eyes screwed shut, you waited for . . . something. A decider. Something to tell you what was happening. You felt his nails once more as he gripped your jaw, his long thin fingers so much stronger than you thought. He was so much stronger than you thought. The bluntness of his clenched teeth grazed your cheek as he spoke. "You think I'm weak? You think I'm a fucking girl? Huh? You do don't you?" He stepped back, holding you to the wall with a hand on your throat. With his head tilted, his big eyes, usually soft, now piercing blinking down at you with sweat dipping from his face. He looked like an animal.

A breath rushed out as he turned his face away. His profile burned into your mind. Releasing you, he brought his hands to the hem of his shirt. "I'll show you just how "girly" I am. When I'm done you're gonna wish I was." He pulled his shirt over his head and stood there in the low light. The sweat misted over his skin, veins making a map, pulsing with his blood.

Pushing you to your knees, he brought you level with his zipper. Undoing himself, he pulled out his cock, growling at the feel of being free. "You see this cock baby? How girly is it?" The words came with a laugh. But it wasn't joy that filled him. He tugged your head forward to rub his dick across your lips, gripping your hair. "Choke on me." With that he sunk back into your throat, laughing at you as you did exactly as he told. Trying to breath only brought another wave of choked coughs as you struggled to take him in. His veins pulsing against your tongue.

Outside 2 figures stood wrapped in attention. Taemin had wanted to step in when they had heard Taeyong shout but Kai had stopped him. "He's not gonna hurt her. He just needs a good fuck to help his pride. Trust me, she'll enjoy it just as much as he will." But as the minutes ticked by they both began to feel the heat of Taeyong's words. So much so that Taemin began to squirm at the vulgarity. It didn't help that Kai's dick was pressing against his ass. He couldn't stop himself from pressing back into the hardness. A hand clasped onto his hip, preventing further pressure.

"If you do that again I will fuck you against the door and I don't care who catches us." Kai was standing over him now, chest pressed into his back.

[shipaholic]

Omens Universe, Chapter 13 Part 2

Nearly made it to Alpha Centauri!

Warnings for this chapter: the terrifying vastness of space; vertigo; and more child endangerment than we’ve seen so far.

Link to next part at the end.

(From the beginning)

(last part)

(chrono)

---

Chapter 13, cont.

Of all the infinite spaces they’d found themselves in recently, this one truly made each of them feel small.

Nebulae crackled in the corner of their eyes. Comets sparked across the heavens like distant fireworks. There were stars, billions upon billions of stars, a riotous tumble of them. And planets, cold and grand, passing by like ships.

Aziraphale had never been here before. For the life of him, he had no idea why. No - perhaps he was afraid of the vastness. Of feeling engulfed.

He leaned, half-consciously, towards Crowley. Their fingers brushed. Slowly, as if moving underwater, Crowley gripped Aziraphale’s hand.

Aziraphale tore his eyes away from the magnitude of space and looked at Crowley. He was in profile, lips slightly parted. His eyes shone with starlight. Aziraphale wanted to kiss him and keep watching him forever. He remembered Crowley had probably seen this room before. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of years in the past. Perhaps it hit him harder to come back than Aziraphale to see it for the first time.

“Did I ever mention I helped build some of these?” Crowley whispered.

“Yes, dear,” Aziraphale whispered back. His heart brimmed over.

He happened to know the only part of Her creation missing from this room was the Earth. That was because it was on the top floor. He saw it the last time he presented his weekly report to Gabriel, floating in the air like a large, sedate disco ball. They would all use it in three days' time to transport themselves to Earth for Armageddon. Every angel in Christendom, pouring out of the sky.

Aziraphale peered around. There didn’t seem to be much of a filing system in here. Maybe all he had to do was…

“Alpha Centauri?” he said.

It was like going for a gentle stroll and accidentally stepping off a skyscraper.

Space lurched. The detritus of the universe streaked towards him, and past him before he could think about screaming. Two blue dots came out of the darkness like all-knowing eyes that meant the end of all things. They expanded until they were the size of suns, filling his vision, pinning him under their gaze, until with a heart-stopping wrench -

It all stopped.

Space was still again. The binary star system of Alpha Centauri lay before them, winking blue.

Aziraphale shook off the feeling he’d just freefall dived from a million miles up. He glimpsed Crowley’s face, and got a sudden idea of what it must have felt like for him, before all this happened. The Fall. He squeezed Crowley’s hand. Crowley’s eyes were glazed. Slowly, he came back to himself and squeezed back.

Aziraphale remembered, a fraction later than he should have, to check on Adam.

The boy’s face was white with exhilaration. “Wicked,” he whispered to himself.

Spacedog yipped and scratched his flank with his cybernetic back leg. His ears jiggled inside his fishbowl helmet. He didn’t look impressed. Aziraphale supposed he was made for this environment. Then he went back to deliberately ignoring Spacedog, because while Spacedog’s existence was remarkable, Aziraphale found him far too ridiculous to dwell on.

“We want Proxima Centauri B,” he said.

This time they all braced themselves. There was a relatively short, painless lurch forward as the room zoomed in on the planet orbiting one sun, Proxima Centauri. The planet was pockmarked like porous stone. It turned ponderously in the light from its star.

“Oh!” Crowley leaned forward in wonder. He pointed down at the craggy little planet. “I remember this! This one was one of mine.”

Aziraphale watched him puff out his chest and smiled.

“Yup. I totally helped with this one. Well. I looked over the plans. Well. I graffitied a rude word in some space dust.” Crowley paused. “They probably took it out.”

“How lovely,” Aziraphale said, dryly.

This was it. Triumph rang through his head. He was about to become an outer space fugitive. He couldn’t believe they’d got this far. There was only one step left, and they were home free. Or… not home. Not yet. But definitely free.

“Crowley, do you trust me?”

Crowley’s head snapped round. “That’s a funny question at this stage,” he said, sounding perturbed.

“Sorry. I need to be sure, though, or this next part won’t work.”

Crowley’s golden eyes regarded him.

“I trust you, angel.”

Aziraphale turned to face him. Crowley did the same, mirroring him. Aziraphale caught his other hand, holding them both, bare and gloved.

“Fuse with me.”

Relief lifted Crowley’s face.

“Oh, thank Satan. I was worried for a moment.”

Aziraphale gave a chuckle. “Sorry for being dramatic. I wasn’t -”

He broke off. He hadn’t been sure. If Crowley had truly forgiven him, yet. It would be understandable if he needed more time.

Apparently not. Crowley was attempting to loosen up in the receptionist’s tailored trousers. He stretched his inhumanly bendy spine, wiggled his snaky hips. It would have been rather alluring if Crowley wasn’t, as Aziraphale well knew, an awful dancer. It still was quite alluring, actually.

“Remember how to do this?” Crowley grinned.

“Of course. Like riding a velocipede.”

Crowley groaned and laughed. He began… a kind of shimmy, Aziraphale supposed. It was very wriggly. It had a slight drunk-wedding-guest-cum-gay-bar aspect, not that he’d been to a wedding or a gay bar in over eighty years.

Now that push came to shove, he felt rather foolish doing this in front of an audience. He avoided looking anywhere near Adam and broke into a modified Gavotte.

They danced towards each other. They were taking it slower than the urgency of the situation asked for, if he was being honest. But it was thrilling, the build up without touching, the coy flashes of eye contact. Aziraphale felt Crowley’s body heat through his silk blouse. Crowley’s long, skinny chest wiggled inches away from him. His gem glowed softly, like it was warming up.

Aziraphale clasped his arm, and his own gem flared.

They melted together.

Zadkiel stumbled out, wide-eyed and flushed.

“Wow. I need to get a room.”

He noticed Adam.

“Ummmm. Hello there. We’ve sort-of met, sort-of haven’t. I’m Zadkiel.” He held out his hand.

Adam glared as he took it. Some weird grown-up stuff had just happened, and he was ready to zip away from it at the speed of light.

“They just… turned into you,” he said.

“Yup.”

“They’re really bad dancers.”

“So am I!”

“Right. Why’d they do that, then?”

“Well… they’ve been apart for a while, and while they’re not human, as you know, er, I know for your species the whole dancing thing can be something of a mating ritual… has anyone ever given you the Talk?”

Adam looked deeply disgusted.

“Why’d they turn into you?” he asked, in slow, measured tones.

“Oh! So they can’t track us.” Zadkiel flashed a grin. “The people we’re running away from can tell whenever Aziraphale or Crowley use their powers - their alien powers, that is - but I don’t show up on their, errr, alien scanner things. So they can’t follow us to Proxima Centauri.”

This was going to require a lot of discipline, he realised. If they wanted to be good intergalactic space fugitives - and Zadkiel absolutely did - there would have to be no more performing of miracles unless fused from now on. One thoughtless snap of the fingers from either of them, and it would all be over. Zadkiel hoped the other two were up to it.

He squared up to the orbiting planet below.

“Enough explanation. It’s time to go. Are you ready?”

Adam nodded. The blue lights of Alpha Centauri shone in his eyes.

“Brilliant. Hold on to my arm and don’t let go no matter what.”

Adam scooped up Spacedog,[1] along with the Book, and looped his spare arm through Zadkiel’s. He may have shown up unexpectedly, but he was a reassuringly large presence.

Zadkiel performed the ritual on himself and Adam. Nobody needed to leave their gems behind accidentally at this stage. He guessed it would be messy in Adam’s case.

“Here we go -”

Zadkiel reached out.

His fingertips dissolved as they neared the planet. Then his whole body melted into a stream of atoms, and this really was a freefall, dimensions compressing around him, his body stretching back miles, stars streaking across his vision. He was made of mist and he was rushing through a cold tunnel faster than any living thing had ever moved

~*~

They popped out at the other end, mouths agape like fish.

The first thing was the silence.

It was crushing and absolute. It was the silence of a void. A sea of darkness full of pinpricks of light that only made the darkness more infinite. He remembered, from two different perspectives, rowing across a lake that had been like this.

Then, the planet.

It spread out below him. A hard, mountainous, canyon-pocked waste-scape. He could see where it curved, the crescent of light like the rind of an orange. He could see the shimmering corona of its atmosphere. He could see the granite and sandstone and marsh-coloured patches of its body, all merging like a paintbox left out in the rain.

He had never seen anything like it. A new world. Untouched. Alien.

He had to admit it was a cracking view.

Adam’s fingers dug into his arm. The green dog yipped at a hysterical pitch.

