#i am unwell about that question where he says he wants to see his mom

[good-beans]

This is depressing but I have a HC that Fuuta’s mother had died shortly after she and his father divorced, and his dad never told him nor his sister about it.

HEY. HEYYYYY. 😭 I GUESS I’LL JUST CRY THEN

From a thematic standpoint this makes me crazy because one of Fuuta’s big themes is invasion of privacy (stalking/doxxing someone and now being afraid of prying eyes) – so such a major gap in information is extra painful. It would be so easy for him to look her up and find out what happened! He could have the whole story in a few minutes, with a few clicks! But he doesn’t, and his father knew he wouldn’t. Whatever happened between her and the Kajiyama family was bad enough that Fuuta refuses to look into her at all. It’s clear he’s emotionally avoidant, and it’d make sense that he avoids any thoughts of her after she’s gone. This makes his interrogation question even more heartbreaking, since he’s finally facing his emotions head-on, no matter how painful they may be. He’s finally growing and changing and ready to admit to his failures/needs, and it’s waaaay too late. 

On the other hand, you mentioned a version where she dies while he's in Milgram, neither of them aware of what's happening to the other. I am so emotional about the prisoners’ families on the outside ;---;

Even if they aren’t great support systems, it breaks my heart thinking of them worrying themselves sick over their loved one’s sudden disappearance. I don’t think Yuno’s family knew about her nighttime activities, but either way their young daughter is gone and there’s so many horrible possibilities it could have been. If the Kusunoki parents heard that Muu’s friend was stabbed and their teen daughter was missing, what awful conclusions must they come to about her getting killed/kidnapped? Shidou’s relatives and coworkers hear about the accident, and then never hear back from him. They know what kind of mindset he was in, and know what that means. Similarly, when Mahiru’s family hears her boyfriend’s body was recovered after a suicide, and no one has heard from their daughter, there’s really one likely outcome. Mikoto promises to come home, but he never shows. His sister cries reading reports of bloody murders at the train station where he makes his daily commute. Kotoko’s family (and maybe Lucky herself) know that she got involved with a powerful family accused of kidnapping. So when she’s gone without a trace, they must be wracked with grief that they finally got their revenge. 

All that to say, Fuuta’s family is equally heartbroken when their son, just having turned twenty a few days ago, doesn’t make it home to celebrate. His mother gets her first call from the family in years, and instead of good news, they tell her that her little boy is gone. I don’t know how you pictured her dying, but if she was in a bad state now, this could definitely be the thing that pushes her over the edge. Now, when Fuuta returns to his life, he’ll discover another death that happened “because” of him. Even if his father and sister don’t blame him for disappearing, I can’t imagine him shrugging off that guilt so easily…

In conclusion. OUCH.

[personwhowrites]

Could I ask for a super young soldier on the 141 team that lied about their age when they first joined the military and it gets found out by the 141 men 😋???

Hi! I’m so sorry it took me so long to respond to your request. I took a break for a week I was feeling unwell. I’m hopefully back now! Thank you so much for your patience. I did change it slightly to fit the reality of military laws. (Where I live) -E <3

Little lair

You stare at the registration paper in your hands. One section that made you stop in your tracks, a deadly stop that would make you reconsider your decision.

In big black bold words was displayed “Age”. The law on how old you need to be to join, it seem stupid to you. How only a certain people can join since their age is well to join.

“Bullshit..” You mumble looking at the paper. “I’m seventeen I can join well enough! I don’t have to be in my damn twenties to join.”

You set the paper back down on your table. Then sigh in annoyance as your roommate comes into the room.

“What has you all burned out?” They ask grabbing a glass cup from the cabinet. “Oh you finally realized you can’t join them?”

“Shut up..I can join them! If it wasn’t for that dumb law passed down a couple years ago.” You say crossing your arms, then look over at them. “Any possibility you know…”

“Oh no no no.” They say quickly setting the glass cup on the counter. “I am not making you a fake identification! You know how that went last time!”

“But.. I really want this!” You say standing up from your chair. “Please! I live for the military! I can follow my mother footste—“

“Leave your mom out of this! God bless her.” They responded quickly shaking their head. “Y/n, it’s dangerous.. you can get jailed if you turn in a fake identification..”

“Okay then let me play off as you!” You say grabbing their hand. “Please you’re able to apply! I can pass off as you.”

“Hell no! I don’t want that y/n just figure out something yourself.” They say shaking their head angrily. “Stop looking at me like that!”

“..Please! I’ll be out of your hair! Hell I’ll be away” you say holding their hand tightly. “Please, Ill do any—“

“Fine!” They yell moving their hand away. “You can pass as a twenty four person.”

“Thank you thank you!” You say happily hugging them. “Thank you!”

“Come on..let’s get you my information..” they sigh and looks at you. “..your such an idiot.”

“A soon to be in the military idiot!” You say with excitement.

—

“..So..” A man says looking a you. “You want to be a sniper?”

You nod your his words and seat still. Then close your eyes, your heart is racing. Could this even work? Don’t they have to do a background check? A million questions rushed in your mind. What if you couldn’t get in? What if..

“I’m afraid we can’t let you be a sniper.” The man says setting your paper down. “You don’t seem to.. appropriate for it.”

“Excuse me sir?” You say opening your eyes. “What.. I..”

“We can let you try other fields as you.. train under us.” He says setting his right hand on the paper. “Just for a while, your skills seem useful.”

You remain silent as you process your dream being crush. You can’t be sniper.. not like your mother. You stand up from your chair and someone else burst into the room. You and the man that was settling you in turn over to two men.

“Kyle! John!” The man in front of you yells making you sit back down. “I said no interruptions!”

“Sorry Captain, but Kyle stole my fucking food!” John yells shaking his head. “He has done this for the past week!”

“I did not! Pr—” Kyle says stopping mid sentence seeing you. “What’s a kid doing here?”

“Kid?” John says now looking at you. “The hell, Price why is there a kid here?”

“They’re twenty four.” Price says shaking his head. “Jesus.. you all are idiots.”

“I’ll excuse myself.” You say quickly getting up from the chair again. “I will.. think about what you said sir.”

Kyle shuts the door and John looks over at you. Then Price eyes tell you to sit down, which you do. The environment started to get tense as Kyle sat next to you and John lean against the desk. Price cough and grabbed your paper again.

“Soap? You think that they are really twenty?” Kyle says looking at you. “They don’t seem like it.”

Soap? You thought looking at the man leaning on the desk. Must be a code name, a name that seems foolish to your ears. Soap began to speak, it sounded like mumbling to you as someone else enters the room. Your whole body shivered as Price called the man over.

“Ghost, good you came to join us.” Price says as Ghost stands behind you. “Do they seem like they’re twenty four?”

Ghost looks at your back for a memory then walks over to Price. Getting a better view of you, he stands there crossing his arms. Your whole body went into panic as eyes met.

“..No.” Ghost repainted in a husky tired voice. “Not at all.”

“Listen, kid..we get that you want to join the army.” Soap says crossing his arms. “But lying about your age is bad.. especially in a situation like this.”

Your whole body freezes with their words. Price hands the paper back to you and smiles.

“Come back in a few years kid.” Price says looking at your shocked body. “Maybe then you can be a sniper.”

You give a nod and get up from your chair. You bump into Kyle and apologize. Then leave the room, closing the door behind you.

“She got guts..” Soap says looking at Price. “Think they will be back?”

“I’m sure they will be..they’re a little lier..” Price says with a small smirk forming on his lips. “Check other records, and make sure to keep her name on the watch out list.”

—

You sit once more in front of Price. Years passed, he can’t even recognize you until he reads your name. His eyes glisten seeing your name, then he looks up at you.

“If it isn’t.. the little lier of age..” Price says with a dry laugh. “You sure that you’re twenty two?”

“Positive..” You say with a small laugh. “Need an identification?”

“No no.. I think this time you’re telling the truth kid.” Price says looking at your application. “Look at that.. you change your mind on being a sniper.”

“Mhm..medical field interested me.” You say crossing your arms. “Or what.. I’m I not qualified for it?”

“Oh your more than qualified little lier.” He says with a smile. “I actually need one on my team..”

“Offer already?” You say with a laugh. “I don’t think you’re qualified for someone like me.”

Price smiles and stares at you. Your eyes meet, this time.. you’re not as scared like before. You’re more brave, strong and smarter. He expands his hand to you.

“Welcome to task force 141.” Price says with a smile. “Little lier.”

[nights-legacy]

Not What You're Thinking-Todoroki

First time trying to hold their hand. Does it go right or wrong?

MHA Masterlist

+ Everyone knows how Todoroki is with emotions. He is aloof, unemotional, and unfortunately, cold. It was no surprise to anyone with you two haven’t ever shown any physical part of your relationship. What no one knew was it never happened when you two were on your own either. As a result, you start to think he doesn’t really have interest in you after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Things between Todoroki and I were moving slow and I mean really slow. A slow as a glacier, no pun intended. We were currently walking towards lunch and I was walking towards Todoroki like normal. I wanted to hold the boys hand very badly but I didn’t want to rush him.

“What are you going to get today, L/N?” Uraraka asked me. I smiled and thought about it.

“I don’t really know. I am not really hungry right now. My stomach is upset.” I said truthfully. She looked at me worried.

“Really? Do you need to go see Recovery Girl?” She asked. I shook my head.

“No. It’s nothing to bad. I’ll probably just get some rice so I have something in my stomach.”

“Are you sure?” She was really worried. I stopped her and the others went on.

“I promise. If I start to feel worse I’ll go to Recovery Girl immediately.” I assured her. She relaxed, believing me.

“Are you okay girls?” Midoriya called out. We looked at them. They were stopped a few yards ahead of us. We nodded and walked to catch up.

“Are you alright, L/N?” Todoroki asked. “I heard you say that you had an upset stomach.” I could see the tiniest bit of concern in his stoic expression.

“Yes. It’s only a little thing.” I said, smiling. He nodded before glancing down for a second before looking forward again. He went forward and I looked down to see what he glanced down at. I saw nothing. I shrugged, following.

I stayed true to my word with Uraraka and got rice. Iida and I were waiting at the table for the rest to come back from the line. Todoroki sat down next to me while Uraraka and Midoriya sat across for us. I smiled at them being cutesy together.

“Is that all your eating, L/N?” Todoroki asked. I nodded. He stared at me with an expression I couldn’t read for a little longer before he turned back to his food.

Mindless chatter of training, course work, and other things swirled around the table. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Todoroki move his hand onto the table. The thought of holding his hand ran through my head. I took a breath trying to build the courage before taking the chance.

I place my hand on top of his and lightly gripped onto it. I held my breath waiting for him to return, but he never did. I let out a silent, shuddering breath. I took a sly glance at his face and saw no difference then normal in his expression. I bit the inside of my lip as I slowly pulled my hand away and into my lap. I gripped my hands together tightly.

What was I thinking? He’s not really a touchy person in the first place. Why would he want to hold hands? I chided myself. My stomach felt even worse now. I pushed my bowl back away from me when I caught onto Midoriya nearly hanging off of Todoroki. Maybe he just doesn’t want to do that with me…

“I’ll be back.” I said getting up. All three of them looked at me.

“Where are you going?” Uraraka asked.

“Recovery Girl.” I said quietly and walked off. I heard Uraraka call after me if I wanted her to go with me but I didn’t answer. As I exited the cafeteria. I felt tears run down my face. I went in the complete opposite direction of Recovery Girl.

3rd POV

Todoroki watched as Y/N walked away. You couldn’t see it on his face but he was extremely chiding himself. He basically froze and was internally panicking when Y/N had placed there hand on his. He only started to panic more when they pulled away and grew tense.

“What was that?” Midoriya asked after a few minutes of silence. Everyone at the table but the one was wondering the same thing.

“Well, they weren’t feeling well. Their stomach was upset so maybe it got worse?” Uraraka said more in a question then a statement. “They told me they would go to Recovery Girl if their stomach got worse.”

“It would be wise if one of us went to check on them.” Iida suggested.

“I’ll go.” Todoroki said without missing a beat, rising to his feet. He pushed in his chair.

“Excellent. It would be better if it was you anyway due to your relationship with L/N.” Todoroki only answered by nodding and walked off. He walked to Recovery Girl’s office. He walked in and paused when the only person he saw was Recovery Girl.

“Oh, Mr. Tododroki. Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Has Y/N been here?” Todoroki asked. She thought for a second.

“No, they haven’t.” Todoroki’s eyes widened. He thanked her and walked out.

I didn’t pass her did I? She said she was going to Recovery Girl but… He stopped and thought about it. She probably went to the courtyard of the dorms. He took off running, not caring that lunch was going to be over soon. He ran without breaking his stride or stopping. He ran into the Heights Allience and straight through to the court yard. He finally stopped when he saw their figure sitting on the ground.

“L/N?” He called out. They tensed and looked over their shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” They said in a meek voice. He sighed and looked around before walking over and sitting in front of them.

“No you’re not. And I know it’s my fault.” Todoroki said.

Y/N’s POV

“No you’re not. And I know it’s my fault.” My gaze shot to his face. I saw only slight emotion his face. He took a big breath before looking up at me. Guilt and remorse were written on his face. “I am not good at showing emotions. I only recently learned that it was okay to show them. My damn father and his…”

He stopped taking another breath, closing his eyes in annoyance. I set a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and gazed down at my hand. Slowly he reached up and grabbed my hand. He gripped it tight before bringing it up to lightly kiss it. My eyes widen.

“I’m sorry. I froze up when you tried to hold my hand. My mind went completely blank but I knew I wanted to hold yours too. He set his hand that was holding mine in his lap and laid his other on top of mine. “I don’t know what I made you think but whatever it was it wasn’t true. I promise.”

“Thank you.” I whispered. I set my other hand on top of ours.

“I wish I was as confident in our relationship as I am in my hero training.” He admitted. “I didn’t have the best role model for relationships.”

“I know.” I said. I reached up and held his cheek. “If you are unsure of anything or need to slow down or whatever, don’t be afraid to ask. I won’t be upset. I understand that this is all new to you. I was just…earlier, it went through my mind that you didn’t want to do this with me even when I know that this isn’t something you know.”

“I do want to do this. Especially with you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked you out on that first date.” He leant closer to look at me in the eyes. “I am ashamed of myself for making you feel this way.”

“Don’t be. I understand why you reacted that way. I just wish I remembered that in the moment.” I gripped onto his hand. I looked up and sighed. “We better get back to class. We’re probably going to get in trouble for being late.” He nodded. He pulled back and got up smoothly. He reached out for me. I grasped onto his hands and he pulled me up easily. I yelped a bit when I fell into his chest.

“Are you alright?” He asked, with a slightly blush on his cheeks. I nodded.

“Yes, I just forget how strong you are sometimes.” I admitted shyly. He chuckled, which I found out was my most favorite sound in the world.

“Come on. Time to go.” He said, pulling gently on one of my hands. I nodded and followed. After a few minutes of walking and getting back into the school building, he seemed to remember something. “Oh, how is your stomach?”

“Oh…” I was surprised, not only at the question but at the fact that the discomfort from earlier was gone. “Much better. I even realize the discomfort went away.”

“That’s good.” He said. “I hate seeing you unwell. How about after school, we got out to get something to eat? Anything you like, it’s on me.” He led me up the stairs and the classroom came into view.

“Alright. Sounds good to me.” I said. He brought my hand up to his lips again, kissing my knuckled ever so slightly and I noticed, a bit unsure. He looked at me, checking to see if it was okay. I gave him a smile and we got lost in each other’s eyes.

“Come on you two.” We jumped at the sound of Aizawa’s voice. We both looked to see the tired man in the doorway to the class. I blushed as Todoroki flushed a little. “You’re late but Uraraka, Iida, and problem child explained what happened. I guess you’re off the hook this time but don’t make a habit of it.”

“Yes sir.” We chorused as he disappeared in the room. I looked over at him with an amused smile. I covered my mouth and tried not to laugh. He smiled too before shaking his head and pulling me into the classroom.

Tags: @spicy-therapist-mom @dxnaii-rxse

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

𝑀𝑎𝑓𝑖𝑎! 𝐴𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑧: 𝐵𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑜𝑓𝑡 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑

Warning: Just one brief mention of kidnapping and being held hostage. Other than that, it's safe to proceed.

Disclaimer: In no way am I condoning, supporting, justifying or encouraging mafia activities or lifestyle. This is all fictional and not meant to represent real life scenarios.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓚𝓲𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓳𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓰 ﾟ･:*✿

It felt like an eternity before someone opened the door and walked in.

Hongjoong took one look at you before widening his eyes. He looked back at one of men behind him and sighed.

"You had one job Hangyul and you couldn't even do it right?! This isn't the right person!"

Said Hangyul bowed his head and apologized profusely.

Hongjoong rubbed his temples in annoyance. He looked back at you and examined you closely. Even with your puffy hair, tear strained cheeks and messy hair, he thought you looked beautiful. The longer he looked at you, the more some weird feeling in his chest started to grow.

"What's your name?" He asked you.

You struggled to find your voice, but managed to utter out your name in a soft whisper.

It was almost like music to his ears.

"Well Y/N.....it seems we accidentally mistook you for someone else.....Ooops."

He really didn't know what to say to you. He felt bad that you were now standing before him, scared, trembling and no doubt hurt. Part of him told him to release you from your restraints, and hold you tenderly. Then one of his men reminded him:

"Hongjoong sir? Since we can't release a witness for security reasons, do you want us to get rid of her?"

Your head snapped up at the comment and you began desperately trying to break free.

"No please don't! I'm begging you! Have some mercy on me! Let me go and I swear I won't say anything to anybody!"

Hongjoong hesitated for a brief moment until your crying got louder and you said:

"I have a son! He's only 3 years old! I'm the only one he has! So please......." You begged, all the little strength you had left in your body began to slowly drain as you realized you might never see your son again.

That's all it took for Hongjoong to break.

"Release her."

The men looked shocked. "But sir-"

"I said release her. Now!" He commanded.

Instantly, all the ropes were cut and you were free. You tried to stand up, but you were so shaken up your legs gave out. Luckily, Hongjoong caught you in his arms and carried you away from there.

"I'm really sorry about this."

He ordered for his car and personally saw that you made it home safely. Even days afterwards, he still kept an eye on you and your son, whom he couldn't help but find adorable.

You noticed that someone was watching you when you suddenly started to receive strange packages that sometimes contained groceries, clothes or even toys. You wondered who could be sending these things.

Your question was answered when you took your son to the park. Hongjoong tried his best to stay hidden but you quickly found him. He stood there looking awkwardly at you.

"It was you wasn't it?" You asked him.

"Yeah....." He replied shyly. Seriously, he was one of the top mafia bosses. Why was a single mom like you making him nervous like a schoolboy?

"Mommy!" Your son ran up to you.

You picked him up and your son just stared at Hongjoong. He leaned into your ear and asked you who he was.

You smiled at him. "Oh him? He's just an old friend."

Your son looked back at Hongjoong, somewhat afraid of him. But Hongjoong just gave him the warmest smile he could.

"Hey there little buddy. You don't have to be scared of me."

Hongjoong knew it would take time, but he also knew that in the end, he'd be part of your life and of your son's.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓢𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝔀𝓪 ﾟ･:*✿

You don't know whether you were grateful or you regretted ever accepting to work at the bar Seonghwa owned. You couldn't complain about the pay, it was more than good and although you knew Seonghwa was sketchy af, you never felt unsafe as he always made sure you were protected and no one harassed you.

However you knew Seonghwa had the hots for you, everyone knew it actually. At first, they thought he just wanted to get in your pants, that's what he usually did with any hot female that worked for him. But time passed and everyone now knew that he was head over heels for you. Boy was like a love sick puppy for you. It was quite entertaining to watch actually.

No one resented you for it or even tried to bother you. You were constantly turning him down and keeping a strictly professional relationship with your boss. If he offered you any gifts, you rejected them. If he offered the schedule everyone fought for, you turned it down and accepted the shittiest shift. Seonghwa never gave up though. He wanted you and he'd get you no matter what.

"You've gone soft." His best friend, Hongjoong told him one day.

"No I haven't." Seonghwa refuted that statement.

Right then, the phone rang. Hongjoong picked it up.

"Hello? Oh hi...... Oh really? Ok. I'll let him know. Don't worry. Hope you feel better. Bye."

Hongjoong hung up and continued his task of polishing his gun.

"Well?" Seonghwa asked rather annoyed.

"Oh it's nothing. Just Y/N calling in sick. She won't be coming." Hongjoong stated as if it was the most normal of in the world.

Seonghwa, however, was panicking.

"Y/N?! Sick?! What do you mean sick?! She's never sick! She never calls in! What if something happened to her?! I need to see her!"

Grabbing his jacket, he ran out the room, leaving Hongjoong dumbfounded.

"Ok. But you're not soft huh?"

Seonghwa sped over to your house, bag full of medicines and other things he deemed necessary in his arms. He frantically knocked on what he hoped really was your door, he had never been to your house.

"What?!" You shouted when you swung the door open.

"I came cause Hongjoong said- Wait! You look fine." Seonghwa noticed you didn't look unwell as he scanned your body.

"If this is another stupid attempt to hit on me, I will slam my door on your hand. I don't care if one of your men end up cutting off one of my fingers." You warned him.

"You said you were sick!" Seonghwa exclaimed.

"No. I called in a sick leave because-"

You were interrupted by a soft 'Mommy' from behind you. You turned to see your 2 year old daughter standing there, blanket wrapped around her tiny and frail body.

"Sweetie. I told you not to get out of bed. Your cold will get worse."

You completely forgot about Seonghwa and proceeded to attend your daughter, who was the reason why you called in sick. Seonghwa was shocked at finding out you had a kid. But it wasn't a bad surprise. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He didn't even realize that he ended up walking into your apartment and watched as you tucked your daughter in the couch, helping her blow her nose.

If people thought he was whipped before, now he was fucking wrapped around your finger. He adored kids, and this revelation just made you even more perfect in his eyes. Now he was more than determined to make you his.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸 ﾟ･:*✿

With Yunho, you actually didn't take long to start dating. He was so caring and attentive to you. You remember when you told him on a date that you had a child. You felt it was necessary to let him know before your relationship got more serious.

"A kid?" He repeated.

"Yes..... I have a son..." Your voice trailed off.

Your head already started imagining the worst and most common scenario: he'd be all sweet but say he's not ready for that responsibility and dump you like all the others. It happened every single time. It didn't turn out to be the case though.

"Really? How old is he? Do you have a picture? When can I meet him? Does he know about me?"

Yunho was ecstatic to find this out and he was very interested in anything that had to do with you. Besides........ you weren't the only one keeping secrets. He hadn't exactly told you what his job really was. Just like you, he was afraid of you leaving him when you found out his connections to the criminal world. Which is why he kept it hidden for a long time.

But he did tell you one day. He came clean about it.

"I know I should have told you earlier, especially now that I'm a part of your and your son's life.... but I was scared...... I love you but I understand if you'd rather not see me anymore."

Maybe you were crazy, maybe you were too much in love, but you assured him you wouldn't leave him. You only voiced concern about your son's safety. You didn't want anything to happen to him.

"I swear on my life, nothing will ever happen to him or to you. I promise to keep you both safe."

It was a promise he always kept. He became a constant in your life, and he was always making sure to spend time with your son, spoiling him to no end. You remember when he threw a birthday party for him at his mansion. It was small and not a lot of people could come because he couldn't risk having strangers over, but you all had a great time.

That's where you met his other friends, who were very curious to meet the woman and the kid who made Yunho into a hyperactive puppy.

"I'm serious, I've never in my life seen him be like this." Mingi pointed out as they watched Yunho play with your son.

"Really? Since I met him, he's always been like that." You were surprised to find out from his friends what he used to be like.

"Then you must really be a special lady. Congratulations. You turned a criminal into a total dad."

You blushed at Seonghwa's comment.

"He's not a dad...." You cleared your throat.

Seonghwa turned to you and smirked.

"Not yet.....but trust me. Very soon it might be official."

✿*:･ﾟ𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰 ﾟ･:*✿

Yeosang and you didn't have the greatest of start in the relationship. Both of your parents were mafia bosses and so you were both forced into a contractual marriage that neither of you wanted.

"Look. How about we just carry on our lives as if nothing happened?" You suggested.

"Agreed." Yeosang nodded.

Years passed and eventually Yeosang took over the family business, working alongside your brother Wooyoung, who took over for your father. Because Yeosang spent so much time with your brother, you ended up spending so much time togethers.

Soon you both stopped avoiding each other company and actually became close friends. Or you thought you would just be friends, until one day Yeosang couldn't help himself and just kissed you.

"What was that for?" You try not to look too happy about it though.

"What? Is it a crime for me to kiss my wife?" He winked at you.

Gradually, you fell in love and completely forgot that this was a contractual marriage. It became a real marriage for you both. Yeosang doted on you and was such a devoted husband. And he was so ecstatic when he found himself you were pregnant with your first child. He immediately made preparations and began decorating one of the rooms, choosing gender neutral colors like green and yellow.

He was over the moon when you gave birth. He cried so much when he held your precious bundle of joy in his arms for the first time. He was so overwhelmed with emotions. Leaning down, he kisses your forehead tenderly. He was so grateful to have you and your daughter.

You two became his whole world, and his friends teased him to no end about it. After all, how did the cold mafia Prince turned into such a warm family man?

✿*:･ﾟ𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓷 ﾟ･:*✿

Your relationship with San was very blissful and passionate. It definitely started with a lot of passion. You two met at a club and randomly hooked up. You thought he'd be just a one night stand, not that you cared. You weren't particularly looking for a relationship. But he was hooked on you and so he sought you out, properly asking you out on a date.

You quickly found out that he wasn't just the kinky lover in the sheets. He was a total cutie and a cuddle bug. That ended up sealing the deal for you and you completely fell in love with him.

Things definitely moved fast in the relationship. 4 months in and he asked you to move in with him. You thought it was strange, but were so in love with him that you agreed. You didn't know it was because he wanted to make sure you were safe in case any rivals tried to hurt you. And he made sure not to let you find out what and who he really was.

After a year, you two welcomed a baby boy into your lives. You spent the first months like all new parents: full of happiness and joy over your new baby. San was already making plans for his boy, imagining him taking taekwondo just like he did and excelling at all things that had physical involvement. Everything seemed to be going fine......

Until one day you found out who he really was. Your heart shattered at this new piece of information.

Had he lied to me? Is all of this a lie?

One thing was for sure, you panicked when you thought about your son and his safety. Without thinking, you began packing a suitcase, taking only the necessary things for him and you. You didn't know where you'd go, but your mind told you to leave.

"Baby? What-what are you doing?"

You turned to see San standing at the door, confused as to why you were packing.

"I know. I know everything."

His heart dropped at your words. So you finally found out. It clicked to him what you were up to.

"And so you're leaving me?" He couldn't believe it.

"I have to! How could I stay with you knowing our son could be in danger because of you?!"

San marched up to you and pulled you against him, holding onto you for dear life.

"Baby please listen to me! I lied to you, I know and I'm sorry! But I honestly do love you, I love you and our son so much, you two are my everything! You can't leave me! Please don't walk away from me and don't take him away from me! I'm sorry! But I promise I'll take care of you both."

He sanked down to his knees and held you by your waist, his tears staining your shirt. When it came to you and your son, he was no longer the strong confident mafia boss. You were his ultimate weakness.

"Please don't go..... please say you still love me...."

Your heart clenched. Even though finding this out tore you apart, you still loved him. You'd never stop loving him.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲 ﾟ･:*✿

At the beginning, you didn't want to be with him. You knew who he was and what he was capable of. You were practically forced to date him, scared shitless thinking about what he'd do to you if you refused him. He really did try to show you that he wasn't the ruthless and violent mafia boss the media played him out to be.

"Why do you look so uncomfortable? Don't you like the food?" He asked you.

"The food is great, it's just you know, not every girl wants to have a dozen men in suits standing around with guns in their pockets while on a first date." There was a hint of bitterness and sarcasm in your tone.

Mingi pouted. "It's for protection purposes."

If someone had told you the most feared mafia boss in all of Seoul was actually a clumsy, soft baby, you would never have believed them. But indeed, that's the side of Mingi you ended up uncovering. Sure it still terrified you when his rage was released, but never was it directed to you.

Finally after years of asking and asking, you accepted his marriage proposal and he was the happiest man alive. No happiness could compare. That's what he thought until the day you gifted him with a precious angel. She instantly became daddy's girl and nothing could change that. It was quite funny actually.

Like one time when he was having a meeting with his other mafia friends. Things got very heated and Mingi was about to blow up. Until a tiny head peeked in.

"Daddy!" Your daughter ran over to him, while you failed to try and catch her.

Mingi completely forgot what they were talking about and he picked her up.

"Hi princess! How are you? Did you miss your daddy?" He cooed at her.

Snickers were heard from his friends.

"Who would have thought?" "The Song Mingi has been tamed" "And by a child nonetheless"

Mingi threw a glare over at his friends.

"I can still order your heads on a platter you know." He threatened them.

"Mingi." You warned him, gesturing to your daughter.

"Sorry." He mouthed, remembering not to say such things in front of your daughter.

That's when his friends totally lost it.

"I told you San! Y/N is the one who really wears the pants in the relationship."

✿*:･ﾟ𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰ﾟ･:*✿

Were you furious that your father practically sold you into a marriage with his mafia friend's son? Yes. Was Wooyoung pissed off at having a wife thrown at him? Nope, not at all. He fell in love with you at first sight.

"Hi! I'm Jung Wooyoung, your soon to be husband and I can tell we're going to be really happy together!" He was practically beaming with joy.

"Hi, I'm L/N Y/N, the girl that's going to be caged to you for life......or death. Whichever comes first." You responded.

Wooyoung actually laughed at that, but you were serious. What if one day his mafia ass gets tired of you and he just decides to put a bullet in your head? You secretly hoped he did that before you were bound to him for life.

But 5 years later and you're still married. He's just as much in love with you as the first day he met you. You learned to love him, or as you often said to tease him: you learned to put up with him.

"Deny it all you want, but I know you love me just as much as I love you."

When he found out you were pregnant, he became even more clingy with you. Always making sure you were ok, going to everyone of the doctor's appointments, and constantly talking to your growing baby bump. The baby wasn't due for another 4 months and he was already wrapped around their finger.

"I can eat by myself Wooyoung." You reminded him as you tried to take the bowl from him.

"Let me baby you, ok!? I want my queen to be treated like one and I want to make sure my little princess will be ok." He stated.

You chuckled at how he kept insisting it was a girl.

"What if it turns out to be a boy?" You cocked your head to the side.

"It's a girl! She will be a precious bundle of pink glittery joy that I will love and cherish for as long as I live!" He really wanted a girl.

You rolled your eyes every time and you were desperately hoping that the ultrasound you were scheduled to get would reveal it was a boy. You really wanted to wipe the grin off his face. That and you wanted a mommy's boy yourself.

"So tell us doctor. It's definitely a girl right?" Wooyoung asked as he held your hand tightly.

"Actually......you're carrying a very healthy baby boy. Congratulations."

Wooyoung's hand dropped yours and he stood there stunned. You couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. For goodness sakes, he had already had the nursery painted pink.

"Ok, now that you've been proven wrong, hand me that catalog. I'm deciding how we're decorating my son's nursery." You told him when you got back home.