Zadkiel looked down at the boy and noticed the third thing.

Adam gasped for breath that wouldn’t come. He stared into Zadkiel’s eyes, terrified, as his lips turned blue.

---

[1] Neither of Zadkiel’s components knew what to make of the dog. They’d each secretly hoped that fusing would bring some wisdom on the subject. Zadkiel was happy to report: nope. The dog thing was really weird.

(Link to next part)

[the-community-mascara]

Shit Theatre Kids Say!

Hello, here are some of the random shit I've seen/heard/said/done at rehearsal or backstage during shows. This is by no means all of them. Just some of them, about my first year of doing theatre's worth, which was two years ago.

~"You are predictably dickish"

~"Wait I thought sausage was from cows!!"

~"Singing? In a MUSICAL? Never"

~"Just for your information I have a very small penis"

~ A girl to our choreographer-"Where is your black shirt, sister?"

Our male and very gay choreographer-"Laying on my bed right next to your boyfriend"

~"Ow I just hit myself in the head with a noose!"

~"Gets on stage face totally brown but body looking whiter than Uncle Sam on a cracker"

"What?" *hysterical laughter*

"That's my thing now, like I am whiter than Uncle Sam on a cracker"

~(To the tune of What I've been looking for from high school musical) "This feeling's like no other. I really want sleep! I've never had somewhere I really want to be, LIKE MY BED!"

~"Who's Betsy Ross's husband?"

"Jesus"

~"if you're fat, what am i? A beluga whale?"

~"I can't even! I can only odd!"

"What the fuck"

~"It's a beautiful day you guys!"

"It's a beautiful day for a murder"

"True"

~"You're a chill dick?"

~"My favorite human is probably Mickey Mouse"

~"...Beating her husband?!"

"I thought she was a lesbian!"

~"I need some MILK"

~"You have all that business to mind and you're still in mine?!"

~ *at Larosa's for a cast party* *one guy puts a very tiny dinosaur in the parmesan cheese shaker*

~ "wow you guys its brighter than all of our futures in here!" (We had just gotten into school on a Saturday and every light was off)

~"Unlock the door before I use my epic Vagina muscles" (We were locked out of the dressing rooms on a Saturday show)

~ "I'm so hungry can (our director) get here soon?! It's half an hour past when we were supposed to be here! I'm so hungry - you know what, fuck it. I'm eating this dandelion." *she then eats the dandelion and not five minutes later our director pulls up* "THERE IS A GOD"

~ "I wanna fuck the moon"

~ "Keegan you are literally an abortion fail. Shut the fuck up."

~"Almost all the guys here are adorable, but like, no hetero"

~"Why did you get me started on babies? I fucking hate babies"

~"That curtain just wiped me clean bro! It went straight up my backside!"

~"Old people blood is different it's dusty"

~"That's not blood! It's a thong!"

~"Eggrolls"

~ one of our warmups is that one episode of Spongebob (First you do this... Spin around... STOP!) and the first show our senior who leads us in starts it and another senior just "I FUCKING HATE SPONGEBOB"

"GET OUT LYDIA NO ONE LOVES YOU" was everyone's response.

~ our cast is going through warmups and our last one is putting our hands in "what team? Wildcats!" And well this happened

"WHAT TEAM???"

"WILDCA-"

"guys the audience can hear you!!!"

*very hushed voices* "what team?"

"wildcats!"

~(one of the dresses in the dressing rooms looks like it belongs in the 17/1800's probs cuz it does but one girl put it one bc she didn't have one) *spins around* "Betsy Ross who?"

~ I had to get chased through multiple scenes and everytime I got off stage, heart racing, I'd lean over to the nearest person and whisper- "I do more running on this stage than I ever do in gym class"

~ one time when I was running off stage I ran straight into this one kid who was technically in eighth grade but still part of our cast bc we needed guys.

~ the guy who chased me always fucked around with different runs

~ "my blood is basically Wendy's"

~ between shows on Saturday me and a few friends went to Wendy's... Then a few more people showed up... Then it was an impromptu cast party. No one said a name for our orders so the lady just put "Drama"

~ literally everybody but our Larkin running lines for her songs. And Larkin wanted to murder them all.

~ "I'm sorry you guys, but the air con broke in the backstage hallway and the auditorium. So we have box fans. If you guys wanna risk it, go get the haunted fan from the band room."

~ while at Wendy's the ice machine started randomly pouring ice and we all just looked at each other. "Sorry guys, the ghost followed us." Was uttered to the workers

~ "literally the only reason I'm still alive is because I really wanna do a show about lesbians in the 1930's but I cant do it next year if I'm dead."

~ "what's up there anyway?" (Asked about the loft where students are forbidden to go)

"Oh that's the suicide ladder."

"Why??"

"Our director fell off of it a few years back and nearly died. We aren't allowed up there."

~ "I hate to say it you guys but we have to use the pillows from the sex couch"

"why do you guys call it the sex couch?"

"Long story short, it glows under a blacklight and that means either blood or semen and let's face it, this is high school."

- before everyone needs to start getting ready we have a lip sync battle through the sound system.

~ "you guys I just realized that our A.P. Gov. Final and Opening night are the same day. I'm gonna die."

~ "CAN I KEEP THE GOBLET OF FAILURE?!" (In reference to a goblet our lead threw on opening night that then shattered)

"If you want to"

~ the entire cast had to fall down during one of the dances at the end. This lead to many "paint me like one of your French girls" Scenes. So many, that the line got banned.

~ an in depth conversation during intermission about three porn videos one of the leads has seen. 1) instead of moaning normal things, the girl moans "oh my goodness" Super fast, he didn't finish it he was laughing so hard. 2) it's in an art studio, and the guy is tickling the girl with a paint brush, then shoves it in - not her vagina, but her urethra. He didn't finish that one. 3) the guy spit, directly into the girls asshole. He finished that one.

We were laughing so hard, that we nearly missed it when the overture started.

~ "it is so hot my sweat is sweating"

~ "are you dab fanning me?"

~ "WHO MOVED MY SHARP THINGY?"

~ "get me my letter!"

~ "bro"

~ *everyone mouthing the lines the people on stage are saying*

~ *over exaggerated lip syncing to songs happening in front of a curtain as we all wait behind the curtain*

~ "where is the person helping me strip him?"

~ "Kroger is just nicer people's Walmart"

~ *everyone getting ready and quoting vines*

~ "free sh- fre sha va cado"

"What?"

~ "who's stepping on my shoes?! Who- oh it's me."

~ "I have to get home! I have a wife and kids!"

"You're 12"

"SIMS"

~ *the boys dressing room prank calls random restaurants*

~ *I have my legs up while I'm sitting on the dressing room table* *my friend slaps my bare leg* "that's a nice slab of meat ma'am"

~ " Can someone explain why it's called Buffalo Wild Wings if Buffalo don't have wings?"

"It's Buffalo sauce on chicken wings, Cayenne."

"Oh!"

~ "OOH draw me as a furry!" (Said by a twelve year old)

~ "Maddi... Draw me a chicken!"

~ (there is a stool in the girls dressing room that is so falling apart the seat is all duct tape and it comes off, it looks horrid.) "Hey guys look! It's the butt stool"

~ "hey gals the fun has arrived!"

(Everyone at the same time): "the fun has been here"/"Where is she?"

~ "someone just dropped their foot! I mean their shoe!"

~ "you only have 3/4 leg to shave and 1 and 1/4 leg to not shave"

Feel free to add on with the weirdest shit you guys have heard theatre kids say!

[bangtan-sonyeonddaeng]

Jin Scenario: You break up due to hateful comments from fans (angst with a happy ending)

You had been dating Jin for a few months now. Everything was going great. You literally were living the dream millions of army had all over the world. Jin spotted you at a fan sign, and absolutely fell in love with you. The way you giggled at his jokes, praised him for his vocals and dancing. He thought you were so incredibly cute how was he not supposed to fall for you? When you walked in with your RJ head band and t shirt with his name on it, he just knew he couldn’t let this be the last time he talked to you. He had written his number in your album when he signed it. You thought you were dreaming, still not fully believing that Jin had actually given you his number. Your bias, the man you had been pining after for the last 6 years but never thought in a million years you would ever meet, let alone get his number.

Taehyung always use to joke that you two were soul mates. The way you two just instantly clicked, your personalities nearly identical to one another. There was never a dull moment with you two. After he had announced you two were dating, the response from fans was mostly positive. Of course there were a few hateful comments but that was to be expected. However as the months went on and people saw that Jin was serious about staying with you, the hateful comments became more frequent. After reading that he was too good for you one too many times you started to believe it. Jin came home from the studio to find you standing the living room sobbing loudly with your suitcase trailing behind you.

“Jagi, stop where are you going what’s going on?”

“They’re right Jin. You can do so much better than me. I’m a nobody. I don’t mean anything and I am just holding you back from your career. I’m leaving.” He immediately runs over to you and grabs the suitcase out of your hand, tossing it to the side. He wraps you up in his arms and hugs you tightly to him. You feel the top of your head dampening with his tears.

“Don’t you ever listen to those comments y/n. They are from jealous people that have nothing better to do than try to ruin our lives. Please, I can’t live without you don’t leave me.” You tighten your grip around his waist, nuzzling into his shirt.

“I realized I can’t live without you either Jin. I was standing in the living room for 15 minutes crying before you walked in the door. I couldn’t bring myself to actually leave..” He pulls away from you and kisses you passionately. 

“Good. Because I love you y/n. I love you so much. All of the members love you too. They would be so sad if you left, you’re a part of our family now. Promise me you won’t ever leave.” You smile at him and take his hand to go lay back down in bed with him. That night he holds you so close you can’t move. Not that you mind, it’s in his arms that you feel safe, comforted. And there is no place else you’d rather be. Right before you fall asleep, you mumble

“I promise.” Jin kisses you softly on the top of your head before falling asleep himself. 

You take Jin’s advice and stay off of social media for a while until the hate dies down. You had to stay up late to finish some work and decided to walk to the cafe down the road to grab a coffee before they closed. It was dark, but you both lived in a nicer area of Seoul so you didn’t feel concerned. On the way to the cafe you got a weird feeling, you couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following you. When you walked by a side street you felt someone grab your hair and yank you down to the ground. You looked up to be met with the sight of someone wearing a mask. You went to scream for help but they immediately shoved a hand over your mouth muffling your cries. 