"Uh.... it's our son! If I remember correctly, it takes 2 to make a baby. And please no sport related decorations! Get something more original! Ooh! I saw some really cute marine animals design that..."

You just smirked at him as he turned the pages of the magazine. He was still whipped.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓙𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝓸 ﾟ･:*✿

When you applied for the secretary job, you didn't think anything was sketchy about it. But you were wrong and instantly you were dragged into Jongho's mafia world. And you knew that now there was no way out. You knew too much and the only way you would ever walk out of there would be in a coffin.

That's what you thought, but honestly, Jongho liked you so much that if you wanted to, he'd dismiss you if you wanted it. But he didn't want you to go. He was too hooked on you to let you go. He liked how different you were from other women. You were so mature, and he liked your 'I don't give a fuck' attitude you exuded at times. He also loved to play around with you, even if he was the one doing most of the pulling while you were doing a lot of pushing.

"Sooner or later you will be mine doll." He often told you.

"Go find some other girl to play around with Jongho. I'm a little too old to be anyone's toy." You always responded with things that if it were anyone else, it'd get their head blown off.

You tried to keep your personal life as secret as possible from him. Your deepest fear was of Jongho finding out about your daughter, your only joy in life. You were afraid he'd use her against you........... that's what you tried to tell yourself. But really, you were afraid that if he found out, he'd lose interest in you. You couldn't deny he was attractive. But what kind of man would involve himself with a woman that already had a kid? Especially someone as young and powerful like Jongho?

But one day, you had no choice but to bring her along to work with you, since no babysitter was available. You thought you'd be all right. Jongho wasn't supposed to be there and you only had to pick up some papers. Luck wasn't on your side that day though. While you were rummaging around your desk, the devil himself walked into the office.

"Ah Y/N. Good thing I caught you. I need you to see if I got- who and what is that?"

He immediately pointed at your daughter, who was currently holding onto your leg, her other hand holding her bunny plushie. The color drained from your face, but you took a deep breath and gathered your courage.

"Jongho, this is my daughter, [insert name here]. Sweetheart, this is Jongho. He's the man I work for." You smiled down at her.

You didn't even want to look back at Jongho, afraid to see his expression. You were startled though when he came closer to you and bent down so he was eye level with your daughter.

"Hi there princess. What you got there? Do you like bunnies?"

Your daughter took an instant liking to him as she began explaining in her 2 year old language who her plushie was. And Jongho only played along, completely enchanted by such a cute and innocent baby.

"Ok that's enough sweetheart. I'm sure Jongho has some other things to attend to and we have to go."

Picking her up, you bid goodbye to Jongho, who held the door open for you. He grabbed your free arm though and whispered in your ear before you left:

"If you think this changes anything doll, you're completely wrong. I still want you and I still stand my ground that you'll be mine......."

He pulled back and smiled at you.

"Your daughter is very charming as well. You should bring her over more often."

He winked at you as you made your way out.

Gifs not mine, credit goes to their respective owners.

[hushedhands]

Challenge 83

@cecilia02 @everbeenminee Astra watching Andrew's coronation.

Astra Orders set an alarm for three o’clock in the morning, but she didn't need it. She didn't sleep at all.

Her mom had invited her to watch the once-in-a-generation event with her little cousins in Illéa Palace, but Astra had refused. Kile had offered to stay the night and keep her company, but that hadn't felt right either. Her dad had suggested not watching at all, which was cute but not really a solution. It would be weeks before footage of this faded from the news, and even then there would be anniversary specials forever. Astra might as well bite the bullet and watch the coronation that had almost been hers.

She wished her parents and her boyfriend weren’t making such a fuss about this. History was full of women who'd almost married princes and then gone home to watch them become kings. Her Uncle Maxon had left dozens of such women in his wake when he’d chosen to marry Aunt Ames, though Astra didn't have the telephone numbers of any of them. She wished Andrew had enough ex-girlfriends to make a proper club like the former Selected. It might have been nice to have someone who could understand this indescribable feeling without the need for words to name it.

It wasn't that she wanted to be married to Andy. She had no doubt at all that she'd made the right decision in calling off their relationship, and that was totally separate from the fact that she was now wildly in love with Kile.

But there was something aching in her chest as she watched the aerial shots of the city of London on the little television in her apartment in Angeles, curled up in her warmest fuzzy pajamas, hair in a messy version of her ballet bun, hands clinging to her mug of tea for dear life. Today was the day that standing by Andrew's side for his coronation went from something she wouldn’t do to something she couldn't do. She'd chosen to walk away, but this was the day that the door locked behind her.

Never was a hard word to give to Andrew, even if Kile had her Always.

The camera above the crowd panned past the palace Astra had stayed in that summer, and her chest squeezed hard. Whatever else had happened there, it had been a refuge for her at a time in her life when she’d needed it most.

It all started when she had been offered an incredible opportunity to dance for the Waverly ballet company in the summer, and an opportunity to attend an elite seminar with London’s royal ballet company in the spring, and Kile, realizing that he and Astra wouldn’t see each other for over six months, had broken up with her very suddenly.

Well, technically it had been a mutual decision. She hadn’t seen him much during his first year at school, and now she was off on her own adventures, and it seemed like a terrible time to try to make a relationship work. What if he met someone amazing at university? What if she met someone in Waverly or London? Was it fair to deny themselves new relationships and experiences just because they’d always been together? Weren’t they technically together by default, anyway?

It was a reasonable question. If you married someone you’d had playdates with for as long as you could remember, and you never even tried to date someone else, it was probably a relationship by default… right?

As she got on the plane for London, it had hit her hard that she wouldn’t have a hope of seeing Kile again, maybe for an entire year. The earliest she’d be back in Angeles was the next fall, and that’s exactly when he’d be leaving to go back to school again. And this time they wouldn’t talk to each other on the telephone almost every single day, and she wouldn’t slip secret notes in the care packages his parents sent him from home, and he wouldn’t surprise her by sitting in the audience during a matinee performance after sneaking back into town without telling her...

And maybe he never would again.

It was possible she’d cried the whole flight overseas, it was hard to remember. She must have rehydrated somehow, or she’d have shriveled up and died of the heartbreak. That time was all a blur now.

But what Astra remembered clearly, sitting on her sofa four years later, was the way she’d felt walking into that little old palace on the north side of the city and realizing that it was essentially hers for the season. It really paid to have a paranoid king for an uncle sometimes, because Maxon had pulled a dozen favors with the English royal family to get Astra somewhere safe and comfortable to live for a few months. She was technically an Illéan princess by title, so he wouldn’t hear of letting her rent a crumby apartment somewhere in the city, and besides, wherever she stayed needed to have enough room for a security detail. Still, even for a small palace, it was a palace and it was hers.

The old place had plenty of full-time staff that kept it in good shape as an estate of historical significance to the English monarchy, but Astra herself didn’t have maids or butlers, or a chef to keep her fed. At night, everyone who worked to keep the palace maintained went home, so it was only her and the security detail.

But she was allowed to order takeout from restaurants around town, so on her very first night alone she ordered enough food to live off of for a while, until she could get to a grocery store. She sprawled on a sofa in the downstairs sitting room, doodling in the notebook her Aunt May had given her for her last birthday, until there was a surprise knock on the archway in the entrance of the sitting room.

“Hello.” Andrew stood there, still in his business suit from the day, though with no tie, and with the top button undone. He looked ruffled, and in his hands he carried a large bottle of red wine. “Sorry to barge in… there isn’t exactly a doorbell in this place, and without staff to handle arrivals and departures… well, I did knock.” he awkwardly concluded.

Astra, still in her tank top and stretchy pants from the plane, would have felt severely underdressed to received a prince at a palace, except this was one of her oldest and best friends, and some of the ache in her heart from leaving Kile on the other side of the world eased away just from looking at him. She hugged him, “You don’t need to knock. It’s good to see you.”

“And you.” he hugged her back. “Ah, and here. A housewarming gift.” he offered her the wine.

“You’re just in time for dinner.”

“Am I?”

“It should be here soon. The finest spicy noodles and sautéed vegetables in the land. Although, if there’s no doorbell…”

“The guard at the gate will take it from the delivery driver and have someone bring it in.” he grinned.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go hunt down something to open that bottle.” she said.

A new city, a change of scenery, some delicious New Asian food, a bottle of old wine, a dear old friend… this was the recipe to get over a breakup. Astra knew it, because she already felt worlds better, just struggling to find a way into the wine bottle. There wasn’t a corkscrew in the kitchens that they could find, and this palace didn’t have its own wine cellar, which was the only other place they could think to find wine accessories. In the end, Andrew took an impressive, ancient sword off of a display rack on a wall at the top of the grand staircase and carefully poked the sharp end down until it was lodged into the cork.

Astra laughed so hard her sides hurt as she twisted the bottle out in front of her and Andrew slowly stepped backward. After a couple of tries, the cork loosened up enough that he could use brute force to pull the rest of it out.

When the food arrived, they carried it up to the top floor, to a balcony that overlooked the city, and they had a picnic of sorts.

“Where’s Lucas? You two are usually a package set.” Astra asked between bites of spicy noodles.

“Still finishing up his first year at university.”

“Oh, of course! Kile— “ She stopped abruptly, her chest squeezed tightly, her tongue fell heavy in her mouth, and she drowned the bitter taste of his name on her lips with expensive wine.

“Oh dear. That won’t do.” Andrew leant over and brushed away an errant tear from her cheek. “You mean to tell me… well, he’s safe isn’t he? He’s not unwell?”

“No, no he’s fine. He’s at school… and I’m here.”

Andrew studied her face carefully. He’d met Kile and Astra on the same day, at the same moment, so they’d been friends for exactly the same amount of time. He knew that they’d been together romantically for almost seven years now, the teenage equivalent of a sixty-year marriage. “So you’re… taking time apart?”

“We’ve decided to go our separate ways.” Astra said, the words soft and wispy in her throat. “We’re not… we’re not headed in the same direction anymore. We might never head in the same direction again. After university, he wants to see the world. And I… I might travel around for a while as a dancer, but I can’t imagine not being there for Addy once she becomes Queen… Even if that wasn’t true, we won’t have a good chance to be in the same city for at least a year… and a lot can happen in a year.”

Andrew took a large sip from his glass and then refilled hers.

“That’s really difficult, Astra… I’m so sorry. I know how much you love each other. It must be hell, knowing that you’re growing apart from the person you’re closest to in the world.”

Astra choked a sob in her wineglass and Andrew’s eyes widened, “God, I’m sorry! What a terrible thing to say—“ he sat both of their glasses safely aside and wrapped her in a warm hug.

Astra got his suit all wet from her tears, but she felt comfortable in his arms. “I’m not crying because of you, stupid.” She explained when she had the breath to do so. “It’s definitely because of him. I just… I didn’t think anyone would understand. But you do.”

“I don’t.” Andy rushed to correct her. “Not really. I’ve never experienced anything like that. The closest I can imagine is if… if I lost touch with someone in the Palace kid gang. You’re my best friends, apart from Luke, and I’ve known you forever. If I had to say goodbye to one of you, to lose you forever… it’s not even close to what you’re feeling, but just the thought hurts enough for me to know that you’re going through hell.”

Astra sniffled and collected her wineglass again, ready for more sips, content to allow herself to be comforted by her friend. “Hell has better wine than I expected, I’ll give it that much.”

“Not a bad view, either.” Andrew agreed with a small chuckle, looking out at the city.

“Didn’t expect one of my very best friends to come with me to hell.” Astra timidly admitted.

“And I’m not leaving until I get you out of it.” he’d promised.

Andrew always did have words as sweet as honey.

They drank the whole bottle that night, between the two of them. They had as good an excuse as two teenagers needed: they couldn’t find a wine stopper. Andrew offered to stay the night with her so that she wouldn’t be alone, but now that the world was blurry and warm from the wine, Astra felt delightfully sleepy. She was going to get her first good night’s sleep since losing Kile. So Andrew left, promising to bring breakfast the next morning to check on her.

He checked on her a lot.

He brought her breakfast and dinner every day, and he’d probably have brought her lunch too, except that she was always at her dance seminar during the daytime. Astra ended every night with her body pleasantly tired from dancing, a new half a bottle of wine in her stomach, and her mind full of whatever nice, easy conversation she’d had with Andrew just before bed. Her first week in England flew by.

That Friday night, Andrew appeared in the doorway to the sitting room right on schedule, two bottles of wine in hand.

“You’re mad.” Astra giggled.

“It’s the weekend.” he argued. “You don’t have to dance tomorrow, and I don’t have any public appearances to make until next Tuesday.”

“You’re off work until Tuesday? You English royals really know how to take it easy.” she laughed. She didn’t think her cousins had taken a three day weekend in their lives.

“We’ll keep the second bottle on standby, just in case we decide we want to try it.”

But of course, they were young and it was a Friday night, they definitely wanted to try it. Somewhere after the first glass of the second bottle, refilling glasses got too risky and they started drinking straight from the bottle, passing it back and forth. There was a television show on, showing a concert happening on the other side of the city in a stadium Astra could just see if she stood tall enough on the balcony.

Andrew watched her going almost en pointe to try to spy the stadium, mesmerized by her strength and balance and grace. “Can we dance?”

Astra smiled brightly. Dancing was her favorite in the world, of course they could dance! They danced in their socks to the music on the television until Andrew collapsed, out of breath, on the sofa. Astra joined him, blood pumping pleasantly fast through her veins.

“I’m out of shape!” he bemoaned.

“I’m a professional athlete, don’t compare yourself to me. You did just fine.”

“I did? Do you think I could join the ballet?” He laughed giddily.

She’d never seen him giddy like this.

Andy carried the weight of his country on his shoulders, he always had. Addy hadn’t really started bearing Illéa on her back until she was eleven or twelve, old enough to understand what was coming for her, but Andrew had always been a future king, even when he was tiny. Seeing him now, not a care in the world, laughing about joining the ballet… Astra’s heart twisted in her chest and for the first time since breaking up with Kile, it had absolutely nothing to do with him.

He had no part of this.

Astra leant forward and kissed Andrew on the warm, red cheek.

He looked at her, stunned, smile falling off his face. “What was that for?”

“I don’t know… just because. Just for you.”

“Just for me…” he’d mused.

“For being good to me. For taking care of me while I’m here. For… for being you. Yeah… just for you.” Astra nodded, this time more certain that the words made sense outside of her wine-fogged mind.

“I should be me more often.” he chuckled.

Astra blinked.

Should he?

***

There was a version of Astra’s stay in London where she pined away for her ex-boyfriend every moment she got, and maybe poured that pain into her dancing because it was overflowing from her heart and needed somewhere to go. That’s what she’d been expecting deep down. But what really happened was, she found a favorite market to buy groceries from, she found a bakery between her palace and the dance studio that kept her in much-needed carbs, she found a park with a pond where lots of locals liked to walk their dogs, which meant she got to pet a lot of dogs, and she started falling in love with the city.

And then there was Andrew.

He knew her so well, and they’d loved each other as friends for so long, and spending those mornings and nights with him felt so easy, so smooth.

And he was handsome and kind and… ugh, handsome. Astra didn’t regret kissing him on the cheek. Not even when he stood with her on the balcony a week later, watching the sunset, and she laced her hand with his.

“Are you quite alright?” he’d asked, not because she’d grabbed his hand, but just because he was still so worried about her.

“When I got here, I thought the answer to that question would be no forever.” Astra confessed. “And listen… I don’t really know who I am without Kile, he’s been a part of me for my whole life… but these past two weeks I’ve started to find out… and I like it. I like getting to know me.”

Andrew smiled down at her and squeezed her hand.

“And I like you too, Andrew.”

His smile became pained, “Astra—“

“It’s okay. You’re the next king and blah blah blah.” he laughed, because there were so few people in the world who could blah blah blah being an heir to a throne, but Astra was certainly one of them.

“It isn’t that.” he corrected her with a shake of his head. “It’s… you’re getting out of a serious relationship. You can’t like anyone yet—“

“Yes I can.” Astra scoffed, a challenging glint in her eyes, “Watch me.”

“But we’ve been friends our whole lives, too. Wouldn’t you like to like someone different? A stranger, maybe?”

“Where would I find one of those?” Astra lamented, only half-joking. Having a king for an uncle really limited one’s opportunities to meet strangers.

Andrew peered at her closely, then seemingly made up his mind all at once, saying, “Put on a dress.”

“What?”

“Put on a dress, I’ve got a surprise for you!”

Just like that, Andrew was downstairs talking to his security team and Astra was upstairs trying to figure out what dress to wear. There was a sweet springtime yellow thing… and then there was the red thing.

Astra made up her mind quickly. She chose the red thing. She chose everything that the red thing implied.

She appeared at the bottom of the stairs and Andrew’s eyes widened.

“Is this alright? I have other dresses—“

“S’perfect—“ he muttered and then cleared his throat, “Ahem, that is perfect Astra. Let us be off.”

He formally offered her his arm and she accepted with a proud smirk at the flush in his cheeks, then they ducked into his car and his driver whisked them off across town.

“What are we doing?” Astra asked after they took a turn to a part of town she’d never been to before.

“Did I not say it is a surprise?”

“Yes, but—“

“We’ve got guards, and I’ve gone to this place before. There’s no need to worry.”

“Andrew—“

“It’s where I go when I need to meet strangers.”

Astra blinked, dumbfounded.“You? Meet strangers?”

“How else am I supposed to find a queen? ” he muttered mutinously.

Astra stared over at him for a long moment, never having given it a second thought. Addy would be free to date whomever she chose, but if all else failed she could always have a Selection to find her husband. Andrew had nothing like that to choose from.

Astra was surprised when the car pulled to a stop at the backdoor to a nightclub. Could princes of England really go clubbing? But this place looked like it had tight security, and there were signs posted prominently that there were no cameras allowed on the premises. Andrew’s and Astra’s bodyguards stayed close by as they entered the club and Astra’s ears were assaulted by music so loud she could no longer hear it. All she could hear was the beat.

Andrew took her to the bar and bought her whatever drink she wanted, and then leant in close to her ear so that she could hear him say, “What do you think?”

“It’s a little loud!”

He chuckled, “About the strangers.”

“Oh!” Astra looked around as she spun the little umbrella from her pink drink between her fingers. There were all kinds of men here. Some older than her, some younger, some looked athletic and some looked bookish, and they were all having fun, losing themselves to the same beat. “What do you think?!” she yelled at him.

He looked around at the women in the room, sizing them up, and then shrugged, “Hard to say.”

“How do we meet them?!” Astra was yelling, while somehow he was able to keep his voice low and still be heard when he leaned close to her ear.

“Honestly? They usually just come up to me…” he confessed.

Astra rolled her eyes. Royals.

Sure enough, several women came up to Andrew and threw themselves at him while he and Astra waited for even one man to make a pass at her.

“Maybe you’re intimidating them away!” Astra suggested.

“Maybe so. Do you want me to go dance?”

Did she want him to go dance with one of the strange women in the club so that a strange man might come up to her and hit on her?

Not really, no. She wanted to dance with him. She liked dancing with him. More than that, she didn’t want to dance with anyone else. And she didn’t want him to dance with anyone else. She took his hand and dragged him out to the dance floor, their bodyguards hilariously close by, and they started moving.

It wasn’t dancing the way Astra was trained to think of it. There was no choreography, no gentle swell of melody to carry her movements, this was something far more basic than that. The best part was how quickly she was able to stop thinking about anything but her own breath, the sweat on her brow, and the man in front of her.

There was nothing else in the world. For as long as they could stay with the beat, there was only the beat. Endorphins that she associated with a long hard workout flooded her body, and Astra felt good. And beyond feeling good, she did not feel sad. She did not miss anybody. Not her family on the other side of the world, and not Kile. She was complete right here. All she had to do was make this last forever.

“I am not a professional dancer.” Andrew reminded her, breath coming far too fast to get that whole sentence out without gasping for air several times in the middle.

Astra giggled at him, then hugged him close, “This place is magical!” she yelled in his ear.

“Magical?”

And just to prove the point, and to express her gratitude, she pecked his lips with a kiss.

That was it, right? A kiss of gratitude?

As first kisses went, it was silly. They were both too out of breath to do more than mash their lips together for a second and then go back to gasping for air. Andrew led them away for water and after a few minutes to recover, he was ready to try again.

Astra helped him find a way to move to every other beat instead of every beat, essentially cutting the speed of his dancing in half for him. That helped tremendously. But to help him do this, she had to wrap her arms around his neck to guide him, and once he had the beat it was all much less frantic and much more sensual. This time when they kissed, it was not a silly peck on the lips.

Astra had only ever kissed Kile before, but since that was never happening again, she didn’t allow herself to think about that. She didn’t think about how Andrew was taller than Kile, and his cheeks were softer because he shaved every single morning without fail. She didn’t think about anything except how nice it was not to feel pain. When she was with Andrew, especially when she was kissing Andrew, she felt nothing but joy.

Was she using him to feel better?

If someone made you feel better and wanted to be around you, was that even using them?

They stayed at the club until Andrew was too tired to go on (and even Astra was ready to admit she was tired), and then they climbed back into Andrew’s car and rode off into the night.

Astra’s ears were ringing with the sudden silence, and they were both flushed and dripping with sweat. Astra was ready to bet her face matched the red of her dress and her hair, and was ready to feel embarrassed about that somewhere beneath her exhaustion, when Andrew slid his hand over to hers and squeezed.

She looked over at him and smiled.

It was past 2 in the morning when they got back to Astra’s palace, and Astra couldn’t believe they’d spent so many hours getting swept away like that.

“I’d do that every night if I thought my hearing could survive it.” Astra admitted as they struggled to get up the stairs, feeling distinctly like they had overcooked pasta for legs.

Astra took an ice-cold bath and then rolled her legs out to try to avert any soreness the next morning, and then she found Andrew in one of the guest bedrooms. “Thanks for the dancing… sorry we didn’t meet any strangers.” she grinned.

“I’m not.” he admitted, with complete candor.

“Well then, no future queen for you and no non-childhood friend to date for me.”

“Perhaps you could find a childhood enemy?” he suggested, and she laughed at the dryness of voice as he made the joke.

“Yes, I’ll have to make do.” she agreed.

***

The kisses felt stolen for the first week, like they were getting away with something they weren’t supposed to, but then one day Andrew showed up with Astra’s favorite breakfast, and two paper travel cups of tea, and he pecked her on the lips in greeting and it didn’t feel stolen at all. It felt as comfortable as an old sweater, and made her feel just as warm inside.

To celebrate the end of her first month in London, Astra ordered dinner for them from the same restaurant they’d eaten at on her very first night in town. He showed up looking frazzled after a long day of talking with members of parliament, but all the more pleased to see her because that stress was over now. And, of course, he brought her the same kind of wine they’d shared that first night.

Astra had bought a corkscrew weeks ago now, so they didn’t need to resort to using ancient swords to open their alcohol, which made it slightly less interesting. Astra curled up against him on the balcony overlooking the city and kissed him every chance she got.

“You’re certainly in a mood.” he noted with a smile down at her, after their fourth surprise kiss.

“I’m just glad to be here.”

“Are you?” he seemed surprised. She didn’t blame him. It was quite a turn from her first weepy night a month ago.

“Yes. I think London’s been good for me.”

And maybe she meant the city, with her new favorite local spots and the friends she was making at the seminar, but maybe she meant Andrew. Maybe she couldn’t really tell the difference, and it was all just good for her.

“I am very glad to hear that.”

“I wish I didn’t have to go to Waverly in two months.” Astra admitted. “It’s an amazing opportunity for my career, not to mention I’ll get to visit my grandparents in Carolina all the time, but… I like London.”

This time she was blatantly talking about him.

“Well… London’s not going anywhere anytime soon, I suppose.” he pointed out, fully onto her game.

She hmm-ed into her wineglass, “I suppose not.”

“And you’re always welcome in London, you know.”

Astra giggled and shook her head, surprising him with another kiss as a reward for playing along with her silly euphemism.

Later that night, when the food was stashed away in the kitchen and the wine was mostly empty, Andrew joined Astra again on the balcony as she stood there with the springtime breeze blowing through her loose, curly hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

“I meant it, you know.” he said. “You could stay as long as you like. There’s a tremendous ballet company in London, perhaps you’ve heard of it.”

Astra laughed, pressing a hand to his over her stomach and turning to look up at him. “Maybe someday.”

“You’re dead-set on going to Waverly, then?”

“Well, I’ve signed a contract.” she explained.

“Ah. They shall imprison you if you break it. I understand.”

His voice was always so serious when he joked, never giving away the game. She laughed at the thought and said, “Yes, there’s a special prison for ballet dancers who break their contracts, it’s especially brutal. I hear they make you dance to jazz all day.”

This time his lips brushed the placed where her shoulders met her neck, and her breath hitched at the sensation. “I shan’t extradite you.” he concluded, his warm lips brushing her skin. “I shall keep you here, safe and sound, far away from the ballet constables.”

Astra laced her fingers with his over her stomach and said, “They’re relentless, the ballet constables. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

His lips trailed up her neck and stopped at her ear where he said softly, “I think I can manage.”

Astra’s entire body erupted in chills, and suddenly she didn’t want to continue their elaborate, jokey banter about the consequences of her actions. She turned in his arms and pressed her lips roughly to his, knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that all she really wanted was to lose herself in the taste and the feel and the smell of him. Andrew was the only person in the world who made her not care about the future, and when his lips were on her skin that was doubly true.

It wasn’t exactly real happiness she felt when she was lying in bed with him, his sandy brown hair all ruffled, his arm slung across her like he was afraid she’d disappear in the night. True, meaningful, lasting happiness was something that required a lot of factors: feeling good about the present and hopeful about the future, and at peace with the past. Astra wasn’t at peace with her past, and she didn’t even want to think about the future, but the present… the present was so good. It was one out of three. One out of three wasn’t bad.

***

If Andrew’s parents noticed that he was essentially living with Astra that spring, they didn’t say anything about it. Maybe they just assumed that, since they were close friends, he was keeping her company and enjoying a nice, extended visit. And that was perfectly true, except that they were sharing a bed and occasionally a shower, and they shared a cup of coffee in the morning and a bottle of wine at night.

They didn’t go back to that club, but they found other ways to go out together without being photographed. There were secret tables in the kitchens of restaurants, special royal boxes in theaters, private trains to private estates, and one time there was a royal yacht. Astra was surprised that Andy had so much freedom, as the heir to the throne. Addy couldn’t have dreamed of roaming around Illéa the way that Andrew was gallivanting across his future kingdom. Sure, part of it was Andrew making sure Astra was having the time of her life— he probably didn’t usually venture away from home so much— but even so.

“Will you be able to keep this up once you’re king?” she’d asked him as they sat curled up together on a train ride returning from the south. “All this rambling.” she explained at his questioning look.

“Ah. No, there will certainly be less. But my job will be nothing nearly so intense as King Maxon’s, if that is what you’re thinking. For one thing, I’ve got parliament.”

Astra wasn't exactly sure how England’s parliament worked. She knew King Eoan set the legislative agenda, but he couldn’t pass any kind of law on his own. “I can’t believe they let you have a whole train to yourself, and you barely have to work.” she teased.

His arm was wrapped around her shoulders, and his thumb began tracing her upper arm as he said, “If you think my future job’s a scandal, you should see what our queen has to do. Host parties, go shopping, appear at events…” his voice sounded as if it was a strain to remain light and carefree. As if his words were more important than he wanted them to be.

Astra leaned her head on his shoulder. Those were all things she already did for Illéa. Well, she didn’t host many parties, but she sometimes helped her Aunt Ames out when things were especially overwhelming. It was strange to think that she had experience doing the same job as the Queen of England.

“All that, and she gets to retire young?”

“Assuming that whole heir business is sorted out sufficiently early.” he admitted.

“Oh, that.” Astra giggled.

“On the whole, it’s not a terrible job.” he said.

“No, not when you factor in the jewelry.” Astra agreed, still joking.

“Precisely.” Andrew nodded with a small smile against the top of her head.

Astra wasn’t sure why he didn’t return her joke with one of his own.

***

Though Astra very much enjoyed being swept off her feet by the prince, it was the quiet nights at the palace that meant the most to her. Sometimes, after dinner and a long, hot bath, her joints would feel well enough to practice some choreography in one of the drawing rooms. Andrew would play the piano for her, putting years of lessons to use for the first time. Sometimes her joints would not feel well enough for more dancing after a long day at the seminar, and he’d rub her battered feet and ankles until she melted into a puddle at the other end of the sofa or bed, or wherever they happened to be.

She’d ask him about his work, but he wouldn’t tell her much. Maybe he was worried about protecting state secrets, or maybe he didn’t want to worry her. Maybe he didn’t want her to see him in less than a good mood, because he was only there to make her happy. And how could she not be happy?

One night, in the middle of her second month in England, as she laid awake in their bed and brushed her fingers through his unruly hair (a sight so few had ever seen: the Heir to England with unruly hair), she pressed a kiss to the shell of his ear and said softly, “What are we going to do when I have to leave for Waverly?”

Sleepily, he’d pried his eyes open, his eyelashes fluttering against her skin. “What would you like to do?”

“Freeze this moment in amber. Live in it forever.”

“Be young, in love, and carefree forever?” he’d smirked.

“In love?” she’d hesitated, surprised. They’d only been attached at the lips for six weeks now, as impossible as it seemed. Hadn’t they enjoyed half a lifetime together already?

“Oh dear.” He’d lifted his head up so that he could look in her eyes, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Astra shook her head, “It’s okay. I do love you Andrew.”

“Do you?” he sounded amazed.

And she did. She’d always loved him, just as he’d always loved her. They’d grown up together, perfect friends, how could she not love him?

“I’m sorry you didn’t know that already.” she let her hand fall from his hair down his spine, coming to rest on his bare lower back. She traced the shape of a heart there with her finger and he shuddered. “You’re one of the best friends I’ll ever have, and I love you.”

He smiled and returned his cheek to her chest, listening for her heartbeat. “Yes. This moment would do just fine.”

“We could freeze this moment and allow archaeologists to discover it in a few thousand years.”

“And if we don’t like the future, we could simply freeze this moment again.” he agreed.

“You don’t think you’d be bored after a few thousand years?”

He grinned, one hand tracing her ribcage lazily, “I could find a few ways to keep myself occupied.”

***

Astra didn’t notice the first time there was a photographer waiting outside of the dance studio after her rehearsals. And then, a couple of days later, when a rumor sourced to a local food delivery driver was printed in a Sunday paper saying that he delivered Prince Andrew’s favorite kind of curry to the Palace where Astra was staying a couple of times per week. She didn’t mind when Andrew suggested they stop sneaking out to exclusive clubs or restaurants around the city, because staying in was extremely entertaining.

But it was hard to miss when Andrew nervously appeared in her doorway one evening and said, instead of ‘hello’ or ‘how was your day’, “Grandmother has asked to meet you.”

Astra gaped. Queen Cerridwen, King Eoan’s mother, had never met any of the Illéan royals in-person. Maybe she’d met Uncle Maxon back before he was King, when she was still the active queen, but maybe not even then. “Me? Wh…why?”

Andrew ran a hand through his hair and ruffled it in a way that would have been funny if he hadn’t look so stressed. He sank to his knees to sit next to Astra, who’d been sitting on the floor, using the coffee table to hold her nail polish bottles as she painted her toes. “The rumors got to her.”

“Rumors… about us?”

Andrew nodded, “I’ve had the press department squashing everything the second they hear about it, and it’s bought us some time, but the rumors have been consistent for long enough now—“

“The rumors that we’re spending time together?” Astra asked.

“Yes.” Andrew looked faintly nauseous.

Astra smiled and traced his cheekbone with her thumb soothingly, “We are spending time together. We’re not being falsely accused.”

“No, I know… I think, just… I think we need to talk.”

Those were heavy words.

Kile had been the last one to say those words to her, and the outcome had been really unpleasant.

“You didn’t bring wine?” Astra noticed for the first time.

“I wanted us to keep our heads clear.”

“Are you ending this?” Astra asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“No.” Andrew promised. “But we’ve never talked about what this is before. I’ve been able to buy us a little slice of time to ourselves, but I’ve reached the end of my tricks.”

Astra looked into his eyes carefully, noticing the strain there for the first time, “You never said you had to use tricks…”

“I didn’t want you to have to worry about it. I wanted to be… uncomplicated. Simple. After everything you’ve been through, I thought that you needed simplicity.”

“I did.” she admitted, chest suddenly aching at the thought that the simple times might be gone.

He brushed an errant curl behind her ear and smiled bracingly, “I am not here to tell you that the world is ending. Merely that people have found us out. They’re asking questions that I do not have the answers to, and in lieu of my answers, they are coming to their own conclusions. Grandmother amongst the rest.”

“She wants to meet me because she knows we’ve been dating?”

Andrew huffed a breath, “It’s her way of forcing the matter at hand. When it comes to me, to dating the English Heir, there is dating and there is Dating. Courting. Something official, not just between you and I, but between us and all of England.”

Astra looked a little creeped out at the thought, “They… want in on our dates?”

Andrew rubbed his brow, “In a manner of speaking… there comes a point when I’m meant to introduce anyone I am seeing to the people of England as a potential future queen.”

“Why? It’s not like they get to vote on who stays in your bed, or in our case, my bed.”

“No, but it’s…” he seemed so uncomfortable at having to explain this to her. Probably any English girl he dated would have seen this coming a mile away and known what to expect. Astra blushed a little, feeling inadequate for the first time all spring. “It’s a bit like a small Selection, perhaps. They get to know the person their prince is dating and they get to watch me court their future queen.”

“Oh, and your gramma wants you to do that with me?” What a relief to know she was just a confused old woman who’d misunderstood.

“Precisely. Meeting Grandmother at her estate in Scotland would signal the official start to our official courtship.”

Astra felt all the tension leave her body and she smirked at him, “Your gramma is proposing marriage to me on your behalf.”

“Basically.”

“What’s she in such a hurry for? We’re teenagers.”

Andrew let out an exasperated sigh, relieved now that he could see Astra wasn’t panicking and throwing everything she owned into a bag to haul back to Illéa on the first flight out the next morning. “I don’t know. You’re a good match, obviously. My father is close with your uncle, but it would be smart to solidify that alliance with some kind of marriage.”

“Very sexy and romantic.” Astra giggled.

“Isn’t it just?” he agreed wryly. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, “I suppose she’s worried because I’ll be king in a few more years. She doesn’t want me to have to go through that enormous transition of responsibility by myself. I suppose finding a queen would be much harder as king than as prince, too. Father’s even asked me if I want to take a few months next year and devote myself to dating full time before he begins handing off responsibilities to me in earnest. As part of a formal ascension plan.”

“What a conversation.”

“You can’t begin to imagine.”

Astra collapsed into giggles, doing her best to imagine it anyway. King Eoan asking his son if he wanted to be a full-time, 40-hours-per-week dater as part of his obligations to the crown.

“It’s good you think this is funny.” he sulked, but he only partially meant it. He was genuinely glad she was laughing instead of crying.

Fairly certain her toes were dry now, Astra stood and screwed the caps on her polish, stashing the bottles in a drawer next to her vanity. She stretched, fingers reached for the ceiling, going up on her toes, and as she came down she whisked her loose t-shirt over her head.

“Astra.” Andrew cleared his throat, forcing his eyes away from her lacy, pale blue and white bra, “Clear heads, remember?”

“I’m just getting comfortable.” she said in a voice that clearly told him she was not just getting comfortable.

He stood and she came over and loosened his tie for him. He placed a hand over hers when she made for his shirt’s buttons and said, “Do you want this to last past April?”

Astra gulped, “I wish April was forever.”

He stared at her, the only flicker of doubt coming from the small twitch of his eyebrow. “That’s not the same thing.”

“… I know.”

“You don’t have to answer me tonight, but we should talk about it. If we keep going past April, I suspect it will make the most sense for you… for you to meet grandmother.”

This time, when Astra continued with his buttons, it was a genuine effort to help him get comfortable, and not a ploy to see his bare chest. Seeing his bare chest was an undeniable bonus, though. She linked her fingers with his and dragged him towards her bed, and then she flopped down on her back and stared up at the top of her four poster canopy. “So what would happen after I met your grandmother?”

“You’d get some secret service protection.” Andrew laid on his stomach and used his finger to draw doodles on the smooth, soft skin above her navel. His breath felt warm as it puffed against her ribs, but her skin erupted in goosebumps anyway, and he pressed a chaste kiss to them. He knew the effect he had on her, and it only made him want to cherish her more.

“I’d go back to Illéa, though. To Waverly.”

“Yes. We’d coordinate that. It would probably be a less hectic place for you than in England.”

“You think England will be hectic if you announce we’re officially dating?”

Andrew huffed one dry, humorless laugh. “When they find out I’m thinking of making you their princess… sweetheart, it’s going to be a nightmare of a circus.”

“Terrifying clowns?”

“The most terrifying.” he agreed.

Astra sighed, “Then what? How long would we get to date before they’d expect you to decide whether you want to marry me or not?”

“Given the time you’d be spending in Illéa, we could get a year.”

“A year.” Astra liked the sound of that. Sure, she’d dance until her contract was up in Waverly, but then she’d come back and get to do this with Andrew for months and months. His dad might even let him date her full-time. Morning, noon, and night cuddles.

“Yes, and then…”

“And then a fairytale proposal. Would it have to be public?”

“Gosh, no.” Andrew promised. “But it would need to have a good story behind it. Take you somewhere meaningful—“

“Like the club where we first kissed.” Astra teased, running her hands through his hair.

“No, not at all.” he chuckled.

“And would I get to wear one of the crown jewels or something?”

Andrew lifted his head to look at her. “Would you want one?”

Astra laughed. It was all so completely silly. She was an eighteen year old girl! A boy was offering her a crown jewel! She laughed some more.

“Our engagement would be six months, eight at most.” he said. “That’s going to be the hardest time for you. You won’t be royal yet, but you’ll have all the expectations. Of course, you’d have everything you’d need from us. Security, education, an allowance for your clothes.”

“Mmm, clothes.”

“And then—“

“A royal wedding?”

“Yes.”

“And a royal honeymoon?”

“Of course.” he pressed another kiss to her skin, this one not so chaste.

“And then I’m your princess?”

“Until we take our oaths to become king and queen.”

“You really think I could be queen?”

“You think you couldn’t?”

“I know how hard it is on my Aunt Ames. It’s not really the life I saw for myself.”

“It’s different in England, you know. We’re smaller than most Illéan provinces, and we’ve got parliament.”

She couldn’t continue to fantasize about marrying him without understanding what he meant when he said that. “Andy, how does parliament help you?”

“Eh… help is not the word.” Andrew admitted. “It’s more that they take certain responsibilities off the monarch’s plate. Whether they do so in a manner that helps is an entirely different question. But unlike Queen America, who assists on many matters of policy and diplomacy, my mother’s job is almost entirely ceremonial, supporting my father’s efforts.”

“So do you think I could dance if we were married?”

Andrew fell quiet, wracking his brain for a way. “Not once we were engaged… I just can’t imagine that you would have time. And you’d quickly become one of the most famous women in the world… not that you’re anonymous now, just that we’re talking about a whole different stratosphere of public interest… even if we found time for you to dance in the royal ballet, it might not be safe.”

Astra hated that answer, but it made perfect sense to her. Addy had never regularly commuted into the city for any reason. Keeping her safe during recurring, publicly open performances would have been a nightmare, and Astra supposed that would be true for her too.

Astra also knew she wasn’t going to dance forever. She probably had a good ten or twelve years before retirement, and that was only if she avoided any major injuries. In Astra’s experience, injuries and pregnancies were two of the most common reasons dancers retired younger than thirty and they were both to be avoided.

“How long do you think we could put all of this off? I don’t want to stop dancing.”

“I know. I want you to dance! You’re bloody magnificent when you dance.”

“Just when I dance?” she teased suggestively.

“Other times too.” he smirked up at her. He let his face fall gently on her stomach, breathing in the smell of her body wash and then lifting his head again, “I could tell Grandmother we’re not yet ready. You could go to Waverly and come back for visits now and again.”

“Sounds like I’d miss you.”

“I’d miss you too.”

“Sounds better to me, though.”

“I suppose it must. The people mightn’t be fooled, they’ll still expect something is happening between us.”

“They’d be right.”

“But Astra… No matter what, I’ll be King four years from now. There’s no delaying that. ”

“That’s a long time, Andy.”

“I can’t… you must understand, I’d need to know for certain by then.”

“Of course!”

“Ideally… Ideally I would be married by then so that we could share the coronation ceremony.”

“So we could have a wedding earlier that fall? You’d propose that spring? That gives us a few years. That gives me time to dance.”

“But would it be enough?”

“Three years is forever, Andy.” Astra grinned down at him.

“And you’d really consider being my queen?”

“I’d consider a lot of things for blue eyes like yours.”

“They are an important part of the benefits package.” he agreed, placing an arm on either side of her and bringing himself up so that they were eye to eye. “Along with lots of travel to exotic locations. The finest champagne money can buy. Famous designers tripping over themselves to clothe you. A handful of palaces. Lots of diamonds.” he punctuated each of these offers with a deep, heated kiss and by the end Astra was absolutely dizzy and in no state to negotiate her future job benefits.

***

By the end of the week it was not just one photographer waiting outside of the ballet studio anymore, there were dozens. They were aggressive and pushy, yelling her name and constantly demanding she tell them if she was seeing Andrew. Her Illéan security detail was not pleased. The theater that housed the ballet was difficult to secure against so many persistent intruders, and there was serious discussion about whether they could even let her finish the seminar. They also discussed calling King Maxon and asking him for reinforcements, which made Astra’s stomach feel sick. She didn’t want her uncle to have to pay money and spare resources to send across the world to her all because of her love life.

It was a tense day and a half before Andrew was able to come through with security of his own to supplement her detail. It had been a tough thing to organize, given she wasn’t officially his girlfriend, but he’d found a way for her.

If Astra knew anything in those days, it was that he would always find a way for her. That had never been the problem.

There were reporters outside of Astra’s palace now, night and day, and they marked each time Andrew came or went. Instead of lounging together on the balcony overlooking the city, Astra and Andrew had to draw the curtains closed for the sake of their privacy.

“We should just tell them we’re not really dating.” Astra said. “I can’t outright lie to them.” Andrew insisted. “I can’t break trust with my people. I don’t have to confirm we’re together, but I can’t just tell them we’re not.”

“There’s got to be a way… tell them we have no intention of courting right now. That’s not a lie, is it?”

“It’s a bit transparent.” Andrew pointed out.

“Well, I’d love to hear your better idea!”

Andrew sighed into her hair. They were dancing to the music on the television, its glow the only light in her bedroom. “Maybe we break up. And I tell them we broke up.”

“You’re breaking up with me?” Astra suddenly sounded so small and vulnerable, he squeezed her tighter, “No! Not really. Not in that way. It’s just a way we can… buy you some more time before we have to fess up to anything.”

Astra didn’t want to fake-break up with Andrew. She wanted the entire world to leave them to their peace and quiet in their little palace of domestic bliss forever. What was so complicated about that?

Andrew had the idea of staying away one night to try to relieve some of the heat, but all it did was leave Astra pacing the floor alone, listening to the rumble of dozens of people camped out on the street in front of her palace all night.

Astra and Andrew were summoned by Queen Waverly the next day and sat down together on the sofa in her office.

Everything about it was embarrassing. Andy’s mother needed to know how long they had been romantic, how far their romance had gone, how serious they were about their future together, and why Andrew had turned down his grandmother’s invitation.

“Lovey, she wasn’t trying to force your hand.” Waverly told Andrew sympathetically. “What’s happening now out there… it’s going to get worse, the longer we let the media spin itself up into a frenzy.”

Astra said, “I only have a week and a half left, your Majesty—“

“Astra.” Waverly reproached the use of her title. “We’re having this discussion as family. Call me Aunt Waverly… if you’re marrying my son, call me Mum.”

Astra gulped, looking at Andrew, lost.

“We’ve only been together a few months, we don’t know—“ Andrew spoke up, until Waverly nodded and held up her hand to silence him.

“I understand entirely.” She turned her head to the side to study a giant portrait of one of Andy’s female ancestors. “Listen you two, I know that this is a complicated situation. The only thing that will help is being forthright with the people.”

“If Astra meets grandmother, the people will be demanding a proposal by Christmas.”

“Perhaps so.”

“We’re not ready for that.” Andrew was keeping a lid on his princely composure, but Astra could tell he felt hopelessly trapped by his mother and the palace and his people beyond its walls. He was ready to rattle the cages.

Waverly nodded, “Your father and I will do everything we possibly can for you, you know that. We only want your happiness. But things are getting very intense, very fast out there. That’s happening because you’re choosing not to do things the conventional way. You must understand that.”

Very intense, very fast. That was Astra’s whole relationship with Andrew in a nutshell.

“It’s just a week and a half.” Astra reiterated. “Then I’ll be back in Illéa and the press can calm down for a while.”

“The speculation won’t stop until it is addressed by us, and it might even turn ugly.” Waverly warned. “When you stop giving them fresh photograph opportunities every day at your ballet house, when there aren’t rumors flying about sightings of the two of you all over London—“

“Not true, by the way.” Andrew said.

“Some of them could be.” Astra reminded him.

“Only the very old ones. We’ve not been out in a fortnight.”

Astra nodded.

“My point is, in a vacuum of real news, someone will invent rumors to splash on their tabloids. It will be anything and everything. Abuse, affairs, pregnancy out of wedlock, Astra will be a gold digger who broke Andy’s heart one week, the next week Andy will be a womanizing fiend who took advantage of a childhood friend. Relations between England and Illéa will be on the brink—“

“They won’t!” Astra objected.

“Only in the magazines.” Waverly replied. “But we wouldn't want any hostile nations thinking the rumors were true and attempting to take advantage of the supposed rift. You see how this could spiral?”

The room fell to silence for the first time. Astra shivered just a little, “I feel like I’ve been tossed into a tornado.”

“It gets better." Waverly promised. “Once you’re proactive about telling your own story, it gets harder for the media to frenzy over half-credible unattributed rumors.”

Astra buried her face in her hands. She’d thought she’d have years before she had to tell the media a story about her relationship with Andrew. It felt wrong that the people of England were forcing an eighteen year old girl to move so quickly.

“I just need time.” Astra said into her hands.

“Right.” Waverly made up her mind and stood, “In that case, Eoan and I are inviting you to stay here with us for the rest of your visit, Astra. We’ll tell the media that we’re very much looking forward to spending time with you before the end of your trip.”

“No, wait…” Astra looked up, heartbroken that she was losing her private little palace. Would she even get to go back and say goodbye to it?

“This isn’t a punishment, sweetheart.” Waverly sighed and then tugged Astra up to standing, pulling her into a tight hug. “You’re not in trouble. Not one little bit. You’ll have more privacy here, behind our gates and with all of our guards. You’ll have one of our cars to drive you to and from the ballet, and Andy won’t be caught coming and going at all hours of the night because he already lives here… or he did before you came to town.” she said the last part teasingly to her oldest son, who had the temerity to blush at his shamelessness.

Astra felt her eyes sting with tears, “I love that palace… it’s been a good home for me.”

Waverly smiled sweetly, “You’ll be welcome to stay there the next time you come back. If you and Andrew announce an engagement, we’ll fully staff the place for you so that it’s safer. Perhaps you and Andrew could use it as your home for the time between your marriage and his assumption of the crown.”

“Really?” Andrew looked enticed by the offer.

“You’ll need to live somewhere, dear. You couldn’t live with your parents as newlyweds, it would be unbearable.” Waverly teased. “England would never get an heir that way.”

Heirs.

Hearing the queen say that word in this palace, next to the crown prince made it feel very real and very scary. Did Astra want her kids to be heirs? She thought again of Addy and Jamesy… she loved them more than anything in the world, but she couldn’t imagine raising her children for such an incredible responsibility.

Waverly continued softly, “The main thing is, we need to be very delicate here, my loves. When Andrew becomes king, he will become the head of the church. Please understand, I do not mind what you the two of you do or don’t do, so long as you are safe and consenting.”

“Mother.” Andy squirmed.

“But it would put Andrew in a difficult position, becoming head of the church, if he was seen to have a… well a marriage-style relationship with a woman who was not his wife for too long.”

“Yes, heaven forbid I have a healthy, long-term girlfriend.” Andy scowled.

“It’s the vows to God that are the issue at hand, not heaven, and you know it.” Waverly scolded his sass quietly, but efficiently.

“So we break up.” Astra concluded. “We officially break up when I go back to Illéa, and then when it’s time, I come back to England and we publicly reunite… you don’t have any church issues, and I have time to dance.”

Waverly looked between them quietly. “It might be the only option, short of scheduling dinner with your grandmother.”

Andrew looked almost as sad as if the breakup was real. Maybe he was scared it would become real once Astra was out of the whirlwind. She laced her fingers with his and squeezed, “We’ll figure this out.”

He squeezed back twice, gently.

***

That night Astra slept in Andrew’s bedroom for the first time in their entire affair.

“The maids are gonna know.”

“Everyone knows.” he snorted into her hair. “That’s why we’re here and not across town in our own palace.”

“Your parents are in the building.” she complained when his hands began wandering her body.

“Not close enough to hear anything.”

“Still… what if they have to walk by for a glass of water or something?”

“You want me to keep my hands to myself tonight?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Oh, so shall we see who can be quietest?” he brushed his fingers across her ribs and she quietly shrieked a giggle. “You are so bad at this, darling.”

“Oh yeah?” she got her revenge with vicious tickles, exploiting every sensitive spot she’d found on his body the last few months.

***

Living in the English palace was an easy adjustment for Astra. She'd grown up in Illéa Palace which, as the functioning capital building of one of the largest nations in the world, was larger and had a much bigger staff. The English palace was certainly ancient and stately, but Astra had grown up visiting the place, so at least she wasn’t too dazzled to see this for what it was.

There was no more delivery from local restaurants once those palace gates were closed, but the royal chef made sure that Andy and Astra had everything they wanted delivered to one of their rooms each night, so that wasn’t actually too much of a change. Not only that, but the maids were discrete and only came onto their floor when Andrew was at work and Astra was at the ballet for the day, so it was almost like their bedrooms magically tidied themselves up each day.

Really, the biggest change for Astra had been weeks before, when rumors had started flying and she and Andrew had stopped venturing out into London. Andrew still appeared in her doorway just in time for dinner, looking handsome and happy to see her. They still shared good meals and long baths, and a warm bed each night. But now the illusion that time didn't exist and that they could continue peacefully, blissfully existing in their little bubble forever was burst.

Since the royal palace hadn't released a statement about the gorgeous young foreign princess living in the same palace as their handsome young future king, salacious headlines were beginning to trickle from tabloids to increasingly reputable news sources. Astra and Andrew's private affair wasn’t so private anymore.

Some part of Astra had been hoping that the rumors would die down once she and Andrew had retreated into the palace, even though she knew better. But on her second-to-final rehearsal before her big seminar performance, photographers started camping out overnight at the stage door to the ballet, not just hounding Astra but harassing her fellow dancers, too. It was humiliating to think that these world-class performers, some of whom Astra had idolized for years, were getting manhandled on their way to and from work every day because of Astra’s love life. She wasn’t sure her reputation in the industry would ever recover from this. Who would want to work with her when her very presence could cause such a disruption?

She cried in the backseat of the car on her way back to the royal palace that day, but she had big sunglasses on, and at least no photographers caught her moment of weakness.

“I don’t want to be the girl who’s dating the future king. I want to be a damn good dancer.” Astra said that night, her cheek pressed to Andrew’s chest as he drew swirling designs on her bare back with his fingers.

“You are both.”

“You don’t understand… you literally can’t.”

“What?” Andrew wasn’t insulted, which was the great thing about him. He was always humble about his own limitations. “Why can I not understand?”

“Have you ever looked up to someone who was truly excellent at the very thing that you wanted to be truly excellent at?”

“Of course.”

“Who?”

“King Maxon.”

Astra rolled her eyes and lifted her head so he could see her at it. “You met him when you could still count your age on one hand.”

“So?”

“So most people never get to meet their idols, and if they do it’s because they’ve worked extremely hard to become very good at something. There are choreographers and dancers at this seminar that I’ve admired for a decade. And now my presence is turning their workplace, a place I consider to be sacred, into a hostile circus.”

Andrew frowned down at her and said softly, “Did I not promise you terrifying clowns?”

“I don’t want to bring chaos to every stage I cross.” Astra pouted.

Andrew nodded and said, “So we should announce our breakup immediately. I’ll release a statement tomorrow, and ask a friend of mine to appear in public with me tomorrow night… a woman. It won’t cure everything overnight, but it would surely alleviate some of the pressure.”

Astra stared into his eyes, then studied the line of his nose, the cut of his cheekbones, the curve of his jaw. “That’s a lot of trouble to go through just for me.”

“Astra, are you joking? You’re the one going through trouble for me.”

Astra nodded, but she dropped a kiss onto his lips anyway. “Okay, but the breakup is fake.” her lips danced over his.

His teeth gently teased her lower lip as he replied, “Yeah. I noticed.”

***

As warm and inviting as the arms holding her were, Astra had a difficult time staying asleep that night. She was nervous about returning to rehearsals the next morning, nervous about their final performance, now only a couple of days away, nervous about her new relationship with Andrew, and nervous about being nervous about her new relationship with Andrew.

At around four in the morning she slipped out of bed and tiptoed back to her suite, where she found a pitcher of water and a tray of snacks waiting for her. She spent so many hours of her day exercising that sometimes she woke up in the middle of the night ravenously, painfully hungry, so she’d requested that she be left some snacks just in case. She picked at a scone, lost in her anxieties, and her stress about not being able to sleep, until the telephone next to her bed rang so loudly and shrilly that it caused her to jump and splash some of her glass of water onto her night shirt.

“Hello?” Astra picked up the phone, hoping to hear an Illéan voice on the other end of the line. She hadn’t spoken to Addy in a few days, and it had been almost a week since her Aunt Ames or Uncle Maxon had phoned. She hadn’t spoken to her parents in longer than that, but they’d be arriving in London in less that twenty-four hours so that they could watch her final performance, so she wasn’t too desperate to speak to them.

And while the voice on the other line was Illéan, it definitely wasn’t one she had been expecting.

“Hey.”

Astra’s stomach clenched and her body flooded with adrenaline. She reminded herself to behave like a normal person and not like a lunatic when, as casually as she could, she replied, “Kile? Is that you?” like she didn’t know. Like she wouldn’t know his voice anywhere, anytime, under any circumstance. She knew his voice better than she knew her own.

“Sorry, I know it’s the middle of the night over there. …You don’t sound like you were sleeping, though.”

He would know.

Astra gulped hard, “I needed a snack.” It was a lie, but it was close enough to the truth.

“Hm. Is he there then?”

Astra felt defensive anger flare up in her chest, and only later realized that the anger was covering a sense of guilt. “So what if he is? You broke up with me—“

“Astra—“

“No, it’s okay. I’m not saying that in a mean way. I’m stating a fact. We are not together because you broke up with me, so why do you care if he’s here?”

There was a long pause and then a low groan on the other end of the phone. Astra heard a brush of fabric over his microphone, as if he’d been rubbing his face and his sleeve caught on the receiver.

“I want to know if he’s there, because I want to talk to you when you’re alone. It’s why I’m calling so late… or early, I guess.” Kile said.

Astra’s traitor heart beat faster. What did he want to talk to her about when she was alone? Was he going to apologize? Was he going to ask for her back?

It was too late, obviously. Astra had obviously moved on. Obviously. “He’s not here.”

Kile sounded relieved when he said, “Good.” and that annoyed Astra. He had no right to be relieved that she wasn’t in bed with another man. He’d hurt her in a way she’d never known she could hurt before.

She lashed out, “I didn’t want to wake him up with my snacking. But he’ll probably notice I’m gone soon, so you should hurry up and say what you want to say.”

The pained sound that snuck out of his throat with his next exhale was not as satisfying as Astra had hoped it would be. She regretted her words already. Maybe now he wouldn’t ask for her back… not that she wanted him to.

Kile said, “Let me ask you something…”

This was it. He was going to ask for forgiveness. He was going to ask her to come back to Illéa and be with him.

“What do you want more than anything in the world?” Kile said.

What was he expecting her to say? That she wanted him? She was dating the Crown Prince of England!

“Astra?”

“What do you mean, Kile?”

“What do you mean, what do I mean? For our whole lives you’ve always wanted one thing more than anything in the world. What is it?”

Oh. Astra replied almost mechanically, her voice barely above a mumble, “I want to be the Prima Ballerina for the Angeles Ballet for at least a season, maybe two.”

“And you wanted that enough that you didn’t even think about moving closer to my university, because it would have taken you away from the Angeles ballet. And not for a good reason, like that invitation you got to dance in Waverly. For no reason. For me.”

“You’re not no reason—“

“No, I’m just not a good enough reason.”

“Kile—“

“You can’t argue with that.”

“You said you wouldn’t promise to look for apprenticeships and internships in the cities where I was dancing. You said you don’t want to live in Angeles when you grow up!”

“I don’t. I’m going to go where I can do my best work.” he said plainly. “I still think you and I made a good choice to split up.”

Hearing him say that was hard. She wanted him to regret it. She wanted him to miss her like she had missed him before Andrew had swept her off her feet. Losing him had changed her and she would never be the same as she was before, and he wasn’t even sorry.

Kile continued, “I’m just saying… what was the point of drawing a line in the sand about you and me if you were just going to walk all over it for Andy?”

“What?”

“We both know that you’ll never be prima anything if you marry Andy. You told me yourself, every waking hour of a prima’s life is devoted to dancing or preparing to dance. There are no hobbies, no vacations, no date nights. There definitely isn't time to be somebody’s princess.”

“I’m already an Illéan Prin—“

“Cut the shit, Astra, you know what I mean.” Kile sounded exasperated, and she knew why. She was trying to miss his point, but he wasn’t exactly being subtle about it so dodging it was proving impossible.

“Maybe I want something else now. Maybe I want to marry Andrew.”

“Look… Andy’s not a bad guy—“ Kile admitted through gritted teeth, “But there will be plenty of not bad guys waiting for you after you retire. So if you pick him, do it because you want the life he’ll give you more than the life you can earn for yourself. And be ready to bury your dreams of being a prima ballerina forever, if you do. I know you, and I know you’re getting swept up in this—“

“Don’t talk about me like I’m some helpless little… little damsel, Kile.” Astra snapped.

“Think about it logistically. Do you want to move to the other side of the world from your parents and your little brothers? They’ll visit you as often as they can, but your visits to Illéa will always be to the Palace, to King Maxon and Addy. You won’t be able to go home again. Do you want to have to keep a royal schedule, planned months and years in advance? And you can forget being around from Addy once she becomes queen, you’ll be trapped on the far side of an ocean.”

“Kile—“ Astra tried to interrupt him because she wanted him to stop making sense.

“What about the little things? What about the weather? You’re an Angeles girl, are you going to miss the sun? You know they use different numbers for temperature over there, right? How’s it going to feel to wake up in the morning and have some maid tell you that it’s twenty-five degrees outside, so you’d better stay in the shade to keep cool?”

“Kile.” Astra laughed.

“I’m serious. You’re not just choosing a career here, Astra, you’re choosing a life: from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep.” Kile paused and let out a tired sigh. “I just don’t want you to make a big mistake that you can’t undo. I know how badly you want to dance. You’re not ready for this, and even if you were, this wouldn’t be the right choice for you.”

“I’ve changed, Kile.” she wanted to add that he’d changed her. That losing him had made her someone new, someone she didn’t even know yet, but she kept that part to herself. Listening to his voice for so long that night… suddenly she found that she didn’t want to hurt him anymore.

“It’s barely been three months, Astra. You haven’t changed that much.” he promised.

Astra wasn’t sure. Sometimes change was gradual, sure, but sometimes change was all at once. Traumatic change was a sudden shattering of what came before, such that one could never go back again. That was what losing Kile had been like.

But did that mean she wanted to give up dancing and become Andrew’s princess? His queen? His wife and the mother of his heirs? Did she want to leave Illéa forever and eventually move into this palace?

She wanted all of that when she was wrapped up in Andrew’s arms.

But here, alone in the middle of the night when she had her wits about her…

She climbed back into bed and woke Andrew up with steady, gentle kisses. Everything about the love they made that morning was slow and desperate, and even though she hadn’t meant it to, in the end it felt like goodbye.

***

Astra was gone to her final rehearsals before dawn, but later that morning Andrew was true to his word and made a big announcement that he and Astra had both been secretly dating, and were now publicly broken up. He made a good show of wandering around London looking sad that day, and that night he went out to dinner with a fashion model friend, who did not mind the publicity one little bit.

There were still plenty of photographers salivating at the chance to photograph Astra looking dismal at having lost the chance to become an English princess, but at least they were leaving the rest of the dancers, and everyone else associated with the ballet, in peace.

Astra’s parents arrived at the royal palace in time for dinner that night, and Astra had a lot of explaining to do to them. King Eoan and Queen Waverly seemed to find Astra’s discomfort at explaining her affair with Andrew to her parents over roasted asparagus incredibly amusing, and possibly reminiscent of the beginning of their own relationship. It wasn’t fair, though. Andrew missed all the “fun”, making sure it looked like he was rebounding with that gorgeous model.

That night, Astra was too nervous about her impending final performance to wait up for Andrew to get back to the Palace. She could go to bed early or never at all. She drank some tea laced with a little bit of melatonin and fell asleep soon after dinner.

She woke up in Andrew’s arms, her cheek pressed to the side of his bare chest. She listened to him breathe deeply and evenly for a little while and tried one last time.

She could quit dancing.

She could leave Illéa forever.

She could raise her children to be heirs.

Her children could raise their children to be heirs.

When she died, her bones could be interred in a big old church.

Her whole life could be that easy.

God, it would be so easy.

“Andy?” she whispered.

He didn’t stir.

“Andrew?” she tried again, this time pulling away from him and sitting up in bed.

He didn’t hear her, but he reacted to the loss of her warmth, and eventually his heavy eyelids fluttered open. “Astra?”

“What time did you get in last night?”

“This morning.” He admitted, yawning widely. “I expect the tabloids will be plastered with headlines about their debaucherous future king today.”

“Was it any fun?”