“You better break up with Jin. You don’t deserve him. You’re distracting him from what he loves most, his singing, and his fans. I followed you from your apartment so I know where you live now. Unless you want to be constantly looking over your shoulder every time you go out, I suggest you leave. Tonight.” The person shoves you backwards and you hit your head on the concrete. Your vision blurs for a moment. You try to blink it away and when your vision finally clears you see that whoever they are have left. You burst into tears. You’ve reached your breaking point. You love Jin, with all your being but if it risks your personal safety every time you leave the house, if you can’t even go on social media without seeing a hate comments towards you, you don’t know if you can deal with it anymore. You run back to your apartment, quickly collecting your things into a suitcase, finally having the determination to leave. You write a note for Jin before you go, your tears staining the page and causing the ink to run. You leave it on his pillow before grabbing your purse and running out the door.

“Baby! I brought your favorite dinner home. I thought we could watch a new TV show together.” Jin gets no response and realizes the apartment sounds eerily silent. He doesn’t see your purse or keys sitting on the table where you usually leave them.

“Y/n?” No response. He walks into the bedroom, sees the bed completely made up and your side of the closet empty. When he sees the note on his pillow, he already knows. He picks the letter up and reads it.

I’m so sorry Jin. But I can’t do this anymore. The comments were already pushing me over the edge, but being attacked is a completely different story. I’m sorry for breaking my promise. But you’re better off without me. -Y/n

Jin doesn’t cry. He doesn’t feel anything. He feels numb. The world goes quiet around him as he lets your words sink in. It isn’t until he goes back into the kitchen and sees the meal sitting on the table that he ordered for the both of you that he finally breaks down. He collapses on the floor, hugging his knees tightly to his chest and sobbing into them. He feels like he is literally falling apart, and that terrifies him. He picks up his phone and tries to call you, only to have your phone go straight to voicemail. He calls again, and again. Just wanting to hear your voice every time the answering machine picks up. When he realizes you aren’t going to answer, he immediately calls Namjoon.

“Joon…” 

“Jin?! What’s wrong what happened?”

“It’s y/n she.. she’s gone. She left. Oh god Namjoon what am I going to do I can’t live without her she’s my everything.” 

“I’m coming over.”

Namjoon gets there way too fast but Jin can’t bring himself to scold him for speeding. He tells him everything, and shows him the note you wrote. 

“I’m so sorry Jin. But y/n is probably just scared right now. I see how much she loves you. She isn’t going to be gone for good. Trust me.”

“She took everything Namjoon. Her clothes, her makeup, everything is gone. It’s like she was never here.” Namjoon looks around and spots the photo of you two on the nightstand. He brings it over and places it in his lap.

“She’ll be back Jin. Just have faith, okay?”

The media was blowing up about your breakup, most of the responses were positive. Stating that things were better this way. You couldn’t help but agree with them. You were miserable, there was absolutely no doubting that. But Jin deserved better, that’s what you kept telling yourself. You spent 2 weeks barely moving from your bed. You couldn’t bring yourself to. You were so overwhelmed with sadness and not a day went by that Jin didn’t try to contact you. He sent you text messages often, reminding you to eat, to get enough sleep. His kindness and determination not to forget about you broke your heart even more. When you checked your message this morning you saw another one from him.

I hope to see you at the award show tonight. Even if you don’t want to see me, at least go to support the rest of the members. They miss you and love you just as much as I do. 

You sigh heavily and throw your phone off the bed, hearing it smack against the wall. He had gave you a ticket to this award show before you had left him. Why is he making this so hard for you? A few seconds later you hear your phone chime again. Your curiosity gets the better of you and you see a message from Taehyung.

Please come tonight. We all miss you. 

Your guilt was eating away at you and you finally decided you would go. You weren’t going to talk to them, but you were at least going to go to show your silent support and also to see the other groups you liked perform. Just because you two broke up didn’t mean you couldn’t have a good time. You started to get ready, making sure to wear a mask on your face in case anyone would recognize you as ‘the monster that broke Jin’s heart.” Oh yeah, that was actually a comment you had read this morning. Like you needed more of a reminder of how badly you were hurting and you had hurt him. 

You arrived at the show pretty early. You had a very nice view of the stage, but your semi good mood quickly turned to panic when you realized that the boys were sitting only a few rows in front of you. You could see seats with reserved signs and their names on the back. You immediately stood up and went to go leave the venue, suddenly realizing what a horrible idea this was. In your rush to leave you didn’t notice you had accidentally wandered back to a restricted area for the artists. When you turned the corner there was someone coming your way as well. You ran smack into them, quickly apologizing. You look up and are looking into the warm brown eyes that belong to none other than Jimin. 

“Y/n?” You freeze when he says your name. “Oh my god, y/n it really is you!” You see his normally kind, and cheerful eyes fill with tears as he yanks you into his arms. “Why did you leave?! Did you not think we could have helped to protect you from the fans? We all loved you, we all miss you and we all have been hurting since you left what were you thinking? Do you even have any idea how upset Jin was been?!” You can’t help but break down in front of him. Jimin was always the one you felt closest to next to Jin. He always seemed to know just how to cheer you up, and knew what you were feeling without even having to tell him.

“I-I’m sorry Jimin I was scared. I was so so scared I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to leave but I felt like I had no other choice. I didn’t want to be looking over my shoulder every time I went out to do anything on my own.”

“We could have given you body guards. Hell one of us could have went with you.”

“I didn’t want to be burden.” Jimin finally pulls away, his hand tightly gripping your shoulders as he looks you dead in the eye.

“Don’t ever say that or think that about yourself. You’re not a burden. You never were. Please y/n.. Just come back.” 

“I can’t Jimin. Jin probably hates me-”

“No, I don’t.” The sound of his voice instantly makes your heart break all over again. You can’t bring yourself to turn around and face him. You can feel him approach you and place a hand on your shoulder.

“Y/n please look at me.” You shake your head and hide your face into Jimin’s chest.

“I don’t deserve to see you right now Jin.”

“Y/n, please.” Hearing how broken he sounds and how is voice is starting to crack makes you finally take a deep breath and look at him. There are tears steaming down his face as he looks at you, like he still can’t believe you’re here in front of him. He smiles at you, and takes both of your hands and wraps then around his waist. He kisses your forehead. 

“Jin, stop please.” He cuts off whatever you are going to say next with a kiss to your lips. The moment your lips touch his you are reminded of just how strong your feelings are for him. If he didn’t have such a tight grip on you then you would have dropped to the floor almost instantly.

“Jin I am so sorry.” You break down sobbing and he gently shushes you as he cards his fingers through your hair.

“I missed you y/n.”

“I missed you too Jin. I should have just talked to you and I shouldn’t have left.”

“But you’re back now and that’s all that matters. Right? You are going to come home?” You pull away and look at him. The hope that you see behind his eyes, you know that you can’t leave him. Why did you ever think that you would be able to make it without him?

“I, want to come home. If you’ll allow me too.” 

“You will always be my home y/n. That will never change.”

[thewritewolf]

Inseparable Chapter 31: Waiting on You

And so we finally reach the end of my story for Ladynoir July 2019, Inseparable. It’s been a ride and this story really made me think - not just about the relationship between Ladybug and Chat Noir, but about the miraculous and how they interact with each other. I hope you all enjoyed this, and I hope that you’ll keep an eye out for the smaller stories that I’ll be working on in the near future. Thanks for reading!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

@ladynoirjuly2019

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

(Really hoping the Read More works since this is like a 3k long chapter)

The two of them exchanged a look before getting up, slowly and cautiously. It was late, past midnight and much later than they would expect any of their friends to drop by. Even assuming that they would appear without calling ahead first - both Adrien and Marinette lived busy lives, after all, and showing up unannounced was a good way to miss them entirely. So whoever was on the other side of that door knew they were there, despite how infrequently they were home or awake at this hour.

Adrien crept ahead of his lady as he approached the door. Names ticked through his head as he tried to puzzle out who it could be. Nino had a DJ gig today. Alya would be sleeping. None of his model coworkers knew where he lived, and neither did most of their friends from lycee. They hadn’t been in this apartment for that long - they had only entertained guests a couple times so far. Ready to pounce if this turned out bad, he opened the door.

Looking up at him, peaceful as ever, was none other than Master Fu. A dark green bag with faded yellow symbols hung from his shoulder.

“Greetings, young one.” He leaned to the side to look behind Adrien. “And hello to you as well, Marinette. I see the two of you have completed the final stage of your training.”

Marinette approached slowly. “How did you…?”

The old man smiled. “To those attuned to the flow of energy, it is clear as day. There is an unbreakable bond between the two of you.” His smile faded and his face became serious. “A bond that I am afraid I will have to test today.”

Pulling Marinette closer to him instinctively, Adrien eyed the old master suspiciously. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked and that’s one of the first things that you say?”

His hands rested on the gnarled old cane that he carried. “I understand your protectiveness, Adrien Agreste. But I promise you, this is for the good of all. Will you at least hear what I would ask of you?”

With a sigh, Adrien stood aside. “Okay, okay. I at least owe you that much.”

“At the very least,” Master Fu confirmed with a small smile.

While Adrien sat back down to where, just a few minutes ago, he’d been occupied with kissing his girlfriend, Marinette pulled a chair in front of the couch and took her spot next to Adrien. Master Fu nodded his thanks as he settled into the repositioned chair. To Adrien’s immense surprise, the guardian almost seemed… uncertain. Not as composed as he remembered from his earlier years.

Wayzz appeared from Fu’s hawaiian shirt and floated above the others. Tikki and Plagg rose to meet him and the three of them sailed towards the kitchen, no doubt looking to scrounge for some snacks. Adrien watched them before returning his attention to Fu.

“I know that you don’t like to make house calls unless you absolutely have to,” Marinette said, finally breaking the silence. “So I understand that whatever you are here for, you consider to be very important.” She wrung her hands from nerves and Adrien settled one hand over them. “But I get the feeling you don’t like what you’re going to ask.”

After a moment, Master Fu nodded slowly. “You are correct. I am here because of this,” he reached into his bag and pulled out an object that Adrien was all too familiar with - the Peacock miraculous.

It had been years since he had seen it last, but it had been seared into his memory as the end of his family, such that it was. From what Master Fu had told him, it was what had made his mother fall into a coma, and his father’s possession of it was a major reason Adrien had realized his father was Hawkmoth. But Adrien also remember that it was…

“You want us to fix it,” Adrien blurted out.

Fu’s eyes widened ever so slightly, but he nodded. “The creator of the miraculous is long gone. The secret knowledge and techniques of my order has been lost for over a century. The only power left in this world capable of restoring this miraculous is that of the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous, working in tandem.”

Beside him, Marinette gasped. “You knew!” At Adrien’s confused look, she elaborated. “You knew that the Peacock was damaged from the beginning. All this time, I had wondered why you chose to send out the two miraculous that Hawkmoth had wanted but… it makes sense now. You needed us to fix the Peacock miraculous.”

“It was a gamble, but I had faith in the ones who I had chosen.” Master Fu’s eyes were resolute. “My faith was rewarded when you successfully returned the long missing miraculous. For that, I am grateful.” He bowed his head in respect. “I had resigned myself to wait for years for your powers to mature, but both of you became stronger far quicker than I had ever hoped. I simply wish that you had not been forced to access your abilities so prematurely.”

“But we were,” Adrien stated. “And now it sounds like you’re asking us to do it again.” His hand tightened around Marinette’s.

“I understand that you feel trepidation after what happened last time…”

“I nearly watched the love of my life die!” Adrien growled. “You honestly think that-”

“Adrien.” Her voice was calm, but stern. His anger that had been slowly building up evaporated in an instant as his attention turned back to her. “We have to help. It’s our duty.”

He cupped her cheek and through the mask of determination she wore he could see the fear buried deep in her eyes. “...Haven’t you given enough already?” His voice broke as he added, “I don’t want to lose you. Not again.”

“Chaton…” She kissed his nose and pulled him close. “We have to do this. It’s something only we can do.” His arms wrapped around her so he could hold her tight. He buried his face into her shoulder. “If it isn’t us, then someone even less prepared will try and fail. Right, Master Fu?”

“Indeed. It is rare to see a pair as inseparable as you two. That bond will be your weapon and your armor in this coming battle.” Adrien heard the chair squeak and the sound of something being placed on the table. “You know where I live. Take all the time you need.” His voice became distant. “Good luck, young ones.”

The door closed behind him. The apartment was silent for a few minutes as Tikki and Plagg floated over the damaged miraculous.

“Oh, poor Duusu… I can barely feel her presence. She must be so weak.” There was sadness in Tikki’s watery eyes. Plagg placed a comforting paw on her head.

“Don’t worry, Sugarcube. Won’t be too much longer before we’re one big happy family again…” he peered over his shoulder to Adrien, an uncharacteristic seriousness on his face. “...Right, kid?”

Adrien buried his face in his hands. “...Right, Plagg.”

Marinette’s hand rubbed circles on his back while her other one rested on his knee. She was quiet when she spoke. “I know you’re worried, mon chaton.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I am too.”

“I don’t know what we’re about to be getting ourselves into.” He returned her hug, holding her as tight as he could. “But I’m glad that it’s you that’s going to be by my side for this. For all of this. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.”

Her smile was weak but radiant, like a glimpse of the sun seen in a rainstorm. “You took the words right out of my mouth.” Brushing aside the nascent tears, she stood up. “Are you ready to start?”

“You want to do this now?” Adrien rose as well, glancing between the kwamis and the broken miraculous.

“I’m afraid if I think about this too much then I’ll chicken out.”

A surprised laugh forced its way out of him. “That’s fair.” He turned to the kwami. “Do either of you need any recharging before we get started?”

“Kid, this goes against everything I stand for but... No, I’m full. Let’s do this.” Plagg narrowed his eyes and nodded at Adrien.

“I feel stronger than I have in generations.” Tikki swirled around Marinette’s head. “I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful chosen. Both of you are so brave.”

“So…” Adrien looked into the silvery metal of his ring. “How do we do this?”

“Traditionally, it starts with you transforming, ya dingus.” Plagg’s tail flicked back and forth irritatedly.

“Yes, Plagg, I managed to figure that part out on my own. But what about after that?”

Tikki floated into his field of view. “You have to remember, Adrien, that this isn’t a common event and we are always inside the miraculous when it happens. The only advice we can give you is to do the meditations as usual and just… focus your energy on Duusu’s miraculous. The rest should make itself clear.”

After a moment, Adrien nodded slowly. “Alright… let’s give this a shot then. Plagg, claws out!”

“Tikki, spots on!”

And just like that Chat Noir and Ladybug stood in the middle of their living room. It had been over a month since he’d gone through the familiar transformation and despite his fears, it felt like slipping into a favorite outfit.

“Are you ready to start?” Adrien asked.

Ladybug nodded and put a pillow on the ground next to the table where the miraculous sat. She handed one to Adrien and nodded towards the opposite end of the table. Once they were seated, they locked hands and Adrien was reminded of old timey seances. Who knows? Maybe this is where they got the idea from in the first place.

With a slight effort of will, he discarded his thoughts like he was shrugging off his jacket. His mind became unanchored and within moments he felt her presence beside him in a way that went beyond the physical. He didn’t have long to enjoy it, however, as he felt himself being pulled toward… something. The sensation of being moved was unlike anything he’d experienced yet during their meditation - he hadn’t even realized that was a thing that could happen.

But before he could make any sense of it, let alone figure out how to resist the pull, he felt himself collide with what he could only describe as a cloud that brushed painfully over his skin as he tore through it.

Wait.

Skin?

He opened his eyes and discovered that while he wasn’t outside his own body any more, he also wasn’t inside his apartment. He was laying on his back and staring up at the sky, which was fractal and reflective like lavender crystal. Large cracks broke up the patterns and from those cracks came red storm clouds that crackled with lightning as he struggled to get his bearings. Rolling over, he saw the ground was covered in a dull red dirt. As he stood up and looked to the horizon, he saw that same dirt spread out into infinity, utterly flat and barren. His ears perked up when he heard coughing and he whirled around toward the noise.

Ladybug was groaning as she sat up, her eyes widening as she took in her new surroundings. She gladly took the hand that he offered and they both stood in the open area, looking around.

“Any idea where we are, bugaboo?”

She was staring up at the clouds and crystal sky. “You ever wonder what the inside of a miraculous looks like?”

“I- You don’t really think…?” He frantically looked around at the desolation. His sympathy for the kwami increased - is this what they had to live in while waiting for new chosen?

“No… usually it is much more… pleasant.”

A tiny voice made both of them jump and they turned toward the source, already pulling out their weapons. Behind them floated a blue kwami with a large, beautiful tail that reminded him of a peacock.

“...Duusu?” Adrien whispered as he stepped closer. Getting a better look, he realized that there were darker patches all along her body, her eyes were sunken, and even her tail seemed ragged and torn. “What… happened to you?”

“I’ve been trying to hold on…” The kwami sniffled. “But they can slip in through the cracks. I don’t think I can make it much longer… Not before they push me out completely.”

“Who? Who are ‘they’?”

“The darkness that seeps in from beyond. They’re coming.” The kwami coughed and Ladybug lunged to catch her as she dropped like a stone. “Please… help.”

Lightning struck and instead of thunder reaching his ears, he instead heard roars like those of wild animals. He looked toward the noise and saw creatures made of a substance like a dark purple, liquid shadow. The analogy of wild animals was accurate, to a point. They ran on four legs, and there was a sense of claws and fangs, but that was where the similarities ended. Just as he was getting ready to fight, he felt Ladybug slip something into his pocket.

“Take care of Duusu. I don’t know if she can handle any more punishment.”

“As you wish, my lady.” He extended his baton into a staff and settled into a defensive stance. “How about I take the dozens on the left and you take the ones on the right?”

“Duusu has been at this for ages, chaton. Beating these things is only part of the problem.” She pointed toward the cracks in the crystal. “I think we need to do something about those if we’re going to make any kind of real progress.”

“I don’t know how to even start fixing that, but before we can try…” The monsters were almost upon them. “...Let’s drive these things back.”

It had been years since the two of them had a fight that pushed them to their limits. Adrien had been worried that they would be rusty after all that time, but they rose to the challenge. Never before had he ever felt so in sync with his lady - no matter how hard the monsters pressed, they couldn’t manage to break their flawless defense. Despite their horrific appearance, the shadow creatures were individually taken down easily. Maybe it was because they didn’t need to worry about an innocent person being inside, or maybe they had just gotten that much stronger over the years, but it felt incredibly easy to destroy them.

At least, the first few waves.

It quickly became clear that while they weren’t the most threatening on their own, they had numbers on their side and were slowly wearing them down. Hits began landing, sneaking their way through their defenses. Adrien began accumulating cuts. He could feel bruises forming on his skin. Growling, he pushed aside the pain and pressed on. In his focus, he began to hear a voice in the back of his head.

Grab that one throw it into that one keep Chat’s back clear how to deal with the crystal sky don’t know keep fighting have to keep fighting

He was surprised, but in recognizing the mental voice as belonging to his lady, he submerged himself entirely into the fight.

Before long, he felt her surprise as well and the voice in his mind became stronger, more coherent. Without the burden of words, their reactions become as quick as thought. They lost themselves to a zen state of fighting, sinking further than they ever had before into a trance-like state. He wasn’t sure when he became they, but before long they controlled both bodies with one mind.

Things became foggy after that point. The monsters kept pouring after them but they couldn’t make it within twenty meters before being erased like shadows by the sun. Their attention turned as one towards the crystal skies, the clouds evaporating as the crystal began regenerating. Their light became blinding and all that they remembered next was searing white light.

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

Marinette woke up in her apartment. Her back hurt as she pulled herself out of the awkward angle that she had been sleeping in, draped over the edge of the couch behind her. In front of her, Adrien had sprawled out on the floor. Her heart skipped a beat in panic and she stared breathlessly at him, fearing the worst. As she stared, however, she saw his chest rise and fall like she always did late at night. She crawled over to him and shook his shoulder, wincing at the sunlight streaming in through the windows.

It was at this point she realized she was no longer in her suit. That wasn’t too surprising - she could go long stretches of time these days transformed but after what they did-

Her eyes widened as she remembered what it was they had been trying to do. While Adrien groggily sat up, pawing at his eyes, Marinette turned her attention toward the miraculous sitting on the table.

Floating above it was a blue, smiling kwami. Adrien noticed her too.

“Hey, boss,” Adrien croaked with a smile. “Looks like we did it.”