“Yeah. Ellie’s great; she’s always happy to be photographed on my arm. Missed you, though.” he added, as if suddenly awake enough to worry that she was jealous.

She wasn’t the slightest bit jealous. Well, the slightest bit, but not for the reasons he would assume. Astra was jealous because Ellie could keep being photographed on Andrew’s arm for as long as she pleased, with no consequences.

“Maybe you should marry Ellie.” Astra suggested.

Andrew laughed, and it turned into a yawn. Then he explained, “Ellie’s too focused on her career right now. And anyway, she’d be far more interested in you.”

“Now that would be a tabloid headline.” Astra joked weakly.

“What’s the matter? Are you nervous for your performance? Is it because you’re leaving England this time tomorrow? Is it because you told your parents what’s been happening between us—“

“I’m not nervous.” Astra said, even though her stomach was in knots. Those weren’t nerves. That was grief. “Andy… I want to be a ballet dancer.”

Andrew sat up in bed now and rubbed the sleep from his eyes so he could focus on her. The words were familiar, but her tone was alarming. “Of course you do. You are a ballet dancer, and you’re bloody brilliant.”

“I want to be a prima ballerina.”

“Okay.”

“That sort of excellence takes years to achieve.”

“Good job you’ve been dancing since you were four years old, then.”

“Shh.” she pressed a finger to his lips so that he would stop talking back and listen to her. He complied. “I won’t be ready to be a prima for seven or eight years. I have a lot to learn. And when I’m ready, I want to be a Prima Ballerina for at least one season, maybe two. That’s every waking hour devoted to dance for two years straight. Then I want to live in Angeles and stay close to Addy in the first few years of her reign. I want to be there when she gets married and has babies, because she is great at putting on a brave face and absolutely terrible at processing the emotions that are scaring her into needing to be brave. She’s going to need me, and I’m excited to be there for her. I can’t live on a different continent than my dad. There can’t such a huge time difference between me and my mom. I can’t be a foreign queen. I don’t want to be foreign at all. Andrew… I can’t marry you.” Her cheeks were wet and her voice cracked, but she didn’t know when, in that little breathless tirade, she’d started crying.

Andrew stared blankly ahead, hugging his knees to his chest around their blanket. He didn’t look surprised. He’d known she was too good to be true all along. Finding his queen could never have been so easy, so perfect. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up.

“Andy, none of those reasons I gave have anything to do with you. I love you. You’re a good man, and a great partner, and you have no business being such a talented kisser when you’re so handsome. It’s overkill.” she waited for him to smile. She waited for him to do anything. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Andrew. I just can’t marry you. I’m eighteen years old, I just got control of my life. I’m not ready to sign it over to a monarchy. I would love to be your wife, Andy, but I would hate to be your queen.”

Andrew blinked hard, then looked over at her. His voice was too casual, his words were too easy when he said, “I understand entirely. I can wait.”

Astra furrowed her brow, trying to hold his far off gaze. “Wait? What do you mean, wait?”

“You want to be a prima ballerina, and you said it would take you nine or ten years to accomplish your goal. Fine. I will wait, and when you’re ready I’ll ask to marry you.”

“No, Andy—“

“I don’t mind ruling on my own for a while.”

“That’s more than a while! You’ll be king in four years—“

“It isn’t a problem.” he insisted.

“Did you hear the part about what I want to do after I retire? About living in Illéa, about staying close to my family?”

“Astra, once we’re married, you can do whatever you like.”

“But queens have responsibilities.”

“We can redefine the role to mean whatever you’d like it to mean. I don’t care. I love you, Astra, and you’re the best future queen I could ever hope for.”

Astra paused, blinking hard against the tears in her eyes. It hurt to hear him say that. It hurt to realize that he didn’t believe he deserved any better. “Andy, that’s not true. You deserve a wife who will stay by your side. You deserve a wife who adores you and would be willing to sacrifice her own ambitions to serve England. I’m not good enough to be your queen.”

“Then no one ever will be.”

“Andrew—“

“Let me wait for you, Astra, please.” His voice broke on that last work, his eyes finally meeting hers and betraying his anguish. “Let me hope. It’s all that I have left.”

Astra couldn’t figure out what would be crueler, to let him hope when she’d made up her mind, or to take that hopeless hope away from him.

So she wrapped him up in her arms and they laid down. She combed her fingers through his hair and he brushed his thumb against her ribs until her alarm clock rang and her last day in London began.

***

In retrospect, Astra should have chosen a happy, upbeat, peppy song for her exhibition. She could have flounced all over the stage and spun a ridiculous number of times on her toes, and allowed her partner to toss her all over the place with an enormous smile on her face.

Instead, she’d chosen an exhibition from a ballet about a woman mourning her dead lover, dancing with his ghost. She’d been thinking of Kile when she’d chosen it, hoping it would help her work out her feelings about their doomed childhood romance. Now she was about to take the stage of the royal ballet, with Andrew and his parents in the royal box, watching her close enough that she could see the pained look on Andrew’s face as clear as anything.

Astra and her dance partner, Geoffrey, took their place while the stage was lit in nothing but the darkest of blue lights. He laid down across on their only set piece, an enormous fake rock, and Astra settled over him in a dramatic pose of despair, arm flung over her forehead.

The first part of the dance was hers alone. Her grief, her agony, her desperation. None of it was fake. When Geoffrey arose, as a ghost, and began dancing with her, the bittersweet mixture of joy and sorrow was easy to tap into. Nothing brought her more joy than dancing, and nothing brought her more sorrow in that moment than Andrew watching her live the life she’d chosen over him.

When Geoffrey faded back into the fog upstage and left Astra alone again in the center of the stage, all the passion and desperation fled with him. The rest of the dance was small and slow, painfully precise movements timed with the orchestra just so that if she made the slightest misstep, it would be immediately, embarrassingly obvious.

But Astra did not have to fake the exhaustion and resignation her character was feeling. If she allowed herself to second guess her decision to break away from Andrew now, she’d second guess it forever. The roar of the audience as the last tremulous notes from the string section died away seemed to make a deafening contrast.

Astra was surprised to find tears had started pouring down her cheeks somewhere during that performance. Geoffrey returned and took her hand, and they bowed. As was customary for this exhibition, several members of the audience threw flowers onto the stage. From the third row, Astra’s dad threw a whole bouquet, and a little teddy bear. Astra laughed as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Then she turned to the royal box to curtsey, perfectly observing royal protocol, and was startled to find that Andrew had been crying, too.

He tossed her a single white rose with a beautiful red satin ribbon tied around the stem, but the look on his face was resignation. He could love her with all of his heart for all of his life and still never be able to give her the kind of affirmation she got from a packed theater full of an adoring audience. He’d seen her dance dozens of times in her room at her little palace, and hell, he’d even danced with her himself. But seeing her like this in front of them…

He could wait until the oceans ran dry and the mountains fell flat, and every single star in the sky flickered into darkness… Astra was never coming back to him.

Astra spent that night with her parents, letting them gush over her and spoil her with presents, and help her pack up the life she’d made in London for the last few months. She hoped Andrew would come and say goodbye once her parents went back to the suite they were staying in, but he never appeared, and Astra didn’t chase him down because she thought he deserved to set the terms. That dance had been her goodbye to him. It was up to him whether he wanted to say goodbye in return.

The next morning, Queen Waverly was the only one in the entrance hall waiting to see the Orders family off as they left. The English Royal jet would take them as far as Carolina, where they would visit James’ family for a little while.

Astra imagined Andrew’s private car speeding out onto the tarmac to stop them. She imagined him dashing from the backseat and waving his arms to alert the pilots that they couldn’t leave until he’d said his farewells.

He didn’t come. It was easier this way.

Kenna and James stayed with Astra’s grandparents for a few days, but James had to go back to work and Kenna needed to get back to the Palace. Aunt Ames had five children, two of them under the age of six, and though they had plenty of help in that Palace, Kenna was their primary nanny, their aunt, and she missed them like crazy.

Astra stayed with her grandparents for a couple of weeks, until her contract at the Waverly Ballet began. The media frenzy around her got much better in that time, though it was impossible not to notice that things were staying hectic around Andrew as the English tabloids seemed to catch on to how severely he’d had his heart broken.

Astra wished she could take some of that public shame away.

She wished she could take some of his pain away, even as she was mending her own broken heart. Her weeks in Carolina were good for that purpose. Her grandparents spoiled her rotten, and she gave her body a much-needed break from dancing. Instead, she spent her days learning needlepoint from her grandmother, and her nights stargazing out by the pond where her parents used to sneak off on dates before Gramma Magda gave up trying to convince Kenna to marry someone from a higher caste.

When Astra packed her bags to take the short flight up to Waverly to begin yet another new life with another new ballet company, she was still wearing the beautiful red ribbon that Andrew gave her as a parting gift on that rose, tied around her wrist.

And when, years later, she sat on her sofa and watched him become King of England in front of the entire world, her fingers traced that now slightly frayed red ribbon, Andy’s last gift to her, in a familiar, much-practiced gesture.

It would have been so easy to say yes, to give in to the pressure and let herself get swept away by the English people, the royal traditions, the prince’s staggering blue eyes. It would have been a good life, too. A perfectly fine marriage.

But Astra didn’t want to be queen, and now she wouldn’t have to be, and the freedom she felt watching Andrew bear the weight of that crown was all the reminder she needed: she made the right decision. And now, despite the dull ache of longing in her chest for he boy she’d loved and left behind, she was happy. Truly happy. She was at peace with her past, content in her present, and excited for her future.

When the coronation coverage ended, Astra got ready to return to bed. She was surprised when her phone rang, but she knew exactly who it would be.

“Mom?” she said, before the person on the other line could say a word. Her little cousins would have had just enough time to be tucked back into bed by now, if Aunt May was helping. Kenna would have rushed to the phone as soon as she got the chance.

“Sweetie? How are you, little bug?”

“I’m fine, Mom, I don’t need the pet names.” Astra grinned, rolling her eyes.

“Are you sure?” Kenna double-checked.

“Yeah. I wish Andrew wasn’t alone up there. I still love him, I don’t want him to suffer. But I was nothing but relieved when they put that crown on his head and I didn’t have to put one on mine. I made the right choice.”

“I know you did, honey, but just because you did the right thing doesn’t mean you have to feel perfectly fine about it. Especially not on a night like this.”

“Honestly, Mom… my time in London feels like another life. One I’m nothing but grateful for, but not one I want to relive.”

At first, Astra’s spring with Andrew felt like it had never really happened, or like it had happened to someone else, or like it was all a fever dream: too hot, too heady, a surreal hallucination more than a fairytale fantasy. But now, with some time and space, Astra could see it for what it really was: a romantic affair with someone she could have chosen to marry, but who ultimately was not the right fit for her. On the one hand, Astra and Andrew loved each other, and their marriage would have been fine: they’d known each other forever and they each fully understood the challenges of the royal life they would have been embarking on together.

On the other hand, Astra had known what she wanted out of life since she was a very small girl. It was a hard thing to ask an eighteen year old to walk away from a guaranteed royal wedding for a chance to work very hard to one day, possibly, make her dream come true. If Astra hadn’t grown up in Illéa Palace, she might not have made the same choice. But everything she got out of her life from now on was truly hers, she was the captain of her own fate, and even if she failed and never became a prima ballerina, at least this way she’d have had the chance.

“But Mom?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t ever tell Gramma Magda that Andrew proposed to me and I turned him down. I think she would disown me.”

[theultimatefanficwriter]

Gunham scenario. Nagito does some crazy bs to see how much Gundham loves you (already dating) and randomly tries to kill you in the dining hall, but Gundham protects you and ends up getting the stab wound instead. Nagito says something about hope about your love. So Gundham is on bed rest, but you have to watch over him and his Devas. His Devas a so sweet with you and help you take care of Gundham.

Oh HELL YEAH, ANGST! I freaking LOVE angst with a side of comfort! This prompt is awesome, thank you!

The Darkside of Hope-Gundham Tanaka x Reader

You awoke to Monokuma’s morning announcement still feeling exhausted. Teruteru’s trial yesterday had completely worn you out.

“Good morning, my love.”

A tired voice gained your attention, and you turned your head to see Gundham Tanaka, your boyfriend of about a year laying beside you. You smiled softly at him and kissed his forehead. “Good morning, Gundham.”

“Are you still feeling unwell from the ordeal of last night?” He questioned you as he sat up, his hair ruffled from his night’s sleep and not in it’s usual style. You giggled to yourself at that. You always thought he looked adorable with it down, and even cuter when he just woke up.

You nodded to his question. “The whole thing with Teruteru was so...sad. He wanted to help us and Nagito....” Gundham pulled you into his chest, and you smiled gratefully at him as you continued. “And...and he just wanted to know if his mom and diner were alright. It’s all just so...terrible.”

“I know my dearest Fallen Angel.” The breeder said softly. “Nothing of our situation is fair in the slightest.” He gently tilted your head up to meet his eyes. “But at least we have each other, yes?”

You nodded happily. “Yeah. I don’t know how I could handle this if I didn’t have you.”

“I understand. I, too, feel that way.” Gundham smiled gently and kissed your lips. “Thankfully we are not alone, nor will we ever be.”

You smiled warmly at that, before reluctantly pulling away. “We should probably make our way to the restaurant.” You said, standing from the bed.

Your lover sighed as he followed suit. “Yes, you are right. It would do no good to worry the mortals with our absence.”

You nodded. “Thank you for letting me stay in your cottage, Gundham.” You thanked him. “I really didn’t feel like being alone.”

“It is of no problem, my dark queen.” Gundham assured you with a smile. “I will do whatever I can to comfort you and keep you safe.”

Your chest fluttered when he said that. “You’re so sweet, my lord.” You replied, giggling softly when you saw him blush lightly. “I’m heading to my cottage to get ready. I’ll see you soon.” With a final goodbye, you left his room.

“Ah, so you were with Gundham.”

You jumped at the unexpected voice. You turned to see Nagito standing before you. You felt a wave of unease as you remembered his performance in the trial the previous night. “Y-yes, I was.” You confirmed. “Is that a problem?”

Nagito quickly shook his head, holding his hands up. “Oh, no no no! It’s not a problem at all! Quite the opposite in fact! I think it’s wonderful you and Gundham have each other to rely on. You’re quite fortunate to know each other prior to coming here.”

You furrowed you brow, not quite sure what Nagito was getting at. “Yeah...We were both really excited when we realized we were both accepted into Hope’s Peak.”

“And now you have each other to rely on for your hope!” The lucky student hugged himself, and the crazed look in his eyes returned. “How lucky.”

You began slowly walking past him. “Right...” You muttered, deciding to ignore him. But what he said next stopped you in your tracks.

“But...how can you be sure of his love for you?”

You blinked, and slowly turned back to look at him. “...What?”

Nagito gave you a crazed grin that sent a chill down your spine. “How can you be so sure your hope aligns with his? Perhaps his love for you is overpowered by his want for escape, and he is simply using it as a cover?”

Your eyes widened, and you took a step away from Nagito. “Wh...what?! No! Gundham would never do something like that! He loves me! I know he does!”

“But are you certain?” The boy asked, taking a step towards you. You took another one back, feeling a pang of fear in your chest. “Maybe after realizing the situation we are in, he began making his own plans. Maybe he has plans to kill you, using your relationship as an alibi.”

You clenched your fists and shook your head. “No! I said he wouldn’t do that!” You snapped, glaring at the white haired student. “You don’t know anything about Gundham! He would never hurt me!”

Nagito nodded. “You’re probably right. The Ultimate Y/T would know much more than trash like me, especially about her own boyfriend.” He walked past you, only stopping briefly to speak some final words. “Though, perhaps you should still keep what I said in mind.” And with that, he walked towards the hotel.

You watched him leave, and for a moment you took his words to heart, worry filling you. You quickly pushed all of that to the side. Gundham would never hurt you, let alone kill you. Nagito is just trying to manipulate you like he had Teruteru. With an annoyed sigh, you walked into your cottage to get ready.

~~~

You walked up the steps to the restaurant and immediately noticed Gundham sitting at a table off to the side. You also saw Nagito sitting alone in the corner. You met his gaze for a moment before walking over to your boyfriend and sitting across from him.

You smiled when he saw you. “Ah! There you are, my queen of darkness!” He greeted you, taking your hand in his. “You are looking radiant as always.”

You chuckled and shook your head. “Gundham, I look the same I always do.”

The breeder gave a small smirk. “And thus you always shine with the radiance of an angel.” He frowned slightly. “However I can tell worry taints your features. What is it that plagues you, my love?”

You bit your lip, your eyes darting over to where Nagito was seated. You noticed he wasn’t there anymore, and though that worried you, you ultimately didn’t pay it much mind. “It...it isn’t anything, Gundham.” You told him, attempting to give him a reassuring smile. “I just had a...run in with Nagito.”

Gundham narrowed his eyes. “What did that vermin say to you?” He growled lowly. “Did he attempt to control your mind as he had the chef?”

“I...I think so?” You answered before shaking your head and giving Gundham a soft smile. “But don’t worry. Really. I’m fine.”

Your boyfriend looked unsure, but he sighed. “If you insist, I shall drop it.” He said.

You smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Gundham.” You whispered. As you pulled away, you noticed something from the corner of your eye. You turned, and saw Nagito approach.

Gundham noticed too and glared at the lucky student. “And what business do you have with us?” He demanded.

“I know scum such as myself has no business interacting with either of you.” Nagito began. His eyes looked over at you, and you began feeling uneasy. “But something has been bothering me. I must check exactly how strong your hopes are.”

“What in the Nine Hells are you-”

Gundham didn’t get to finish his sentence before Nagito lunged. He held a knife as he ran straight at you. Your eyes widened, and you froze, unable to move. You saw some others in the room noticed, but were too far away to act.

Gundham, however, acted quickly, dashing in front of you right before Nagito made contact with you. Your lover let out a pained grunt and took a knee as a fleshy impact sound was heard.

“Gundham!” You exclaimed worriedly, rushing over in front of him as Nekomaru and Akane restrained Nagito.

“Ah, so I was wrong! Gundham’s love for you is his hope!” The crazed boy laughed as he was dragged away from you and Gundham. “It’s so strong he would risk himself! How beautiful!”

“S-shut up!” You called back to him as you knelt in front of Gundham. The knife stuck out of his stomach, and blood was staining his shirt. “M-Mikan! Mikan please come here! Hurry”

“C-coming!” The nurse exclaimed, rushing over to you and nearly tripping as she did so.

“I-I am fine, m-my fallen angel.” Gundham tried to assure you, though his pained expression did little to make you feel better. “It w-will take more than this to t-take down Gundham T-Tanaka!”

“S-shut up, Gundham.” You muttered, tears forming in your eyes. “Don’t be so proud right now. You have a fucking knife in you!”

“And I w-would take a thousand more if it meant you would remain safe.” Your boyfriend said firmly. “I will never allow you to be harmed, n-no matter what shall become of me.”

The tears began to fall. “Y-you can be such an idiot sometimes.” You murmured, clinging to his jacket. “You can’t just go and do something stupid like that! I don’t want you getting hurt either!”

“U-um, I-I’m so s-sorry to interrupt...” Mikan spoke up. “B-but Gundham n-needs to lie down. C-can someone h-help me take him t-to his cottage?”

“I can do that.” Hajime offered, stepping forward. He placed a hand on Gundham’s shoulder. “Can you walk, Gundham?”

~~~

It was some time later, and you sat in Gundham’s cottage. Mikan had done all she could and had ordered Gundham to bed rest. You told everyone you’d keep an eye on him. Currently he was asleep.

You just watched him as he slept, tears still staining your cheeks. You knew it wasn’t your fault. It was Nagito’s. He had tried to stab you unprovoked. But still...you couldn’t help but feel awful. Like it should have been you who got hurt.

You heard soft squeaking, and you looked over to see the Dark Devas on the ground looking up at you. You smiled softly and leaned down, placing your hands down for them to climb on. When they did you lifted them up to eye level. “Hey, little ones.” You said to them. “Gundham’s out of it right now. But....but he’ll be...”

You bit your lip. You wanted to reassure them he would be fine. Mikan had told you he’d be fine. But...but you were still scared. What if you lost him? You weren’t sure if you could go on. You couldn’t trust anyone else here.

You were broken out of your thoughts by the Devas nuzzling your cheek. You smiled softly down at them and pet them gently. “Thank you, little ones.” You said quietly. “Gundham has trained you extremely well.” You looked over to your boyfriend’s bed. “You’re all worried about him too, aren’t you?” You asked, then slowly stood, carrying the hamsters over. You lowered your hands and allowed them to crawl onto it. They carefully made their way over to Gundham and nuzzled him, Jum-P burrowing himself in the breeder’s scarf and quickly falling asleep,

You smiled softly as you watched your boyfriend and his beloved hamsters rest. You looked down at his middle and winced. The bandage around his stomach was already nearly completely soaked through with blood. You would have to change it when he woke up.

You clenched your fists as you thought about Nagito. Kazuichi had stopped by and informed you the crazed boy had been tied and thrown into the old building, so there was no chance of him hurting someone else. That helped you relax, but you were still overwhelmingly angry at him. He had done this to Gundham just to prove he really loved you? That wasn’t even any of his business! And what was that hope bullshit he kept going on about?

“Ngh...M-my love?”

Your gaze shot over to Gundham’s face at the soft mumblings, and you saw him blinking open his eyes. The breeder began attempting to pull himself up, and you ran over to his side to help him. After you got him into a sitting position, you smiled softly at him. “How did you sleep, Gundham? Do you feel alright?” You asked him.

“I slept quite well knowing I had you looking over me, my angel.” Your boyfriend replied, returning your smile. “As for how I am feeling...” He frowned and looked down at his stomach. “I must admit, I have felt better. This stinging reminds me of when I was bitten by a dreaded viper.”

You sighed. “I’m sure. I’m so sorry, Gundham. I wish there was more I could do to stop the pain.”

The breeder frowned and reached a hand up, cupping your face. “Cease that at once, my love. You have done all you can to heal me, and I owe you my life. This is not your fault, so do not apologize. Understood?”

You smiled softly and nodded. “Alright. If you say so, Gundham. I understand.”

He chuckled lightly and pulled your face down to kiss you. When he pulled away, he looked down to the Devas that were nuzzling his face happily. “Were my subordinates well behaved and helpful?” He asked you, scratching Cham-P behind his ear.

You giggled and nodded. “Yes, they were.” You told him. “They kept me calm when I was worried about you. And they kept you company while you slept.”

Gundham looked down to Jum-P still slumbering in his scarf and chuckled. “I can see that. Well, I am glad they assisted you, my queen.”

You smiled down at the little critters. “They were very helpful.” You looked away from them and over to Gundham’s wound, and your smile fell. “...I need to change your bandage.”

Your boyfriend followed your gaze and scowled. “It would appear so.” He muttered, then let out a sigh. “Very well. Let us get it over with.”

You nodded, and after getting the supplies left by Mikan, you began to tend to Gundham’s wound, cleaning the cut and reapplying the bandage.

You heard Gundham hiss softly as you did, letting out a quiet curse. “I will banish that pathetic worm to hell.” He growled through his teeth as he clenched the bed sheets.

“I’m sorry, Gundham.” You apologized. “I’m doing all I can to make it not hurt.”

“Not for that reason.” He corrected you. “I do not care if I am inflicted with pain. What he is going to be destroyed for is his attempt to make this your fate.” He looked into your eyes. “I am used to feeling pain. I do not wish for you to ever have to be hurt, my queen.”

You couldn’t help but smile softly at that. You couldn’t believe you doubted for even a second that Gundham loved you. You leaned over and placed a light kiss on his cheek as you finished wrapping the new bandages around his wound. “Well I don’t want you being hurt either, my dark dumbass, so let’s try to protect each other without taking a bullet, alright?” You giggled.

Gundham chuckled in response. “Very well, my fallen angel. If you insist.” He gently caressed your face and pulled you closer so he could kiss you lovingly, the both of you closing you eyes as you enjoyed the kiss.

When you pulled apart from the kiss, you smiled at him. “You should get more rest, my king.” You told him. “I’ll be right here while you do. And I don’t plan on ever leaving.”

~~~

Hope that was what you had in mind! I like this prompt. Making Nagito the bad guy is fun, even if I do love the guy lol

[calypsoff]

Fifty Six.

Life is so weird; I feel very weird. I sometimes sit here and think oh my god I am pregnant, I can’t believe at the age of twenty six I am going to be a mother. I’ve always wanted to be a young mother, but I wouldn’t have done it without the right man and Chris is that, he is the love of my life and I feel safe with him, I want a family with him. I am ready for that, but it’s so surreal and my excitement to be a mother, I just can’t wait. I want to hold my baby in my arms already, I feel so complete. I don’t feel drained today, I am very much lively, but I need to be, we are going home finally. I rushed through that last Puma meeting and told them it’s time for me to go home, everything else can be done on Skype and they know it. It’s time for me to rest and get ready to be a mother, spend time with Chris and enjoy this, I want to spend time with Chris. That is my major goal, I want to be involved in his business, I want him to know I care about him and care about what he does. My mother actually mentioned it to me, she said why am I still in London what about your husband, why aren’t you there for him. It’s unfair, I need to spend time with him, and I get where she is coming from and that is what I am going to do when I get back, help him progress in his business. Enough of me, it’s about him. It still makes me smile that he came here for me, I could just tell as much as I missed him he missed me and I love that about him, even though he can be stupid at times. I am so happy, even though he continues to undress me. That reminds me, sex needs to happen but like I find it so weird I don’t know, it needs to happen either way “I packed my suitcase, I come to help you now” I cooed out “you’re adorable, thank you. My feet hurt” I whined, with an added drama with that “then you rest, I can do it” he’s going to throw my clothes in the suitcase, I just know him “are you going to nicely put them in?” I questioned “I can, I can fold?” Nodding my head slowly, I guess I will try and trust him.

Chris is terrible, honestly he threw my things in the suitcase like it was nothing, but I just really couldn’t be bothered to say no to him, he offered so I let him do it, I don’t want to whine too much at him either about it “excited to go back home” walking behind him “mhmm yeah, with you yes. I am glad that we can finally just be a family. It sucks not having you around you know?” Poking my lips out “I know, well you got me now. I will be annoying you lots” grabbing his tee and pulling him back but he’s too strong for me as always “I’ll let you pull me back, what is it” he turned to me “nothing, I just can’t wait to annoy you so much. You’re going to hate me now I’m home” Chris placed his arm around my shoulder “you will never annoy me, I love you too much” I know he does “I just can’t believe that you’re actually pregnant, it’s weird to see you like this. When I see you come out of bed, when you’re just walking around in your own world I am sat there like, wow. This is really us, we are married and having a baby, wild isn’t it?” Chris is having a moment clearly “I know, at first I didn’t have that feeling of wanting to be a mother. I was just thinking of my career then you came into my life and all of a sudden I wanted to settle down, oh yeah. Let me wear your jacket, it is big. I don’t want anyone taking pictures of my bump, you never know at the airport, they love doing random checks. I haven’t said a word about this, so the world is on edge about me” I am going to be wearing baggy clothes for a while now.

I ended up wanting food, I was hungry, so they stopped at McDonald’s drive thru, I mean we didn’t need too but I wanted it. I am craving their fries for some reason “if this line doesn’t hurry up I am going to scream” I huffed out “girl relax, you have us in this queue for fries, the fuck. You’re lucky we are early” Mel is judging me “whatever, I want them now. Hey, Chris. Have you seen my lock screen picture?” turning my phone to him, he looked over at me. More like dragging his head away from his phone “you like it, don’t I look good though? I look sexy, say it? I am saying it my damn self. Marriage looks good on me” side eyeing Chris, Dennis takes good pictures. He looks so sexy, I had to use it on my lock screen “I was thinking” looking over at Chris, he is so deep in his phone “oi!?” I spat “what?” who is he saying what too “I am sorry, yes?” he is annoyed “what is wrong? Did I do something wrong?” he shook his head “no, just my ex annoying me, here you can read it” he passed me his phone “I have nothing to hide from you Robyn, I promise you” taking his phone “scroll to the top, she has a new number” I was about to ask but he answered me.

Seiko: Married for love or money!???

Chris: Who is this?

Seiko: The ex you left for that bitch! You loved me Chris, you said it with your own mouth! Everything you promised me you did it for her!!!! YOU NEVER WANTED KIDS!

Chris: Delete my number you fucked my friend and had his kid, we squashed this beef Seiko, FOH!

Seiko: Until I see you on the front page of Vogue!? And pregnant too, you liar. You was fucking her and me at the same time, you know what I will be talking! Idc!!!!

Chris: And say what?

Seiko: I have kept your old messages the love you ones asshole, every memory I have kept. I have your dick picture too

Chris: I have a big dick I don’t really care, leave me alone. Leak whatever you want. I love Robyn, you was just … there?

The conversation ended from there “are you kidding me?” What the fuck riled this bitch back up for what!? Block her and ignore her, I have already got this bitch a gag order and she needs to stop before her son and her go hungry. I am not having it, she leaks your shit Chris you tell TJ find a job, I am not feeding his family” I spat, I mean every word too “that is harsh” Chris mumbled “harsh!? She is fucking with my family, so I will fuck with hers. Ok? And why is this bitch texting you, god. I fucking hate women, listen. Block her, if she does leak a thing. You fire TJ and you can say it’s with love from me, no! I am not feeding her son and she talks shit, she will fucking learn” throwing Chris’ phone onto his lap “lioness” Mel said laughing “Chris has a whole team now, he doesn’t need them anyways. That has really annoyed me, trash just in his life. Chris, you can call me harsh, but I am right. You have a team so why is your friends hanging on your balls?” let me calm down “don’t be in my business Robyn ok? Just leave me and mines, she won’t leak shit. I am saying it nicely, stop” pulling a face at him, he is stupid.

Chris and his love for his friends is deep, he won’t speak to me now on the jet. He is sleeping so it’s whatever, what can I say but it angers me. The bitch really thinks she has a hold over us like that, I will kill her if she posts anything about Chris “she doesn’t know I am crazy, I will go there and I will fucking beat her ass, yes Mel I am still on it. I am on it still because how dare she do that, what gave her the right to threaten him. And then you see how he said leave me and mines, those friends were barely there when I was taking care of him, he has a new team. You tell me now Mel, why do people get a new team?” I questioned “when niggas don’t know how to act but let’s keep Barry out of it, my nigga needs a job” I chuckled “well if he gets in my way I will, Tina! Come here” I spat, she text me that she has news but can’t walk her ass over here “I am tired Rihanna” she said in a huff “well why text you have news, spill” Tina dragged her feet over to me “you have some Nominations” letting out an oh “oh really, please do tell” Tina sat next to Mel “Grammy nomination for Best urban contemporary album and best pop/group performance” clapped my hands “woo! I will take that, I am happy with that” I always do like a Grammy “time for you to do a thank you post” rolling my eyes “you are my assistant not my social media manager” Tina is annoying “I am helping you here, shall I just write a little thank you” nodding my head, I can’t be bothered with that.

Landing in LAX is a good feeling, I will be here for the foreseeable time now anyways, I guess I better kiss the jet bye “thank you” Rich took my bag from me, Chris rushed to the SUV. He has a face on with me because I said what I said, I don’t regret any of it. What I said was true, I am not feeding that bitch when she is doing that. Looking down at the caller I.D, my mother is calling. Answering the call as I got into the SUV “hello mother” Rich closed the door behind “how are you? Are you feeling less fatigue now, I worry about you, so please tell me how you are” I cooed out “I feel better mom, weird enough I feel less fatigue, more energy anyways. I feel like I am ready to do a whole performance” I joked “no, you just rest now. Are you home now?” my mother questioned “I am, just got off the jet. You worry too much, do not worry. I promise you that I am doing what you said” I will just say that because she keeps going on “good, just too much distance, too long. He was unwell for a while and he has therapy and you’re where? London, no. You stay with him now and you take care of him, you are a wife first now Robyn” rolling my eyes “mother I get it please, my life isn’t over” she is so old school “you have a husband and child Robyn, independent woman can wait” I chuckled “ok mom, I love you I need to go” time for me to go “you call me later, I mean it” I breathed out “ok mom, bye” disconnecting the call, she is terrible sometimes.

Chris is really quiet with me over his friends and it’s not even funny anymore “you should have sat in the back if you was going to be this quiet with me” I said to him “you just do too much sometimes, I am not that kind of guy to just tell my friends to go with no money, they was there for me” frowning at him “Chris, they are your friends I get it but she is coming at my family. She is threatening to expose you, what are you going to do? Just sit here and take it, is that it? I will come for her family like she is coming for mine, if that means TJ is getting it in the neck then it means it, your loyalty should should be with me Chris remember that” shaking my head at him “Robyn, I promise you now my loyalty to you is higher then what you think, I would drop them. Trust me, I have a lot on my mind right, I don’t like that I may need to get rid of them, ok sorry I snapped but I just have a lot on my mind” he finally can speak “say that to me instead of being quiet with me, no need to apologise I just rather you speak to me. I got angered that she is coming at you like that, I don’t want to argue with you so let’s just get on. Now that I am home, see what I said now that I am here” Robyn chuckled “you want to go back now?” I knew he would say that.

I haven’t really spent any time in this home, what is one night. So I am finally home, this is our home “what is it like now? Being in this home, do you like it?” this home is more Chris then me, I wanted the one with the fountain, much more extravagant but I rather he be comfortable “I love it, I was ok to stay here. The guy that did the security system was amazing, he showed me all the new gadgets. The bed is nice but I do like it, I am sure you will too. There is boxes around though, these are your things, also mine. I don’t know what is my part of the closet and yours, we still have things to do together” he is right we actually do “oh yeah-”I was about to tell him I got nominated for two Grammys but my phone started to ring, Jay Brown of course. Answering the call “hello, I am back in LA by the way” I mentioned “good but I just wanted to say congratulations! Two nominations, I am super happy for you but I do need to speak to you on something” here we go “I am listening and thank you” I added “Grammys, they have asked for you to perform. They want you to perform Stay and also to include you for the Bob Marley tribute, they have reached out to you. I said I will speak to her, it is down to what she would like to do” I groaned out “you know what, that tribute would come up when I am pregnant. I am not sure, by then I will be what six months or maybe five then. Then again it’s nothing big in regards to performance, I will think on it. I will discuss and get back to you” that is the best I can do “and I take that, speak soon” he disconnected the call “I just seen your post, baby. I am happy for you, congratulations” Chris has seen it “thank you poppa” locking my phone, turning in the seat “they want me to perform, I said I will thin on it but I really would like input. I am on the borderline, yes and no. Hide or don’t hide” I am stuck between those things, I want to do it, but I don’t want to do it.

Chris turned his phone to me “what is this?” squinting my eyes “I put you in my page, read what I wrote” seeing the picture first, tilting my head to the side “what was I doing there? Was I laying my head on your lap, I look so peaceful” I chuckled, he really took a picture of me just in my zone watching TV “ok sorry, I am so proud of you Robyn. I treasure every waking moment with you but to see how much you work hard for everything, to see you being awarded for it. You do deserve it baby, two nominations” I cooed out “thank you so much Chris, you think I work hard?” I raised an eyebrow “yeah, on a real. To begin with, I just was like she’s a singer. She can’t be busy; she tours and that is it. But sitting with you and being with you, you work hard, and you’re so hands on with it. But I miss you, I think I can learn from you though. Work hard and then you get to play hard, but I just miss you a lot, I miss you being there for me” nodding my head understanding “I get it and I am here now am I not? You got me now but what should I do about this performance, you tell me? I always like your advice anyways” Chris pulled a face not believing that I do “erm, I would. I don’t know, do it in Rihanna style, you want to do things your way, so I don’t know. Maybe you should go to the Grammys and without any warning, they see you’re pregnant and the day will be about you” I like the sound of that “you maybe right” I think that is good.

I breathed out seeing the bedroom, Chris never mentioned that he left the house as it was so the bed covers are just like he left them, slept in “bed is nice isn’t it?” he says this but doesn’t see the mess he left it in “yeah, about that. What happened? And the bathroom, you just left it. I can imagine the rooms are a mess” Chris shrugged “I hate clothes being on the floor Chris pick it up” he always does it, Chris wrapped his arms around my shoulder “I really want sex Robyn” he wants sex and he shows me a mess of a room “and I said soon, to turn me on it would be nice if the bedroom was spotless. The clothes, I thought we had a cleaner come out every week?” I am confused “she does but she didn’t come before I left and I told her nobody would be home so don’t come” men are a mess “fine, but I don’t feel horny Chris. Pick your clothes up, I seen your clothes in the corner of the bathroom too when exactly did the cleaner come?” how can he make this much mess “so she came and then we made the mess again and I told her to not come because I was away” he really expects me to feel horny, he is funny “I have the scan tomorrow you know, I changed the appointment, maybe if you help me clean then tomorrow we can you know” I will bribe him.

[hecohansen31]

Not The Right Time

The Story of How We Ended Up There:

Ivar+Reader (Modern! AU).

(A/N): Hello there, lovelies!

So this is my second idea for Ivar!

I am honestly a bit attached to this because it is the first one which came to my mind and with it being modern! Ivar I feel a bit more secure about the characterization, but still… let me know where I have to get better or work better!

I also wanted to explain that this is fictional and that some choices made by the reader are due to the plot and not what I actually and personally believe about such a complex argument as abortion.

Don’t feel judged in the slightest by this (and if you feel, please know I don’t mean it, and what I can do to avoid this mistake in the future).

Again this is a prologue to the bigger series, but it is mostly to know whether you like this idea or not!

So if you want more, please leave a comment or a reblog so that I’ll know what you think about it!

Have a nice reading!

SUMMARY: It wasn’t the right time to have a child and it isn’t the right time for you to meet your child’s father after all those years, but maybe... time and Destiny are two huge bastards.

WORDS: 4,7 K

WARNINGS: Pregnancy, Unexpected Pregnancy, Pregnancy at a Young Age, Mention of Abortion (and Being Harsh About it), Heartbreak and General Angst, Abandonement Issues and Being A Single Mom, Mention of Infertility, Use of the Word Cripple.

You were sure that you were cursed.

Who could end up pregnant… the first time they had had sex?

And worst of all, when you were nothing more than sixteen years old.

You weren’t also the type who would risk such thing.

Although you were naïve you were well-aware of the need to use protection.

And then, in the heat of the moment, you had forgotten about everything.

Just for eight weeks after to cry on the toilet, at the discovery that you were pregnant.

You hadn’t noticed it at first: you hadn’t gotten your period for a month, but you hadn’t thought too much about that, it sometimes happened.

But then, a few weeks after you had started feeling bad, both not energetic enough to do the normal chores and also extremely nauseous, which had then resulted in you thinking that pregnancy might have been a cause of your unwellness.

You had thought for the entire time you had been waiting for the result of the pregnancy test, that it wasn’t possible, it would obviously turn out negative.

You had a successful life ahead of you, a child… wouldn’t ruin your life, but certainly it wouldn’t have ruined all your dreams.

You had been mortified to discover that you were indeed pregnant.

And then you had been indignant: there were people who constantly had unsafe sex, every time they had it and they would never ever end up with a baby on the way.

Then you had had sex once, and shit went down.

Back then you had been scared shitless of telling your parents and had hidden the pregnancy test: what would have they thought of you?

Still you had thought that you had to talk about it with somebody.

And more precisely, the father of the baby.

You and Ivar were the typical high school sweethearts: you had moved slowly from friends-to-lovers and were both late bloomers in the sex department.

Hence when Ivar had wanted to ‘try’, you had been over the moon at that news.

Lately he had grown distant from you, after you had had sex, and some part of you couldn’t help but think darkly that he wasn’t interested with you anymore ‘because he had finally gotten what he wanted’.

But you knew Ivar better than anyone: he might appear like the coldest ice king, but he was sweet and soft with you, shy and gentle, the perfect gentleman.

So, you had thought to at least inform him about ‘the child’, thinking that it was also partially his decision about the baby, although right now some part of you, the one who wanted desperately to continue on dreaming wanted to delete this ‘mistake’.

But some deeper part in you, thought about what a lovely life would have been to share a child with Ivar.

It might not have been perfect, but you felt like it would have been a nice image.

A nice image of your future.

But when you had asked Ivar to meet you at your favorite diner, the one you had chosen for your ‘first awkward date,’ he had also told you that he had something to say to you.

Had he realized that you might have been pregnant?

The entire situation there had seemed rather awkward, Ivar had this acute gaze in his eyes, not to talk about the harsh way his mouth had been closed closed in a thin line for the entire time.

He had arrived late, meanwhile you were halfway through the second of a milkshake you had been having, the pregnancy cravings playing an important role in your diet lately.

“Hey, sweetie!” you had welcomed him, your high-pitched tone, expressing your happiness to have him there, he always fixed your darkest moments “…how are you?”.

Unlike you, he didn’t seem in the mood for any sweetness.

He simply replied with a nod and ‘a fine’, waving the waitress over for a coffee, you stared at him for the entire time: you hadn’t seen him in quite for quite a few days, due to studying, and couldn’t help but set your gaze on him, welcoming any new traits of him and wanting to kiss them, passing a finger through…

“… I don’t have much time, so I’ll say this as quick as I can” and then he had caught you in his icy gaze “… I am not in love with you, anymore”.

An arrow shot through your heart would have hurt you less.

You had stammered some questions, but Ivar had been glacial in his words, definitely not asking for any reply.

“… I have discovered it from quite some time ago, I didn’t want to tell you till I was sure, but these last days… have been… I didn’t miss you” every word was a strike to your hear,  and you hadn’t been able to properly protest “… I am sorry, I pulled this for so long, but I can’t…”.

Then and there you had gotten up, probably the best option possible, the only thing of that day that, looking back, you were proud of.

You had been crying on the sofa when your parents had found you, and there you had explained anything that had happened to you.

Child included.

They had been disappointed with you and your father hadn’t talked to you for the entire pregnancy but your mother had been the bigger support for you.

She hadn’t shouted, unlike your father, but just asked what you had wanted to.

‘Do you want to…?’ she hadn’t been able to talk about the option of abortion and you had understood her: she wouldn’t approve of it, but she would have helped through the entire process “… or do you want to keep it, babygirl?”.

“Shelley! Of course, she’ll fucking…! She is too young, she can’t fucking take care of a child!” had retorted your father, and you had covered your ears, shielding them from his hurting words.

It was as if for the first time your father wasn’t seeing his little girl anymore.

And you had chosen to try so desperately to go back to that image he had of you, choosing abortion, but when you had heard the child’s heartbeat, you hadn’t been able to carry on

You had gripped your mother’s hand and pleaded to her not to go through this, not to kill your baby.

Although you’d have to grow it alone, although the heartbreak was still pretty real and although it seemed the worst and you weren’t ready, you just couldn’t delete all this, so simply.

You had taken private lessons to hide your pregnancy, since you hadn’t wanted to reveal it to anyone, avoiding any outings unless you were sure you wouldn’t have been anywhere near people you knew.

The first week after the break-up, Ivar had continued on blowing up your phone with messages and calls, but you wouldn’t even look at his messages, ignoring him till you had convinced yourself to block his number and when he had tried to visit your home to talk, he had been lucky your father was out, and you had pleaded with your mother to fake of not being inside.

You had graduated from high school, one year prior, thanks to all the credits you had collected during the years and had a private diploma ceremony with your family and your pregnant belly.

You had grown to love your baby during the pregnancy: you would talk to them whenever you could, caressing your belly and chatting with them about your day, all the funny stuff you would do together and what the world outside looked like.

The entire birth part scared you like crazy, but you thought it would have been worth it.

And it had been as you had held your child in your arms, after hours of agonizing pain.

They had been forced to cut you open since the child was taking quite his time and you wouldn’t dilatate yourself, enough.

But when you had woken up your mother was lulling him in her arms.

He looked beautiful, having gained two beautiful blue eyes and a smile that made your heart clench.

Too bad that the doctor had taken it from you too early.

‘He seems to have problem moving’ he had mentioned, meanwhile he visited the baby ‘Is there any story of problematic diseases, troubling mostly bones or muscles?’.

‘The father has osteogenesis imperfecta’ had explained your mother, meanwhile you called out for your child ‘… but it isn’t…’.

‘No, sadly it is’ he had explained, meanwhile he gently handled the baby’s legs ‘… I can already feel a few broken bones… this is going to be much more difficult than you might think’.

Your mother had been scared about having to help you up, but you and Erik had just done fine, not without mistakes and problems, but you had managed to love your son and give him a proper life, even with his ‘problematic’.

All of this, without Ivar.

The Lothbrock had moved out on Erik’s first birthday, something which honestly helped you, since the thought of Ivar not meeting Erik stopped your ‘house arrests’ and pushed you out of the house, even more because you had to actually get a job.

Working as a waitress didn’t make enough income to help you with a child and the thought of moving away from your parents (although your mother insisted that you didn’t bother them, you felt that your father wasn’t of the same opinion) was terrifying, so you had taken up to giving some lessons to high schoolers and some more salutary jobs.

You ran all the time around, and had to definitely renounce to going to college, but each night, when you would come home, breathless and tired, to Erik, your sweet child, you knew it was worth it.

For five years it had been perfect.

And then everything changed.

Ivar knew he was already fucking late to the meeting with his brothers.

It hadn’t been properly his fault, although he would rather die than confess to his brother that he had been seeing a fertility clinic with Freydis, to try to start their own family.

The sole mention of a fertility clinic would have raised questions he didn’t want his brothers to ask.

Hhey already seemed to have a feud with Freydis that had been ruining his wedding’s preparations.

He already could hear Sigurd making fun of him for not being able to please properly a woman, which was partially true.

Through the years, his stupid prick hadn’t gotten up for any woman, even his beloved Freydis, the one woman that made him feel a god.

But it had happened once, probably more out of luck than anything.

His first love and the first girl whose heart he had broken.

And you had returned the favor: he reminded the days after he had acted onto his brothers’ wishes, when you wouldn’t answer the phone and pretended not to be at home.

It had been enough for him to feel like you didn’t want him anymore.

Maybe it was why his stupid prick wouldn’t work.

Some of the sex therapist Freydis had brought him to, had suggested that his ‘inability to raise to the occasion’ was due to some rejection his past, so it might have been actually true.

But he didn’t trust any of those doctors.

He simply did it for Freydis, because she still hoped.

He didn’t, anymore.

He walked in the diner, it was a small one, similar to the one of the city he had lived, before he moved in the big city, for work and for many more occasions, but he couldn’t help but regret the beauty of these small places.

They never aged and they always brought him comfort, timeless and always there for jim

He had had his first date in one of those.

(He had also broken up with his first love in one of those).

He still didn’t let himself drown in his thoughts, knowing that going back in time and turning it, was impossible.

(No matter how much, sometimes, he wished he could do so).

He immediately recognized his brothers’ table as the noisiest one, moving straight up to it, not minding the fact that half the eyes of the clients in the diner were on him.

It was one of the many side effects of being a cripple.

“You finally joined us!” exclaimed Hvitserk, talking through a full mouth of food.

“Unlike you lazy asses, I have things to do” he mumbled as Ubbe shifted to make him some space next to him “… can’t survive on father’s paychecks only”.

He sent a direct look to Sigurd, who was using his father’s paychecks to support his (failing) musical career.

“At least I don’t have to be reigned by my girlfriend” muttered darkly Sigurd and Ivar wasn’t able to stop himself from almost attacking him.

Thankfully Ubbe did it for him.

“No need to fight brothers” he stated, readjusting the glasses Ivar had knocked over “Don’t make a scene, we are older than children and we are here to have a nice night among brothers, are we not?”.

“I am here for the free food” muffled Hvitserk, offering a humor relief that made all the brother laugh lightly.

They talked more civilly and then a waitress moved in to ask their orders, but Ivar’s ears were suddenly attracted by another noise, a voice that had belonged in his memories.

Had he left them open?

And then he turned to where the voice came from.

And he saw you.

He remembered you as a sweet girl, what you had been hadn’t changed, except the way you carried yourself, showing a growth, a painful one that hadn’t changed what you believed in.

But it still left signs.

As the scars of a battle.

You had your hair up in a high ponytail, and you were wearing a waitress uniform, probably working there to fund your way to college.

Your eyes were tired, but your lips were crooked in a small smile as you took a small child’s ordination.

He thought he was hallucinating, when Hvitserk again spoke up:

“Is that (Y/N) (L/N)?!” this got all the brothers’ attention to shift to where Ivar was looking, although he wished nothing more than to shield you, because he had discovered you first.

“… oh shit, yeah it’s her” muttered Ubbe, following your silhouette as you turned your back to them to move to counter “… I thought she would be in college”.

“Some people don’t have their parents’ back up, she might be simply working to pay college” muttered Ivar, but nobody seemed to hear him.

“She hasn’t certainly aged a day!” commented Hvitserk, giving your ass a meaningful look “… ahh can you remember when we dared little Ivar, to…”.

Ivar shushed him with a dark look.

But when he was doing this, he didn’t realize that Sigurd was waving you over.

You approached the table smiling, since you and Sigurd had been an unlike friendship, and Ivar still remembered how his ‘most sensitive’ brother had been against the ‘dare’, but as he turned to face  you, you seemed to realize who Sigurd was with.

And the soft smile fell from your face.

You seemed to have seen a ghost.

“Oh Gosh, (Y/N), it’s been a lot since we have seen each other!” commented Sigurd, meanwhile your waitress friend asked with her eyes whether you knew these people or not.

You simply nodded, forcing a smile on your face, telling her you would have taken their ordinations.

“Ah it’s been a lot of time, indeed!” you smirked lightly “… I always see you in TV!”.

“… sadly, never winning” muttered Hvitserk “… we weren’t expecting to see you working here!”.

“And I wasn’t expecting you to greet me without your mouth full of food, so we are both surprised by how Destiny has cheated us” you joked back, smirking lightly “… it’s nice to see you, guys, but I haven’t much time”.

Although you were trying to be gentle, it was obvious that their presence was making you nervous and uncomfortable.

Ivar wondered whether it was for what had happened with him.

He couldn’t help but notice the way you avoided any eye-contact with him.

They all quickly gave you their orders and you thanked them, but before you could go away, again Sigurd grabbed your wrist, making Ivar hiss lightly.

“You have been greatly missed, (Y/N)” the simple affirmation seemed to break something in you and you were able to simply bow your head, as you moved to quickly report the order to the counter, before disappearing in the kitchen.

A quick sign that you didn’t reciprocate Sigurd’s thought.

“Well that didn’t go well…” muttered Hvitserk, going back to his food.

“It was strange” muttered Ubbe “… it’s strange… I expected her to be in Europe, she was always so brilliant”.

“Ubbe, what she does is none of your business” muttered Sigurd, for once, his words matching Ivar’s thoughts.

“I just… I mean… she doesn’t seem as the person who is stuck at 21st to serve tables, she was always smarter than that” mumbled Ubbe, again but shushed, as an elder woman brought them their meals.

“You know our sweet (Y/N)?” she asked, probably having witnessed the exchange of words, and Sigurd explained they were old schoolmates “…  such a sweetheart, and so strong…”.

“Anything bad happened?” asked curiously Ivar, knowing all too well when to ask and when to stay quiet, and that woman seemed like she wanted so desperately to talk.

“Nothing too bad” mumbled the old lady, pouring some coffee in their glasses “… just… she is so strong for bringing a child on her own”.

The news immediately surprised all the brothers.

Again, you were the smart and hardworking girl, the one that followed the rules and didn’t have any vices, so for you to have a child, so young, didn’t make sense.

You should have been attending the last year of college, hadn’t you already finished it.

The thought of knowing you were already a mom, completely shocked Ivar.

And, although he wouldn’t admit it, he felt jealous at the thought of another man having known you so carnally.

“… oh, we didn’t know” uttered Ubbe “We have lost the contacts, when we moved in another city, after high school ended”.

“If you want, I can tell her that you’d like to get acquainted again” mumbled softly the waitress, probably thinking she was doing something good, something that would have made you happy.

But from the simple thought of your forced smile, a few minutes before, you wouldn’t have been happy in the slightest of meeting them.

And Ivar couldn’t make it a fault to you.

“She is working, we wouldn’t want to bother her or get in trouble, we are going to try to maybe contact her through the socials, but it was good to see her” commented softly Sigurd, smirking gently at the elder waitress, who simply nodded before muttering something under her breath ‘about the usefulness of social’.

As she moved away a deep silence fell onto their tables.

“I didn’t… wow… she never told me” muttered extremely baffled Sigurd.

“Did you stay in contact with her after we moved?” replied harshly Ivar and as Sigurd shook his head “… well then you can’t blame her for having hidden this to you”.

They had obviously lost any right to you, after ‘the dare’.

He, himself, couldn’t blame you.

“…can’t believe it” muttered Ubbe, sipping slowly his coffee, meanwhile Hvitserk nodded.

“Accidents happen, don’t they?” muttered Sigurd. before he proceeded to move their attention away from the thought, although Ivar’s mind was stuck onto that news.

Had you searched the attention of another person, because he had rejected you?

No, you had always been stronger than you seemed.

You wouldn’t have simply searched somebody to feel some love.

You had had to have loved the father of your child.

And the sole thought of it burned his chest painfully.

You were on the last shift of the day, and although usually you were almost happy for the extra tips which would come, this time you would have given everything to change your shift or close early.

It had started as a nice day: Erik’s bones were strengthening themselves from the therapy he had been doing and he had been excited for the soccer training of that afternoon.

Your mother had been also extremely happy to accompany ‘her favorite grandson’: she had been rather blue after your father had left you, both.

Thankfully he had left your family but not the house and the little money your mother had on her own, which had funded your move from the small city to a bigger one.

Sometimes you wondered how much your pregnancy and Erik’s sickness had impacted on your father leaving, but you tried not to think about it.

He hadn’t been held at gun point, he had chosen to leave a faithful wife, a devoted daughter and a wonderful grandchild.

You, yourself, had walked at work happy, thinking about the fact that you had also managed to schedule a meeting with an art gallery.

Through the five years you had been working on improving your culture, although you hadn’t been able to attend college, you had attended some free courses and apparently they were looking for some people to explain the art gallery’s shows, hence you had proposed yourself.

Although you knew there would be many more talented people also attending it, but… you hadn’t felt like giving up.

If you got the job, you might have had to quit one of your many jobs and spend more time with Erik, alongside paying for some new therapies.

Then you had seen the Lothbrocks at one of the tables.

And you had been glad of having met again Sigurd: you sometimes would see some of his performances at lower TV channels, and always joked with Erik about his songs.

Ubbe and Hvitserk had been indifferent to you and you had kept up the same behavior.

But Ivar…

… part of you was worried about him finding out about Erik, solely from your thought.

Back in the day, he used to be extremely intuitive.

And part of you couldn’t help but feel the pain of rejection all over again.

You had tried to find an excuse to avoid them, after the first little chat, although you were aware they would be talking about it: the small town from which you had come from had talked since you had shown Erik to it.

‘She used to be such a good girl’.

‘She used to have such a bright future ahead of her’.

‘She could have been so successful…’.

Blah blah blah.

Although you would discourage people from getting pregnant at such a young age, you didn’t feel like you had lost anything, maybe just pushed it a bit in the future, but you, yourself, had gotten through your own prejudices of being a single and younger mom.

You might have lost something, but your child was a blessing in your life.

So, you just shook off the critics.

You were waiting at the cash desk, chatting amicably with the cook of the diner, the one who made the last turn with you, always having the kind heart of packing something for you, and leaving some sweets for Erik, slowly gaining a little spot in your family, as ‘uncle Will’.

You were also checking the situation at the Lothbrock table, because, whereas all the other clients had already paid or were going to do it soon, they were stalling.

Their meals were finished, and they were chatting, although there would be more silence than actual words, and when you had sent Marlou to ask if they wanted a dessert or more coffee, they had simply replied that they were full.