He reached over to brush away the tears she didn’t realize she’d been shedding and she immediately launched herself into Adrien’s arms. Marinette’s heart was so full of joy it was close to bursting. They’d done it. Neither of them had gotten hurt, and they could go on with their lives unburdened by the past.

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

Down below, in a place running on backup generators and reserve power, only a single light flickered above a sarcophagus of glass and metal and and doubtless a touch of magic.

Inside was a woman.

She opened her eyes.

[brokenbones-singsongs]

A trip down today on memory lane with Timehop:

1 year ago: I was far skinner than I am now, still in school, went to the discovery place after, and I guess happy? I didn’t say anything. But I seemed okay.

2 years ago: I was in Charleston with Keegan and her ex boyfriend. It was our last night. We went to a bakery and got desserts and coffee that I don’t remember having so it must not have been remarkable. The place we went reminded me a little of Chelsea market which was sweet. We went to a really fricken good seafood place for dinner and I got crab cakes with scallops and shrimp and a creme brûlée. Then we went bar hopping and though it was cold, it was nice and the city lights were beautiful as always.

Three years ago: I simply posted a picture of me and Andrew. I don’t remember a lot of this time surprisingly enough. I was getting ready to go to California in a few weeks and working two jobs (18 hours a day) I was constantly busy and running myself to the point of irreversible exhaustion. I never left myself a moment to breathe or rest. I only slept and worked and volunteered. I wasn’t okay, but I was trying to be. Happiness was hard to come by.

Four years ago today: I was dating Zach. Keegan and I were spending A LOT of time together. She was helping me figure out how to manage a starbucks for the first time and we spent the rest of it baking cookies and getting into shit. Zach bought me a plant. We had only been dating two weeks at this point. It feels like it was longer, but it wasn’t.

Five years ago today: We just got home from NYC for the first time. I was missing Keegan and oh so sick of the rain and colder weather. We’d seen enough of it in the city and I wanted spring. We get leaves and warmer days far quicker than everyone up north and I was READY. I was mentally not okay and juggling a lot of things that seem so simple to me now. In a relationship I knew would someday end, working the simplest of jobs, and kinda bored. Life was easy as it was going to be and yet, I had no idea how great I had it.

Six years ago: I was spending a week with my Mawmaw Kelly. Corey broke up with me so I ran away from home (sort of) so I would be okay. If it’s one thing I do well, it’s making myself move when I’m on the brink of giving up. My tendencies were far more safe then. Go spend a week with Mawmaw, call my mom, spend a weekend with my dad, pick up an extra shift at work, stay with a friend...I’m far more reckless now. I was governed by my own conscience and careful decisions back then. Always afraid of upsetting someone or rocking the boat unnecessarily. I gave up a lot of things that could have been potentially good by keeping that mindset so naturally I’m a bit stupid now. I’ve ruined my mental health here and there by being an idiot, but damn if I don’t have some beautiful memories because I finally swallowed my irrational fears. I made my now, semi-famous miniature pineapple upside down cakes for the first time that night and convinced my grandma to watch White Chicks with me. I’ve never seen her laugh quite as much or as hard before. Somebody at school put Google eyes on all of the statues and murals. My science teacher finally caught on. He was amused and asking Twitter who did it. It was a friend of mine.

Seven years ago today: For you theatre kids, it was hell week! Bye Bye Birdie was officially set to open tomorrow night and I was so sick I was falling asleep with my head resting on the book while programming lighting cues. I had somehow managed to get bronchitis that week and was slowly dying, but as they say “The Show Must Go On” and so it did. We were at school until nearly midnight that night. I can’t remember who was unfortunate enough to have to run me to and from rehearsals that week, but I sincerely apologize. We all had a silent understanding among the cast that the director would make you cry at least once before the show went on and it was nothing personal and to keep going. That was the night we all collectively snapped. Mrs. Moore lost her shit on me, at which point another tech member informed me I was useless and only there because my friend was a part of the cast and pulled me in. I cried. I got angry. And then I swallowed all my frustration and worked my ass off and threw it all back in his face when he inevitably fucked up. Fun times. We really thought someone had to of said the “M” word because everything was shit. Props were missing, lines were forgotten, we deleted some lighting cues (hence my falling asleep at the board) costumes were missing pieces and that’s when Thomas broke the tension... we were in one of the final scenes of our second and a half run through, and Thomas came out with his wig completely sideways, missing a boob and one boot and casually posted up all sultry on one of the side rails of the stage and simply said “how you doin’” at which point the director dropped her clipboard and called it a night. Everyone was laughing so hard we cried and somehow we made it through every performance without even the slightest of hiccups. We even won a few awards for our city’s high school version of the Tony’s. I’ll never trade those moments and all the laughter for anything. The best being singing Bobemian Rhapsody with all 103 of the cast, orchestra, stage crew, and tech while we striked set Saturday night. There’s not much like standing in a room with 100 of your new best friends knowing the pay-off of the month of work you just did. It was exhilarating.

And that’s it for my memories. Today was notoriously good and I’m surprised I remember as much as I do. Sometimes time hop breaks my heart, but then you get days like today where some of your best memories come from and it’s hard not to skip down memory lane. I like the little reminders that it’s not all bad. There’s good even when I tend to forget it.

[theheartofpenelope]

Simple Things : Chapter Seven

Chapter seven- excerpt : Tom would have been lying if he’d said he didn’t contemplate on Sadie as being a potential love interest. His heart was open, his mind curious for new possibilities. He enjoyed the fact she carelessly linked her arm through his before heading outside. She did not seem to take notice of paparazzi or photographers. Or did she?

Tag list: @winterisakiller, @devikafernando, @scorpionchild81, @messy-insomniac-bookgirl, @smutsausage, @hiddlesbitch1 @noplacelikehome77 @wolfsmom1 @meh1217 @dina-bln @lilaeye39 @tinchentitri @fairlightswiftly @nonsensicalobsessions @wolfsmom1 @stmeiou @ink-and-starlight @givemecocoaa @profkmoriarty13 @nikkalia @massivelemon @lotus-eyedindiangoddess @argo-shila @emoietmoi @redfoxwritesstuff

Author’s Notes/Warnings: tags will follow later on Anyway thank you in advance for feedback - would love to know what you think…

Also on AO3 through this link Masterlist available through here Bonus: click here for the pinterest moodboard (always updated)

Chapter Seven Malmö - Ystad versus London

1. Malmö to Ystad (Sweden)

Charlotte absent-mindedly rubbed the creases out of her black dress pants, her eyes looking outside without really seeing any of the scenery that flashed by the windows of the black and yellow taxi.

The seminar had been another exquisite yet exhausting experience. And her biorhythm was now slowly but surely - and very clearly so - catching up with her; demanding more rest and meals at set hours. The steady cadence of the car thudding over the aqueduct lulled Charlotte into a sleep she could no longer fight off, despite her best efforts. She slouched back in the taxi and closed her eyes ‘for a bit’ as the driver skilfully guided her out of from the city of Malmö and towards Ystad in Sweden. It had been Tom’s suggestion. “You’ll love it there, you’ll see,” he’d vouched, “away from the busy city, closer to nature.”

If her brother would see her now he’d tease her relentlessly; fatigue had won her over and easily conquered Charlotte’s quite stubborn and ever-present inner control freak. Or was it her trust in Tom that subconsciously offered her enough confidence to let go, if only for a little while...

He’d presented her with his kind hearted advice very casually and politely, open for her to take it or not. But diplomatically he might have gently urged her into following the proposition. In all sincerity an escape from the busy commercial and industrial centre of Malmö and a return to nature and to silence was very tempting for Charlotte in her current fragile state of mind. All she had to do was say ‘yes’, he concluded, and all the rest could be very easily arranged.

“A small town with little traffic, that offered a vast seaview. Beautiful and pure beaches that stretched out as far as the eye could see, ….” Charlotte had sighed and chuckled as she admitted that it all sounded so very lovely and perfect. Tom had smiled to himself and sealed the deal by simply replying that his publicist would make all necessary reservations a.s.a.p. and subsequently email her all the essential information. He texted her later on that he’d even arranged for a taxi to pick her up after the seminar.

No way back now, Charlotte.  

After an hour or so the taxi pulled up on a deserted road. Charlotte rubbed her tired eyes, dusk was setting in but it might as well have been midnight to her. Sitting up straight in her seat, Charlotte looked out of the car window with clear hesitation. Not a town in sight.

“Excuse me,” she mumbled, “are you  sure  this is the correct address?” “Yes lady,” the cab driver nodded as he collected the fare, “your address there!”

Stepping out of the car, the effect of the scenery suddenly caught up with her. And in full force. Charlotte was clueless where the sea was, but felt the iodine hit her lungs immediately. The air was cold, a lot cooler than in Malmö. She’d heard a thing or two about the polar air, but never expected to experience it in the summertime. The heatwave wasn’t hitting Sweden as hard as Germany obviously.

Uncertain on where she was exactly heading, Charlotte took a deep breath before walking up the pebble stone path that stretched out in front of her, hobbling her suitcase along before trotting up the steps to the airbnb home she’d apparently rented. Well Tom’s publicist had rented it in her name.

The lights inside the cottage were on, much to her delight. That would mean the house would be warm, that she would have local company and possibly,  hopefully even some food available. A bonus in every way. For lack of a doorbell, she knocked on the wooden door with curious courage. 

2. London

The company went over their cues, the lighting, and the sound check. They paraded around the premises one last time before the moment of truth. The pace of his heart doubled its rhythm when Tom laid eyes on all the spectators some 2 hours later. Whoever said that stage fright lessened with experience was an absolute liar, he mused. Because he fell victim to it. Every single time. Again and again. This nervous flutter in his chest that kept him on his toes and would launch him into giving everything he’s got - and even more than that - for the sake of giving the audience their money’s worth.

But after performing that first line his rapidly beating heart would, without fault, slow down to a more serene pace and Tom could sink and drown into his character. It felt like returning ‘home’, to your old and usual ways from where one could just pick up and carry on...

It was difficult to explain, but the stage really did feel like home on occasions. Where the always unique energy of the audience welcomed you, spurred you on, sometimes even lifting you through the happy scenes as well as the emotional ones. . And on nights like these, where he would be on stage for a dramatic reading without any costumed acting he revelled in said experience even more. You would think it would come of as easy, but really it wasn’t. Performing a dramatic reading without acting off props or each other; it was a challenge. But a welcome one.