They were obviously waiting and deciding who had to pay for the meal, who had to come face to face with you.

You almost expected them to start playing ‘paper, rock and scissors’ but finally you heard the distinctive screech of one of the chairs moving, but as you raised your head to see whoever had finally managed to collect their courage ‘to battle you’, you couldn’t help but be a bit nervous to discover it was Ivar.

He looked a bit annoyed, as if he had expected somebody else to volunteer at his courageous attempt, but nobody did and you immediately shut your eyes onto the screen of the cash machine, finding their bill, so that you wouldn’t have to talk with him too much.

He, instead, seemed a bit chatty, although he had that painfully awkward smile in his face he had whenever he was nervous about doing something.

Back in the day when you were together you would rub onto the back of his hand if you were in public to let him know your support, or when you were alone, you would body-hug-attack him.

But those memories seemed so long ago.

“It has passed quite some time” he mumbled softly, trying to chat you up, but you had no interest in conversing with him.

‘I see it on my child’s face’ you wanted to mutter, but again: you couldn’t make Ivar discover about Erik.

At first it had been a petty thought of your broken heart, but the more Erik grew the more you were scared that Ivar knowing of him would take him away from you.

It was irrational, but sometimes you would check out on your child.

You would do it also that night.

“Quite some time, indeed” you shot back, telling him the total and asking whether he would be paying in cash or not.

Ivar seemed a bit taken aback by the coldness in your tone, but reacted to it better than he was used, hiding his pain at your harshness, as he told you he would be paying in cash, keeping up the entire rest of the transaction in silence, meanwhile you opened the cash collected the money, counting it discreetly, printed the receipt.

He tried to do one last attempt.

“… we should come all together one of these days”.

More like hell no.

But you didn’t reject the proposal completely.

“It would be nice” Ivar’s face seemed to regain a bit of color at that affirmation “I am just a lot busy with work, but I’ll see what I can do”.

And with that you passed him the receipt and wished him a good day, turning to the kitchen to fake an emergency there, whereas Will was simply packing you the leftovers which would be your dinner.

You waited there, spying on Ivar, seeing him for the first time in five years properly: he dressed as the industrial magnate he was rumored to become in a few years, expanding his father’s properties, but he didn’t have the face of an happy magnate.

At least Destiny hadn’t given him that.

He indulged a bit on his feet, and pushed a few dollar bills into the tips bucket, something that low key opened a bit your heart to him but didn’t make you feel any less convinced about hiding him from Erik.

You closed the shop alongside Marlou, who continued on commenting about how ‘gorgeous were your school friends’.

‘They were all so handsome! Ahh what a lucky family!’.

‘They could have been your children!’ you had retorted almost receiving an elbow in your stomach from the woman, as she muttered that ‘at least it would have been better than Karl’, her thirty something unemployed son with a permanent place on her sofa.

After you had wished her ‘goodnight’, you had walked till your apartment, rushing a bit both because seeing Lothbrocks had surprised you and both because you couldn’t wait to see again Eric, who had stayed the day with your mom, waiting simply for you at home to tell you all about his day.

No matter how tired or shaken you were, your son’s smile never failed to make you feel a bit better.

---

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[jbbuckybarnes]

Enough

Pairing: Bucky x Reader Trope: Unexpected Pregnancy Warnings: Pregnancy, fluff, nosy friends 

M A S T E R L I S T

“He has enough problems, I don’t want this to be something on top of that.” “Maybe it helps him heal.” “That works with cats and dogs. This is a CHILD, Natasha!” “It helped me to go to the children's hospital when I was down in my early Shield days.” “...well, those weren’t children you needed to care for, for the rest of your life.” “He’ll have no problem with it. I bet all my gear on it. And you know I love my gear.” “Fine.” you grumbled.

"B-Bucky?" you enter his part of the compound with silent footsteps. "Y/N? What's wrong?" he asked concerned, hearing the shaky voice and fast heartbeat. "You need to sit down for this." you gestured him to sit down. "So...um, turns out certain things don't work as well when you're a supersoldier." you fidgeted with your fingers. "What do you mean?" his head dipped to the side, something you loved about his mannerisms. You took the test to where he could see it and his eyes widened. "You don't need to ta-" you got interrupted by him jumping up and enveloping you into a hug. "It's okay. Not planned. But okay. Wow. Woah. A mini version of you." his hand absentmindedly went through your hair and you looked up. "Is it really okay? I know it was more of a one time thing and...well, that's at least 18 years of responsibility." "Was only a one time thing if you wanted it to be." he grinned down. "What do you mean?" your right brow went up. "Am I so bad at showing how insane I go for your every move?" he blushed. "Apparently." a giggle. "Well, I'm having quite the crush. That baby ain't helping with that." he said in more of a Brooklyn accent. Something he did when he was comfortable and happy. "I have a thing for you too, maybe." a cheeky grin went up at him. He chuckled before leaning down for a gentle kiss, hand wandering to your lower belly. "I'm gonna be a dad." it finally sinks in. "I was so worried because of PTSD and the job and…" you gave doe eyes. "I can handle that. Especially with you being the badass mom,” he said with his hand going through your hair again, "Do you have morning sickness? Anything that makes you feel unwell? Wanna be there for ya, darling." "Nausea, little bit of dizziness. It's a super soldier baby, I hope that brings more good than bad." "Did you let Dr. Cho test that?" he had a big grin. "No, but I definitely will." "Damn, it's still hitting me in pieces. You're going to be a mom. A mom, Y/N." he's still in awe. "I wish I could go back in time to see your mom's reaction." thoughts went straight to lips. "She would go crazy. She'd love you. Promise." he assured you with a big, warm and excited smile. "We're not telling anyone till end of next month. Nat knows. That's it." "All the making out and baby lovin’ in secret? You can be damn happy I'm a spy." he grabbed you close with a proud smile.

The team didn't know about both of you being together and much less about you being pregnant with his child. You were glad your feelings were mutual since a one night stand baby really wasn't something you planned for in life. But you also needed to get more used to each other in a shorter time frame. You were close-ish before but letting down guards and throwing away potential embarrassment about random things and situations made for some fun and some very vulnerable situations. "I wonder if I'll ever know you as well as Steve." you mumbled in a little spoon position. "He knows old me pretty well, you're on the perfect way to know new me better. I mean...we're gonna raise a child. God, that still sounds absurd." his arm left you so he could brush through his hair. A cute nervous tick he had. He told you that his PTSD symptoms got way better since he had this beautiful thing to look forward to. "I still can't imagine you with a tiny little baby in your giant arms." you giggled. "We have a charity event at the children's hospital soon. You just need to come with me for once." he lightly pinched you in the waist. "Fine. But just for the cuteness." you said grabbing his arm closer.

After a few weeks of getting way more used to each other and him laying on your belly every evening for an hour, he could finally hear a little heartbeat Seeing this giant of a man happy cry in your embrace was worth every second of nausea. "Oh, the tests from Helen came back. It has super soldier DNA strands. And I do too because of that wonder inside of me but they are low and would need to get activated more by gamma rays or something like that. At least for me. Still can kick you harder than bef-" you were interrupted by a passionate kiss. "I love you. Both of you." Your mouth fell open for a second before you could form words again, "I love you too, Bucky. We both do." "I can't wait to hold that little miracle in my arms." "My ovaries won't be ready for that." you joked.

Steve notices first a bit over two weeks later. The first time he heard two heartbeats while walking past you he just thought it was a mixup. But when you were the only one on the couch in the common room and were eating a bag of chips he was sure there was a second and small heart beat. "Y/N?" "Huh?" you answered with a mouth full of chips. "You have a little secret to tell me?" he sat down with a face like it's christmas. "It definitely is little. Can you hear it?" you put the chips bag aside and he gave an intense excited nod. "How far?" he grinned. "A bit over three months. I'll tell the rest of the team soon." you went over the little dent on your lower belly. "Who's the-" he stopped at steps approaching. Bucky came in with his empty coffee mug and a big smile at you. "This idiot over there." you said with big heart eyes. "Oh. My. God." his jaw was on the floor. "You can touch it if you want." you smiled and sat down differently. A soft big hand was going over the little bulge. "Damn. I wasn't prepared for that." he mumbled. "We neither." Bucky deadpanned and you giggled. Light feet came closer and Steve moved back while Bucky didn't care. Nat came into the room a few seconds later. "Hey guys." a big smile. "Nat, Steve?" you got their attention and gestured them to sit down. "I'd really like you to be godmother and godfather." you smiled and Steve's look was going to Nat confused. "She knew before I even told Bucky. It's okay Steve." you giggled. "Of course I'm gonna take on that role." she said excited and Steve nodded heavily. "The rest of the team will find out next week, don't you dare say a word." a serious face and nods.

In the coming week you wrote letters for everyone in the compound. "You'll be an aunt/uncle/brother/godfather/godmother" and a little bit of a sweet message below. Coincidentally Bucky, Steve, Sam & Nat were on a mission the day you slipped the letters under everyone's door in the compound. You heard the early morning commotion shortly after and Clint asking "What does yours say? Mine says uncle." and Wanda answering "Big sister." "We should make her breakfast." came from Bruce and you smiled at his usual softness. After the voices were further away in the kitchen you got out of bed, put on something showing off your mini belly and made your way towards the kitchen. "CONGRATS!" came in unison from the entire team. "Thank you." you were glowing and staring at the breakfast they were currently making. "Do you already know if it's a boy or a girl?" Wanda asked. "I don't plan on finding out till the end of the second trimester. It's not super important anyway." you shrugged. The breakfast was long and full of baby related questions and stories from Clint's kids.

After you excused yourself because you were tired they immediately came together on the couch. "Who is the father? Can only be one of the guys on the mission. She doesn't leave this compound much." came from Tony. "What speaks for each of them?" came from Vision. "My bet is on Sam. They're flirting a lot between the lines." Clint threw in. “I bet it's Steve. Doesn't let anyone in on things like that. Would also make sense why we don't know about them being together." Wanda pointed out. "Guys, what if it's Bucky?" Bruce added. Everyone looked at him, shook their head and started placing bets between Steve and Sam. Only Bruce was betting on Bucky. He had a feeling.

The little team came back from the mission and the rest just stared at them with Sam being super confused. Then he opened his door and saw a letter saying "You're gonna be an uncle, Sam. I'm 3 months in and you better treat me right. -Y/N" He went to your room and knocked under the glances of the others. His grin was gigantic when you opened the door, "Really?" "Yes. I'm so fucking happy." you squealed before he picked you up and turned you around. "I'm gonna be an uncle? Oh my god! That kid's gonna be spoiled so much." Everyone betting on Sam exhaled defeated. It was down to the super soldiers.

After a shower and a change into sweatpants and a shirt Steve came to check on you. "Everything alright? Ate enough? Anything you need help with?" he was so soft with you since he knew. "Nah, just very tired...well, you could technically help me get something out of my storage but that can wait." you smiled up at him and the group silently inhaled. Bucky came around the corner in his usual demeanor and at the sight of his girlfriend and best friend his face lit up. "I heard you've been telling everyone who didn't know?" a smirk at her. The groups breathing hitched when you nodded. "Is little bean making any problems today?" he asked with attentive eyes on you. "Tired, little bit of the dizziness. It's fine." you smiled up at him. "Gotta make sure my two beans are okay." he planted a kiss on your forehead and the group collectively looked at Bruce doing a tiny happy dance for winning. "It's BARNES' BABY?" Tony finally bursted out confused. "Am I really that bad at showing how in love I've been with this little woman full of energy?" he chuckled. "How. Long?" Wanda needed to know. "Since we know about it." you looked down on yourself. Nat finally left her room too and came to you and hugged you, "How's my godbaby doing?" "Godbaby?" Steve laughed. "I mean it's genderless, what else am I supposed to call the baby?" she smirked at him. "Well... you're right. Our godbaby is doing good today." he grinned at her. "We were the only ones not in on this, huh?" Clint added from the couch. "Jup." Bucky gave a cheeky grin before picking you up and finally carrying you to his room. No secrets anymore.

"God, he's gonna protect her and that baby to death." someone mumbled. "Awww." Wanda was totally up for all the parent cuteness. "I hope it finally makes him feel like he's enough." Steve added when he crashed onto the sofa. “Have you seen his eyes when he called them his beans? He definitely feels enough already.” Sam smiled with pure happiness for his friend. “Bean Barnes is gonna grow up around a bunch of idiots.” Nat pointed out shaking her head with a grin.

[purplesurveys]

1256

surveys by taco-tuesdays

What steps would you take in order to track down a thief? Not too far, honestly. I accept things pretty easily so if I’ve processed that I’ve been robbed, I am most likely to just let it go. I’ll feel like shit, of course, but I would just let it go and scold myself for failing to be attentive.

What is something that one of your family member collects? My mom used to collect printed table napkins from different restaurants, but obivously she hasn’t been able to continue that for the past year and a half. My dad and brother used to collect magazines but both stopped a few years ago.

What would you do if you were able to have lunch with the queen? The journalist in me will probably just ask her questions about her everyday life, how she spends it, what she’s into and what she’s not into these days.

If you got to create a new flavor of ice cream, what would it be? This is a little hard considering there are a lot of small businesses out there already getting creative and quirky with ice cream flavors so it’s just hard to tell if a certain flavor has already been invented or not. One thing I haven’t seen, though, is curry. I’d buy a pint of that in an instant.

What are some questions that you would ask your favorite celebrity? His latest vlog finds. He once shared a video of this smaller content creator, so I’m guessing that’s what he likes doing in his spare time and I’m sure he would have a bunch of other just as interesting recommendations.

If you were able to set up a stand, what would you sell? Street food.

Would you like to go deep sea diving? Why or why not? Yeah. I’m always willing to try daring, not-the-safest-thing-in-the-world activities haha.

What would life be like if you lived on a cloud? The realist in me just wants to say I’d plummet straight to the ground.

What would you find at the top of a magic beanstalk? Idk, my creativity can’t be bothered to be challenged.

What is one food you would not want to have rain down from the sky? Durian. It would hurt and stink like shit.

Which animal's characteristics are similar to your own personality? I don’t really assign sets of personalities to animals.

If you were in a department store, which aisle would you check out first? I personally still go for the toys/video games section first HAHAHA

What are some of your hobbies? They include going to museums, exploring new food and restaurants, traveling to different cities and countries, and reading about history.

You've opened a store that only sells purple items - what do you sell? BTS merch hahahahah duhhhh

What is something important that you've lost, and did you ever find it? I lost a rosary that came straight from the Vatican. No, I never found it again. I feel bad about it not because it’s a religious object, but because it came from my grandma.

Have you ever moved to a new school before? If so, how did it feel? I mean, I had to change schools when I was moving up from high school to college, but I’ve never changed schools within the same chapter of my studies, like in the middle of elementary or high school. But to answer the question, it had been a very liberating and empowering experience. I hated the rules in my Catholic school and there were so many elements from that place that made me hide so much about myself. The fact that I could wear shorts and curse and attend rallies and cut class and make my own class schedules in college felt incredibly freeing and satisfying.

What would've happened if Cinderella never went to the ball? See magic beanstalk question.

If you had one day to do anything at all, what would you choose? I would drive to Tagaytay and find a cozy restaurant and eaaaaatttt awaaaayyyy.

What are a few of your favorite songs? I really really like Singularity by V, Over the Hills by Hayley Williams, and So Far Away by Agust D and Suran.

Have you ever legitimately forgotten to do homework? All the time. I never wrote down homework.

--

If you were a witch, what kind of a spell would you cast? On who? I don’t care about casting spells on people. I just want my cravings to show up in the snap of a finger hahaha. Can that be part of a witch’s scope of work? Kjdgfhsdfskjfhs

Do you enjoy autumn leaves or spring flowers more? Why? I wouldn’t know. I experience neither over here.

What is your favorite sport to play? What about watch? Table tennis. Favorite to watch would be either tennis or pro wrestling.

Have you ever gone on a cruise before? To where? Yeah. It was an East Asian cruise so I traveled to Shanghai, Jeju, and Fukuoka.

What would you do if you were invisible for a day? Probably go to the bigger houses in the village and see how fancy they get.

Depending on where you live, why might a day of school get canceled? Typhoon, floods. A lot of places are incredibly prone to flooding, so as long as it’s been raining super hard the chances for a class suspension will get high.

What types of transportation do you think we will see in the future? I dunno. It seems like we’re at that point where everything is in the process of being invented or perfected already. 

What were some of your toys you always played with when you were little? I liked kitchen sets and anything with lots of buttons, so like toy telephones or cash registers.

If you were a movie star, what would a day in your life be like? I have no clue apart from the fact that I’m just glad I would assumedly have more than enough money to buy whatever I’m craving whenever I want hahaha.

If you invented a time machine, what year would you like to go to, and why? Realistically I wouldn’t change a thing; but if I had to answer this question I’d go back to 2016 and never ask out Gab a second time, so that the next four years wouldn’t end up being such a waste of my time.

What is your favorite holiday and why? I don’t have one. I’m not a big holiday ~celebrator.

What is something that you like to do while on vacation? Try food I’ve never tried before. The more unconventional or obscure, the better.

If you could meet any fictional character from a book, who would it be? Eh, don’t really have anyone in mind.

What are some common places that people tour when they come to your city? There’s the waterfalls in the upper part of the city – I’m just not sure if it’s still a popular spot but it certainly was when I was a kid. There’s also an art museum that I’m certain is a lot more frequented now.

What's one food that you did not enjoy as a child, but do as an adult? Curry.

How would having no electricity affect your daily routine? I wouldn’t be able to attend work, at least not for the whole day. It would also feel a lot warmer without the electric fan, which would in turn make me cranky.

If you had one wish, what would it be? A renovated room with a dedicated corner for all my merch.

Say someone gives you a magic sweater. What happens when you wear it? Idk.

If you built a new city, how would you convince people to move there? I wouldn’t.

What is one of your favorite movies? Why is it one of your favorites? Two for the Road. It has Audrey Hepburn, it’s a realistic rom-com, and the chemistry between the two leads is superb.

--

If you were given a certain amount of time to live, would you want to know? Yeah for sure, I would want to know in a heartbeat.

What would you do if you were able to stop time? I don’t know what I would do, but that would be a nice...opportunity, I guess? to experiment with or try out certain decisions and see how well or unwell they would work out to be. So that when time resumes, I’d know better on how to best handle a situation.

Do you think that long distance relationships would be for you? I wouldn’t actively go for it, but I’m not shutting down the possibility either.

Is there a popular social media platform that you don't have an account for? I have one for all the main ones, I think. Even Instagram, I made an account not too long ago to finally join the platform.

How old were you when you found out about Santa, the Easter Bunny, etc? I never knew the Easter Bunny was a thing until I started taking these surveys at like 14. I never really believed in Santa either, and the only figure I was super disappointed to learn that it didn’t exist was the tooth fairy.

Who is your favorite Disney Princess? Rapunzel.

Which freaks you out more - clowns or porcelain dolls? Porcelain dolls. They look more innocent, which somehow makes them creepier.

What was the last mistake that you learned from? Hm, just a minor work thing that would be too complicated to explain here.

Do you prefer "regular pencils" or mechanical ones? Why? Regular. I always break off the tips of mechanical pencils.

What is one little-known music artist you'd recommend? Andi made me listen to The Drums recently and I’ve been loving their sound so far; they would be perfect on a road trip. I’ve only listened to one album, though.

What is your favorite Pixar film? Toy Story!

Who was the last person to send you any sort of message on social media? Angela sent me a video meme.

Where were you on September 11th, 2001? I don’t know...probably already being put to bed. Either way I wasn’t fully conscious yet as I had only been 3 and living on the other side of the planet.

Name your favorite green vegetable. Broccoli, spinach, bell peppers, or asparagus. IDK I love veggies hahahaha

Could you handle a friends with benefits type of situation? Not for me. I’m not even into sex. 

Do you prefer using a brush or a comb on your hair? Comb. 

What's your favorite flavor of potato chips? SALTED EGG. I’m obsessed; I had like five bags this week alone.

Would you rather build a snowman or a snow fort? Why? I dunno; I’ve never tried making either.

At what age do you believe children should begin having screen time? I’m not too sure at this point, but I do know I don’t plan on being too strict with my kids. I’d let them watch stuff on an iPad from like age 3 or 4, but one thing I would change from how I was raised is putting a limit on their screen time, maybe half an hour to an hour a day.

If you had to give a speech, what would it be on? I’d be down for any topic as long as I was given ample time to research, honestly. I like public speaking.

[hideawayintheimaginationworld]

You are Lost, Yet you are Here: Chapter 1

“I can't take this anymore!!”

He turned around and ran off, disappearing from view, as he did, Hazel realised he was on a full-blown emotional meltdown.

With no hesitancy, she ran after him, ignoring her parents calling both of them to come back.

“Alec!” She yelled for him, she saw him run through a door and vanished into that room. She followed him, determined to help him.

When she entered the next room, it was the main dining area with the animatronics on stage performing for the audience, she stopped briefly to see where Alec would have gone and had seen a door on the side of the room swing closed on such a way that suggested someone ran into that room.

This plan she had was failing.

She ran to that door and opened it, turning left as she heard hurried footsteps running in that direction.

“Alec! Come back!” She yelled after him, trying to catch up with but the fact she still felt slightly unwell, and Alec was 15 years old and would regularly skateboard to and from school, she couldn't get close to him, she heard the footsteps fading away as the distance between them grew.

Hazel started crying again as she felt like her chance to be Alec's friend was slipping through her fingers fast.

Eventually she stopped running.

Where was she? These were endless hallways, there was no noise, she couldn't hear who she believed was Alec running.

She had started to wonder if it was possible she wasn’t following Alec but maybe an employee.

Maybe if it was him. Why did he stop running?

She slowly walked ahead looking for a room where Alec could have gone hiding in.

It only now occurred to her that this was mostly the back hallways for employees to travel between the break room and the main rooms.

It was all backstage.

And Alec could be anywhere.

Calling for him wouldn't help, it seemed he didn't want to talk. She needed to talk to him alone without their parents.

She knew the way Alec behaved was defined as classic bad kid behaviour, but the last few days had proved Alec could fall into line when he wanted to: if he had a reason to.

She thought if Alec saw how his parents reacted to him being good, he'd change for the better, but instead her parents became a lot more stressed by them seemingly switching roles, their concern had made Hazel rethink it then she went back to acting normally but Alec caught on and his bad attitude had risen back to the surface as quick as it had vanished.

Her plan B? The Yarg Foxy.

She knew Alec loved Foxy, she had hidden in her room while their parents were out and heard Alec downstairs brilliantly mimicking a pirate voice and accent, but when Hazel moved to go downstairs, Alec had quickly gone silent, obviously hearing her.

She had tried to be nice, she pointed out to him when “Talk like a Pirate Day” was and he immediately soured up saying:

“I'm not interested.”

When she told Alec she wanted him to stop hating her so much, she saw real confusion reflected in his eyes, like he was taken off guard, and he hated that, she felt like her parents essentially added fuel to his anger.

Seeing him rip the arm made her heart break, she realised Alec truly did hate her and nothing was going to change that. He had always hated her.

But she always loved him.

That's why she was searching for him in these dark rooms, hopefully they could have a real conversation, that’s all she wanted. She could learn to accept Alec hated her because she knew their parents treated them very differently and Alec had noticed.

She had done so many subtle kind acts for him, hoping he'd realise just how much she loved him. She would compliment how good he was at skateboarding, she would leave him alone if he asked, she'd leave the Pumpkin Pie alone because she knew it was Alec's favourite at Thanksgiving and she’d keep out of his room when he was in there.

Now it would be for nothing if she didn't find Alec and have a private conversation without their parents.

She had looked into another room which was completely empty, it would have absolutely nowhere for Alec to hide so she left and went into the next one.

The next room had various props, a bin full of broken toys, folded up tables against the wall, some arcade machines which reminded her of the time Alec went to an arcade and got a high score on Pac-Man while she watched him intrigued, as the seven year old she was, while Alec being a pretty silent twelve year old just ignored her.

She stepped into the room, looking around at places where Alec could easily hide.

“I can't take this anymore!!” Alec's angry voice echoed in her head.

What couldn't he take anymore? Family? Expecting to be nice to Hazel? Being labelled a bad kid?

She replayed the moment in her head.

“She gets everything she wants, and she's still not satisfied!”

Is that what he thought? She didn't have what she wanted the most, and she'd give anything to have it.

“She's such a phony! Can't you people see that?? She's the worst kind of spoiled, bratty fake! How can you not see that?”

His perspective of her was warped because of their parents.

“It's so predictable that Alec would ruin the party. It's so evitable that Alec would spoil perfect little Hazel's good time!”

He didn't ruin the party.

“I can't take this anymore!!”

He was turned into a villain..... And that's now driven him to insanity.

She swore in the last moment Alec's face was starting to break into sadness seeing his parents were not giving him support instead they were trying to avoid the impending storm that Alec's emotions were.

Alec couldn't help how he felt, Hazel could tell Alec felt frozen out by his parents and it aggravated him and sadden him to see that.

It also sadden Hazel.

She was starting to cry again, she wiped away her tears and started to think about going back to ask Aunt Gigi for help to find him. She could see how their relationship was great and she might be able to get though to him.

At that moment, she heard something, footsteps, she thought for a moment it was Alec but when she turned to the direction she saw a two foot bear approaching her.

She remembered what these were called, Lonely Freddy, it seems one was in this room and had heard her, so it came towards her.

“Are you crying? Why are you upset?” It asked standing in front of her.

“I'm okay..” She wiped away any lingering tears then went back to looking around the room, she glanced behind a shelf and didn't see any indication Alec was even there.

“You don't look okay... What don't you tell me what's troubling you friend?”

It couldn’t hurt and Hazel was sure these bears were programmed to help sad kids.

She did feel sad.

Alec was probably sad also.

“What's your name little girl?”

“Hazel.”

“What's your favourite colour?”

“I like green,” Hazel answered.

“What's your favourite food?”

“Pancakes.”

“Keep telling me about yourself friend, what's your best subject at school?”

“I like art...”

She didn't mean to say that.

Maybe it was just the fact somebody was actually asking her about her that made her open up a little.

Alec.

She needed to find him.

How did she forget for a minute that he was still missing?

Those blue eyes were like an ocean.

“Who do you live with?”

That was too personal but Hazel had answered, “My Mom, Dad and my older brother Alec.”

She wanted to say she needed to leave, she needed to find Alec.

“Who do you idolise?”

“My brother.”

She could only answer those questions.

She couldn't move.

Alec had hidden in a room with a few props like unique costumes. He hid in a closet inside the room so he could sit alone.

“It's not my fault.... It can't be...” He cried, the realisation of everything he did was crashing down on him.

He wiped his nose, he was still carrying the ripped toy and looked at it dead in the eye, “If you never appeared, I would have never.... I would never.... Never....”

It wasn't true.

His tears got worse, “I've made such an awful mess...”

“Hello?” He heard a voice call out, he went silent as he heard footsteps getting closer.

The door flung open and Alec closed his eyes.

“What are you doing all the way back here?” The person who found him asked.

Alec opened his eyes, surprised to see it wasn't a human but actually one of those creepy animatronics, he was surprised it was out back here. It was.... The bear but not Freddy. It had thick poofy black fur with a red top hat and a red bowtie, a prominent feature was the fact it had only one eye, which was the colour of a warm yellow sunset, the empty eye socket had his red eyelid half closed over it.

Alec looked at him, “Can't you just leave me alone for ten minutes?” He didn't want to show how weak he was but he felt his tears coming back all over again.

The bear looked concerned and reached out his arms, “Are you Alec by any chance?”

Alec wiped his eyes, he didn't see a point in lying, “Yea.... Why?”

“Your parents are looking for you... You've been missing for about an hour.... The staff have been told to keep our eyes out for a 15 year old blonde haired boy.... Why are you hiding from your family Alec?”

Alec hesitated to tell a robot at this pizzeria why he was hiding in a backroom, he shook his head. The bear slightly lowered his head, “Alec.... What exactly happened?”

Alec sniffled, “I've messed up..... I ruined my sister’s birthday.... I've ruined my life... I've ruined my family.... Nobody would forgive a teenaged kid for that.....”

“Are.... Are you sorry for what you did?”

Alec nodded and chocked out, “Yes.”

He was so pathetic.

The bear replied, “I'm sure you can still apologise Alec.”

“Look.... Listen.... Mister...”

“I'm Lefty, Alec,” He told him.

He forgot they had names for a moment, “Lefty then.... I made my sister cry..... And it really hurt me to do that... I was so furious... Now I'm ashamed of it...”

Lefty extended out his hand to him, “An apology... Can go a long way...”

Alec looked at him dead in his eye, “Are you sure?”

“Of course! I've actually done some stuff I am now ashamed of.... You should be glad you woke up now Alec.... Your sister will forgive you if you express your regret of hurting her.”

Alec shook his head, “She would.... She would!” His face lit up and he stood up, stepping out and looking around, “I need to make this right! Thank you Lefty!”

“Alec wait!”

Alec turned to face him, “Would you.... Like that fixed? I know how to make it look brand new again,” He pointed to the Yarg Foxy he was holding.

Alec nodded and handed it to him, “Yes! I'll go back to Hazel with it fixed! Good idea!!”

She couldn't feel the floor anymore, everything was fading away.

Why couldn't she just turn her head and look away? Why didn't her body move at all?

Those eyes didn't look so pretty anymore.

She couldn't move at all.

She couldn't even call out for her parents or even Alec.

Would Alec even want to come and save her? She would do the same for him if he was in trouble.

Those eyes had captured her completely.

Alec was feeling a lot better now, he had watched Lefty perfectly stitch the toy back together and talked more with him. Lefty was able to make the rip appear as if it never happened, Alec was surprised and thankful he did such a stupendous job of the repair. He had the fixed Yarg Foxy in his arms, walking back to the party room, he knew he would give her what she had wanted for years.

Friendship.

He was now ready to be a better person.

To be a good brother.

He had seen his mother looking around kind of anxiously, so he called out, “Mom!”

His mother looked and laid her eyes on him, he stepped over quickly, she looked kind of relieved when she saw him, he was surprised Hazel wasn't around unless she was with her friends somewhere.

“Alec... Are your okay?” He had gone to give her a hug, which obviously surprised her, he didn't remember the last time he really hugged her without being annoyed.

“I'm sorry.”

They had both said it.

“What?” Alec asked her.

“I... I feel this is partially my fault Alec....”

“Mom... I'm sorry for how I acted. I’m sorry for ruining this day. I’m sorry for hurting you and dad... I just.... I don't know... I was tired....”

“Tired?”

“I felt like you ignored me.... Mom... I need to really talk to you, and Dad and Hazel.”

“Yes... We should all talk.. Once Hazel comes back...”

“What did she go to the bathroom again?” He looked around for her in the crowd.

“No... She ran off after you left... I think she was following you....”

“What...?” Alec felt his heart sink, did she actually run after him? He thought at one point he heard somebody calling his name while he was running, but he ignored it because he wasn't sure. Lefty didn't tell him his sister was also missing unless he didn't know about it or maybe he didn't know Hazel was his sister

“Meg, I've searched around the arcade- Alec,” His dad had appeared, “Are you okay? Is your sister with you?”

Alec immediately answered, “No.”

“Hazel ran after you, you have no clue where she is?”

“No, but if she followed me... She would be...” Alec turned around and walked back to whether he had come from.

“Alec! Ian for god sakes follow him before he gets lost,” He heard his mother behind him.

His father stepped up next to him and followed him.

“Alec, you didn't know Hazel followed you?”

“No, I didn't... Dad, I’m sorry... I do love you, mom and Hazel also but-”

“Alec, I appreciate you saying that, I love you also Sport but we need to look for Hazel.”

Alec nodded as they travelled down the hallway.

They switched to green briefly before becoming blue again. She was panicked now, but she couldn't cry for help.

What was happening to her?

“Hazel? Hazel! Hazel!!”

Wait.

Was that Alec calling for her?

She heard a door open.

“She could be anywhere.... I think we need to ask somebody for help to look...”

“I know... It'd be too easy for a ten year old girl to get lost.....”

Those voices.

It was Alec and her father.

They were looking for her.

“Hazel? It's Alec.... I'm sorry...”

Was he really sorry? Hazel could actually hear regret in his voice, something she never heard before.

“I’m sure we'll find her... She's got to be around.... Maybe an employee seen her?” Her father suggested.

“Or an animatronic.... Dad, there's a character called Security Puppet... They are tied into the surveillance system.... Let's ask for their help.”

“How would you know that?”

“Those safety posters...”

“Ohhh right.... So I guess that will be a good option if we don't find her around here...”

“Yep that's what I think....”

Hazel could hear their footsteps getting quieter as they left the area.

Why couldn't she cry for help?? What's happening to her?? She wanted to cry for them to come back, she wanted to get away.

“What's your biggest regret?” The bear had asked her.

What did that question even mean?

“What's your biggest regret?”

Why did it want to know, this didn't make sense....

Unless this was a nightmare.

That meant this never happened, she'd wake up at home to her family.....

And a brother who still hated her.

“What’s your biggest regret, Hazel?”

She was shaking, she felt like somebody was squeezing her throat, tears began again and she weakly chocked out:

“Not being good enough to be my brother’s friend... I had to lie to him.. I tricked him into being good.”

Her throat was loosen but she still couldn’t talk.

This didn't feel like a nightmare.

I think you can guess what this AU is about.... Alec isn't the victim here.

[polygamyff]

36.

My heart goes out to Maurice, it hurts my heart so much. If it isn’t his disease then it’s him catching a viral infection, my poor baby has a fever now which then the doctor had to come out and see him because sickle cell and fever is not good but the tablets he’s having causes his immune system to weaken with it so now he has another tablet alongside the tablet he has now, it’s been a mess. I have been so worried about him, but he is pulling through, he does not want to see a single person. Shawn comes every day, he refuses. It’s been a week and it upsets me because he doesn’t really eat, he doesn’t touch his food that much. Reign doesn’t see him because of the fever, and me I have been sleeping in a different room but I do go to see him, he seems better than he has previous days but let’s just say god is really teaching him a lesson but it’s hurting me to see. Hearing the elevator ping, turning around, resting against the kitchen unit looking to see who it is. Well it is someone with heels on anyways, can hear those clicking away “oh” Ally jumped holding her chest, what does she even want rolling her ass up here like she own the place. Just staring at her, she slowly walked closer to the kitchen “is Maurice here?” she asked, she looked at me and then Reign and then let out a giggle “sorry, you both pulling the same face. She is really your daughter” looking to the side of me, Reign is sat in her booster seat on the kitchen unit. Reign looked up at me, my smile grew and so did hers “you mean mugging like me?” she is my love “uhm yeah, he is in the room but is he expecting you or what?” I feel like Maurice’ security questioning people “well he called me, he said he needed to speak to me, or I wouldn’t have come. I have to go to Tokyo with his dad, so I just made time to come here, for him” nodding my head “that is fine, he is in his room. I think he is actually expecting you to come too” I pointed down the hall “thanks” she walked off, I don’t like the bitch but she really does go out of her way for him, she does all of his work. His dad is going Tokyo on his behalf with Ally, he can’t even be bothered to do any work if we being real, I feel he is getting depressed and I hate it, I hate being in separate rooms but I don’t want to be ill for Reign or him “what are we like Reign, apparently we both mean mugging her. We out here protecting your daddy” she has really been my rock; I love her so much.

Furrowing my eyebrows seeing a withheld number calling me, let me pick up anyways “hello?” I answered, “hi it’s King’s County hospital, it’s Melanie?” letting out an oh “oh yeah, sorry. I just didn’t see no number, so I was not sure who, hope you’re well?” I hope it’s good news “it’s ok, well I have some good news for you as well as maybe not so good news for you, we were very happy with you. We are amazed how young you are, we spoke on that didn’t we. Well we want to offer you the position of being the associate specialist surgeon, working alongside the consultant, how do you feel about this?” I don’t want to cheer right now “wow, I honestly thought I wasn’t that good at interviews, I am shocked. Wow, thank you!” I giggled, I am so happy “we contacted the hospital in California, they had nothing but praise for you” my face dropped, I never said anything to them “we are most happy to have you here, we are happy to have you part time, in terms of shifts but we do need you to be on call during the week. As we have someone on call during the weekend, that is the bad news, about the on-call situation, what do you think to that?” least I will get weekends off, weekdays working maybe on-call “I am fine with that, that is brilliant, oh my god. I am emotional right now but thank you! When do I exactly start?” flicking the tear that fell “next month, is that ok for you? We will sort out the paperwork then, we have some things we need to send out to you, where do we send them? Is the Anaheim address fine?” I am stuck here, I won’t be home “uhm no, do you know where Davenport hotel is? The address?” I didn’t want to really expose that who I am with “oh yes I do, I can send it there?” I laughed nervously “yes, could you put it to the attention of Maurice Davenport, that is the only way I know I will get it?” the phone line went silent “oh, uhm. But it’s for you?” she questioned “I know, that is how it will get to me in his suite. I am living here until I get an actual home” she let out a big oh “right, ok. You’re living with the Maurice Davenport? Oh ok, ok. I see, ok. Sure. I will get that sent to you; I should have known. I thought I seen your face before, well I will get that sent to you. See you soon” this is what I didn’t want but it’s happened “it’s ok, see you soon. Bye” disconnecting the “yess!!!!” I shouted “baby girl, I got the job. Mommy will be working again; she will be saving lives again! I am so happy” clapping my hands, Reign is not amused at all “bye Robyn!” I stopped mid-clap seeing Ally “oh yeah, bye” she probably thinks I am crazy now.

I made Maurice some soup, I try with him everyday and the bear minimum I am giving him now is soup “is Reign asleep?” he asked “she is, now I am all yours” placing the tray on his lap “we going to try and eat yes? I did this all from scratch, it’s chicken soup for you. Then you can have your medication and sleep” walking to the corner and grabbing the chair “it does smell nice” I grinned at him “anything for you, what did she want anyways? I mean Ally” sitting down “just work-related stuff, she is doing me so proud. She said I look like shit” Maurice looked over at me laughing “you do, she is right. Your beard, hair, your face. You just won’t eat, but you’re smiling still. Makes me happy, so eat now” I have to sit here and watch him, like a child “I am feeling better, the fever that is. You can sleep with me again?” poking my lips out “you miss me in bed huh?” he nodded his head as he poked his lips out, and bought the spoon up to his lips “you do look better, than you did. I will sleep in bed with you but if you are lying and I catch it. I won’t be happy” he shook his head “I’m not” he placed the spoon back as he started to sob out “hey, stop it. Maurice don’t cry” getting up from the chair “every day you are crying now, stop it” wrapping my arms around his head, bringing his head close to my chest “stop, baby it will get better. Don’t worry, I will always be here for you” I don’t’ like him crying, he does this every day.

Lowkey I am not wanting to get ill so if he is not well and he is lying, I will be annoyed but I did check his temperature and it has gone down so I think all should be well “feeling sleepy? I got something to tell you before you sleep” Maurice’ eyes are half closed; he is about ready to go to sleep. He cleared his throat “I am awake yeah, I am listening” I grinned at him, he is so cute “well” crawling onto the bed “I got a phone call from, guess who?” shuffling closer to him “mhmm your mom?” shaking my head “nope, why did I come New York for? The real reason before this?” getting under the covers “me?” shaking my head “this is not working, baby you got memory loss too?” Maurice snorted laughing “probably, what is it?” he is so useless “Kings County hospital, baby they gave me the job. I got the job!” I yelped out “oh wow, really? I am so happy for you Bonita, you got it. So, you going to be saving people again?” nodding my head “I will be saving lives again, I start next month so I need to prepare but the terms are. I must be on-call on weekdays, I am part time, but I get weekends off, perfect right? I am not sure with the on-call part, may be difficult with Reign but I will work it out, won’t we?” Maurice nodded his head “we will, somehow. I am very happy for you; I mean I don’t sound it but I am. I’m proud of you, what you have become. I am lucky” I cooed out “thank you, I know you are proud of me” pressing a kiss to his shoulder “how are you feeling anyways?” his hair and beard are a overgrown mess, pushing down his beard with the back of my hand “tired, I am glad I’m not needing the injections, tablets are kicking in but I just feel like it’s one thing to another. You are looking after me like a baby, it’s not right. You know?” I shushed “It’s ok, the doctor said that the feeling in your dick should be back soon. You really been unwell, and it doesn’t help. Let me say it, it doesn’t help you don’t eat. Is it the tablets? What is it? You have lost so much weight, you look like the times you were on drugs” he shook his head “I want to sleep now, hug me. I missed you” smiling at him lightly “fine” kissing his cheek.

Side eyeing Maurice, there is a reason why I slept in a different room also. Since his fever, and all the issues. He fucking snores, and it’s really fucking bad. It’s like four in the morning and I am awake, it’s ok for him but for me no. I groaned out shuffling out of bed, I am going to another room and sleeping in peace. I huffed out walking around the bed, I am annoyed but he’s still my baby. Walking over to him, placing my index finger and middle fingers just under his neck at the side of his windpipe, let me check his pulse if he is ok. I must check this; I just don’t want to leave the bed, but I can’t stand the snoring. Trust him to stop snoring while I am doing this “mhmm perfect” I said to myself, let me go and take my ass to the other bedroom. Dragging open the door, I abruptly stopped walking after seeing rose petals on the floor “huh” looking at a sleeping Maurice and then the floor, I had to double take because he is in bed with me and then this “mhmm” slowly creeping out of the bedroom, ok this is creepy because he has been asleep and he couldn’t have done this. Following the rose petals slowly, do I have a secret admirer that has broke in and done this, I kid but this is cute and I am walking way too slow because I am lowkey scared. Peaking around the corner “oh wow” looking up at the ceiling, there is a dozen red and white balloons and then Robyn balloons in the corner, one of the balloons has the remote hanging from it. Walking into the room “oh my god” is this really mine, the rows upon rows of bags and shoes to match “oh my god” placing my hand over mouth “I love bags, oh my god!” placing my hands over my mouth “this is amazing” I am so emotional, walking backwards fully trying to take this in and gasped, my head hitting the remote.

I don’t even want to sit on the couch because the petals spelling out Happy Valentines day, I don’t want it but I am going to do it, sitting down on the couch. A sticky note to tell me the button to press too “Ok then” I said to myself sitting back, I am actually shook about the bags like what the hell, and the matching fucking heels, good grief this has turned me on so much. Pressing the button indicating on the remote, the TV switched on and then Michael Jackson – Remember the Time started playing “oh my” placing my hand over my mouth, he really pulled up the video of us at the wedding, like I have never seen this. I saw the pictures but the video, it actually caught us talking, I wasn’t even interested, not even a lie because he was so miserable “oh no” those Facebook messages, I thought he was calling me fat in Spanish “not the selfie, of course he did” shaking my head laughing “I hate him” I cooed out, we finally met in Texas, by mistake that is and I still didn’t understand but the Maurice I met in Texas I liked him straight off, we actually took group pictures. I didn’t think he would ever keep those things; he has.

Placing my hand over my chest, it’s really got me in my feelings “and then Reign came along, I looked a right mess there” look how tiny she was, I was going through it with Maurice but we was such happy parents “did I do good?” Maurice said, I gasped getting up from the couch and rushing to him “I love it” hugging him, he’s got me in my feelings “I love it so much, oh my god. Sorry” he’s out here on one foot, and I am attacking him like this “come, let’s sit. I love it, when did you do this? What the hell? And you’re awake?” I swear he was asleep “well I woke up when your fingers were on my neck, I was waiting for you to wake up, I had time on my hands Robyn” sitting down on the couch  as he sat down next to me, he sighed out “yeah so, I have been messaging Ally, I contacted Kellen, and also Leon. I just gathered everything and did it. Ally came earlier to just finalize, she really helped with me all. She also set it out, that was it. So while we slept, she did it because I couldn’t and now she has gone to Tokyo. But I am happy you like it, I thought about it. Trying to be romantic” grabbing his face, turning his face to me and pressing a kiss to his lips “thank you, I love it. Thank you so much, my pootie face, I love you so much” wrapping my arms around his neck “did you see my card?” I stopped attacking him and moving back “no, where?” he moved to the side a little “it’s in the beige Hermes bag, I think anyways” I am so in love with the fact he got me different colour Hermes bags but the same style “is this really all mines, I can use this on nights out” picking up the little bag “oh no that is Reign’ I have to show her love too” I snorted laughing “I think not, it’s mine. Thank you for that” grabbing the card “no, you let her have it. Sit next to me and open the card” he patted the couch; I will not give her anything.

Sitting next to Maurice on the couch “it better be cute” ripping open the envelope “also give Ally a raise or something, she didn’t need to do this at all for you. That is sweet” pulling out the card “noooo, Maurice! You didn’t!” I laughed out holding the card close to my chest “do you like it?” I can’t stop laughing “nooo, how!?” looking back at the card front cover, he has my surgeon picture they have at California “I really hate you, did Leon give you this? I actually look younger here, god. My cheeks, I hate him so much. Oh my god!” looking at Maurice trying to be angry with him “like look at me in this” holding the card up “you look beautiful, look at your smile. It’s so professional, you do look younger there” opening the card “you’re so annoying, seriously” I huffed out, like he really did this to me “read it, read it aloud too” side eyeing him, looking down at the card “oh god, I hate you so much. With your stupid bilingual ass. You really wrote half of this in Spanish. You want me to read it?” looking up at him, he nodded his head “fine” clearing my throat “Para Robyn mi guap?” looking up at him “guapa” he said correcting me “te, no I can’t do it. You read it” passing him the card “you need to learn; I don’t need the card. I know what I put. Para Robyn, mi guapa. Te quiero mucho. Desearía que te casaras conmigo? And I put, to Robyn my pretty baby, I love you so much, I wish you would marry me. Now you can read the rest” I can’t stop smiling, I swear I love him so much. He rested his arm over my lap “It is not your conversation that keeps me entertained but rather the way you look at me, it’s all the little things you do that make me stop and stare. The way you smile at me, that soft smile you give me to show me it’s ok” looking up at him as I stopped reading and we both giggled “you’re so cute Maurice” taking in a deep breath “with what you have done for me, I could never repay you. When I am looking into your eyes, I see all the love you have for me. I see in your eyes you care for me a lot. And you will do whatever it takes to have me in your life. These are the reasons you have seen me cry every night when you come to me” my voice broke, placing the card down looking up at him “don’t cry” he said “you made me cry, you know how much I love you. I will do anything for you” flicking the tear away “stop” I laughed as he tried to wipe my tears away “you want me to read the rest, I will do it” he took the card from me “I am so proud to call you my wife, you have given me a new lease of life and I thank you for that, you have given me a beautiful daughter. I am proud of what you have become, a surgeon. I tell everyone about it, whenever I get the chance, I am super duper proud of you Robyn, I hope I made your Valentines Day. Love Maurice” he closed the card slowly and looked over at me, I just remained with my hands over my mouth. Moving my hands back “I love it” I strained out “I love you so much, thank you” snatching the card from out of his hand and hugged him “you really shocked me, I didn’t expect it at all. I didn’t want to pester you about it either, but you been planning without me even knowing. I feel bad now” moving back “about what?” sitting back “I gave Ally such evil looks, I was looking like bitch leave, and she was helping you do this. Make sure you give her an extra bonus, or something. She does too much. I am so happy” he has really made my day.

I am so freaking happy, I am skipping with Maurice’ gifts in hand “you all happy now huh, I bet if I didn’t you would be bullying me with that stale soup” I gasped stopping midway “my stale what? Say that again?” Maurice laughed “I am joking, come. I want to see what you got me” he is such an ass, he called my soup stale when it’s not, I made it with love “well it’s hard buying for man that has everything, you know that right?” Maurice shook his head “don’t ever say that, it’s different, because it’s from you” placing the bag on the couch as I sat down “you like the bag, it’s all cute with bears” Maurice was so quick to start digging into the bag “aww you got me a bear with a heart on it, aww Bonita, I will put this on my desk when go back. I like this, she will give better hugs. I will name her little miss boo thang” he is so silly “thank god it’s not some foreign word, she is lucky” Maurice got out the next thing “I didn’t think your gifts would be this small? Wow!” side eyeing him, I hate it because it’s like am I doing enough. Look at the bags compared to this “what is this? Robyn, this looks expensive” peaking over the bag “it’s your ring, I mean as seeing as you want us to get married on my birthday. I got you the ring. I mean I should have given it you then but I want you to wear it now so bitches know you’re taken” Maurice looks amazed “Robyn, this looks very expensive, how much was it” he got it out of the box “you shouldn’t ask that, I got it for you ok?” he doesn’t need to know “this looks in the region of three or even four grand, please tell you didn’t? I mean it’s beautiful but still” I shrugged “I also get paid a lot, so there is that. Put it on, I mean it should fit fine. I stole one of your other rings” Maurice grinned “you do it for me” he held the ring out “fine” grabbing the ring, he held out his left hand “you’re such a diva, also I need to do your hand nails” I am always fussing “what if I am not well for your birthday?” placing the ring on his finger “then we wait, but I don’t want you to push yourself either. I also got you cufflinks, I know you like wearing them. They both have R and R on them in diamond, real diamonds. Open the card, but I don’t think it’s as nice as yours. You outdid me” that is annoying “not really, I like this ring and also you accepted to marry me on your birthday, that has really made my day” I love that he is smiling so much “come on boo thang, let’s read this card she got me” he placed the bear on his lap “I am kind of glad your snoring woke me, even though I hated you so much for it” he pulled out the card laughing “I’m sorry, it will get better. Aww look boo thang, your parents on the card. It’s momma bear and papa bear, I like this. It’s cute, I mean the surgeon picture is the best” he opened the card, I need to destroy that picture, I hate Leon so much “to my little pootie” Maurice looked over at me “you forever calling me that, how am I pootie? It’s just not logical” I giggled “you mad because I’m right, you forever pouting or being all moody, just read it” he is always stopping “ok, so to my little pootie. You have turned my life upside down, literally have done that and I write this with a smile on my face. You have loved me at my lowest, supported me when I needed it. When I look at the downfalls it doesn’t amount to the good times we have had, you have swept me off my feet and have never asked for nothing back. The only thing you want is my love, you are the most caring man and father I know. To see our daughter, get so happy to hear your voice, to know she will have a first love that is all I can ask. Thank you, Maurice,” Maurice chuckled “well she liked it, she put a ring on it” he held his hand up “thank you baby, I love it. And I do it because I love you” hugging Maurice.

I did have like some real sexy lingerie to wear but I need to keep that for next time, I am not about to upset him if it don’t happen even though he has not had the injections in a few days because he’s off it but I don’t want to upset him, I am not doing that today “the video is the sweetest thing, can I watch it again. Is it mine?” he nodded his head “all for you baby” Maurice has skinny legs anyways, but they are extra skinny “you want to go back to bed? You must be tired; I am so happy though. Thank you, thank you for waking up for me” I know he is tired “yeah, my doctor is coming today. Guess what though, I can put some weight on my foot now. Good right?” nodding my head “that is very good baby, come” getting up from the couch, he is wearing his robe and boxers, I just want him to start eating right again “do you like the beard?” he knows damn well I don’t, watching him get up. He stood up and he did put weight on his foot without flinching “it’s getting better, thank you god!” looking down at his body and then back up to his face, it does make me sad. When he’s having these crises, they take so long to come out of it and I hate it “you want to hold me while we walk slowly? Forget the stick” walking to the side of him, Maurice placed his arm around me “Just as long as you stand, stand by me So darling, darling, stand by me” Maurice sang, he is so cute.

[dianapana]

SasuHina Month Day 8- Mermaid

Hey guys, sorry i was inactive for a while, to be honest i struggles with this cuz i had a pretty meh idea in my head and i just didn’t feel like writing it but like 1 hour ago this idea came to me and i wrote it and boom i feel pretty good about this. 

Also August has been so full for me, the first 5 days i was at that music festival as i said i spend like 20 hours a day there and 4 sleeping, if that, so after that i slept a full day. i didn’t even come home cuz i went to my friend and Uni colleague’s house for 4 days, i did most of my planning for what and how to write on the train to her house cuz it was a 4h ride. and after those 5 days at her house we came back to my house which was a 9h train ride woho...and she just left today. Before going to the music festival i changed the furniture in my room and now i feel so wierd being here alone. it just feels like she should be here as well and i miss her so much already. Oh yea and in 3 days i’m going to the beach for 2 weeks. Like i said August is hectic, but u still wanna write everything because i have a plan for most days. so i’ll post all 31 of them even if they are a bit late..

ANYWAY, that was a an update on my life i guess xD I hope you enjoy, Love Dia ~

Fantasy - Part 1

Sasuke

Everyone does thing they don’t particularly like, you wake up early and  go everyday to school with people that you can’t wait to become part of your past, you sit thought awkward talks and weird situations cuz you can’t see an escape route. This last one is the case I am in, a weird situation, I am with my parents, my brother, his wife and their small daughter at Disney world because it is Kara's 7th birthday and she wished for the past 3 years to come here. Mom and dad got tired after the first 2 hours of wandering around; Itachi started feeling unwell and pucked twice after riding about 12 times the rollercoaster so he and Anko went to the pharmacy to get something to ease his stomach and they’re taking a small break so here I am stuck with my u year old niece who is dressed like a princess walking around the amusement park. Kara qas so excited for the first hour and she kept running around but got tired quite fast but Itachi carried her around in his arms princess style for almost 3 hours so she is once more full pf energy. Who thought that leaving a 22 year old male with a 7 year old girl I don’t know.

I am holding her hand as we walk around and all of a sudden she stops and screams so loud my ears start ringing; I can’t even find my footing and see what is happening because Kara starts pulling me to the far right and I do my best to steer her from hitting and tripping people over.  

We walk through a tunnel that  painted deep blue and as we get to the end the temperature drops and I haven’t realized how hot it was outside until this moment when it finally feels cool. The song ‘Under the sea' from the Little Mermaid is playing on repeat. I only know the song because Little Mermaid is Kara's favorite Disney movie and whenever I babysit her or just go by Itachi's the movie is permanently on.  

“Sasuke look!” she says and pulls on my pants leg; she is behind me now and hides, looking shyly at a group of kids  that stare at an aquarium tank. I don’t notice anything unusual until one small girl screams on top of her lungs ‘mermaid’ and a lot of kids move  around and looks at her and I see it, or more like, I see her. In the tank is a real life mermaid, with blue hair and beautiful liliac eyes, she swims around and waved to the kids, smiles and them and when a mother holds her daughter a little higher over the aquarium she comes out for air and holds the girl’s hand.  

“Can we do that? I want to hold hands with the mermaid…” Kara is bit a shy kid but now she looks overwhelmed, anxious and a bit scared yet very excited. She looks into my eyes waiting for my reply so I only nod. We walk to the tank and as we get closer a large group of kids pair off 2 by 2 and follow a lady who I assume is their teacher and another teacher is behind them so we are pretty much the only ones at the tank. Kara is still behind my leg, the mermaid is under the eater and swims around putting on a really cool show. Just the fact that she can hold her breath for that long is impressive. She looks towards us and smiles and waved at Kara.  

I look at my little niece as well and I pick her up like the mother did and the mermaid comes up for air, crosses her arms over the glass wall and puts her head there and smiles big at Kara.  

“Are you a real mermaid?” Kara asks and shyly touches her cheek. The mermaids smile boardes and she looks absolutely stunning, I feel lightning bolts shoot up my spine, she is so much more beautiful up close.  

Hinata

I enjoy it more when there are smaller groups of people at my tank, I like talking to the kids and playing my character, so being alone with this little girl and her...father, older brother(?) is pretty cool, she’s so cute dressed as a princess and her eyes are big and full of innocence. She's also old enough to have a conversation with. I'd give her 7 or 8 years and I'm quite good at guessing children’s ages. She asked me if I'm a real mermaid, that is one of the most frequent questions. The tail I wear is very well made and it truly looks authentic and I take pride in my swimming skills and in the amount of time I can stay underwater without having to come out and breath, also behind the rock where u can’t see, on the other side of the tank you can go and breath air and the kids can see only tour tail so I tend to do that unless there is someone who wants to talk or hold my hand.  

“Yes princess, I am a real mermaid” her smile is shy and so cute. She nods like what I said makes sense. I look from her to the man holding her and I have to stop a sigh, he’s so good-looking and he is staring right at me. I give him the same smile because I can’t break character, but his grin makes my skin tingle and I really want to touch him.  

“Is this your home? Are you a prisoner here? Do you want us to save you?” She looks up worried at the man and he chuckles lightly at her questions. I'm a bit startled, I have been asked before if I live here but no one offered to help me escape.  

“Can I tell you a secret?” I tell her and pull myself even more out of the water. She looks at me very serious and nods so I lean in and whisper in her ear. “You can’t tell anyone, but this isn’t my house, nor am I prisoner. I work here. When I get out of the water and I'm dry I have legs just like you do but when I'm in the water I am a mermaid, so I am here to help little girls like me and to talk with beautiful and kind princesses like yourself” after I finish my little speech I still don’t back up because I can feel the heat coming from the man and I also can smell him, he smells refreshing, like ice and mint but with something else that I can’t put my finger on but I'm willing to bet it’s just him, he smells delicious and very manly.

“I’ll tell you a secret too” The little girl says “My name is Kara and I'm not a princess” she looks at me carefully, waiting for my reaction. I only nod and smile.

“Well Kara, I am Hinata and I have to disagree, you are a princess. Being a princess has little to do with royal blood or fancy clothing, it is all about how you act, if you are kind and friendly, loyal and loving and good. I can see into your soul and you are a princess deep inside, never doubt that” Her eyes widen, and she smiles at me.  

“Sasuke did you hear? I'm a princess” He smiles at her. I take in what she said, his name is Sasuke. She didn’t call him dad and he is too young to have such a big kid so I doubt he is her dad. “Can you see in his soul? Is he a prince too?”

I make a show of looking at him from head to toe like I'm considering her question when in reality I just want to check him out. After I've taken everything in I look back up at his face, narrow my eyes and look at his chest. I pull myself out even more and I lay my hand flat on his chest and close my eyes. I only now realize that I probably wet his shirt, but I can’t stop the show now. After a couple of seconds my hand can’t take it, just from touching him I feel a bit dizzy so I open my eyes and nod very serous to myself before looking back at Kara, I don’t look up at Sasuke because I am scared of what I'll see there.  

“Yes he is a good soul, he is also a prince” Kara’s eyes light up and she looks at Sasuke with a lot of love and admiration, I finally look at his face because I expect him to stare and smile at Kara but instead his stare is on me so intensly, a lot of feelings hit me all of a sudden and I feel overwhelmed.  

Sasuke

When she put her hand on my chest to “feel if my soul id good” I thought my heart will jump out of my chest. I can’t help but stare at her. I want to ask her when she finished work because something tells me we’ll still be here when she’s done, and I want to meet her. Or I want to ask her for her number, but I can’t do that in front of Kara, it would ruin the image Hinata painted for her character. Hinata...even her name is beautiful. Kara looks at me and asks me to put her down and says that she wants to take a picture in front of the tank as Hinata floats behind her. I take a few pictures of the two of them posing. I look around and see a smaller tank with lots of fish inside that is just a bit to the left, but far enough that Kara won’t hear what I talk about with Hinata. I also take a quick look around and see that it’s not very crowded so I don’t think new kids will come to Hinata.  

“Why don’t you go look at the fishes for a moment, I want to talk to the mermaid about how I should act now that I found out I'm a prince” I tell Kara lamely, thankfully she believes me and goes to look at the fishes. I return to the tank and softly knock in the glass to get her attention; she is once again swimming around. When she looks at me and sees now kids around, she rises a brow and I just shrug. She comes out to talk to me anyway.  

“You’re not supposed to it the glass. It says that there. She points to a piece of paper that is on the wall next to her. “Not respecting the rules is not very prince-like of you”  

“Sorry I just needed your attention.” She smiles, for real this time not the fake-princess one she shows every kid; and for a moment I forget how to breath. “Thank you for talking so much to Kara, she loves mermaids whenever I babysit her for my brother Little Mermaid is all she wants to watch” I intentionally made it very clear that Kara is my niece so she wouldn’t think I was her father or anything.  

“It wasn’t big deal. She's very cute” I nod,  and silence falls over us.

“When do you get out of work? And can you give me your number?” I cringe internally. I'm better than this, I have mad game with girls but this one makes me feel a bit weird, like I'm off balance in some way.  

She chuckles “I get out in an hour and half. And as for my number...how about we meet when I get out and I can give it to you then? Would that work?” she asks and I try really hard not to jump and pump my fist in the air in a “i-did-it" pose.

“Yea that works, cool.” I try to pretend like she doesn’t affect me at all but that’s a failure. “I’ll meet you here in about 2 hours?” I take into consideration that she probably has to shower and change.  

“Yes, 2 hours is perfect. Bye bye Prince Sasuke” she says and goes back to swimming. I go back to Kara.

“What did she say about being a prince?’ she asks looking up at me and taking my hand to hold.  

“She said I have potential but I need some help, so she offered to give me classes on hoe to be a good prince”

[imitranslates]

Fukigen na Mononokean Ch. 70

Finally a peek into Sakae’s past, and maybe a storm brewing in the background?

Please remember to check out the official English release when it comes out, preferably on Crunchyroll if you’re able to!

The newest chapter can be read on the official website by clicking the yellow button labeled 読む!

Fukigen na Mononokean Chapter 70 - Sunflow

Page 3

Neighbor: Good evening.

Dog: Woof, woof!

Nara: Good evening.

Dog: Whine, whine...

(Could you please tell me what you know about Ashiya Sakae back when he had gold hair and eyes?)

Page 4

Demon: Kyuukyuu...

Demon: Kyuu!

Ashiya: Furyuu-san!

Furyuu: Kyu.

Page 5

Ashiya: If there's anything on this food menu

that you want to eat, please tell me!

Furyuu: Kyuu!

(Ashiya: There's Japanese food, Western food, and Chinese food.)

Furyuu: Kyu!

[A karaoke place has private rooms, so no one will bother us...]

Furyuu: Kyuu...

Mononokean: "Before I go the Underworld, I want to eat delicious food from the Mundane world! Kyuu!"

Is what our client says.

[And the menu is expansive, so it's the perfect place for him to enjoy a dinner!]

Page 6

Furyuu: Kyu!

Ashiya: Pizza!

Furyuu: Kyu!

Ashiya: Chinese fried rice!

Furyuu: Kyu!

Ashiya: Yakisoba!

Furyuu: Kyu!

Ashiya: Fries and onion rings...

Abeno: ...Will you be able to eat that much...?

Phone: Ring, ring!

Furyuu: !?

Abeno: !

Furyuu: Kyu!

(Abeno: This ringtone belongs to...)

Page 7

Phone: (continues ringing)

[Mom]

Ashiya: !

Ashiya: ......

Page 8

Ashiya: Excuse me.

Abeno: ...?

Abeno: Is it okay to decline it?

Ashiya: ......

Ashiya: I'm working, so...

Ashiya: I'll get back to her later.

Page 9

Abeno: (That stilted speech...)

(Abeno: He's acting weird.)

Ashiya: Furyuu-san, what would you like to drink?

Abeno: .....

Furyuu: Kyuu!

Abeno: (It seems like Ashiya's mother hasn't responded

To the message I wrote this morning on his behalf...)

(In that case, that incoming phone call was probably...)

(Ashiya: Anything besides alcohol is OK.)

Page 10

Furyuu: Kyuuu!

Ashiya: Furyuu-san, please eat your fill!

Furyuu: Kyu!

(Abeno: How many people could this feed...?)

Furyuu: Kyu!

Furyuu: Kyu!

Furyuu: Kyu!

Page 11

(Furyuu: Kyu.)

Ashiya: You cleared all your plates!!

Furyuu: Kyu!!

Abeno: To eat all of that at your size... I truly underestimated you...

Ashiya: You have quite the appetite, Furyuu-san!

Ashiya: Do you want another helping?

Ashiya: There's also dessert.

Ashiya: ...Furyuu-san?

Furyuu: Kyupupu...

Ashiya: ...Don't tell me...?

Page 12

Furyuu: Kyupu.

Ashiya: Where's the restroom!?

Ashiya: Over there!

Furyuu: Kyupu...

Furyuu: Kyurororo.

Furyuu: Kyurorororo.

Abeno: ...

(Please excuse us for a moment...)

Page 13

Furyuu: Kyu... Kyuu...

Abeno: You overate.

Furyuu: Kyuu...

Ashiya: He's still feeling unwell, huh..

Abeno: I'll allow him to rest for a while before exorcising him to the Underworld.

Ashiya: Please sleep until your condition improves...

Furyuu: Kyuu...

Page 14

Abeno&Ashiya: ......

Ashiya: ...Abeno-san, would you like something to drink?

Abeno: I'm fine.

Abeno: ...Hm.

Page 15

Abeno: We're taking a break from work right now, so

Abeno: Here you go.

Ashiya: !

Ashiya: ......

Page 16

Nara: Hello.

Ashiya: Oh!! How was work today!!

Ashiya: It's me!!

Page 17

Ashiya: Please forgive me for not being able to take your call earlier...!

Nara: (It's fine.) Were you busy...?

Do you have a little time to talk?

Ashiya: Yes!

Nara: ...After you come home would be fine, too, but...

I thought it would be easier to talk over the phone...

Nara: ......

Nara: I read the message you sent me this morning...

Page 18

Nara: Hanae... Why do you know that Sakae used to have gold hair and eyes?

Ashiya: Eh?!

Nara: I've never told you that, you know?

Ashiya: Oh, about that... I heard it from my sister?!

Nara: I don't think she would have told you that either...

Ashiya: Oh, it wasn't her? Maybe it was a customer at the shop, then?

Nara: ...I see... So one of our customers is someone who knew the old Sakae...

Nara: Well, he did stand out...

Nara: ...Me, too...

Page 19

Nara: When I first laid my eyes on Sakae-kun in high school,

I was surprised by his gold hair and eyes...