Tom could see one of his female colleagues swallow and close her eyes in trepidation. Oh, he’d been there before all right. Tom rewarded the young, blonde woman with an encouraging smile and softly reassured her she would be fine right before they were introduced and called up on stage, ready to be thrown before the lions so to speak.0

Her name was Sarah but went by ‘Sadie’. The director had dubbed her a rising star;  “watch out for this one” . She’d just shrugged, smiled and waved it off.

Over rehearsals the two of them had quickly fallen into a comfortable routine. Sadie was very likable, very ambitious and very attractive.  Let’s be honest here and call it what it is. With her long straight flaxen hair and her intense blue eyes, she could have walked straight out of a movie set. Surely it wouldn’t be long until she would be discovered on a larger scale.

She was a good actress, hard working. Though still somewhat green behind her ears, she dìd know - and very well - how the theatre world worked, yet severely underestimated the power of press and social media.Tom thought she was wonderfully naïve. She had boundless energy and went for things headfirst. She reminded him a lot about his younger self. And he was keen to help her on her way whenever she turned towards him for advice.

Their relation was casual and familiar. Their conversation always interesting. They just connected very well. They were on the same page, somewhat. Both understanding the demands of in-depth preparation for a role, of boundless reading, endless rehearsing and early nights in, the need to take care of your body to keep up with the long run of plays without falling ill... There were no words needed on the subject. So nice. And something could be there, Tom had pondered recently. However she was an untamed young horse, eager to experience and to travel, not nearly ready to settle down.

“You did good,” he mouthed to Sadie after her first reading that night, discreetly showing her a thumbs up. Delight twinkled in her eyes.  

In fact the entire performance went well; the audience was mesmerised and enthusiastic. Tom enjoyed performing at the Emmanuel Centre, where he’d just pleaded the case of Dickens vs Tolstoy. It was an intelligent debate, where the authors spoke for themselves through excerpts actors read. It was a trip down literature history. A road in which he gladly delved. It triggered deep thoughts and founded philosophical debate. It was a project he could sink his teeth into, an opportunity he could not refuse…

3. Ystad - London

After the last curtain call Tom headed back to his dressing room. Well, walking on air would have been a more accurate expression seeing he was simply floating on the roaring applause of the audience that still echoed slightly into the hallways backstage.

A good night, definitely a good night .

He cupped his hands under the stream of cold water, before splashing the cool droplets onto his face. Although adrenaline did its part, Tom could feel exhaustion lingering in the background. Yes, he was tired but so very satisfied. And to be honest, quite happy as well that tonight would be a night where he could let go of all worldly stress. It was time for fun and relaxation, for drinks and laughter. A night for offering thanks and bidding goodbyes. But perhaps one goodbye would not be in the works, maybe not yet…

The ringtone on his smartphone broke his trail of thoughts and abruptly brought him back to the present. Towel in hands, he detected it was in fact an incoming facetime-request. And one he certainly did not want to miss.

As soon as he’d accepted the incoming call, Tom was delighted to see a familiar coastal scenery pass before his eyes again. Charlotte’s happy-go-lucky face suddenly came into frame. She looked better than he’d remembered, although quite tired. A sting to his heart.  

“Oh, I hope I am not interrupting anything, but would you just look at that?!” Charlotte exclaimed as she twirled around a deserted and heavenly looking beach some 800 miles away from him. “I’m sorry. But I just hàd to show you. There are no suitable words for this…”

Tom was grinning without realizing it and chuckled when nothing more than words of praise continued to fall from her lips. She seemed so happy, nowhere near the broken little girl he’d calmed to sleep a few nights before.

Perfect.

“Best. Tourguide. Ever!” she concluded, “let me know when you quit your day job.”

“I am thrilled that you’re happy,” Tom confessed truthfully.

“I am beyond happy I think,” she chuckled before gushing, “Tom, it’s just - só beautiful here.”

Tom wearily sank down into a nearby chair. She had never said his name out loud before. She sounded so relaxed.

“If you think this is nice, you should see it in the winter...”

Charlotte fell silent, no more than a sigh tumbled from her mouth and then a small chuckle as she joked “I half expect Jussi to come running up,” referencing Henning Mankell’s Wallander and Tom lips curved themselves into an understanding smile before he noted the scenery blurred suddenly.

“Charlotte?” he frowned with a laugh, “Charlotte? Are you alright?”

“Hang on, I’m trying to switch this to a regular call.”

“It’s all right though,” he protested, “am I not allowed to see you then?”

“No, you are, it’s just…,” more rummaging about before she resurfaced with a silly, “hey” and a lopsided smile.

“Hi,” a broad amused smile on his part.

“It seems a bit silly that I called you now,” Charlotte cast her eyes downward as she shook her head, “this face-to-face and all,”

“I disagree, I’m glad you did,” he confessed, “I’d been thinking about visiting Ystad again. Now that I’ve seen I feel remorseful I’m not there right now.”

“You look tired,” he remarked, “didn’t sleep well last night?”

“Well aren’t you charming,” Charlotte retorted lightening-fast before playfully turning the camera back to the seaside with a chuckle.

She confessed she’d slept like a rose after his call and humorously added she hoped she’d at least didn’t snore. Tom chortled at that and a assured her she hadn’t. Her 2 following days in Hamburg offered her a reasonable amount of sleep. Her moral was better and the pressure of the media had diminished, but she softly confessed to feeling so drained now; as if she could sleep days on end.

“Nowhere better to do just that, than in Ystad,” Tom reassured her, “enjoy it to the fullest.”

“Thank you though, for that night,” Charlotte looked towards her feet once more and scrunched her nose. “For your concern, your patience.”

A slight sigh, she seemed so fragile and lonely again all of a sudden, “I erm - I tend to keep my vulnerable self firmly under wraps, you know…”

“That’s quite all right Charlotte,” he soothed, “I know how gruelling the press can get.”

“It meant a lot to me,” her stomach twisted into a tight little knot, “just wanted to say that. ”

For a second he wished he was right there with her, on that beach, where the sun was quickly making way for the moon and stars. Just to be away from it all. Just for a little while.

Tom contemplated his crazy thoughts, before declaring the obvious “I can hear the surf...”

Looking back up to the screen, Charlotte’s eyes measured his jaded form, his tousled hair, his slouch. She suggested that perhaps she just ought to stay quiet and let him enjoy that for a while. Tom let out a humm of approval.  

“Are yòu alright?” Charlotte frowned concerned.  

“Yeah, just…. tired,” he laughed at his own expense.

“Ah, the mystery blonde keeping you up, is she?” she jested to which he could only smirk, “now, now, I’m only slowly coming back to earth after a whirlwind of 5 to 6 years.”

“Are you sure about that? Weren’t you performing somewhere tonight?” came the critical but good hearted response.

“You remembered that?”

“Hiatus usually means doing nothing professionally for a period of time,” she continued, “safe to say you’re not good at it.”

“It had my name all over it,” he shrugged, “I couldn’t refuse.”

Charlotte slanted her head to the side, a small smile creeping across her lips, “something tells me there’s a lot going on behind that solid surface you’re presenting the world with.”

“Oh shush,” he chuckled.

Charlotte only suited action to her words, and on his smartphone he saw a beautiful crescent moon rising over a semi-restless sea. The sun was setting quickly. He imagined stars coming out soon. He imagined himself walking on the pebbled beach, with a sea-crazed Bobby running to and from him, momentarily side-tracking towards the water for a silly splash. He shouldn’t postpone these trips anymore he figured.

“I’m envious of you right now,” he breathed, allowing his gloomy side to break through his façade.  

Charlotte kept silent, taking some time to reflect and try her best in remembering the exact words of an old poem her granddad had once taught her.  

Timeless sea breezes,   that for aeons have   blown ancient rocks,   you are purest space   coming from afar…

Tom smiled as he heard her recite Rainer Maria Rilke. Yes, a trip to Ystad was long overdue.

A knock on Tom’s dressing room door snapped the both of them out of their respective daydreams. He apologised and explained his latest project had indeed just wrapped up that night and that the entire company was heading out for drinks in a bit.

Quick on her feet, Charlotte added that in that case she really shouldn’t keep him longer. She wished him a great night out and added the hope that he would start to enjoy his downtime from now on. She even made him promise, to which Tom could only laugh when he’d set eyes on her funny stern expression. “Sure, Miss Charlotte.”

“Good,” she winked.

Tom sat staring at the screen of his smartphone as it turned black.

Another knock in his door. Sadie poked her head inside, she was beaming from ear to ear, “c’mon Tomcat, are you ready?”

“Yes! Right!” he slapped his hands on his thighs, “I’ll be right out darling.”

4. London continued

Sadie was charming, endearing and absolutely gorgeous. Tom gladly rose to his feet to present her with his arm and escorting her back to the group. They all clinked glasses together that night before happily chatting on about the piece, the past, the present and the future. Before long he was caught up in an entertaining conversation with the lovely Sadie.

They talked about their future careers that night and while she revelled about stardom and could not wait for her big break to come, he felt deep down in his heart he quite enjoyed his downtime and treasured his privacy so much more than before.

Over the past fortnight tabloids had surfaced with photographs of the both of them strolling around the city. Take-away coffee cups in hand, her face beaming with pure joy while he apparently explained something. Tabloids ate it up: ‘Tom Hiddleston in love with mystery blonde!’. While the next day a different picture – from the same walk – would surface where he had a more solemn expression. Consequently headlines dubbed ‘Trouble in paradise’ as tabloids made up stories about absolutely fictional hiccups with family and management.

Tom would have been lying if he’d said he didn’t contemplate on Sadie as being a potential love interest. His heart was open, his mind curious for new possibilities.

He enjoyed the fact she carelessly linked her arm through his before heading outside. She did not seem to take notice of paparazzi or photographers.

Or did she?

The simple fact that she would be associated with him  did create publicity towards her name. Publicity that was welcome for an aspiring actress, which he was very understanding towards. But the fact she kept on connecting with him…. was that for PR benefits or her own romantic benefit? Tom hated how this had turned into a question that haunted his mind, but reality had thought him a hard lesson or two in that department.

Sadie smiled and giggled and twirled faux curls around her index finger while she talked about modern dance and contemporary music. She awed over the fact that Tom had been all over ‘the world’ and seemed anxious to do so as well.