Ashiya: ! (High school..?!)

Ashiya: Mom, you attended the same high school as my dad!?

Nara: Yeah. Our years were different, but we went there together.

Ashiya: (Then she knew Sakae when he had gold hair and eyes...!)

Page 20

Ashiya: (If so, then...)

Ashiya: (I might hear something about how Sakae came to attack demons!)

Abeno: !?

Ashiya: (I'll put the call on speaker and...)

Page 21

Ashiya: Mom, if you don't mind,

Ashiya: I'd like you to tell me about Dad back then...!

Nara: ...I see.

Nara: I haven't told you about it before now,

Nara: but since you want to know, Hanae... I'll tell you.

Page 22

Nara: ...I...

Nara: When I saw Sakae-kun, who looked like a sunflower...

Nara: I fell in love at first sight!

Ashiya: Ngh?!

(Abeno: Like a sunflower...?)

Nara: When we met, I was in my second year...

Nara: On that day, I'd fainted from anemia soon after reaching school...

Page 23

Nara: Uuuugh...

Nara: (This splitting headache...)

Nara: (It's cold...

I feel so awful...)

Page 24

Nara: (Whenever I come to school, I feel anemic...)

Nara: (Medicine doesn't have any effect,

and the hospital can't find anything wrong...)

Nara: Uuu...

[It hurts...]

[Why...

Why do I have]

[Such a horrible condition all of a sudden...?]

Page 25

Sakae: Disappear...

Page 26

Nara: Kyaa!? Who's there?!

Sakae: !?

Page 27

Sakae: ...So you were awake...

Nara: ....

[Golden...]

Page 28

[This guy...]

[His hair and eyes are golden...]

[Just like a sunflower...]

Sakae: ......?

[Currently admiring.]

(Nara: Hieee... (wonderment))

Sakae: ?

Sakae: ?

Sakae: ......

Page 29

Sakae: How...

are you feeling?

Nara: How am I...?

Nara: Now that you mention it, my chills and headache and nausea are gone?!

Sakae: ...

Nara: My condition always goes downhill when I enter the school, but

Nara: I'm glad I recovered so quickly today! (I might even be able to participate in P.E.!)

Nara: (Could it be?) Maybe when you gave me that shock, you cured me!

Nara: Thank you! Umm... Sunflower-kun!

Page 30

(Sakae: Sunflower-kun...?)

Sakae: .......

Sakae: My name is Ashiya. (Don't give me a weird nickname...)

Nara: (What a coincidence?!) I'm Ashiya, too!

I'm a second year in class 2, Ashiya Nara! What about you?

Sakae: ......

First year, Ashiya... Sakae.

Sakae: ...Hey.

Sakae: Does your health always have problems like today?

Page 31

Nara: Yeah...

Nara: From around the time I started high school, I started fainting a lot due to anemia.

Nara: And lately, even when I'm away from the school, my back will suddenly feel heavy and I won't be able to move,

Or my legs with seize up and I'll fall down on a totally flat path,

Or I'll feel itchy, like something is trying to move through my body...

Sakae: I see, so it's like that...

Sakae: Your constitution makes it easy for you to get drained....

Page 32

Sakae: ...Senpai.

Sakae: While you're still feeling well,

You ought to hurry back to your classroom...

Page 33

(If you're here, you'll become even more drained.)

Ashiya: ......

[Mom can't see demons,

So she misunderstood Sakae's words...]

Page 34

(He meant that her constitution makes her easily drained by demons...)

Abeno: ......

Abeno: ......

Abeno: (Ashiya Sakae...)

[Used his influence to kill demons to help humans...

...Was that sense of justice his motive for attacking demons?]

[When I saw his remnant back then, rather than having that sort of justification,

It felt as though he had a much darker reason behind his actions...]

Page 35

Nara: Because of that...

Abeno: !

Nara: I returned to my classroom like Sakae-kun said.

Nara: There, I told my classmate about Sakae-kun.

"I fell in love at first sight!" I said.

Nara: My classmate's face turned downcast...

Nara: She told me not to have anything to do with him,

Nara: And that misfortune would inevitably befall any person that gets close to him.

Page 36

Nara: In truth... His family died in mysterious circumstances, and the relative that took him in suffered from an unknown illness and was constantly going in and out of the hospital.

One after another, his friends suffered from poor health or got injured in accidents...

Nara: That's why people began to secretly call him a "God of Death" and avoid him...

...I heard.

Ashiya: (Could the source of it be...?)

Abeno: .......

Page 37

Nara: That's everything I remember clearly,

About Sakae back when he had gold hair and eyes.

Nara: The second time we met, Sakae's hair and eyes had become black...

Furyuu: Kyu.

Furyuu: Kyu.

Nara: ...Did you have anything else to ask me?

Ashiya: .....

Ashiya: ...Yeah.

Page 38

Ashiya: But that's more than enough for today.

Ashiya: ...I'll make sure to ask you next time.

Furyuu: Kyu!

Ashiya: Yeah...

Ah, I'm still at school.

Ashiya: Okay...

Furyuu: Kyu?

Ashiya: Okay... I'll see you later.

Page 39

Furyuu: Kyuu!

Page 40

Abeno: That story before...

Abeno: If the misfortunes occurring around Ashiya Sakae,

were a tragedy caused by a demon...

Page 41

Abeno: I can see how he'd come to think that demons had to be exterminated.

Ashiya: .....

(He lost his connections to the people he cherished because of demons...)

Ashiya: To Sakae, demons...

Ashiya: ...were probably the source of his misfortune and loneliness, huh?

Page 42

(Since he was someone who had experienced that suffering firsthand...)

(He surely couldn't leave Mom alone, when he saw her suffering from possession...)

Sakae: ((Uwah...) I thought I felt an awful lot of demons around...

Does this person draw demons toward them...?)

Ashiya: ...!

Ashiya: ...In that case, demons are...

Page 43

Abeno: Ashiya.

Abeno: Haven't you realized something?

Ashiya: Even if demons were responsible for stealing away his bonds with people,

They were also the Cupid that tied those two together in love!

Abeno: !?

Abeno: (Ah?)

Page 44

Ashiya: If demons didn't exist, I wouldn't have been born!

So it's thanks to them that I'm here today!

Abeno: (I'm an idiot for trying to talk to this 5 year old seriously.)

[The person in question, trying his best to have a serious conversation.]

Ashiya: I wonder how those two ended up hooking up...?

Abeno: ......

Ashiya: Maybe Mom confessed? (She did fall in love at first sight...)

Ashiya: It'd be really troublesome if demons kept interfering with their dates, though...? Hmm... I'm curious...

Abeno: You... Why don't you walk home today...?

Ashiya: Huh, why? I wanted you to send me back. (With the Mononokean, it's like woosh...)

Abeno: Don't make me look at your idiotic face any longer. Hurry up and leave in the next 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

Page 45

Nara: !

Ashiya: Thank you for telling me so much today.

Page 46

Ashiya: Right now, I'm walking home from school...

Ashiya: I'm hungry! I wanna eat omlete rice~

Nara: Come back home soon,

Hanae~

[finderskeepersff]

Epilogue. Part 1

“What about the kids, I can’t do this Sofia. I can’t, you are not thinking right” Cassius said in a panicked tone, he is scared and I understand why “the kids will thank you more, I am taking this into my hands, I am telling you now. I want you gone. Leave, go Cassius. If you don’t go now then you can kiss your life goodbye, I am telling you now Cassius, go!” my voice broke “I don’t want to leave you here, I will wait” I was breaking “no, you need to go! You go and take this opening where you can leave, Kalia has done this so you can go, please just go!” I shouted, I am angry at myself for breaking as the tears escaped, Cassius grabbed my arms and pulled me into him. “This is a nice ass house, don’t you think?” Gio said behind me, he broke my train of thoughts of that night, turning around to him “it is huge but he said freestyle, we know that doesn’t really go well and they always want something else besides what I assume” I ain’t going to do anything, my phone started ringing in my hand “ignore him, I will contact the client and ask again. But I think because he liked the bedroom you did, he said you got taste” looking down at my phone “god” I breathed out “hello” answering the call “hi, is this Mrs Warren?” the lady said down the phone “yes it is” walking away from Gio slowly “this is Mrs Greg from Brandon Hall, Cartier is not well. He wants to go home, he is in reception waiting for you. He is upset” that boy, he was so moody in the morning when I dropped him off, closing my eyes breathing out and I know he ain’t causing me shit right now “ok, I will be coming” I have no choice “bye Mrs Warren” he knew I was working far out today, I told him and I said Cartier don’t think about making me come back because you’re not well, you are well. Locking my phone “Gio, I am so sorry. I wanted to finish off with you, with being your partner in the company, I wanted to do this with you. I will work from home. Cartier is not well, I had feeling he would do this” Gio waved me off “do not say sorry, please don’t! It’s fine, kids come first. Just email me, and enjoy your time away ok” hugging Gio “thank you and take pictures for me of this room, send it me so I can runs some ideas by him, see you soon boo” grabbing my bag from the snooker table to walk out, I am so damn busy with everything, working mother life I guess.

Locking my Bentley door as I made way to the school, a whole hour it has taken me to come back here for this child of mine. All of my kids are in private school, I wanted to make sure they got the best, I didn’t want them to go to regular schools, I wanted the best for them and it does cost but it is so worth it, they get better education and I know they do enjoy it, I know Cartier does but he is playing up, he is doing it on purpose, I know him. Pressing the buzzer and stepping back, I should just teach his ass a lesson and say no and make Josiah pick him up, Josiah would really drill into his mind about being good, maybe I let him off too much “hello Brandon Hall Elementary” the lady said in the intercom “hi, I am here for Cartier Warren, I am his mother” I will judge Cartier once I see him, I need to see his persona “come on in” she unlocked the door, dragging it open and stepping into the school “hello, hi. Cartier’ mother” the receptionist said, where is she saying this from. Looking around me and she came from around the wall “follow me” I hope he hasn’t been naughty instead, following behind the lady, now I am nervous. I get scared to think I am not a good enough mother, or I am just letting them off. I don’t want that either “mommy, mommy, mommy. This is my mommy” the sound of my daughter’ voice screaming “don’t run! Sienna!” looking behind me, her arms attached to my legs “hey baby” looking down at her “mommy, you here!” she looked up at me, Cassius whole face on this girl, Cassius is just staring at me “I am here for your brother baby, what are you doing?” her teacher came rushing over “Sienna, you can’t run away like that. Hi Mrs Warren, we was just going to do story time in the story room, come let’s go to class now” her teacher held her hand out, crouching down “I will be back to pick you up baby, ok” hugging Sienna “I miss you” she gives the best hugs “I miss you too, you go now. Be good” she is so adorable in her uniform, my favourite child “bye mommy!” getting up from my position, the receptionist smiled at me “I guess when you have both kids in the same school it happens” rushing to her.

Do they have my son in a holding cell, what is this “we put him here, he said he was unwell and we thought he could lay down” she opened the door “I will get Mrs Greg for you” she opened the door, side eyeing her as she moved out of the way, walking into the room. Cartier turned in the seat and looked at me with his puppy dog eyes “I will be back” she walked off “Cartier” closing the door behind me “I want to go” he got up from the seat, he is ready to leave “no, you sit there. You’re unwell, what is wrong?” he is a liar, he ain’t ill “I feel sick” he mumbled “where is the sick? If you sick then then there would be actual sick around, I don’t see it? Cartier, look at me” he is lying to me and I don’t want that from him “what?” he dragged his eyes up to me “are you ill?” I asked him “yeah” so he is going to carry on with it “if I ask you again and you lie to me then we going to have problems, are you ill?” he sighed out, he sighed out like he got real problems in life “no” I knew that “why? Cartier you knew this, I said I am busy today, I got a big day today. And then we going away tonight, I am busy but you make it worse for me, because you can’t be bothered to be here. You’re not stupid, you know this” the door opened behind me “Mrs Warren, hello. Cartier how are you feeling?” she asked, I would like to whoop his ass “what has happened to your shoes?” I just seen the mess of them now “yes Mrs Warren, before Cartier said he was not well. We was doing some painting and a student by accident dropped paint on his shoes” I just seen the fucking mess of his shoes and pants “is that child going to buy him new ones, look at the mess of that!” let me calm my ass down “I understand Mrs Warren, can I just speak to you outside” there is more to this story “just wait there” I said to Cartier, walking behind Mrs Greg outside the room, she closed the door “Cartier when he came in, he was sombre. He has been sombre when we started, we started off fine though, I picked up on his mood. We did some arts, he wanted to sit on his own, his friends wanted to be close, Cartier refused and then that happened and Cartier to then tell the boy he would kill them you don’t know me, before it escalated I broke them up and helped Cartier clean his things, then he said he is not well, is everything ok at home?” I had a feeling there was more to this “he misses his dad” I admitted “and I will deal with him” walking around her, I just want to go.

Placing my bag on the back seat before slamming the car door shut, I am very annoyed still. The boy is not even ill and he is sat in my front seat acting butt hurt about his dad. I don’t smoke but recently I started, I am stressed out of my mind and I am trying my best to be good for these kids. I am trying to live a normal life and work, it’s hard to juggle it all. I was going to light one but I just want to go home, dragging open the door to get inside “that paint on your pants better not mark the seats” getting inside the drivers seat “I want to go home” he said, he is so grumpy and he reminds me of Cassius. Sienna got Cassius face but this child got Cassius personality “mhmmm” putting my car engine on “you want to get some frozen yoghurt?” I try and be strict with him “do you want it?” he asked me, I smiled a little “if that means you speak to me?” he nodded his head “then we will go for you” I had to laugh, that is such a Cassius thing to do “ok boss” shaking my head laughing.

Sitting down across from Cartier, a lot as happened and I wish he wasn’t so clever with shit. I married Cassius knowing the life I was getting myself into but it’s still so hard, the life he lived would catch up on him and I have always been so scared of it but it happened and I had to make that decision. Cartier has been struggling with the thought that his dad just walked out on us but I told Cassius to go, either he would have got locked up or killed and I told Cassius to go, I told him to escape so he went. I didn’t ever explain that to any of these kids because the next day the police were at the house, they wanted him and they had the proof, there was no way any of them getting away from this and I didn’t want to test that out either, it was awful. Seeing my husband a wanted man, it hurt me. They knew I was lying but Cassius and I had to split, no speaking, no connection because till this day they still monitor us and I can’t risk losing him to be locked up or even me now, I need to be here for my kids. I don’t know where Cassius is, Kyle also ran with him, and Amira because of the club she had to go. It’s a mess, I never told any of the kids why just because if they get questioned they could say anything but it’s hard on me, he did send a letter to me. Cassius didn’t want to go, it was hard to make him go but I didn’t want him locked up for life, that was it “you look upset” Cartier said while playing with his frozen yoghurt “I am just thinking Cartier, I don’t like to see you upset, you know this” he shrugged, with his stubborn self as always.

That poking the lips out sad face he is doing right now “talk to me, we have” looking down at my rolex “an hour, then we need to go and pick up your little siblings. Talk to me” Cartier slid off the seat, he dragged the chair close to me “what are you doing?” he placed the chair right next to me “before dad left us, he said to always look after you” he climbed onto the seat “you know I don’t need that, I will look after you, not the other way around” I chuckled “but mom, why did dad go? It’s his birthday today, I heard you telling Auntie Mia, that is why I am sad. Why did he leave us, did I make him sad? What is it?” shaking my head “it’s nothing to do with you Cartier, all I want for you is to be good in school, you got football to do. Coach said you are lacking, just because dad is not here that does not mean you do this. You’re nine and you acting like you’re grown, be a child and what you said in school, listen to me” I pointed at him, he was about to speak “you do not ever say that to anybody, I will not have it” Cartier is mean mugging me “I know what dad did mom, kill everybody. They call me young don!” gripping his face “you are not that! Me and Cassius did not put you into private school for you to think that! Your father did not go to your football games every morning for you to be like this, he did not want that! You know that, you listen to me Cartier, you stop it. You are hurting me, those people were stupid” he is hurting me, I don’t want that for my son. Not that life “I just want dad, why did he go mom?” Cartier sobbed, moving my hand away from his face and hugged my son “baby, it’s for the best trust me. It’s me” it breaks my heart to even hear the sound of his cries.

I don’t want to cry but his little face, for him to think it is him when it is not him “it’s his birthday and I want to see him, tell him I will be good” my lower lip quivered, wiping Cartier’ tears with my thumb “he knows” I strained out, moving my hands back from Cartier looking away from him. I did this, I made this decision for Cassius to go and at times I think I did wrong but I didn’t, I would be visiting him in jail or his grave. He had everyone after him, you get too big that is what happens “I love you mom, you’re strong” taking in a deep breath “thank you, we need to go and get your siblings now. Please trust me ok? And when we get home, get your things together, we are going on a family holiday” Cartier moved from the chair and walked to me, hugging him as he held me “it’s ok to cry Cartier, sometimes we all need to cry but I need you to trust me. And trust me when I say your dad loves you, he loves his little dada boy. And if you want to ever cry again, you cry. I am always here for you, just like you are here for me” when I told Cartier and Sienna Cassius left, they was heartbroken but Cartier was angry at first, but then it turned into hurt, now he misses him but Sienna she gets on with it.

Getting out of the car “come on you, I am not leaving you in the car alone” he wants me to go inside and leave him in the car, he is funny “fine” he sighed out, I just love that my kids are in private schooling, I just want the best for them “come on” holding my hand out to Cartier “mom, I’m big now” I laughed “so what, you are my baby. Even though I have your little brother too, but you are my first baby” Cartier held my hand “when are we going to Barbados again? It’s fun there” I chuckled “how do you know we going there?” he is cute “really!?” he spat “yes I am not joking, we going away there. Now you ruined it” walking towards Cassiel preschool class before I get Sienna, Cassius named Cassiel him damn self, I left him to it and this is the name we get but I am happy with it actually, it is different. He just turned four three weeks ago, I seem to have my kids near Cassius birthday which is funny to me but I am done with kids now. All of them under ten is a pain but I love them all so much “are we staying there for long?” Cartier asked “erm, about two weeks, we will back before you go back to school” smiling at some of the parents walking by me, I don’t ever speak to these people.

Cartier ran inside Cassiel’ preschool class “hey! Cartier leave him” these boys, Cartier grabbed Cassiel “mommy!” poking my lips out at him, he just so adorable “Cartier, leave him. Let him come to me” I can tell he is about to cry, Cartier let him go so he can run to me “awww you had a good day baby” catching him as I picked him up “mommy missed you too, big boy” he is heavy “you show mommy the picture you drew” his teacher came over to me “oh wow, Cassiel, you did this” grabbing the picture from the teacher “for me?” I asked, he nodded his head and then he kicked his foot right on my thigh “ouch” moving the paper back seeing Cartier trying to take his shoe off “leave him!” these kids are a pain, Cartier still held onto his foot “mommy! He mean” Cassiel whined out “I know, Cartier will stop it! Seriously” Cartier pouted letting his shoe go “go and get your bag baby” placing Cassiel on the floor “you stay here with me!” I pointed at Cartier, he is being a brat now Cassiel is here “here!” Cassiel ran at me with his bag.

Sienna and Cartier ran ahead but Cassiel held my hand as walked slowly towards the car “you two! Calm down, Cartier. Let Sienna sit in the front, it is her turn now” this is why they are running, for the damn front seat. Sienna and Cartier are like twins to me, they are so damn close and Cartier adores her so much but they do fight a lot “what did I say? I am not going to unlock the door until you let her sit in the front, it is her turn” my poor girl, she has no chance with Cartier “mommy, tell him!” she yelped “I am first born! I am older!” he shouted “and you don’t raise your voice!” I spat “now you listen to me, when I unlock this door, you sit in the back” Cartier didn’t move back, he is adamant in doing this. Moving my hand away from Cassiel “right move” pulling them both away from the door, unlocking the door and opening the door, pushing the seat forward “get in now” grabbing his arm and yanked him forward “don’t piss me off, get in now!” I spat, these kids are so annoying “and you too!” grabbing Sienna “why mom!” she spat “I saw you laughing so that is why, Cassiel will sit in front. None of you kids listen to me, and Cartier. You’re working my last nerve!” pushing the seat back “come here baby” Cassiel is such a good boy “kids huh” looking up at this random guy just smiling with his daughter “hi Cass!” the little girl waved at Cassiel, a small smile played on my lips, the name Cass “hi” Cassiel said to her “I know, just don’t have anymore” I said to him “you got your hands full, anyways Amerie say bye” she waved at Cassiel, look at my baby boy pulling a girl.

Helping Cassiel out of the car “ok kids, we need to get ready and we need to leave to go Barbados” Cartier ran out of the car from the drivers side “Cartier, I am serious. If I see you playing in the games room I will be very angry!” glaring at him but Cartier never listens, Cassiel also ran and then Sienna, they are all going to do the same thing. These kids never listen and then leave all of their bags in the car, reaching into the back seat and grabbing the backpacks “Sofia” moving back away from the car and seeing Omen stood outside the gate “hey” he waved at me lightly, Cassius has some real loyal people and he still remained around for me and the kids, he didn’t get caught up in it all. Closing the car door and walking towards the gate “what are you doing here?” I asked as I got closer “you know me, I am always checking on you and the kids, I sold the diamonds for you. It was hard, I rode all the way to Hollywood and got a good price, where would you like me to put the cash?” when Mitch gave me the diamonds I didn’t know what to do with them and I gave them to Omen, clearly he is better than me “I am going away, keep it with you. Take your cut” Omen but his hand up “no, I did it for you. I am not that, Cassius has helped me a lot, so yeah. I will save it. Hey” Omen waved, looking behind me “mom” Cartier slowly walking over to me ���go and get the bags out of the car” Cartier is staring at Omen “have you seen my dad?” frowning at Cartier “what I say? Go and get the bags out of the car” Cartier’ eyes didn’t leave Omen “now!” I spat, Cartier looked at me before he turned away “he’s questioning still?” nodding my head “he is, I stay with my decision. He is only god knows but I stick with it, I didn’t want him dead, I didn’t want him locked up either and soon. We will meet” Omen smiled at me “there is more people in Brooklyn, shit ain’t the same anymore. He was the president of Brooklyn, shit was deep. But I live here now pretty much, last I heard was he gone and then your home got raided and they took you in for questioning” I sighed out heavily “if they find out I have anything to do with him, I will be locked up too. I lied, I don’t regret it though. I helped him, it’s hard and Cartier is taking it bad. He worries me but thanks yeah. I haven’t moved yet soon though” I can’t wait to be with Cassius one day, I hope.

I tell Cartier to bring things inside and he leaves it on the floor “kids!” closing the door behind me “who was that guy? I don’t want another dad mom, I am leaving if you do that” who is this child even mean mugging “Cartier if you are asking me to beat you then keep talking, you and I both know that has already happened. You fix your fucking face too, I am not asking him to be your dad. Go to your room, pack your shit” Cartier turned on the step and stomped back up them “Cassiel, all I need you to do is sit and be good, take your coat off too” I don’t need him under my feet “mom! Tell him, go away!” Sienna shouted, walking up the steps “get off! It’s mine!” I just want a break from these kids and I can’t wait to get this in Barbados, my grandparents take over so I can just relax.

[thescarletofarose]

The Consequences of His Actions

Chapter Five

The sound of cutlery hitting fine china clinked through the dining room. The atmosphere was as tense and awkward as the car ride, occasionally broken by the polite comment or observation. 

“How are you enjoying the dish?” Adrien asked.

“It’s delicious,” Marinette responded. “Are you enjoying your meal?”

“Yes, it’s great.”

The conversation trudged on in a similar fashion throughout the courses. Oblivious to the tension or just ignoring it, Emilie had requested a formal meal to show optimal hospitality. Dessert finally replaced the salad plates, and Emilie observed the kids with amusement as they sighed in relief. She took a sip of her freshly given coffee to hide the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.

“Marinette, I hope you don’t mind that I chose dessert for you,” Emilie said, setting the cup down. She delicately brought a bite of parfait to her lips. “I tend to prefer sweets over cheese.”

“Of course not. My parents run a bakery, so naturally I’m fond of sweets as well.”

“Excellent.” Emilie’s eyes slid to the silver plate being placed in front of Adrien. “I heard that you’ve become quite fond of Camembert, Adrien. I asked the chef to swap your dessert for it.”

A pungent smell erupted from the platter as the gooey aged delicacy was revealed. Adrien’s stomach clenched as he held back a gag. With a strained smile, he turned to his mother, “Y-you recognized? How thoughtful...”

Ever so slowly, Adrien brought a small bite up to his mouth. He willed his facial features to not betray him as he slid in the cheese. The tough exterior gave way to an explosion of unwelcomed flavor. A whine escaped as he chewed, and Adrien had to force his grimace into a smile as the two ladies gave him a questionable look. He swallowed hard and held up his thumb. “Delicious as usual, mom, but I think I’ll have to hold back. After all I am a model, so I should watch what I eat.”

Emilie nodded and the plate was immediately removed. Adrien watched the hired hands remove the cheese, not yet used to their new presence. Since Nathalie’s indefinite departure, his mother had brought on a small team of people to take care of the abandoned duties. Adrien felt a twang of sadness. He and Nathalie had not been especially close, but he had hoped she would have said goodbye first. 

“So Marinette,” Emilie began, waiting for the targeted girl to finish her bite of dessert, “tell me about yourself. What are your plans after school? Will you be getting a government job?”

“I’m hoping to be able to pursue a career with fashion. I really enjoy designing clothes and making them,” Marinette answered. Her eyes brightened and her cheeks lightly colored. “I think it would be great to even come out with my own fashion line one day.”

Adrien watched Marinette’s reaction with a soft smile. He absentmindedly thought about what kind of clothes she would design. Would she wear her own designs? Would she create men and women clothing? What if she made a matching sweet-heart line for couples? Adrien felt his face warm at the thought.

“What are your intentions with my son?”

Adrien nearly fell out of his seat. He glanced at Marinette who was doing her best to not choke on her dessert. Emilie gently dabbed her face with a napkin, mercifully allowing them a moment to recompose.

“I-I…,” Marinette stuttered. Her face was the same color as the strawberries within her parfait. Adrien was sure his face matched.

“Mom, I really don’t think that’s an appropriate–”

“Nonsense, Adrien. As your mother, I should know the type of people with whom you’re associating. Isn’t that right, Marinette?” Emilie asked. She fought the urge to grin at the sight of the girl squirming in her chair uncomfortably. Watching their awkward and strained interaction during the dinner made it clear that the girl had feelings for Adrien. The effortless control she had could have made her purr. Emilie blinked innocently. “I’m sure your mother would do the same for you.”

Marinette squeaked in agreeance. Her face was so red, it was unclear if she was breathing or not. Emilie’s lips twitched and she decided to be merciful. 

“Speaking of, I understand your family runs a bakery?”

Emilie threw the question as a life preserver and like a drowning victim in turbulent waters, Marinette latched on with desperation.

“Yes! Both my father and mother.”

“Oh? How nice, and what are your parents’ names?” Emilie asked, slowly reeling the unsuspecting girl into her boat.

“Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng.”

Adrien sipped his coffee while watching the interaction, feeling more relaxed now that the topic of conversation had veered. He could still feel his heart racing, and he hoped he didn’t look as frazzled as he felt.

“Cheng. That’s Chinese, yes? If you don’t mind me asking, have you always lived here or have you been to China?”

Marinette gently pushed her now empty dessert glass to the side. “I’ve always lived in France. My mother lived in China though.”

“Really?” Emilie brought a hand to her cheek in feigned surprise. “It must have been so long since she’s seen her family then.”

Marinette shook her head. “Not as long as you think. She actually visited home a couple years ago. I wasn’t able to go because I was busy with school.”

Emilie leaned back in her chair and folded her hands. She regarded Marinette coolly, concealing the glee within her. “Interesting. Did she go alone?”

Marinette furrowed her brows in thought. “I think she went with a friend, but I really don’t remember.”

“Mom,” Adrien chimed in, “didn’t you go to Tibet a couple years back as well?”

Emilie waved off his question, her jovial mood quickly disappearing. She could feel a headache beginning to form. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean anything. China is large.”

“Actually, Tibet is where my mother’s family lives,” Marinette said. “Why did you travel to Tibet, Mrs. Agreste?”

“Work,” Emilie replied, resisting the urge to clench her teeth. A sharp pain began weedling its way through the right side of her temple. She dug her nails into the back of her hands and gave a tense smile to the young girl. “If you will excuse me, I suddenly feel unwell.”

Adrien got to his feet, his brow knitted in worry. “Are you okay? Should I do anything to help?”

Emilie held up a hand, and Adrien sat back down. She fought to keep her smile from slipping into a snarl. “No need, just ensure that your friend gets home safely.”

“It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Agreste,” Marinette said as Emilie stood up. “Thank you for having me over for dinner.”

Emilie chuckled and made her way to the door. “Believe me, dear, the pleasure was mine.”

Silence fell once more as the two seemed to remember the events leading up to the dinner. Marinette fiddled with her napkin, her mind going wild. It felt like a dream; Adrien had asked her to his house for dinner. It was something she had wanted, Adrien approaching her first, but had resigned to the fear that it would never happen. Though he had introduced her as his friend to Mrs. Agreste, Marinette’s heart couldn’t help but hope. She made eye contact with Adrien, and her face heated up. Guilt immediately began eating away at her. Turning away, she bitterly laughed and said, “I should get going. It’s getting late, and I’m sure my parents are expecting me.”

When his mother left, Adrien had wanted to continue talking, but he couldn’t help but feel doubt upon noticing her uncomfortable expression. Instead he fell into the awkward silence, unsure of what to say. He watched her squirm in her chair, each quiet second a punch to his gut. Marinette had accepted his offer to dinner, but that didn’t necessarily mean she had wanted to come. She made sure to go out of her way to check on him after his father’s arrest and has been nothing but caring and supportive. Agreeing to dinner could have been her just trying to be kind despite feeling uncomfortable. Adrien bit his lip, nauseated at the idea of having taken advantage of her kindness.

“Of course,” Adrien muttered. The two got up, and he led Marinette to the family car. He held the door open for her before going around to the other side. Buckled up, both looked out their respective windows, and the ride began in an unsatisfying silence. 

“I feel like I should apologize.”

Marinette and Adrien blinked in surprise, not expecting the other to say the same. Marinette opened her mouth, but Adrien held up a hand.

“Let me go first,” he said.

Adrien wasn’t sure how comfortable Marinette was around him, but he had to at least tell her he was grateful. “Marinette,” he said, “I feel like I’ve been taking advantage of your kindness.”

Marinette frowned, caught off guard. “Why would you think that?”

“You’re such a kind person. You have always been ready to help those in need, no matter the problem. You gave me the courage I needed to return to school after my father’s… arrest.”

Marinette’s cheeks pinkened as he continued, “I asked you to dinner because I wanted to spend more time with you, but I didn’t consider if I was asking for too much.”

Adrien stared intensely into Marinette’s eyes, desperate for her to accept his gratitude. “I like spending time with you, Marinette, and I want to spend more time with you.”

Marinette’s eyes widened, her mouth flopping open like a fish. “I-I…” she said, trying to pull herself back together, “I like spending time with you too.”

“Really?” Adrien visibly relaxed, a relieved smile slowly forming. “I’m so glad to hear that.”

Seeing his happy face, his eyes lit up and looking only at her, Marinette’s heart warmed. She found herself continuing to talk, wanting that expression to last forever. “It’s true. I felt bad because I knew you were hurting. While I was getting enjoyment out of the time spent with you, you were needing someone supportive. I felt like I was taking advantage of you…”

Adrien shook his head, laughing. “I’m glad we had this talk, Marinette.”

“Me too,” Marinette said. She nervously bit her lip and meekly asked, “Does this mean we’ll spend more time together?”

Adrien grinned. “I hope so. When would you like to hang out again?”

“I’m free tomorrow,” Marinette blurted. Her face turned a bright red. “U-unless that’s too soon.”

The car slowed to a stop. The teens looked out and saw the white building of the Dupain-Cheng household and bakery. Marinette reached for the handle, but Adrien gently grabbed her hand, stopping her. 

“I have a photo shoot at the park early tomorrow morning. We could meet up there once it’s done?”

Marinette smiled, her heart fluttering at the touch. “Yeah, I’ll see you there.”

Marinette climbed out, thanked the driver, and watched the car pull away in a daze. Once it was gone, she entered her home, feeling light-headed and giddy. Her mother was in the kitchen, and turned around to greet her when she entered. 

Sabine had a cup of coffee in her hand but set it down to hug her daughter. Pulling back, she saw the goofy grin on Marinette’s face and smiled knowingly. Teasing, she asked, “How was dinner?”

Marinette sighed. “He wants to see me tomorrow.”

Sabine chuckled and opened a cabinet to grab a second cup for Marinette who plopped onto a stool. “I’m guessing that means it went well?”

Marinetted nodded, fondly remembering the car ride home. “It was a little awkward at first. I didn’t expect to meet his mother, but she was really nice. Once we got to talking, everything got much better.”

A crash startled Marinette out of her daydream. She jumped up to see broken porcelain around her mother’s feet. ‘Mom, are you okay?”

Sabine stared at her hands, seemingly not registering that the cup had fallen. Marinette darted over and began picking up the pieces. The movement jerked Sabine into action, and she stopped Marinette. “Don’t,” she said, “you might get hurt. I’ll get a broom.”

Marinette threw the shards in her hands away and sat back down while her mother cleaned up the mess. Sabine focused on the repetitive movements of the broom, oblivious to her daughter’s concern. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Marinette asked as Sabine dumped the remaining pieces into the trashcan. The older woman feebly smiled.

“I probably just had too much coffee.”

Marinette hesitantly nodded, accepting her mother’s excuse. 

“You should get to bed, dear,” Sabine said, kissing the top of her head. “You were out late tonight.”

As if on cue, Marinette let out a yawn. At the mention of her bed, her body immediately felt heavy. She sleepily hopped up and hugged her mother goodnight before trudging upstairs. 

Sabine watched her go before sitting down. An unpleasant feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She ran a hand through her hair, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. Her hands were shaking as Sabine picked up the mug she had been using and took a sip of her coffee. It was cold.