On paper she was perfect, on his arm however… something was missing. He could not put his finger on it, but he felt it nevertheless. With Emma's critical comments in mind, Tom considered whether or not he might have been overreacting. He was well aware he did need to open up or loosen up if he wanted to give anything or anyone a fair chance. However that was easier said than done. True, his mindset was open, he was sociable, interacting, but also to a certain degree. Just up until a specific point and then no more.

When the shared cab pulled up in front of her flat, he saw no reason not to take her up on her offer for another drink in the privacy of her home. She lived in a small yet cosy flat that overlooked Finsbury Park. A side table displayed a stack of magazines consisting of Hello!, OK!, People and Cosmopolitan as well as a range of programs for the local Theatres this season.

Tom took a seat on the small IKEA sofa while she poured them a couple of drinks. The apartment was clearly decorated on a limited budget, but very nicely so. When she suggested Tom to put on some music, he gladly accepted the challenge, he was more than eager to busy himself. However it did prove to be a bit of a challenge as Tom had no desire (nor patience) to Bluetooth connect to whatever internet playlist and Sadie’s CD-collection was quite limited. This was clearly a girl of the iTunes-era; he joked to himself. He rummaged around in search of a decent CD, when his eyes fell on the tabloid thrown on the floor next to the sofa. His eyes came across a certain familiar name in print ‘Charlotte Daniël, who is she and why you want to dress like her.’

Tom smiled to himself as he scanned the narrative that applauded her stylish summer outfits. He couldn’t blame the journalist at hand, she looked wonderful in the snapshots they’d published. At which point Sadie returned with 2 chilled glasses of gin-tonic, a dazzling smile and the promise of a lovely evening.

Don’t fight this Tom. Sadie’s lovely

Nevertheless, an hour later he already found himself on the threshold, saying goodbye.

Sadie smiled kindly and thanked him for a lovely evening and a wonderful collaboration. He good heartedly enveloped the delicate blonde into an amicable hug. And as they hugged, they lingered. The both of them. Lasting perhaps a bit longer than one should. Tom did wonder how her lips might feel on his. It would only take a little tilt of his head to find out, but he found he couldn’t or wouldn’t. It didn’t feel right. He apologised to Sadie for ending the night prematurely, blamed the fatigue and was on his way.

She’s lovely, but not for me…

And so he walked home in the sultry night, deep in thoughts.

[bee-kathony]

Midnight Kiss | Ch. 3 “Hold On To The Memories” 

Ch. 1 - Glitter On The Floor  | Ch. 2 - I Want Your Midnights

December 31st, 2018

11:46pm

“What’s yer drink?” Jamie asked, leaning against the bar. They had returned to the party a little before midnight and things certainly weren’t dying down any time soon.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” she smiled. Jamie ordered two whisky’s and turned back to her when the drink was ready and she took it gladly.

“Say,” he took a sip. “When yer finished wi’ the wee dram, would ye like to dance? Again?”

“Yes, I would love to,” Claire smiled and then tilted her drink back, finishing the rest in one gulp. She sighed content as the liquid burned down her throat and looked up at Jamie who was smirking. “Well…”

“Ye are somethin’ else, Beauchamp.” Jamie followed her lead, finishing his drink in one gulp and then grabbed her hand, pulling her out onto the dance floor. It was ten minutes until midnight and the slow songs were over.

Holding her hand high in the air, Jamie spun her around and her dress fanned out. She laughed freely and then fell into his arms as he pulled her back into a dip, her leg kicking out. Jamie was quite the dancer. Earlier on the roof, they had simply held onto each other, but now they were spinning and jumping around, enjoying the night and forgetting everything else.

They continued to dance, eyes twinkling and hands never leaving the other. After another song, someone came on stage and announced it was officially two minutes until midnight.

“Grab yer special someone and get ready for that midnight kiss!” The man in a top hat said and Jamie and Claire both looked at each other.

“What do ye say, Sassenach?” He quirked his brow. “Will ye be my midnight kiss?”

Claire stepped closer to him and slid her arms around his neck, “Of course I will.”

Everyone turned then to look at the giant clock on the wall and began to count down from sixty.

Jamie gripped her waist.

Fifty-nine… fifty-eight… fifty-seven…

Claire glanced at Jamie who’s eyes were watching the minute hand move, memorizing his face; the way his blue eyes crinkled on the sides when he smiled and the way his auburn hair shined in the light.

Forty-three… forty-two… forty-one…

“Jamie?”

He turned his head to look down at her, giving her side a firm squeeze. “Aye, Sassenach?”

Thirty-eight… thirty-seven… thirty-six…

“I’m glad I met you tonight,” she smiled.

Jamie’s eyes crinkled and he pulled her closer, embracing her and then pulled back to look at her. “So am I, Claire. Ye’ve made this night… magical.”

Twenty-two… twenty-one… twenty…

“You better make this a good kiss!” Claire had to shout a bit as everyone around them got louder. “Since you’re the only one I’ve got!”

Jamie kissed her cheek then and heat rose to the surface of her face. She loved the way his scruff felt against her skin. “Oh I plan on it.”

Eleven… ten… nine…

Claire stood on her toes, tugging on the curls at the back of his neck as her heart started to race.

Six… five… four…

Jamie cupped her cheek and bent his head down, smiling as he watched her eyes close.

Three… two… one… Happy New Year!

As the band started to play Auld Lang Syne and confetti fell from the ceiling just as Jamie promised, he sealed their lips.

Claire’s hand was gripping his jacket and she slipped her tongue out, parting his lips and felt him chuckle. He broke the kiss momentarily, opening his eyes to look at her, breathless and then kissed her again.

Cupping her cheeks, Jamie never wanted to stop kissing her, tasting her on his lips.

Claire was the first to break the kiss and opened her eyes slowly as if in a daze.

“Did ye like it?” Jamie grinned.

She simply nodded, having lost her words.

“Ye have confetti in yer lovely hair,” Jamie laughed and picked a few pieces out of her mess of curls. No doubt she would be finding confetti in her hair tomorrow morning.

“Follow me,” Claire said and tugged on his hand, leading him through the crowd and then she stopped near the door, just out of range from all the noise.

“I feel like when I wake up, all of this will be a dream,” she said quietly and then looked up at him.

“Me too, Sassenach.” He smiled, smoothing her hair back from her face. “But it doesn’t have to end here. I’m no even goin’ to pretend that I dinna want yer number verra badly,” Jamie laughed.

Claire smiled and reached for her phone in her small purse, but when she pressed the home button, it was dead. “Do you have your phone on you? Mine’s dead, I’m afraid.”

He smiled and slid his hands in both his pants pockets and then his jacket but when he pulled it out he realized his had died as well.

“I don’t suppose you’re really good at remembering numbers?” Claire grinned.

“I’m good wi’ languages, no so much numbers and such,” Jamie said.

Claire opened her mouth to say something and then shut it.

“What is it, Sassenach?” Jamie reached for her hand.

“It’s just… we can’t exchange numbers and now that I’m thinking about all of this, I just…” she trailed off, not meeting his eye.

“Tell me what yer thinkin’, Sassenach,” He said gently, “Please?”

“Let’s make a promise to meet back here in one year,” Claire said looking up at him. “Same place, New Year’s Eve.”

“But why a year?” He asked a bit confused.

Claire peered down at their hands in between them; her smaller ones in his large ones, fingers softly stroking hers. “My life… well, my life has been complicated this past year and I don’t think I’m ready for—“

“For this,” Jamie waved his other hand back and forth from him to her. “Aye, I can maybe understand.” He smirked at her and then lifted his hand under her chin, “Maybe.”

“We wait a year and we’ll meet again,” Claire said. “I promise to have my life together by then,” she laughed lightly. “Let’s remember tonight as it was. Perfect.”

“Perfect,” Jamie repeated. “I dinna like this wee plan of yers, but I understand. ’Tis odd,” he smirked. “But if ye need a year, Sassenach. I can give ye a year.”

She stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips against his one last time until they would meet again. His hand slid around her waist, pulling her close and he deepened the kiss. Claire knew it was probably foolish and old fashioned — her plan, considering she could have found a napkin and a pen and given him her number.

But it was the truth. Her life had been complicated ever since her parents died just last March and she had suffered not only their loss, but a horrible break-up with her ex, Frank. What Claire needed was time and she knew that with Jamie there, she wouldn’t be able to properly heal. As his lips pressed against hers, she thought maybe he could be the key in mending her heart, but first she needed to try on her own.

They finally broke apart, resting their foreheads against each other.

“One year,” she whispered.

“I will see ye, again, Claire,” Jamie ran his thumb across her cheek to catch a fallen tear. “You can count on that.”

It took everything in her to release his hand and walk away. Just before she rounded the corner to head for the elevator, Claire took one last look back at him and smiled. Jamie smiled, giving her a wave and then she was gone.

++++++

One Year Later

She had been getting ready for the past three hours. Her hair and makeup had been finished nearly two hours ago, but deciding on an outfit was a bit more complicated.

Claire needed to find the perfect dress for tonight. It was New Year’s Eve. This meant that she would see him again.

James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser.

Exactly a year ago, Claire had literally bumped into him at a New Year’s Eve party and throughout the course of the night, she had fallen for him. At the end of the night, they’d made a promise to meet again at the same place. Over the past year, not a day went by when she didn’t think about Jamie.

Realistically, she knew she would be able to get his number by looking him up or by going to the hotel where they had met, considering his uncle owned the hotel. But since that night, Claire had made leaps and bounds in her life. No longer did she feel tears prick her eyes at the mention of her parents. And she had pieced back her heart after realizing that Frank never truly loved her nor she him.

Claire may have only known Jamie Fraser for one night, but she knew that she loved him and she had been waiting a year to say it.

She only hoped he would show up.

“Lady J!” Joe called and this time she ran out quickly to meet him at the door.

“I’m ready,” she smiled and did a little twirl. Claire settled on a floor length red dress and had left her hair down because she knew Jamie was fond of it.

“You look fantastic, LJ. You’ll knock him right off of those Scottish feet of his,” Joe grinned, giving her a once over. “If I hadn’t proposed to Gail this year, then I might just be asking you.”

She chuckled and blushed at his kind comment and then walked out the door.

On the car ride over to the hotel, Claire’s nerves were everywhere. Her knees were knocking together and she felt a light sweat break out on her forehead.

“He’ll be here, Claire. The way he looked at you,” he whistled loudly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he got there at six a.m. this morning!”

She shoved his arm, “Oh stop, he wouldn’t!” But she thought he might just have done that very thing.

When they arrived at the hotel, Claire took two steps towards the door and then froze.

“What is it?” Joe asked, holding her arm and looked into her eyes to see if she was okay.

“What if he’s found someone else?” Claire panicked. “What if he is here tonight, but only to tell me that he moved on with his life and that he couldn’t wait.”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Joe offered her his arm and she looked down at hit, pausing a beat before accepting it.

The entire ride up to the top floor, she stared at her feet. If everything worked out, then she would leave here the happiest woman alive, but if things didn’t work out…

As the doors opened, Joe gave her arm a reassuring squeeze and together they walked into the huge room. Last year it had been decorated in a 20’s theme and this year everything was black and white.

Including everyone’s outfits.

“Joe!” Claire gasped as she realized that she was the only one dressed in color. “Did you know this was a white and black party?”

Her friend started laughing next to her, “I did.” She swatted at his arm, “But I wanted to make sure your man found you.”

“I’ll stick out like a sore thumb,” she pressed her hand to her forehead and then looked down at her dress. “Christ, I’m in bloody red for crying out loud!”

“Calm down, LJ. Let’s get you a drink and maybe you’ll forget all about it,” he laughed again and Claire reluctantly followed after him, avoiding meeting anyone’s eye as they moved through the crowd.

They had arrived around ten p.m. and Claire wasn’t sure if she should go in search for Jamie or let him find her.

An hour later, she finished her third drink, crossing her arms over her chest.

“He’s not here,” Claire said.

Joe had left her thirty minutes ago to dance and had just come back to her, still at the bar. “Well if you’re just going to stand at the bar all night, maybe he won’t find you.” He gave her a look and she stared back, “Go and find him, LJ.”

“Where do I even look?” She asked but as she finished her question, she knew just where to look. “I’ll see you later, Joe,” Claire gave him a quick hug and then made her way through the crowd and to the elevator.

The few seconds it took to ride up to the rooftop was pure agony. And then the doors opened.

Jamie stood there in the middle of the glass box. Twinkling lights shined above him and Claire’s heart nearly stopped as she noticed the hundreds of red rose petals scattered all around the floor. He must have been standing here all night.

Her heels clicked against the ground as she approached him and he looked up and his face lit up like the sun.

“Jamie Fraser,” Claire smiled as she came to stand before him.

“Claire Beauchamp,” Jamie smiled equally as big.

“How long have you been up here?”

“Two hours,” he admitted and Claire laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I’m so sorry! I was waiting downstairs by the bar,” she laid her hand lightly on his arm. “It only just occurred to me to come looking for you up here.”

“Well I got here about four hours ago to set all this up,” Jamie gestured to the flowers around them. “I wanted to make it perfect. We waited a year after all,” he smirked.

“Yes,” Claire grinned and took a step closer to him until their bodies were touching, “We did.”

They both stood there quietly, looking up into each others eyes, unsure what the next step was. Now that the moment they had been waiting for was here, they both felt a little awkward.

“How have you been?” Claire asked.

Jamie smirked and then slid his hands to cup her cheeks, “Just kiss me, Sassenach.”

She let out a squeak as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers and her body melted against his. Her arms wrapped around his waist and she parted his mouth with her tongue, softly moaning against his mouth.

Jamie slid his hands through her curls and whispered, “Mo nighean donn.”

“You told me you would tell me what that meant,” Claire grinned, feeling a little light headed.

Stroking a curl between his fingers, Jamie pulled lightly on it, “It means my brown haired lass.”

“Rather a dull color brown, I’ve always thought,” she pulled on a curl.

“Nah,” Jamie smiled softly. “Not dull at all, it’s like the water in a burn… the way it ruffles down the rocks. Dark, wi’ wee spots of auburn.”

Claire’s breath hitched as his hand traveled from the bottom of her curl to her shoulder, resting gently against her heart.

“And what was the other thing you said?”

Jamie grinned and slid his arm around her waist, “Tha gaol agam ort.”

She stood on her toes, placing both her hands on his shoulders, “And what does that mean?”

Time stopped as he looked into her eyes and it was as if the past year of their lives hadn’t even happened. They were the same people that stood in this very spot, the same people that had held each other, seeking comfort and connection.

Tears filled Jamie’s eyes and he looked down at her and said, “It means I love you, Claire.”

She let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding and kissed him before finally saying, “I love you too, Jamie.”

[spnjediavenger]

The Kevin Chronicles: Part 4

Disclaimers: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters or Jenny (mentioned)

Spoilers: none

Warnings: fluff

Notes: Please leave a comment and let me know what you think! And much love to those who have liked and/or reposted!!! <3

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 5.5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Elliana’s Journal, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Ellie’s Note to the Boys, Chapter 11, The Kevin Chronicles: Part 1, The Kevin Chronicles: Part 2, The Kevin Chronicles: Part 3 

 The Kevin Chronicles: Part 4

             8 months alone. Elliana and Kevin. Sam still hadn’t reached out to them and they had stopped leaving messages two months ago; they and Jenny had yet to find a way to save Dean and Cas from purgatory; even Garth hadn’t had a chance to meet up with them. Even though Elliana had Anaya and Kevin, she couldn’t help but feel lonely lately.

           The unique trio was currently in Texas, and Elliana on her bed in the motel room while Kevin was in the shower. Ellie took out her phone and opened the pictures up. Her eyes slowly filled with tears as her eyes wandered over them; a few of her and Bobby, one with her and the boys in the early stages of travelling with them, a couple with Garth.

           “You really miss them, don’t you?” Kevin’s voice said from the bathroom doorway.

           Ellie wiped the couple stray tears that made it to her cheeks and nodded. “Yeah. I do,” she whispered. She then shook her head and continued, “I’m sorry; it’s not that I don’t care about you or you being here, it’s just-“

           Kevin cut her off by pulling her into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and she sighed into his shoulder, eventually wrapping her arms around him as well.

           “It’s ok. I get it. I feel that about my mom, too,” he said, a hint of sadness in his voice too. He pulled away but gently grabbed Elliana’s hand. “I know we’re supposed to find a hunt today but I thought we could maybe take the day off since the last hunt ran a little long,” he suggested, hope in his eyes.

           Ellie smiled. “That sounds great,” she replied, pecking Kevin’s lips.

           “Good, ‘cause I already made plans and I didn’t want to have to call and cancel them,” Kevin admitted.

           “Wait wha-“

           “Never mind,” he said quickly. “Why don’t you go get changed into one of those dresses you say you never get to wear and we’ll make our first stop?" Kevin grinned as his girlfriend nodded and left the bed to get ready.

           When she shut the bathroom door, Kevin looked over to Anaya, who was lying on the bed as well.

           “You wanna help me tonight, Anaya?”

           The dog’s head perked up and tilted at the boy, making him smile again.

               Ellie wore a dark blue lace dress that ended just above her knees and black flats; Kevin wore jeans and a white button-up top and dress shoes. Kevin took Elliana to an open market with different sales and artisans, then they went to see the Alamo and a couple other local museums in San Antonio, finally ending with a gondola ride down the famous River walk.

           Ellie’s eyes lit up from the lights above them, hanging from the trees in different colors and brightnesses. They reflected off the water and made the night even more beautiful.

           The gondola stopped at a restaurant that looked way to fancy for the two young hunters. Kevin got out and held out his hand to help Elliana out of the boat and she looked at him, puzzled.

           “Kevin, this place is a little…up-scale for us isn’t it? How are we going to afford it?” she asked.

           Kevin smiled wide when a figure stepped up behind Ellie.

           “I know some people.”

           Ellie spun around quickly, not sensing the person behind her, ready to raise a fist but stopped abruptly when she came face-to-face with one of the last people she expected to see.

           “Garth!!!” Ellie flung her arms around the taller hunter’s neck, nearly making him topple over. He chuckled and hugged her back tightly, having missed her as much as she missed him.

           “Garth, what are you doing here?” Elliana asked as Garth set her back on the ground.

           “Kevin called me and told me how you’ve been feeling lately. I finished the hunt I was on and was only a state over so here I am,” he explained, that big smile on his face.

           Ellie wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him again, letting out a happy sigh. “I’ve missed you so much.”

           Garth chuckled and hugged her back again. “I’ve missed you too, white wolf.”

           Kevin softly cleared his throat behind them, pulling Elliana’s attention back to him.

           “Sorry, Kevin,” she giggled, turning around to give him a kiss and hug him. “Thank you,” she whispered.

           “You’re welcome. Shall we?” he said, waving an arm to the table next to them. Ellie nodded and they sat down. Garth noted he would come back later when they were done.

              During dinner they talked, they laughed; they even flirted a little bit. The extra night off turned out to be just what Elliana and Kevin needed.

           Once they had finished eating, it was getting later and only a few other people remained outside at the restaurant. Ellie didn’t see Kevin send a text from under the table, and in a minute or two, Anaya came walking over to the table from inside.

           “Anaya! What are you doing here?! Kevin, how-“ Ellie stopped when she saw a bandana around her dog’s neck that read, “Happy Valentine’s Day –Kevin <3” and a bracelet dangling from her collar. She looked up at Kevin in awe and he smiled down at her. He got up, undoing the necklace from Anaya, who proceeded to sit down, and held it out to show Ellie.

           “It was the one you were looking at at the market earlier. When you ran ahead to the next booth, I got it and handed it off to Garth. He went to the motel after meeting us here to get Anaya and put it and the bandana on. May I?”

           Ellie held her hand out, tears of happiness in her eyes this time, and Kevin delicately put it on. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he smiled.

           “Happy Valentine’s Day,” she whispered back, letting a few tears fall.

           They managed a good kiss before Anaya tried pushing herself between them, making the two laugh into the kiss.

           When they parted, Kevin looked into Ellie’s eyes and let a soft smile onto his lips. “I love you.”

           It took all Elliana had to not start bawling at those three words. The three words almost everyone aspires to hear from a significant other in their lives.

           “I love you too, Kevin,” she said, lifting her hands up to hold his face and kiss him again. Above them, fireworks could be heard, and they broke apart once again.

           “Really, Kevin?” Ellie laughed.

           “Those weren’t me; that was just chance,” he smiled. Ellie giggled and they kissed again under the colorful flashes above them. The perfect end to a perfect day.

Chapter 12 ->

Forever tags: @bellero (sorry, i keep forgetting to do this lol)